Arrgh. Robbie's birthday it be, matey....

COOLPICS!

Elizabeth, AKA - GAB, AKA - Greatest Sister ever, sent us a new digital camara for christmas! Best Christmas gift ever! It's one of those little Nokia Coolpix! You see, we had been using an old digital camara that was a bit large, and did not hook into the computer with a USB. This caused a delay in pictures since we had to go get them put on disk at Target, and then put on the computer. (Aunt Mary attempted to fix this by giving us a memory card reader that would hook up, but we could never get that to work right...) Often times this resulted in a delay of pictures getting to Bryan Central. Like Robbies Halloween pics, which finally showed up in December.

Without further ado, I present the first coolpix pics from Christmas 2008! Thanks EV and TV!
Robbie with his prized gift from Santa. A whale. Our little marine biologist has tried to make the whale eat the rest of his toys. Robbie actually spent Christmas Eve at the hospital after registering a 102.7 fever that night. He also had a horrible cough. After returning at 3:30 in the morning he finally got to bed. Santa, who had already been through the area circled around and made an extra trip back to North Carolina to give Robbie his toys. Robbie woke up at about 10:50 ish to enjoy his Christmas. You can tell he looks a little run down, but he's a little trooper.
Nanna and Robbie discuss Christmas season theories. How to get the most toys from Santa while getting away with a t least a little bit of bad behavior.
Granny, and Uncle Dan. Nanna and I went over to Grannys house for an old School style Christmas Eve dinner. Robbie was unable to attend because he was sick. Here Granny shows off her lightening fast reflexes by blinking with the flash.

More coolpix to come for Christmas and other events, thanks to EV and TV.

Christmas hinders blogs

Everybody's been blogging slower since the holiday preparation time has gotten into full swing. I do not blame. It is a very busy time of the year.

First of all, I'd like to say that my former friend, co-worker, and fantasy football rival, Ken, and his Barking Spiders team ended up winning the PETA League championship. I was okay with my 8-6 record until this stunning piece of news. It just means that the Thunderbolts will be fighting even stronger in next years fake football season.

Secondly, in an effort to purge our house of some junk, I donated some of our old mugs to Goodwill. Apparently I accidentally donated some mugs that Christie loved! When I got home from work I discovered that they were back in the house. She had gone to Goodwill and bought them back. Oops.

We are preparing the best we can for Nana's arrival for the holidays. Robbie hasn't seen her since he flew over her house on his way to New York. But the poor little guy has been sick and Mommy hasn't felt well either. (Just in time for Christmas!) We rented Wall E, hoping it would encourage him to stay on the couch and rest. It has. We've seen it about a dozen times this week. He loves Wall E. It's a cute little movie.

That's all the big news here lately.

There will probably be a Christmas update, and then that will do it for the year 2008 at Bryan Central.

Out.

Robbie in flight

For some of our family, jet setting around the globe is no big deal, but for me.... no one in our cluster hardly takes to the air. Which is why it is a big deal. Especially since it was Robbies first ride in an airplane. Something I have yet to do myself.

He and Mommy flew to New York this week while I slaved at work. The ever protective father and husband, I tracked the flight via the Internet, where you can watch a little blue plane as it progresses over Google maps. Here is "The Flight of Robbie!!!!"
The blue line represents the jets rout. Robbie practically flew over Nanna's head! The red circle indicates Nannas general location. Many of you may recognize the giant farm field behind her house. Robbie could have parachuted down and said hello.

I caught up with the plane as it was hitting Virginia, home of grove avenue bride. In this shot you can see little blue plane as it zooms through Maryland at plus 30,000 feet and heads for Ocean City, home of senior week class of 94. I'm old.

At this point the little blue plane had safely landed in New York. Satisfied that my wife was on the ground I got this one last screen. It appears here that the plane decided to land perpendicular to the runway instead of on it. What an odd piloting decision!

The story from the plane is that it was Robbie who kept Mommy calm during the take-off and landing. Good job Robbie! Little Jet setter!

Join me next time as I track
"Bryans Drive to Work!"

T-BOLTS SEASON ENDS BUT WHAT A YEAR

The Thunderbolts ended this years fantasy football season with an 88 - 78 loss to Black&Tan who have tied them in the division and taken the PETA LEAGUE West by points. Much like the first game of the year, the beloved Bolts lost key players to injury. Peyton Hill, and Brandon Jacobs, both running backs, exited their games early.

And although the T-Bolts beat the "Barking Spiders," the inter-office rivals had the last laugh by winning their game and securing the wild card spot into the play-offs.

