Three Cupcakes

GT game was delayed over two hours so it was hard to find on TV. Jackets led 28-7 at the half and breezed to a win. Didn't they used to play football in the rain?

Joe Hamilton was a great college QB but as an announcer sounds like Augustus Gloomp eating fudge. Repeats himself. Not concise. GT program not yet at the point where anyone should consider any game to be a sure win, but that was Joe's approach.

Tech's uniforms looked good in the sunshine and dark wet field. Coach Key going with the traditional gold helmets white jersey gold britches.

GT kicker Gavin Stewart missed his third straight field goal. 0-3 for the season. No improvement since last year.

GT QB looks good again. Maybe I'll learn his name in another week or two. He went 6-7 in the first quarter, then hit a bomb to extend lead to 21-0. Jackets look faster this year, at RB and WR. Running more fast developing plays instead of holding the ball in the backfield reading the defense, which is another big improvement.

Charleston Southern 14 Clemson 7 in the first quarter. What's wrong with Clemson? Only led 24-17 at the half before scoring four straight TDs in the third quarter.

Before each home game Dabo leads his team as they run down the hill onto the field. Coach Swinney says he never stretches beforehand, just like a dog never stretches before chasing a squirrel.

Charleston Southern helmet stripes are gold navy gold with white spaces between the stripes. Jersey stripes are navy gold navy with no space between stripes. No stripes on pants. Things like that drive me crazy.

UGA led 31-0 at the half. Won 45-3. Had to settle for a field goal after a bad call nullified a TD. Dawgs top WR still out. Another WR had to play RB due to so many injuries in the backfield. All three UGA QB's played again. Bulldog defense had three interceptions in the first half.

Former GT QB Jeff Sims had 7 turnovers in his first 6 quarters playing for Nebraska. Finally answered with a 50+ yard TD run, for the Huskers only score. Nebraska lost to Deion's Colorado squad.

Texas beat Bama by ten in Tuscaloosa. Wow. Bama QB a dangerous runner, but his passing seemed suspect. Saban's first double digit home loss in his college coaching history. Both teams represent formidable opponents for UGA.

First ever meeting between Auburn and Cal. The son of former Falcons kicker Mick Luckhurst is Cal's kicker - following in his father's footsteps. Last week the War Eagles wore navy face masks. This week they switched to white.

Saturday morning I parred 3 of the first 6 holes - the three longest holes of the six, including the par three 5th (below). 

Tired. After golf I did some laundry, ran the mower through the woods behind our house. Always an exhausting task. Looks much better. Trimmed tree branches and hauled off the debris. Later I mowed the lawn. Did some organizing in the garage. Didn't watch quite as much football as I would've liked. A 16000 step day.

Met with missionaries from Poland Saturday night. Dessert was served.

Monday M leaves for a week in Mexico City. He has a 9 hour layover in Houston.

Stuff

Wish I had an office at home to display the stuff that I have that I like. You have different items but hardly any duplicates. It’s one thing to have several of the same Michael Jordan card, for instance. Makes me want to make a list of the things I’d have that I would display – a big photo of Grant Field from the late 70’s. A few select bobbleheads. Perhaps a football helmet and Braves batting helmet. Wish I had my old single bar helmet from high school. Anna gave me a framed commemorative card from the night Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run. A Braves cap.

At work I try not to have too much stuff on my desk, but I have a 1969 Baseball Encyclopedia, a 1940 JM Tull hardcover catalog, Don Zimmer bobblehead, Bob Uecker nesting doll, a Braves baseball, Smoltz mini bobble, and photos of Ceil, Anna, Matthew, and W and M. Three mugs filled with pens: one with Shivonne, and two different Braves mugs. My orange hardhat is from ESPN College Gameday.

I’m starting to sound like Steve Martin in The Jerk: “All I need is this chair. That’s all I need. This chair. And this bolo paddle. That’s all I need. And…”

With all the old stuff in C’s parent’s house – closets and drawers stuffed with old stuff that wasn’t touched for years and years. When I cleaned out a bunch of old magazines last weekend, I saved a few old SPORT and Sports Illustrateds with Michael Jordan on the cover. Also a few with Ken Griffey and Muhammed Ali. They are even older Sports Illustrateds out in a shed, but they probably have water damage. Also found an unworn t-shirt from the Charlotte Hornets first year, and a few Charlotte Hornets ticket stubs. Also ticket stubs from the 1982 Orange Bowl.

