Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Kerr on Leadership


The Warriors have breezed through the postseason undefeated despite the absence of head coach Steve Kerr, due to complications from his back surgery. Good article in SI about Kerr, who said “Some people are just so tunnel vision all the time and ‘I’m going to succeed…in life,’ and they just trample over everyone. The people to me who are the most powerful leaders are the ones who have great talent in whatever their field is, great conviction in their ability to teach it and act it, but an awareness and a humility and compassion for others.”
 
Since it was “slow” Friday afternoon before a holiday my boss sent me home at three (Tuesday I was slammed). Went the long way home but beat Ceil. She was famished so we went to Moxie Burger. Very crowded on a Friday evening. Stopped by Whole Foods on the way home.
 
Ceil arranged flowers for a wedding in Brookhaven, which took up most of her day Saturday. Matthew worked from 8 am to 3 pm, then left for his show at Georgia Tech.  I was on my feet all day, first cleaning upstairs then doing laundry and cleaning downstairs.
While C was gone I cooked beef quesadillas, folded  clothes, and watched a Tom Hanks movie, A Hologram for the King. One of Hanks’ least successful movies, about a down on his luck salesman trying to do business in Saudi Arabia. Hanks likes to make movies about a wide variety of topics, but this one might’ve strayed too far outside the interests of most Middle Americans.
 
Tuesday at work we were talking about Tom Hanks movies, and coworker Angie asked if we’d seen his movie Larry Crown, where out of work Larry (Hanks) enrolls at the local community college and is taught by Julia Roberts. Cute story. The movie inspired Angie, a 30 year old single mother of two, to do the same. She recently received her diploma.
 
Went to JFBC Sunday. Another guest speaker, another JFBC alumni now working for Campus Crusade. Sunday afternoon we took Barney down and walked four miles on the Atlanta Beltline, from Ansley Mall to the old Sears Building. Unpaved gravel the first mile past Piedmont Park to the intersection of Monroe and 10th Street. There we visited with a former coworker of mine, who now runs a butcher shop there. Afterwards we went over to Westside Provisions for Jeni’s ice cream. Barney was worn out and sore, as was I.

Sunday night we watched the movie Hidden Figures, about NASA and the Mercury 7 astronauts in 1961.
 
Monday my back was sore. Worked around the house, and later ran errands: took giveaways to Goodwill, a book back to the library, Chickfila, deposited a check, and mailed a letter. Wanted to get my oil changed but the place was closed. Monday afternoon Ceil cooked beef tips and stir fry, but the beef was so hard to chew that I just ate everything else. Then she went to Lenox with Nancy. She didn’t feel good. Later she cooked a pizza.
 
W&MC took a long day trip to Charleston with another couple. W got MC a puppy cam for her birthday, so they can keep tabs on Okie when they’re out.
 
Ceil has some hamburger patties in the fridge so we should be having those soon. Steak probably isn’t the worst thing to eat, though I know restaurants load it with melted butter. It’s the baked potato and other stuff that’s the killer.
 
A wild story, the entire Tiger Woods story. Good words by Denison, with the comparison to Langer. The final chapter has yet to be written. Hopefully he won’t follow the route of Elvis, Michael Jackson, and to a lesser extent Michael Vick. Hard to be the greatest and have it all, like Nicklaus, Palmer, Gretzky, Jeter, or maybe Montana. I was in a Chickfila Monday afternoon when I heard the story.

Bryce Harper was in the news again, and will probably miss more games, charging the mound and exchanging punches with a pitcher from Zebulon GA. Good view of the Memorial Day uniforms (more on that tomorrow). Like Tiger, I wonder how the career of Bryce Harper will unfold. He plays hard and hustles, but is disliked for the smirk on his face. He and Trout are great players. Both have missed time due to injury, Harper more than Trout. Just heard Trout compared to Bo Jackson, but Trout strikes out less. Last night Albert Pujols hit this 598th home run. He was a beast who faded as his body wore down, as most do. Mantle and Mays faded, Aaron a little less so.   
 
Coworker Brad’s father passed away yesterday from cancer. It had only been a matter of time. Brad’s son’s high school graduation is Wednesday, funeral on Thursday. Then burial in Missouri Sunday, then he travels back next Monday.

No comments: