LETS BRING ON THE MOUNTAINEERS!!!!

It certainly didn't take long. It was up even before the first game. Here it is, the product of much hoopla...the West Virginia University Mountaineers video screen intro! The black ending at the end of the video is for live feed from the locker room which will then be followed by the firing of the rifle and the team entrance with the marching band (so rumor has it). By the time the team gets ready to kick off the entire stadium should be straight up stupid. ENJOY!

Preview of Week 1 of NCAA College Football

Welcome to the first of what I hope to be a weekly preview of college football from the perspective of a WVU fan. I'll be looking primarily at Big East teams and schools that WVU fans have an interest in.




First Up....

Thursday Night- Rutgers looks to keep its momentum going from last year as it opens the season at home against one of the 5 worst football programs in the NCAA, the University of Buffalo Bison. Rutgers opens the season with its highest preseason rank ever at #16. The Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano rebuffed offers in the offseason to take the head coaching job in Miami (Fl) saying he wanted to be "The Joe Paterno" of Rutgers. If he keeps winning, The State University of New Jersey will happily allow that to happen. Look for Rutgers to run roughshod over the Bison, winning easily.

My Pick- Rutgers 40 Buffalo 10

And if you forgot how great a season RU had last year...click on the link below for a reminder. This two minutes was everything that every Knights fan had ever wanted!




Southeast Missouri State v. Cincinnati
Brian Kelly took over the Bearcats for their bowl victory against Western Michigan (more on them later) and looks to continue his winning streak as a head coach against the Div1-AA Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State. Kelly takes over for the now departed Mark Dantonio who is coaching the Spartans at Michigan State this year. Ben Mauk has been named the starting quarterback for the University of Cincinnati football team. Head coach Brian Kelly made the announcement prior to practice on Sunday (Aug. 26), four days prior to the Bearcats' 2007 season opener and Coach Kelly suspended junior defensive tackle Terrill Byrd from playing Southeast Missouri State due to a violation of the team's missed class policy.
All of that won't matter as UC continues to rise from football ashes into a respectable program. SMSU was 4-7 last year and Cincy is certainly a step above the competition faced in the OVC.

Cincinnati 37 SMSU 3


Murray State v. Louisville
The 1-10 Racers of Murray State have a huge mountain to climb as they open the season in Louisville. The Cardinals were 12-1 last year and are breaking in a new head coach in Steve Kragthorpe but bring back legitimate Heisman candidate qb Brian Brohm. Look for the Cardinals to run it up and score at will as the Racers fold early in this one.

Louisville 55 Murray State 6



Washington V. Syracuse
Greg Robinson starts his third year heading up the once proud Orange. Syracuse has fallen off a cliff after Paul Pasqualoni was fired and has sank to the bottom of the Big East. No relief is in sight as the Big East continues to improve rapidly leaving Robinson trying to hit a fast moving target. Most coaches expect to get four or five years to rebuild a program but the seat will get REALLY hot in New York if SU doesn't show significant progress. Losing this game at home would NOT bode well for the season or the career stability of the coaching staff.

Washington 30 Syracuse 10

Connecticut V Duke Lots of blue and white will be on display when the Huskies run onto the field in Durham Saturday. Not that many people will care. Duke is yet another one of the five worst football programs in America and the attendance there usually reflects that. UConn needs to get off to a strong start as Randy Edsell is starting to feel some heat. The last couple of seasons haven't been great and UConn spends LOTS of money to field competitive programs. This gets UConn out of the gate on the right foot.

UConn 45 Duke 20

Elon V USF. Elon? ELON? Are you serious? Elon? I guess this is a "remnants" game. Remnants of scheduling before USF was a big time football program in a big time football conference. Matt Grothe is the returning freshman of the year in the Big East as a qb and could be a future Heisman Watch candidate. Jim Leavitt is the only coach USF has ever had and he enters his 11th season at the helm in great shape. Watch this program..it is coming on FAST. Take a look at what Grothe can do!

