The Migration

It seems that I've migrated again as it relates to morning coffee.  It's never a planned migration.  It just happens, often imperceptibly, over time.  

After begin a regular at Dose almost every morning for a couple of years, if not more, lately I find myself at 8th & Roast most mornings, before I head to work.  Why?  I really don't know.  

8th & Roast is a lot less crowded.  It's a much more convenient place to get work done.  The small scale renovation made it a little more user friendly.  Most importantly for me, however, is that 8th & Roast appears to have changed their espresso beans or roasting process, as the coffee simply tastes better than it used to.  I'm not enough of an expert to know why but the coffee is better.

Dose coffee still might be my favorite, along with Sump and Crema, but the atmosphere here at 8th & Roast in Melrose is nice.  Also, as is always the case, several of my favorite baristas at Dose have left in the past year.  Different reasons for all of them but mostly just moving on to something else.  

I was thinking this morning of all of the coffee shops where I've been a regular over the years.  In a semblance of chronological order,  Bongo Java, Frothy Monkey, Portland Brew, Honest Coffee Roasters, Dose, and, now, 8th & Roast.  Occasional forays to Sump, Headquarters, Hank's, Crema, Onyx, Fido, Pinewood Social, Steadfast, and a few others I'm forgetting.  Someday, I'll rank them all.  In fact, maybe in 2026, I'll see how many different coffee shops in middle Tennessee I can visit.  It's good to have goals, right?

Earlier this year, I starting having coffee at Bongo Java again.  However, when Michelle Herbes left, the vibe fell precipitously.  That, combined with Bob Bernstein's continued benign neglect - as evidenced by failure to have repairs done to one of the bathrooms for more than a month - shortened my return.  Plus, the coffee at Bongo Java is just not as good as it is other places.  

My history at Bongo Java is it's own story, which I'll tell sometime.  I miss the Bongo Java days, for sure.  It was a good time of my life.  

Off to work.  A thousand things to do.  Not enough time to do them.  The story of my work life the week of Thanksgiving 2025.  

Top 10 at NXR!

Yesterday, JP ran a 15:15 at NXR in Cary, NC, finished in 9th place overall.  Given the strength of the field - the best runners from 12 states in the Southeast - and the time he posted, it's probably his best race of the season.  He didn't qualify for NXN in Portland, OR, as only the top 5 runners do but that notwithstanding, it was a awesome race.  It was a race I think he needed, too, from a confidence standpoint. 

Jude was there to see it in person, as I stayed here with Joe, who had a basketball game early Saturday morning and Rory's bar mitzvah and party later on Saturday.  Today, Joe has confirmation class at St. Henry's.

I was able to watch the live results of the race on the NXR website, which posted splits at two different points on the race before the finish.  At then first split, which looked like slightly over a mile, JP was in 49th place.  I was disappointed until I looked at the split times and realized everyone was still bunched very closely together.  Less than 10 seconds separated the leaders from where JP was running, as near as I could tell.

When the second splits were posted, I couldn't find JP.  My heart dropped, as I thought he might have dropped out for some reason.  I kept refreshing the feed and trying to no avail to locate among the long list of runners.  At one point, I called Jude, who confirmed JP was still in the race and nearing the end.

I looked again, as finishing times began to post.  Suddenly, there JP was, 9th place at 15:15!  A top ten finish at NXR!  Last year, he ran 15:38, so 15:15 was an improvement of more than 20 seconds.  That's what I'm talking about!

I did a little research online, too, and as far as I can tell, JP set the MBA recored at NXR.  Last, Jack Wallace finished in 15:17, so JP beat his time by two seconds.  I'm pretty sure it's the fastest NXR time in school history.  

I knew JP would be excited because his goal and been to finish in the top 20.  I all honesty, I wanted him to aim higher because I thought if he ran well, he could run under 15:20.  It's a tough, two lap course, too, with a big hill at the end of the race, so 15:15 is an outstanding run to be sure.  

When Jude handed him her cell to talk to me, I told him he finished in the top 10 and he shouted, "YES!"  I smiled as we talked and he told me about the race.  He said per the plan, he ran the first part half for the race fairly conservatively then, on the last flat stretch before the final hill, he started passing runners.  He thought he had passed as many as 20 runners before he got to the hill.  As he approached the finish line, he was spent and one kid nipped him for 8th place.  

JP executed a great race plan and finished on empty.  What more can you ask?  

Later in the afternoon, Jude and JP drove over to Winston-Salem, NC, so JP could tour Wake Forest University.  Ella Allen is in school there, as are several MBA graduates.  I'll be curious to see how the visit  went, as JP continues his whirlwind college tour.

JP races at Running Lanes in Huntsville, AL, in two weeks.  It's the finale of the cross country running season on a course he's run twice.  Running Lanes, last December, and the Southern Showcase, earlier this year.  I think he can run a sub-15, which would be awesome.

JP and Gabe Guillamondegui, post-race.  JP finished 9th and Gabe finished 25th.  Strong showing for the Big Red.

Starting line.

Wake Forest vist.

