Holidays 2009

2009 was an exciting year for us! We got married in Spokane, WA in October and are excited to celebrate our first holiday season as “The Hoags”!! We were honored to have many of you join us for our big day and we certainly missed those of you who were not able to attend. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who surround us with love everyday. Although our year was certainly highlighted by our wedding, we had many other exciting adventures to share with you. So, here is a quick year-in-review of our 2009:

We rang in 2009 with friends in Seattle, WA watching the fireworks over the iconic Space Needle; a perfect conclusion to a wonderful (and surprisingly snowy) trip back home to the NW for the holidays (read more about this: here). The high of a wonderful holiday season soon gave way to the low of Cara re-injuring her right knee (on her birthday too, no less). But, Cara’s sister, Megan, and niece, Becca, paid us a visit in early April and helped Matt to lift Cara’s spirits. Cara was back on her feet in no time at all!

Summer in Knoxville brought many wonderful outdoor adventures; most notably a 4^th of July weekend camping trip to Edisto Island, SC and an awesome surprise zipline outing to celebrate Matt’s birthday. We also enjoyed celebrating Nana’s (Mary’s mother) 80^th birthday with relatives in the Atlanta area. Matt successfully defended his dissertation proposal and began interviewing for professor jobs at the annual accounting conference in New York City. Cara spent much of her summer travelling around the Southeast United States in her role as Enrollment Specialist for EdisonLearning.

Fall was a very special season for us. In September, we welcomed Mat and Alison to Knoxville for a Vols football game. October was dominated by all things wedding and we traveled to Mexico for our honeymoon. After a wonderful week of sun, sand and muy relaxation at an all-inclusive resort in Maya Riviera, we returned to Knoxville tan and a few pounds heavier! Matt immediately began interviewing around the country and in November, he accepted a professor job at CSU-Sacramento! We are so excited to be headed back west next summer and will be looking forward to hosting lots of visitors once we are settled (hint hint)!

As Christmas approaches, we look forward to spending the holidays with our family and friends on the west coast (Portland, Seattle and San Diego)! We take time to reflect on an amazing year full of incredible memories and special moments. Most importantly, we send our warmest holiday wishes to you and those close to you. May the holidays and New Year bring you all good health, peace, love and happiness!

Love,

The Hoags

Gish Hoag Wedding (Part II)

Not to be confused with Gish-Hoag-Zaga. Heh. Inside joke...

I woke up bright and early on October 17th to get the biggest day of my life started on a good note. I had lots of little things to do...but it all paled in comparison to tying the knot at 4pm! And before I knew it, the "festivities" were underway! It all started with breakfast at Perkins with some of the fellas (groomsmen and friends) in town for the big event. I really wanted to go to Wiese's Place, which was one of my favorite bars/breakfast joints while I was in college...but I thought better of it. You see, we taught the Wiese's bartenders how to make a "Special Coffee" (which includes brandy, bailey's and amaretto...you're always one away from a special day), and well...it just seemed a bit dangerous to start the biggest day of my life off in the presence of such a dangerous concoction. Turns out, Perkins had mimosas afterall (surprise to all of us), so most of the guys were able to ease their nerves a bit before standing at the altar. I, of course, didn't need to...I was incredibly excited, and yet still as cool as a cucumber.

After brunch, it was off to change into our monkey suits (err, tuxes) for pictures, which got rolling a bit before 1pm. We got our photo shooting rolling with "getting ready" pictures. Wisely, Nikki (our photographer) spent most of her time with the girls. She did get a few shots of us guys and we were proud to show off our ingenuity as we had college football playing on the classroom screen in our room in Gonzaga's College Hall in our pics. After the "getting ready" photos, it was time for the "First Look". After not seeing my beautiful bride (to be) for more than 12 hours, I was excited to see her on our big day! And let me tell you...Cara looked stunningly beautiful. And the best part? I was going to be marrying her! During the "First Look" photo session, Cara and I exchanged gifts (more on that later) and exchanged more than our fair share of kisses (NICE!). And from that point forward, the rest of the photos flew by in a blur. Bridesmaids photos, groomsmen photos, wedding party photos, family photos...and then it was 4pm. Before I could even blink, I was back in the sacristy with the priests and (gasp!) about to get married!

When Cara walked down the aisle, I was walloped with such a wave of emotion I can hardly describe. I almost forgot to breathe. My eyes misted. I probably couldn't tell you what city I was in. All I could think about was that incredible woman that was walking towards me. She hugged her dad. Then, I took her hand and we did what we were put on this earth to do. Our marriage ceremony was an incredible event. Fr. Bruno (who headed the Florence program that Cara attended during her junior year of college) brought such an amazing energy/vibe to the ceremony and blessed us sll with incredible messages/reflections throughout. We particularly enjoyed his call to take time every Thursday night away from the hustle and bustle of life to sit down with one another and just lose ourselves in conversation. After calling for our parents to give us a special blessing (which was incredibly special), he said the words that Cara and I were both so excited to hear..."well, what are you waiting for? Kiss the bride!" So, we did.

MARRIED!

And you know what that means? It was time to PAR-TAY (Gish-Hoag Wedding style)!

(But, of course that's another story for another day...)

Gish Hoag Wedding (Part I)

Well, it's been quite a while since I've shared my innermost bloggings with the world. And by "quite a while" I mean 4+ MONTHS!! A lot has changed since my last blog post:

(1) I got married (October 17, 2009) in Spokane, WA.
(2) I turned 28 (August 25th).
(3) I started my campus visits/job interviewing.

These are the big events at least. As exciting as the campus interviewing has been, it's still ongoing. So, I'm gonna update y'all on that later. And, my birthday...well, Cara came up with an amazing surprise and has already told the story (here)! So, I'm gonna focus on the wedding...from my perspective.

For starter's, let's get one thing straight: Married living is amazing! Seriously, I've got the most incredible, sweetest, smartest, most loving wife in the world! It doesn't get any better than this! So, how did it all go down? Well aside from the shock that such a stunningly beautiful woman would even agree to marry me...here are some of the deets. We returned to Spokane on Monday October 12th to make sure we could get all of the last minute "to dos" wrapped up before the big day. On Tuesday, we headed to the Spokane county courthouse to retrieve the all important marriage license. That night, we met up with our good friends, the Kelly's, for dinner. Colin and Brenna both were a key part of our wedding (Brenna a bridesmaid and Colin a reader) and it was wonderful to have the time to visit with them before things got really crazy. Speaking of crazy, the Kelly's recently welcomed a new addition into their family (read: new baby)!

