Washington Plays (with) the Lions

It was the first game this season the Lions have scored in the first quarter.  They scored 10 points early and held an early lead, then the offense played the next two quarters like they have the first two quarters of previous games.  Of course the Redskins consistently put together drives and took a two touchdown lead in the fourth quarter.  

Although the Lions made it interesting late, there is little question they were thoroughly outplayed.  By seeing the game in person (it was blacked out locally for the first time since Ford Field opened) it was obvious which team was better.  One observation:  the Washington receivers have speed that only one Lion receiver has--that makes it difficult on the Lions defense and difficult on the Lions offense.  In addition Washington had an effective running game (Clinton Portis) whereas the Lions did not.  The game statistics will show which team dominated this game.

Weather was beautiful--very cool and cloudy in the morning and sunny and cool after the game.    

On a side note, I've been following former Lions coaches.  Jim Zorn has Washington 6-2, in Buffalo Dick Jauron has them 5-2 and reportedly is getting a 3-year extension.  And former Lions quarterbacks, though not players who will take you to the top, are still doing pretty well--Jeff Garcia at Tampa Bay is 5-3 and Gus Frerotte with the Vikings, though 3-4, has three more wins than the Lions.  So it's not just the first-to-be-blamed coaches and quarterbacks.

Pain of Painting

We went to Emerald Lake last Tuesday morning.  The goal was to paint the bathroom and deliver Thanksgiving day Lions tickets to Shane--he and some friends will join us for the game and dinner afterward.  We did not get much done Tuesday afternoon and evening except for heating up the house.  Fifty-five degrees in the early afternoon so fired up the propane heater and the word burning stove.  Split and hauled some wood.   By late night we had the temperature comfortable but there were still some cold spots.  Not until the next morning did the temperature even out throughout.  All the while Canadian Geese came and went and kept up honking, even as we slept.

Wednesday Kathy began priming the walls and ceiling.  It turned out to be a one-person job since the size and shape of the bathroom prohibited another ladder or person to be in helping.  In addition ladders could not be placed conveniently and so Kathy was contorting her body to reach remote places that needed painting.  Fortunately she could break for the afternoon and went into town to get her hair cut.  In the meantime I finished some routine maintenance on the Ranger and John Deere.  When we finally close for the season I still have to put them in winter storage.  Canadian Geese were still around--not sure if they were different from Tuesday's.

Kathy finished priming on Thursday while I did some writing, kept the wood burner going, split wood, and helped move and hold ladders for fear of falling.  But by nightfall she had the bathroom primed.  Angie stopped by with her kids for a visit.  Preston is growing like a weed, Logan and Kamber played with the toys and read books, and we talked with Angie.  Geese are still honking.

Friday Kathy spent all day putting on the finish coat--skill, stamina, success!  She was tired and sore when she made her last brush stroke.  That leaves us with just the workshop.  Still geese honking.

  

Saturday morning we put everything back into the bathroom, cleaned the wood burner, dusted and vacuumed, packed and closed up to return to Romeo--don't want to miss the Lions on Sunday.  Seems geese have left, but now the caw of black crows.

Houston, There's a Problem

You almost blew it against the Lions.  

I missed most of the first quarter of the Lions-Houston game.  Working outside.  Should have stayed outside.  Another loss makes the Lions 0-6 this season--they've lost 13 of their last 14.  And you thought Wall Street was in bad shape.

Who took the Lions defense in their fantasy draft?

The Lions made the game somewhat interesting, but they are far from being a competitive team.  I admit it--they fooled me with their 4-0 preseason.  They make opposing players who are not all-pro look like they are.  They make weak teams look like they are headed to the Super Bowl.  In some of their previous losing years they could at least "make a game of it" -- they cannot even do that  now.  

Firing Millen will help, if they find a quality replacement.  Trading Roy Williams for draft picks may pay off, but not for a while.  And remember, drafting talent has not been a strength of the Lions organization.  Replacing coach Marinelli will happen, but no one could have won with the current talent.

Looking forward to watching the opponents.  Jim Zorn and the Washington Redskins come to Ford Field next Sunday.

