2005. Pretty Darn Good

I've had some good years, 2000 and 2004 come to mind, but 2005 may have been the best thus far. I knew coming in this was the year of opportunity, where I had the chance to make some things happen for myself. Fortunately, I was able to do that. My year revolved around achieving 3 goals: getting down to 200 pounds, finishing the Master's in front of family, and getting a job. Let's see, check, check, and barring some unforeseen event, check.

Here's why 2005 was so good:
Becoming good friends with everyone in the Miami Econ Master's program. I learned a lot from everyone in and out of the classroom. It was nice knowing you were getting support from other people while trying to complete the Master's.

Going to the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis with dad, bro, and Brad, three great people. I've been to the play-in game in Dayton several times, which gives you a taste of the NCAA atmosphere, but we got the real thing in Indy. I won't forget rooting Eastern Kentucky on, holding my breath as Fairleigh Dickinson kept it close with Illinois, and the atmosphere when Kentucky played Cincinnati. I can't wait to go back. I'd rather go to 20 NCAAs than 1 Super Bowl.

Coming back to get the grades I needed to finish my Master's. With 6 weeks left in the spring, things did not look good. I needed a few things to happen in order to get the grades I needed so I could start my thesis. Fortunately, all of those things happened, including a near perfect final exam in macroeconomics. It felt great coming through in the clutch.

Being able to present my thesis in front of my family was pretty special also. I got to share with them what I had been working on and working toward for the past year. That, then having my picture taken with my family in front of the soon-to-be demolished Reid Hall made it a pretty special day.

Going to Columbus for the Miami/OSU football game. Being able to spend the night with friends that I hadn't seen out and about Columbus was great fun. Then, going to the Horseshoe for the first time in 10 years to see my team take the field, even though they got beat, was awesome. It's hard to beat Gameday in Columbus.

Despite the long job search, I got to go to some great places. Staying in Downtown Cleveland gave me a taste of what the city life is like. I've been to Cincinnati many times, but I'd only been to Chicago once, and that didn't really count since we went to Evanston. In one day, I fell in love with the Second City, going to the top of Sears Tower, seeing everything Chicago had to offer. Then going to Detroit, where I may be headed on a permanent basis, before flying to Washington DC. Being in our nation's capital during the Holidays was pretty special. I'm glad I got to see the Mall again, I wish I had appreciated it more when I first saw it 11 years ago.

My family has spoiled me. Being there during the rough nights of the spring as I tried to get my grades up, being there when I presented my thesis and graduated, being there when I needed places to stay when I had to go out-of-town to interview, and how they've given me everything possible and done numerous favors for me, even though I can't pay them back has spurred me to close the deal. Finally, it looks like I'll be able to close the deal, and I'll finally be able to pay them back.

Getting to see good friends. The dinners with Ryan, the workouts with Stefanec, the Draft with John and Jason, learning the Bengals fight song, the pool with Michelle, dancing with Katy, basketball with Brad, golf with Randall, Jason and Dara's wedding, Columbus with Loveland, and my afternoon with Kathy are just some of the great times I was able to have with friends, and I thank them for those.

There was also: my karaoke performance at Brick St., refusing to vomit at Kings Island (that was big for me), 79 at Hueston Woods and 76 at Beechwood, my evening at the bar with Julie ("I notice you're watching Sportscenter, do you like sports?" If only I had asked for her number.), and seeing Miami win the MAC baseball tournament.

Coaching. Although it looks like this year will be cut short, I will be back on the sideline at some point. I enjoy basketball too much.

I'm thankful that my grandparents are getting healthy. Being there for them as they've fought through illness and injury made me realize that my struggles are secondary to what they're going through to make it through each day.

The job search. I thought it would be all over in August, everything was going my way. But it kept going, trying my patience and confidence. But here I am, on the verge of beginning my professional career.

I realize it hasn't been a great year for everyone, particularly those people who were directly involved with the tsunami and the Hurricanes. Because of those natural disasters, I am that more grateful for all the good that came my way this year.

This is what I wrote at the beginning of the year:
FINISH

My goal is to finish on time, get the grades I want, write a great paper, and get the job I want. The upcoming year holds so much promise, but business must be taken care of.

Again, barring some unforeseen event, I did pretty well. As my high school basketball coach says, "There are talkers and there are doers." I'm one signature away from DOING it.

