Pirates of Penzance at FHS

They’re just a little more than a week away from Opening Night for the FHS spring musical, “Pirates of Penzance.”

The annual Admiral’s Performance Arts Company (APAC) musical will highlight the talents of an energetic student team – from acting and singing to stagecraft, and stage management. The team is directed by FHS theatre teacher David Crutcher and supported by a strong infrastructure of parent volunteers.

For weeks, these teams have been working together to put this production together on stage. The students have been building sets, volunteers have been costuming and the performers have been putting in long hours of rehearsing. Next Thursday, all of those efforts will come to fruition as the curtain goes up on Opening Night.

You might imagine a Gilbert and Sullivan opera could be a bit on the formal side. But, not these pirates. The show is styled after a 1970s Rock Opera. So, you’ll be exposed to Pirates and Rock Stars all on the same stage!

You’ll also be treated to one last large production featuring this talented group of FHS seniors that I’ve written about so many times. Both the cast and crew feature many seniors. The show, in essence, serves as a sort of a victory lap for them. Many of them performed as 8th graders in the FMS production of “Willy Wonka” and they have never looked back.

They made their mark as freshmen. Many of them were cast in that year’s spring musical, “Oliver!” Others made the comedy improv team as frosh. And moving throughout their sophomore and junior years, their respective roles have grown and become more prominent.

Now, as seniors, they are enjoying this last run through the calendar.

The great news for Farragut High School theatre is there is a strong junior class and some sophomores who are beginning to spread their wings. The freshman class is strong, too.

So, Crutcher and his counterpart, Ms. Mac (Lea McMahan) will have a great pool of talented students to work with moving forward.

But, that’s the future; the focus over the next week is on the present. And the group takes that next big step with Opening Night.

Mark your calendars now and make your plans to come to the Wells Auditorium next week.

The show runs from March 7-10 at FHS. Showtimes are 7:30 for the three evening performances; the Sunday matinee begins at 3 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults; $8 for students and seniors.

JG

Originally posted 2/27/2013

Straight From the Heart

Not knowing the back-story, I always figured the WBIR slogan “Straight From the Heart” was inspired by the 1983 Bryan Adams song.

Watching last night’s 30-year retro newscast – featuring the news team from the 1980s that brought that branding to life before our eyes every night at 6 and 11 p.m. for nearly a decade – we all learned how it was developed, implemented and marketed. Last night’s program was both nostalgic and informative.

As a long-term viewer, it was great to see the team back together again even for just a night. Bill Williams. Edye Ellis. Bob Kesling. And Margie Ison (by phone) as well as Moira Kaye sitting in.

It was also great to learn that informative back-story about that slogan that has stood the test of time as well as any local brand.

One of the things that makes that “Straight From the Heart” slogan so appropriate is how nice and down to earth that 1980s team is. When I was a young PR guy working for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, I had the opportunity to work with them behind the scenes every year at the hospital’s fundraising telethon. They were just as nice behind the scenes as they appear to be on camera.

My job on those telethons was to schedule ETCH patients and their families for on air interviews during the telethon and then to greet them and stay with them to help keep them from getting too nervous. Then, finally, when it was time for them to be interviewed, I would escort them to the stage and see they got where they needed to be.

While they were being interviewed on-air, I was frequently crouching just off camera.

When the interview was complete, I would help them off the stage and tell them how well they did and then I’d call upstairs to a holding room to see if the next guests had arrived for their spot.

But, the on air personalities were extremely nice to the patients and their families and made that part of the experience so positive for everyone.

Years later, Paul and I had the opportunity to meet Bob Kesling long after he had become the radio play-by-play Voice of the Vols. We were on the first leg of our 2010 vacation and stopped in Cincinnati to see the Reds - and Mr. Red - on a summer Sunday afternoon.

Kesling was in town for the same game.

After the game, I saw him in the concourse and contemplated as to whether or not I should say something. Finally, I thought “Why Not?” I grinned and said “Go Big Orange.” He smiled the most effusive smile and stopped to chat for quite a long time. We talked about the Reds game and about the Vols prospects for that upcoming season. I introduced him to Paul and he spent a few minutes talking with us.

That  warm encounter – as well as the interactions I described from the Children’s telethon – are two personal examples I can tell you that show that “Straight From the Heart” is more than a slogan. It’s a genuine expression.