Looks like we’ll have to go back to SC next weekend. Cleaning out their parent's house has to be hard for C and her brother. Doesn’t help when people watz in and instead of helping, just make a mess while picking out what items they want. C had uncovered a tiger pin her mom used to wear that C wanted as a keepsake, but all of a sudden it disappeared.

Pet peeve: people calling attention to themselves. Drives me crazy. Yes it used to be everyone in the choir would stand still and look at the conductor. Now people are moving around, waving their arms. Seems like they’re just calling attention to themselves.

Some people ALWAYS have to tell their story. Hate it when people are talking and someone says something like “so and so has covid” and the other person has to tell a longer story about the 5 times THEY had covid, and how bad it was and blah blah blah. Goes back to what we were talking about yesterday – putting others ahead of self. I really make an effort to not make conversations about me, but about the other person. 

I worry about telling the same story over and over to the same people. When I start talking (which is rare in a crowd, as it’s hard to get a word in edgewise) but when I start talking Ceil will roll her eyes or try to stop me. I told you how upset she was about my speech at the wedding. I figured the speech was the only time I’d have to talk and not be interrupted !!

Sometimes you just got to stop and look around.

Article: debunking evolution. Again: don’t believe everything you read.

Thursday: worked until 6 pm. C had a bad day so we went to Marlow’s Tavern to use my birthday meal. She loved her chicken panini. My burger was good, but part of the bacon was rubbery. Then I gassed up her car, so it was 9:30, so I went to bed. Forgot my daily blog post, so I had to post two on Friday.

Friday: kinda blue. I am thankful to God that he’s made me so resilient to all the crud that happens around me. It’s not supposed to be about me, but it’s tough when so much negative stuff is going on. At work and home. People being people. I am happy with how God made me. There are so many people that I wouldn’t want to be like. Others are okay. I could have a better internal attitude about some others. As Nick Saban says, there’s always room for improvement.

GAVVY CRAVATH [SABR Bio] led the majors in home runs in four of his first six years with the team. Led MLB in 1913, 1914, 1915, and 1917 with 19, 19, 24, & 12. He also led the NL twice more. His career OPS+ is tied with Honus Wagner. Cravath’s 151 OPS+ (tied for 37th) finished ahead of Nap Lajoie’s (150), Ralph Kiner’s (149), and Willie Stargell’s (147). In a game in southern California, he hit a high-arcing ball that killed a gull in flight. His nickname “Gavvy” is a corruption of the Spanish word for seagull (gaviota). ME: the name of my new HOKAs is Gaviota.

Happiness For Beginners

After saying I don’t watch many movies I turned on the new Netflix movie “Happiness For Beginners” starring Ellie Kemper. Great scenery. Good movie.

It used to be God Country Family. Perhaps God Family Country. Surely JOY – Jesus Others You. All should come before SELF, which gets to what’s bugging me right now…

Pet peeve: I’ve learned over the years that if your boss asks you to do something, you do it. Yes, except if it’s something illegal or lying or cheating. But if your boss asks you to go somewhere with him (like lunch) you go. It’s not about the food, but spending the time together, discussing various things. If the boss asks the entire team to go, it's an opportunity for team building. Then if one team member declines just because they don’t want to go, the whole team misses out.

Denison on the secret to happiness: Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks, who specializes in happiness studies, explained: Happiness took a real big dip when social media came along. Social media was catastrophic for happiness. What is the answer? “It has everything to do with social life, with our love relationships….your faith life, family life, your real friendships, and work that serves others in person.

When we’re watching a show, even a Hallmark movie, I will often look up who the actor is – and discover they’ve been on several hit TV shows and movies (that I don’t watch).

My boss’ boss was in the military, and doesn’t mind hiring ex-military people. Almost all of them are above average, hard working employees.

Taqueria: good that George is on the mend. I told Anna that he’d been sick.

