Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Love Christmas, Tommy DeVito Agent Memes & Gambler Hits Big On Raheem Mostert Touchdown
Do high school kids still get varsity jackets?
This topic recently came up during one of my weekend golf rounds and then this morning, one of the first TV commercials I see is from some store that specializes in varsity jackets and high school team gear. I think the store was in a farm town out near the Indiana line.
Are varsity jackets still in for the rural communities? I don't see many of them here in suburbia.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
'I finished a half IRONMAN'
• Warren M. has news that Millennial Chris B. in Bowling Green, who lost to Mayor Pete in the Michigan IRONMAN because he had to stop and take an emergency dump, will enjoy:
Thought I’d share that I raced and finished a half IRONMAN in hilly Haines City, Florida (70.3 miles of swimming, biking, and running). Seriously, I’m not used to that — south Florida is super flat. No amount of bridge repeats prepared me for that haha. Of course other states have much bigger hills, so I won’t complain. I attached a photo of the finisher medal and hat. I’ve raced the full IRONMAN in Panama City Beach a few years ago.
Some observations:
Kinsey:
Which one of you used to do that bike relay from southern to northern Michigan? We should sponsor a team made up of Warren M., Millennial Chris B. & like two others (was it Indy Daryl) to try to win that race.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
The Perfect Weekend
• Jeremy P. in Alpharetta, GA is riding high:
I just had to write in about what a great weekend I had. One of my favorite things is to feed my friends and family and I love doing it using my pellet smoker. Well my old smoker wasn’t cutting it with only 340 sq inches of cooking space. It was a great smoker but just too small.
So when Mrs. Smoker kept asking me what I wanted for Christmas, I told her. I wanted a pellet smoker that could make as much food as I wanted. I sent her the link, and being the angel she is, she delivered. It was delivered last week and I assembled it and couldn’t wait for the weekend to cook something. I now have over 1100 sq inches of cooking space. Enough to probably run a small restaurant.
What do you make on the initial cook when you finally have all the room you need? Wings of course! Off to Costco I went and got two of those large bags of chicken wings.
After thawing them out and applying four different rubs I loaded it up and here are the results. 13 dozen wings (156) fit in it! I put out the call for all my friends to come and get it. Every wing was consumed. Needless to say there are gonna be tons of butts, ribs, wings, etc cooked on this beast. Great weekend. Keep up the great work!
'What Should I Watch Once College Football Is Over?'
• Kevin in Toboso, OH asks:
What am I supposed to watch once football is over? I am already suffering college withdrawal.
On the plus side, I made some killer corned venison. One of the reasons I love hunting.
Kinsey:
The offseason is when I actually get stuff done around the house. Once the Super Bowl ends, I watch very little sports for at least two weeks. Then I'll binge-watch college basketball for about a week heading into March Madness. Then I'll commit four days to the first weekend of the tournament, followed by the Sweet 16 and then I'll go fairly dormant for the rest of March, but then I start to get the urge to mow, clean up the yard, get the golf clubs out.
Clean the garage, paint, upgrade the garage shelving, join a VR golf league.
There are plenty of options once football ends.
Speaking of college football
• Zach W. writes:
Have you ever seen a college football team have a year-to-year fall like TCU has? They went from playing for the National Championship last season to not even qualifying for a bowl game this year.
Kinsey:
Only thing that comes to my mind even comparable is the fall Auburn had after Cam Newton went to the NFL. Going 3-9 two years later wasn't great.
As seen in Prescott, AZ
• Paul R. writes:
Thank you. Thankyouverymuch
Kansas City Karens....hhhmmm???
• Jim M. asks:
Yup, I love it!…you?
Yes, Hildeeeeeeee is pregnant
• Jon DeV. says:
Did not know this….
Icelandic sunset
• Helen T. writes:
Sunset at the Black Beach near Reyjkavik,Iceland
Trivia- sunset was at 5pm !
The views were awesome, and cold= 32 degrees max today.
Kinsey:
According to Google, the official sunrise in Reykjavik, Iceland this time of year is at 11:13. Imagine the sun coming up and it being nearly lunch. That would be odd.
Winter golf & how many Christmas trees are too many?
• Dave in Cincinnati writes :
Winter golf is upon us. Down here in the ‘Nati/NKY region it was a sunny and balmy 56 degrees on Thursday. Golf at Blue Ash Golf Course, one of Cincinnati’s finest public courses. Having played 17 different courses in the region, 28 overall, this year, I should know!
Working stiffs on the back end of our careers, with PTO to burn, look at the forecast over the next week and determine what is looking good for some golf time. Anything over 40 degrees is in play provided no rain and a minimal amount of wind.