USF 50 Elon 10




Eastern Michigan V. Pitt
A few years ago Mike Tranghese, the commissioner of the Big East, said that the schools in the conference needed to step up their scheduling in an effort to make push for more credibility. At this point in the review I'd like to point out that some schools don't get it. Pitt opens with yet ANOTHER of the five worst programs in Div. 1. EMU is coming off a horrid 1-11 season finishing 6th in the MAC West Division and things don't look to be improving. The Eagles have only 11 seniors on the roster leaving lots of inexperience everywhere. The Panthers on the other hand, should be improving. Three straight years of strong recruiting has to eventually pay off for Dave Wannstedt. Wanny was brought in to revive the fortunes of a lagging program but has yet to show much sign of revival, Pitt stumbled to a 6-6 final record and looks to be middle of the pack again in the Big East. He has seen Rutgers and USF both pass his alma mater and this doesn't look like the year that they catch up. "The Stache" is in trouble, expect the calls for his firing to increase as the season unfolds but for this one week...Pitt wins.

Pitt 24 EMU 7

Marshall v. Miami(Fl). Mark Snyder enters his third year at the helm at Marshla as the Thundering Herd continues to struggle. Miami is breaking in a new head coach after an embarrassing bowl loss to end last year. There are so many distractions for Marshla going into this game. Miami's history, the upcoming instate battle with West Virginia, as well as unsettled starting positions make this a completely unwinnable game for The Herd. An 0-2 start in Huntington (which is what will happen) will make some start to think Mark Snyder isn't the right guy there.

Miami 35 Marshla 13

FINALLY...WVU!!!!

Western Michigan V. WVU

Western Michigan comes into Morgantown on a respectible roll. While the Broncos did lose to Cincinnati in the first International Bowl in Toronto they did surprise all the experts by having a winning season and getting a bowl birth. Don't look for a let down this season as WMU is becoming a solid MAC program.
The roll that WVU is on is even more impressive than WMU. Preseason Top 5 in most magazines the Mountaineers line up one of the most explosive highlight reel producing offenses in college football. Two Heisman Trophy candidates, RB Steve Slaton and QB Patrick White, head up an offense that can score from any point at any time. Frighteningly for opposing teams, the WVU offense continues to get stronger and deeper. After unveiling the lethal combo of White and Slaton against UofL two years ago, WVU added depth last year with the bruising Owen Schmidt and receiver Darius Reynaud. This year, WVU adds more depth at running back with the arrival of Jock Saunders and the highly touted Noel Devine. Rich Rodriguez has suggested that former Adam Bednark and Nate Sowers would see action as WR's this year. He even practiced a play with Bednark, Sowers, White, Slaton and Schmidt all on the field at the same time a few weeks ago. All in all, the WVU offense is loaded and possibly unstoppable this year.
The defense was a weakness last year but looks improved with the transfer of several junior college players. If the D reaches respectability this year look for RRod and his Mountaineers to be in the hunt for a National Championship this fall.
WVU won't show any more offense than they have to this week as Marshla looms next week and Maryland four days after that. Rich will keep things as close to the vest as he can in anticipation of that matchup in College Park but WVU is simply in a different class as the Broncos.

WVU 42 WMU 17

Noel Devine creates the legend in high school. This tape should leave scouts salivating and opposing coaches scared!



Hope you enjoy the preview...feel free to leave comments!
See Ya Next Week

JUST SIX DAYS!!!

Coming soon...a preview of Saturdays game. Western Michigan invades Morgantown looking for one of the biggest victories in their schools history. But first..this important commercial break!

No, REALLY. It isn't based just on beauty!

Wow...South Carolina has to be SOOOOOO proud

Brian Goes to the Woods!

Here is a link to a bunch of pictures that I took over the weekend up in the Mountains of eastern West Virginia. For those of you that know the area you'll know these pictures as soon as you see them, for those of you not familiar with the area many are captioned for you but if you have any questions about them don't hesitate to ask!

Some things of note though. This was my first trip to Green Bank and it was REALLY interesting. Green Bank is home to the largest radio telescope in the world and it can rotate 360 degrees which is even cooler. It is 350ft wide (which longer than a football field) and covers an area of 2.5 ACRES!!! The satelite is so sensitive that it can detect household electronics malfunctioning. The Observatory has a person who is in charge of FINDING the piece of household electronics and having it fixed even if it is in a private house. The maintenance man fixes microwaves, televisions, air conditioning units and even electric fences. The facility doesn't allow pictures of the telescope within about three miles of it as it will pick up the camera being turned on! Other points of note, the "radio quiet zone" encompasses a stunning 10,000 sq. miles. The NRAO has considerable pull in allowing television and radio stations in that area which includes Weston, Sugar Grove (VA) and Lewisburg! That is a LOT of geography!