Wednesday: Worked until 6 pm last night. Stopped by Jersey Mikes for a Philly Chicken on the way home. C had small group.

Still unpacking from the weekend. Final count of golf balls I brought back: 167. Many had PRACTICE stamped on them. Left just as many for Rusty. This after thinking there were no more golf balls in the house.

1200 UGA vs Ball State on SEC Network

0100 GT vs SC State ESPN+ ACC Network Extra

0215 Clemson vs Charleston Southern ACC Network

0700 Alabama vs Texas ESPN

TONY LAZZERI [SABR Bio] was the first player in organized baseball to hit 60 home runs in one season, for the AA Salt Lake City Bees in 1925. He was the first player to appear with teams in different leagues in consecutive World Series, playing for the NYY in 1937 and CHC in 1938 (facing his old team). Scouts were reluctant to pursue him as a player because it was known he was epileptic. Ed Barrow signed him in spite his epilepsy diagnosis. The condition affected Lazzeri only a couple of times during his career.

Looks at Books

Just finished the novel “Book Lovers” that Connie Morris (or someone) had read. The book started out describing the plot line of just about every Hallmark movie every made. Then the book was basically a Hallmark movie itself.

Now I am reading “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World”, by David Epstein. Just realized I read this back in 2019.

Next up will be “The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: True Stories of Women Who Sewed to Survive”” by Lucy Adlington. I knew that C was reading it, so I downloaded it for us to listen to on our trip – but she didn’t want to.

Very few movies these days interest me. Even when I see one that looks interesting I rarely watch them. Used to be if Ceil is out of town I would spend the entire weekend catching up on movies, but I haven’t done that too lately. We have scores of movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Friendly TV to choose from. Ceil isn’t watching many Hallmark movies any more.

Article: scientists claim climate change over other more relevant causes just so they can have their papers published. You simply can't believe what you read any more. Even the people saying Bama is the best team in the SEC surely don't really believe it in their heart (or mind).

Worked until 6 pm Tuesday evening. C cooked grits and eggs for supper, with toast. She watched “When Calls the Heart”, then we watched the new episode of “Only Murders in the Building”. Good stuff.

Wednesday: ran at the gym.

NEWS: a new employee has been hired and will be joining our team soon. Thank you Jesus.

DENISON: why God allows suffering. The highest purpose we were created for was to enter into a loving relationship with God. But that kind of relationship requires a free will choice on our part. Because love is, by nature, a choice more than an emotion, if God forced it from us, then it would not be love. Not all suffering is the result of the sinful choices people make, though our free will is still the source of so much pain and suffering. Just because we have free will does not mean that our freedom exists without boundaries or limitations. I have the freedom to jump off the roof, but the quick drop that follows will make it clear I lack the freedom to fly.

TIM LINCECUM [SABR Bio] was named to the Pac-12 All-Century Baseball Team, along with Randy Johnson, Jack McDowell, Mike Mussina, and Tom Seaver. Pitching for the University of Washington Huskies, Lincecum, was also joined on this honorary team by pitchers, Mark Appel, Trevor Bauer, Dave Berg, Mike Leake, Mark Prior, and John Olerud. Lincecum was unbeaten in his first 20 professional starts, including 7 in the majors (in the minors in 2006-07 and with the Giants in 2007). He was drafted by the CHC late in 2003 and by CLE in 2003 but signed with neither. In 2016, he signed as a free agent with LAA, but released at the end of the season and signed in 2018 by TEX, but didn’t make it again to the majors.

Above: perpetual motion vehicle. Ceil had a spider on her rear view camera (below).

Taking Down the House

Thursday: worked past 6 pm. Drove straight home. A big branch had fallen from the storm. Anna and Goose ate supper with us. Then C and I pulled junk from the attic downstairs. Got me all dirty. I also washed a couple loads of laundry. Also went to gas up the car. Was after 11 pm before I got to bed. Watched some of the Florida Utah game.

My friend Lee came over at 7 am. We loaded his pickup and took it to the Cobb County dump. Back home by 9 am. Was on the road to SC by ten. Drove past Augusta and stopped 11 miles into SC. Stopped again in Camden at Chick-fil-A. I had a milkshake.

