Sometimes a Dose of Perspective Works Wonderments;

This is Officer Lee Groinman; That’s right Washington’ Most Perspective Cop…

I’d made up my mind, my bet was made. It was time to call in my wager to my bookie Timmy in Reno. “Oh hi Lee,” says Timmy’s wife Barbie.

Some of you probably don’t know, but some bookies are married. The bookie Timmy married a gal named Barbie. Life is funny that way, ya’ just never know. That’s why in football, we play the game…

“No Timmy’s not here right now, he’s at the Reno Air Races like always. You’ll love this Lee; they have him working in crowd control this time, after last years ‘episode’ in the beer garden.”

Barbie laughs. I’d forgotten about the Reno Air Races, Timmy’s been a volunteer there for years; he says it scratches his civic pride itch. I think it’s just good for Timmy’s business…

“You could call him on his cell?”

 “Naw, wouldn’t want to bother him in his moment of glory. I’ll just drop him an e-mail. It’s just this week’s bet.”

Besides, I had to get going myself. I was already a day late for my wedding anniversary, the 20th. The wife Gloria and I got married on the bye before the 1991 Nebraska game. We honeymooned in Lake Chelan and made it home to Tacoma just in time for the kickoff in Lincoln, ten minutes to spare. Now that’s called plannin’…

So the Nebraska game is supposed to come a week after my weddin’ anniversary, not the week of! These schedule makers just drive me nuts, well at least it wasn’t a night game.

Yeah, Gloria didn’t buy it either…

I was gonna get her one of those Husky fire pits for the deck, but ya’ know, I’m kinda an insightful guy, and I just felt she just may not go for any Husky fire pit. Dawgman suggested I get her a Husky wind sock, because. ‘Nothing says I love you like a windsock’.

I already have two Husky windsocks…hasn’t helped yet…

So I got her a brand new steel Stihl brush-cutter blade for our Husqvarna gas trimmer, nothin’ runs like a Husky don’t cha’ know. I had to sign a waiver too, as it’s against manufacturer’s recommendations to alter the machine. But boy it sure do look nasty. Cuts like a sum-a-beach too. Gloria wanted to try it out on my head o’ hair, gives a whole new meaning to the term brush-cut…The blade only set me back 22 bucks…

But before you all go getting’ the notion that I’m some sort of pig, Gloria also got herself a Bissell PROHEAT2X Steam Vac carpet cleaner. They had ‘em on clearance down at Freddy Meyer’s. 50% off with the coupon, 99 bucks for the whole shebang, just can’t beat that folks…

Well, the weather man had said there should be a change in the weather, so we decide to make hay when the sun shines. I got Gloria to dress out in her leather chaps and we fired up the two-wheeled torque-monster. Set our sights to Enumclaw and Hwy. 410, my favorite piece of asphalt. End up at ‘Whistlin’ Jack’s’ on the eastern slopes of the Cascades, time for dinner…

You know, the Lord truly does work in mysterious ways. On account of me bein’ a day late on our anniversary, we were now celebrating on a Friday night.

“Welcome to ‘Whistlin’ Jack’s’! Are you here for our Friday night all-you-can-eat prime rib buffet?”

“Say no more Ma’am. Blood pressure be damned!”  Life is good…Awesome buffet…

Thought I’d lapse into a coma, no, not Tacoma, a coma. Good thing Jack’s has got rooms to rent…

In the mornin’ I go to get a couple of coffees in the bar. The news is on, they’re talkin’ about the Reno Air Race disaster. My first thought was the bookie Timmy, volunteerin’ for crowd control! I’m miles from home with no computer, no cell, I planned it that way, it was our 20^th anniversary for craps sake…

“Look Gloria, we gotta go, plane crash at the Reno races, some dead, many hurt, Timmy was there.” Funny, the thoughts that run thru your head. I had bought two Apple Cup tickets for Timmy and myself, now I may have to take Gloria…

We get on the torque monster and blast on towards home. I don’t get two miles and a bee nailed me on my left forearm. At least it wasn’t the throttle arm…Dang arm swolled up so much I had to take off my watch...

My string of good luck now over? Omen?

Once home I call Timmy on his cell, no answer, call him at home, no answer. I check my email, a one liner. “Wow, we’re fine, unbelievable.”

You just never know folks, but what about my bet?

