CELEBRATING THE PAC-10

I've given up even the illusion that anyone actually reads this blog any more, but still it's fun to write here on occasion, simply when the occasion seems appropriate. Such as the real treat it was to watch the Rose Bowl game tonight. Sure, I would have rather seen Oregon State get another crack at the Nitty Lions, but watching the Trojans open up that can of second quarter whoop-ass pretty much made up for what would have probably been (in all honesty) a pretty heart-breaking Beaver loss.

As it was, Penn State gave me a little scare there in the 4th quarter, especially after the USC long snapper rocketed the ball over the punter's head with less than a minute left in the game. I could see it all unravelling right before my eyes: a quick TD, an onside kick, a hail-Mary pass and...

But these are the Trojans, not the Huskies...thank God!

I don't really watch much TV these days, so this really was a treat for me. I'd already missed both Oregon and Oregon State's bowl appearances...but knowing that the Pac-10 went 5-0 in bowl games this year really makes me proud to have gone to college on the West Coast, yes, as a Dawg as well as a Duck and a Beaver. And it was sweet to be able to see the Huskies new Head Coach Steve Sarkisian in action, and to daydream about how much of that magic he might be able to bring to Husky stadium next year. A lot, I hope. The Dawgs could really use it....

Here's another real treat thanks to Google Earth: a photograph of the house in Ballard where my dad and my aunt grew up. I'd heard lots of stories of what it was like growing up there, but still it's pretty cool to be able to see it with my own eyes from the other side of the country. Thanks Google Earth!