Happy New Year

And with this post I think I set a new personal record for posts in a year, and since this will doubtless be the last one of the year that's well-timed.  Normally, at this time of year I feel appropriately sad and reflective, but this year I just feel very happy and excited about the future.  So, Happy New Year to one and all.

Ready for new adventures.

Stonehenge

I usually pride myself on tracking down the spots far off the beaten path and avoiding the more touristy locations, but there are some things that you just can't avoid - and Stonehenge is one of them.  I should really write a lot more about the visit, but I'm running off to the airport to pick up Laura (insh'allah), because her 7:50 flight (initially 5:30 and then progressively later and later) has suddenly become 6:00 and then 6:30 (when they discovered that there were no flight attendants available, which is amazing since its a flight where they don't serve food or drinks).  And now it may be another half-hour.  I think I'll just head over and wait.  Anyway, we visited Stonehenge on an appropriately overcast and windswept day, which was just perfect.  I don't know if I felt spiritually moved to a transcendent plane, but it was a wonderful day.

Again, the prettiest tour guide in the world.

Thinking about blowing this one up to hang on the wall, but I can't decide if it's a good picture or not.

Bloody Hell

I did manage to find the car under that mess.  It's the first real storm of the season, and it seemed to sneak up on everybody.  Actually, I would be quite content to have to snow like crazy except that poor Laura is trapped at JFK in one of those endless storm waiting sessions where just when you think that you're getting there they push the departure time back again.  It would be nice if they just went ahead and cancelled the flight so that people could at least make alternate plans or go grab a hotel room and crash after an international flight, but that would be considerate or humane and that's two things that any U.S.-based airlines never is.

Bowl Pool 2012

Yes, it's time once again for that annual tradition: the Mike Lange-engineered college football pool.  Oddly, for a person who knows nothing about college football I generally do pretty well, and last year had to lose the last five bowls in a row to not win (which, of course, I did).  My tried and true approach is based on three factors: 1) which team is further south, 2) which team has the worst academic reputation, and 3) some obscure literary reference that amuses me.  This year I am once again going head-to-head with my bitter enemy Cyndi Brandenburg, who, despite her astonishing effort to cheat, has yet to defeat the forces of good (that is, of course, me).  I've also dragooned my son into participating this year, so there are multiple bragging rights at stake here.  Obviously, the entire bowl season boils down to today's Belk Bowl, also known as the National/Aiken 204 Championship.  Another arch-nemesis (why do I have so many?) Craig Pepin attended Duke (back when they were accredited, I think), who will be taking a pounding at the hands of the mighty University of Cincinnati Bearcats, who are not further south than Duke but dominates them in the category of academic inferiority.  So, here are the picks, with the winning team in bold, if not emboldened.

New Mexico Bowl
Nevada vs. Arizona
Scudder: Arizona 1-0
Brandybuck: Arizona 1-0
GSIII: Nevada 0-1

Idaho Potato Bowl
Toledo vs. Utah State
Scudder: Utah State 2-0
Brandybuck: Utah State 2-0
GSIII: Utah State 1-1

Poinsettia Bowl
Brigham Young vs. San Diego State
Scudder: Brigham Young 3-0
Brandybuck: Brigham Young 3-0
GSIII: Brigham Young 2-1

St. Petersburg Bowl
Central Florida vs. Ball State
Scudder: Central Florida 4-0
Brandybuck: Central Florida 4-0
GSIII: Ball State 2-2

New Orleans Bowl
East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Scudder: Louisiana-Lafayette 5-0
Brandybuck: Louisiana-Lafayette 5-0
GSIII: Louisiana-Lafayette 3-2

Las Vegas Bowl
Washington vs. Boise State
Scudder: Boise State 6-0
Brandybuck: Boise State 6-0
GSIII: Washington 3-3

Hawaii Bowl
Fresno State vs. Southern Methodist
Scudder: Fresno State 6-1
Brandybuck: Fresno State 6-1
GSIII: Fresno State 3-4

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan
Scudder: Western Kentucky 6-2
Brandybuck: Western Kentucky 6-2
GSIII: Western Kentucky 3-5

