The Homeplace has a New Roof! (published 12-23-2024; article #506)

Introduction

On the eve of Christmas Eve, greetings, dear reader!

Has the crass commercialization of Christmas and the frenzied last-minute shopping overtaken you? I hope not. Today, it did for my “long-suffering” wife. This Appalachian Irishman, however, celebrates Christmas by honoring the birth of Jesus, God, the preincarnate eternal Word. The marketing and sales exploitation of the holiday puts me off profoundly.

Welcome to the 107th entry in the Heritage topic section. The weather today was perfect for hiking. Other priorities came first. One of which was this article. This entry follows up on the 12/11/2024 article, under the section “Trip to Hawkins County.”

The homeplace has a new roof! It is a Christmas gift to family heritage.

After the New Roof

Last Friday morning, I was pleasantly surprised by communication from the roofing contractor's office. A cancellation in Bean Station meant that the new roof for the homeplace could be installed that day! The weather was cool and windy, with a few snow flurries. It did not rain! Thanks, Lord!

Yesterday afternoon, I drove up to the homeplace in my 2006 Frontier. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman chose to spend time with her family. The weather was seasonably cool and sunny. I didn't see a cloud. Yesterday was the first completely sunny day that we've had since Thursday, December 12. Upon arrival, I saw that the new roof looks great!

Below, I photographed the front side of the new roof at 2:41 PM. The sun was beginning to set in the west.

A minute later, I took the following photograph of the back side of the roof.

Yes, that's my shadow. The new shingles are settling down nicely. What about before photographs? That's next.

Before the New Roof

Once the roofing contractor and his crew started removing the old shingles, they discovered sections of damaged plywood, more than they thought would be there.

Last Friday, the outstanding and hands-on contractor, who is the same age as me, sent the following three photographs of damaged plywood.

That's nasty. Thankfully, the underlayment, or roofing felt, prevented water damage to the ceiling below.

Those are the contractor's shoes! I had offered to drive up last Friday to help as needed. There was no need. I would have just gotten in their way.

All the damaged plywood boards were replaced properly with new ones! Thanks, Arlie and crew!

With permission, I would include the full name of the contractor and his business contact information. His roofing company does not need to advertise, and he is busy enough already. The quality of the work done with attention to minute detail is the way any business should be run. Yesterday, for example, I didn't find a single piece of trash, left behind accidentally, around the house. That's what you call tidying up!

Conclusion

In 1974, the first roof was on the newly constructed house. In November 1995, the house required a new roof. My wife and I, while still doing Christian missionary work in Russia, gifted my parents with a new roof. Sometime between 2001 and 2005, homeowners insurance paid for a new roof, after a sleet storm damaged it. Dad was still living, and he handled the details.

Last Friday's new roof on the homeplace was a Christmas gift to family heritage. The shingles should last 30 years. Will I still be alive at age 94? The homeplace continues to stand in honor of family heritage. May that godly heritage continue.

2024-25 College Football Playoff and Bowl Games: List and Commentary (published 12-17-2024; article #505)

Photograph by M. Fearghail on 10/28/2022, as included in the 8/4/2022 article, updated on 10/28/2022.

Introduction

The conclusion explains why the above photograph was chosen for this article. Bowl games and toilet bowls have something in common.

Greetings, sports enthusiasts! Welcome to the 18th entry in the Sports topic section. Today's edition focuses on the College Football Playoff and the myriad of bowl games. For the third year in a row, this article is a public service to college football aficionados. The previous two public service articles were on December 10, 2022, and December 10, 2023.

Recent Saturdays have been stocked with college football games. According to weekly calculations based on NCAA: 2024 Scoreboard: Football: FBS, between 40 and 75 games were scheduled on any given Saturday since August 31. Those were great football Saturdays, even when my teams lost.

