Chandre Family Adventures

Murder in the Old Courthouse

2011-02-19T09:55:00.002-06:00

My first book is done and available! I chose Lulu, and independent publisher here in Raleigh, NC. If you are so inclined, I invite you to buy a copy via their website here:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/murder-in-the-old-courthouse/14925057?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/3

I hope you enjoy it (and if you don't, please fake it for my sake)! :)

Future King

2011-02-09T13:31:00.003-06:00

So we did it. Yes, WE did it. Packer fans are that type of fan. I truly believe that my support for the Packers contributed to the success of the team. Best part? most Wisconsites would agree.

If Aaron Rodgers were to lean in for the kiss, chances are I would lift my back leg up Leslie Nielsen style.

Sell out Lambeau on a Tuesday, in -22 wind chill weather, for 1 hour, and during the work week. BEST FANS EVER.

Super Bowl Sunday started with the kids and I going to Vargas' house to stuff Porky Pig into the Caja China (Cuban cooking box). Aiden supervised, and was fascinated by the tongue, eyes and teeth. I threw up twice. Emma will never watch Olivia again. The pig needed to cook for 5hrs, so I took the kids home and returned to take over Aiden's supervision position. We ended up tailgating for 5hrs, using the Caja China as a very unnatural firepit. We plopped the beers in the snow (Spotted Cow, of course) and threw the football. We spray painted G's in the snow and just enjoyed the 15 degree day like it was summer.

The game started and we all headed inside. Pack looked good early, and outside of a few hiccups, controlled the game. Karma is a bitch Big Ben. Through this game, it became clear who is "next". Aaron "Super Bowl MVP" Rodgers. He is the real deal, and we have him for the next bazillion years. No one in the history of sports has replaced a legend quicker, and with more class, then Arod (perhaps Young in SF). Manning and Brady are still better, but only sorta. Manning actually has a pretty poor playoff record. He has one SB. So does Arod, and Arod is 27. Brady is married to Giselle. Game, set, match Brady. Here is the video of the waning moments:

Finally, the best part. I watched the game with my folks. I watched my mom and dad scream, jump, and genuinely enjoy every second of the game. Dad carved a pig and landed in the Packer Party HOF. "Sarge"

This will happen again. We will win in the next two years. Mark it down.

Oh no my cannoli!!

2010-05-20T08:05:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone is getting excited for Virginia Beach. I interviewed a girl yesterday that was from Virginia Beach. As my last question I asked her, "If I were to go to Virginia Beach on vacation, what's the #1 thing you would recommend that I do?" Do you know what she answered? Go to the beach. Really? That's the best you can do? No shit you go to the beach. Anyway, no jobby job for that girl as I continue to explore more creative things to do with my time there. Anyway, I was thinking about the Sicilian meal with Gill the other day and we definitely want to bring some cannolis to the feast. The problem is, can you get a cannoli through security? I have no idea, but imagine Gill and I at the airport, ready to hit the BEACH, and the confiscate our box of cannolis? That would suck - big time. Therefore, M & D, expect a package in the mail about a week or two before the vacation. I'm having them shipped to you. I'm going to do some extensive research and ship the absolute best cannolis that NYC has to offer.

Besides the dessert, I wanted to see if the meal had any other planning so far? I love southern Italian cooking and would be sooo happy to contribute in any way. Baring any abuse from the mother, maybe we can sprinkle in one little tiny seafood dish? It's a huge part of southern Italian cooking, and especially Sicily. Just one dish, that's all. Outside of that, in true Italian fashion, we can all grease our hair back, hit the gym, then go tanning, then have a true feast of crazy proportions. Not my meal though, so I have to defer to our lovely suggester, Susan. I'm just curious about what else has been planned, what's up in the air, and maybe what may be available for suggestion.

Outside of that, what else are we doing besides hitting the beach?

Eating Adventures

2010-04-25T20:34:00.005-05:00

Eric and I spent the weekend in Charlotte for a conference. We eschewed the rubber chicken banquet and struck out on our own last night for dinner. We have one rule when eating out in a new town--no chain restaurants. We try to find a local place and have lunch/dinner there.

We ate last night at a basic bar and grill, and they had fantastic home fries and a great French dip sandwich.

