Patriots 34, Bills 3

Maybe not quite ready to compete on the Patriots level? Maybe a few more missing pieces than we thought last week? Maybe Ryan Fitzpatrick's fast and loose, turnover producing quarterback play isn't good enough to carry the team to the playoffs? Yeah, looks that way. One game left: at the Jets next Sunday then my 2011 season ticket invoice will arrive the day after the Pro Bowl.

The brined turkey was awesome: so flavourful and moist and just really good. And everything else went off wiothout a hitch. After my parent left, Siobhan and I and my sister, brother-in-law and neices went skating at the Harourfront rink across the street for an hour. A nice way to burn off some of the calories.

Headed to Muskoka Monday morning until probably Wednesday then to Picton for New Year's Eve.

Bills 17, Dolphins 14

Some will say that the Bills lose when we want them to win (as in the first 8 games of the season), and win when they want them to lose (once the season is lost and the draft order is being determined). I, on the other hand, always want them to win so I was happy to hear on my car radio on the way home from Muskoka that they won their 4th game of the season.

The Patriots come to Orchard Park on Boxing Day. It would be nice to finally beat them for the first time in 15 games (dating back to Opening Day 2003 - the Gregg Williams coached Bills with Takeo Spikes making an interception and Drew Bledsoe lighting it up with Eric Moulds as they won 31-0......then the last game of that season, in which New England won their second Superbowl, The Bills travelled to Foxborough and, in perfect symetry, lost 31-0 and finished 5-11).

Lots of snow at the cottage now. The skiing is excellent but the lakes still have plenty of slush under the snow in places. I've been out 10 times now this season. Winter starts Tuesday.

I'll be brining a turkey starting Tuesday then cooking it Saturday. Family and friends will be headed to our condo looking for brined turkey as I've been talking up the whole brining thing. It's all about managing expectations.

Wishing everyone (Mark, I guess I really just mean you) the Merriest possible Christmas and so on and so forth. Go Bills!

Bills 13, Browns 6

Sunday at 6am, the snow started in Muskoka. The temperature sat at minus one and stayed there as it snowed relentlessly until about 5pm and then the wind picked from the north and, as the snow continued, it started to drop. It was minus 5 by 9pm. By Monday morning, we had at least 30cm of new snow and strong north winds continued with the temperature at minus 17. Ski conditions are excellent. I went 5 times to Keyhole Lake along the Johnson Trail.

The only highlight from the Bills game I saw was the Fitzpatrick to Nelson touchdown. Fred Jackson had over 100 yards rushing. Specualtion is that actual attendance was in the range of 30-35,000. I watched some of the Steelers game and some of the Patriots game but found neither especially interesting. The Eagles/Cowboys game was much better.

This week, I am going to take action on brining a turkey for Christmas - something I have talked about for the past couple of years. First to Home Depot to get a big plastic pail.

Vikings 38, Bills 14

Time to look ahead to the draft. It seems clear that Stanford's Andrew Luck has broken away from the pack and will go first overall. Although the Carolina Panthers enjoyed an early lead against Seattle yesterday, they folded in the 3rd quarter and still have the inside track on the first pick with a 1-11 record. But with Jimmy Clausen, would they want Luck? Would Detroit want him after drafting Matthew Stafford? These teams could trade the first pick to a team looking for a franchise quarterback. Luck will go first overall but not necessarily to the team with the number one pick. In the event of a tie for worst record, the first pick is determined by way of strength of schedule: the team whose opponents have the worst combined record gets the pick - a sort of a secondary determination of ineptitude.

Would or should the Bills trade to get the right to pick Luck if they don't finish with the first pick? Is quarterback really their biggest need? Ryan Fitzpatrick has shown himself to be capable althought not spectacular. Would they be better off drafting a pass rushing defensive end or a linebacker with their first pick? Or an offensive lineman?

Luck seems like a can't miss pick and the Bills recent history of first round picks does not instill confidence: Whitner in 2006 - a solid safety but has he been worthy of the 8th overall pick? Lynch in 2007 - traded to Seattle earlier this year for a 4th round pick. McKelvin in 2008 - has shown flashes of greatness but has had a number of very poor games - including yesterday. Maybin in 2009 - an absolute and complete bust - what a joke. Spiller in 2010 - this one still mystifies me because they already had Lynch and Fred Jackson so it was fair to expect that he would be electrifying (like Adrian Peterson has been and was yesterday) but he has clearly not been (7 carries for 35 yards yesterday). I say that they should do whatever it takes to get Luck and then build around him.

