Final 2010 Post

It's been a great holiday, and one of our best gifts has been the fact Auburn (the dog) is still with us. Here is a shot of me and the ol' girl doing getting in a quick hug after I went running. Auburn tolerates these hugs because post-run, I'm all salty and taste great.

It's been eight months since she had her leg amputated, and she is doing wonderful. She's gotten a bit skittish on slippery floors because she's had a couple spills. But otherwise, she's her lazy happy self (just like her Daddy). Happy New Year to all.

Christmas in Dayton

We returned to Dayton on 29 December. Since we did not want to lug all of Santa's loot back home with us, we called the North Pole prior to our departure and asked that Santa bring Bode's presents to our house in Ohio. Therefore, when we got home, Bode was pleased to find a ton of gifts under the Christmas tree and a dearth (yep, using that word again) of coal in his stocking. Here are some pictures of Bode opening his presents.

He was so excited. Of course, it is always easy to tell when he isn't as pleased with a gift because he's immediately ready to open the next gift.

The little man had quite a haul. Tonka toys, books, a jacket, playdoe, clothes, Legoes, a minicomputer, and a video game. I'm sure there's more that I missed. Those I just mentioned are the gifts I can still see out in the living room. Ashley and I also received a number of wonderful gifts--books, clothes, kitchenware, and shoes.

We think Bode is going to be a philosopher. You've probably heard the question, "If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one around to hear it, does it make any noise?" Bode put his own little spin on this saying. The exchange went as follows.

Ashley: (sniff, sniff) "Bode, did you toot?"

Bode: "I did."

Ashley: "Then say excuse me."

Bode: "But it didn't make any noise."

Well played, my son. Enjoy the holiday weekend.

Christmas in Fort Walton Part II

The weather was cold. COLD! That was not what was signed up for when we booked our reservations to Florida. I went running a few times and had to wear a hat. A HAT! IN FORT WALTON. Oh well. I'm exaggerating a bit. I did run early in the morning, so it hadn't warmed up. Around lunch time, it was pleasant, so we decided to get some pictures. Here's a shot of Bode surveying all that he rules (at least in his mind).

I'm not sure what Bode was doing in this one, but it's kind of cute.

We then managed to get Mommy outside. Notice she's wearing her big winter coat. Despite living for 10+ years near I-70, she still has thin blood.

Ever since we lived in FWB (and for the Rankin Family, many years before that), a fun, CHEAP form of entertainment has been going to Goofy Golf. The place we go hasn't raised prices since the 1980's. It's $2.50 per person, $1.00 for kids. Goofy Golf doesn't put a whole lot of cash into their landscaping, but the courses are fun, and for $6.00, you can't beat how happy it made Bode (and his parents). Here are some action shots. First, we have Bode teeing it up.

Next, we have Bode trying to hit the ball. He kept wanting to use the pointy end of his putter.

We didn't really keep score for Bode, but I must point out I beat Ashley by a considerable number of strokes. On our final night in FWB, we visited the Tobiks (Tim, Stacey, and their two kids Marleigh and Carter). They demanded (asked not) to be on the Chronicles, so here is their 15 minutes of fame. First, here's me and Stacey.

Next are Ashley with the Tobik clan.

The pictures aren't that great because somehow I turned the flash off on our camera and can't figure out how to get it back on. Maybe I should ask Bode to figure it out for me. We left the Tobik home around 9:00 pm. Bode was exhausted when we got home.

That about sums up our trip south. It's raining today in Dayton, but at least it's not snow. Pleasant New Year to everyone, and we'll see you in 2011.

Christmas in Fort Walton Part I

On 24 December we loaded up our sleigh and headed to the airport. Destination, the (supposed) warm coastline of Fort Walton Beach. It wasn't all that warm down there. In fact, there was even ice some mornings (yikes). However, despite the chilly weather, it was a fantastic vacation. The flight down left early Friday morning. Bode shot out of bed at 0430 and was excited to go see Nana and Papa. His enthusiasm continued on the first leg of the trip to Atlanta. He then ran out of gas on the second flight. Here is a shot of him snoozing on the plane.

