Good weekend everybody.

THE SAGA CONTINUES...

Well, as I approach the two month mark of my car ownership, yet my car remains nameless. This is primarily a function of the fact that I procrastinate profusely, and also the fact that matter tends to slow down as the outside air temperature approaches Absolute Zero.

But, I digress. I am pleased to introduce the list of 15 finalists. If you would all please select one, and only one, name from this list and send it to me via email, so that I can have something to yell in disgust when I have my first "no start".

THE FINALISTS (in no particular order)

1.Rupert
2.Stella
3.The Arctic Shagger
4.Susie
5.The Wondra from the Tundra
6.Brian's Bucket of Bolts
7.A-roar-a Chaser
8.Pequod
9.Auto von Fairbanks
10.Suzi
11.Blue
12.Ursus Autobilis
13.Blue Streak
14.Bubbles
15.R.U.E.

Vote for one, and ONLY one, final name, and the one with the most votes wins, and we can put this behind us, and I can start to be more "personal" with my little hunk of steel.

Voting will be open for a while, or until I have decided that trying to coax votes from some of you has become hopeless. We are almost at an end, my friends. If you were waiting until the finals to vote, now is the time to have your voice heard.

Visit http://www.qsl.net/kc0hoj/bmh/contest.html to view the car and the names of the finalists.

A LITTLE BIT OF NOOKIE

Ok, everybody get their minds out of the gutters...I am not talking about THAT kind of nookie.

I was lucky enough to attend my first University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey game at the Carlson Center this past Saturday night. My dear Michigan Wolverines were in town for a two night series against the Nanooks (thus the Nookie reference) in a key CCHA match-up. Well, I became a big fan of hockey, and of college hockey in particular, when the University of Nebraska at Omaha got a team. Well, to live in a city where college hockey is king is definitely fun.

The game on Saturday was a great time. My neighbor, Stacy, and I went to the game to bad mouth each other. Stacy grew
up in Ohio, and is a big fan of Ohio State (hey, nobody's perfect) and so, of course, she was cheering very much against the Wolverines. I, by way of my sister Karen who attended the University of Michigan, am a big fan of the Wolverines, so I teamed up with the dozen or so other Fans of the Blue who were in attendance to cheer our team to victory.

Well, needless to say, it was a good game, and the Wolverines handed down a punishing 4-0 defeat to the Nooks. The Nooks weren't that bad, actually, but Michigan was just cleaner in the passing department and had a better defensive presence (better blocking and poke checks) than UAF.

Pictures are up on my website...in the Gallery Section.

Or, for those of you who are not regular visitors...

http://www.qsl.com/kc0hoj/bmh/hockey1.html

APPEARING IN A CITY NEAR YOU...

In less than 5 weeks, I will once again be back in that land I love so well...but unfortunately, I will only be passing through on my way to Nebraska. Just kidding.

5 weeks until I get to be "too, too happy to see you all, yet too, too sad to have to leave you all" for a couple of weeks. As for my plans during that time...I know next to nothing, save for the fact that I am going to be busy, busy, busy. Visiting friends and family. A good visit to my alma mater, UNK, is just about the first thing I am going to do...visit some professors and laugh at the students. I have a trip to Colorado tentatively planned, and of course, a slew of evenings with friends, Derek, Jim, Kristen,
Leland, Christopher...to name merely a few. And lets not forget the family!!!

Speaking of family...I want to send special birthday greetings to my dear nephew, Simon Julian Roggenkamp! Happy 3rd birthday, little man!!! The little man celebrated on Wednesday, November 7th. Can't wait to see you, bub!

NOTES AND STUFF

Just a few announcements and so on.

I got word this week that my good friend Scott Phillips, with whom I grew up and raised cain in the villages of south central Nebraska, is planning on beginning at seminary next fall. A very noble deed, and a very wonderful goal. Congrats and good luck.

Marié Lopez del Puerto de la Garza, from 2000 UAF REU fame, is finishing up her first semester of her year at Notre Dame
University. However, today, she is occupied with the GRE Physics Specific Subject Exam...best of luck to her, too.

The drumline of the Cadets of Bergen Co. Drum and Bugle Corps was on The Late Show with David Letterman last night.
It was cool. Just FYI, Al Chez, the trumpet player in the Late Show Orchestra, marched with the Cadets back in the day.

LAWS OF THE LAND

Life north of 60 degrees latitude has its own little set of laws, especially this time of year. Here are just a few:

1.Never try to operate a keyless entry remote while wearing bulky mittens.

2.If you walk to the front of your car looking for your head-bolt power cord in the early afternoon darkness, you will undoubtedly step on it, burying it in the snow...leave your headlights on for this task.

3.There is no such thing as a "quick trip out to the car" to retrieve something, especially at -25F. Even Carl Lewis couldn't make this trip "quick" enough.

Well, I am going to leave you with good ole'...

INJECTIONS D'HUMEUR

A special Holiday theme this time.

A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse.

"But why?" they asked, as they moved off.

"Because," the manager replied, "I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."

After a groaner like that, I will spare you any more of that stuff.

Anyway, gots to go. Talk to you later.

Brian "Nookie" Hartmann