I Don't Want My MTV

With the A-Z Blogging Challenge starting Friday, I wasn't going to post anything this week. I saw something on TV last night that got me a little wound up, and I need to rant a bit.

I should probably be more embarrassed to admit this than I am, but I was watching Showbiz Tonight last night. They caught my attention with a video of some girl beating the hell out of another girl. Apparently the girl doing the beating is on MTV's reality show Teen Moms. I must have missed the part about why this girl was pummeling the other girl, but I did catch a lengthy discussion about the show in general.

MTV says Teen Moms discourages teen pregnancy by showing how hard the life of a teen mom really is. MTV acknowledges paying girls on the show $60,000 a season, but they deny choosing any girls who purposely get pregnant so they can be on the show. Really MTV? Really? That's like Barry Bonds saying he didn't know he was using steroids. The panelists on Showbiz Tonight weren't buying it, and either am I.

MTV isn't fooling anyone. Teen Moms doesn't deter teen pregnancy, it glamorizes teen pregnancy. In our celebrity-obsessed culture, the last thing we need is a show that turns teen mothers into celebrities. MTV has been a pop culture cesspool for a while now, but Teen Moms might be a new low.

Basketball Blues, The Big Short, and George Clooney

The Badgers got Butlered last Thursday night, another season ending with a meek exit from the tourny. The guys had trouble shooting the ball all year, so it wasn't a surprise to see them struggle shooting. They might have hit a new low though, missing 17 shots in a row. You just can't do that in the tournament and expect to win. Overall, it was another great year for Bo and the boys, another year of exceeding expectations.

While the Badgers were struggling in New Orleans, Arizona was running Duke off the court in Anaheim. My colleagues had a little bounce in their step Friday morning. Unfortunately, the Wildcats ran into the hottest team in the tournament, UConn, and they came up just a bit short yesterday. I know people here are disappointed, but the Wildcats had a great season. With Sean Miller at the helm, Arizona basketball has a very bright future.

I finished reading an amazing book yesterday, The Big Short, by Michael Lewis. The book dissects the subprime mortgage shenanigans that have seriously derailed our economy. I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to big time business, but Lewis does a nice job of explaining complex economic concepts for the layperson. I can't say I fully understand everything, but I get the gist. A relatively small number of guys basically brought the world economy to the brink of collapse. I wasn't a big fan of the whole Wall Street buyout when it was going down, and after reading TBS, I'm even less inclined to believe it was the right thing to do. It's hard not to think Henry Paulson and his Wall Street cronies got away with a money grab that would make a Russian oligarch blush.

Whenever I finish a book, I always start another one right away, just a few pages to get it going. I started reading Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists last night, and it hooked it me right away. I read about 50 pages, and then this morning I woke up early and read another 50 before everyone else woke up.

Meg and I watched The American last night. This is one of the quietest, slowest movies I've ever seen. Not that there's anything wrong with that (full Seinfeld inflection), but the movie just seemed to take itself way too seriously. I normally like Clooney, and he's fine, but this isn't one of his better movies. Speaking of good Clooney movies, my two favorites are Out of Sight and Up in the Air.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Anyone do anything fun? See a good movie? Read a good book?

Need Some Direction

Just a quick post to ask for a little help. I've decided to do the A-Z Blogging Challenge this year. Starting April 1, I'll be posting every day in April except Sundays. That will give me a total of 26 posts-one for each letter of the alphabet. If you're interested, you can click on the button to the right to read more about the Challenge and sign up.

Here's where I'd like some help. I'm considering a number of different themes for the project, but I'm having trouble making up my mind. Whether you're a regular reader or here for the first time, I would appreciate some feedback. If you would be so kind, let me know which theme sounds the most interesting, or the least boring, as it were, in the comments. Of course, if you have any better ideas, write-ins are definitely welcomed.

1) Random: just go with whatever comes to mind for a particular letter when I sit down to write.

2) Movies: not reviews, but start with a movie title and see where it takes me.

3) Books: same idea as movies.