We made it safe and sound to FWB. We were fortunate to travel on 24 December because that night, Delta started canceling flights into and out of Atlanta due to a massive snow storm on the east coast (which explains the cold weather we experienced in Florida). We had a lovely Christmas Eve, going to church (I avoided the lightening) and seeing many of the Rankin's friends. Bode performed admirably in church, although why is it kids say loud statements right when the music ends when it's quiet as an Alabama fan at the Iron Bowl?

Christmas morning, we opened presents. Bode was very excited and had to help everyone tear the paper off the boxes. Here are some action photos. First, the little dude and Papa opening a big one.

Then, Bode had to help Uncle Jason put together his new scale.

After all the gifts were opened, it was time to relax before the big feast. Bode spent time playing with his new Leapster, while I sat next to him, amazed at how quickly he figured things out. He'll be playing Donkey Kong on the Wii in no time.

Nana whipped up a fantastic meal, and we all ate way too much. Good thing Jason's scale wasn't able to weigh us all, as I'm sure it would have been depressing. We spent the afternoon digesting and relaxing. Here's a shot of the three boys sitting on the couch. Note how Bode is still playing that Leapster game.

It was a wonderful Christmas Day. Tune in next time for some pictures on the water and Bode's first Goofy Golf outing!

Happy Holidays

Well, we can put a nice bow on 2010. I'm done working for the rest of the year (really not that long considering I went in today, and it's the 23rd of December...)

We've had a nice December--still basking in the glow of the Auburn SEC Championship victory. Unfortunately, that glow has done nothing to help the weather here in Dayton, which has been miserable. Cold, icy, snowy, windy, and a lack (dearth, or paucity if you wish--Santa brought me a thesaurus) of sun. We had some chilly weather last weekend, so Bode and I had to really bundle up before going out.

The little guy really likes being outside in the weather. He (like his father) seems to enjoy shoveling snow. Bode's a big (no) help to me right now, but with a little bit of training, he'll be ready when we retire to the mountain palace (aka the Snow Hole), whereupon he'll be anointed the official shoveler of the McGuirk Family. The weather was so cold that Ashley had to work out indoors (I, of course, ran outside in the elements). Bode wanted to participate. Here he is trying to do some exercises.

Not sure what is going on in the picture below, but he was enjoying himself, jumping around and laughing with Mommy.

Hopefully you are someplace warm, weather it be on a tropical island or next to a cozy fire, for the holidays. All the best to everyone. Make sure you leave your cookies out for Santa. Pleasant Christmas to all, and to all, well, you know the ending.

Auburn's Season

Auburn is 13-0, which is exactly what I predicted they would be at the start of the season (wink wink). It has been a fun ride this fall, and I thought I would document some of the highs and lows (actually there weren't any) of the season so Ashley can look back on this season and remember exactly how things transpired, rather than having our memories of the season changed by ESPN's or other media outlets' revisionist history.

The first game of the season was against mighty Arkansas State. We were lucky to see this game on TV. The game was carried on ESPN Gameplan, a package we order well in advance. Unfortunately, our local cable carrier was having issues getting their distribution software working properly. Fortunately, I managed to work things out, but not without spending about half hour on the phone arguing. Not a good omen to start the season. It wasn't a close game, and the team won, 52-26. We were off and running.

