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!

Sad in the "D"

Yesterday, my entire family attended the last home game of the Detroit Tigers' baseball season. The tickets were a 35th anniversary present to my parents and it also was my sister, Erin's, birthday. And, after being in first place since May, all the Tigers needed to do was win and we, along with all of Motown, were ready to celebrate. The game started out great, with the Tigers taking a 6-0 lead, and we all were just waiting to explode. But, as has happened over the last month or so, it all started to slowly fall apart. Starter Jeremy Bonderman, who has been known to blow leads (especially 6-0 leads) blew another one and it was 6-4 before we knew it. He was pulled and reliever after reliever came in and it just kept getting worse and worse. In the end, after 12 innings and over five hours of baseball, the Tigers' lost. They lost the American League Central Division crown, they lost home field advantage in the first round and they probably lost their way right out of the playoffs as they now have to play the Yankees – the best team in baseball – in New York.

This was a gut-wrenching loss to me. The kind of loss that makes you wonder why you're a sports fan at all and why you set yourself up for this in the first place. The kind of loss that makes you cry like a 10-year old (like the little boy two rows in front of us who was crying when the Tigers lost the lead for good). I cried on the way home from the game and I cried later in the evening. It reminded me of how I used to cry after a Michigan football loss until I got used to them and just started getting mad instead. I cried because I was disappointed, because I was mad, because I was sad and because I let my guard down and believed and then it was all just taken away.

I've talked about my "history" with the Tigers before. In addition to being the only pro sports team in Detroit that I really care about, I love the Tigers because of my Dad and because when Kevin dumped me back in 1998, it was working for the Tigers and immersing myself in baseball that got me through it all. To see them do well this year and to finally get smiles instead of weird looks when I wore my Tigers' gear was so nice and so different. All they did this year was unbelievable to me but instead of focusing on that, all I can think about is what was lost yesterday. I never expected a year like this, no one in Detroit did. I never expected a meaningful baseball game to be played in August, much less September AND October. I never expected to be anywhere near first place in the very competitive and probably best division in baseball, the AL Central. But, when the Tigers roared out to that great start and took over first place in May and held on ALMOST to the end, expectations changed. No longer was an improvement good enough, no longer was just being in the playoffs good enough. No longer was going from the worst team in baseball three years ago to one of the best in baseball now good enough. Maybe it's the whole having it and losing it versus never having it at all thing. And, maybe I'm just afraid that we didn't take advantage of what we had and you never know when you're going to get that chance again. It's been 19 years since our last playoff appearance – what if it's another 19? Won't this hurt even more?

I know it's just sports and I know the sun still rose today and the earth still is spinning. But, it's rainy and grey here in Detroit today, and I'm sure the 40,000 plus fans at Comerica Park and the countless fans that watched the game on TV yesterday feel the way the weather is. I don't have much hope for a five game series against the Yankees but, then again, I didn't have much hope for the season and the Tigers proved me wrong. I hope they can do it again.

If not, though, 2006 has been a memorable summer for baseball and that's something Detroit hasn't seen in a long, long time.

All this time

12 years ago today, Kevin and I met. Sometimes, I can’t believe it’s been that long, mostly because we knew each other for six years before we got married. Take your time.

Anyway, we met when Kevin came to the U-M Athletic Media Relations Department for a job interview. He already had met with his co-workers and was waiting to meet with our director, Bruce Madej. Of course, Bruce was BS-ing someone on the phone so Kevin was waiting outside his office. I was a senior and in my third year of work in media relations and was working in the office right next door (on football bios, what else) when Kevin came in to say “hello!” I thought he was so cute but didn’t think much more as this was just an interview and there was no guarantee he would get the job. About a month later, though, he joined the staff, leaving behind his gig at Southern Illinois University (the Saluki Stompwagon).

Over the next few months, my friends and I CONSTANTLY asked Kevin to do things with us but he always declined. Finally, he relented and decided to watch some Monday Night Football with us one night. I’m sure his decision had more to do with the Vikings playing than with me but … Anyway, that was one of the first nights we hung out and we had a great time. On Valentine’s Day, he got me flowers – the first time anyone ever sent me flowers – and things just kind of took off from there. For the next year or so, he worked at U-M and I moved home and attended grad school at UDM. We were together on weekends and it was amazing. In the summer of 1996, though, my perfect little world was shaken up a bit when Kevin took a job at Washington University in St. Louis. He would work there for the next four years and we would do the dreaded long-distance thing for three of those years.

In March of 2000, he finally moved back to Michigan and, in April, he proposed. We then spent the next eight months furiously planning our wedding. We were married in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Dec. 2 and the rest, as they say, is history. While it’s hard for me to digest that we’ve known each other 12 years, it’s even harder to believe we’ve been married almost six years. It seems like just yesterday, even after all this time!

OK, this is no fun without some old-school pictures.

