Super Bowl Eve Day Musings

Dallas won the honor of hosting the Super Bowl because the NFL doesn't like to have the event anywhere there is an open stadium and cold weather.
Gee, maybe they should rethink that.
Football is a cold weather sport.  It is at it's best when the players are challenged by the elements.
Just dreaming, but if Buffalo ever got the opportunity to host it then the players, the fans, and the media would be treated to a fun experience.
The stadium is located in the "southtowns", notorious for lake effect snow.  But, this time of year the possibility of lake effect is dim.  So, there would be no problem getting there.
This area has many good restaurants as well as a plethora of blue collar eateries and bars that would treat their visitors like royalty.
We often have a thaw and warming trend this time of year.  Quite possibly on game day, this year, we'll be in the 30s.  Perfect weather for football.
I find it hard to believe that the players can't handle the cold.  We watch them, week by week, playing in snowy conditions wearing short sleeves.
Many of them sport long tresses that would keep their heads' warm under those helmets.
Western New York is an economically depressed area.  The Super Bowl would give a needed shot of income to our area.
While, I'm dreaming, maybe we should combine our resources and try to get the Olympics too.
But, back to reality.
The super bowl party plans are underway.  I don't believe we'll have many people actually stay for the game.  They come in to eat, then leave.  That's okay.  There is a core group that will stay to watch the game. 
For me, I'm hoping to go to a euchre tournament in the afternoon and arrive just before the game is aired.
My killer salsa is already made.  So it will be a matter of getting home, grabbing it and head right to the party.
I'm torn as to which team I'd like to see win.  I should be rooting for the AFC Steelers.  Yet, I have always liked Green Bay.  I guess, in the end, I'll be a Packers' fan for the day.
My numbers for the game are dismal.
NFC                                     AFC
   5                                           4  Same numbers on two boards
   6                                           6
   7                                           1
   0                                           4
   4                                           4
   6                                           4
   5                                           5
   4                                           2
   3                                           1
   0                                           9
   2                                           9
   5                                           8
They don't look promising.
Enjoy the day. 

The Google Art Project

Today, my son Eric sent along a gift, the Google Art Project.  The painting he sent was "The Feast in the House of Simon" which hangs in the Palace of Versailles.  It is one of a series of paintings by Veronese depicting religious banquets.  Jokingly, I wrote back and commented that it looked like his backyard on any given gameday.
Then, I really took a look at the site.  It is wonderful.  These are the art galleries and museums you always hoped to visit but most likely will never have the opportunity.
This is a snippet of what it is all about:

You can learn more about it at http://www.googleartproject.com/
Enjoy

Grandson Scotty Makes the Palatka Daily News

PA L AT K A DA I LY N E W S • W E D N E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 2 , 2 0 1 1


COLLEGE BASEBALL
Vikings beat Brevard, 5-3

Another strong seventh inning lifted the St. Johns River State College baseball team to its third win in
four games, 5-3, Tuesday afternoon over host Brevard Community College.

Jake Schrader’s two-run homer got the Vikings on the board in the sixth, then they took the lead for
good with a three-run seventh highlighted by JoJo Taylor’s two-run double. David Bouton and Max St.
Hilaire both singled and Marquis Lewis was hit by a pitch in the seventh.

St. Johns has scored the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning of each of their three victories.

Schrader was 2-for-4, St. Hilaire 2-5 in a nine-hit offense. The Vikings’ other hits were Taylor’s double and singles by Lewis, Bouton, Lee Hart and Arnaldo Pizarro.

The fourth of five St. Johns pitchers, Scott McManis (1-0) got the win with one and two-thirds
scoreless innings.

Chris Fern finished with two scoreless, hitless innings, striking out three to get
his first save of 2011. Palatka freshman Chayce Garner pitched the first three innings, allowing onerun on four hits with one walk and one strikeout.

The Great Blizzards of 1888

Each time we have a weather event, I can't help but wonder how people coped with blizzards before 24/7 weather forecasting. Today we watch a storm cross the country and see the effects as they happen.

 

Very few Native Americans died during the blizzard of 1888.

 

The Native Americans watch not only the skies but paid attention to all nature to help them predict what might happen each season. Throughout history and still today, people try to understand, predict and control weather. Before modern day methods of predicting the weather, other methods were used. Native Americans tried to control or influence the weather with prayers, incantations, smoking or burning tobacco, using charms or dancing. Most methods of forecasting were based on observation and experiences with observing patterns (”If ___ happens, then ___ will happen”). These are not always reliable or true. Farmers, shepherds, sailors and hunters relied on folklore to predict the weather. Farmers and shepherds watched the animals, clouds and the color of the sky. Sailors observed the wind and the motion of the waves. Hunters observed insects and animal behavior.