The second game of the season was in Starkville against the Bulldawgs of Mississippi State. We were there, and the game started off great. Auburn scored on their opening drive, and looked impressive. Then, things stalled, and the game became a battle. MSU pulled an onsides kick to start the second half, and we were worried. Late in the fourth quarter, Auburn was up 17-14. The Bulldawgs were driving. They had what appeared to be a nice completion down to Auburn's 10-yard line. Ashley and I were disheartened--we were hoping for overtime. However, this easy catch was inexplicably dropped by the Bulldawg receiver. It must have hit his hands too hard or something. After that, the Bulldawg drive stalled on Auburn's 40, and the game was won. We certainly didn't feel like a potential BCS title contender, since Mississippi State wasn't considered to be a strong opponent at this point in the season. They did finish 8-4 and are in a New Year's Day bowl game, but back in September, we thought they were the same crappy team from last year. Needless to say, we were happy to be 2-0, but worried.

Week 3 started horribly against Clemson. ESPN Gameday was at the campus, and the game was on national TV in prime time. Before we could blink, Auburn was down 17-0, and their defense was showing more faults than California. They couldn't stop the pass, and we thought we were in for a blowout. But they kicked a field goal to end the first half, and in the third quarter, scored three times. Cam Newton was starting to work a little magic. Clemson tied things up in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Auburn got the ball first, but couldn't score a TD and settled for a field goal. Clemson quickly drove the ball inside Auburn's 10-yard line and looked like they would easily score. Auburn's defense was then given a gift. Clemson's QB rolled to the right and had a receiver wide open in the end zone. Fortunately, he threw a bad ball and the pass was incomplete. Clemson kicked a field goal...or so they thought. Their kicker was called for a false start and they had to rekick. He missed. Game over, Auburn wins 27-24. We're 3-0, but not happy. Our offense looks decent at times, but the defense is awful.

Week 4 brought the old ball coach to Auburn. Like week 3, South Carolina jumped on Auburn 14-0. Auburn fought back, was down 20-14 at halftime, blocking an extra point attempt after an SC touchdown. They were down 27-21 in the fourth quarter, and then their defense came alive, forcing four Gamecock turnovers. Auburn scored two TDs and was up 35-27. SC drove the length of the field, but had an interception in the Auburn endzone with about 30 seconds to play. Auburn is 4-0, and Cam Newton is getting some national attention, while the defense needs an extreme makeover a la Ty Pennington.

Week 5 was against Louisiana Monroe. Auburn won 52-3. Not much of a game, but not much of an opponent.

Week 6 brought a second road test against Kentucky. Auburn surprised us all and jumped out to a big lead, up 31-14. We were thinking it was going to be a route. Unfortunately, their defense faltered in the second half, and with 7:31 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Kentucky kicked a field goal to tie the score 34-34. Then, Cam Newton took over, and led them on a 19-play drive down to Kentucky's two yard line that resulted in a field goal on the last play of the game. He converted a bunch of third downs and kept the clock moving. Another close game, another Auburn win, and another heart attack for Jeff and Ashley.

Week 7 brought a major test against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs boasted a great QB named Ryan Mallet. Auburn knocked him out of the game in the first quarter, so we thought we were in the clear. No such luck. We could not stop their freshman backup, who torched the secondary for 330+ yards and four TDs. Fortunately, the Auburn offense was on fire and kept pace with Arkansas. Early in the fourth quarter, Arkansas scored to go up 43-37. Auburn then scored 28 unanswered points. The defense forced turnovers on three straight Arkansas possessions, sealing the victory with the lopsided score of 65-43, but it was closer than the score shows. 7-0, ranked #4 in the nation and Cam Newton is a Heisman front-runner.

Week 8 brought the undefeated LSU Tigers to the Jordan Hare stadium. This was a battle because LSU's defense was very good and matched up well with Auburn's offense. Additionally, LSU's offense was just as bad as Auburn's defense. The scored was tied 10-10 at halftime, 17-17 with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. That's when Onterrio McCalebb broke a 70-yard touchdown run. Auburn's defense sealed the deal with a final stop. Final score 24-17, Auburn is 8-0, and has the inside track to the SEC West Division Title.

