Our wedding day

Today is our sixth wedding anniversary. About this time exactly six years ago, we were watching my cousin, Brian, parading around the dance floor in a fur coat, and watching our friends and relatives take over the open bar. We still hear from many of them that our reception was the best they had ever been to, and that still holds true for many of them.

It was the perfect end to a magical day that was filled with many behind-the-scenes details many people did not know. Like how Aimee was being harassed by our wedding coordinator to take a plant leaf down the aisle, instead of her bouquet of roses (which were late, but eventually did arive) ... and how after we left the church in the limo, our first stop was -- McDonald's. Aimee had not eaten all day and was hungry, so prior to heading out for our photos, we stopped for a large fry and Diet Coke. After all of the planning and worries, all went off with few problems, well, except for the flowers.

To make a very long story short, our flowers were more than a half-hour late. They did arrive, and we were able to use some of them, but a few weeks after the wedding, we decided to try and recoup our losses in small-claims court. Well, it took us three appearances in court, and it all came down to a face-to-face meeting with our flower lady, who wanted to know how we could resolve this and not return to court. I will always remember Aimee's straight face as she said, "You can write me a check for $1,200 right now." Everything was settled out-of-court, and we laugh about it now.

But it was a day like today that really made us remember our wedding day. It was a gorgeous, sunny day -- much to Aimee's chagrin in 2000, as she wanted snow that day. Because we only had about 5 minutes to pull off our wedding, we were not allowed to take many photos in the church. They were obsessed about decorating for Advent, and if any of you plan on getting married at St. Thomas in Ann Arbor right before Christmas, if they say no, feel free to thank us for that. So, we went outside to shoot photos, and it was freezing. After our McDonald's run in the limo, we went to the Law Quad for photos. It was gorgeous in there and the highlight of our shoot. I felt so bad for Aimee having to stand there in just a wedding dress.

After our photos, we went to the reception in the Michigan Union. One of our favorite photos (the first photo on this page) came whie we were waiting to enter the ballroom. Everyone was seated and it was just us in the hallway. Finally married and our first chance to just kind of sit back and take a breath and realize that. I can still remember entering the room, with everyone standing and clapping. It was like we were on a cloud. We made our way to the head table, which is beautiful in pictures, even with my brother's Big Gulp drink sitting in the middle of the flowers in some shots.

There are two moments I will always remember from our reception. The first was my brother Steve's best-man speech. He had a hard time getting through it, and I can clearly remember him saying he was happy I had found Aimee because he knew I traveled a lot (in my previous sports information jobs) and he was always worried about me. The second came when the dance floor was opened. A lot of my extended family hail from Illinois and many of them attended the University of Illinois -- a rival (well, in their minds) of our mighty Wolverines. My Uncle Duane is a huge Illinois fan and we made him dance to "The Victors." He was a great sport about it, and arguably the best dancer that night.

But the highlight of the night for me was realizing Aimee was finally my wife. If she hadn't taken so much time deciding if we were going to get married ... (just kidding, honey). She looked absolutely beautiful. I had seen her dress before, but it is true what they say about seeing your bride come down the aisle for the first time. It takes your breath away (like Berlin). The rest of the ceremony went smoothly, and I remember just being so proud and happy when we walked down the aisle as a married couple.

Like any marriage, it has been a roller-coaster, one defintely on its way up now. We realized today that our anniversary for the forseeable future will include this little guy. There are many great memories of that day six years ago, and the years that have come and gone since then.

People often ask why we decided to get married in December. I think it is so I could get an early Christmas present -- my beautiful wife.

Weekend leftovers

I love Thanksgiving, mostly because it's OK to eat a ton and then be lazy. And, that's a lot of what we did over the long, holiday weekend.

Before the Thursday gorging began, we attempted to take Harmon to see Santa on Wednesday. I had this "great" idea to take him to the fancy Santa at Somerset but that turned out to be a bad idea. When we got there, there was a FIVE-HOUR WAIT to see Mr. Fancypants Santa. Totally ridiculous! So, I got mad and we left (in my huff, I totally forgot to check out the new North Face store – damn, maybe next time). Anyway, we thought we would try Twelve Oaks Mall since it was on our way home (and we didn't want to waste the whole day). But, since everyone apparently was thinking the same thing I was, there was a huge wait there too. So, no Santa for Harmon yet (we might try to go this Friday morning).

We did get some shopping done and, more importantly, got Harmon his first haircut. We went to Carnival Cuts inside Twelve Oaks and, as usual, he was such a good boy. There was this little boy just before him who was wailing and it scared me but Harmon was fine. We put him on the horse and the stylist did the quickest hair cut I've ever seen. When she was done, he looked so cute … and so grown up. She recommended we part his hair the other way (oops) and suggested we get some baby hair gel stuff to handle the flyaway parts. The stuff is made for kids and smelled like blueberries and he didn't seem to mind it so we bought it (it looks like a little glue stick).

He showed off his big boy haircut at Thanksgiving and was the hit of the party. Everyone wanted to hold him and play with him and he handled all the attention really well. He was very well behaved but didn't nap so Kevin and I thought we might have a long night ahead of us. He did have a bit of a meltdown when we got home – overstimulation, I think – but went right to bed. As an aside, my Uncle Max outdid himself with the Thanksgiving feast this year. Everything was SO good, especially the stuffing!

