40th Anniversary

Fred O’s wife Cindy contacted me – her brother Paul is organizing a 40 year reunion of our 1975 state championship football team. While there are only a few high school classmates I’d like to see at a reunion, getting the football team together will be a treat. I wonder if they’d mind if a reporter from the local paper showed up. Paul and I were juniors on the team. A year or two ago some of the guys older than me attended the Hall of Fame ceremony to induct our quarterback. Paul and I played together for four years. I knew Cindy in high school, but not that well. She was a year older and served as drum major  in the marching band with many of my best friends. While I have written about that season in general, perhaps now I will dig out some newspaper articles and write some specifics.

Last Friday: Ceil had taken M to east Roswell so we met on my way home. She didn’t want Mexican and we ate at Moxie Burger last week. We were close to Ippilitos so we headed there. I really didn’t want to eat there so I suggested PF Chang. The wait wasn’t bad for a Friday night, about 20 minutes. By the time we got our table the wait was up to 45 minutes for the people just arriving. Ceil ordered something no longer on the menu: moo goo guy pan. I had my usual sweet and sour chicken. I consider PF Chang to be a step above Chili’s and Taco Mac and Applebee’s and Longhorn and other low end sit down and order restaurants. Same with Bonefish and Cheesecake Factory. But at the PF Chang at North Point people come in dressed like they just came from the Wal-Mart down the street. Cargo shorts and pajama pants. Crazy crowded.

By the time we got home it was time to pick up M at the Roswell bowling alley. Then we swung by Wal-Mart.

Saturday morning I drove M to the Avalon. He was headed up to Blue Ridge. Back home I watched GT (terrible) and UGA (good). Also FL/Tenn. Ceil made a taco salad. Later I drove to Cumming to get M. I let him drive home.

Lazy Sunday. The Johnson Ferry Sunday School speaker had just moved back from Budapest. He said that reports were wrong – refugees were not 95% men but actually mostly women and children. The flow of refugees was streaming just five miles from where they lived, on a route they knew well. Lunch was ground beef and rice, similar to several other dishes we’ve had recently. I folded clothes and cleaned up with the Tour Championship on TV. Later I took a nap and completely missed the Falcons game. Drove M to downtown to church. On the way home I bought a nice Columbia shirt and Alec Kessler UGA bobblehead. Watched a Newhart episode and some Broncos/Lions. Let M drive home from downtown.

Julio Jones is a beast. I still think Calvin Johnson is better. A comparison is in order. Because of the teams they play on, they will never be as productive as the great Jerry Rice. Same with Herschel. Every great college back is compared to him. Barry Sanders was great, but Walker still gained more yards in both college and the pro game. Ron Dayne put up some big numbers at Wisconsin but did very little in the pros. Now the comparison is Chubb and Fournette. Can either keep producing? Todd Gurley gained 9 yards in his debut.

Monday: Still not much going on with us. Kidney bean soup for dinner, and salad and toast. I spent almost 4 hours working on pricing and the spreadsheets kept messing up on me. Tuesday morning I was too busy, so I didn’t finish until Wednesday.

Tuesday: Another so so evening. Worked until seven. I ate leftover ribs – not my favorite. Ceil cooked meatballs, but the Trader Joes spaghetti sauce wasn’t the greatest (I had a taste). I’m sure I’ll eat the leftovers. Watched the Braves and The Middle. M baked cookies to take to school.

Wednesday: This morning I finally finished the incredibly complex quarterly pricing exercise. Today is month end. Tomorrow I determine if “no buy November” will run me out of metal. Next Monday I drive to Augusta to take inventory.   

Next Tuesday 100 people can stand in line 24 hours at the new Chickfila near us to earn 52 Chickfila meals – approximately $260.00. Matthew has expressed interest. His school has fall break next week, so he would be available. Not sure it would be worth it, but it would be an adventure. John Parkes was one of the first hundred at the new CFA outside Perimeter Mall. Also at a Bojangles, where they give him a $50.00 gift card. He loves CFA. He might go every day. They opened a new Polo Tropical in East Cobb near JFBC. I looked at the menu and wasn’t interested.

So many people think the whole world revolves around themselves. They never think about what would happen if the shoe was on the other foot. There was a Seinfeld episode where a lady heckled Jerry while he was doing his comedy act. So Jerry went to where she worked and started berating her for the job she did. Sort of like fans getting on managers and players for losing a game. I doubt everything always works out perfectly for that fan where he works. Should that fan be fired for making one mistake?

Sort of like managers at businesses that are out of touch with everything the rank and file have to do to, and the time and tools necessary to do them. When head count is cut or two jobs are combined into one, just getter the normal every day things done is challenging – much less all the extra projects and meetings and favors and vacation fill-ins that come with the territory. Fortunately for the most part my new bosses are exceptions to this rule.   

My mechanic recently fixed a check engine light, did the emissions, and changed a light bulb for $40.00. But the new starter a few weeks later cost $340.00.

I’m still amazed that almost every Yankee game is on TV in Atlanta.

Just found out I get to go to the GT@Clemson game on Oct 10.