The game of college football recruiting, and I do mean "game" has gotten out of hand. 17 and 18 year old boys are proclaiming that they will "shock the world" based on where they decide to go to school. I'll be the first to admit that I pay a little bit of attention to this stuff, but not much. In four years I'll tell you who did the best job recruiting. No one can really tell you now, regardless of what they may claim.

Tim Hawthorne, a senior from Homewood High told us he'd shock the world. Reportedly his parents have shelled out over $27,000 to promote a media circus. He may be a great athlete, but I really do not mind that he's going to Auburn.

If I were a college football coach, I want a team full of reserved, yet passionate, young men who can be motivated to win as a team. You can have all of your "blue chippers". Just give me a bunch of quiet, reserved, lean, hungry, unheralded, tough, non-quitting, determined team players. Those are the type of guys Bear Bryant turned into champions.

There's my two cents on recruiting.

On Saturday January 28 I went to Tuscaloosa and watched Alabama defeat Mississippi State 65-59 with my friend Tee Drake. I got to see the newly renovated Coleman Coliseum for the first time. It looks great. I am attaching photos I took, along with a link to the story and photos on RollTide.com.

Here is another photo from this week when David and Joe met Governor Riley.

Here are a couple of articles about Riley's visit from the Cullman Times:

Published: January 20, 2006 11:35 pm
Riley plans Monday visit
Governor to visit school in need of more fundingBy David Mackey
Gov. Bob Riley will visit Vinemont High School Monday to observe conditions that need improvement as he promotes his plan to spend $500 million on school construction and renovations.Riley is scheduled to arrive at the school at 12:15 p.m. Monday, between stops in Centre and Tuscaloosa. County Schools Superintendent Nancy Horton said the governor will spend about an hour at the school.Horton said she was contacted Wednesday evening by the governor's staff."The first question they asked me was, if you're able to get the funds, where would you use it?" Horton said Friday. "I said there were three areas — heating and cooling HVAC systems, some lighting that needs to be retrofit and some electrical upgrades. They asked what school had the most needs. I told them the most pressing need right now, the top of the list, was Vinemont High School."Vinemont High School Principal Ronnie Barnes said he and his students were looking forward to the governor's appearance."We're very excited that he takes the time to come visit us," Barnes said. "We're very appreciative."Among the sights Riley will see are a prevalence of window air-conditioning units in Vinemont classrooms. Vinemont High School was originally built in 1968 without air conditioning, said Randy Hasenbein, Vinemont's representative on the Cullman County Board of Education.Hasenbein said replacing those units with a modern heating and cooling system would "make that money work for us twice," by improving the classroom environment and reducing energy and maintenance costs.The Alabama Association of School Superintendents has endorsed Riley's plan for the money, which comes from a surplus in the state education budget. Former state Chief Justice Roy Moore, Riley's top competitor in the Republican gubernatorial primary, has said the money should be used for a tax rebate, while Paul Hubbert, head of the state teachers' lobby, wants the surplus to fund a raise for teachers. Others suggested the money be put into a "rainy day fund."Barnes and Hasenbein both said they support Riley's plan."A lot of schools in our area are in need of improvements," Barnes said. "There's only so much funds the county has at our disposal.""I agree with the superintendents in the state that that we need to use this money to improve our schools," Hasenbein said. "What kind of bothers me about this money, when people say they want to hold on to it and save it ... history shows, when that happens, everybody starts grabbing at it."Cullman County's state Reps. Neal Morrison, D-Cullman, and Jeremy Oden, R-Vinemont, have not firmly indicated if they are in favor or in opposition to the plan.Morrison said Friday he is still waiting to see hard numbers on the size of the surplus before he decides."I think the governor's heart is in the right place, and I think we do need to put some money into capital improvements," Morrison said. "I just don't know what the right amount would be at this time."Oden previously said he wanted to consider other possible uses for the money, including improving technology in classrooms. "I support capital improvements in the education system, but you also have to look at some other aspects of the classroom and start to see what needs to be done there as well," Oden said Jan. 3.State Sen. Zeb Little, D-Cullman, said he would give the proposal strong consideration, acknowledging capital improvements were needed at several schools around the state. In an unscientific poll on The Times' web site, 82 percent of 113 respondents said they did not agree with the governor's plan.Barnes said Riley's visit will not disrupt the school day. Security will be handled by the governor's staff, he said."Two guys came up yesterday and looked around and we talked about (security)," Barnes said Friday.Riley's plan must be approved by the state Legislature before money can be released, a fact Hasenbein said he remains aware of."You don't really believe it until you see it, until you get the money," he said.