On Friday, we put up some Christmas decorations – especially our outside ones – and ran some errands. On Saturday, I got my hair cut (thank God) and Kevin went to my Uncle Max's to spec out a new computer. He was there for a few hours and it paid off as we finally ordered one. Now, we'll be able to do new, cutting-edge things like … burn DVDs!

Since it's been unseasonably warm around here (50s and even some 60s), we went for a long walk on Sunday. We took Harmon to the park to swing on the swings and he had a great time. It's been a while so he DID NOT want to leave!

This week is a pretty normal week. Kevin is off with me and Harmon on Friday, so that will be fun. Also, on Saturday, Kevin and I will hopefully find some way to celebrate our sixth anniversary. I can't believe we've been married for six freakin' years – wow!

Harmon gets some pub

Here's Harmon doing the no-pants dance in the Detroit Free Press. Thanks, Aunt Stacey!

One-year appointment

Yesterday morning, Harmon had his one-year appointment. We knew it might be a tough day for him when he cried GETTING WEIGHED. Actually, he always cries when he gets weighed, which I don't understand. Maybe he's cold – I don't know. Anyway, he only weighed a little over 28 pounds, which Kevin and I found shocking. He weighed 25 pounds at his nine-month appointment so only a three-pound gain was a surprise to us. I guess he tapered off a bit because of all the crawling and cruising – we’ve noticed his little belly is shrinking. But, he's still in the 97th percentile in weight so we're not worried. He also measured in at about 33 inches long, in the 99th percentile. All in all, still a big boy and getting a little harder to control.

We had all kinds of questions for the doctor, mostly about milk, food and developmental milestones. Our doctor always laughs at us (in a nice way) as we come in with a list of 20 questions! The doctor felt he was doing great and noted how impressed he was with Harmon's verbal skills. Thanks to my Mom, if you say the ABCs to him, he will copy you and, most of the time, will get the sounds right. He decided to play along and show off for the doctor yesterday, which was great. I said it offset him not crawling until he was 10 ½ months old!

After all the easy stuff, it was time for the immunizations. He was slated for four immunizations, ½ flu shot and a blood draw. The doctor cut him some slack and did two immunizations, the ½ flu shot and the blood draw. He'll get the other ½ flu shot and his last immunization next month. As usual, Kevin had to hold him for his shots as I just can't handle it. I feel pretty useless as a Mom when it comes to this kind of stuff. But, as I quickly learned, the immunizations are NOTHING compared to a blood draw. We had this done in the lab and they had me lay him down with his right sleeve rolled up, just like a real, little patient. At that point, I seriously felt light-headed so Kevin had to take over. I left the room thinking for sure I was going to pass out (I have a problem with needles, you see) but was able to keep it together. The blood draw went pretty quick and he forgot it in no time. I, on the other hand, felt terrible – I really need to deal with this fear since it's not going to go away.

The rest of the day, Harmon was really sleepy so I decided to go into work (I had thought about staying home with him as I have after every other appointment). He was with Kevin, though, so all was fine. I think I was just feeling guilty. He slept most of the day and, when I got home from work, we took him to Toys R Us and got him these cool LEGO blocks for being such a good boy.

Kevin and I are taking tomorrow off and we're planning to take Harmon to see Santa at the fancy mall, the Somerset Collection. We're also hoping to keep chipping away at our Christmas shopping. On Thursday, we'll be at my Uncle Max's house for Thanksgiving and, on Friday, we're hoping to put up a lot of our Christmas decorations. On Saturday, thank God, I am finally getting a hair cut. All in all, a nice, long, relaxing holiday weekend that we can’t wait to get started.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Same Old Song

I’ve read that book, I’ve heard it all before and I’m GD sick of it. Michigan ONCE AGAIN failed to show up for a big game and, once again, pulled a Michigan and failed to finish. I don’t want to hear ANY excuses – nothing about Bo’s death (we sucked when he was alive), nothing about losing Willis Barringer in the first half (our secondary has been suspect all year – Ball State proved that), nothing about the field being crappy (it sure as hell didn’t seem to bother Troy Smith as he picked us apart AGAIN).

I am so sick of excuses. I am so sick of the devastating losses (especially to OSU). I am so sick of getting the talent and continuously wasting it every damn year. I am so sick of our conservativeness and our unwillingness to ever change or try something new or different. I am so sick of never having that killer instinct, never kicking a team when its down, never going for the throat, never attacking a team’s weaknesses.

Today’s game was typical Michigan – everything on the line and we choke. I’m not going to sit here like a lot of other people and pretend like I’m so proud of this season and I’m happy with the consolation prize of the Rose Bowl (which we’ll probably lose anyway) because I AM NOT. I want to WIN. I want to be THE BEST – I thought that was what Michigan was all about. When I see what we’ve become, I honestly wonder if we would have won our mythical national championship if the system were the same then as it is now. The more I think about it, Charles Woodson was the ONLY reason we won in ’97 (that, and it was the only season since 1902 that we threw to the tight ends).