Last Saturday fielded only two lackluster games: Navy trounced Army West Point, and South Alabama beat Western Michigan. Wait! I almost forgot. There were also two obscure bowl games that day, if anyone cared. In the Celebration Bowl, Jackson State celebrated by dominating South Carolina State. The Salute to Veterans Bowl saw South Alabama defeat Western Michigan. Last Saturday, I experienced FWS (football withdrawal syndrome)!

Not to worry! The four first-round games in the College Football Playoff (CFP) will be played this Friday and Saturday! We will jump into that section next.

Watch out for the conclusion! It explains why bowl games and toilet bowls have something in common. Furthermore, it bemoans Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's Saturday morning television selections and proposes renaming the Southeastern Conference to the Sun-Earth Conference.

College Football Playoff (CFP)

Jumping now into the CFP, this is the first 12-team playoff season. I'm sure that a few kinks need adjusting. For instance, Clemson (#16 CFP, 10-3, including an early loss to Georgia) earned the 12th seed in the playoff by upsetting SMU (#10 CFP, 11-2) in the ACC championship game on December 7.

Consequently, the final CFP ranking includes four teams, not in the playoff, that rank higher than Clemson: #11 Alabama, #13 Miami, #14 Ole Miss, & #15 South Carolina. Arizona State is ranked #12 and is the fourth seed in the playoff. Those four higher-ranked schools, especially Alabama, have reason to be upset!

My suggestion is to rank the 12-team playoff based on the final CFP ranking, without giving weight to conference champions. If that were done this year, then the 12 teams would be:

#1 Oregon (Big Ten, 13-0), #2 Georgia (SEC, 11-2), #3 Texas (SEC, 11-2, both losses to Georgia), #4 Penn State (Big Ten, 11-2), #5 Notre Dame (FBS Indep., 11-1), #6 Ohio State (Big Ten, 10-2), #7 Tennessee (SEC, 10-2), #8 Indiana (Big Ten, 11-1), #9 Boise State (Mountain West, 12-1), #10 SMU (ACC, 11-2), #11 Alabama (SEC, 9-3), and #12 Arizona State (Big 12, 11-2).

 

The top four seeded teams would have a first-round bye. The four first-round matchups would be in the first bracket: #12 Arizona State at #5 Notre Dame and #9 Boise State at #8 Indiana. The second bracket would match #11 Alabama at #6 Ohio State and #10 SMU at #7 Tennessee. My suggestion is simpler. That's my opinion. Feel free to make it yours!

Of course, this coming Friday and Saturday, the first-round matchups will be in the first bracket: #12 Clemson at #5 Texas and #9 Tennessee at #8 Ohio State. The second bracket matches #11 SMU at Penn State and #10 Indiana at #7 Notre Dame. Sources: College Football Playoff, College Football Playoff: 2024-25 Bracket, and NCAA: 2024 Scoreboard: Football: FBS.

My bracket would pair off #10 SMU on the road at #7 Tennessee this Friday. Instead, Tennessee travels to Ohio State to take on the Buckeyes this Saturday at 8 PM. I hope that I can go to bed before the game is over, knowing that the Vols have a comfortable lead. Go Vols!

On New Year's Day, in the Sugar Bowl, #2 Georgia takes on the winner of the Indiana at Notre Dame first-round game. The game doesn't start until 8:45 PM on ESPN. I wonder how long I'll stay up, watching that game. Go Dawgs!

Bowl Games

Following the tradition of the two previous public service articles from 12/10/2022 and 12/10/2023, this section lists in a more user-friendly fashion the 47 (count 'em, 47) bowl games. As mentioned, the first two were last Saturday. The final will be on Monday, 1/20/2025, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Ready for the exhausting list? Drum roll, please! The following is the user-friendly list of the 2024-25 bowl games:

Saturday, Dec. 14: 2 games
-- Celebration Bowl, Atlanta, GA: Jackson State 28, South Carolina State 7
-- Salute to Veterans Bowl, Montgomery, AL: South Alabama 30, Western Michigan 23

Tuesday, Dec. 17: 1 game
-- Frisco Bowl, 9 PM, ESPN, Frisco, TX: #25 Memphis vs. West Virginia

