Anna, star of screen, now star of stage

By K.J. Cardinal

Anna has long been a star on computer screens across the country, but today she made her debut on stage and it's official... she's a star there as well.

Ms. Katie's preschool class performed The Gingerbread Man at the Intel Mini Theatre at Hudson High today and Anna had the dubious honor of playing the Fox that (spoiler alert) gets to eat the Gingerbread man.

The Gingerbread man was played by none other than Anna's buddy Brynn. I'm obviously biased to my little girl, but I'd be a fool if I didn't recognize Brynn for her performance... she clearly stole the show.

Anyway, enjoy the play...

Tornado misses us in Hudson

By K.J. Cardinal

Thankfully the tornado missed us last night out in Hudson, but it was a surreal scene that I have never witnessed before as our entire house was surrounded by lightning. Check it out...


[WATCH VIDEO]

Monkey highlights Hudson Halloween

By K.J. Cardinal

After cruising to a 23-10 victory over Candy Corn in the annual Cardinal Blog Halloween Poll, Anna "Monkey" Cardinal stole the show for Hudson Halloween.

Every Halloween, Hudson closes Main Street downtown and local businesses open their doors to trick or treaters for two hours. It's the first time I've partaken in the festivities and it was quite a scene.

Sure there were hundreds and hundreds of other kids and even dozens and dozens of other monkeys, but I think my monkey took the cake.

Angie, Sammy and I decided to walk downtown since parking is a disaster and it's just over a mile to downtown. It was a nice night, so we popped Anna into the MacPac, which she loves, and off we went.

Anna was really more interested in people watching and just walking in the middle of the closed street than scoring candy, but we still had a blast.

Hudson Halloween marked the second trick-or-treating session for Anna as she went to Intel Halloween on Tuesday night at Angie's work. The "real" trick-or-treating is Saturday night, so she'll have plenty of candy.

While we were downtown, we decided to go to the Horseshoe Pub for dinner. Anna was a good eater, so we decided to let her experience her first-ever Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Her reaction was simply priceless... I am so bummed I didn't get video footage of her because she was so giddy.

NOTE: The active followers of The Cardinal Blog proved that they are rather soft and/or care about Anna a lot as only two people voted for the Poodle (which Anna didn't want to wear) in the Halloween Poll.

I scream you scream

By K.J. Cardinal

Earlier this week we took Anna to get ice cream at a little place in town, Dairy Joy. Nothing earth-shattering, just a glimpse at the cuteness that is Anna.


[WATCH MOVIE]

A hot one

By K.J. Cardinal

Yesterday was just your run of the mill 90-degree April day.

I was bummed that I had two meetings and a lot of work to do, but I was able to take a break in the afternoon to get Anna's little pool ready for her first outdoor dip of the season.

When I went to pick her up from daycare and saw the little sweat drops on her upper lip, I knew she was going to be psyched to go "swim swim."

The water was a little chilly at first, so I did have to add a little warm water from the house, but once she got in she was loving it... as you can see.

Carousel, bloon and Anna's entourage

By K.J. Cardinal

Meme & Papa were kind enough to come down to visit us today and, of course, we had a blast.

Like most great times that we have with my parents, we didn't really do much... we never need to. We played with Anna, had some good food, great conversation and of course a few adult beverages.

We hung out at home most of the rainy day, but then ventured to the Solomon Pond Mall so Anna could take a ride on the merry-go-round.

Angie got to take the ride with Anna while my parents and I got to get a kick out of the look of surprise on Anna's face every time she came around to see us. She even blew Meme & Papa kisses a few times on her way by.

Anna is so hilarious. When she got on the horse she was petting him nicely and when she went to get off, she had to give him a kiss. Probably not the most sanitary thing to let your kid do, but what the hell, right?

After the carousel ride, we finally broke down and bought Anna her very own punching balloon. The carousel ticket booth has punching balloons already inflated and every time we pass by Anna says "bloon, bloon", but we never bought her one until today.

It turned out to be a great decision, if for nothing other than the photo below.


Anna thought she was on top of the world as she walked around the mall with her "bloon" with her entourage in tow.