Christmas lights, growing up as the son of some haves, our tree was always white bulbs, no tinsel, and ornaments. Outside the house, wreaths and candles, usually red, in the windows were the only thing appropriate. Anything more was too gaudy, per my mother.
I have evolved. Outside trees and roof/gutters all done up plus candles in the windows. All clear bulbs, none of that awful LED stuff in, on, or around my house. Mutli-color C-7 bulbs on the inside real Christmas tree, ornaments, no tinsel. As it should be. However, I spent $150+ for an eight-footer this year. The cost of Christmas is rising and may have to re-evaluate my stance on real vs fake trees.
We do have a smaller fake tree, in our front room, to accommodate ornaments accumulated through the years that have special meaning to the family and extended family. I’m sure I’m not alone with multiple trees. How many is too many?
Kinsey:
Two full-sized Christmas trees are too many unless...you don't have to get them out of storage and decorate them or move bulb bins and move furniture, etc. I heard a report from Canoe Kirk that he was at houses over the weekend where there were three and four full-sized Christmas trees in these houses.
I'm out, dawgs.
I enjoy the Christmas spirit, but it's starting to feel like the Instagramification of Christmas is well upon us. It's also a sign that many of our homes were made for huge box TVs that are long gone and replaced by 65" picture frames hung on our walls and we're left with open spaces.
BOOM, put up a Christmas tree!
The next thing you know, we have Christmas tree-offs between Millennial Moms wearing their Coachella hats for Instagram content that eventually leaks over onto Facebook and you have a trend where suburbanites have 3 and 4 Christmas trees.
The all-white tree, the multi-colored tree, the tree dedicated to the husband's favorite NFL team, the Disney tree, etc.
Again, do what you want with your Christmas trees, but I have a job to do here and it's to opine on Christmas tree trends.
Speaking of Christmas, this message should perfectly counter the multi-Christmas tree Coachella-hat-wearing Millennial Moms who insist on 3 and 4 Christmas trees -- The Art of Giving
• Mercer County (OH) Matt writes:
I just wanted to pass on an experience I had recently. I'm not a huge Christmas fan anymore with my boys now almost 19 and 21. I really like the gathering and celebrating, but hate what the gift giving has become. I'm not a complete scrooge, I still enjoy watching the great nieces and nephews open presents.
And I do woodworking on the side so I build all of the little kids on my side something for Christmas. In the past, her side of the family does a gift exchange with all of the adults and grown nieces and nephews, 15 people total.
We put names in a hat and each person draws one. Then you spend $25 to $30 on a gift. In today's world of Bidenomics, that doesn't buy much so we basically end up swapping cases of beer or gift cards. My wife and I both absolutely hate shopping so this just adds to the headache of Christmas.
This year I brought up the idea of donating the money to a charity or something and giving someone a great Christmas. We really wanted to find a family that one of us knew personally and anonymously donate the money but we were too late to the game.
We decided to donate to a local motorcycle club in Van Wert County that does a lot for kids in the area. They raise money by having a gun bingo in the spring, big party in the summer, and a motorcycle toy ride in the fall, and donations.
And even though the wife and I absolutely hate shopping, we participated in their annual night of shopping for the kids at the local Walmart. In total, 250 kids were shopped for and $80 was spent on every kid. You buy all of their needs first, which is normally a complete outfit, socks, underwear and shoes, and then you get their wants with what is left over.
We honestly had a lot of fun. It brings back some of the Christmas joy by knowing you are giving someone a nice Christmas that wouldn't have had one otherwise. Enough volunteers showed up to help the club members that the shopping for 250 kids was completed in a little over an hour!!!!
Just an idea for any of the readers that are at the point that we were at and have no idea what to get each other for Christmas. If possible, make someone else's Christmas a little more bright!
Kinsey:
Thank you for that message, Mercer County Matt.
When I say the folks in Mercer County, OH are salt-of-the-earth people, it's not an exaggeration. Matt's message is exactly what I'd expect to hear from west-central Ohio people and it's a reminder that the backbone of this country is made up of the Mercer County Matts and so many others who read this column who are continually shit on by the coastal elites.
Keep taking care of your communities. Keep helping neighbors. Keep taking care of the kids.
Great message, Matt.
This way out
Take us home, Drew L.!
I've been enjoying the sunrise (and sunset) photos. I've taken plenty of both from my drone. Here's one of the historic old town square near where I live in Fairfax, VA.
Now we're rolling. The Screencaps monologue flowed together this morning. I was able to get some emotions out. We hit on a few key topics. The Hildeeeeeeee emails will roll in. The sun is out -- the 10-day forecast doesn't have a single drop of rain on it -- and I'm starting to think about running the mower over leaves this weekend.
Go have a great day.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com