I had my first ski of the season yesterday. It took 2 hours to get to Keyhole Lake and back as the coverage was sparse - 10 inches in the open areas and much less in the canopied areas and lots of downed brush which I cleared. Highway 400 south of Barrie was in bad shape - full winter driving conditions with many drivers still going the same speed as they do in July. That's what made it dangerous.

Steelers 19, Bills 16

Rewind to January 6, 1990. I'm at the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Cleveland's ancient Municipal Stadium, sitting off the left corner of the endzone. Definitely the wildest crowd I've ever seen for anything. The Bills are down 34-30 with less than 30 seconds left in the 4th quarter but they are at the Browns 20 and driving for the winning score. Jim Kelly drops back to pass and Bills back-up running back Ronnie Harmon shakes his coverage and is wide open in the left corner of the endzone, about 25 yards from my seat. I can clearly see that he has no one within 5 yards of him. Kelly notices as well and throws a perfect ball to him right on the numbers. He drops it. On the next play, Clay Matthews intercepts Kelly. Game over. Bills lose 34-30.

Steve Johnson's drop against the Steelers 21 years later was also a perfect pass and also would have won the game. Obviously, there was less riding on it as the Bills were 2-8 and Harmon's drop was in a playoff game. NFL players take countless practice reps and regularly make spectacular catches but sometimes, passes are dropped for no apparent reason. It wasn't one of those situations where the receiver is concentrating on running after he makes the catch or is aware of a defender bearing down on him. Nope. He just dropped it. After his fantastic performance last week, Johnson also managed to drop 4 other passes yesterday. Someone on the post game WGR call-in suggested that he was thinking about pulling up his jersey to reveal this week's message.

So, they remain in good position to draft their franchise quarterback with only 2 wins. I am encouraged that they have been very competitive for each of the past 5 weeks, winning twice and losing the other 3 in overtime. They have only been blown out twice this season - at Green Bay and against the Jets. Although they are a bad team, there is reason for hope.

Ronnie Harmon never played another game for the Bills after the 1989 season. It seems safe to say that Steve Johnson has a bright career ahead of him with the Bills. He just has to move on and be thankful that it wasn't a very important game.

Bills 49, Bengals 31

The game was not available on our dish at the cottage and I was interested in the Argo game anyway. It was lopsided from the beginning so I got on the mountain bike and rode on the crunchy frozen trail to Keyhole lake, had a sauna and got in the car just as the Bills game ended. The last score I had seen was 28-7 for the Bengals in the second quarter.

The post-game discussion on WGR focused on 2 themes: Is Ryan Fitzpatrick the quarterback of the future and would the Bills have been better off by continuing to lose games and locking up the first overall pick in the 2011 draft. Mike Shope and the Bulldog feel that the Bills need to draft a "franchise" quarterback and that Fitzpatrick is better suited to be back-up. I tend to agree but some callers feel that Fitzpatrick's numbers since he was given the starting job in week 3 have been outstanding - even compared to other top quarterbacks in the league. The Harvard graduate is aggressive and seems to have a good feel for the offence and Chan Gailey has been able to design game plans which allow him to succeed. He would be an excellent mentor for a first round pick at quarterback.

At 2-8, the Bills are tied with 2 other teams and Carolina holds the worst record at 1-9. Hopes of picking first overall are fading fast. Right now, they are not the worst team in the league and I'm happy about that. As a fan, I always want the team to win. How could I hope for a loss just so they can draft a certain quarterback (Andrew Luck)? The Steelers come in this week and I have sold my tickets but this game now looks much more interesting that it did a couple of weeks ago. I hope they win. What else would a real fan want? Go Bills!

Bills 14, Lions 12

Someone asked on twobillsdrive.com if the game was available online and a link was provided in response. I clicked on it and found that it was a link to the FBI's Cybercrime Overview page. Is watching a blacked-out NFL game online really cybercrime? It's called a "television blackout" and prevents the game from being broadcast on television within a 75 mile radius of the stadium if the game is not sold out 72 hours prior to kick-off. Someone else provided a link to the FOX broadcast and I watched most of the fourth quarter that way.

