Matt Kenseth wins at California

This week, my racing team, Bear Down Racing, faced the very tough team of Kelly's. Early on, I was happy to see my three starters running in the top ten... until I checked and saw that Kelly's were all in the top five! In the end, Kelly's driver, Matt Kenseth, won the race and his team won by seven points. Jimmie Johnson took third, Jeff Burton got fourth, and Kyle Busch finished eighth.

#1 Bear Down Racing 478 vs. 485 #4 halffastracing
#3 Desert Denny 218 vs. 389 #5 joelschu
#6 mr0bill 354 vs. 189 #2 2003martin6

#6 mr0bill was 1-0; won; now 2-0
#4 halffastracing was 1-0; won; now 2-0
#1 Bear Down Racing was 1-0; lost; now 1-1
#5 joelschu was 0-1; won; now 1-1
#3 Desert Denny was 0-1; lost; now 0-2
#2 2003martin6 was 0-1; lost; now 0-2

NYC Pillow Fight Coverage

The first 1,700+ photos have been posted to Flickr and it looks like a good time was had by all. Several photos do show feathers flying so we can assume that a few pillows were lost in the melee. Other than that and one guy about my size who took his shirt off, it looked like people had a very good time. Reading from the smiles, I'm guessing that there were a lot good natured battle crys followed by some pretty heavy laughing. Looks like a fun event in the Big Apple.

Hunkering down...

Another descriptive term that doesn't sound comfortable but, compared to many, I'm doing quite well. The Des Moines Register headline "160,000 still without power as storm tapers off" makes it clear that this is an uncomfortable day for many. The ice of yesterday is still holding on but now has been joined by a few inches of snow with more coming.

Last night, I was talking on the phone with Linda about the storm and stepped outside for a first hand account. There was a constant gentle rattle as the icy snow pellets were landing. If you stood out in it long, you got more wet than snowy. Around the neighborhood, I could hear the occasional pop of a tree limb snapping under the weight. I stepped inside to continue the conversation and, before long, heard an odd snap and rustle. Twilight came trotting out from my bedroom and quickly turned to see if it was still after her. I went to see what it could have been. Seeing nothing indoors, I took a look outdoors. The evergreen that stood at the corner of my house had split. The usual shallow arc of the cable wire was a sharp "V" where one side of the evergreen laid over it. I got my saw and did some quick tree trimming to prevent further damage.

I went out and shovelled a bit this morning. The snow is still falling and it's a wet, heavy snow. I didn't do the WHOLE driveway. (pause to let the laughter subside) Hopefully, the big half of this storm is already on the ground.

Today could be quite a day around Central Iowa. I'm confident I'll be alright though. Nowhere I need to go and the race in California will be suitable entertainment.

The evergreen shrubs in the background of the picture are my neighbors; normally tall enough to provide great privacy, they're bowing low under the ice and snow.

Sitting tight...

While that doesn't sound at all comfortable, it's what I'm doing today. On the way home from the poker shindig last night, there was just a hint of what was coming. This afternoon, I looked out the window and thought I should get a photo of what I'm not participating in... other than the NYC Pillow Fight, of course. Other's are out driving about doing this and that but I've a suitably stocked cupboard so I'm gonna stay indoors the rest of the day ... possibly weekend.

My outdoor thermometer is sending in that it is 33.7 degrees. Evidently a very good temperature for freezing rain.

Not this!

This evening, I took my weekly look at the Rocketboom site to see what they had up for Casual Friday and found an interview of the two coordinators of the now annual New York City Pillow Fight at Union Square. To watch the footage from last year's event click on the image above a time or two. If you have the right viewing software on your machine, you should see a fairly grainy video of dozens of people gathered in a square in NYC swingin' away with pillows!

One of the neat things I noticed when I watched this video is that I've been there! I took the picture on the right. You can see the "smoking" building in the background of the video! As soon as I saw the video, I knew where they were doing this!

They're going to be doing it again Saturday so, if you've got the time and a pillow or two to spare, head on over and get your licks in!

Daytona 500 ends with a bang!

