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.

On the Run in Jeffersonville, Indiana

I'm sitting at a table outside Coffee Crossing in Jeffersonville, Indiana, having a cup of coffee before sunrise.  I'm almost in sight of the Ohio River from where I sit.  A flock of geese just flew by above me, in formation, honking back and forth to each other.  

Today, at 1 p.m.,  MBA's varsity cross country team is running in the 24th annual Louisville Cross Country Classic at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park.  JP likes the course and, in fact, ran a 15:05 there two weeks ago in the Trinity-Valkyrie Invitational.   

I drove up yesterday afternoon with JP and Gabe.  Earlier in the week, I booked us at an Airbnb in Jeffersonville, Indiana, literally right across the river from Louisville.  We had an excellent dinner last night at TOWN (a neighborhood pub).  Really good pasta.  Too much to eat in one sitting, actually.  

The house is nice.  Three bedrooms.  Three bathrooms.  A small backyard with a nice back porch and a hot tub.  Nice front porch, too, where I sat out for a bit late last night, reading the new Easy Rawlins mystery, Gray Dawn (Walter Mosley).  I slept well, too. 

As I left the house a few minutes ago, JP was up, making scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast.  His plan, I think, is to go back to bed afterwards.  Racing at 1 p.m. is odd for the boys, as most races are first thing in the morning.  He's trying to make sure he's properly fueled, I think.  Properly rested, too.  

If I were industrious, I would add Indiana to my list of states I've run in by going for a 3-miler across the bridge into Louisville.  Instead, I think I'll go for a walk this morning, then run tonight when we get back to Nashville.  I'm at 116/156 3-mile runs for the year.  On target, assuming good health the last quarter of the year.  

I enjoy these quick trips out of town for races in much the same way I enjoy traveling to small towns for baseball tournaments.  Getting away from Nashville.  Time with one or both of boys and, sometimes, other parents.  New surroundings that I likely won't see again.  Finding coffee.  Making a few more memories to add to the scrapbook in my head.  All of it.

Jeffersonville seems to be an interesting town.  Quirky and eclectic.  A real downtown with several restaurants.  Mixed demographically from what little I have seen.  Active, with a lot of runners and cyclists.  From where I am sitting, I can smell what an unkempt man just told me is basket being smoked around the corner at Ramiro's Cantina.  I smelled it as soon as I got our of my truck but didn't imagine someone would be cooking this early.

The sun is rising, now, as the light reflects off the top half of Riverside Cigar Shop and Lounge across the street.  More cars, more people out walking.  Jeffersonville is waking up.  

I just met "Elliott," a rescue boxer mix out for a walk with his owner, an interesting, kind man wearing a hoodie and missing his front teeth.  Another man walked up and is talking to me about the O.J. Simpson trial.  See what I mean?  Eclectic.  

Life is wonderful.  Interesting.  Beautiful.  

Time to go for a walk.  In Jeffersonville, Indiana.  

The Return of Jojo Buffan

It's October 2, the second day of my favorite time of the year, October 1 - January 2, 2025.  Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  Cooler weather isn't here yet but it's on the way.  I hope.

Last night after work, alone, I began to decorate the office for Halloween.  It's my thing and my law partners tolerate it but only for the month of October.  Zombie heads hanging from hooks in the five large front windows of my office.  Skulls everywhere.  Bloody knives, clowns.  The works.  I do it every year.  Everything goes up on September 30 (this year, October 1) and it all comes down on November 1, 2025.  What can I say.

As I was getting started, I got a call from Joe on my cell.  Answering it, I said, "What's up, bud?"

"I made the A team (soccer)," he replied.

"What?!?  The 8th grade team?" 

"Yeah.  Luke and I are the only 7th graders to make it."

After three days of junior school soccer tryouts at MBA, Joe had made the A team.  I could tell he was kind of stunned.  Frankly, so was I.

It was a difficult decision - but the right one, I think - when Jude and I took Joe out of travel soccer this fall with Armada.  He had carved out a niche as one of two goalies and team captain for the past two or three years.  He has good friends on that team - Rex, Tennessee, Pike - and it was hard to give that up.  Still, we knew how tough MBA would be, academically, and we wanted Joe to focus on his studies.  Also, he had to participate in a school activity in the afternoons every quarter of his 7th and 8th grade years.  It just didn't seem prudent to put him in a situation where, twice a week, he would go from crew practice to soccer practice, and not have dinner and start homework until almost 9 p.m.

I was worried that was it for him in soccer.  I knew he planned to try out for the school team but, without practicing regularly and playing at a high level, I though it might be difficult for him to make the A team or the B team (7th grade).  Boy, was I wrong.

A few of Joe's classmates and former teammates on Armada, Rex and Tennessee, made the B team.  Somehow, Joe made the A team.  My guess is that he will back up the starting goalie, although in Joe's inimitable fashion, he suggested to me that he's as good as the 8th grade goalie and expects to play.  Either way, he will get a lot of reps against solid, 8th grade soccer players.  It will help his development as a goalie. 

In tryouts, I confirmed with Joe that during the scrimmage portion of all three days, he did what he normally does in goal.  He was very vocal and communicative.  Encouraged his teammates and constantly repositioned them where he wanted them, especially on corner kicks.  In other words, he lead his teammates, even in a scrimmage.  That's just what Joe does.

The Captain.