JG

Originally posted 2/26/2013

Awesome sight

On Saturday, as Lisa and I made our way through Sevier County on our way to attend the awards ceremony for the Smoky Mountain Invitational Forensics Tournament in Gatlinburg, an amazing thing happened to us.

As we were passing through Sevierville – on our way to Pigeon Forge – we saw a very familiar site; a true American celebrity, if you will. As we crossed a bridge leading over the Little Pigeon River, near the Sevierville Greenway, we saw him. At first, I noticed him out of the corner of my eye. I alerted Lisa and said to her, “Hey, isn’t that ___.” She took a quick look and confirmed my celebrity sighting.

Flying right over our Jeep on its way back down to the water, was our national bird, a Bald Eagle. Talk about a majestic sight.

He flew from east to west (passing over our vehicle) and then moving down toward a tree overlooking the river. I feel sure he was looking for lunch. Bald Eagles are well-known fishermen (fisherbirds?).

Anyway, it was a brief glimpse but it was an amazing moment amidst the traffic and attractions that line the roadway as you pass from Sevierville to Pigeon Forge and then on to Gatlinburg.

Lisa said it was the first time she had seen our famous American symbol. I seem to remember being at a Titans game in which there was an Eagle handler and his partner that flew down to join him at midfield.

This, however, was, different. It was live. It was authentic. It was real.

Dare I say: It was awesome.

Seeing the Bald Eagle up close started me thinking about eagles in general. Of course, it is one of our great national symbols.

You can see that symbol on the back of the dollar bill closest to you.

Eagles are frequently depicted as fierce mascots. Near-by, of course, Carson-Newman University is known as the Eagles (coincidentally, Carson-Newman sponsored the tournament where the FHS students were competing).

Also, Gibbs High School’s mascot is the Eagles. Auburn has the ‘War Eagles’ and Southern Miss is ‘the Golden Eagles,’ to name a few.

In terms of the military, the 101st Airborne is known as ‘The Screaming Eagles.’

Here are some other eagle-related facts from an excellent and informative site:

• Bald Eagles are found in North America.
• The Great Seal of the United States features a bald eagle.
• The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States.
•  Although their name suggests otherwise, bald eagles are not bald.
• Female bald eagles are larger than male bald eagles.
• Bald eagles eat mostly fish, swooping down to the water and catching them with their powerful talons.
• Bald eagles live for around 20 years in the wild.
• Bald eagles build very large nests, sometimes weighing as much as a ton!
• The bald eagle was added to the list of endangered species in the United States in 1967 and its numbers have recovered well since.

Our chance, random encounter with the bald eagle was brief. But, it was amazing to watch him in flight even if for just a few seconds. It was definitely one of the more memorable moments from this past weekend.

JG

Below are a couple links for more eagle facts:

http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/bald-eagle/

www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/baldeagle.html
(site where I got the great facts listed above).

Originally posted 2/25/2013

Ears Lowered

I started off this weekend by getting a long-overdue haircut. it felt good.

By the way, I’m not particularly brand loyal when it comes to getting my ears lowered. I just follow the coupons! On the other hand, I do like the ‘online check-in’ offered by this particular establishment. In fact, I even down-loaded an app for my smart phone. That app allows me to do online check-in from anywhere.

Nice.

Anyway, as my stylist buzzed away with the #6, I was looking around the room - doing some people watching and just basically considering how an establishment like this one - featuring the 'walk-ins welcome’ sign - really does attract a cross section of the community.

For example, there was the young family off to my left.

A little red-haired tot looked to be getting his first hair cut. He was handling it well. But, judging by the excitement from mom, dad and big brother, it wasn’t your run of the mill trip to the barber. I’d say it was quite likely that some photos would be taken and some clippings preserved for a baby book before this transaction was complete.

At the front of the shop was a very elderly frail lady who was helped into her seat by a somewhat less elderly lady with a pronounced smoker’s voice. She was talking to her stylist in a very animated fashion - telling this story and that; one after another.

In through the front door came a man who was talking on his cell phone. He paused from that conversation to inquire about the wait time. When he assessed the crowd (and the wait), he said he’d just come back tomorrow and he went on.

He resumed his phone conversation as he headed back to his vehicle. Judging from the tenor of the conversation, there was business to be done.

