Tuesday...August 30, 2011/Fall 2011

Wow...long time, no post! When last we spoke, I was still in Florida helping my mom after cutting short my 2011 summer camping trip to the Canadian Maritimes. By Tuesday, August 30, 2011, my work in Florida was complete, and it was finally time to head home. It was an extremely productive trip...in just over two weeks, I was able to find an assisted living place for mom, get her admitted, and move her in. I even managed to get Schatzi approved and moved in...although that victory was short-lived. Within a week, Schatzi bit someone, and she got "booted" from assisted living. She was placed with a local family, but that didn't work out. After being "passed off" to several prospective owners, she ended up in a rescue shelter in Port St. Lucie. Thanks to an implanted "id chip", the shelter was able to contact me...I was able to contact mom and Ace...and they were able to pick her up. For several months, Schatzi lived at the house with mom and Ace coming over twice a day to feed her and let her out. This story does have a happy ending...we managed to find another service that placed dogs for adoption, and Schatzi found a new home. They don't provide many details other than that both Schatzi and new owners are happy and doing well. So...on Tuesday, August 30, I finally headed back home...reaching my usual stop in Knoxville around 6:00PM. A few cocktails and a nice dinner at my favorite restaurant across the street from the motel...and off to sleep. I'm on the road at 6:00AM the next morning and, finally, home around 4:00PM on Wednesday. It's a busy few days unpacking and cleaning up the house before the first UM game on September 3rd. An interesting game...our first with new coach, Brady Hoke. It's a fun game...Terri and Carl now have a motor home, and they join Roger and Gretchen and the rest of our motor home "crew". The second game is truly "unforgettable"...the first night game in UM history...against arch-rival Notre Dame. A last-second victory makes this game an "instant classic". And so, the season rolls along. With the exception of two "blips" against MSU and Iowa, UM gains strength and confidence every week. And then...beating Ohio State for the first time in ages caps off a magical season. All the more so when we get a BCS bid to the Sugar Bowl...you know where I'm going!