Update: Week of June 28th to July 3rd

I apologize to all of the blog readers, all three of you, for my lack of posts. My summer has been pretty busy and lots of fun. In year’s past I have used the blog to fill you in on the School of Public Service. Well the actual best way to keep up with that the official blog that our program keeps. It has lots of photos and background information on our speakers, activities, and case studies. (That’s one of the things keeping me busy). There is a link to it on the right hand column of this blog, but in case here is the link also.

http://www.schoolofpublicservice.blogspot.org/

Outside NBC Studios before Meet the Press

Sunday, June 28th
As always it was exciting for the students and I to watch a filming of Meet the Press. The guests for the show we watched were great. The first part of the show featured and interview with David Axelrod, then there was a discussion of the status of the Republican Party with Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham. The last half hour featured a political roundtable which featured Dee Dee Myers, E.J. Dionne.


The rest of the day students and teachers read up for their case studies and then broke into individual groups for dinner. My group went to 2 Amy’s, a great pizza place around the corner from the Albans. We had a great meal and better discussion.

Monday, June 29th

We celebrate Sanko’s birthday at the Quarterdeck in Arlington. Blue Crabs are good lovin’! That’s four years in a row!!!!

Tuesday, June 30th

Main Hall at the Naval Academy

Our group went to the Naval Academy in Annapolis for the day. We were hosted by Dr. Wrage, who teaches Political Science at the Academy. It was a great visit, we toured the school first then Dr. Wrage led the students in a case study about Navy seals in Afghanistan. The students were great and they really seamed to enjoy Dr. Wrage’s teaching style and expertise.

Dr. Wrage giving a tour of the Naval Academy before class

After class everyone was given the afternoon free to get some lunch on their own and tour downtown “Naptown”. (Annapolis). I met up with Chris Ch. We go back pretty far, his dad and mine worked together at Int. Paper and he and my sister worked together there as well. We met for lunch at the great little Irish Pub where we enjoyed a few pints of the “Black Stuff” and a sandwich. It was great catching up. I LOVE meeting up with friends in random cities and spots. It was great catching up.

Old Town Annapolis

Arlington National Cemetery

Marine Corps Sunset Parade

Wednesday, July 1st

Spent a day in DC leisure. I walked about three miles through the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Upper NW. Then after a faculty meeting prepped for the case study that I was teaching on Friday about General Patreaus in Mosul at one of my favorite book stores/coffee shops in DC, Politics and Prose. In the evening I cooked dinner for Norm and Virginia at their house.

The greatest bookstore .., ever!

Friday, July 3rd

After a great class I had the good fortune to have my students hear from Paul Ignatius, former Secretary of the Navy, and father of David Ignatius, author and columnist for the Washington Post. He sat in on my class, I thought I was going to brick my pants when he walked in, but after class he was extremely complimentary of the students and me. It was nice to hear.

The students made their way to a Nats-Braves game and I enjoyed some R & R at Norm’s place in Alexandria. I readied the home for the impending party. It was great to enjoy a teen free evening and morning. Met some cool folks. Fran, a friend through Norm, was hosting two thru walkers on the Appalachian Trail or AT. A friend of mine had done that and it was great to hear their stories.

The first week is done already?

After the Supreme Court Visit

The first week of the School of Public Service has passed and in my opinion passed well. The students worked three case studies that ranged from scandal and mistreatment of US veterans at Walter Reed hospital to potential ethical violations by the a major TV network. They researched, prepared, and argued a current Supreme Court case (their ruling nearly mirrored the real Supreme Court Decision). The class of 09’ visited the local federal court and toured the Supreme Court with the current Clerk of the Court, William Suter. They also took a twilight tour of the monuments along the National Mall led by yours truly. They are a splendid group, who are a joy to teach and hang out with. The only downer of the week was getting rained out from an outdoor showing of “Footloose” on Friday night.

The Jefferson Memorial right before sunset

I’ve been pretty busy teaching three case studies and prepping for another one this next week. I have managed to catch a showing of Transformer 2 and catch up with an old college friend for a little night life in the district. I’ve been “busy” but being able to squeeze a nap in every day while working is still quite good.

Outside the Washing Post after meeting with Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Priest

A decent diddy by TJ.

