White Christmas

Now that Thanksgiving is over I can post about our visit to the Fox Theatre a week ago Thursday to see White Christmas.  Based on the movie of the same name (Bing Crosby, I believe, was a lead) it's a feel-good musical where boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-wins-girl-back; in addition the two male leads help an old army commander fill his New England inn at Christmastime to avoid "going under".  (Timely, huh?  No government bailout here, just people helping people.  This show would probably not play well in DC.)

Great music with songs I did not realize were from this show and fine dancing along with good acting made this an enjoyable performance.

We went with Don and Marietta and Brian and Carolyn (their kids) after dinner at Moose Preserve.

Detroit Going For The Record--Again

We've seen some bad teams around here.

 

Currently the Detroit Lions are headed to the first 0-16 season in NFL history (1976 Buccaneers were 0-14).  They are currently 0-11 with 5 games remaining.   And they have not been competitive in those games.  IMHO their ineptitude on offense, defense, and special teams along with a favorable schedule make their chance of a winless season better than even  (change my  under-over for wins to ZERO).

Other Detroit teams were bad but not thoroughly inept.  Detroit Pistons had 16 wins and 66 losses in 1979-1980 season.  During the 1990s they were 20-62 in 1993-94.

Detroit Tigers flirted with the major league record but only established an American League record of 119 losses in 2003 missing the major league record by one loss.  (Their team yearly loss record was 109 in 1996, but their 1952 season was their second worst winning percentage 0.325 on 50 wins and 104 losses.) 

In 1985-86 the Red Wings won 17, lost 57, and tied 6, a franchise worst season.

Here are some other "worst" teams.

For consecutive losing seasons Detroit teams can hold their head high. 

The Detroit Lions will complete their 8th consecutive losing season this year and can extend that streak next year.  In six more years they can match the Buccaneers who had 14 straight losing seasons from 1983-1996.

Detroit Tigers had 12 consecutive losing seasons  (1994-2005).   Only the Brewers, Athletics, Phillies, and Pirates had longer streaks.

Pistons, who moved from Fort Wayne to Detroit in 1957,  had 14 consecutive losing seasons (1956-70),  Only Sacramento Kings had one longer.

Red Wings had 14 consecutive losing seasons (1973-87).  The Canucks had a longer one.

We will be there Thursday to see the 10-1 Titans (who we hoped would be 11-0 but lost to the Jets Sunday) deep fry the Lions for Thanksgiving.

Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, Ouch

Michigan got pasted by Ohio State -- again.  This group of Wolverines makes it five straight losses, a first in the series.

Michigan State got blasted by Penn State.  The only two really good teams in the Big Ten are OSU and PSU.  The big two and little nine looks somewhat different this year.

Indiana got ripped by Purdue.  Both had weak teams but the Boilers stuck it to them. 

And number 2 Texas Tech had a whuppin' put on 'em by number 5 Oklahoma.  Not sure how the Sooners lost to Texas earlier in the season but that may keep Oklahoma out of the national championship game.

Is Fall Over in the Mitten?

It it's getting close to wintertime.  Snow fell yesterday morning and this morning, and both days the snow stayed with us.

And the weather reports now include "lake effect snow" (especially the south shores of the Great Lakes.

Now that we've had our first snow we might as well have snow until the spring thaw.

Schools for Scandal

School administrators and counselors changing students' grades without teachers' knowledge is one thing.  Falsifying social security numbers is another.

One the one hand the practice of changing grades is IMHO unethical.  If there is a case to be made for a grade change then the argument should be made to the teacher and let them have the final decision (or convene a tribunal that can hear cases under certain circumstances and make a final decision).

But submitting false SSNs to make one's life easier?  Reprehensible.

The Season Finale

We closed Emerald Lake house for the season.  Went up yesterday (Wednesday) and made a stop in Birch Run to shop the outlet for coats and boots for Kathy.  Surprisingly I did not go into the Bose outlet even though we passed it at least twice and also Kathy did not find what she was looking for.

Forty degrees in the house when we got there so started fireplace, electric heat, and propane heat.  Eventually temperature got up to sixty-eight before we went to bed.  We decided to put off the real work until Thursday.  

This morning Kathy cleaned leaves off the roof and gathered items we wanted to take back to Romeo.  I winterized the Ranger and John Deere lawn tractor.  After a brunch break we finished by pumping antifreeze into our water lines, then packed the truck and returned to Romeo.

We always feel a bit sad on our way out the driveway because we will not be back up until spring.

New QBs Not The Answer

The Lions used two quarterbacks, Dante Culpepper, who was signed earlier in the week, and his backup Drew Henson.  Neither had the kind of day that would keep the Lions from losing their ninth of the season without a victory.  They started the 0-12 in 2001 but as I recall they looked much better and seemed to be somewhat competitive--not so this version.

The defense was shredded for five consecutive touchdown drives by the Jaguars.  Don't remember that happening before.  And the Jaguar defense could have kept the Lions to ten points except for a face mask penalty on the Lions first touchdown drive that gave them first-and-goal instead of fourth-and-goal.

