Memphis, TN

On the Lord’s day I woke and went to Otherland’s Coffee Shop to get some grading done while sipping some much needed caffeine. Otherland's is always a place I can get some work done and run into to some friends. It is quite ironic that as my friend base ages I see them less in the bars and more in the coffee shops. My angry friends Tusky and Baruch hate coffee shops! Tusky describes them as place for cowards, who are, “… too afraid to go to bar at noon.” Baruch describes them as a place for pseudo-intellectuals. Here is my opinion. For every “Ron Paul is God” and legalize marijuana conversation I overhear at a coffee shop I hear morons who know nothing about sports at bars. In the end people are people, who cares.

The Canadian Duck Man met me for breakfast at Barksdale’s. We walked from the coffee shop because despite being December 9th it was 70 degrees outside, and humid! Barksdale’s is a great breakfast spot right off of Cooper in Midtown, Memphis. Great cup of coffee, good service, and a great biscuit, the true mark of any breakfast joint in the south.

Brutally good movie

After watching some football games I met McGoogle at the movies to watch, “No Country For Old Men” by the Coen Brothers. Wow! What a movie! The end was a bit abrupt but the stark brutality and the acting was fantastic. The movie is based on the Cormac McCarthy book of the same name. One of the interesting things I read about the movie adaptation is that the dialogue is word for word from the book. The order of events is also exactly the same. I am not a film expert but I’m pretty sure these things are very rare.

Memphis, TN

I did have much free time this week. The teams I coach had three games this week. We struggled mightily. The 8th grade team finally put it together for a big win against their archrival the Turkey’s. Yes, you read that right. The Turkeys hail from one of the other all-girls’ schools in town. Despite the losses the 7th grade team is making progress and continues to get better with each game they play.

On Wednesday the gang from the BBQ I belong to, Magically Piglicious, assembled for our initial organizational Memphis in May meeting at Old Zinnie’s. This meeting actually had more than just two members present, so as a result more beer was consumed and business actually got done. It is a good crew and since it is our fourth year it runs quite well. After the meeting I met up JC and my sis, who was in town for a couple of days to baby-sit for friends. I good time was had by all!

The pre-fab Irish bar in East Jesus, Memphis

Saturday, I met up with Tusky and Baruch, the rock n’ roll accountant for a few drinks at the East Jesus location of Dan McGuiness. The Stephany cousins met us there. It was good to blow off some steam fro the busy preceding week.

West Memphis, AR and Memphis, TN

I went over to the Big Kat’s house to watch some the conference championship games with him and Steph. It is always a good time at their place. Steph spoiled us with what Big Kat calls his proletariat meal a.k.a. “Meal of the People”. That meal consists of mini corn dogs and tater tots. It was his favorite meal while he was at the “H”. I had gone on a beer run to the Walgreens in West Memphis, AR for one of my favorite breweries, New Belgium Brewery out of Fort Collins, Colorado. I picked up a six pack of their winter ale, called “2 Below”. I had about three but had to stop because it really packed a wallop. My favorite brand they brew is another one of their seasonal brews, “Skinny Dip”.

Winter Seasonal beer.

Why West Memphis you ask? Two reasons main reasons. One, New Belgium Brewery does not distribute to east of the Mississippi. They are not the only brewery to follow this policy. Coors has a similar story back in the 80’s. Since West Memphis is across the Mississippi River it is technically a western region so it has these harder to get beer brands. Secondly, the Walgreens, off the Missouri street exit of I-40, is a sort of bonanza for beer, wine, and liquor. The prices are cheep and the stock pretty complete. In the end the Walgreens is great for a specialty buy or buying bulk for parties. I make the run about once a month. While I’m over there I load up on groceries and fill up the car with gas. All of which is cheaper due to Arkansas’ tax set up. Hey some people shop for clothes I shop for beer. If you read this blog at all regularly this should come as no big surprise. As a side bonus the transportation of beer across state line is technically illegal. This law is not really enforced, but the thrill of “breaking the law” makes the endeavor that more fun!