Waiting to Put The Women and Children to Bed

I've basically decided I'm taking the job with the Fed in Detroit. All that's left is to finalize the offer and arrange for my drug test/background check. Still no word on my BEA test or interview in Washington, but they would have to be pretty sweet deals to deter me from going to Detroit.

Now, for what you've all been waiting for, what I got for Christmas:
-ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, this thing is massive. Now if they'll just make one for college basketball.
-ESPN Dick Vitale basketball game.
-ESPN Scene It DVD Trivia Game. I challenge all comers.
-A new car radio, my old one died. This new one has the live bass, so you can hear me coming from 5 miles away now.
-some cash
-coffee table, courtesy of my brother
-golf-style pool, you putt colored golf balls into the pockets, just as you would knock pool balls into pockets

5 out of my personal top 10 games of the year made the ESPN list. Surprisingly, the Aussie Rules game didn't make ESPN haha.

Tonight, while scouting Vandalia Butler, I saw a Sportscenter Top 10 worthy play. Butler has a 6'3" player who isn't a good basketball player, but can jump out of the gym. In the 1st quarter of their game tonight, he and another Butler guard had a 2-on-1 break. He threw a behind the back pass to his teammate, who threw the ball off the backboard, leaving it for the 6'3" player to slam it down with two hands, his head easily above the rim.

With Arizona State's win, I go to 6-3 in my bowl picks, a couple of points off the lead. In terms of confidence points, I have 46, which isn't a lot, but all my big point games are coming up.

There was an interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal about people offering "Disaster Tours" in New Orleans. Tourists are actually taking tours of areas devastated by Katrina. I'm not sure if I'm ok with this, other people profiting from other's peril, but these people are originally from New Orleans, most already in the tourism business before Katrina, so they're struggling to make a living also. Personally, I wouldn't go to New Orleans as a tourist until the area is well on its way back, which likely will be at least another 6 months.

Of course, I've forgotten everything else I was going to talk about.

Coming up, my personal top moments of the year. 2005 was very, very good to me.

GOT ER DONE!!!!!!!

Finally it has happened to me right in front of my face
My feelings can't describe it
Finally it has happened to me right in front of my face and
I just can not hide it

-CeCe Peniston

Of course when I least expected it, I got the news I've been waiting for. Thursday afternoon, I have been offered the Associate Economist position at the Detroit Office of the Federal Reserve of Chicago. This came just hours after finishing my interview in Washington D.C. It's still sinking in, trust me. It hasn't hit me yet that this adventure may be over. Once I got an offer, I thought the hard work would be over. Boy was I wrong. Now as I contemplate whether or not to accept it, do I counter? Do I string it out, waiting for my test results and the outcome of Thursday's interview, both of which I should know by the beginning of next week. Then, I have to figure out where I'm going to live and prepare to be out on my own, for good.

But ya know, trying to answer these questions is a lot better than what I've been doing for the last 6 months or so. I'm grateful for the opportunity, but it will be a weekend of deliberation and consultation. A job with the Fed is ideal, and a big reason why I went back to get my Master's. But, can I do better??? That's what I have to figure out this weekend.

I know I've said this many times, but thank you to all those who have offered their support and good wishes as I've gone through the process, I really do appreciate it. I'm glad I've been able to finally come through in the clutch and deliver.

The offer has kind of overshadowed my outstanding trip to Washington D.C. and the time spent with my family there. They did so much for me, letting me stay, making sure I got to my interview early, taking me to and from the airport, cooking and treating me to meals, they really went out of their way for me. I was also fortunate after my interview to have a little time to stop in Downtown Washington and walk around, especially since I hadn't been there in more than a decade. I didn't have much time, but I did walk down Pennsylvania Ave., seeing a White House Chef among others. I walked some of the Mall, getting my first glimpse of the World War II Memorial, which was impressive. I didn't get to the Vietnam Memorial, which was disappointing, but I just didn't have enough time.

The number of houses/developments that have/are going up is incredible. They go as far as the eye can see. The traffic is incredible too. I feel like I've been in a traffic jam for the last 3 days. Gridlock everywhere you look. When I arrived Wed. afternoon, it took my uncle and I an hour and 45 minutes to go about 25 miles or so. The flying was ok, it had its plusses and minuses. Walking in the tunnel between terminals in Detroit was funny. The tunnel was lit up with neon lights that were in sync with techno music, making for an energetic walk. I still get a kick out of taking off and trying to figure out where you are by looking down at the ground. I even got to fly 1st class today on the leg back to Detroit, which was fun.

