Memphis, TN

Things have been pretty busy in Pete’s world the last few weeks so I thought I would catch folks up on my goings on and tomfoolery.

Some highlights from earlier in October. Wednesdays have been spent at the Court Square concert series. The last one was this past week and I missed it because of crappy weather. One of the Wednesdays I met Truk and Kath at the Memphis Flyer’s “Best of” party. I’ve gone the last few years and always have a good time. They had Blue Moon on tap which was quite nice. Hung out for a while and was in bed by 10:30pm. The party was at Bridge’s headquarters. It was a little odd to be drinking where I worked for so many summers at the leadership camps. Shockingly, I got over it.

Matt roams the outfield of Autozone Park

Another nice time was when Uncle Dave came down to Memphis for the weekend to visit with Lex and Buff and watch CBU and Matt play in the Nostalgia Man classic. The Classic is a nice little fall baseball wooden bat tournament hosted by Memphis’ AAA baseball team for the local small colleges. CBU played Rhodes and Bethel College. CBU lost the first and tied in the latter. It must be nice to be a small college player and play at Autozone Park. We had lunch at Bigfoot before the game on Saturday and the Stephany girls entertained the bartender. As Uncle Dave lobbied the girls to hit Church the next day Buffy’s response of, “Oh, is it Easter already?” proved to be the line of the day. The weather, setting, and company conspired for a great weekend. The Stephany clan also hit Buffalo Wild Wings for some playoff baseball and wingees. Pete love wingee.

Hey batter, batter,....., swing batter.

Uncle Dave at the entrnace to Autozone Park.

I also forgot to mention that last month my cousin Greg came through town for a couple of days. He was blowing through on the way to Louisiana for classes he needs for captains license. I am so envious of his adventures. Greg is a sailor. Old school sailor, you know like swab the poop deck, raise the mast, avar there matie, real time sailor. He recently completed a gig where he worked on ship called the Picton Castle which sailed around the world. He got PAID to sail around the world, and people say I live the life. Well Greg came through and we did what are clan does and a good time was had. He recently passed his captains license and is currently working with some ships out of Maine that work with college crews among other people. It is good to have family in town and come through town.

Late night fun at Alex's Tavern with the cousins

Another highlight from the month was Truk and Kath’s porch party. They have arguably the best porch in Memphis and host a party each year. It was good company and a good time. Kath had some great snacks and there was an excellent beer selection. It was good to get to see some folks I had not seen in a while.

If the porch is a rockin'.., stop by!

Mostly Midtown Memphis

Friday was a crazy day. I started off meeting my parents for a beer out east for a beer. More accurately my dad’s happy hour buddies from Germantown High. It was nice but the beer only made me tired so I went home and took a nap. Good Thing. I first met the Stephany cousins, Jasper, and Keri, who was in town from Chicago, for a beer at the Blue Monkey. Later on I met up with a couple of Baruch’s friends for drinks. We hit La Chardonnay first then slid over to the Beauty Shop for some killer mojitos. These were the best mojitos I have had since DC. I know that sounds obnoxious but its true.

The Blue Monkey

The Beauty Shop

Baruch and friend wisely bailed, so Cindy was brave enough to come with and meet up with the rest of the motley crew at Bayou. It was an all star gallery of wild ones, the Music Man, Jasper, Angry Chuck, Buff, and Keri. . Suffice to say, poor decisions were made and we ended up at Alex’s Tavern for some late night food and drink. When Buff joined were rolling four Stephanys deep. That is illegal in most states.

Downtown Memphis

The Reba Russell band was playing at Court Square tonight. Beautiful night. The Music Man’s Jazz band from school opened up tonight and did a fabulous job. They covered some of Memphis’ classic songs. Last year they were awarded the title of best high school band from Downbeat Magazine. I hung out with Penny, the Music daughter, for a stretch. Later on that night I met up with Truk for a couple of beers at the Saucer. The pint special was Oktoberfest Beer. In bed by 9:30pm, it was good night.

The Gazebo stage

People mulling around the foutntain

One of the ore hilarious/annoying part of the Court Square concert series is the weekly “Bum off”. Its kinda of like a dance off only the crack influences the dancing style far more than the music. It helps pass the time but if any tourists see them it kind of freaks them out. I really want to have “Bum Dance Contest”. I can yell, “It’s an ol’ fashioned Bum off! Old school rules apply!” I’m not sure what those old school rules would apply but when I think about it in my head I giggle. I have issues.

Memphis, TN

I went out to SBA to support the H’s volleyball team in an important region match. There was a big crowd so it was great atmosphere. I said of hellos to a lot of my old SBA cronies. The seniors are the last group of kids I coached in Football so it was great to seem some of them. One of favorites was a kid we dubbed “Manhole”. I coached his older brother in football and taught his other one. Smart and funny kid, he is stand out wrestler. His family has gone through a lot. About three years ago he lost the brother that I taught in car accident on his way home from school at LSU. He has kept a good head on his shoulder and I enjoyed talking with him.