As I sit here, through yet another thrashing at the hands of the great (and I’m NOT using that word sarcastically) Ohio State, I can’t say I’m all that surprised. I’ve actually grown all too used to it. I do, however, feel bad for Kevin, though, as he’s going through what I went through a few years ago. He’s pissed, he’s swearing, he can’t believe what’s happening AGAIN. He will learn, though, the hard way, that being a fan of Michigan football will rip your heart out.

As for today’s game, I would have rather lost to them 45-0 than to have it APPEAR to be somewhat close. Hell, Ohio State wanted so badly to JUST GIVE US THE GAME but we couldn’t man up and take it. As an aside, after a big turnover, why can’t we be like most elite programs and go for the throat? Instead, we just piss away all our chances. ANYWAY, a close game might mean there could be a re-match in January and I’m sure I’m not the only Wolverine who would hate to lose to the Buckeyes twice in one season.

Well, I could be wrong but I can’t see us winning the bowl game. God knows we don’t perform well in those things, even when they don’t matter like last year’s useless Alamo Bowl against Nebraska. So, it looks like yet another disappointing season for U-M football and yet another season when we get our asses owned by Tressel and Ohio State!

Bo

On Friday, Bo Schembechler died. It’s a terribly sad time for all those in the Michigan family. It’s also way too ironic that he would die one day before arguably the biggest Michigan-Ohio State game ever. He won’t be here to witness what looks to be another great game in this rivalry, a rivalry that he had a huge part in building. I’m not sure how the team and the coaches will fare on the field tomorrow. I suspect either they will play with great emotion and win one for Bo or they will be totally flat due to the weight of this tremendous loss.

When I first started watching Michigan football way back when, it was Bo who defined it. It was his fire and passion that brought Michigan back onto the center state of college football after some rough years in the 60s. When my dream to attend U-M came true in 1991, Gary Moeller was in his second year as head coach but Bo was still around. Shortly after I began working at the athletic department in 1992, I was lucky enough to meet Bo in the mailroom of Schembechler Hall. I was very nervous to speak with him as he always appeared so gruff and so grouchy but, when I introduced myself, told him where I worked and how long I’ve admired him, that rough exterior disappeared. He was sweet and engaging and I went back to work feeling lucky I had the chance to meet him.

All these years later, Bo still was around and you got the feeling he would ALWAYS be around – he seemed indestructible. Even after a brief health scare in October, you still got the feeling that he would beat all the odds and be around forever. But, no one lives forever and he is gone. I joke around a lot with Kevin about how Bo NEVER wanted to throw the ball or about how he fired Ernie Harwell when he was president of the Detroit Tigers but it was always in good fun. I know in my heart that Michigan football, and probably college football, would not be what it is today without Bo.

Rest in peace, Bo! You will be missed! Go Blue!

Birthday Re-Cap

Over the weekend, we had Harmon’s first birthday party. We had our immediate family over and it was a good time. Kevin’s parents, sister and niece made the trip from Peoria and my parents and sisters (along with their boyfriends) drove to Ann Arbor for the big affair. All in all, 13 people in our house. It was a tight fit but I think it all worked out. We had lots of great food and cake (from the same bakery that made our wedding cake) and Harmon, surprise, got way too much stuff. Talk about spoiled. But, I can’t say I was surprised. He’s the first grandchild on my side and he’s the first boy and the first grandchild in 12 years on Kevin’s side. Here is an almost-complete breakdown (in alpha order) of his loot:

Argyle sweater vest

Bird's-eye sweater

Button mock neck sweater (in brown)

Doodle Hook and Loop Stage 3 shoes (in dark brown)

Hooded sherpa-lined toggle coat

Lamaze Bongo Beats Pounding Toy

Learning Town Happy Home

Little People Musical Birthday Party

Michigan football jersey

Playskool Wheel Pals Cabby & Roadie vehicles

Robeez Classic shoes (in brown)

Roll-a-Rounds: Drop & Roar Dinosaur

Sherpa-lined zip sweatshirt (in off white)

Side stripe pants (in off white)

Superyard XT

There still were many other things I didn't list above and, believe it or not, there still were things leftover from his wish list that he could get as Christmas gifts. And, in addition to all this, Kevin and I bought him a set of 11 beginner Dr. Seuss books and several other things. He has more than any one-year-old needs!

As for the cake, we tried on Saturday and then again on Sunday (we had a smaller cake made especially for him for his ACTUAL big day) but Harmon had NO INTEREST in it whatsoever. We put it in front of him and even tried to give him bites of it but he wanted nothing to do with it. In the long run, I was glad as I'm not one for letting one-year-olds make a big mess of their birthday cakes. If that makes me a bad Mom, so be it.

In the end, though, it was a great weekend and Harmon seemed to have a great time. He was very tired Sunday and Monday and finally seems to be getting back to normal after all the excitement (and all the people). We'll have his one-year appointment on Monday and will get an update on everything. Until then, he's working on a molar or two and getting used to drinking big-boy milk (we switched him to whole milk on Monday). Thanks so much to everyone who helped make his first birthday so wonderful!

