Awaiting the Autumnal Equinox

Oh Those Summer Nights

The shenanigans were few and far between this summer, popping up only on the weekends. No notable crazy trips, no cavorting about with any famous people, and no all-nighters with work in the morning. The age of the Ann Arbor fantasy campers may have reared its ugly head.

But then came the houseboat trip. I kept the hype at bay. No pre-boat polls, no survivor. In fact, many of you that are reading this are just finding out that there was such a trip. This is mostly attributed to the lack of known tailgaters and website regulars on the boat, as there were really only two of us. In addition, the level of craziness to come was certainly in question, as a host of unknowns made the trek to Jamestown, Kentucky... leaving real lives and real jobs, a stark contrast to the level of unreality that preceded the boat trip of 2001.

And then we met, and the alcohol began to flow, the music began to play, and State Dock turned over the 81 ft monstrosity to 18 people, mostly strangers to each other, but not strangers to the vices that would eventually bring them together. Cheap beer and Vodka-Red Bulls flowed freely as we pulled into the "falls" tying off with several other house boats, creating a floating city of sin.

Hot-tubbing, tube-sliding, general lake-floating, tanning, and even a few rounds of no-limit hold-em became the pastimes of the group. The weekend culminated with a private lake cove and a bonfire, and in the end a lot of sad goodbyes. It was a pleasure to spend this binge-drinking weekend with each of these great people that I am happy to now call friends, and you can bet we will be doing it again.

The Season Approaches

Are you ready? The countdown continues leading up to the 125th season of Michigan football. Michigan has an opportunity to become the winningest program in college football with a victory at Notre Dame on September 11, further solidifying Michigan football as the greatest program of all time. In addition, the nation's top receiving core will welcome the addition of Matt Gutierrez (as opposed to dealing with the "loss" of John Navarre), who has never lost a game in which he was the starting QB...although he's never started a college game. David Underwood will fill the shoes of Chris Perry. Marlin Jackson returns to his natural position at cornerback, and Steve Breaston will try to continue to be the most exciting player in college football returning punts and kickoffs. It seems we have all the answers. It seems we have all of the puzzle pieces. But with a schedule that ranks at the top of the nation in degree of difficulty, and tough road games at ND, Purdue, and Ohio State, the slip-up opportunities are there. What legacy will Braylon Edwards and Marlin Jackson leave behind? Only time will tell.

But the X-Box will tell first. The season preview will be up on Monday. See you all in about 2 weeks.

We Made It!

We pulled away from the dock, the rhythmic squak of Aboriginies ringing through the outdoor speakers...the Survivor theme played. Between the time when we boarded the docked boat until we shoved off, each castaway had inbibed a few, and we awaited the time at which the State Dock authorities would turn the massive ship over to our inebriated captain. JJ took control, and we were on our own.

Each night we seemed to find the perfect space to tie off for the night. We drank, we ate, we swam...we drank. We built fires on the beach and ran the Kentucky "naked-gauntlet" through some of the country's finest red-necks, the only thing keeping us awake was the 3 cases of Red Bull we knocked down in the first 36 hours.

We returned to shore on Monday, 7/23/01, everyone still alive...and still smiling. Nobody died, a few puked, and fewer 'forniced'. In the end, it was a near-perfect trip, with near-perfect company.

Hackers Infiltrate Polls...Suspects At Large

At approximately 3pm EST, the Pre-survivor tournament polls closed. Voting was coming in at an alarming rate and an administrative decision was made by the Webmaster to shut the system down. A new poll was created, displaying an apologetic message. 15 minutes later, the re-created blank poll registered 33 votes to a non-existant answer...a tell-tale sign that some kind of automatic system was being used to register votes.

So, a new system is being used that will hopefully curb the re-voting issue. If this does not fix the problem...we'll just have to deal with the results... I only ask those that are voting to vote just once. We will complete the entire round of 16 on Tuesday, with the polls closing at approximately 10pm. Thanks for your cooperation.

Meanwhile, local police have identified the culprits of the hack. Known only as "Crazy" and "Trouble", the two have been causing havoc all over the Ann Arbor area.

Survivor 3: Outdrink, Outfloat, Outfornice

Hmmmm... it's been a long time between updates. Summertime can cause a football/tailgating website to run a little short on material. Plus, when you are an up and coming alcoholic...it's tough to find time to be a webmaster. So, once again we change gears and discuss an up and coming journey that I'm taking. It's 15 or so of my friends...and a couple of enemies. setting sail in a deluxe houseboat out on Cumberland Lake in Kentucky. Armed with kegs, cases, and fifths...the brave souls will attempt to Survive for 4 days on the water with no contact with the outside world, little food, and a bathing suit.

The prevailing question between friends is "Who is going to die?" I have my suspicions, but who am I to speculate? Hopefully... technology willing...we'll be able to put it to a vote online.

Over the next few weeks, the page and the message board may become a little hub for the trip, and I invite everyone to participate in any interesting discussions that may come up. Otherwise, hold out until August...when we turn our attention toward the boys in blue. Lots more to come. Stay tuned.