Spending a quiet evening at home

We're staying home for New Year's Eve. Just spend time relaxing. Shelley and I are going to watch Chicago on DVD.

Penguins Win!

We went to the Penguins game last night at Mellon Arena. The Penguins beat the Chicago Blackhawks 1-0. Really good game. That was onlt their 9th win. We had a good time. We each got an Iceburgh bobblehead too!

We're heading to Steel City today

We're driving to Pittsburgh today for the Penguins game.

Got a few items for Christmas

Among other things, I got:

Ohio State National Champions jersey

NCAA Football for PS2 - this game has Youngstown State!

YSU China set

The most played with gift so far?

GameCube

Games:
Soul Calibuibur II and Smash Brothers

OSU's Krenzel Named NCAA Today's Top VIII Recipient

NCAA'S TODAY'S TOP VIII RECIPIENTS NAMED

INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Honors Committee has named the recipients of the NCAA Today's Top VIII Awards. The Today's Top VIII Award winners are a group of distinguished student-athletes from the 2003 calendar year who will be recognized for their academic and athletics achievements, character and leadership at the 39th annual NCAA Honors Dinner January 11, 2004, at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Today's Top VIII are:

Alice (Duesing) Nightingale, Lake Superior State University, basketball;
Andrew Hilliard, University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), football and track and field;
Craig Krenzel, Ohio State University, football;
Theresa Kulikowski, University of Utah, gymnastics;
Kara Lawson, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, basketball;
Eli Manning, University of Mississippi, football;
Kristin Sterner, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, gymnastics; and
Leoandra Willis Rogers, University of California, Los Angeles, gymnastics.

Two of the honorees were the 2003 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists from Tennessee and Alabama, and five of the Top VIII were recipients of NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships. In addition to their athletics accomplishments, the NCAA Today's Top VIII recipients have earned numerous academic honors, volunteered countless hours to community projects and served as role models for their academic institutions and to their peers.

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Early morning!

Jack and Megan were up this morning at 3:30 AM! I heard some talking and when I went in their rooms, they were sitting in their desks in their new desk chairs that Santa left. I told them it was too early and they had to go back to sleep. I think they did for a little bit but never "really" got back to sleep. They were up again at 6:30 AM and that's when we went downstairs to see what Santa brought. I guess they were too excited!

Rex was not a happy camper

We had to put Rex and Ruby down the basement last night so they wouldn't bother all the gifts that Santa brought. As soon as we put them in the basement, Rex started trying to get out putting his paws under the door.

We let them out this morning and Rex was not happy. As soon as we let him up, he started getting into the tree and chewing on it. He hasn't done that since we put it up around Thanksgiving. Just like a little kid that didn't get his way. Shelley said "He was showing his butt." Ruby was fine.

Rex didn't even care that Santa left them a stuffed Simba.

Are you ready for some presents!?

The stocking are hung by the chimney with care...and all that stuff.

Santa's going to have a busy night. We're heading over to Uncle Scotts and Uncle Todd's place for Christams Eve dinner and our gift exchange. Then it's back home to put cookies and milk out for Santa.

The kids can't wait until morning!

Happy Holidays

This is Funny

Every now and then I find something good just surfing

Saddam Cartoons

Megan got a letter from Santa (One of Santa's Elves)

I thought this was great! Megan and her class wrote letters to Santa. One of "Santa's elves" returned each one. It was great. I'll scan it soon and add it here.

Polish Digital Clock

The University of Poland science students have finally finished their digital clock they have been working on for 4 years. Go to this site to see the results:

View here

MJ Joins Louie's Team

The King of Pop is restyling himself Jacko X.

Michael Jackson last night became a member of the Nation of Islam - and sources told The Post his religious changeover comes along with a shake-up of his personal staff.

High-ranking members of the Nation of Islam have been working to bring Jackson into Rev. Louis Farrakhan's flock - and Jackson's conversion is now well-known in the NOI community.

Exactly why Jackson converted wasn't clear to The Post's sources.

But Fox News's Web site reported yesterday that Jackson's brother Jermaine, who converted to Islam in 1989, has been seeking to win favor with his more famous sibling, and has brought Farrakhan's chief of staff, Leonard F. Muhammad, into Jacko's inner circle as a "bodyguard."

That's just one of many changes under way in Jackson's inner circle, sources said.

Word of Jackson's religious conversion comes as prosecutors prepared to formally file charges against him in a California child-molestation case - and as authorities agreed to return Jackson's passport to him so he can travel to Great Britain this weekend.