On Wednesday, we were caught up in the hustle and bustle of last minute wedding to dos, vendor meetings, and Cara's parents arrived into town. From this point forward, time was really going to fly by. That night, Cara and I went to Nikko's with her parents. The food was good, the wine selection marvelous, and the service....well, the service was so-so. We made the mistake of sending the server off one to many times before ordering (we were engaged in some pretty good conversation with the in-laws...yikes!) and so our server returned the favor by forgetting about us for about a half an hour. Once we were able to flag her down, we placed our order and the food hit the spot. That is, until the bus-girl spilled water all over Cara's plate while re-filling our water glasses. I don't think it affected the amazing food too much, but it was certainly a bit odd that we got no offer of a comp'ed/discounted meal. Oh well. We had bigger things to focus on!

Thursday brought Cara's bachelorette party, which kept her occupied and having fun for most of the day. I think she had fun (you be the judge: here). To keep me out of trouble, I got a pretty good honey-do list and spent most of the day running around Spokane trying to cross things off my list. My parents arrived that night and so I had dinner with my dad, soon-to-be-brother-in-law, and my adorable soon-to-be-nephews/niece. After dinner, I spent some good quality time drinking wine with the dads while each passed along all sorts of quality marriage wisdom. Two of my best buddies (Rock and Scottie) arrived that night and so I grabbed a few drinks with them at Fast Eddies and made the mistake of arriving back at the hotel room late after Cara had already returned from the piano bar. WHOOPS!

Whatever the case, we could definitely feel the excitement building as the wedding day was fast approaching! On Friday, Cara and I had lots of little things to work on and the day flew by much quicker than we anticipated. One of the big "to do's" that ended up not getting done involved a little surprise Cara and I had planned for our rehearsal dinner. Thus, we ended up busting out an impromptu "live" version of "Gish Hoag wedding" at our rehearsal dinner. It was pretty hilarious and unfortunately, there is video footage out and about somewhere. Overall, we had an amazing rehearsal dinner at Shenanigans along the river and before we knew it, it was time for us to say goodnight. Cara and I shared a special few moments to ourselves before we both headed off to bed to rest up for the big day. And, I'll save that story for another day...

Charlottesville Wedding

On June 6th, Cara and I traveled to Charlottesville, VA for our friends' (Lane and Sarah) wedding. Neither of us had been to Charlottesville before, so we were both excited to see a new area of the country and since Lane and Sarah are incredible fun, we knew the wedding would be a blast!! Cara and I left early on Saturday morning to make the six-hour drive in time to make the 2pm wedding on time. I made a couple of fun cds for the drive and we rocked while we rolled up the highway to VA. We arrived in Charlottesville with some time to spare and so we were able to head downtown to find Cara a summer hat for the reception. The wedding was lots of fun - but the reception really stole the show. It was held at Ashlawn-Highland, which was home to our fifth president, James Monroe. The property was absolutely beautiful as we dined, drank and square danced on the back lawn. Lane and Sarah did a fanstastic job injecting some of their personality into the event, too. Lane had put together a whiskey bar and had cigars for the occasion. In addition, the two had various lawn sports (croquet, Cornhole, and Bocce ball), house tours, and of course the aforementioned square dancing. For dinner, we had some tasty barbeque and there were plenty of unique local and Brooklyn-based (the two lived in Brooklyn when they met) microbrews to wash down the fiery bbq. It was an incredible party.

The next morning, Cara and I had a delicious breakfast at the Cav diner. We then hit the campus of UVA to walk around and take in the stunning architecture and grounds. We toured The Rotunda, which Thomas Jefferson modeled after The Pantheon in Rome. Finally, we decided it was probably time to hit the road for the long drive back to Knoxville. Overall, the trip was incredible and Cara and I both hope its not our last opportunity to visit Charlottesville. Here are some pictures from our trip:

Jessica, Colin and Joe outside the Ashlawn-Highland main residence.

Cara, modeling her new hat.

Me, modeling my new beer.

Me, Joe and Colin smoking cigars and having some sort of a deep convesation.

Square dancing. I'm really getting into it.

While we were square dancing, Cara was taking awesome photos like this.

The peacock graced the reception with his presence as well.

I had such a great time, I had to "JUMP".

The whiskey/cigar menu and a neat whiskey served in a plastic cup.

Less than 100 days until our wedding. YES!!

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at The Cav Diner.

Cara is all tuckered out. And with good reason...it was an awesome party!

Finally, The Rotunda on the campus of the University of Virginia is a nice way to close out our trip in photos. Hope you enjoyed!

A quick update

I have received some serious flak (and deservedly so) for neglecting my blog these past months. Shame on me. I have finally had some time to devote this past week and a half, but I've been daunted by a large list of topics and updates and an overwhelming urge to post the perfect blog in order to atone for my sins. Well, the procrastination must come to an end. I'm not going to post the perfect blog and it certainly will not be very long. However, I do want to provide a quick update in hopes that doing so will spur a flurry of Shenooligans blogging activity in the weeks ahead. Here goes:

(1) On June 19th, I successfully defended my dissertation proposal. Since then and in the weeks ahead, I will be diligently preparing application materials, inquiring about possible job openings and setting up interviews ahead of the American Accounting Association Annual Meeting August 1st-5th in New York, NY.

(2) Cara and I just returned from an excellent weekend camping on the South Carolina coast. More to come on this shortly.

(3) Wedding season is upon us - Cara and I had a blast at Jon and Trina's and Lane and Sarah's weddings in May and June respectively. Up next, we are looking forward to a 2-for-1 wedding day this upcoming Saturday. Whoohoo! And after that? OURS!! Cara pointed out today that we are almost below the 100 day threshold. YAY!!

(4) My bachelor party is fast approaching! July 18th in Portland, OR. Oooo boy...I'm excited! More to come on this after the festivities!