I'm so damn proud of Joe and his start at MBA.  He studying diligently.  Grinding, as JP calls it.  He seems more mature, already, with a seriousness about him that he didn't have last year.  Yes, it's a little sad, because suddenly, Joe seems more young man than child, but that's to be expected, I think, and as it should be.  He's stepping up, getting in the books.  He's competing, in the classroom and outside of it, which its what it takes to survive and thrive at MBA.  I hope it continues.  I think it will.

As Jude and Joe were leaving he MBA-Baylor football game last Friday night, she heard a bunch of boys and girls yelling "Joe!"

She looked over and saw that it was his former classmates from USN, excited to see him.  He said hi, talked briefly to them, then left with Jude to go home.  

The Captain.

In many ways, it was harder for Joe to leave USN than it was for JP.  When JP left, he seemed to never look back.  He was ready for something new.  He was ready to be challenged in a different way.  He didn't seem to be too concerned with who he was leaving behind at USN or who he was joining at MBA.  JP didn't have time for all of that.  After all, there was work to be done, goals to be achieved, and anything else was just a distraction.  

Leaving USN was different for Joe.  His circle of good friends was larger and tighter.  He was in the middle of it all and he loved every minute of it.  He was seen, known, admired, and respected by his classmates, all of which he had earned over seven years at USN.  He said goodbye to all of that  and started over at MBA, and I admire him for it.  Staying at USN would have been easy.  Leaving USN and starting at MBA was hard.  The hard decisions are the ones that teach you the most, or so it seems to me.

I think Joe is on the way.

Sands Through the Hourglass

Things are so busy for our family, right now, that I worry about time getting away from me.  

I worry that I am going to wake up one day, soon, to a quiet house, both boys off to college, and me wondering where the time went. 

Lately, I have that feeling a lot.  That these are the days and I am not doing enough to savor them, to enjoy every minute of where our lives are right now.  

Instead, I find myself in survival mode, covered up with so much responsibility at work, getting home late for dinner, squeezing in a run (or this month, a walk, too), finding time to read late at night.  I get up in the morning, make breakfast for JP, spend a couple of minutes with the boys talking about last night's Dodgers' game, then off we all go into our semi-separate lives during the day.

At night, other than dinner, it's quiet downstairs - and a little depressing if I am being honest - as JP and Joe grind away upstairs on their homework.  Surprisingly or perhaps not so, Joe has adapted well to the academic grind at MBA.  He's putting the work in studying, to be sure, and so far the results have been good grades across the board.  JP is JP.  Grinding away to get where he wants to go.

During the week, we might - and I mean, might - catch part of an episode of "America's Team:  The Gambler and His Cowboys," the entertaining Netflix documentary about the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990's.  Maybe watch part of a Monday or Thursday night NFL game.  Then, it's back upstairs for the boys to study.  Weekends, we find the time to watch football, college and pro.  Starting next week, too, we will have the Dodgers and the MLB playoffs, which is always must-see TV in our household.

Sometimes I feel like I am strapped to the front of a rocket ship.  Life is passing by so quickly.  

Angus.  Loved by all in our household.

My old friend and fellow lawyer, Reid Street, stopped by the office yesterday.  He's enjoying retirement because, as he told me yesterday, every day is Saturday.

Fall in the 'hood, after my run last night.  The pumpkin patch is back.

More fall in the 'hood.

A Saturday for the Ages

With boys, especially ones who love and play sports like ours do, so many of your Saturdays are jam packed with drives all over town, or to nearby towns, for games of some sort.  Soccer.  Basketball.  Baseball.  Cross country or track meets.  

And, of course, I love it.  Every single minute of it.  Watching my boys compete on an athletic field, hands down, is my greatest joy in life.  It pains me terribly to think about the void that will be left in the not too distant future when neither JP nor Joe are playing anything other than middle school or high school sports. In a way, we're halfway there, now that JP has narrowed his athletic focus to running.   

If you're lucky, as a parent, you have the rare Saturday where it all falls into place for your boys, or girls.  For me, yesterday was one of those. 

Rather than tour Notre Dame, JP decided to run in the Trinity-Valkyrie Invitational in Louisville, KY, where he set a PR (15:19) last year.  Gabe and Wynn decided at the last minute to run it and JP wanted to join them.  Jude and I thought it was the right decision, especially on the heels of his mildly disappointing race in Huntsville last weekend (15:20).  Late in the week, we hastily booked a hotel room and made plans, arranging for Jude to go with JP to Louisville, so I could take Joe to his soccer workout Friday night and his baseball tournament games in Murfreesboro on Saturday.

Yesterday morning, I got up early as I typically do, and drove up to Dose for coffee.  Joe slept in.  As I drank my coffee and tried to figure out if I could get live updates of the race in Louisville, I met the parents of one of JP's sophomore cross country teammates.  They were on the way to Dickson to watch their son (and the other boys who didn't race in Huntsville) race.  Very nice people.

I am superstitious, although I know I shouldn't be.  As I bounced around on the MileSplit (Kentucky) website and the link to the Trinity-Valkyrie Invitation, I couldn't find any live race results.  It felt similar to two years ago, when Joe and were at Dose for coffee and breakfast, as we tried to get live race results from NXR in Cary, NC.  That, of course, was a memorable day in JP's racing career, as MBA finished second and qualified for NXN in Portland, OR.  I was hoping, yesterday, to have a similar experience.

Turns out that I did, as JP ran 15:05:03 (12th overall in a very fast field).  The ever more elusive PR and ever so close to breaking 15:00:00.  It was a race JP needed, I think, to boost his confidence.  He raced extremely well in the fastest field he will see the entire season.  When I talked to him on the telephone immediately after the race, I could tell how excited, and relieved, he was.  