We have decided to throw a little notebook in the car and document when we eat at unique restaurants. What we had, how it tasted, the atmosphere, etc. Our travels are not as extensive as some in our family, but I expect to gather some interesting tales.

It is amazing that when we get together as a family, we always seem to talk about food. When we recount a vacation or a trip, it includes vast discussions about where we ate and what we ate. I still remember our waiter Wade in Escanaba, MI in 1984 on our way to Mackinac Island.

S of M

2010-04-22T07:22:00.003-05:00

Hey, if you didn't see this on Facebook, I thought I would share on our blog.

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4816051/12849087

Nothing but a flow of good emotions. Rents, we may give you crap occasionally about the Elton John upbringing, but it sure makes us appreciate a whole bunch.

Happy Earth Day all.

How High can you Fly????

2010-03-29T17:03:00.006-05:00

I have flown for years. The first time I was on an airplane was just after I was invited to join the US Army in 1967. I flew from Milwaukee to Columbia, SC to go to Fort Jackson. Over the years I have racked up hundreds of thousands of miles in the air, but not until last week did I get a new first..........

Now I must start by saying that when I go to Estevan, SK I have to fly through Minot, ND. To return home there are 3 flights out of Minot. The earliest if at 5:00 am, and on that flight I get home about 5:30 pm. The second flight wouldn't get me home until midnight.

So, aside from doing some serious thinking about my career, at 4:00 am on a cold, windy, bleak morning in Minot friggin North Dakota, I got a pleasent suprise...I got upgraded to First Class on the 30 minute flight to Minneaplois.

As we took off it felt like we hit a pot hole on the runway..did I mention, Minot, friggin North Dakota, yes it is very possible they have pot holes.

We were in the air about 10 minutes when the pilot came on the radio to tell us that he felt we blew our main landing gear on take off, and he is asking the Flight Attendants to prepare for an emergency landing. I truely have t-shirts older than those two. Each FA took turns going to the restroom to empty their pants, and then they started to prepare us.

We had to remove our seatbelts, then re-belt, then remove and re-belt. They watched intently to make sure we could get out if we had to. We were trained in the "brace" position. We were given the secret code in case we were going to crash. I'm going to share that code with you....when the FA screams "brace, brace, brace" you should brace. Military, police, and firefighters were asked to ID themselves. We had plenty,because of the Air Force base in Minot. Four were taken to each of the front and rear doors and recieved written instructions on escape plans, and then they were reseated next to the doors. We flew for an additional 45 mins to burn fuel. As we circled the airport it was like Hollywood...Emergency vehicles lined the runway.

As we came in the pilot lowered some flap or something to help slow us, and the plane started to shake pretty bad. We went into the brace position...the right landing gear hit first, and the plane rocked to the left and .....................the landing gear was fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We stopped and the Emergency vehicles surrounded us on the runway and people were running around the plane. We were in the middle of the runway, and deemed safe to be towed in. It took 15 minutes to get to the gate. When we stopped we cheered the pilots.

So that was my newest experience in the air.........First Class and I didn't even get a cup of coffee!!!

Courthouse Burning

2010-03-26T21:58:00.002-05:00

Some of you may already know this, but the historic Chatham County courthouse in Pittsboro, NC burned last night. By day, I am the human resources director for the county, and by night and other special occasions, I get to be the public information officer.

I battled disbelief as I watched the flames erupt from the clock tower and top floor. I was sick when I saw flames on the second floor, in the superior courtroom, one of the most beautiful in the state. I was in disaster mode, corralling the media and getting position statements from key players. Later, as firefighters were getting a better handle on the blaze, I could process a little. It really struck me when I saw water running out the front door and pouring down the steps like a waterfall.

I am writing about this because this was one of the reasons I started writing at all. This courthouse was part of the inspiration for my novel, Murder in the Old Courthouse. This is the old courthouse described almost exactly in my book.

Sad day for our county.

Health Care

2010-03-22T07:47:00.002-05:00

Okay folks, I want a real deal discussion here. Health Care bill. Thoughts?