Coming around again

As I said in his birthday post, I can’t believe Harmon is one. I knew the whole “turning one” thing would be tough for me when the following happened:

At the beginning of November, I put our camel-colored flannel sheets on the bed (I have an Excel document clearly outlining during which months which sheets are used – ANAL) and began to cry. These were the same sheets that were on the bed LAST November when we brought Harmon home from the hospital. All those cute pictures of him snuggling on our bed were taken with those damn sheets serving as the background!

Also at the beginning of November (and quite ridiculous, if I might say so), WNIC starts playing its all day, every day Christmas music. I remember turning on this Christmas music for Harmon last winter when he would nap. Of course, I’ve cried a few times about this too.

And, today, I had to work an event at the hospital complex and, afterwards, was waiting outside for my ride. Our drop-off/pick-up location was right outside of the U-M Women's Hospital and in clear view of my cool, fourth floor, corner room that was Harmon's first home. I started thinking about it and realized we brought him home one year ago today. My, how time flies.

You’re One

Harmon, today you turned one. I can’t believe it. I was looking at pictures of you recently trying to decide at what point you transformed from a baby to a little boy. Even though it’s been a year, it all seems like just yesterday. From the very uncomfortable end of my pregnancy, to your surprise c-section arrival, to those three magical months of maternity leave and to all your milestones over the last few months.

It seems everyone had their own piece of advice to share while I was pregnant but there were two things I remember, in particular, that now are tried and true – you’re life will never be the same and being a Mom is the best thing in the world. Harmon, my life indeed will never be the same – and I mean that in the best possible way. Sometimes, I come home on Wednesdays and you’re out shopping with Grandma and I don’t know what to do with myself. You’ve become such a huge part of my life that I feel empty when you’re not with me. I feel like my sole purpose is to be your Mom. And, being your Mom IS the best job in the world. You are such a good baby and your Daddy and I feel so very blessed. We’ve heard so many baby horror stories from our friends and family members and are so glad NOT to have any of our own to share. You are such a happy baby (with the best belly laugh) and you have the most beautiful smile, especially with those big brown eyes. You light us up when we see you! You’ve adjusted to so many new things and so many new people and you always do it with a smile.

Every night, before I go to bed, I come in to see you and say goodnight. You’re usually dead asleep and it’s so fun to watch you sleep so peacefully. Before I leave, though, I always pray that you live a long, happy and healthy life and that I am with you as long as possible to see all that you’ll do and all that you’ll become. I pray that you achieve every goal and that your every dream will come true. I vow to help you and protect you and, lastly, I pray that I can be a good Mom to you. I know I’m not perfect and I don’t have it all figured out (and probably never will). I know I should be more patient and I should enjoy each day with you instead of always anticipating what is next. Daddy always says how much you love me, how your face lights up when you see me. Even though your favorite word is “dada,” you usually give me all the hugs and kisses. I love you so much, Harmon, more than anything else in this world and I am so happy – more than words can say – that you are my son. Happy first birthday, little buddy!

New family photos

A weekend out and about

Unlike most weekends post-baby, we actually got out and did things all three days. On Friday night, we made it back out to our new IKEA store. It opened back in the summer and was nearly impossible to get into for a while. Now, it’s very manageable so we spent some time wandering around, not really looking for anything in particular. We did stumble upon this cool tunnel thingy, though, and we HAD to get it for Harmon. We’ll call it one of his early birthday presents. When we got home and set it up for him, he loved it. Awesome! Speaking of early birthday presents, Kevin wanted to get this walker thingy for him too so we did and he loved that too. So far, we’re doing well on the gifts.

On Saturday, my Mom and Dad came to Ann Arbor to watch Harmon while Kevin and I went to the Michigan-Ball State football game. It looked like a snoozer so we left at the half. Turns out, it wasn’t such a snoozer after all and Michigan almost threw away their perfect season. Anyway, in lieu of watching Michigan pull a typical Michigan, Kevin and I decided to go to a matinee of Borat. What a great decision and what a great movie! We laughed the whole time! We watched Da Ali G Show on HBO and have seen Borat many, many times so we knew what we were getting into and were more than happy to dive in. Of course, now we can’t wait until the DVD is released so we can watch it over and over again. Movies like that tend to get funnier with each viewing. Late Saturday night, after Harmon went to bed, we finally watched the movie we originally rented to watch on Halloween – Wolf Creek. Although we’re not really into horror flicks, we thought we would give this one a try and it was pretty good. Evidently, it’s based on a true story, which always makes things a little scarier. Check it out.

On Sunday, we switched around Harmon’s car seat and he’s now facing forward. He was more than a little confused when we were out running errands but was more used to it today. One of the many errands we had to run yesterday was to get stuff for Harmon’s first birthday party. The big event will be Saturday, Nov. 11. We wanted to do it on Saturday instead of his actual birthday as Kevin’s family will need to travel back to Illinois on Sunday. We’ll be preparing all week so, hopefully, it will go well.

OK, some interesting links:

Stop whining! And, only he would comment about someone eating cheeseburgers. Also, could he be any more full of himself. Hey, ND, get over it. You’re NOT going to play in the title game playing the crap schedule you play. Enough of all the bragging about your tough schedule – ooooooh, the service academies.