Ceil's brother's family had been working all day, cleaning out their parent's house. We got a dumpster outside. We unearthed a bunch of golf balls, and neckties. Not that I wear them anymore.

Picked up supper from the Golden Nugget, the popular (and only) restaurant in town. I messed up Ceil's order, so I had to go back (a whole quarter mile). She had broiled jumbo shrimp. I ate the fried shrimp and my chicken tenders. Saved the extra baked potato and Cole slaw for Saturday breakfast.

We had a busy Saturday. No place to donate that's not an hour round trip. Been cleaning out closets and drawers and rooms that were stuffed with stuff. Old expired drugs as old as 1993. Magazines. Hundreds of golf tees. Dozens of old clubs. Six old golf bags. Hundreds of old books. Back and forth to the dumpster. Winnie had Rusty's dog to play with. Hundreds of old family photos and albums. Old commemorative Cokes and Pepsis from NASCAR, Clemson, the 96 Olympics.

I've saved a few things: golf balls, a few pens and pencils, shoestrings, a couple of books ("Bobby Jones on Golf" and a book written by former Rams receiver Lance Rentzal). Several photos. Umbrellas. Four ties. A rain jacket. C's brother's family has worked 2 full days and me and C one. Made a ton of progress, but there's still a bunch to do.

Pizza Hut for lunch. Rusty made homemade vanilla ice cream. C made lasagna for supper. Had football on the TV all day.

Braves beat the Dodgers two straight, after sweeping the Rockies in Denver and taking 2 of 3 in San Fran. Before that 2 of 3 from the Mets.

Sunday: more of the same. Just not quite as much.

Monday: long day. Did more cleaning up. Also packed the car. And packed. Didn't leave until 2:30, then Chick-fil-A and gas, plus a pit stop in Madison. Traffic. Got home at 7:45 and it took an hour to unpack.

A short history of the Masters' ticket lottery.

The origin of Elaine's awkward dancing  - SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels.

This weekend Jordan's crunchy croutons reminded me of the old SNL commercial for Quarry cereal  - "chock full of minerals". 

MIKE TROUT [B-R Bio] led the majors in WAR in four of his first five complete seasons. (In the fifth, he only led his league). Trout's WAR rating from 2012 to 2016 of 10.5, 8.9, 7.7, 9.6, and 10.5. He is the youngest member of the 30/30 club. In his rookie season of 2012, Trout hit 30 HR and had 49 SB a record level for rookies. Trout eats pickles before every game.

DENISON: reflections on America's post-Christian future. Axios notes that China's economy has been plagued by weak growth, a popped real estate bubble, and mass unemployment among young adults. Rather than dealing with these problems, China's government is hiding them. Recent reports showed unemployment among young adults reached 21.3% in June, but the government suspended the release of the data. The Economist agrees "China's economy won't be fixed" because "the autocratic government is making bad decisions." China's living standards are less than 20% of America's. "Many of its challenges stem from broader failures of its economic policymaking—which are getting worse as President Xi Jinping centralizes power."

What's Wrong With Clemson?

The other night when UGA didn’t score 40 in the first quarter, supposedly knowledgeable fans were asking what was wrong with the Dawgs. Yet they gained over 600 yards and put up 48. The only score they allowed was on a questionable catch. With the new running clock rules, if GA (or any team) kicks off to start the game they might only get the ball twice in the first quarter. One busted play and one dropped pass, and it might take three possessions to score, especially if the other team is playing conservative, running the ball (and clock) – shortening the game.

Dawgs looked good. Can’t always score big early. QB Beck has a strong arm. Made some great throws. Had a few dropped. Vandagriff looked good too. Third stringer Gunnar Stockton looked good too. Made a few good throws and a long run. UGA probably has the best trio of QB’s in the country.

TE Bowers is amazing. Needs to win the Heisman. His backup #4 Delp also made a Bowers-like catch for a TD. UT Martin put up a decent fight, running the clock to shorten the game, punting well - but still lost 48-7 after spoiling the shutout thanks to a great TD catch.

So what’s wrong with Clemson? Dropped passes. Blocked field goal. Tigers have perhaps the best RB in the country but they’re not giving him the ball. Tigers led 7-6 at the half. Dawgs were up 17-0 at the half on Saturday night.