Weekend Warrior

Kathy and Brenda went on a Longaberger baskets trip to Dresden, Ohio with Jan and Patti.  They left by bus Friday morning (had to meet the bus at 5 am) and are returning tonight (Saturday) about 11 pm.  Kathy and Brenda went before and had a great time--I am sure this trip will be great also.

That left me to fend for myself.  So I sandwiched errands around our usual Friday breakfast.  That evening I went to Sterling Heights to see Romeo play Stevenson in football.  It may have been my first time back to Stevenson football since retirement.  Saw some staff that I worked with including Tracy Bigelow who joined the science department about seven years before I retired.  Kathy was Tracy's kindergarten teacher and she knew her parents who worked for Troy Schools.

I left in the fourth quarter with Stevenson ahead by 19.  At the time it seemed they had control of the game and I was getting a little cold.  As it turned out Romeo came back to go ahead late in the fourth quarter only to have Stevenson score a touchdown with 6 seconds left to hand the Bulldogs their second straight defeat after opening the season with six straight wins.

Stopped for coffee on my way to Oakland University for their version of Midnight Madness.  They gave away Golden Grizzlies caps to the first so many in attendance.  University staff were introduced who threw tee shirts into the crowd.  Teams of three with one being a student had a three-point shooting contest for gift certificates. A tumbling team from the Pistons along with their mascot dunked after launching themselves from trampolines.  Sports teams were introduced.  An athletic supporter donated $5k to the Grizz Gang, the student section.  Individual basketball players were introduced, alternating between men's and women's teams, then the coaches and their staffs.  The teams took the floor with the women's team putting on a 3-point shooting exhibition and the men's team showing off their dunking skills.  My main reason for going was to see Blake Cushingberry, freshman from Romeo. 

Saturday I got some chores checked off my list.  Friday I noticed some damage to an insert in the front bumper of the Cadillac and upon inspection realized it was from the raccoon I hit returning from the lake last week.  The parts were easy to reconnect by lining up a slot with a tab and pushing them together.  A crack in some plastic underneath is not noticeable.  Thought at first the damage was greater than what it turned out to be.  In addition I watched some of three blowout football games--first Purdue, then Michigan State, and finally Michigan.  Not a good day for my teams.

Kathy and Brenda must have had a good time because it's nearly midnight and I hear them laughing as they bring their shopping bags up the walk.  It's showtime!

A Celebration Weekend

Indian Summer continues in the mitten. And this weekend was special. Great color north of Saginaw on our drive up to the lake on Saturday. Stopped briefly at Birch Run to pick up a couple things. That evening was Oyster Supper, a celebration of Katie (McLachlan) Thompson's birthday by her decedents--this time 99 attended. (She was widowed by her two previous husbands Emmet Morse and John Carpenter before marrying Archie Thompson.) Katie's birthday was October 11, 1883 and the celebration is always held around her birth date.

Here is how I remember the progression through the generations: Katie Thompson, Letha (Morse) Corey, Anna Mae (Corey) Brigham, Kathy (Brigham) Reagan, James Reagan, Spencer and Garrett Reagan.

Then Sunday we celebrated Aunt Mabelle Preston's 100th birthday. (A little early--December 19, 1908--but she left for Florida yesterday with Uncle Maurice and Aunt Pauline with Rosie driving and will be there on her birthday.) Afterward we took a ride to see the fall colors. We made a loop up to Cadillac and back. An awesome display. Some pictures around the lake.

As we drove in.

From across the lake.

And from the house.

Monday Kathy painted three tedious ceilings, both prime and finish coats, that put her in contortionist positions. It looks great! Left early enough for home to have enough light to see some color between the lake and Mount Pleasant.

Indian Summer...

is always special in Michigan. The calm before the storm. The last of shirtsleeve weather. Final days of mowing. Cold nights and warm days. Should we turn the heat on to take the chill off in the morning? Leaves beginning to change colors.

After a week and a half away the yard needed mowing. And we did that. Also cleaned up twigs and branches and picked up pine cones brought down by the early-week winds.