Some of the negatives were: inhaling McDonalds in between flights Wed. I thought I would have a few minutes to relax and eat, but when I got to the gate of my flight to Washington, they had begun boarding. Today, on the way back to Dayton, I was stuck on the left side of a puddle jumper, which means zero leg room. My left leg was wedged against my groin, not fun.

I'll have more to say about the trip, but I'm pretty exhausted. Off to bed, thinking about Motown!!!!

Let The Adventure Continue

There has been no word on my test results or interview in Detroit, but another great opportunity has emerged. A company that specializes in consulting/civil engineering that is looking for an economist has decided to bring me in for an interview this week. This one came out of nowhere as I phone interviewed with them about 2 months ago and hadn't heard anything since, so I figured I was out of the running. But I got a call this weekend from them wanting me to come into their Silver Spring, Maryland office for an interview, so that means another road trip!!!! I'll be flying into Dulles Wednesday afternoon, and I'll be staying with my uncle and aunt and their family, who have graciously allowed me to stay with them Wed. and Thurs. night. I'll interview Thursday, then fly back Friday afternoon. I won't get back until Friday night, so I'll miss our basketball game, but what can ya do. It's amazing I was able to find room on flights just days before Christmas. So I'll get ready the next couple of days for my first interview East Coast style.

Our basketball team won both of its games this past weekend. Friday was another low-scoring affair against a defensive, physical team. Playing at Kettering Fairmont's new, sparking 3500 seat arena, we were able to hang on for a 31-26 victory. What made it an especially good win was due to the snowstorm we had, we weren't able to practice the day before, so for the guys to put in that kind of an effort was awesome. On Saturday, we were able to beat Lebanon 51-44. This was an extra special win for me because I was in charge of scouting Lebanon, so I felt I had to step up and be ready, and I think I did a good job. So we're 3-1 with games Tuesday and Friday night. We can still play a lot better, so to be 3-1 feels good.

Now, for some other sports:

• Cincinnati Bengals, AFC North Champions. It's hard to believe.
• How about that team known as Da Bears?!?!?! A big win at home vs. Atlanta gives Da Bears a 2 game lead over Minnesota with 2 to play. Plus, with Rex Grossman back at quarterback, Da Bears offense isn't quite as offensive.
• There weren't too many basketball games this week due to so many schools having finals, but there were a couple of teams that caught my eye. One was Creighton tonight against Xavier. Playing without their best player Nate Funk, the Blue Jays were still able to beat a very good X team by 3. For the first time in awhile, Creighton has some legit size. Anthony Tolliver is a player. How about the big 3 he hit with a minute to go??? Another team was Kentucky. The whole Randolph Morris thing sounds fishy, but you can't deny the way they played vs. Louisville. Joe Crawford's dunk is one of the plays of the year, his head was above the rim!!!! Not bad for a 6'4 guard.

1 week until Christmas, I've gotta get my shopping done tomorrow before I fly out Wednesday. I don't get too nervous flying, but going to a place like Washington, D.C., despite the added security, still makes me look around for anything suspicious. One part of flying I do enjoy is the walking in/out of the tunnel leading to the plane. Ever since I was little, it feels like I'm walking onto the court/field for a game. Yeah, it's silly, but I still get a kick out of it. It makes me feel a little more important I guess, I don't know. I've been to Washington once, but I can't remember exactly when, which isn't good. It was before I went to high school, I know that, but that's all I can recall. It was neat seeing all of the buildings and everything, but my two favorite parts of the trip were: my first trip to a Pizzeria Uno and going to a minor-league baseball game (seeing Aaron Boone and Frank Thomas's younger brother play among others). I don't know if I'll have time to visit the heart of the city, we'll see how it all goes.

Another thing I like about flying: peanuts!!!!!!

Top 10 Games of 2005

It's that time of year, time for all of the year-end lists and bests of. So here are my top 10 games of 2005:

10. Aussie Rules Semifinal, Geelong vs. Sydney. It looked bleak for the Sydney Swans, trailing by 22 points with 10 minutes left. But Nick Davis would have none of it. He led a thrilling 4th quarter comeback scoring 4 goals, including the game-winner with less than 5 seconds left. Needing a goal to win, Davis temporarily gathered the footie and was about to turn and kick when he lost control. With the ball lose, Davis kicked it out of the air and through the goal to give Sydney the dramatic victory. Sydney went onto win their first grand final since 1945.