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better, it did. Louisville and Rick Pitino were upset by Michigan State!

I couldn't have cared less that I had the Spartans winning in my bracket, but I was extremely fired up that Pitino lost... if you need me to explain why I hate Pitino, please refrain from reading this blog in the future.

Anyway, it was a great day from start to finish and the best way that we could think of capping off such a great week.

Anna goes to daycare

By K.J. Cardinal

Sure today is a big day for McCain and Obama, but I think it's a much bigger day for Anna, Daddy and Pack Network. Today is Anna's first day at daycare.

With a busy upcoming few weeks for me with traveling to conference championships all over New England, Angie and I felt no time was better than now to give daycare a shot for Anna.

This week Anna is only going half days to get into the swing of things, but our thought is that every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Anna will be going to daycare. We are taking her to a place that is literally less than a mile down the street called Curious Kids and they give Intel employees a 10% discount, so it's very convenient and somewhat affordable...I know, you've never heard daycare and affordable in the same sentence before.

Anyway, Anna was a sleepy head this morning, so I had to wake her up at 8:15 to get her to the daycare for 8:30. Giving myself only a 15-minute window goes to show you how close the place is.

I got her changed and out the door we went. Anna was her usual easy-going self. I dropped her off and tried not to make a big deal about it so she wouldn't fuss or cry once I left.

She definitely didn't fuss and cry, as the second I set her down she went motoring over to a little girl and started playing with her blocks. In a matter of seconds, I was out of her life :(

It didn't seem like a big deal for Anna, but it is a big deal for me. I definitely want to stay home with her everyday, but work calls and it's really what we need to do so I can devote more time toward Pack Network, which will only benefit our family and Anna more in the long run.

We feel very fortunate as a family that Anna was able to spend her first 395 days on this planet being looked after by a parent, so I guess we can't complain. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me sad to know that my little girl is at daycare and growing up soooo much faster than I want.

Swinging, bubbles and pigskin

By K.J. Cardinal

Anna had a rather eventful Friday, her last Friday before she turns one!

Angie and I had a little yard work to do in preparation for Anna's birthday party on Sunday. So, we took advantage of the nice fall day and spent a good portion of the day outside with Anna.

It had been probably a month or so since Anna had last been in the hammock and when I put her in it she really loved it. She enjoyed it the most when I was swinging it high and as the picture at the right shows, it seemed like the swinging motion got her belly and took her breath away a little bit.

After playing in the hammock for so long that she nearly rocked herself to sleep, Anna was in for a new treat...bubbles.

Anna actually first experienced bubbles last week at Val and Brian's wedding, but that was indoors and with a small wedding-favor sized bottle. So, she was VERY impressed with the big bubbles that I would blow her way.


Naturally, Anna would try to catch the bubbles in the air or pick the ones that didn't pop up off the ground. She didn't quite get the whole concept by any means, but I spent a good 15 or 20 minutes blowing bubbles with her outside and she was in her glory.

Angie then took Anna for a long walk in the afternoon, while I was able to get some work done. When Sammy got home from school she told us about the Spirit Day at school for homecoming and it naturally got me thinking about going to the homecoming football game.

I threw the idea out there to the girls and they were all up for it. I was psyched because I can't remember the last high school football game I'd been to and I'd never been to one at Hudson High.

Anyway, we bundled Anna up and headed down to the high school. Anna was so into it.

Her favorite part was definitely the cheerleaders. She would just stare at them without any sort of facial expression...she was truly mesmerized. Once she actually started clapping on her own as if to join in their cheer. Aunt Tiff and Aunt Kate were both cheerleaders when they were little, so I could see Anna following in their footsteps as a young kid...but she's gotta play a sport or two as well...and NO cheering IS NOT a sport.

Anna once again proved that she can fall asleep anywhere as she fell asleep on my lap despite the noisy surroundings of the game, fans, cheerleaders and a band.

A chilly night coupled with a 28-7 Auburn halftime lead really gave the girls no incentive to stick around. So, we bailed at the half, but it was still great to get Anna out to her first-ever football game and to go to a Hudson High sporting event.