I work in a hospital and this bill spells financial misery for many of us. Medicare rates and Medicaid rates dictate how we operate. I love the reduction in uninsured people that will happen, but we get $.18 on the dollar for Medicaid patients so I'm not sure its the trade off we are looking for. Many uninsured people pay their bills. Our write-offs on uninsured are around 26%. That means we still collect 74%. Smart people will take the gov't plan, and we end up getting 18% instead of 74%. We get less money, which is not viable for many hospitals (UW excluded). This closes regional hospitals and drives traffic to the big ones. Problem is we don't have space, and can't afford an influx of 18% patients. This strains resources at big hospitals and makes it impossible to get regular health care. Essentially we become Canada.

Now, with that said, I do believe in the essence of the bill. We have evolved as the human race and we should be able to take care of our own people. There are just so many problems with it.

I also know that the current system is broken, really broken, and will not be fixed without intervention. This is a very good step in that it gets us moving. Even if it fails, it will be refined over time. I have hope that it's the right step. Very little we have done as a country worked the first time.

I will give Obama a ton of credit for trying this. Others have never even attempted to look at the hard problems. It's tough being a republican that became a moderate with the Bush administration, and I am struggling to hold on to the moderate label. I can't reconcile the massive amount of money we have thrown at the war, and then bitch about the cost of the healthcare bill. It is literally scary to see the money we have spent on the war. Therefore, it is impossible not to see healthcare out. We need to see if this works, or can be changed to work.

North Dakota,,,Kansas....North Dakota

2010-03-15T18:16:00.003-05:00

Interesting meeting....Last Friday I had to fly through Washington, DC. I was seated next to a Gentleman that was a retired Col. in the Army. He is presently working for the National Guard, and Reserve unit personnel services. He lives in NC and was going to visit his Mother.
We talked of work, common service in the Army, and our aspirations for retirement.

I told him I had a Quest, and before I could continue, he said he had a "Bucket List" and it was getting to every State in the 48 contiguous States before he died. Unable to speak, he continued to say that the standard to follow was to stay at least one night in the State.

I told him that I had two states west of the Mississippi until a few weeks ago, and once again he interupted, and said his only state left was North Dakota......and I said I just got North Dakota.

I told him that my kids used to ask, "When are you and Mom going to Paris" and I would respond "Why go to Paris, I haven't seen North Dakota yet".

He is planning a trip to Minot to visit the Air Force Reserve Unit there, and if all works out well I will meet him and buy a Large Beer to celebrate the completion of his Quest.

He is Col. Baron Hignite, Ret.
Program Manager
Military personnel Services

And you all thought I was singularly crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

2010-03-07T21:57:00.001-06:00

For exposing me to movies I have not seen. I watch the Oscars every year, hoping for a number of things: 1) the hosts will not be painful; 2) I will have seen at least ONE movie nominated for best picture; and 3) they continue to cut the acceptance speeches shorter and shorter.

This year, I haven’t seen one movie nominated. In truth, I rarely see movies (I like to know how they end) anyway, but I have usually seen at least one movie in the pool.

So, for those of you that saw some of the nominated movies, do you agree with the award winners?

Dino's, Train's, creepy neighbors (Sharon and Al) that appeared to be in their late 60's two decades ago.

2010-03-03T19:20:00.006-06:00

Mom and Dad,
What were we "in to" as kids? I mean the 2-5 ages. Those are the years that are not vivid memories. We have some fuzzy ones, that are probably combinations of pictures, actual memories and stories.

My son can now spell micropachycephalosaurus, and he's 4. He doesn't do anything that doesn't involve a dinosaur. My daughter loves Aurora, Cinderella, Beauty, and Snow white. She refuses to wear clothes (future reason for drinking problem), and continually changes outfits to her princess outfits.

I look at the passion of my kids on these topics but can't reconcile what I was into. The other kids are obvious:

Dan: Elton John

Carolyn: Queen of England.

So, was it turtles? toads?

Also, if you would, post a small story on the history of Sharon and Al. They had the best window wells for toads, but they also were 47 yrs apart in age and looked as if they were colorized from a black and white movie.

Drip No More

2010-02-28T07:22:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning, I could take it no longer. Our kitchen faucet has leaked for I don’t know how long, and I nearly snapped at the 1,000,000 drip into the kitchen sink. Eric and I talked about replacing it, but yesterday it was happening, whether we screwed it up or not.

