Nebraska's Back. And We're Here To Stay

Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini drew up a masterpiece Wednesday.
Bo Pelini thanked the Husker fans who turned out in force for Wednesday night's Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. Then he marked the end of remarkable turnaround to the season with a statement: "Nebraska's back. And we're here to stay."

Niles Paul's "Superman" pose says it all...

...and Ndamukong Suh followed suit in his final collegiate game.

Ready For The Girls

Santa's presents await the girls' visit Saturday.

Christmas Blizzard Aftermath

Working The System

The snow removal guys at my apartment were off today.
The million dollar question of the Christmas Blizzard of 2009 (as I watched the local business cancellations scroll across my TV all day today):

How many of those businesses are really open on Christmas Day? Or did they just want to reap a little free publicity for a good 12 to 15 hours on Christmas Day?

Welcome To Snow-Maha

I really do enjoy shoveling. Seriously.
Now I know where those Good Samaritans come from. You know, the ones who suddenly emerge in the middle of thunderstorm with an umbrella or who mysteriously appear at the precise moment you have a flat tire to help you change it.

I know. Because today I was one of them.

I was trudging home through snow drifts half as tall as me, uphill (yes, it is uphill most of the way), barely moving. I was running on empty, to be honest. Four hours of snow blowing and shoveling in my "old neighborhood" had taken its toll. My back ached, my fingers were frozen and my boots long since soaked through to the two pair of socks that were supposed to keep my toes warm.

(By the way, I now know the benefit of snow shoes. When you're trying to negotiate your way through snow drifts, it would be better to be walking on top instead of sinking into them.)

Just as I reached the top of the hill, with my apartment now within sight, I saw my opportunity to help. A nice black car was stuck in a drift at the intersection. Its occupants were both armed with shovels, getting ready to dig it out. The fellow was dressed appropriately. But his girlfriend/wife/unwilling travel companion had polka-dot pajama pants on. When they saw me coming to help, their faces lit up – and the girl stopped screaming, "This is the worst Christmas ever!"

A bit of digging and a big push and they were free. I helped direct traffic around them as they swung the (nice) car toward a downhill destination and off they went. I'm sure they had to be asking themselves where I came from. One moment, they were alone and stranded (but with shovels). The next moment, there I was, pitching in to dig them out.

I did make it back to my apartment, too. It was quite a task, staggering my way the final 25 yards or so. The final obstacle was a drift half as high as the front door of my apartment. It was clear no one had been out since I left, nor would they be leaving anytime soon.

Some more Christmas Day Blizzard observations:

Clearing snow is a lot like fighting a war. When you're using a shovel, it's akin to having a gun. You attack little by little, deliberately and patiently, pacing yourself.

But if you have a snowblower at your disposal, it's a lot like having a machine gun. You can mow down a lot of the opposition in short order.

But in a storm like today, when you feel like your machine gun is only doing so much to hold off the flakes that are falling, there can be an even bigger weapon to help you out. Today, the revelation came just after I had spent nearly an hour clearing half of the circle street in my old neighborhood.

That life-saver – much like "air support" from fighter jets in a war – came in the form of a pick-up truck with a plow blade on the front. What had taken me so long to clear was made even cleaner in a matter of seconds. Never before has a snow plow looked so good. I could relate to soldiers in the jungle in Vietnam who were taking heavy fire - until jets roared overhead and decimated the enemy.

(If you really want to know what I mean by the above, watch this scene from the movie, "Saving Private Ryan," where Tom Hanks' character takes on a tank with a pistol.)

More photos from today:

Jon was not happy with all the snow.

Bridget worked her way down,while I took the uphill approach to the snow path.

The sidewalk to my apartment: completely drifted over.

Christmas Eve 2009

The snow is piling up. Four inches so far (at 8 p.m.).

The Christmas letters are a work-in-progress.

Snowy Drive Through The Streets

The driving in Omaha tonight isn't bad – yet.

Afternoon snow just before Christmas Eve mass.

Holiday Blizzard?