I had a Proline ticket which blew up when Detroit scored the late touchdown. Fitting, I suppose that the Bills finally got their win but did not cover the 3 point spread. A sloppy affair it was but Fred Jackson had a big game and the fans went home happy.

Muskoka was beautiful on Saturday. I rode the Johnson Trail then along Clear Creek to Keyhole Lake wearing only cycling shorts and a light long-sleeved shirt and was soaked when I got back. Not a sole around on the lake so far as I could tell. Had a sauna and watched the Leafs and Raptors both lose.

I still can't help thinking that my friend Paul is never going to call me again. He's gone. That's it. It makes me sad. His sister Karen told me that they have found 54 pairs of shoes so far in his house. We wear the same size but I declined the offer to take some. Just can't do that.

Bears 22, Bills 19

My dear friend Paul Richardson died last Wednesday. I found his body in hs house at 9am. I had gone to check on him, walk his dog and pick up some groceries for him. He suffered from Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome ans was experiencing a bout of it last week. The coroner determined that Paul suffered a massive heart attack which would have rendered him unconscious very quickly. it is unclear - and hardly matters - what the relationship was between his illness and his heart.

I, and only I (apart from the professional paramedics, police, coroner etc) saw him that morning. I insisted that his mother and brother not see him when they arrived at the house. The image of his lifeless body on the stairway landing will haunt me for some time but, as my mother reminded me, at least I saved his mother from being the one who found him. She easlily could have been.

Paul and I were room-mates in residence in first year university in 1981 and were close friends ever since. I was given the opportunity to speak at his Memorial Service yesterday. I tried to convey a sense of what it meant to be a friend of Paul's. His kindness, generosity and sense of humour touched all who knew him. I was the first speaker at the service and I tried to share some funny stories about Paul. People told me afterward that I helped ease the tension and sadness a little bit. I was most proud that I could get through my remarks without breaking down. Funny how people can "rise to the occaission" when they have to.

I will think of Paul every day. I was priviledged and honoured to have been his friend.

Chiefs 13, Bills 10

Awoke to a light dusting of snow Sunday morning in Muskoka. I did a 15km bike ride then cut some firewood, made lunch and sat down to watch some NFL football at 1pm. The Bills game was not available so I caught a bit of Jacksonville/Dallas, Miami/Cincinnati and Green Bay/Jets.

I did manage to see the first 8 minutes of overtime in Kansas City before CBS had to cut away due to "league rules". Probably for the best.

My Bills v. Detroit tickets sold on NFL TicketExchange. One less game to worry about. That leaves Cleveland and New England.

I can't wait to see what the crowd is like this Sunday at the Rogers Centre. I will be there - not so much because I want to be there but because I bought tickets for all 8 games. What a deal!

Ravens 37, Bills 34

"Never felt so good about a loss" someone posted on twobillsdrive.com an hour or so after the game. I do not feel good right now but it's because of last night's Ronin Warriors dragonboat team end-of-season party. Too much red wine. Way too much. Thanks to our hosts Agenes and William for opening their swanky condo to all of us. Lots of fun.

So, I figured I would nap on the couch as the Ravens opened up a big lead and put the game out of reach early in the second quarter then I might be feeling a bit better for the Patriots game at San Diego. But I didn't nap at all as the Bills played way over their heads and almost won this game. Ryan Fitzpatrick shredded the Ravens fearsome defence in the first half as the Bills took a 24-10 lead before Baltimore scored 10 points leading into halftime. Then, after their usual 3rd quarter collapse, they answered the Ravens with 10 points of their own to send the game to overtime. A questionable call on a turnover (and the meaning of "forward progress" will be debated for the next few days) and they lost again but it was a very entertaining game.

The season is going nowhere anyway so the loss was not nearly as dissapointing as it would have been if the Bills were decent and still had a shot. The Panthers won so the Bills have the inside track on the first pick in April's draft. They are hard at work trying to find the next Peyton Manning so let's hope that they do not end up picking the next Ryan Leaf. Having the first pick overall creates pressure to pick the right player but also presents numerous other challenges like getting the player signed. Having the first pick also means having the 33rd and 65th (and 97th and so on at the top of each of the 7 rounds) overall picks so a good draft class for 2011 is certainly possible and much needed.