The Pulitzer Prize and the Transformers

Anyone who knows me, and specifically has lived with me knows my love of newspapers. I have always enjoyed the Washington Post and in the last five years where I “summer in DC”, I have grown to love it even more. Well today our group went to the offices of the Washington Post to meet with Dana Priest who won a Pulitzer Prize for her series on Walter Reed Medical Hospital last year, which we studied in class the previous day.

Her talk was informative and illuminating. She spoke of how she and her colleagues go about their research, establish contacts, and how release of the stories is sometimes negotiated with people all the way to the White House. It’s nice to hear from a reporter and newspaper that take their role as the “4th branch” of the government seriously. She spoke of the provisions that the US Constitution provides for the press.

She was passioned and the students asked great questions which makes me feel good as one of the teachers that prepped them for the meeting. She also spoke of the dedication of the Post’s staff, especially in times of crisis. She talked about the devastating crash that occurred on the Red Line of the Metro earlier this week and how those who were not even on the clock worked the story. I’ll include one of the stories from today that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

After returning to the Albans campus the students heard from Stuart Gerson prepped for their moot court case that they will be doing tomorrow. The case they are arguing is Safford Unified School District v. Redding(Click on the case for breakdown) which centers on the constitutionality of strip-searching a student at a public school in search of drugs. Every year the program picks a great case. The students really get into it.

I skipped dinner to meet up with Bill to continue a tradition started in high school. We went and saw Transformers 2: The Rise of the Fallen. Awesome, simply awesome. Although short on plot it was heavy on violence, special ops, and of course Megan Fox running. This makes the third Transformers Bill S. and I have seen together. Three? You say. Let’s not forget the first cartoon movie that came out in the late 80’s with the awesome theme song, “You’ve got the touch”. Well back in our Cathedral Prep days Billy, Phil K, and myself went to see the original in the theater. We were the only people there above 15 without children present. Two summers ago Bill and I saw the latest “Original” and tonight we completed the trilogy.

I am going to embed two YouTube clips for your enjoyment of the main them song from the true original movie and a scene from Boogie Nights, yes Boogie Nights. If you watch both you’ll see why.

The Stan Bush version fromt he original movie

Dirk Diggler's version

Let the learning begin!

After a wonderful stay/visit with Bill I moved into the dorms on Sunday morning. I can’t believe that we have known each other for almost 25 years. Wow, I’m old. I digress. I always look forward to meeting the group each year. Every year they are great and this year they are no different. These kids come from Massachusetts to California and Texas to Montana. A very impressive bunch.

I reprised my role as grill master for the opening cookout. SPS even bought a new grill for festivities. I love cooking in general and grilling specifically. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and the acoustical stylings of one of the St. Albans added to the enjoyment of the evening.

Prepping for class

As of this entry I have already taught two case studies. The first was a collection of ten vignettes of where the group was to decide when, if ever, it was OK to lie in various scenarios. From government officials both elected and appointed to various quasi government operatives and even the press. The discussion was lively and intellectual.

Class time

The second case study was a collection of stories from the expose by Dana Priest on the Walter Reed Medical Center scandal that dominates the front pages of the Washington Post for weeks last year. The discussion highlighted the difficulties of inter and intra agency communication and how it adversely affected our nation’s veterans. The article also serves as a prep for our visit to Washington Post on Wednesday where we will tour the newsroom and having a discussion with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dana Priest.

I’m very busy but having lots of fun!

Tales of the Road

It’s Tuesday evening and I’m sitting in the courtyard of the senior circle of St. Albans listening to bells of the National Cathedral chime away. It’s a glorious 78 degrees and some of the SPS class of 09’ is playing badminton.

After a crazy trip up to DC things have calmed down and made for a spectacular time.

I began my journey to DC last Wednesday afternoon. It was great driving weather until I hot Knoxville where I met with tornados and torrential down pours. It really only screwed with driving for about an hour, it seemed once I turned up I-81 the weather cleared. After vowing to get at least out of Tennessee on the first leg of the journey, that’s @7 hours plus, I found a hotel with my trusty iPhone in the hamlet of Bristol, Va. I got in, got to sleep, and was able to take off in the morning ahead of schedule, or so I thought.

About 15 minutes into the ride I noticed my BRAND NEW tires pulling heavily to the left and after about a minute of, “This can’t be happening” a car pulled up next to me and mimed, “your tire is flat”. I pulled off the highway as soon as safely possible and was able to park in an industrial park. The was a “Wide Load” crew resting and they were nice enough to offer help fill up my tire with air. The air left nearly as quickly as it was put in.