Enjoy the pictures!

Brian Goes to The Woods

Nice Article on Mountain Hiking from USAToday

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — You press your body tightly against the rock, fingers running along its crevices, trying to keep from slipping.

You don't feel the scrapes on your legs and knuckles or the pinch of climbing shoes designed to feel a size too small. There's too much adrenaline, too much focus on finding a firm foothold or handhold.

Muscles shake and the brain screams, "Stop moving!" but you ignore it. And finally, there is a rush of pride, then spontaneous whooping and hollering.

You've just climbed a mountain.

"This kind of stuff makes me feel alive," novice climber Cristyn Olenick said after mastering a 60-foot cliff in the scenic New River Gorge. "I think I might make a hobby out of it."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: West Virginia | River | Gorge

Thousands of visitors share the same thrill each rock-climbing season, which runs from April through November in West Virginia.

Olenick, of Asheville, N.C., has tried hiking, mountain biking, running, disc golf and one skydiving leap but concludes, "there's not really many more exciting things to do than this."

The cliffs along the 53-mile long, 70,000-acre New River Gorge National River range from 30 to 120 feet tall and are composed of Nuttall sandstone, harder than granite and considered among the finest quality climbing rock anywhere.

In that way, fans say, it's superior to climbing in some western states.

"I think the New River Gorge is the best climbing in the country," said Elaina Arenz-Smith, owner of Fayetteville's New River Mountain Guides.

"The rock quality is superb," she said. "A lot of different climbing areas you go to, you'll have junky sections next to nice sections. But consistently across the board, the rock here is very high quality.

"And the climbing here requires a lot of problem-solving, a lot of technique," Arenz-Smith added. "You've got to know how to rock climb and use your technique, rather than just muscling through things."

Gorge rock is firmer than that of the Grand Canyon and other areas out West, where the rock is "gritty and sandy and kind of wears away," Arenz-Smith said.

Though California, Nevada and Colorado have long been known for rock climbing, West Virginia's industry didn't get off the ground until the 1970s.

In 1984, the gorge received national attention in a prominent climbing magazine. From there, interest grew — as did the number of climbing routes.

Today, there are more than 1,600 routes, making the gorge one of the nation's premiere climbing destinations.

New River Mountain Guides is one of 15 companies with commercial use permits for climbing in the gorge, said Sherri Clendenin, program specialist for the National Park Service. Another is Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing, a Virginia company about 2{ hours away.

"There's a lot of climbing there and it's beautiful," said Wilderness Adventure program director Abbie Feigle, who helps organize two or three trips to the park every summer. "The concentration and variety of problems and routes, nothing really compares to the gorge around here. ... It's amazing."

Another 14 non-profit groups, such as the Boy Scouts, have special use permits for their outings, Clendenin said, Combined, companies and non-profits bring as many as 4,000 climbers to the gorge each year.

The number could be even higher, she said. Not every company that operates here reports to the park service as required, and non-profits don't have to report the number of participants.

Tourists who make the trip can do more than climb in the gorge, famous for its whitewater rafting. Some climbing companies offer both rafting adventures and pontoon boat trips to nearby Summersville Lake.

Climbing schools will even arrange trips 165 miles northeast, to the often-photographed, jagged peaks of Seneca Rocks.

Though in the same state as the New River Gorge, Seneca Rocks offers a very different climbing experience, said Diane Kearns, co-owner of Seneca Rocks Climbing School.

The 900-foot formation is comprised of Tuscarora sandstone, an even harder rock than that found at the New River Gorge, and climbers must be more experienced in using anchors and ropes, Kearns said.

Seneca climbing involves fewer hand cracks but more edging, in which the climber uses the ball of the foot to move upward.

Seneca is also unique in that its South Peak is the only climbing destination east of the Mississippi that can be reached only by technical climbing, Kearns said. There is no hiking path or steps to the summit.

"There's no other way to get to the top. You have to rappel down," she said. "That's usually a big draw. Folks remember that part."

At the New River Gorge, climbers tend to be more gymnastic, Kearns said. Seneca has a smaller percentage of routes considered expert and elite.

The standard U.S. rating system ranks climbs from 5.0, which is comparable to climbing a ladder, to 5.15, which can only be achieved by the best climbers.

"At the New River, you find a lot more gymnastic climbers — 5.12 and 5.13 climbers," Kearns said.