I'm probably more excited about it than Sammy, but I am actually looking forward to her high school career so it gives us an excuse to go to some games. Hudson High is really good in some sports (soccer, hockey, softball...NOT football), so I'm sure they will put up better showings than last night.

As an aside, Newsweek magazine recently ranked Hudson High School number 689 out of more than 25,000 public high schools in the country. That is good enough for 15th in the state and in the top 5% nationally. That's rather mind-boggling for a guy that went to Farmington High School, which was sadly probably in the bottom 5%.

A surprise 30th for Angie

By K.J. Cardinal

Angie's actual birthday isn't until Thursday (September 25), but on Friday night I threw her a surprise 30th birthday party.

I had Angie believing that we were having a get together this Friday, the day after her birthday, so she really had no idea about the surprise. I went to such confusing lengths as setting up two Evites, one for the surprise party and one for the fake party. I'm sure that some people will show up this Friday, thinking there is going to be a party, but hopefully not because we won't be home.

Anyway, this past Friday was actually Adam's birthday, so I used him, his wife Holly and their kids, Sam and Katie (pictured above with Angie) as the perfect diversion to surprise Angie. I told Angie that I wanted to take Adam out for his birthday...and naturally, she fell for it.

So, we had a good dinner at the 99 here in Hudson and then came back to our house for the shindig. When we got out of the car, my neighbor was outside with his wife and kids and he says, "Get inside and get that party going." So, after over a month of planning a surprise party, we made it until about 10 feet from the front door until the cover was blown...ughhh!

I acted as if I either didn't hear it or didn't know what he was talking about and Angie was a little confused by it all. So, it didn't entirely ruin the surprise, but still bummed me out a bit that everyone had done such a good job of keeping the surprise...except our neighbor : (

Regardless, I unlocked the front door and turned the light on for Angie and everyone jumped out and screamed "Surprise!" It was great.

There was a great crew of Angie's closest friends that came from all over to celebrate her 30th, so she was loving it.

I have to give props to our friends Scott, Mike, Jamie and Missy for all of their help in pulling the party off. Scott & Mike parked cars down the street so the surprise wouldn't be spoiled and Jamie and Missy got the food ready and whatnot. It was a great team effort...thanks guys.

I would also like to take this time to warn you all of The Headless Horseman. You see, Scott and a few of his buddies came up with this new drink The Headless Horseman. It's tasty, but crippling. You take a half of a pumpkin beer, pour it into a glass and then drop a shot of jagermeister into the glass and down the hatch it all goes.

It might not sound that great, but it actually tastes a little TOO good. The "nutmeg finish" on the beer really carries the shot. So you see, we did a number of these on Friday night and Saturday wasn't a real pleasant day in the Cardinal household. So, beware The Headless Horseman.

Anyway, happy (early) 30th birthday Angie!

A day in town

By K.J. Cardinal

Yesterday Angie, Anna and I had a good day in Hudson.

We started off the day by cleaning the house and rearranging our livingroom. Those of you who have been to our home know that it is rather cozy, so we don't have a lot of options when moving things around.

But, we did come up with a cool new arrangement that we all really like. What was so funny though was after we were done moving things around, Anna was crawling all around and checking things out as if she was rediscovering the entire room. She was looking around, over and under things and just being the curious little girl that she is.

Anyway, after that we took advantage of some of the cool public parks here in Hudson. We first went to the park at the elementary school down the street. Anna went on the swings again and she also had her first trip down the slide.

Anna wouldn't pick her feet up though as she went down the slide, so she didn't really glide smoothly down the slide, but rather controlled her own snails-pace down the slide. Angie also helped Anna up on the top of the monkey bars (pictured at the top of this post)...which she loved as you can see.

After the elementary school, we then went to the water park downtown. It wasn't the hottest day of the summer, so the water was a little chilly for Anna, but she still had a blast.

They have one of those mushrooms that sprays water all around and then also a few other sprinklers on the ground that are controlled by these buttons on a play traffic light.

Anna's probably a little too young for both of these parks, but she still had a fun day in town.

Angie goes to Ireland, Blog goes to hell

By K.J. Cardinal

Last Sunday Intel came calling for Angie to go to Ireland for a week-long business trip and The Cardinal Blog took a nose dive.

