With the wedding/honeymoon we didn’t do as much traveling as was experienced in 2007. 3 countries, 5 states, 11 cities.

London, UK
Vancouver, BC
Portland, OR
Birmingham, AL
Jasper, AL
Seaside, FL
Hattiesburg, MS
Jackson, MS
Brandon, MS
Pearlington, MS
New Orleans, LA

The wife wanted me to add the following…

Forks, WA
Petal, MS

Layover cities (for kicks)…

Dallas, TX
Cincinnati, OH
Las Vegas, NV
Atlanta, GA
Albuquerque, NM

Yahoo’s most searched for items in 2008.

{Another angle of “The Block” can be found here.}

I’ve probably spent less time on the computer over the last 12 days combined than I do on your average weekday, therefore I thought it was high time I addressed one of the most entertaining bowl games we’ll see this season: Southern Miss vs. Troy.

Needless to say I was fired up beyond belief. Not since the drive home from the 2003 TCU game has a post-game car ride ever been so sweet.

Southern Miss started the season 2-6, dropping 5-straight at one point during the season. To win a bowl game against a worthy opponent, and to finish with a winning record for the 15th year in a row (less than 10 NCAA D-I schools can boast of this). The bowl game itself was the perfect analogy for the 2008 season.

Troy had an excellent team this year, playing it close with Ohio and could’ve (should’ve) beaten LSU at home. Their 8-4 record going into the bowl game was proof positive.

The game was not without a downside. DeAndre Brown’s injury (see video below) was the break heard round the world. Though university physicians say that he’ll be back, running wind sprints by July 1st.

The quick Year In Review:

Terrible officiating.

Gold jerseys are debuted.

Lack of discipline.
Crying myself to sleep.

All.Gold.Uniforms.

Longest play ever.

Best bowl (kinda) ever.

New Orleans Bowl Highlight Reel

DeAndre Browns Leg Break

Troy’s Kicker Throwing a Temper Tantrum

An addictive list of the ‘Best of Everything in 2008‘ that is sure to keep you busy.

We’ll be celebrating tonight in Seattle… but what are you doing?

I could write up a brief summary about the Mariners 100-loss season, the Seahawks 4-12 season, the death of “Tuba Man”, Oklahoma stealing the Sonics, and the Huskies 0-12 season… I could write up a summary, but this piece by ESPN sums up the most miserable year in the history of Seattle sports.

[thanks Karen and Jody]

A university committee, established by MUW President Claudia Limbert, has been taking suggestions and will narrow the prospects in coming months. The group is scheduled to meet in January.

Personally I think that The W. Eudora Welty University would sound very upstanding and appealing if they would drop the “The W.” and go with Eudora Welty University.

I was surprised. The #2 video has been watched by pretty much every person on earth… but #1 and #3?

1. Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend
2. Evolution of Dance
3. Chris Brown - With You

Question of the Day: What are you most looking forward to in 2009?

…until Christmas 2009.

Seattle to New Orleans to Hattiesburg to New Orleans to Hattiesburg to Jasper to Hattiesburg to Jackson to Hattiesburg to New Orleans to Seattle.

…our travels over the last 9 days. Somebody calculate those miles and I’ll give you a cookie.

Another Christmas has passed, and so it is that Christmas Every Day ends until next Christmas season.

2009’s Christmas Every Day will focus on more quality and less quantity. Hope you enjoyed the 2008 season… Thanksgiving 2009 will be here before we know it.

download soldier s girl

Heeeeeeeck no…

According to travel website Expedia’s eighth annual Vacation Deprivation Survey, an estimated 47.5 million Americans — 31% of employed U.S. adults — will not use all their vacation days in 2008.

So I saw the best status update ever as I was on Facebook on Christmas Eve. I’ve removed the name, though I think you’ll find it funny without knowing the person.

[Name] is wondering when these kids are going to bed, so santa can come and pour the milk back in the jug and throw away those nasty cookies, lol.

The best Seattle snow storm photographs from city residents, as selected by the editors of the PI.

{Christmas from the Howell Family headquarters in Seattle, Washington.}

I wanted to step back and (for just one brief moment) speak in a serious, non-tounge-in-cheek form to wish you a very Merry Christmas from both Chelsea and myself.

This is absolutely the icing on the cake of, what is for most of us, the most wonderful day of the year.

Luke 2:1-20 (New International Version)

Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus
1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14″Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

So… things are bad in Seattle. Heavy snowfall has turned into packed ice, and the packed ice has stuck around for the last 5 days. Why? Environmentalists and their awesome studies (some of the same researchers who work on global warming studies) claim that spreading salt on the road to combat the ice is bad for the environment, opting to spread sand instead.

Turns out… that may not be the case. Oopsie.

The snowplowers themselves have been preaching this forever… but those lowly plowers don’t have the stuffy degrees from universities that the rest of us have on our walls.

Thanks treehuggers. I had to use chains two days last week and my wife slid down a hill in her auto because your “liberal insight” somehow trumps common knowledge.

PS- How’s that Barack fellow working out for you thus far?