4) Music: songs, bands, concert venues, anything music related really.

I have another question about the project, but I'll save it until I've picked my theme. Time to get comfortable on the couch for a big night of college hoops. You know I'll be cheering my Badgers on, but I'll be flipping over during commercials to catch some of the Arizona/Duke game too.

Basketball Bliss

I wrote about my lifelong relationship with the men's college basketball tournament last week. The first weekend of the tournament has always been one of my favorite weekends of the year. The upsets, the buzzer beaters, there's really nothing else like it in all of sports.

Wisconsin was never good enough to make the tournament during my time in Madison. The basketball program finally got its act together a few years after I graduated, and now you can pretty much bank on the Badgers being in the field of 64, I mean 65, I mean 68. The Badgers started this year's tournament in Tucson, so for the first time, I was able to cheer them on in person as they battled for a spot in the Sweet 16.

I wanted to bring the girls, but they had dancing commitments for St. Pat's. I talked a friend into going to Thursday's opening game, and instead of sitting in the nosebleed seats we paid for, we easily found empty seats near the court. A lot of the experts had Belmont upsetting Wisconsin, but the Badgers pulled away in the second half for a comfortable win.

I thought about bringing the girls to Saturday's game, but the tickets were just too expensive. My buddy didn't want to pony up another $80, so I went solo. I caught the end of the San Diego State/Temple game, a double overtime barnburner. After seeing how things worked on Thursday, I figured a good chunk of the San Diego State fans would clear out after their game. That's exactly what happened, and I wound up sitting in the front row, center court. It was like a basketball dream come true. The Badgers overcame a late six point deficit to win an extremely hard-fought game. They're moving on to the Sweet 16 in New Orleans, and the Final Four is a real possibility now.

The game was brilliant, but the best part of the whole experience came after the game. The full moon was out; it was a beautiful, balmy Arizona night. I called my brother and a couple buddies to talk about the game as I waited with a small crowd of the Wisconsin faithful to congratulate the team as they boarded their bus. I took some pictures of Coach Ryan and the guys, and I even got Jordan Taylor to pose for a quick picture with me. I told him I was an alum, teaching 8th grade right down the street, and that my students would be very impressed that I got a picture with him. He graciously listened to me ramble and actually thanked me when I told him he made a great block at the end of the game to seal the victory. I walked away very proud to be a Badger. ON WISCONSIN!

School Without Noise

Today was a grading day at school, which means there were no kids in the building. The silence of a school without kids is strange. It's a nice break from the audio assault that is public education, but it's the kind of silence that could get to a person after a while, a Shining kind of silence.

Needles to say, I find it hard to stay in my classroom very long on these days. I spend a lot of time visiting with other teachers. Just in case this sounds unprofessional, I'd like to assure the tax-paying citizens of Arizona that our conversations are always focused on the academic achievement of our students. There is no way I would ever use school time to talk about the awesome seats I had for the Badgers game yesterday. Nor would I waste valuable time listening to colleagues talk about the U of A's chances against Memphis and a possible matchup with Texas on Sunday. We teachers are all business, all the time. By the way, my seats for the Badger game yesterday were amazing, Arizona/Memphis was a great game, and I like the Badgers and the Wildcats to advance to the Sweet 16 this weekend. Just sayin.

Blogger extraordinaire, Munk Davis, sent me this cool video clip about teachers. It's brilliant-give it a look. Thanks Munk.

March Madness

The men's college basketball tournament officially gets under way tonight, although I am not a fan of these play-in games. My Badgers come limping into the tournament, but they're playing here in Tucson, so I feel like I should find a way to be at the game. The girls are actually really excited to go, but like most sporting events these days, it's not cheap. With multiple games being played at one sight, it's a little more complicated than just buying tickets for the one game your team is guaranteed to play, so we'll see how it all works out.

The tournament has always been my favorite sporting event of the year. So many great memories, where do you even start. I remember One Shining Moment before it was a big deal. My earliest memory is Al McGuire and Marquette winning the title in '77. My dad went to Marquette, so that was our team. A few years later some of the Marquette players came to my school, St. Thomas More, for a little basketball clinic, and I remember being in awe. When Marquette fell on hard times, I just kind of followed the game in general, usually pulling for the underdogs.

