Crazy Summer

House Inspection
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Wow summer is breezing by. We have been wicked busy taking care of two lovely young ladies as well at trying to find a new house. We thought we had one last month but due to massive problems to the foundation, deck and furnace that the sellers wouldn't address we had to walk away from it. We've spent the last month checking out tons of places all over the west side and finally found a place that is just about perfect for us. Everyone will have space and we are very excited to have a yard (with a playground and a creek) for the girls to play outside. Here is a view of our house from the back yard looking at the deck. Next up is getting moved in and selling two houses. Looking quite forward to the return of football season I just am woefully prepared for it . . .

Mady

Weekend in Eugene
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks

Just because she is so cute - life is crazy now - had some bad family news come along that is really going to change our lives and routines. Part of getting older I guess - the girls are doing great and are both in new schools. We went through two awful nanny experiences. I don't recommend them at all, find a good day care and don't put yourself in the position to depend on flakes and slackers who call in sick all the time . . .

Cheers to Belgian Beers

Cheers to Belgian Beers
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Emily and I on Saturday got to do something that we hardly ever get to do any more and that is to get to enjoy Portland for an afternoon sans children. We decided to head down to Hopworks to check out the Cheers to Belgian Beers. This was a very fun event, all sorts of local brewers getting to be very creative and yet each taste was only a dollar. Yummy. We were in line to get a taste when a fairly sloshed man came up to the woman who was serving the McMennamins tasters (and some other beers as well and she was not an employee of McMennamins) and started going off on her about how their beers suck, service sucks etc. Pretty much being a big A-hole. I can understand some criticism of McBeers because they are definitely not known for service and they have 7 or 8 beers they have had forever which don't stand up to the quality of many other local brews but their beer is not swill. Go visit about 90% of this country where all you can find is Bud , Bud Light, Coors Light and maybe Heineken or Corona on tap and come back to me about swill. You can find some great beers at McMennamins if you avoid your local strip mall version and head to one of the many places that brews on site. Chances are your local brewer has put together an interesting special or two and many of these I have really enjoyed. I hear this same complaint about Deschutes, Widmer and Full Sail a lot. Yes these beers can be disappointing if all you are judging them on is Widmer Hef, the newest incarnation of Mirror Pond or Full Sail Amber. All of these places make some excellent seasonals that shouldn't be missed and if you go to the actual pubs and have the small batch versions of specials or even their regular faves you'll be surprised that they taste different and better. The only reason that events like Cheers to Belgian Beers exist today is the pioneering spirit of places like McMenaminns and Widmer that created an industry that has flourished in this state and allows for the creativity of the many great brewers in Oregon to experiment and raise the bar on what is great and daring beers. The man who was chastising McMennamins should instead be thanking them. Without McMennamins and their early pioneering brethren coming along he'd probably be drinking a bud light instead of enjoying an event that would only happening in a few places in the world.

Photo Booth by Evie

Photo Booth by Evie
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

It's amazing how quickly little kids pick up technology. Evie at the young age of 3 is now adept at using an iPhone, using my Mac to play games and take pictures as well as turning on the DVD player and putting in her movies. It's amazing how quickly they go from being completely dependent on you to being an electronics wiz . . . happy spring to everyone and let's hope for an injury free Spring Game on Saturday (will not be attending but will watch on ESPN2)

Watch Her Go!

Fancy Feet
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks

This is Mady dancing away in her little jumper thingy. Evie liked this thing too when she was Mady's age . . .

NCAA Championship Game

Hippos!
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

The Duke-Baylor game was really like much of the tournament was - exciting finish in a game either team could have won but at the same time ugly. I guess I still prefer the emotion that is in the college game over the much better individual play of the NBA. I do worry though that this will be the last great NCAA tournament. It seems a certainty that next year 96 teams will be in and the tourney will be on ESPN. In the end the 96 team thing will lessen the popularity of the tournament and it will become more an event for college sports fans only rather than the water-cooler event it is now.