Later in the morning, I drove Joe over to Murfreesboro for his first tournament game of the fall with the Redbirds.  In what is another story for another day, Joe landed with the Redbirds after Brian Harris unceremoniously folded his tent and shut down Harris Baseball Club in July.  Not surprisingly, the messaging ng to HBC parents wasn't handled well by Brian, as a result of which 150 + boys were left scrambling to find baseball teams to play with in the middle of tryout season.  

When Joe and I arrived at the baseball complex in Murfreesboro, his coach asked him if he was ready to pitch.  "Sure," Joe said.  "Good, you're staring."  Kyle replied.  This will be interesting, I thought, as Joe hasn't thrown a bullpen in a while or otherwise worked on pitching.  No matter, because Joe is Joe.  Mentally tough.  Dependable.  Always ready to take the ball.

In four innings of solid work, Joe struck out stayed around the plate and stuck out six batters.  His control was good, as he only walked one batter.  He didn't throw particularly hard and two or three batters put good swings own the ball for extra base hits.  Still, he threw to contact, as he so often does, and he added nifty play on a ball hit back up the middle.  He gave up three runs, only one of which was earned.  

The only real mistake, other than a two out walk in the fourth inning, was an 0-2 fastball he left out over the plate to the second to last batter he faced.  He would have liked to have that pitch back, as the boy laced a line drive to center field to plate the third run.  Joe left with the score 2 - 3.  He was out of gas at 60 o so pitches.  The final was 2 - 7, as the next pitcher in for the Redbirds struggled.

In the second game, Joe played shortstop and batted second.  After a weak pop fly in foul territory to the first baseman in the first inning and a towering pop fly that he misjudged for an error, Joe settled in at shortstop.  In the last inning, down 1 - 2, Joe lined a ball to right center field for a base hit that advanced the leadoff hitter to third base.  He stole second, then was thrown out at home to end the game as he tried to score on a single to right filed.  I was proud of how Joe played, although there is room for improvement . . . for Joe and the whole team.  

Joe has gone from being the youngest player on his HBC teams to, suddenly, being one of oldest, most experienced players on his Redbirds' team.  It's time for him to lead.  

Jude rushed Joe straight from the second baseball game in Murfreesboro to Franklin for a Bucket Squad basketball game.  That didn't go was well, as his team lost a game they probably should have won.  I skipped the game but, according to Jude and JP, Joe didn't shoot much at all and wasn't a real factor in the game.  

Still, it was a great Saturday, for the boys and for Jude and me.

Bennett Lusk and Joe.  It's fun to run into old teammates from the Dodgers.

Joe's new Redbirds' squad.

JP, with a strong finish at the Trinity-Valkyries Invitational in Louisville to clock a PR at 15:05.

Sports on Earth

Saturday morning in Huntsville was hot, unfortunately.  That made it tougher on JP and the other runners in the Southern Showcase running the championship round at 9 a.m.  

The course and surrounding sports complex are impressive.  So much space.  Tennis courts,  soccer fields, and an expansive cross country course.  For spectators of the race, it's almost like a tight golf course, one where holes are side-by-side, in opposite directions.  Think Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin.  The result of the layout is that if you hustle, it's fairly easy to get to multiple vantage points on the course to see the runners.  So, that's what I did Saturday morning, so I could see JP and cheer him on as much as possible.

As I wrote earlier, it was a very fast field with runners from all over the southern and mid-eastern United States.  Schools from Pennsylvania and West Virginia sent teams, too.  It's a big race, probably the biggest of the season with over 280 runners.

JP started out fast and when I saw him early, he was in the second pack of runners, right behind the leaders.  For the first couple of miles, he ran with a tall kid from Columbus North HS (Indiana).  During the third mile, the other kid pulled away and JP was left in no man's land, running by himself, slightly ahead of what amounted to a fourth group that included Eli Wharton from Division Academy in Nashville.  He's a super kid that JP has gotten to know.  

JP held off Eli Wharton for 11th place, finishing at 15:20:81, six seconds off his PR.  It was a solid run but I think JP was mildly disappointed he hadn't run a little bit faster.  Cross county racing is a strange beast.  Eight seconds faster would have been a PR.  Eight seconds slower feels differently.  Still, 11th place out of 283 runners is something to be proud of, for sure.  I was proud of JP, of course.  

JP is going to run in Louisville, KY, on Saturday, with Gabe and Wynn.  Gabe ran a PR at 15:30, as did Wynn at 16:33.30.  JP was scheduled to go to visit Notre Dame with Jude but he wants to get another race in since the Chickasaw Trails Invitational was canceled.  I thinks it's the right decision because the way to get better at racing is to race more.  That's apparent to me.

I drove back after the race and met Joe and Jude at my office.  They had driven to Huntsville on Saturday morning to watch JP race.  We sat in my office, relaxed, and watched football on the flat screen I had put in a little more than a year ago.  We had an hour or so to kill before Joe's Saturday afternoon basketball game at TOA Courts in Cool Springs.  Joe's Bucket Squad was set to play some of his former teammates from the Stars' team he played on in the spring.  Page Middle School boys.

It was a great game.  Probably the best game I've seen this group play, coached by Thomas McDaniel.  Joe's team only had five players.  No subs.  They played hard defensively and shared the basketball as well as they every have.  What saved them was they got an early lead and hit a lot of 3's.  Somewhat, they withstood a spirited comeback attempt led by one of my all-time guys, Will, who hit multiple 3's in a real heat check game for him.  He played with Joe in the spring on his Stars' team.  A great kid who always seems a little sad.  I try to give him as much love as possible and to pump him up because I think he needs it.