Growing

This morning, I dropped Joe off early at MBA so he could eat breakfast and school and go to Catholic Club.  As he walked away from my truck, loaded down with two backpacks loaded with books and basketball gear - one in front and one in back in the style of all middle school and high school boys - I was struck by how fast he's growing up.  

Joe seems to be finding his way at MBA.  It's hard, I know.  November has always seemed to be the toughest month for JP at school.  It's likely that way for Joe, too.  The first semester is drawing to a close and they're staring down the barrel of mid-year exams, which are a big part of their first semester grades.  It's a lot of work to get ready for exams.  It's a lot of pressure, too.  I see that and I hate it for them but it's just part of it.

As we discussed last night in one of my patented "man-to-man" conversations, this is a tough road but one that Joe chose for himself.  It doesn't help to complain about it.  Better to buckle down, do the work as best he can, and look forward to most of December off from school.  

Pretty quickly, Joe has gone from our happy go lucky pre-teen to a hard working, hard studying middle school student at MBA.  Childhood for him is over for all intents and purposes.  It's a difficult but necessary transition on the way to adulthood.  That being said, I sure do miss the days for Joe of youthful, childlike innocence.  

What's really cool, though, is to be able to talk with Joe about music, movies, sports, politics, books, or life in a way I might talk to a friend or peer.  He has opinions.  Well thought out opinions and I love to hear them.  He's so smart, so verbal, and so articulate.  I love that about him.  

It's a give and take, I know.  As childhood recedes into the background of my memories, my relationship with Joe will deepen in ways that will make it stronger longer lasting.  So much in life if fleeting.  Childhood.  Time.  

Relationship endure.  

Contentment

It strikes me that true contentment is the rarest of human emotions.  It's like a precious metal.  So hard to find, especially when you're actively pursuing it.  Instead, you find it when you least expect it.  It's in short supply but it's so very valuable.  Priceless, even.

I'm always striving . . . for something.  Professional success.  Financial security.  Physical fitness.  Knowledge.  More business.  A more productive, efficient law practice and office.  Health.  More time.  A good night's sleep.  All of it.

It's exhausting, sometimes.  All of the striving.  

I guess that's why, for me, it's so special when I because of fate or serendipity, I find a moment of contentment.  It's pure.  Fleeting.  Magical while it lasts.

Yesterday, I had a long day in Court in Nashville.  A lot of back and forth.  A lot of negotiating.  A possible hearing.  A satisfying day to be sure but a long one, at the end of another long week at work.  I had something late in the afternoon in Franklin that canceled, so I found myself done with my day, and my week, at 3:30 p.m. or so.  I drove to 12South and, still in coat and tie, I just . . . walked.  Sure, I made a few calls for work but, mostly, I just walked, people watched, and marveled at how much our neighborhood has changed.  There were people everywhere getting a head start on the weekend.

I checked in with Jude.  She was trying to finish an e-mail for work, then go pick up Joe from soccer practice.  I offered to grab him so she wouldn't be so rushed trying to finish up the work day.  As I drove over to MBA, windows down on a beautiful fall early evening, listening to Neil Young's Dreamin' Man Live 1992, a feeling of contentment began to wash over me.  

Joe's soccer practice ran 30 + minutes late, which, strangely, was perfect for me.  I sat in my truck, listening to Neil Young, and felt . . . content.  The work week was over.  The weekend was here.  JP was on the way home after cross country practice and soon, enough, Joe would hop in my truck and tell my about his day.  Jude was home finishing up work for the week.  The boys were going, together, to the MBA-Brentwood Academy TSSAA playoff game, and Jude I would have the night off.

A little wile later, after the boys had left and Jude was out running a couple of errands, I poured myself a bourbon - Calumet Farms 15, of course - and sat out on the back deck in my camping chair, in the middle of the fallen leaves.  It smelled like fall, as I sat in the darkness and sipped my bourbon.  It was a damn near perfect moment interrupted only when my cell rang as one of my best friends, Doug Brown, called to check in.  Having a few minutes to talk with Doug and his wife, Sally, only heightened my enjoyment of the moment.  My feeling of contentment.

Those are the moments I look for all year long.  Sometimes they're few and far between or hard to find.  Still, they're out there, waiting on me.

Bucket Squad

Saturday morning, after MBA Junior School basketball tryouts, Joe had a WNSL basketball game at J.T. Moore with his Bucket Squad teammates.  This particular group of boys - coached by our dear friend, Thomas McDaniel, has played basketball together for several years.  Fall leagues.  Winter leagues.  Summer leagues.  3-on-3 tournaments.  WNSL's March Madness tournament.  All of it.

The core players - Joe, Pike, Cole, Nash - have played together, well, forever.  At age 13 and with middle school and club basketball looming, their days playing together are numbered, which makes me more than a little sad and nostalgic.  

They have improved so much and play together so well as a team.  They trust each other on the basketball court, which allows them to play unselfish basketball.  They share the ball so well.  Joe always has been a good and willing passer.  As the boys have gotten older, though, and matured, Pike, Nash, and Cole have become more adept as finding the open man.  