Duke is a good football team. Last year they were like 9-4, and have 17-18 returning starters. Clemson has a new starting QB (a sophomore) and a new offensive coordinator.

No way Clemson should’ve lost. Tigers trying to be too fancy on offense. If you have the better athletes you just gotta impose your will on the other team, pound the ball down the field. Clemson RB Shipley may have rushed for 114 yards on 17 carries, but he should’ve had 200. That one fumble down near the goal line made foe a 14 point swing, another fumble down near the end zone, plus 2 missed field goals – that’s basically the difference in the game right there. Big bad Clemson defense couldn’t stop Duke’s running game.

After the game Dabo spoke the truth. Still, ya gotta give props to the Blue Devils. That Duke QB is currently the Heisman front-runner.

Good uni matchup. Both teams keeping it simple. Duke with the huge D at midfield - but why do they have “Duke” spelled out in olde English on their helmets?

The new running clock rules are gonna make for lower scoring games.

Watched the GT game. Jackets looking good. Their QB looks good. 14-6. Tech looked improved. The QB looked okay. Jackets missed two key field goals though one was from 54 yards. Then two straight plays went Louisville’s way: GT QB fumbles, then a long TD run for the Cardinals. Tech gotta win these to get bowl eligible.

Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffalos upset TCU. Horned Frogs had lost a lot of players after advancing to last year’s national championship game, but Deion had run off over 50 players from last year’s 1-11 squad. Deion’s son started at QB, and threw for a school record 510 yards.

FSU looked a lot better than mighty LSU. Bayou Bengals offense looked anemic. Same expert who picked SC to go 11-0 also picked LSU to go undefeated. If the Noles beat Clemson, the Tigers will have a tough time advancing to the ACC Championship Game.

School Days: Continued

My high school friend Catherine Hendricks had a heart of gold. She was always doing good deeds for others. Loved dogs. Hers was named Bilbo Baggins, after the literary character. Once in science she brough dog biscuits for everyone to try. I passed. Catherine was one of a group of kids who lived near Mercer. Their parents taught there. One afternoon I had gym class, and was standing in the only doorway looking out on the parking lot. The door was the only feature on that side of the building, so it was the only thing to look at. As I looked out the door, wearing shorts and sneakers but no t-shirt, Catherine and our friend Bob Brewster were walking past the gym. I waved. They waved back. Catherine swears she looked away after that. That’s when marty Drawhorn snuck up and pulled down my gym shorts, exposing my tighty whitey underwear. Bob said it was the funniest thing he ever saw. Catherine swears she didn’t see it. I quickly stepped out of the doorway.

As a senior I was Catherine’s campaign manager for her homecoming queen campaign. I made posters and gave a speech. Everyone loved Catherine. She won. Though pretty, she was far from the beauty queen stereotype. More of the 4-H, gets your hands dirty type. Not sure what all the other girls thought about her win. To celebrate I took Catherine to dinner at Beall’s 1960, a fancy restaurant on College Street. It was our only “date”.

A year or two later her younger sister Barbara Jean won homecoming queen. Barbara Jean was later homecoming queen at Mercer. Now Catherine is the head librarian at West Georgia College. Bill Teem knew her from when they both taught at a small college in Videlia. Bob Brewster had been one of my first friends in junior high. Now he’s a veterinarian in Athens. Marty Drawhorn just passed away last year, after a long career for the Bibb County Board of Education.

Back in the 1970’s one of my favorite singers was Jim Stafford. He was like Ray Stevens. Had several funny hits, like “I Don’t Like Spiders and Snakes” and Wildwood Flower”.

In college when I was home for the summer I went out a few times with a girl from church. Our families knew each other well. One summer afternoon a thunderstorm hit, knocking out the phone lines. I had previously mentioned to this girl about a Saturday night date, but we hadn’t finalized our plans. I couldn’t call, so I just drove over to her house. She was happy to go, but had to get ready. Not sure if this was the same night, but we had to drive to the other side of town to go to the movies. I was low on gas, and didn’t quite make it to the gas station. Had to push the car the last little bit. Made for an adventurous evening.