Kids got their first Christmas gift

We went over Big Grandma and Pa's last night for dinner. They gave the kids their first gift. Needless to say, they weren't too impressed. They didn't get this same message, but similar. (and their "presents" were smaller)

Letterman quote

USA Today has come out with a new survey: Apparently three out of four people make up 75 percent of the population. - David Letterman

Columbus, Ohio: The 'everyman' of America

Mayor Michael Coleman has one piece of advice for presidential candidates: Campaign as if you're running for mayor of Columbus. If you can win Columbus, you can win America.

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There's a New Baby in Town

Tucker Allen
Born: 12/05/2003
Time: 2:32:00 PM
Weight: 10 lbs 1 oz
Length: 21 in

Mom and baby are doing fine.
I'm sure Meg is a very proud sister!
Look here for the online announcement.

Iceburgh

NHL Affiliate: Pittsburgh Penguins Height: 6-4 Weight: 220 lbs. Favorite team: Pittsburgh Penguins Super skills: Has a wicked backhand along with an awesome array of kickboxing maneuvers Little known fact: Starred alongside Jean Claude Van Damme, in the motion picture Sudden Death; loves Baked Alaska Rival: S.J. Sharkie, ThunderBug and Slapshot Iceburgh made his NHL mascot debut in the 1992 season and has been going strong ever since. Although he has a cold-as-ice demeanor towards his NHL mascot rivals, he is known and loved in the city of Pittsburgh by all Penguin fans. Besides being an official NHL mascot, Iceburgh also doubles as a movie star. The talented Penguin made his onscreen debut in 1995 alongside Jean Claude Van Damme in the major motion picture, Sudden Death. In the flick, Van Damme played Darren McCord, a fire marshal with a tragic past, who takes his two children to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals. The martial artist finds out soon enough that he will not only have to deal with protecting the Vice President from terrorists, but also he will have to go one-on-one against a very tough NHL mascot. The action is fast and furious and of course, Van Damme must try to save the day. Although Iceburgh, a huge WWF fan, lands a couple of Stone Cold Stunners on the Muscles from Brussels, he eventually loses out to the screen star in the end. Although Van Damme got the best of Iceburgh in that flick, the Pittsburgh mascot chalks it up to taking one on the chin for the team, as he was just trying to get the Penguins some worldwide exposure. He swears, through an interpreter of course, that he took it easy that day on Jean Claude as he felt sorry for the struggling actor who was trying to make a name for himself. Another interesting sidebar to that memorable battle, is that Van Damme and ThunderBug, the Tampa Bay Lightning mascot, are close friends and supposedly things got hot and heavy on the set between him and Iceburgh during the movie's filming. The two had to be separated several times and sent to their trailers to cool off when they continued to throw down after the director yelled "Cut!" Iceburgh also has been known to have a dislike for Pittsburgh's Eastern Conference rivals, the Washington Capitals, their fans and their mascot, Slapshot.

Pete and Penny

Youngstown State University

Youngstown State University is the only college in the country with a Penguin for a mascot and the nickname Penguins for their athletic teams.
Prior to 1933, Youngstown College had been referred to as "Y" College, YoCo, Wye Collegians and many times, simply the "Locals."
There are two accounts of how the nickname occurred, and interestingly enough they come from the same evening on Jan. 30, 1933.
The first account states that on a cold, freezing night at a men’s basketball game at West Liberty State, in West Liberty, W. Va., a spectator watching the members of the team stomp on the floor and swing their arms made them look like Penguins and without a nickname, the fans took a liking to the word.
But throughout the season prior to that contest, many of the members of the 1932-33 varsity men’s basketball team and their friends on campus spent idle moments in the cafeteria discussing suitable new names for our school sports combines, basketball, and fencing that year.
The names considered covered every conceivable spectrum of animals, birds, and things associated with the steel city, but none seemed to fit us. There was always someone who pointed out an inadequacy of some sort. The name we finally warmed up to, and finally unanimously accepted, came as a result of the trip to West Liberty State Teachers College for a basketball game there late in January 1933.
In West Virginia, the road to West Liberty that evening had been hit by a snowfall between one and two feet deep. The passengers in two of the cars found it necessary on several occasions to get out and help push their vehicles out of snow drifts or road area with snow ruts, difficult to drive through.
During the trip, Bennett Kunicki recalls, the discussion of a nickname for the school was the hot topic of conversation. In Kunicki’s car, the name Penguins came up and was well received by everyone in the car. Upon arrival at the West Liberty gym, the name was mentioned to the members of the team who thought it was perfect.
By the end of that school year, the nickname was unanimously accepted by the student body without the necessity of a formal polling vote. Plans were then made to introduce the new name during the 1933-34 basketball season.
The nickname Penguins was formally introduced to the school in the "Jambar" (Vol. IV, No. 3) at the beginning of the 1933-34 basketball season. Page three of that issue was set up to cover YSU’s first game to introduce the members of that season’s team and to give the schedule for the season. The date of the "Jambar" issue was Dec. 15, 1933. Within the next five or six weeks, Penguins became our newly accepted nickname both in the Jambar and on the sports pages of the then two local newspapers.
The name was introduced after the first game with Slippery Rock in the Dec. 15, 1933 issue of the "Jambar". The Youngstown Telegram first used the nickname in a headline on Dec. 29, 1933 while The Vindicator first acknowledged the nickname in its Jan. 27, 1934 edition.

