Current Puma Inventory

Now I have eight pair of Pumas. All are fun to own, though I rarely wear them. Perhaps I’ll sell five of them. Due to their cracking soles, I know to stay away from the good-looking California model.

Canvas: dark blue / off white. Nearly new. Too Chuck Taylor-ish for me. Maybe I’ll sell them, or give them to Joel.

Suede: red / white. Bought new. I should sell them.

Roma: white / blue / blue tongue. Great shape. I should sell them.

Roma: white / blue / white tongue. Beaten up, but decent looking.

Brasil: white / green. OK shape.

Track: blue / grey / white. A slit in the fabric, but I could still sell.

Running: grey / orange / white. Keepers.

California (kids): grey / white. Worn by all three kids. I should sell.

Thrown away due to cracking soles:

California: red / white. I loved these most.

California: grey / red

California (youth): white / navy.

Did not buy for same reason:

California: white / navy

Other sneakers:

New Balance 993 grey…kinda wide

New Balance 992 grey…anniversary model. Too wide

New Balance 993 black…bought new. OK fit.

New Balance 991 grey…old.

Chuck Taylor low tops…white. Makes me look fatter.

Reebok Pump running shoes…highlighter yellow. Use them as house shoes, since they’re slip-ons.

Air Jordans…too big, but they’re warm, and fun to look at.

DoorHinges

Here is the photo Erin photoshopped and posted on the Land of a Thousand Hills Facebook page, just after us DoorHinges had won trivia. Joel suggested we form the DH, and later Erin added the letters. Wisely, she kept me out of the phot as much as possible.

Puma Canvas Sneakers

As usual, I can't pass up a cheap pair of Pumas. They'll be good to wear in the summer, and to trivia.

thisnext.com called them "effortlessly classic and laid back." For the life of me, I cannot determine their name.

I'm tempted to trade the blue strings for white. Your thoughts?

Herschel's NFL Career: HOF Worthy

Several weeks ago I made the case that Herschel Walker ranks first among all pro football players in total yards gained. The ex-Bulldog has been overlooked for enshrinement into the “Pro Football Hall of Fame” because 7,046 of his total yards were gained in the rival USFL, and not the NFL. So let’s base Walker’s HOF bid solely on his NFL career. A comparison of his NFL statistics with all running backs already in the Hall tells the story:

When Herschel retired after the 1997 season, his 18,168 all-purpose yards ranked second in NFL history. Only Walter Payton gained more. Walker’s total bests all fifteen other hall-of-famers from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s: Marcus Allen, Thurman, Thomas, Tony Dorsett, Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Franco Harris, OJ Simpson, John Riggins, Joe Perry, Lenny Moore, Leroy Kelly, Floyd Little, Jim Taylor, Earl Campbell, and Larry Csonka.

Walker’s 8,225 NFL rushing yards are more than hall-of-famers Lenny Moore, Leroy Kelly, Floyd Little, and Larry Csonka. Additionally, Earl Campbell, Joe Perry, and Jim Taylor outrushed Herschel by only a nominal amount.

When Walker retired, only Marcus Allen and Lenny Moore had more receiving yards as a running back. Herschel’s 4,859 receiving yards are more than hall-of-fame running backs Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas, Tony Dorsett, Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson, Franco Harris, OJ Simpson, John Riggins, Joe Perry, Leroy Kelly, Floyd Little, Jim Taylor, Earl Campbell, and Larry Csonka.

Herschel’s 5,084 kickoff return yards may be an NFL record. No hall-of-fame running back has more. He is the only player to gain 4,000 yards three different ways: rushing, receiving and kickoff returns.

Among hall-of-fame running backs, only Emmitt Smith (226), Marcus Allen (222) and Walter Payton (190) played in more NFL games than Walker (187).


It goes without saying that Herschel’s career NFL statistics dwarf those of HOF running backs from the pre-Super Bowl era: John Henry Johnson, Hugh McElhenny, Ollie Matson, Gale Sayers, Marion Motley, Paul Hornung, Charlie Trippi, and Doak Walker (several of whom began their careers not in the NFL, but the AAFC). Frank Gifford had more receiving yards, but he often lined up at flanker.

Herschel was the first player in NFL history to score touchdowns of more than 90 yards rushing, receiving, and returning, in the same year (1994). He is the only player to record an 84+ yard touchdown run and an 84+ yard touchdown reception, in the same game (December 14, 1986). That same day, he had 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving.

Walker is the only player besides Derrick Mason to have 10,000+ yards from scrimmage and 5,000+ return yards (kickoff returns).

He is one of six players (Jim Brown, Lenny Moore, Marcus Allen, Marshall Faulk, and Thurman Thomas) to exceed 60 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns receiving.

Holding Herschel back: he played on losing teams. In the Super Bowl era, thirteen of the 21 HOF running backs played in the Super Bowl. Only four played on losers: Barry Sanders, OJ Simpson, Floyd Little, and Earl Campbell. Walker scored more NFL touchdowns than Simpson, Little, and Campbell. Often his team’s only offensive threat, Herschel produced these obviously hall-of-fame worthy numbers despite having entire defenses keying on him. Backs on winning teams often had numerous offensive threats. Emmitt Smith, Thurman Thomas, Tony Dorsett, Franco Harris, Joe Perry, Lenny Moore, Jim Taylor, Larry Csonka, and Paul Hornung are prime examples.