(5) The Sounders FC success continues and the Mariners have been one of the more surprising success stories (albeit moderate success) in MLB. I'm loving up my Seattle sports - they've been a welcome and needed distraction during my hectic summer!

Okay, so I've broken the ice. I'll really get cooking soon! Until then, take good care!

Matt

Seattle Sports Fan

I love Seattle sports. Let me correct that: I am obsessed with Seattle sports. Cara gives me a hard time about it and points out that I devote way too much time and energy to this obsession. And, I totally agree...but, I'm sucked in! I can't help it! So, I turn to blogging in an attempt to give my obsession an outlet. Maybe it'll help slow me down. Then again, maybe it'll only make my obsession grow. And grow. Poor Cara...

My obsession started innocently enough. As a kid, I loved sports and stats. I got a baseball video game (Bases Loaded II: Second Season) and never looked back. Since the game did not calculate statistics beyond one game itself, I christened myself league statistician and did so myself. There I was, a 9-year-kid crunching away batting averages, ERAs, on-base percentages, etc. Nerdy? You bet. The sports obsession seeds were planted.

I grew up loving the Atlanta Braves. I think this is largely because I could listen to every game on the Turner Radio Broadcast in Gaithersburg, MD. And listen I did. I would stay up late with the radio down low getting my fill of sports and stats. Feeding the growing obsession. Other than that, I can't recall being particularly obsessed with any one team in particular. In fact, it wasn't until I moved to Seattle that I really started feeling pride for the home town teams. And it has only been since I moved to Knoxville a few years ago that this pride has turned into obsession. I am obsessed with NW sports.

I think that the root of this obsession is that it connects me with the NW. I miss my family, friends, the weather, the sights and sounds. Following NW sports obsessively helps connect me to the NW. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. But, I probably could stand to turn it down a notch. Here's a sampling of what drives Cara crazy:

• Seattle Mariners: I watch all of the M's games on MLB GameTracker and simultaneously refresh the M's Live game blog page at the Seattle Times website (see the blog, here). So, under the pretense of "work," I am typically keeping a watchful eyes on my boys in grey and blue. So far, the M's are off to a surprisingly hot start at 8-5, leading the AL West by 2.5 games. I'd like to claim this is due to my obsessive vigilance. But, Cara has convinced me that is poor logic. So, I'm gonna try to keep a slightly less obsessively vigilant eye on the M's.
• Seattle Sounders FC: Ever since the expansion Seattle Sounders FC MLS team was announced, I have eagerly snapped up any information on the new hometown franchise. And now the dream is a reality. The Sounders stormed into their first season as an MLS franchise with three straight wins. And I was (you guessed it) keeping a watchful eye out the whole way! Well, sometimes it was a watchful ear I guess. The games are broadcast online at KIRO radios website, so I've taken in a game or two with headphones in my ear. In fact, there have been a couple of occasions when I had both the Sounders AND the M's to stimulate my sports/stats obsession!! Awesome!! Nevermind my first professional/semi-professional soccer experience was when Cara took me to a Timbers game in Portland. She claims that I have to be a Timbers fan. I have a blast proving her wrong and cheering for the Sounders that much louder! It'll be even more fun when the Timbers join MLS in 2011! A rivalry is born! Now I just need a jersey!
• Seattle Seahawks: In reality, my Seahawks obsession is more of a fantasy football obsession. I posted about this obsession here. It's a long blog. So, I'm just gonna leave it at that.
• Gonzaga Bulldogs: I would say that the Bulldogs are probably my healthiest obsession, in that both Cara and I are passionate about our alma mater's basketball team. So, at least we can share in the obsession. Within our first 12 hours of dating, we were snuggled up on the couch watching our Bulldogs in the 2008 NCAA tournament. And the "fan-dom" continues in Knoxville. ESPN2 and the WCC have a suh-weet deal where a handful of league games are broadcast nationally. Unsurprisingly, Gonzaga hogs the spotlight which is perfect for us! So, we get to see quite a bit of our Zags in Knoxville! The game times are killer, usually starting at 11pm EST. So, Cara watches the 1st 4 minutes and falls asleep on the couch. I promise to go to bed at halftime if the Zags are blowing their opponent out. The Zags dominate the 1st half. I proceed to watch the ENTIRE game anyways. Then I wake Cara up and we go to bed around 1am EST.

Bottom line. It's exhausting work. But, that's the life of a SUPER fan. Make that an obsessive, super fan. I'm trying to drop the obsessive part. But, I've got a ways to go. Well, I gotta run. M's are on GameTracker...

Kidding.

"How I Met Your Mother " Poll Results

A couple of weeks ago, I ran a poll of your favorite "How I Met Your Mother" character. The runaway winner was Barney Stinson, and for good reason. His character provides sure-fire comedy night-in and night-out (click for example). I chose Marshall Eriksen. His character is awesome. He is such a dopey, loveable guy. Kind of like...umm...me! And if you want comedy, he delivers. Just check out the Smacksgiving episode (here)!

Knoxville Bar Review - Toddy's

A few weeks back, I promised to rate some of the Knoxville watering holes (see my blog, here). And now I deliver on this promise. I’ve chosen several of Knoxville’s finest bars, taverns, and/or pubs and I will review each of them in due time. For each, I rate the ambiance, furnishings, food, drink, and prices. This all adds up to a total score (out of 25) and I’ll conclude with my brief take on the strengths and weaknesses. And without any further ado, the first location up for review is:

Toddy’s Back Door Tavern: This hole in the wall on Kingston Pike was founded by former Vols basketball player, Ted Cook. The name Toddy’s is a play on Ted’s nickname, Joe Toddy. The bar has earned the vote of two local legends, Peyton Manning and Justin “The Accountant” Gundy. Says Gundy, “Hot Dog Bar!” Need I say more?

Ambiance (3 out of 5): A definite hole in the wall, but it’s got a cozy, down-home kind of feel to it. The back porch is awesome, especially on a nice day. The bar itself is a little bit small with an awkward layout. The barside has a good feel to it with decent television screens.

Furnishings (3 out of 5): Definitely nothing to write home about. The furniture and amenities could be improved. But, at the same time the furnishings give the place its charm. And it’s got a lot of that.