Stinger

NHL Affiliate: Columbus Blue Jackets Height: 6-5 Weight: Don't ask Favorite team: Columbus Blue Jackets Super skills: Gets a good buzz out of the home-crowd, flies and stings Little known fact: Says he drives around the Blue Jackets Fanboni to impress the chicks Rival: Gnash and Howler If Big Bird and Bart Simpson collided in the rink, the resulting character might just be Stinger. Kids love his hug-ability and adults take to his irrepressible irreverence. Stinger is a mascot that has something for everyone! While Stinger is definitely mischievous, you can't lose sight that his antics are always focused on the opponents' mascot, especially Gnash and Howler. While he certainly interacts in a fun, positive way with home team supporters, the opponent's mascots and fans are always the recipients of his impish charm. His bitter-rivals also fear his deadly "sting." When you look at him, slender and fast as can be, Stinger projects a fun and engaging image. He is the Jim Carey of mascots (not to be mistaken with the former Capitals' netminder). And what Stinger lacks in stature, he makes up for in attitude--and that attitude just screams "Rock Star." He's the center of attention wherever he goes and this doesn't sit well with the other more-established mascots. In his first full-season, the rookie crowd-pleaser managed to get under the suits of many veteran mascots, as he became well-loved by fans all over the NHL. While he may taunt and tease the opponent, he's a regular do-gooder when it comes to his hometown, whether he's supporting Children's Hospital or rallying behind youth hockey. But when he is not entertaining the crowds, Stinger likes to cook and read. He loves brewing up some Thunderbug soup, Predator Puree, Shark de Flamb? or Broiled Duck. The Columbus mascot gets most of his recipes from Cordon Blue Jackets: the Blue Jackets Wives Cookbook. He lists his favorite movie as A Bug's Life and his favorite singer is none other than the rock star Sting.

Saddam Captured!

Finally. One down and one to go. I predict stock market gains and a much tougher race for democrats.

Now if we could just capture Bin Laden.

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OU's White Wins College Football's Heisman Trophy

Oklahoma University quarterback Jason White won the 69th Heisman Trophy as the "outstanding college football player in the United States" on Saturday. He had a fine season, but this is an individual award, not a team award.

I think that Pitt's receiver Larry Fitzgerald should have won. His father said it all. "His numbers speak for themselves". But the odds were stacked against him. His team had 4 loses and he is only a sophomore. Maybe next year.

Weight Watchers Points Page and Free Planner

If you're interested in point values for various foods, there is a page that contains a Weight Watchers Food List. You can view it here:
Weight Watchers Points Page

I have also created a free spreadsheet that can be used to keep track of your points. The sheet allows you to track all meals for a whole week. Download it here:
Weekly Meal Planner

Good One

One gift left to buy!

We finally got all our Christmas shopping done. Except for one gift.

This is a stupid story. One gift that we bought less than a month ago, went on sale for $30 less than what we paid for it at Target.

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I went back to Target with my receipt and asked to get a refund for the difference. They said it was over 14 days and couldn't do that. However, I informed the clerk that my receipt does not expire for another 60+ days. I said, "But I can purchase another one for the sale price, and return my original one to get a refund." She said, yes I could. Whatever.... I even talked to a manager about this and no help.

So I went back the yesterday, had a store clerk get me a new one off the shelf (the box is over 90 lbs) and roll it up to the counter so I could pay. Told him the story so he knew what I was doing. He asked his manager too and again no help.

