Back in Wisconsin

We may be different from the rest

Who decides the test

Of what is really best?

We're a couple of misfits

We're a couple of misfits

What's the matter with misfits

That's where we fit in!

Music and Lyrics by Johnny Marks
From the Rankin/Bass Production of "Rudolph, The-Nosed Reindeer"

Okay so I got back from Florida Tuesday afternoon landing in delightful 20 degree weather, waited outside for 15 minutes for the shuttle to my car, where I got to spend another 20 minutes scraping and chipping ice and snow off the car. But this is the last time I am going to bitch about the weather this winter. Everyone knows winters in Wisconsin suck and I choose to live here so I need to stop being depressed by it and I need to stop complaining. It's just the price I pay for living somewhere I love 9 months out of the year.

So yes on Thanksgiving day we did get my entire family together. We didn't have anyone else there to take a picture of us all but I can sort of piece the entire group of 12 together for you. It was the first time all 12 of these people have been in one place and the first time since my youngest brothers wedding in that my 3 brothers and parents have all been together. It was fun and I wish I could say that I thought it would happen more often but retail just makes it hard for us to get together at holidays and we are just a 1000 miles away from each other.

The next generation of Trudeau's, nothing but xy chromosomes in our gene pool.





















My nephew playing hoops for Dr. Phillips High School. 9th grade 6'2" size 16 feet. I can still take him, at least in ping pong.

The other part of the trip was to see the Terps play in the Old Spice 8 team tournament at Disneyworld. Started off great with Maryland just waxing Michigan St. However reality arrived the next day with back to back blowouts by Gonzaga and Georgetown. I watched a ton of basketball these three days and without a doubt Gonzaga was the best team I saw. They are a legit top 5 team with three future NBA players on the court. No more Cinderella slipper for them.




With the year coming to an end I will be doing some best of '08 lists and I thought I would start with the best movies I have seen so far in 2008. I am very excited to see two movies that have not opened yet in Madison, Frost/Nixon and Milk so I reserve the right to revise my list.

5. The Bank Job A classic bank heist movie

4. Tropic Thunder Seriously funny and brilliant, easily the best comedy of the year

3. Changeling Clint Eastwood again delivers a wonderfully entertaining movie

2. Tell No One A wonderful French mystery that keeps you guessing

1. Roman de Gare Another French mystery movie, brilliantly told, and executed in a David Mamet sort of way. I loved this movie.

I am now back in Madison for the next three months with no major travel plans until March when I will spend along weekend in Vegas watching the first round of the NCAA tournament and then spend two weeks in Utah at Fitness Ridge. If you have any interest in joining me at one of these two locations let me know. One will be really fun and crazy, the other kinda fun and awfully rewarding. We are getting ready for Christmas at the store and just hoping for less snow and more shoppers. Can not believe it is less than 3 weeks away and you'd never know it was that close if you looked at our sales this week. Oh well, they have to shop sometime :) Peace, and Joy, Jim