So I’m in nowhere Virginia with a flat tire, I’m screwed. I called AAA; they were as helpful as blind man in a scavenger hunt. So I turned to the love of my life, my iPhone, or iLeen, as I call her. I did a Google search for tire/auto shops and with the help of the iPhone’s GPS feature found a shop 4 miles away. The search results connect automatically to a phone number. I called; spoke to a helpful woman named Sara, and after changing to the spare tire made my way to Main Street USA in rural Virginia. Mel, the shop manager, and Sara were a breath of fresh air. They checked my tire and rim and realized that I needed a new tire because the last place did not replace the air valve. They were quick, efficient, and soooo helpful. They made a potentially horrible situation almost pleasant. I was fixed and on my way in less than 45 minutes.

Nationals baseball

The national pastime in the nation's capital. Harris won the game in the bottom of the 12th inning with a walk off home run. Since I have begun my trip to DC the Nats have won 4 in a row, coincidence?

A great Saturday in the nation's capital!

Having a great time in DC so far. I met three of my former students who live and work here out for a few drinks in the capital hill area of town last night.

Slept in and the we made put way out to the burbs for a going away crab boil for Rex and his family who are moving to Wisconsin. The maryland blue crabs were delicous.

I'm at the Nationals game right now on a beuatiful evening on DC. Good times.

Pete out.

On the road again

It's always bittersweet leaving Memphis for my ramblings each summer.
My summers are always fun and rewarding.

I can't wait for the School of Public Service to start at St. Albans.

Staying in Bristol, VA for the night after getting 8 hours on the
road. The weather was great except for torrential rains for about 45
minutes around Knoxville. The rains subsided and the storms made for a
fantastic night sky.

Peace out from Virginia! I'll be in DC by the afternoon.
Sent from my iPhone

The Friday Night Storm

We had a crazy storm run through Memphis around 5pm this afternoon. Heavy rain, hail, tornado warnings and watches. The storm knocked over a bunch of trees and power all over town (my building was fine). Over 120,000 homes n Memphis are without power as of 11pm tonight, with some estimates of a week for restoration.

So after the storm breaks Weiss heads over to my place to watch the movie "In Bruges", awesome dark comedy. In the middle of the movie he looks out the window and sees a rainbow. It was weird to see such a beautiful sight while seeing and hearing emergency trucks all over town.

Two views from my condo window.

After the movie we went up to the roof and caught these views. Only nature could produce something so destructive and beautiful at the same time. Here are some pics, they don't do the scene justice.

The sun begins to set on the Mississippi.

Wow!

It was one of the best sunsets I have seen.

Sunset

Yesterday was a very good day. The weather in Memphis was uncharateristically cool, a high of 80. I read most of the day, had lunch with Truk, rooftop beers with Big Kat and Steph, and then a small snack at my favorite local watering hole, Bardog. Good times...., good times.

Condo Living at the Claridge House

The Claridge House

Condo living in Memphis is a nice thing. I just celebrated my 5th anniversary of living downtown in the Claridge House. My condo was built in 1924 and for a long time it was one of THE places to stay and hang out in Memphis. The condo association just finished a rooftop deck this past month. I freakin' love it. I'm there all the time. There was a nice write up about the condo in the Commercial Appeal this past Sunday.

Here are some photos and the article.

Memphis history meets modern convenience in Claridge House

By John Wood
Sunday, May 31, 2009

If you have a taste for Memphis history and an appetite for all of the exciting Downtown activities, then you may want to consider living at the Claridge House Condominiums, located in the heart of Downtown Memphis at Main and Adams.

Best known prior to conversion as the Claridge Hotel, this 17-floor structure that was originally built in 1924 served as a focal point of Memphis social life for more than three decades -- hosting such well-known performers as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the King himself, Elvis Presley.

Positioned directly on the trolley line next to Memphis City Hall and close to AutoZone Park, Beale Street, FedExForum, the new University of Memphis Law School that is opening in December and Cook Convention Center, Claridge House is one of the most convenient residential locations in the Downtown area.

And Claridge House is an even better place to live today, now that a 900-square-foot deck has been added to the roof level to provide residents with a grand view of the Mississippi River, the Government Plaza fountains, the Hernando DeSoto (I-40) Bridge, The Pyramid and all of Downtown Memphis.