I remember losing my mind, like everyone else of course, when Lorenzo Charles snatched that ball out of midair and slammed it home. I loved Rollie and Nova taking down mighty Georgetown. Keith Smart's jumper in '87 was a highlight of my senior year. I vividly remember the collective shock in my dorm room when Chris Webber called the infamous timeout that robbed the Fab Five of their legacy. Meg and I were in Tucson visiting friends in 1997 when Arizona won the title, and the air was literally electric with victory. Last year the Butler Bulldogs gave basketball purists everywhere a reason to dust off their copies of Hoosiers.

Unfortunately, the Badgers never made the tournament when I was a student, that would have been amazing. My buddies and I followed Tony Bennett and UWGB during our college years; their victory over Jason Kidd and Cal was huge for the state. The Badgers finally became a factor in the Dick Bennett era. It wasn't always pretty, but they won, and if it wasn't for Michigan State, we probably would have won the national championship in 2000. Bo Ryan has turned UW into a perennial power on the hardwood, but in my mind, the Badgers have often underachieved in the tournament. They had a nice Elite 8 run a few years back, losing a tough one to eventual champ, North Carolina, but other than that, too many loses to lower seeds.

Whatever happens this year, whether I see it live or in a sports bar, whether the Badgers continue to underachieve or somehow find a way to make a run, doesn't matter. The girls are budding basketball fans, so watching the tournament with them will add another dimension to this already great time of year.

How about you? Any fond tournament memories?

Why I do What I Do

Teaching is a fickle profession.

I left work yesterday completely defeated. My students took a quarterly reading assessment earlier in the week, and the results were discouraging, to say the least. I'm not usually one to worry about standardized tests, but we're getting more pressure than ever to raise these damn test scores, and if nothing else, my pride was wounded. Jerry Maguire was good at closing deals, I like to think I'm good at raising my students' test scores. I drove home in silence, doubting myself, searching for answers.

Another day, a new perspective. One of my former students is a junior at West Point. He's in town for a few days, and he went to talk to kids in the JROTC program at his old high school. Meg works at the school, so I told her to send my regards and invite him to stop by my school if he got a chance. I don't work at the middle school he attended any more, so I didn't expect him to come by, but sure enough, he did. It was probably more of an afterthought, but our Assistant Principal asked if he'd like to talk to some of our students, and without blinking an eye, he agreed.

So today I had the privilege of introducing this amazing young man to my 2nd period students. My students are predominantly Mexican American, many of them from poor families. Here was this dashing (the looks on the girls' faces were priceless), humble, intelligent young man who looks like them, grew up in the same kind of neighborhood, proof positive of what hard work can do. Watching my former student talk to my current students was a sublime experience. It's something I won't soon forget. It's the kind of thing standardized tests can't measure, can't take away. It's why I do what I do.

Words to Live By

I don't know about you, but my daily vernacular is peppered with movie quotes. My movie-saturated brain enjoyed this collection of movie lines and catch phrases, many of which I routinely employ.

My favorites:

"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." One of many classic lines from The Princess Bride, one of the most quotable movies of all time.

"I want my two dollars." This one is an underappreciated gem from the John Cusack oeuvre.

"I'm walkin here!" I can't tell you how many times I've dropped Ratso Rizzo while trying to negotiate crowded school halls.

I know there are going to be worthy movies left out of a collection of this nature, but there are two omissions I cannot abide. Fletch and The Big Lebowski are chock-full of classic lines, and I find it hard to believe that both movies were shut out.

I'd love to know which lines are your favorite, and which movies were shut out that you find hard to believe.

Q=8

My baby girl turned 8 yesterday. In the time-honored tradition of parents everywhere, I have mixed feelings about another birthday. It's that whole bittersweet thing. As I've gotten older, birthdays have become quite the existential experience. Thoughts of the past fuse together with thoughts of the future to create a weird mental state. But enough of that.