The view off my balcony at 8 a.m. CST.
There's a storm brewing and it promises to arrive just in time to create chaos for people who are traveling for the holidays (not me).

Forecasts call for up to 14 inches of snow (KETV) between today and Saturday morning. CT Thongklin at KMTV had Omaha in a 6-to-12 inch snow band. The safe bet seems to be about half a foot. But the winds are also expected to create "blizzard-like" conditions.

My 15 Minutes Of Fame

The Omaha World-Herald features Mike, Laura and me
for our roles in the upcoming movie, "Up in the Air."
(Click here to read the article.)

Fun In The Snow

Lauren (left) and Julia made the most of the snow piles.
The recent snowstorm made for some makeshift slides for Lauren, Julia and Veronica. The three of them weren't about to let the frigid temperatures keep them inside. Instead, they were slipping and sliding down the snow piles.

The snow was a bit too powdery to make snowballs, but it was still a good time. And being able to climb the massive pile by the apartment garages gave them a bird's eye view of the nearby cemetary.

DARE

Lauren shows off her certificate and speech.
I had the pleasure of attending Lauren's DARE graduation this week. If you're not familiar with DARE, it's a special in-school program that gives students the life skills they need to avoid involvement with drugs, gangs, and violence.

For Lauren, this was a special day. She was one of only two students selected to read the essays they wrote. She did a terrific job of reading and was congratulated by Bellevue's mayor, Bellevue Police Chief John Stacey and her DARE instructor (pictured at right) afterwards.

I Think I'm In There Somewhere

My pass to last night's sneak preview screening.
So I saw "Up in the Air" for the second time last night. I think I made at least one scene. I just need a remote to slow the movie down so I can make myself (or my shoes) out. I learned yesterday that the movie is opening two days earlier than its originally-announced nationwide debut of Christmas Day.

Cyclocross Nationals Recap

The "official" officials crew photo (at Starbucks, of course).
Better late than never, here is a look back at my five days in Bend, Ore., while officiating the 2009 USA Cycling national cyclocross championships.

My in-flight meal on Alaska Airlines. I was supposed to be on Northwest
but I missed my connection out of Minneapolis due to a blizzard.

The "sisters" mountains that overlook Bend.

This pretty much sums up my four days of officiating:
scoring races from the finish line trailer.

Bend is even more beautiful in the winter. It was about a
100-degree temperature difference from the weather in July.

A look at my scoring for one of the races.

I couldn't resist a photo with Oregon's mascot.

The other half of my job: ringing the "last lap" bell.
The bell was handed down to me from the estate of the late Sue Hefle.

I had a stopover in Salt Lake City on the way back.

I would not have had the chance to take this photo had my plane
not been forced to circle Eppley for some unknown reason.

The 'Snowpocolypse'

Looks like very few people went to work today.
It's five degrees here in Omaha as I type this. And in Bend, Ore., where I am headed, it's -11. Whoa.

I was scheduled to be on a plane to Oregon at five o'clock this morning. But the storm that dumped nearly a foot of snow on Omaha between yesterday morning and this morning canceled my flight. When I learned of this last night, I immediately re-booked. Now I leave at 3:05 p.m. with a scheduled arrival in Redmond, Ore., at five minutes to midnight.

I will be officiating the USA Cycling national cyclocross championships this week/weekend. It promises to be ultra cold and likely quite snowy, too. It's my goal to post updates every day. We'll see how I do.


The three-and-a-half foot drift on my porch.

Look What's Coming My Way

My buddy, CT Thongklin, says 6-10 inches of snow
will fall today through Wednesday here in Omaha.

Emily and Julia Tip It Off

It's that time of year – and for the second straight season, I will not be coaching basketball. But unlike last year (when I wasn't involved at all), I will be helping out as an assistant coach for Julia's 3rd/4th grade team.

Both Emily and Julia are playing this year. Emily is a seventh grader on a team playing in the 8th grade league and Julia is a third grader playing in the 4th grade league.

Julia's team won its first game Saturday, 19-12, and Julia scored a pair of baskets. I reminded her that I scored a total of two baskets in two years of playing basketball in 7th and 8th grade.

