Saturday Night Drinking, Sports, Best Christmas Present Ever Thread
Mates,
It is a pretty good Saturday night for sports right now, with a decent IU v Duke football game on and Nebraska v. UCLA coming on later. Additionally, both the Wings and the Pistons will be on the tele tonight and our house still has television for another couple of weeks so I will probably watch some of all of these games.
EDIT: Oops, forgot NFL game, Wash v. Philly
Also, a question for the board: What is/was the best or most memorable Christmas gift you ever got, even if it was when you were a youngster?
I hope you are still with loved ones and coming out of your food-coma from yesterday's dinner. Merry-day-after-Christmas and Happy New Year.
XM
UPDATE: IU lost a heartbreaker, Pistons lost, Wings won 3-2, Nebraska looking good v. UCLA, tied at the 1/2 despite a couple of total horse scat calls, and Wash lost points due to their sparty QB, Cousins.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:36 PM ^
Enjoying a Manhattan or three tonight.
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December 26th, 2015 at 7:13 PM ^
I'm mostly a beer guy. I like a nice red with a meal. But I read the linked story and have enjoyed perfect manhattans ever since http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/12/03/manhattan-5
As for my best gift I have 2...
As kids in the summer we rode our bikes almost daily to a little shopping complex about a mile away. A&P Super Market, Maskill's Hardware, Sander's ice cream, and all the candy and soda at Perry's Drugs. Most on the board don't know this, but all of these were major retail institutions in the Detroit Area circa 1978. Anyway, Maskill's had a decent enough sporting goods section to keep us in cheap footballs and baseballs. They also had a little glassed-in display case where they kept things that might attract sticky fingers and also stuff they were trying to set apart as "special". One of these items was a 4 piece Daiwa fishing rod and reel set in a hard plastic case. I'm pretty sure they only had 1 and I watched it for months before asking for it for Christmas. It was around $30 or $35 which was not nuthin back then, but in hindsight I'm sure it was the easiest money Mom ever spent. It was hidden deep under other items beneath the tree - it may even have secretly entered the fray a little late amongst all the wrapping carnage. Anyway, I assembled and disassembled that rod and reel hundreds of times before Spring arrived then hundreds more for several years of actual use.
My second is a silver bell Christmas ornament dated 1993 with a short engraved message. Mom gave them to both me and my sister when it certainly appeared breast cancer would make that Christmas her last. Pretty emotional to open to say the least but turns out she lived another 11 really wonderful years.
This Christmas is a little rough for me. The kids are with their Mom. Sister moved to Utah this year, Girlfriend is visiting her folks out of state. It's all good. I've caught more than my share of breaks in this life and next year will be better. Still, appreciate what you've got when you've got it. Go Blue.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:30 PM ^
can't imagine the kids not being here. i hope it is a decade or more before/if/when they start to not all be home.
when i was young dad told us mom was sick, but not much else that Christmas. mayo tried to do something about it but upon operating said no way to stop it and unfortunately they were right.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:32 PM ^
count your blessings. We earn some, we luck into most, none are guaranteed.
December 26th, 2015 at 8:40 PM ^
Matel football!!
December 26th, 2015 at 6:39 PM ^
This.
No contest.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:57 PM ^
I see what you're doing. +1
December 26th, 2015 at 6:43 PM ^
So this is actually the greatest gift I have received in my lifetime. My Michigan degree would be second, but that was something earned over the course of 4 years, whereas Harbaugh was a gift from the gods.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:06 PM ^
Just to verify, did you take any kinesiology or comms classes?
December 26th, 2015 at 7:15 PM ^
No, unfortunately not. Biz school. And it was the Ann Arbor campus, not Dearborn or satellite. That being said, I respect all fellow Michigan alum.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:31 PM ^
Ah, that would explain the user name.
Just kidding. I respect all grads, too. Especially mechanical engineers. 3.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:05 PM ^
It takes a whole community of good people, such as yourselves, and this is good. We stay together, pray together, we work together, and if the good Lord smiles kindly on our endeavor, we share in the wealth together.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:16 PM ^
Is indiana's middle LB that bad ?
December 26th, 2015 at 7:29 PM ^
Yeah, I said that last night. You should be more original.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:42 PM ^
Sydney you suck. Just because you said this yesterday does not make it off limits for everyone else. You are quickly becoming one of my least favorite posters.
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December 26th, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
Pretty sure /s here
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December 26th, 2015 at 7:44 PM ^
I'm sorry I don't have a memory of every single comment in a thread I posted on Christmas morning.
The good feelings and energy that Christmas gives off to most of the Earth certainly doesn't have much pull with some here.
December 26th, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
It was in your thread, mate.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:42 PM ^
Has anyone else seen The Hateful Eight roadshow yet? I went for a 10:30 screening last night and was pretty surprised they were having a line form outside. Also got home at about 2:30 but that's what happens when you schedule around family.