Our worst fear was not that water would spray the ceiling (even we knew to turn the water off), but that we would have to call either of our dads to come help us. We’ve been homeowners for nearly seven years, but our handyman/woman inadequacies are still many.

You see, Dad can do anything. If it is broke, he can fix it. Need something redesigned? No problem. Put a door in an apartment in Brooklyn? Workbench in McFarland? Trellis and staircase handrail in Sanford? Got it. Eric’s dad is also a do-it-all guy (he built his own house), and we both wish we had spent more time learning and less time rolling our eyes and mouthing off when we were younger. If we only knew half of what our dads did, we’d be lucky.

We were determined to do this project ourselves. Two trips to Lowes and lots of swearing later, we did it. New faucet, new hoses, no dripping. Yea us.

Don’t worry Dad, there will many, many, more projects we’ll attempt and fail spectacularly. We’ll be calling.

A time gone by

2010-02-27T07:13:00.002-06:00

So, a hardy thank you for the freedom we enjoyed as kids. As I watch my kids play outside, one realization comes home fast. I must watch them. Our society has changed greatly from the freedom we enjoyed as kids. I am sure this was also true of the generation before us. Dad, did you guys start working at 8 and smoking by 10?

We would wake up, and head outside. Playing hard until we couldn't play anymore (or more accurately, until the yellow light came on). Think of the imagination this freedom created. I struggle as a parent to make sure my kids are able to explore, and learn without having a pre-scripted life. It's hard though. I work in an emergency room and have developed a cynical edge. Every person I cross on the street is an oxycotin abuser or pedophile.

Thank you mom and dad for that freedom. I am sure there was 'give and take' and outside of a random toad-fueled run to the carnival, we didn't abuse it. We had our own world in the "forest". We created elaborate forts and trails. We were explorers. Baseball started every afternoon, immediately after lunch. Currently, I need to stand in line for an hour to sign up for the hope of my kids playing baseball. We played (and ultimately loved) baseball with absolute freedom. Rivalaries were born among the streets. Take that Meadowside!

Is this age dead? I'd say no, but its vastly different. Multimedia has scared the average parent. I'm sure random things happened to some kid in Topeka in 1983 but we didn't hear about it. Now if a kid escapes to the local carnival at age 7 with his trusty toad, he is no longer the character in a Pixar film, his parents are arrested. I'm only 4yrs deep in it, but I've found there is no need in dwelling on this fact. Just adjust and move on. I will fight to find exploration for my kids. I don't want them to be drones.

I am constantly looking for outlets for the kids, and would welcome suggestions. This post corresponds with the doldrums of winter. I need ideas. Send them out if you have them.

P.S. Mom and Dad, the yellow light is on, on our deck. You know what that means, come on home.

Rocking in the Fiat

2010-02-24T18:50:00.007-06:00

I am attempting to cement my early childhood. The cavalcade of cars we had was varied and probably a good indication of the times. Please fill in the years and other details I leave out. There is no order.

1. Red Fiat - Dad would stop at a stop sign and make the whole car shake up and down. It was the greatest thing in the world. 1980?
2. Powder Blue Mini-van -Ahhh, who could forget this one. You couldn't go into a drive-thru for fear of offing pimply Mcworker. The tires got so bald that Dan and I hydroplaned into a great southern yarn. I believe it was sold last month. 1997-2009
3. Grey Cavalier - This is the one I remember driving the most. It had the standard mom upgrades (AM radio, no power windows). Sadly, us kids beat the hell out of it. 1990?
4. Some sort of Volkwagon? I believe it was a yellow beetle. 1978?
5. Grandpa's old brown Oldsmabuick. I believe it was 140ft long and 25ft wide, and went down off the coast of England in 1647.

The rest is where you take over. I remember little of other cars, as the majority of my time was spent memorizing oldies in either the PBMV or the Cavalier. A severe damper on my high school dating life. So was my hair.

Updated calendar

2010-02-22T08:49:00.003-06:00

Here is an updated calendar. Feel free to throw in more 4's if you need to. I am open to many more weekends than the three I listed but stuck with our format.