Arenz-Smith, who has climbed all over the world, said variety and accessibility are what make the gorge perfect for her business and her life.

"There's a lifetime of rock that I'll never be able to do."

Ode To Michael Vick

While I can't claim this as mine, it is great!


Do The Hokie (in the) Pokey"


First, you put your innocent plea in.
Now you've taken your innocent plea out.
You hadn't told the truth.
In fact, you shook it all about.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


Remember when you put your middle finger in;
Then you stuck your middle finger out?
Flipped off the Falcon fans
'Cuz you couldn't take their shouts.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


When you put your baggage in
You left your "water" bottle out.
Something seemed suspicious
So the authorities called you out.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


She said you put your bad self in,
And spread herpes all about.
Called yourself "Ron Mexico"
To provide some "reasonable doubt".

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


Your little bother was in.
Then lil' bro was out.
Then lil' bro was back in.
Til even the Hokies threw him out.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


You let the dogs in
But wouldn't let the dogs out.
You made them fight each other
Til one of them passed out.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


Nike put its money in.
Now Nike's takin' its money out.
Don't like your electrocuting pups
Or shaking them all about.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


Your friends took your money in.
They passed your money out.
They said they had your back.
Until you lost your clout.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


You took millions of dollars in.
You gave thousands of dollars out.
You're still Tech's poster child
Though you never graduated out.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


The NFL, you were in.
But the NFL may kick you out.
You threw it all away.
And, for what, I can't figure out.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


You had it ALL in;
But it's nearly ALL out.
You had the golden life
And you pissed all of it out.

You'll be a Hokie in the Pokey 'til you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.

Do the Hokie in the Pokey.
Do the Hokie in the Pokey.
Do the Hokie in the Pokey.
And THAT'S what it's all about.

What The Experts Are Saying

Lets look around the nation and see what the experts are saying about WVU this fall.



From Athlons-

No. 5: West Virginia

Under Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia is sustaining success like never before. The Mountaineers have now won 38 games over the last four years, the most in any four-year period in school history. A Big East championship and pieces of two others have also come in that time, and it’s not about to stop.

West Virginia was the nation’s second-best running team last fall with Steve Slaton and Patrick White terrorizing opponents with their speed, and both are back as juniors in 2007. Slaton ran for 1,744 yards and 16 touchdowns. White ran for 1,219 yards and 18 scores. Slaton averaged 7.0 yards per carry, White 7.4. And fullback Owen Schmitt also is back after a 351-yard, 5.4 per-carry, seven-touchdown rushing campaign.

White also can throw the ball, having finished second in the Big East in passing efficiency. Had he thrown one more pass (he needed 180; he threw 179), he would have qualified for the national chart and finished ninth in passing efficiency. He completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,655 yards and 13 touchdowns. And his favorite receiver from 2006 — wide receiver Darius Reynaud — is back for his senior year. Reynaud caught 39 balls last year with a pair of touchdowns. He is also one of the nation’s most dangerous kick returners, posting a 27.1-yard average on 30 returns with another score.

Center Dan Mozes, the 2006 Rimington Award winner, is gone, but three OL starters return. All-conference tackle Ryan Stanchek will anchor the unit.

A pair of first-team All-Big East performers — tackle Keilen Dykes and strong safety Eric Wicks — are the headliners on defense. Dykes is about a cheeseburger shy of 300 pounds and a disruptive force in the middle. Wicks posted team highs with 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Free safety Quinton Andrews also returns after leading the team with 80 tackles and five interceptions. Reed Williams and Bobby Hathaway are the glue in the linebacking corps.

The focal point of the schedule comes in late October-early November with a trip to Rutgers and a visit from Louisville in consecutive matchups.


From Fox Sports

Rich Rodriguez has built a program in Morgantown that now expects to win championships every year. Everyone's trendy pick to challenge for a national title in 2006 fell short, losing to Louisville and South Florida in November, but it's no longer going out on a limb to think the Mountaineers can win it all.

From the moment Coach Rod spurned Alabama to remain at his alma mater, West Virginia took yet another big step in the fight to remain an elite program. With one decision to stay put, WVU suddenly became a destination job and not quite the stepping-stone many thought it'd be for Rodriguez.

He and his coaches adapt to their personnel and develop talent about as well as any staff in the country, and now they're getting more and more of the top-shelf players to fit the system. Of course, it helps immensely that QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton will also be back for their junior years to build around.