With these NFL career numbers, why is Herschel not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

DoorHinges: Two Straight Wins!

The trivia experts were wondering if the DoorHinges could repeat. Things didn’t start off well: Will was more focused on other pursuits. Though Erin was back in her signature red boots, I wore my white Pumas. Michael dragged in looking glum…earlier in the day he wrecked his 2011 Accord. When the cute blonde at the next table tried to say hello to him, he was oblivious. Left hanging, she pretended to stab him in the back with a dagger.

1. GEORGIA: What mountain near Atlanta is the sight of one of the largest single masses of exposed granite in the world? An easy five points: Stone Mountain, of course.

2. DISNEY: In the movie, was Bambi a boy or girl deer? Joel thought boy. Three points.

3. BIBLE: What Biblical character had a coat of many colors? Joseph (why did that sound weird to me?) One point.

4. MOVIES: What was the name of the masked character in the Friday the 13th movies? Michael and Joel looked to me. I don’t watch movies like that, but suddenly it came to me: Jason. How did I know that? Three points.

5. MUSIC: The term diminuendo means the music is becoming what? Joel knew: Softer. Five points.

6. 1990’s: At Woodstock 1999, what one-named musician took the stage wearing only his bass guitar? We didn’t know. I was pretty sure it wasn’t Prince, and answered Slash…from Guitar Hero. After we turned in our answer, Joel remembered that Slash played lead. It was Flea, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers (at work, Chris knew). A one point miss.

7. COFFEE: Which iconic American event in the 1700’s turned America’s principal drink from tea to coffee? Michael was the first to answer, and I concurred: The Boston Tea Party. Five points.

8. HUMAN BODY: The scapula is the formal name for what body part? Joel knew: the shoulder blade. Three points.

9. RELIGION: Who originally published the Book of Mormon? Knowing it wasn’t Brigham Young, I knew it was an ordinary name. On my paper I jotted Joseph, thought for a minute, and remembered his last name…Smith. Michael thought it sounded right, too. One point.

10. STATES: Name the abbreviations for the following states: Indiana, Mississippi, Washington, Connecticut, Nebraska. Will arrived, and Joel was cautious to answer, after last week’s Iowa debacle. We huddled, and answered correctly: IN, MS, WA, CT, NE. Ten points. At halftime, we were one of three teams one point out of first place. Two teams had perfect scores. Bama was three behind us.

11. LITERATURE: What type of animal was the protagonist in “The Wind in the Willows”? Joel and Michael had read the book AND watched the movie. After a few tense seconds, Michael said mole. Joel thought that was right…and wagered six points, to my surprise. But mole was right. Erin quipped “The questions are getting harder, but the answers are getting worse!” A good sign.

Just then the PA system went out. Erin checked everything, but couldn’t get it to work. While she switched microphones, I encouraged Joel to help. Finally he did, and quickly got it working…after blasting out everyone’s eardrums. Erin got everyone to cheer for Joel. After getting the game going again, she came over and gave him a big hug. Another good sign.

12. AMERICA: In 1904 what city became the first to host the Olympics in the US? I knew: St. Louis. After confirming the answer, Erin reminded us that it’s her home town. We should’ve remembered that. Four points.

13. HISTORY: In 1911 a team from what country was the first to reach the South Pole? The name Sir Edmund Hillary came to my mind. He sounded British, so we answered England. It was Norway…Hillary scaled Mt. Everest. A two point miss.

14. GEOGRAPHY: Which ocean is the largest and deepest? Easy. Michael said it first: the Pacific. Six points.

15. SCIENCE: What instrument measures humidity? Tough one. Michael and I thought it was a barometer, but Joel said no…it measures pressure. Eventually Joel asked “What…is another word for water?” “Hydro…” I answered, and then made up a word I’d never heard before: “…hydrometer” We turned it in…and got it right! Bama was the only other team that answered correctly. Two points.

16. TELEVISION: In what decade was the TV invented? Another discussion. I was thinking TV broadcasts must’ve begun in the 30’s, it TV’s invention was earlier than that. Michael also thought it was the 1920’s. Right again! Four points.

17. GAMES: What was the first coin-operated video game? I knew it wasn’t Pac Man or Asteroids. Michael and Joel thought it was Gallaga. Sounded older than Space Invaders. Erin said it was “Computer Space” Lots of groans…no one got it right. A two point miss.

18. HISTORY: Which president was the first to ride in an automobile? I was pretty sure I’d read that it was Teddy Roosevelt (though not yet in book I’m halfway through). Michael thought the auto was invented around 1908. Erin said to give both the first and last name, which further confirmed Roosevelt. I was right. We wagered four points, but since the last question is often brutal, perhaps we should’ve bet six.

19. DINOSAURS: Within ten million years, how many million years ago did dinosaurs become extinct? Yes, we should’ve wagered six on the previous question. With no idea, I mentally zoned out. I joked about subscribing to the Young Earth theory: us creationists know there is no firm scientific evidence to suggest the earth is more than 8000 years old. Joel and Will spent a week at the Creation Museum near Cincinnati, but that wouldn’t help. After Joel turned in 200, l felt bad about not contributing a lower number, like fifty. Michael heard another table say 64. The answer was 65. A six point miss. Not good: we’d missed three of the nine second-half questions.