When the boys on the Bucket Squad are firing on all cylinders - and they certainly were on Saturday - it's a beautiful thing to watch.  They are able to beat bigger, more individually skilled basketball teams Joe and his teammates play team basketball.  Each player has a role and fulfills it willingly and unselfishly.  It doesn't matter to them who scores or who gets the credit.  Each player celebrates the others' successes on the basketball court.

Joe is the facilitator.  Selfless.  Almost always makes the right pass.  Plays tough defense.  Always puts his body on someone to box them out for a rebound, even though he's often at a height disadvantage.  The smartest player on the court at all times.  Intense and excitable.  

Pike is the scorer.  Instant offense.  3-point range with a myriad of moves to get to the rim.  The quiet assassin.  His offensive game and range, at this point, are the best on the team.  He's starting to see the court more completely and to pass the basketball with more skill.

Nash is the enforcer.  The most physical player, by far.  He's also the most dangerous scorer because he's got a quick first step and gets to the rim for layup after layup.  He's the best rebounder, too.  As his handle has improved, he's perfected the ability to take a rebound on the defensive end and go coast to coast for a layup in traffic.  No fear.  Always plays with a smile on his face.  Also, by far, the player most likely to get T'd up by a referee, usually because he's laughing at a call with which he disagrees.

Cole is the biggest, tallest boy.  He's starting to play more aggressively, to rebound the basketball, and to drive to the rim against smaller players.  Still a little to emotional, he's prone to getting down on himself, but that's improving as he matures.  In some ways, he's the bellwether for this team.  When he's happy and playing well, it adds a whole dimension to this team.  He can drive but he can stick and outside shot, too.  

Rex is always the wild card.  He's the best athlete of the group.  When he's interested and motivated - usually when I've placed a cash bounty on rebounds like I did Saturday - he has the ability to take this team to another level.  His defense can be outstanding due to his athleticism.  He's deceptively long, so he can rebound, too.  His quickness allows him to get to the rim and his athleticism allows him to finish, too.  If he's motivated - and that's a big if - he's a difference maker.

Austin's game has improved tremendously.  Probably the sweetest, nicest boy on the team, he's got a bit of a mean streak in the paint, which I love.  He's a good rebounder, is staring to shoot the ball with more confidence, and even took a couple of 3-pointers on Saturday.  Just a great kid all the way around.

In Saturday's game, the boys got down early, 16 - 7, then went on an unprecedented run to win by more almost 40 points.  The passing was tremendous.  They pushed the basketball after every defensive rebound and even after made baskets.  They hit some 3-pointers but also made a ton of layups.  Joe had 10 points and played very well.

The other team's best player picked us his fourth foul early in the second half when he came over Rex's back on a rebound and threw him to the ground.  After his coach pulled him, he kicked a chair on the bench, drew a technical foul, then threw the chair into the stands before he was escorted from the gym.  Crazy.  

It's been quite a ride watching the Bucket Squad all these years.  I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.    

No. 3 at State

JP finished third in the state (TSSAA DII) yesterday at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, behind Drew Beroset (15:03) and Marshall McConville (15:25).  Overall, JP's time (15:32) was the sixth fastest.  Beroset's time was the fastest overall, as he edged out Clevleland HS's Owen Clemons (15:06), who won the AAA race in a deal with Asher Oates (15:14) from Independence HS.   

It its return to Memphis for the first time since 1969, the state cross country meet was run on a course that was deceptively difficult, I thought.  As I walked the course before the race, I was surprised to discover so many rolling hills and switchbacks.   Two laps over relatively hilly terrain prevented any runner from breaking 15:00.  

As it turns out, I think JP was at a bit of a disadvantage against Beroset and McConville, because they had run the course a couple of weeks ago at the Frank Horton "Night" Classic.  That's not an excuse, as no one in the state was going to beat Drew Beroset yesterday - he was that strong.  Still, it would have been nice for JP to have raced the course in the past so he could have had a better idea of how to approach it yesterday.

Incidentally, I met Drew Beroset's parents and Marshall McConville's parents during and after the race.  Very, very nice people.  I was able to convince JP to let me snap a picture of him with Marshall before the awards ceremony.  He seems like a fine young man.  His times have improved tremendously from last year, when he placed 16th in the state.  As I told his father, Marshall's improvement is a testament to how hard he worked in the offseason.  Hard work and dedication pay off in cross country.  Always.

I didn't fully realize it until I talked with Austin Weaver last night but Beroset set a blistering pace from the beginning of the race.  In fact, Beroset, McConville, and JP quickly broke away from the rest of the runners and it was clear that the winner would come from their group of three.  Austin pointed out that the three of them ran the first mile at a 4:30 pace.  Beroset completed the first half of the race in 7:32, which is absolutely smoking.  McConville and JP were right behind him at the halfway point.  