Weeks 9 and 10 were relatively calm. First up was Ole Miss. I was worried Auburn would have a let down after the big game the previous week. No problems. Auburn was up 34-17 at halftime, scored another ten points in the third quarter, and won 51-31. The defense was still a sore spot, giving up too many points to a sub-par team. Week 10 was against Tennessee Chattanooga. Auburn won 62-24.

Week 11 was the south's oldest rivalry. Auburn vs Georgia has been played 114 times. Georgia came into the game with a red-hot freshman QB and an NFL caliber receiver. This proved to be troublesome for Auburn, who quickly went down 14-0 and but fought back and tied the game 21-21 at halftime. Auburn then grabbed some momentum by recovering an onsides kick to start the second half, a trick they undoubtedly learned from the Mississippi State game. The teams swapped touchdowns, but then Auburn showed why they'll ranked number two, running off 14 unanswered points, winning 49-31. Eleven games, eleven wins, with the Iron Bowl up next.

Week 12 was a trip to Bryant-Denny stadium. Alabama came into the season as the defending national champs and were the preseason favorite to win it all again. However, they didn't live up to expectations, losing two SEC conference games. Their season could be salvaged by spoiling Auburn's national title hopes. The Crimson Tide were a 4-point favorite, and most national radio talk shows were picking them to win. The game started poorly for Auburn, who was quickly down 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Mark Ingram broke away on a long run, getting the ball down to Auburn's 10-yard line. Bama surely would have scored to go up 28-0. However, as Ingram was being tackled, an Auburn defender punched the ball out. Ingram fumbled and the ball went out the back of the endzone. No points for the Tide. Auburn scored a TD, but found themselves down 24-7 with a minute to go in the second quarter. Alabama was inside Auburn's 10 again and would surely score. I was so disheartened that I went outside and started working in the yard. Imagine my surprise when Ashley comes running out and says Nick Fairly sacked the QB, and forced and recovered a fumble. Amazing. Not only that, on the proceeding play, Bama had a sure touchdown pass dropped by their receiver. Going into halftime, Auburn was only down 24-7, but it could easily have been 38-7. A different team came out of the locker room to open the third quarter. On the second play of the half, Cam Newton completed a 70-yard TD pass. 24-14. The defense then stopped Bama on successive possessions, and Auburn scored again to make it 24-21. Then came the moment I thought all was lost. Auburn's defense stopped Bama again, forcing a punt. Auburn would get the ball back with a chance to take the lead, but they fumbled the punt! Bama ball, deep in Auburn territory. Fortunately, this team never says die. They held Bama to a field goal. With about five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Auburn is down 27-21. It's fourth and two around the fifty. Auburn goes for it, and gets it on a beautiful pass by Newton. Steadily, Auburn marches downfield and scores the go-ahead TD. The defense holds, and Auburn wins 28-27 in the most remarkable comeback in Auburn history. 12-0 and on to the SEC Championship.

Week 13 was in Atlanta. Much like week 2, Ashley and I were at the game. We drove down on Friday. Listening to the radio, you would have thought South Carolina was the undefeated number 1 team in the nation because most pundits thought South Carolina would win, saying Spurrier was such a great big-game coach, and pointing out that turnovers killed SC in the first meeting. Auburn was having none of this talk. They jumped to a 21-7 lead in the first quarter. They then stalled a bit, and seemed to give the Gamecocks some life. SC scored with 0:16 left in the first half to pull within 21-14. We were a bit worried because SC would get the kickoff to start the second half--could those pundits have been right? Of course not. Teams of destiny cannot be denied. Auburn completed a quick pass to the 50 yard line. They then threw a Hail-Mary to the end-zone, which was tipped and then caught by Darvin Adams. An amazing play, an eruption from the Auburn fans in the Georgia Dome, and a big sigh of disappointment from South Carolina. At that point, we knew we were going to win. SC couldn't score on their first possession of the second half, and the route was on. Auburn wins the SEC Title game 56-17. They are #1 in the BCS, Cam will likely win the Heisman, and all that stands in the way between Auburn and a BCS Title are a couple of ducks :-)

SEC Championship Part II

The trip to the game was Ashley's 40th birthday present. It was a lot of planning--I had to make sure Auburn won a lot of close games and defeated their dreaded rivals. I had to call in a lot of favors from the coaches, but in the end, it was worth it :-) We first went to SEC fanfare, which was right next to the Georgia Dome. Here's a shot of Ashley in her lucky Auburn t-shirt.