My favorite beer out of the New Belgium stable, Skinny Dip

Memphis, TN
Normally I write about my goings on and various activities but I thought I might highlight something that I think is great…,

Memphis finally has a decent Hostel!

I have traveled over the world and have stayed at many different Hostels. The clientele and decor always interesting. The ones in German are strict and have minimum and maximum ages. Others in Amsterdam cater to party people. Most hostels are for any age. They operate on the premise that you as a traveler want to spend your money on sites and experiences rather than a luxury place to sleep. If you think about it this way it makes sense. Why spend a ton of money on a place that you only sleep in. There has even been a few times that only my luggage spent the night at the hostel! Hostels, because of their communal nature, are also great places to meet people and get recommendations on sights to see and places to go. My hostel experiences, both good and bad, are some of the greatest memories of my travels around the world.

Well I saw in the Lamplighter, a Cooper-Young neighborhood monthly that a church/community resource center called First Congo (First Congregational Church) opened at hostel called Pilgrim House Hostel and Retreat Center. First off for anyone wary of religious types do not worry the folks at First Congo are certainly spiritual but just a certainly one of the most laid back group’s you will ever run across. For instance they run a program called the Community Bicycle Initiative with neighborhood kids where if the kid learns how to repair bicycles and put a set amount of volunteer hours working on bicycles then the kid gets one. They also have the MeDiA Co-op which gives work shops on using and utilizing digital media. Like I said the place is cool.

For those who do not know Memphis the Cooper-Young area is a neighborhood located in the heart of Midtown Memphis that has tons of dining, bars, book stores, coffee shops, and just cool places. I am biased because I used to live there but trust you will have fun. To those who come across this don’t worry about distance from downtown. The cab ride is about ten bucks and there is bus (#2) that runs right downtown (Medical Center Loop) with access to the bus station, train station, and of course Beale Street. The bus also runs to the airport. In other words the location is ideal.

The Cooper Young trestle welcomes visitors

The rates are very reasonable and only out of towners (both foreign and domestic) can stay there. The Pilgrim House Hostel also has laundry facilities, a group kitchen, internet access, and off street parking. My good friend Mocha Dave and I would often speculate, scheme, and conjecture about how to do good hostel in Memphis. These folks seem to have pulled it off.

Kitchen

Hallway to private and community rooms

Top Five Personal Hostel Memories

1. Breaking into our hostel in Munich through a window because we were out way too late at the Hofbrau House.
2. JW's “natural” sleep attire in community bedroom at Jatzek’s Hostel in Amsterdam.
3. Eating curry chips (french fires) from a late night chipper watching two drunken fools make out through the window of my Belfast Hostel.
4. Camping out in a tent in the backyard of a Dingle Peninsula hostel for one pound and waking up to a spectacular sunrise of over the Dingle Bay.
5. An untold “incident” at the hostel in Krakow, Poland. Nuff’ said.
   
   

Memphis, TN

If you work in downtown Memphis you certainly noticed well over 200 middle school students in business attire wandering around various government offices. Unfortunately this was not a coup by the young people. The students were there for Model United Nations sponsored by the YMCA of the Mid South. The conference introduces middle school students the basics of the United Nations General Assembly. The students do research, draft, and debate resolutions. (Here is link to some the resolution)

The girls from the “H”, under the guidance and tutelage of the 7th grade geography teacher and me garnered many honors. There were eight schools and eighty-eight total resolutions. Sixteen of the resolutions make it to the General Assembly. Our girls had seven of them. We had two of the three outstanding resolutions, and two of the five outstanding delegates. Great work!!!

The Gibson Lounge off of Beale Street

Amel Larrieux

Later on that night I joined the Canadian Duck, Kath, Truk, Mocha Dave, and Christina for a performance by Amel Larrieux at the Gibson Lounge off of Beale Street. She had a very soulful jazzy sound that was quite enjoyable. She was without her usual keyboard player, due to the impending birth of his child, and one of her back-up singers. Amazingly her thirteen year old daughter filled in. You could tell she was nervous at first. However with each song she gained more and more confidence. It was neat to see the mother daughter interaction. If want a listen to her music here is her Myspace page which has some of her music.