Food (2 out of 5): The hot dogs are where its at. Problem is, they used to be free and now they’re not. However, they are tasty and there isn’t much that goes better with a tall, cold one than a hot dog. Rest of the menu is limited.

Drink (3 out of 5): The beer flows here and they’ve got Shiner on tap. That alone should make the Texans in the area pretty excited. I gotta admit, Shiner Bock is pretty darned good.

Prices (4 out of 5): The beer is cheap (and so are the hot dogs, despite no longer being Happy Hour giveaways). However, the place doesn’t take credit cards and I find that annoying. I must just be a snob or something.

Overall (15 out of 25): Weaknesses – Limited food options, no hard alcohol selections (it’s a tavern), does not accept credit cards and overall the place could use some TLC. Strengths – At the end of the day, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I’ve always had a great time at Toddy’s. Cold beer, hot dogs and a patio on a nice, sunny day? Now, that’s living, folks.

On the Home Front...

Owning a home can be both maddening and exciting. The past two weeks have been a prime example of this dichotomy. Cara and I had a blast hosting her sister (Megan) and adorable niece (Becca) a week and a half ago (see Megan’s blogs here, here, here and here for deets). A big part of the fun was showing off OUR house and all the work we’ve done since Cara moved here last October: new paint, new carpet, new kitchen table, rearranging the rooms, etc. etc. However, during Megan’s visit we had two major appliance blowouts illustrating the maddening flipside of the home-ownership coin. First, we were doing laundry and I went downstairs to change loads only to find the floor soaking wet. Ugh! Broken washing machine?!? The verdict is still out, but I’ve done a couple of small loads since and I’m fairly certain it was more of an overload flood, than a leaky or malfunctioning washing machine kind of flood. So, I think we’re safe there. Whew!

Little did we know, we could have used all of that excess water a few days later when our oven nearly started an electrical fire! We had just cooked up a delicious baked macaroni and cheese casserole and were sitting down to eat at the dining table when we all heard an odd crackling sound. I got up to check the office, where we all believed the sound to be coming from. Once there, I quickly realized it was the kitchen and opened the oven (which we had forgotten to turn off) to find it glowing from within. The crackling sound was the baking element which had broken and was arcing electricity. It looked like a welder’s torch! I couldn’t take my eyes off of it and probably burned out a few retina cells as I tried to figure out what to do. Turning off the oven didn’t work and so we sent Megan downstairs (Cara still being hobbled from her knee surgery) to grab the extinguisher (just in case) and to flip off the breaker (Cara’s great idea). The breaker shut-off did the trick and we were officially without a working oven.

So, the next step when you’re a home owner (of course) is to fix the problems. And that’s where the costs start adding up. Cara and I had a few other “fix-its” around the house, so I set out to tackle the stove and the garage door (which has been out of commission with a dead garage door opener since late last summer). So, off I went to Sears and $850 later we had a new garage door opener and a new stove purchased and ready to be installed. The garage door opener installation was scheduled yesterday. As it turns out…I’m an idiot. The installation contractors got here and quickly determined a late summer electrical storm had flipped the breaker on the grounded outlet sourcing the garage door opener. The original one wasn’t dead afterall and the installation (and new opener) weren’t needed! So, they instead – to make the service call money worthwhile – installed a bar along the top of the garage to keep it from buckling over time and I got to return the opener and have the full price (and installation) refunded! Whoop whoop!

The new range was installed just this afternoon and it looks great. It’s nice to have a shiny new oven in place and this one has even got a utility drawer underneath which gives us much needed additional storage space in our tiny kitchen! After doing the self-clean all afternoon – and nearly dying from the fumes of all the oils that coated our new range burning off – we are now ready for cooking action once again! Oh, and while all this madness was going on…we bought an indoor plant as well. It really ties the room together. It’s a Schefflera Arboricola or “Dwarf Umbrella Tree”. Suh-weet!

Engaged Encounter Weekend

Cara and I are looking forward to our wedding in Spokane on October 17, 2009. In an earlier blog, I wrote about our recent progress in the wedding plans. Well, we have checked another big “to do” off the list since then. On March 6th through 8th, we attended our Catholic Engaged Encounter (“CEE”) weekend in Carson Springs, TN. Carson Springs is located about 45 minutes east of Knoxville in the Smoky Mountains and it was beautiful, serene setting for our retreat. Cara and I had heard lots of good things about the retreat from our friends (Scott & Hanna and Colin & Brenna), so we were looking forward to it.

For those of you unaware, the CEE is retreat is a required pre-marital step for a Catholic wedding. The goal of the weekend is to give couples an opportunity to explore and discuss their faith, views, perspectives and goals with a focus on the marriage as a lifelong commitment and sacrament. Our particular retreat had 8 “participant” couples, 2 “presenting” couples, and a priest to help guide us through the “journey.” Overall, the weekend was not quite what we expected. There was very little time provided for discussion and sharing in a group setting with much more of an emphasis on individual and couple time to think/write/talk about the topics and issues raised. Although, this was certainly a great time for Cara and I to grow closer to one another (and we did), we would have enjoyed an opportunity to be exposed to multiple other viewpoints and perspectives. Even the presenters seemed a little bit guarded and scripted in their presentations (they read all of the presentation materials), which created a bit of a dampened energy. However, we were told from the onset that the weekend would be “what we put into it” and it lived up to the billing. Cara and I enjoyed the time away from the mad rush of our lives to focus on us. It was a perfect weekend.

To top it all off, we met a friendly couple that also lives in the Knoxville area, John and Elizabeth. Cara and I had a great time socializing with them in-between sessions during the retreat weekend (John was my roommate) and we left for home with plans to meet up soon. And meet up we did. Two weeks ago, we took them up on an offer to grab some sushi at Nama downtown. It was an awesome night all-around. Good food. Great drink. Wonderful company and conversation. Cara and I are excited for our next “engaged encounter” with our fun new CEE friends!