The Bills are at Kansas City next week then "home" to the Chicago Bears at the Rogers Centre. I am virtually certain that they will not go winless this year. Today's effort is evidence that they do have some talent and they have not given up.

Jaguars 36, Bills 26

A beautiful weekend in the County. I rode maybe 100km over three days - from Lake on the Mountain to the north, Little Bluff Conservation area to the east and the foot of Brewers Road to the south. We had a lovely turkey dinner on Sunday but I ate too much once again and felt bloated for hours afterward.

We left around 1pm Monday and encountered heavy stop and go traffic on the 401 all the way to Oshawa. Then the engine on my brand new (5 months) Mazda 5 quit about 500 metres east of Harmony Road. I was in the left lane and the accelerator just stopped having any effect as the engine was suddenly starved of fuel. I had only my remaining momentum to get off the road so I had to pull off on the left side - in the middle of the divided roadway. The east bound lanes were travelling at full speed 10 feet to our left and there were 3 completely full lanes of holiday weekend traffic in the west bound lanes so we were trapped in our vehicle. The only way out was by towtruck.

An OPP officer tapped on my window as I was tring to call Mazda Roadside Assist. He explained that we were in a very dangerous position and that I should call a towtruck and request priority or he would have to do it for me. I got through and a CAA truck was dispatched with an ETA of 30-40 minutes. I made sure that the towtruck on its way had room to accomodate 6 souls - 3 people and 3 dogs. The officer had to leave "to deal with people on the roadway" somehere ahead so we were left to wait. And wait we did. The dispatched truck arrived after about an hour but not before 2 other roaming towtrucks stopped and tried to "help us" with our predicament. The traffic was both interesting and scary to watch as we waited. The speed changed constantly and ranged from about 20 to 80km/hr or faster at times and when it got to 80, with hundreds of cars whizzing past every minute and clearing our right side by about 3 feet, I was really missing having the OPP cruiser behind me.

2 of the dogs ended up riding in the car and appeared none the worse for wear afterward. We were able to get a tow right to Gyro Mazda on Laird and took a cab home from there. The whole journey took 6 hours.

At no time during the hour or so that I spent watching a constant stream of traffic in my rearview mirror did I think about the Bills and all of those tickets I have for their remaining home games.

Jets 38, Bills 14

This was my first trip to Orchard Park this year. A rainy, grey and cool day that seemed more like November weather. And the Bills season can't get to November fast enough as it feels like the team's spirits and those of its fans have reached an all time low ebb. The WGR guys said it best: if you look at their roster, they just don't have any good players. CJ Spiller is really the only player who could be considered safe as they spent their first pick on him this year. As Dick Jauron used to say, it's hard to win in the NFL but it's even harder without at least a few good players.

As I try to make sense of the train wreck of a team, the most glaring thing now seems to be all of the draft busts. Spiller has great potential for sure but last years's No. 1, the pass rushing specialist Aaron Maybin, is total crap and could be out of the league by next year. Leodis Mckelvin looked awful against Braylon Edwards today and Donte Whitner looks bad now as well. Then there's Trent Edwards, John McCargo, JP Losman, Mike Williams - and many more. The team looks like a collection of second stringers who provide no reason at all to be even slightly optimistic. Could Buffalo be heading toward the first pick overall in 2011? Could they be the second team in the last three years to go winless over 16 games?

We used the Whirlpool Bridge both ways on this trip which worked well to remove the stress of potential delays. The view up the vast gorge to the north with the churning rapids below is really spectacular. We left (along with many others) at 31-7 and we were home by 6pm. Is there any way that I will even be able to give the Jacksonville tickets away? And How about Detroit or Cleveland?

Patriots 38, Bills 30

One of the criticisms of Trent Edwards before he was benched, once again, was that he is too conservative. He seems reluctant to take chances and throw the ball down the field, thereby earning the moniker "Captain Checkdown". Enter Ryan Fitzpatrick. He likes to open up the passing game and involve the skilled players (the Bills do have a few) by being aggressive and allowing them to make plays. He does, however, have a fatal flaw which it seems is the reason why he is not a franchise starting quaterback. He sometimes makes terrible throws - often at critical times. Yesterday at New England, the fatal flaw emerged again as he overthrew receivers quite badly, twice, in the second half. Both were interceptions. That was after a much improved offensive performance where the Bills gained over 370 total yards. But they lost again to move to 0-3 on the season and 0 for the last 14 against the Patriots.