The Green Beetle from the outside

A stained glass of the interior of the Green Beetle with... Green Beetles.

Notice the tacky X-Mas sweaters. Great theme for a party!

A bar with lots of wood panneling and a reference to "Memphis State" is my type of bar.

Memphis, TN

To those of you who do not follow sports in general or NFL in particular were probably not aware of crisis involving the NFL Network and Time Warner. The crisis reached fever pitch with the Cowboys/Packers game on Thursday. If you can’t get aboard the whole sports theme here is a theme I KNOW you can get behind; HATING the cable companies!!! I would explain to the non sports people but you will have a much better chance of understanding by simply reading this article from ESPN.

Brett Farve before being knocked out of the game

Aaron Rodgers proved a very capable replacement for Farve

Normally I would go to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch this great game but it would be packed with a bunch of idiots who think they like the Cowboys or Packers. Since I had recently been to Alex’s, Baruch and I decided to go watch it there. Great Decision!!! The place was less packed but still had a great crowd. The wings, although more pricey, were wonderful. We were joined by the Big Mike, Cheryl, the Canadian Duck, and the Music Man. The game lived up to its billing. Much to Baruch’s delight the Cowboys pulled away at the end for a victory.

Here is a help guide from the Packers Website for those who had questions of how to be able to watch the game.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding wacthing the Packers game against the Cowboys

Memphis, TN

After Turkey day things were pretty quiet. Everyone was still recovering from what I believe to be the American of holidays. What better way to celebrate America than conspicuous consumption of large amounts of food and drink!!! God bless the USA!!!

I went out to Well’s place to watch the Brown’s with Uncle Dave. Another good win for the Brownies. They now have definitive playoff aspirations. I have feeling that the Browns will see the Steelers again in the playoffs, and it will not be good for the “Stillers”. Just a gut feeling.

Wednesday
I met with McGoogle for at Alex’s for a BBQ meeting. Unbeknownst to us, we did not check our e-mail, the meeting had been canceled. We continued the meeting none the less and decided the following things;

1. Pork will be served.
2. More beer is good.
3. A second Port O’ John is needed. (A third “manly” man Port O’ John was discussed. It would have no seat and only be used for urination, vomiting, and of course holding “Smiling Chuck” during judging)

All votes were unanimous (2 to 0)

Memphis, TN

Ruminations of Thanksgiving

The Speakeasy

Not sure whose idea it was but the garage was set up to accommodate people for Thanksgiving. It was furnished with a TV and a few tables and chairs for eating, drinking, hanging out. Most of the rapscallions congregated for simple reasons.

1. There desserts and cold libations were stored there.
2. There was a TV for football.
3. You were less likely to get favor/questions from Team Cheryl.

Shame Sticks

I am not sure the line when fact ends, myths begin, and legends are made. Somewhere in the ephemeral mist lives Mikey Boam. Famous too many, infamous to others, and a hero to me! Boam married into the clan through my cousin Julie. To take a football analogy way too far; Boam was a mid season acquisition to an already powerful team with simple championship ambitions. Since that moment, the goals have changed. Phrases like “best ever” have now been tossed around. I as usual digress. Boam has an affinity for butter, not as an ingredient but as a main course. Boam has “taken it to another level” or “given 110%” or fill in an overused line of your own. Boam has created Shame Sticks. They are sticks of butter rolled in sugar and then lovingly dipped in chocolate. Take a moment to envision that creation. Pure bypass laden brilliance. Boam isn’t even from the south. If he was he would surely deep fry it!!!