Virginia Beach

2010-02-21T13:08:00.003-06:00

Dad and I went to Virginia Beach last weekend. We went to celebrate our birthdays and to "scout out" the location for our upcoming family vacation since none of us had ever been there before. It reminds me very much of Myrtle Beach. There are 3 beaches in Virginia Beach. In the center is the Resort Beach. There is a 3 mile boardwalk along the beach fronted by hotels and businesses and the beach/ocean on the other side. This is the very commercialized portion of Virginia Beach-just like Myrtle Beach-all stores, hotels, resturants, etc making the area very difficult to navigate in the summer!
To the north is the Chesapeake Bay Beach. This area is more residential. We scoped out one house we saw online - houses here are not accessible directly from the beach-there are sand dunes directly in front of the house. You have to go out the back of the house and go around - not a big deal. The view is definately there. The main drag there is Shore Drive and off Shore Drive are streets that dead end into beach access for everyone that lives on that street (maybe 10-12 houses).
To the south of the Resort area is Sandbridge Beach. It is a good 30 minutes away from the Resort main drag. It is all residential and pretty remote. Here there are homes directly on the beach like we had at Topsail Beach. There are also homes directly across from these on the beach homes that front a bay area with views of the ocean also. This Sandbridge area is a penisula with water on both sides. Right at the tip of this area is False Cape State Park that is accessible via tram. There is also Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge - a woodland and marsh refuge for a wide variety of migratory birds, endangered species and other wildlife - including snow geese, red foxes, loggerhead turtles and American bald eagle. Again accessible by tram. Both sound neat. Also nearby is the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
Also located in Virginia Beach is the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center-more than 300 hands on exhibits, a nature trail, aviary, etc. They also have and ocean excursion to search for bottlenose dolphins. The tour is 90 minutes long and they say it is appropriate for all ages.
Needless to say, there are the usual vacation things to do: minature gold, historical sites :), fishing, boating, jet skis, scuba diving golfing, etc etc etc. many many resturants (we will NOT go to the one Dad and I went to...)
Dad and I went a little north to Norfolk, Virginia which is where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. We stopped at the Nauticus - lots of stuff about the ocean-many hands on things for kids too. Also - the USS Wisconsin is there (that is the main reason we went there).
There are many things to do and see in this area - we will not be bored!
Let me know what you all think. If we decide this a go - I think we need to seriously look for housing.
By the way, all the beaches are very nice.

Civic Duty

2010-02-19T20:45:00.011-06:00

When I was 11 or 12 years old, Dad got called for jury duty in Waukesha County, WI. I am not even sure what time of year it was, but I knew I was out of school. I begged to go, and Dad let me on one condition. If I went, I had to take notes about what was going on. I sat for at least one whole day of the trial in the back of the courtroom and took notes. It was a drunk driving case on Moorland Road, I believe, not far off of Capitol Dr.

On Monday, I will answer my first call for jury duty. I am probably the only person on the list that is actually excited. First of all, work will not be able to reach me at all (lest I be held in contempt of court, and it's not worth it). Second, I am hoping to pick up some material for my second book. Court is a great place to watch people and pick up on human interactions.

If chosen, I will sit on a jury in superior criminal court. Three murder cases are on the docket and a wonderful smorgasbord of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to inflict serious injury, public assistance fraud, and felony breaking and entering. If I am not chosen, at least my calendar is clear for the week and I can take a couple of days off.

Don't worry Dad, I will be taking copious notes. :)

North Dakota

2010-02-18T21:25:00.002-06:00

On Feb 6th there were several posts about my Quest, and how I was going to get North Dakota checked off the list on a chance trip to Canada.
Well it is Thursday night Feb 18 and I'm sitting in my hotel room in Minot, ND. By the way....Minot is known as the "City of Magic????".

My week in Estevan, Saskatchewan was a week of my life I will never get back....and when you're my age you keep count!!!!
People say that Northern cities have the equipment to remove snow, so driving in a Northern city is actually easier than driving in a Southern city with 1" of snow.

Well....Bullshit.....I spent a week in Estevan and drove on ice packed roads. When I asked about scraping the roads down to the blacktop they said we'll just wait for it to melt. THAT'S WHAT I HEAR IN SANFORD, NC!!!!!