Thursday Night Pints

We accounting Ph.D. students are a fairly tight knit bunch. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. I think you’ll find that any small group of individuals subject to the same set of rigorous and oftentimes stressful circumstances will tend to band together in support and camaraderie. One of our recent graduates did an incredible job of reaching out to me and the other “newbies” to properly acclimate us to the program. His graduation left the program without a true leader for achieving a similar level camaraderie. Well, that changed when Lane entered the program last Fall. Lane is hands down one of the most inclusive and social individuals I have met. He quickly ascended to the ranks of Ph.D. program social chair and set to work trying to pull the “F.U.N.” out of “Financial Accounting Standards Board” (trust me, it’s in there somewhere).

One of his first acts as governing social chair was instituting Thursday Night Pints, which we students affectionately call “T.N.P.” The premise of T.N.P. is simple. We meet at a Knoxville watering hole at 6pm, kick back with a few pints and some bar grub, and socialize for a couple of hours. Cara is quick to point out that school topics tend to dominate the social time. Though we try our best to steer clear, we always end up back on the topic of school. And Cara never fails to let me hear about it. Lane’s fiancée, Sarah, makes it out to join us most of the time, so she and Cara have happily bonded in their avoidance of accounting Ph.D. program boredom. Lucky them.

Early on, Lane did a bang-up job of mixing up the locations to keep the environments fresh and fun. However, late last semester he found his T.N.P. “Mecca” and he hasn’t looked back since. So, I’ll have to try and push for a little bit of variety to keep things interesting. In the meantime, we have ourselves the official T.N.P. headquarters of the Business School Ph.D. program. Before I “let the cat out of the bag” and name our current headquarters, I thought it might be fun to tour (and review) some of the more memorable T.N.P. hot spots. Here is a quick list (to whet your appetite):

• The Roaming Gnome
• Toddy’s Back Door Tavern
• Cool Beans
• Long Branch Saloon
• Downtown Grill & Brewery (DGB)
• Half Barrel
• Sidestreet Tavern
• Aubrey’s
• The Crown & Goose

Note: The above list of nine includes the name of the current T.N.P. headquarters. But, I’m keeping that a secret for now. I’ll review these prior T.N.P. destinations in a three-part mini-series in the coming weeks right here at Shenooligans, concluding with our current “world headquarters.” Oh boy!

Game Night

There are a ton of reasons why I love Cara. One of these "ton" is that she shares my love of board games. Though our tastes do not mesh 100% (I love me some "Risk" - she does not), we do share quite a few favorites: Scrabble, Scattergories, The Game of Life, and Yahtzee to name a few.

For all my board game experience, Cara has "upped" my games repertoire quite a bit since joining me in Knoxville. She introduced me to the electronic version of Life (Twists & Turns), which is nothing short of incredible. Apples to Apples is a great party game that Cara raved about and it did not disappoint. We enjoyed a rousing game with Scott and Hanna until the wee hours of the morning while we were back in the NW for Christmas Break. And I never quite appreciated Scrabble until Cara and I started dating - it now has a special place in my heart (and I would be remiss if I didn't throw Josh some love for also expanding my love for Scrabble).

The current "most played" game in our house is Yahtzee and in the past week, Cara and I have thrown down on the Yahtzee "field" on a couple different occasions. My early Yahtzee luck has not been good as Cara started things off with a four-match win streak. In the fourth match, Cara rolled three - count 'em THREE - Yahtzees and won in dominating fashion 419-290. Most of the time 290 is going to win a game of Yahtzee. But, it's not going to beat three Yahtzees! My luck did not change in Game 5 - our first of the five we played - as she, once again, emerged victorious. However, my rolling heated up and I took the next four games in a row to make the "season series" a nip-and-tuck 5-4 in Cara's favor.

Tonight, I had been busy working most of the night away and Cara suggested I take a break so we could play another match. I gave her a guilt trip about how I'd have to stay up later, but said that I would be happy to play a round if she didn't mind the guilt. She didn't. We played. She won. 276-260. The series is now 6-4 in Cara's favor and she's got some needed breathing room in our season series. It was such a nice break. I can get pretty consumed in my work at times and I love, Love, LOVE that Cara is quick to offer a distraction. Especially a board game distraction! I can't wait for our next game night!

What is your favorite board game?

Dream On

I tend not to be able to remember my dreams, however I also tend to be quite the "dozer" in the morning (see Cara's blog here and here), so there are times I wake up after dozing with a recollection of my recent "dozing" dreams. A recurring theme I've had involves running, typically running from something or someone. Not necessarily a bad -thing or -one, but still running. Running away.

The setting differs drastically each time, but the theme/mood is the same. I cannot make my legs move fast enough. No matter how much I look down at my legs and think "MOVE," I get no response. No burst. No speed. I cannot help but to plod through my dreams while my "chaser" slowly gains ground.

So I "Googled" dream analysis and clicked through to the following site: (http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/r3.htm) to see what it had to say about my dreams. Here are the pertinent excerpts:

"To dream that you are running away from someone, indicates an issue that you are trying to avoid. You are not taking or accepting responsibility for your actions. In particular, if you are running from an attacker or any danger, then it suggests that you are not facing or confronting your fears."

"To dream that you are trying to run but cannot make your feet move as fast as you want them to, signifies lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. It may also reflect your actual state of REM paralysis while in the dream state."

Interesting stuff. I know I do not ooze self-confidence, but I wouldn't say that I lack it either. Could I use more self-confidence at times? Sure. I'd love to be more confident overall. I think it's a positive trait as long as it doesn't become over-confidence or cockiness (which I find totally unappealing). The self-esteem thing may be on point though. Cara has pointed out to me that I can tend to beat up on myself sometimes. And it's true. I am REALLY hard on myself. I tend to let life's minor stresses and anxieties build up until I can't any longer and then I blame myself for not being organized/productive/smart/athletic/funny/happy enough to have dealt with whatever stressors finally got to me. And unfortunately for me (and Cara), the Ph.D. program is flush with stressful moments and anxiety-inducing events.

The first part (me running from someone or something) suggests there may be an issue I am trying to avoid. I openly admit that there are numerous "issues" I am trying to avoid. Taxes, for instance. I do not want to do my taxes. Does that make me any different than 99.9% of the rest of the population? The key issue is that I have NOT done my taxes yet and it is stressing me out. So, I need to "take the bull by the horns" and do my taxes (and any other similar undesirable tasks that I've got on my "to do" list).

