Awaiting the Autumnal Equinox

Oh Those Summer Nights

The shenanigans were few and far between this summer, popping up only on the weekends. No notable crazy trips, no cavorting about with any famous people, and no all-nighters with work in the morning. The age of the Ann Arbor fantasy campers may have reared its ugly head.

But then came the houseboat trip. I kept the hype at bay. No pre-boat polls, no survivor. In fact, many of you that are reading this are just finding out that there was such a trip. This is mostly attributed to the lack of known tailgaters and website regulars on the boat, as there were really only two of us. In addition, the level of craziness to come was certainly in question, as a host of unknowns made the trek to Jamestown, Kentucky... leaving real lives and real jobs, a stark contrast to the level of unreality that preceded the boat trip of 2001.

And then we met, and the alcohol began to flow, the music began to play, and State Dock turned over the 81 ft monstrosity to 18 people, mostly strangers to each other, but not strangers to the vices that would eventually bring them together. Cheap beer and Vodka-Red Bulls flowed freely as we pulled into the "falls" tying off with several other house boats, creating a floating city of sin.

Hot-tubbing, tube-sliding, general lake-floating, tanning, and even a few rounds of no-limit hold-em became the pastimes of the group. The weekend culminated with a private lake cove and a bonfire, and in the end a lot of sad goodbyes. It was a pleasure to spend this binge-drinking weekend with each of these great people that I am happy to now call friends, and you can bet we will be doing it again.

The Season Approaches

Are you ready? The countdown continues leading up to the 125th season of Michigan football. Michigan has an opportunity to become the winningest program in college football with a victory at Notre Dame on September 11, further solidifying Michigan football as the greatest program of all time. In addition, the nation's top receiving core will welcome the addition of Matt Gutierrez (as opposed to dealing with the "loss" of John Navarre), who has never lost a game in which he was the starting QB...although he's never started a college game. David Underwood will fill the shoes of Chris Perry. Marlin Jackson returns to his natural position at cornerback, and Steve Breaston will try to continue to be the most exciting player in college football returning punts and kickoffs. It seems we have all the answers. It seems we have all of the puzzle pieces. But with a schedule that ranks at the top of the nation in degree of difficulty, and tough road games at ND, Purdue, and Ohio State, the slip-up opportunities are there. What legacy will Braylon Edwards and Marlin Jackson leave behind? Only time will tell.

But the X-Box will tell first. The season preview will be up on Monday. See you all in about 2 weeks.