And then there was the guy sitting in my seat where the cuttings were raining down onto a black drop cloth.

I watched it pile up.

I can play the chatty customer or I can be silent. I usually take my cue from the person cutting my hair. On this day, the young lady with the clippers was fairly quiet. She asked me a few questions pertaining to the hair cut but she wasn’t interested in chit-chatting about the weather, the Vols or weekend plans. She was just doing the job.

And I was fine with that.

I was enjoying listening to the sounds in the shop - the chatter of customers, the whirring sound of the clippers and the drip, drip, drip as a few more clippings went tumbling into my lap signaling that a much-needed hair cut was nearing its conclusion.

JG

Originally posted 2/24/2013

Convention Time

My post on Thursday generated quite a bit of discussion around the dinner-table just after it went live.

We asked the question, rhetorically, about what Paul might be doing right about then. I was thinking of a tangible answer like: “Preparing for his next competition.” Or: “Competing the first round of ABC competition.”

Instead, Holly cut right to the point as she can so successful do. She answered: “Having the time of his life.”

She added that her own experience in attending a theatre competition – her competition was in Clarksville, which is the site of the state competition this year in April. She talked further about eating arrangements, sleeping arrangements and the fun of just being on your own at such an event.

It brought back a cascade of my memories.

Lisa mentioned that the drive into Gatlinburg always reminds her of going to the annual state FFA convention. Our stories also reminded me of my own high school competition experience.

When I was a senior at FHS, our newspaper staff attended the Tennessee High School Press Association Convention in Downtown Nashville. Our newspaper staff had submitted a number of entries – both as a group and as individuals. We were there to hear the results, to compete in some impromptu writing events, to attend some workshops and mostly, well, to “Have the times of our lives.”

I was fortunate to room with three of my good friends from the newspaper staff – Rob, Rob and Rob (to make things easier for us, they went by Bo, Rob and Robby, respectively).  I don’t remember that there was much sleep (if I am lucky enough, one of those Robs might be reading right now and he can confirm this fact). I do remember a late night viewing of some NBA playoff game that was on television.

Meanwhile, I was also fortunate in that one of Tennessee’s senators served as the keynote speaker for a breakfast event. I also remember that there was some sort of social (a dance, if you will).

The workshops we attended were conducted by a number of UT journalism professors (some who would become my future instructors as well). At least one of them might be reading and he, too, could confirm this fact.

Not surprisingly, the thing I remember most from this particular weekend is my romantic pursuits.

On the agenda for that first night of the convention was a scavenger hunt. We were competing as schools, of course. I remember that one of our ‘items to get’ was a bow-tie. We got bonus points for ingenuity for putting a tie on Bo and saying that he was a ‘Bo with a Tie.’

While I was zipping to and fro around the hotel, I met a very friendly young lady from Memphis – a fellow competitor. We struck up a conversation and proceeded to enjoy lots of witty banter for the rest of the weekend.

By luck and happenstance, my family had a trip planned to Memphis a week after the event, so I was able to pick up the conversation just where we left off a few days later.

Over the years, we stayed in touch and became great friends when it was obvious the weekend romance had worn off.

Our newspaper team didn’t win any awards, as I recall. I think we, as a group, placed somewhere in the ‘average’ category. But on the personal side, I think many of us judged our weekend to be a success.

JG

Originally posted 2/23/2013

Rivals Under the Same Flag

A group of FHS theatre students have headed to Gatlinburg for the weekend. No, we’re not talking about a ski trip to Ober.

They’re entered in one of the more prestigious theatre competitions, the Smoky Mountain, in Gatlinburg. Technically, competitive theatre is called ‘forensics.’ When I used to consider the word ‘forensics,’ I would think of CSI-type stuff but I guess the word has two definitions (kind of like ‘bread.’ You know there’s…bread – as the opening piece and closing piece for sammitches and then there is the 1970s slang term, ‘bread’ which means money…see also ‘dough’).

Clearly, I’m off track already and it only took two paragraphs. Must be the rainy night. Time to focus.

Seriously, I’ve learned a lot about theatre during Paul’s four years in high school. I knew none of this, for example, back when he took to the FHS stage for the first time, as a freshman, in the role of The Artful Dodger.