No spoilers or anything, but if you're a fan of Samuel L Jackson you're gonna want to see it. The reviews about it being peak Tarantino are all right on, IMO, both for good and bad.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:32 PM ^
I think it's likely his worst film and I'm a fan. It felt as if someone was trying to be QT, hired all his friends, chose a few actors whos careers he'd try to resurrect ala QT and made a film in that typical QT style. It feels like a forgery of his style instead of a QT film. Opening with an hour and a half of straight dialogue that seemed largely phoned in or poorly acted before anything beyond SLJ happens. Then the film actually starts moving and the last hour is admittedly solid. I enjoy a long exchange when it's well done (!) but the first hour was painfully bad and only saved by SLJ, IMO. On the "QT Film Scale" it's a 4/10, a solid 6/10 if we ignore the director.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:34 PM ^
I like a few of Quentin's movies, but he is incredibly overrated.
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December 26th, 2015 at 8:32 PM ^
really is. I rank Reservoir Dogs among the top 10 movies ever made, and Pulp Fiction had its moments. Since then it has been a shit show. I don't know what the hell I am watching when I watch a Tarantino movie. Pretty much garbage I guess.
December 27th, 2015 at 12:54 AM ^
I thought Inglourious basterds was pretty entertaining, but had mixed feelings about Django unchained.I do like Samuel L Jackson, so I'll check it out, he was great in Jackie Brown.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:43 PM ^
corned beef and cole slaw on a toasted onion roll, deviled eggs and pasta salad...G'day mates!
December 26th, 2015 at 7:34 PM ^
G'day and that sounds delicious, minus the Budweiser part.
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December 26th, 2015 at 6:44 PM ^
1981 Mongoose Supergoose.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:47 PM ^
Wow. I actually collect late '70s and 80s mongooses and Schwinns. Not my favorite model but very collectible.
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December 26th, 2015 at 6:55 PM ^
It was a dream come true at the time. Rode that bike all over metro Detroit and every BMX course I could find.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:08 PM ^
My older cousin had that bike, and I would have killed him to get it, but I was only 4.
I later got a Dyno GT that was pretty sweet in a late 80's sort of way. Thinking back on that I can't believe my mom spent $300 on a bike for a 10 year old.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:38 PM ^
Yeah. My folks would not spring for a top end BMX bike back in the day So I souped up Stingray . Probably why I started buying bikes. Turned into a great hobby and amazing investment. My kids were riding around Oakland county on $3000 first edition mongooses a few years ago and they were cool even then. This year my kids asked for Swagways. Watching the gleam in their eyes getting that was a pretty great gift.
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December 26th, 2015 at 7:12 PM ^
Many years later, but I remember quite fondly getting my Haro. So many miles on that bike around metro Detroit. What a time in a boy's life.
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December 26th, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
The best bike I got as a child was a red Schwinn Stingray with the banana seat. For a 5th grader back in the day, that was the epitome of coolness!
December 26th, 2015 at 8:46 PM ^
Redlines were also popular BMX bikes with my friends in the early 80s.
For the record my parents really couldn't afford the Supergoose but I systematically wore them down for a long, long time. They reminded me often how fortunate I was to have that bike. And in return I put about 50,000 miles on it.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:35 PM ^
Those were THE bikes when I was a kid (80s-90s). You were the shit if you had one and Diamondbacks (iirc) popped in there, too.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:45 PM ^
Rancilio Silvia. Best thing ever.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:45 PM ^
great day for sports. hopefully the night night ending in a Skins nfc east title! HTTR!
December 26th, 2015 at 6:46 PM ^
As a youngster, nothing can top when I got my Snes for Xmas. I was so pumped. A close 2nd was getting my PlayStation 2. I had to wait in line for 4 hours in Kmart to get it. It was November. I was suppose to wait until Christmas to open it. I was maybe 14. Needless to say I found it and had it opened within a week.
Not drinking yet, but I see something strong in the near future.
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December 26th, 2015 at 6:51 PM ^
I still play SNES and it is probably my favorite system.
I am also a big fan of Playstation 2.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:10 PM ^
Same here, brother!
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December 26th, 2015 at 7:28 PM ^
I am still hoping to beat Goof Troop. I haven't been playing that particular game in a long time, but still get stuck on the last level.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:51 PM ^
Great Lakes Christmas Ale...good stuff. Best gift ever was a Golden Retriever pup 14 years ago, still going strong.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
Enjoying the bottle of Oban scotch I got for Christmas and a nice cigar.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
Menage a Trios - Midnight
California Dark Red Blend. Tasty!
Best Christmas gift is the joy on my kids faces every Christmas morning.
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December 26th, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
Over the years. My recent favorite is when my wife, a former ballerina, dresses up in costume and performs Santa Baby for me.
December 26th, 2015 at 6:57 PM ^
Pics or it didn't happen.
December 26th, 2015 at 7:05 PM ^
You're talking about, show a little respect. When my girlfriend does it I'll post those pics.
December 26th, 2015 at 8:00 PM ^
Do you think they would do a duet and you could post the video online?
/jk
December 26th, 2015 at 7:02 PM ^
Baby, it's cold outside
December 26th, 2015 at 7:09 PM ^
I do have a nice signing voice.