Wednesday, Dec. 18: 2 games
-- Boca Raton Bowl, 5:30 PM, ESPN, Boca Raton, FL: James Madison vs. Western Kentucky
-- LA Bowl, 9 PM, ESPN, Inglewood, CA: #24 UNLV vs. Cal

Thursday, Dec. 19: 1 game
-- New Orleans Bowl, 7 PM, ESPN2, New Orleans, LA: Sam Houston vs. Georgia Southern

Friday, Dec. 20: 3 games
-- Cure Bowl, 12 PM, ESPN, Orlando, FL: Ohio vs. Jacksonville State
-- Gasparilla Bowl, 3:30 PM, ESPN, Tampa, FL: Florida vs. Tulane
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 First Round Game, 8 PM, ABC/ESPN, South Bend, IN: #8 CFP/#10 seed Indiana at #5 CFP/#7 seed Notre Dame

Saturday, Dec. 21: 3 games
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 First Round Game, 12 PM, TNT, University Park, PA: #10 CFP/#11 seed SMU at #4 CFP/#6 seed Penn State
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 First Round Game, 4 PM, TNT, Austin, TX: #16 CFP/#12 seed Clemson at #3 CFP/#5 seed Texas
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 First Round Game, 8 PM, ABC/ESPN, Columbus, OH: #7 CFP/#9 seed Tennessee at #6 CFP/#8 seed Ohio State

Monday, Dec. 23: 2 games
-- Myrtle Beach Bowl, 11 AM, ESPN, Conway, SC: Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA
-- Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 2:30 PM, ESPN, Boise, ID: Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State

Tuesday, Dec. 24: 1 game
-- Hawai'i Bowl, 8 PM, ESPN, Honolulu, HI: South Florida vs. San Jose State

Thursday, Dec. 26: 3 games
-- GameAbove Sports Bowl, 2 PM, ESPN, Detroit, MI: Pitt vs. Toledo
-- Rate Bowl, 5:30 PM, ESPN, Phoenix, AZ: Rutgers vs. Kansas State
-- 68 Ventures Bowl, 9 PM, ESPN, Mobile, AL: Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green

Friday, Dec. 27: 5 games
-- Armed Forces Bowl, 12 PM, ESPN, Fort Worth, TX: Navy vs. Oklahoma
-- Birmingham Bowl, 3:30 PM, ESPN, Birmingham, AL: Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt
-- Liberty Bowl, 7 PM, ESPN, Memphis, TN: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech
-- Holiday Bowl, 8 PM, Fox, San Diego, CA: #21 Syracuse vs. Washington State
-- Las Vegas Bowl, 10:30 PM, ESPN, Las Vegas, NV: USC vs. Texas A&M

Saturday, Dec. 28: 8 games
-- Fenway Bowl, 11 AM, ESPN, Boston, MA: UConn vs. North Carolina
-- Pinstripe Bowl, 12 PM, ABC, Bronx, NY: Boston College vs. Nebraska
-- New Mexico Bowl, 2:15 PM, ESPN, Albuquerque, NM: TCU vs. Louisiana
-- Pop-Tarts Bowl, 3:30 PM, ABC, Orlando, FL: #13 Miami (FL) vs. #18 Iowa State
-- Arizona Bowl, 4:30 PM, CW Network, Tucson, AZ: Colorado State vs. Miami (OH)
-- Military Bowl, 5:45 PM, ESPN, Annapolis, MD: NC State vs. East Carolina
-- Alamo Bowl, 7:30 PM, ABC, San Antonio, TX: #17 BYU vs. #23 Colorado
-- Independence Bowl, 9:15 PM, ESPN, Shreveport, LA: #22 Army vs. Marshall

Monday, Dec. 30: 1 game
-- Music City Bowl, 2:30 PM, ESPN, Nashville, TN: #19 Missouri vs. Iowa