Check out this link to our FAVORITE radio show. The Jim Rome Show deserves an entry all it’s own and we hope to put that together soon.

OK, more later. Out!

Halloween highlights

George Lucas shot less film for the Star Wars movies than we downloaded here. Most of it centers on Halloween, when Harmon got dressed up as an octopus, found out he could play patty cake with his new arms and had fun going door-to-door in our neighborhood. After we were done, Harmon got a good look at our .... I mean, his, candy. Just before Halloween, we visited the pumpkin patch in South Lyon (apologies for the pixelation). Now that he is crawling everywhere, Harmon is indeed everywhere, including inside the kitchen furniture. Finally, an old-school clip shows Mommy making Harmon laugh by telling him 'no.'

Harmon’s last, first holiday

Today was Halloween, Harmon’s last, first holiday. Kevin and I took the afternoon off and picked him up early from day care. We then had an awesome lunch at Cottage Inn before heading home to get ready for trick or treating. Upon arriving home, we noticed someone else had carved our pumpkin.

Um, yeah. Those damn squirrels. First, they eat the corn from our corn stalks and now they’ve started in on the pumpkins. Guess that’s what we get for waiting until the last minute to carve them.

Anyway, our intention was to get Harmon out before the other, bigger kids so we got him all dressed in his octopus costume. We went to about 10-15 houses up and down our street and it was pretty fun. He seemed a little scared at first but, by the end, he was voluntarily reaching into bowls of candy and grabbing his own piece. He got a decent amount for the first time and now Kevin and I can fight over it. It felt a little weird taking him out, especially since he’s not mobile on foot just yet. I kept thinking people would think we were just angling for candy for ourselves. But, I tend to overthink EVERYTHING. Then again, maybe I was just feely guilty for trick or treating well past the normal trick-or-treating age (I went my freshman year of college).

All in all, though, it was fun and we took a lot of pictures and videos (which I hope to have up soon). I was a little sad at the end, though, thinking that it’s the first and last time we’ll hold him in our arms while trick or treating. Before I know it, he’ll be a teenager and I’ll have to talk him out of wearing some awful Halloween costume all the while bribing him to be home on time. If I’ve learned one thing this past year it’s that time flies by so fast with a child.

I hope everyone had a fun, safe and happy Halloween!

World Series for the 'Birds

When the St. Louis Cardinals won the 2006 World Series last night, it ended one of the toughest weeks of my sports life. Here was the team I grew up loving, from a city I lived in for four years, finally breaking through for the first time in 24 years. 24 years! I was TWELVE when Bruce Sutter struck out Gorman Thomas for the final out of the 1982 series on my brother Steve's 18th birthday. I'll admit my Cardinal credentials weren't as red as they once were. I left St. Louis 6 years ago, and even though cable TV has a wealth of baseball on every night, the Cardinals were rarely on in this market -- home of the Detroit Tigers. I am happy for the Cardinals; if you have ever spent time there, you will agree with the long-held notion that they are the greatest fans in baseball. I count myself one of them, sure as you can say, "Willie McGee!"

But that is where I am torn. Because in our house is one of the biggest and most loyal Tiger fans of all. And that is what hurts about last night. While I was glad the Cardinals won, I hurt for Aimee. She has toiled through many horrible Tiger seasons, and while many people joked this season about being a fan BEFORE 2006, she truly was one. As this magical season unfolded, I could see something happening, and I don't think Aimee even realized it. When they took a 10-game lead, I knew they would be in the playoffs, and then anything can happen ... and it did. We watched the Tigers every night on TV. I mean every night. And when we got tickets for the final regular season game against the Royals, I wondered out loud what would happen if the Central Division came down to the final day. Well, it did, and it was painful to watch the Tigers lose. Aimee was so upset. But the Tigers re-energized this city and area with a stunning run through the playoffs. Aimee wanted to go to one game each round, and we were lucky to get tickets to the first game of each round -- even the World Series. I am happy we could make that happen for her. No one deserved it more.

I was worried how we would find tickets for a game 6 or 7, because I knew if the series came back to Detroit, Aimee should go. She is right; you never know when you will be back. I am lucky the Cardinals have a shot at it every few years. But I remember the 1985 World Series, when Don Denkinger etched his name in Cardinal history with this call. And when my second-favorite team, the Minnesota Twins, defeated St. Louis in the 1987 series, I was happy for them and convinced the Cards would be back before the Twins. Well, Minnesota won again in 1991, and the Cardinals didn't have much of a sniff for another 20 years. The Tigers, in fact, had won a series more recently, in 1984. The Cardinals deserved to finally win, although the Tigers will be remembered as the story of 2006.

So, now it is back to football season, where, oh yeah, Michigan is 8-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation. In just a few weeks, they could be playing for a spot in the national championship game. I often joked with Aimee during the early part of the season what would happen if the Wolverines and Tigers played on the same day. Where would her allegiances lie? Well that was clear when Michigan played Michigan State, and the Tigers were on the verge of closing out the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. Aimee was listening to the game on a Walkman radio, and they were giving updates on the baseball game on the Michigan Stadium scoreboard. Even highlights. Very classy thing for Bill Martin to do, and the crowd was riveted. Well, I looked at Aimee about halftime, and while the Spartans were doing their annual lay-down to U-M, I looked at her and said, "you really don't want to be here, do you?" Before I could get the words out, she said "No" and we were on our way to the exits. She cried that night, with joy, as the Tigers closed out the first round.

