{{link http://montanagrizzlies.com/ Go Griz!}} Yes, I’ve been keeping up with the Division I-AA Football playoffs and U of M looks like they are playing against pee-wee teams, thumping Northwestern State 56-7 a few weeks back and walloping New Hampshire 44-17 this past weekend. Now, they get to host Sam Houston State on Saturday, and, sporting a 19-3 home playoff record, it looks like they might have a great chance to make the finals again. It’s great to have a sports team to root for again. Since the demise of the Yankees, it’s been the doldrums for sports. On CNN International, I’m inundated with soccer, rugby, and cricket news, none of which get my juices flowing.

Listening to the radio broadcast over the Internet, the announcers said that the lights were on in the stadium. When did they put lights in? Then I read in the {{link http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/12/05/sports/sports01.txt Missoulian}} that they were portable lights, necessitated by the ESPN2 broadcast of the game. Too bad–the stadium could use some permanent lighting.

We had what was probably close to half an inch of rain on Saturday, a result of the influence of Typhoon Nanmadol, which recently {{link http://freeinternetpress.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2469 ravaged the Philippines}} and raked Taiwan. {{link http://www.chinapost.com.tw/i_latestdetail.asp?id=24754 The China Post}} reported that it was the first December typhoon in a century.

I’m busy with final testing and grading this week, so I haven’t had time to plan too much more for the upcoming Thailand trip. I’ve got my reservation in Bangkok for the start of the journey and I have a beachside cottage reserved on Ko Sukorn. If it’s the one I think it is, it’s RIGHT ON the beach–awesome. Check it out {{link http://www.sukorn-island-trang.com/03_bungalow.html here}}, the 2nd picture down on the right hand side. Beautiful. It’ll be mine for 5 days and nights. 😎