Arlen, are you kidding me?

OK, he was a jerk to Anita.  OK, he voted for Thomas (ugh) and Alito (ick).  OK, there are a number of reasons to dislike the guy, but today I am happy he's a Democrat.

Kingside attacks are the best!

[Event "Team match"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.04.27"] [Round "-"] [White jimeade] [Black "andrzejb"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1819"] [BlackElo "1712"] 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Nd2 Bd6 5. Bg3 O-O 6. Bd3 b6 7. c3 Bb7 8. Ngf3 Ne4 9. Qb1 Nxd2 10. Nxd2 g6 11. Bxd6 Qxd6 12. f4 c5 13. g3 cxd4 14. exd4 Nc6 15. Qd1 Na5 16. Qe2 Nc4 17. Nf3 a6 18. h4 h5 19. Ne5 b5 20. g4 hxg4 21. Qxg4 Nxe5 22. fxe5 Qe7 23. Kd2 b4 24. h5 bxc3+ 25. bxc3 Qa3 26. hxg6 Qb2+ 27. Bc2 f5 28. Rh8+ Kxh8 29. Qh5+ 1-0

Kingside attacks are the best!

[Event "Best of the Best VI"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.04.27"] [Round "-"] [White jimeade] [Black "vulpecula"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1806"] [BlackElo "1862"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Nd2 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. Ngf3 Bd6 7. Ne5 Bxe5 8. dxe5 Nd7 9. Qg4 g6 10. Nf3 O-O 11. h4 b6 12. h5 Qe7 13. Bd3 Bb7 14. O-O-O Rfe8 15. Rh2 c4 16. Bc2 Nc5 17. Rdh1 Nd3+ 18. Bxd3 cxd3 19. hxg6 f5 20. exf6 e.p. Qxf6 21. Rxh7 Re7 22. Qh5 Qf5 23. Rh8+ Kg7 24. Qh6+ Kf6 25. Bg5+ 1-0

Arguing with your IPOD

I got the last word in, but I admit that I had to use the manual.

I knew it right away

Waling towards the tee box on 18 I realized I hadn't had any three putts all day.  As soon as the thought crept into my head I mentally kicked myself.  I told Luis, "I think I just jinxed myself."  sure enough, three putts on 18 left me shaking my head.  

Service for Bob Anderson

We went to a wonderful service for Bob, and everyone did a great job.  There weren't too many dry eyes in the place.  Bob had an amazing ability to make you feel comfortable in his presence. I do and will miss him.

Fitlynx

I am goal oriented.  So, the system at the "Y", which tracks the amount of weight I lift each visit, is perfect for me.  I was informed that I had just passed the 100,000 pound mark (not all at once) and I felt pretty darned pumped about it.

56th tournament

Managed to eke out a win in this game, clinching a tie for first.

[Event "56th GK tournament"]
[Site "http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=11496417"]
[Date "2009.04.19"]
[Round "-"]
[White "jbnugas"]
[Black "jimeade"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1574"]
[BlackElo "1811"]
[TimeControl "1/172800"]
[Mode "ICS"]
[Termination "normal"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Bg7 
6. Be3 Nf6 7. Qd2 O-O 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Bh6 Qa5 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 
11. Bd3 d6 12. O-O-O Be6 13. Kb1 Rab8 14. b3 Qa3 15. h4 a5 
16. Qc1 Qb4 17. Qb2 Rb7 18. h5 Rfb8 19. Ka1 a4 20. hxg6 fxg6 
21. a3 Qb6 22. Nxa4 Qxf2 23. Rdb1 Kg8 24. Rhg1 c5 25. e5 Nd5 
26. exd6 exd6 27. Bc4 Nc7 28. Bxe6+ Nxe6 29. Rbf1 Qd4 30. Qxd4 Nxd4 
31. Rf2 Rf7 32. Rxf7 Kxf7 33. Rc1 Ke6 34. Nc3 h5 35. a4 g5 
36. Ka2 Kf5 37. Ka3 Kg4 38. Nd5 Kg3 39. Nf6 Kxg2 40. Nxh5 g4 
41. a5 g3 42. Nf4+ Kf3 43. Nh3 g2 44. Ka4 Kg3 45. Ng1 Nf3 
46. Nxf3 Kxf3 47. a6 Rg8 48. Kb5 g1=Q 49. Rxg1 Rxg1 50. a7 Ra1 
51. Kb6 Ke3 52. Kb7 Kd2  0-1

golfing again

It was good to get to play again, and a 91 is respectable.  I'll be in the eighties again when my short game comes around.

award's banquet

It as interesting to go to my first stanford women's basketball awards banquet.  I really enjoyed it, but it was kind of strange to see those women all dressed up!  Everyone looked great, but I think Roz stole the show.

"Wicked"

I really enjoyed seeing "Wicked" with Sheri and Larry's family. 

I'd seen it twice in New York (once with the great Idina Menzel) and was worried that it might not seem as special in SF.  When we got there we learned that the two main roles (Elphaba and Glinda) were to be played by understudies.

Vicki Noon played Elphaba and did a very fine job.  Natalie Daradich was pretty good as Glinda.  Nicolas Dromard was only OK as Fiyero.  The play still rocked!  "Defying Gravity" gets me everytime!

Some people don't know when to resign

[Event "van88's mini-tournament"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/"] [Date "2009.04.12"] [Round "-"] [White "ich_loose_nur"] [Black Jim Eade] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1763"] [BlackElo "1774"] 1. f4 g6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Bg7 4. c4 c6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. d4 Bg4 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O Bxf3 9. Rxf3 e6 10. Rh3 Nbd7 11. c5 b6 12. b4 a5 13. bxa5 bxc5 14. dxc5 Qxa5 15. Qd3 Nxc5 16. Qc2 Nfe4 17. Bb2 Bxc3 18. Bxc3 Qxc3 19. Qd1 Qb2 20. Bf3 Rxa2 21. Rxa2 Qxa2 22. Bxe4 Nxe4 23. Rf3 Rb8 24. Rf1 Rb2 25. Qg4 Rb1 26. h3 Rxf1+ 27. Kxf1 Qf2# 0-1

Goodbye St. Louis

I was not sorry to leave St. Louis.  My sister-in-law Kelli had to stay another day, but the rest of us came home.  I read one quote claiming the area was 9 months winter and 3 months hell.  Funny!  Maybe true??

Excellent museums.  Excellent 'que.  Those were the highlights.

St. Louis Bar BQ

Going for 'que today at Pappy's Smokehuse.  It's come highly recommended.  Then it's on to the Tradecenter for UConn-Louisville.

Curses!

As Jim walks up to the 18th tee, he realizes that he hadn't made a double bogey (or worse) the whole round. He, of course, double bogies 18 and finishes with an 88.

Meet Me in St. Louis

We (Sheri, Andy, Dawn and I) are headed for St. Louis for the final four!

I can't explain it, but my golf swing came around yesterday. I had several good birdie opportunities and even converted one! I'm playing again tomorrow, and will be curious as to whether the swing will still be there.