HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, another year is in books and we are all (mostly) looking forward to next year's 20th reunion of the first NMU Packer Weekend.

We'll recap 2008 in a future post, but for now we thought this shot of Stewie earned him the right to be this year's poster boy.

On a serious note, I was never lucky enough to have brothers . . . until I went to NMU.

Like brothers we sometimes fight each other; we sometimes fight others; we sometimes compete; and sometimes we can't stand the sight of each other. But like brothers, we are tied to each other for life. I, for one, feel pretty damn lucky to have such great brothers.

WHELPLEY AND BRO-IN-LAW ARE LATE ROSTER ADDITIONS

ADDITIONAL MYSTERY GUEST TO MAKE APPEARANCE ON SUNDAY.

The man, the myth, the legend, Charles Earl Whelpley, IV (aka "
Whelps) and his brother-in-law, Dan "Corky" Corcoran will be late additions to this year's renewal of the NMU Packer Weekend.

This marks Whelps first appearance since 2000 when he crashed a catered tailgate after finding out we didn't have a ticket for him. Maybe he'll find his way into the hallowed Lambeau Field this year . . . but don't count on it. Chuck is an early favorite for MVD.

His brother-in-law Dan is an unknown quantity, this being his first appearance. Watch your back virgin!

There will be a surprise guest on Sunday morning but don't put your money on Stitch Jones.

NMU PACKER WEEKEND WISHES AMERICA'S GUEST A HAPPY 40TH!

Yesterday was Mark Strube's 40th (we think) birthday. Mark is better known to his friends as Congo the Mailman or, more recently, America's Guest.

Congo/America's Guest is a charter member of the NMU Packer Weekend, having been thrown through a plate glass window outside the old Top Shelf Bar in downtown Green Bay in December of 1989.

Mark is a world-class sailor, drinker, ladies man, and all-around good guy. Wherever you are on the globe, we'll be toasting your adventurous spirit. Let's go get some . . . tacos!

THIS JUST IN, NICKEL BAILOUT IN EFFECT! CHARLIE'S BILL COMES EARLY!

Much like the rest of Wall Street, the Mayor had a bad year. Instead of presenting a padded bill when he see you this weekend, he asked me to give you a preview of coming attractions. The total bill for the room(s): is $647.38. The bill for the limo is: $584.19. Game tickets are $70 (at least). There is an early pay discount and Charlie now accepts all major credit cards.

20th ANNUAL (minus 1) NMU-PACKER WEEKEND: 0-16 OR BUST!

What: Packers vs. Lions. Our 4th consecutive and 7th overall!

All-Time Series Record: 13-5.

When: Rally at HQ, noon on Saturday, December 27, 2008 to noon, Monday, December 29, 2008.

HQ: Residence Inn of Green Bay, 335 W. St. Joseph (east side off Webster).

Cast of Characters:

• Your host, his Royal Highness, the Mayor McAsscheese, Charlie Nickel, who knows down to the penny what each of you owe him. He's glad to e-mail you the information in advance if he has not already!
  
• Dennis "Electric" Dalkhe, ready for some high voltage excitement. Watch your drink Denny, I hear people in GB like to slip you a roofie!

• Chip "Mystic" Wall with fantastic tales of how he spikes the water supply in the City of Milwaukee. Make sure to say hello before he wanders off into the night.
  
• Jim "Bubba" Kralovec, hoping someone else is MVD this year. Good luck with that.
  
• Gary "The Freshman" Stewart and some drunk friend of his from Menominee. Maybe this dude will throw up in the limo too.
  
• Pat "Mojo Risin" Modjeski and a bottle of Crowne Royal (if he knows what's good for him), but apparently not everyone's favorite Depeche Mode devotee Kevin Brys. Weak, very weak Brys.
  
• Of course, Stitch Jones will be there unless he has "company." Prediction, no show again!Maybe he'll go to the game with his wife and not tell us like he did a few years ago!

• Chris "King of Prussia" Goerlitz -- maybe. Apparently he wants us to beg him to show. Hey Chris, can we watch old game films on your massive forehead?
  
• Your humble co-host, Dave Babe and possible Lansing guest to shake things up a bit.

Rules: The rules are there aren't no rules!

