Coach Jeff

Farewell to May

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 08:20:45 -0400

jeffdgary:

May is my favorite month of the year. I really hate to see it go. It’s my month.

But, the calendar moves. This weekend, June arrives. That’s someone else’s month.

June is my month. Thanks for giving it to me. :)

June’s good too! :-)

Coach Jeff's Blog: Happy Mother's Day

Sun, 12 May 2013 07:50:33 -0400

Coach Jeff's Blog: Happy Mother's Day:

jeffdgary:

I’d like to take this opportunity to give a Happy Mother’s Day shout-out to all those great moms - including my lovely wife - tuning in on this lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon.

Everyone has the BEST mother. I want to make the case for my mother, Pat Gary. (And many thanks to my sister, Lisa, for the…

Job Hunt

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:42:40 -0400

It’s been exactly one week since I started passing the word that I am actively pursuing leads in ‘the job market.’

Since I updated friends about my new - and hopefully temporary - job status, I have made lots of progress.

I updated my resume:

I also reviewed and tweaked my personal website:

And I have followed up on many job leads that I have found or that friends and colleagues have passed along. I’ve also gotten a number of suggestions that have been very helpful as I target my search.

I want to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt ‘thanks’ to everyone for their prayers and words of encouragement. Trust me…I have definitely felt the support.

Others have asked me how they can best help me.

If you learn of any job leads in the area - in marketing and/or public relations - I would love it if you could send those to me. Or if you happen to look at your company’s website, if they are hiring for someone in those areas, if you could pass those leads along, that would be great.

Some friends have done those things already and it has been helpful.

More than anything, your prayers and ongoing words of encouragement mean a lot. For all that and more, I say, “Many thanks!”

State Champs

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:17:45 -0400

It is somewhat hard to put into words the emotions that go through your heart and mind when you are a parent and you hear the name of your son or daughter called by the emcee, followed by the words “State Champion.”

We were fortunate to hear those words last April in Collierville and I heard them again this past weekend when Lisa and I attended the 2013 Tennessee High School Speech and Drama League state tournament in Clarksville. We served as drivers and chaperones for the weekend but late on Saturday afternoon, we were just a mom and a dad full of pride when we heard the news that Paul had won the state championship for storytelling for a second straight year.

Paul won first place in storytelling with “Fluffy the Gangbuster,” by Richard Peck. He won last year for “The Night the Bed Fell” by James Thurber. If you were to ask me which performance I enjoyed more, I would be hard-pressed to answer. Both were excellent – just unique and different.

Watching him do his final presentation was a bit emotional but, at the same time, it was just so very enjoyable. He nailed it.

As a Farragut parent and alum, it was also great to hear all the wonderful news about the achievements of all the members of the Farragut team. In addition to Paul’s win, Farragut took home three other first place trophies. Connor Hess was named Best Actor and won first place in solo acting and the student-directed Interpretive Theatre piece, “Calvin and Hobbes,” adapted and directed by FHS senior Skylar Grieco also won first place.

It was a good day for Farragut.

Connor won Best Actor for his portray of Ludlow in the One Act Play “Finger Painting in a Murphy Bed.” Paul and Dallas Boudreaux were named to the “All Star Cast” for their portrayals of Reggie and Myra in the same play.

Connor also won first place in solo acting with a piece from “The Rainmaker.”.

Farragut had a number of other finalists. “Finger Painting in a Murphy Bed” finished in second place in the category, One Act Plays. Other Farragut award winners:
• Bridget Sellers – 3^rd place – Poetry
• Skylar Grieco – 3^rd place – After Dinner Speaking
• “I am Number Four” (adapted and directed by Connor Hess) – 5^th Place – Interpretive Theatre
• Dallas Boudreaux – 5^th place – Solo Acting
• Kaci Deakins – 6^th place – Costume Design

In all, 27 FHS students represented their district in state competition. They are coached by teachers Lea McMahan and David Crutcher. The THSSDL state tournament was held April 12-13 at Northeast High School in Clarksville.

At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, FHS students celebrated Farragut’s excellent showing. From L-R (front row): Brian Hooyman, Skylar Grieco, Caroline Rexrode, Rachel Liske; (middle row): Kaci Deakins, Emily Stiles, Brianna Smart, Dallas Boudreaux, Paul Gary, Connor Hess; (back row): Austin Teagarden, Mason Laning.

Then, it was time to hit the road and head home!

Districts

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:05:34 -0400

Having successfully wrapped up the four-show run of “Pirates of Penzance” at FHS last weekend, the young thespians from the Admirals Performing Arts Company (APAC) now turn their attention to district forensics competition this upcoming weekend.