Before the final question, Erin read off the scores. Bama was fourth from last, with 51. I knew our score: 62. Rumbleroars had 56…in second place. We led by six points!

20. FINAL: In honor of Hershey Chocolate’s 118th birthday Thursday, name the five most popular candies in the US (not gum). We made a list, and answered the first five: M&M’s, Reece’s Cups, Hershey’s Chocolate Bar, Snickers, Skittles, Lifesavers, Hershey’s Kisses, and Butterfingers. In the confusion, we forgot to rank them. We got the top four, and missed number five: Kit Kat.

I quickly started adding…the additional twelve points would be tough to beat (in fact, the top eight teams would’ve had to get all five IN ORDER to win). Eight other teams did get four of five. We kept our six point margin, and won with 74 points. Two straight wins! The celebration was slightly more subdued, and there was no dancing in the street. I did manage to forget my Diet Coke.

Like her red boots, Erin’s musical theme for the evening was Love and Candy: All You Need is Love, I Love Candy, Lollipop, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, PS I Love You, Honey Honey (the Archies), JT’s How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You, The Candy Man, Elvis’s Burnin’ Love, World of Imagination (from Willie Wonka), and the B52’s Love Shack.

I Had a Dream

Over the years I’ve had a recurring dream about a spacious, little used bathroom/showers/locker room. It is ornate, tiled, and goes on forever…lots of big, open lockers, huge showers, etc. When you go around to the other side, there’s more of everything. But to get there, you had to go deeper and deeper in this dorm/hotel place. Its almost like a maze. Last night a co-worker was in my dream. When they found their bathroom full, we went on a journey to this huge, secret locker room.

In a separate dream, Mark Richt just found out a family member of someone he knew had died. He started crying, and I had to console him. We were standing in a stadium, in the walkway leading from underneath the stands. In my dream, he was chubbier than I’d seen him in the past. He was wearing grey, not red.

Monday night I saw where David Feherty’s Golf Channel show had been taped in Indianapolis. His first guest was Tim Tebow. It was interesting to watch Feherty as he interviewed Tebow. Like Alec Baldwin on the NFL Awards Show, interviewers are fully accepting of Tebow’s faith. Golf was not mentioned. I changed the channel when Joe Thiesman and Steve Mariucci came out. The Feherty show will certainly rerun soon.

In other news, this looks interesting: run a 5K through mud and blood, while being chased by zombies…http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/2012/02/07/heres-your-chance-to-be-chased-by-zombies/?cxntlid=thbz_hm Too bad my son has a doubleheader that day.

2012 Super Bowl

Seemed like a good Super Bowl to me. The Giants were on a roll all the way through the playoffs. Once again the Falcons had to play the eventual Super Bowl winner. People never remember that when they wonder why the got bounced from the playoffs in the first round for two straight years.

The Patriots were good, and did well just to make it to the Super Bowl. I think Brady was hurt more than he let on. I really wasn’t able to pay close attention to the game, of many commercials. Like the Seinfeld/Leno/Acura commercial, the Matthew Broderick/Honda commercial, and a few others.

Bruce Ambrose showed up at halftime, escorting Mary Hubert. They said these days David Hubert spends most of his free time holed up at home. Spent most of the fourth quarter catching up with Bruce. Updated him on all the teenagers in attendance: Will, Joel, Kevin, Haley, Margaret, Matthew, Emily, and the Toholskys. We heard Myra had fallen while walking near Chastain Park.

Watched a good movie earlier Sunday: Next, with Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, and Jessica Beil. Friday night Anna got interested in Field of Dreams, which was on at the same time as Eight Men Out.

Saturday night we watched part of the Bob Costas Super Bowl discussion, and then the NFL Awards show hosted by Alec Baldwin, who did a good job. Will cooked breaded chicken, with tater tots.

During the Super Bowl we ate bbq chicken and pork, potato salad, green beans, salad, pigs-in-a-blanket, deviled eggs, three kinds of dip, chocolate cake, chess pie, and brownies. Will made spinach & artichoke dip. Matthew ate lots of ribs. After the game I had to drive from Milton to Peachtree Corners to get Anna.

Not much going on with us this week. Been busy at work. Tuesday I left early to take some clothes to a consignment store…so far it doesn’t seem to be a lucrative venture.

Put three more items on eBay last night: an Odyssey putter, a Dr J 76ers jersey, and a lime green Shareef Hawks jersey. With Wednesday being the big school day, we once again left the TV off last night.

Matthew is looking more like a basketball player. He finally got some baggy shorts, so he looks even skinnier. He practices harder than he ever has, though he needs to build his strength.

February Reading List

The Twelfth Imam, by Joel C Rosenberg. The first in his second series of prophetic end of times novels.

Mornings on Horseback, by David G McCullough. The story of Teddy Roosevelt’s family. I’ve already learned that Teddy’s mother’s Bulloch family founded Roswell, GA. Mitty’s Tearoom in Roswell is named after her. There was an 1860’s photo of Lincoln’s coffin parading past the Roosevelt NYC house, with young Teddy peering out an upstairs window. As a child, Teddy had severe asthma…like me.