White and Slaton create a speed advantage that few, if any, defenses can contain even when they know what's coming. Even scarier than their past performances is what's lurking on the horizon now that White has shown signs of improvement as a passer to go along with his game-breaking running ability in the open field.

Helping the stars is all the returning experience with plenty of starters and seasoned backups to both sides of the ball. The key will be finding replacements for last year's leading tackler, Boo McLee, and a pair of graduating offensive linemen, most notably Rimington Award winner Dan Mozes. The Mountaineers never have a shortage of run blocking road graders, but losing offensive line coach Rick Trickett to Florida State won't make the transition any easier.


West Virginia has won 11 games in each of the last two seasons and back-to-back bowl games for just the second time in school history. That head of steam, coupled with a veteran roster should mean another big run in the Big East title race. With the right breaks, the Mountaineers will be shooting for even more.

From The Sporting News
Why not West Virginia?

It has been close in recent years to sitting atop college's football mountain.

Now, West Virginia is ready to seal the deal. That's right, the Mountaineers are a good choice to make it 10 different BCS champs in 10 years.

They deserve it having won at least a share of the Big East title three times in the last four years.

And the Big East deserves it, which would cap a stunning ascent for a league that many felt wasn't worthy of an automatic BCS bowl berth just a few scant years ago.

"We no longer are a Cinderella," says Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese.

West Virginia has shown it can play with the big boys in recent years, dumping the likes of 2005 SEC champ Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and 2006 ACC runner-up Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl.

Nine for Nine
In the nine years of the BCS system, there have been nine different champions.
2006: Florida
2005: Texas
2004: USC
2001: Miami
2003: LSU
2002: Ohio State
2000: Oklahoma
1999: Florida State
1998: Tennessee

It all begins and ends on an offense that's as deadly and explosive as any in the nation. There's not one -- but two -- Heisman Trophy candidates: QB Patrick White and RB Steve Slaton. While West Virginia is noted for its deadly spread/read option run game, don't underestimate the passing of White, who has improved his precision and savvy each season. And White has a cache of capable targets, headed by Wes Lyons and Darius Reynaud.

But what makes WVU an even sexier pick to win the BCS title game in New Orleans is its defense.

To be kind: the West Virginia defense has been, well, average under Rich Rodriguez. But it's a veteran-laden crew with promise that's loaded with the athletic ability to make coordinator Jeff Casteel's 3-3-5 scheme thrive. If coverage in the secondary tightens ... look out.

The road blocks? There are three big ones: games at Maryland, at South Florida and at Rutgers. And a home tilt with Louisville figures to be cumbersome. Still, this is a manageable menu of games, further fueling optimism in Morgantown.

Another reason to like WVU's chances: There's no Big East title game to trip up the Mountaineers.

And then there's Rodriguez, who deserves to be mentioned in any conversation of "best coaches in America." He combines unmatched ability to X and O with an engaging personality that allows him to connect to his player and staff.

Yeah, why not West Virginia?

We're Closing In!!!

We are now just over a week away from the start of the 2007 NCAA College Football season and my excitement is building. I was jumping around today like a maniac and realized that I was simply excited! I did get down to Charleston Department Store and made my annual WVU t-shirt to help quell my anxiousness. I must give kudos to CDS for stocking some great items. I was very impressed with the variety of items that they have there and nearly the whole store was WVU gear. Even funnier, way back in the corner of the store on about two racks was all the Marshall stuff all alone. If anyone needs any WVU gear, I suggest you there or on their website.

Also, I'm going to be putting up some stuff on the upcoming season and I hope that everyone enjoys it. The next few weeks are shaping up to be very busy so I'm hopeful that there will be some really cool pics and the like showing up on the blog. I'll be attending the first WVU game of the year as they take on the Mustangs of Western Michigan University on September 1st and the following weekend I'll be in Oklahoma to watch Oklahoma University and The University of Miami (Fl) with my old pal Scott Mahaney. The Thursday after that I'll be in the D.C. area for the WVU-Maryland game with my buddy Reid. There are 15 or so of us going together as a group for that game. The following weekend is East Carolina in Morgantown and I should be there for that game as well. All in all, it will be a very hectic September but it sure will be fun! I'll get pictures up as soon as I can.

Off this subject but something I want to mention, please check out my cousin Grant's new blog. He's quite the adventuresome fella with a flair for the writing so I'm sure that the blog reading will be quite interesting. His link is on the side of my blog under "Grants Blog", just click on the link and you'll be right there!