This is the first picture I ever had of Kevin. He is sitting at the desk I was sitting at when we first met.

HOLY CRAP, look at all that damn hair! What was I thinking back then? ANYWAY, this is at my graduation from U-M in April of 1995. Me, Kevin and my best friend, Betsie (Simon) Feldman.

Taken on the photo deck at Michigan Stadium in November 1995. Check that scoreboard, U-M - 31, Ohio State - 23! We had to take a picture of it because beating Ohio State doesn't happen that much anymore. I miss John Cooper.

Outside the cathedral in St. Louis. When I would visit, we would go to mass here all the time - it was beautiful! We usually would follow this up with a trip to the Galleria and then dinner on "The Hill." God, I miss St. Louis SO much!

Here we're standing in the hallway outside the Michigan Union Ballroom just before entering our wedding reception. I'm so glad we met and I'm so glad you sent me flowers and I'm so glad we're married. As I always tell Kevin, he is my prince and I'm so lucky to have met him all those years ago.

Under that special dome

We play at Minnesota this weekend, in one of the greatest atmospheres in all of college football (according to a "publication" – I use that word loosely – that Kevin and I encountered a few years ago when we were in Minneapolis for a wedding). How one of the greatest atmospheres can be attained IN A DOME I don't know, but I digress.

Last year, the Gophers finally broke through and beat the maize and blue for the first time in 100 years (well, 18 years, really) and got a glimpse of what the Little Brown Jug, the nation's oldest football trophy, actually looks like. As Kevin said recently, they (the Minnesota players) stormed across the field to get that effer (the jug) like they just won the freakin' national championship! Since winning back the jug last year, they've had it in a glass display case for all Minnesotans to see which is in stark contrast to where we kept it – in some old equipment case somewhere in the bowels of Schembechler Hall. What can I say, when you've had it forever, there's really no excitement in getting your photo taken with it at fan day. So, needless to say, they've enjoyed their time with it but, as our good friend Schneids (who is the PR guy for "M" football) out it, if we win it back Saturday, they won't even have had it a full year (last year's game was Oct. 8).

The Minnesota cornbread is just a bit annoying, mostly because they always think they're better than they are and they think playing in a dome is such an advantage. But, really, how can you argue with these numbers ..

… this is the 95th meeting, with Michigan leading the all-time series 67-24-3 …

... the Wolverines have a 30-12-2 record against the Gophers in Minneapolis and a 10-0 record against them in the Metrodome …

… Michigan has won 24 of the last 27 games and 33 of the last 36 contests in the "Little Brown Jug" series …

… um, yeah, so …

I am cautiously optimistic about Saturday but we've been known to have a rough time in Big 10 road openers and in night games. At any rate, it would be nice to get the jug back where it belongs!

In related college football news, did you see this? After "M" removed ND from any and all relevant college football conversations with a 47-21 spanking, Charlie Weis (at left) HAD to come up with some way to keep ND "in the news" and get the media to feel bad for his poor (and overrated) Irish. This is crap and he's an ass – for this and for so many other things. I wish MSU could have held on to that damn game because the ONLY team worth a damn left on ND's schedule is USC. So, if they keep winning (beating powerhouses like the service academies and North Carolina), God help us all!

By the way, do you notice any similarities between good ole' Charlie and the creature in the photo below?

GD, Sparty!

Well, Sparty, thanks for nothing. You could have put a fork in GD Notre Dame last night but, as is typical for Michigan State, you blew it. You had them down 17 points at one point during last night's game and you looked unstoppable on offense. Drew Stanton, you were picking them apart, with your arm and with your feet. I had total faith that you could get the job done. Hell, you do almost every other year - you OWN ND. BUT, you couldn't finish. It was almost like watching the Michigan team from last season.

I had no selfish reason to cheer for you but I got burned anyway. It always comes back to bite you in the ass when you cheer for Sparty. You could have put an end to all this Notre Dame hype but you let them up off the mat. Now, we all have to hear about their heart and their guts and how they had the greatest comeback win in the history of college football - all in monsoon-like rains on the road in tough Spartan Stadium. Now, we have to hear all about how Brady Quinn ALLEGEDLY earned his way back into Heisman contention and all about how Charlie Weis ALLEGEDLY is a genius. All that crap that thankfully we didn't have to hear for a week after we (Michigan) gave ND the beating of their Irish lives is all back again this week after you let that game get away. Why, Sparty, why? Why can't you ever win the big game? Drew Stanton, you're a SENIOR, why can't you make the big play? I can't imagine what it must be like to be a Spartan fan!