SBA got us in the firth and tiebreaker set. In the end it could be a good loss. The team had beat SBA the other 4 or 5 times they had played them and I feel that it is tough to beat a good team every time you see them. We will see them again in the region tourney. I like supporting the team, a lot of my old students, and one of my 8th graders starts on the varsity as a setter. She is pretty good.

Washington, DC

After waking up and getting packed Billy picked me up from the hotel and we headed to fields near the Lincoln Memorial along the Potomac to play some flag football. This was the season opening game. The team is mostly comprised of Ugly Mugs softball team with a few additions, namely two members of my Erie Crew, Ryser and Micah. The weather was sunny, the skies were blue, and there a nice breeze coming off the Potomac. Wow do I miss playing football.

The Ugly Mugs drew first blood only to be matched by the opposing team on the next possession. After that the route was on. We, by we I mean me, stopped trying to call plays in the huddle we started lighting up the scored board like a pinball machine. The final score was 28 to 6. All played well. After the game we headed to our sponsor bar for the obligatory min burgers, wings, and pizza rolls. MMMMHHH, bar food. We watched the first half of the NFL games and then returned to the mancave at Bill and Amanda’s to watch the Packers secure a win in the second half. Ryser made this killer chickenwing dip thing which was awesome. I had to tread lightly though because given my gastric intake of the previous three days coupled with a flight home I needed to “manage the team”. Once on the plane I slept from gate to landing.

Washington, DC

The whole process of waking up and getting food pretty much repeated itself from the previous day. The only difference was the destination which was Clyde’s in Chinatown. It was a good meal with good company. By the time it we had gotten all of that done it was time for the wedding party to get ready and me to nap. I watched the beginning of the Penn State v. Michigan game while I fell asleep.

The calm before the storm
Dunk sporting his authentic mesh Steve Largent jersey

I got eventually got ready and headed over to the Hotel Monaco, beautiful place, with the others for the ceremony and subsequent festivities. I caught up with some of the other “Ugly Mugs” from summer softball and Bill and Amanda who was due with their first child any day. It was great getting caught up.

The ceremony was great. As a frequent wedding attendee and veteran groomsman I am rarely surprised by some aspect of a wedding ceremony. Leave it to Virginia and Norm to do just that. For the scripture reading they chose John 2:3 – 11, or commonly known as the Wedding at Cana, more specifically Jesus’ debut miracle, water to wine. For anyone who has been to Bourbon Street in New Orleans or Beale in Memphis with me, you know I like to argue with street preachers about the supposed evils of alcohol. Well the Wedding at Cana is my biblical evidence for the drinking. The street preacher stated that John meat non-alcoholic grape juice. And then I drunkenly retort that, “You take the whole bible literally except for these few lines. Bull%&#$!” I digress. Anyway the reading was perfect and the minister, Virginia’s brother-in-law, said that he chose this reading because he knew that Brian and Virginia liked to have a good time. Amen!!!!

In the time between the ceremony and reception there was a cocktail hour so no one would die of thirst while the room was changed from a ceremony setting to a reception one. Some of the highlights; Stiff drinks, nummy appetizers (The andouille sausage and shrimp skewers were my favorite), and not to be boring a belly dancer. That’s right a belly dancer. Good times!!!

Norm and the belly dancer

Once the reception area opened the party was on. Young and old alike, it’s all relative anyway, danced from the moment the music started till the final song. The food was awesome. They even had sushi bar!! Dunk, at everyone’s insistence, revisited his best man speech/song from the previous night. It was awesome! Some highlights were; Virginia’s dad’s speech and jacket, singing some Journey, “Don’t stop believing”, Dunk’s rendition of the wedding classic, “Shout”, and me knocking over a plant decoration. This description totally understates the whole reception. Easily one of the top five wedding receptions I have ever attended, no exaggeration.

Mr. Duncan's awesome jacket.

Double E enjoys a little, "Sugar Time!"

After the reception was over we made our way to the lobby bar to finish things off. By the end of that, it was time for everyone to go home and lick there wounds. Great job everyone!!!!

For more pictures of the insanity and fun check this photo album.

Washington, DC and Rural Virginia

After waking up at the crack of noon we slowly assembled our team and went on a journey to forage for sustenance. After meeting up a Norm’s we took an agonizingly slow time, due to hunger not company, we ambled to Matchbox, near the Verizon Center in downtown DC. Matchbox specializes in Min-Burgers and Pizza. We had both. To get a better picture imagine gourmet Krystals or White Castle. We enjoyed our feast and went back to respective places to grab some zzz’s to prepare for the nights festivities.

Mini Burgers at Matchbox

The rehearsal dinner was about an hour and half ride to the north of DC in rural Virginia. The parents of the Norm and Virginia (The bride, not the state) were nice enough to provide buses to and from the dinner which enabled much more fun and made Virginia’s (The state, not the bride) roads much, much safer. We had to stop in Arlington, right out side of DC because it became apparent that the buses may run out of…, “fuel”. After loading up the coolers.., I mean tanks, we continued on.

