It's usually not a good thing when family members are fighting, but Dad and Denise's visit to North Carolina over Valentine's Day weekend proved to be an exception to that rule.
Dad and I exchanged virtual punches throughout the weekend as part of a sometimes intense Wii boxing showdown. In deference to my father, I'll share the video below of dad's boxing victory shortly before he and Denise left to return home. It is a victory that he savored at the moment and again in follow-up emails and phone calls. Note that my prior victories have been explained away as "problems with the controller." Clearly, a rematch is in order.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Savoring the Win
After a day filled with much anticipation, Matt and I headed to Chapel Hill last night to watch the Carolina/Duke game. We joined 100-200 other people at the Hill Alumni Center on UNC's campus. It was a really nice setup with a large in-wall projection screen (complete with audio), snacks, and drinks. Matt and I really enjoyed ourselves, especially since Carolina beat Dook.
It was an up-and-down game for Tar Heels, as they went up by 10 in the first half and then were down 8 by halftime. Luckily for us, though, they outscored the Blue Devils by 24 points in the second half to win 101-87.
Some photos from the night are below. After the photos, I've posted a couple of videos from last night. They should provide a better glimpse of what Chapel Hill (and specifically, Franklin Street) is like after a victory over Duke. School spirit rocks.
The crowd cheers after realizing that Carolina has it in the bag...
Matt and I celebrating after the final buzzer...
Students rush across campus to Franklin Street...
A photo of the celebration (taken 15 minutes after the game)
Matt and I with the thousands celebrating on Franklin Street
Some people get a little too crazy...
Footage from our arrival on Franklin Street...
The Celebration Continues
It was an up-and-down game for Tar Heels, as they went up by 10 in the first half and then were down 8 by halftime. Luckily for us, though, they outscored the Blue Devils by 24 points in the second half to win 101-87.
Some photos from the night are below. After the photos, I've posted a couple of videos from last night. They should provide a better glimpse of what Chapel Hill (and specifically, Franklin Street) is like after a victory over Duke. School spirit rocks.
The crowd cheers after realizing that Carolina has it in the bag...
Matt and I celebrating after the final buzzer...
Students rush across campus to Franklin Street...
A photo of the celebration (taken 15 minutes after the game)
Matt and I with the thousands celebrating on Franklin Street
Some people get a little too crazy...
Footage from our arrival on Franklin Street...
The Celebration Continues
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Big Game
The state of North Carolina holds its breath today as the first of the two biggest basketball games this season approaches. Tonight, Duke and UNC will match up at Cameron Indoor Stadium in front of a large TV audience in North Carolina and around the nation.
Tonight's result will not only determine the lead in the ACC, but--perhaps more importantly--who gets bragging rights between now and March 8th (when the two teams meet again in the Dean Dome).
One of the things Matt and I appreciate about UNC is how accessible it is to alumni. Case in point, we will be watching the game in the Alumni Center on campus with other folks from the Orange/Durham Carolina Club. It should be a great time, and we're crossing our fingers that UNC will pull out the win.
Those of you outside of North Carolina can catch the game on ESPN at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central. Anyone local or in this viewing region will see it on Raycom affiliates at 9 p.m.
Here are some fun facts about tonight's game and the Duke-Carolina series:
1. It is the 40th time that UNC and Duke will play while both ranked in the Top 25.
2. North Carolina leads the all-time series 128-97 and has won four of the last five meetings.
3. Duke leads the series 47-45 when playing in Durham, although Carolina has won the last three in a row at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
4. If Carolina wins the game, Danny Green and Tyler Hansbrough will be the first Tar Heels to play in four wins at Cameron during the Mike Krzyzewski era.
5. The largest margin of victory by North Carolina over Duke was 37 points (55-18 in 1921). The largest margin by Duke over North Carolina was 35 points (104-69 in 1964).
6. The first game ever played between North Carolina and Duke--known as Trinity College until 1924--took place January 24, 1920. North Carolina won 36-25.
If Carolina wins, the evidence will be on Franklin Street (the main campus hub in Chapel Hill), as thousands of people--including possibly us--will gather to celebrate. Here's a photo, albeit not a good one, of Franklin Street after a UNC win over Duke when Matt and I were in grad school:
Although it certainly doesn't do it justice, the photo above gives you some idea of what the celebration is like. We're hoping it will look like that again tonight. GO HEELS!
Tonight's result will not only determine the lead in the ACC, but--perhaps more importantly--who gets bragging rights between now and March 8th (when the two teams meet again in the Dean Dome).
One of the things Matt and I appreciate about UNC is how accessible it is to alumni. Case in point, we will be watching the game in the Alumni Center on campus with other folks from the Orange/Durham Carolina Club. It should be a great time, and we're crossing our fingers that UNC will pull out the win.
Those of you outside of North Carolina can catch the game on ESPN at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central. Anyone local or in this viewing region will see it on Raycom affiliates at 9 p.m.
Here are some fun facts about tonight's game and the Duke-Carolina series:
1. It is the 40th time that UNC and Duke will play while both ranked in the Top 25.
2. North Carolina leads the all-time series 128-97 and has won four of the last five meetings.
3. Duke leads the series 47-45 when playing in Durham, although Carolina has won the last three in a row at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
4. If Carolina wins the game, Danny Green and Tyler Hansbrough will be the first Tar Heels to play in four wins at Cameron during the Mike Krzyzewski era.