Another non-sellout so television blacked out locally.  The crowd is getting quieter by the game.  And leaving earlier.  You would think if anyone would understand customer apathy the Fords would.

Worse yet, the Romeo Bulldogs lost to Lake Orion in the high school football playoffs Friday night.  Too cold and damp for us to attend, however I picked up a live internet broadcast of the game and could hear enough bits and pieces of the description--the quality reminded me of early radio and television fading in and out. 

On a higher note, both Michigan State and Michigan won on Saturday with MSU at 9-2 and heading to Happy Valley in two weeks for a showdown with Penn State with the winner sharing the Big Ten title (assuming PSU beats IU and OSU wins at Illinois and at home against Michigan).

GO GREEN!  GO WHITE!

All Childish Things

was the name of the play we saw Thursday afternoon at Boarshead theatre in Lansing.

  

Set in Cincinnati, this comedy follows three childhood friends and one provoking girlfriend (played by Molly Thomas, daughter of Kathy's colleague) as they try to commit the crime of the century...robbing the warehouses of Kenner Toys where the mother load of "Star Wars" figures can be found.

Dave, computer programmer and avid "Star Wars" fan, plans the heist from his mother's basement (where he still resides) with the help of Max, Carter and Kendra. When things go awry, friendships are tested and each faces the most important decision of his life. Not even light sabers or Jedi knights can save the day for these "Star Wars" geeks.

There really are men so interested in Star Wars--we could tell from some of the laughter at lines we did not understand--and I can imagine they also introduce a new generation to it.

In addition to the play we toured the Michigan Capitol, our first visit there in many years.  Because of 9/11 visitors cannot use the main entrance through the massive wooden doors up the grand staircase (we tried it and the doors were locked) but instead at ground level never intended for visitors.  It is still an impressive site with the dome 160 feet above the rotunda and house and senate chambers in the wings.  Sound like the U.S. Capitol?  It should and so should many other state capitols after the Civil War because their architects took their inspiration from it.

We followed our self-guided tour with lunch at Clara's, an old railroad station that still has trains passing alongside on their tracks converted to a restaurant.

In this beautiful sunny fall weather we were able to park the car at the theatre and walk to our destinations--we had hoped for more shopping in the downtown Lansing area but our walk along those streets took us past mostly restaurants leaving us time for the capitol tour.

Preserving Perfect Seasons

Brenda left Nashville late this morning and arrived here in time to see the second half of the Lions game with us--she should have juggled her schedule to take in the Titans game this afternoon against Green Bay.  

Both of her teams kept their streaks alive today.  The Lions go to 0-8 with their loss to the Bears (at least they had a lead for part of the game) while the Titans are 8-0 after beating the Packers in overtime.

She gets to see both of her teams Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field.

(If rumors are true, the Lions will sign Dante Culpepper--that should take care of the problems on offense! LOL.)  

High School Football Saturday

Saturday afternoon the sun shone bright and the temperature was a bit above 50 degrees (we know that because bumble bees were flying about and below they generally do not) and the wind blowing 15 mph.  We had our in-car tailgate, eating sandwiches and fruit before the game.  True tailgating does not happen much at high school games.  

Romeo hosted Clarkston in the first round of the playoffs ranked number 10 in the state division 1 by some newspapers.  Clarkston players or coaches--not sure which--said they were looking forward to meeting Lake Orion in two weeks.  Lake Orion played this weekend and the winner of their game plays the winner of Romeo's.  They don't have to worry.  Romeo played well and took a 31-0 lead at the half to the amazement of all.  Clarkston had a 6-3 record (Romeo was 7-2) and was reportedly one  of the strongest in Oakland County.  On offense Romeo did what they wanted--Clarkston could not stop them.  And Romeo's defense did the same against a Clarkston explosive offense averaging about 40 points per game.  In the second half Romeo scored late in the third quarter and Clarkston scored in the fourth, their only score of the day, to make the final Romeo 38-Clarkston 7.

Lake Orion did win their playoff game and some of their players were in attendance to see who they will play next weekend.  The Bulldogs will travel to LO and try to keep their season going.  Right now the weather for next weekend is iffy and that will determine whether we go.

GO DAWGS.

Meadow Brook Theatre

Our Thursday production was  Murder by Poe which recounts several of his stories.  Included are "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Black Cat", and Poe's omniscient detective C. Auguste Dupin displaying his solution to "The Murders in the Rue Morgue."

Excellent production.  Had I more Poe knowledge I would have enjoyed it even more.

A Gem of a Play

Eight of us went to the Gem Theatre (Don & Marietta, Bill & Patti, Carol & her brother Curt, us) Wednesday.  Had dinner there at the Century Grill--food was great though the service was not. 

In Say Goodnight, Gracie George Burns recounts his life from his early days in a small tenement in New York City through his final days when he had to cancel a performance in Las Vagas on his 100th birthday due to illness.  His early days in Vaudeville. meeting and becoming great friends with Jack Benny, marrying Gracie Allen, rising in popularity radio and television, having children, Gracie's early retirement, losing Gracie and later Jack, and his final days.  This was a fine one-man performance that used pictures and video and sound recordings to add authenticity and emphasis.