I want to point out that in my dream this morning, I was the chaser. It was similar in that I was chasing and running with legs of molasses. But, I was the chaser. Maybe it's a sign that I'm gonna do my taxes today. Maybe it's bigger than that. Perhaps, my mindset is starting to change? Maybe it won't be long before I'm running at full speed in my dreams!

Legen…(wait for it…)

I only recently discovered “How I Met Your Mother” and I cannot believe it took me so long. The show is unbelievably witty, funny, and light-hearted. The characters are fresh, entertaining, and endearing. Most importantly, the storytelling is totally creative. Each episode seems to entail new storytelling angle and I love it. It certainly is a good cure-all for a blue kind of day. In an effort to encourage a little “audience participation,” I am publishing a survey of your favorite “How I Met Your Mother” character. It is a really close competition between my top two. I don’t even know who I’m going to pick, so you’ll have to check back soon to find out.

If you have not seen the show before, I highly recommend it for a light-hearted and fun “escape” from the real world. If you are already on the “How I Met Your Mother” bandwagon, then please cast a vote in my survey! Happy voting!

…oh, and before I forget. DARY! High five!

Wedding Checklist? Check, Check (again), and Check (back later)

Okay, so it's not completely finished, but we checked quite a few things off the "to do" list yesterday afternoon:

• Wedding bands. Cara and I returned to Markman's (the store where I purchased Cara's engagement ring) to price our wedding bands. I had Cara's engagement band designed by the in-house jeweler so we will have him special design her wedding band to exact match and fit and we are waiting on his price estimate and some CAD images! Turning our attention to my band, we started browsing the selection not planning on making any quick decisions (however, I do have to admit we were both leaning to getting all of the rings from Markman's). Well, we ended up making a quick decision afterall selecting this fancy little number (see left inset). The ring (for those wondring) is 14K white gold and Cara and I both think it pairs amazingly with her bridal set. After making a small down payment, we've got this little guy on layaway for the big day! After seeing it on my finger, I am so excited to get further acquainted. It feels and looks awesome...and most importantly...I am thrilled to officially become Cara's husband! Status: CHECK
• After surprising ourselves by getting the rings checked off our "to do" list, Cara and I ventured out to the local Men's Wearhouse to get me fitted for my buddy Quinn's upcoming wedding and to look at tuxedo rentals for our own wedding. Long story short (I'll spare the gory details to avoid bad-mouthing anyone in such a joyous blog!), we barely got my measurements before we couldn't stand the poor service (hopefully just a bad day for the store/associate) any longer and hit the road. In the end, we wrote a scalding email to the Men's Wearhouse customer service department and we're back to square one trying to figure out what we'll be doing for tuxedo rentals. Men's Wearhouse is on thin ice at best right now for our wedding business. Status: CHECK (AGAIN).
• The last wedding update item actually has nothing to do with our Saturday afternoon errands. Cara scheduled us for our Engaged Encounters retreat a few weeks ago and the retreat weekend is fast approaching (March 6th-8th). We have heard great things about the Engaged Encounters retreat from our friends (Scott and Hanna) and we are both looking forward to the experience. I'm sure Cara or I (or both of us!) have a story or two to share about the weekend on our blog(s) after the big weekend! Status: CHECK (BACK LATER)

So there you have it. Another weekend closer to the big day. Another "to do" list item or two checked off the list. Another 236 days and I'll be Cara's hubby! WOOP! WOOP!

For the dogs?

Hey gang. Matt AND Cara here reporting on the exciting "married couple" kind of day we had:

Last night Cara suggested that we head downtown for the annual doggie parade, aptly named "Mardi Growl". "The parade starts at 11am," she said. "Hmmm," I thought. I was planning on shooting hoops with my classmates starting at 10. Taking note of my hesitation, Cara quickly suggested, "you can play basketball for 45 minutes or so and we'll head straight there a little bit late." I thought this sounded fair, so I agreed. As it turns out, my knee was not feeling up to par this morning so I scratched basketball altogether and off to the parade we went.

The dog parade was truly a sight to behold. Led by the grand marshal, Marley (well, the dog's real name isn't really Marley, it's Rudy, but he was one of the 18 dogs who played Marley in the hit movie "Marley and Me"), the dogs were eager to strut their stuff. And when I say dogs, I mean lots of dogs! Last year over 350 dogs turned out for the parade.

We thought we might be a little odd, showing up to a dog parade without a dog. But we happily met our friends, Mike and Jennifer who brought along their two daughters and their golden retriever, Molly. Molly got a lot of attention as she recently became a 3-legged dog due to bone cancer and is still undergoing chemotherapy.
Since it was Mardi Growl, dogs (and sometimes owners) were decked out in costume. The winner for best costume definitely deserved the prize:
We, as Zags, love Bulldogs and they were definitely out today! Here's one that was crammed into a stroller and looking quite cute and pathetic all at the same time.
And introducing the rest of the cast...

The Shagmiester

The Sass-ma-tass

The Prim & Proper Pup
The Pimped Out Ride

A Hot Dog
One HUGE pug (I call him "Pugs Mahone")
AND we couldn't pass up a picture of a cute, decked out boxer pup!

After the dog show, we enjoyed a delicious Southwestern feast at Moe's and then spent the afternoon out and about around Knoxville (which was quite eventful - more on this later!!) Overall, the dog show was a blast and it definitely helped to maintain our excitement for adding a cute little four-legged friend to our family in the not-to-distant future!!

And speaking of Mardi Growl/Gras; Lent starts soon! We're giving up sweets for Lent! What are you giving up?

Teaching for Life, Part II

In an earlier blog, I posted about my first semester in the classroom. I am now well underway into my 2nd semester of teaching and I feel like I'm really starting to come into my own. Yesterday, I was reflecting back on my first semester of teaching the Accounting 200 class. I couldn't help but find it amazing that I had been up in front of a class of 75-100 students three days a week at 8am.* There I was teaching an amazing group of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (ok, this "bright-eyed, bushy-tailed" part is a stretch) students the ins and outs of accounting.

