My year end sports review (well, some sports)

Colts win the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning wins his first Super Bowl, defeating the rival Patriots on the way. Manning will no longer be in the same club with such people as Dan Marino and Patrick Ewing. All of the naysayers in the press are shut up, except for the ones this year that say that Manning hasn't proven anything until he has Brady's Super Bowl record. Dungy proves that nice guys can finish first.

NBA... Hmmm... Can I grant commentary space on my blog to a bunch of whiny, overpaid prima donnas playing a game that is much more entertaining at the college level? No.

Hendrick Motorsports simply dominates NASCAR this year, winning 50% of the races on the schedule (better than some teams' records in the NFC). Jimmie Johnson is completely on fire during the Chase, beating out teammate Jeff Gordon, who has a 5th place average finish. Junior leaves DEI (thankfully) to join the 48 and the 24. Maybe they can teach him how not to blow engines every other race. Kyle Petty proves he's worthless on the track yet again, finishing 35th in the points, while running 5 more races than Mark Martin, who finishes 27th in the points. The Car of Tomorrow proves to be a pile of junk, as I've never seen more parts fall of a car on a track. Plus, after watching some qualifying, the COT was qualifying at 3 mph slower than the Busch Series cars at the same track, the same day.

Notre Dame football. Ouch. Navy at home? But, I still support you, coach.

Red Sox win the World Series again! There must be a lot of band wagon jumpers, because I've never seen so many Red Sox shirts out in public. Never saw any before. I've only known 2 Red Sox fans in my entire life. Steroids take center stage in baseball, but players' actions don't have consequences as far as their MLB career is concerned since Bud Selig has never taken a stand for anything in his entire life. And, the Yankees lose - a wasted playoff spot yet again. I'd just rather see someone else there, someone who can make it past the first round.

The IOC is considering adding ballroom dancing an Olympic sport. Sound absurd? Why not? Poker is aired on ESPN after all, and I think that's more absurd.

There was a hockey season?

Remodel Update (and other stuff)

For those of you that have been to our house, this picture is taken from about where our extra fridge used to sit. As you can see, the doorway from the kitchen out to the garage was enlarged, but the garage is no longer a garage. The space that was the garage and the separate laundry room to the back is now basically one large room. There is now a small laundry room (you can see a portion of the wall in the right side of the picture), a dining area, and a living room. The front living room will be used as a music/reading room. The picture below is of the new living room, which basically sits where the old laundry room was.

There really isn't all that much of an update on the baby, although we decided on a theme for the baby's room. Target has a line that's called "Classic Pooh". So, that's it. And, Amy will get an ultrasound in about 3 or 4 weeks.

Curmudgeon Junior?

Am I the only one that recycles probably 90% of the "mail" that we get anymore? It seems like you can't go anywhere without being bombarded by advertising. Pizza ads, window blind ads, discount brake shop ads, kitty cat manicures, how to get rich quick in advertising seminars ads, you name it. I usually just open up the mail right beside the recycle bin outside.

I found the brochure on our screen door handle - "We Buy Ugly Houses". Yep, I'll call you guys right up. I don't quite know how to take that, I realize we're in the process of a remodel, but come on. And I'll hang a sign on their car that says "We Buy Piece of Junk Cars".

I looked up in the sky the other day and saw an airplane flying around with one of those banners trailing it. I thought "how cute, someone's proposing" (poor girl). But no, it was an advertisement for Geico Insurance. And I'm sure their stupid gecko mascot was flying the Cessna. There were no athletic events that day, and I saw it every day for the next two weeks. I called Luke Air Force base and asked them if they needed an excuse for a live fire exercise. Not really, but felt like it.

Went into Home Depot the other day. Couldn't get anybody to help me, as usual (why aren't all the outlets in one place?), but someone came up to me and asked me if I needed our cabinets re-faced. I finally told them I worked in a cabinet shop, and they left me alone. This has happened the last 8 times I've been in HD, and still nobody has helped me during those 8 visits. Our current cabinets actually NEED a brochure hanging on them that say "We Fix Ugly Cabinets" (we're working on it). And they're hawking DirectTV at a table near the front, also. I'm in your store, which is probably a result of advertising a long time ago, why do you have to market to me while in there? Pests. Your best form of marketing at this point is to be nice to me, help me and point me in the right direction.