1776, by David McCullough.

Playing for Pizza, by John Grisham. An embattled ex-NFL quarterback finds enjoyment playing football in Italy.

Extreme Measures, by Vince Flynn. The ninth in the counter-terrorism agent Mitch Rapp series of novels.

The Last Patriot, by Brad Thor

I finally finished Plausible Denial, which finally got good at the end. How many Americans know there was an appeals court jury trial where detailed testimony found evidence of a E Howard Hunt led CIA conspiracy…responsible for the assassination of JFK, setting up Lee Harvey Oswald as the patsy, and Jack Ruby’s subsequent murder of Oswald.

Will's 2012 Baseball Schedule

Feb 25…11:15 at Covenant Christian Academy, Loganville (DH)

Feb 28…4:30 at East Cobb vs. Covenant Christian

March 1…4:00 at East Cobb vs. South Atlanta (DH)

March 5…4:30 at Mt. Paran vs. Grace Baptist

March 6…4:40 at East Cobb vs. Christian Heritage School (DH)

March 9…3:15 at Tattnall Square Academy, Macon (DH)

March 10…9:00 at Tattnall Square Academy, Macon (DH)

March 16…7:00 at Home Plate Citadels, Peachtree City (game 2)

March 20…4:30 at Grace Baptist School, Hiram

March 23…6:00 at Covenant College, Chattanooga vs. Nashville

March 24…11:00 at Covenant College, Chattanooga vs. Knoxville

March 24...3:00 at Covenant College, Chattanooga vs. Chattanooga

March 27…4:30 at East Cobb vs. Gwinnett Barons (DH)

March 29...2:00 at Mt. Paran vs. New Creation & Nashville (DH)

March 30...4:30 at Mt. Paran vs. Huntsville Falcons

March 31...4:30 at Mt. Paran vs. Carolina Spartans

April 12…1:30 at South Atlanta Knights, Fayetteville GA

April 14…2:30 at Christian Heritage School, Dalton, GA (game 2)

April 17…4:30 at East Cobb vs. Gwinnett Barons (DH)

April 19…4:30 at East Cobb vs. New Creation (DH)

April 21…3:00 at Mt Paran vs. Covenant Christian (DH)

April 24…5:30 at East Cobb vs. South Atlanta (game 2)

April 30 - May 5: Home School World Series, Auburndale FL

Home games played at East Cobb Baseball Complex, on Lee Waters Road in Marietta (just past Kell High School).

Other home games played at Mt Paran Church of God, on Allgood Road in Marietta.

For more information, call me at 404.921.4841

Matthew Scores, But Reds Denied Victory

Matthew played well, and his Reds led the entire game before losing on the last basket of the game Saturday. In addition to good defense and the strongest rebounding all season, Matthew scored the first basket of the game. He grabbed a loose ball halfway between the foul line and the basket and confidently put up an immediate shot, giving the Reds an early lead.

After Black tied the game at two, the Reds built leads of seven and eight. With the score 20-12 just before the half, Black outscored Red 16-7 to take the game at the end. The winless Black team had lost to the Reds by over forty points a few weeks ago, but the powers that be were determined to get them a win, by hook or by crook. Even though the Blacks suited up nine of their own players, they were also able to recruit two of the best players in the league: the tall twins from the Blue team. Had they not played, the Reds would’ve won easily.

The Reds played without their leading rebounder Chris, who was nursing a foot injury. Leading scorer Ryan hit a half-court buzzer-beater to end the first quarter, but spent the rest of the game more focused on making spectacular plays than playing solid basketball. Up only one point late in the game, Ryan turned the ball over while attempting a behind-the-back pass. He missed all four free throws: one was an air ball. Darryl also had a rough game, making only one shot while turning it over numerous times.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Red scored to put the lead at three. Matthew grabbed a rebound, but barely missed the putback. Later he was fouled, but didn’t get to shoot. Both teams played their best five players the last five minutes. The pace was frantic. Down one point, Black was quite aggressive. The referees certainly let the players play, way past the point of mugging, in my opinion. Ryan did not attempt a shot, and the Reds were unable to score.

Matthew played the entire first half, and half of the second.

RED…2…14…14…20…25…25…27…27

BLK….2…..6…10…16…20…23…25…28

Ryan: 16 pts, 10 RB, 8 steals, BLK…7-16, 0-4

Ethan: 4 points, 5 RB, assist…1-4, 0-2

Darryl: 2 points, 7 RB, 5 steals…1-5

Sam: 2 points, 6 RB, steal…1-4

Matthew: 2 points, 5 RB, assist…1-3

Rolf: one point, 5 RB…0-2, 1-2

Tristan: 7 rebounds, assist

Next weekend Matthew will miss his game, while on his church retreat.

In two weeks Ernie Johnson Jr will speak at the awards banquet, as well as at both morning services at Mt Zion UMC.

Nike Dual Fusion

These are the shoes Will picked out at the Nike Outlet. There were others that looked better, even the same model trimmed in red or blue. Got them by cashing in MyCokeRewards points. Will also got a pair of running shorts.

