WVU's New Football Foes

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Now that it looks like WVU is heading to the Big 12 in 2012, what is the team's chances of second straight year to a BCS game? The Mountaineers should be able to integrate right in, and be competitive. But, where exactly do they stand? Let's take a quick look at the conference for 2012.
Baylor: No Robert Griffin III, not a lot of defense equals a rebuilding year for the Bears.
Iowa State: A bowl team from a year ago, questions at quarterback and defense will keep them midpack.
Kansas: Transition year for the Jayhawks as Charlie Weiss takes over the team. It will be interesting to see what he does at the quarterback position.
Kansas State: Quarterback Collin Klein is back, and so is much of the defense. Another solid season for the Wildcats is in the cards.
Oklahoma: Landry Jones and most of the offensive line are back, so scoring won't be a problem. Defensive needs to catch up.
Oklahoma State: Lost major keys parts on offense and defense, but should remain competitive with younger guys stepping in.
Texas: Too many questions for the offense entering the Spring to make them a true contender. Defense did step up last year, and helped the team stay in games.
TCU: The newcomer will have an explosive offense if the young line gives Casey Pachall time to throw. Will be a very competitive team right away.
Texas Tech: Plenty of talent, just a lack of execution over the last few years. Crucial year for Tommy Tuberville to get team to buy into system.

A Quick Look at WVU's 2012 Schedule

To contact us Click HERE
Here is a look at WVU's schedule for the upcoming year...the first in the Big 12!
Day, Date, Opponent, Time
Sat. Sept. 1 Marshall TBA
Note: Why?

Sat. Sept. 8 Open
Sat. Sept. 15 vs. James Madison + TBA
Note: Cash grab game in DC.
Sat. Sept. 22 Maryland TBA
Note: Is there anybody still playing for the Terps?
Sat. Sept. 29 Baylor # TBA
Note: Interesting homecoming game. And, the first Big 12 game ever for WVU.
Sat. Oct. 6 at Texas TBA
Note: First trip in the Big 12 is to take on the Legend of the conference.
Sat. Oct. 13 at Texas Tech TBA
Note: One of Dana's former stomping grounds. Defense optional.
Sat. Oct. 20 Kansas State TBA
Note: Huge matchup, as Kansas State looks to be one of the top teams.
Sat. Oct. 27 Open
Sat. Nov. 3 TCU ^ TBA
Note: The battle of former Big East teams? Kind-of?
Sat. Nov. 10 at Oklahoma State TBA
Note: Another former spot for Dana. Take the over.
Sat. Nov. 17 Oklahoma TBA
Note: Depending on how the season goes for both, could be a Gameday option.
Sat. Nov. 24 at Iowa State TBA
Note: I have been looking of forward to the first trip to Ames since October!
Sat. Dec. 1 Kansas TBA
Note: Charlie Weis has some serious work to do.

+-FedEx Field, Landover, MD#-Homecoming^-Mountaineer Day

Boston's Homeless Court

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The Boston judicial system has begun to address homelessness in an innovative way, establishing a Homeless Court.  Launched in 2010, the Boston Homeless Court aims to serve the needs of homeless defendants and to stop the pattern of individuals cycling through the justice system for nonviolent offenses.  One way that homeless individuals end up in the system repeatedly is by being held in contempt for failing to respond to a summons, which they did not receive due to living on the streets.  The court connects defendants with the services they need, provided they agree to a yearlong commitment with the Court.  Services offered include mental health and substance abuse counseling, hospital referrals where necessary, shelter beds, tutoring and GED prep.  All defendants are required to work on their job skills or learn new ones.  In exchange for this commitment, defendants who complete the program may have their fines forgiven, minor records wiped clean and their cases dismissed - hopefully encouraging their likelihood of success with improving their lives.  It is a small program, completing 19 defendants since early 2011, and with 33 pending cases currently in the system.  It will be interesting to follow the progress of this court, and its unique approach to addressing homelessness in the busy city of Boston.

BCS handles cases for many defendants who are homeless.  We offer them immediate clinical consultation and referrals to a shelter and/or drop-in center as needed.