The bus ride to country

Virginia’s (The bride, not the state) Dad’s house was on a farm in the country. The weather and setting could not have been any better. Cocktails and conversation were enjoyed on the porch in the back of the house that overlooked the rolling hills of Virginia (The state, not the bride). I couldn’t resist that one.

Dunk outside the stately Duncan Manor

The view of the back patio and porch overlooking the hill's of Virginia

For dinner Norm’s folks brought up Whitt’s BBQ from Nashville. There were some great toasts and speeches from both sides of the isle. The company and setting, along with the food drink, conspired for a wonderful evening. Here is a link to the video of Dunk's hilarious and wonderful best man speech. The video sucks but the audio is good. Sadly we had to leave the house because our buses had to get back to DC. We were entertained on the way home by some singing, pole dancing, courtesy of Norm, and some hilarious DJ action.

Norm, being Norm

When we returned to Norm’s place we entertained ourselves with drinks and Nintendo Wii tennis and bowling. I channeled some of my inner Polak and did quite well in bowling. That made up for my poor performance in Tennis. And yes, if you were wondering, we did in fact play video games the night before Norm’s wedding. Why not? The alternatives would have frightened a few and endangered many.

Memphis to Washington, DC

Heading back to DC for Norm’s wedding. All the college crew will be in DC for the Wedding. I flew into National and took the Metro to my motel. I then walked over to Fran’s in Chinatown where and some others were hosting a soiree for Norm and Virginia. It was a great time. The crew was already there. Libations and food treats were enjoyed. Afterwards we slid over to Norm’s for some late night tomfoolery.

The tools

The tools in action

The grab!!!

The young Jedis, Norm and Mark, bask in their success

A dark version YouTube clip of the shennanigans

A game was invented out of necessity, hashed out by inventiveness, and enjoyed because of idiocy. No name was assigned to game but here is the etymology of it. While throwing a nerf football to and fro on Norm’s balcony it inevitably went over the ledge onto the balcony below. (Not the first or last item to do so) That is when Dunk sprung into action. In order to retrieve the football a Nieman Marcus shopping bag, a fed ex delivery envelope, tent poles, and of course tape were used to fashion a “pusher” device and “grabber” device.

Working in tandem Dunk and Owen were able to retrieve the ball. Norm and Mark were caught up in the heady satisfaction that imbued the balcony with a “Ben Franklinesue” vibe. A challenge was issued, a time frame was set, the nerf ball sent back over the balcony. Success was achieved. Here are the photos. A video may follow.

The lingering question was this, "What would Norm's downstairs neighbors thought/done had they woke up to the image of two tent poles, an envelope, and shopping bag "dancing" around thier balcony. No such luck. Fun anyways. This was one of the highlights of the evening. And yes this is how we spent the bulk of our college years entertaining ourselves.

Memphis, TN

If it is Wednesday then it is Court Square Concert Series. The band this night was the smooth Jazz stylings of Sal Crocker and his Strictly Jazz Quartet. The weather was great and the cooler full. I picked up some fired Chicken from Gus’s and it was spicy good. I was joined by Truk and Kath, Jasper, and Jim Lanier. Dr. Lanier is one of my old History teachers from Rhodes College and although retired still does a lot of stuff through the college and subsequently knows Truk who also works there. The jazz provided an excellent backdrop for conversation. After the music we slipped over to the Flying Saucer for a few additional libations.

The gang enjoy's some southern fried chicken from Gus'

The trolley heads down Main Streey towards Court Square

Sunset over a barge on the Mississippi.

Sal Crocker plays jazz from the Gazebo in Court Square.

Memphis, TN
Well folks I guess it’s that time of the week again. Let’s see what happened near Pete’s Cave this past week.

Tuesday
I actually got a lot of work done. I went out to Dan McGuiness downtown and had a couple pints of Guinness as I corrected papers and prepared lecture and discussion notes for the week. The irony of working on lessons and instructions for China while drinking Irish beer is not lost on me. I find that the text we use is good for background knowledge but it does not connect with the girls for true understanding. There are a few cites that I use religiously for background and primary source documents.

1. Paul Halsall Internet History Sourcebook Project
   This site has primary documents and great info on nearly every part of world history from ancient to modern.


2. Columbia University’s Asia For Educators
   Great lesson plans and documents and primary source information


3. The BBC site for world religions
   Great background on World Religions

In terms of class prep I find the book by Fairbank and Goldman, “China; A New History” to be the best aid in explaining Chinese History from the Ancient Xia Dynasty to Communist China.

Like anyone wanted to know any of that. You were warned that school year Pete is much different than summer Pete.