I find the post game call-in show on WGR quite entertaining as I drive home from the cottage. Mike Schop and the Bulldog have learned that it's easier and funnier to just let the drunks make their stupid points, agree with them and then move on. Some callers seemed pleased with the improved offense and the much closer game than was expected. Schop reminded one caller that he sometimes feels that way after his nephew's little league game: it was exciting, interesting, there was lots of scoring and the fact that they lost is secondary. But this is pro football where the only measure of success is wins and the Bills have failed the last 14 times against this team. Some of the games have been close (last year's season opener. for example) and some have not but they need to beat the Patriots to claim any measure of success and we are still waiting. Their coach is better, their team is better and their quarterback is a lot better. New England comes to Orchard Park on Boxing Day looking for number 15.

Being a fan is about always having hope. The radio guys complimented one optimistic caller who pointed out that if they can beat the Jets next week at home, then Jacksonville comes in and we could be 2-3 at the bye week and ready to make a run for the playoffs. I'm a fan too and as the caller was saying these things, I was, for a split second, agreeing with the logic. I can still hope it happens and expect that it won't. It's called managing expectations. That's an important part of being a Bills fan in 2010.

Packers 34, Bills 7

A new poll was published today (Monday Sept 20th) and it loks like Rob Ford is for real. Apparently, people are angry, and, as the theory goes, this often leads to a knee-jerk reaction which, in this case, has come out of right field. Toronto voters appear set to elect another buffoon. Mel Lastman, someone else seems to have discovered your secret formula.

Ford has the support of almost 46% of decided voters, a full 24 percentage points ahead of George Smitherman who stands second at 21%. Joe Pants is a close third, less than 5 points behind Smitherman. Rosseau Rocky and Sarah Thomson are out of it. I thought that Rocky might have fared a little better after his recent announcement about wanting a tunnel between the Allen and the Gardiner but apparently not. A quarter of voters remain undecided but this is down from about 40% a month ago. There is no good news in this poll for any candidate other than Ford. His message is resonating and as undecided voters make up their minds, his support is growing. I had sort of dismissed the mid August poll where he had a lead which represented the poll's margin of error and no one was really paying much attention. There would be movement in the next poll I said. I was right about the movement but wrong about the direction. It looks like Ford will have to stumble badly (and maybe multiple times) to blow the lead he now has. Rest assured, he is more than capable of doing this, and, if he does, it will be remembered as one of the greatest political collapses in Toronto politics. I hope it happens but I doubt that it will.

I listened to Smitherman's sound bites from today and, frankly, he just didn't sound like his heart was in it. He is the candidate who can stop Ford and unite the city, he said. He didn't say it with much conviction and it occurred to me that for a guy who clearly has had his sights on this job for a long time, his campaign has been profoundly lacking in energy and imagination. If he really wants to be the mayor, he has a month to generate some excitement and spark around his campaign and tell the voters why he wants this job and why he would be a good choice. So far, Ford has been the one defining the issues and setting the agenda. That's what a legitimate front runner does.

Dolphins 15, Bills 10

Our dragonboat team finished 37th out of about 100 teams in this weekend's GWN Draogonboat Challenge held at Marilyn Bell Park on Toronto's western waterfront. Our first race Saturday morning scuttled us as we had a poor lane and a very poor race overall. We did win the D division championship on Sunday afternoon with a time which was better than some of the C division teams so we did end on a high note. Dropping from 18th last year to 37th this year is dissapointing but the filed was stronger and our performance was not as good. So it goes. Great excercise all season regardless of results.

I was checking the score at RWS from time to time and the Bills were down 3 then 7 then 10 points so it seemed like a close defensive battle until I read the post game reports in the evening after the beer tent festivites at Marilyn Bell Park. Apparently, Trent Edwards was about as bad as he has ever been after a somewhat promising pre-season. The defence was not too bad overall, giving up only 13 points. I had thought that the Bills would have difficulty stopping the run but would score points with a strong running game, improved quarterback play and an offensive specialist head coach. This could still become the pattern.