It was clear to me that unless something strange happened, Beroset was going to win the race.  While JP was five to 10 yards behind McConville at the 2.0 mile mark, he looked to be measuring him up.  I thought he might be waiting to make a move.  However, at 2.5 miles, I could see that JP wasn't going to be able to catch him.  I was concerned that with that realization, JP might take his foot off the gas mentally and allow the fourth and fifth place runners to challenge him.  That didn't happen, however, as JP finished as strongly as he has in a race I've watched this season to capture third place.  

I jogged over to the finish line to find JP immediately after the race.  He was staggering a bit, trying to stay on his feet.  When he saw me, he motioned me over.  He threw his arm around my shoulder and we walked away from the finish line as he mumbled incoherently.  After a few minutes of walking, he came back to himself.  We walked back to the MBA tent, as we discussed the race.  

What I was the most proud of, I think, is that without question, JP finished on empty yesterday.  He had nothing left at the end of the race, which has to be a satisfying feeling for him.  As I told him after the race, it would have taken his best race to win yesterday.  He ran a good race but not his best race.  That's the way it is in cross country.  

I'm not ready to write about the cross country season yet.  I'll do that later.  Also, JP is running at NXR in Cary, NC, in two weeks.  To end the season, he'll run at Running Lane in Huntsville, AL.  So, while the school season is over, his season is not.

I was proud of JP as I watched him recognized at the awards ceremony for finishing third in the state.  Seeing him on the podium with Drew Beroset and Marshall McConville was cool.  He's accomplished a lot running cross country at MBA for three years.  A 3-time All State runner.  Co-Captain, with Jack McDaniel as a junior.  Still, I think there's more to come.  A lot more.

Pre-race routine.

Coaches Tom Cirillo, Win Basset, and Roderick Russ.  Dedication personified.  

The three amigos.

JP and Jack "McDavid" McDaniels.  2025 co-captains.

The 2025 MBA varsity cross country team.

The Cali hat only comes out after the big races.

Proud parents.  

Walking in Memphis

It's just past 7 a.m. and I'm sitting at The Hub, a coffee shop inside of a church (the Mission) walking distance from our hotel.  A little bit of an odd setup but convenient this morning, for sure.  I can always find coffee.

In less than three hours, JP will run for a state championship.  I haven't seen that the boys are seeded, like they were last year, but based on each runner's best times for the season, I would place him third or fourth.  All four of the fasted runners are within 10 to 12 seconds of each other however, so it seems to be that anything could happen.  Whoever runs his best race of the season will win the state championship in my estimation.  

It's 57 degrees and will be 70 degrees or so at race time at 10 a.m., so the heat should not be a factor.  It's a bit overcast, though, and as of yesterday, there was a 30% chance of rain today.  My thought is that rain would favor JP, particularly since he ran on such a wet, muddy course at NXN in Portland, OR, two years ago.  That's just a guess, though.  Either way, as Coach Russ says, "it's a good day to run."

I think JP is ready.  I hope he isn't running this race with the idea that there's always next year, when he's a senior.  There is no next year.  There is only today.  I want him to be in moment.  To lay it all on the line and to give his all to win this race.  To compete.  To be willing to suffer.  To be willing to hurt.  To want more than anything to win.  Today.  

There is no next year.  There is only today.

I think he can win today but only if he's willing to go to the place he went to when he led wire-to-wire in 104 degree heat at USN's river campus when he won his first cross country race as a 7th grader.  When he finished the race, he had run so hard he couldn't see or talk for five to 10 minutes after the race.  I put a wet towel around his neck and, as he leaned on me for support, we walked around near the finish line until he came back to me.  

As I wrote at the time, that was the day the beast was born.  I knew, then - knew for certain - that he had something special.  Something within himself that would allow him to succeed in this grueling sport if he chose to pursue it. 

To win, today, JP needs to summon the beast again.  To surrender to him.  He needs to be want to return to that place, again, where there is no one but him, the pounding of his heart, and running.  That's the secret. 

I can't go there with him, not anymore.  But I can be there waiting on him when he returns.  And I will be.

State (2025)!

JP and the rest of the MBA cross country team leave campus at midday today and drive to Memphis for tomorrow's state championship cross country meet at Shelby Farms Park.  The boys run tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in the first race of the day.  

Several of the smaller school division run today, so it will be interesting to see what kind of times the boys are posting.  I know nothing about the course, nor does JP, as MBA hasn't ever run at Shelby Farms - at least not that I'm aware of - so tomorrow's race will be more of an adventure than normal.  For reasons known only to them, the TSSAA decided to move the state championship race to Memphis this year.  This of course, inconveniences every family who doesn't happen to live in Memphis, particularly those in East Tennessee.  Go figure.

The boys are planning on driving straight to the Shelby Farms Park this afternoon to get a look at the course and, hopefully, to run it.  I hope they arrive in time for that, as racing for the state championship on a course with which you're not familiar isn't ideal.  T'hat being said, I think most of the other top runners - McConville and Beroset - haven't run it either, so they will be in the same boat.  