Tuesday, Dec. 31: 5 games
-- ReliaQuest Bowl, 12 PM, ESPN, Tampa, FL: #11 Alabama vs. Michigan
-- Sun Bowl, 2 PM, CBS, El Paso, TX: Louisville vs. Washington
-- Citrus Bowl, 3 PM, ABC, Orlando, FL: #15 South Carolina vs. #20 Illinois
-- Texas Bowl, 3:30 PM, ESPN, Houston, TX: LSU vs. Baylor
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 Quarterfinal Game (Fiesta Bowl), 7:30 PM, ESPN, Glendale, AZ: #9 rank/#3 seed Boise State vs. the winner of bracket 2: SMU at Penn State

Wednesday, Jan. 1: 3 games
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 Quarterfinal Game (Peach Bowl), 1 PM, ESPN, Atlanta, GA: #12 rank/#4 seed Arizona State vs. the winner of bracket 1: Clemson at Texas
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 Quarterfinal Game (Rose Bowl), 5 PM, ESPN, Pasadena, CA: #1 rank/seed Oregon vs. the winner of bracket 1: Tennessee at Ohio State
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 Quarterfinal Game (Sugar Bowl), 8:45 PM, ESPN, New Orleans, LA: #2 rank/seed Georgia vs. the winner of bracket 2: Indiana at Notre Dame

Thursday, Jan. 2: 1 game
-- Gator Bowl, 7:30 PM, ESPN, Jacksonville, FL: #14 Ole Miss vs. Duke

Friday, Jan. 3: 2 games
-- First Responder Bowl, 4 PM, ESPN, Dallas, TX: North Texas vs. Texas State
-- Duke's Mayo Bowl, 7:30 PM, ESPN, Charlotte, NC: Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech

Saturday, Jan. 4: 1 game
-- Bahamas Bowl, 11 AM, ESPN/ESPN2, Nassau, Bahamas: Liberty vs. Buffalo

Thursday, Jan. 9: 1 game
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 2 Semifinal Game (Orange Bowl), 7:30 PM, ESPN, Miami Gardens, FL: the two winners of the bracket 2 quarterfinal games

Friday, Jan. 10: 1 game
-- College Football Playoff Bracket 1 Semifinal Game (Cotton Bowl), 7:30 PM, ESPN, Arlington, TX: the two winners of the bracket 1 quarterfinal games

Monday, Jan. 20: 1 game
-- College Football Playoff National Championship Game, 7:30 PM, ESPN, Atlanta, GA: the two winners of the semifinal games

This article was published before this evening's Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl, featuring #25 Memphis versus West Virginia at 9 PM. For those, if any, interested, Frisco is a town that is a part of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, metropolitan area. Scooter's Coffee is a coffee franchise that doesn't interest me. The Frisco Bowl is one of the 37 meaningless bowl games that should be flushed down a toilet bowl!

I hope that your eyes didn't cross, while reading the previous list! I should have warned you. Adding the list to this article made my eyes glaze over. My mind briefly turned to mush. I had to go outside and move around for a while, even in the too warm, cloudy, and rainy weather.

I emboldened the ten bowl games that should be played. Those are, in scheduled order, the Liberty Bowl, Sun Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Gator Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Cotton Bowl. The other 37 bowls should simply be flushed like last night's kitsch! As a true Appalachian Irishman, I don't eat kitsch. I don't even know what it is.

I underlined the 13 of 16 SEC teams that are in bowl games. Only Auburn, Kentucky, and Mississippi State were not bowl eligible.

Conclusion

Why did I include the photograph of my toilet bowl and bathroom library? Certain bowl games, about 37 of them, and toilet bowls have something in common. All need to be flushed! If honoring mediocre teams were not the norm, then we would have fewer bowl games. In a capitalist economic system, however, in which wealthy corporations, television networks, and sports fanatics want to flush money down the toilet, well, let them.

Football Saturdays place me firmly in control of the television remote. Favorite channels include those showing football games. My “long-suffering” wife is excluded from her usual lineup of sappy movies, home improvement channels, cooking channels, and 24/7 news channels. I was in control until last Saturday, when Mrs. Appalachian Irishman gleefully returned to her morning to early afternoon shows, much to my aggravation.