Joe played a solid game defensively, making almost all of the right plays, as usual.  He turned the ball over a few times but not too many.  He had several nice assists, which is his game.  Really, a fun basketball game too watch as Joe's Bucket Squad held on for a 43-41 win.

One Saturday.  A lot of sports.

Season Opener (Again)

Last Friday evening, I drove to Decatur, AL, stayed in an Airbnb, then drove 30 minutes early Saturday morning to Oakville, AL, for JP's first cross country race of the season, the Chickasaw Trails Invitational.  

The weather didn't cooperate, however, and after a couple of lighting delays, the race was postponed.  The race organizers claimed the Lawrence Co. EMS made the decision but I have my doubts.  There's no reason that I can see that the organizers couldn't have waited an hour or two, if necessary, to see if the weather would clear off enough for the races to start.  But, that didn't happen, so I drove back home without getting to see JP race.  

Tonight, I find myself in Huntsville, AL, in another Airbnb, after driving down from Franklin after a long, crazy day at work.  Have race, will travel.  That's the life of a cross country parent.  And I love it.

Tomorrow, JP and his MBA teammates will race in the Southern Showcase.  It appears to be the biggest, most anticipated cross country race of the southern season.  There are teams from as far north as West Virginia and Pennsylvania and as far south as Miami, FL (Belen Jesuit HS, the strongest cross country program in the South year in and year out).  

MBA hasn't run in the Southern Showcase since JP has been running with the varsity.  I'm curious when they last ran here.  Before the season, JP and Gabe asked Coach Russ if the team could run in bigger races this year.  More competition.  More exposure.  They'll have both in spaces tomorrow because it's a really, really strong field.  I'm very curious to see how JP and Gabe stack up against the best of the best.  

I was nervous last Friday night.  Tonight, I'm a little more relaxed.  Really, I just want JP to run his best tomorrow.  I'm very excited for him to find out what it's like to race against some real horses.  

For now, though, time to watch a little Dodgers-Giants on my iPad and get in the rack.  Early start tomorrow.

Pre-race.

JP, Gabe, and Winn.  Classmates.

Coaches Roderick Russ and Tom Cirillo.

Gabe and JP after the warm up run, shortly before the 2025 Chickasaw Trails Invitational was postponed.

Co-Captain Jack McDaniel and his dad, Thomas.  

Team photo just before packing the tent up and heading up I65 North to Nashville.

Season Opener

After a summer of dedicated training, running and in the weight room, JP's first cross country race of the season is tomorrow morning in Oakville, Alabama.  For the third consecutive year, MBA will begin the season running in the Chickasaw Trails Invitational.  

JP's ready, I think.  I'm ready, too.  

After a busy day of work and the Williamson County Bar Luncheon, I will drive down early this evening to Decatur, Alabama, where I have an Airbnb for the night.  As near as I can tell, I will be about 30 minutes from the Oakville Indian Mounds Park.  The last couple of years I have stayed in a hotel in Decatur.  However, the selection of hotels isn't the greatest, so for this year, I thought it might be nice to stay in an Airbnb.  I prefer vacation homes to hotels any day of the week.

I am so proud of JP for how hard he has worked, really, from the beginning of June through the beginning of school a couple of weeks ago.  He's been so disciplined about his running, which is his way.  Set goals.  Follow the program.  Eat right.  Plenty of sleep.  Run.  He's driven.  Always has been.,

For the first time this summer, JP didn't play travel baseball.  It was a decision he made on his own and one that I supported.  JP's thought - and I agreed - was that he couldn't afford to miss three or four days of running for seven or eight weeks in June and July, while he was playing baseball on the weekends in Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville, etc.  Not if he wants to be ready for the cross country season and give himself the best opportunity to reach his running goals. 

When he decided last spring that he wanted to run in college, that changed things.  Again, it was something he pointed out.  I agreed with him.  As a result, his primary focus, athletically, necessarily became running.  A lot has to go right, for sure, and I realize that.  He needs to stay healthy.  He needs to perform at peak level in races.  He needs to continue to love running.  And he probably needs a little good fortune.

As always, the thing I am the most proud of when it comes to JP's running is his discipline, dedication, and courage.  Running take all of those things and he has them.  Life requires those things, too - and more - so I hope he can apply to life the lessons he has learned, and is learning, as a competitive runner.  If he can, he is going to give himself and edge that will start him down the path of independence and success.  

What I want tomorrow out of the race - what I always want - is for his hard work to be rewarded with a race day performance he feels good about and is proud of.  I want him to be happy.

Every run is a gift from God.  My run last night in the neighborhood at age 59 - three miles - was a gift.  JP's run tomorrow - his race - is also a gift.  I am grateful for these gifts, for him and for me, too.

This is JP's moment.   

Meet the Teachers on the Hill

Last night was Meet the Teachers Night at MBA, for Joe.  It's a hectic night, and a long night, as the parents rush from class to class to meet their son's seventh grade teachers, following their boys' daily class schedule.  

When I got home after work to check on the boys, I was tempted not to go.  I was tired and it had been a long day.  Jude was going, though, and I didn't want to leave her hanging, especially on a night when I was able to get home at a decent hour.  So, off I sent in the middle of a rare September early evening downpour.  