Emily also scored two baskets in her team's 29-19 loss Sunday. Here are a few photos (courtesy of Lauren):


Uniforms didn't arrive in time, so numbers were taped on.

Emily seems to be listening intently to her coaches.

Julia takes the ball out at St. Bridget's gymnasium.
My brother-in-law, Terry (left), was one of the officials.

A nice shot of me watching the center jump of Julia's game.

It's Only Just A Game, Right?

That one second that would be put back on the clock.
I don't consider myself a Nebraska football fan.

It's not a knock against the state where I was born, grew up in and have lived my entire life. In fact, I will readily admit that I was a fervent Husker fan in my teens. I dreamed of pulling on the Scarlet and Cream, working out in the massive Nebraska lockerroom and hearing the cheers of the 76-thousand plus fans in Memorial Stadium.

Were my aspirations far-fetched? Of course. I stood nearly 6-foot-2 in eighth grade but weighed a paltry 120 pounds. If I had any hope of making a football team – any team (Pop Warner, junior high, junior varsity, varsity, college, etc.) – it would be as a kicker. But my leg strength was awful and the few afternoons my dad and I ventured up to the local high school field, I could barely kick it through the uprights from more than 30 yards (equating to 20-yard field goals).

So what changed my perspective on Nebraska's football team from Husker fan to casual observer? It had to be my "real" career as a sports reporter. I saw my first Husker game in person in 1987. Two years later, I was covering the team on Saturdays, watching from the press box and interviewing Heisman Trophy winners like Rashaan Salaam, future NFL'ers like Roy Williams and Danny Wuerffel and Hall of Fame coaches like Barry Switzer and Steve Spurrier.

So up until tonight, my biggest heartbreak involving the Husker football team dated back to my days as a high school junior. It was Jan. 2, 1984. Yes, the "instant classic" Orange Bowl. The one that followed Nebraska's 1983 season that saw the Husker offense get a cover story in Time magazine for being one of the most prolific in the history of college football. "The Triplets" (Turner Gill, Irving Fryar and Mike Rozier) were poised to earn Tom Osborne his first national title. And, as we all know, it came down to a failed two-point conversion that let Miami steal it all away.

I vividly remember calling my friend, Matt, long-distance (he lived in Des Moines) on that Monday night after Nebraska scored to pull within 31-30. We watched Gill roll out to his right and throw a pass to Jeff Smith, only to have Miami safety Ken Calhoun tip the ball away. The phone went dead. Omaha World-Herald sports editor Mike Kelly wrote a column that began, "The sun did come up," though it really didn't the next day (it was cloudy and overcase). I wore a black armband on my Husker jersey for months (seriously) and we suffered through one of our coldest winters of all time. Talk about piling on...

So when Nebraska saw the game officials put one second back on the clock last night in Dallas, I already started feeling that sinking feeling in my stomach that we had all been here before. The Hollywood Ending that Ndamukong Suh needed to possible vault him into the top three of a Heisman Trophy vote crossed my mind. But before I could start playing it out in my mind, Texas' Hunter Lawrence already had the kick in the air, sailing toward the uprights.

At first, it looked like it was going to go wide. But it kept curving and curving and tucked just inside the left upright. My friend, Bob, whom I had been texting updates to all night long, sent me three different texts asking what happened. For some reason, my texts either weren't reaching him or they were delayed. So three times I had to type, "Texas won on a 46-yard field goal." Talk about having to rub salt on a wound.

Lasting images from this game (off my TV screen):
As the Huskers lined up to kick the go-ahead field goal,
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy couldn't bear to watch.

Does this look like the expression on the face
of a confident Heisman Trophy candidate?

Pelini and the Huskers thought they had won the game.

This is how close Nebraska came to winning.

Something To Get You In The Spirit

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

A little preview of the YD Christmas Letter.

First December Snowfall

It may only be a "trace" here in Omaha,
but it is still the first snowfall of December.

The Chinese Go To Great Lengths

Watch this Chinese re-enactment of what they suspect
happened to Tiger Woods in the early-morning hours of "Black Friday."