"It is so nice to just relax on the new deck and take in the view," said Sandy Meloni, Crye-Leike sales agent for Claridge House Condominiums. "Our Claridge House board played a big part in building this deck, but many others contributed their personal time to fulfill the dream. Two of our residents, Bob Jacobson of Code Solutions Group and Gary Meloni of S. Meloni Metal Products, who has been in the stair and railing manufacturing business for more than 40 years, gave freely of their expertise and volunteered hundreds of hours of their personal time to help manage the project to completion."

As a testament to the appeal of the Claridge House, only one of the 158 units involved in the conversion is still available for sale, but as Sandy Meloni is quick to point out, there are a few resale units available for people who would like to live at the Claridge House.

"Claridge House is only a block and a half away from the location of the new U of M Law School, and we've already had three law students purchase a home here," Meloni explained. "It's pretty obvious they see the advantages of living at the Claridge House."

Besides the new roof deck, residents enjoy many of the other amenities of the Claridge House, like the stainless steel indoor swimming pool, the hot tub and fitness center that is available 24/7, the party room that comes complete with big screen TV, a bar and catering kitchen, and lots of space for invited guests. Built in a segment of the 17th floor of the Claridge House that originally was a rooftop party area, the history of this party room is as grand and extensive as the views of Memphis from its windows.

For more information about the Claridge House Condominiums or possibly to take in the view from the new roof deck, call Sandy Meloni at 218-4416. She'll be happy to arrange a tour of the building and as well as the studios and the one- and two-bedroom units that are still available for purchase at the Claridge House.

Farmer's Market at Central Station in downtown Memphis

After a grand time last night on the rooftop deck of my condo with some friends I woke up this morning and made my way over to the Memphis Farmer's Market at Central Station downtown. Other than buying some bread I had no specific shopping list but I knew I wanted to find enough things to make a meal for Sunday evening. I had a great morning to shop and people watch. I ran into a bunch of people. I ended up picking up some bread, goat cheese, olive tapenade spread, sweet potatoes, strawberries, and mixed greens.

So here will be the menu for Sunday:

Grilled Rosemary bread with olive oil, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.
Mixed greens with strawberries, walnuts, and a raspberry vinaigrette.
Sweet potatoes with brown sugar and butter.
Butterflied chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese and olive tapenade.
Vanilla Ice Cream with strawberries

About 90% of the menu was purchased at the Farmer’s Market.

Summer is here!!!!!

Here are some photos of the scene at the Farmer's Market

The Summer of John

I love being a teacher. Although the summer has not officially begun; I have three out service days I have begun the process of preparing for nearly three months of unfettered “Pete Time”. For instance, this past week I was paid to go to dinner “On the Hill” in St. Louis and go to a Cubs/Cards game at the new Busch Stadium. Despite being sans beer because I was chaperoning the 8th grade trip. I was none the less paid to go on vacation.

A view of the Arch from below

I was glad to get home and look forward to closing up the school year so I can officially begin the yearly endeavor known as the “Summer of John”. For those who are not Seinfeld fans here is the contextual reference.

I have been quite busy the last few weeks. The good news is that pass quickly, the bad news is that I’m exhausted. I understand that much of the exhaustion stems from self made work and fun but it’s still quite real. In the last three weeks here is a brief summation of activities both professional and personal.

1. Taught and graded the 5 paragraph research paper process to 65 eighth graders.
2. Helped coach the “H” middle school track team to its first championship in four years.
3. Planned, set up, cooked, and partied my way through another fine BBQ Fest with the folks at Magically Piglicious.


"Guarding" the booth



4. Helped coach the varsity track team to a second place finish at the West Regional Championship.
5. Revisited my role as best man for a wedding on the Mississippi River during BBQ Fest.
6. Reviewed for, gave, and grader the 8th Grade World History Exam
7. Attended Baccalaureate and Graduation for the “H” class of 2009
8. Chaperoned 65 eighth grade trip to St. Louis(Photos).
9. Helped coach the varsity track team to a 7th place finish at the State Championship in
10. Murphreesboro, TN with one of my throwers was able to launch the shot a personal best of 34’4.5” to garner a 4th place finish.(photos)
11. Visited some friends in the “Boro” and was able to catch up.