And your 2008 play-off picture is...
East Division - Red Devils (10-4)
Central Division - Mcqs MayheM (10-4)
West Division - Black&Tan (8-6)
Wild Card - Barking Spiders (9-5)


PETA League
West Division
1. Black&Tan (8- 6) 0 Game Back (1396 fantasy points)
2. Thunderbolts (8-6) 0 Games Back (1263 fantasy points)
3. Old School MIA (8-6) 0 Games Back (1249 fantasy points)
4. Dorks (4-10) 4 Game Back (1036 fantasy points)

Wild Card Race
1. Barking Spiders (9-5) 0 games Back (1302 fantasy points)
2. Thunderbolts (8-6) 1Games Back (1263 fantasy points)
3. Old School MIA (8-6) 1 Games Back (1249 fantasy points)

A roller Coaster Season

The T-Bolts lost first round pick Tom Brady in the first game of the season and started off an abysmal 0-4. They seemed miles out of the play-off picture. After going to backup quarterback Philip Rivers, the team rattled off six unlikely wins while the rest of the PETA League West collapsed in non divisional play. Suddenly they found themselves in a duel for first place with Old School MIA in the stretch run. Just when the T-Bolts thought they may have secured the division title, Black&Tan crept quietly back into contention, and beat the Thunderbolts in the last game of the season in a spectacular finish. The Bolts may have missed the play-offs, but they came away with a winning record in what was by far the most interesting and entertaining season of fantasy football for the team. We'll keep an eye on how the Barking Spiders do in the play-offs. Meanwhile, the Thunderbolts will see YOU next year, ready to win a Fantasy Football Championship!

Thunderbolts franchise history

2008: 8-6-0
2007: 12-3-0 (Division Title)
2006: 5-7-2

Total record - 25 wins, 16 losses, 2 ties

Moments from 2008 part two

Catfight.


The year didn't start off that good for me. Just kidding. This is from Halloween, proving you do NOT have to live on Hanover street to see ghouls and goblins on all Saints day.

This picture was taken at our beach vacation when we visited the aquarium. Here I am getting ready to throw Robbie into the sting ray petting pool. You can tell by the insane look in my eyes.

Robbie with Granny. These two are like this. (Crossing fingers.)

We lost Benny this year, Christies cat of 14 years and mine of seven. Here Benny is enjoying a chin scratch and some time outside in his old age.

A little while after we said goodbye, we said hello. Two more orange tabbies came into our home. (Mostly because I'm not AS allergic to them as other cats for some reason.) Tavington and Daisey. Here Tavington is being toted around the house by Robbie.

I wish i were Axle Rose

I would love it if my boss gave me over a decade to get a project done.

Back in my youth Guns n Roses were pretty much the king of metal and rock, and of main stream music. I was a big fan. They were rebellious, outspoken, energetic, and put out great material in their genre. They defined it, and pushed the envelope.

Which is why it was so sad to see them waste their talent and chemistry the way they did. After sitting on top of the world with appetite for Destruction, and the Use Your Illusion records, Axle seemed wired on aiming GnR right into a black hole of music oblivion. The band pretty much broke up but Axle continued on as if though he himself was Guns N Roses.

Which would have been mostly fine if he had released "Chinese Democracy" by at least the end of the 90's. I've listened to a couple of tracks, and they are really good, but the 14 years put into their creation isn't at all evident. This album could have been released at any time and I believe it would have sounded just as good and would have been just as well received.

This isn't a review of the album. This is my view of Axle Rose and Geffen Records approach to the album. You get rid of 4/5 of the band, spend 14 years and over 10 million dollars mulling over the same tracks and then choose the worst economic time possible to put it out.

I understand that Axle made this record for Axle, and not the fans. That's okay. But as a fan, I was always a bit let down that GnR never put out any more material in their prime, even though they were more then capable of doing so. And it's even more of an insult that NOW he's ready for me to fork over my money to buy this CD. In my case, I've moved on in different musical directions, and my GnR loyalties has pretty much been burned up.

Axle is obviously a talented but head strong stubborn artist. But Geffen Records should have done something about this. They should have cut this one loose. All those musicians that could have used those dollars to make it big and you give it all to a guy who put out two albums in the late eighties and early nineties? Can I come work for you guys?

GEFFEN RECORDS - Have you gotten that financial report done yet Bryan? It was for two months ago.

BRYAN - Not yet. I want it to be perfect.

GEFFEN RECORDS - Okay. By the way, we're giving you a raise.

BRYAN - Yeaaaaay!

LAST GAME LAST STAND

The Thunderbolts are one game away from a possible play-off spot in the 2008 fantasy football season after beating the "Dorks" 112 -70 this past week. The team will play "Black&tan" (7-6) in the final game, with no choice but to win the contest in order to win the division and a spot in the post season. The wild card is within reach if they lose, but only if the "barking spiders" (8-5) lose their game as well. It's been a crazy season for the T-Bolts and it looks like it's going right down to the wire. Be sure to give a little root for the Thunderbolts as you go about your christmas shopping or you're watching the games on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday.

PETA League
West Division
1. Thunderbolts (8-5) 0 Games Back (1202 fantasy points)
2. Black&Tan (7- 6) 1 Game Back (1313 fantasy points)
3. Old School MIA (7-6) 1 Games Back (1183 fantasy points)
4. Dorks (4-9) 4 Game Back (958 fantasy points)

Wild Card Race
1. Barking Spiders (8-5) 0 games Back (1200 fantasy points)
2. Black&Tan (7- 6) 1 Game Back (1313 fantasy points)
3. Old School MIA (7-6) 1 Games Back (1183 fantasy points)