Michigan won on Saturday, in much less dramatic fashion. We beat a decent Wisconsin team at home 27-13. The highlight of the day, for me, was seeing the Wisconsin fans that traveled to Michigan Stadium do "Jump Around" between the third and fourth quarters. Kevin and I were able to attend the game together yesterday, which was a first for this season. My parents came to our house and watched Harmon while we enjoyed a few hours of fun. And, we even sat in OUR OWN seats after trading them last year so the fat, pregnant lady could be near the exit and near the bathroom.

OK, I don't want to make a big deal about this because last time I wrote about them on this blog, they went into a MASSIVE slump but ... my Detroit Tigers clinched their first playoff berth in 19 years today. There was some celebrating being done in the locker room in Kansas City but I was happy to hear each and every player interrviewed say that they still had a lot of work today. They are only 1 1/2 games up on those pesky Twins with six games to go so here's hoping the Motor City kitties will be doing some more celebrating this coming week. As an aside, it was so nice to see both Jim Leyland and Todd Jones damn near tears when talking about this team!

One more thing, just because Sparty couldn't get the job done doesn't mean our win over ND should be forgotten. We beat them butt good, 47-21!

Give me shell-ter

Earlier this week, a co-worker sent around an e-mail saying that he had found a turtle in his yard, but could not keep it and wondered if someone wanted to give it a home. Of course, I immediately jumped from my chair to find out more. He/she is an adorable baby snapping turtle, only slightly larger than a quarter. I started spewing a bunch of turtle-speak as a member of the TE (Turtle Elite), and found myself genuinely excited about the immediate future of this adorable creature.

I knew I could not take him/her, with a beautiful baby boy and adorable rabbit already on my watch at home. So, I was ecstatic when I found out my boss would take her, even if just for a while while she gets strong and, like an injured fawn, can be released back into the wild (like Old School). Well, "Paca" (its original name) has now become the Communications pet. He/she resides in my boss' office, and we all go in to check on him/her every few hours. This morning, he/she ate a small worm, so I was relieved to find out it still has a good appetite. That is the key.

So today, "Paca" was officially made the office mascot. I commented on the irony of having a turtle for a mascot, as they are slow by nature. My boss added that they also go into a shell and hide when approached. So, maybe, "Paca" is perfect, after all.

So, when can I put up my Halloween decorations?

The month of September is a little tough for me. It's back to school time and fall arrives but usually it's one million degrees. I feel like I should hold on to those last few summer nights but I'm also excited for the cool breeze and colored leaves of fall. Typically, here in Michigan, we'll have a few very hot days in September that will keep those longings for fall at bay. But, that hasn't happened this year. It's been pretty chilly and our nightly walks have that fall feel to them.

All of this has me ready to decorate for Halloween even though fall doesn't technically arrive until Saturday. We don't do a ton, like my Uncle Max or this guy (who lives in our neighborhood) but we do more than most people who live on our block. So, here's my plan. I have a string of orange lights to run along the top of our front porch and another string to run along the top of our garage. I also have pumpkin lights to decorate our sun porch. I have pumpkin stake lights to run the entire length of our front yard landscaping and I also have leaf and acorn cling on decals for my picture window. We still need to get some cornstalks for the three "pillars" on our front porch and possibly some orange or burgundy mums to either hang from our front porch or be placed at the entrance to our porch. I have a 10-foot spider web that Kevin has agreed to let me know hang on the garage door. Now, I just need to figure out how to affix it.

Since it's our first Halloween with Harmon, I'm hoping he likes it. If he does, it will give me an excuse to keep adding to my Halloween decoration collection each and every year. It's like an addiction.

Oh, in case I forgot to mention it, we kicked the crap out of Notre Dame last Saturday. This thrashing must be cherished and enjoyed each and every day! So, in order to do that, check out this and this! Too funny!

TDJ just can't look …



… at this …



… or this!



Can you blame him? TOO BAD, ND!

It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!

47-21

Like all good Michigan people, we try to be humble in victory (unlike our fellow Golden Domers)! And, we have to set a good example for Harmon so he knows how to behave when he grows up. Plus, all the talking was done on the field yesterday to the tune of a 47-21 ass kicking of mighty, mighty Notre Dame. Looks like, for now, the national championship victory parade and the Charlie Weiss coronation will have to wait. After all, they only dropped to #12 in the polls after allowing Big Blue to score the most points on them at home in 46 years, so it’s entirely possible they can work their way back up and play in the national championship game. Hell, THEY ARE ND so they can play in the national championship with FOUR LOSSES! Enough of all this talk, let’s let the photos tell the story.

The scoreboard!

This happened not once …

... not twice …

... but three times (ALL DAY LONG, BABY)!

Now for some Mike Hart …

… and some Chad Henne.

And, don’t forget that Michigan “D!”

This is not a good look for the pretty boy (maybe he needs to get back in front of the fan on the sidelines and let it blow his hair some more). And, sorry about the Heisman, Brady! If it makes you feel any better, though, Jimmy Clausen is supposed to win four (just like Ron Powlus did).

