Taking PE at Tech. Back in the old days they called it PT, but that was before my time. My first quarter at Tech, in the fall of 1977 I took aerobics. My instructor was Whack Hyder (above, with an odd colored Tech jersey). Early on I told him that he knew my grandmother, who had worked in the GT registrars office. Hyder would visit there to make sure his players and recruits remained eligible. In the years after that I would occasionally see Hyder at a GT basketball game. We’d say hello, and he would ask about my grandmother. In the class we’d run around the old track at Grant Field for 30 minutes, looping around underneath the old north stands. Then play football or soccer on the astroturf. To get an A you had to run a certain distance in a certain time. I made the A.
In the winter of 1978 I took gymnastics. Guess it was the only PE class available. Class was at the new Student Athletic Complex (SAC), where 20 years later they build the Olympic Swimming and Diving facility. The instructor was Gerald Polhemus, the strength and conditioning coach for GT football. He didn’t teach much gymnastics, thank goodness. A lot of the grade stemmed from doing the pushups and situps and mile run and other conditioning exercises. For some reason the coach took a liking to me. While we did the exercises he would tell stories, and I guess I would respond to his stories. We’ do pushups and sit-ups and for the test we’d have to tell him how many we did. Everyone did the exercises at the same time, as the coach counted them off. The goal was to do 100, and most everyone did. Then he’d call the roll, and we’d have to respond with the number we did. Adams? 100. Butler? 90. Custer? 100. Murphy? 101. The coach loved it.
Then it was time for the mile run, to be ran inside the SAC around the four indoor basketball courts. For some reason the coach said I was the favorite, perhaps because I had taken aerobics the quarter before. I had never run a long race like that, so I hadn’t thought about strategy. I took off and led the entire race – until the last turn. That’s when a classmate passed me to win. One of the fastest miles I ever ran – around 6:30. I got an A in the class.
In the winter of 1980 I took the famous GT downproofing class., which at the time was required for graduation. Many dread it. I could swim but was far from a fish. Everything we did in the class we first were showed how to do it. Most things weren’t that hard even though they sound tough: treading water for 30-45 minutes, then treading water (1) with our feet tied together (2) hands tied together and (3) both hands and feet tied together. The secret was to float, occasionally kicking up for a breath. With hands and feet tied you could slowly sink down to the bottom of the pool and bounce back up to take a breath. At some point you had to “swim” down to the deeper end, and then swim back to the middle of the pool. Another “test” was to jump in wearing long pants and a shirt over my swimsuit. Once in the water you took off your pants and shirt, tied the sleeves and legs then blew air into the clothes to use as a flotation device, then float for 30 minutes.
Another “test” was to jump in the deep end of the pool (not dive), then swim UNDER WATER the length of the Olympic sized pool. To pass the test you had to touch the far end of the pool and turn around, still under water. That was my goal. To get an A you had to swim all the way back to the other end. I jumped in and swam. Made it to the other end and turned around. I figured I would keep swimming until I just couldn’t any more. I swam and swam. Made it all the way and touched the other side. My classmates all cheered. For the entire class I made a B.
Have I told these stories before?
My dad remembered when Pepper Rodgers played for Brown High. He may have played against him – Grady vs Brown. You and my dad may have been at the same games.
Steadman Sheeley was young Charles marsh’s best friend in high school, who went on to quarterback a few games at Alabama. When Bob marsh came to SPdL to hold plenty of Steadman stories. Charles Marsh recently made a Steadman comment on social media.
Finished up Kristen Hannah’s Home Front. Also almost finished a book that several of my Goodreads friends had read: An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones. Set in Atlanta, Morehouse guy marries Spelman girl. Plenty of Atlanta references, but Jones gets some of them wrong. No true Atlantan calls the shops at the intersection of “busy” Virginia Avenue and North Highland as “The Highlands.” A typical white Cobb County resident may live in Marietta, but it’s doubtful to get to his house you go to the Big Chicken and turn left (probably turn right). Author did grow up in Atlanta, but has been gone so long she may have forgotten some of these details.
Oprah and Obama may have liked “An American Marriage” but it wasn’t my favorite. Both Anna and MC had heard of the book. Saturday night I chatted with Anna about various books, and showed her my reading list. We have some books in common. Next up for me: “Cilka’s Journey” by Heather Morris, the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Once while I was in high school in the mid-1970’s, Illie Nastase played in a tennis exhibition in the Macon Coliseum, and I went. Forgot who his opponent was.
On October 6, 1987 I attended the AT&T Tennis Challenge in the Omni. Don’t remember who played. Laver vs McEnroe?
On April 6, 1999 I went to the Masters for the first time. Pretty sure it was former JM Tull employee Gene Lorenz who gave me the tickets. Took Will, who was 5-1/2 years old. When we got there we walked up to the 18th green. The golfers on the green putted out, then walked up the aisle to the clubhouse. They passed several kids in the front. A few of the kids were given golf balls. I didn’t say anything. Will weaved his way through the crowd until he was in the front. Then he turned around to look at the bigger kid that Will had just stepped in front of, and smiled at him. The next three golfers approached the green. Guys named Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player. When they left, Gary Player handed a ball to Will. We hadn’t been there five minutes!
In August 2001 the PGA Championship was played at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Duluth. I went to work that day as usual, wearing a dress shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. That morning someone asked if I wanted a ticket to that day’s round. I left immediately. Roasted in the heat. Walked most of the course, trying to stay in the shade. Saw Tiger Woods and eventual winner David Toms.
Other golf tournaments I’ve attended: the Bellsouth Classic at the Atlanta Country Club here in East Cobb, the Heritage down at Hilton Head Island (both twice), and last year’s Tour Championship at East Lake.
The Masters has been moved to November. That same weekend is when we go to Virginia for the rescheduled wedding celebration for Myron & Dawn’s daughter Rachel. Our whole family is invited, so we’ll see how many can go.
Wore my old red Puma Suedes today.
Listened to Cellini and Dimino interview sportswriter Rick Telander about The Last Dance. Would like to read his book Like a Rose about training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Helen Keller: "True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."
Tuesday: at lunch I went to get my haircut. Spent the entire time catching up with my stylist Denise. Stopped by Taco Bell and Dollar Tree while I was out.
Yesterday M said he was bringing over a friend after work, and I was to be on my best behavior. So at 5 pm I clocked out of work and straightened up. The house wasn’t too messy but I pretty much worked from five to 7:45 – did the dishes, folded some clothes, took out the trash. Watched several episodes of Being Erica, as well as part two of The Last Dance.
More photos of the custom EZGo golf cars from Sunday’s match. They were auctioned off for charity after the match.
TROY TULOWITZKI [BR Wiki] broke Ernie Banks’s record for home runs in a season by a National League rookie shortstop. Hit 24 HR in 2007 all while playing SS; Banks had 19 in 1954 (Neither was ROY). Tulo’s teammate Trevor Story set the new mark at 27 in 2016. He is the only player in history to perform an unassisted triple play and hit for the cycle in a National League career - UTP = 29-Apr-2007; Cycle = 10-Aug-2009. In four of his first six major league seasons, his individual WAR exceeded 6.0, averaging the best among all MLB shortstops over that period.
2007 = 6.8;
2008 = 0.8;
2009 = 6.5;
2010 = 6.7; and
2011 = 6.2
Saw this plate tonight at the drug store. Get it? Hint: Seinfeld. The plate was given to Kramer by mistake. He loved it. By the end of the episode it was returned to its rightful owner.
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