The NASCAR season opens with the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. This year's race was largely uneventful but ended with cars going every direction... including upside down and on fire! (Nobody reported any injuries.) The finish was nearly a photo finish with Kevin Harvick winning over Mark Martin by hundredths of a second.

Four members of our fantasy league got together for our annual kickoff lunch at Rookies.

My Drivers produced a win for my fantasy team: Jeff Burton, third; Kyle Bush, twenty third; Ricky Rudd, twenty sixth; Jimmy Johnson, thirty ninth.

Can you dig it? Yes, I can

I was thinking about the Chicago song Saturday In The Park when I posted that title but it's only remotely applicable; this is clearly not the Fourth of July.

I posted these photos for a few reasons. They show What Dale's Doing Now. They're a clear reminder to those who've not recently seen this stuff up close and personal in a while. And the inset clearly shows that, from time to time, I do dig out my driveway. (Okay, that may not actually be my driveway... good point.)

I'm not speeding, I'm QUALIFYING!

It's that time of year again! NASCAR weeklong preseason is off and running. The fantasy league picks are made and, this Sunday, the real deal begins. Yes... I'm a bit excited about it all; who isn't?! Okay, I know, some of you aren't as enthused as me but I appreciate that you respect and generally forgive this preoccupation of mine.

I did spend some time this weekend watching the coverage of the Bud Shootout and qualifying for the front row of the upcoming Daytona 500. The Shootout was a nice warmup and preview of some of the issues drivers will be dealing with this year. Today's qualifying put Ricky Rudd, one of my drivers, on the front row (that's him in the chocolate brown uniform in the left of the photo collage.) I'm celebrating that today because, come race day, the front row isn't often where the winner starts.

Fortunately, this year, none of my drivers are in trouble with the officials ... at least not yet. Three of the fantasy league drivers did have their times disqualified due to one infraction or another. Michael Waltrip's car was even confiscated! Evidently the grey area they were exploring was a little more black and white than they initially thought. Ah well, that's part of the NASCAR experience anyway. It's gonna be a good year!

For those who wish to follow my picks this year, I'm starting the year with #48 Jimmie Johnson, #5 Kyle Busch, #31 Jeff Burton, and #88 Ricky Rudd.

Congrats to the Drake Women's Basketball team!

Last night, Linda and I watched the Bulldogs win their third consecutive home game, 64-52 over Creighton at the Knapp Center. The ladies have struggled but were on the mark last night. They were often patient and sometimes lucky; time after time, as the shot clock was running out, Drake was cashing in a quality shot. Throughout the first half, Drake steadily built their lead into double digits. The second half rallies were fought off and Drake had their eighth win of the season.

One of the particularly fun aspects of the evening was the new and improved Spike, mascot of the Bulldogs. Early in the year, Spike was pretty low energy and a bit full-bodied. Recently Linda and I saw the unveiling of a leaner, meaner Bulldog mascot; even his costume coloration was changed from all grey to grey with white highlights. Upon further review we recognized that the highlights were consistent with the published logos but getting used to the new look has taken a while. Last night, we were both impressed with his involvement with the crowd and activity on and around the court.

One of the great things about going to Drake women's basketball is the number of kids that show up and how they're engaged in the event. I've mentioned before that the sideline and endline of the court are lined by lines of kids who get running high-fives by the starters as introduced. Throughout the rest of the evening, small games, crowd shots, and freebies keep the energy high (along with the pitch of their screams!) It's really a very nice setting for an event.

Congrats to the Indianapolis Colts

Other than the opening kick, the Colts pretty well whooped the Bears on both sides of the line most of the evening. Taking what the Bears defense gave them, the Colts consistently moved the ball. The Chicago offense sputtered from time to time but didn't find a solution to the Indy defense. Final score: 29-17.

The view from the Front Row...

Last night, Linda and I checked out the front row at 95KGGO Arena and enjoyed a whole new perspective as the Des Moines Buccaneers defeated the Tri-City Storm, 4-1. The speed, size, and designed chaos of USHL hockey was even more apparent from just inches away from the action. Of course, as you can see in the lower left frame of my collage of pictures, from time to time, there are new obstructions.