Military Bowl
San Jose State vs. Bowling Green
Scudder: Bowling Green
Brandybuck: San Jose State
GSIII: Bowling Green

Belk Bowl - National Championship Game - Aiken 204 Championship
Duke vs. Cincinnati
Scudder: Cincinnati
Brandybuck: Duke
GSIII: Cincinnati

Holiday Bowl
Baylor vs. UCLA
Scudder: Baylor
Brandybuck: Baylor
GSIII: UCLA

Independence Bowl
Louisiana-Monroe vs. Ohio
Scudder: Louisiana-Monroe
Brandybuck: Louisiana-Monroe
GSIII: Ohio

Russell Athletic Bowl
Virginia Tech vs. Rutgers
Scudder: Virginia Tech
Brandybuck: Virginia Tech
GSIII: Virginia Tech

Meineke Texas Bowl
Minnesota vs. Texas Tech
Scudder: Texas Tech
Brandybuck: Texas Tech
GSIII: Minnesota

Armed Forces Bowl
Rice vs. Air Force
Scudder: Rice
Brandybuck: Air Force
GSIII: Rice

Pinstripe Bowl
West Virginia vs. Syracuse
Scudder: West Virginia
Brandybuck: West Virginia
GSIII: West Virginia

Fight Hunger Bowl
Navy vs. Arizona State
Scudder: Arizona State
Brandybuck: Arizona State
GSIII: Navy

Alamo Bowl
Texas vs. Oregon State
Scudder: Texas
Brandybuck: Oregon State
GSIII: Oregon State

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
Texas Christian vs. Michigan State
Scudder: Texas Christian
Brandybuck: Texas Christian
GSIII: Texas Christian

Music City Bowl
North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt
Scudder: Vanderbilt
Brandybuck: Vanderbilt
GSIII: Vanderbilt

Sun Bowl
Southern California vs. Georgia Tech
Scudder: Southern California
Brandybuck: Southern California
GSIII: Georgia Tech

Liberty Bowl
Iowa State vs. Tulsa
Scudder: Tulsa
Brandybuck: Iowa State
GSIII: Iowa State

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Louisiana State vs. Clemson
Scudder: Louisiana State
Brandybuck: Louisiana State
GSIII: Louisiana State

Gator Bowl
Northwestern vs. Mississippi State
Scudder: Mississippi State
Brandybuck: Mississippi State
GSIII: Mississippi State

Heart of Dallas Bowl
Purdue vs. Oklahoma State
Scudder: Oklahoma State
Brandybuck: Oklahoma State
GSIII: Purdue

Outback Bowl
Michigan vs. South Carolina
Scudder: South Carolina
Brandybuck: South Carolina
GSIII: Michigan

Capital One Bowl
Nebraska vs. Georgia
Scudder: Georgia
Brandybuck: Georgia
GSIII: Georgia

Rose Bowl
Wisconsin vs. Stanford
Scudder: Stanford
Brandybuck: Stanford
GSIII: Wisconsin

Orange Bowl
Northern Illinois vs. Florida State
Scudder: Florida State
Brandybuck: Florida State
GSIII: Northern Illinois

Sugar Bowl
Louisiana vs. Florida
Scudder: Florida
Brandybuck: Florida
GSIII: Florida

Fiesta Bowl
Oregon vs. Kansas State
Scudder: Oregon
Brandybuck: Oregon
GSIII: Oregon

Cotton Bowl
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma
Scudder: Texas A&M
Brandybuck: Texas A&M
GSIII: Texas A&M

Compass Bowl
Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi
Scudder: Mississippi
Brandybuck: Mississippi
GSIII: Mississippi

GoDaddy.com Bowl
Kent State vs. Arkansas State
Scudder: Arkansas State
Brandybuck: Arkansas State
GSIII: Kent State

National Championship (sort of)
Notre Dame vs. Alabama
Scudder: Alabama
Brandybuck: Alabama
GSIII: Notre Dame

Tie-breaker - points in the National Championship (sort of) game.
Scudder: 31
Brandybuck: 37
GSIII: 10