You can read more about the Boston Homeless Court in the full article here:  Boston Globe

NY Times Piece - Life Without Parole

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The New York Times recently published an interesting piece about mandatory life sentences that are imposed on non-violent offenders. They highlight four prison inmates and tell the circumstances of their arrest and sentencing. In each of these cases, the judge imposing the sentence felt that life without parole was not ethically warranted, however due to mandatory sentencing regulations they could not alter the outcome of the case.

Life Without Parole - Four Inmates' Stories

Regardless of one's position on the issue of mandatory judicial sentencing, examining individual cases can serve as a check and balance to the implementation of any policy.

Bronx Community Solutions deals with misdemeanor convictions, not felonies, to provide a combination of punishment and help. So although we do not handle cases such as the four examples in this article, our success with providing sentencing options to judges would not have been possible if there were mandatory sentencing regulations imposed on our cases. We aim to provide judges with these increased sentencing options so that the underlying issues in a person's life which may be contributing to their criminal behavior can be addressed within the criminal justice system.

Another New York Times piece on mandatory sentencing can be found here:

For Lesser Crimes, Rethinking Life Behind Bars

Crown Heights Mediation Center Staffer Profiled in the New York Times

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Rudy Suggs, who works for the Crown Heights Mediation Center

The New York Times' City Room blog recently profiled Rudy Suggs, who works as a violence interrupter at one of our sister projects at the Center for Court Innovation, the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. The Mediation Center aims at reducing gun violence in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, using a public health model of reducing shootings via community activism, rarely involving the police. One of their strategies is to employ "credible messengers" as the representatives of the program who go out into tense situations and speak with the people involved, encouraging them to avoid using guns to resolve their conflicts. It works because the credible messengers are community members who have had a history of gang involvement and/or engaging in street violence themselves, but now wish to give back to the community by reducing the use of guns.

Check out the article here:
A Onetime Drug Dealer, Now Working to Combat a Plague of Gun Violence

Hawaii Bowl 2012

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This year's Hawaii Bowl features the Fresno State University Bulldogs of the Mountain West Conference against the Southern Methodist University Mustangs of Conference USA.  Here is how the two teams stack up against each other using my NCAA FBS Production Model.

Fresno State at the end of the regular season finished at 9-3 playing against an average strength of schedule (barely).  All of Fresno State's losses were to teams in the top quartile of the current NCAA FBS production rankings, and the Bulldogs most impressive win was against currently #47 ranked San Diego State.  Fresno State (again in the NCAA FBS Production Model) currently ranks as the #8 team in the nation in terms of overall productivity, with the #8 ranked offense and the #23 ranked defense.  This is truly a very good team that has been overlooked for the entire season.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) finished the regular season at 6-6.  SMU's most impressive victory was against #38 Tulsa - who defeated Fresno State by one point.  SMU least impressive outings were losses to currently ranked #79 Rice and #111 Tulane.  Four of SMU's six victories were against teams currently ranked above 100 in the NCAA FBS Production Model.  SMU is currently the #63 ranked team overall, with the #78 ranked offense and the #55 ranked defense.

As you can no doubt determine, according to the model, Fresno State is a vastly superior team and thus the model would "predict" that Fresno State will defeat SMU in today's Hawaii Bowl.

Little Caesars Bowl 2012

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The Little Caesars Bowl has the Central Michigan Chippewas of the Mid American Conference against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers of the SunBelt Conference.  Continuing with each bowl game's analysis using the NCAA FBS Production Model, here is how each team stacks up.

Central Michigan finished the regular season at 6-6 playing an easier than average strength of schedule as compared to the average - meaning that CMU's schedule was greater than one standard deviation from the average SOS for the "league".  Central Michigan's best win was against #78 Iowa (other five wins over teams ranked 100 or higher), and their worst loss was to #76 Ball State.  Central Michigan is currently the #82 ranked team overall with the #66 ranked offense and the #96 ranked defense.

Western Kentucky is currently 7-5 playing against an average strength of schedule as compared to the rest of the "league".  WKU's best win was against #23 Arkansas State, and their least impressive outing was against #104 Florida Atlantic.  Western Michigan is currently ranked as the #51 most productive team in the nation with the #62 ranked offense and the #36 ranked defense.