The APAC actors competed in a tournament last month in Gatlinburg to help them get ready for this particular competition. And if they are successful this weekend, many of them could qualify for state competition which is next month.

Friday competition held today at Pellissippi State Community College consisted of interp theatre performances and one act plays. Farragut entries included: Fingerpainting in a Murphy Bed and two student-directed interp pieces, Calvin and Hobbes and I am Number Four.

Then, on Saturday, the scene shifts to FHS for individual competition where the Admiral actors hope they might be able to add a few more trophies to the trophy case outside the Wells Auditorium.

I am particularly pleased that our students will get to be at their home school on Saturday. Looking at the seniors, for example, it gives them one additional opportunity to perform at their school and looking at the calendar, those dates are dwindling. For the underclassmen, it gives them a chance to learn more about perfecting their craft in friendly surroundings.

No doubt, they will be performing in classrooms where they have studied English, math or business, for example. I was thinking about that when I sat in the classroom at Collierville High School last spring at states.

For the parent volunteers, Districts provide us another chance to support the efforts of these talented performers that we have followed so closely over the past four years. They will compete in the same categories I mentioned to you when I wrote, Rivals Under the Same Flag, last month (a preview of the Gatlinburg trip).

This also gives us a chance to greet students, teachers and family members from places like Soddy-Daisy, Jefferson County and Maryville (among others) and show them a little Farragut hospitality.

Time After Time

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:50:15 -0400

“Until we master ourselves we have no proper use for time.”
H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) from
”Time After Time“ (1979)

Did you have trouble getting up and getting going this morning? Thought so. Seems like everyone I talked to had some difficulty adjusting to ‘spring forward.’

Even though I like the end result - the longer days - of Daylight Saving Time, I am not a fan of the switching process. Invariably, there is one clock we’ll forget about (I was driving around in my car late yesterday when I noticed the dash board clock was off by an hour). And in the fall, there is the added need – albeit a good one – to also switch out batteries in smoke detectors.

And then there is the general grogginess that comes on those dark mornings right after we spring forward. Seems like it takes a few days to adjust and that can be tough to do.

Of course, it doesn’t help that this year’s spring time change fell right after we had an extremely busy weekend. There was no opportunity to ease in to the shift which, technically, came at 2 a.m. Sunday.

I was reading up a little bit on the background of Daylight Saving Time. Some things I didn’t realize:

The first proponent was actually Ben Franklin
The first real experiment with DST was driven by World Wars I and II
The practice was signed into law in 1966

Also, I had forgotten the current DST configuration dates just to 2005 when the DST time period was extended by a few weeks.

Still…even though folks are somewhat divided on whether they are fans of DST or Standard Time (at our house, I think it is a 50/50 split), I don’t know anyone who actually embraces the bi-annual change; no one seems to cruise right through Spring Forward (or Fall Back, for that matter) without a certain amount of grumpiness or, at the least, period of adjustment.

The twice-a-year grousing makes you wonder if this is really worth it all. Today, I was listening to an ABC radio news report on my evening commute that offered some interesting facts. Heart attacks increase during the week of this time change. So do accidents.

As ol’ H.G. said in the movie, seems like we haven’t yet mastered time - at least not spring forward part.

I suppose, at least we should consider if there isn’t some way to ease the burden. Could we phase it in? Could we adopt one ‘standard’ time year-round? Or if we keep the same configuration, could it be timed to coincide with one of those helpful Monday holidays?

In the meantime, the best remedy is a good night’s sleep tonight and a little extra patience for us all.

Oh, and some extra caffeine tomorrow morning probably isn’t a bad idea either.

classic-tunes: Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 20:00:53 -0500

classic-tunes:

Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

Decision 2012

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 21:10:25 -0500

A few weeks ago, I found out about a really promising job opportunity.

I did my homework and prepared well. I interviewed for the position on a day off and I felt really good about my interview at the time.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic when I got the job offer.

Funny thing…for months, the job market was really stagnant. But, within the last few weeks, I have seen a number of excellent opportunities pop up in the marketing and public relations fields in town. And this one was the right one for me. Call it: “Decision 2012.”

More on the new job later. Today is about saying goodbye to the old one.

That’s the odd thing about transitions in our lives. For every win, there’s a loss. For every down, there’s an up. For every hello, there’s a goodbye.

Next week, I will say ‘Hello’ to the new; today, I’m saying ‘Goodbye’ to the old.

