This about sums it up...

After last nights embarrassing loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs - R.J. Umberger: “It’s especially embarrassing to lose like this at home. Last year, we fought hard and competed like crazy to be a competitive team, a playoff team. The respect we got from our fans was incredible. They really bought into us. I have to think that right now we’re just letting them down. It’s frustrating for them, for sure. They’re paying good money at a tough time (economically) to come watch us, and there have been too many bad performances here at home.”

HDTV - Finally!

HDTV Recently arrived at our house with the replacement of 'Susan's' TV
on the first floor. It was a good first step, but tonight we'll be
installing the new 46" Samsung down in the basement. All I can say is
FINALLY! I would like to say a big thanks to my old JVC 32" workhorse
though. We've been together since '97 and have had some good times.
Twelve years later, still going strong with a great picture. I'll have
to find it a good home.

More later after the install...

No buy in, not competing, didn't show up, got to keep it simple, get back to basics, we're a young team...

We've been hearing the same crap from the Jackets for 9 seasons. I'm
sick of it. Not sure if they can turn it around, or if it just the
actual ingrained identity of our organization.

Hockey, Italian style

Last night, I went to the CBJ v Sharks game with my two colleagues from
Tagetik. One of the guys, Brian, is from the US. The other, Michele,
is from Italy. Michele has been in the US working for us since July.
It's his first time in the US and he really wanted to see a football
game and a hockey game. Brian took him to an OSU game, and last night I
took care of the hockey game. What was Michele's assessment after
attending both? Hockey is way more fun than football. It probably
helps that we had glass seats (thanks Kim!). It was a fun game and I
was glad to be able to thank him for the many, many 16 hour days he's
putting in the project.

He definitely got the full experience - regulation, overtime, shootout.
And, he also got to see video of the dancing fat guy. This really
cracked him up. He mentioned that Italy doesn't have dancing fat guys
at their sporting events. Italy should be proud.

On a side note: This was my first game back to Nationwide since our
trip to the Verizon Center. The Jackets definitely NEED a high
definition scoreboard. :-)

[category hockey]

Jackets DC Road Trip

We're in DC for the Jackets' game against the Capitals. It was an awesome ( if somewhat frustrating ) game tonight. The CBJ pulled out an improbable win.

The arena experience at the Verizon Center was incredible, and the Caps have amazing fans! CBJ game ops and fans could learn a thing or two from this bunch.

A BIG thanks to Kim for arranging really good seats! This has been a fun trip for sure - always fun to travel with Scott, Cindy, Kim, Lori & Susan.

I'll get some pics up when I get them from Cindy Kim & Lori.

A little snow on the trail today...

The Hiking Hut - Fire Damage

Colorado - 5th Anniversary Trip

We're back in Estes Park for our 5th anniversary. We flew into Denver on Wednesday evening to cold and snow! It was awesome! It was a long day, especially for Susan, so we grabbed dinner and then crashed and got some sleep. We ate dinner at a restaurant called Pappadeaux. We've never been to one of these before, but really liked it! The crab cake had the biggest lump crab meat I've ever seen in a crab cake. I also had the clam chowder, which was tasty too. The only place I've ever had better was the Union Oyster House in Boston.

Yesterday, we spent the day in Boulder. We tried to ensure the continuation of the REI cooperative by investing a small fortune in their Boulder store. Then, we headed to Pearl street for lunch, shopping and people watching. We tried lunch at the Walnut Brewery. Cool brewery, excellent food, and loved the Hefeweisen. After lunch Susan checked out the Title Nine store, and we went to Now & Zen to get her alarm clock fixed. We ended the day at the local Whole Foods. We really like the one in Columbus, but we LOVE the one in boulder. It's about half the size and filled with tons of people all the time. Really wish we had one in the New Albany area. Finally, we began the trek up the mountain to Riverwood #10.

Finished up our first day enjoying light dinner in the condo, watching the Yankees/Angels game and swapping txt msg's with James. I think these games may be more exciting than James would like. :-)

This morning we've been enjoying the beautiful weather at Kind Coffee. Soon we'll head into the park for a quick hike.

On a sad note, there was a fire earlier in the week here in downtown Estes Park. Portions of the Park Theatre Mall were destroyed, including several store fronts the main street. The ATF is working with the local police to determine the cause. One of the stores destroyed was the Hiking Hut. We've really enjoyed this store on our past visits. On a lighter note, Laura's Fudge Shop is safe and sound. This means Susan's Estes Park tradition of breakfast consisting of butter toffee and brett bars can continue.

That's all for now, the mountains are calling!

A little Catholic humor...