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Published: January 23, 2006 11:57 pm
Back to School
Governor studies needs at local school By David Mackey
Gov. Bob Riley toured Vinemont High School Monday, promoting his plan to spend $500 million on capital improvements to Alabama schools by spotlighting needs at the local school.Cullman County Schools Superintendent Nancy Horton and Principal Ronnie Barnes led Riley through the school, pointing out inadequate lighting, outdated heating and air conditioning window units and ceilings in need of repair.Riley arrived around 2:30 p.m., delayed about two hours by inclement weather, to a host of awaiting education officials and local politicians. The governor spent about 30 minutes walking the halls of the high school, examining several classrooms and a sweltering computer lab."Feel how hot it is in here," Horton said to Riley in teacher Beth Parker's computer lab, pointing to the two separate window units used for heating and cooling. "This is January and they're running the air conditioner.""This is January, so imagine how it is in August," said Randy Hasenbein, Vinemont's representative on the county school board.Horton told the governor it would cost about $60,000 per classroom to upgrade lighting, heating and cooling and electrical systems. Riley spoke of his impressions from the tour moments later during a brief press conference in the school library."When you walk into a room in January that has the air conditioner on, when you walk into areas that need additional lighting, when you realize they don't have a fire alarm system, you realize we have a lot of needs," he said. "What I'm trying to do is point out that there are needs."He called Vinemont "a school I would love to be able to say my grandkids went to.""When I look at Vinemont, I look at what it could be with a few extra dollars going into the system, how much more effective it could be," Riley said.With an expected surplus in the state education budget, Riley has proposed dividing $500 million among Alabama school districts for construction and renovations. The Cullman County school system would receive $3,190,894, and Cullman City Schools $1,017,441, based on school populations.The Alabama Association of School Superintendents has endorsed his plan, while others have offered alternative uses for the money.The governor's Republican challenger, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, has called for a tax rebate. Paul Hubbert, head of the powerful state teachers' union, said the money should be used to give teachers a pay raise.Riley challenged suggestions that his proposal was politically motivated for an election year, as Hubbert has said."We've tried to make this as non-political as we're able," Riley said, noting that the amount of money each school system receives is based on its populations. "To be accused of making this a political issue, I think is kind of disingenuous."Notable local figures in attendance included State Sen. Zeb Little, D-Cullman; Rep. Jeremy Oden, R-Vinemont; Cullman County Commissioners Wiley Kitchens, Stanley Yarbrough and Doug Williams; Cullman City Schools Superintendent Jan Harris and District Court Judge Terry Thomas.Before the governor arrived, Little said he remained undecided on Riley's proposal, which must be approved by the Legislature."I think the governor's plan has a lot of merit, but teachers deserve a raise, there's a need for instructional money," Little said. Some of the surplus should be saved to guard against proration in future years, he said.Oden, who had previously told The Cullman Times that he wanted to ensure items already in the education budget were adequately funded before spending a surplus on new costs, said his views remained the same."I'm not going to say anything negative about capital improvements," he said. "We need to make sure the budgets we're looking at are well-funded."Oden said he would support giving more unearmarked funds to local schools to be used at their discretion.Afterwards, Horton said she felt the governor's visit was genuinely productive."Although our needs may not be as apparently great as other systems, they are real needs to us," Horton said. "I think what he wanted to do was to have a feeling for the needs all over the state, not just the areas that don't have the resources we have."Barnes said he appreciated the governor's visit to his school, and that he "liked what he heard."

I'm expecting the weather to get very interesting during the next several weeks. I've been watching the temperatures up in Alaska this week. Chandalar Lake, Alaska has had lows around 60 below zero all week. Last night's lows in Alaska included -56 at Beaver, Fort Yukon, and Chandalar Lake, according to one of my weather "heroes", J.B. Elliot. He is a retired National Weather Service meteorologist who works for the Weather Company. I enjoy reading J.B.'s blog entries. In Saturday's Weather Talk, J.B. said, "Please don't ask me why I am so fascinated by the severe arctic cold because I don't have the frostiest notion." I guess you just have to be a weather geek to understand. I do.

This afternoon the boys and I were playing football out in the yard when Joseph noticed a hot air balloon to our north. It was a pretty sight on a cool afternoon.

Yes, It snowed yesterday. No, of course not here in Alabama. It snowed in Hawaii. Yes, you heard right. Actually, it's not altogether unusual in the high elevations atop the volcanos. Apparently they even have a ski club in Hawaii. High atop Mauna Kea, elevation 13,796', snow is not that unusual. Apparently the amount of snow this week was a bit of a surprise. It was enough to close the road to the top of Mauna Kea. More snow is expected as the week progresses.

It's time for a political/media pet peeve. I am so tired of hearing liberals, but especially the media refer to President Bush's "domestic spying" program. I'm sorry, but if someone is receiving calls from Al Queda, I want the government to be on top of it immediately. That is the organization that is responsible for 9/11. We are at war with them.

The problem is that the media is not leaving that impression. They make it sound like the President is listening in on the personal telephone calls of innocent American citizens. They won't provide any basis for such a claim. They are just mischaracterizing what is happening. They are trying to portray this as "big brother" is watching you.

Senator Patrick Leahy is one of many who are using this deceptive tactic. Here are some quotes from him, just today. "We have a president who is prone to unilateralism, and assertions of executive power that extend all the way to illegal spying on Americans. Preventing government intrusion into the privacy and freedoms of Americans is one of the hallmarks of the Supreme Court." Or this one, "This president is claiming power to illegally spy on Americans..."
He is being very deceptive.

Unfortunately we have come to expect deception from politicians, but the media should be above this. They are not, though, as many major media outlets routinely call it "the President's domestic spying program". I like President Bush's description, from a speech he made at Kansas State University:

"Something that you've been reading about in the news lately. It's what I would call a terrorist surveillance program. After the enemy attacked us and after I realized that we were not protected by oceans, I asked people that work for you, work for me: "How best can we use information to protect the American people?" We had ways to determine whether or not someone can be an Al-Qaeda affiliate, or Al-Qaeda, and if they're making a phone call in the United States, it seems like to me we'd want to know why. I'll repeat to you, you know, you hear words "domestic spying." These are not phone calls within the United States. This is a phone call of a Al-Qaeda, known Al-Qaeda suspect, making a phone call into the United States. I'm mindful of your civil liberties, and so I had all kinds of lawyers review the process. We briefed members of the United States Congress. You know, it's amazing when people say to me, "Well, he's just breaking the law." If I wanted to break the law, why was he briefing Congress? "

I believe we have a situation where what's really happening is that we are spying on our nation's enemy; an enemy which attacked us and claims they will do it again. None of us have any business being on the phone with Al Qaeda. If I talk to them, I'm asking for trouble. There seems to be a lot of deception. I wish the media would at least allow a debate based on the facts.

I'm just saying simply that liberals (in the media or in Congress) are not accurately describing what is going on. They are just deceiving the average person, trying to make them think the focus of the spying is on innocent American citizens, which is not true. That allegation has never been proven. All I am asking for is accuracy in reporting. My personal opinion is that during a war, if someone is on the phone with the the enemy, they are putting themself at odds with their own country. I don't feel sorry for anyone who does that.

Many times people don't read the stories. Many people are just exposed to headlines. Headlines describing this as "domestic spying" are unfair and inaccurate. Think about it. If you make a call overseas, is it referred to as a "domestic call"? Of course not. So why refer to this program as domestic spying? There is no valid reason to do that.

The 'object' of the spying and the reason it is done is the Al Qaeda member on the line. The reason it exists is not the American, rather, it's the enemy that was responsible for 9/11. I suspect the same media would claim the President "should have done more" if there was communication that would have prevented anorther attack then went unmonitored because he waited 72 hours for a court order.