Well the bee sting may have been an omen. The officials in that Nebraska game called it like they’d been stung in the brain, although it sounded like they’d been stung on the tongue…

Seems the officials that got fired by the Pac 10 last year found a home in Lincoln. Some say, like Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times that you can’t blame official’s bad calls for the outcome of a game. Balderdash. I don’t suppose ol’ Steve watched the Seahawks and the Steelers in that one Super Bowl?

What is it with the Seattle apologetic media? Anybody have about enough?

I’m not sayin’ we wouda’ won the Nebraska game, but those officials definitely put the game into the coulda’ and shoulda’ categories. What if we got calls that actually gave us points?

I know Steve, banish the mere thought…

So now as Husky fans we turn our eyes inward and play the blame game. The featured quest this week is Nick Holt, defensive coordinator. Now Nick’s crew is bringin’ up the rear in a few categories. “Leading from behind” I’ve heard it called. So Nick is on the fans’ hot seat.

I remember back in the dark ol’ days of Barbara ‘Babs’ Hedges. What’s this? Another Barbie? Yeah ol’ Babs. I shuddered when she brought in Rick Neuheisel. Two coaches I hoped would survive the coaching musical chairs were Dick Baird and Randy Hart. Hart stuck, not so Baird. Then when the reign of Sark commenced I had hoped that Hart would make the cut again. Most on the message boards called me nuts. Hart was stupid don’t you know, the game had passed him by; he can’t recruit, let alone coach.

And he hasn’t lost to us yet…

Sark must have been listenin’, yeah right, but Hart was let go.

Now I hear certain folks lamenting about the good ol’ days when Hart was here. Funny bunch, those message board mercenaries…

My take so far? The offense is about where I thought they’d be. The defense, not even close. Keith Price is throwin’ the ball maybe even better than I thought he would, but the rushing game is somewhat unsettled. Polk’s numbers are good, but they seem slightly out of synch. The defense? Completely out of synch.

The rushing game is going to mesh, maybe this week. I think Polk’s surgery and rehab threw the timing and chemistry off just a tad, and yes wouldn’t a healthy Cooper be nice. Good things come to those who wait, tired of waitin’ in this case. One more year, yarks…

The defense, the pieces are there, they just aren’t there at the same time and place, some are injured, some are coming back in different stages, some moving around, a lot of moving parts. Ta’amu’s hand, or the one-handed Ta’amu, Semisi Tokolahi’s ankle, Quinton Richardson’s sprain, and the mental one too. One guy here, and another guy over there, when their supposed to be over here, it goes on and on…Could use a few more Justin Glenn’s, the guy flat out wants to win.

We got too much thinkin’ goin’ on around here. Time to get in the flow, it’ll come…

We’ve played some goofy teams this year. The pass-ass-slappy teams of Eastern and Hawaii. Then the more traditional option team of Nebraska at their house, still a game that easily could have landed in the W column, minus a little home-cookin’.

It comes together bit by bit. The first bit is Saturday against Cal.

They’ll be fine…

Speakin’ of Cal, I got a second email from the bookie Timmy in Reno, didn’t see it until after the game. “Got your email, you’ve got the Dawgs and the points.”

“Winning!”

Save a stamp Timmy, Just roll the bet over, put it all on the DAWGS!!

DO YOU HEAR ME!

GO DAWGS!

GRUMBLINGS; so the NCAA has formally contacted Oregon about their misdeeds. Oregon AD Rob Mullens is now calling this an NCAA ‘examination’. How cute, the NCAA is now doing ‘examinations’? Are these ‘examinations’ anything like finals? Or are these the kind of examinations that require latex gloves and a lubricant?

Just say no to Texas; Pac 8 or cut bait…done deal, for today…

GOOD NEWS DEPT. Our featured Dawg of a couple of weeks ago, KINLEY has been adopted. She’s doing fine with her new pack. Now check this guy out!

OUR FEATURED DAWG OF THE WEEK; CHINOOK! CHINOOK just took top honors in the “Northwest Best Mask” competition. A young male who’s quite the pleaser, a charmer who promises to keep all ducks, beavs, cats, and other critters out of the yard, then call for ‘shotgun’ on the way into town. The classic black and white malamute, a chick magnet, and with a mask like that, and a rescue dawg?

Dude…

CHINOOK and his pals can be seen at www.wamal.com Ready for adoption NOW!

EDITOR’S NOTE; The Prime Rib buffet at ‘Whistlin’ Jack’s’ is on Thursday nights, in case you are going, $14.95, literary license. And the guy doing Eagle songs in the bar? No extra charge…