Ang left on Sunday morning for Maynooth, Ireland to meet her counterparts from around the world. This meant that Sammy, Anna and I were left back in the States to fend for ourselves.

Everything went well on all accounts...except for the blog, which unfortunately took a backseat to diaper duty, house work, chef duties and more.

Sammy and I kept things afloat in Hudson, but we all missed "Mom" lots and Mom definitely missed us...particularly that little girl that garners so much attention on this blog. So, throughout the week Ang and I would talk on the phone and chat online, but the highlight for Angie was when we would set up a video feed for her to log on to see her baby.

Pack Network put all of its powers that be to work to provide a live streaming video & audio feed of Anna. She would come live to Ireland from our kitchen table. Just a simple set up really, but it was good for Ang to be able to get visual proof that Sammy and I hadn't burnt the house down or anything yet.

Anyway, that's my excuse for the long hiatus between blog posts. Angie returned on Saturday night and it's taken me a few days to get caught up on work to give me some free time to add a new post.

So, we're back and in action. Sorry for the delay!

Anna recycles

By K.J. Cardinal

Today Anna took her first step...toward being an environmentally conscious person.

With a 30-gallon garbage bag full of empty beer cans and bottles, Anna and I ventured to the "recycle center" (read: liquor store) today to do our civic duty and recycle.

I was a little concerned how Anna would handle the weird smell and loud noises that come from the machines that crush the cans and smash the bottles, but as always she seemed to be rather unphased. Actually, I would go as far to say that she rather enjoyed it.

She appeared to be amazed by the fact that the cans would just disappear. When I'd put one in the machine she'd stare at it for a second and then look at me, to ask "What happened to the can?"

I'm pretty sure that Anna had this reaction for all 132 cans and bottles that I recycled. It was pretty funny.

As I left the store, I couldn't help but think how much my Papa would get a kick out of seeing Anna's reaction to the recycling. Afterall, Papa was the king of recycling.

He really used his Yankee ingenuity to come up with quite a few innovative ways to recycle cans. Throughout my childhood I can recall him crushing cans with sledge hammers, presses and even a contraption he made to go with his wood splitter. He was really a pioneer.

Anna has a long way to go to reach Papa's level. And, in order for her to do that, I better keep on drinking. So, I'm up for the challenge...consider it my way of giving back to the environment.

Hammock a hit with Anna

By K.J. Cardinal

Fatherhood has been drastically improved with the nice weather of late. Don't get me wrong, it was great to spend every waking second this winter with Anna by my side, but being cooped up in the house every day wasn't so great.

A 70-degree day today meant Anna and I could enjoy the outdoors. We tried to go for a walk around the neighborhood, but front-end loaders and dump trucks were everywhere installing a sidewalk in our development. So, instead we opted to hang out in the backyard.

Amidst the construction ruckus, Anna was enjoying herself on a blanket with a few toys. She seemed to be unphased by all the commotion. We did that for a while and then I got the idea of letting her experience the hammock. Boy, was that a good call.

She looked so small when I placed her in the center of the hammock. At first she just wanted to try to eat the rope, but then I started to swing the hammock and she loved it.

It's so great to not only be able to bring her outdoors, but not to have to bundle her up with hats, boots, etc. She looks cute in all her winter wear, but it's definitely a pain to put on and take off all the time. Anyway, the nice weather is appreciated...let's just hope Anna likes the driving range as much as Daddy does.

---

In somewhat related news...
Angie and I just got a new Nikon digital SLR camera. You may be able to tell the improved quality in the photos above. It's safe to say that I will be posting more photos and better photos from now on. Enjoy!

Anna swings into Spring

By K.J. Cardinal

Since today was the first 60 degree day of Anna's life, I knew that I had to get her out of the house for a nice long walk. The temperature was warm all day, but the overcast clouds and slight sprinkle here or there had me a little concerned.

As the day wore on, the weather stayed the same. So, once Sammy got home from school, Anna, Sammy and I decided to risk it and go on a walk.