Coming Soon: 'Up In The Air'

The new George Clooney movie, "Up in the Air," hits some theaters around the country this weekend and opens nationwide on Christmas Day.

This film is one of the most anticipated flicks of 2009 – if not the most anticipated movie here in Omaha – and is especially important to me because I landed a role as an extra. I had sent a photo in (at right) after reading in the Omaha World-Herald newspaper that they were looking for "business travelers." (Emily is the one who got cropped out of the photo.)

Here's the e-mail I received (while I was in Orlando, at Hollywood Studios of all places) informing me I had earned the privilege of spending 17 hours on the set at Eppley Airfield:

Date of Work: Tuesday, April 28th
Your Category is: BUSINESS TRAVELER
Your start time is: 6:30AM

For continuity you must be available and on set for approx. 12–13 consecutive hours from your start time.

Report Rain or Shine to the set.

SET SECURITY: DO NOT BRING RELATIVES OR FRIENDS. ONLY MINORS WILL BE ALLOWED TO BRING ONE PARENT OR GUARDIAN WITH THEM.

PICTURES OR VIDEO FROM CELL PHONES ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Taking a picture or video on set are grounds for immediate dismissal and will not be tolerated. Do not bring cameras of any kind to the set. You will sign a confidentiality agreement when you check in. The confidentiality agreement forbids you from doing an interview about your experience on the set, or blogging about your experience on the set.

Holding Area: After you report to set, and are checked in, the background cast will wait together in a room close to the set. Please do not bring any valuables. We are not responsible for lost items or valuables.

Lunch: We break for lunch about 6 hours into our day. If you are on set with us during our lunch break, we will provide a catered lunch. Your lunch is provided, but it’s not counted as work time. It’s always a good idea to eat something before you arrive.

WARDROBE DETAILS:
**Please read this entire wardrobe memo in order to understand the guidelines.

FOR ALL CATEGORIES:
NO OVERLY TRENDY LOOKS**NO BRIGHT WHITE **NO BRIGHT RED **NO BLACK. NO VISIBLE LOGOS.

GOOD COLORS: Light grey, medium grey, charcoal grey, brown, navy blue, medium blues, burgundy, rust, maroon, eggplant, professional greens, olive green, hunter green.

*If you only have black clothes or a black overcoat, please borrow something as we cannot put you in the movie in black.

WE ARE FILMING MANY SCENES ON TUESDAY AT THE AIRPORT. WE ARE GOING TO ASK YOU TO BRING MANY OPTIONS SO YOU CAN BE RE-USED FOR MANY SCENES. PLEASE DO YOUR BEST WITH SELECTIONS FROM YOUR CLOSET. BRING YOUR BEST OPTIONS, AND OUR WARDROABE DEPARTMENT WILL SUPPLEMENT IF NECESSARY.

PACK YOUR OPTIONS IN A SUITCASE OR GARMENT BAG, SO THEY WILL NOT WRINKLE.

BUSINESS TRAVELERS - COME WEARING A BUSINESS LOOK, AND BRING TWO OTHER BUSINESS LOOKS. ALSO BRING TWO OPTIONS TO TURN YOURSELF INTO A LEISURE TRAVELER AS WELL. SEE DESCRIPTION BELOW.

LEISURE TRAVELERS - COME WEARING ONE OPTION FOR LEISURE, AND BRING TWO OTHER OPTIONS FOR LEISURE. ALSO BRING BUSINESS LOOKS IN CASE WE TURN YOU INTO A BUSINESS TRAVELER. SEE DESCRIPTION BELOW.

ALL BUSINESS AND LEISURE TRAVELERS BRING A “PHOENIX” FLAIR OPTIION LISTED BELOW IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT FITS THE DESCRIPTION.

BUSINESS TRAVELERS: Bring 2-3 suit options AND winter coats:

1) Business suits in light tones and mid to dark tones – not black. Dress shirts and blouses in off-white to mid-tones (no bright white shirts), ties in stripes and patterns. Women skirt and pant suits, nice blouses in off-white to mid-tones, professional scarves. Trenchcoats!