This weekend’s competition gives some current freshmen - and upperclassmen as well - a chance to hone their performances before they go to district competition next month. Kudos to FHS theatre teachers Lea McMahan and David Crutcher – who already spend so many hours supporting these talented young performers – for devoting this weekend to allowing them to experience competitive theatre.

A total of 11 FHSers are competing. I asked Paul for the run-down and he gave me an exhaustive list. And many of the categories – as is the case in some many other walks of life – have abbreviations. When he says, “D.I.,” for example, I think of Holly’s days of competing in Destination Imagination. When he says, “H.I.,” I think of “Health Initiatives,” from my days at ACS.

I’m pretty sure he told me there are students competing in “D.I.” and “H.I.” (Dramatic Interpretation and Humorous Interpretation).

Anyway, he was giving me the run down. This person is competing in A, B and C; next person is doing D, E, F. Person 1 and Person 2 are doing a duet. So are 3 and 4. And so on and so forth. Many FHSers are actually competing in the same events – Rivals Under the Same Flag, as it were.

I don’t think they see it that way, honestly.

Paul will be trying his best to do his best but he will also root for his teammates as well. The others seem to have the same supportive spirit. That’s one of the fascinating and heartwarming aspects of watching these students up close. The competitive element pushes them want to do better and to hone their craft but no one is self-centered about it. They all want to raise the profile of FHS theatre and the bar for future students coming behind them.

It’s great to see all these seniors, for example, reaching out to all the freshmen to make them feel welcome and to pass on their knowledge.

So, starting tonight, the preliminary rounds begin in the various categories ranging from impromptu speaking to storytelling to duet acting. The Farragutters are well represented in those categories and many more.

They will certainly want to bring home some hardware come Saturday when the competition closes. I will try to write an update after the competition (and will send news releases to the media along w/ pics if possible).

It’s a great group of seniors anchoring the group with strong juniors, sophomores and freshmen as well. I won’t be the least bit surprised if they are celebrating some ‘w’s’ come Saturday night.

JG

Originally posted 2/21/2013

Friends

The last couple of days have been pretty rough – at least in terms of the wave of bad news rolling in. To put it succinctly, a number of our friends are hurting or suffering right now.

We heard the sad news that a young lady who grew up in our church has passed away after a long bout with cancer. I also learned that one of my former professors has also died. Young or old, it’s never easy getting sad news.

Cancer is just awful. I know of some other friends who have received recent cancer diagnoses. Members of the extended family, too. They are all fighting this insidious foe. I pray for each and every one of them as they go through their battles. And still, on a personal note, you can’t help but also utter a prayer of thanksgiving that it is not you or your loved ones going through that battle.

Other friends have different sorts of challenges right now. One is moving and is coming to grips with that fact (and dealing with all the duress involved with a move). Other folks I know have job issues or other types of stress in their lives.

Suffice to say, the last two days were not full of good news.

What do you do at a time like this (besides pray)? You can offer a hand of support or serve as a sounding board for ones to vent. Otherwise, you feel helpless. And there’s no way to sugarcoat bad news.

Then, you turn on the news and hear of shootings. You go down the street and notice gas prices have risen again since you looked yesterday. You hear stories of people paying higher taxes this year. You learn the job market isn’t as robust as prognosticators have hoped. You learn of more illness.

When does the bad news end?

From my experience, it tends to go in waves. Sometimes, you just have to hang on and ride the wave until the good times return. If you dwell on it too much, you can become overwhelmed.

For me, just having the ability to write and to express these thoughts and feelings is a gift. Just to be able to express my thoughts - and prayers - on paper (or on screen) makes a big difference. It’s cathartic.

And for those of you read the Coach Jeff Blog, thanks for giving me this outlet and letting me bend your ear.

JG

Originally posted 2/20/2013

Fly-bys and Drop-ins

While I was busy with weekend college visits, ticket sales for plays and birthday celebrations, I missed the opportunity to write about the celestial goings-on at the end of last week.

What are the odds of a meteor exploding over Russia the same day an asteroid buzzed by the earth? And if those two coincidental encounters weren’t enough, there were all sorts of reports of meteor showers in the San Francisco Bay Area over the weekend.

Question: what was going on late last week?

Moreover, I ask the question is this something we’re going to hear more and more about in the future and my suspicion is the answer is ‘yes.’ Scientists are paying much more attention to the possibility of a large asteroid threatening the earth and as they do, I suspect they will see more (and we will hear more) about these chance encounters.