To me, and I think most Americans, this sounds very reasonable. In fact I would expect nothing less out of a commander-in-chief. Unless someone provides evidence that this program is not what the President says, I'd rather believe him.

Well, you never know what is going to happen when the day begins. The last thing on my mind this morning was meeting Governor Bob Riley. But that's exactly what I did this afternoon. When picking up the boys from school, I noticed that WAAY, Channel 31, out of Huntsville, was at the school. I wondered why. When I finally met my oldest son, David, he told me that Governor Riley was at school today. Then I saw two black SUV's with Montgomery car tags sitting outside the high school library. I told David and Joseph to wait a moment while I went to get my camera. We waited awhile to meet the Governor after school. There were numerous local school and government officials there, but my sons were the only students who waited to meet the Governor. They both were real interested in meeting the Governor. I am so proud of the boys because they are really interested and appreciate the significance of this more than most children their age.

This weekend I finally broke down and purchased something that I have wanted for a long time, probably since elementary school; a complete wireless weather station. The one I purchased has all of the bells and whistles a weather fan (a.k.a. geek) would want: indoor and outdoor temperature, rainfall, wind speed, wind direction, dewpoint, humidity, and barometric pressure. It also receives the correct time from the atomic clock in Fort Collins, Colorado, which, in combination with the internal memory, helps keep historical weather data. All of this interfaces with a personal computer.

This was really a Christmas present. My Mom and dad gave me a gift certificate to Best Buy. Still, I hesitated to get the weather station, though, because the price was so high. I went to Best Buy after Christmas, but decided to wait and think about it some more. I was hoping that it might go on sale after Christmas. I also try not to make impulse purchases. I decided that if, after time, I still wanted it enough, then I would feel better about getting it. I was also hoping that it might go on sale sometime after Christmas.

Saturday when I visited Best Buy, there was a sign showing that it was on sale for $40 off the regular price, but when I checked out they started to charge the full price. I told them about the sale price. The cashier said that someone forgot to take down the sale sign from last week, but he honored the sale price anyway. I was so glad that I waited and I was very fortunate about getting the sale price. The gift certificate from my parents helped me to get something I have truly "always wanted". I have had a wireless indoor/outdoor thermometer for about eight years, but this is so much better.

I have been a "Weather Watcher" for ABC 33/40 out of Birmingham for about seven years. I really enjoy doing that. The boys think it is so cool when they see our town's temperature listed on the news. My oldest two boys are now helping me post reports. Now for the fun part, installation! I am going to have to build some type of platform and find a good place in the yard to position the unit. That sounds like a project for this weekend.

Well, it's time to go over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go.........

It's a rainy day outside with a temperature of 57.6......

"The Greatest"
Don Schlitz, writer
Kenny Rogers, singer
1999

Little Boy, in a baseball hat Stands in the field with his ball and bat Says I am the greatest player of them all Puts his bat on his shoulder and he tosses up his ball

And the ball goes up and the ball comes down Swings his bat all the way around The world's so still you can hear the sound The baseball falls to the ground

Now the little boy doesn't say a word Picks up his ball, he is undeterred Says I am the greatest there has ever been And he grits his teeth and he tries it again

And the ball goes up and the ball comes down Swings his bat all the way around The world's so still you can hear the sound The baseball falls to the ground

He makes no excuses, He shows no fears He just closes his eyes and listens to the cheers

Little boy, he adjusts his hat Picks up his ball, stares at his bat Says I am the greatest the game is on the line And he gives his all one last time

And the ball goes up like the moon so bright Swings his bat with all his might And the world's so still as still can be And the baseball falls, and that's strike three

Now it's supper time and his mama calls Little boy starts home with his bat and ball Says I am the greatest that is a fact

But even I didn't know I could pitch like that

In March 2005 I started subscribing to XM Satellite Radio. At the risk of sounding like a commercial, I really love it! There is so much variety. If I’m in the mood for 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, classic rock, country, jazz, easy listening, major league baseball, CNN, FOX, or over a hundred other listening choices, it’s all there in one place, wherever I go. Sometimes it’s fun to just surf through the channels because you will inevitably find something to listen to that you like. You’ll find sports talk, politics, news, comedy, old radio shows, weather, and this list goes on and on.

A quick scan through XM today revealed Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, Diana Ross, Tanya Tucker, Sonny James, Sugarland, U2, Elton John, George Martin Orchestra, George Benson, Stryper, Margaret Becker, Pretenders, Mick Jagger, Billy Joel, The Cars, Sade, James Blunt, Ashlee Simpson, Boomtown Rats, R.E.M., Four Tops, Neil Young, The Time, and Chopin. This was just a quick sample of some of the music that was on at one point in time that I was familiar with. This doesn’t even include sports, news, talk, and other entertainment channels.

I really have enjoyed listening to special programs, such as "Artist Confidential" in which music artists are interviewed and "Then Again, Live" where artists perform one of their classic albums live. "Baseball This Morning" is on XM 175 each and every day. XM 175 is a dream come true for baseball fans. Anytime you need a baseball "fix", that is where to turn, even in the winter. I enjoyed listening to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

I could just go on and on about it. I have had the opportunity to expose the boys to music from other parts of the world, or styles that they would otherwise not have a chance to hear, such as jazz, classical, or movie soundtracks. The kids really like "Radio Disney" and oddly enough, I can actually tolerate that better than I thought I would. I never thought I’d be willing to pay for radio, but I think that it’s better than cable TV.

The 2005-2006 college basketball season has gotten off to a tough start for the Alabama Crimson Tide. They lost forward Kennedy Winston, who opted to make himself eligible for the NBA draft rather than complete his college eligibility. That left Alabama with a relatively young team which struggled to a 7-5 record in the non-conference portion of their schedule. They lost some tough road games to quality opponents.

Things appeared to hit rock bottom on January 7, 2006 when they lost their first SEC game at home to Ole Miss, dropping their record to 7-6. As if that were not bad enough, they lost arguably their best player and leading scorer Chuck Davis for the season with a torn ACL. Things were not looking bright facing two road games next, against rivals Auburn and Kentucky. Coach Mark Gottfried found a winning combination, though, and Alabama not only won those two road games but pulled out a miracle win in Tuscaloosa last night against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Bama is now 10-6 on the year. The Tide still has a very tough road ahead, but there is now hope to get into the NCAA tournament.

