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!!!!!!!!!

Memphis, TN

Just wanted to drop a quick note and some pictures of the Opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Cohen (at podium) and his campaign manager Randy Wade (blue shirt) celebrate the win on election night.

Congratulations to Steve Cohen and the city of Memphis for summarily rejecting dirty politics in the race for the democratic nomination in TN 9th congressional district. He took a whopping 79% of the vote. It goes to show that people, of any color don't like mud slinging in politics. It came at the end but both Obama and Harold Ford Jr, Cohen's predecessor in Congress, condemned the political ads used by the Nikki Tinker campaign. Way to go Steve. Let's win the general in the fall and keep up your hard work representing the people of Memphis in DC.

Article




Second I am going to leave you with pictures and a link to a story from the English newspaper of China, the China Daily, about the opening ceremonies. Remember that China is 12 to 13 hours of most of the readers of this blog. So the opening ceremonies were at 8am Eastern/7am Central time. The article really goes into the history behind the ceremonies as the celebration tried to display China's five thousand year old history.

China Daily Article (great History lesson)





WOW, I would love to be there. To the readers in China, your country looked great tonight/this morning, whatever.

Memphis, TN

The Memphis Skyline

My laziness is astounding to me. There is always a tremendous letdown effect after I return from a long trip, overseas or domestic. I guess I am not going to get many people who will support a pity party for someone who spent their summer traveling around the US and China while he was on a paid vacation. Alas. Don’t get me wrong I am happy to be back in Memphis. Family, Friends, Memphis eats, and of course the girlfriend. I do miss the buzz you get from travel. Each day is a new discovery and adventure. What makes it worse is that you can’t turn on the TV or pick a newspaper without reading about China and all that does is make me miss the whole experience there that much more.

Oh well get over myself. I have been very busy the last few days doing nothing. I am catching up with everyone. That means hanging out, eating, and a beer or two. So I have been going out a lot. The way I figure it the late nights help me get over jet lag and in-service starts next week at the “H” so there is a finite end to the craziness. Has any teacher ever had an in-service that was actually productive? I have had many that were not awful or fine, but never one that made me salivate to get back to the classroom. I guess this pessimism stems from the fact that I would rather stick a red hot poker in my eye than go to a meeting. The best part of teaching is the kids in the classroom. They are ridiculous and nuts, like me. Soon enough.

I voted today. I love voting. The big race in Memphis is the for the Tennessee 9th congressional district. The main competitors are Steve Cohen, who won the seat two years ago, and Nikki Tinker. There is no republican running in the general election so the democratic primary will decide who will represent Memphis in Congress. There have only been two Republicans for this seat, ever. The race has gotten ugly, do they ever get pretty? Here was a great editorial in the Commercial Appeal. (Editorial) Tinker’s platform is pretty much, I am black his is note vote for me. The final straw was a TV ad that intimates that Cohen, who is Jewish, is pro-Klan. Nothing like a political strategy that panders to the base fears of the electorate. I have met Tinker on several occasions and she struck as a solid person which is why this strategy is even more deplorable. Steve Cohen has a long history of service to Tennessee. It’s a shame all the way around.

The race is drawing national attention. Here is a story from the Washington Post.

Another note entirely I just bought gas for the first time since early June. That makes me smile. Cost of the fill up, $39.41. My old Honda still gets pretty good gas mileage so no complaints here.

If you live in Memphis, GO VOTE! I don’t care who you vote for, that’s your business but at least participate in the electoral process. Here is a link to voting places and general voting questions in Shelby County.

I felt like I had to include a picture so here is where I live in Memphis. (Link)