The birthday festivities kicked off Friday. We took Quinn to get her ears pierced after school. We always tell Quinn she's "one tough cookie," and true to form, not a tear, not even a flinch. Her best friend had her ears pierced too, and it was pretty cool to see how excited they were. The earring thing is interesting. I would have let Quinn get her ears pierced earlier, but Meg had always said the girls should be 10. She changed her mind recently, and like the good husband I am, no questions were asked.

The girls enjoy coming up with themes for their parties, and in a testament to the power of marketing, Quinn went with a Rango theme this year. We did the movie of course, and then we did a lizard scavenger hunt in the backyard. I was Rango's deputy sheriff, and the girls had to check in with me when they found their lizards. I got to wear the sheriff's badge my buddy Matt bought me when we went to Tombstone that one time: Sheriff Tim. Probably enjoyed that more than a grown man should, but whatayagonnado.

Quick tangent to discuss Rango. I'm not sure who loved it more, the kids or the adults. It's a spot-on homage to Westerns, with a brilliant nod to Clint. In the beginning of the movie Rango talks about what makes an effective story. He uses words like protagonist and conflict, things I try to teach my students every year. I like to use movies to help kids understand the elements of fiction, and I'm sure we'll be watching Rango next year. Not only is Rango a possible teaching tool, I wouldn't be surprised if it's nominated for best movie. My man, Roger Ebert, gave it four stars, and I have to agree, it's that good. My only complaint is geographical. The Mojave Desrt of the movie has saguaro cactus prominently featured.  We take this a little personally down here in the Sonoran Desert. There are no saguaros in the Mojave Desert. Saguaros can only be found in the Sonoran Desert. Thank you very much.

Back to the party. Instead of cake, Quinn wanted a giant chocolate chip cookie with a frosted peace sign. After chocolate chip cookie and ice cream, we did the presents. Quinn lit up with each gift like it was the best present she'd ever received. She profusely thanked each friend and gave them a hug. I was really proud of how she handled herself. That was pretty much the party. Before each kid left, Quinn gave them a little cactus she picked out at a local nursery. It was a great party, great day. Still can't believe my little girl is 8.

One Shot

I came across some cool videos on /Film this week, thought I'd share. Both videos were done in one camera shot, and I thought they were pretty interesting. Curious to hear what other people think.

The first one is Tick Tock, a short film by Ien Chi. It plays in reverse, and according to Chi, "traces a young man's few minutes trying to fulfill his highest potential." Not sure I get that from watching it, but it's certainly cool to look at. Chi said it took 36 takes to get the right one, and it was filmed on the Oxford College of Emory campus. I'd say Chi was influenced by Memento, which in my book is a good thing.



The second video is a rap song, T.Shirt's "24 Frames." I don't know how many takes they needed for this one, but it was shot on two floors of a theater in SoHo. I could do without the cheesy blond, but the lyrics, 120 movie titles, are kind of cool. I'm not much of a rap fan, but I thought this was pretty creative.

If Loving Melissa Leo Is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

The Oscars are a big deal in the Riley house. Meg and I try to see as many of the nominated movies as we can each year.  We had to pull a movie doubleheader last Friday, but we managed to see all 10 Best Picture nominees this year. Overall, I thought it was a particularly strong group of movies.

My personal favorite was Inception, but I have no problem with the The King's Speech winning Best Picture. I do think it's ridiculous that Christopher Nolan wasn't nominated for Best Director. Other than Nolan's omission, I'd say the Academy pretty much got it right though.

I wanted Exit Through the Gift Shop to win Best Documentary, mostly to see what Banksy would do. I was hoping for some street art shenanigans. By all accounts, The Inside Job is a deserving winner, and I'm looking forward to watching it.

