We have the car and now she will stop the 21 daily calls to me.

I can relax and prepare for Radiothon.

The 1960 throwbacks works as it takes 50 years, but it is a sweet 5-3 U.S.A win over Canada guaranteeing at least a 2 seed in the knockout portion of the tourney.

Canada will have to win 4 games in 4 days to win the Gold.

U.S.A. will have to win 3 games in 4 days to win the Gold.

Canada starts with Germany in a 6-11 match up.

USA will either play the winner of Slovakia / Belarus or a Swiss / Norway depending on the Finland / Sweden game.  Because of the 5-3 victory against Canada the US needs a Sweden victory or a Finland victory in overtime to gain the # 1 seed.  I’d rather see them play as the 2 seed and let Finland play the Slovakia / Belarus winner.  We’ve won against Swiss / Norway, and I’d rather play Norway.

Tonight’s game was a tale of 5 sections.

Section 1 : Quick US Score followed by Canada equalizer then the lead back for the US.

The US in the first period used counter attacking to a T and whenever Marty Brodeur decided to get away from the crease, he was punished with shots and two goals.

Section 2: Canada attacking with organized attacks as the US fell into the trap of defending a lead.  They gave up the equalizer and so many times Canada had open looks and Ryan Miller shut them down.

Section 3: The key of the game was here… ACTUALLY scoring on a Power Play.  The US can’t let the man advantage go away with bad passing and barely any shots with a man advantage.  Canada played inspired until the last PP.

Section 4: The Brick Wall of Miller.  You can’t see the Miller Time logo on the back of his helmet but Ryan was IMPRESSIVE! The Buffalo Sabre goalkeeper was everywhere in the crease and made several incredible stick and glove saves.  At any time Canada COULD HAVE tied it up, but every time they had a chance, Ryan just got enough of the puck to send it somewhere else.  By using the Brick Wall of Miller the US had enough counter attacking to change the tempo and momentum of the game.

Section 5: Empty Netter and celebration. Laying down to score a 5th goal may have seemed without value but that 5th goal could be the difference in seeding for the US team.  Now they sit back and get to ice down those injuries.

For the entire game I kept trying to explain penalties and players to Joanna.  All she wanted to talk about was pretty boy Sydney Crosby, and with the exception of the one goal was a  non entity in the game.

My three stars:

3. Chris Drury  Goal and overall attitude!

2. Ryan Miller 42 saves Nuff said.

1. Brian Rafalski 36 year old grandpa of the US team with 2 goals.

In other Olympic news, the US Curling team still sucks.  My favorite goat still found a way to blame everyone else but HIMSELF!  He even had the gall to challenge Brian Smith to make a tough shot and bet him $20 if he couldn’t make it.

Win consistently and then have fun with the side bets GOAT!

But then , that’s my opinion and I’m still waiting for the Goat fanclub to show up and tell me what kind of great guy he is.

AH here they are.

But we have great news from the insurance company…

They found that since we have evidence that there have been reports of problems with the traffic light and since there are multiple errors on the police report, plus a lengthy delay by the City of Lubbock to provide details from the traffic signal…

They will not pay ANY of the bills for the person who hit Joanna’s truck as there is enough evidence that she was NOT at fault.

WHEW!

That’s a relief!

Joanna’s leg is healing quite nicely and the search for a new vehicle is continuing.

So we take it one day at a time.

Whew!

In today’s What I know… I’m warning friends about wedding plans thus not avoiding their Christmas parties, telling you what I thought of last night and thanking you!

What I know … the December 11th edition, eight days before I get married:

Tonight is the last Christmas party until we get back from the wedding. Joanna leaves for Austin Sat morning.  I pick up the kids from the airport on Wednesday and spend time with them until I head down to the wedding site.  You are sooo Lucky Lubbock Mustang Club, we are able to fit you in tonight.

I’m sorry to the many people we had to turn down, but Joanna’s going to be gone and I want to spend some quality time with the kids before the wedding.

And my deepest apologies to Matt…

I know that I promised to make your party this year, but you scheduling it on my WEDDING DAY, even though you were INVITED to the wedding seems wrong.  Or maybe you are doing it because of it…  And I TOLD YOU that the Browns would beat the Steelers.  HAHAHAHAHA Dinner is on you when we get together next.

Trans Siberian Orchestra

Last night was a sight and sound extravaganza.  TSO put on one of the most amazing shows last night at the USA.  Joanna would have like to hear Wish List. I was scared about the lack of “play” and fun portion of the program as TSO concentrated on some of the new songs from their album Night Castle.  They were in the middle of 8 shows in 5 days, and when you are the 4th show in, fatigue has already set in.

I was extremely impressed with the new violin players that TSO – West had picked up for this year.  They won me over with the “play” piano section where Patrelli highlighted his wife’s incredible talent.  Though it isn’t a guitar battle  (three years ago) or piano battle (two years ago) … it was amazing.

The additional trucks that they had to have for the video presentation was money well spent.  I think that the images of marching toy soldiers was really good.