Sunset on the Mississippi

View of the "New Bridge" and the Pyramid

Wednesday
Well the much ballyhooed Wednesday get together did not happen. I had to quickly scramble and send out a BBD e-mail to the crew. For the initiated this was term coined by Baruch, to describe how I would blow him off, always exaggerated, for a Bigger Better Deal. Well this it actually was a bigger deal, not necessarily better. I did not know that some of my Dad's friends at Int. Paper planned a retirement party for him at the Fox and Hound on Sanderlin this past Wednesday. So that obviously superseded the music at Court Square.

For those who may not know, my Dad retired in the last month from IP to take a job teaching German at, appropriately enough, Germantown High School. He loves being back in the classroom and is more energized than ever. After 27.5 years of service that is a bigger better deal. The turnout and ensuing evening was marvelous. Some of my Dad’s newer group, who I do not know as well as well as the IP crew from back in the day, early 90’s when the Family lived in the Dova’.

Thursday
I met Baruch and some others at Bhan Thai, a great Thai food restaurant in midtown. The conversation was great as was the food. I had the Red Curry, spicy but doable and extremely tasty. Most of the gang was people I knew through Baruch but also knew in other ways, typical. You may have heard of six degrees of separation. Well Memphis, the largest small town in the country, has two.

If you are bored you can explore the corollary phenomena of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon which is based on a variation of the concept of that states any actor can be linked, through their film roles, to actor Kevin Bacon. In fact a group of computer science people at UVA came up with this site called the Oracle of Bacon, which determines any actor or actress’ “Bacon” number. Things like this are the reason why I love college.

Friday
Met Dad for happy hour at the Celtic Crossing. To more clearly exhibit what I write about for Thursday I cite this example. While waiting for me to arrive for a beer my Dad began to chat up one of the guys helping set up for Cooper Young festival. Why? Well because that is what my dad, and quite frankly all Stephany’s do. Short story, long; my Dad has this guy’s, who is from Syria, nephew in his class at G-Town. Way crazy!
Some other shenanigans for the night included a nap, buying a router at the Apple Store in East BFE, and Mexican food at Los Compadres in Midtown with Truk and Kath.

Saturday
Spectacular day!!! I was chilly most of the day. I went to Big Kat and Steph’s house for their annual Gator Hater party. Mass quantities were consumed and numerous football games were watched. Great games! Here are a few post game comments.

Houston Nutt’s piss poor clock management blew the game for the Razorbacks, 3rd and 12 with 2:20 left and he decides to pass the ball!?!. He literally took the ball out of the hands of the two best backs in the SEC and put it into the hands of a Dick. Shame on you all!!! I meant Casey Dick the QB for the Arkansas Razorbacks. If you just took a knee on that play 25 seconds roll of the clock and the game is over with a W for the Hogs. I never claimed to be a good coach but I know clock management.

Random Football Thoughts

The Pittsburgh Stillers under Tomlin are looking good.
Notre Dame is really bad.
My beloved Big Ten is way down this year.

Penn State is not as good as I thought.
Louisville is overrated.

Kentucky is underrated.

And if I played QB against LSU I would wet myself.

Sunday
Pete was offered two excellent meals by friends. The Music Man grilled out a beef brisket with his special BBQ spices and rubs. Excellent. After reading, a nap, and some football on TV I went to Truk and Kath’s for some great eats. Just when the Sopranos is finally over and I think I am now free from its addiction they showed me a show called the “The Wire”. Damb them both, the show is awesome. It’s a great drama. It ethnic tension among Eastern and Western European groups reminds a smidgeon of my hometown Erie. We watched two episodes from Season 2 on DVD. Way good. Again, damb you Truk and Kath.

Memphis, TN

Monday, September 10th

OK people. The weather looks to be awesome, highs in the low 80’s and lows in the high 50’s. That means it is time for the Court Square Concert Series again this Wednesday from 5:30pm till 7:30pm. The music looks to be good. And besides, how could Pete Big Bear turn down a chance to listen to a band called Big Bear. They are described as a rockabilly funk band.

I will have a cooler full of ice and a steady supply of beer. I will have plenty of Silo cups. I am even thinking of ordering some Gus’s Fried Chicken. If you want some let me know by 3pm Wednesday and put in an order and pick it up. From the square people can roll to the Saucer where Stella Artois will be the featured beer for "buy the beer, keep the glass" night. That starts at 7pm.

Besides it will be my first official stab at keeping up a weekly Pete Big Bear for the Fall. Not that anyone really cares. Hell I would have stopped paying attention after I read about Gus’s Fried Chicken.

Pete

As far as what have been up to? Here are some random events. By know means a complete list.

1. Bachelor party in Atlanta for Norm.
2. Mississippi State vs. LSU for football
3. Road Trip to Knoxville for Labor Day
4. A few walks downtown for libations.
5. A whole lot of in-service meetings at the “H”
6. Sweating through 17 days of heat over 100 degrees in August.
7. Eating a whole bunch of BBQ.
8. Teaching, Teaching, Teaching.
9. A bunch of movies.