It's hard to believe that as a junior, this is JP's second to last cross country state championship race.  It seems like yesterday that he was racing at Sanders Ferry as a freshman with Samuel Trumble, Mitchell Chaffin, and Jack Wallace.  Now, he's a junior and here we are.  Tomorrow, he'll race with Gabe Guillamondegui, Wynn Humphrey, and Jack McDaniel.  The long red line of MBA cross country runners continues!

I'm proud of JP, Gabe, and all of their teammates.  They've been training hard since the summer.  So much work, dedication, and discipline.  So much togetherness which, in the end, is what it's all about to me.  I think, and hope, that these boys have built bonds that will last a lifetime.  

I was a little wistful thinking about it as I dropped JP and Joe off at MBA this morning, the first time all school year that I've taken them both to school.  

Roll Red!

 

Fall Classic!

For better or worse, my mom passed on her love of sports to me.  In fact, some of my fondest memories as a child are going to Vanderbilt basketball games with her.  I've never known a woman who loved sports - all sports, really - more than her.  One of the things I missed the most after her memory began to fade before she died was not being able to call her and talk about the Titans, the Predators, etc.  

It's only natural, I guess, that my boys have inherited my love of sports.  That very same love of sports that I inherited from my mom.  It's like an unbroken circle of which my mom, my boys, and I are all a part.

What means the most to me, though, is that JP's and Joe's hearts bleed Dodger blue, just like mine.  The boys have been blessed, for sure, to grow up in an era when the Dodgers have been competitive and in the mix every year.  12 division titles and five pennants since 2013.  And I've been blessed to be able share my love of the Dodgers with them during a period of sustained success that is almost unprecedented in baseball's modern era.

Of all the Dodgers' baseball games the three of us have watched together, last night's game probably tops them all.  Game seven of the World Series in Toronto.  A World Series in which the Dodgers were heavily favored and appeared poised to win handily after winning a Game three on Freddie Freeman walkout home run in the 18th inning.  a game I finished watching, alone, at 2 a.m. on a night when I had to go to Court the next morning - only to have the Blue Jay win the next two games in Los Angeles to send the Series back to Toronto with the Dodgers down, 3 - 2.

The Dodgers won Game 6 behind another sterling outing from Yoshinobu Yamamoto to force a game seven, the most exciting thing in sports.  

As JP watched upstairs with Martha Grey and I sat with Joe on the couch in the den, all appeared to be lost with one out in the ninth inning, the Dodgers down 4 - 3.  On a full count, Miguel Rojas hit one of the most unlikely - and timely - home runs in World Series history when Jeff Hoffman hung a slider.  Rojas jumped on the pitch and hit it into the left field stands.  What I'll always remember is Joe and jumping around the room while JP screamed and yelled upstairs.  It was an indelible moment that I'll remember forever.

After throwing 96 pitches last night, Yoshi took the ball, again, with the Dodgers in trouble in the bottom of the ninth and miraculous got out of the inning.  Heroically, he stayed on the mound for the next two innings and was the winning pitcher after Will Smith's two out home run in the top of the eleventh inning held up to give the Dodgers a stunning 5 - 4 win and their ninth World Series title.

When Alejandro Kirk grounded into a game-ending doubler play - Mookie Betts stepped on second base on a broken bat ground ball up the middle and threw to Freddie Freeman at first base - it was complete pandemonium at our house.  JP and Martha Grey ran downstairs as Joe and I yelled, hugged, and danced around the den.  It was sheer ecstasy, the kind that only a true sports fan can understand.  Just when all seems lost, your team rallies and give you a moment that you'll never forget.  

It was a moment the Dodgers will never forget either.

Kike Hernandez, the heart and sole of the 2025 Dodgers.

Someday, I know, JP and Joe will tell their children about the 2025 World Series.  I think they'll smile and, hopefully, think of me as they're watching Dodgers baseball games, someday, with their children.

 

The Ghost of Halloween Past

Lately, so much of what I find myself thinking about, and writing about, is the passage of time.  

The boys are growing up so fast.  Earlier this week, Jude and went to Joe's Junior School parent-teacher conference with his advisor, Ritch Gillespie.  Joe's first quarter report card was excellent.  The comments from his teachers were all positive, which made us proud.  Mr. Gillespie had only good and encouraging things to say about Joe, academically and socially.  Thus far, Joe has met every challenge that MBA has put in front of him.  I know the sailing won't always be so smooth but I'm determined to enjoy the calm waters and clear skies while they last.

Halloween, of course, is one of my favorite holidays.  October 1 is the official start for me, as I've decorated the office for Halloween the day before, often with the boys' help.  Zombie heads hanging in the front window of our lobby, zombie babies eating flies, rats, my beloved creepy talking telephone (that may be down for the count), etc.  You get the picture.  It makes my heart soar to mark the official end of another summer - for me, anyway - by decorating the office for Halloween.  Of course, it all comes down on November 1, which makes me a little nostalgic and sad.

Today is Friday, October 31.  Halloween.  I've had a tremendously busy month at work, on the heels of multiple busy months at work.  It's a lot.  It's always a lot.  Clients depending on me.  Clients that need to talk to me.  Staff at work, and attorneys, that depend on me.  So it goes, month after month, year after year.  

