The Christmas Geese, 2011 Edition

I wrote this poem in December of 2007 on the spur of the moment, and decided that this will be an annual event for me. I send this out to everyone of my readers(all three of you), as well as my family who are scattered across this country.

Christmas In Montebello, or A Visit from the Christmas Geese

'Twas the day before Christmas,

And all through the town,

People were shopping and running around.

Last-minute gifts were purchased with haste,

Not wanting a moment to go to waste.

And around our little home, Mom was finishing up,

Wrapping the presents and gifts and stuff.

Dad was busy, getting many things done,

Prepping for their El Paso trip, still yet to come.

And Tommy, My brother, stopped in for a bit,

Taking a break from his work because he saw fit.

And Myself, what did I do, you say?

I waited for sundown to come this way.

For still to be finished were the lights 'round the big tree,

Putting the final touches for all to drive by and see.

The full moon, how it glowed brightly on the river below,

shimmering as the Canadian geese honked and glided along, oh so slow.

The cars slowed down as they drove through the night,

Looking in awe as I made things right.

And Out on the lawn I gave out a shout,

"Mom, Dad, Tommy, You gotta come out!"

My family came running, thinking something's gone wrong,

But what they found was Me dancing and singing a song.

They watched as I danced and placed the last of the lights,

My breath easily seen on this cold winter's night.

"What's wrong?" said Dad "You give us a fright."

Mom just looked and laughed as I continued my flight.

Tommy looked down, embarrassed to see,

How graceful a quarter-ton Hippo like me could be. (I kid, I'm not THAT big)

When, from the spreading grounds, there came an incredible sound,

As gaggles of geese made landings all around.

We listened and watched as they crossed through the moon,

Their wings, opened wide, their calls all in tune.

Below them, their cousins answered their call,

As they glided onto the water, to come together one and all.

We stood there, all quiet, on the bank above,

Watching as Nature played a Winter song of love.

But, before long, it was time to go inside,

After all, none of us really had a winter-proof hide.

So we gathered round a burning Yule Log,

And listened as the Geese scared off the fog.

And so, let Me say, as I crawl under the sheets.

"Merry Christmas to all, but beware of cold feet."

Merry Christmas everyone, from Me and the family.

Please enjoy A Currier & Ives Christmas

LIVE at PAC-12 Media Day

So the Boss, Joe Torosian and I are here at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, where we're attending the PAC-12 Men's Basketball Media Day.

Right now, PAC-12 Commissioner Larry Scott is talking about the upcoming TV contracts with the new PAC-12 Networks and ESPN. We'll have quotes and images later on in the day.

The Following are quotes from PAC-12 COmmissioner Larry Scott -

"Coach Wooden will continue to be a guiding light for this conference"

"The remarkable leaders of this conference have allowed the PAC-12 to capture 442 National Championships across ALL Sports."

"We have a rich heritage in this conference, and we have a bright future ahead of us, we will be paving the way for college sports on TV."

"We expect the same kind of dynamic performances we've had in the past."

UPDATE 1: ARIZONA STATE

Herb Sendek and Trent Lockett

UPDATE 2: OREGON STATE

Craig Robinson and Jared Cunningham

Joe Burton is expected to be the "secret weapon" for the Beavers

Never going to stop playing 1-3-1 against Washington as long as one player is still there

Fortunate to have a group of alumni and players have a presence in our program. Not a surprise that they have been disenfranchised, but have had a tremendous amount of support from A.C. Green, Sean Payton, etc. Had 20 past players attend kick off dinner.

UPDATE 3: STANFORD

Johnny Dawkins and Josh Owens

Trip to Spain was memorable for both staff and players, allowed them to integrate new freshmen players into the team

UPDATE 4: OREGON

Dana Altman and Garret Sim

Jabari Brown (freshman) will fit in nicely with the team strategy

Players have made big steps, Devoe Joseph will be eligible after first six games

Garrett's expectations for the team as a senior: Goals much higher than last year. This year people expecting things from us, we have the talent to compete with. Want to leave ORegon on a good note in the right direction.

UPDATE 5: WASHINGTON STATE

Ken Bone and Marcus Capers

Michael Ladd

UPDATE 6: UTAH

Larry Krystkowiak and David Foster

UPDATE 7: COLORADO

Tad Boyle and Austin Dufault

UPDATE 8: CALIFORNIA

Mike Montgomery and Jorge Gutierrez

UPDATE 9: USC

Kevin O'Neal and Maurice Jones

UPDATE 10: WASHINGTON

Lorenzo Romar and Darnell Gant

UPDATE 11: UCLA

Ben Howland and Lazeric Jones

UPDATE 12: ARIZONA

Sean Miller and Kyle Fogg