After the scary incident in Russia, near the Urals, astronomers said an incident like that one should happen about once in 100 years. Coincidentally, it was about 105 years since the 1908 incident (Tunguska, Siberia), which was felt over a very large portion of that nation.

The near fly-by of the asteroid (2012 DA14) was never considered a real threat to earth. But, scientists continue to keep watch in case a future encounter might be.

Celestial objects are a curiosity for us earthlings. From childhood, I remember there were episodes of Batman and Gilligan that dealt with meteors crashing to earth. I wonder, then,  if this was a key topic in the late 60s.

Later, I remember a backyard campout with friends the summer after my freshman year in high school as we stared up at the sky in fascination during a meteor shower.

And of course, kids from my generation were obsessed with the space program, in general. Many of my classmates listed ‘astronaut’ as the occupation they wanted to pursue ‘whenthey grew up.’

I wonder which vocation they did pursue.

When we were travelling on our honeymoon – we were driving in Pennsylvania - Lisa and I swear we saw the last pass-by of Halley’s Comet.

Anyway, the goings-on of late last week were a definite curiosity; the fly-bys and drop-ins definitely revved up the discussions of monitoring the skies to keep our world safe.

In any case, it’s all interesting conversation for the water cooler discussion.

JG

Originally posted 2/19/2013

Fire on Main Street

When you’ve been friends as long as Ed and I have been, there’s bound to be a few inside jokes. I was sharing one of them with Holly last night.

Whenever I tell the story about the “Big Jim Rescue Rig,” I always break down in laughter. I can’t get through the story without a chuckle or guffaw. Last night, I even cracked Holly up.

Big Jim was our era’s answer to GI Joe (though the full size GI Joes were still quite popular when we were kids).

Big Jim (and his pal Big Jack) were adventure guys. They could be, quite literally, involved in any activity. They were athletes. They were outdoorsmen (in fact, I was proud to have the Big Jim camper, myself).

And they could also be public servants. I’m not sure whether they were meant to be firefighters or what.  Maybe they were just supposed to drive along and look for danger and jump in to rescue folks in harm’s way (Barbie, Ken and their crew? Weebles? Or even the Fisher Price pals).

In any case, the Big Jim Rescue Rig was some sort of fire truck/rescue vehicle. It was the crown jewel of Big Jim equipment and included a walkie-tallkie style communication device. Like so many other toys from our era it was powered by 4 D batteries.

With this communicator, Big Jim and Big Jack could get a radio message from HQ alerting them to the nature of the emergency situation they were encountering.

One of our favorite scenarios was conveyed by this message: “Fire on main street. Bring the stretchers.” There was even an intro and outro sound of a siren. So, really, the entire audio clip was “Woo Woo Woo. Fire on Main Street. Bring the stretchers. Woo Woo Woo.” 

It was a cool gadget.

Thing is, it tended to drain the batteries. And if you didn’t watch it, the ‘cool gadget’ could quickly become the object of great mirth. You see, 4 D batteries on their last leg did NOT produce the message: “Woo Woo Woo. Fire on Main Street. Bring the stretchers. Woo Woo Woo.”

Instead, you got: “Woooooooooooooooooooe Woooooooooooooooe Woooooooooooooe (think “Whoa!”) Farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr onnnnn Maaaaaaaiiiinnn Streeeeeeeeet. Breeeeeeeeng the Stretcherrrrrsssss, Wooooooooooooooooe Wooooooooooooooooooooe Wooooooooooooe!”

That’s all it took. A serious game of Big Jim and Big Jack and their rescue mission degenerated into a couple wise guys laughing uproariously (and pushing the button over and over again until the D batteries were totally out of juice).

As an aside, my NFL Talking Football game (which was designed and fashioned after a transitor radio ‘broadcasting’ the game and also battery-powered) had the same problem. After too much use, one of our favorite calls: “Fumbled HIGH in the air. Up for grabs…the DEEfense gets it!” (followed by the sound of crowd cheering) transformed into “Fuuuuummmmmbllllllled Hiiiiiiiiiigh in the Airrrrrrrrr. Upppppp for Grabsssssss. The Deeeeee Fence gets it…Whewwwwwwwww. Whewwwwwwwwwwwwww. Whewwwwwwww.” (Crowd of sound noise with run-down D Batteries).