As so often happens when I attend an event at MBA, I was glad that I found the time, or made the time, to be there.  Across the board, Joe's teachers are an impressive group.  Experienced, driven, caring, involved, and available.  It's amazing, really, how high caliber the faculty is at MBA.  All top notch.  

From our first stop in Mr. Cooper's pre-algebra class to our last stop in Mr. McMurray's Roots of Modern America (History) class, I was delighted by what I heard from Joe's teachers.  We only got to spend 10 or 15 minutes with each teacher and, as the bell rang at the end of each class, I found myself wanting to stay longer and engage in a more involved, two-way conversation.  

What a really felt was an overwhelming sense of pride that my sons are student at MBA.  It's expensive and a bit of a stretch for Jude and me to send JP and Joe to school there.  My running joke that my lake house or my mountain house has gone to USN and MBA and, now, MBA, has more than a small element of truth to it.  Still, a night like last night reminds me that it's worth every penny we spend to send our sons to MBA.  Every penny.

With JP starting his fifth year at MBA - fifth year! - I'm more familiar with the school, the faculty, and the parents.  A couple of Joe's teachers - like Emmett Russell - already know me, which is nice.  In the halls, I saw other teachers and coaches I know, like Coach Dunlap, who asked me why I'd shaved my mustache.  I saw Roderick Russ, JP's cross country coach and one of my favorite people at MBA.  I feel so much more comfortable on the Hill than I did when JP first started there four years ago.

It's interesting.  Joe loves all of his teachers and I can see why.  That wasn't the case at USN.  He's being challenged academically.  It's early, of course, but he's working hard and doing well so far.  I'm proud of him.

My fervent hope is that Joe has just as positive and enriching of an experience at MBA as JP has had but that he does it his way.  Joe's experience will be different from JP's and that is it should be.  It's what I want, too.  

Two years with both boys on the Hill.  It's going to be fun.

The Dog Days Are Over

Another August is in the rear view mirror.  Thank goodness.  

The last week or so, the highs have been in the upper 80's or very low 90's, as opposed to the high 90's.  That's been a nice respite, to be sure.  The 10-day forecast shows high early in the week in the low 80's, which will be fabulous before the temperature spikes just a bit over the week into the high 80's again.  

Still, just knowing that September is officially here today, which means October is around the corner, makes me very happy.  Fall is so close I can smell it.

This weekend, it's been Joe and me on our own.  A stripped down version of Guy Town, with Jude and JP in Philadelphia visiting Penn and Villanova.  Official college visits for JP.  Wow.  Life comes at you fast, doesn't it?

I took Joe and his buddy, Sam, to the MBA football game Friday night.  It was an MBA blowout, so we left at half-time.  I grabbed the boys burgers at Burger Up after the football game.  They had a late dinner and played hockey upstairs.  No X-box, just roughhousing and playing hockey.  Old school by their choice, which was pretty cool.  

Saturday, Joe and I watched a lot of college football.  A lot.  Vols beat Syracuse.  Vanderbilt beat College of Charleston.  FSU upset Alabama as a 13 1/2 point underdog!  Ohio State beat No. 1 Texas and, in the process, made Arch Manning look pedestrian in his debut as a starter.  I made a made a high protein chicken and broccoli pasta dish in the crock pot, courtesy of the "It's Damn Good" guy on Instagram (my new culinary hero).  Tasty.

Joe and I went the Green Hills Y in the afternoon, so I could run on the treadmill and he could get some shots up.  I rebounded for him after my run and helped him with his shot.

Yesterday, Joe had a 3-on-3 basketball tournament at TOA Courts in Cool Springs.  Tough day for the home team, as the boys went 0-4.  The last game was the best game, as they lost by three to a team that had beaten them soundly in the first game.  Joe's guys made a great comeback at the end and Pike had two open 3-pointers to win it but they didn't go down.  Entertaining game to watch as I kept score at the scorer's table.

Joe didn't play particular well.  He's challenged, still, due to his height and lack of quickness, especially laterally.  It's showing up more on the basketball court as the boys hit middle school.  He's grown a little bit this summer and, hopefully, more growth is on the way.  On his team, none of the boys have hit puberty, yet, and others have, which makes it tough on all of them.  

I picked up dinner from Slice of Italy on Belcourt last night and we watched Miami beat Notre Dame in what was a pretty good football game.  I read for a while, then shut it down for the night.  

After I finish my coffee this morning at Dose, I'm going to grab Joe and get breakfast at Bongo Java, I think.  Again, old school.  

Jude and JP get home today at 1 p.m., so it will be interesting to talk to JP and see how his first college trip went.  His first cross country race of the season is this Saturday in Alabama, so it's a big week for him.

Bigger Not Better

While the transformation that has taken place at the Factory is amazing, I find myself missing the old days, especially at Honest Coffee Roasters.  It's more than tripled in size since the early days when I first became a regular, seven or eight years ago.  

Bigger not better, because Honest has the intimacy that made it special.  It feels impersonal.  The baristas turn over regularly, which leads me to believe it's likely not the best place to work any more.  It's a far cry from the days when Jacob Stillman was the manager.  He was such a kind hearted and earnest person, much like Troy at Burger Up, and everyone who worked at Honest followed his lead in how they treated each other and customers, especially regulars.  