The acting awards were foregone conclusions this year. Colin Firth was brilliant. He is now officially America's favorite Brit. I just hope he doesn't wind up in any more Bridget Jones movies. Natalie Portman winning Best Actress makes sense, but Black Swan was probably my least favorite of the ten Best Picture nominees.  The Fighter was a great movie, and Christain Bale and Melissa Leo were spot-on in their Bostonness. I think the moral is, do a convincing Boston accent and Oscar will come a callin. Well, unless your Marky Mark, whose Boston accent wasn't nearly as authentic, despite actually being from Boston. All this Boston talk reminds me, if you haven't checked out this mashup of Boston movies, do yourself a favor, give it a look.

Speaking of Melissa Leo, her F bomb was the only interesting thing about the whole show. I liked her a lot in Frozen River a couple years ago, but she reached a whole new level after that little acceptance speech of hers.

I'm sure I'm in a very small minority on this one, but I was disappointed there was no lifetime achievement award. I like a little history mixed in with the awards.

I don't normally get very excited about the Best Score, but I was very happy that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won for their score of the social network. I haven't been able to get that little piano riff out of my head since I saw the movie.

I don't know who thought James Franco and Anne Hathaway would be good hosts, but I would hope they will not be involved in planning next year's show. Award shows should be required to have stand-up comedians as hosts. I was actually hoping Billy Crystal was brought in to replace Franco and Hathaway, but alas, no such luck.

Even though the show wasn't great, it was a fun night. Watching the Oscars is something Meg and I enjoy together, and that's always the best part.

Snow in the Desert

We woke up to snow this morning. Scout literally screamed when she saw it. There wasn't much, and it's already gone, but it's kind of cool to see snow in the desert. It's not uncommon to get snow in the mountains, but we rarely get any down here. This is only the second time we've had snow on the ground since we moved here in 1999. Here are some shots from the first snowfall in January '07:

View from the front of our house

View of the neighbor's yard

We don't really have the clothes for snow

Wow, I haven't looked at these pictures in a while. The kids look so much younger. They actually cancelled school that day. It was a little embarrassing, being from Wisconsin and all, but I swallowed my pride and enjoyed the day off. The girls had a blast. They filled a ziploc with some of the snow, and we actually still have it in the back freezer.

The girls made sure to get a bag of today's snow to keep the '07 snow company. There wasn't as much snow this time around, and it's not as sunny, but still fun to see a little of the white stuff. The smiles were a little brighter than usual this morning:

The Oscar Winning Boston Movie

It seems Boston movies are their own genre these days, and if you're like me, that's a good thing. Here's a funny mashup of Boston movies to get you in the mood for the Oscars tomorrow.

Very Stylish

I want to thank Kate at Calamity, Kids, & Other Stuff for giving me The Stylish blogger Award. Kate is a woman with a lot on her plate, and the way she handles it all is quite inspiring. I'm honored that Kate would think of me for an award. I have to share seven things people might not know about me, and then comes the best part, passing the award on to 7 other deserving bloggers.

1) My parents were both in the Navy, and I was born on the Naval base in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

2) My first concert was Hall and Oates, and yes, I am very proud to admit it.

3) I was an altar boy until I was 15.

4) I had pictures of Molly Ringwald and Siguorney Weaver on my wall in high school.

5) One of my favorite places in the world is the Student Union at the University of Wisconsin.  It doesn't get any better than having a beer on the Terrace.

6) When I lived in Minneapolis, I ran into Walter Matthau at my local grocery store. He was in town filming Grumpy Old Men. We were picking out melons together.

7) I will never forget the look on my dad's face when he got a hole-in-one on the last golf hole he ever played. Priceless.

Here are 7 stylish blogs you should really check out and follow:

think.stew

Artful Nuance

The Writer's Kaffeeklatsch

Munk Davis

Selina Kingston is Forty

Beyond the Diapers and Spills

Counterintuitivity

Blog Tag

I've been tagged for the second time in my blogging career. Thanks to Nari at narislife for thinking of me. Nari is doing really cool things with her blog, and I always enjoy reading her work. Check her out and give her a follow.