I'm thinking this morning, though, that this is the first Halloween with neither of the boys trick-or-treating.  MBA plays Ensworth in football tonight, at Ensworth.  It's always the biggest football game of the season.  This year is no different.  JP is going to take Joe to the game, the leave a little early to attend a USN event with a friend.  Joe, I suppose, will be hanging out with other seventh graders at the game, cheering for the Big Red.

Joe won't be in costume and he won't her trick-or-treating.  For the first time in probably a decade, we won't be going to Derek and Shanna Hughey's house on Oakland Avenue for their annual Halloween party.  I'll give out candy, then Jude or I will go to pick up Joe after the MBA football game at Ensworth.

That's the thing about children and the passage of time.  Once you leave a particular stage of life, you don't ever get to go back.  I desperately miss the stroller day, particularly when I see a young father or mother walking through the neighborhood pushing a baby or toddler in a stroller.  Those days are not returning for me.  It's the same with Halloween, of course.  Once trick-or-treating ends, it ends.  

So, I'm feeling a little melancholy this morning.  A little nostalgic.  Halloween as we're experienced it with our boys has left us.  Halloween - for this year - will be leaving after tonight.  

It's such a beautiful life.  I just wish it didn't go by so quickly. 

Spaghetti Supper

There was a time, before the boys were born, when I used to cook a lot.  More than Jude, even.  And I loved cooking.  

As busy as we are these days, too often we resort to takeout.  Burger Up.  International Market.  12th South Taproom.  Taco Mama.  And on and on.  

Last night, a Sunday, I cooked spaghetti for Jude and Joe.  JP was gone to the Predators' game with a friend.  I picked up the groceries mid-afternoon while I was out running errands and getting a 3 mile run in on the treadmill at the Green Hills Y.  I enjoy grocery shopping even more when I know I'm shopping for things I'm going to use to make dinner that evening. 

While Joe was upstairs studying and Jude was catching upon on some work, I chopped up a green pepper, red pepper, and sweet onion.  I sautéed some three cloves of minced garlic in olive oil, then added the green/red peppers and onions, along with a pinch of pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.  Next, I added the ground beef, browned it, drained off the grease, and placed it back in my trusty, large skillet.  In with the tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes, let it simmer for 35 or 40 minutes, and all that was left was the pasta.  15 minutes to al dente and voila, dinner was ready.

It's a simple thing, cooking dinner for my family.  But as is the case so often, the simple things are the best, most meaningful things.  Cooking for my family centers me, and I say that as someone who is very, very far away from an expert.  I have my go-to's - spaghetti, chili, white chili, Santa Fe bean soup, stir fry.  Nothing spectacular or complicated.  Still, somehow, it's the act of preparing the ingredients, cooking them, and watching my family eat that is inherently gratifying to me.  

I like it that when I cook dinner, Jude can relax, even if it's just for a few minutes.  Or, perhaps, she can do some work.  JP and Joe, usually, are studying upstairs.  Sometimes, I listen to a podcast on my AirPods.  Other times, I listen to Alexa playing me music, anything from John Hiatt to Drive By Truckers, depending on my mood.  Maybe even some John Coltrane.  Last night, Jude and I talked intermittently as I cooked and she worked.  

I think I'm going to try to cook once a week, even if it's something I make in the slow cooker.  It's doable, I think, if I plan and prepare ahead of time. 

Soon enough, cooking for four will be cooking for three, which is hard to believe.    

The Pavia Mafia

ESPN College Game Day is at Vanderbilt University today for the game between #10 Vanderbilt and #15 Missouri.  

Let that sink in for a minute.

Which part?  Vanderbilt ranked #10?  Game Day in Nashville?  All of it, I guess.  Oh, man, where to begin?

What a ride it's been for JP, Joe, and so many other Vanderbilt fans last season and, especially this season, as part of the Pavia Mafia.  Former Dodger, Cooper Allen, got up at 4:30 a.m. today and drove to campus.  He's on the front row for College Game Day.  JP and Joe left the house around 5:30 a.m. or so and from video's they're sending me, appear to be up pretty close, too.  There's a huge crowd there already, which is amazing.

Vanderbilt's college football resurgence has been a bit surreal.  To see them ranked in the top 10 is almost unfathomable.  For so many long suffering fans, though, it's beyond overdue and so rewarding.  I was one of those fans, once upon a time, so in many ways I can relate to how happy they are this morning.  As I've written before, before my mom could stop me, I stormed the field in 1982 to tear down the goal posts when Vanderbilt beat Tennessee, 28-21.  Thanks to my mom, I was a die hard Vanderbilt fan as a boy and, really, until I went to college. 

And, thanks to my mom, JP and Joe are diehard Vanderbilt fans to this day.  Although I've never told them this, it makes me feel closer to my mom when I see them pulling for the 'Dores the way she did.  Football, basketball, and baseball.  They're black and gold through and through, just like I was at their age.  