A cardinal walks into the Pope's office, "Your Holiness, I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that God's on the phone, and wants to speak with you. The bad news is that she's calling from Salt Lake City."

The Moon Watch

While there is not shortage of items on the 'list of things I want but can't afford', this one definitely belongs near the top...

Omega Press Release:

Apollo 11 "40th Anniversary" Limited Edition

The first manned lunar landing on the 20th of July, 1969 was the greatest, most dramatic scientific achievement in human history. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon's surface at 02:56 GMT on the 21st of July, Aldrin was wearing his OMEGA Speedmaster and a legend was born. An interesting footnote: the electronic timing system on the Lunar Module was not functioning correctly so Armstrong had left his watch aboard as a reliable backup.

Now OMEGA joins the world in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing with the release of the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Apollo 11 "40th Anniversary" Limited Edition.

It is fitting that the distinctive timepiece is powered by OMEGA's famous calibre 1861, the same movement used in the original Speedmaster Professional Moon Watch. The stainless steel casebody is delivered with a stainless steel bracelet which has been upgraded to include OMEGA's patented screw and pin system.

The black dial also recalls that of the Moon Watch with some key differences. The small seconds counter (sub-dial) has been created in the form of a small medallion which features an adaptation of Apollo 11's famous mission patch: an eagle descends to the lunar surface with an olive branch representing peace in its claws. In the distance, far above the horizon, the earth is visible. The patch, interestingly, was designed by Michael Collins who remained in the Apollo 11 capsule as Command Module Pilot while his colleagues Armstrong and Aldrin were in the Lunar Module and on the moon.

The watch's hour, minute and the red-tipped chronograph seconds hands are coated with Super-LumiNova. The minute and hour chronograph counter hands are white and the brushed, rhodium-plated small seconds hand offers an attractive contrast to the medallion on the counter.
Below the words "OMEGA Speedmaster PROFESSIONAL" on the dial, the legend 02:56 GMT - the exact time that Neil Armstrong made his "one small step" onto the moon - is displayed in red.

The 40th Anniversary Limited Edition's dial is protected by Hesalite, the same robust, shatter-proof acrylic crystal found on the original Moon Watch. Hesalite was ideally suited for use in space - there was no chance that it could break apart and send potentially dangerous fragments into the low-gravity environment. A small, distinctive OMEGA logo has been etched evocatively inside the Hesalite crystal.

The Apollo 11 "Eagle" mission patch is stamped on the caseback along with the words, "THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON", the limited edition number (0000/7969), and "July 21, 1969", the date Armstrong and Aldrin first stepped onto the moon's surface at 02:56, the time which is printed on the dial.

Charlevoix 2009

We had another fun trip to Charlevoix this year. And, we're all stocked up on Michigan wines for at least a couple of days...

Bastille Day 2009

Had a fun lunch today at Le Chatelaine to celebrate Bastille Day. As usual, the food was good, and the weather was awesome for eating on the patio. Last year I noted that there was no music, etc., as was advertised. This year I learned that all happens in the evening for dinner. So, next year, we'll be back for Bastille Day dinner!

Weekend Update

All in all, we had a pretty good weekend. I had a very long day on Friday, and then had to work some on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was in the office, and Sunday was at the 'home office' on the deck. Great weather this weekend and not too hot so we were able to keep the windows open and enjoy the fresh air.

Friday we went to the Art's festival after work with Scott, Cindy and Kent. I like the location on Columbus State's campus. It felt more spread out and less like we were bumping into people all the time. Susan and I picked up a print for our basement that goes very nicely with our RPS resolution system.

Saturday was a morning of work for me, and coffee time with the MOH for Susan. She road her bike to coffee, then ran with Julie, had coffee, then road home. I know, she's a stud. She's prepping for a tri at the end of the month. We hung at home for the afternoon and then hit Chi Thai with James and Megan. Megan's dinner was a little too spicy, so I suggested banana oil as a means to dull the burning sensation. So, with a little cajoling of our spouses, off we went to the Cheescake Factory for banana cream cheesecake. (yes, there is absolutely no truth to banana oil as a remedy for spicy food burn)

Today we had a nice easy start to the day and went for coffee at Caribou. Then off to Kohls and Trader Joe's for quick errands. Back at the house, Susan painted the door to the garage and caught some sun. I finished the work I needed to get done this weekend and then spent a little time reading on the Kindle. We finished the day with the Dominaks for a little Don Patron and time with Mr. Owen. Mr. Owen was quite taken with our table which seemed like a perfect size for him to have some adventures...


Finished up by completing unit one in by Rosetta Stone German course.

Auf Wiedershen!!