When you're tagged in the blogosphere, you have to answer some questions about yourself. In this case, quite a few actually. Before I do that, I need to tag four other bloggers. I love all the blogs I follow, so with no particular rhyme or reason, here are four interesting bloggers worth reading and following:

Otter Thomas at Life of a New Dad

Austin James at Austin James Here

James at Luke, I Am Your Father

Yat-Yee Chong

Now on to the questions:

1) If you have pets, do you see them as animals, or are they members of the family?

We adopted a dog this summer, and she is most definitely a member of our family. She came to us with the name Riley, so it's like that old Little Caesar's commercial around here, Riley Riley.

2) If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?

Like most of us, I have any number of unfulfilled dreams. The one that jumps to mind right now is going to Ireland as a family.

3) What is the one thing most hated by you?

I hate how polarized American politics has become. The art of compromise appears to be on life support, and it's hurting us a country.

4) What would you do with a billion dollars?

I would set up family and friends with homes, cars, college funds, the works. I'd do all the traveling I've always wanted to do. I would establish a foundation focused on helping kids go to college, and that would be my life's work.

5) What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

Just the sight of my girls brightens my mood, and one of their hugs can bring me out of even the darkest places.

6) Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

It is a blessing to truly love another person. Life is incomplete without loving others. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life to love.

7) What is your bedtime routine?

I lock the doors and turn on the microwave light. On the way back to my room, I check on the girls. I love seeing how peaceful they look. I brush my teeth, turn on the kids' old sound machine, and then read a bit. I can't end a day without doing some reading.

8) If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?

It sounds like a bad movie, but I actually met my wife at a bar. Friends of mine had a band, and we met at one of their shows. We went to a party after the show, and I was pretty lit. Good thing my wife found my drunken antics amusing. The rest, as they say, is history.

9) If you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?

My initial impulse was to think of an author I admire, but I think watching a great director would be more interesting. Watching Martin Scorsese create a movie would be fascinating.

10) What kinds of books do you read?

I try to read a healthy mix of fiction and nonfiction. I prefer literary fiction and biographies of historical figures.

11) How would you see yourself in ten years time?

Ten years from now I'll probably still be teaching. That means I'll also be struggling to find a way to pay for two college tuitions. Who knows, maybe the writing thing will help pay the bills. At the very least, I plan on having some books out there.

12) What's your fear?

My greatest fear is that I'm not living life to the fullest. I have a tendency to put things off, thinking there will always be time. I have to remind myself to live in the moment, carpe diem as they say.

13) Would you give up all the junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit space?

Sure, why not.

14) Would you rather be single and rich, or married and poor?

I love being married and scrapping by, so being married and poor probably wouldn't be that different.

15) What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

I shuffle my way to the kitchen, pour myself a bowl of cereal, and then sit down to read at the computer.

16) If you could change one thing about your spouse/partner, what would it be?

I have just consulted my wife for this answer, and she actually came up with a pretty good one. She falls asleep way too early on the weekends. I like to watch late night movies, and she can never stay up.

17) If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

In honor of Jeffrey Lebowski, my new name would be "The Dude."

18) Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?

I doubt I could ever forget, but I hope I'd have the capacity to forgive.

19) If you could only eat one thing for the next six months, what would it be?

This one is easy. Goldfish. To be honest, I don't think this would even be much of a challenge.

The Sounds of Reading

A lot of my students tell me they don't like to read. I tell them that's impossible, they just haven't been reading the right books. They scoff, but I bet them they'll like the books we read in class. That's one of the great challenges of teaching 8th grade English, choosing books that even the most resistant readers will love.

I'm currently reading two such books with my students, and I'm having a blast sharing them with the kids.

My two advanced classes are reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This is one of my favorite books of all time, and if you haven't read this one, I highly recommend making it your next book. The aspiring writer in me marvels at what Zuzak did with language in this book. At 550 pages, there was some initial whining about the size of the book. As we read the prologue, I could hear the kids being hooked in their silence. After we read the first few chapters, one of the girls said the book was like poetry. There was much enthusiastic agreement around the room, and I had to admit, I couldn’t have said it better myself.   