In those days, I had a conversation with the barista while he or she made my coffee.  Anthony, Nick, Brad, Whitney, and many others.  Often times, I took the seat at the bar on the corner and watched them make coffee as I wrote in this space, read the New York Times online, or did a little work.  Honest was cozy, familiar, almost quaint.  Certainly, the space was quirky, with the giant drafting table and the roaster jammed into the shop.  Getting a seat meant it was a good day but that was two, if not three, renovations ago.  

The coffee is okay, although not nearly as good as it was in the early days.  Then, the baristas cared about making good coffee.  Now, it's more of an assembly line.  Take the order, make the coffee, call the name, all without making eye contact or engaging the customer in conversation.  That's Honest Coffee Roasters these days.  Bigger not better.

Cooler

52 degrees this morning.  I'm not going to suggest there is a hint of Fall in the air or that Fall is just around the corner because there is a week left in August.  Still, as I sit outside the Well, across from David Lipscomb, sipping my coffee and watching the David Lipscomb University students walk to their early classes, the cooler air lifts my spirits.  Maybe, just maybe, I have almost made it through another miserably hot late summer in Nashville.  If I can just get to September . . . 

As I was picking up donuts for a mediation first thing this morning, I got a call from a good lawyer friend.  He mediates a lot, as do I, obviously.  An older colleague of ours - and a good friend of mine - had a stroke a couple of weeks ago and I had not heard about, which was strange, as I'm pretty plugged in to the legal community, at least in my area of practice.  On second thought, I get it.  Everyone handles these type of things differently.  All of us, particularly in my field, have healthy egos, some more than others.  No one wants to be seen as weak or damaged, particularly not in line of work, where so much of it is about projecting confidence and reassuring clients at difficult points in their lives that things will be okay.

My friend is an amazing lawyer.  He has been a mentor not just to lawyers who work at his law firm downtown but to people like me.  In fact, he went out of his way, recently, to extend a kindness to me I will never forget.  He helped me out, professionally, at a time when I really needed his help.  He was there for me, professionally, and it meant everything.  I called him and thanked him one day for what he had done for me but I didn't find the time to write him.  I damn sure will now.

Life is fleeting and precious.  Mornings like this are to be savored.  Clear blue sky.  The first of the cool temperatures.  A hot cup of coffee.  College students talking and laughing.  Joe at breakfast with Dr. Daughtrey at MBA and JP with a 5k time trial today at Vaughns Gap.  A day of challenging and intellectually stimulating work ahead.  A law firm to run.  Clients to help.

It all goes by so fast, doesn't it.  

It's a damn short movie.  How'd we ever get here?

James McMurtry ("Just Us Kids")

It's All Happening

It's all happening.

- Penny Lane (Almost Famous)

Last week was rough at work for a variety of reasons.  Covered up, as usual.  The sudden and unexpected departure of my legal assistant who, as is turns out, didn't learn a thing about being honest, ethical, and professional that I spent a year and a half trying to teach her.  New people starting, which actually is a good thing.  Still, it adds to my responsibilities at the office.  

I had a deposition all day yesterday, although we broke so I could participate in a Zoom hearing on a motion I filed in a different case.  It's a lot and next week is more of the same.  Mediations Monday and Tuesday, a hearing on Thursday with an attorney I detest, and so it goes.  When my day at work wound down, at last, I was exhausted.  Spent.

To my surprise and delight, one the ride home I got a telephone call from a teacher who taught the boys at Children's House (Montessori school) so many, many years ago.  I was on the board for several years and, later, served a board president.  The six or seven year run we had, with our boys, at Children's House were maybe the best years of my life.  Uncomplicated times.  I love those days with my whole heart.  I drive by Children's House almost every day and, every time, I smile as I pass by and recall our time there. 

It' been seven years, by my count, since Joe left Children's House.  After talking with her for a half hour, it's apparent that a lot has changed there, mostly due to the pandemic.  Much like what happened at University School, some longtime traditions that went on hiatus during the pandemic never returned.  At USN, it was Grandparents' Day and the Fourth Grade Operetta.  Similarly, at Children's House, annual events that brought alumni and grandparents to the school, to visit, are no longer, which is a shame.  The result, at both schools, I think, is a loss of community.  

Part of the problem is generational.  Younger teachers at both schools simply do not want to put in the extra time, after hours, to organize and attend an annual event for the school.  They see teaching as a job.  A means to an end and not a profession or a true calling.  Those type of attitudes among younger people are not endemic to teachers, not by any means.  I see it in my office, too.  I am completely comfortable generalizing when I say that younger people - probably 35 and younger - have little or no capacity to see the big picture and work within an organization for something greater than themselves.  It's complete self-absorption that prevents them from going above and beyond what is required. 

Do the bare minimum.  That seems to be the mantra of every person 35 and younger.  Life revolves around me.  That's the second mantra.

I digress.  It was so nice to talk to the boys' former teacher and to get caught up.  As I told her, every success JP and Joe have had is, in part, because of what they learned and who they became in those formative years at Children's House, ages 3 - 6.  Outside of Jude and me, the faculty and staff at Children's House, along with Carley Meade, were the two biggest influences on my boys' lives when they were younger.  

When I arrived home, still smiling after my long telephone conversation, I got a text from Maureen, our next-door-neighbor.  She asked if we could stop boy to say goodbye to Erin, who was leaving for college at Barnard College in New York City Saturday morning.  Wow.  I knew that day was coming and that, well, it was very close, but still.  I mean, wow. 

When we moved in next door, Erin was, probably eight or nine years old.  We've watched her grow up into an intelligent, interesting, precocious, and beautiful young lady.  Actually, she was all of those things from the very first day we met her.  Simply put, she's one of the most impressive young people, male of female, I've ever had in my life on a regular basis.  She is destined to be a rock star in life.  No question about it. She's so talented and smart.  