Feb 2 Trivia: DOORHINGES WIN!

After a couple of strong trivia showings, I thought we might be due for an off-week. But Joel came bopping in, feeling it was our week to win. The competition looked fierce, with at least five strong teams present. Arriving early, Will hung out at the Bama table. Erin’s questions seemed a bit tougher. All night long our wagering choices put us in binds, and luck certainly played a role.

1. 1990’s: What 1999 Keanu Reeves movie was the first DVD to sell one million copies? The obvious choice was The Matrix. I like to think through options, and briefly considered Speed. With that doubt in our minds, we only wagered three. We were right.

2. MOVIES: Which actress played leading roles in The Other Bolin Sister, Black Swann, and Thor? Usually I start jotting down the question as soon as Erin starts reading it. I often miss part of the question, but know it will be repeated. I had missed the Black Swann part of the question, and was unfamiliar with Bolin and Thor. Michael had immediately answered Natalie Portman. When I heard the entire question, Portman sounded like a good choice. Five points.

3. SCIENCE: What type of scientist studies motion, forces, and energy? Joel immediately knew: A Physicist. One point.

4. POT-POURI: The Zodiac sign Cancer is represented by what animal? I was pretty sure it was the Crab. Will concurred, but didn’t want to wager five. We settled on three.

5. FOOD: In a restaurant, if a dish is served “Florentine”, what does it mean? We didn’t know, and guessed Cream, wagering one point. Becky would’ve surely known, but she was sitting at home. Spinach was the answer. Now the pressure was on: the had to get the next question right, or lose five points.

6. GAMES: In a standard game of darts, what is the single highest score that can be obtained from one throw? Will knew: 60 points.

7. GEOGRAPHY: What is Africa’s most populous country? Joel listed several countries. We went with South Africa. It was Nigeria. Erin said that by 2050 Nigeria will be the fourth most populous country in the world. Who knew? A three point miss.

8. HISTORY: Who was the first U.S. President to be divorced? I knew Reagan was divorced, and thought he was the first. Will only wanted to wager one point. We were right, but once again the pressure was on to answer the five point question correctly.

9. MATHMATICS: How many sides does a Dodecagon have? Michael said twelve, and Will and Joel agreed. I had no idea, but wondered if the “decagon” part meant a multiple of ten. Twelve was right.

10. HALFTIME: Give the official postal abbreviation for the following states: Alaska, Wyoming, Michigan, Iowa, Arizona. We discussed it. I thought Alaska was AL, but went with the other’s AK. I thought they would answer IA for Iowa, but Will wrote IO. Surprisingly, we finished the half just three points out of first. I couldn’t believe Bama was seven points back. Still, I knew those two Iowa points might come back to haunt us.

11. COFFEE: Traditionally, which has the most caffeine: a dark roast or a light roast? Joel immediately knew: Light. Six points.

12. SPORTS: How many inches thick is a regulation NHL hockey puck? That afternoon I was helping a co-worker. Standing at his desk, I picked up the Thrashers hockey puck on his desk. So I knew: One Inch. Will thought it was thicker, but I stuck to my guns. Four points.

13. LAW: Which amendment to the US Constitution protects citizens from unlawful search and seizure? I wasn’t sure, but for some reason the Fourth Amendment sounded right. Joel said he had just read the first five amendments earlier in the day, and knew it wasn’t one of them. So we said Six. It was the Fourth. A two point miss.

14. POT POURI: How many pecks are in a bushel? Joel wondered: Eight? Sixteen? I didn’t know, but thought Four would be a better answer. It was…two points. But now we had the six and four point answers to go.

15. LITERATURE: Who wrote Rip Van Winkle? We didn’t know…a four point miss. Bama cheered: they got it right (Washington Irving). All the more pressure on the next question…a six point miss would put us out of contention.

16. TELEVISION: It in sitcom Roseanne, what is Roseanne’s character’s last name? Joel, Will, and Michael didn’t know, so it was up to me. Though funny, I had only watched a few episodes…and that was years ago. I knew it wasn’t Barr, and Barker didn’t sound right. I thought of big John Goodman: his character was Dan. Sarah Gilbert played one of the daughters. The other daughter was played by several different actresses. Erin’s song played, and I forced myself to think…we really needed this one. It came to me, finally: Connor.

17. ANIMALS: Which US State is nicknamed the Badger state? Will was pretty sure, and I immediately knew: Wisconsin. Knowing the last two questions are usually the hardest, these six points were also big. In addition to Bama, the team next to us contained a former trivia host.

18. AMERICA: What building is pictured on the back of a ten dollar bill? We racked our brains. Joel and Will couldn’t come up with a good answer. Michael took a phone call, and I thought we’d be disqualified. His order of cookies had arrived, and Will and Joel were playfully performing surgery to repair a cookie…with surgical masks and everything. If Andrew Jackson was on the front, I didn’t think it was the Capitol, the White House. Surely not one of the memorials. I suggested the US Treasury building, though it didn’t stand out on my recent trip to Washington. Without another good option, I strongly suggested we go with the Treasury building. Luckily, it was right. Two big points.