Reflecting back on the memories of my first semester of teaching seemed absolutely surreal to me...and not for the reason I would have expected. You see, there were times during the semester when I couldn't believe that I was standing in front of such a large "audience". I would flash back to my junior year of high school when a shy, quiet, skinny cross-country runner stood in front of his high school to give a "Vote for Matt Hoag as your ASB Treasurer" speech (Side note: I was the only person running, so the speech was a formality). At the time, I preferred very much to operate behind the scenes. It's not that I wasn't social. I'm certainly an extrovert now, so I had to have been back then. I must have been an extrovert in a bit of a shell. Well, long story short. I won in my "campaign" for ASB treasurer (again, no competition, so this should not be a real shocker) and shipped off to Leadership camp. Surrounded by a bunch of loud, energized, hyper "super-leaders" I felt a bit gun-shy at first. But, by the end of the week I was firmly out of my shell and I haven't looked back since. So, I always believed that any surreal feelings about teaching in a University would be along the lines of "I can't believe that shy high schooler really did this teaching thing!!" Instead, I was shocked when the surreal feelings I felt yesterday was more along the lines of "What the heck took me so long?!?"

The college classroom is where I belong. While the first semester was not without some emotional ups and downs, the second semester finds me much more acclimated to the classroom. I love being able to share my passion and excitement for learning and life with my students. I get such a high out of being in front of the class and I really enjoy challenging myself day-in and day-out to be a better teacher/mentor/advisor. This semester I have two sections of a business capstone course, which I lead on Friday afternoons. Yesterday, I covered a morning section for one of the other instructors who had to be out of town so I found myself in the classroom from 10am until just after 5pm (Note: I was supposed to be done at 4:30pm but for the second straight week I found myself staying after to chat with and mentor my students). I was completely exhausted but it was that good kind of exhausted. I am in my element when I'm in the classroom. I can't get enough of it and most importantly I could not be happier that I am well on my way to fulfilling my life's calling; Professor Hoag has a nice ring to it.

I received my evaluation scores from my accounting class a few weeks ago. There were times when I flat-out dreaded getting my scores. I was sure they were going to be low. There were so many things I knew I could have done - should have done - better. I realize now that I was being ridiculously hard on myself. It was my first semester and I have a lot of "growing" to do for sure in improving as a teacher. In the end, the scores were certainly not high. My class did not do particularly well overall, so that really shouldn't be much of a surprise. But, I did score highly in two areas that really stood out to me, "enthusiasm" and "availability of extra help when needed".

I know that I will make lots of improvements in my lectures (both style and content) as I gain experience. But, I pride myself in being approachable and enthusiastic about what I'm doing and I am so happy that this was visible to my students. Teaching is going to be such an incredible life journey for me and I am so happy that the journey is now well underway!

(*depending on the day, my "official" class size was 120 at the start of the semester and 109 at the end)

Voice of an Angel?

Cara and I just returned from church this morning at the Catholic "Center" here on campus. We both love going to church and feel like it's such a good way to start our Sundays together. So, we are trying our best to make it part of our routine (which is tough given that it largely hasn't been for either one of us since our days at Gonzaga). The upcoming Lenten season definitely provides a great opportunity to make weekly mass a regular part of our lives.

One of my favorite things to do at mass is sing. Those that know me well, know I really do like to sing (I find myself undeniably drawn to karaoke bars). So at church I really like to belt out the songs and make my voice heard. Today at church - when we all exchanged the "sign of peace" handshakes with each other - the lady in front of me commented, "you have a really lovely voice." I was flattered and I probably turned a little bit red. But nonetheless, it was a nice compliment. What makes this seemingly inconspicuous compliment truly noteworthy was that it wasn't the first singing compliment I had received at St. John XXIII. In fact, the last time Cara and I attended mass (three weeks ago) the lady in front of us said to me at the end of mass, "I just wanted to let you know that you have a gorgeous voice!"

Different lady. Different description. Same gist. Now, I am rather proud of my voice. I know I don't have any Grammy's waiting for me, but I do enjoy singing and sharing my voice with the world. But, I find it humorous that I've received only one other such compliment on my voice (not including family/friends) at mass in over 20 years of being a mass-goer.

So, has my voice improved considerably with age? Or is it perhaps the close seating quarters at the University church space? Maybe it is the sweet Southern hospitality and personalities thatU make Southern folk more outgoing in doling out praise to strangers? Or, perhaps the acoustics are really just superb in St. John the XXIII?

I'm stumped. What do y'all think?

Mario Kart....Wii.

Last summer I was at a BBQ hosted by one of my old seniors/managers at KPMG. He was off to greener pastures as Controller of a local real estate/investment firm and was hosting a farewell party. There were a lot of new KPMG faces and I remember some of the newer KPMG associates were ranting and raving about the addictive capabilities of Mario Kart Wii.

Fast forward to present day. Cara and I got Mario Kart Wii and it has struggled to find playing time against the likes of Wii Sports, Mario & Sonic Olympic Games, Mario Galaxy and the current fave...Wii Fit (which is always in our Wii!). However, the more Cara and I have Karted it up, the more I find myself drawn to this goofy, cartoony game with the suh-weet little steering wheel. And then I discovered you can connect to the 'Net and play folks from around the world 24/7, race ghosts, take part in tournaments, even find friends and play them head to head in Vs. or Battle modes. Throw this on top of all the cool race tracks I've been unlocking as I play through the game and you can color me addicted. Such an awesome game. If you don't have it, get it. And send me your 12 digit license number when you do, so we can "Wii it up" in the not too distant future.

Holiday Letter 2008

For those of you that didn't receive the holiday letter I put together this year (kind of last minute), I wanted to post it on my blog. I hope you enjoy it:

Happy Holidays from Knoxville!!

As 2008 draws to a close, I reflect on what has been a very exciting, eventful, and joy-filled year for me. I am blessed to have wonderful friends and a supportive, loving family with which to share the wonderful experiences that life offers. I rang in 2008 with close friends in Las Vegas and I will bid 2008 farewell and ring in 2009 in Seattle in much the same manner. However, the theme for this year’s New Year’s celebration is certainly love and commitment! I am blessed to have my amazing fiancé Cara (more on that later) to share New Year’s with this year and we will at that time be celebrating the recent marriage of two dear friends (Scott and Hanna) and the engagement of two others (Josh and Lacy)!

