USAT Conference, BYOP(funny story, I think), Coach Bob Knight, Movie review
We just returned from the annual USAT Race Directors Conference in Colorado Springs. Also included in this little travel package was the USAT National Board Meeting. The RD Conference also included the Race Directors Certification program. Both of these meetings were well done and well worth the time spent. The last time I attended a board meeting, as a member of the board, was 1994 so it was interesting to see what has changed. It turns out, very little has changed and it is the still the same silly stuff. It is my feeling that we take it much too serious and the end results is we get upset, argue, and want to pick up our marbles and go home. I am just as guilty as the next, so I am not throwing stones at any one else. My resolve now is to not take it so seriously, enjoy my year on the board and offer as much experience and knowledge as I can. Whether I run again will be determined on how the rest of the year goes. It is time for new fresh ideas to come to the board and while I still have it, I just don't want to go through the political aspects of the sport. It is time consuming, emotionally draining and basically a useless endeavor. I am tired of hearing how passionate we are for the sport and then using that as an excuse for being rude and ruthless at the same time towards our fellow members. My resolve is not to do that anymore and be happy(probably go see "Happy Feet" again).
On the driving return trip from the Springs we had something kind of funny happen. We pulled into Rotan to get gas at the Shell station we normally use on this trip. I like this particular station because the restrooms are clean, the gasoline is competitive, and there are choices in the food mart(I always get the Hagen Daiz vanilla/almonds ice cream bar). My routine is to put the gas pump into the slot and let it run while I go into the store, then I am ready to go when I come out. Since Marti was with me on this trip I was a little out of routine. We had agreed that I would drive to Rotan, we would fill up, then Marti would drive. So, I take care of business inside, get the ice cream bar, take my seat in the shot gun side, Marti cranks up the engine and we speed away. I was now trying to get comfortable and take a nap, after about 5 or 6 miles and all of sudden Marti started complaining about this car behind us blinking their lights, honking, etc. While we were in a 45 mph construction zone and we were going 55 mph, it seemed strange that they would be wanting pass etc. Well this persisted for 3 or 4 more miles and now we were both getting real upset that this auto would continue to harass us with their honking, lights blinking and sticking their head out the window screaming something at us. My comment was, "what the hell do they want and what is wrong with going the speed limit?" Finally Marti looks in the door rear view mirror and God forbid we had driven off with the gasoline pump still in the nozzle and these good people were trying to tell us that. Not only did the pump take the trip with us, but the hose pulled away from the gas pump and was trailing along on the highway. We then pulled over to the side of the road, thanked the people for telling us, loaded the pump/hose up and returned it to the station. When I walked in with it the attendants just looked at me like I was real stupid(well Forrest did say, "stupid is as stupid does") and I guess it did kind of fall into that category. I just said, "sorry about that, handed it to them and walked out." They seemed a little put out that I had brought it back and they had to do something with it. Their was really no serious damage done to anything, except our pride. We had both left with the pump in our tank and would have probably not noticed it until the next fillup, if not for these concerned people driving behind us. We laughed about this the rest of the trip, saying, "we come very prepared for our trips, since we carry our own pumps for fillups, or BYOP."
Sport Illustrated just did their first interview with Coach Bob Knight after 10 years. Some of the writers for SI had made him angry back then, so he refused to talk to them. Since breaking the all time winningest basketball coach record he has mellowed somewhat towards SI and agreed to an interview. He still does not like some of their writers, but did agree to talk with William Reed, for this interview. While I am not going to put the entire interview in this writing I will include one particular question and answer. Since it had to do with West Texas and his feeling of this area, so I wanted to include it in this blog. SI: You had a special relationship with the fans in Indiana, especially the rural ones. You seemed to reflect their old-fashioned value. KNIGHT: I would hope that's true. It's also true here. When (Tech A.D.)Gerald Myers called me, (Knight's wife) Karen said, "Well I tell you one thing: The people of West Texas will feel very comfortable with you, and you will feel comfortable with them." She was right. This is a great place to live and work. The people are really good. They have an independent streak in 'em that you really have to like. GREERMAN: We do appreciate this opinion and he is right, we do have an independent streak to us and we like to tell it like it is. Coach Knight can relate to that himself. We are glad to have him as a citizen of our city. After he wears out two pairs of jeans he will be considered a native.