Unfortunately, she cried again last night. And for the first time since April, when I was unable to get Opening Day tickets for the first time since 2000, they were not tears of joy. I love Aimee for her fierce loyalty as a fan. A lot of people jumped off the bandwagon when the Tigers lost the division, but she has remained loyal. We went to plenty of games when they lost 119 games, and we went to a few this year. It might have been more, but Harmon takes most of our time and resources these days, and sports has taken a little bit of a back seat. That is a good thing. But, I am happy Aimee got to finally experience this season. She deserved it. I am sorry the Cardinals had to win, in a way. As happy as I am for them, I have equal amounts of pain for her. She will be there on Opening Day 2007 when the Tigers celebrate their 2007 American League championship on Opening Day. I owe it to her.

Weekend Update

After having to work later than usual last Thursday night, Kevin was able to get out of work early on Friday. We took advantage of this and headed a little north of Ann Arbor (near where we used to live) to Erwin Orchards in South Lyon. We've been meaning to get to a pumpkin patch but, as always, fall is SO busy. Anyway, we FINALLY made it. We took a tractor ride out to the now-heavily-picked-over pumpkin patch but it still was fun. Harmon had a good time and there was just something about the combination of the cool air, the pumpkin patch, the orchard, etc., that made him crazy. He was talking like mad and squirming all about – more than he's ever done before. On the tractor ride back, though, he was a little more subdued. I guess he wore himself out.

After getting a pumpkin, we went inside and got some donuts and hot cider and Harmon got two gourds (little kids just love these things). We got too late a start (and it was a bit too cold) to check out a nearby corn maize so … maybe this weekend.

On Saturday, Kevin and I went to the first part of the Iowa at Michigan game. After lunch with my Mom and sister, Erin, at Jimmy John's (where Harmon ate his very first Slim 1), they took Harmon back home as we headed to Michigan Stadium. Later in the day, Erin and I headed downtown for the Tigers' game. Even though they lost Game 1 (I should stick with attending only Kenny Rogers' pitched games), it was an amazing experience to be at a World Series game – something I will never forget!

Sunday finally was a day to relax. We ran a few errands (mostly building up Harmon's birthday/Christmas wish list) but spent most of the day just hanging out and watching Harmon crawl all over the place. He's so entertaining and it's only going to get better.

On our list of things to do is to work out the details for Harmon's first birthday party, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 11 (his actual birthday is Nov. 12). My immediate family will be there and Kevin's parents, sister and niece will make the trip from Peoria. The possibility of 13 people in our tiny house is hilarious but we'll make it work. We're trying to divvy up presents and come up with a menu. And, of course, I'm stressed about it!

Lastly, Halloween is only one week away. I can't wait to get Harmon dressed up in his costume so he can experience his first time trick or treating (even though HE won't remember). It's his last "first" holiday and I'm excited. What can I say!

It’s on like Donkey Kong

Well, the World Series is set and it’s on like Donkey Kong in the Bergquist house. I’m a lifelong Tigers’ fan and Kevin adopted the Cardinals at an early age so … I kind of wanted the NY Mets to win just so we would have peace in our house but Kevin seems to think there won’t be a problem. Um, yeah, we’ll see. As for tickets, we finally were able to snag two Standing Room Only tickets for Game One. We tried, like everyone else in the state, to get tickets at the public sale this past Monday at 10 a.m. and it was a disaster. So, we continued to check Ticketmaster almost every hour, on the hour, afterwards. Finally, Wednesday morning, just before lunch, Kevin got through and got one and then I tried, got through and got a second one. Evidently, the Tigers’ decided to release a few extra tickets and we got lucky. I know they’re just Standing Room Only tickets but I just want to be in the building! And, being the gentleman that he is, Kevin has bowed out in favor of my younger sister, Erin. He says my family members are way bigger Tigers’ fans than he is a Cardinals’ fan so he thought it would be best to take one of my sisters. When we went to the ALDS game against the Yankees (the Kenny Rogers’ gem that I will NEVER forget), he said he felt guilty being there so this is his way of correcting that. So, Erin and I will head to “the D” tomorrow in time for all the World Series festivities. We are so excited and I still can’t believe the Detroit Tigers are in the World Series!

OK, enough baseball, how about some baby stuff. Harmon has really gotten the hang of this crawling thing and he is motoring all over the house now. Room to room, up and down halls, he’s everywhere! And, he is pulling up a lot on furniture and loves to walk with assistance so I don’t think it will be long before the full-out walking us upon us. I keep telling him not to wait forever to walk like he did to crawl! He also has two new teeth (at least two new ones that we know of – who knows what’s going on in the back of his mouth). The two teeth to the left and right of his top, front teeth have poked through. We noticed it Sunday when Kevin was brushing his teeth. Earlier in the day on Sunday, we had Harmon’s one-year photos taken by our good friend, Martin Vloet (with assistance from his fiancée – and also our friend – Katie Gazella). We did some in the studio at U-M Photo Services and then took some more outside at the U-M Nichols Arboretum. We haven’t seen the final product yet as Martin was saddled with jury duty all this week. But, from what we saw as we were going, they looked great. We’re so excited!