9. US Women's Open, Final Round. The final round at Cherry Hills was a sign of things to come in women's golf. The week started out as Annika's to lose, but instead turned into a showcase for the young guns. Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer were at the top of the leaderboard, but it was amateur Morgan Pressel who held up under the pressure, giving herself a chance to win. But the tournament was taken away from her when Birdie Kim holed her greenside bunker shot, which ultimately gave her the victory. Pressel and the rest of the golf world watched in astonishment as Kim, who had only made 9 cuts in her pro career and had converted less than 40% of possible sand saves, won the biggest prize in women's golf.

8. NFL Week 5, Patriots/Falcons. In a must-win game for the depleted Patriots, Tom Brady was Tom Brady. 22/27, 350 yards and 3 TDs, along with 106 yards rushing from Corey Dillon were just enough as the Pats held off a stunning 4th quarter comeback from Atlanta. Atlanta was without Michael Vick, but Matt Schaub stepped in nicely (18/38, 298 yards, 3 TDs), including a TD pass to Dez White, along with the 2-point conversion tied the game at 28 with 4 minutes left. But Brady calmly led the Pats back down the field, leading to Adam Vinateri's game winning field goal with 17 seconds left.

7. US Open Men's Quarterfinals, James Blake vs. Andre Agassi. Who do you root for? There's Blake, who was coming back from a crippling and life-threatening illness and was playing the best tennis of his career. Then there's Agassi, who was pulling out all the stops to make one last run at a major. Blake came out and took the match to Agassi, winning the first two sets easily. After Blake went up a break early in the 3rd, it appeared as if the changing of the guard was at hand. But Agassi raised his game. Let's make it clear, Blake's level of play didn't fall, Agassi raised his that high. Agassi won the 3rd and 4th sets, gaining the crowd and momentum. The 5th set was classic. When one player looked as if he had turned the tide with a big shot, the other came right back with a big shot on the very next point. Agassi won in the 5th set tiebreaker, which ended a little past 1am in front of a crowd that had predominantly stayed. When you have 20,000 people still in the house past 1am at a tennis match on a weeknight, you know it was good.

6. 2005 Rose Bowl, Texas vs. Michigan. Vince Young's true coming out party. 16/28, 180 yards passing, 1 TD, plus 192 yards and 4 additional TDs rushing, 3 in the second half, which included a 60-yarder. What made it even more special was this was against Michigan, not Baylor. Despite his great performance, Michigan matched them score for score. Chad Henne threw 4 TD passes, 3 of them to Braylon Edwards. When was the last time both teams' superstars played so well in a bowl game??? It came down to who had the ball last, which was Texas, who got a 37 yard field goal from Dusty Mangum to win it.

5. NLDS, Braves vs. Astros, Game 4. You know I don't watch many baseball games, but this one got my attention. The Braves appeared to have sent the series back to Atlanta for the 5th and deciding game after Brian McCann's homer put them up 6-1. But Houston came back in the bottom of the inning with a Lance Berkman grand slam which cut the lead to 6-5. Then with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Brad Ausmus went yard to deep center, sending the game to extra innings. Both teams then played on through the afternoon and into the early evening as the game remained tied. In fact, Roger Clemens was forced to enter in the 15th inning as he was Houston's last pitcher. The Rocket threw smoke and kept the Braves at bay, allowing for Chris Burke's theatrics in the 18th inning, a homer which won the game and sent the Astros to the LCS.

4. Ford Championship, Final Round. Finally, we had our dream golf matchup: the resurgent, intense Tiger Woods vs. the ever-smiling, go for it Phil Mickelson. Tiger had won earlier in the year at the Buick in San Diego, but didn't look like the old Tiger. The old Tiger showed up at Doral, as he went into the final round trailing Phil by 1, pairing them together in the final round. Tiger missed two early birdie putts, but caught a break when he made a lengthy par putt at the 4th while Phil missed a short birdie try. Tiger tied Phil the very next hole after his approach hit the flagstick, setting up a short birdie. They remained tied until the par-5 12th, when Tiger reached the green in 2, then made the eagle putt to take a 2-shot lead. In years past, this would be where Phil would go away, but instead he came right back with birdies on 13 and 14 to retie Tiger. Phil had chances on 15 and 16 to take the lead away from Tiger, but couldn't take advantage of them. Then on 17, Tiger drained a long birdie putt to take a 1 shot lead. On the last hole, Phil hit his approach over the green, forcing him to chip in to have any chance of a playoff. Phil almost did just that, getting his chip online, but the ball went in and out of the hole.