Back to Minot, after tonight I will have satisfied my Quest and have checked off ND. My wake up tomorrow is 3:15am so I can get a flight out of "Minot International Airport" The airport is about the size of my family room, but they have a flight that flies to Canada, so they are International.

Watch out Kansas.....you're next.

Updated format and spreadsheet

2010-02-17T13:25:00.002-06:00

Reunion Dates

2010-02-16T09:10:00.003-06:00

Hi All,
I will monitor this post and update the spreadsheet. I will replace the existing photo every time someone submits their weekends.

Please submit the weekends via comments. Also, 4's are considered absolute NO's.

Alright, let's get this first step out of the way.

2010-02-13T03:34:00.006-06:00

Hey, you know what? There is no party like a Columbus party, because a Columbus party don't stop.......

Anywho, I love the idea of Columbus as a stomping ground for the first ever (and hopefully never ending) Chandre-Kotowski-Dudley-Jones-Quakenbush reunion.

I am, of course, asking for those of the hinterland (Linda, Tom, Tom) to develop a rough estimate of things to do. I have no problem driving through the bastard Illinois drivers to eventually end in a lovefest in Columbus.

As an aside, there are few places I hold in higher regard than Blacksburg, VA. I would like to lobby for that location next year. I have walked the Appalachian trail through the town, have many friends through my Charlotte years, and have general love for their college atmosphere and southern Madison feel. Yep, Madison feel.

As for Quakenbush, I have no idea. Hold me to nothing and you will not be disappointed. My son has begun contruction on some sorta dinosaur abomination to honor the first ever reunion.

The Big 60 never looked so good!

2010-02-11T07:35:00.006-06:00

Very simply, and very enthusiastically, Happy Birthday Mom! You're finally 60 - I feel like I've been calling you 60 for the past 5 years. I really enjoy this blog and think we have a lot of fun keeping it light, and don't worry I will, but first I really just want to thank you for everything, let you know that I miss you like crazy and that I can't wait to see you again soon.

With all that gushy crap out of the way, I'm going to have to take a page from Chris's book (I never know if the name ends in an 's' do you put the apostrophe before the 's' or after the 's'?). So this is a calling to everyone who should happen to cross this blog, which seems like a strong 5-8 of us, to help us recollect some of our best, or worst, memories of Karen Chandre's first 60 years. I have no doubt there's a good 60 left in her, but let's recap the the first half.

Your memories should be stated in groups of 5. 5 interesting events, quirks, memories, moments - whatever may come, let us know. Now Mom, since we have yet to get this blog published by Penguin, I may be back to post every few hours...

1. American Pie, Don McLean. Mom, you listened to talk radio 98% of the time, but if you changed the channel on the radio it was because American Pie was on. This was typically associated with a trip to either the doctor or the dentist. Boooo on both accounts.

2. For a woman that so vehemently HATES any seafood, you eat more canned tuna then some small countries.

3. The roughly 9 month period between when Dad moved down to NC full time and I finished high school. I was rocking the blue cloud mini-van, which the chicks loved, and you were somehow putting up with me. That was a really fun period, thanks for not letting me drive you crazy.

4. Still, to this day, the only person I know that can actively and with full concentration watch something on television, read a book and listen to the greatest baseball announcer of all time, Bob Uecker, tell it like it is. All three without missing a beat to any of them. Listening to the 'Crew on that beat up transistor radio. I still prefer baseball on the radio because of that.

5. Drinking mint Juleps with me, Carloyn and Eric this past Derby Day (pic above). I don't think you were ever much of a Bourbon drinker, but you were putting them away with me that day for sure! That trip was great for a lot of reasons, but more than any other, I just wanted to kick it old school with my Mom - thanks Mom.

I pass the story stick on to all the rest to help us celebrate Karen's Birthday!

Dan

Ruby Isle

2010-02-09T20:43:00.005-06:00

What was the first movie you ever saw in the theaters?

I believe the first movie I saw was "Back to the Future" with Dan and Carolyn. I also believe Mom and Grandma were with us. Memories are a little hazy on this one, but I think we took the family truckster to Ruby Isle.

Dan and Carolyn? Is this correct?

Mom, since you have been to 3 movies since the Eisenhower administration, I'm not sure if you remember or not.