Cara and I met last year at Battle in Seattle, where our Zags played the Tennessee Volunteers in a much anticipated basketball match up; the game was exciting for me because I have recently adopted the Vols as my 2nd favorite basketball team as I work towards my Accounting Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Cara and I both attended Gonzaga University (she being one year under me) and though we knew of each other, we had never formally met. Once we did meet (thanks to Kate O. for introducing us!!), neither of us could have predicted how quickly our relationship would grow! We started dating long-distance in March and it did not take long for us to realize we had something truly unique and special on our hands. When Cara visited Knoxville in August of this year, I proposed and much to my excitement, she said “Absolutely!” We quickly settled on a wedding date for next Fall (October 17, 2009) on campus at our alma mater, Gonzaga University, in Spokane, WA. Cara found a great job with Edison Learning in Knoxville in October and made the big move across the country to join me in Eastern Tennessee. The two of us have enjoyed turning our little townhouse into a home with painting, some intense interior decorating, and new carpet installation planned for early 2009! We welcome anyone who may be headed to the SE U.S. to stop in and visit us!!

My graduate studies continue to move along on schedule. I completed my comprehensive exams this summer and attended a Ph.D. student consortium in Lake Tahoe, which provided me with a great opportunity to network and idea-share with some of my fellow students from throughout the United States. This semester, I had my first opportunity to teach and I enjoyed being in the classroom very much. The teaching experience really energized me and I look forward to wrapping up my dissertation and graduating in the Spring of 2010 so I can begin life as a university professor! This summer I will attend the Annual Accounting Academic conference in New York City which will mark the beginning of what is sure to be a long and interesting interview process! Cara and I hope to return West and have our sights set on Oregon, Washington, or perhaps Colorado as our “dream destinations” so that we can be close to our friends and family! I encourage you to follow along with my blog, http://shenooligans.blogspot.com/, as another way to follow the goings on in my life.

Cara and I wish you all health, love, and happiness this holiday season and for the year to come! We hope very much that our paths will cross in the year ahead, but if not, know that we hold a special place for you in our hearts and that we look forward to the next time we are able to sit down and share some good food, drink and/or conversation with you all in person!!

Wishing you a very happy New Year!!

Matt and Cara

1st Blog of 2009

Happy 2009!!

Wow! I can hardly believe we're already 11 days into the New Year! And this is my first blog?!? What a slacker!!

I thought I'd kick off my 2009 blog-series with a brief synopsis of the holiday travels and then give my New Year's resolutions. So, without further ado...

Cara and I had an amazing trip back to the NW! Even with some wintry weather throughout the country (and surprisingly in Western Washington too!), all of our travels via planes, trains and automobiles went without hitch. This being the first holiday season either of us has been engaged, meant we both experienced a "dual-family" Christmas season for the 1st time. So, after taking in a great Gonzaga basketball game for Battle in Seattle (a loss, unfortunately!), we loaded up in the car and headed South for Vancouver/Battle Ground, WA to spend a few days with Cara's parents and the Sarvelas. Our trip was made much more interesting by a surprising blast of winter weather, which caused train and flight cancellations/delays. So, we had Kate O'Farrell join us for the drive and we all made it safe and sound. I had so much fun visiting with Cara's family! We split our time between her parents house in Battle Ground and her sister's house in Vancouver. So, I got lots of great time with her parents, sister and brother-in-law, and of course her adorable nephews and niece! Cara's sister, Megan, wrote a great blog that really shows how welcoming Cara's entire family has been to me. I may not "officially" be part of the extended Gish/Sarvela clan, but I certainly feel like I'm already in the mix!

After enjoying some of the white stuff (snow!) with a little sledding, snowman building and slip-sliding on the backroads of Hockinson, WA, Cara and I ventured north on Christmas Day to spend a few days with my family. We arrived around noon and enjoyed a day full of presents, good food, and lots of games! Cara and I received a Wii Fit for Christmas and our new toy received lots of attention from the whole family! We aso discovered Blokus (an awesome game) and had a rematch of Up and Down the River with my parents (a card game we both enjoy!). That weekend, Cara headed south for a few more days with her family and I travelled East to spend some time with James (my brother) and Ada (his wife) in Ellensburg. I returned to Federal Way for another couple days at home with mom and dad before Cara took the Amtrak up to rejoin me in Seattle for an excellent night spent ringing in the New Year with friends!

We took a red-eye flight back to Knoxville on the night of the 1st. Cara and I were both pleasantly surprised when we were upgraded to 1st class seats on our first leg to Cleveland. AWESOME! We returned to Knoxville and after a day of R&R to recuperate from a busy holiday, we set to work getting ready for a new year/semester of work/school! All-in-all, we decided that this was our best holiday ever! It was so wonderful seeing all of our family and friends! And while it is certainly hard to be across the country from some of those closest to us, we are both blessed to have an amazing amount of love and support from friends and family at all times! And finally, what would any good "1st Blog of 2009" be without some New Year's resolutions? Cara started blogging in themes of "five" with her last two blogs (1 and 2), so I'm gonna give five resolutions in similar spirit:

(1) Exercise more! No this isn't your typical "hit the gym" resolution. I've got a wedding coming up, which means I've got to get myself in shape for the wedding and honeymoon! We'll certainly be headed somewhere sunny and warm (read: beach!), so this is like the "Spring Break" push on steroids!!

(2) Eat better! I have slowly started to adopt this resolution. I do love my sweets and fast foods, but I'm slowly cutting them out of my diet and replacing them with more fruits and veggies! Mom would be proud!

(3) Get organized! I've always had my own organization system that to most could only be called "organized clutter." As we start planning for a wedding, I realize I need to get more organized in several facets; our budget, our bills, our mail, our wedding planning, my schoolwork, and basic home organization in well!

(4) Relax! I've had several aspects of my Ph.D. program that have really been creating a lot of anxiety and stress, leaving me on edge and easily frustrated at times! I need to be able to better "let things go," and realize that being stressed is not good for my health. Also, I think succeding in my 1st resolution will help me achieve this resolution tremendously!

(5) Finally, a few years ago I made a life's "To Do" list. I want to tackle some more of the items on this list. So, shortly I'll elaborate on this in a later blog and share my plans for 2009!

Once again, Happy 2009 to everyone and thanks for reading!!

Love from Matt!