Evie and the Ducks

This is Evie in at Hat Rock near Hermiston, Oregon:

Travelin'

Columbia River Gorge
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

We've been out of town the last three weekends which is quite the feat with a 3 year old and a 5 month old. I took this photo while we crossed from Washington in to Oregon on the Hood River Bridge. We spent a nice night in Hood River, then the next weekend we spent a night in Cannon Beach and then last weekend we visited family in Hermiston. Always nice to get out of the house but looking to an enjoy a weekend at home this week.

Man Those Picks Stunk

Looking at my picks below those are terrible. Only Kentucky left in my Final Four. Lots of change this month at the UO - two huge hires are out there and for the first time since 1989 Mike Belloti won't be part at Oregon. End of an era, I think Mike will be great on TV and I figure he'll probably stay in the Eugene area.

Quick Tourney Takes

Commonwealth Lake Park
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

We were at the coast Saturday night and Sunday and I kept my phone off so just catching up with the brackets via the DVR. A few first impressions. Overall I have no problem with anyone being left out of the field, the bubble sucked Va Tech only has themselves to blame with such a crud OOC SOS , same for Miss State. Illinois probably should have gotten in over Utah State, too bad they lost that Ohio State game but I shed no tears with their 75 RPI. I don't get too hyped up about seedings since many teams are moved up and down due to conference match-ups not till the Elite 8 ideally and the pod system. Probably worst seedings were Cal, Notre Dame and Texas. Does anyone right now consider Texas one of the 34 best teams right now? Probably not but with the great early start hard to keep them out.

Hardest road to the Final Four for a 1: Easy answer is Kansas, would have to beat the Gtown/Ohio State winner in the Elite most likely and a possible Mich St in the Sweet 16. On the bottom of the bracket are OSU and the Vols two teams that KU lost too.

Easiest route to the Final Four: Kentucky, shouldn't be challenged till the likely match-up versus West Virginia in the 8 though West Virginia is a really tough out if they match-up.

Most likely 12-5 upset: UTEP over Butler, Butler like Gonzaga before them has gotten to the point where they have started to get overseeded. Not their fault but they don't get to play a high level schedule the last 20 games of the year due to their conference. Butler is much more dangerous in the 7 10 or 11 spot. Hate to see a mid-major/mid major first round game. Been a trend the last 3 years or so.

Best chance for a non 1/2 seed to make the Final Four: Pitt, they've beaten some really good teams and are in a region they can win. If not Pitt then Georgetown and Baylor would be the best chances.

Sweet 16 game I want to see: Nova vs Baylor - I think the winner of this one can take down Duke, good matchup for Baylor who has the size to give Nova fits.

Final Four: Kansas, Pitt, Kentucky, Nova

Champ game: Kansas over Kentucky

Ducks Gone Wild

Emily at Maui Brewing Company
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

The 2010 off-season has , without a doubt, proven already to be the most embarrassing 6 weeks or so in the history of the program. I am not sure whether it is coincidence, recruiting players with questionable backgrounds or a lack of discipline but the national media has caught wind of the story and made Oregon out to look like Miami West. One has to to think that if LaGarette Blount doesn't throw that punch back in Boise in September that the criminal accusations against James and Masoli are news only in Oregon rather than in the college football world and the the DUI by Kiko Alonso is only known about in Eugene. In cases like this I think that perception is reality for all outsiders and the perception unfortunately is that Oregon is a school that recruits thugs and questionable guys in order to win big. Can the Ducks turn this thing around? If LaMichael James and Jeremiah Masoli never play another down at Oregon (I believe this will be the case) I still think the Ducks can go out and win 8-10 games next year but they probably won't be the favorites to win the Pac 10. One thing about Chip Kelly that I have noticed is that he is not the great media communicator that Bellotti was. You will never see Chip in a future career as a TV broadcaster while Mike is perfect for the job. I think now everyone is in waiting mode to see if the grand jury thinks a case should precede against Masoli and how the James case folds out as well. The starting backfield of Oregon may well have a completely different look when the Ducks play New Mexico in September than most folks would have figured just a few weeks ago.