My other three classes are reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. If you haven't read this book, you really should. Twenty-four teenagers are thrown into an arena and forced to fight to the death, the whole thing broadcast on live TV. My students are literally begging me to skip everything else so we can read the entire period. The kids follow along in their copies as I read aloud, and the sound of 25 kids turning the page in unison stirs this English teacher's heart. When we stop to discuss what's going on, kids who don't normally participate in class are answering questions and making predictions. I joke with them that they actually sound like they know what's going on. One boy told me last week that this is the first book he’s ever liked. That's the best sound of them all.

Two Lanes and a Burger Joint

I love to drive. I inherited my love of driving from my dad, and I'm fairly confident that love will transfer by osmosis to the girls. We've been throwing the kids in the car for long hauls since they were babies. Most families don't consider 7 hours in the car quality family time, but the Rileys are road warriors.

We made our annual pilgrimage to Albuquerque this weekend for the New Mexico State Feis (that's an Irish dance competition for new readers of the blog). We normally spend a couple days in Albuquerque, but they changed the weekend, so we drove over Friday and came right back yesterday.

Meg and I really enjoy the drive to Albuquerque, especially Hwy 26 from Deming to Hatch. We discovered Hwy 26 on our first trip back up north after we moved to Tucson, and we've been taking it ever since. Hwy 26 is only about 50 miles long, a short cut between Interstate 10 and Interstate 25. There is very little traffic, and if you do have to pass someone, it's never a problem. Hwy 26 is a classic two lane road, and the scenery is fantastic: wide open, big sky country. It's the kind of road that makes you feel like you're driving in an older America, in a simpler time. It's the kind of road that just makes me feel good.

Right before 26 ends at Interstate 25, you hit the town of Hatch. We've talked about stopping since the very first time through, but this was the first trip we actually did it. Hatch claims to be the chile capital of the world, the chile fields drawing nourishment from the Rio Grande. Like the road that connects it to civilization, Hatch is a throwback to another time. A time when America was dotted with quaint little agricultural towns. Being in Hatch is like being in the past, but with cell phone reception and wifi.

We stopped on the way back yesterday to eat at Sparky's, an old school burger joint with a Southwestern twist and a Hatch institution. Sparky's was hopping, and I have feeling it does pretty well, Hwy 26 funneling hungry tourists through its doors. The food was just OK, but it's not about the food, it's the experience. We bought t-shirts for the girls, and they're very excited about wearing them to school this week. Meg bought some chile powder at one of the many places selling a plethora of chile products, and we were on our way.

It's always fun to drive a road like Hwy 26 and catch a glimpse of small town life in a cool place like Hatch. There are a lot of great roads and small towns in the US. Got any you want to share from your neck of the woods?

Must See TV

I'm not a huge TV guy, but there are a few shows I make sure to watch every week. My favorite show is The Office. I'm bummed out that Steve Carell is leaving after this season, but I'm hopeful the little run-in between Michael Scott and the random British guy by the elevator means Ricky Gervais will take Carell's place. I'm not holding my breath, but that would be awesome. If the writers choose to replace Michael with one of the existing Dunder Mifflin gang, my vote would be for Andy. Carell is funny, but Ed Helms routinely induces bouts of uncontrollable laughter. Whatever happens, I would love to see the Nard Dog get more screen time.

Another comedy that has me completely hooked is Modern Family. I love the ensemble cast, and the writing is whip smart. My favorite character has to be Phil Dunphy. He's like Michael Scott with a family. With Steve Carell calling it quits, Ty Burrell may soon be the funniest guy on TV. Modern Family nicely mixes in some poignant moments here and there, which makes the humor that much better.

I'm a sucker for a good cop show, and Southland is a great one. I find it hard to believe NBC gave up on this show, but I'm glad TNT gave it another shot. The writers have more freedom on cable, and the show is really hitting its stride this year. Meg and I love Regina King. Of course, if you were in Jerry Maguire, you can do no wrong in my book. King's character is one of the strongest female characters I've ever seen, on any size screen. Her work alone makes Southland worth watching. I also love Cooper, the drug-seeking gay cop who doesn't take shit from anyone. The dialogue on this show is brilliant, and it's full of action and suspense. This is probably my second favorite show right now, with a real chance of being my favorite by season's end.