Memphis, TN
Sunday, August 05

Here are some stats from the Pete’s summer adventures.

Over 3200 miles driven
12 states visited
14 spots that I slept
Numerous old friends visited
More new people met
Hundreds of beers drank
Lots of sandwiches, hoagies, grinders, po’ boys, and subs eaten
Lots of fun had

On a side note, the drive home from Covington, KY was interesting to say the least. I got a flat tire on the outside loop of Louisville, KY. Luckily as part of Team Cheryl I received an AAA membership which paid off handsomely. Within 45 minutes of blowing the tire, it was quite old. I had been towed to tire place in Louisville and in the time it took me to have a cup of coffee, read the editorial section of Louisville’s Newspaper and eat a sandwich two new tires were purchased and installed and I was back on the road. The financial damage was minimal and quite frankly I was lucky the tire lasted as long as it did and that the flat occurred midday in suburb of a major city as opposed to some backwater town along my journey at some odd time of the day or night. When one puts over 3,000 miles over the course of a summer on a seven year old car with over 140,000 miles on it, two new tires and an oil change are a small price to pay when it comes to car maintenance.

I always lament the end of the summer. I quote one of the great philosophers of the modern age H.I. McDunnough who feared , “… no return to the salad days.” Okay I realize that I may not be able to get many people in the feel sorry for Pete BigBear camp but it is difficult to come off the high of the open road and travel. I new I was back in Memphis when seconds after passing the border into Shelby County I was nearly run off the road by girl who was putting on make up while talking on a cell phone and watched two drivers flip each other the bird over some meaningless traffic issue. Man, I missed this town.

"No return to the salad days?"

So what has Pete been up to?

Monday
After a long journey and a restful nap I went to pint night at the Celtic Crossing with Baruch, the
Rock and roll accountant.

Tuesday
I went to the Pink Palace Museum lawn to watch Raising Arizona with Truk and Katherine while munching Caribbean Jerk wings from Central BBQ. The IFC channel, along with the evil empire Comcast, was sponsoring this three day movie fest. It was quite fun. Besides the movie, the Coen brothers are brilliant, the best part of the night was when the generator ran out of gas with literally 10 seconds left in the film and therefore the power went out. People immediately started yelling sarcastic and derogatory things about Comcast. Also the screen started to deflate. BTW, the Comcast guy kept calling IFC, the international film channel as opposed to its proper name, the independent film channel. I quote, “We at Comcast love the International Film Channel and thank them for bringing this movie fest our city” Classis Comcast. I am in the middle of year three of living sans cable. Not because I think I’m better than TV but because I hate Comcast and can not get Direct TV in my condo.

PS Here is an essay by someone with way too much time on their hands about the imagery in the Movie Raising Arizona

Wednesday
Spent a whole day running much needed errands then had dinner with Big Mike on the Island. For those who don’t know my dad is retiring from IP this month and begins teaching German part time at Germantown High School. He has been looking to do this for a while and is very excited. I am excited for him. He will be returning to the classroom after working for IP for over 28 years. Go Red Devils!!!!
We watched a documentary on PBS about the STAX record label here in Memphis. Great flick and better music.

Thursday
I had lunch with Mocha Dave at Young Avenue Deli. Great meal and I love the Deli. I guess it is sign of getting old but I would go the Young Avenue much more at night but when bands play there they are just too loud. I am an old fart. In the afternoon I went to the Ridgeway Four to watch the new Don Cheadle movie Talk to Me. It the story about an ex-con DJ in DC during the late sixties and early seventies. I highly recommend the film. I love going to the movies alone. After a late afternoon nap I met Jasper over at Link’s house were we dined on Link’s brilliant smoked beef brisket and watched a documentary shown on the local PBS station that featured Link an the STAX Academy band that he directs as they traveled and performed in Italy the previous summer. I coached two of the kids in the band and was fun to catch up with the Jasper and Link while seeing the sights of Italy.

Memphis, TN
Friday, August 3rd

Pete is back home in his cave. He is taking a week off to catch up with his love of BBQ. He is still having fun. He has decided to experiment and keep up with his adventures durig the other seasons, not just summer. He must warn you that his life when he is teaching at the "H' not nearly as interesting as when he is on the road. He welcomes your comments.

One thing Pete is going to attempt to do is to fill in the non Memphians on his usual activities in M-Town. So if you have any questions about the city of good abode let him know. He will do his best to answer.

Lima. OH to Covington. KY

Sunday, July 29th

I got an early start to the day. Grandpa Kerr, Aunt Nancy, and I went to 9am mass at St. Gerard’s. After a nice mass went to a great little spot in Lima called the Corner Café. If you are envisioning a little French bistro you would be sorely mistaken. The place is covered in faux wood paneling and has great sports memorabilia that spans numerous years. The photos and newspaper clippings cover local and state sports. Everything from Lima Senior High’s state championship in 1996 to Bob Fellar, a famous baseball player for the Cleveland Indians in the 1950’s and 60’s. There was also lots of Ohio State stuff on the wall also. The Corner Café doubles as bar. My guess is that there place is jumping at night with a variety of characters. The breakfast was great, I forget how much of a staple potatoes are in the breakfast world of Middle America.

