The Spring Trip home, 2014.

My wife says I need to follow up on my post of December 17, 2013, wherein I implied we were going to do some specific things in our trip home from Pensacola College in the spring of 2014. Which we did, but she chastised me because I failed to report on it.

This year on the way home, instead of heading into Mississippi, we stayed in Alabama. We stopped in Alabama and saw the incredible grave of Hank Williams. It's the best I've seen, and I have been to many. I thought Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee's were something, but the Hank Williams was very impressive.

From there we headed north, naturally, and swung over to Florence, Alabama. I wanted to go there for many reasons. First of all, it's close to Muscle Shoals, the home of where a lot of the music I love was born. We were able to visit the FAME studios. (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises). This is where Aretha Franklin cut "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You." Wilson Pickett did most of his great stuff here. Otis Redding recorded here. Duane Allman slept in the parking lot until they'd let him in on the sessions. That's him on Wilson Pickett's "Hey Jude." He takes off on a riff that virtually invented "southern rock." The usual 20 minute tour turned into an hour and a half for us because the manager took an instant liking to me. I got to play a guitar that Duane Allman used to noodle around on (among others), and my wife got to play a piano that has been played by everybody from Aretha Franklin to Alicia Keyes. And she got to play the organ that was played during the opening of "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You."

Then we stopped at the other Muscle Shoals studio where everybody and their brother recorded. Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, too many to list. This is where The Rolling Stones recorded "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses."

Once back in the hotel, the wife was flipping through some literature, and mentioned that there was a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Florence. So that was added to the next day's itinerary.

The next day we were able to visit the childhood home of Helen Keller and yeah, I even got to stand at the pump. I have Assistant Directed this play, and I was in this play once, and the whole Helen Keller miracle is one of the great American stories. Then we were able to visit The Rosenbaum House, the Frank Lloyd Wright creation in Florence, Alabama. I loved it and befriended the director who gave us the royal treatment, because I mentioned I was a docent at the Meyer May House in Grand Rapids. It was a wonderful visit.

From there we visited the childhood home of W.C. Handy, whom some consider 'father of the blues'. And after we visited the University of North Alabama, (alma mater of George "Goober" Lindsey) and see the extensive George Lindsey exhibit there.

It was, as always, a great trip. I love the south. If they weren't all red states, I would live there. I will live in Florida someday. And that state goes either way......

Brief Sports stuff

The Detroit Lions couldn't seem to get it done over the best record in the NFL Arizona Cardinals today. But still I think they are going to end up with the best Lions record in a long long time. I said at the time I thought Caldwell was the guy, and he hasn't let me down.

Of course MSU took Maryland to the woodshed, but last week against Ohio State they just ran into a better team, a team that had a great game plan and they executed precisely. I wish the Spartans could have  presented their best game, but things happen. Ohio State is, and always will be, a contender. MSU is too, but it wasn't their day.

That's about all I have sports fans. Go Red Wings!

San Fran

San Fran Claims the World Series! I was rooting for them, but secretly thought it was going to be all about KC at home in game 7. I would think San Fran might really want to reevaluate letting Sandoval go. He gave the wink and then went on to get...what?...3 hits? And then with some fast base running and catching the final out. Not a bad night. Letting him go to free agency? Give the guy a mega raise and keep him!

Sports Notes for this week.

Peyton Manning last night threw 4 TD passes to go past and then some on Brett Favre's pervious record of 508. The astonishing thing is, Manning has broken the record in 243 games, a record it took Brett Favre 302 games to set.

The University of Michigan of course needed an extra week to rest up before seeing Michigan State this coming Saturday. Just once I would like to see the playing field even for this game. Just once. Usually for the first game MSU has to play Notre Dame, and UM had to play The Milwaukee Driver's Institute. There is always something in the schedule to give UM a presumed advantage. Well, maybe the schedule makers will start seeing it a little differently after next Saturday when yes folks....we make Michigan our Bichigan. How much longer will the schedule makers not realize who the big power is now? By the way, the top three players that committed to Michigan, have now "uncommitted" or whatever that is called. They obviously have NFL ambitions, and they know they aren't gonna get there by playing for a nowhere losing team. U of M....3 losses in September...first in the history of the school, and then losing to Rutgers......