D-Day, 65th Anniversary

Today is the 65th Anniversary of the landing of Allied Forces in France. It seems like there is always a conflict and a portion of each generation gets called to serve and defend. The conflicts have all been different, big, small, quick, drawn out, won and lost. The sacrifices of the WWII generation saved all of us.

Take time today to remember their sacrifice, which secured the freedom we enjoy today.

Peace Pole

A couple of years ago, I read an article about Peace Poles. You've probably seen them around at churches, schools, etc. Susan and I got to talking about it and thought it would be very cool to put one in our patio space. So, I went to the world's largest shopping center (the web) and found an organization from which I could order the plates that read "May Peace Prevail on Earth".

There are a lot of languages to choose from, and some poles have 6, 8, even 10 sides. We decided on a 4 sided pole and chose plates with the message in English, Hebrew, Latin and Arabic. We received the plates and then the project sort of stalled.

I couldn't decide how I was going to install the pole. Concrete, dirt, would we leave it when we moved, would we take it, how would we take it if I put it in 36 inches of concrete, etc., etc. Then, there was the question of what kind of post. Cedar, treated, untreated, synthetic, neighbors tree, etc., etc.

We got a little traction going on the project this spring and things just started to come together. I found a metal post holder that could be driven into the ground. It would hold the post, let us rotate it, and then take it with us if we ever leave NAP. Then, at The Home Depot, I came across a stack of Douglas Fir posts. One in particular was straight, no nicks or dings, and sort of called to me.

So, this weekend, the project finally came together. I really think it turned out very well. We want to thank our friends who helped us complete the project: James, Megan, Kent, and Scott. Thanks everyone!!

Now, before you get the idea that Susan and I are sitting around in an unbathed state, hittin' the hooka pipe, playing guitar and wearing peace symbol sunglasses while raging against 'the man', it isn't like that at all. (Well, not the unbathing and guitar anyway.)

We just really like the message and the intention behind the pole. And let's face it, with the state of things in the world, a little extra 'peace intention' can't hurt.

Charlevoix, Part Fin

Day 3 at the KenMar was pretty relaxed. We did some shopping in Charlevoix and had lunch on the terrace at the Weathervane. That was the first time we'd eaten on the terrace. It was a little chilly, but the sun was nice and the food was excellent (as usual).

To no one's surprise, I found another pair of flips to take home. In my defense though, I have been looking for this particular pair in a discontinued color. The best part of these flips?? Well, that would be the bottle opener built into the soles. Why is this important? Because, you never know when you might need to open a 'soda' bottle! I also tried on a pair of Vibram Fivefinger shoes. These are an interesting concept with several applications. Check out the link 'cause it would take too long to explain the shoes. They were surprisingly comfortable and I could see how they would work well for water sports. My shopping companions all had the same description of the them though...'creepy'. I thought they were cool. It's so lonely on the cutting edge...

The rest of the day, we just chilled at the house as the fellas worked to get the kitchen set up for a drinks and appetizer party with some of their local friends. Most of these people we've met before when we've been up for the Ventian Festival. It was fun and had all the usual laughter that seems to belong in the KenMar kitchen.

Yesterday we had a lazy morning (with homemade french toast..yeah!) and some walks downtown. We also headed out to the Bull Frog candle company to see if they had anything fun in their 'seconds' room.

After lunch, we hit the road. We got out of there around 3:45 and were planning to stop in West Branch at the outlet malls and then head to Birch Run and stay the night. It was a pretty day though and traffic was light and we were in a pretty good driving groove...so, we decided to drive the rest of the way home. We kept a pretty relaxed pace and took several rest stops along the way. It was a fun road trip with the Mrs, who, was unfortunately feeling a wee bit under the weather. :(

It was another fun trip to Charlevoix. Mark and Kent always spoil us when we're there. Their gracious hospitality is only overshadowed by their genuine love of the area and their enthusiasm for sharing it with friends. Thanks guys!!

Charlevoix, Part Deux

Day two began with homemade belgian waffles from the KenMar kitchens. Executive Chef Mark was personally preparing the waffles with Sous Chef Kent creating the toppings. You won't find better service and attention to detail at any of the other Bed & Booze establishments in the Charlevoix area!

After waffle fest, we loaded up and headed south to begin a day of wine tasting. Of course, no day of wine tasting can begin without a stop at Friske Orchards for some cherry donuts! So, loaded up with a dozen donuts, and a good old fashioned sugar buzz, we continued south to the Leelanau Peninsula.

We started at Longview Winery. This is always a must stop for us because it is home to my favaorite cherry port. The wines this year were very good, especially the cabernet franc. If you're ever here, definitely pay the $5 for the dessert wine samples. Two ice wines and the cherry port (with a chocolate truffle). Ice wine is amazing, but definitely cost prohibitive!