I love listening to comments of people as they walk out.  Most of them are, “Wow,” “Now I understand what you are talking about Dad,” and “We’re getting tickets next year!”

But the best comment of them all , from a 40 year old man, last night was “This is the closest thing that mom and dad would come to an acid trip!”

I couldn’t help but start laughing.

Then I was stunned into ewww mode.

Now the USA has catwalks that go to stairs that escort people from the second level to the main concourse level.

The USA staff had turned on the fans to suck out all the smoke and haze from the USA and with the wind caused a fairly plump 40 year old woman’s dress to fly up…

and show those of us who heard her gasp…

her lack of underwear.

Ladies, if you can pound down a dozen donuts and call it a snack, for the sake of those around you. WEAR UNDERWEAR!!!

All I could think of was Wynonna’s Big Brown Beaver from Primus.

Thanking You!

For the record, I’m not nervous about the wedding.  I have to thank my family, friends and co-workers for supporting me during this Perfect Storm of events and things till the New Year!

First it was big work event, followed by TSO, followed by the kids, then the wedding.

You guys are making this EASY!

So let me ask you one more time to get me your song titles for the music that you want to hear at the wedding.

Otherwise…

It’s hearing the 17 song play list over and OVER again!

Love, Luck and Lollipops , ROCK ON!

Yup, able to write for a bit.

Let’s see here, Joe came to the blogosphere, drank all the liquor, tried to taunt my deceased dog, and posted once.

Coming up after the break: Joe’s New Blog, Tech football and wedding thoughts as well as a bunch of others in this Uber (tm Iggy Inc).

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Why?

Because that’s what a good fiance does.

I could give a rats ass about the whole wedding stuff , because I just want the end result.

Me + Joanna = Forever. How we get there doesn’t matter. 

Over this last weekend I heard about our getaway car, being specially rebuilt for this one special day and transported down by our favorite car builder Jeff Kruger. It’s a 1967 Ford Mustang Convertable.

When Joanna saw it, she was in love.  They finally got the transmission working so it would go forward.  For the longest time, it would only go in reverse. I blame not enough crown and too much sweat.

I can’t wait to see the final result.

Joanna and I have sent out the final set of invitations.  Funny story, I sent out an invitation thinking that we had missed it, and got a call from a friend asking why they got two invitations. Yes, Joanna had sent one in the first batch, and the excuse of the wedding came in.

“You got two because we really, really want you there!”

Some of my friends and her friends aren’t going to be able to make it and we both understood. We both knew that because of the timing, people would have plans, and we would be blesses by whoever made it.

In other great news, we’re off to Oklahoma next weekend.  Joanna and I are going to drive up to see Gary Cox, his wife Carrie and the meanest son of a bitch in the state of Oklahoma. ( I know it isn’t true, but I have to help his self esteem.

All we have to do is worry about gas, the Low Limit Grinder is putting us  in the FABulous Okie Vegas Party Facilities in beautiful Fort Cobb lake, then we will be escorted by the MSOBITSOO to Stillwater where he has tickets for us to see his Oklahoma State Cowgirls take on MY Texas Tech Red Raiders.

It should be fun.

And a side note to Gary after yesterday’s bull with the kids…

It’s still business brother.

Fantasy Football

In the cash league, the New York Nasty Boys is in the top 4.

In the work league that I don’t care about… well I don’t care.

In the FUN League. I don’t care, and I’m having a blast.

Allergies

Over the weekend I had a bite of some sort on my back while I was at a client remote.

More stories and interesting stuff after the break…

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Tonight I played a tournament, trying to win.

But in the end came up a bit short of winning.

When I was intensely intent on winning, I overthought things and didn’t have the results that I wanted.

However I played my best when I was just playing for fun of it.

Sometimes you have to just have to relax and just play to play.

I think that all the success I’ve had lately are due to the success of me just playing for fun.

I’ve had a project that I’ve been working on and off the last couple of months. When I tried to sit down and write , working on rewrite after rewrite, nothing came out.

But when I sat down to just write, everything came out nicely.

Now I just have to find a buyer for my project.

Step 2.

FYI, I didn’t have time today to make the visit to the person that I wanted to see, but I’ll let the cat out of the bag.

I’m considering going back to any school that will take me so I can get a piece of paper that means I have a piece of paper.

It’s about time for me to have a piece of paper like, Joanna’s that sits on a chest of drawers staring at me saying “DO IT!”

After many sleepless nights miserable, unhappy and alone I found her.

I had suffered for years, looking in the wrong place for love.

At first, I looked and tried to push her away.

And I went away to disaster after disaster, tragedy after another.

But then one night our eyes met again.

And I knew she was mine.

I had to make it last forever.

Tonight, I proposed to Joanna Watson, soon to be Joanna Watson Donahue.

No one person has ever meant to me, other than my kids and family, as much as she does.

She makes me a better man each day.

She supports me when I am low,

and is beside me when I am happy.

I am the luckiest man alive.

And December 19th, she’ll be mine forever.

I love you Joanna Watson Donahue.