My Plan

Waving Flag
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

People are talking about Colorado and Utah. People are talking about BYU. People are talking about San Diego State and people are talking about Boise. I say forget them all. The two schools that make the most sense for the Pac 10 to be the Pac 12 are Texas and Oklahoma. If the Big 10 adds Missouri or Nebraska or even Iowa State dominoes will start to fall around the country. The Pac 10 will need to act boldly or to stand pat. Getting Texas and Oklahoma is bold action. I think getting Colorado and Utah is amiable but anything less than that (San Diego State, UNLV, Boise) is a downgrade. It should be an interesting 18 months or so while this conference affiliation business shakes out.

Lake Oswego Barn

Lake Oswego Barn
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

This barn I find to be very unique not because of what is shown in this picture but what you can't see. It seems like it would be taken in a rural area but in fact it is taken in an area that is full of high rent suburban office parks in Lake Oswego. Lake Oswego is an inner ring suburb of Portland that houses the office I work in. I uploaded this one yesterday and tweaked the sky just a bit to increase the blue as well as doing some cropping. Any opinions on the picture?

Welcome New Ducks!

Boise State vs Oregon
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Congrats to all the players who signed LOI's with Oregon today. I wish you all the best in your careers as both players and students at the University of Oregon! Nice job by Chip and the staff in his first year as being the head coach.

Portland Tiltshift

Portland Tiltshift
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

On Flickr I came across this neat little program called Tiltshift Maker. tiltshiftmaker.com/ Basically it makes your photos look like they are miniatures and reminds me a bit of Mister Roger's Neighborhood. I took the original photo I used here at the Portland City Grill before the Manu Chao show in 2007.

Lache Seastrunk

Boise State vs Oregon
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Very happy to see Lache Seastrunk sign with Oregon. The Ducks are going to be loaded with fast young backs and he has been compared in some circles to Reggie Bush! Also I am happy to hear that the attacker of Rob Beard has been arrested and that Beard has made it out of the hospital.

Haleakala National Park

Haleakala National Park
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

I took this shot of "the crater" on our last day in Maui. When we came to Maui in 2008 for our wedding we didn't have time to make it up here so we made sure not to miss it this time around. Didn't get to spend more than a few minutes here due to needing to get ready to go to the airport but the long drive and early morning wake-up was worth it for this view. Next time in Maui I will have to make time for doing some hiking . . .

Maui!

First Day in Kihei
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Adjusting to life back in Oregon after 7 great days in Maui. The more I get out of the terrible Oregon weather in the winter the more it questions why I put up with living in the Oregon weather. Sure summer is nice when it is not too hot and early fall is amazing but in Maui it is nice pretty much every day of the year! Why can't it be September all year long in Oregon? Emily and I are seriously considering figuring out a way to live in Maui. We feel like we are at home there and like that you can spend so much more time outside and the pace of life is way more relaxed than in Portland.

Goodbye College Football

Rose Bowl Watch Party
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

It was really a shame that Colt McCoy went down and outside of a pretty exciting 10 minute or so 4th quarter stretch the game was kind of a yawner. Aside from catching the NFL playoffs, a bit of regular season college hoops and of-course the NCAA tournament I will we on sports hiatus until the World Cup and then it will be another few months till football is back again. Off to Maui in 5 days - I will be taking a ton of pictures!

Rose Bowl

Rose Bowl Watch Party
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

I am over my mourning period - Ducks just didn't do well on 3rd down on either side of the ball. Pryor played a great game and The Sweater Vest has a masterful game plan. Congrats to Ohio State. Overall this was quite an enjoyable season for the Ducks and the cupboard is stocked next year but the schedule will be quite challenging so not sure we will see a repeat of the Pac 10 championship but I definitely am positive that Oregon should have a great year in 2010. We are off to Maui in days! I am excited for everything except the 5 hour plane ride with a 3 year old and a 2 month old . . .