Remembering Bo Schembechler

One year ago tomorrow, Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler passed away. It was Friday November 17, 2006. What was the significance of him dying on Friday, November 17, 2006? Oh, it was merely the day before one of the biggest University of Michigan and Ohio State University football games in the history of the rivalry. #2 Michigan was playing at #1 Ohio State with the Big 10 Title and a date with the National Championship game on the line.

Bo had been battling heart disease since 1969 when he had his first heart attack on the eve of his first trip to the Rose Bowl. He wanted so badly to see the "Big Game" last year and even though he is gone his presence will still be felt tomorrow when U of M and OSU battle it out for the Big Ten title.

I was inspired to build a Squidoo lens on Bo Schembechler. It features some classic videos of Bo Schembechler speaches, interviews, and his football teams. You can read some Bo Schembechler quotes and leave your thoughts on the man.

Check it out

Good luck to the little guy

Conga Coffee in Mt. Clemens has been given notice by Starbucks that the Conga Coffee sign "bears a striking resemblance" to the Starbucks logo. While the Conga Coffee sign is round and a shade of green there doesn't really (in my opinion) appear to be a strong resemblance. If I were driving by the shop I would not look at the Conga Coffee sign and pull into the parking lot thinking I was at Starbucks. This appears to be another case of a company with a lot of money and feisty lawyers. Good luck to Conga Coffee!

My favorite quote from the Detroit Free Press article -

Dregiewicz said Starbucks' worries that he is trying to emulate the chain are ironic."Our customers hate their coffee," said Dregiewicz, 51, who has owned the 11-year-old Mt. Clemens Conga since February.

Remember the hockey game at Spartan Stadium?

It was billed as the Cold War. A hockey game between MSU and U of M in front of 74,544 fans - setting a world record. It was also significant because the momentum for the game was building all through the summer and then the terrorists struck on September 11, 2001 which put a damper on things. It was the first large event my wife and I had attended since 9-11 and I remember how it took forever to get in because of the security. They looked through fans' blankets, purses, and stadium seats, but people didn't seem to mind due to recent events.

I remember the week leading up to the game when they were trying to get the ice surface created and we had unusually warm weather with temps in the 80s which created fears that the ice would not hold up for the game. No worries though, because this is Michigan and the weather can change rather drastically around here.

By the time the puck dropped at 7:05 pm on October 7, 2001 temps were hovering around freezing. I remember breaking out the winter coat, gloves and insulated boots. We sat up in the top deck of Spartan Stadium with the wind whipping our faces until our eyes watered.

Mammoth mugs of hot chocolate were purchased to help us keep warm as we watched the Wolverines and Spartans finish in a tie, 3-3. It was pretty cool to see this hockey game with so many other fans. I came across this video on YouTube which led made me think back to the game and write this post.

Watch highlights from the game -

If the player does not work, use this link.

October is Change a Light Month in Michigan

Well, I won't even comment on the big news of the day coming out of Michigan. I'm sure you have had your fill of that already (I know I have). For anyone interested in how their state legislator voted, check out this article at the Detroit Free Press. Now, back to something that will SAVE you money (instead of the tax increase which will help our state government have more money to spend) that is sponsored by the Michigan Public Service Commission. October has been designated Change a Light Month here in Michigan.

From this article in the Detroit Free Press -

“If every household in Michigan switches only one light bulb to an energy-efficient model, Michigan would save more than $19 million in energy costs annually and prevent 310 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions,” - Monica Martinez, MPSC Commissioner

I have been steadily replacing our incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. The newer bulbs are the same size or smaller as incandescents with the same nice soft light as an incandescent but at a fraction of the cost to run them.

I put together a helpful page that provides a comparison with incandescent bulbs, how to properly dispose of CFLs, and shows you some good deals on CFLs.

Check it out - Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Kalamazoo donut shop one of the 10 best in the nation

Sweetwater's Donut Mill in Kalamazoo was recently recognized as one of the 10 Best Doughnut Shops in America. The Kalamazoo based doughnut shop has two locations in Kalamazoo and one in Battle Creek. I have loved their donuts since attending Western Michigan University a while back. My favorite is the Reeses (think Reeses Peanut Butter Cups) Donut. Oh man with that donut and a cup of black coffee I can tackle just about anything (or just sit back with a good book). It's a chocolate cake donut topped with peanut butter creme and a drizzling of chocolate.

Here is what the reviewer, Bret Stetka, had to say about Sweetwater's -

Self-proclaimed peddler of "big, gooey" donuts and known for its rustic, local atmosphere, Sweetwater's offers traditional flavors alongside more decadent donut fare like New York Cheesecake and Peanut Butter Cup. But the shop's tendency toward child-like indulgence is best experienced through its obsession with candy bars: check the Heath Crunch, Snickers and Mounds varieties.

Read the article at MSN City Guides

Sweetwater's used to have a radio jingle and it went something like this - You'll be satisfied when you get your fill, at Sweetwater's Donut Mill.

I was always satisfied with their donuts. Yum!

Congrats to Kalamazoo, Michigan's delicious donut shop - Sweetwater's Donut Mill!

Burning Ban begins today for most of Michigan

An outdoor burn ban takes affect at 4:36 pm today for all Michigan counties except for - Berrien, Branch, Cass, Hillsdale, Lenawee, Monroe, St. Joseph and Wayne counties. Those counties have received quite a bit more precipitation in the past couple of weeks than the rest of the state. The following activities on or near forest lands are covered in the ban: Burning the following -

• Burning garbage
• Brush or leaves
• Even using a burn barrel
• Cigarette smoking outdoors

To quote the Detroit News -

A violation is a misdemeanor, and offenders could be held liable for the cost of fighting a fire if they start one.