As I started relating this story to Holly, I started laughing; then she started laughing. I guarantee if Ed and I were talking about it, we’d BOTH start laughing.

We talk about how those days – pre internet, pre iPhone, etc  - were simpler times and truly they were. Imagine that a small toy - and set of four old D batteries - could turn into such tremendous entertainment for hours on end.

JG

Originally posted 2/18/2013

…to send the very best!

Lisa’s Birthday is today and I want to take this opportunity here in the blog to wish her a very Happy Birthday.

Many of you have also taken the time over the last six weeks to join in an ongoing celebration to mark her birthday. Starting on January 1 and going through today, friends and family, classmates and co-workers have been reaching out to wish her a Happy Birthday.

I passed the word to many folks that my goal was to collect 50 birthday cards and to give her each one of the cards over the span of 50 days: 50 cards for 50 days. I sent word in mid-December so I could start giving her cards on January 1.

The 50 cards started innocently enough as I left a card for her from her dad. On January 2, I left a card from one of our former professors who served as a great mentor in both of our lives and is a dear friend. From there, the 50 cards celebration took off.

She received cards from both of her sisters, my sister, all of the brothers-in-law, each niece and nephew as well as her uncle, her aunt, one of my cousins and my folks.

From friends, she heard from a number of her childhood chums and high school classmates. She received cards from some families from our baseball years and many of the friends she has met through FHS theatre. She received cards from a couple former students and a couple former professors as well as co-workers from the past and present and friends from her May Moms group.

In short, it was a true cross-section of her life.

When I began this celebration, I really wanted to do something unique to mark this special occasion. One of the goals was to show her how many people care for her and how much love there is for her from friends and family far and wide.

I think she felt that.

I also wanted to show her that we – me and the kids – wanted to do something special for her. And I wanted the focus to be on her and not us.

I hope and feel that is the case as well.

When I started this celebration, I had no idea how it would go. I feel it was a true success and exceeded my expectations. I know she appreciated what we tried to do.

For all of you folks who sent in a card or, if you weren’t able to send a card but sent your well-wishes, I’d like to say thank you and I know she thanks you, too.

JG

Originally posted 2/17/2013

Be My Valentine

Today is February 14 and you know what that means. Cards and chocolate; flowers and food. It is the annual day we celebrate looooooooove.

However you choose to celebrate this day – or survive it – I hope that you have a Valentine somewhere and that you are able to spend a moment to confirm that essential human emotion. Or at least that you get a good bite of a tasty confection.

On one of the morning shows, one of the personalities mentioned the practice many of us engaged in as kids – when we dressed up shoe boxes to serve as collection points for the classroom Valentine card exchange. I’m not sure why students aren’t allowed to do this these days. Back in the day, it was great fun.

Personalizing your own ‘mail box’ was almost as fun as getting the contents from inside.

As for the cards, themselves, they presented you a chance to make a great personal statement.

If you were a Scooby Doo fan, your card might wish the recipient a ‘Rappy Ralentine’s Ray,’ or perhaps a Hot Wheels car enthusiast would wish someone would ‘Zoom’ their way to a great day. “Happy Days” cards might feature The Fonz telling someone “Ayyyyyy - The Fonz wants you to ‘Be My Valentine!”

A trip to the local supermarket – and I suspect this part still holds true – was great fun.

But the classroom celebration, marked by a collection of cards and candy, was one of the highlights of the year, strategically located between Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’s Birthday! The heart-shaped lollypops were always a treat.

Of course, that type of celebration was a mere moment in time. By the time we all got to Middle School, everyone turned awkward and then, the day, was more arduous.

In High School, there was a return to normalcy, somewhat, with the annual Valentine’s Dance and the practice of sending color coded carnations (Red for love, White for friend and Pink for secret admirer). It was a great fundraiser for SGA (or some similar organization). I remember contributing to their coffers more than once.

These days, the FHS chorus has a great program called “Singing Valentines.” Ensemble members fan out across the school to deliver a melodic message to that special someone for a nominal fee. It’s a great way to send a greeting and help a great cause.

As for me, personally, I got some tasty candy and lovely cards and, more important, some nice expressions of love from my family.

Outside, it was a beautiful day. Inside, there was a lot of genuine warmth.