After breakfast I hit the road for my travel to just south of Cincinnati. I was going to visit one of my best friends from my college days, Rojo. Rojo and I went to school together, worked together at Fino’s, traveled together, and since it was college, party together. He also went to an obnoxious all boys’ school and so we naturally got along well. Some of my finest memories of college are with Rojo. We terrorized Mardi Gras on a couple of occasions and had a memorable trip to Nantucket one summer vacation. We have kept up with each other over the years and his life took him to law school in Louisville and now to his married life just south of Cincinnati in Covington, KY.

Paul Brown Stadium home of the NFL Bengals

The Great America Ballpark home of the Reds

After a very relaxing drive through the corn fields of western Ohio and a drive through the Queen City, Cincinnati, OH. If you want to be authentic Ohioan you have to pronounce it, “Cincinnta”. My parents lived here for about two years after they returned from my Dad’s job in Ireland. I know city relatively well and enjoyed visiting them here. I love driving through downtown, when there is no traffic, because of the great views of the city, the river, and the downtown football and baseball stadiums.

When I arrived Rojo began cooking and really did not stop until everyone went to bed. He made some burgers for lunch and knocked some Memphis style ribs out of the park. It was great afternoon and evening. I really enjoyed getting to know his knew wife Kathleen and catching up with Rojo. It was all too short of visit but I think I have them convinced to make a visit to Memphis later this year.

Indian River, MI to Detroit to Lima, OH
Saturday, July 28

Keri and I were pretty much all packed up last night so getting away was pretty easy. We met the rest of the Kerr family at Paula’s this magnificent diner round the corner from our cabins and close to the highway. During a quick but filing breakfast we did the last bit visiting and said good-byes. It had been way to long since I had last seen this part of the family. HAVE to do this more.

On the road again. “Old Grey”, my Honda, headed down US-75 to Detroit to drop the sis off at the airport; were she caught her flight back to Chicago. It was great getting to hang with the sis for the last few days. I’m glad she is soooo happy in Chicago, but I really miss having her around. We drive each other nuts at times but nobody else “gets” each other better. I particularly enjoyed Keri’s literal dance moves, yes I said dance moves, choreographed to her Barry Manilow and power ballad laden iPod. Great entertainment on the drive through Michigan. A successful drop off was made to DTW and Pete was solo again.

I stopped off in Findlay, OH to get gas and snap a couple of photos of Findlay University. My grandpa Steph briefly attended here before his dad, my Great-Grandpa George got him a job in the mill. That seems crazy now by during that time a job at the mill was tough to come by and pretty much guaranteed you a good job with a solid wage for the rest of your working days. Findlay is a nice little town and had cheap gas, $2.56. Did you ever think someone would read a sentence like the previous one and have it actually make sense?

University of Findlay

Once I got into Lima Grandma and Grandpa Kerr took me and Aunt Nancy for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Aunt Nancy is actually Grandpa’s younger sister and technically my Mom’s aunt but she has and always will be Aunt Nancy to me. The place was packed but the wait was not bad. I had a tasty Prime Rib. It was so good to see everyone. We were all pretty tired so after returning home and catching up we all called it a night. I really needed a quiet evening and got it.

The Strugeon River

Bonfire Fun
Grandparents and Lilly
Jimmy, Lilly, Brian, Scott, and Erin

Indian River, MI
Thursday, July 26th and Friday, July 27th

I can gloriously report little action happened these two days. The previous statement is by no means anything derogatory, in fact the polar opposite. The mornings entailed late sleep in times punctuated by large hearty northern Michigan breakfasts with family and friends. Everyone is free to do what they please each hour of the day. I napped more in the last week than I had the previous two months combined.

I spent Thursday afternoon reading by the Sturgeon River and then catching up on this journal. I grabbed some excellent pizza at a place called Vivio’s. Keri and I went out with our cousins Erin and Bri, their husbands Scott and Jimmy, Scott’s parents, and Bri’s daughter Lilly. The conversation was hilarious and we all had great time. Scott’s order was screwed up which allowed Bri to channel her anger and the rest off us to lovingly mess with Scott. After pizza we scored some killer ice cream and then we all hung out around the campfire shooting the breeze. I’ve been doing more laughing than usual the last few days and that’s a lot for anyone who knows me. I can not begin to explain how nice everyone is up here. Yes, the people of Indian River but especially Erin and Bri’s cousins on their Mom’s side. Although we are essentially cousin tag a longs from the other side of the family, you would never know it by how well we are treated.