Three potential "SHAME STICKS"

Memphis, TN

My mom, as usual out did herself with the Thanksgiving meal. On this day her cooking and organizational skills are at their best. She was feeding twenty and all of the food came out at once. We gorged ourselves and some of the Thanksgiving favorites. The two dishes that I love the most are the homemade bread dressing (stuffing) and brussel sprouts in rich sauce with bacon. We had a great crew. They were old and new friends. Food was ate, naps were took, drinks were drank, and conversation had. I was stuffed and ready for bed around 8pm. It was great Thanksgiving.

Frank and Truk discuss stategy for turkey consumption

Only the young can resist the tryptophan of Turkey

Kath and Marj enjoy a post meal conversation.

Matt, Dylan, and Christa enjoy the spoils of Mom's cooking

Notice that the energy levels of the young ones

Members of "Team Cheryl" get the pre-meal game plan and instructions

Stephanys charing a laugh

The pork butt appetizer that was consumed "cave man" style

Aunt Sue with family, sans Buffy, wearing an old timey helmet

Caroline enjoying the meal

One of four areas that a eater can load up on food

Big Mike gives the meal a thumbs up

This was someone's dessert plate. I promised I would not mention Buff's name...whoops!

Big Mike, the music man, Scoots, and Southside Mike enjoy the meal

These grazing males methodically finished off the appetizer pork butt with their bare hands. Notice the look of manly satisfaction.

Memphis, TN

It was a short work week with it being the Thanksgiving holiday. That worked well because I was also fighting off a cold. I think I slept more this past week than any other time in my life. I am not a big sleep in guy. In fact I usually up around 5:30am each morning whether I have work or not. Do not confuse this habit with any sort of positive connotation. I full believe this is punishment for crimes of youth. It was not uncommon for me to sleep a whole day in college. That is not unheard of but it seriously impedes your ability to attend classes.

On Tuesday I checked out the CBU Bucs basketball game against the University Alabama at Huntsville. They came away with a quality win. (Game Recap) I sat with Oliver and we caught up with each other’s lives and family. I really need to call him more often. Reggie had a great game. Afterwards I went with Coach Mike and the rest of the Nienaber clan to the Bayou for a sandwich and a couple of beers, always a good time. Typical conversation topics are politics and basketball.

Wednesday, though gang went out for one of my favorite nights in the year. I always enjoy the night before Turkey Day drink fest. The crowd always includes a healthy dose of Stephanys, we were rolling five deep (There were five of us), friends, and friends of friends. There are some great stories from previous years that will not be told to protect the not so innocent. All I will say is that the “night” ended with Rocky burgers at Alex’s Tavern. If you are Memphis you can make you own assumptions about the quality of the effort!

Memphis, TN

The rest of the week was pretty typical for me; lots of teaching, reading students work, and coaching basketball. I got out a couple times to watch a game, grab a bite to eat, or drink a beer. On Thursday I did all three at once! On Saturday afternoon I met up with Lindsey W. and one of her friends for lunch at the Renedzvous. I worked with Lindsey two summers ago when she was main intern at the School of Public Service in DC. The program, sponsored by Vanderbilt, is called VIEW(Vanderbilt Intern Experience in Washington).

Lindsey did a fabulous job and was sorely missed last year. Not only was she supremely organized but the she truly cared about the program and the students in particular. Last summer she was a intern at the White House where she worked on press releases and other PR type duties. She is senior at Vanderbilt where she is a classmate and sorority sister with a bunch of my old students at the “H”. It was good to catch up with her and meet her friend. The ribs weren’t too bad either.


After a lengthy nap the rest of the afternoon, I visited a few watering holes in the midtown area to make sure the economy was being properly stimulated. Tough job, but someone has to do it.

Memphis, TN

I went to the CBU vs. Memphis basketball game tonight. The game is an exhibition game which does not count in the standings for either team. The Memphis Tigers are Division I team that is ranked 3rd in the country and CBU (Christian Brothers University) is a Division II team ranked in the top twenty of their division. Why do they play you ask? Well it gives Memphis a warm up game and CBU’s kids get to say they played against one the top teams in the county. Memphis blew the doors off the Bucs of CBU but really what did anyone expect. (Recap) What made the game fun to watch, besides being a fan of basketball, is the fact that I have my masters degree from CBU, the coach of CBU is a friend of mine, and I coached one of CBU’s top players, Reggie Peyton, in high school and grade school. I got to know Mike Nienaber through his son, Eddie, who I also coached in high school and the fact that I lived on campus as the Resident Director for three years. Here is a great article in the Memphis newspaper about the game and some of the CBU coaches and kids.

