Disneyland 2009

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008 has been special for lots of reasons. A big one: we have lots of snow on the ground. Due to weather, we, and most of Portland, have been confined to our home for the better part of two weeks and it led up to Christmas day. We had lots of fun getting together at a friends home for Christmas eve last night and today we had a great Christmas morning. This is the first year we spent Christmas with just our immediate family. Both experiences are fun in their own ways. Funniest moneht this week: We were sitting at the dinner table and Emery passed gas really loud. Moriah jumped up from the table and ran for the front door. She swore she heard someone knocking. An honest reaction from a 6 year old. Now that's one of the funniest things I've been present for in a long time!! Here's some more pictures from our Christmas morning:

Dec 23 2008 - Blazers beat Nuggets

I was able to attend the Blazers/Nuggets game on December 23. I went with a friend who has seats in the 100 level. I am so used to my nose-bleed seats that sitting anywhere close to the action is living in luxury. It was a really cool thing to see it up close. And tonight, Przybilla was the story. Due to Oden getting in foul trouble again, Joel got extended minutes and truly stepped it up. Dude had 10 points and 19 rebounds. The fact that we can lean on a back-up center like him makes Portland that much more difficult to contain. Since was 'likely' my last game that I'll be able to attend this year, I'm really glad it was such a memorable one.

SNOW!

The picture here is me in my driveway. Dug me a snow cave in a pile of snow. The Portland metro area is experiencing historic amounts of snow this December. Typically, we get an inch or two and it melts within a couple days. Not this time. We got a few inches two weeks ago and it's been piling up since then. Culminating in a beautifil white Christmas. Well, technically, it was really sloppy snow by Christmas eve, but still a massive amount of snow for us. There was easily more then 15 inches of snow on my grass for more than a week. It also combined with freezing rain a couple of days in there and it made for some tough transportation scenarios (roads, commutes, and especially people stuck at the airport for DAYS at a time). But, from my perspective, it's been great to enjoy some snow...especially at Christmas time.

Dec 18 2008 - Blazers v. Suns

Moriah and I went to the Blazers/Suns game. Wow. The big storyline was the number 52. Most would associate this with Brandon Roy's monumental 52-point performance. It was phenomenal. The guy can score in so many ways. However, I would also point out the other #52: Greg Oden. While it was not a huge night for him (foul trouble, as is common with him lately). But I point to the first few minutes of the game. Shaq came to play, and Greg was up to the challenge. They both went at each other during the opening minutes, and I tell you what...Greg held his own. He dunked (a couple times) and had a couple nasty blocks. It was encouraging to see him step it up in a meaningful game.

Another cool thing about this game for me was Moriah being there. First, we got there EXTREMELY early - the snow was heavy, so we left early to get there in good time. Also, it was a national TV game, so it started later than usual...so we were there way too eraly. But it allowed us to go down courtside and watch the players practice. It was interesting to see what each individual was working. LaMarcus was working on footwork and short range jumpers. Bayless was shooting 3's and free throws. Sergio was shooting outside. And Shavlic Randolph was doing some vertical exercises combined with post ball control. Pretty cool to see. We also got our faces painted and enjoyed the game. Moriah was even dancing with me during big moments. Those are great memories of my little 6-year-old Moriah dancing with Daddy at a Trail Blazers game. I have a co-worker who has regular tickets and he says he's so jealous that I've been to such great games this years. He's missed them! I have been lucky to be at some great games this year.

Civil War 2008 - DUCKS WIN 65-38

I really started following the Ducks closely after I got my masters degree from there in 2005... so this is really my fourth season as a Duck. Each year since then has felt so similar: start with great promise, then fizzle in the second half of the year...culminating in a Civil war loss (two of them have been at Autzen). This year was different. The Beavers were playing for the Pac-10 title and for a Rose Bowl berth. The Ducks, all things considered, have had a good season in their own right. Both teams were nationally ranked (rare) going into the game, making this a very meaningful game for both teams. Considering the Beavs lost their #1 offensive threat (Quizz Rodgers), this had the makings of a great game. The Beavers had a great defensive presence and Oregon had a high-powered offense. The Beavers were projected as 3-point favorites in the game and many thoughtful opinions put the game in the mid-twenties and would be decided by a few points. I predicted a ducks win at 31-24. Little did I (or anyone) expect such a Beaver-pounding in Corvallis, with a final score of 65-38. It was score after score after score. And JJ (Jeremiah Johnson) had his fingerprints all over this one. Now, it would appear that the Ducks will be headed to the Holiday Bowl again this year. That's good, all things considered. Overall, I think I am so happy about the win for various reasons:
1) RIVALRY: Beaver fans are upset about being so close to the Rose Bowl, but this kept them out. I am not happy about this in itself, but this game definitely serves to fuel the health of the rivalry in the future. The civil war just got a little more interesting.
2) FINISHERS: It was great to see that UO could finish a season strong. For the last few years, they seemed to peter out. It's been a frustrating cycle as a fan.
3) WINNER: Coach Bellotti wins a big game. Say what you will about him (he's not my favorite personality, that's for sure), but he's a good coach and I'm glad to see he can shed more of the stigma that big games are not his strong suit.

Go Ducks.

November 29, 2008 - Blazers vs. Hornets

Emery and I went to the Blazers/Hornets game Friday night. The night before, New Orleans had played the Jazz in SLC and won the game with a James Posey (in this pic in the yellow headband) buzzer-beater trey. Portland played a descent game, and it was great to see Brandon Roy so dominant. He had 25-ish points and 10 assists. On a night-by-night basis, he is simply doing what he needs to do in orderto contribute to the win. The dude is effective. Byron Scott was quoted that opposing coaches now look at Roy as an elite player, preparing for him similarly as they do for LeBron, Kobe and D-Wade. Those are the names Scott used. Wow. The team is 7-0 at the Rose Garden so far this year. It's a great game venue. The city has embraced the team and it is a blast just to watch them operate while feeding on the energy of the home crowd. Emery was in to it as well. It's fun to see them growing up and starting to "get it" during sporting events.