As in my public service article from 12/10/2023, this article concludes by calling on the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to rename itself the Sun-Earth Conference (SEC)! This season saw Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC. They joined three other SEC teams that are not in the southeast: Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas A&M. Now, five SEC teams are not geographically in the southeast. That's almost a third of the conference!

This article welcomes the SEC newcomers, but it also asks, “Why can't the Southeastern Conference be renamed the Sun-Earth Conference?” That way, any team under the sun and on the Earth could join!

What say you?

Saturday, 12-7-2024, Pearl Harbor Day: Hawkins County Trip & SEC Championship (published 12-11-2024; article #504)

Photograph by M. Fearghail on Saturday, 12/7/2024, at 1:14 PM. The view looks north.

Introduction

On Saturday, December 7, the 82nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, this Appalachian Irishman and his reliable 2006 Frontier took a road trip to Hawkins County, Tennessee! We returned home about midway into the first quarter of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship game. In all, it was a good “man day.” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman had the invitation to accompany me, but she declined. Her priorities were doing three loads of laundry and visiting with her father and sister.

Welcome, dear reader, to the 106th article in the Heritage topic section, which is also the 17th entry in the Sports section. The story begins with stops and visits in Hawkins County. Transitioning, it ends with the SEC championship game.

Saturday's weather, unlike today, was seasonably cool and sunny, perfect conditions for a “man day” adventure! Today's weather is cool, windy, and blustery. The morning dusting of snow melted quickly. Coming down in big flakes, the falling snow was enjoyable to watch.

Picky Aside

As a picky digression, the Imperial Japanese air force struck Pearl Harbor early on the Sunday morning of December 7, 1941. Last Saturday, therefore, was the 82nd anniversary of that infamous attack, not the 83rd as several online articles state incorrectly.

The first anniversary was on December 7, 1942. Last Saturday marked 83 years since the attack.

Trip to Hawkins County

Moving past that picky aside, let's hit the road and drive up to Hawkins County! Wanting to leave the house by 8:45 AM, I cranked my truck at 8:57 AM to start the trip.

What delayed me? I guess it took 12 minutes to thoroughly “mow” (trim) my unruly beard and mustache hair! Those wild hairs wouldn't trim down without a fight!

Homeplace

The first stop was at the homeplace, included in the previous photograph. Arriving at 10:03 AM, the roofing contractor was already waiting on me. A few minutes after I arrived, the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) contractor arrived. I had arranged to meet both contractors at 10 AM.

My wife and I had visited with my youngest brother and his family on Saturday, November 30, which was also Granny Molly Gertrude Archer Ferrell's birthday in 1892. After a fine meal and great visit, we checked on the homeplace. The condensate removal pump for the furnace was not working. A small amount of water had drained onto the basement floor.

The local HVAC contractor, whom I consider to be a friend, replaced the defective pump. Thankfully, the pump had not leaked more water onto the basement floor. Whatever tinkering that I had done to the old pump the previous Saturday must have fixed it temporarily.

Farther back, on Saturday, October 12, my wife and I met my youngest brother and his family in downtown Rogersville for Heritage Days weekend. As usual, Main Street was crowded with vendors and bipedal shoppers. I didn't recognize anyone. For my wife and me, we bought chicken sticks and lemonade from a food vendor, paying $13 each for two chicken sticks and $8 for one 32-ounce lemonade, which we shared. That was $34! The shock of that expense thwarted any interest in further vendor shopping. The six of us, however, enjoyed the sunny and warm weather. Standing near the old White Store building, we had a good, long visit.

Afterward, my wife and I drove to check on the homeplace. At least one shingle on the northeast corner of the roof had blown off, due to the remnants of hurricane Helene that blew through the area from September 25-30.

The roofing contractor, a new friend, who had arrived before me, had already inspected the roof. He and I are the same age. Looking eye-to-eye and shaking hands, we agreed on the roof work that is being scheduled as of this article's publication date.