 

The Schoolchildren's Blizzard:

 

• January 12, 1888
• U.S. Midwest
• Approximately 235 people lost their lives. (This was a large amount in comparison to the amount of people living in the Midwest at the time of the blizzard.)
• Was a warm day that quickly turned into a storm
• Since it came without warning, the amount of devastation was greatly increased.
• Went from 70 F to -10 F (-40 F in some places) in a few hours
• Lasted for only a few hours from the afternoon until early evening (3 – 4 feet of snow in that amount of time)
• Was hard to get around for at least 3 days after the storm was over – compare today’s means of transportation and communication (snow plows, salt trucks, paved roads, rescue vehicles, phones, radio, television, etc.)
• Is called the schoolchildren’s blizzard because in many places, children were trapped in their schoolhouses (in many cases they had to stay overnight)
• Most of the schoolhouses were one-room with wood or coal burning stoves.
• Resulted in the loss of life and the loss of property, travel was severely impeded in the following days.
• The wind was so loud and strong that people who were only 6 feet away from each other could not hear one another talk.
• The snow was so heavy that people who were only 4 ft. away from each other could not see each other.

The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard took place from the Rockies to the Mississippi River west to east and from Canada to Texas north to South. The states that were affected by the storm are: North and South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas. Many of these states were just territories during the time of the blizzard.

 

During the Schoolchildren’s Blizzard, the snow and wind were so strong that a person could not see two feet in front of them and could not hear people 6 ft in front of them. This snow blindness led to disorientation when people tried to get to a safe shelter. Many people lost their lives or suffered injuries because they could not find their way. People tried many different techniques to find their way. They tied themselves to each other to stay together. This technique was used by a one room school teacher named Minnie Mae Freeman from Ord, Nebraska. She single-handedly saved her schoolhouse full of children from the storm by tying them all together to find their way to safety. People tied ropes to a building. As they went out to search for others, they let the rope act as a guide to get back. Some remembered the layout of the land; a row of sunflower stocks, a drainage ditch or a fence. These landmarks help guide people who were in a barn or shed when the storm hit.

 

The east coast wasn't spared winter's grip in 1888.
The Great Blizzard of 1888 or Great Blizzard of '88 (March 11 – March 14, 1888) was one of the most severe blizzards in United States' recorded history. Snowfalls of 40-50 inches fell in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and sustained winds of over 45 miles per hour produced snowdrifts in excess of 50 feet. Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their houses for up to a week

 

Sound familiar?

From my Grandson, Doug.

Sometimes, you know a bad idea when you hear it.
Other times you can't bare to tell someone their thoughts are dumb.
Sometimes temporary is better than permanent.
Other times, dumb people read way too much into vague facebook updates, and find revelations.

The same goes for blogs, Doug.

What is Your Storm Watching Plan?

A group of us decided that tomorrow is 'storm watching' day. 
We'll meet for breakfast (served by our wonderful volunteers in the kitchen); then grab a table by the Main St. window so we can watch the storm and play cards.
Mid morning snack, to give us energy, will be a scone from Scratch Bakery and a cup of tea.
Lunch will be pizza by Pauly's Pizza (if he can get here).  If not, we'll raid the our cupboards and make a pot luck lunch to share.
We'll wile away the afternoon playing dominoes. 
My mid afternoon pick me up will be a fruit cup of raspberries, peaches and pineapple in grape juice.
No one has decided on dinner yet, but we'll think of something.
Wednesday night, while the wind is howling and the snow is blowing, we'll play poker with the unsuspecting guys in the game room.  hehehe.
Later, after the poker game, it will be wii bowling and wii golf.  There is a chocolate cake and a fresh made apple pie to munch on during the games.
Oh, and for those who imbibe, an eight pack of beer is in the fridge for later on Wednesday night.
Sounds like a good plan for a snowy Wednesday.

Good News, Bad News, and - oh there is the storm.

Good news!  My newest great grandson arrived just before midnight last night.  Everyone is doing fine.

Bad news!  My ex was admitted into the hospital last night. They are running tests, but it looks like it may be a mini stroke.  He just celebrated his birthday a few days ago.  I wish him a speedy recovery.

The Storm: I keep watching the weather models and I think we are going to miss the brunt of this storm.
That is good news.  We haven't had a real snow storm for a long time.  I was sort of hoping this would be it.