Heading in to the not quite frozen tundra of Lambeau Field next week to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, I can not help wondering how I am going to find anyone to go see the Jaguars, Lions or Browns later in the season if the losses keep piling up as they surely will.

My 2010 Bills Forecast

Chan Gailey had just been named Bills head coach when I last posted here in January. There has not really been much to be excited about over the last 8 months, let alone write about. But, the season is about to start so I thought what the hell.

On August 19th, my friend and I took our $125 seats (half the original price I paid 2 years ago) in the 500 level of the sleepy Rogers Centre for pre-season game number 2 and game number 4 in what seems to have become an sort of "white elephant" of sports promotions called the Bills Toronto Series . We planned on have a beer, chatting and leaving at halftime. The Bills treated us to 3 first quarter touchdowns on their way to a 24-21 lead over the Colts when the first stringers left near halftime. I had watched the entire (sorry to say) debacle in Washington the previous week and my expectations were low. CJ Spiller electrified the crowd (ok, "electrify" is way too strong but I found it mildly electrifying) with a long TD run and Edwards hit a wide open Lee Evans with a long bomb as well. Payton Manning played well into the second quarter, the roof was open on a nice evening and I left at halftime (I caught the whole game later in the week on NFL Network) feeling better than I thought I would.

The 53 man roster was announced this past weekend and, looking at this year's depth chart, there realy is no reason to think that the team will even challenge to be .500. The most glaring area is the offensive line which has no proven top flight players and a very thin reserve list. The defencive backfield, on the other hand looks very good by league standards. Would we rather have a good O line and a weak secondary? I'd probably say yes to that.

As always, we'll see. One of the NFL's most appealing phenomenons is that teams can change profoundly in the course of a year. In addition to being too short on talent to realistically hope for anything much this season, the Bills appear to have a very tough schedule, especially early on, but maybe some of those teams which were very good last year will fall off as veteran players age, injuries mount etc. What looks like a relatively easy schedule can be a brutal one too. Maybe this year, somehow, the Bills can be one of those teams that makes other teams schedules more difficult. It could happen.

But it probably won't. I say they will finish 5-11 and win against the Bears - their first regular season win in Toronto.

Bills Introduce New Head Coach

Hello Chan Gailey. Ever been to Toronto? I guess you'll be coming in August, if not before.

I have been reading about your coaching credentials. And, I have been reading about Bills season ticket holders who are planning to cancel, boycott and generally give up now that you have been named head coach. They wanted Cowher or maybe Billick. I will be renewing and hoping to move to section 112. We'll see.

Back to your coaching credentials. Pretty impressive I'd say. The Chiefs gig was just not meant to be and you were fired as OC in the pre-season. Head Coach at Georgia Tech for 5 years before that and various other NFL positions including 2 years with the Cowboys where you made the playoffs both years. Bills fans would take a playoff season in 2010 but we're going to need a great draft and some luck - something we have not had much of the last 10 years.

Good luck to you Chan Gailey. Buffalo needs you to be successful. If you are, they will give you the rusting key to the city and they will love you. In 1987, The Bills made what was considered to be a similarly questionable hire: an aging coach who had been around the block a few times in different leagues and who was out of work at the time after having been fired by the Kansas City Chiefs. He's in the Hall of Fame now and remains one of the most popular sports figues in Western New York and Southern Ontario. Something to shoot for.

Bills 30, Colts 7

We spent the last 5 days in Muskoka. Excellent skiing, saunas and burning lots of firewood - especially Saturday and Sunday. It was -5 on Wednesday at lunchtime then it warmed up to zero on New Years Eve and stayed there for about 24 hours before the cold air moved in. Saturday morning at 6.30am, it was -22 and the high reached -16. Had a quick skate on Wednesday afternoon. The ice was about 7 inches thick. The snow was sticky on the fish-scale skis on New Years Day but became powdery and fast with the cold.

The Fan 590 carried the wintery Bills game and we listened to all of it as we crept down Hwy 400 through the snow and heavy holiday traffic. I also heard large chunks of the post-game press conferences including Perry Fewell's. He is a likeable guy and, although he is considered a long shot to get the permanent coaching job, I hope he stays with the team either way.

As always, the Bills off-season is sure to be a busy one and, like most of the last 10 years, more exciting then the season itself. New GM Buddy Nix has lots of work to do. Let's hope he knows what he's doing.