Can’t remember the last time Lloyd got the cooler!

Time to celebrate!

Hail to the victors valiant, hail to the conquering heroes, hail, hail, to Michigan, the leaders and best. Hail to the victors valiant, hail to the conquering heroes, hail, hail, to Michigan, the champions of the west.

Ah, that felt good! Sorry for the delay in the post as I just was enjoying this so much. It’s been a long time since we’ve had such a satisfying victory.

A funny side note about yesterday. It was the biggest recruiting weekend of the year for the Irish. I wonder how that went over with the youngins …

OK, one last funny thing about yesterday. Kevin mentioned how sad it is that NBC (or the Notre Dame Broadcasting Channel) didn’t get to share with us all its footage of Samardzija playing minor league baseball and Zbikowski boxing. Boo hoo!

I probably will regret this but GO GREEN, GO WHITE this weekend. ND has to go on the road and play Sparty in East Lansing in what looks to be a great night game (should be a good one). Sparty has their number and I'm sure Drew Stanton is salivating at the sight of the Notre Dame defense. Um, yeah, take the over!

OK, enough. Let’s Go Blue (and let’s TRY to keep it going – one game at a time)!

And, here's some stuff, just for fun. Super Mario and good stuff from the game.

Good night now!

This and that

Now that it's cooled down a bit, Harmon is able to wear some of his new fall clothes. My sister, Stacey, got him this cute sweat suit (at left) from Roots and he looks adorable in it.

When he wears it, though, he reminds me way too much of Ari and Uzi Tenenbaum (below) from that fantastic movie, the Royal Tenenbaums!

In addition to looking cute in his new get-up, he also has learned to wave. He's been working on the opening and closing of the hand and, just yesterday, when he was with my Mom, he got the hand motion and the arm motion going at the same time. It's so cute.

Another thing he has learned to do, maybe in the last month, is give hugs and kisses. If you ask for kisses, he leans in with his big, open mouth and kisses your cheek. It's usually all wet and slobbery but yet so sweet! And, the hugs, my God, the hugs! A hug from Harmon is the best thing in the whole world! He just wraps his little arms real tight around your neck and it's the most awesome feeling. I try to get hundreds of hugs each day but, when he gets tired of giving them, he just bites my shoulder so I'll lay off. We need to put a stop to that!

Since he's approaching his first birthday, we thought we better get moving on those obligatory one-year photos. So, we finally booked a date (Oct. 15) with one of our good friends, who also happens to be the top photographer at U-M. We're doing the photos a bit early in hopes of catching some beautiful fall colors before they're gone. We're going to do some individual shots and some family shots at some spots on campus so we're very excited. We're also going with a brown and orange theme so I hope they'll turn out nice.

In non-Harmon news, all the new fall shows are starting and Kevin and I really need to decide what we have time for. Of course, there will be the usual shows (Survivor, ER, Supernanny, Wife Swap, etc.) but there are several new shows that look very interesting. It's all about pacing ourselves! Last night, we finished up 15 weeks of Rock Star: Supernova, which was quite a commitment. Although it started out as just an excuse for me to drool over Tommy Lee, it ended up being a pretty good show.

This weekend is going to be a little odd as Kevin is traveling to South Bend on Saturday to attend the U-M @ ND game with his two best friends. I hope he brings some good luck to U-M as I have a feeling they're going to need it. The last time we went to South Bend, it wasn't pretty!

On Sunday, I think we're going to take Harmon shopping to get him some fall/winter clothes. He only has a few things so we need to change that – so spoiled!

Weeeeeeeeee!

Back in the Spring, I got Harmon this toy (also at left) from our local Once Upon a Child store. It looked similar to his beloved hammer and only cost $1 so I figured I couldn't go wrong. Um ... yeah!

Once I got it home and cleaned it all up, it started cracking out. It would go off with one of its crazy noises, like "weeeeeeeeee," without any prompting from Harmon or us. So, it didn't take long for this toy to get banished where it still would go off ALL THE TIME. Early this past Monday morning, I finally reached the end of my rope with this damn thing. At 2:45 a.m., I heard a chorus of "weeeeeeeeees" from the living room. After getting over my initial fright (what the hell was that?), I marched into the living room, retrieved the toy from its cold, dark corner and removed – with more precision that I thought I could muster in the wee (ha, ha) hours – the screws that held the battery compartment. I kept the batteries (Harmon has other more battery-worthy toys), threw the toy in the trash and then lumbered back down the hall and crawled under the covers. Kevin says I will hear ghost "weeeeeeeeees" forever since I sent the toy to an early death.

On a lighter note, Harmon is freakin' 10 MONTHS' OLD today. Can you believe it? I might have to get him a new toy to replace the one I killed. He REALLY liked this one yesterday when we saw it at Kohl's. I sat him on the floor and played it for him and he was grooving to it. It was so cute.