Happy holidays from Hayden!

Tonight I'm heading to dinner at Cheryl's grandmother's, and will spend Christmas morning at Cheryl's parent's house before heading down to Bellefontaine. Dad and I are leaving early in the morning of the 26th (but not before Starbucks is open!) to start our journey eastward towards Vermont and Stratton Mountain!

More holiday photos are posted here.

This past weekend brought the beginning of the snowboard season to Ohio with Mad River Mountain opening on Friday. I was able to get a few hours on the snow Saturday and, once again, was amazed at just how natural it felt once my bindings were locked and I was ready to go over the edge. Unfortunately mother nature didn't cooperate for us to be able to head out Sunday morning, but I fully expect to get a few sessions in the weekend as Midnight Madness starts up and colder weather returns to the region.

Over the week between Christmas and New Years, dad and I will be driving northeast into Vermont to check out two resorts -- Stratton Mountain and Mount Snow -- for the first time. The weather looks pretty good for our trip, with both places enjoying cool temperatures and plenty of natural and man-made snowfall. So far, I haven't had much luck finding any microbreweries in the area, but will be willing to travel some distance in order to get to sample the brews from at least one new one on this trip.

It's that time of year... Mad River Mountain has been making snow as much as possible this week and are ready to open for the season this afternoon at 1pm! I'd be down there already, but Cheryl's work Christmas party is tonight at the Navy Bistro. That said, we are leaving directly from there and heading south to my parent's house so I can hit the slopes first thing tomorrow morning. The Thompson family is getting together for Thanksgiving/Christmas in the afternoon, but I plan on getting back out to the snow Sunday morning before we have to head back north.

Dec 4, 2009; Detroit, MI, US; The Central Michigan University Chippewas celebrate midfield after defeating the Ohio University Bobcats 20-10 in the MAC Championship game at Ford Field.

After relaxing around the house Friday (thanks to a few remaining vacation days from work), I headed north for the MAC Championship football game at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. After arriving a little early and finding no one at the media will-call booth, I decided to walk to the Detroit Beer Co. a few blocks away to enjoy a pint of their Local 1529 IPA with a burger and a cup of beer cheese soup. With about an hour until kickoff, I made my way back to the stadium to pick up my credential and figure out how to get to the media area to drop off my coat and bag before heading to the field. 

Dec 4, 2009; Detroit, MI, US; CMU quarterback Dan LeFevour (13) stiff arms OU defensive back Eric Faser (12) in the second quarter at Ford Field.

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people in the stands, with OU fans primarily on their sideline and CMU fans wrapping around the end zones and their sideline. I think the announced total was ~24,000, with more tuning in to watch the action on ESPN2 HD. The game was pretty close for all four quarters, with neither team really getting their offense in-sync. In the end, the Chippewas, led by quarterback Dan LeFevour, defeated the Bobcats 20-10. While I tried to keep an eye on the action, I also followed OU junior defensive linesman Dak Notesteine (#51) since he is also a graduate of Bellefontaine High School; he ended up with a big 12-yard sack in the losing effort.

MAC Report Online: Balanced CMU Captures Another MAC Crown
More photos are available here.

Over the weekend, we signed the paperwork so I can now announce that Cheryl and I have booked our honeymoon and will be spending six nights at the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios resort in Jamaica! It'll be my first trip outside of the United States (not counting Windsor, Canada of course) and I'm really looking forward to relaxing on the beach and drinking some Red Stripe and Appleton Rum.

We decided to go through Central Travel since the price was virtually identical to what Sandals offers online and they offer an option to have a Honeymoon Registry where guests can contribute towards the cost of the trip as a substitute for a gift. Personally, I'm hoping at least a few people take this option as I'm not looking forward to paying all of the balance myself. =)

The game is being televised on ESPN 2/ESPN 2 HD. I'll try to make my highlight photos available sometime Saturday before I have to leave for a Christmas party.

Nov 27, 2009; Bowling Green, OH, USA; Jim Thorpe finalist Barry Church (2) of Toledo and Biletnikoff finalist Freddie Barnes (7) of Bowling Green line up together in the first quarter at Doyt L. Perry Stadium.

The day after Thanksgiving, I drove down to Doyt L. Perry Stadium a few hours before kickoff to tailgate with some friends before one of the largest conference rivalries got underway. Bowling Green jumped out to an early 24 point lead with two blocked punts and a punt return fumble, but the Rockets were able to score 24 unanswered points to tie things up in the fourth quarter and make things interesting. 

Falcons Finish Game -- and Season -- Strong 
More photos are available here.

This next week marks the start of the basketball season for me with four games on my calendar, including the BG vs. Florida International game on Monday, with FIU head coach Isiah Thomas on the sidelines. I'm also hoping to head up to Ford Field in Detroit Friday evening for the MAC Championship game where the dominant Central Michigan Chippewas will take on the Ohio University Bobcats.

Nov 20, 2009; Toledo, OH, USA; Toledo senior running back DaJuane Collins (22) tries to keep his distance from EMU defensive back Chris May (23) in the third quarter of play.

Their season isn't over yet, however, as they travel twenty miles south on I-75 to face their conference rival, the Bowling Green State University Falcons. With kickoff just under fourteen hours away, the Rockets are looking for redemption and the chance of a bowl game. It won't be easy, as the powerful offensive combination of BG seniors Tyler Sheehan (QB) and Freddie Barnes (WR) look to keep their winning streak against the Rockets going. A lot of records (and pride) are on the line, and I'll be on the sidelines trying to capture it all.

More photos are available here.

Oct 24, 2009; Bowling Green, OH, USA; Offensive linesmen Rocky Weaver (77) and Scott Lewis (68) work to protect Falcon quarterback Tyler Sheehan (13) from defensive end Frank Zombo (98) late in the fourth quarter.

Better late than never, I've finally gotten around to posting some of my favorite photos from the October contest between Central Michigan and Bowling Green. This game was part one of my first football doubleheader, with Toledo taking on (and losing to) Temple later that night in the Glass Bowl.

Oct 24, 2009; Bowling Green, OH, USA; Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour (13) looks for an open receiver early in the first quarter against Bowling Green. With sixteen completions, he would become the first MAC player to complete 1,000 career passes.

Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour completed his 1,000th career pass, making him the first MAC player to do so (and possibly the 11th player in NCAA FBS history).  He was also the leading rusher, with 128 yards on 22 attempts. Falcons' wide receiver (and now finalist for the Biletnikoff Award) Freddie Barnes also became the Falcons' career receptions leader with 241, eclipsing the previous record of 232 by Charles Sharon.

Friday is the big rivalry game between Bowling Green and Toledo, with a possible bowl bid on the line for the Falcons, and a .500 season within reach for the Rockets. Hopefully the weather cooperates as I plan on heading down early to meet with some friends to tailgate before the game starts at 2:00pm.

More photos are available here. 

Since we've signed the contract, I guess that I can officially announce that the rehearsal dinner for our wedding will be held in The Roost at Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo! The Mud Hens will taking on the Durham Bulls at 7pm, and we've decided to have a buffet-style dinner before the first pitch is thrown. We'll then be able to watch the game from what ESPN has described as "the best seats in the Minors". While I had originally wanted to host this at Maumee Bay Brewing Company, we decided that this would be a fun way to spend the night with friends watching baseball underneath the lights (and maybe even some post-game fireworks!). We've got a lot of time to decide on the specifics, but now I'm looking forward to May even more! :)

In other wedding-related news, we also put down a deposit on a cake from Wixey Bakery in Toledo. We were able to sample their cakes last weekend and I honestly thought I had died and gone to heaven. More news as it develops...