Given Western Michigan is ranked higher than Central Michigan, the model "predicts" that Western Kentucky will win today.

Military Bowl 2012

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In today's Military Bowl the Bowling Green Falcons of the Mid American Conference due battle with the San Jose State Spartans of the Western Athletic Conference.  So let's see how these combatants fare from the NCAA FBS production models perspective.

Bowling Green University finished the regular season at 8-4 playing an easier strength of schedule (SOS) than the average strength of schedule for the "league" overall.  Bowling Green's SOS equals 84.67, where the average of the league currently stands at 66.73.  Given Bowling Green's SOS is greater than one standard deviation from the mean, I conclude that they have an easier strength of schedule than the league as a whole.  Further proof for their easy schedule, six of their eight wins were against teams that are currently ranked over 100 using the NCAA production model.  One of those wins was against a FCS team (which by default I rank equal to 125).  The other two wins were against #60 Ohio and #77 Buffalo.  Bowling Green is currently the #28 ranked team overall with the #72 ranked offense and the #10 ranked defense.

The San Jose State Spartans finished the regular season at 10-2 playing against an average strength of schedule of 68.58.  San Jose State's best win was against currently ranked #22 BYU and their two losses were to NCAA FBS production model top 25 teams (Utah State and Stanford).  San Jose State is currently the #17 ranked team overall with the #15 ranked offense and the #32 ranked defense.

This should be an interesting game between a very good defense in Bowling Green and a very good offense in San Jose State.  From the model, the game should be decided on the other end with San Jose State's superior defense shutting down Bowling Green's below average offense.  Look for the San Jose State Spartans to be victorious in today Military Bowl.

Belk Bowl 2012

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This year's Belk Bowl pits the Cincinnati Bearcats of the Big East Conference against the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference.  Here's a preview from the NCAA FBS Production Model.

Cincinnati is currently 9-3 playing against an average (barely) strength of schedule. The Bearcats most impressive game this season was a 34-10 victory over currently #30 ranked Pittsburgh, and their least impressive game was a 23-29 loss to currently ranked #57 Toledo.  Cincinnati is currently the #11 team in overall productivity, with the #29 ranked offense and the #12 ranked defense.

Duke is currently 6-6 playing against an average strength of schedule.  The Blue Devils most impressive game was a 33-30 victory over North Carolina, while their other five victories all come against teams currently ranked in the bottom quartile of the NCAA FBS Production rankings.  Duke's less impressive game was a loss to currently ranked #74 Miami of Florida.  Duke is currently the #91 ranked team in terms of productivity using the NCAA FBS Production model, with the #83 ranked offense and the #98 ranked defense.

This game should be a rout for Cincinnati, given that Duke may be the worst team to be bowl eligible (in terms of productivity).  The model predicts that Cincinnati will be victorious in the Belk Bowl today.

Holiday Bowl 2012

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In tonight's Holiday Bowl we have the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 facing the UCLA Bruins of the Pacific 12.  Here is how each team looks from the vantage point of the NCAA FBS Production Model.

Baylor finished the regular season at 7-5 playing against an average strength of schedule.  Baylor's most impressive victory (win over the NCAA FBS Production Model's currently highest ranked team) was against #16 Kansas State and their most impressive loss was to currently ranked #69 Iowa State.  Baylor is currently the #73 ranked team overall, with the #12 ranked offense and the #120 ranked defense.

UCLA finished the regular season at 9-3 (and lost the PAC 12 title game to Stanford) to go to 9-4 also playing against an average strength of schedule.  UCLA's most impressive win was over currently #29 ranked USC and their least impressive game was a loss to currently ranked #98 California.  UCLA is currently ranked as the #21 team in overall production with the #9 ranked offense and the #63 ranked defense.

Given that the two teams have nearly identically productive offenses, but that UCLA has an (slightly) below average defense while Baylor has one of the worst defenses in the FBS, the model would "predict" that UCLA will be victorious against Baylor in today's Holiday Bowl.