When we left the house I thought we'd just go for a nice walk, little did I know that we'd end up knocking a significant "to do" off Anna's list of firsts. As we walked by the Farley Elementary School, we decided it would be fun to give Anna her first experience on a swing...a true staple moment in every kids childhood.

The playground at the relatively new Farley School is really nice. The swing set had a swing that was probably more equipped for a toddler than an infant, but that didn't stop us from giving it a whirl.

We put Anna in the swing and she immediately grabbed onto one of the side chains, as if she was an old pro. We started to swing her very lightly at first, just to gauge her reaction. She didn't really think much of it, instead looking around at the other kids in the playground.

So, we decided to push her a little higher...and she loved it. She would smile and almost laugh every time the swing would descend from its peak. It was really quite the sight...check it out in the video below.

Unfortunately the school bell rang to let the youngsters out for the day, so we high-tailed it out of the playground before we all got trampled. The good news is that the playground is only about a 10 minute walk away, so we'll be back, that's for sure.

Anna surprises Meme & Papa with first tooth

By K.J. Cardinal

Yesterday was a great day on many, many levels. The day started with us buying a new Xterra, then Angie, Anna and I went to lunch at Sunset Cantina in Boston (one of my all-time favorite places to go) and we then returned home. The best part of the day, however, was when Meme and Papa came down to visit Anna and about 15 minutes into their visit, I discovered Anna officially cut her first tooth.

I'm assuming the tooth came through at some point during the night, but we didn't notice it until about 4 p.m. It was cool Anna hit the milestone, but it was even better because my parents were here to be as surprised as we were.

People often tell horror stories of when their child cuts their first tooth, but Anna never really reacted, other than excessive drooling. If you know Anna, "excessive drooling" is a wet experience...it's like going over Mike & Candy's house and having their dogs slobber all over you...you love it, but it's still kind of gross at the same time.

Anyway, my parents brought down this pasta sampler that they got through work and we had a great night of trying out about 10 different types of raviolis, canolis and unique filled pastas. It was quite a treat and a lot better than probably all of us expected.

Anna was the most polite baby ever. Somehow she seems to have this innate sense of how to properly act at all times. She was awake when Meme and Papa got here, then she took a nap right as we were about ready to eat and she woke up right when we got done eating. It was ideal to maximize the amount of time that Anna could spend with Meme and Papa and maximize the amount of time that Angie and I could spend with them too.

As always, it was a blast to see my folks...for those of you who don't know them, they're definitely the coolest people you'll ever meet. And also as always, the day revolved around family, food and beer...the perfect trio if you ask me.

Running Tourney Blog: Day 2

By K.J. Cardinal

12:04 pm: We survived day one of the NCAA tourney and the running blog is back for day two. Scott is currently here along with Sammy and Anna. We should have quite a few more people stopping by today than yesterday, so the blog should have a little more material than Fusta singing Pat Benatar.

12:24 pm: Cassani and Glenn just showed up...Glenn brought a 12-pack of Coke...what a wimp.

12:38 pm: Marissa just showed up too.

2:04 pm: Just finished lunch. Drake needs to get their act together. Miami, Tennessee and Gonzaga are in OK shape. Davidson is going to fade away (I hope).

3:12 pm: WOW! Western Kentucky three ball to win it. A great session of games. I had Drake winning, but I'll take a buzzer-beater over a bracket pick anyway...unless it would happen to involve my Huskies.

In unrelated news, Glenn just dropped the bomb on me that him and Kendra are engaged! What a great series of events.

3:18 pm: Oh yeah, Glenn wanted me to make public that he is now drinking beer...he took his skirt off.

3:24 pm: This youtube video has to be blogged. Apparently this kid used to work with Cassani. Two things to take note of...the couple in the corner making out and the kids superb form during the cannonball.

3:58 pm: America East Champion UMBC gave Georgetown a run early, but the Hoyas are flexing their Big East muscles. With a guy like Jay Greene in the backcourt (arguably the whitest guy in the tourney), it's a miracle that they even gave G'town a run early.

I have UConn winning, but I would love to see them lose. Glad to see Texas is throttling Austin Peay, since I have the Longhorns winning Bracket #2.

