The Trip to Texas Post #1

I know you've all been waiting so patiently for the updates from the road. Well, wait no longer! I'm coming to you live from a bookstore in Paris, Texas. A store that has a wifi connection, no less. It's been a great trip so far, & if you stay ntuned, you'll soon get to read about the side trips to Graceland & The Alamo... & me shooting guns & looking @ awesome wildlife (but not shooting guns @ the awesome wildlife). Now w/o further ado, the 1st section of the trip log detailing the drive from Ypsilanti to Texas:

27 December 2011
7:26 – Hit the road: 210 on the tripometer
7:30 – route debate: settled on Toledo to get south of the snow
7:33 - Realized we’d forgotten the trip log notebook
7:35 – Stopped for ice
7:45 – On the road again w/ the Queen/Tom Petty/Randy Newman mix
7:51 – Southbound on US 23
8:10 – Lost the pen
8:13 – Found the pen & desweatered
8:33 – Maumee River
9:30 – Sara woke up but didn’t want to go to the plastic outlet store
9:39 – Got around a boat
9:55 – Stopped for Dee to take pills & wondered if our shifts ever got covered @ Nicola’s
10:00 – Broke out the cookies & starte3d following the Arsenal v Wolves match
10:10 – Learned Gervinio scored… WOOOO!!!
10:54 – Gas in Findlay, OH: $38.00/ 10 gallons; learned Wolves scored… booo
10:56 – Valdalia, OH: I 70 West
11:22 – Inexplicable traffic jam
11:30 – Sara accidently reset the tripometer (it was @ 420)
11:50 – Learned that Arsenal drew 1-1 w/ Wolves
11:51 - Indiana Stateline
11:52 – Traffic jam explained: a semi tipped over in the median; traffic jam ends; rain picks up
11:53 – Rain turns to snow
12:00 – Sara ponders pretzels
12:22 – Crossed the Big Blue River
12:41 – Starbucks mint mocha
12:57 – On the road again
1:17 – Sara talks about quiet moments w/ Bill
1:27 –Big blue colt s. of Indianapolis
1:44 – Looked up Graceland hours & prices
1:53 – Seat belt buckle battle debacle
2:27 – Crossed the Wabash River & said it was flooded & saw it was flooded & it was flooded
2:31 – Illinois state line; Central Time Zone
1:37 – Rest area
2:30 – I57 South
3:36 – Gas @ Circle K: $40.00, 12 gallons, 286.7 miles
5:00 – Adventure in Dognoggle & vicinity
5:22 – Crossed the mighty Mississip… Missouri state line
5:32 – Boomland fireworks store
6:16 – On the road again after cruisin’ the lot for license plates
7:20 – Arkansas state line
7:25 – El Acapulco Mexican Restarasunt in Blytehville, Arkansas
7:40 – Nacho confusion
8:30 – cruising Blytheville looking for a cheap motel
8:35 – Walmart confusion
8:45 – Check in @ Super 8 (rooms were way too hot & didn’t cool down very well)


28 December 2011
8:02 – On the road again
8:15 – Bad ass hawk
8:21 – Bad ass poofy owl
8:34 – Saw a weird ass decorated X-Mas tree on the side of the freeway
8:56 – Cross the old Mississippi again; entered Tennessee; entered Memphis
9:06 – Saw our first green leaves
9:10 – Got to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, TN
12:30 – Leaving Graceland after a crappy breakfast @ the Rock n Roll Café
13:35 – 3 Near death experiences & gas @ Citgo: $2.93 per gallon/12 gallons/557 miles
12:54 – Mississippi River again; Arkansas again
1:20 – Restroom break
1:37 – Sara: “That’s a weird place to park a car.”
1:38 – Dee: “That’s a weird place to park a duck”
1:40 – Sara begins hunting hawks & we see them every ¼ mile or so
1:55 – Andre begins transcribing the log on his computer for future blogging
1:35 – Andre prepares to close the computer

Holiday Post #3: The Movies

I don't think I've ever seen It's a Wonderful Life all the way through. I considered watching it this year, but for some reason it didn't record. That reason could be that I forgot to set the DVR, but I don't think so. I'm not sure. It's on NBC tonight so Perhaps I'll have the opportunity to see it the way so many people have seen it over the last 50 years... on network television w/ commercial interruptions. The films I have actually remembered to record are thus: A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott version), White Christmas, Holiday Inn, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation & Miracle on 34th Street. Of those, A Christmas Carol & Miracle on 34th Street have yet to be watched this season. I don't know if we'll have time to get to them because I know that after tomorrow, I'll have no desire to watch them until next year. Other movies we've watched are A Christmas Story & Love Actually. It must be said that Love Actually is actually a really good film. It's got all of your usual suspects of British romantic comedies... Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kiera Knightly, & Qui Gon Jinn.

As far as Christmas specials are concerned, we've watched Mickey's Christmas Carol, A Chipmunk's Christmas, Charlie Brown, Frosty, Rudolph, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, A Pink Panther Christmas, Santa Clause is Coming to Town, & The Flintsone's Christmas. Of course, yesterday, we had an obligatory viewing of "The Strike"... the Seinfeld Festivus episode (as if you didn't know that).

I know this post is more of a list that any sort of commentary, but before I run off for another crazy day @ Nicola's, I will say this. The Version of Holiday Inn that we watched was sans the minstrel show scene. I saw it once a couple years ago, but TMC no longer shows the movie because of that scene & AMC edits it out. It's had to watch... like Song of the South , but I think I support seeing it in its entirety. I know its offensive as hell, but it's a product of its time. We shouldn't get our Bing Crosby sanitized... let's see him in all of his black-face glory! Check back soon for the big James Bond post... all we have left to watch is the David Niven/Woody Allen Casino Royale spoof.

