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I got questioned a couple of times for not mentioning where we went for breakfast last week and there was a reason for that. Bob, Terry, Dewey, Dave Stone and I had met at 400 Springs at the House on the Rock Golf Course Restaurant and we all planned to meet there again on January 1. The restaurant is one of our favorites and Dawn and Drew told us they were closing as of January 2 for about 2 1/2 months for a breather and the fact the resort was closing for the winter months. They did the same thing last year and it worked out really well as some went on a vacation and others just did work around their houses. Anyway, we met there at 8:00 on New Year's Day 2022 and had as usual a very good breakfast. We were all alone when we arrived, probably due to the fact that the night before was New Year's Eve and people slept in. We had things like home-baked french toast, omelettes and eggs with ham - very delicious. We got to tell Dawn, Drew and Rita (waitress) Happy New Year!
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While we were sitting around talking (which we did for an hour or so), in walked Chris, Anna and Chase Kopmeier from Dodgeville. I asked if this was there first time there and they said no and that Chase used to work at the resort. They also wondered if being there when we were was going to get them in my column. I guess it did!
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The UW Badgers football team won the Las Vegas Bowl over Arizona State University Thursday night in a game that they played pretty well overall the first half. The second half was pretty much all defense, but they put together a tremendous (nearly 10 minute) drive to close the game out and win 20-13. They had a pretty good season, not great, but pretty good! The above photo shows 17 year old tailback Braelon Allen (0) being congratulated by fellow players quarterback Graham Mertz (5) and fullback John Chenal (44).
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New Year's Eve was spend at niece Shelly's house with her and daughter Danielle and brother Pat. She prepared a very nice spread to end the past year. We watched the football bowl game that pitted #2 Michigan against #3 Georgia. That was pretty anticlimactic as Michigan was never in the mix. Actually, the game prior, with #1 Alabama playing #4 Cincinatti played out the same way. I feel when Alabama and Georgia play January 10 it will be a barnburner. Georgia's only loss of the season came ot Alabama in their conference championship.
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It was another barnburner of a football game in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day between Ohio State and Utah. Ohio State ended up with a field goal at the end to win 48-45 after trailing almost all of the game. With that win, the Big 10 Conference finished with a 6-4 record in bowl games. That's pretty good for a conference to do that well going that deep in teams, several playing ranked teams!
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We got between an inch or two of snow New Year's Day with things starting late afternoon/evening. It was enough for me to shovel the sidewalk at the Chronicle on Sunday morning!
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I'm always happy to see a new year come around!