19. FAMOUS PEOPLE: Atlanta is one of only two cities in the world to call itself home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners. Name them. We all knew: MLK Jr and Jimmy Carter. For big points. before the final question, Erin read off the standings. We kept waiting to hear our name. I was writing down the scores. Bama was near the bottom, with 42 points. We couldn’t believe it: our 61 points put us in first!

20. FINAL: Name the five most populated US cities. With the thirty point bonus for answering in the correct order looming over us, I knew our lead wasn’t safe. We debated which cities, naming several. Michael said his beloved LA was second, though I knew it at least used to be Chicago. I knew Houston was in the top five. Who was fifth? I was pretty sure Philadelphia was bigger than Washington or Boston. Along with NYC, that was the top five. We didn’t get them in order…but Bama did. Joel looked glum, but I hadn’t done the math.

Erin read the results. After reading off the eight bottom teams, only Bama and us were left. Bama 72. DoorHinges 76. We won! As expected, Joel screamed. Will joined him. Joel made a point to hug his three teammates. Embarrassed, I looked around the room, but most of our competitors seemed congratulatory. We posed for a picture, then floated outside. Will and Joel danced in the street, leaping into the air with joy.

Super Bowl Weekend

Thursday night Will, Joel, Michael, and I won the trivia. I was surprised at how excited W and J were. Michael was the coach’s son on Will’s team, who I’ve mentioned in the past. He auditioned to be a baseball player in the Clint Eastwood/Amy Adams/Justin Timberlake movie that’s set to film here in Atlanta, about an aging baseball scout and his daughter. Said he might even have a speaking role.

The Coley’s babysitter was unavailable, so they dropped off their kids last night. I got to talk to Bryan. Said he hopes to finish his movie in the next month. Can’t re-film that last scene until the actors grow their beards back.

Looking forward to the Super Bowl…the food, commercials, the game, etc.

Saturday M has a game. C is going to a funeral in Augusta, riding with two or three friends. I have some organizing to do. C got the contractor to repair the dining room ceiling…looks good. Her friend from Virginia is coming for a weekend in March.

Will’s first two games are Feb 25 in Lawrenceville. Soon I will post his entire schedule right here.

Mid-Season Report

Matthew has improved as a basketball player…he’s more aggressive on defense, is more comfortable dribbling, is not hesitant to shoot, and even scored a basket a couple of games ago. Don’t go out of your way, but he plays Saturday afternoons at Mt. Zion UMC on Johnson Ferry at Bishop Lake. Feb 4 @ 2:45, Feb 11 @ 1:30, and Feb 18 @ 2:45. Monday night the coach had him work on his shooting, foul shots and the Mikan drill. The coach keeps it simple, but the team has certainly progressed. They scrimmaged for less than five minutes, and Matthew scored a basket. He also beat everyone running suicides. Must be the shoes.

Things are going ok with Matthew. He almost never misses Passion City…the youth meet a couple of hours before the main service. It’s funny…my other son (18 year old Will) is known as “Matthew’s big brother” there.

Pray that Matthew is able to focus on his schoolwork (especially math). On Tuesdays he goes to a special program that supposed to help with his learning. Its been a blessing for him to be in the program, and hopefully it will continue to help.

Though I miss North Point, it appears my other four family members really like Passion. I feel like I really need to be there as well, worshipping with them.

The Manning jersey sold. I put too low of a minimum price on it. Quadrupled my money, but I’m still learning this whole eBay thing. I have a few basketball items I need to put up next. Lots of baseball stuff, but I’ll at least wait til spring training starts. This weekend I’ll talk to Mary Hurt about Craig’s List…no one bites at what I put up. I can use my iPhone to post new items and repost the ones that don’t sell.

Joseph A Bank also seems to have a lot of sales. Last year I bought a nice Pea Coat, and wore it a few times. I thought I remembered putting it away for the summer, but when I unpacked the winter clothes this fall, I couldn’t find it. A week ago I found the pea coat…hanging in my closet.

Last day of the month, and I spent two hours at the bank, clearing up THEIR problem.

Keeping Up With the Coleys

Interesting Friday evening. On my way home from work I called Ceil. She said Susan had dropped by for a visit, along with Houston and Haviland. After my ClaIrmont Road focus group ended at five, my route home took me past two Goodwills that I rarely visit. Finally arrived home around 7:30, and got an update from Susan on Bryan’s movie.

You may have seen the Crackerjack trailer I re-posted on Facebook. Foxworthy, the Executive Producer (financial contributor), narrated the short YouTube video. Loved his line “From the people who brought you…nothing you’ve ever seen before.” After watching the trailer, I noticed several other “CJmovie” videos on YouTube, some that show Bryan. Anyone who’s played church softball will be able to identify with this movie…I loved how one team had a cartoon Jesus mascot. From the trailer you can tell that the movie will be nothing like the Fireproof and Courageous movies.

Susan said Bryan grew out his great grey goatee soon after he relocated to Savannah for the shooting, to “channel his inner George Lucas”. He told her he’s not a beard person, and shaved it off as soon as the filming was over. Bryan has been driving Susan crazy at home, re-running ten second bits of the movie, to get the sound or music just right. He submitted Crackerjack for the Sundance Film Festival, but only 150 films were selected from over 11,000 submissions. Bryan hopes to submit it somewhere else, unless he finds a deal to distribute it first. He’s also trying to raise money to re-shoot one key scene.