Then in the afternoon we went geocaching at Wolcott Mill Metropark. Trails were drying after the rains. Leaves changing. Two other cars in the parking lot. Found five of six caches and dropped the three travel bugs we picked up in Snoqualmie last Sunday.

And lots of ash trees cut down, dead from the Emerald Ash Borer introduced into southeast Michigan from Asia around 2002. In addition there will be more to cut--we saw several stands of dead ash on our walk. Now other trees will have room to flourish but that will take years to see.

All in all, a great day.

Snoqualmie Ridge

Arrived to beautiful weather last Tuesday (it lasted two days followed by 6.5 days of rain).  Amy and Garrett picked us up from airport and we stopped for lunch at Rainforest Cafe, one of Garrett's favorites, and some shopping.  Part of our visit was to help with the boys so Amy could attend a MOPS convention in Texas and James could work. 

Wednesday Amy gave us a preview of the boys' day and we met Michelle who would take Garrett to preschool Thursday. Tai kwon do for Spencer rounded out the day.

Amy was off to Texas by 5 am Thursday. We took Spencer to school and Garrett was picked up for preschool.  That gave me and Kathy time for our coffee at Starbucks and then out to find geocaches--success on two of three.  Then back to meet Garrett after preschool.  Played until we went to pick up Spencer, back for homework and off to soccer.

Only a half day Friday for Spencer and none for Garrett.  James met us after noon and we played with the boys for a while before swimming lessons for both.  They have improved so much since Lake Chelan last summer.  We shopped for baking supplies for Saturday (Kathy's birthday).  The boys picked out their favorite cake mix (FunFetti), frosting (Rainbow Chip--has extra sprinkles), and two numeral candles (if I publish the numerals, I will no longer be able to blog).  Then got ready-to-bake pizza for dinner--fabulous--some of the best pizza I have ever had.  

Saturday was early tae kwon do  for Spencer.  Came back and the boys mixed the batter for Grandma Reagan's birthday cupcakes.  "How old is she, Garrett?".  After thinking a bit the three-year-old answered, "Old enough."  Off to Seattle Center for the LEGO BrickCon convention.  Several thousand LEGO enthusiasts built displays of LEGO cities, Star Wars scenes, artificial intelligence robots, military machines, airplanes, and cartoon renderings to name some.  Though LEGOs are younger than I or Kathy (50 years this past January) the three younger boys have grown up with them and were enthralled by the creations.  Afterward we walked the Center (28 acres of grounds and buildings), grabbed a couple geocaches, and let the boys and Kathy play at the fountain which has intermittent eruptions allowing the adventuresome  (Spencer and Kathy) to run down the embankment and touch the fountain before getting sprayed by the next eruption.  Garrett was kept from making his great circle of the fountain walking on the barrier because when he reached a certain point the strong winds blew the spray on him.  When we got home the boys finished frosting and decorating the cupcakes, put on and lighted the candles, sang Happy Birthday, and let grandma blow them out.  Spencer and Garrett both picked out the ones they piled high with frosting and extra sprinkles--we think they planned that all along.

Sunday we went for breakfast to North Bend at George's Bakery which has big doughnuts the size of a dinner plate and we shared one.  Afterward we went geocaching and found a few around the area, some that were new for James.  Played in the neighborhood park and after Amy returned from her convention trip we went to dinner for barbecue.

Monday it was back to schools and soccer in the rain.  But Tuesday the weather broke in the afternoon and gave winds good enough for fall kite flying, one each for Spencer and Garrett, in the park along with bike riding.  We took Spencer to tae kwon do while Amy fixed dinner. 

Later James took us to the airport for our red eye flight home.  The weather in Detroit Wednesday morning?  What else?  Rain.  

Lions

As I said a couple weeks ago,  things could get worse against the Bears at home.  And they did.

What do you do now, Ford Senior?  If your plan parallels yours for your motor car company, we can expect only downward movement for the Lions from here, if that is possible.

Change my under-over for Lions wins to two, though I do not know which two.