6:24 pm: The live tourney blog has officially derailed...as if you couldn't tell. Mike Cook just showed up and we're in the midst of a Guitar Hero tourney, so things are out of hand. I blame my lack of posts on Glenn though...well him and the Bud Lights.

Running Tourney Blog

By K.J. Cardinal

12:20 pm: Let the games begin!

12:22 pm: Not even 20 seconds into the first game of the 2008 NCAA Tournament and Anna throws up on me. Seriously, I can't make this sh*t up. Scott is here as my witness. Not a good way to start the tourney.

12:48 pm: I have Xavier winning three games in both of my brackets, including beating Duke, and the Musketeers aren't looking good right now versus Georgia. I would obviously love to win the pool that I'm in, but a 14-seed beating a three-seed would be great.

12:52 pm: Angie and Sammy just got home. Sammy had to get teeth pulled today at the dentist, so she's home for the rest of the day and then off tomorrow for Good Friday.

1:05 pm: Temple is also losing to Michigan State. I have this game split in the two brackets that I've done. I'm not quite sure why I put so much stock into the A-10. I just thought their guard play would come up huge in the tourney. Let's hope Xavier and Temple can turn it around in the second half.

1:16 pm: One of my pet peeves has to be when people mispronounce things. How do you say "Xavier"? If you are saying EX-avier, then you're an idiot. If you say Zavier, then you are correct.

1:21 pm: Scott and Angie have both headed back to work temporarily, Sammy's up in her room watching something other than the NCAA tourney and Anna's in her exersaucer...quite a ripper. I'm happy though...games in HD on my TV and March Madness On Demand on my laptop...life is good.

1:30 pm: Alternating possession sucks. Why don't they just throw the ball up for a real "jump ball"? They need to change this rule for college basketball...only for the men though. No need to change it for the women since there are about a dozen jump balls a game in a mid-major women's basketball game. Take my word for it...I've seen more than my share of women's hoops.

1:35 pm: I just checked my PackNetwork.com email account and Bose (Bruce Bosley, Vermont SID) sent me a youtube link to TJ Sorrentine's three-pointer versus Syracuse in 2005. Sorrentine wasn't the best America East player that I've ever seen play...probably not even in the top 10...but he has to have most testicular fortitude that I've ever seen on the basketball court. What on earth would possess him to pull up from 35 feet in the midst of the biggest moment in the history of the state of Vermont? Unbelievable.

There are certain moments in sports that you will never forget where you were. When Sorrentine buried that three, I let out a joyful yelp in the media room at West Virginia's WVU Coliseum. I was in Morgantown for the thrilling Women's NIT game between Maine and the Mountaineers. God my life is pathetic.

2:13 pm: Just saw Adam Hunger in D.C. at the Georgia-Xavier game. Adam is a photographer...we went to Northeastern together. That kid is everywhere. Xavier just went up by seven...please hold on!

2:29 pm: It's such a small world. I was just thinking and there are quite a few people in this year's tourney that have some legit Northeastern or America East ties. For instance, Frank Martin, Kansas State Head Coach...Frank was an assistant coach at Northeastern while I was traveling with the team. He is one of the hardest working, loyal and dedicated men I have ever met. He's definitely a relatively normal guy in a big-time job. I love this crazy Cuban and really hope he can win a few games.

2:40 pm: Xavier buckled down and decided to actually play a little D in the second half versus Georgia. The Musketeers came back and won, 73-61, thus keeping my perfect bracket alive for one game.

2:59 pm: You know it's NCAA tourney time because I just busted out the highlighters for my brackets. The only time I EVER use highlighters is during the tourney. Don't worry, I didn't pull a Digger Phelps and coordinate my shirt and tie with my highlighter...that's so retarded.

3:37 pm: UNLV 31, Kent State 10 at the half. Are you kidding me? Only 10 points. That is pathetic. Somewhere Dennis Wolff is smiling.

3:53 pm: Biggest moment of the day thus far actually had nothing to do with basketball. Anna just successfully fed herself an entire bottle. I had to stop her about three-quarters of the way through and sit her up to burp and then she got right back at it. That was definitely a Pontiac Game-Changing Performance.