Anna had been babysitting next door, but after she returned home she played dolls with Haviland. Houston has short hair, and he and Matthew played Legos. Around Christmas they all went down to Disney, Epcot, and Harry Potter World. The Coleys still attend Stonecrest Church, where Bryan still plays Todd in Kidstuf (and in YouTube videos with Houston). Susan said they’re starting a new twelve-week Friday night small group, using Bryan’s movie-watching curriculum. She offered us a place in the group, though I doubt we’ll bite.

After the short chat, I had to leave to take Anna way up to her friend’s house in Milton. She drove, and the fifteen mile trip seemed to take forever, on dark two lane roads the whole way. We took one wrong turn, which made it even longer. Anna is progressing as a driver, but needs lots more practice. Around 8:30 Ceil called to say she was going to Willys with the Coleys. Since I was thirty minutes away, I just went home. Ceil and Matthew didn’t get home until after ten.

Will and Joel went down to a Passion college gathering in Buckhead, attended by over 400 students. He had baseball practice Saturday, and then went to Cartersville.

Saturday Ceil and I cleaned, until it was time for M’s game. He looked good in the navy Nike Hyperdunks that I’d found, though they gave him a blister. Picked up Anna and Brittany, and we redboxed Russell Crowe’s “The Next Three Days”…pretty good.

Sunday I placed some things for sale on Craig’s List, though I’m having more luck on eBay. Passion City Church was good, though I hate the traffic. We also ran by IKEA. Today they’re painting the kitchen, and installing the knobs and lights. Lots of co-workers are on Linked In, so last night I spent time updating my profile.

MLB BP: Top Ten Reasons to Go Early

Most years I do good to make it to five Braves games, so I try to make each Turner Field trip an event. Instead of arriving late to a game that I may have to leave early, I’d much rather go early for batting practice.

Why do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

10. Avoid rush hour traffic. Plus you get the pick of parking spaces.

9. Fun chatting in the dollar ticket line with other true fans. The stories are always interesting, and educational.

8. Ushers don’t run out of the promotional giveaway items. Be sure to bring a bag to carry them home.

7. Its relaxing to sit in outfield stands, watching batting practice, listening to the music. Bring a snack to munch on.

6. The chance to chat with players shagging flies in the outfield. They’re much more cordial before the game, as long as you’re not screaming for them to throw you a ball.

5. The thrill of catching a BP home run. Bringing a glove helps, and there’s something about watching a game with a baseball glove on your hand that just seems right. Better yet, keep score.

4. Plenty of time to sign up as a Designated Driver. The old lady is a big fan, and has been manning the booth for years. Plus you get a free Coke, and a cool bracelet.

3. Take the long way around the stadium to your seats. People-watch, and see what’s going on. Check out the pregame radio show, with Lemke, Mazzone, and Buck. Pound fists with Crazy Darryl.

2. Extra time to spend with your son/daughter/wife/friend. Snack some more, and fill out the lineups on the scorecard.

1. Never miss ceremonial first pitch and national anthem. Often you’ll hear another interesting, heart-wrenching story.

My goal is stick around at least through the seventh-inning stretch, if not the entire game. I would never leave if a pitcher had a no-hitter going. Sticking around after the game can be fun, if there’s a postgame concert, fireworks, or kids run the bases. A postgame swing by the Varsity is always memorable, but these days the Varsity closes at eleven…often putting a damper of a postgame chili dog.

Matthew's Reds Beat Celtics

Matthew played another good, aggressive game, and his Reds beat the Celtics 40-26 this past Saturday. Wearing his new Nikes, Matthew grabbed four rebounds, had an assist, and missed the only shot he took.

The Reds scored the first six points of the game, but were then outscored 8-2 by the Celtics. Then the Reds went on a 12-2 run of their own. Just after halftime the Reds built their lead to fourteen points. The teams swapped baskets the rest of the way.

R…14…26…33…40

C…10…14…20…26

Ryan: 16 pts, 3 RB, 6 steals, 6-16, 3-4

Chris: 15 pts, 17 RB, 2 S, 2 A, BLK, 7-14, 1-2

Darryl: 5 pts, 5 RB, 2 steals, 2-9, 1-1

Rolf: 4 points, 7 rebounds, block, 2-7

Sam: 7 rebounds, 3 steals, assist, 0-12

Matthew: 4 rebounds, assist, 0-1

Ethan: 2 rebounds, assist, 0-5

Blondie: 0-2

Nike Hyperdunk 2010

First Matthew outgrew his Air Jordans. Then he didn't like the grey zip-up Nike running shoes. He was content wearing his grey velour Nike high-tops, with orange laces and swooshes, even though they made him look even skinnier.

Then Friday night I found a great pair of navy 2010 Hyperdunks, size 8-1/2. Matthew readily wore them in his Saturday game, and looked great. He did say he got a blister on his achilles, but hopefully he'll wear these for his last four games.