3. Game 5 NBA Finals. In the only competitive game of the series, Big Shot Robert Horry hit the game-winner with 6 seconds left in overtime to give the Spurs a 96-95 win and send them back to San Antonio with a 3-2 lead in the series. Horry was bothered by a bum shoulder, which seemed to magically go away as the game went on. Horry scored all of his 21 points in the last 17 minutes of the game. The Pistons looked to have it won after a Rasheed Wallace jumper put them up 4 with 1:43 left, as Detroit basketball had taken advantage of shockingly erratic play from Tim Duncan down the stretch (missed 6/7 free throws, plus 2 turnovers). But Horry answered with a dunk, and after Chauncey Billups missed shots on consecutive possessions, the Spurs and Horry got their chance. On the last play, Horry inbounded to Manu Ginobli, who was immediately double-teamed, leaving the most dangerous guy on the floor, the inbounder, who's often forgotten about, wide-open. And it wasn't your ordinary inbounder, this was Robert Horry, the guy who's made big shots his whole career. When he got the ball back with a wide-open look, you knew it was going in.

2. USC at Notre Dame. It's tough for games to live up to the hype in this day and age. This one did and then some. Unlike in previous weeks, the Trojans came out fired up and ready to play. But that didn't stop the Irish from taking a 21-14 halftime lead, led by a 60 yard punt return by Tom Zbitkowski. Reggie Bush answered early in the 3rd with a 45 yard run to tie, then a 5 yard run with 5 minutes to go to put SC up 28-24. But Brady Quinn was cool, calm, and collected, and led the Irish right back down the field to take a 31-28 lead after he ran in from the 5. USC had time to answer, but were up against the wall, facing 4th and 9. Matt Leinart audibled at the line of scrimmage, then hit Dwayne Jarrett in stride for 61 yards, putting SC in field goal range. USC wasn't about to settle for a field goal, they drove inside the 5 when Leinart tried to run it in himself. As he turned the corner, he was hit from behind and the ball came out as the clock ran out. For a split second, it appeared ND had won, but the ball had gone out of bounds, putting 3 seconds back on the clock, giving SC time for one more play. Leinart, instead of spiking the ball and going for the tie, sneaked and was stopped on his initial surge, but with a little help from Bush, Leinart rolled his way into the end zone giving SC a 34-31 win. This was the equivalent of Duke/Kentucky's basketball game, the drama and the ending unbelievable.

1. NCAA Regionals. I tried not to be biased, but honestly, were there 4 better games than the NCAA Regional Finals???? It started out west where West Virginia and Kevin Pittsnoggle appeared to be running away to St. Louis. Down 20 in the 2nd half, Louisville turned up the pressure D, forced the game into overtime, then won it. If that wasn't enough, later that day, Arizona was doing the unthinkable. They played 36 minutes of perfect basketball in Chicago, in front of the Orange Crush, leading by 15 with 4 minutes to play. But Illinois had one last miracle in their dream season left in them. Sparked by Deron Williams, Illinois came back, forced the game to overtime, then won. The next day, after North Carolina's "boring" 7-point win over Wisconsin, a game that was nip and tuck until the last 5 minutes, Michigan St. and Kentucky played another thriller. The Spartans seemed to be in control, leading by 8 with 5 minutes left, when the fighting Ashley Judds started shooting their way back into it. Down 3 in the closing seconds, UK missed two good looks when a long rebound came out to Patrick Sparks. With the buzzer about to go off, Sparks could only flip the ball to the basket, which after hanging on the front rim for what seemed like forever, dropped in, sending the game to overtime. UK led by 4 in the overtime, but Michigan St. was too much, winning by 6 in the end.

If you disagree, let me know where I went wrong.

Dream Lover, Come Rescue Me

Take me up take me down
Take me anywhere you want to baby now
I need you so desperately
Won't you please come around'
Cause I wanna share forever with you baby

It's not a bad thing being single, but I know from experience the Holidays are a little more fun when you have a special someone besides your family and friends. Although, I really can't afford to shower anyone with gifts at the moment, so maybe it's a good thing I don't have a girlfriend.

Anyway, we lost our 2nd game to Centerville by 15. My worst fears were suspected: our guys backed down from a more physical Centerville team. We got beat up physically inside and outside and got outhustled. Their two post players couldn't carry my groceries, I'd eat them up for lunch if I were still playing, but they pushed around our post players like they were 1st graders. We scored 9 points in the 2nd half, 2 in the 4th quarter?!?!?! It's safe to say the guys are going to be in for a tough week of practice. The varsity did beat Centerville in double overtime, so that salvaged some of the evening.