Pretty nice sunset this evening here in Cullman County...

I sure am hoping to see a good snow this winter. We are "overdue" for a really good snow in North Alabama. My boys have seen very little snow in their lives, during the last 12 years. I saw quite a bit by the time I was their age as a child growing up in Huntsville. Not only that, but if they had lived during the previous 12 years (between 1982 and March 93) they would have seen quite a few major ice and snow events.

I remember well major ice storms in 1982 and 1985. There was an 8" snow in Huntsville and other parts of North Alabama in 1988. A similar snowfall occurred in 1991 in Tuscaloosa. Of course anyone who lived in Alabama in March of 1993 remembers the "Blizzard of ’93".

Since March of 1993, there have not been any widespread ice or snow events in North Alabama that compare to the events of 1982, 1985, 1988, 1991, or 1993. And before you ask, don’t even mention global warming. These are just climatic cycles. Unfortunately for snow lovers like me (and especially my children), this came at a "bad" time because my boys haven’t had the opportunities I had to enjoy sledding, making snowmen, and having snowball fights. Not to mention the fact that they haven’t had the opportunity to wake up in the morning, turn on the TV, and find out that school was closed.

With every passing rain event, we get closer to the end of this winter. Snow lovers don’t give up hope, though. The next three to six weeks are climatologically the most likely time for snow to fall in Alabama. Not only that, but there are some indications that extremely cold air is building up near the north pole. There is also some indication that prevailing winds may change within the next few weeks and begin to draw some of that cold air southward. Time will tell!

A snail was robbed by a turtle. When asked if he could identify the assailant, the snail said he couldn't... it happened too fast!

Last night the boys and I watched a documentary about Abraham Lincoln on the History Channel. This three hour long documentary was informative as well as entertaining enough to keep not only I, but also my boys’ attention for the whole show. This documentary looked at Lincoln from a different angle than usual. The show illustrated how Lincoln battled depression and examined how that depression affected his personal and professional life.

The main theme was that due to numerous losses (the death of his mother, siblings, and children), Lincoln became depressed and that the depression (or the desire to escape it) caused him to pursue success in the legal and political world. Anyone who has studied Lincoln at all has read or heard that his wife, Mary Todd, was said to have battled mental illness. That issue was discussed, but Lincoln’s battles with depression have not always been as thoroughly explored. The documentary made a good case for the claim.

Lincoln wrote a series of letters to a friend with whom he apparently shared the symptoms of depression. He also endured numerous hardships as a boy growing up in Kentucky and Indiana. He watched his mother die after intense suffering for a week. He lost siblings to death at an early age. His dad was not very nurturing, so he was not given the emotional support that would have made recovery from depression as a boy more likely.

As a young man, Lincoln battled depression resulting from his encounters with women. He initially broke his engagement to Mary Todd, because he allegedly "fell in love" with another women, though it is unknown whether he even let this other women know that she was the object of his affection. Lincoln was portrayed as shy and awkward around women, but still physically attracted. He was unsure about his love for Mary Todd but eventually they again were engaged and later married. Lincoln apparently had a high degree of "cognitive dissonance" between his feelings and his commitments. His marriage to Mary Todd was fraught with embarrassing episodes resulting from her mental illness. Both the private, and especially the public, demonstrations of her mental illness were a burden that he was forced to face all of his married life.

Lincoln obviously felt that his responsibility as President was to keep the Union together (at any cost) and to end the practice of slavery. Lincoln certainly took a principled stand on these issues. The problem was that this stand resulted in probably the bloodiest war in human history. The first Union officer that perished in the Civil war was a personal friend of Lincoln’s. Lincoln, when confronted by war widows during their time of need, was always very accommodating and became known as a caring and compassionate man as he responded to their individual requests for help. Lincoln was not afraid, and actually looked for opportunities to identify with the suffering of others. There was an account of the time when Lincoln actually visited the front lines during the war. Perhaps his own suffering helped him to identify with and take compassion on others he knew were suffering.

As Lincoln aged, it appears that he learned better how to manage his depression. The documentary makes the case that it was actually Lincoln’s depression that caused him to throw himself into his work; educating himself, becoming a lawyer, state representative, and later President of the United States. The only irritating thing about the documentary is that one of the historians made a claim that Lincoln was a homosexual. The basis for that claim was that he slept in the same bed as a male friend and that he wrote personal letters to this friend. Fortunately, most of the other historians strongly refuted this notion. They stated that it was not uncommon at all for people to share beds in those times simply because they were not as plentiful as today. They also noted that the first thing many in our society think of nowadays is sex, but in the 1800’s it was the one of the last assumptions to be made. Another irritating comment was made by author Gore Vidal. When describing how Lincoln violated the Bill of Rights in order to prosecute the war, he compared it to the War on Terror. Vidal said that the war on terror was about as significant as a "war on dandruff". The documentary on Lincoln would have been better served by leaving Gore’s liberal political commentary out.

Despite those departures, this was an excellent biographical documentary on Lincoln. It showed a side to Lincoln that has not been examined enough.

Judge Samuel Alito's congressional hearings have come to an end. I had the opportunity to listen to practically the whole thing on CSPAN Radio on XM Radio as I traveled. It was very enlightening. Obviously there was posturing along party lines, which occasionally got ugly. Nevertheless, I learned quite a lot about the inner workings of the Federal Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court.I got the impression that Judge Alito has a very brilliant legal mind, that he leans toward a moderate to conservative judicial and political philosophy, and that he is very committed to following the Constitution first, then Statutes, then Case Law.Most people are interested in whether he would shift the balance of the court. One thing that I've learned is that you never can predict how a nominee will rule during the confirmation process. More later....

Alabama's first tornadoes of 2006 were reported on Friday January 13, 2006. Sadly, Alabama's first tornado-related fatality occurred as well near Evergreen in Conecuh County. According to the Associated Press, "Winds toppled a chimney, killing Betty Williams, 58, who had just returned from an errand to the store, her daughter, Cynthia Williams, said. She had entered the house, put her purse on the table and returned to unload the car. "The wind pushed the chimney down and crushed her. It didn't last but a minute," the daughter said."