Next, we posed with the SEC Championship trophy. We thought about waiting until the trophy was at Auburn the following day, but we didn't want to appear too cocky...

After some mulling around, we headed into the stadium and watched "the team" warm up. Here's a shot of Cam Newton (perhaps you've heard of him?). Ashley embarrassed me by going into a girlish fit of glee, jumping up and down and hyperventilating when she saw him.

Our seats were pretty good--on the lower level but in the end zone. Here's a shot of some of the game. Note how everyone is standing--they did this the entire game.

The game was A-U-S-O-M-E! Auburn took an early lead, let South Carolina get close, but the Hail-Mary at the end of the first half probably changed the game. The Georgia Dome got very loud when Adams caught that deflection in the end-zone. Did Ashley see it? No--she left right before to beat the rush to the bathroom :-) At the end of the game, confetti exploded from the rafters and rained down on the victorious Auburn Tigers.

Here's a final shot of the two of us, exhausted but thrilled with the outcome.

We're looking forward to the BCS Championship game in January. War Eagle!

SEC Championship Part I

As you must know, the SEC Championship was this past weekend. Ashley and I went to the game. The following posts document our little mini-vacation. We left early Friday morning. The drive from Dayton to Atlanta is 500 miles, all on I-75. We were worried it would take us a long time since Bode is now wearing underwear, and we planned on stopping at most of the rest stops to ensure Bode didn't have any accidents. The little man did great. We stopped every couple hours, and had a relatively relaxing drive. Here's a shot of the pilot and copilot being silly.

Bode entertained himself on the trip, and also took a couple naps. He was probably exhausted because we got him up at 0500.

We arrived at Kathy and Dave's house at 3:30. Total trip time was 9 hours, 45 minutes, which wasn't too bad considering we stopped for lunch and had a number of pit stops along the way. Kathy and Dave have two sons, Westin and Keller. Westin is a couple months older than Bode, while Keller just turned one. Bode was sooooo excited to see Westin. The two immediately started pulling out toys in the living room.

Here's a shot of the two little men sitting at their little table, discussing current events.

That evening, we ordered pizza and hung around the house. At this point, I must say a few words about Kathy and Dave. About fifteen months ago, Kathy and Dave found out they were pregnant with little Keller. They also found out Kathy had stage three breast cancer, which had a survival rate a little better than the flip of a coin. Kathy went through the mastectomy and chemo-therapy, had a c-section with Keller six-weeks early, more chemo and radiation, followed by a second mastectomy. Amazingly, they were extremely positive and upbeat during the time. Kathy is now cancer-free and is getting back to normal energy levels. While they don't believe they've done anything more than what other families with cancer have done, I consider them an inspiration about how to handle adversity.

Saturday morning, we woke up with butterflies in our stomachs. Ashley was a bit nervous.

Fortunately, Kathy's work (Georgia Power) was having a pancake breakfast with Santa. Do you think Westin and Bode were anxious to go?

Santa and Mrs. Claus were there, and we got some good shots of Bode on the big guy's lap.

Westin enjoyed visiting with Santa...Keller did not. The picture is a little blurry because Bode took it (yes, really-he's a little Ansel).

Bode and I took a quick picture in the Claus's chairs.

We had a great time at the breakfast, and left shortly before noon. We went home, and got geared up for the big game. Bode stayed with home and played with Westin (Kathy and Dave were so nice to baby-sit). More on the game in the next post...