As I well know, being a Vanderbilt fan is not an easy road.  It's not unlike being a Chicago Cubs fan.  A whole lot of heartache.  Still, as I've told the boys, that's what makes a season like this one for Vanderbilt fans so special.  The losses.  The tough times.  The disappointments.  It all leads to this season and a day like today which, for a sports fan, is a memory that endures.  

How did this happen?  It's a lot of things, really.  NIL.  The transfer portal.  A head coach, Clark Lea, with local ties (MBA and Vanderbilt graduate).  And, of course, quarterback Diego Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State two seasons ago.  

To say Diego Pavia has reinvigorated the Vanderbilt football program is an understatement.  He is the Vanderbilt football program under Clark Lea.   Last season, he engineered an upset over #1 Alabama at Dudley Field.  Last week, he led Vanderbilt to a win over #10 ranked LSU, also at Dudley field.  The team is an extension of him.  Tough.  Hard-nosed.  No quit.  Chip on their shoulders.  A little bit arrogant in an underdog kind of way.  All of it.  

Diego Pavia's No. 2 Jersey should be retired at the first home game next season.  That's how big of an impact he has had on Vanderbilt football.

As a former Vanderbilt fan, I know there's an Indian summer aspect to all of this.  It's not sustainable.  Diego Pavia will be out of eligibility after this season.  A bigger school will throw a bunch of money at Clark Lea and hire him away from Vanderbilt.  By next season, things will return to normal.  Still, I'm so glad the boys have this season and this morning to experience what it's like when your team is on top.

Anchor down, indeed.  

That's what Jude and I will be doing this afternoon when we take Joe to the Vanderbilt - Missouri game.  

Anchor down.

A Clean Sheet and Metro Champion!

Monday and Tuesday, I was neck deep preparing for a three day divorce trial on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  It was a lot.  

Because I had been preparing for a while, I was able to leave work a little early on Tuesday - to watch Joe and his MBA junior school team beat CPA (8-0) - and Wednesday - to watch JP run in the Metro Nashville Cross Country Championship Race.  

Joe's soccer team is really, really talented.  He's one a few seventh graders on a team that's at least half eighth graders.  Although Joe is the backup goalie, he's gotten playing time in the second half of every game so far.  He hasn't gotten a lot of action because MBA's defense is so sound that the ball rarely is on his end of the field.  I don't remember JP's junior school soccer teams at MBA being this skilled, top to bottom.  I am far from a soccer expert but I think this group will win a couple of high school state titles in the coming years. 

The win was the second shutout of the row.  Another clean sheet, as the soccer aficionados say.   

There had been some confusion around the location of the Metro Championship.  Initially, the Exchange, a runner store in East Nashville was going to host the race at Shelby Park.  At some point, though, the realization sunk in that staging three cross country races for a couple hundred high school athletes is quite an undertaking.  At the last minute, plans changed and the races were moved back to Vaughn's Gap, where they've been for several years.  JP was pleased because if MBA has a home course, Vaughn's Gap is it.

I arrived early, as I typically do.  For some reason, the varsity boys drove themselves to the race.  Traffic was terrible, so most of them straggled in less than an hour before the varsity boys' race.  I was concerned that JP might not be in a good place, pre-race, with the disruption of his normal routine.  As it turns out, he was fine.  I, of course, was nervous enough for both of us.  That will never change, I guess.

The field for the Metro Championship isn't nearly as fast as what the boys see in other, out of town races.  I expected JP to do well and I expected the team to do well.  Still, you never know.

As the varsity boys runners were warming up, I saw Coach Russ bring the boys together well out in front of the starting line.  I crept up and listened to him talk to them.  Next, in my favorite moment of any cross country race of JP's, the runners circled up tight and locked arms.  I crept closer.

Close enough to hear JP, Co-Captain, address the other runners.  His message was succinct and understated.

"Like Coach Russ said, every runner do his job."  

Next, in a moment I always will remember, Co-Captain Jack McDaniel ("McDavid," as the boys call him for reasons unknown to me), led the boys in prayer.  As I listened in and basked in what was simply a gorgeous fall late afternoon, my eyes welled with tears.  JP and Jack, friends at age 3, 4, and 5 at Children's House, leading the cross country team and preparing to run one of their last races together. 

On top of that, Jack is the best of the best.  Kind.  Intelligent.  A devout Catholic.  Humble.  Funny.  Earnest.  I'll miss seeing him terribly next year, after he leaves for college.   

Comically - and I missed this - JP was in the box, jumping up and down as part of his warmup, when the starter, without much warning, suddenly started the race.  After the race, JP and a couple of his teammates were still laughing about it.  Watch enough cross country races and you will see it all.

JP and Gabe quickly surged into the lead and it was clear that no one in the field was going to challenge them for the first two spots the race.  Gabe settled in slightly behind JP, on his shoulder, which is how they were running when they passed by me at the one mile mark.  Between miles one and two, JP started to put a little distance between him and Gabe.  The gap widened a bit on the third mile, as JP won comfortably and Gabe finished in second place. 