Next stop was Bel Lago. This is the winery where the owner looks like Mick's twin (Susan's dad). Seriously, the resemblance is uncanny. The wines here are tasty, but not the best on the peninsula (IMHO). One exception is the sparkling wine, Brillante. This has become the house bubbly at home.

From there we went to Chateau Fontaine. This was our favorite stop by far. The owner took us through a tasting of his wines. The labels on his bottles are paintings of the trees and sunsets on the peninsula that have been done by his wife's sister. One of them is a copy of a painting that was on his wife's grandparent's home on the peninsula that was originally painted in the early 1900's for a $1. You can see the grain of the plywood in the painting.

The wines at Chateau Fontaine were really good and we had a lot of trouble deciding which to buy. The white riesling was really good. We also bought their Woodland White which is made with a grape called Auxerrois (o-jhay-wah). We'd never heard of it and the owner told us it is normally a mixing grape. It was definitely different but very tasty.

Finally, we finished the tastings at Circa and 45 North. Both are relatively new wineries and they have limited selections. What we did taste was interesting though and we'll definitely check them out again in July.

We finished the day with dinner at Bowers Harbour Inn. The inn was originally built in the 1880's. The food was very good and we had a really nice view of the lake as the sun was setting.

This was a very fun day with Kent, Mark and Susan.

Friske Orchards home of the amazing cherry donuts!

Charlevoix, Part Un

We made it to Charlevoix yesterday in time to help plant the petunias along US 31. The city plants petunias along the stretch of US 31 that runs through Charlevoix. There is a non-profit group that raises money to by 28,000 petunias. People volunteer to come out and plant the flowers and then head downtown for a picnic. We always see them when we're up for Venetian, and when we come back in July this year, we'll get to check out the ones we planted!

After planting the flowers, we went downtown to check out the picnic. By that time though, it was cold and rainy so we decided that hot dogs weren't going to get it done. (Although, we did stop at Kilwins's for our free fudge sample.) So, we headed over to Boyne City to grab dinner at Red Mesa (excellent mex food). The food was really good, but I was a little tweaked that I had to pay .75 for extra cheese for my fajitas. I mean seriously, $15 for fajitas and drinks and then I have to pay .75 for 2 oz of extra cheese? Not impressed.

With the drive up from Frankenmeuth, the planting and big dinner, I was getting tired and ready for an early turn in. Then, the Bad Idea Bears showed up and suggested we head to the Weathervane for Awesome Coffee. Now, Awesome Coffee is a glass of bailey's and a host of other liquers with a splash of coffee that is then set on fire before being served. Good stuff. I'd try making that one at home, but I'm pretty sure I'd just end up burning the house down.

One other story from our trip up. We made it to Grayling and got off of 75. They're working on the roads there and we ended up in a detour. So, we asked Sara to find us an alternate route to Charlevoix. She sent us on a route that put us on some county roads that were in BAD shape. I mean, it looked like the Air Force had been dropping cluster bombs for weeks, only to be followed by the engineers patching all of the small holes with concrete. To say it was a bumpy ride would be an understatement. So, we're in the middle of nowhere, bouncing around on a questionably serviceable road and Susan begins to question whether or not we're ever gonna see civilization again. I told her we have to trust in Sara because she knows best, but if we hear banjo music, then it's time to lock the doors! Eventually, Sara got us to a good highway and on to Charlevoix. I think she is still a little hurt by Susan's lack of faith...

First celebrity dies of swine flu...

Vegas - Day 1

We all made it into Vegas OK. Susan, Kim, Scott and I from Ohio, Mark from Texas and Lori from Oregon. Our first stop was Margaritaville for drinks and dinner - it was 5 o'clock here after all. After dinner we went down to Casino Royale to earn some money at blackjack. Things were going really well too, then MC started dealing. She brought some serious bad MOJO to the table and things went south pretty quickly. Plus, she was a little scary. Lori wanted to ask her if there was a cauldron somewhere that needed stirring.

We'll have better luck tomorrow!

Jen & Eric - World Travelers

I really like reading this blog I stumbled across a couple of years ago. I think they're a couple of teachers who write the blog for their families while they're traveling. They've definitely had some neat adventures, and it's fun to read along and travel vicariously through them. Plus, they usually have some good ideas that I'm storing in case Susan and I go to Europe!