Friday, was unofficially dubbed Manfest 2007, with the bulk of the rainy day spent playing Texas Hold’em. I doubt this will shock anyone but I am quite lousy at cards. Although my skill is low my enjoyment is high and therefore like playing. The stakes were high, $5 each. I was out first and therefore had the job of getting pizza. This is a task I am well suited for. These are my people in this part of the country; they really know how to eat. Big portions, lots of carbs, and plenty of butter.

This past week in Michigan has been the perfect way for me to end my summer and begin the drive back to Memphis. I’ll be taking the drive in stages. The only certainty is Lima, OH for a visit with my Grandma and Grandpa Kerr and others from my mom’s side of the family.

Indian River, MI
Wednesday, July 25th

I slept in till 9am then met my Aunt Linda and Uncle Gary for breakfast at this great spot around the corner from the cabins we stay in. The living quarters break down like this. “Adults” stay at the Stargate Motel up the Road and “young people” stay in cabins along the Sturgeon River. The terms in quotation marks are not well defined and very open to interpretation.

After breakfast I napped, because as many of you know eating breakfast is hard. I woke around 1pm and prepared for a day tubing excursion. Then I napped. I woke up and went to Paula and Kent’s house a ways up the road, actual directions given, had dinner. It was a glorious cookout spread with your basic charred fleshes and lots of nummy fixins's from the other food groups such as bread, dessert, and snack food groups. After dinner I went home and napped, if you are wondering a definitive trend has developed.

After the nap we had a costume party. Each night in the cabins along the river there is a goal or theme. One night each year there is a costume party. The theme this year was movie characters. The costumes can not cost over ten dollars to assemble. There were some great costumes. Some of the better ones were Spiderman, the Reno 911 police department, Baby from Dirty Dancing, Joe Dirt, and Tom Cruise from the volleyball scene in Top Gun. I went as “the Dude” from the movie, the Big Lebowski. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Between the napping, tubing, cook outs, and costume parties my decision to come up here was a sound choice.

Amherst, OH to Ann Arbor, MI to Indian River, MI
Tuesday, July 24th

I was on the road again after a very pleasant morning conversation and coffee session with the Volberts. If I had stayed any longer I would have to be treated for a caffeine overdose. I took off north as I hit the ninth state of my summer journey. I occupied the drive catching up on podcasts of the NPR show Fresh Air. I listened to six episodes with topics such peace efforts in the Middle East, the Supreme Court, national health care, and the adoption of Chinese girls by American parents. All of them extremely informative and the time passed by quite quickly.

I stopped in Ann Arbor, can’t resist the siren call of a college town, for lunch. I ate a little dive called the Red Hawk Lounge. It was a pleasant meal and then I went to a park in downtown Ann Arbor and took a cat nap on park bench. For those in the worry wart camp I was drawn to the location by college students doing the same thing. It was quite refreshing.

After the nap I was back on road to Indian River which is at the very tip “on the hand part” of Michigan. If you take your flat right hand and put it palm up that represents Michigan minus the Upper Peninsula. If that is your “map” of Michigan then Indian River is the crease of your middle finger closest to the tip of your hand. I was first exposed to Indian River through when my cousin Erin, daughter of my mother’s brother, got married here last year. Unbeknownst to me, Erin’s mom family, the Daubenshires have been coming to Indian River for well over twenty years. Keri and I had a ton of fun here last year so we came back. I got her around 6pm and I within three hours I was on a night tubing cruise down the Sturgeon River. This family knows how to get things done. All who left on the cruise returned, just not in the same shape.

View from the cabin

Cousins with their daughters on the swing

Erie, PA to Amherst (west of Cleveland), OH
Monday, July 23rd

I woke up this morning and headed over to Calvary Cemetery to visit my Grandpa’s gravesite. I said a prayer, shed a couple tears, snapped a photo and took off. He was a great Grandpa, I was blessed with two. In a society where many people do not get to know their grandparents, I was able to grow up with both sets being an integral part of my life. This is and increasingly diminishing part of American life.


After that I went over to Grandma Steph’s place at St. Joseph’s home. St. Joseph’s is this cozy independent living retirement home. She loves living there. I know the place well because my high school practice field sits behind it. My high school is in downtown Erie and therefore land locked, many of practice fields were scattered around the city. I remember that during practice the folks from St. Joe’s would set up chairs outside the fence and watch practice. During the hot practices our coaches had us take water over to our fans. I remember one lady who would all yell, “Get um boys!!!” as we took off in the team bus to our games.


I had a great visit with G-Ma as she shared stories and remembrances. Her mind is sharp as ever, as evidence of the nearly completed crossword puzzle that my visit interrupted. We talked about family and travels. A great example of hoe cool the adoption story of Christopher and AJ from last post is that my G-Ma Steph says that the little ones are one of the reasons she feels she is still living at 90 years young. Another reason this is a great story is that because my recently deceased Grandpa Steph was an only child and really did not like it at all. As a result family was very important to him and my Grandma Steph. Well as tribute to him his family now number five sons and daughters, fifteen grandchildren, and now three great grandchildren with another on the way. We live across the country and we all keep in touch. I hang out with my cousins who now live in Memphis. My cousin Greg, who has sailed around the world, is staying with my sis in Chicago before he sets sail on another adventure. We are family not just in name but spirit as well. No bad for an only child.