During my single days, the Huberts were the directors of the singles department. David taught, and Mary was like mom to all of us. Every Monday night we’d have covered dish supper at the Huberts. In the fall of 1984 two girls started attending, both recent Tech grads. Amy went out with David Hurt a few times. Amy and her roommate Marty lived near me in Midtown / Virginia Highland. They lived on Adair Ave. I lived on Greenwood Ave, in the tiny rundown apartment we called the Hubcap.

I was working for Jim Suggs in Doraville, just outside 285 on Oakcliff Road (near where Dock grew up). Marty worked off the same exit. We started carpooling, which was fun. A couple of years ago I was going through my old scrapbook calendars making a list of sporting events I’d been to, and discovered that Marty and I had gone to a few GT basketball games together in 1985. She’d also gone to a comedy show with me and Hurt and Don Head. I’d forgotten about those. Those her the days when Tech had a good basketball team. Bobby Cremins. I did remember a big Friday night game in late Feb / early March wasn’t being shown on TV in Atlanta. On a lark, Marty and I decided to drive down to Macon and watch the game with my parents. We spent the night and drove home the next day. Spending time with her was fun.

Marty liked to tease me, which at the time I wasn’t sure I liked. I didn’t realize it was her way of showing interest in me. We did stuff together almost more like friends than as dates. At least that’s what I thought. I was too dumb to figure out that she might be interested in me. I was so bad at meaningful conversations back then (still am). We’d talk about “stuff” – but I never asked Marty about her family, her earlier life, her time at Tech, what she did at night. She was good at asking about me. A few years later I ran into Marty on a Saturday morning while we getting our cars serviced at a Goodyear in Decatur.

I do have an old wood box with lots of old stuff from high school and college. That’s where I found that old mighty mite photo od Elizabeth Flack. Old church news, Camp SPdL, and choir tour stuff.

School Days: Central High

From 8th grade through 10th I rode the bus (1972-1975). Kind old Mr. Cooper was our driver. I always sat in the same seat, the 4th row back. I started playing school football in 9th grade, so my dad would pick me up after practice. He would usually arrive early to watch. In the summer of 1975 I turned 16, and bought my first car for $500, from money I’d made mowing lawns and umpiring at Vine Ingle Little League. A red 1966 Ford Country Sedan station wagon. Bought it from a young couple at church. Loved that car. Drove to school after that. Parked in the teachers lot, along with my two best friends Don and Chuck. I’d drive straight to work at Baskin Robins, after school or football practice.

In 7th grade I went on my first “date” with a girl. The girl scouts had to each ask a boy to go bowling with them. Renee asked me. My first game I rolled a 22, then a 30. Later I spent time with Christy. I walked to her house once or twice. Can’t remember us ever doing much talking, or anything else. In 8th grade I passed notes with Anne. We sat next to each other at football games – until an older boy moved in and stole her away. That was the end of that. Tenth grade I spent time with Kathy. Since we couldn’t drive we would talk on the phone, and I’d go to her house on Sundays after church.

I have boxed exactly one time: in 9th grade PE Coach WC Jones put mats in one corner of the Miller Junior High gymnasium, and conducted boxing matches. Seemed like my match was two rounds. I was paired against my friend Rex Dooley, whose statue was similar to mine – tall and skinny. We wore football helmets and big boxing gloves. Neither one of use used much footwork. Neither one of us hit that hard. By the second round we were both exhausted, and were basically leaning on each other. The only difference was that while Rex was just standing there, I continued “punching” him. After the bell sounded Coach Jones came in to announce the winner. I was so tired I was barely standing up. Then I felt my arm being lifted – I was the winner. Never boxed again.

My high school was comprised of two buildings across the street from each other. Every day between periods there would be a line of students filing out of one building, through the parking lot, across the street, cutting catty corner across the football field, across another parking lot, to the other building. One day I was walking with my best friend Don. I kicked a rock. Don kicked the rock. We kept kicking it back and forth all the way across the street. No words were ever exchanged. When we made it to the football field we kept kicking the rock, but we left all the other students and starting kicking the rock all the way down the football field. Still no words. Then when we kicked the rock across the goal line we jumped up and down in celebration. The other students had to think we were nuts.

