No lipstick on these pigs ...

My favorite college football team, the Arkansas Razorbacks (what did you think I was going to talk about?) is getting the weekend off because of Hurricane Ike, but it's just postponing the inevitable.

Arkansas was supposed to lose to Texas today. The game at Austin was moved to Sept. 27 because they didn't want anybody to get killed when Ike roared through. Very good move.

The Hogs are 2-0, but they had to pull both victories -- against Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe, no less -- out of their asses with late fourth-quarter comebacks.

Now I'm all for new coach Bobby Petrino (we're not going to get into his nasty exit from the NFL's Atlanta Falcons) and am willing to give him some time installing his program. But the schedule after Alabama next week and then Texas is a killer: Florida, at Auburn, at Kentucky, home against Ole Miss and former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt. Nutt did a fine job in Fayetteville, but it was time for a change. Should be an interesting homecoming.

Arkansas closes with its traditional day-after-Thanksgiving game against LSU.

Ideally, I think the best this team can do is 7-5 and a fringe bowl game; 9-3 could happen, 5-7 is more likely.

Boy would I love to be proved wrong.

Heading to Little Rock

Josh and I are heading out to Arkansas on Thursday. My Uncle Robert (on my dad's side) died Tuesday.

Hadn't seen the man in many years, and in fact, sister Cheryl and I had some unpleasant moments with him growing up. But he and my dad were pretty close, and I think I owe it to him to go and pay my last respects.

It will also give me a good chance to catch up with my siblings. Sue has had her second chemo treatment -- hopefully, the effects aren't as bad as the first. Brenda's getting ready to graduate from college, which means a return trip to the Rock in May. And Ron is the picture of health from what I'm hearing. Let's hope so.

Cheryl won't be able to make it. I lucked out into a plane ticket/rental car for $250. She would have to pay about $900 to fly this late out of Des Moines, and there are winter storm warnings up all over Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas were she to decide to drive. I think she made the right decision.

Back on Monday. Hopefully, with plenty of updates on Survivor and Big Brother!