AND

3) Winter coat choices – long woolen overcoats and trenchcoats, etc.

LEISURE TRAVELERS: Come wearing one option and bring two others.

1) Business casual or leisure traveler option. You may bring khaki pants and jeans but please not only jeans (and no ripped jeans) and bring another color casual pant option other than khaki too. Sweaters, L/S polo shirts, L/S casual shirts. NO LOGOS.

AND

2) Optional Phoenix flair: such as nice cowboy hats, cowboy boots, ladies can bring “trophy wife” choice with dressy expensive looking suits, dresses, silk blouses with high heels and heavy jewelry. Short-sleeved options. Southwest jewelry – turquoise. Older folks can bring golf attire. You may also bring a nice matching tracksuit. Coral and Turquoise are good colors here.

COLLEGIATES: Come wearing one option and bring two others.

Jeans, sweats, sweatshirts, cargo pants, casual “American Eagle” type clothing, baseball hats. NO LOGOS.

SENIORS: Come wearing one option and bring two others.

1) Leisure travelers. Comfortable clothing for an athletic jaunt. Dockers pants (can bring a khaki option but please bring another color too), golfwear and velour encouraged. Also bring a Midwestern grandparents look as well (jeans, sweatshirts, sneakers)

PROPS: Since you are portraying a traveler, please pack your clothing in a piece of luggage or carry-on piece of luggage and that in turn will work as a prop for when you portray a traveler. Laptops and briefcases (if you have them). Always keep your eyes on your computer – we are not responsible for lost items. Please tag your luggage.

Hair & Make-up:
Women and Men should be hair and make-up ready. This means your hair should be clean, styled and for women your make-up already applied. Bring your own comb or brush and make-up for touch-ups.

What to expect on the set:
You will report to the parking location, then you will walk to the check in area.
After arrival you will be “checked-in”. Your name will be on the extras casting list for that day, and you will be cleared to be on the set.

After filling out your payment voucher you go thru the “works”. This means that you will show your wardrobe selections to our costume department and they will choose what you will wear. Hair and make-up will look at you to see if any touch ups need to happen.

You will then be placed in the scene to work, OR you will wait in holding until they are ready for extras to be placed in the background. It’s possible you may wait for a long time before you are called to set. In some rare instances, you might not be asked to go to set at all.

Working as a background performer, means waiting in holding until the production team is ready to place you in the background of a scene. Be patient, it’s not about action all the time. Please bring some reading material or crossword puzzles or something to quietly occupy your time. We do not recommend that you bring any expensive or valuable item. We are not responsible for lost or damaged personal items.

You are very important to our movie. Please let us know immediately if your schedule changes and you become unavailable – so that we have time to replace you.

We hope you enjoy working with us on this production.

Thanks!!

Big Game Saturday Night

It doesn't get any bigger than this (at least so far) for the Nebraska football team. Saturday night at 6:45 on ESPN, the Huskers take on Kansas State to decide the Big 12 North division title.


If this video doesn't get you in the mood, you're not a Husker fan.

Some Lunar Thoughts

Those of you who know me will know where I am going to on this.

Can someone please explain why command modules on the Apollo lunar missions became so worn and discolored simply by traveling into outer space? This vehicle did not land on the moon. It remained in orbit. But it also re-entered the earth's atmosphere, just like today's space shuttle missions. But the space shuttles don't come back looking brown and beat up from re-entry.

Here's the before and after photos from Apollo 17 (the final lunar landing mission:)

The command module before the mission...

...and how it looked following splashdown and recovery.

And, just for good measure, space shuttle Discovery.
Photo Source: The NASA Apollo and Space Shuttle archives.

Watch The Ballboy Run

Julia will get a kick out of this.
Watch the ballboy running on the sideline.

Up In The Air: The Trailer

This is the movie that I was an extra for in Omaha.
I am not in the trailer (but could have been at 49-50 seconds).

Temperature Check: Omaha vs. Bend

I'm in Bend for the USA Cycling Elite National Championships.