As a long-term marketing and P.R. professional, I never really trained to become a proposal writer. When I signed on with Jacobs in 2009, I was hired to be a part of the public relations team supporting the TVA Ash Recovery Project in Kingston. The good news is the cleanup has gone very well. The cleanup went so well, in fact, that our team in Roane County was downsized by quite a bit when the cleanup moved from the more Time Critical phase to the current Non-Time Critical phase.

When my position was no longer needed in Roane County, the good folks in Oak Ridge offered me a spot in their business development area inside sales. It was a sort of a lifeboat; a chance to continue to earn a living while I worked to contribute to this team and learned some new skills.

I spent the last two years right here.

I wrote resumes and project descriptions. I learned a lot about tech editing and I honed my Microsoft Office skills. On one proposal, I even served as a subject matter expert writing a section about public relations.

At the end of the day, though, I always longed for a chance to return to my chosen field of work, which I now have the opportunity to do.

I’m grateful, too, for the chance I have had to help the Jacobs team in Oak Ridge. I’ve met some nice people here and learned some helpful skills. I hope I have made some worthwhile contributions and I feel that I have.

And now, as I head out, I want to say ‘thanks’ and wish the team well.

When Sid Slid

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:12:39 -0400

Even as the 2012 MLB postseason rolls on, ESPN.com celebrated the 20^th anniversary of an epic postseason game. Braves 3 Pirates 2. Game 7. 1992 NLCS.

Sunday was the 20^th anniversary of “When Sid Slid.” The ESPN.com feature was very nice; extremely comprehensive and well-done.

After I read the piece, I started to think about why that is such a monumental play in modern MLB history. That’s a little difficult for me, as I am biased on the topic. That night, even as baby Holly slept down the hall, I remember jumping around in my living room celebrating the play. I was so juiced by the outcome, I had to call my good friend (and fellow baseball fan, John McManus) to share the moment: “Did you see what just happened!?!?”

What happened in that moment captured our attention, I think, because it is a drama that is played out in backyards and on sandlots every day as little boys and little girls act out that drama. I can’t tell you how many times we’d draw up a last minute shot on the basketball court in my driveway. “Three seconds to go. 3-2-1! And the Shot…GOOD!!!!”

Or we’d gather in the side-yard (a.k.a. football field) of my childhood friend, Dana Scates’ house and draw up a long pass play to score the winning touchdown as time elapsed from the invisible clock!

Some kids make model cars or fashion great Lego structures. But this is how we spent our childhood in a very sports-minded neighborhood.

In real-time, it just so rarely plays out that way.

So, you can imagine folks tuning in all over the country that night to see their childhood sports fantasies unfold on the big stage.

Bases Loaded
Down a Run
Two Outs
Bottom of the Ninth
Game 7

Probably a scenario millions of youngsters had acted out.

When the Braves came to bat in that inning that night, the picture was bleak. They were down 2-0 and hadn’t gotten much of anything going offensively all night. Then, as the Pirates traded a run for an out and then recorded a second out, the situation was even more dire as that scenario above played out.

And what’s more, the 25^th man on a 25 man roster stepped to the plate with the winning run – in the form of a slow baserunner (not a speedy pinch-runner) standing on second base. So, it’s not even like a base hit in that situation is guaranteed to do much more than tie the game.

Then it happens. Crack of the bat. Base hit. Tying run scores. Potential winning run is rounding third. There WILL be a play at the plate.

Fade to black.

As you close your eyes, if you’re a baseball fan, you can see the play in slow motion in your minds eye. Runner arrives just an instant before the throw comes in from left field. Slide. Safe. Tag. Safe. Celebration.

The fact the Braves went on to lose a close World Series to Toronto in 1992 is really an afterthought. The sudden death comeback and the nature of how that all played out is what baseball fans remember about that game. Sadly, it was the last hurrah for a Pittsburgh team, with a proud baseball tradition, that has endured 20 straight losing seasons in the wake of that play.

As for the Braves, who were just two years removed from their former status as perennial cellar dwellars, they have celebrated 20 very good years in the upper tier of MLB teams with highlight after wonderful highlight. Fourteen straight division titles. Numerous future Hall of Famers. Five N.L. Championships. One World Championship.

And one epic night…when Sid slid.

Note: I would be remiss if I did not also mention that Sunday was also the 26^th anniversary of when Jack Buck told St. Louis Cardinal fans to “Go Crazy, Folks” when Ozzie Smith hit the home run to win the pivotal Game 5 of the 1985 NLCS. You can click here to see a clip of the video and to here Mr. Buck’s famous play-by-play call: “Go Crazy, Folks. Go Crazy!”

