Another thing...

These are a couple more random thoughts, after a relaxing bourbon. They are a ps to the previous post, so you should go read it first, or this post will probably not make very much sense.

Moving can be a great way to find out some new things. For instance, who knew that washers and dryers were so much bigger these days? The laundry that used to take four or five loads is now done in three. Of course, this assumes that you just don't make even more dirty laundry before doing the wash. I guess you could always buy more underwear, but that trick doesn't work very well anymore. Now, I just run out of shirts or socks too.

Every house has its quirky little things. You move and hope that you won't have any of quirks in the new place. Sort of like a first date when you think everything is going to be great. Then, reality sets in. I have noticed a few quirks so far. The basement has a small room to walk through before going to the large room. There is a light switch only near the stairs for this small room, away from the large room. You have to decide if you want that light on or off when you get to the end of the stairs. I am a little concerned about what is going to happen when the basement is dark and you want the light in the small room off. I see a flashlight in the future. Hey, maybe I will buy "the clapper", and I don't mean a disease either.

The toilets are weird too. You better hold that handle down for a few extra seconds when flushing "solid material".

Who puts an uninsulated garage door in a house, when the garage is next to living space? I guess the people who built our house.

Just a few of life's mysteries that will never be solved.

The Move

As I write this, I sit in the middle of what will some day be a glorious office. This room has its own private doors and some great windows that look out into the woods surrounding our house. Inside this room, the story is not so good. I see a room with great potential, but right now it is a disaster area. There are boxes everywhere, my computer is on a folding table, and I don't even have speakers set up for the computer. How am I supposed to play classic video games without speakers? Someday, this room will have a network server, serve video to the living room next door, a liquor cabinet, some seating space for guests, and another television. Why the delay? Read on.

We purchased the new house without selling the old one. Stop your whining or laughing, or whatever other snickering you are doing. We wanted to be able to work on the new house before we moved in, and then work on the old house before we sell it. That seemed like a good idea at the time.

We started out by painting the bedroom of our new house. The old color was light green, sort of the color of toothpaste when you spit it out. We picked out a nice green (I am sure Mrs. Alphageek will correct my color description) and began to paint. I will say I like the color but what happened to paints covering in one coat? I guess the low VOC paints just don't cover as well anymore. Oh well, I will call the house "environmentaly friendly" when we sell the house. We also decided to paint the dining room. We selected what we thought was a mild yellow, but the yellow was louder than a 1974 AMC Gremlin! Before I could have flashbacks to my parents house, which had a bunch of yellow rooms at one time, Mrs. Alphageek returned the paint for a more mild option. The new buttercream (light yellow for the color impaired such as me) looks pretty good, and does not scream at you when the lights are on.

We hired some movers to move everything in. I thought the movers were pretty good. At least one of them was a former WVU football player, so he was a pretty big guy. They made moving the big stuff look easy. They are a local outfit and are willing to move some things that the big guys won't. So, when the handle tore off of a bag and the contents spilled all over the ground, I decided it was best to pretend I was on my phone. The movers also lectured the satellite installation guys about taking off their shoes when entering a house, fearing the movers, and not the satellite guys, would get blamed for any dirt on the carpet. I again decided to let these guys work it out while I ran outside.

So, everything is moved. We have spent the last several weekends over at the old house, doing all kinds of work to get the house on the market. The only one I will mention is paint. I don't like low VOC paint anymore. Can someone give me coverage in one coat?

We are hoping to get the old house on the market shortly. When that happens, you will get some updates on a more regular basis. I noticed this web site got slim last year and it is the Alphageek's pledge to bring you more original content this year. Maybe I will do a series of articles on this new office and all of the cool stuff in it. Until next time, why not leave some questions on the feedback portion?

Top Memories

This is an entry that has been bouncing around for a while. I thought about writing it after this year's Nebraska game, but moved the idea to the back burner for various reasons. Given that "performance" by the VT football team last Thursday, I thought it might be good to give my top memories of Lane Stadium.

This list could include a lot of things that it does not, so I will just hit on a few things. My first VT-UVA game, my first game as a member of the MVs, my last game as a student and MV, the coldest game, my first game and other such things were games I contemplated, but did not go with. I am sure I could come up with many other interesting lists. Instead, these are games and moments, you might or might not see on other lists. I make only one promise on Alphageek's Thoughts and that is that you will get original content from me. So here you go, the top moments I remember from Lane Stadium.


Number 5

Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina September 1, 2007.

I am still not sure I want to include this game, but it kept coming back on to the list. I certainly hope nobody has to go to a game like that ever again. I certainly think it was the most difficult game for any Hokie to ever go to. On the other hand, I am sure every Hokie felt he or she needed to be there. I know I felt that way.

Number 4

Virginia Tech vs. Syracuse October 16, 1999

This game is significant for several reasons. One is the score 62-0 will get the blood going. This was also the first game that Mrs. Alphageek attended. Before that, she was simply the Alphageek's girlfriend. Once the Alphageek found a loyal woman to go to the games with him, he decided to make her a member of the family. She is sill the only family member that is a Hokie besides the Alphageek. An additional bonus: the Marching Virginian's were doing their 25th anniversary that year. We were down on the field before halftime, which made that game an extra treat. I can still taste the electricity in the air from that day.

Number 3

Humes outruns the entire Uva defense, November 27 2004.

Entering this game, Virginia Tech could clinch a tie for the ACC Championship with a win, but that is not the only story I remember going into this game. UVA was bragging that their linebackers were the best that ever played college football and that Virginia Tech could not handle them. I think I am going to let the attached video do the rest of the talking.


Number 2

VT vs. Nebraska, September 19 2009

Virginia Tech wins in a thrilling final minute touchdown. I am not sure that anything other than watching the entire game can recapture the energy, but give this video a try.


Number 1

Virginia Tech vs. Clemson, September 23 1999

Of all the dates, this is the only one I know by heart. This would be my final game without a Mrs. Alphageek. That's right, this is the game I often joke of as our wedding day. Fortunately, Mrs. Alphageek is okay with some humor. I don't know that I can remember a defensive player taking a game over like this, but Corey Moore did the job that night. This game still brings a smile to my face and you can watch the highlights right here.

Note: Looks like the video is not working! I will come back and fix this, if the video starts working again on youtube. Update: I got it working, but you will have to click the HQ icon in the lower right hand corner of the youtube video frame.





Number 0

September 25, 1999

Okay, only the Alphageek would end an article with 0, so I guess it better be good. This moment did not occur with crowds there, or the lights on. Indeed, somebody left the gates open and there were a few groundskeepers around that day. Yes, this the real wedding day. One of the first places we went was Lane Stadium. We had a great time taking some pictures, and it was good enough to get our picture in the alumni magazine, earning us our own little piece of Virginia Tech history. Click on the link here and scroll about halfway down the page to read the article.

So there you have it, my top memories of Lane Stadium. Want to argue? Use the feedback function and leave a message right here!