I mentioned:
1) If purchased a new one and then brought back my old one, they would have to help me out to the car with the new one.
2) I would have to go home and get the old one.
3) Then come inside to get a clerk that would help me get it out of the car and bring it into the store.

They didn't care.

So, I got to the cashier, and paid for the new item. Then the store clerk asked me if I wanted to pull up out front and he could help me put it in the car. I said "No, let's just roll it over to customer service so I can return it." He said I wouldn't be able to do that. I said I was going to try. After all, it's the same item, same box and same SKU number. I walked up to the customer service counter with the store clerk, said I was making a return and gave her my "old" receipt. She scanned it and gave me my credit receipt. The store clerk that rolled up the box was in shock. I said, "Thanks for your help" and walked out. What a way to do business. They could have saved themselves a lot of time and effort by just giving me the refund in the first place. Oh well, I tried.

NASLUND 4 - PENGUINS 3

Markus Naslund stung his former team (Pittsburgh Penguins) for four goals Tuesday night. Hedberg got the win in goal.

Markus Naslund has blossomed into a premier goal scorer in the National Hockey League. He showed his former team that first-hand Tuesday night.

Naslund netted all four Canucks goals, as Vancouver posted a 4-3 win against the Penguins in overtime at GM Place. The four-goal effort equalled Naslund's career-best for goals in a game and moved him into a tie for fourth place in the NHL's goal-scoring race.

Pittsburgh actually held the lead after one period, capitalizing on a hooking penalty against Daniel Sedin midway through the opening frame. Drake Berehowsky fired a shot through traffic which deflected off Pittsburgh forward Aleksey Morozov before finding its way to Milan Kraft. Kraft got just enough wood on the dying puck to direct it between Johan Hedberg's leg pads at 9:28.

Melana doesn't pick Average Joe

"I think I found a diamond in the rough," Melana Scantlin said, shortly before she picked the prettiest diamond, Jason, on the finale of Average Joe. Proving that shallowness is not dead, she rejected the only average guy remaining, 28-year-old Adam Mesh, a partner in a trading company who's apparently worth more than a million dollars, in favor of 26-year-old Jason Peoples, who lives with his parents and is still in college. She freaked Jason out by saying, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I haven't had more time to reciprocate those feelings." Then she changed her mind: "However, when I'm with you, I get scared and excited at the same time. ... When I look at you, I see a future with you." Previously most of her comments centered around Jason's looks, probably because he's prettier than she is. Adam was rejected with these words: "We developed a friendship, and that friendship developed into romance. However, tonight our romance has to end. It tears me up inside to send you home because more than anything you've made me feel so beautiful." Jason and Melana left on a jet for "a secluded tropical resort." On the Today Show, they said they haven't seen each other for seven months; Adam said they "really clicked" and said he is "dating a great girl...maybe we can go on a double date sometime." By the way, did you notice that host Kathy Griffin's name was misspelled (as "Griffen") during the opening credits? The editors probably didn't notice because she's been nowhere in sight for most of the show. What's up with NBC casting hosts and then never using them?

also: Average Joe 2: Hawaii debuts on Jan. 5, and the preview promised more hot guys and more twists.

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Rose Bowl the old-fashioned way

Thwe Rose Bowl this year will be like the old days (before the BCS). The PAC-10 Champion versus the Big-10 Champion. Should be an entertaining game.

Detriot Free Press article

VS

Free Electronic Gaming Monthly

Free. It says it expires 01/15/2004. EGM

Jim Valvano quotes

I saw a couple great quotes today, by the late Jim Valvano.

"I asked a ref if he could give me a technical foul for thinking bad things about him. He said, of course not. I said, well, I think you stink. And he gave me a technical. You can't trust em." - Jim Valvano

"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. If you laugh, think, and cry, that’s a heck of a day." - Jim Valvano

I finally got a Woody

I finally was able to get a Woody Hayes Bobblehead from Donatos.

Kristin and Tim had their baby today!

Kristin and Tim are the proud parents of Tucker Allen!!

Trading Spaces - They Hated It!

Looking for a gift for the the Trading Spaces fan, this looks like a good one. Check out this DVD.

Ready for Christmas

We made it back from Findlay on Saturday. We put up the tree and decorated the house on Sunday. So far, Rex and Ruby have only taken a few ornaments off Megan's tree. We'll see how they do.