5. The largest margin of victory by North Carolina over Duke was 37 points (55-18 in 1921). The largest margin by Duke over North Carolina was 35 points (104-69 in 1964).
6. The first game ever played between North Carolina and Duke--known as Trinity College until 1924--took place January 24, 1920. North Carolina won 36-25.
If Carolina wins, the evidence will be on Franklin Street (the main campus hub in Chapel Hill), as thousands of people--including possibly us--will gather to celebrate. Here's a photo, albeit not a good one, of Franklin Street after a UNC win over Duke when Matt and I were in grad school:
Although it certainly doesn't do it justice, the photo above gives you some idea of what the celebration is like. We're hoping it will look like that again tonight. GO HEELS!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Like a Good Neighbor
Having a home instantly makes you older; it does not, however, make you wiser. Such is my theory, backed with evidence from the weekend just passed.Older:
Exhibit A1
I complained to Erica on Sunday afternoon about the neighborhood kids riding their bikes down our driveway and - on those occasions when they couldn't complete the full turnaround - across our lawn. I griped about liability, I moaned about potential damage, and I believe at one point during my rant I may have even questioned their upbringing, which begs the question, "What the heck has happened to me?"
Exhibit A2
I found myself feeling stressed this weekend about our mounting "To Do" list of chores and tasks to settle our home. My dad and my neighbor both assured me during separate conversations that the "To Do" list will never get shorter than half a page no matter how hard I try.
Not Wiser:
Exhibit B
I decided to substitute a wooden stool for a step ladder on Sunday as I worked to replace an exterior spotlight on the front of our house. Our ladder is much too big for such a small task. My neighbor, who I would conservatively estimate is in his eighth decade on this planet, saw bad things in my future, so he carried his own step ladder across the street for me to use. My foolishness is so inspiring that it motivates elderly men to great feats of strength.
On the upside, I did think to cut the power to the external spotlight before attempting to pry loose the piece of the light that broke off inside the socket. For me, that's an improvement.
Sigh. It won't belong before I find myself saying things like this: "Big day tomorrow ... Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time. "
I Play Scrabble at Night Sans Sunglasses
The Corey Hart who sang about wearing his sunglasses at night in the early '80s is not in fact the same Corey Hart who came to the Open Eye Cafe in Carrboro, N.C., on Friday evening, a fact that Erica and I established after some initial confusion as we made our plans for the weekend. We still went to Open Eye Cafe and Corey Hart still played; however, we resisted the temptation to call out a request for the inimitable "Sunglasses at Night." Something tells me the fake Corey Hart has heard that joke (many times) before.
We were passive listeners on Friday as we enjoyed our coffee and a game of Scrabble (note: the real Corey Hart would've had my full attention, Scrabble be damned). Erica was a good sport during our friendly game and therefore did not protest my use of the word "qintar," which I never even knew existed until reading the Scrabble tips that come as part of the game's instructions.
Perhaps Erica just stored up her aggression for later; she was throwing some wicked jabs and hooks during our end-of-weekend Wii boxing match on Sunday night. I'm pretty sure I heard her mutter "Don't be afraid of the guy in shades" during the fight.
We were passive listeners on Friday as we enjoyed our coffee and a game of Scrabble (note: the real Corey Hart would've had my full attention, Scrabble be damned). Erica was a good sport during our friendly game and therefore did not protest my use of the word "qintar," which I never even knew existed until reading the Scrabble tips that come as part of the game's instructions.
Perhaps Erica just stored up her aggression for later; she was throwing some wicked jabs and hooks during our end-of-weekend Wii boxing match on Sunday night. I'm pretty sure I heard her mutter "Don't be afraid of the guy in shades" during the fight.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
North Carolina's Weather Inconsistency
I've lived in a few different regions of the country, but no matter the location, the meteorological humor always sounds the same: "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute and it will change."
Considering the winter we're having in North Carolina, I think the locals here have the fairest claim to that joke.
We had snow on Jan. 20 (see Erica's "January Highlights" post); one week later, the temperature was in the 60s.
Tonight, a winter weather advisory is in effect, and they're calling for snow; the forecast for the end of the week calls for temperatures pushing 70 degrees.
Not wanting to seem like the transplant I am, I haven't raised this concern in mixed company. Thanks to WRAL Chief Meterologist Greg Fishel, I can now speak my mind. This is in fact crazy.
"We'll have very cold weather, at least by North Carolina standards, Wednesday and Thursday. And then, look, bang! 58, 67, 70 (degrees) – just like that," Fishel said.
"What's likely to happen over the next seven days is just bizarre, just nothing short of bizarre," he said.
Considering the winter we're having in North Carolina, I think the locals here have the fairest claim to that joke.
We had snow on Jan. 20 (see Erica's "January Highlights" post); one week later, the temperature was in the 60s.
Tonight, a winter weather advisory is in effect, and they're calling for snow; the forecast for the end of the week calls for temperatures pushing 70 degrees.
Not wanting to seem like the transplant I am, I haven't raised this concern in mixed company. Thanks to WRAL Chief Meterologist Greg Fishel, I can now speak my mind. This is in fact crazy.
"We'll have very cold weather, at least by North Carolina standards, Wednesday and Thursday. And then, look, bang! 58, 67, 70 (degrees) – just like that," Fishel said.
"What's likely to happen over the next seven days is just bizarre, just nothing short of bizarre," he said.