Bear fans, your turn!

The Chicago Tribune posted the picture at right showing at least three buildings with Bear themed lighting patterns in the windows. I especially like the building furthest to the left; Go Bears on the side most facing us and a nice Bears logo on the side facing to the left. If you click on the picture, you should end up at the Tribune article telling how they made that happen.

Chicago has it's musical fans as well. An Elvis impersonator submitted video of his version of the King singing Bear Down, Chicago Bears! The Chicago Symphony even released an MP3 version. If you'd like to sing along, (and who wouldn't!)

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Make every play clear the way to victory!
Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly!

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation,
With your T formation.

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
And let them know why you're wearing the crown.

You're the pride and joy,
of all Illinois.

Chicago Bears, Bear Down!

The lions of the Chicago Art Institute had a little difficulty getting proper fitting helmets this year; the original helmets were a bit small and broke while being installed. Fortunately, another pair of helmets now adorn the cats. Click the picture to see the Sun-Times story about the difficulties. Remember the helmets the lions wore to honor the 1985 Super Bowl team? They were Weber grills!

Colts fans...

In hindsight, my last post probably wasn't very fair so I went looking to see what I could find on the real Colts fans and how they've chosen to display their support.

Checking out the Indianapolis Star website, I found the nice image to the right and, even better, a nice video piece on Musicians supporting the Colts. A full Mudkids rap video can be found on the YouTube site, Rock N Roll Pt. 1 Go Blue Remix The only place I found the Trillogy piece was at their MySpace site.

The Indianapolis zoo got onboard with their Colts get walrus support! video interview. How 'bout that Booger McFarland? Check out the REAL Booger website, http://www.booger92.com/

The US Postal Service is offering postage for those who still mail their communications and want to show their support of the Colts. (Actually, you can get postage for any NFL team.)

Evidently, the NFL is cracking down on large gatherings of fans watching their ultimate offering, even for good causes. The Star published a report that the league said "church gatherings must not use TV screens larger than 55 inches for Super Bowl parties. The league views such gatherings as violating federal copyright law."

Fair is fair. Clickin' around on links, I found the reverse version of my earlier post; this time, the teacher is a Bears fan.

All in all, the Colts fans are doing a nice job of puttin' on the blue. Like most of them, I'm looking forward to an excellent game. There are so many ways this game could unfold, we're just gonna have to see it.

In the interest of fair and balanced, check out the Bear fan in this CBS news video story.

Reading my email...

Last evening, after finishing my vegetable, I was going through my email and ran across the following story. I can't vouch for whether it's a factual account but it is an interesting read with particular significance in this day and age.

This morning a Gary, Indiana kindergarten teacher explains to her class that she is an Indianapolis Colts fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they are Colts fans, too. Not really knowing what a Colts fan was, but wanting to be liked by their teacher, their hands flew into the air.

There is, however, one exception. Susie has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not a Colts fan" she reports.

"Then," asks the teacher, "what are you?"

"I'm a Chicago Bears fan," boasts the little girl.

The teacher asks Susie why she is a Bears fan. "Well, my Dad and Mom are Bears fans, so I'm a Bears fan, too" she responds.

"That's no reason," the teacher says. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was an idiot. What would you be then?"

Susie smiles and says, "Then I'd be a Colts fan."

Let's go Bears!

Eating my vegetables...

Okay... one vegetable... an onion. Linda and I went out to Red Robin Burgers, a pretty interesting new-to-me place that obviously has a distinctive presentation for their rings. I had the Chili-Chili burger and Linda had a Bleu Ribbon burger; both were quite tasty and oh, so filling. On a night when the temperatures are struggling to stay in double digits, it really hit the spot. Of course, just stepping out the door again was a serious reality check but it just means I can go back and enjoy another of their offerings ... just not for a few days.

Counting down to the Super Bowl!

In the left margin, you should see that I've added a countdown to this year's Super Bowl between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts. Enjoy the time you have left Colts fans.