Erin gives new meaning to the term, well rounded, as she's a great student, an accomplished singer and actress, a burgeoning political activist who cares deeply about the world and her place in it.  Early on, not long after we moved into our house on Linden Avenue, I said she would be President one day.  I still believe that.  Erin is that singularly talented.  I'm so proud of her and excited for her, as she leaves for the New York City to begin life as college student.

My friends and neighbors, Scott and Liz Holly were out walking their dog as I visited with Erin in front of her house, so they got to tell Erin goodbye and good luck, as well.  It was nice to catch up with them for minute or two.  

I walked inside and, still in my jacket and tie from work, poured myself a bourbon.  With Jude and the boys gone to MBA's football opener against Pearl Cohn (a 17 - 14 win for the Big Red), the house was dark and quiet.  Perfect after the week I had at work.  I went upstairs to my office, sat in my favorite red chair in the corner by my desk, and sipped my bourbon in the dark.  No music.  No lights.  No distraction.  Just a few minutes of solitude that I desperately needed.

As I sat in the dark, unwinding, I got a text from JP.  He had just learned that he'd been elected co-captain of the cross country team this season.  Normally, captains are elected at camp and that hadn't happened a few weeks ago, so he had assumed there might not be captains this year.  As a result, this was an unexpected surprise and something that means a great deal to him.

It's an honor and on that is deserved from my vantage point.  JP has worked so hard this summer.  No baseball, no distractions, just running all summer long.  He's sacrificed.  He's been disciplined.  He's been dedicated.  That's who he is.  To see him recognized as a co-captain, as a junior, is very special.  

His co-captain?  Jack McDaniel, a senior and good friend.  Jack and JP went to Children's House together and were in the same class and best friends in those days.  Full circle?  I think so.

It's all happening.

End of Summer

So, as it turns out, summer isn't endless after all.  Not even for 13 and 17 year old boys.  I wonder if summer went by as quickly for Joe and JP as it did for me.  It's still hatefully hot as hell, of course, because it's mid-August in Nashville but today is the boy's last day of summer, as school starts at MBA on Monday.   

All in all, it's been a pretty good summer.  Busy enough for the boys that we couldn't slip away to Santa Rosa Beach, FL, for a family vacation, which is unfortunate.  JP's eight day trip to Boulder, CO, to train at altitude with Samuel Trumble and Joe's three weeks at Woodberry Forest Sports Camp dominated our summer calendar.  Jude had an annual work trip to D.C., too, that knocked out a week on the calendar.  Other, smaller events for the boys or us conspired to keep our family in Nashville for the summer.  

This morning, I was up early, as was JP.  Jude and Joe were sleeping in just bit.  JP is off to cross country practice this morning, putting the work in, as he's done all summer long.  I admire his dedication and discipline.  He's got big goals for the upcoming cross country season and I hope he reached them.  I really do.

After registration at MBA on Wednesday, Joe and his seventh grade class had a day trip to Long Mountain.  He didn't get home last night until almost 9:30 p.m. and he was exhausted after a day filled with team building activities and a long, long bus ride home.  Apparently, there was an accident on I-24 which closed it down at one point and his bus got caught in the ensuing traffic jam.  According to Joe, there was a lot of silliness on the bus.  Singing, joking around, standing up, and farting.  Sounds about right for a group fo seventh grade boys, doesn't it?

I feel like I've seen less of JP this summer, which is normal, I guess.  He's been more social or so it seems to me, which I think is tremendous.  He's been spending a lot of time on the golf course or at the driving range, just hitting golf balls, which I love.  I think golf is a sport that suits his personality and one that he can play for a lifetime.  He played 18 holes at Harpeth Hills yesterday, nine with Jack McDaniel and 18 with Winn Humphreys.  He's looking for a game today, too, after cross country practice. My goal is to get Joe into golf, as well.  

I ran three miles in the neighborhood last night, heat and humidity be damned.  It was nice to get a run in, outside, on one of my old school routes.  I ran by the old house on Elliott Avenue, which I almost hate to do because it's so hard to see our front yard missing the 80 year old maple tree missing after the bitch (yes, I said it) that bought the house from us cut it down for no reason.  It kills me that she did that.   

A lot of change at work.  Doug Smith started as an associate attorney yesterday.  I've needed help in a big way since Andrea left a year ago, so this hiring was long overdue.  Rachel leaves in two weeks, which is going to be tough for me, personally and professionally.  I've grown fond of her after a bit of a bumpy start, at times, and she's improved by leaps and bounds.  Somehow, I think our paths may cross again professionally, as often happens with staff in our office when they leave.  I think I'm going to close the deal today on a new hire to replace Rachel, so there's that.

As the sign in Mark's office says - and has said for almost 30 years - Change is inevitable.  Growth is optional.  Don't I know it.

I've got a mediation today.  One of my own cases.  I would be shocked if it settled.  We'll see.  

Then, it's on to the final weekend of summer.  Jude and Joe are going to USN's middle school musical, so it will JP and me, tougher, unless he has plans.  Life with two teenagers!

Seth Mattews, an old softball teammate, friend, and former client walked into the office this week.  What a treat to see him.  

From Joe Time to Joe on the Hill

Today is the day childhood officially ended for Joe.  I'm nostalgic and a little sad, for sure.  