3:57 pm: OK, so I have two brackets. Bracket #1 is what I truly think will happen and Bracket #2 is my "upset special" bracket. So far I am 3-0 in Bracket #1 and 2-1 in Bracket #2.

4:34 pm: Northeastern tie: Ian McCaw, Baylor Athletic Director...Ian was AD at NU when I was in college. He has done an amazing job rebuilding their men's basketball program after they had one player shoot and kill another...ridiculous story. While I was working at the 2005 Women's Final Four in Indy, Baylor actually won the title. It was cool to see Ian basking in the glory of a national title...unfortunately, something he never would've accomplished at NU.

6:23 pm: Since someone was interested...we're still alive over here, just breaking for dinner. Fusta just showed up too. We're watching the Cornell-Stanford game, hoping for the unimaginable whiteout...we'd accept one team, but both would be unprecedented.

6:54 pm: Well the Cornell-Stanford game was a bore, but at least we just got the Cornell whiteout. Classic! Sorry for the lack of posts during that game...we had my laptop hooked up to the big screen and I didn't want to be updating the blog during the game. Anyway, the guacamole is great, but it's waaayy too early for the Fromunda cheese to make an appearance.

7:19 pm: I'm definitely fired up for this K State-USC game, but Beasley just picked up his second foul, which sucks. I'm sure Frank will rally the troops and get the Wildcats back on track. USC looks sloppy early.

8:05 pm: K-State's looking good in the first half. Frank did a great job of managing Beasley's foul trouble. Not surprising, the Wildcats are kicking butt in the hustle stats...a staple of a Frank Martin team. Also, Belmont is giving Duke a game. I would love for the Dukies to lose to a 15 seed.

In unrelated news, Fusta is singing Pat Benatar songs...loudly. What a great day.

9:09 pm: I should've taken the over on the number of Vince Gill shots during the Duke-Belmont game.

9:20 pm: Coming out of a timeout with the game on the line and Belmont tries to throw an alley-oop? Are you kidding me? What the hell was the in-bounder thinking? The guy in the lane (#40) totally didn't hit his screen on #2's defender...don't throw the pass. They're killing me. DUCK FUKE!

9:27 pm: Synonyms...BYU & Whiteout.

10:25 pm: America East tie: Tommy Herrion, Pittsburgh Assistant Coach...Tommy was a color analyst for all AETV games last year. His brother, Bill, is also the coach at UNH. Tommy used to coach at the College of Charleston.

10:27 pm: Fusta's asleep on the couch...snoring away. Despite having a flawless bracket still, his performance today has been less than stellar as this is his second nap of the day and he got here at 6 p.m. Can you say "soft"?

10:32 pm: As if 16 NCAA tourney games in one day wasn't enough, the Celtics are up four at Dallas with four to go right now. They're trying to complete the unheardof Texas sweep as they already beat Houston and San Antonio on this road trip. Not sure what the deal is but Northeastern's Jose Juan Barea isn't suited up tonight for the Mavs. He is looking dapper on the sideline in an ash gray suit though.

10:43 pm: The worst part of the NBA compared to college ball...the Celtics game still isn't over yet. Eleven minutes ago there was four minutes on the clock. Now the C's just called a timeout with 33.8 seconds left. Never ending.

10:46 pm: Ray Allen for three!

10:52 pm: OK, the C's sealed the win, completing the Texas sweep! Four minutes of game action took 20 minutes to complete...brutal. Back tourney action. (PS - I hate Reggie Miller)

12:34 am: I'm falling asleep on the couch, so that's the sign I need to go to bed. The running tourney blog will return tomorrow though!

Taking back the tourney

By K.J. Cardinal

I feel like I'm on that Staples commercial when the father is shopping for back-to-school supplies for his kids, while "It's the most wonderful time of the year" is playing in the background. Except, the kids aren't going back to school...instead, I'm taking back the NCAA tourney.

After spending four years at America East and four years as an SID at Northeastern, this is really the first time since the 1999 NCAA Tournament that I will truly be able to get back to the reason why I got into the business that I am in now and was in for eight years and that reason is my love for college basketball.

