Forecast

The forecast for Pound, VA where I'll be for the weekend..

October Frenzy and ND Reflections after 6 weeks

October always seems to be such a crazy month for us. There always seems to be a trip or two, along with SleepyMama's birthday, Halloween.. it just gets crammed.. and this year's edition is no different.
We led off the month last weekend with a trip to Louisville-- second time back there in three weeks-- for an old college friend's wedding-- a costume wedding. Okay, so it was a costume reception-- we didn't actually get to attend the wedding, itself.. but that may have been a good thing.
As it is, the boys are now spoiled on weddings. The first time we have to dress them up for a formal occasion, they're going to ask why they couldn't wear their knight and pirate costumes again.
It was a great time, though-- I've posted a bunch of pictures here and we're really grateful to all our friends up in L'ville once again for a good time visiting and letting our kids barge in on their weekend plans.

This was, of course, the first ND game of the season I didn't get to see. Not because of the wedding.. we were finished and back at the hotel by halftime.. but ABC aired the Ohio State game instead-- wisely, I'm sorry to say.
And this would be the week that the Irish pull one out.
By all accounts (and according to the stats), the didn't move the ball very well on offense. But the defense was apparently tenacious and ferocious about getting to the ball and ripping it out.



Go D!

So the Irish have avoided all the most worst case scenarios people in the press were starting to throw around-- worst losing streak in school history (it was bad enough, anyway), could go 0-8, or worse yet, winless for the season.... so all that chatter can quiet down now and the team can get on with the business of putting things in place, building a team, growing and strengthening with experience.

Well, I'm likely to miss this weekend's game as well.
I'm heading up into the Smokies in southern Virginia for a weekend at a cabin up there to hang out with some of those same college friends from Louisville.. We'll have the modern conveniences, I believe.. but no internet or cell service.. so possibly no cable or satellite. We'll see. I'm packing some layerable clothes and a few six packs of beer and hitting the road on Friday.

Fly away home..

Sunday afternoon-- On the plane flying back home to Nashville now, after a good morning breakfast with Steve and his family. Thanks again to Steve and his family—especially his wife Melissa, nephew Isaac, and brother-in-law, Todd— for their warm welcome and inviting me into their homes during this trip. It was a good time—despite the outcome of the game—and I was really glad to get to catch up with Steve meet his little 7-month old son, and share Thanksgiving with the whole family. Good times. We’ll have to do it again sometime.

Only in SoCal

I've only had the opportunity to come to Southern California twice now, and I must say, is this place always this freakin' beautiful!?
Went for a drive with my old roommate Steve, who lives out here, to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, up to Laguna Beach, just to see the ocean.. and, as Steve put it, "There you go-- on the day after Thanksgiving-- people surfing. Only in Southern California."
Plans for the next two days look something like this..
Heading to the Pep Rally in Anaheim tonight. Then tomorrow, take a shuttle bus to the Coliseum in the morning sometime to hook up with the LA Alumni and the big tailgate they're throwing before the game.

Then it's gametime.. and honestly, who knows where it goes from there.. but I'll try to snap a few pictures along the way for later reconstruction..

Going back to Cali

Happy Thanksgiving from the Mountain timezone.

I'm sitting in the Fox Sports Bar in the Phoenix airport, waiting on my flight to Orange County.

The flight in from Nashville got here almost 40 minutes early.. When was the last time you heard of that happening. Frontier was nice last month, but I still love Southwest.

Media buzz last few days seems to be swinging against the Irish.. And I have to say my own feelings have turned a bit that way as I think about how this game is really going to go. I don't know that an Irish win is likely.. But maybe, just maybe.. they can pull it off...

For this senior class..
For Charlie..

I believe.