Just before the two contractors left, the man, who mows the field behind the house and harvests the hay, dropped by. The four of us conversed on various topics for a while. Thankfully, this fine man keeps the field looking great.

As I was finishing several chores outside, in the basement, and inside the house, our good neighbor from across the road knocked and came inside to greet me. Standing in the kitchen, we talked about recent and upcoming life events. He said that his wife, who remained at home, was doing well. We swapped yarns about trivial domestic disputes with our wives. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, by not being present, missed a chance to defend herself! His wife did too!

Just before leaving, I called my good friend, Bill, and photographed the house and land in the previous image. The house has some age and wear and tear, but it's still standing, just like me!

My Friend, Bill

The article from 6/20/2024 mentions Bill, my friend since grade school, and his mother. His mother attained the spry age of 90 on Saturday, June 29. My wife and I drove up and spent time with Bill and his mother on her birthday. Still able to get around and drive locally, Bill's mother still has that look in her eye that used to tell us boys that we were in trouble! We reminisced about childhood memories and enjoyed cake and ice cream.

Bill and I visited for a good, long while, and we conversed openly on several topics. I always enjoy seeing Bill. Since we talked for so long, and I wanted to visit my youngest brother and his family, Bill said that he would tell his mother, who lives next door, that I didn't want to bother her with my glib, Irish tongue! In honesty, Bill said that his mother would talk with us for so long that I might not get to visit my brother and family.

Youngest Brother's House

Leaving Bill's, I paused along the side of the road to call my youngest brother. Unable to reach him, I left his wife and him voicemails. I almost decided to drive through downtown, on Main Street, to reach their house. I'm glad that I didn't.

Knocking on the door, upon my arrival, I found no one home. A neighbor's dog came into their yard to greet me. I could hear their two dogs barking from within their sheltered pen behind the house.

Later on, my youngest brother returned my voicemail. His wife, their two daughters, and he had gone to the Christmas parade, which started at 4 PM. It's a good thing that I chose to take the bypass, instead of driving through Main Street! Downtown would have been blocked to traffic for the parade.

Leaving their house, my truck decided to drive through St. Clair and Morristown, to reach Highway 25E. From there, I got onto Highway 11W at Rutledge.

Hungry and with the need to clean bird droppings that splattered directly onto the driver's side windshield, I stopped at a local convenience store. A damp paper towel cleaned the bird splatter. The Coke and corn dog, which cost just over $3, held me over until supper.

SEC Championship

My ol' truck and I returned home about 4:40 PM. The SEC championship football game had started at 4 PM. My “long-suffering” wife knew to have the television on the game.

After playing with and petting Molly, our nine-year-old “puppy,” I went inside, washed my hands, and did a few other things. Once I'd settled down, I started watching the game. Eventually, after supper, Molly joined us inside. The three of us watched most of the game.

Who won the game? Georgia defeated Texas in overtime, 22-19! Great win, Bulldogs! I wish, however, that you would learn how to play a consistent game. Coming from behind in the second half or winning in overtime is getting old.

Up next are the College Football Playoffs! If interested, check out the College Football Playoff: News: “College Football Playoff Selection Committee Announces Final Top 25 Rankings of 2024,” 12/8/2024! In the first round, 9-seeded Tennessee goes on the road to take on 8-seeded Ohio State on Saturday, December 21. On New Year's Day at the Sugar Bowl, 2-seeded Georgia takes on the winner of the Indiana at Notre Dame game. I'm excited! Go Vols! Go 'Dawgs!

Conclusion

Well, that's a wrap, sports fans! Further, I trust that those, who find value in family heritage, enjoyed the story about my trip to Hawkins County.

After my mother went to see Jesus, my father said, “Boys, we're just trying to keep things going here.” He was speaking about life at the homeplace without his wife.

Mom and Dad, I'm still trying to keep things going there. I love and miss you both, but I will see you again.