There really isn't a better sport in the world than college basketball and the labors of the season all culminate beginning today with the first round of tourney play. Having worked in college athletics for the past eight years, I have several ties to coaches, players, etc. that are playing in the NCAA tourney, so it's even more wonderful for me now.

My favorite sporting day of the year is Patriots' Day because of the Boston Marathon, the Sox game and the general drunken debauchery that takes place, but from today (Thursday) through Sunday, there isn't a better four-day stretch in all of sports.

I have invited a few people over for the games today and tomorrow and I plan on doing blog updates throughout the tourney. I know it's kind of Sports Guy-ish, so I'll give him credit for the idea, but it should still be interesting...he never has the guys over to watch the NCAA tourney AND a five-month old baby girl to watch...could get interesting.

Anna turns five months, takes first walk

By K.J. Cardinal

Yesterday, Anna celebrated her five month birthday. It was nearly 60 degrees in Hudson, so I decided to take her for the official first walk.

I may have overdone it by bundling her up with a hooded sweatshirt AND a hat, along with two blankets, but I guess a baby can never be too warm.

She really seemed to love the outdoors. She was looking all around and "talking." We made two trips around the block and as we got a few hundred yards from our house, she had fallen fast asleep.

I'm really looking forward to this horrible winter to end so I can get outside more with Anna. It will be great for her to get some fresh air, but even better for me to get out more. I don't get out of the house everyday, so I'll be so happy to go for walks or just sit out on the back deck with Anna.

---

As some of you have probably heard, one of my dear friends and college roommates, Ted Everidge, passed away on Saturday in a motorcycle accident out in Las Vegas. Ted, 29, was in the Air Force, married and had two kids, so it's been a very, very difficult week. I've never lost a close friend and it's definitely one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with.

Ted's wake is on Monday and the funeral is on Tuesday. It just all seems so unbelievable to me. I am currently working with a few friends to set up a college fund for his two kids, Logan and Faith, and I will be sure to post details here once I know them.

I have also started a blog to get the word out on this fund. Moody and I are also going to do an annual event or two to celebrate Ted's life each year and to give support to Brandi and the kids. Check out that blog at www.ForeverTed.com. We'll never forget you Ted, you'll be sorely missed.

An office in the making

By K.J. Cardinal

While the arrival of Anna back in October was a glorious event in my life, it really threw a wrench in the works for my plans to work from home. It wasn't that watching her and working was something that I didn't want to do, but rather that my office had become Anna's nursery.

Our house is rather cozy, so we weren't left with too many options for where we should put Anna's room or my office. Anna obviously won out with the third bedroom upstairs, so for the past three months I've been working on the coffee table, the kitchen table and the bar. It's a miracle that Angie hasn't killed me as I constantly have electronic equipment strewn all over the house.

Just before Christmas we decided that we are going to turn our unfinished basement into my home office and a play room area for Anna. This way, I'll have a place to get my work done AND watch Anna. Maybe not what Adam and I originally envisioned for Pack Network's headquarters, but I think that it's actually going to work out really great.

Earlier this week, Phase I of our basement renovation project was completed. We hired a local contractor named Colin Gibson of Gibson Home Improvement to execute this phase of framing the walls. He worked quickly and was flexible during the holidays, so he was able to finish it rather quickly.

The coolest part of the plan that we came up with includes one wall that has a built-in desk with cabinets and shelving (pictured above). It's going to be pretty sweet and is actually a really great way to conserve space too. Otherwise, it's pretty simple. There will be two small utility closets that house the water heater and the furnace, two other closets for storage and a laundry room with bi-fold doors. The basement will naturally and conveniently be separated into two rooms. One will be Pack Network Headquarters and the other will be Anna Maria Headquarters.

Phase II is wiring the basement. It seems like a rather simple process to me, but the first quote of $4,700 was, as Gorilla Monsoon would say, quite a blow to the breadbasket. So, we are still in search of an electrician to do the work.

After that we will have to complete the insulation, hang sheet rock, put in a drop ceiling, put in flooring and then have finishing details done to the stairs, doorways, desk area, etc. Stay tuned as I'll add more posts and photos as we progress.