The National Weather Service Office in Mobile conducted a storm survey and rated the tornado F1 and said that it was on the ground for one mile. Tornadoes were also reported west of Batesville in Barbour County in Tumbleton in Henry County.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/significant_events/2006/01_13/Barbour/index.php

As previously mentioned, my Uncle Jim passed away on Thursday January 6, 2006. Uncle Jim was 73 years old. He met my Aunt Lois as a freshman in high school in Ottawa, IL. They were "high school sweethearts" and were married in 1951, when they were 18 and 19, respectively. They were married over 54 years when Uncle Jim passed away. Jim and Lois had three children. One son died as a boy. Their other son, Tom, and his wife both died at relatively young ages, leaving Jim and Lois to raise their two daughters. Their third child, Lori, has five children.On Monday I drove my dad (Jim’s older brother), mom and son David to Illinois. My sister Cara met us in Ottawa on Tuesday. The wake was held on Tuesday January 11, at Gladfelter’s Funeral Home in Ottawa, IL from 4-7 p.m. Of course it was a very sad occasion. It was good, however, to get to see "long lost" family members as well as to see my parents and son David have the opportunity to visit loved ones.

Some special memories for me included seeing David meeting my Uncle Vern. Vern is a huge sports fan, especially of the Chicago White Sox. I think David talked with Vern for at least 45 minutes, soaking up Vern’s love and knowledge of sports. David was amazed at how many very old baseball cards that Vern has collected.

Talking with my cousin Jeff was fun, as we share a love of baseball. Jeff is a huge White Sox fan who has had weekend season tickets for the Sox for a long time. Jeff said that he caught the game-winning home run ball hit by Hank Blalock in the 2003 MLB All-Star Game. He has a huge collection of Sox memorabilia, including game-used jerseys, balls, and lineup cards. He told a story about how he was on Waveland Avenue when Sammy Sosa was going for his 60 or 61st home run in 1998. He was one of the "ball hawks" trying to catch the home run out on the street over the left field bleachers. Somehow he was included in a movie about the home run chase produced by Major League Baseball.

I met George Fleming, classmate of my dad’s from Ottawa High School, class of 1948. George’s wife said that he and my dad planned on being in each other’s wedding, but couldn’t because they ended up getting married on the same day, May 16, 1959. George asked where I was from and surprisingly he knew about Cullman, AL, because he has passed through there so many times on his way to Gulf Shores. He said that he often spends the night in Athens or Cullman.

I met a friend of Uncle Jim’s, with whom I discussed one of my favorite memories of Uncle Jim. Jim was a huge University of Illinois fan and he and some of his family and friends met my dad, my friend, and I for Bear Bryant’s last game against Illinois in the Liberty bowl in Memphis in 1982. That was a very cold night and my Uncle Vern said the weather was so bad because of the clash of the Wilhelm’s coming down from Illinois and up from Alabama. My Uncle Jim’s friend said that he thought the Alabama fans were some of the nicest that he’s ever seen. He contrasted the Alabama fans with those from the Illinois fans, whom he characterized as drunk and obnoxious.

There were many photos of Uncle Jim. One of my favorites was from the early to mid 1970’s. It was a photo my dad took of Jim, Lori, Cara, and I on a dock fishing at Lake Guntersville. Cara said that it was the first (and last) time she was allowed to go fishing. Cara was probably about 5 years old. She got in my parent’s 1968 Chevy Impala and put it into reverse. My dad quickly got in and stopped the thing before it rolled into the lake. Cara and I got a chuckle out of that.

My dad and Uncle Jim also had two sisters who were twins, Mary Ellen and Rosemary. Mary Ellen mentioned that when the family got together and talked, Jim was always the calm, level-headed, and quiet one. He was a man of few words. Everyone else might be yelling or getting excited, but Uncle Jim was always level-headed.

The funeral was held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Ottawa, IL on Wednesday January 11, 2006. There were a couple of comments by Father Halfacre that particularly resonated with me. One was when he mentioned that a beautiful thing happened during a wedding, when a man and a woman make vows between God and man, proclaiming that they will love, honor, and cherish one another, "until death do you part." He went on to say that as beautiful as that may be, a promise made pales in comparison with the beauty of a promise kept. He said that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Jim and Lois fulfilled their vows for 54 plus years.

The other thing mentioned by Father Halfacre was the subject of dealing with grief. He mentioned that losing a loved one is tough, there is no getting around that fact. This is especially true when two become one, giving and receiving together. However he offered two powerful and relevant hopes that we can have. If a loved one dies with faith in Christ as savior, he hasn’t really died and the separation will be temporary until we meet again in heaven. That is our eternal hope that we have in Christ. In this life, he expressed the importance of looking at "the big picture" through faith. If we get caught up in the emotions of the moment, we might never get out. We must adjust, adapt, and see everything in it’s context. That message was very encouraging to me personally right now.

It was a trip to Illinois that I would rather have not made under the circumstances. Nevertheless, I hope my parents, sister, son, and I always remember the close fellowship we shared with one another and our friends and family in Ottawa, Illinois

My sons Joe and Matt received awards today at school. They were both on the honor roll.

My youngest son, Matthew's first day of preschool was January 14, 2004.

On October 23, 2005, I had the opportunity to visit my sister in Chicago and drive up to Milwaukee for the Paul McCartney concert. While my sister shopped at the mall near the Bradley Center, I waited outside in the cold rain with some dedicated McCartney fans to watch Paul enter the venue for the sound check. It was a cool experience and an awesome concert!

My Uncle Jim, my Godfather, passed away, Friday January 6, 2006, around 5 p.m. He had a massive stroke about 24 hours prior to that and went into a deep coma. I remember my Uncle Jim so very fondly. He is my Dad's younger brother. He was always very dedicated to his family and softspoken. He endured numerous hurts in his life. His firstborn son died at a very young age, his daughter in law and son died with two young girls, that he and my Aust Lois ended up raising. His daughter has endured a lot too, and it had to really hurt him. Despite all of this he's always been a steady rock in my Dad's family and a man I've always respected. Tomorrow I travel to Illinois with my Dad, Mom, oldest son David. We'll be attending his wake and funeral on Tuesday and Wednesday. I hope to post more here later when I return. God bless Unlcle Jim's family and friends.