Thanks, Chipper

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:32:50 -0400

My kids were born in 1992 and 1995 respectively. They’ve followed the Braves their whole lives. For their entire lives, Chipper Jones has been the star player and leader of the ballclub.

They have no reference for what it is like to follow a Braves team without Chipper. Next year, we’ll all find out what that is like.

Tonight in Atlanta, the Braves are honoring the iconic third baseman as he begins his final home series. Fittingly, Jones and the Bravos will take on the Mets, a team against whom Chipper has done serious damage over the course of his 18 year MLB career.

During those 18 years, we’ve been to many Braves games and have cheered Chipper and his teammates on to numerous victories. When we saw the Braves defeat the Astros 4-1 last month, Chipper welcomed us and the other fans with a recorded message on the Jumbotron - and with a two-run double.

After the game, in another recorded message, he thanked us for coming to the ballpark and encouraged us all to travel home safely and to return again soon.

We haven’t been able to return this season, but last season we saw the Braves play three times. In September, Holly and scored some great seats for a late season game with the Marlins and she snapped this close-up shot of #10.

Over the years, I can’t honestly tell you how many times we have seen the Braves play or how many times we’ve cheered as Chipper Jones came up with a big hit. I can tell you one highlight that comes to mind, though.

My former next door neighbor and I went to a day baseball game on August 19, 2002. The Braves were taking on the Rockies (and local hero, UT alum Todd Helton). The Braves fell behind in that game. They rallied late.

Chipper hit a home run as part of a three run rally to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Then, the Rockies went ahead 6-5 in the top of the ninth. Then-Brave, Gary Sheffield led off the 9th with a homer to tie the game. Up came Chipper.

They went back-to-back. The Braves won the game 7-6. I can still remember the image of Chipper beaming as he and Sheffield congratulated each other and celebrated the victory. Sheff’s Chefs were probably celebrating too - up in right field.

There have been many other highlights over the years. That’s just the first one that comes to mind.

Getting to see him play twice this season was great. And, as he did with that double to the gap in the Astros game I mentioned earlier, he hasn’t disappointed.

That’s been true throughout his career. All across Braves Country, we’ve enjoyed following his career and we celebrated the milestones. And we’ll do so again as he takes his final curtain call when the 2012 season comes to a close.

And we’ll all say, “Thanks Chipper.”

toga, Toga, TOGA!!!

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 17:46:00 -0400

The start of the UT Vols football season is now less than a week away. I’m sure the local radio stations will be saying “It’s just _ days until ‘Football Time in Tennessee…’ all week leading up to the Vols’ kick-off on Friday night.

And, following suit, with the Vols playing on Friday this week, local high schools have shifted games to Thursday and Saturday respectively. I guess a few are still playing on Friday.

Still, it’s hard to compete with the Volunteers. If you really tried to head to head vs. the Big Orange, there’d be emtpy seats in the stands (or a lot of dads - and moms - huddled around their smart phones around Vol Nation watching UT take on NC State while the high school game went on below).

Football is almost like a religion in the South and it’s as much that way in Tennessee as anywhere. Where else would you have two storied programs playing - on ESPN2 - on a Sunday afternoon?

No need for Friday Night Lights.

Farragut had its first home football game on Friday. Unfortunately, the Admirals came up just short in their game against Oak Ridge.

Following tradition, it was Toga Night. Toga Night takes place at the first home game of the football season. Only seniors wear togas, per tradition. All over Facebook, there were shots of current FHS seniors enjoying the event. Lisa noted that the girls were much more exacting in carrying out a theme or an outfit that was super coordinated. As for the guys, a bed sheet and some body paint did the trick!

(As an aside, we didn’t have Toga Night at FHS back in the day…so this tradition dates back to some time in the last 20 years).

I said earlier that “Only Seniors” wear togas. I would argue that Admiral Dave is always a Senior (no matter who is inside). But, following tradition, the current Admiral Dave did not don a toga last year. He did, however, incorporate the Roman motif into his mascot costume for Friday night’s game and was quite stylish in the process - laurel wreath and all.

Definitely a far cry from how Holly dressed for her Toga Night three years ago!

But, then again, as I said, the young ladies have a different take on the event.

As for me, I celebrated Toga Night by having dinner with Lisa and Holly and then going on to the game where we met some good friends and cheered on the Admirals. At halftime, I checked on Dave to make sure he was okay and that he didn’t need a drink or something.

Otherwise, I was just a fan. Of course, my mind probably wavered to the fact that I was scheduled to participate in a Yahoo fantasy football draft early on Saturday morning.