Boston's Homeless Court

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The Boston judicial system has begun to address homelessness in an innovative way, establishing a Homeless Court.  Launched in 2010, the Boston Homeless Court aims to serve the needs of homeless defendants and to stop the pattern of individuals cycling through the justice system for nonviolent offenses.  One way that homeless individuals end up in the system repeatedly is by being held in contempt for failing to respond to a summons, which they did not receive due to living on the streets.  The court connects defendants with the services they need, provided they agree to a yearlong commitment with the Court.  Services offered include mental health and substance abuse counseling, hospital referrals where necessary, shelter beds, tutoring and GED prep.  All defendants are required to work on their job skills or learn new ones.  In exchange for this commitment, defendants who complete the program may have their fines forgiven, minor records wiped clean and their cases dismissed - hopefully encouraging their likelihood of success with improving their lives.  It is a small program, completing 19 defendants since early 2011, and with 33 pending cases currently in the system.  It will be interesting to follow the progress of this court, and its unique approach to addressing homelessness in the busy city of Boston.

BCS handles cases for many defendants who are homeless.  We offer them immediate clinical consultation and referrals to a shelter and/or drop-in center as needed.

You can read more about the Boston Homeless Court in the full article here:  Boston Globe

Operation Sandy

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On Monday December 10th, at 7:00 am Bronx Community Solutions Community Service Department collaborated with our sister sites (Midtown Community Court, Red Hook Community Justice Center and Brownsville Community Justice Center), as well as a number of community service clients assigned by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, to conduct a major cleanup project at 100 Center Street aimed at helping rebuild the neighborhood after Hurricane Sandy. Fittingly, we called the project Operation Sandy. A total of 32 community service clients and eight supervisors (two representing each project and borough) joined together with one goal: to assist theConey Island community, one of the neighborhoods most heavily affected by the catastrophic storm.

32 clients and 8 crew supervisors learning the plan for the day

The group was divided into two teams, one team working on Surf Avenue from W25th Street up to W37th Street. The second team covered Mermaid Avenue, beginning at the intersection of Mermaid Avenue and West 37th Street. The mission was to assist the Department of Sanitation, the Department of Transportation and the community by picking up trash, wood, sand and other litter displaced by the storm onto the streets and sidewalks.     In speaking with community members, we witnessed sadness in some of their faces, but also a determination. Local business owners described the struggle they faced in recovering their businesses. The clients worked very hard. I believe they saw the need in the community and didn't hesitate or hold back in participating with this special clean up. I was personally very proud to see all of our sister programs coming together and doing an awesome job. Thank you all for participating in the project and for inviting us to be part of it.
  - Ramon Semorile, BCS Community Service Crew Supervisor- Moises Reyes, BCS Coordinator of Community Service

Crew Supervisors from the four participating CCI Projects

Yes, I'll miss the Big East...and I won't miss the Big East

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What I'll Miss...Big East Championship at the Garden.
What I Won't Miss...The terrible yearly ESPN theme song for the Big East Championship.
What I'll Miss...Trips to New England, so I am within driving distance to see WVU.
What I Won't Miss...Trips to New England, so I don't have to see them lose some terrible game to UConn.
What I'll Miss...Beating Rutgers in football, every year.
What I Won't Miss...Losing to Syracuse in basketball, every year.
What I'll Miss...Being the perennial BCS favorite.
What I won't Miss...Failing to reach expectations nearly every year.
What I'll Miss...Skip Holtz in white.
What I won't Miss...Rick Pitino in white.
What I'll Miss...The Backyard Brawl.
What I Won't Miss...Playing DePaul in anything.
What I'll Miss...The Husband/Wife Rivalry (WVU/Cuse)
What I Won't Miss...The Husband/Wife Rivalry.
In all seriousness, the Big East was good to West Virginia. There are a lot of great memories...really too many to choose from. But, it's time to take the next step. Big 12, here we come.