Reggie (5'10") breaking the press against Robert Dozier (6'9")

Here is video of one of CBU’s games last year against Harding. At about 50 seconds in the video watch Reggie make an amazing block. It is more amazing considering he is only 5’10”. Here is another video from a game against Delta State. At around the 40 second mark Reggie gets a pretty nice dunk.

Reggie running the point fro the Bucs

Reggie inbounding the ball against CDR (Chris Douglas-Roberts)CBU got whacked pretty badly but it was fun to watch Reggie take on some of the best players in the country. I drove Reggie to school every day for about four years, coached him in middle school football, high school basketball, and taught him for a year. We got pretty close in those years. He is like a little brother to me. Coaching him in football considerably helped my coaching record. His dad, Oliver, was the realtor when I bought my first house. It has been fun watching him grow up as a basketball player and a young man. I am really proud of the person Reggie has become.

Memphis, TN

I went out to Well’s place for the Browns/Steelers game. If anyone is a fan of either team you know very well this is not just a game, it’s a grudge match pitting to sworn enemies against each other. In my home town the rivalry divides the city. Erie is equidistant from Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. As a result the teams divide the city for fan loyalty. There are quite a few Bills fans but the number pales in comparison to Browns and Steelers fans. What makes it worse is that since Buffalo is technically the closest city there are many times that Browns/Steelers game is not shown because the Bills are playing on TV. This is bad for fans but great for sports bars. Here is an article about the rivalry in my hometown newspaper. Wells and I grilled out Brats, drank some beer, and watched the game. Wells is a rabid Browns fan which makes the game quite fun to watch. To get an idea of how much the two teams hate each other here is site called steelerssuck.com. The passion/obsession the south has for college football is the way the north is into pro football. When the Browns did not exist for a few years it caused an unbalance for the Steeler fans. The two fan bases need to hate each other. It is kind of a yin yang thing.

Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison decks a Browns fan who has run out on the field.

Big Ben being chased by the the Browns "D"

Memphis, TN
November 4th thru 10th

Sunday
In celebration of Katherine’s birthday Truk planned a surprise birthday bowling party for her. To anyone who may question the wisdom of a bowling party, relax…, Katherine loves to bowl. The party was well attended and everyone seemed to have fun. My bowling acumen was a bit off which shames my Middle America roots. If you want to know how much Erie likes bowling, just think of the old TV Show Rosanne. Its storylines regarding bowling live accurately depicts my hometown. When the gang gets together to bowl we take names that match our alternative personas. Some go with old stand by’s while others go with a “porn” name developed by using your middle name a street you once lived on. Either way when your combine the bowling and the company it’s a good time.

Guess which is Pete's name.

Later on I met Baruch to watch the Cowboys/Giants game at BW Three’s.

Tuesday

I caught the Memphis Tigers vs. Richmond Spiders basketball game at the FedEx Forum with the Big Kat Ronnie. It was the second round of the Coaches vs. Cancer preseason tournament. The Tigers play could be described as lethargic at best. Richmond ran an efficient “Princeton” style offense. The offense basically has the center operating as the distribution area at the free throw line. It was made famous by Pete Carril the legendary basketball coach at Princeton, ergo the name. Memphis eventually pulled away from the Spiders and won 80 to 63. One thing is for certain is this; Derrick Rose is the real deal. We have hyped some players such as Dujuan Wagner (Where has he gone?) and Darius Washington who were very good but the Rose kid is good as advertised. He is one of the quickest players I have ever seen play.

Derrick Rose being Derrick.