 

An FRA runner challenged Wynn Humphrey for third place.  However, Wynn sprinted to the end with a strong finish the last 100 yards and nabbed the third spot.  I loved to see how much effort Wynn put into finishing the race.  

MBA won the team titles for Junior Varsity and Varsity, as expected.  Roll Red!  

I can't believe it's my second to last Metro Championship.  One more next year and it's all over.  It's all going by so fast.

Serenbe

I've never been one that believes we need to go out of town for fall break, particularly since the boys only get Thursday and Friday out of school.  That being said, we have had a couple of nice trips to Santa Rosa Beach in October.  The beach is gorgeous this time of year.  

This year, though, I had a three day trial set the week after fall break, so it didn't make much sense - for me, anyway - to leave town.  Still, it's JP's second to last fall break (gulp!), so I looked for a middle ground.  I booked a house in Serenbe, the wellness community outside of Atlanta, Wednesday - Sunday.  My thought, having stayed here a few years ago when JP and I came down with the Allen's, was that booking a house would give me room to prepare for my trial while Jude and the boys hiked, ran, played tennis, and explored the property.  

Mission accomplished!  Our house has a huge front porch, a big screened in porch upstairs, a large back patio, and plenty of room to spread out.  Plus, there are tons of trails to hike, which I knew Jude would love.  It's a beautiful property, especially this time of year.  Plus, plus, the Black-Eyed Daisy (a coffee shop) is right across the street.  Perfect.

Right now, after an exhausting 3 miles run on the trials (the hills killed me), I'm relaxing on a couch on the front porch, listening to John Hiatt and sipping an ice cold Diet Pepsi.  The ceiling fan, spinning above me, is generating a nice breeze.  The sun is reflecting off the tops of the trees across the street as evening approaches.  Jude and the boys are at the tennis courts probably playing pickle ball.  Not me.  I'm comfortable on the front porch couch, surrounded by Halloween decorations.  Later, we'll walk up a trail to have a late dinner at the Farm.  

Ah, Serenbe.  

The Lousiville Cross Country Classic

On a hot Louisville afternoon, JP finished 2nd and Gave 3rd in the 24th Annual Louisville Cross Country Classic.  MBA's varsity and junior varsity teams finished 2nd, too, in their races, right behind St. X, a Louisville cross country powerhouse.  

Running at 1 p.m. was different, to be sure.  As I mentioned, it was quite hot for a cross country race.  It was a large field, mostly with school from Kentucky, I think, and a perhaps a few from Ohio.  There were a ton of college kids there when we arrived just ahead of the MBA bus, and it was pretty cool to see them milling about E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park.  The college kids ran in the coveted morning slots, which left the hotter afternoon for the high school runners.  

The setup of the course was nice, similar to the Southern Showcase course in Huntsville.  The court was tight with a few switchbacks, as a result of which I was able to watch the runners at multiple vantage points and still get to the finish line.  It's a bucolic park, too, which was a plus.  The course itself was fairly flat - again, like Huntsville - which means it's reasonably fast.  

It was cool before the race started to hear the announcer talking about the teams and runners over the loudspeaker.  He mentioned that MBA, from Nashville, was racing and should do well.  He also identified JP and Gabe, from MBA, as two runners who likely be running up front.

And that's exactly what happened, as JP took the lead early and held it for the first two miles or so.  There was a lead pack of five or six runners, and Gabe was in it, as well.  He settled in right behind JP, in fact.  It was cool, to be honest, to see JP and Gabe running so close together for the first two-thirds of the race.  

At about the 2 1/2 mile mark, a kid from St. X in the lead pack had pulled away from JP just a bit, maybe 10 yards.  I could see that JP was staying with him, though, and I thought there might be an interesting are to the finish line the last 400 or 500 yards.  As it turned out, JP did pull even with the St. X kid on the home stretch, which is downhill.  JP couldn't quite match his finishing kick, though, and finished in 2nd place by two or three seconds, at 15:30.90.  

Gabe finished in 3rd place, about five seconds behind JP.  It was a good race for both of them, although I know JP would have liked to have won the race.  The MBA team got a Louisville Slugger bat for finishing second overall, probably the best and most interesting trophy they have received since JP's been on the Hill.  After the race, there already was talk about whether the bat would be displayed in the school's trophy case or in the cross country/track and field's trophy case in the locker room.

It was a quick trip but a good one.  I'm glad I was there to see JP run on one of his favorite courses.

JP and Gabe ran into former teammate, Mitchell Chaffin, who raced for Centre College earlier in the day.  It was good to see him.

JP, pre-race.

Tarah and Gabe checking out the map of the course I found.

Co-Captain, Jack McDaniel (a.k.a. "McDavid")

I think this is my favorite photo of JP running I've ever taken.

Post-race.

Gabe, JP, and Wynn.  Strong junior class.  MBA's top three finishers.

JP and Oliver, from Science Hill High School.  I met his parents before the race.  

Co-Captains, Jack and JP.  Friends since they were three years old at Children's House. 

Second place trophy.  Pretty cool.

Gabe and JP with the second place trophy.

The Seven.

Wynn, Gabe, and JP.