As the “Summer of John” begins so to does Pete Big Bear emerge for his hibernation to begin his blogging. The only for sure items on the calendar for Pete are a return to the St. Albans School of Public Service and an extended stay in Erie, Pa to visit with the family.

Longer, more detalied background for the "Summer of George"

A good afternoon

Is there anything better than this view and good beer?

Ruminatbions aout the Southland in the spring time

I’m a middle aged man who still get’s a spring break; here’s a brief recap of mine.

I headed to Atlanta to visit some of the college friends. I stayed with my old roommate Owen, his wife Amy, and their daughter Emily. Great visit. While I was there I got to hang out the Charley H, and his brother, and got to see Stephen U. It was a very chill weekend. Some of the highlights, besides the company of course, were a trip to the Atlanta Zoo with Owen and Emily, great show at Smith’s Olde Bar, Ryan Adams concert at the Tabernacle, and lots of hanging out and relaxing.

Let me say that if you are ever in Atlanta and get to see a show at the Tabernacle, GO! The venue is phenomenal for both sight and sound. It is one of the most aesthetically and acoustically pleasing venues I’ve ever been to. On a side note I heard a great R and B, funked up version of the Cheers theme at Smith’s Olde Bat. I don’t know the name of the act, sorry.

There is nothing that clears my head and satisfies my soul like a great road trip. The drive from Atlanta fit the previous statement. I had just picked up the new Springsteen and Indigo Girls Albums on iTunes and I thoroughly enjoyed both. I knew it was going to be a great trip when I found a Dunkin Donuts on the way out of town. I mean seriously, how can anything beat a sunny day, clear roads, a Dunkin’ Donut with an extra large coffee, and great tunes for a 5 plus hour ride. On a particularly desolate part of Highway 78 in Alabama I switched music modes to some of Bon Jovi’s Greatest Hits. Judge all you want it was awesome.

The best part of the drive was pit stop in Holly Springs for lunch at a place called Phillips Grocery. It’s an old sundry store past the square and it has saliva generating burgers in a Mom and Pop atmosphere. I expected to have Atticus Finch wander in at any time.

How I found should probably be another entry altogether. Let me first state emphatically and a bit disturbingly that I LOVE my iPhone. Why I held out for long is beyond me. Second, I have to also thank Facebook for finding the place. Yes, I’m one of those people. I do not spend hours on the FB hanging out and wasting my time but I use the mobile version on my iPhone. Here was a reason that FB works, for me at least.

I just got finished “Livin’ on a prayer” with Bon Jovi and realized I had not eaten since my donut (ok two donuts) on the outskirts of Atlanta so I was I hungry, shocker. I’m in no mood to spoil the mojo I had going on by eating at some McFranchize so I get on FB and post, “Anyone know a good, old school, mom and pop, BBQ or burger joint, between Tupelo and Holly Springs, MS. Within an hour I get two great suggestions. The winning suggestion was by an old college friend who now runs a winery and lives in the Napa Valley. He states, “Phillips Grocery, best burgers in the world!” So I get on my trusty iPhone, Google the place, get an address, and let the GPS function of the phone, map out the directions to the place. An hour later, burger orgasm was achieved.

Head clear, belly full, and staring a week off of work staring me in the face. Good times..., good times

I love the new rooftop deck of my condo!

Enough said.

The Cardinals with Ryan Adams at the Tabernacle in Atlanta

Live from the Tabernacle

Enjoying a nice visit with Owen, Amy, and little Em. Catching a great
show at an awesome venue called the Tabernacle.

Sent from my iPhone

Memphis, TN

So I'm sitting here sipping on some coffee chillin' with some tunes. I should be correcting essays but I'm not in the mood to read 8th grade opinions on Hinduism and the caste system. I have a fun day ahead of me. I'm meeting a buddy at the Flying Saucer for a few pre-game libations. The #4 4 ranked Tigers are taking on Southern Miss at noon today. Later on in the day I'll catch #8 ranked (D2) CBU Bucs on senior day. It's hard to believe that Reggie is a senior in college, times flys.

A few items to mention.

ONE
Pay attention to this years version of the Indiana Hoosiers basketball team. Tom Crean inherited the mess that Kelvin Sampson left at the University (They should have NEVER let Bobby Knight go). Most of Sampson's players either jumped to the NBA, failed out of school, or transferred. Crean was left with a bunch of walk-ons and and leftovers.