In 11th grade I was driving Dottie home in my station wagon. Somehow the gas pedal got stuck, at the busy intersection of Riverside and Pio Nono. This had never happened to me before. Didn’t know what to do. Kept trying to reach down and get it unstuck. The whole time Dottie was sitting in the passenger seat, laughing her head off.

Later I hung out with Ellen and Julie. Ellen's family had moved to Macon from Wisconsin. Her dad was a music professor at Mercer, who sometimes worked with our high school band. Ellen’s family couldn’t believe a boy would be interested in her, and jokingly called me the name Archie Bunker called his son in law – “the pre-vert”. Ellen had the best cursive handwriting.  Perfect penmanship. We used to write notes to each other. This of course was before cell phones, texting, and email. You’d write a note on paper, fold it up. We’d leave notes in a specific unused desk in German class.

Julie’s family was more fun-loving and adventurous. When the band went to Disney World for spring break, Julie’s mom let me travel down to Florida with them. After Disney we swung by Daytona Beach.

Senior year I went out with Carol and later Cathy. Carol was deaf, but was still in public school and even a majorette with the band. Carol, Dottie, Julie, and Effen were all a year or two younger than me, but Cathy was a senior like I was. We’d listen to Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”. My friends Don, Chuck, and Angus called ourselves DOC, after another band consultant, Doc Chenowith. Cathy said DOC stood for “Date Only Chicks”. Cathy, her sister Laura, and friend Julie called their club the NDC – the “Non-Dating Club”.

Just before my 1977 graduation I bought a car for college: a red 1972 Buick Skylark 2 door, with a white landau roof and sporty wheels. Cathy named it “Honey” because she liked to say “Heey Honeyyy”.

One night I took Cathy to our school’s varsity basketball game. Not many students went to games, but it was a cheap date and something to do (better than walking around the mall). At the end of the game, trailing by a point, we inbounded in the backcourt to rarely-used reserve Ronald Bussey, a fun-loving guy. Ronald turned and heaved up a long, three-quarter shot. It stripped the net, winning the game. As the sports editor of the school newspaper (published monthly), that became one of my stories. Cathy and I parted ways when I matriculated to Georgia Tech, but her sister married my friend from church.

School Days: Elementary School

I walked to school from first to sixth grade, when I went to Rosa Taylor Elementary School (1965-1971). In the morning I might walk with a sibling. On the way home I’d walk with friends. A distance of about half a mile. No sidewalks, but we’d walk in the grass next to the road. From time to time I’d walk home with friends, to Glenn Howell’s house, or to my Cub Scout meeting. Only once did I ride my bike to school. That afternoon like always I walked home. Only then did I realize my bike was missing. I scampered back to school to find it where I’d left it, all by its lonesome.

I’ve surely recounted the afternoon in first grade when I was hit by a car, in 1966. I’d been walking with Doye Green. We were swinging our book satchels, until I decided I didn’t want to any more. I decided to cross the street, but didn’t look until it was too late. I remember seeing the maroon station wagon bearing down on me, then nothing else. I woke up on my couch at home. The lady who’d hit me had a daughter in my sister’s girl scout troop, so she knew who I was. My mom took me to have my head x-rayed, but the results showed nothing (old joke).

In first grade we’d all walk in a line to and from lunch, or out to recess. One day we were walking down the hallway. For some reason a desk had been placed in the hallway. Everyone walked around the desk – except me. I stepped through the desk – and was promptly reprimanded. At recess my favorite playground activities were the merry go round, the swings, and the tall sliding board. I stayed away from the monkey bars – they were too hard. Then one day I was following friends through the playground, kind of like an obstacle course. We climbed the monkey bars, and I was able to negotiate across them. Amazed myself.

Another time we were playing freeze tag. I remember being tagged and was standing there, waiting for someone to tag and “unfreeze” me. Several feet away my friend Kim was also frozen. I found a small stone and tossed it to him. He stretched and caught the rock – we considered ourselves unfrozen, and both ran away.

As a kid when we’d visit my grandmother, we would drive up Piedmont from 85 and turn right on Peachtree. I remember the gas station on the southwest corner, and various car dealerships on other corners.