This coming weekend includes my uncle and aunt's hosting of the family at their house, which means appetizers galore!!!!! Mini quiches, jalapeno poppers, chicken wings, mini hot dogs, and SHRIMP!!!!!! And there is more, but you get the idea. It's safe to say I'll put in a good workout before I dig in.

Still no word on my test or interview, I'll let you all know the good/bad news when I'm notified.

Now for some sports:

• I've got a headache, and it's because Da Bears and Miami both lost this afternoon. Da Bears defense didn't show up with their usual intensity, letting the Steelers control the line of scrimmage as Da Bears missed tackle after tackle. Big Ben took care of the ball, and the Steelers took the early lead and never lost control. Kyle Orton played better, but I think Rex Grossman will get a shot in the next 3 weeks. Da Bears only lead Minnesota by a game (they play on the last day).
• Meanwhile, Miami and Xavier played in a well-fought game, with Xavier making big shots down the stretch to turn a 66-65 lead with 3 minutes left into a 75-65 win. Despite playing without #2 scorer and rebounder Tim Pollitz, Miami competed hard, staying with X on the boards and matching them shot for shot until the final 3 minutes. William Hatcher scored a career high 24, freshman Mike Bramos added 14, and Nate VanderSluis played the game of his life, getting 10 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn't enough. Miami travels to Wichita St. for another tough game on Tuesday.
• I was very surprised Duke took Texas behind on the woodshed. JJ Redick was, en fuego. Texas made two tactical errors. PJ Tucker, not Kenton Paulino, should've guarded Redick. Tucker would've been more physical and been more likely to disrupt Redick's rhythm. Also, Tucker should've posted up more, taken advantage of his physical play. When he did get the ball in the post, Dockery, Redick, or Melchionni couldn't stop him, but too often, Tucker was out on the perimeter trying to drive to the basket. That part of his game has improved, but against the Dukies, he should've been inside.
• I was not surprised at all with the hurting Indiana put on Kentucky. As I've said, UK now has no low post threat, which means they're in big trouble when they play someone who has a low post threat, i.e. Indiana. Indiana more than made up for their loss at Indiana St., who are still undefeated after beating Ball St.
• I would advise you not to jump on the Gonzaga bandwagon. I think that Adam Morrison is a great player, but team-wise, they're not Final 4 material. Until they can stop someone consistently on defense, they won't make it past the 1st weekend.
• The Bengals were very lucky to win today, they didn't come ready to play at all.
• In the span of 2 weeks, Illinois has won at North Carolina, in Chicago vs. Xavier, at home vs. Georgetown, and in Portland vs. Oregon. They're coming along offensively, but their defense is outstanding. Except for Dee Brown who makes it up with his quickness, Illinois are big and long at every position, making it difficult for teams to run their respective offenses. I would've laughed if you told me they'd crack the top 10 this year. Well, here they are and I'm not laughing.

Before I forget, I want to thank everyone for their kindness and support while I continue my job search. I have received so many good wishes, favors, words of encouragement, and other kinds of support, it's overwhelming. I don't know what I've done to deserve all of it, but I promise you I'll pay you back and never forget it. Thank you and I hope you have a Happy Holidays.

I don't want another pretender, To disillusion me one more time

Whispering words of forever, Playing with my mind

I need someone to hold on to, The kind of love that won't fly away

I just want someone to belong to

Everyday Of my live, Always

So come and take me away

It's ok to dream, right???? This was the 1st Mariah video I ever saw, when she jumps in the pool at the end with her flannel shirt tied in the front, yo haha. So it looks like another holiday season where the only kisses I'll be receiving will be Hershey's Kisses, not kisses under the mistletoe. Funny enough, I don't think I've been kissed under mistletoe before. Oh well, something to look forward to!!!!!

Alright, I'm done rambling, I think I'm going to take a quick nap. For those of you with finals this week, good luck!!!!!