The World Series promise to be fun as always, and seriously, is the best baseball of the year. As it stands tonight, they are tied at 1 game apiece. The first game was all San Francisco, and last night it was all about Kansas City. Interesting series for other reasons too. Who ever thought these two teams would be the match up? Neither team won its Division, and neither team even won 90 games. The Giants finished six games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and won eight fewer games than the Nationals who entered the post-season coming off a season 96 wins....but the most unlikely team got it done. Same in the AL. The Royals finished a game behind the Detroit Tigers, and won nine fewer games than the Angels (whom they swept in the Division series) and even fewer than the Orioles who they swept in the Championship series. But it's things like that that make me love baseball.

The Lions head to London, England to play their game this week, and I hope it's not too distracting for them. I do hope they get the job done, and although I was the lone voice amidst my sports buddies  when I thought Coach Caldwell could be the one to get the job done when he was signed, I'm confident they too like him more with every win. And the Lions have been officially dubbed the No. 1 Defense in the league. I hope their good fortune continues. The fans deserve it.

The Big Game.

Can anyone tell me why U of Michigan always manages to finagle an advantage in the schedule with Michigan State? Just for once, I would love to see State take these bitches on, head to head in a straight up confrontation. Usually Michigan sees The Milwaukee Drivers Institute, while State sees Notre Dame. And then they see each other. But sometimes, like this week, State battles Indiana, while Michigan gets the week off to rest up for "The Big Game." Please just once, make this fair. And we State fans in the Big Game, will knock these worthless SOBs into next week. Oh but wait, unless Michigan might have to see Ohio State. In that case, they get another week of rest. What a bunch of  bitches.

This weeks Sports Round Up

Okay Sports fans, listen up. This is how I saw things:

Michigan took it on the chin again this week by losing to Rutgers. This is sad. How many other Big 10 teams will fall to Rutgers this year? Probably none. After a 3 loss September (which had never happened before in the history of the school) to come into Rutgers and get beat...well it certainly will test the meddle of the Michigan fans.

As a State fan, I was delighted to see MSU beat a very good and talented Nebraska team. I predicted by 7 and I would have lost that bet, but hey a win is a win.

In the NFL the Lions did what they are so famous for. They get a healthy lead and then quit doing the things that got them that comfortable lead. They get conservative. They don't try and score, they try to sit on a lead. And of course they get their butts beat. I had hoped for more out of this coach. I wonder if there are calls coming from upstairs that ruin the Lions. The coaches change but the formula seems consistent. Get a lead and sit on it and lose. I have made lots of money in my betting life by consistently betting against the Lions and this is the reason why. They get a lead and then become shrinking violets, preferring to sit in the corner and hoping the other team will just quit.

The Lions see Minnesota this week, and I like them to win. They may be the only team of our nearby teams to win.... Chicago sees Atlanta, and Green Bay has to deal with.......

The Detroit Tigers were disappointing to say the least. Baltimore came in and made a 3 game easy sweep telling the Tigers to get to the curb. Hey it was a good year, and I'm not complaining really, but this is a better team than that and I was hoping for a better show of it.

Peyton Manning threw his 500th TD last week, and I loved it because it continues to show the Colts what idiots they are. This guy will be a Hall of Fame legend and his successor will not be. Come on Denver! Be the great team we have come to expect! (My son is a Denver fanatic, so to keep peace in the family....) And Manning should break the TD pass record in the next few weeks.

It is officially "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" and yet the NFL remains oblivious. They are still trying to tout Breast Cancer Awareness and sweep two weeks off for knocking your fiancee out under the rug. In light of all the controversy surrounding the NFL and its lackadaisical attitude regarding domestic violence, it looked as though they were going to finally take the issue seriously. But as quickly as the public loses it's attention (usually takes a week) it back to business as usual.

Stay tuned sports fans...

Game Changer.

I've decided to retool this blog. Too much fluff. I have to get serious here. I have a lot of hits here, so let's make it worthwhile. No TV or movie reviews, but talk about TV or Movie trends. Sports round-ups, and any other news of the day -sans political (have another site for that) - so if you are up for the new King of the Whole Darned World, stay tuned.