Monday's Meatloaf - Grand Days

Spent a lot of last week sitting on a deck overlooking the Roanoke Sound as well as the 14th green of the Nags Head Golf Links. If you ever play that course, when you get to this particular hole I can assure you that it's more than an extra club to reach the green. The wind is deceptively forceful and eats golf balls all day long. 

Yes, even Pro V-1s. A lot of this time my grandmother in law was sitting out there as well. We'd discuss the breeze off the sound, old memories and life in general. My grandparents have all passed. I'm thankful to have been adopted by Mrs. Bernie's Granny. She makes a mean bloody mary and constantly reminds me of all that I miss about my grandparents. Together they are my own personal microcosm of the greatest generation.

"Obviously you're not a golfer."

As a fan I'm constantly at some stage of worry with the Dawg Nation. But even more I worry about the state of our actual nation. I'm not some right wing nutcase that's convinced we're all going to Hell and I'm not a left wing fanatic that hasn't showered since Clinton left office. I'm just a dude man...trying to make some sense of the world. I worry that parents are not teaching their kids to value family. And a lot of times that value can start with a chair beside a grandparent. Like any other, my grandparents weren't perfect. They were better than that. They had seen decades of mistakes and years upon years of good decisions in spite of those mistakes. They'd shove some cash into every birthday card, but their time and their words were more valuable than anything the US Treasury could print.


I'm thankful my kids' grandparents provided the last two weeks of family for all of us. As I watched my parents and in-laws interact with my two girls I realized that in the scope of real life it was the equivalent of a full year of schooling crammed into two beach weeks. Compared to many of their classmates they are spoiled in that respect. Because we'll continue to provide them with as many moments like those as their little eyes and ears can take in.


Can't wait to share another bloody with Granny and casually recall the summer my grandparents took me on a trip to Fargo ND in their Airstream trailer. One KOA Kampground at a time...priceless!


Today's Ingredients

Don't forget Harton!

• How much did I keep up with my college football reading while on vacation? Well, as of this posting I'm only 429 items behind in my Google Reader. Nevertheless, here's some linkage.
• While Caleb interviews with NFL and CFL execs, the Dawg Nation turns anxiously towards Thomas, Malcome, Harton and Crowell. Tyler looks at UGAs rushing situation and finds it not as dire as he had feared.
• And the Senator brings up some 2003 stats to shift the focus from the RB position back to the defense where it belongs.
• Meanwhile, with DawgNight coming up this week Socrates looks at some backfield recruits that could make a difference on some college campus in the future.
• Groo looks at the addition of the new scoreboard and approves of the decision that bigger ain't always better.
• As Streit says, parking passes for gamedays this Fall go on sale today...if the website recovers from an early morning crash. 
• You'll need more than a subscription to read it, you'll also need a good 15-20 minutes. Fletcher's newest Mail Sack ($$) is over 10,000 words long!! 
• Easy to admit I'm not pleased with Perno's results on the field as of late, but you can't read this feature on him by ABH's Clarkson and not feel proud that he's been there for the team through its most difficult stretch.
• In case you missed it, hoopdawg caught a Los Angeles Clippers blog that had an evaluation of Thompkins and Leslie.
• Lastly, did you know the creator of Delta Force was a Damn Good Dawg? I didn't. (h/t TC)

I'm still a little mesmerized by Legge's feature on Orson. There's been a lot of talk this off season about the character adjustment going on in the locker room. The malfeasance has moved on in one way or another. In reflecting on that I'm sure Coach Richt felt a responsibility to all of those young men, wanted to help guys like Ealey see the right and good path. But he also owes it to young men like Charles to surround them with winning attitudes. Not just on the field but also in life.


So I leave you with OC's first TD as a Dawg. Watch the entire 10 minutes of highlights or just find the 6:50 mark and see his two catches in the game, back to back...for 62 yards.

courtesy of pr1sonmike

Well, it wasn't ready for your coffee. But after 11 hours on the road yesterday I did get it to you before lunch. Here's your fork...hope your Monday is grand Reader! 

Bernie