Heavy Snow Warning

There are about 4 inches of snow on the ground here in the Dayton area, all of which has fallen in just the last 5 hours or so. It took me 30 minutes to get home from basketball practice; on a normal night it takes me 10. I drive cautiously when it snows/ices, unlike the people who have 4-wheel drive and aren't afraid to show it off. Schools are already cancelling, which puts tomorrow night's basketball game in jeopardy. We're scheduled to play Centerville, which will be a dogfight. Low-scoring, physical, intense basketball will be played at Northmont tomorrow night. I don't know if our guys are ready to play that kind of game, they'd rather get up and down the floor, which we'll try and do, but it's hard to do that against a team like Centerville.

I feel good about my interview in Detroit, which means absolutely nothing. It's now back to the waiting game, waiting for interview feedback and test results.

Today I decided to cook since I hadn't done that in awhile, so I made some chili and chocolate chip cookies. I have to say, my cookies came out really well. They are soft and yummy, if only you could have some, I think you'd be impressed.

And reportedly there's trouble between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. Gee, no one saw this coming, especially when Kevin was out partying during Britney's pregnancy.

Now, to sports:

• Tom Brady was chosen as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, a choice I can't disagree with. I was surprised to see that the only multiple winner of this title is Tiger Woods, not Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, or anyone else. What I did disagree with was the inclusion of Danica Patrick's 4th place Indy 500 finish as a great performance. Her 4th place, in SI's opinion, was better than Tiger Woods winning 2 majors and finishing in the top 4 of all 4 majors, Annika Sorenstam's incredible year, and Lance Armstrong winning his 7th tour.
• Miami basketball is 4-1 after beating a solid Oakland University team at their place Tuesday night. Now it gets interesting for the Redhawks, who begin a rigorous 4 game stretch which consists of: Xavier, at Wichita St., at Michigan, and Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Miami hockey rose to #2 in the national rankings after their sweep of Michigan, the highest ranking for any Miami team ever.
• Randolph Morris is ineligible for 2005-06, which means Kentucky could be in trouble. They'll still be good, but without a reliable post threat, they won't go far in March.
• Gary Barnett is out as Colorado's football coach. I can't believe this didn't happen right after the scandal of a couple of years ago. What a poor showing by them Saturday vs. Texas. They deserved to get hit by debris thrown from their student body after getting whipped at home vs. Nebraska. Ok, maybe not, but they're a bad excuse for a bowl team. Clemson should destroy them.
• Martina Hingis is returning to the women's tennis tour, three years after retiring due to injuries. It will be interesting to see how she does against the big women's hitters. She's bulked up, but I think she'd be better off to sticking with her finesse game and her variety of shots. I don't think she can be #1, but she can get back into the top 10 and win another major.
• I think Texas will beat Duke this weekend. They're a little better than Duke right now, which doesn't mean that will remain the case as the year goes on. I like the depth Texas has inside, and Shelden Williams is defenseless if you go right at him, as Indiana's Marco Killingsworth proved. I don't think Duke has an answer for PJ Tucker, since DeMarcus Nelson is hurt.
• Speaking of Indiana, losing at Indiana St.????? Then, Iowa losing to Northern Iowa. Northern Iowa has a good team, but Indiana St.???? I think it's fair to say the Hoosiers were looking ahead to Kentucky this weekend. Because of this weekend, the Missouri Valley Conference may have guaranteed themselves two bids with their upset victories.
• The only negative about my stay in Detroit was I didn't get to see the incredible games that took place on Fox Sports Net, which my hotel didn't get. This meant I missed Duke/Va. Tech and Gonzaga/Washington, both great games. The sacrifices I make....

That's all I've got, g'night.

8 Mile

When I passed under the sign for the 8 Mile Rd. exit, I couldn't help but start rapping Lose Yourself. I'm surprised there wasn't some sign indicating Eminem's trailer is now a tourist attraction. I'm in Farmington Hills for the night, about 30 minutes outside of downtown. 11am is my moment and I will be on the attack. My cold has gotten better and I feel ready to go. The drive up was surprisingly easy, considering the amount of ice we got last night. Driving home from the game, I couldn't go more than 20mph. I couldn't even get the car up our driveway, it went right back down into the street. But it was all gone and I got up here without a hitch. After a good workout, a little hot tub, and a good meal at Ruby Tuesday's (the colossal burger is just that), I'm just waiting on tomorrow.

Thank you everyone for your good luck wishes and your support, hopefully I can get er done this time.

We won our first game by 13 last night. The guys got off to a slow start and trailed by 2 at the half, our opponents were hitting from the outside and forcing turnovers, making the game ugly. But in the 2nd half, we played Northmont basketball, disciplined, but up-tempo, forcing our opponents to do nothing but shoot 30-footers, and they weren't even close. The varsity also won, making for a splendid evening at one of the coaches' houses after the game. The people at Northmont have been great, all supportive. They are genuinely excited to have me back for however long I'm there, which is awesome.