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Obituary from the Ottawa (IL) Daily Times

James Arnold Wilhelm 1932-2006

OTTAWA - James Arnold Wilhelm, 73, of Ottawa, died Friday, Jan. 6, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Ottawa with the Rev. Philip Halfacre as celebrant. Burial will be in Ottawa Avenue Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gladfelter Funeral Home with liturgical prayers at 4.Mr. Wilhelm was born July 31, 1932, in Ottawa, to Arnold and Mildred (Nally) Wilhelm. He married Lois Mae Trevier on March 29, 1951, in Ottawa.He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Patrick's Catholic Church and the Holy Name Society. He retired in 1995 after 30 years of employment from U.S. Silica.Jim was a loving husband, caring dad and special grandpa. He will be missed by everyone who knew and loved him.He is survived by his wife; a daughter, Lori (Greg) Hanson of Bloomington; seven grandchildren, Michael, Emily and Lauren Aussem, Luke and Brett Hanson and Cara and Kylie Wilhelm; a brother, Martin (Dorothy) of Huntsville, Ala.; and two sisters, Rosemary Bruehler of Mulberry, Fla., and Mary Ellen (Vern) Corrigan of Ottawa.He was preceded in death by two sons, James Robert and Thomas Martin Wilhelm.Pallbearers will be Vern Corrigan, Greg Hanson, Michael Aussem, Jerry and Jeff Mettille and John Damyen.Memorials may be directed to the donor's choice.Obituary written by family members.

New Year’s Weekend…
New Year’s weekend has come and gone. On Friday December 30 and Saturday December 31, my boys and I took the opportunity to play with some of their Christmas presents, especially the Xbox games. I’m now 3-0 in NCAA football against David, my 12 year old! Joe, my nine year old "went hunting" and shot a big (Xbox) buck. Matthew, my six year old played his Batman game. It really is amazing how far video games have come in the past 25 years!
Unfortunately, this was normally the weekend the boys were supposed to be at their mom’s place, so I only had them about one day.

Saturday night I visited my friends Johnny and Kathy in Hazel Green. We talked about Johnny’s big collection of history books, watched videos of Bear Bryant, Dixie Chicks, M*A*S*H, and Frazier. Kathy made a real nice meal. Of course, we all watched the famous ball drop while Dick Clark narrated. It just wasn’t the same. I had not realized how badly the stroke affected him. God bless Dick Clark.

New Year’s Day was a special day for Johnny’s Dad. Johnny’s dad was baptized. Johnny’s dad accepted Christ as his Savior in November. I think he is about 60 years old. I went with Johnny and Kathy to visit the church where his dad was baptized. It’s always a blessing to see people accept the Lord. Unfortunately statistics say that it’s rather rare for people over 20 to make that decision. Most people tend to make major life decisions early on and stay with it. That makes it an extra special miracle for Johnny’s dad. After church, I visited my mom and dad the rest of the weekend. It’s always great to hang out where I was raised with my parents.

My son David and I enjoyed a Cubs game in the left field bleachers in Wrigley Field 7/15/2004. The Cubs are David's favorite team. Wrigley is an awesome place to take in a game!

Roll Tide! Alabama defeated Texas Tech 13-10 in the Cotton Bowl on January 2, 2006. Alabama finished the season with 10 wins and two losses under third year coach Mike Shula. It’s been a great season for the Tide after a series of disasters the last few years.

The unraveling began under Coach Mike Dubose, under whose leadership Alabama was placed on probation by the NCAA. Bama then hired Dennis Franchione, who, after some success, betrayed his players and left under cover of darkness for Texas A&M. Then Alabama hired the infamous Mike Price. Price (before even signing his contract) reportedly violated University policy on several occasions with behavior that usually results in players being suspended, much less coaches. To Alabama’s credit, they let Price go and hired Mike Shula about one month before the beginning of the 2003 season.

Shula inherited a mess in 2003. Not only did he take over the program at the last minute, but the team was decimated by the sanctions imposed by the NCAA. Shula had no prior head coaching experience. In addition to the problems already mentioned, in 2004 the Tide encountered more injuries to key players than ever in recent memory. The injuries were a more significant problem than you would normally expect due to the lack of depth resulting from scolarship restrictions.

Under Shula the Tide has shown steady improvement, despite the obstacles. In 2003, Alabama finished 4-9. In 2004, Alabama finished 6-6. This year Bama improved to 10-2. This year Bama had big wins against South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas Tech. There were two disappointing losses, to LSU and rival Auburn. Bama played LSU tough, down to the wire. The biggest disappointment was the loss to Auburn 28-18. Though they lost by 10 points, it seemed worse because Auburn was so dominant in the first quarter, jumping out to a 21-0 lead. Despite the fact Bama outscored Auburn 18-7 during the final three quarters, they never could overcome the bad start.

Bama showed up ready to play one of their best games of the year in the Cotton Bowl. This was a battle between the nation’s #2 offense in Texas Tech and the nation’s #2 defense in Alabama. It was widely hyped as the best matchup besides the Rose Bowl National Championship game between USC and Texas. As usual, a good defense beat a good offense. Bama won on a last second field goal by Christensen, his third such game-winning kick of the year.

The future looks bright for the Alabama Crimson Tide!

Here are the box scores from the 2005 season.....