Holiday Post #2: The Wish List

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Holiday Post #1: The Songs

There's a little tradition here @ Drifting into Deep Water that actually predates Drifting into Deep Water by about a couple years. We started composing Holiday themed songs in 2008 w/ "All I Want for Christmas is Cash." In 2009, there was "Have a Swinging Christmas Time." Then last year we composed, begging your indulgences, a 2nd "all I want" song: "All I Want for Christmas is a Shotgun."

Before we get to this year's installment, I thought I'd give you a list of our Top 5 Kitschy Christmas Songs of All Time!!! It's these songs that influenced the writing of my songs the most. Enjoy... & then enjoy this year's song.... & then remember er to keep the nominations coming for your
#5: "Chewbacca's Silent Night"
#4: "Christmas in Hollis"
#3: "Holly Jolly Christmas"
#2: "Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey
#1: "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"

Now, w/o further ado, your 2011 Drifting into Deep Water Christmas song:

"Larry the Christmas Llama"

There's a village on on mountain top
In the Andes of Peru
Where they celebrate the holidays
Just like me and you
But the cliffs are steep upon those peaks
And the wind is oh so chill
So Santa found some local help
To guide him o're the hills

He's Larry the Christmas Llama
He helps to lead the way
He's Larry the Christmas Llama
Guiding Santa's sleigh

You know the eight reindeer
And you know all their names
And the ninth w/ his shiny nose
Shunned from all of their games
But they all join together
And I'll tell you why
To pick on poor Larry
Cuz Larry can't fly

He's Larry the Christmas Llama
He helps to lead the way
He's Larry the Christmas Llama
Guiding Santa's sleigh

Now the hills are steep and rocky
And the snow is blowing cold
So it takes a healthy llama
To lead a team so bold
The first time on those high peaks
The other nine did see
That they should quit their hi jinks
And let young Larry be

He's Larry the Christmas Llama
He helps to lead the way
He's Larry the Christmas Llama
Guiding Santa's sleigh

He's Larry the Christmas Llama
He helps to lead the way
He's Larry the Christmas Llama
He makes the season gay!

Euro 2012 Group Draw & Reaction

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic
Group B: Spain, Italy, Rep. of Ireland, Croatia
Group C: Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Portugal
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England

Quarter Finals:
Game 25 A1 v B2
Game 26 A2 v B1
Game 27 C1 v D2
Game 28 D1 v C2

Semi Finals:
Winner 25 v Winner 27
Winner 26 v Winner 28

Here are my thoughts... since you've waited so patiently for them over the last 48 hours. I apologize for the wait; I know you've been on the edge of your seat wondering how I feel about these groups.

Group A is a tough one to call. Poland could do pretty well w/ their fantastic goalie & the fact that they are one of the host nations. Home town crowds will obviously help a bit. However, Russia will probably go through too. Aside from the home country situation, I think Poland, Greece & the Czechs are all pretty good. I guess I would like to see Tomas Rosicky ;lead the Czech Republic through the quarter finals, but it will be a rough group of mid-level teams. In the end, it won't really matter, because I don't see any of these teams getting past the quarter-finals. We'll say Russia (1) & Poland (2)

Group B is less tricky, I would say, & I'm sure most people would predict Spain & Italy moving on. I suppose, I will too, but it'd be nice to see the Irish get past the Italians. I wouldn't put money on it though. Spain (1) & Italy (2)

Group C will certainly be called "The group of death" by pundits (if it hasn't been called that already). I would say it's more likely to be the group of tears though as we're almost certain to see Cristiano Ronaldo squirt out a few when Portugal fails to edge past Germany & The Netherlands. In fact, I would be willing to put money on them getting gout of the group stage... if I had money to bet & was a betting man. Germany (1) & Netherlands (2).

Group D shouldn't be much of a problem for France & England, but then again, one never really knows what those two under performing squads will do. While the Ukraine is the other co-host, I don't see them getting out of the group like Poland. Based on sheer talent, I will go against the British talking heads (& Arsene Wenger) & say France will win the group w/ England taking 2nd. (They seem to see it happening the other way).

If this is what happens (& it's sure not to now that I've actually posted this), we'll see the quarter finals thusly:
QF1: Russia v Italy
QF2: Poland v Spain
QF3: Germany v England
QF4: Netherlands v France

The semi finals are obviously tougher to call, & in the past, I think I've stopped here for propriety's sake; however, for fun, I suppose I'll go all the way now.

SF1: Italy v Germany
SF2: Spain v France (if France takes a shit in the group stage, I would see The Netherlands getting past either The Ukraine or Sweden).

As far as the finals are concerned, the odds makers seems to believe that Spain will win it all again, but no country has ever repeated. This means, we're either going to see a little history, or we aren't. Shocking revelation, I know. I'm going to go w/ history but ignore my fanatical devotion to the FFF & say Germany will beat Spain in the finals.

I was going to get into my beliefs about the French squad for the tournament, but I'll hold off on that for another post. Keep checking back though... it will be pretty soon. We've got a James Bond post & a couple holiday season posts coming up soon, & we'll start the nominating process for your 2012 Visions of Ypsi Memorial Celebrity MILF of the Year contest now too. in order to be eligible, the person must meet a couple criteria... she must be a celebrity & she must be pregnant now or had a baby in the last 5 month so as to ensure she wasn't eligible w/ the same pregnancy last year. Post your nominations here in the comments section or e-mail them to me.
Here is a link to all of last year's contest posts, & @ the bottom, you'll find a link to the posts on the old blog too.