Today is my brother's 20th birthday. My little bro is 20, it's hard to fathom.

8 in a row for Da Bears, who are now 2 up with 4 to play over the Vikings. And yes, I will be rooting for Da Bears to beat Big Ben and the Steelers next week.

Random: I'm watching Miss Congeniality since I have no interest in the Sunday Night NFL game and the hotel only gets 7 other channels. The TV version of the movie cut out one of my favorite parts: Sandra Bullock's look during the opening number of the beauty pageant. The way she looks at the camera is just, well, it's something I look forward to when I watch the movie and to have it cut out is OUTRAGEOUS!!!!

Miami basketball improved to 3-1 with a league win up at Central Michigan. Nathan Peavy has become a man, the 6'8 junior had 22 points and 10 boards. And of course, I don't go to the Miami hockey game, and they sweep Michigan to take a commanding lead in the CCHA.

Mark it down: USC will BLOW OUT Texas. The only way to beat USC is to outscore them with a precision passing game (see Fresno St., Notre Dame, Arizona St.) with some type of running game. Vince Young is not a good enough of a passer to throw the ball with precision. He relies on opposing defenses coming up to play the run, going for the play action fake, which allows him to throw over the top. USC's secondary is athletic enough to play Texas's receivers 1-on-1, so Young will have to be very accurate and precise as to where he places the ball on his throws. He's improved his throwing, but I don't think he's precise enough. The Texas defense, highly touted, gave up 29 points to Texas A&M with the Aggies forced to use their backup quarterback. Uh oh.

USC 48, Texas 17.

Other bowl predictions will follow as it's time to get ready to enter the pools.

Tomorrow's another moment for me, will it be mine? We'll find out I guess.

Time To Throw It Up

Tomorrow night begins the season for Northmont basketball and my first game as a coach. We play a very talented and athletic team in Meadowdale, which will challenge us. They're one of those teams that you can just as easily lose to them by 20 as you can beat them by 20. We have 17 guys, 17!!!!! We only intend to have a rotation of 8-9, which could make for some interesting team dynamics. I will do my best to keep those guys on the bench feeling positive, as I was once in their shoes. Their time to play is practice, and that's where they have to make it happen. I can't wait for tomorrow night, it should be fun.

This week my sinuses acted up so I decided not to go down and see Miami/Michigan hockey. I think rest is more important as Monday I'll need to be feeling as close to 100%, if not 100%, as possible. I will stay outside the city Sunday night, giving myself plenty of time to drive into downtown for my 11am interview. I wasn't crazy about the idea of driving for 4 hours, then going to interview. I like going up the night before, as if it were a game, and getting ready in comfortable settings. Plus this hotel has a hot tub, and I can't pass that up. I have most of my prep work done for the interview, I feel very confident about my chances.

Let's see, Miami basketball improved to 2-1 with an 8 point home win over Wright St. Miami plays its first conference game Sunday at Central Michigan. If Mt. Pleasant were a little closer to Detroit, I might have to go to that one, but it's a little out of the way. Wright St. may be the worst basketball team in Division 1 right now. Miami needs improved play from their guards if they're going to do well. They've gotten off to a good start, but with the likes of Xavier, Michigan, and Wichita St. coming up, Miami will have to play even better.

How about the environment in Bloomington for the Duke/Indiana game. The crowd came dressed in white and they were LOUD!!!!! And credit to them for not giving up after their team fell behind 16-2 in the early going. Marco Killingsworth is the National Player of the Year right now. He had 34 points and 9 boards against Shelden Williams, the reigning National Defensive Player of the Year!!!! Unfortunately, he ran out of gas at the end allowing Duke to pull away. It's scary to think how good IU will be once DJ White comes back. Indiana will contend for the Big 10 title. I think you better beat Duke now because they will continue to only get better as the season goes along. Josh McRoberts is starting to establish himself down low and Greg Paulus is more comfortable in his role as well.

North Carolina's freshmen impressed me more than Kansas's did. Brandon Rush showed flashes, but overall, I don't see superstardom right now in their future. Also, Nevada will be good again, but just like last year, they have no reliable 3-point threat except for Nick Fazekas, who is a stand-still shooter. Nevada can expect to see a lot of zone this year.

Have a good night everybody, that's all I got.