For a while this season, I almost talked myself out of joining a fantasy league for the first time since Toga Night was a new creation! But, I’m not really ready to let it go just yet. So, at the last minute, I signed up. My draft was scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m.

Naturally, I called my team the Admirals! I think I did fairly well.

In any case, whether it’s about wrapping yourself in a sheet, getting up early (or staying up late) for a Fantasy Football draft, going to a high school football game on a Sunday, or counting down to kickoff for the home team, football season is upon us.

For the next three+ months, it will be part of our days and nights; our water cooler conversations and our emails to friends. It’s even a topic for this blog.

So, I guess there’s really not much more to do at this point except ask that time-honored question: Are You Ready for some Football?

Serving Fresh Food Now

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 09:14:25 -0400

Lisa and I were on our own for dinner last night and we found ourselves longing for one of our favorite treats. So, we hopped on I-40, drove up to Bearden and checked out the new location for Archer’s BBQ.

I recommend that you do the same.

It was reported in various media outlets in July that Archer’s was relocating from Farragut to Bearden over the summer. As Lisa and I put it, Farragut’s loss is Bearden’s gain. The Farragut location closed in late July and the new facility recently opened.

We visited the near-by Archer’s location frequently and I told you in an earlier blog that it was one of my favorite restaurants. We’ve definitely missed the Q!

It’s hard to put into words except to say that it is fantastic. When you’ve grown up eating Memphis-style barbecue, you learn there’s nothing that really satisfies that craving when you feel it. So, last night, we decided it was time to check out the new facility, which is located on Kingston Pike across from Naples Italian Restaurant.

We were greated by my old buddy, Jake - a fellow Tennessee Titans enthusiast - who was dishing up the Q and fixins last night. The place was fairly packed as an assortment of old timers and young families were all enjoying a Friday night out for dinner.

Soon, we settled into a nice table in the corner and had our meal. The BBQ sandwiches had that familiar taste we’ve grown to love and we were able to add the accents of our favorite sauces (I choose the Memphis; Lisa always goes for KC).

It was good to be back. It was also good to see the folks doing well. We wish Archer and Yvonne and the crew well in their new location.

As we were leaving, Jake waved and said for us to be sure to come back. We told him we will.

You can count on it.

While You See a Chance

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 20:46:00 -0400

And that old gray wind is blowing
And there’s nothing left worth knowing
And it’s time you should be going
While you see a chance take it

If you’re ever playing a Jeff Gary trivia quiz and the question “What is Jeff’s all-time favorite song?” comes up, the answer is “While You See a Chance” by Steve Winwood.

See. Don’t say that I “never gave you anything.”

The first words of that song are “Stand up in a clear blue morning…” I heard them for the first time as I was driving down Kingston Pike in my ’66 Mustang (or ‘The Stang’ as my high school buddies called it). I was listening to the radio when I heard the Winwood song for the first time. It came on the radio as I topped the hill at Lovell Road and saw Farragut High School framed by an electric blue sky.

On a clear blue morning…

At that moment, the sheer joy of being a senior in high school rushed over me. I had a great senior year – from start to finish – and that Winwood moment was just one of a cascade of memories that come back to me whenever I reflect on that magical year (even if I never did quite understand the meaning of the video).

I think that moment, and what it meant to me in the big picture, is why that song remains, to this day, #1 on the JG pop singles chart.

I’m not sure what song ranks at #1 on the PG chart (perhaps it is a number from “Into the Woods”) but it’s worth asking the question as he begins his senior year at FHS today. It’s hard to believe that our youngest is starting his senior year today.

Lisa took our traditional first day of school photograph this morning as she has done every ‘first day’ morning since we moved into this house (as he started third grade).

It joins the gallery with previous pics that mark these special “First Day of School” occasions.

When he finishes this year, Paul will have the unique distinction of having gone all 13 years through the Farragut schools. I doubt that there are very many FHSers who share that distinction. No one in our house does, that’s for sure.

Thinking about his years in the Farragut schools, it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that he was going to Farragut Primary School for the first day of kindergarten.

I told my sister yesterday, as she prepares for her oldest child to go to third grade, that the time really does fly by (and it does). It hardly seems possible that the first day of kindergarten was 13 years ago. Yet Lisa and I have learned the lesson that all parents learn: “Cherish these years. Time flies.”

And so it was as he left Primary School to transition to Intermediate School in 3^rd grade and from Intermediate to Middle in 6^th grade and Middle to High School in 9^th grade.

That was a special year because it was also Holly’s senior year. The two of them really got close that year. It was the ONLY year during all their schooling that they were in the same school at the same time and I think they really bonded – especially during rides in the Gary family truck to and from school each day.