I generally avoid reality TV, but my wife has gotten me into Storage Wars. We actually watch this one with the kids. We love watching the guys buy abandoned storage units, sifting through the junk to find hidden gems. We love to hate Dave. His "Yep," has become a frequent refrain in the Riley house. Our favorite is Barry. He's funny and quirky, and we enjoy his hipster sensibility.

There are other shows I watch, some with more frequency than others, but these are the four I look forward to watching. I'm sure there are other great shows out there. I'd love to hear what other people are digging these days.

Vince Lombardi and King George VI Walk Into A Bar

The world is arguably a better place now that the Lombardi Trophy is safely back where it belongs. I wish I could have been in Green Bay today for the celebration.

Football Sundays are a light at the end of my weekly work tunnel, and it always takes a while to adjust to life without football. I love college basketball and my Wisconsin Badgers, but nothing quite matches the anticipation of Packer Sundays. I'll revel in the glory of another championship for a while, but it won't be long before I'm jonesing for next season to begin. I know the blog's been a little football heavy recently, so this will be last football post for a while.

The Super Bowl wasn't the only cool thing about the weekend. Meg and I went to see The King's Speech with my mom Saturday night. I knew going in I would like the movie. Say what you will about the Oscars, but a movie doesn't get 12 nominations if it isn't damn good. I don't normally love British period pieces, but this may very well be one of my favorite movies of all time.

Colin Firth is brilliant as the King, and Geoffery Rush is every bit as good as his unconventional speech therapist, Lionel Logue. The history was fascinating, but when you get right down to it, this is a movie about friendship. There have been a lot of great freindships in the movies: Sam and Frodo, Butch and Sundance, Chris and Gordie, Thelma and Louise, Andy and Red. Now we've got Lionel and Bertie.

Not Like Any Other Town

Green Bay is different than other sports towns. Most people know that the team is publicly owned, the only nonprofit organization in professional sports. It's more than that. The team is an integral part of the community. If it's not the biggest employer in town, it's up there. The money the team brings in is crucial to the local economy. That's why Brown County voted for a tax increase to renovate the stadium years ago.

I finally got to see the renovations last year when I went back to see the Packers play the Cowboys, and let me ya, they did a helluva job. The glass atrium facing Lombardi Avenue is a thing of beauty. If you're a sports fan, you need to see a game at Lambeau Field. Even if you're not a sports fan, you should check it out. I went to Wrigley Field with my brother-in-law a few years ago, and even though I'm not a baseball fan, certainly not a Cubs fan, I remember the experience vividly. Wrigley is one of those places, and Lambeau is too.

When I lived in Green Bay, the population was probably 85-90,000. In a town that size, you can't help running into players. I used to see players out and about all the time. I remember seeing James Lofton shopping at Kohl's. I worked at Hardee's during high school, and I remember Larry McCarren routinely coming through the drive-thru. When I would come home during college, I used to see players all the time at the few clubs we had in GB. In Green Bay, you get to interact with the players and coaches in a way you just don't see anywhere else, and it makes the bond between team and town unusually tight.

My favorite Packer story involves one of the coaches. My buddies lived next to Dick Mojoleski, the defensive line coach at the time. We were playing Trivial Pursuit one night, and for one of our sports questions, the answer was Dick Mojoleski. I don't remember the question, but I do remember our excitement. We ran next door and showed Mr. Mojoleski that he was the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question. He laughed and thanked us for showing him. We told him to keep the card, and I could tell he was touched.

Everyone who has ever lived in Green Bay for any length of time has these kinds of stories. Just this morning I came across a great article written by Paul Gigot, an editor for the Wall Street Journal. He lived in GB in a different era, but his experiences are the same. Check him out, he does he a much better job of explaining the unique nature of Green Bay and its team than I do.