January 26 Trivia

Team Doorhinges has another strong showing this week, finishing third out of ten teams. We answered 16 of the first 17 questions correctly…though two other teams did at least as well. Joel and Will broke away from Charles’ birthday celebration, but we’ve lost Kevin to soccer. This week he missed no Disney questions.

COLOR: How many colors are in a rainbow? Joel was pretty sure it was SEVEN. Three points.

SPORTS: The world’s largest one day sporting event is held in Indiana. What is it? Hoping it wasn’t the Super Bowl, I said the INDIANAPOLIS 500. Five points.

GEOGRAPHY: The US and Canada share the world’s largest body of fresh water. What is it? I knew: LAKE SUPERIOS. One point.

MOVIES: What world-famous movie was set in Georgia in the 1860’s? My third straight answer: GONE WITH THE WIND. Five points.

NATURE: A RED SNAPPER is what kind of animal? After a discussion, Joel answered a FISH. One point.

GAMES: In Scrabble, how many points are given as a bonus for using all seven letters? Joel jotted down ten…or twenty…or FIFTY. I confirmed the correct answer. Three points.

AMERICA: Erin spoke it like G. W. Bush. Which state capital is nicknamed the “Mile High City?” Both Joel and I knew: DENVER. Five points.

FAMOUS PEOPLE: Which actress played a leading role in The Stepmom, Dead Men Walking, and Rocky Horror? Will and Joel looked to me. I didn’t remember the name of the Jennifer Lopez movie where Jane Fonda played the Monster in Law, and had never heard of her being in Rocky Horror. I would never have thought of SUSAN SARANDON. A one point miss.

COFFEE: “Land of a Thousand Hills” is the nickname for what African Country? Joel immediately knew: RWANDA.

HALFTIME: Name the state of these capital cities: Lansing, Helena, Harrisburg, Dover, and Frankfurt. Joel immediately answered: Michigan, Montana, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Kentucky. We were just one point behind three teams with perfect scores: Bama, the Puritans, and My Couch Pulls Out. Will and Joel were beginning to pay more attention to their ongoing paper football game than the trivia. One time I had to remind them to turn in an answer.

LITERATURE: Which American author wrote Tender Is the Night, The Last Tycoon, and The Great Gatsby? Joel knew: F. SCOTT FITZGERALD. Six points.

GEORGIA: In Warm Springs, what US President built the “Little White House”? I knew: FDR. Four points.

SCIENCE: What does an ornithologist study? I knew: BIRDS. Two points.

HISTORY: Who led the Spanish army to victory over the Aztecs? Joel wasn't sure. I doodled “Bolivar” and Joel said no. Next I wrote “CORTEZ” and Joel said yes. Four points.

POETRY (Erin’s favorite category): How many lines are in each verse of a limerick? Joel almost answered four, but at the last second Will talked him into the right answer: FIVE. Two points. I busied myself writing a limerick. Another team turned one in first, using the same first line as me. A third team’s limerick was more like a haiku. Mine garnered scattered chuckles…

There once was a girl named Erin

Whose trivia was far from over-bearin’

Some questions are hard…

…one was about the Bard.

By the end of the night I’m usually swearin’

I was surprised that neither Erin nor Joel knew Shakespeare’s nickname. Perhaps I should’ve mentioned her red cowboy boots, or turned in the Pelican limerick (a favorite of Joel’s dad)…

An amazing bird is the pelican.

His bill and hold more than his belly can.

Food for a week he can hold in his beak

but I’m damned if I know how the hell he can!

When Erin mentioned a funny answer: “An octopus doesn’t have a heart”, it gave me a chance to add in my joke: “Well, the octopus that just broke up with ME sure didn’t have a heart!” Joel was the only one to laugh. Good kid.

OUTER SPACE: Which planet is closest in size to our moon? We discussed it a little, after making sure Will and Joel knew the question was moon, not earth. We guessed correctly: MERCURY. Six Points. Two teams were still perfect: Bama and My Couch.

ANIMALS: How many hearts does an octopus have? As soon as Erin asked the question, I looked at Joel and blurted out: “You should know…you dissected one!” I thought of another joke, but stayed quiet while the boys thought. Joel thought five, but Will answered THREE. Had Kevin been there, we might’ve felt strongly enough to wager six points. Instead we wagered two. In the end, it didn’t matter.

1990’s: In the TV show “Clarissa Explains It All”, what term of endearment does Clarissa’s dad Michael, an architect, call his daughter? We had no idea. SPORT was the answer. A four point miss. Fortunately, no other team knew, either.

FAMOUS PEOPLE: According to the book “Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness” how many nose jobs did Michael have? I guessed five. It was six. A six point miss. Going into the final question, we were two points behind the two leading teams.

FINAL: Name the five most widely spoken languages…based on how many countries that have declared that language its official language. During our discussion, Joel went with two of my suggestions: Afrikaans and Arabic. He had to leave out French, which worried Will. We got four of five correct, adding twelve points to our total. In order: ENGLISH, FRENCH, ARABIC, SPANISH, and PORTUGESE. Our 72 points placed us third. Bama won again.

Between questions Erin featured music from Georgia artists; James Brown, Otis Redding, Usher, the Black Crowes, Outcast, Elton John, Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Montreal, John Mayer, the B-52’s, the Allman Brothers, and others. But no REM. Probably before her time.