I helped him tie his maroon J.Crew tie in front of the mirror in our bathroom.  It's a little long but it will work.  He put on a navy jacket and just like that, Joe was wearing a coat and tie for the first time in his life.  If that doesn't signal the end of childhood, I don't know what does.  The boy who doesn't own a pair of blue jeans put on a coat and tie today.

Joe played Avett Brothers, It's the Beaches, on Alexa, and sat down on one of the barstools in the kitchen to catch his breath.  I wonder what he was thinking in that quiet, contemplative moment.  Was her nervous?  Excited?  A little of both, probably.  

I wonder if he realizes he's at the beginning of something.  A new stage in his life.  One that will fly by, although it won't seem like it at times, particularly when he's doing homework and studying for tests nights after night.  The grind is coming but good times, too.  Plenty of good times and memories to be made.

The front doorbell rang and when I went to the door, there was Henry, Joe's big brother.  In a longstanding tradition at MBA, he was at our house to drive Joe to registration, his first official day of school at MBA.  

It was a moment I'll remember, to be sure, to see Henry, a confident, poised senior in a golf shirt a shorts, standing next to Joe, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other, wearing a coat and tie.  

The awkwardness at dressing up will go away, of course.  JP throws on a coat and tie for Honor's Council meetings multiple times a week to the point that it's like putting on shorts and a t-shirt.  That's part of the point, I guess.  To teach young men to dress and act like gentleman.  

Gentleman.  Scholar.  Athlete.

I hope Joe loves MBA as much as JP does and I hope his experience there is similarly rewarding.  I have to remind myself, regularly, that Joe is not JP.  His path at MBA, and in life, is going be different from JP's path, and I know that.  Jude and I have been very intentional about reminding Joe that his experience at MBA will be his own.  We expect him to have the same work ethic as JP but we don't expect the same results.  

Only yesterday, or so it seems, Joe and I had "Joe Time" every morning.  After Jude took JP to University School, Joe and I had about an hour together every morning.  Sometimes, we watched Daniel Tiger on PBS.  Other times, we went to Bongo Java for "second breakfast."  Most of the time, though, we went to Belmont and played on campus.  We played football in the atrium of the Curb Center, while students smiled at laughed as they walked by us, Joe chasing me into our makeshift end zone.  Those days were the best.

Joe Time.

After we hung out together, I dropped him off at Children's House, a oasis in our family's life.  It was a simple, beautiful time in our lives.  

I know I'll write more about Joe's transition to MBA in the weeks and months to come.  But for today, he's there.  On the Hill.  The beginning.

Peace

Sunday morning, I woke up, showered, and drove a couple of minutes over to the 8 a.m. service at All Saints Chapel. It's one of my favorite churches.  It was the last Eucharistic Service of the weekend for the Episcopal Laymen's Conference, which explained why there was a relatively large contingent of churchgoers on a random, late summer Sunday morning, mostly men.  

This conference is a big deal for the Episcopal Church in Tennessee.  The bishops from two of the three dioceses were present.  Phoebe Alison Roaf, the bishop from the West Tennessee Diocese, gave the sermon.  She was tremendous.  As I listened, raptly, to her, I was reminded of recently retired Father Dexter Brewer from Christ the King.  

What I felt as I sat in the beautiful church on this mountain that means so much to me was an overwhelming sense of peace.  For that one hour and change on Sunday morning in mid-August 2025, I was where I was supposed to be.  Where I was meant to be.  It felt right, somehow.  

After church I had breakfast at the Blue Chair.  As I walked in, I immediately noticed things looked different.  I learned that longtime owner Jimmy Wilson had sold majority interest in the Blue Chair to a restaurant owner out of Tullahoma.  I peaked into the bar and saw it has been renovated.  Flat screen televisions are on the walls, now, and an actual long bar has been installed.  Progress, I guess, although I hope nothing is lost when the new owner renovates the restaurant side.

I worked for a while Sunday afternoon, then went for a trail run on the Lake Dimmick Trail.  Every run I get on the trail is special because it's one of my favorite trail runs.  Actually, it's probably my favorite trail run.  Although the temperature was in the low '80's, it was quite humid.  Still, I ran under a canopy of trees the entire way, so it wasn't too bad.  My musical accompaniment was the Drive-by Truckers second to last album, American Band (2016).  Great album.  

After my run, I worked some more, then had a bourbon on the back deck while I read a new book I picked up by Garrison Keillor, Boom Town (2022).  He's amazing, of course, a modern day Mark Twain in so many ways.  Reading about Lake Wobegon, I can almost hear Garrison speaking the words to me, like an extended version of his storytelling in the old day son Prairie Home Companion.  

Later, I picked up diner at Shenanigan's and watched part of Magnolia, on Rachel's (Oglesby) recommendation.  Weird movie, in a Robert Altman kind of way.

Now, I'm finishing my coffee, sitting outside at Stirling's Coffee House, on a wicker couch.  It's the same place I sat on Friday morning, as I wrote in this space.

Four days and nights on the Mountain (one night, technically, in a yurt).  I've never needed it more and I don't think I've ever enjoyed it more.

I worked, read a lot, listen to music, slept in a yurt, saw Drive-by Truckers in a cave, ran, hiked Abbo's Alley, drank an excellent red wine, sipped by favorite bourbon, contemplated life, attended church at All Saints Chapel, watched a movie, ate well and probably too much, saw a lot of deer, and watched a hummingbird on the back deck just a couple of feet away from me.  

Most of all, I unwound, relaxed, and recharged.