Thursday

Tonight I had the privilege of attending the Facing History and Ourselves Benefit at the Peabody Hotel. The key note speaker was actress and oral historian Judith Sloan who acted out stories of individuals in her exhibit on immigration, CROSSING THE BLVD. This exhibit uses photographs, stories, and sounds to intimately portray the lives of new immigrants and refugees living in the culturally diverse community of Queens, N.Y. The performance was amazing. If you want to get know real stories of immigrants you can get the book which is awe inspiring. I ran into a bunch of old friends at the dinner. One of which was the Hardy Thames, an old colleague from my Bridges days. Here is a copy of his speech he gave about Facing History and his student Khadija Hassan who also spoke. Khadija was in one of my groups of FutureBuilders about four years ago. She has an amazing story of her struggle to escape the Rwandan genocide. Here is column about her by Commercial Appeal columnist Wendi Thomas. (You must read this!) I have been working with Facing History in one way or another for over ten years. Twelve years ago when I was mid year replacement at Bishop Byrne the principal Neddy Brookshaw recommended me for the program’s training session. I will be eternally indebted to her for that. Facing History has been the one common thread at every one of my teaching stops.

Friday

After teaching school and basketball practice I met up with Truk at the Rhodes’ pub, the Lynx Lair, for a ping pong match and a couple of pints of Guinness. Truk bested me in a best of five match. We were closely matched in talent but Truk pulled away in the fifth set. The new pub is quite nice and the Guinness was well poured. Anyone who is a lover of the “black stuff” will know what I mean by that. Let’s put it this way. I you order a Guinness and get it quickly the server does not what they are doing. In order to ensure a full pint ready when you are finished drinking the current pint one should order it about half way through. That’s just my opinion. We called it early due to our cooking gig at the Rhodes vs. Sewanee football game the next morning.

Saturday

I rose from slumber this morning at 6:15am to meet up with Truk to head over to Rhodes. This Saturday at the Rhodes vs. Sewanee football game was the faculty/staff appreciation cook-out. Truk as a Rhodes employee and alumnus got me involved last year and I was lucky enough to get asked back to the cooking crew officially. The crew led by Bud, who works in the alumni office, cooks authentic gumbo, red beans and rice, sautéed shrimp, and jambalaya. How authentic you ask? Well Joby (99’), from Dulac, La said that the shrimp that we peeled and cooked on Saturday slept in the Gulf on Wednesday night till his uncle, who is a shrimper, caught them Thursday morning. I did was do what was I was told. I peeled shrimp, cut chicken, and drank Bloody Marys. The food was on time and well received by the faithful faculty/staff/alumni/fans. I had a great time and hope to go it again next year. I enjoyed multiple naps the rest of the day while watching football.

Memphis, TN

This is entering into my really crazy time of the year. The first week of November for Pete means the beginning of middle school basketball at the “H”. I am the head coach of both the 7th and 8th grade teams. This is my fifth season at the helm of the Sting. Over the years the teams have had pretty good success considering that basketball is usually the second or third sport of choice for our girls. In the four previous years our girls have won two championships in our league which is composed of other independent schools in the Memphis area. As frustrating as it can be at times I enjoy coaching immensely. I will try to keep readers updated on the progress of the teams. Either way it takes up a great deal of my time. So basically between the months of November and early February I spend a lot of time focused on the middle school hoops scene in Memphis.

Intrasquad scrimmage at the "H"

I had a really nice time out with Dave, Christina, Truk, and Katherine. We all met up downtown for a meal at Sauces, a new spot off South Main in downtown Memphis. The place has a nice feel and the food was great. I had the pan seared tuna with a rosemary and basil sauce. It is a bit overpriced but not ridiculously so. After dinner we ambled down to Blues City Pastry for some coffee and dessert. We closed the evening with a couple of beers at Bosco’s in Overton Square. We all do not get to do this as often as we would like. This group goes back to 1989 and Rhodes College.

The gang enjoys a meal at Sauces.

Kath and Dave select a treat Blues City Pastry

The bar at Boscos Squared

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!!!