Lastly, I’ve been so caught up in the Tigers that I’ve failed to talk about Michigan’s awesome football season (so far). Right now, they are 7-0 (and ranked #2), with Iowa coming to town tomorrow (Kevin and I will attend some of the game before I run off to Detroit). This game will be tough but should be the last, big test before that showdown in Columbus on Nov. 18. If both Michigan and Ohio State teams stay undefeated, that, in essence, will be the National Championship game. I’m already sick to my stomach.

The Tigers are going to the World Series!

Ahhh, some of the most beautiful words these ears have ever heard! And, when I hear Dan Dickerson say it, I get chills up and down my spine!

Last night, the Detroit Tigers’ magical season continued with a sweep of the Oakland A’s to win the ALCS. They now will represent the American League in the World Series, which will start Saturday, Oct. 21. As has been the case all season, no one expected this, not in one hundred million years. And, because of this, all of it is so hard to digest. It’s like waiting for something you really want for years and years and years and then, all of a sudden, you get it. It’s hard to know how to react to it all. After watching the game itself, I spent the rest of the night watching and reading all the post-game stuff. Even though the Michigan at Penn State football game was on, I had a very difficult time tearing myself away from the thing I’ve been waiting for since 1984.

Once things really started to sink in, I shed my fair share of tears. I started thinking about what baseball has meant to me over the years. I also started thinking about what it means to the City of Detroit and, America, in general. I saw the following quote from Tigers’ closer Todd Jones and I started crying all over again:

“This city, this region, this state really needs this. A lot of people are out of work. A lot of people are hurting. And for three hours every night in the summer, we were able to give them a lot of joy. I am real happy for the city and real happy for the Tigers.”

I guess it reminded me of when I was younger and my parents had some very tough financial times (usually caused by General Motors) but they always made sure we had what we needed. And, my Dad made sure we got to a Tigers’ game once a year – the only sporting events my sisters and I ever attended as kids. I then saw this picture of Todd Jones, just sitting on the mound taking it all in LONG after the game had ended.



What a great photo!

All this got me thinking of James Earl Jones’ character, Terence Mann, in "Field of Dreams" and his speech about baseball.

And then, this speech made me think about the end of that same movie. It made me think of the movie moment that makes me cry no matter what. When Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, is given the opportunity to finally play catch with his father.

Baseball, what can I say. I love it. Every April, you get a fresh start and then you play 162 games to determine your worth. You play every night, during the cool spring nights and the hot summer nights and the crisp fall evenings. The season starts as the days are beginning to get longer and then continues into the summer, during those beautiful nights under those picturesque sunsets – sunsets that don’t even start until 9 p.m. As September arrives, the days get shorter AND cooler. The smell of the playoffs is in the air, along with the smell of burning leaves and the smell of the furnace the first time you turn it on. This game turns grown men into ecstatic little boys, causing them to jump up and down like five-year-olds who’ve ingested too much Halloween candy. And, it turns little boys into lifelong fans, with visions of their heroes burned in their memories forever. Even at my age, there are so many images from this Tigers’ playoff run that I will never forget!

I don’t know what else there is to say about baseball and my Detroit Tigers. The more I think about it, the more I can’t believe it. Before the Fall Classic begins on Saturday, the Tigers have some time off to let all of this sink in and so do the fans. And, I think that time will be valuable for all of us to truly understand all that they’ve accomplished over the last three years. And, in case there is such a thing as karma or destiny or whatever, here’s an interesting fact – the 2006 Tigers clinched the ALCS on the same date the 1984 Tigers won the World Series all those years ago!

I'm not crying, you're crying

Wednesday night, just one day shy of his 11-month birthday, Harmon decided to crawl.

Kevin and I were hanging out watching the Tigers-A's game and he was doing his usual light-speed rolling routine. He rolled the length of the living room and then into the dining room. He took off down the hallway and then into the den. At that point, Kevin retrieved him, brought him back to the living room, where he got up on all fours and rocked a bit (which he's been doing for several weeks now).

At that point, we thought it might be yet another good time to work on the whole crawling thing (we've been working on it FOR MONTHS). So, we grabbed him and put him at the far end of the hallway. He promptly got up on all fours and crawled about the length of one of our hallway carpet runners. He did this a few times and it was so cute. I was relieved, Kevin cried. It was one of many wonderful moments Harmon has provided us over the last 11 months. The closer he got to us, there was less crawling and more rolling. Evidently that was faster for him – he much prefers the rolling! I think he would have crawled more had it not been so near his bed time. We could tell he was getting tired so we'll pick it up again tonight. It's so exciting!

Happy 11-month birthday, little buddy! We love you so much!

Who would've thought!