Paul was making his mark that year as a freshman but FHS was still Holly’s school and that was her year. Then, she graduated and he moved up to become a sophomore and the last two years have been excellent ones for him.

As he stands on the start line for his senior year, he really has the opportunity to finish his high school career on a very high note – in the classroom, in his social life, in his extracurricular activities.

And staying with the race metaphor, for us parents, the year will serve as a victory lap. There will be lots of ‘lasts’ as we go through this year – last home football game for “Admiral Dave”, last open house, last (insert name of event)… I’m sure it’ll be an emotional ride for us.

For me, personally, a graduate of Farragut High School, this year’s commencement will really be a second one for me. I did it once upon a time as a youth and now, after seven years with Gary kids at FHS, I will do it again next May.

Last weekend, Paul’s mom and I gave him our advice for the year – Have a great one. Make it special. Leave nothing on the table. No regrets. Squeeze every last drop out of this special year.

Or put another way, “While You See a Chance,” take it. That was the same advice the singer told me all those years ago and it is still very appropriate today.

Weekend Getaway

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:56:54 -0400

We’ve made it an annual tradition to do one last weekend getaway in early August. We try to get out of town for a weekend before the hustle and bustle of the school year starts.

With the first day of school date, August 14, circled on the calendar, we knew we needed to make plans quickly after a busy July came to a close. Lisa found a good deal on a hotel; I snagged some baseball tickets and off we went for a weekend getaway to Atlanta.

We try to do a little more than just see a baseball game, though I would by lying if I didn’t admit that our August trips are always timed to coincide with the MLB schedule.

When we head to Turner Field, we often sit on the right field or first base side. For some reason, we’re always more comfortable there. This time, however, I found a great deal on some left field seats. That put us close to an ‘attraction’ that we’ve always wanted to see up close - the gi-normous Chick-Fil-A cow at the edge of Sky Field above the left field stands.

From our seats in the lower level, it was just a quick jaunt to the escalator leading up top to Sky Field, framed by the Atlanta skyline and featuring a majestic view of the field. There is also an area where youngsters can run the bases and a cooling ‘mister’ that can provide relief to sweltering fans on a humid August day.

Fortunately for us, the temperature at Friday’s game was very comfortable. Up at Sky Field, there was even a nice breeze blowing.

Like so many other companies - Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, etc. - Chick-Fil-A is based in Atlanta. Those other companies have a presence at Turner Field

Delta Air Lines Scoreboard in Left Field
Large Coke Bottle at Sky Field
Home Depot Tool Race

So, it was natural for Chick-Fil-A to have a presence as well.

We’ve been fascinated with the cow since it made its debut at Turner Field by the Delta scoreboard in 2008. During Braves rallies, the cow leads the fans in the chopping ritual (though the cow’s chopping has a much more mechanical feel to it). The Chick-Fil-A cow even shows its team spirit by wearing the colors of the home team.

So, we decided that, on this visit, we’d see the cow up close. It was quite a sight - nothing quite like an up close view of a 40-foot Holstein to get you in the mood for a ballgame (or a tasty chicken sandwich).

As for the game, itself, the Braves defeated the Houston Astros on “Star Wars Night” the night we were at the ballpark. The final score was 4-1.

We enjoyed our game and we enjoyed the rest of the weekend getaway as well. We enjoyed a little culture by attending “Much Ado About Nothing” as a part of the Georgia Shakespeare Festival at Oglethorpe University. We also enjoyed the ‘culture’ of shopping as the ladies visited an area Macy’s and also as we enjoyed a nice dinner to wrap up the trip.

Nothing, though, made a larger impression from our weekend getaway than the sight of a large bovine statue, perched high atop the left field bleachers, chopping away on a pleasant summer night.

Hello August

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:02:28 -0400

August is here. Hard to believe. (Where did July go?).

I’ve told you before my theories on how the seasons and our calendars are not always in synch. August is the perfect example of that. Outside, it feels like summer - very very summer. But the calendar tells us something totally different.

A week from now, FHS will hold its official orientation/registration day. They call it “Summer Insanity.” I’m told it’s always a fun day.

On that day, students pick up class schedules, join clubs, pay fees. It’s a busy day. For many students, this will be the first time they have seen each other since the end of May. Others have been hanging out together all summer.

Couples that broke up over the summer will see each other. For some, it will be nostalgic. For others it will be awkward.

And for our hard working teachers, this will be the first day back and the sad reality that summer vacation is over and that the fall schedule is about to begin.

