your mom makes me laugh

I don't know if this is because I hang out with Jr. high students, or perhaps I'm still living in my own little Jr. high world, but for me and some of my friends, we can guarantee an instant laugh with "your mom" jokes. If any of my friends on staff or elsewhere say something random or even just something normal, I usually follow up their statement with a "your mom blah blah blah." In fact, I believe I could be having the most crappy of all days, and if someone takes a comment and precedes it with "your mom," I'm guaranteed to laugh. Just when you thought it would get old or dumb, it actually gets even better and funnier. Yes, I highly recommend it.

This post is a shout out to my friend Luke (and one of my Jr. high students, Jeremy) who taught me the art and appreciation of "your mom" jokes... thanks guys.

your mom makes me laugh

I hope the snow is on it's way

On Sunday afternoon, some friends and I are taking the Jr. high and Sr. high students in a multi-car convoy to Paoli Peaks, Indiana for some midwest skiing. As a guy who loves to snow ski and used to go for winter and spring breaks to Rockies back in high school and the White Mountains of NH back east, Paoli Peaks is little smaller. But I won't complain, it's still skiing.

More and more of the students keep calling, saying they're going, which is super. I just hope we have snow waiting for us when we get there. About 6 weeks ago, the weather was absolutely freezing cold, very very cold. We had snow on the ground, lots of super chilly days. But since, and even today, it's not really all that cold, especially for Illinois in January... my homestate farther south received snow today when it just rained here. Anyways, I just hope the weather gives all these teenagers, and myself, a blissful weekend with lots of snow. Since they don't have school on Monday, we're skiing all night on lit-up slopes, most of the day Monday, and then driving the 3 hours back to Carbondale. It's always a lot of fun!

I hope the snow is on it's way

luck only goes halfway this time

Last night, USC ended the game with their score being the same as my earlier prediction for their team, but texas came out on the winning side. As much as I truly and sincerely hate to say it, they do deserve the national title. They played very well last night, even in the midst of a Leinart/White comeback in the 2nd half.

USC had a good run, and unfortuately last year, we literally let them run on us. There's no excuses or hiding the fact of how we screwed up last year... we were a much better team than we played that night. So it's good to see USC start over on their winning streak and have another Big XII team take the national title... I just wish it wasn't those dumb longhorns! Anybody but them! All I can say for them is thanks for helping make the Big XII (especially the South division) into a national powerhouse... and oh yeah texas, it's about stinking time you finally won "the big game." Good grief, it's been 35 or 36 years since you last held a national championship trophy. Live it up texas, because in the Sooner Nation, your glory will only last temporarily... you still have a long, long ways to go to be standing up next to your big Sooner brother.

luck only goes halfway this time

Wondering if luck exists...

In the past 2 weeks, every single basketball game I have attended and cheered for and every single football team I have watched on t.v. and cheered for throughout the bowl blitz, has won:

12.22.05
My dad and I go to a SIU game, they win big time over Arkansas L.R.

12.23.05
My dad and I go to a Carbondale varsity guys game, they win big time over Mt. Vernon

12.24.05
My dad and I cheer on the KC Chiefs, and they win over San Diego

12.28.05
My dad, brother-in-law, two nephews, and I go to Norman, OK to a Sooner game, and they win over ORU.

12.29.05
The whole family has a party over at my parents' house to watch OU vs OU (Oregon). Of course, the Sooners win.

12.31.05
My parents and I watch and cheer on Tulsa as they win over Fresno St. in the Liberty Bowl

01.02.06
My buddy Greg and I attend another SIU game, and they win over Wichita State in a super close and totally amazing game.

01.03.06
As I rearrange my apartment's living room, I watch and cheer on Penn St. and they win in 3 OTs vs. FSU (I'm a big fan of all the anti-FSU propaganda that's out there... they had no right being 8-4 to play in a BCS game).

The question I've continually ask myself these past two weeks is, how long does it take to get to Vegas so I can cash in on this luck? But then again, perhaps it's not just luck... some teams just have a knack for winning, and it's their time to shine. The Sooners (bowl game against the Ducks) proved everyone wrong who turned their backs on them earlier in the season... yeah, it wasn't a BCS bowl, but we did show that a team of freshmen can take down the #6 team in the nation when it counts.

This upcoming conference play for the SIU Salukis is going to be way cool and very exciting... keep an eye out for them to surprise the other teams in the MVC and throughout the other conferences.

Yeah, this college football season ended very cool and I'm way excited for the upcoming confernece play for the college basketball season... it may not be luck, but no matter what it is, there's nothing like watching your team come to a big win in a big game.

Oh yeah, my prediction for tonight's Rose Bowl national championship:
USC 38 and Texas 27

Wondering if luck exists...