The Goblin Tree

I guess since I my family always had artificial trees, and because Brenda and I always had artificial when we were married, that I somehow turned the process of getting one into this amazingly difficult process.  It wasn't until two years ago that I actually purchased my first real tree, although I have yet to go as far as actually going to a farm and cutting my own (maybe next year).  Obviously, I didn't have a real tree last year in Abu Dhabi, although I did help Laura buy a little artificial one this year on my last visit.  So, this was my second adventure in getting a real tree.  Being a man, and thus having absolutely no imagination, I just went to Home Depot (where I picked up my first one).  After going through the trauma of trying to decide between a Frazer and a Balsam (and wondering why I didn't write down what I had before), I chose the loneliest little asymmetrical tree that I figured a good home.  Partially I figured this would make Laura happy, because she's the type of person who would go to the pound and pick out the ugliest dog there for much the same reason (although I guess that throws open the question of why she chose me), and partially because of my own similar odd desire to "look after" lonely inanimate objects (I one time got really sad looking at some used suitcases in the window of a second hand shop in Omaha, Nebraska and had to fight the urge to liberate them).  After I chose my tree I asked where the tree stands were, and was informed that they were out of stock and no one had thought to reorder - and they didn't think that anyone else had any either.  Of course, this led to a ridiculous twitter rant on the utter buffoonery of all things Vermont, but also left me with a quandry: should I buy my lonely little tree if I couldn't be assured of having a stand?  For once I let discretion be the better part of valor and left my little green friend waiting expectantly as I went off in search of a tree stand, which turned out to be easy because the Christmas Trees store around the corner was awash in them.  So, between the two stores and picked up what I needed, including the good folks at Home Depot, most notably Moe, helped get me squared away - including cutting two inches off the bottom of the tree (so it could more effectively drink water) and somehow get the tree into my car.  Once home I had a lovely thersitical fit as I tried to get the tree into the stand by myself, while balancing it with one hand and tightening the screws with the other - and somehow not throwing out my back again.  The lights and decorations are on, and I even have a bizarre little angel on top (which, despite my best efforts, continues to lean to one side which inspired Laura to comment that she looked drunk, which, of course, made me think of Drunken Angel by Lucinda Williams, which I can now not get out of my head).  It's amazing how something as simple as having the tree can make you happy.  For any number of silly reasons I've started referring to it as the Goblin Tree.  In the end, it's making me happy and the tree has a warm, safe home for the holidays.

Moe wrestling the tree while a couple inches were taken off the bottom.  I was assured the tree didn't feel a thing and would be much better off after the procedure.

Yes, my tree stand looks like a little sled.

"It's really not such a bad little tree."

Four Corners of the Earth Deli

Don't ask me how this picture turned out this way, but as soon as I took it my excellent friend Cyndi Brandenburg received a phone call from someone who whispered the words "seven days" over the phone.  Still, it was an excellent lunch with Cyndi, Mike Kelly and Mike Lange at Four Corners of the Earth Deli, the BEST RESTAURANT in Vermont.  The Iraqi Turkey is the greatest sandwich in the world.

The waitress was this cute little Japanese girl who crawled out of a well.

Portion Control

Doubtless, one of my biggest challenges in dieting is portion control (and, yes, I'm the person who ate 61 wings at the last chicken wings for charity event).  I tend to blame it on the fact that I must have been one of the initial leaders of the clean plate club - and that I was really worried because there were starving kids in India - and thus had to eat everything.  Or I could just be a pig.  However, it doesn't help when people go out of their way to give me extra - like those two Arab gentlemen in the buffet line during a desert safari on my trip to the UAE a decade ago who said, laughing, "you are a big man, I will give you more!!"  And the second guy, "I too will give him more!!!"  Or, there was also Adam, arguably the world's sweetest but also most perpetually confused waiter, who was working at the Dolphin Bay Resort in Zanzibar.  We had discussed the relative merits of the lunch choices, with my main concern being that I didn't want the sandwich buns that cracked (it was the off-season so the larder was pretty picked over).  In Adam's mind the obvious answer was to bring me both the pizza and the cheeseburger - or maybe he just, per usual, messed up the order.  Either way, I was not about to be defeated and ate both.

"I too will bring him more!!!"