Box Score (Final) Middle Tennessee vs Alabama Crimson Tide (Sep 3, 2005 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Middle Tennessee.... 0 7 0 0 - 7 Record: (0-1) Alabama Crimson Tide 2 7 14 3 - 26 Record: (1-0) Scoring Summary: 1st 03:49 ALABAMA - TEAM safety, , MT 0 - ALABAMA 2 2nd 09:05 ALABAMA - Tim Castille 1 yd run (Ryan Saxby kick), 10-51 4:30, MT 0 - ALABAMA 9 06:06 MT - Nick McAfee 14 yd pass from Clint Marks (Colby Smith kick), 9-80 2:59, MT 7 - ALABAMA 9 3rd 10:34 ALABAMA - Tyrone Prothro 13 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (Ryan Saxby kick), 6-68 2:48, MT 7 - ALABAMA 16 02:53 ALABAMA - Tim Castille 1 yd run (Ryan Saxby kick), 6-59 2:55, MT 7 - ALABAMA 23 4th 12:10 ALABAMA - Ryan Saxby 32 yd field goal, 7-62 2:34, MT 7 - ALABAMA 26

Box Score (Final) Southern Mississippi vs Alabama Crimson Tide (Sep 10, 2005 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Southern Mississippi 14 7 0 0 - 21 Record: (0-1) Alabama Crimson Tide 10 7 6 7 - 30 Record: (2-0) Scoring Summary: 1st 14:04 ALABAMA - DJ Hall 26 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 4-80 0:56, USM 0 - ALABAMA 7 06:41 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 33 yd field goal, 8-53 3:29, USM 0 - ALABAMA 10 03:32 USM - Gerald Mcrath 32 yd interception return (Darren Mccaleb kick), , USM 7 - ALABAMA 10 00:53 USM - Anthony Perine 12 yd pass from Dustin Almond (Darren Mccaleb kick), 1-12 0:07, USM 14 - ALABAMA 10 2nd 10:19 USM - Anthony Perine 37 yd pass from Dustin Almond (Darren Mccaleb kick), 7-64 3:05, USM 21 - ALABAMA 10 00:12 ALABAMA - Le'Ron McClain 1 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 11-72 3:00, USM 21 - ALABAMA 17 3rd 09:19 ALABAMA - Tim Castille 2 yd run (J. Christensen kick failed), 9-60 4:00, USM 21 - ALABAMA 23 4th 11:06 ALABAMA - Tim Castille 2 yd run (J. Christensen kick), 11-85 4:20, USM 21 - ALABAMA 30

Box Score (Final) Alabama Crimson Tide vs South Carolina (Sep 17, 2005 at Columbia, S.C.) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Alabama Crimson Tide 14 6 10 7 - 37 Record: (3-0,1-0) South Carolina...... 7 0 0 7 - 14 Record: (1-2,0-2) Scoring Summary: 1st 10:54 ALABAMA - Brodie Croyle 15 yd run (J. Christensen kick), 8-80 4:06, ALABAMA 7 - USC 0 05:16 USC - Mike Davis 1 yd run (Josh Brown kick), 13-75 5:38, ALABAMA 7 - USC 7 03:06 ALABAMA - Keith Brown 46 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 7-80 2:10, ALABAMA 14 - USC 7 2nd 11:56 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 41 yd field goal, 12-62 5:02, ALABAMA 17 - USC 7 04:02 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 29 yd field goal, 13-40 6:12, ALABAMA 20 - USC 7 3rd 06:24 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 27 yd field goal, 9-39 4:42, ALABAMA 23 - USC 7 04:08 ALABAMA - Kenneth Darby 22 yd run (J. Christensen kick), 3-39 1:03, ALABAMA 30 - USC 7 4th 09:51 ALABAMA - Keith Brown 36 yd pass from JP Wilson (J. Christensen kick), 6-80 3:38, ALABAMA 37 - USC 7 05:43 USC - Sidney Rice 6 yd pass from Blake Mitchell (Josh Brown kick), 11-80 4:08, ALABAMA 37 - USC 14

Box Score (Final) Arkansas vs Alabama Crimson Tide (Sep 24, 2005 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Arkansas............ 0 3 0 10 - 13 Record: (1-3,0-2) Alabama Crimson Tide 0 7 3 14 - 24 Record: (4-0,2-0) Scoring Summary: 2nd 08:54 ARK - Chris Balseiro 34 yd field goal, 8-27 3:05, ARK 3 - ALABAMA 0 06:57 ALABAMA - DJ Hall 43 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 4-64 1:57, ARK 3 - ALABAMA 7 3rd 13:23 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 36 yd field goal, 4--1 1:23, ARK 3 - ALABAMA 10 4th 14:15 ALABAMA - Tim Castille 1 yd run (J. Christensen kick), 10-79 4:50, ARK 3 - ALABAMA 17 13:29 ARK - Darren McFadden 70 yd run (Chris Balseiro kick), 2-82 0:46, ARK 10 - ALABAMA 17 09:53 ARK - Chris Balseiro 27 yd field goal, 4-1 1:27, ARK 13 - ALABAMA 17 02:22 ALABAMA - DJ Hall 5 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 8-40 3:28, ARK 13 - ALABAMA 24

Box Score (Final) #5 Florida vs #15 Alabama Crimson Tide (Oct 1, 2005 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Florida............. 0 3 0 0 - 3 Record: (4-1,2-1) Alabama Crimson Tide 17 7 7 0 - 31 Record: (5-0,3-0) Scoring Summary: 1st 11:27 ALABAMA - Tyrone Prothro 87 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 1-87 0:12, UF 0 - ALABAMA 7 09:45 ALABAMA - Tim Castille 1 yd run (J. Christensen kick), 3-2 1:21, UF 0 - ALABAMA 14 05:52 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 22 yd field goal, 6-50 2:07, UF 0 - ALABAMA 17 2nd 07:32 UF - Hetland, C. 37 yd field goal, 5-45 1:22, UF 3 - ALABAMA 17 07:22 ALABAMA - Keith Brown 65 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 1-65 0:10, UF 3 - ALABAMA 24 3rd 11:59 ALABAMA - Tyrone Prothro 15 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 7-80 3:01, UF 3 - ALABAMA 31

Box Score (Final) #6 Alabama Crimson Tide vs Ole Miss (Oct 15, 2005 at Oxford, Miss.) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Alabama Crimson Tide 0 3 7 3 - 13 Record: (6-0,4-0) Ole Miss............ 7 0 0 3 - 10 Record: (2-4,0-3) Scoring Summary: 1st 03:47 UM - Mario Hill 27 yd pass from M. Spurlock (Robert Bass kick), 3-26 1:10, ALABAMA 0 - UM 7 2nd 11:37 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 43 yd field goal, 4--11 1:36, ALABAMA 3 - UM 7 3rd 12:07 ALABAMA - Kenneth Darby 48 yd run (J. Christensen kick), 4-82 1:17, ALABAMA 10 - UM 7 4th 11:42 UM - Robert Bass 24 yd field goal, 11-42 7:15, ALABAMA 10 - UM 10 00:00 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 31 yd field goal, 11-63 2:39, ALABAMA 13 - UM 10