WVU's New Football Foes

To contact us Click HERE
Now that it looks like WVU is heading to the Big 12 in 2012, what is the team's chances of second straight year to a BCS game? The Mountaineers should be able to integrate right in, and be competitive. But, where exactly do they stand? Let's take a quick look at the conference for 2012.
Baylor: No Robert Griffin III, not a lot of defense equals a rebuilding year for the Bears.
Iowa State: A bowl team from a year ago, questions at quarterback and defense will keep them midpack.
Kansas: Transition year for the Jayhawks as Charlie Weiss takes over the team. It will be interesting to see what he does at the quarterback position.
Kansas State: Quarterback Collin Klein is back, and so is much of the defense. Another solid season for the Wildcats is in the cards.
Oklahoma: Landry Jones and most of the offensive line are back, so scoring won't be a problem. Defensive needs to catch up.
Oklahoma State: Lost major keys parts on offense and defense, but should remain competitive with younger guys stepping in.
Texas: Too many questions for the offense entering the Spring to make them a true contender. Defense did step up last year, and helped the team stay in games.
TCU: The newcomer will have an explosive offense if the young line gives Casey Pachall time to throw. Will be a very competitive team right away.
Texas Tech: Plenty of talent, just a lack of execution over the last few years. Crucial year for Tommy Tuberville to get team to buy into system.

A Quick Look at WVU's 2012 Schedule

To contact us Click HERE
Here is a look at WVU's schedule for the upcoming year...the first in the Big 12!
Day, Date, Opponent, Time
Sat. Sept. 1 Marshall TBA
Note: Why?

Sat. Sept. 8 Open
Sat. Sept. 15 vs. James Madison + TBA
Note: Cash grab game in DC.
Sat. Sept. 22 Maryland TBA
Note: Is there anybody still playing for the Terps?
Sat. Sept. 29 Baylor # TBA
Note: Interesting homecoming game. And, the first Big 12 game ever for WVU.
Sat. Oct. 6 at Texas TBA
Note: First trip in the Big 12 is to take on the Legend of the conference.
Sat. Oct. 13 at Texas Tech TBA
Note: One of Dana's former stomping grounds. Defense optional.
Sat. Oct. 20 Kansas State TBA
Note: Huge matchup, as Kansas State looks to be one of the top teams.
Sat. Oct. 27 Open
Sat. Nov. 3 TCU ^ TBA
Note: The battle of former Big East teams? Kind-of?
Sat. Nov. 10 at Oklahoma State TBA
Note: Another former spot for Dana. Take the over.
Sat. Nov. 17 Oklahoma TBA
Note: Depending on how the season goes for both, could be a Gameday option.
Sat. Nov. 24 at Iowa State TBA
Note: I have been looking of forward to the first trip to Ames since October!
Sat. Dec. 1 Kansas TBA
Note: Charlie Weis has some serious work to do.

+-FedEx Field, Landover, MD#-Homecoming^-Mountaineer Day

Yes, I'll miss the Big East...and I won't miss the Big East

To contact us Click HERE

What I'll Miss...Big East Championship at the Garden.
What I Won't Miss...The terrible yearly ESPN theme song for the Big East Championship.
What I'll Miss...Trips to New England, so I am within driving distance to see WVU.
What I Won't Miss...Trips to New England, so I don't have to see them lose some terrible game to UConn.
What I'll Miss...Beating Rutgers in football, every year.
What I Won't Miss...Losing to Syracuse in basketball, every year.
What I'll Miss...Being the perennial BCS favorite.
What I won't Miss...Failing to reach expectations nearly every year.
What I'll Miss...Skip Holtz in white.
What I won't Miss...Rick Pitino in white.
What I'll Miss...The Backyard Brawl.
What I Won't Miss...Playing DePaul in anything.
What I'll Miss...The Husband/Wife Rivalry (WVU/Cuse)
What I Won't Miss...The Husband/Wife Rivalry.
In all seriousness, the Big East was good to West Virginia. There are a lot of great memories...really too many to choose from. But, it's time to take the next step. Big 12, here we come.