There ya go folks, keep coming back as I enjoy doing this and we'll cross paths soon, I'm sure!

Only Two Weeks To Go

How 'bout dem Eers!

Add to My Profile | More Videos

WVU Epic

Great highlight reel...lets get ready for some WVU football!

Looking Back and Ready to Look Forward!

For those that forget how much fun the 2006 Sugar Bowl was here's a reminder!

Boogie Cadence

I am probably going to be talking about WVU football a lot in the upcoming weeksn and months and what should ALWAYS start off WVU football? THE PRIDE OF WEST VIRGINIA..and what is the first thing everyone see of "THE PRIDE"? The BOOGIE CADENCE...here we go..from the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl...listen to the place shake!

nwa cancellation lines

You've heard of the cancellations, you've heard me rant about it. Here are the lines that were created by it last month. The video isn't very long but I was in uniform and the nwa thugs certainly wouldn't like me videotaping something that they were saying wasn't happening so here is some proof.
Mind you this line was created by "talent" that found a way to lose $4 billion in a year, drive us into bankruptcy and separate me from 40% of my income. Also the same "talent" that got millions in bonuses because "we need to retain our talent". Alright, rant is now over, we now return to regularly scheduled postings.

More AMS pics

Notice the building, how they lean! Spooky!

Amsterdam...YOU CHOOSE THE ENTRY TITLE

TITLE CHOICES
1-When Americans are not the most hated!
2-Drag Queens Unite!
3-They'll be dancing. Dancing on the boat.
4-Strange Orange Circle Thing In The Sky

I was in Amsterdam last week and got some great pictures of the area. The weather was phenomenal which almost never happens there so I took full advantage of it and got out of the hotel and poked around the city a bit. Hope you enjoy.
It just happened to be Gay Pride Weekend which I thought was kinda redundant given it is Amsterdam but the city was gearing up for quite a party. I was there all day Friday and Saturday morning so I didn't have a lot of time to get out and enjoy the festivities but there was certainly a festive feeling. As I was walking back to the hotel after my journey through the city it was approaching dinner time and like most European countries dinner takes an extended period of time in The Netherlands and given the beautiful weather and the party feeling in the city it was quite the revelry. The street was lined with restaurants and pubs all filled to capacity with patrons. The street was also filled with people moving about, finishing up their work weeks and looking to relax, it was a great atmosphere. Also, filling the streets were (opportunity for title suggestion #2) DRAG QUEENS. They were everywhere and the dinner patrons were eating it up! The queens were meandering from outdoor patio to outdoor patio pausing to take pictures with the diners and pub patrons. Quite the scene!
(title nominee 1) Part of that festive feeling was also the weekly invasion of the British had happened. Seems that the British Pound is performing quite well against the Euro (heaven knows I wish the same could be said for the US dollar) and the Brits have taken to summer weekend getaways to mainland Europe cities with Amsterdam being at the top of the list. The pubs fill up with Brits who then start their weekend. Soon, they are drunk and singing ridiculous soccer songs at the top of their lungs. For a brief three days the Brits make Europe forget about "The Ugly American". God Bless the drunkards!
To give you an idea of the mood of Amsterdam last weekend I offer you this (title nominee #3). I was walking through the streets in my typical fashion, which is rambling and not paying attention and had passed through the famous red light district of the city. It isn't seedy and it isn't something that you have to go looking for, it is just kinda there in the middle of it all. I had passed through most of it and was walking down another nondescript street with a canal through the middle of it when I heard the unmistakable sounds of CLUB MUSIC. I thought that it was possible that it was something to do with Pride weekend and all, but no...it was a boat on the canal with two women dancing their hearts out and a guy driving it. No apparent reason for it, just pretty typical Amsterdam...or as I like to call it sometimes, Hampsterslam.
(Nominee #4) THE SUN SHONE IN AMSTERDAM. In 7 years of flying I've NEVER seen the sun in Amsterdam. I've had to have been there 20 times and never saw it! And there it was..in full glory and gorgeous. It was remarkable!

Enjoy the pics..I'll post a couple more on the next post. Notice the parking spot against the canal..NO GUARDRAIL. Now THAT will make you a better parallel parker for sure!

WVU - Jack Fleming Tribute

Who is ready for some football now!?!?!