A truly Super bowl

2010-02-08T10:00:00.003-06:00

I didn't have a horse in the race. I was just hoping for a great game. It was a slow start but a great finish. I liked both teams equally coming in. I was cheering for whomever had the ball until one play. When former UW Badger Jonathon Casillas came away from a rugby scrum with the ball. Then I had something to cheer about. Once a Badger, always a Badger. I then watched two Big Ten players (Brees and Porter) decide the outcome. A couple observations.

1. I don't think anyone lost the game. I think the Saints won the game.
2. Great play calling. Payton out coached Caldwell. Better adjustments through out the game. Onside kick is gutsy (remember McCarthy did it to bring the Pack back in the first playoff game).
3. Tear jerking moment with Brees and his son. Real emotion at the height of his career. As an aside, Drew Brees is incredible for taking that city on his back. In a sports world full of Tiger Woods, Warren Sapp, Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owen, his story is one that should be highlighted.
4. Peyton Manning is great. I know he lost, but he is great. I have disliked him for his entire career. This is the first year I tried to get on top of it. I sat in a room last night with a couple Packer fans, and a smattering of other fans. No one liked Peyton Manning. He is that kid on the school yard when you were 12 years old that always beat you. He looks like he is whining half the time, he looks like he never takes blame. I need to concede I thought this as well. I came around this year to the pure brilliance of his QB play. I found myself hurting for him after that pick. He plays a perfect season (not game, but season) and will be remembered for that pick.
5. Commercials were sub par. They were formulaic. We have come to expect laugh out loud moments, and there were only a few.
6. Indy will be back in the game next year.
7. They will be playing the Packers, and we will win.

Anyone have other observations? Would love to hear an Indy view. It's hard to hate the Saints, but also know fandom, so I'm sure you could find something to root against.

Quest

2010-02-06T09:30:00.004-06:00

Well, Chris said this was going to be a repository for family memories, and I spend about 6 hours each Mon/Fri on airplanes so I have time to write.

Over the course of many years I have had a personal Quest. I have wanted to step foot in every state in the nation. My parents would take us kids to visit an old Army buddy of my Dad's and we got to see Texas, Illinois, Ohio. I think that's where I got the bug. Also there was the memorable "trip out West" Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Then when I was asked to serve in the US Army I got to see such notable states as South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, California, Washington, and Oregon. The Army also showed me the State of FEAR!!

My personal Quest took on another dimension when Karen and I started our joint Quest or T.I.E.S., (Together In Each State). Along with this Quest came rules....on my Quest I just had to spend some time in the start. Go to the bathroom, and leave a little of myself. With T.I.E.S. the visit to the state had to have a true meaning, and a minimum one night stay. As our trophy we would search for a lapel type pin from the state and put the pins in a folder marking the city we stayed in and the date.

We have had some real adventures getting states. After Dan's wedding we went to Utah, Lin and Tom were there. We made a "Death and Destruction" weekend trip to Dallas, and Oklahoma City to see the Kennedy assassination site, and the Federal building. On a rainy weekend in NC we decided to go to Connecticut. Carolyn was a little surprised when she called and we told her we went to Connecticut for dinner. We did a Halloween weekend walking the graveyards in Salem, MA and saw the House of Seven Gables. We got Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Our Southern weekend trips took us to FL, SC, GA, AL, MS, LA, TN, and many civil War sites. Trips to Madison offered an opportunity to get an unusual state....Illinois. We lived in WI for 40 years but never spent a night together in Illinois. The people that have been with us on our Quest the most, although they didn't know it, are Lin and Tom. We have been together in NE, IN, WI, TN, NC, NV, UT, and VA.

To date my personal Quest has only a few states left, Kansas west of the Mississippi and Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire East. Alaska and Hawaii off shore.

T.I.E.S. has 38 states. We lack the elusive Alaska, and Hawaii. West of the Big Miss. are NM, CO, KS, ND, OR, WA, and ID. East of Ole Man River, ME, NH, and VT.

When, and if, we ever retire we have a lot of booked frequent flyer miles to burn for our Quest. I guess to be Politically Correct with regards to our age we should call it a "Bucket List", but Quest sounds so much more Don Quixote of us.

So when people ask "Would you like to see Paris?", I usually answer "Hell, I haven't seen Kansas yet!"

Get you list started.