WVU's New Football Foes

To contact us Click HERE
Now that it looks like WVU is heading to the Big 12 in 2012, what is the team's chances of second straight year to a BCS game? The Mountaineers should be able to integrate right in, and be competitive. But, where exactly do they stand? Let's take a quick look at the conference for 2012.
Baylor: No Robert Griffin III, not a lot of defense equals a rebuilding year for the Bears.
Iowa State: A bowl team from a year ago, questions at quarterback and defense will keep them midpack.
Kansas: Transition year for the Jayhawks as Charlie Weiss takes over the team. It will be interesting to see what he does at the quarterback position.
Kansas State: Quarterback Collin Klein is back, and so is much of the defense. Another solid season for the Wildcats is in the cards.
Oklahoma: Landry Jones and most of the offensive line are back, so scoring won't be a problem. Defensive needs to catch up.
Oklahoma State: Lost major keys parts on offense and defense, but should remain competitive with younger guys stepping in.
Texas: Too many questions for the offense entering the Spring to make them a true contender. Defense did step up last year, and helped the team stay in games.
TCU: The newcomer will have an explosive offense if the young line gives Casey Pachall time to throw. Will be a very competitive team right away.
Texas Tech: Plenty of talent, just a lack of execution over the last few years. Crucial year for Tommy Tuberville to get team to buy into system.

A Quick Look at WVU's 2012 Schedule

To contact us Click HERE
Here is a look at WVU's schedule for the upcoming year...the first in the Big 12!
Day, Date, Opponent, Time
Sat. Sept. 1 Marshall TBA
Note: Why?

Sat. Sept. 8 Open
Sat. Sept. 15 vs. James Madison + TBA
Note: Cash grab game in DC.
Sat. Sept. 22 Maryland TBA
Note: Is there anybody still playing for the Terps?
Sat. Sept. 29 Baylor # TBA
Note: Interesting homecoming game. And, the first Big 12 game ever for WVU.
Sat. Oct. 6 at Texas TBA
Note: First trip in the Big 12 is to take on the Legend of the conference.
Sat. Oct. 13 at Texas Tech TBA
Note: One of Dana's former stomping grounds. Defense optional.
Sat. Oct. 20 Kansas State TBA
Note: Huge matchup, as Kansas State looks to be one of the top teams.
Sat. Oct. 27 Open
Sat. Nov. 3 TCU ^ TBA
Note: The battle of former Big East teams? Kind-of?
Sat. Nov. 10 at Oklahoma State TBA
Note: Another former spot for Dana. Take the over.
Sat. Nov. 17 Oklahoma TBA
Note: Depending on how the season goes for both, could be a Gameday option.
Sat. Nov. 24 at Iowa State TBA
Note: I have been looking of forward to the first trip to Ames since October!
Sat. Dec. 1 Kansas TBA
Note: Charlie Weis has some serious work to do.

+-FedEx Field, Landover, MD#-Homecoming^-Mountaineer Day

madison/chicago: part one

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Photo dump from when Kurt and I visited Madison,Wisconsin and Chicago! Enjoy!









1. Taking off from NYC2. Dinner at the Carlyle Brewing Co. in Rockford, Illinois3. Madison has a bikeshare! These New Yorkers are jealous.4. View of downtown across Monona Lake5. Camp Randall Stadium6-9. Kurt and Justin touring around town and campus10. Wisconsin State Capitol












11. Orpheum Theatre on State Street12. Poor Ohio always gets picked on :(13. Kurt and I in front of Abe Lincoln. Kurt climbed up on his lap!14-15. University of Wisconsin campus16-19. Capital Tap Haus. We were there at like 11am. Kurt did two flights. I fully support beer cheese soup.20-22. State Street23. S2 Pizzabar. Lovely folks. They gifted us a free pie.









24. Kurt and Justin heading into the stadium for the Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game!25. A little stadium contraband. They finished the entire bottle. Hooray for (sort of) boys' weekend!26. Gametime!27. Gorgeous sunset. Too bad it was at like 5pm.28. Two happy boys. They won! In overtime!29. Empty Wisconsin seats30. Brett and I got our nails done at the Alan Koa Spa while the boys watched the game. The most expensive manicure I've ever had but a very serene, lovely experience. I'm loving the color: Ski Teal We Drop from OPI.31. Brett and I did some shopping and wandered around town. I got some great Christmas presents!32. Salted caramel cocoa cheesecake and lattes were a nice break while we waited for the boys to finish with the game.33. Dinner at The Old Fashioned. We shared some family style platters and local beers. I think we tasted everything Wisconsin has to offer and it was fabulous. 
A little more Wisconsin and Chicago coming soon! Thanks to Kurt for so many of these images!