The New Camera & Stewie

I couldn't help myself. I am the world's worst impulse-shopper.

So, we have a new camera. It's a highish-end, Canon point-and-shoot with all the manual controls that would make a "real" photographer proud.

I'm a big fan of Canon because they make some of the best lenses in the business and their equipment tends to be more Mac-friendly than some others. Since my whole world is Mac-based, that's important! My previous Canon point-and-shoot camera has served me very well for the past four years or so but it's starting to get a little haggard and worn; time for it to retire.

I've been playing around with the new gadget this afternoon and managed to snap a great photo of Stewie on his hamburger pillow. He hates the paparazzi, so it's no small coup to get a good shot of him!

One of Stewie's favorite places is perched on his hamburger pillow where he can comfortably snooze, reach down and swat the dogs, or just keep an eye on the world from the front windows.

43-7: But Our Bobcats Still Win

It was like lambs to the slaughter.

The Buckeyes are ranked Number 2 in the nation. They're huge.
The Bobcats lost to Toledo last week in the MAC.

Most of us just wanted to see our boys in Green & White make a respectable showing at The Horseshoe. We weren't under any real delusions that they'd actually take home a "W." But, as Ohio University fans, we can't help ourselves... we tend to root for the underdog.

And the Bobcats were 30-point underdogs.

The Bucks beat the spread before halftime. The Marching 110 was terrific.

When the Bobcats pulled out a touchdown in the second half, it was a bit of relief. At least it wasn't a shutout. And we're not going to think of it as a "sympathy score," either.

But the Bobcats still win. Big.

Ohio University will take home a massive paycheck for this game. That'll help keep Peden Stadium open and support large parts of OU's other athletic programs. A big chunk of the money comes from the TV rights... so, thanks, Big Ten Network for showing the game!

The Bobcats may have been battered and bruised by the Buckeyes... but their efforts will make a huge difference for lots of other OU athletes.

Thanks, Bobcats! Great job today! Thanks for, literally, taking one for the team!

From 2010.09.18.Bobcats v Buckeyes

I Remember...

Mesmerizing blue sky.

I walked over to the grocery store early this morning. The air was cool; the sun was bright, making crisp, distinct shadows through the trees above the sidewalk. It was a perfect, nearly-autumn morning.

And then I looked up.

I remember this sky.

It's blue. A blue we don't see all that often. Crystal clear. Not a cloud as far as the eye can see. Not even the wisp of a high, icy cirrus cloud or the hint of haze. Just pure blue. Pilots call it a "severe clear."

It was just like this nine years ago tomorrow.

I remember walking home from the transit station that morning, schlepping my luggage, looking at the sky. Marveling. It was beautiful. At the time, we knew our flights had been cancelled and we'd been sent home from the airport because of "an incident" in New York.  It wasn't until a little later that we found out just how horrible a morning it had been.

That sky is seared into my memory.

It was a sky just like this morning's.