Archive for December, 2008

I decided this afternoon to take the rest of the year off from work. As a result, we took advantage of my off evening to drive and walk through the Charleston County Festival of Lights, which is an absolutely extraordinary display of over two million lights (seriously, who counts ‘em?) in a big county park. It was really beautiful and quite pleasant.

In fact, I loved everything but this: About halfway through one of the lazy meanderings in our car we were passed by some massive, petrol-plumper of an SUV that was driving through all this heart-warming holiday wonderment with an animated movie playing on the drop-down DVD players above the back seats.

I repeat: Amid the glory and gorgeousness of a holiday light festival, the kids were watching a movie.

My hope for our future died just a little bit in that moment, though hope springs eternal that those driving DVD players will short-out and croak in the new year. You know, pull a Zune.

I’m not saying I necessarily disagree with the move, but … geez … I sure never expected this. I mean … wow. I’m sort of at a loss of how to react. I’m shocked, really.

Were there times I was frustrated with Shanahan’s coaching? Absolutely. Jay Cutler has a howitzer for a throwing arm, for example, yet I’d wager the Broncos ran more wide receiver screens than any other offense in the NFL, which seems quite the wrong thing to do as a coach. On the other side of the ball, the Broncos defense was offensive for the eleventy-fifth year in a row. Indeed, it was the worst in my memory. So, sure, there were coaching problems.

But I still never imagined that Pat Bowlen would fire Coach Shanahan. Despite his recent problems, after all, he still had a darn good record as a head football coach. And who’s Bowlen going to hire that’s better? That’s the catch, obviously — especially when Shanahan will remain on the books for $20-some million. Can we afford a solid GM (Pioli? Parcells?) who’ll then help pick the coach? And will whoever is in charge keep Bobby Turner, the excellent running backs coach? And what effect will this have on Cutler’s development? And will the zone-blocking scheme stay?

My mind swims with the general astonishment of it all.

Alas, Hanukkah is ending. To celebrate and show solidarity with the Jewish peeps ’round the globe, I just consumed about a dozen latkes.

Must now roll into the living room to show my solidarity with the Coloradoan peeps around the globe by rooting for the Broncos.

I imagine beer and latkes don’t mix, which is a bummer since I might feel like drinking depending on the outcome of the next few hours.

So we’re back in the Rockies for a week, enjoying the crisp air and long vistas of snowy mountainsides under rich blue skies. It’s marvelous.

The one downside is that I’m reminded once again how I’ve acclimated. While not feeling the effects of the high altitude yet — at Charleston we tend to spend our days at around 7 or 8 feet above sea level, whereas here we’re staying between 7 and 8 thousand — I am feeling quite a bit colder than I think I ought to feel given the temperature. So I’ve apparently turned into a warm-clime pansy.

We had the ultrasound on Tuesday. Everything seems to be good. And look! She waved!*

* Aye, looks like Daddy’s getting a little girl. Pity the would be boyfriends, for I will not.