After my visit I went back to Aunt Sue and Uncle Dave’s house for a nap and laundry. Aunt Sue was nice enough to make chocolate cookies for my drive to Cleveland. I took off and had an uneventful trip to my Godparents, Len and Jean Volbert, who live just west of Cleveland in Amherst, Ohio. Mr. Volbert was the head basketball coach at Lima Central Catholic and coached football with my Dad when got hired by LCC out college. They basically too care of him. Whenever I get near Cleveland I try to stop for a visit. When I got there we went to dinner at Outback. I updated them of my travels and caught me up on their family things. We always have a pleasant visit. Each time I visit I get let in on a new story of my father’s early career or the courtship of my mother. The stories remind me of my early days at SBA. As a testimony to Mr. Volbert’s impact as an educator and coach he still gets invited to all the class reunions from the days he was at LCC.

Erie, PA
Sunday, July 22nd

Another relaxing and fun day in the home town. I got up and met G-Ma and Uncle Billy for 9am mass at St. Jude. I typically like to hit the home Parish, Blessed Sacrament, but G-Ma Steph likes St. Jude, so when you are 90 years old you get to basically do whatever you want. It was a solid sermon, increasingly rare these days. After mass we joined Matt, Aunt Sue, and Uncle Dave, for breakfast at Perkins. There was great conversation while we all happily stuffed ourselves.

The Bixby Bowl or as locals call it “the house that Steph built”

Don’t all grade schools have their own football field with a field house?

After breakfast we all took our separate ways. I headed to the Jack and Judy Bestwick’s to visit. They are the parents of Amy whose family I stayed with in Virginia a week earlier. As I mentioned in an earlier post our families go way back. What I did not mention is that during his coaching days Jack was widely considered the best football coach in the area. He is in every local and state Hall of Fame possible. His teams at Fairview High School were some of the best in area history. What is noteworthy is that Fairview was not some blue collar school district that was featured in the movie, All the Right Moves. It was an affluent school district. Mr. Bestwick was the ultimate motivator; he got everything he could out of a demographic of athletes who stereotypically are not the most motivated.

I had wonderful and legendary coaches growing up, who I learned a lot from. But I learned how to coach from watching Mr. Bestwick when I tagged along with my dad to their practices. Coaching skills from practice organization to breaking down game film were gleaned from those early years. All that being said, Jack and his wife Judy are even better people and are great friends to my family. At their house we hung out and caught up as we watched Sergio Garcia give up the British Open championship to Padraig Harrington of Ireland. My guess is that a few pints of Guinness were consumed in pubs of Ireland in celebration, not as the Irish really need another excuse to enjoy their most famous export.

Auditorium Entrance
Main entrance

I spent the rest of the day floating around Erie. I took a lot of pictures. Most were of my old grade school, Blessed Sacrament, and of course Erie Cathedral Prep. I also went down to dock located on the Bay of Erie. I enjoyed a couple of pints of Mad Anthony Ale, a local Erie brew named after US Army General Anthony Wayne who was stationed at Fort Presque Isle, which later became Erie, during the Northwest Indian War. It was one of the fantastic Erie summer days. The summer weather in Erie as good the winter weather is bad.

Sailing on the bay

One of the random pictures I took was looked like a small wooded lot. What you did not see was this place was “Harvard Lot”. I grew on Harvard Road and this lot was no longer than a hundred feet from my house. On that hallowed field epic athletic battles took place. We played some waffle ball there but the field was mostly used for football and in my neighborhood there was only tackle football not this silly touch variety. What made the battles there particularly legendary was the fact that to score a touchdown you did simply go one length of the field. One field length was simply a first down. We usually played three to four lengths of the field for a touchdown. What does that mean? No breakaway touchdowns. If you got away from someone they could rest a second and have a chance to get you on the way back. We played in all weather. The best games were after the first snowfall. It was fun because you could see blood stained snow.

There is no telling how many games were played here in the years of my youth. You learned to defend yourself by giving and taking hits. I guess the difference between youth then and now is that we regulated ourselves. There was no league that our mommies and daddies would run. You played because you wanted to play. This made a better athletes and better people. Off the top of my head there were at least seven kids from our five block radius who played some sport in college in the years I lived there. Although degrees don’t necessarily make the man but more impressively my friends in the neighborhood tallied; One PhD, two JDs, and four Masters Degrees. I could not imagine growing up in another neighborhood and being anywhere close to the same person I am today. Incidentally, the wooded part of Harvard Lot became an excellent area for harmless make out sessions with girlfriends as that equally perilous game stole some of our attention in later years.