Yes, I know the losses are piling up but that has to be a fun team to coach. You're over matched but the kids he has LOVE basketball. They have nothing to lose. Indiana has been surprisingly not totally outplayed. Yes their getting drilled a lot but the story is great. These kids are not prima donnas. Here is a link to a story about due to some injuries and the hard work of the young in question, a manager was elevated to the active roster (LINK). This is EVERY bench warmer and manager's dream. I know, I was both in basketball. In a world where high school kids have an entourage/posse that comes with them to college it so refreshing to hear stories like this in major college basketball.

TWO
My sixth grade team made it to the semi-finals of the end of season tournament. They lost to eventual champion by six points. I was very proud of them and had blast in the process.

THREE
I have been listening to This American Life from Chicago Public Radio (LINK) since this economy has been in the crapper and I have learned a ton. Remember something from nothing is pretty substantial. I really wish I paid more attention to Econ in college, both sophomore years.
I have thoroughly enjoyed their podcasts and Planet Money from NPR (LINK). If you want to TRY and understand our current economic crisis it's a MUST listen. I had a great conversation the other night with Aimee and Stephen about this topic. Good times.

FOUR
I little more narcissism, yes that' possible. The last Tiger home game I was selected to shoot free throws at halftime. I had 25 seconds to shoot and for every made free throw I would earn a free steak dinner at Cal's Steak House. So in front of @17,000 people at the FedEx Forum I made 4. Free food is always a great motivator. In a bit a good luck a good friend who was in attendance at the game had is camera and filmed the debacle and posted it to YouTube. Here it is. Careful the sound is quite loud, seriously.

Fun posters in Chicago bathrooms

This was the poster on the bathroom where we saw the burlesque show by
the Flamin' Dames.

Photo test

Snowy rural Illinois

Mobile blogging on the way to Chicago

Well I'm on the the move again. I decided to hit the road and visit my
sister in Chicago for the longer Presidents day weekend.

I'm writing this post from the meal car of the "City of New Orleans",
the Amtrak that runs from the Chicago through Memphis to well, you
figure it out and back. I'm heading north.

I was bored stiff so I'm experimenting with mobile blogging. Yes, new
ways I can bore people while on the road.

So this is test, if this had been a real blogging emergency this post
would have been followed by instructions.

Pete

RIP John Updike (March 18, 1932 - January 27, 2009)




I was introduced to Updike by father, through his "Rabbit" series of books. I loved his novel "Memories of the Ford Administration", I mean who else could form a novel from the Ford Pressidency? One of my favorite pieces that he wrote was about Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, titled, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu" which originally appeared in the New Yorker magazine.



Link to "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu"



As recently as 2006 he published a novel titled, "Terrorist" which was a great read.

Here is a link to an interview he gave on NPR. (link to audio)

His work will be missed.

By the way, "Pitchers and Catchers report in twenty days!"

I watched the swearing in and inaugural speech with the sixth graders at school yesterday. They were fun to watch, watching the whole ceremony. When the camera panned to mall the was a collective, "Whooow" from the group.

Needless to say with all the images of DC, I am chomping at the bit to head back there this summer for the School of Public Service at St. Albans.

We are studying Ancient Greece in my 8th grade World History class right now and ran across this quote the other day that I thought was appropriate for our time,

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out and meet it."

Thucydides

I just read a great article on Sports Illustrated's web site about basketball and the new President.

It's worth the read

Link to Article, "The Audacity of Hoops: How basketball helped shape Obama" by Alexander Wolff.

I saw this the other day on hulu.com (awesome site). It's hilarious and topical. Enjoy!

A year of reckoning

Macro observations of 2008
The Beijing Olympics were a site to behold. Although I missed the games in Beijing I was lucky enough to see the Olympic sites and village both before and after the games.

The world financial markets plunged and the US housing market went in the crapper.

Oil and gases prices fluctuated wildly. I paid $4.10 at one point in Chicago and filled up for $1.43 on New Years Eve

The US elected its first black (multi-racial if you want to be technical) president. And an aspect to the election that I think got a little lost in the shuffle is the gains the Dems got in the House and Senate. I am truly excited about the Obama presidency and equally leery about the growth of the Democrats majority.