Within a week of that Summer Insanity, classes will start officially at FHS and across Knox County. It’s hard for me to believe that Paul Gary will officially be a senior at FHS - he has unofficially been one since last year’s seniors commenced at Thompson-Boling Arena on the UT campus!

Later that week, the high schools play their first football game of the Fall ’12 season. All of this happens before we even get across the mid-point of the month.

Speaking of UT, by mid-month UT classes will be back in session and that will mean that three-fourths of the people at my house will be fully engaged in their academic pursuits. And, before the month officially ends, the Vols will take the field for their first football game of the season.

The things I just mentioned - class registration, course schedules, start of school, football – don’t they seem more like fall activities than late summer ones?

I’m sure it feels different in other parts of the country where the autumn nip starts to creep in during early September. But for those of us in the South, summer really doesn’t end until late September (when we really should be back at school).

Trading Places

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:43:18 -0400

For a baseball fan, the MLB trade deadline is always an exciting day. Today’s trade deadline came and went at 4 p.m. EDT.

Even in the midst of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, today it was MLB teams going for gold, silver and bronze.

As usual, there were a flurry of trades. Some trades were made in the days leading up to the deadline; other deals were made in the final minutes. Some teams were winners; some were losers

If your favorite team is involved in a pennant race (as the Braves are), it’s always especially exciting when your team pulls the trigger on a trade. Atlanta bolstered its bench and starting rotation by making a deal with the Cubs late last night. The Braves picked up LHP Paul Maholm and OF Reed Johnson in exchange for highly touted minor league RHP Arodys Vizcaino and minor league RHP Jaye Chapman.

It’s not the trade the Braves tried to make with the Cubs last week but it’s still a VERY good deal that will fortify their postseason run. Last week’s rumored trade would’ve brought Ryan Dempster to the Braves in exchange for key prospect Randall Delgado.

But, Delgado remains a Brave.

Other teams made some key acquisitions (list trades here)

· Ryan Dempster (instead) to the Rangers

· Hunter Pence to the Giants

· Shane Victorino to the Dodgers

And there were many others!

The reality of today’s trading deadline is that it’s not actually a deadline to make trades. It’s just that now, for the next month, it becomes more complicated to pull off a deal. If you want the details on August trades, you can click this link.

Over the years, there have been some great deadline deals, however. And then again, some deals have been duds.

Either way, it’s an exciting part of each baseball season and this year’s deadline deals set us all up for two interesting months as the 2012 MLB season heads into the homestretch.

Whether or Not

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 20:21:03 -0400

What’s the old line about the weather? If you don’t like it now, just be patient. Wait a few minutes and it’s gonna change!

Or the other one…what’s the one thing people will talk about during an elevator ride? The weather. “Sure is hot.” “Yeah.” “Gonna be hot tomorrow.” “Yeah.”

My dad used to refer to the weather forecast as the ‘whether or not’ forecast (as in…it might rain…but it might not…).

Well, recently, one thing’s for sure, our weather has been all those things (and more). A goofy weather pattern just seems to be getting goofier all the time.

One of my Facebook friends referred to our current weather as tropical, comparing the weather patterns to something you’d encounter during your summer beach trip to Florida.

That’s true.

We’re more than an inch over our annual average rainfall and that’s after enduring that grass-crunching 100 degree/dry spell at the end of June/start of July.

And speaking of that, wasn’t it weird? Records were falling every other day. We actually set a new record for our all-time hot temperature during that period at 105.

But right after that, we had a week of cool and rainy weather (that seemed more like a spring pattern than summer) That led us to this…hot weather but these violent pop-up torms that we’ve received every day this week - until tonight, when I decided to write about the weather! These storms caused lightning strikes that sparked fires and winds that brought down trees. Our power was out at home and, later, at work.

That reminds me of what it was like when I was a kid. Storm pops up. Lightning flashes. Power out. It would sometimes be off for hours.

This makes me long for the cool, crisp autumn weather we always seem to enjoy but, as we haven’t even made it to August yet, I fear that those wonderful, brisk fall nights and electric blue skies are still far off.

That leaves us stuck with this odd summer weather pattern. One thing’s for sure, if you don’t like it, be patient. Wait a few minutes and it WILL change.

Coming Home

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:52:26 -0400

I can sense in our emails from Holly that, while she’s still having a lot of fun during her Study Abroad program in France, she is starting to make the mental leap about coming home.

It’s probably not a bad idea; a way to mitigate the shock to the system that is bound to occur. She’ll endure a number of immediate changes ranging from the time change (her body clock is now 6 hours ahead of EDT) to the heat and humidity (temps in mid 70s there for highs each day…compared to what we’ve been experiencing) and also the natural cultural change in terms of language, surroundings and the people.