Read along here: jenerictravels.blogspot.com

Hockey Fun

Yesterday, Dad, Susan, Pat and I went to Nationwide to see the Blue Jackets play the Pittsburgh Penguins. I managed to get the company seats for this one and Pat and I were in the second row from the glass! (Dad and Susan were in our normal seats in the rafters.) Even from WAY down in the second row, we could hear Dad yelling 'Shoot the Ball!, uselius, Shoot the Ball!'.

Now, for some unknown reason, Pat is a big fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Penguins. (Although we can't prove it, we suspect the reason is because he was dropped on his head as a child). Still, whenever the Pens come to town I make sure we get a ticket for Pat. The last time they were here, the Jackets thumped the Pens pretty good and Dad and I may have been a little rough on Pat as we celebrated. (OK, we were really obnoxious) Not surprisingly, he was still harboring some bitter feelings on that one. :) He was a good sport about all of it though and I'm really glad he'll still go to hockey with us!

The game was very exciting and it looked like we were on our way to a rout when the Pens scored 3 goals in 3 1/2 minutes. In the end, it went to overtime and then a shootout before the CBJ finally won.

Regardless of how it turned out, it was just fun to go to a hockey game with Pat. We all seem to be busy all the time and don't find time to get together for a bit of fun. This was a good night.


Also, want to give some props to my way cool wife who arrived from the game in her professional business attire, complete with pearls, and then threw on her CBJ sweater to cheer on the team. (shown here in the pic she sent me from her perch up in the nose-bleed seats) What can I say, she just completely rocks.

Tank Museum

I'm working on getting something out here about our recent trip to St. Lucia.

One of the places I haven't been to yet, but would really like to visit is Great Britain. As if I needed another reason, the MOH sent me a link about a museum in England that has around 300 tanks on display. Seriously, 300 tanks!

Don't know when I'll get there, but this is definitely on the list of sites to see!

The newest Montgomery...

We're visting with Mom and Dad and Susan just met Cobber. He's a bunch bigger since I saw him 3 weeks ago. He's way cool and loads of FUN!

The Year of the Ox

Last night the Montaglia's* (James, Megan, Susan and I) went to Chi Thai (one of our favorite restaurants) to celebrate the Chinese New Year. We've all been going to Chi Thai for the last several years and are regulars. So much so that I don't even have to order a Mai Thai when we go in, they just bring it to the table (best Mai Thai I've ever had - secret recipe the owner won't share, but he will make a special one with an extra shot of spiced rum!). So last year Steve (the owner) brought in a troup of lion dancers to celebrate the new year. We went and had a blast. It was so successful last year that he decided to do it for two nights and remove a few tables so the lions would have more room to dance. It was definitely a lot of fun with the extra space, and there seemed to be more families with kids too.

We had a prime location and had the lions dancing right next to our table. This meant I had the extra treat of lots of Chinese New Year dancing lion booty all up in my grill! Not to mention the lion goatee hair dragging across my food as it was looking for "hong paos". DD found this to be particularly amusing - which it was. At one point I thought about sticking a fork in the lion's butt, but decided just to give it a smack instead. Turns out is was a good thing I didn't go with the fork since the performers are typically members of a local Kung Fu club! Not sure getting my butt kicked by a lion costumed kung fu master is a good way to start a new year.

Unfortunately, none of us thought to bring a camera - even though this was our second Chinese New Year celebration here. Even more surprising is that one of the Montaglia's received an amazing 12.1 gazillion mega pixel digital SLR for Christmas! Wow, think of the cool pics we would have if we'd brought that camera. Instead, you'll have to settle for a couple of pics snapped with DD's crackbery.

* Montaglia (mohn-tag-lee-yah) - This is the name Megan created to describe events where the Badaglia's and Montgomery's team up for an adventure. It was coined this year by DD after the four of us undertook our second annual Christmas Tree hunt. With Megan's permission, I will be using this term here on the blog from time to time.

The King is Dead. Long live the King!

OK, so I took the loss of my TiVo (and the unwatched shows stored therein) pretty hard. Fortunately though, there is a happy ending. We now have a new TiVo HD box. This one is pretty slick...two tuners, 4x increase in storage capacity, netflix on demand, and the ability to handle HD cable (still a far away dream!) All in all, a pretty satisfying technology upgrade.

Mike's TiVo II
January 26, 2009

I've lost a dear friend...

Sometime this past weekend, I lost a very dear friend. My Tivo box stopped working. There were no warning signs, nothing to indicate a problem, it was just gone. All I have left are the memories of fun evenings getting caught up on all my favorite shows - completely commercial free of course. So many unanswered questions...What do I do now? What happens to all my season passes? Do I need a variance from the condo board to bury it on the property?

Goodbye, old friend.

Mike's TiVo Box
Nov 21, 2004 - January 25, 2009