Schedule:

• Noon on Saturday - "All up" for the Rally at the Residence.
• Noon to 5pm, Bubba and DG do some advance scouting in local taverns waiting for you morons to show up.
• 5pm - Hand on the line. Commence serious drinking.
• 6pm - Jingle Jangle (that's for you, Jim).
• 7pm-The Mayor submits his heavily padded bill for the weekend; no one pays.
• 8pm? - Limo Arrives. Continue serious drinking.
• 8:30 pm - Stewart pukes.
• 8:45 pm - Stewart's buddy pukes.
• 9:00 pm - We get thrown out of the former "Korner Pub" for being over-served.
• 10:00 pm - Dance on tables at Sardine Can. Dennis gets in a fight and loses. Has this guy ever won a fight?
• 11:30 pm - Leave nasty voice-mails for people who aren't there but should be.
• Midnight - Someone decides we should go to the Bamboo Room for local folk dancing.
• 2:00 am, Sunday - Someone notices Chip has disappeared. No one is surprised.
• 3:00 am - Late night snacks. Strube beats up Billie Jack wannabe at George Webbs.
• 4am - Halftime - arrive back at the HQ. Early voting for MVD, Bubba leads the exit polling.
• 4:30 am - Gregory throws luggage. Watch out below!
• Noon - Barely arrive on time for the game with a roaring hang-over.
• 2pm - Shove the guy on the end of our row into the aisle. Shhh, it's a secret.
• 4pm - Lions lose, history is made.
• 4:30pm - Four!!! Fourth Quarter Starts. No breaks this year, we absolutely must keep drinking immediately after the game.
• 7pm - Depression sets in (that one's for Jim too).
• 9pm- Fellowship at HQ.
• 10 pm - MVD awarded.
• 10 am, Monday - Game over, see you next year.
  

Contact: The Mayor at (920) 433-6563. DG at (517) 303-6788.

President-Elect Gregory's Fictional Cabinet as named December of 2007

• Press Secretary Chuck Whelpley - to distract attention from my various misdeeds in office.
  
• 
  
• Secretary of State Christopher "Chip" Wall - he will spread goodwill --and VD -- across the globe as he has across Wisconsin, Finland, and parts of Bolivia.
  
• Secretary of Health & Human Services Patrick "Mojo" Modjeski - what better example of healthy lifestyles?
  
• Secretary of Defense Dennis Dalkhe - like America he hasn't won many fights lately, but he sure is intimidating.
  
• Secretary of Transportation Jim "Sweet Head of" Devine - 2 known DUI's and one avoided by fleeing from a traffic stop in Hancock. Need I say more?
  
• CIA Director Gary Stewart - because he's a sneaky little shit just like Needermyer
  
• Attorney General Keith "Fatty" Gering - because he's one tough cop
  
• Chief of Staff Andrew "Spunker" Avery - because he is one anal and organized MF
  
• Secretary of the Chezury Charlie "The Mayor McAsscheese" Nickel - now and always the money man. There will be absolutely no more bailouts with this tightwad!
  
• FCC Chairman James Bernard "Bubba" Kralovec - because we need to replace broadband with CB's
  
• Secretary of Homeland Security and National Drug Czar Jason "Sald Bowl" Salani - did I mention my plan to open our borders and legalize drugs?
  
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mark "Congo the Mailman" Strube - because only America's Guest can solve America's housing crisis.
  
• Public Enemy Number One (replacing Osama Bin Laden) Mike "Stitch" Berutti - this guy is dead to me unless he shows up sometime this decade. I call for an all-out, worldwide manhunt. Wanted dead or alive.
  
• Secretary of Education "Principal Brady" Downey - some children should be left behind!
• Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts Kevin Brys - to preserve the forgotten legacy of Depeche Mode.
  

2007 RECAP: HAPPY FESTIVUS!

Game: 12/20/07. W over the Lions, not sure they even kept score.

Quotes of the Weekend:

• "No, but we have CB's." - Jim Kralovec when asked if they have digital cable in the U.P.
  
• "Did you just say I look like A.J. Hawk?" - female Packer fan who clearly didn't understand that was meant as a complment.
  
• "If you shut, maybe you'd hear it" Chip to Jim when Jim asked him to turn up Van Morrison.
  
• 911 Dispatcher - "What's your emergency?", Caller - "There's a bear eating a woman out by the pool!"
  

Highlights:

• The airing of grievances culminating in an almost fight between Fatty G and Dalko.
  
• A 4:00 am stabbing at the Liar's Club and a late night disappearance by Waldo -- coincidence?
  
• Stewie reliving his freshman glory days by puking out the window of the limo.
  
• Festivus Feats of Strength -- Luggage Toss.
• The naming President-Elect Gregory's ficitonal cabinet. See later posts for more details