I was recently reading a letter to the editor in a friend's automobile magazine, and the writer pointed out to the magazine that their prior article criticizing the overabundance of advertising in NASCAR was conveniently placed in the middle of a huge slew of ads.

Around election time, all of the candidates put up their ugly signs everywhere. In yards, on fences, everywhere. Last election, I wanted to call in a blight claim for the entire city of Phoenix. And they're the ones that we elect so they can pass resolutions that tell us we can't advertise our yard sales on telephone posts. Then, a month after the election, their signs are still up. I'm sure there's some kind of ordinance they passed that will fine a normal citizen if their signs are removed.

Amy and I can probably count on one hand the number of times in the past 5 years that we've been to a business or have hired a service based solely on an advertisement that we saw on television, heard on the radio, or received in the mail. So, if you're a real estate investor, don't tell me my house is ugly. If you're an insurance company, rather than spend money on stupid advertising like that (and making Al Gore angry), pass the savings along to your policyholders. If you're Home Depot, help a person out already, and let DirectTV annoy us elsewhere. And stop trying to sell me something I don't need, and help me find something I do need. And last but not least, if you're a politician and you want me to vote for you - don't put up an ugly sign that will stay there for months - the best thing you can do is to answer a question with a straight answer - that doesn't cost you a thing.

Seriously, I don't ask for much.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy (and other musings)

Amy and I got to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time yesterday. It was neat to hear, and pretty fast. Sounds like a boy! Who knows, though.

It is raining here in Phoenix, which the Southwest desperately needs. It is supposed to rain off and on until Tuesday or so.

Our remodel is coming along, the drywallers just finished up today in the new area. Now it just has to be mudded and textured and all that fun stuff. Amy and I are both looking forward to having new cabinets eventually!!

Today marks the 66th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. I found the picture below in the National Archives' color photograph collection.

A Small but Interesting World War II History Story...

As many of you know, Amy and I went to Europe in the fall of 2006. More specifically, we were in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Part of the trip was devoted to seeing some World War II sites - namely the Battle of the Bulge area, Cologne, Overloon, and Aachen (just to name a few places).

While there, we met up with a local German historian named Albert. I believe Albert's father was drafted by the German Army in 1939. We were put in touch with Albert by a relative of mine named Fred. Fred fought with the U.S. 1st Division, "The Big Red One", through the area that Albert lives in - which is near Duren in the western part of Germany. The first picture below was taken in Gladbach, Germany in late 1944 or early 1945. The picture is in a history book of the 1st Division, and was taken by the U.S. Signal Corp. Fred is standing 8th from the left, if you count the soldiers standing on the ground. He is the one standing with ammunition boxes at both feet, a Thompson submachine gun in the crook of his right arm, and a canteen on his left hip.


Albert took us to this very location in Gladbach (see the next picture below). As a World War II history buff, it was an absolutely amazing experience to have the history become so alive, as alive as it could be considering the circumstances were so different between then and now. Instead of cars parallel parked along the street, there were tank destroyers then. There's no more rubble, and the brickwork on the building in the foreground has all been repaired. One thing that remains the same according to Albert is the building in the background - that is still a pub. The building that the second tank destroyer is parked in front of has been torn down. I would imagine that the cobblestone remains underneath the newer asphalt.


This next picture is a picture of Albert and I standing in the approximately the same spot Fred stood around 60 years ago. Needless to say, when I sent Fred the above picture of Gladbach and the picture of Albert and I, he was tickled (after he questioned me mercilessly if it was the exact same place!). He remembered the signal corp photographer taking the picture! I think Albert and I were happy to be standing there, a German and an American enjoying each other's company, something that couldn't have happened then. Thank you, Fred.

Welcome!!!

Welcome to the KratzBlog.

Here, I will periodically post entries pertaining to life in general, updates on our future child, and sometimes just random thoughts on anything I feel like! I will not blog every day, as Red Green has said that "a blogger's brain is about half the size of their free time". Anyways, enjoy the blog and if you want to comment, go ahead!

However, I WILL start out by posting a picture of what our future baby looks like (above), this is as of Nov 7. We'll probably get another picture this week (week 12).

Stay posted for further updates!