My biggest non sports heroes, Tim Russert, passed away far too early in his life. I would have loved to see Sarah Palin try to avoid appearing on his show. Also I think the loss of him as news director let NBC political coverage devolve into a left wing FOX News. I loved Keith Olberman on Sportscenter…, not so much on MSNBC. Incidentally, I became totally addicted to realclearpolitics.com. If you like politics it’s a website that you must visit at LEAST once a day. It had news from every conceivable angle and both sides of the aisle.


Micro observations and recollections of 2008
The order of thoughts and words reflect no particular order of chronology or value.

My parents ended their second Memphis stint of six years and returned to my hometown of Erie, Pa to live.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Memphis Tigers national championship run. Although they lost in the final to Kansas in an agonizing fashion, the heartbreak was worth the ride. Memphis enjoyed great national exposure and it truly brought the city together in ways not seen since the days of Larry Finch in the early 70’s.

I was able to travel to and study in Japan once and China twice. The best part of it was that it was on someone else’s dime.

I welcomed a new girlfriend and saw our relationship start, grow, strengthen, weaken, and ultimately fail. No one’s fault but I suspect two extended trips to Asia and a fierce love of my own independence may have had something to do with it.

I saw a very frustrating professional year end and a very rewarding one begin. Let me note that frustration at my job is someone else’s best day so I fell guilty even mentioning it.

I saw the Cubs comeback from a seven run deficit and win less than twenty fours after finishing school for the year.

I rang in 2008 in New Orleans, and since then have spent around months (in total) away from Memphis, caught MLB games in Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Chicago, , taught in DC for a week, won a dancing award in Japan, joined Facebook, presented at a statewide conference in Nashville about teaching about Asia, drank green tea wish Shaolin Monks in the mountains of China, taught classes to via Skype and blogger from Japan and China, rode subways/metros in Atlanta, Chicago, DC, Shanghai, Beijing, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya, ate a seahorse, drank hundreds of beers, talked a little, ate hundreds of sandwiches, participated in an international BBQ contest, and climbed the Great Wall of China.., twice.

As the past year ended and the new one begins I sit on a patio drinking some coffee and appreciating my great life. I have a good job that I enjoy, great friends, and a wonderful immediate and extended family. I live in a city that I love. I am constantly challenged. My only “must do” for 2009 is to get healthy. There are many more things that I want to see and do and need to be in better shape to do many of them.

Happy New Year

I taught in DC

Memphis, TN

A few updates.

The presentation for TAIS went well in Nashville. It was my first time doing that sort of thing so formally and I enjoyed it. The only regret was the length of my session being two hours. My group had plenty to talk to about but we could have gotten just as much accomplished with half the time. Oh well, you live you learn.

I had a good time in Nashville, always do. I didn’t really have time to visit with any of the Nashville gang but a good time was had. Our group from the “H: was there a little of 36 hours but in that short amount of time we were able to

The crew from the "H" hit SATCO (San Antonio Tack Company) on West End for dinner. Great eats and it has buckets of beer. I was introduced to the place by Stephen E. and have enjoyed visiting it many times since.

We then hit Pancake Pantry for breakfast…, mmmmh pancakes. I had the southern version of “pigs in a blanket”, sausage links in pancakes. Fat man tested, fat man approved! BTW, the northern version, perfected by Grandma Steph, is meat and rice in sauce, wrapped in cabbage leaves. My description does the dish NO justice.

One of the benefits of being one of the few males at an all girls school were over 95% of the faculty are women is the fact then when we travel for school purposes I am often the only male and thus rarely have to share a room. This trip was the same and since the only single room open was an executive suite my stay at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel was quite luxurious.

Away from the work front, basketball season is upon us and that means lots of hoops for Pete. I went to the CBU vs. Memphis game and enjoyed watching the new Tiger recruits. I enjoyed watching CBU, its Reggie’s last year, and Coach Nienaber has put together a good team and they will be fun to watch. Reggie had a nice game, 18 points and 4 steals against the 12th ranked Div I team in the country is not too bad at all.

Reggie is #22 for CBU

Last but not least, the 2008-2009 version of the H’s 6th grade basketball team hit the floors running at the beginning of November. I am sure you have seen the previews and magazine stories about the team on ESPN 8, the Ocho. All kidding aside, I really enjoy coaching the girls. This is my first year with 6th graders and I am really enjoying it. Coaching both the 7th and 8th grade teams for the past four years really took a toll on me and I like the current situation.

