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!!!