JG

Originally posted 2/14/2013

Soothing Sounds

I’m not sure what it is but the sound of water falling has always been soothing to me.

It is such a universally pleasant sound and that is why it is included in white noise machines and those silly ‘fake rain window’ devices like the producers of the show ‘Friends’ used in the iconic scene when Joey and Chandler were temporarily not roommates and were sad to be alone.

Anyway, the sound is nice.

Last night, I started to get drowsy when I heard the shower running; this morning I awoke to the rhythm of the falling rain.

When I was a little shaver, I used to love to ride in the back seat of my dad’s 1966 Mustang and hear the pinging din as the rain gently fell onto the roof. The combination of that and my folks’ conversation served as a pleasant lullaby to a little guy. Other aquatic melodies from childhood – such as washing machines and dishwashers – also have had a similar effect over the years.

Maybe this is why don’t mind doing those two chores?

I wonder if this love of water sounds is imbedded in the family DNA. I told you about our ancestor – Arthur Gary – who first made the Atlantic crossing. Scores of Gary gentlemen made their livings on the farm but also spent time on the water. My grandfather worked, for years, on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge boat. Quite literally, he experienced “Life on the Mississippi.”

Even though the next generation in my family didn’t work on the water – at least not long-term – - sometimes it seemed as though they were walking on water (or at least playing on water). During weekend family outings, they would take to the lakes and rivers of the Mid-South region and dance around the surface on skis and saucers.

Those were fun times for a tyke. We’d pack picnic lunches and head to a sand bar on the Mighty Missip. I played with my cousins and watched as my uncles and aunts enjoyed their weekend outing as well.

Aquatic themes have recurred throughout my life. At a somewhat older age, I taught myself to swim. I did this, in part, because, I knew that was going to be a key skill to have throughout life. I was glad to have mastered that tool, later, when I engaged in parent-tot swim classes with both of the ones. Later, pool parties were a staple for birthdays and end-of-year baseball team celebrations.

And, as you know, nautical themes played a key role during my high school years (You know…Admiral Farragut) as they have for my kids.

Now, we have another chance to celebrate the water. Next month, APAC is presenting “Pirates of Penzance,” the spring musical at FHS. Stay tuned for more information.

Fitting choice, don’t you think?

JG

Originally posted 2/13/2013

P’s and C’s

Four special words from yesterday warmed the heart and brought a smile to the face of baseball fans from east to west.

Pitchers and Catchers Report.

With that short phrase, baseball’s spring training begins. Soon, the 2013 MLB season will begin and, once again, fans will return to their favorite ballparks to enjoy the game.

“Batter Up!”

Of note in the South – also known as Braves Country - Atlanta pitchers and catchers were among those who reported to spring training yesterday. Some position players checked in as well. They were to have completed their first workout in Florida today. The rest of the team is due in Thursday, though many players will come before then.

For the Bravos, it was a momentous off-season, starting with the retirement of long-term third baseman and team icon Chipper Jones. He announced his retirement at spring training a year ago and then enjoyed a season-long victory lap around the MLB. Trades and free agent departures and acquisitions have helped transition the roster. Baseball pundits say this Braves team, on paper, is much stronger than the one we followed a year ago.

Of course, nothing was more noteworthy than the acquisition of the Upton brothers – B.J. and Justin – to play center field and left field, respectively, and to anchor the middle of the line-up.

I’ve never been to spring training (maybe someday). One of the exciting things about following spring training via the internet is to learn about all the position battles and roster questions each year. For Atlanta, this year, it would seem the roster is mostly set (with only a couple small decisions to be made).

Also in the spring, fantasy baseball players are getting ready for their upcoming seasons. But, that is a topic for a separate posting at a later time.

As for the MLB and our family, I’m sure we’ll see more than our share of games in person.  Last year, we saw two games on the West Coast and two at Turner Field.

When we’re not traveling, of course, we find the televised games on the various cable channels serves as a comforting and familiar summer soundtrack each year. If you are a Sunday nap enthusiast, the play-by-play with the background crowd noise, is a nice lullaby.

Not that I’ve ever experienced that.

Anyway, whether you are a die-hard fan like me, a person who enjoys the nostalgia of baseball games from yesteryear, or if you are a casual fan, take note. The countdown is on.

Spring training is officially underway; MLB Opening Day is less than two months away.

JG

Originally posted 2/12/2013