Last night, the Detroit Tigers defeated the New York Yankees. After letting the AL Central division crown slip away last weekend, their penance was to start the playoffs on the road against the Yankees, whom all the experts were touting as the best line-up ever assembled. Although we lost Game One, we came back and took the next three to win the ALDS and to send the $200 million Yankees back to NY with yet another disappointing post-season. I can’t say I knew this was going to happen. I never imagined in a million years that this would happen. I never imagined this whole season would happen but I am loving every minute of it. The disappointment of being at Comerica Park last weekend to unfortunately witness the division title disappear has more than been made up for with this ALDS win. I can’t get out of my mind the performances of rookies Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya and Curtis Granderson, leading the Tigers to a 4-3 win in Game Two. I got tingles when I saw Zumaya blow away the Yankees’ hitters with his 103-mph fastball.

More tingles came Friday night, when Kevin and I were lucky enough to attend Game Three. The atmosphere was unbelievable – an event Motown has been waiting for since 1987! We hung on every pitch – cheered every strike and every out for the Yankees and every hit and every run for the Tigers. Kenny Rogers, the Tigers’ 41-year-old lefty, pitched the game of his life and one of the best games I’ve ever seen pitched. He was masterful and determined and dead-set on winning this game and earning his first-ever playoff win. The Tigers hitters were just as determined in hitting Randy Johnson and countless other relievers and scoring a 6-0 victory. The more I think about this game, the bigger it gets in my mind. It’s arguably the best sporting event I’ve ever attended! Everyone in the stadium was one on this night and the cheers were deafening. The experience was so amazing, it’s so hard to put into words.

Game Four of the series came yesterday, with a start time of 4:30 p.m. The MLB gods evidently wanted to punish Michiganders by scheduling the baseball game at the same time as the annual Michigan-Michigan State football game. Instead of staying home to watch the Tigers’ game, Kevin and I attended the football game but my heart just wasn’t in it. Although I physically was in Michigan Stadium, emotionally I was at Comerica Park. I listened to the first few innings on my portable radio and hoped that Michigan would have a big enough lead to allow us to leave at the half. They obliged and I got home in time for the seventh inning (just missing Jeremy Bonderman lose his perfect game in the fifth inning). Leading 8-1, Bonderman was pulled and received an incredible ovation. A week after giving away the division title, he delivered the division series title! After the last out – a ground out from Polanco to Casey – the party that Motown was expecting last week was started. The Tigers hoisted manager Jim Leyland to their shoulders and carried him around and player after player brought bottles of champagne out to spray the crowd in celebration. It’s a scene I’ll never forget! A scene I watched through tears, not really believing it was happening.

The Detroit Tigers, just three short years ago, were the worst team in baseball – one loss short from being the worst team EVER in baseball. But, now, in 2006, here they were, sending the Yankees packing and making reservations in Oakland to start the ALCS. All these grown men jumping around and acting like children, while at the same time there were children in the stands cheering them, their heroes. Children who never had known a winning Tigers’ team now witnessing moments they’ll never forget.

All that we’ve been waiting for but never expected. And, all that I never can truly, fully express in words. So, pictures will have to do.

Leyland the Gladiator!

A happy group!

Some bubbly!

There's a party going on right here. A celebration to last throughout the year.

We're all behind our baseball team, go get 'em Tigers!

You can't spell Citrus without U-T!

Last Thursday night, Kevin and I watched some of the South Carolina-Auburn college football game. Although South Carolina lost, we always get a kick out of watching Steve Spurrier. He's kind of an ass (OK, probably a huge ass if you play against him) and you just never know what the guy is going to say. Since Michigan fans don't have to worry about him, we just can enjoy his wit. Here are some of his many gems from over the years (note: most of these come from his time at Florida):

1. On a fire at an Auburn football dorm that destroyed 20 books – "But the real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet."

2. In response to the Florida State Foot Locker scandal – "You know what FSU stands for, don't you? Free Shoes University."

3. On Tennessee's frequent appearances in the Citrus Bowl (the second-place SEC bowl) in the mid 1990s – "You can't spell Citrus without U-T."

4. In a jab at former Tennessee QB Peyton Manning – "I know why Peyton came back for his senior year, he wanted to be a three-time Citrus Bowl MVP."

5. In yet another jab at Tennessee and in response to the following question from a South Carolina alum – "Coach, how did we beat Tennessee this year?" Spurrier's response, "The same way Vanderbilt did."

6. On not being emotional during his farewell news conference at Florida – "I guess I'm supposed to cry a lot because that's what FSU people say I do. I'm not really much of a crier. I don't get all choked up. I don't understand why they said I was crying. I guess because we only won by 24 that day." (In reference to Florida's 37-13 win over FSU in November 2001)

7. On Georgia's recruiting after a 45-13 win in 1991 over the Bulldogs – "Why is it that during recruiting season they sign all the great players, but when it comes time to play the game, we have all the great players? I don't understand that. What happens to them?"

And, one from the pro ranks, for good measure:

8. Spurrier wasted no time in hacking off half the NFL his farewell press conference at Florida when he said, "I read somewhere that (New Orleans Saints' coach) Jim Haslett gets to work at 4:30 a.m. It's not doing him any good coming in at 4:30 a.m."

Ahh, you gotta' love the Ol' Ball Coach!