I went to the CBU vs. Memphis game with Mom. It was her last Tiger game as a Memphis resident. (As a result of the move I get her season tickets, so I sense this is not her last game) That’s weird to think about. I hate to see the rents go back to Erie, but in a way it completes a very long journey for all of our family. Ironically, as much as I talk of Erie I have always felt disconnected to my hometown since my parents left Erie for Memphis and began their odyssey of towns and workplaces since the end of my senior year in 1989. Although I always feel at home when I go back and stay with family and friends it will be very nice to have an actual “Home” in my hometown.

For anyone scoring at home he is where my parents have lived in the last 19 years:

Memphis, TN (1st Time)
Kwidzyn, Poland
Memphis, TN (Short stint)
County Longford, Ireland
Cincinnati, OH
Appleton, WI
Memphis, TN (3rd and last time?)

For anyone who cares my last entry was the 200th post on this blog. I can not believe I have been boring poeple that long.

Long time no post!

Things are crazy for me these days. In the last two weeks, really 12 days, I have returned from Asia, helped my mom pack up the house to complete the move back to Erie, (I use the word help rather loosely), start 6th grade basketball at the "H", elect a new president, and prepare for a presentation I am making at the TAIS Conference in Nashville next Monday on teaching China. Whew.

I just wanted to drop two story lines for today.

First, Great column in the Commercial Appeal this morning from Geoff Caulkins, lead sports columnist about Murray Armstrong who is the facilities manger for the University of Memphis football team. He has been heroically been battling lung cancer for the last four years. Here is a link to the column (LINK). Some one has set up a blog for friends and well wishers to keep in touch with Armstrong who has been recently been placed in hospice care. (LINK TO BLOG)

Murray Armstrong

If you are feeling down or have become cynical about college sports and need some inspiration read the column you will not be disappointed. As a colleague of mine and I always warn each as we forward each other stories, have some Kleenex ready, the material will really bother your "allergies".

Second, a small note regarding Obama's pick for White House Chief of Staff, Rham Emanuel, who was recently re-elected as the rep from Illinois 5th Congressional district. After reading up on his bio I found him to be a very interesting pick. His brother Ari Emanuel is the inspiration for the character of the Hollywood agent Ari Fleischer on the HBO series Entourage and Rham, who sometimes is referred to "RHam-bo", was the inspiration for the Josh Lyman in my beloved West Wing TV Series. Can you imagine growing up in that home?

Congressman Emanuel speaing with President elect Obama

Here is a link to a great story in Rolling Stone about Rham Emanuel. (LINK) Until Dick Cheney flexed his political muscles the last eight years I have always felt that the President's Chief of Staff was the least recognized outside of DC, yet most powerful position, in the White House, after the President of course.

The current Chief of Staff is Joshua Bolten, St. Albans grad, and friend of the School of Public Service, who I work for in the summer.

Memphis, TN

All right people. Pete is on the move again. So I am heading to China and Japan for two weeks. I leave October 11th at an ungodly hour of the morning.


If you have wondered what I have been up to since my last post, I know many of you have not been able to sleep, here is a brief recap of what has gone on.

1. Visited Chattanooga for orientation for my Asia trip.
2. Visited with sis in Chicago and was able to enjoy a Division clinching victory by the Cubs, before the collapse, and subsequent festivities.
3. Enjoyed visits from the cousin John Theiss, his wife Lisa, and her parents.

3a. On a side note I got John and Lisa's son kicked out of the bar. (We were there for lunch, he is less than a year old, and he was twenty years from being the correct age) Do not judge me!
4. Had the relationship with the girlfriend end.
5. Have my parents move back to Erie.
6. Had a great new bar, "Bardog" , open two blocks from my house. Pete likey!!!!
7. Lots of stuff.

Memphis, TN

After a month of scrambling to get ready for school, trying to adjust back to the M-Town, and having a great visit from the family Pete is getting ready to hit the road again.

I am heading to Chattanooga for meeting that is prepping me for my trip to China and Japan in October. (Link to program desciption).

It will be nice to hit the road and get some driving and thinking time in. Got a new CD today and looking forward to listening to it on the road.

The band is The Gaslight Anthem and the album is The '59 Sound. Updates will folow

Memphis, TN

Woke up before 9am, not because of jet lag. Check

Showered immediately. Check

Watched bad local morning news. Check

Drank coffee like it's my job. Check

Listened to NPR in the car. Check

Oh, CRAP!!!!! The School year has started!!!!!!!!!