We’ve been thinking ahead to help her ease the transition home. For one thing, she has requested a family dinner to occur the weekend after she gets back. We’ll do that.

Also, I’ve been reading ahead to find out a bit about navigating the return trip home. Lisa and I have crossed the border back into the U.S. from Canada five times over the years. It’s nothing like going through customs at a major U.S. airport, though. Lots of Do’s and Don’ts.

(Nostalgia Break – When we were kids, there was a popular television show for children called “Romper Room.” On Romper Room, there were two bee characters…Mr. Do Bee – who did all the right things like brushing his teeth and cleaning his room and, also, his counterpart, Mr. Don’t Bee - who didn’t do any of the right things. He’d leave a messy room, gorge on in-between meal snacks and just generally be a pest. Anyway, those two characters would be appropriate examples for what I’m about to tell you next. Nostalgia Break Ends Here…).

There are a number of do’s and don’ts listed on the webpage for the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Mr. Do would do the things correctly; Mr. Don’t would not.

I’d say that the items listed on the Mr. Don’t list should be common sense but obviously they aren’t (at least to some folks). Hence, the reason they’ve made the list. Who, for example, would try to bring live animals back to the U.S.? Clearly some people have tried. That’s definitely on the “Don’t” list. Or who would think of bringing back seeds or agricultural products? Obviously some people made the “Don’t” list for that, too. Generally speaking, nothing agricultural (livestock, plants, fruit, soil, etc.) should show up in your luggage at Customs.

On the Mr. Do list are things like being friendly, planning ahead, packing logically, itemizing any purchases you bring back, having your passport ready, etc. I feel confident that Holly would have all of those items neat, complete and in order, but we’ll go through it with her one time just to make sure.

I also read up a little bit on navigating Hartsfield-Jackson so she can easily make her connecting flight home.

It’s hard to believe that she’ll be home soon. But, just as Paul’s month at Governor’s School for the Arts went by very quickly, so has been the case with Holly’s summer in France.

And soon, very soon, all four of us will be back under the same roof for the first time since June 2. But who’s counting, right?

Don’t be saying I shouldn’t.

Photo

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 18:40:07 -0400

Shameful

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 09:19:25 -0400

On the 1960s tv show, “Gomer Pyle USMC,” Gome used to tell the bad guys “Shame, Shame, Shame!” He’d admonish them when he learned some crook, con man or mean Marine at been up to some malicious mischief.

When I drive by those guys sitting by the ubiquitous “Shame On ____” signs, I rather imagine they are trying to convey the same message. Thing is: Who are they shaming?

For a while, the “Shame On” signs were kind of a novelty. And I learned that the “Shame On” signs were about some sort of labor dispute. Any of us could feel sympathy for some guy sitting out in the rain or bundled up on a blustery winter day.

But they’ve been sitting out by these red and white signs for so long now, you really wonder what are they trying to accomplish? And don’t the signs – and the protestors – just fade into the background along with the ever-present dogwoods and Bradford pears?

I wondered if there had been some new developments that keep the signs (and the sign sitters) on duty. So, I went on-line and learned that these omnipresent signs aren’t just stationed around this town, they’re deployed all over the country. I read about sign sightings in Chattanooga and Atlanta and even as far away as California.

Here’s a photo from Bakersfield that I cited as my content source. It’s an excellent example of one of these signs that we so often see around our town.

Around here, I read about reports of how local unions were actually paying these people to sit by the signs that we all drive past each and every day and I just wonder…aren’t the “Shame On” signs really starting to lose their oomph?

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for free speech and the right for anyone to express themselves in a respectful, legal way. But when the average sign viewer doesn’t know what the sign means – or even looks past the sign because it has been at the same spot for a couple years – you have to start to wonder if the signs have lost their significance.

I was thinking that, maybe, they could jazz things up a little. Maybe they could employ one of those guys who dance around and flip the hand-held signs trying to call your attention to a mattress sale or a restaurant special. You’ve probably seen these guys. The signs are usually oddly shaped and brightly colored and they flip and spin the sign. They do so with flair and panache and at rapid speeds.

That might call attention to the “Shame On” signs.

I was starting to think I was on to something and then, I saw one of these sign flippers – trying to call attention to a super duper hair cut sale – just sitting on a park bench by the roadside. He looked defeated, almost lugubrious in nature.

That won’t cut it. I doubt he sold any haircuts in that pose and I doubt he’d boost the morale of the “Shame Onners” either.