Memphis, TN

OK, I know it has been a while since I’ve updates any of the goings on of Pete. This is going to be cliff note version of my activities because I have been pretty busy with school and pretty lazy whenever I can find time to. SO here it goes.

October Highlights

Bolivar, TN

Eighth grade retreat

Right after fall break at the “H” we had our annual 8th grade retreat out a Victory Ranch in Bolivar, TN. The place is camp that has both high and low ropes course elements and tons of other activities for young and old. It operates primarily as a summer camp, weekend retreats, and corporate team building. Ropes courses seem to be the vogue and “in” thing that all private schools, youth groups, and corporate “team building” are jumping on. What I have found is that unless you brief, facilitate, and debrief the activities then they all they turn into is fun games that people do and very little is accomplished. The very best facilitators that I have seen are the BridgeBuilders Staff and groups that I worked for a number of summers. All the girls seemed to have a good time.

Pete scaling the climbing wall

A student doing a much better job of it.

This is not meant to be a criticism of the folks at Victory Ranch. Our retreat is not designed to do what I mentioned. Our activity is supposed to be a bonding time our girls and faculty. Victory Ranch’s facilities our first rate and it is always a very relaxing time for our faculty because their staff does a great job with the kids.

Pete, preflight.

Pete, or is it "Peter Pan"?

It's a bird, it's plane, it's SUPERPETE!!!!!

Flying is exhausting

"Roughing" it at the lodge.

Memphis, TN

Family Fun

My aunt Mary, a.k.a., “The Goat” was in town for a visit. The Goat runs Stephany Catering, the place that my Grandma started over 30 years ago. My cousin Jeff, The Goat’s san, is slowly taking over reigns from her as she eases into retirement. She is a retired Special Education teacher from the Erie School District. She taught at East High School, where my grandpa and grandma went to school, my Dad student taught, and my cousin Julie, is the Librarian. Needless to say there is some history there. We had a great time. Some highlights were a cross generation kegger, a Rendezvous visit, and lots of hanging out and visiting. I’ll see her around X-Mas but I hope she comes back to Memphis soon. She seemed to have fun and it was good to have her in town.

The Stephany clan getting their "rib on"!

Idiocy at its finest

Another highlight was a day long football watching with Tusky and Craig at the Brookhaven. One of the highlights was a contest invented by yours truly which entailed four “grown” men putting their hand in a bucket of ice water. The last one to pull their hand out was declared the “winner” (Let’s be honest here, if we are doing this none of us are anywhere close to “winners”). As a note: I, as creator of the contest, was the very first out!!!