In 6th grade (1970) we moved from Wimbush to a new house on Kathryn Drive. The first day I expected my mother to pick me up at school, but after 30 or so minutes I was about the only one there. No cell phones. I trudged the long way home. Seemed like a million miles, but actually less than four. Still a long way for an eleven year old. Was getting dark by the time I arrived. I wasn’t happy, but quickly learned my parents weren’t either. After that I’d ride the bus from Rosa Taylor. It would stop at the next elementary school, McKibben Lane, before depositing me at my house.

When new Springdale School opened in 1971, I transferred there. The Springdale 6th grade class had been meeting at Rosa Taylor. They seemed to be having a good time. It was my last few months with the kids I’d gone to school with for over five years. After transferring I quickly loved my new school. We lived too close to ride the bus, so we walked or were driven by parents. At Springdale Mrs. Grenga was our teacher in both 6th and 7th grade. At least once a week she would march us down to the music room and teach us show tunes: “If I Were a Rich Man” and others from Broadway shows. For Christmas we sang several songs that was pressed into an album. Not sure where it is, but I think I still have it.

Though I played with the kids in the neighborhood and at school, we rarely played baseball, football, or basketball. More playground stuff. But when I transferred to Springdale we played basketball and football at recess. Not really basketball games, we’d just shoot around. For awhile the big deal was to try half court shots – quite a heave for a 7th grader. Bill Yancy was the king of the half court shot. I made my share.

I can’t recall if we played tackle or touch football. Seemed like it was tackle. As a budding kicker, at the time I was infatuated with the “on-side” / squib kick. Not the bouncing kick to the sideline that’s used today. Instead laying the ball flat. I’d lay the ball on the ground and kick the underside of the ball, sending a hard to catch floater down the field.

One day recess was ending, so we decided to run one more play. I kicked off and Johnny Gidson grabbed the ball. Johnny was the fastest boy in our class. He darted and dashed up the field. Soon only one defender stood between Johnny and the goal line – me. He was about to run past me at full speed. I took one step to my right, into his path – and we collided. Nose to nose. I went straight down, like a sack of potatoes. My last vision was Johnny spinning in a circle down to the ground. We both had bloody noses. My nose went from being straight to having what I thought was a bit more character, with a bit of a bump that I still have today. Johnny’s dad was pastor of Wesleyan Drive Baptist Church. Johnny went on to become a professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, though he passed away a few years ago.

September Bobbleheads

September bobblehead and other SGA's of note. Don’t sleep on the Gwinnett Xolos Sugar Skull bobble. It’s the first Xolos SGA. Nice. I’d trade a Windmill Wash for one. And throw in a Dale Murphy to boot.

9.01 FRI MISS Michael Harris BH

9.01 FRI Columbia Grateful Dead t-shirts 1000

9.01 FRI MIL beerpen cap spec ticket

9.01 FRI GT vs Louisville at Mercedes Benz

9.02 SAT MIL fleece vest 30000

9.02 SAT Akron Rubberta mascot BH

9.02 SAT UGA vs some patsy on ESPN+

9.03 SUN MIL MLB cap 10000

9.04 MON Clemson vs Duke

9.07 THU ATL Money Mike headband

9.09 SAT Gwinnett straw hat 2000

9.09 SAT Brooklyn Pete Alonso Walkoff BH

9.12 TUE CIN Elmo

9.15 FRI TOR Jose Berrios BH 15000

9.15 FRI BALT tshirt 15000

9.15 FRI MIL Hispanic Heritage cap spec ticket

9.16 SAT MIL William Contreras BH 30000

9.16 SAT Akron Cleveland football Joe Thomas BH

9.18 MON ATL I’m holding the big flag out on the field.

9.19 TUE ATL Acuna Bat Flip BH 15000

9.22 FRI BOS WBC BH

9.23 SAT Gwinnett Xolos sugar skull BH 1500

9.26 TUE ATL AJ Minter Cowboy BH 15000

9.29 FRI ATL Spencer Strider BH 15000

9.29 FRI MIL beerpen cap spec ticket

9.30 SAT BALT hoodie 15000

https://www.mlb.com/braves/tickets/promotions