Football Epilogue

I recently found this gem (above) from the college days. Well actually my daughter found/presented me with it as it came out of some stuff from her mom's house. This was my freshman year and was likely sore enough that the face is expressing legitimate discomfort.  For some reason I only recall taking Freshman and Senior year (below) pics. Maybe I skipped them the other years in favor of napping or dinner?  It is an interesting contrast to look at the two. There's definitely some size differences, not to mention freshman year was the only year I tanned up well. I guess I got smart and learned how to stay out of the sun. 

My daughter and her aunt on the bunny lift at Bridger Bowl just outside of Bozeman, MT.  Okay, maybe not. My kids are excited at the prospect of the first snowfall. Now that it has passed, maybe they'll be ready for the first real snowfall, which hopefully will not show up until the Thanksgiving-ish timeframe.  The last few winters have been rather mild. I am on the fence about liking and hoping that mild winters will continue. I do enjoy the reduced number of alternative workouts involving shoveling, the treacherous driving, the increased heating bills and the mouse invasion. In contrast, I do enjoy some of the activities a snowy winter has to offer. Getting the kids up on skis these last couple of years has been tremendous fun. I'm hoping to bring them someplace a little bigger than the local Hyland Ski area  or  Buck Hill . In the coming years these places will be great as I envision being able to drop the kids off, maybe ski a couple of hours and enjoy the ...

The first two stanzas were hanging on our lockers one day in college. I still have the tattered printing. It reminds me that there is very little we do in life by ourselves. Still, our contributions matter immensely. The Law of the Wolves by  Rudyard Kipling Now this is the Law of the Jungle --as old and as true as the sky, And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back, For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack. Wash daily from nose-tip to tail-tip; drink deeply, but never too deep, And remember the night is for hunting,and forget not the day is for sleep. The Jackal may follow the Tiger,but, Cub, when thy whiskers are grown, Remember the Wolf is a Hunter, go forth and get food of thine own. Keep peace withe Lords of the Jungle the Tiger, the Panther, and Bear. And trouble not Hathi the Silent,...

This evening, my girlfriend and I picked up a potentially interesting hobby and activity: ballroom dancing. This momentous evening came out of my looking for an interesting birthday present for her. I wanted to find something simple, but fun and hopefully memorable. I chose the gift to be from  Fred Astaire dance studio(s)  largely on account of there being a  Groupon  available. What could be better than dragging my uncoordinated buttocks out onto the dance floor? As a couple of my old football teammates can attest, I have a knack for stepping on and probably even mutilating toes. I think I've even inadvertently stepped on my kids' toes a disproportionately high number of times. Sadly, it's not because I have size 14 feet. I've worn a humble size 11 since high school. I think it could really be a coordination thing.   I'll even argue that I possess some amount of rhythm as I do play guitar and know my way around a drum kit. I can just over, under or o...