Box Score (Final) #17 Tennessee vs #5 Alabama Crimson Tide (Oct 22, 2005 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Tennessee........... 0 0 0 3 - 3 Record: (3-3,2-3) Alabama Crimson Tide 0 0 3 3 - 6 Record: (7-0,5-0) Scoring Summary: 3rd 00:00 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 33 yd field goal, 6-34 3:19, UT 0 - ALABAMA 3 4th 11:52 UT - James Wilhoit 32 yd field goal, 5-39 3:08, UT 3 - ALABAMA 3 00:13 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 34 yd field goal, 10-63 4:55, UT 3 - ALABAMA 6

Box Score (Final) Utah State vs #5 Alabama Crimson Tide (Oct 29, 2005 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Utah State.......... 0 0 3 0 - 3 Record: (2-5,1-3) Alabama Crimson Tide 14 7 7 7 - 35 Record: (8-0,5-0) Scoring Summary: 1st 13:23 ALABAMA - Ezekial Knight 9 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 4-65 1:37, USU 0 - ALABAMA 7 09:56 ALABAMA - Le'Ron McClain 1 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 4-54 1:44, USU 0 - ALABAMA 14 2nd 04:41 ALABAMA - DJ Hall 13 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 8-74 3:33, USU 0 - ALABAMA 21 3rd 11:50 USU - Justin Hamblin 24 yd field goal, 9-65 3:10, USU 3 - ALABAMA 21 00:48 ALABAMA - Kenneth Darby 38 yd run (J. Christensen kick), 8-76 4:00, USU 3 - ALABAMA 28 4th 09:49 ALABAMA - Glen Coffee 9 yd pass from J.P. Wilson (J. Christensen kick), 6-23 2:01, USU 3 - ALABAMA 35

Box Score (Final) #4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs Mississippi State (Nov 05, 2005 at Starkville, Miss.) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Alabama Crimson Tide 0 3 14 0 - 17 Record: (9-0,6-0) Mississippi State... 0 0 0 0 - 0 Record: (2-7,0-6) Scoring Summary: 2nd 08:31 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 38 yd field goal, 12-70 5:06, ALABAMA 3 - MSU 0 3rd 14:53 ALABAMA - Matt Miller 15 yd fumble recovery (J. Christensen kick), , ALABAMA 10 - MSU 0 12:46 ALABAMA - Rudy Griffin 17 yd interception return (J. Christensen kick), , ALABAMA 17 - MSU 0

Box Score (Final) #5 LSU vs #3 Alabama Crimson Tide (Nov 12, 2005 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 OT [ 5 ] Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- -- [ - ] ----- LSU................. 0 0 10 0 6 [ 6 ] - 16 Record: (8-1,5-1) Alabama Crimson Tide 3 7 0 0 3 [ 3 ] - 13 Record: (9-1,6-1) Scoring Summary: 1st 05:15 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 28 yd field goal, 10-67 3:32, LSU 0 - ALABAMA 3 2nd 10:59 ALABAMA - DJ Hall 8 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 11-84 4:25, LSU 0 - ALABAMA 10 3rd 09:53 LSU - Justin Vincent 1 yd run (Colt David kick), 9-80 5:07, LSU 7 - ALABAMA 10 05:46 LSU - Chris Jackson 42 yd field goal, 5-20 1:27, LSU 10 - ALABAMA 10 OT 15:00 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 34 yd field goal, 4-8 0:00, LSU 10 - ALABAMA 13 15:00 LSU - Dwayne Bowe 11 yd pass from JaMarcus Russel, 4-25 0:00, LSU 16 - ALABAMA 13

Box Score (Final) Alabama Crimson Tide vs Auburn (Nov. 19,2005 at Auburn, AL) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Alabama Crimson Tide 0 7 3 8 - 18 Record: (9-2,6-2) Auburn.............. 21 7 0 0 - 28 Record: (9-2,7-1) Scoring Summary: 1st 10:05 AU - Ben Obomanu 7 yd pass from Brandon Cox (John Vaughn kick), 6-40 2:20, ALABAMA 0 - AU 7 07:24 AU - Kenny Irons 8 yd run (John Vaughn kick), 3-31 1:12, ALABAMA 0 - AU 14 04:01 AU - Ben Obomanu 45 yd run (John Vaughn kick), 4-55 1:39, ALABAMA 0 - AU 21 2nd 13:33 ALABAMA - Tim Castille 1 yd run (J. Christensen kick), 9-63 2:56, ALABAMA 7 - AU 21 02:07 AU - Cole Bennett 5 yd pass from Brandon Cox (John Vaughn kick), 8-61 4:33, ALABAMA 7 - AU 28 3rd 10:12 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 43 yd field goal, 6-9 3:39, ALABAMA 10 - AU 28 4th 00:23 ALABAMA - J.P. Wilson 1 yd run (DJ Hall pass from J.P. Wilson), 7-46 1:50, ALABAMA 18 - AU 28

Box Score (Final) #15 Texas Tech vs #13 Alabama Crimson Tide (Jan 02, 2006 at Dallas, Texas) Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score ----------------- -- -- -- -- ----- Texas Tech.......... 3 0 0 7 - 10 Record: (9-3,6-2) Alabama Crimson Tide 7 0 3 3 - 13 Record: (10-2,6-2) Scoring Summary: 1st 11:37 ALABAMA - Keith Brown 76 yd pass from Brodie Croyle (J. Christensen kick), 2-84 0:46, TECH 0 - ALABAMA 7 03:00 TECH - Alex Trlica 34 yd field goal, 10-69 2:22, TECH 3 - ALABAMA 7 3rd 06:53 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 31 yd field goal, 17-67 8:07, TECH 3 - ALABAMA 10 4th 02:56 TECH - Jarrett Hicks 12 yd pass from Cody Hodges (Alex Trlica kick), 2-38 0:16, TECH 10 - ALABAMA 10 00:00 ALABAMA - J. Christensen 45 yd field goal, 10-58 2:56, TECH 10 - ALABAMA 13

Welcome to my new blog. Most of us have a New Year's resolution...here's mine!