Movie review: "Children of Men" *, Probably one of the most depressing movies I have ever seen, with very little reason to go see it. Usually I can say good actors, or good acting, or good story, or something, but Clive Owen is a good actor but totally wasted. This is about the world in 2027 and the oldest person in the world dies and he is only 18. Because of mass infertility problems in the population their are no babies anymore, but alas one woman does get pregnant(somehow)so the movie centers around the birth of the baby and survival. Since the world is in a state of mass terrorism there is continual fighting and killing going on(kind of like Bagdad, you know the "Mission Accomplished" place). Julianne Moore(one of my favorites) is totally wasted and her role was a bust. Owen was the lead actor and was in most scenes, but he role in life was never clear(to me anyway). I would not recommend this movie for any reason, even if it was free, with fresh buttered popcorn, cold coke, and M & M 's. This one doesn't deserve a star, but I am a weakling for Julianne.
Off to ride the trainer,
greerman
On the driving return trip from the Springs we had something kind of funny happen. We pulled into Rotan to get gas at the Shell station we normally use on this trip. I like this particular station because the restrooms are clean, the gasoline is competitive, and there are choices in the food mart(I always get the Hagen Daiz vanilla/almonds ice cream bar). My routine is to put the gas pump into the slot and let it run while I go into the store, then I am ready to go when I come out. Since Marti was with me on this trip I was a little out of routine. We had agreed that I would drive to Rotan, we would fill up, then Marti would drive. So, I take care of business inside, get the ice cream bar, take my seat in the shot gun side, Marti cranks up the engine and we speed away. I was now trying to get comfortable and take a nap, after about 5 or 6 miles and all of sudden Marti started complaining about this car behind us blinking their lights, honking, etc. While we were in a 45 mph construction zone and we were going 55 mph, it seemed strange that they would be wanting pass etc. Well this persisted for 3 or 4 more miles and now we were both getting real upset that this auto would continue to harass us with their honking, lights blinking and sticking their head out the window screaming something at us. My comment was, "what the hell do they want and what is wrong with going the speed limit?" Finally Marti looks in the door rear view mirror and God forbid we had driven off with the gasoline pump still in the nozzle and these good people were trying to tell us that. Not only did the pump take the trip with us, but the hose pulled away from the gas pump and was trailing along on the highway. We then pulled over to the side of the road, thanked the people for telling us, loaded the pump/hose up and returned it to the station. When I walked in with it the attendants just looked at me like I was real stupid(well Forrest did say, "stupid is as stupid does") and I guess it did kind of fall into that category. I just said, "sorry about that, handed it to them and walked out." They seemed a little put out that I had brought it back and they had to do something with it. Their was really no serious damage done to anything, except our pride. We had both left with the pump in our tank and would have probably not noticed it until the next fillup, if not for these concerned people driving behind us. We laughed about this the rest of the trip, saying, "we come very prepared for our trips, since we carry our own pumps for fillups, or BYOP."
Sport Illustrated just did their first interview with Coach Bob Knight after 10 years. Some of the writers for SI had made him angry back then, so he refused to talk to them. Since breaking the all time winningest basketball coach record he has mellowed somewhat towards SI and agreed to an interview. He still does not like some of their writers, but did agree to talk with William Reed, for this interview. While I am not going to put the entire interview in this writing I will include one particular question and answer. Since it had to do with West Texas and his feeling of this area, so I wanted to include it in this blog. SI: You had a special relationship with the fans in Indiana, especially the rural ones. You seemed to reflect their old-fashioned value. KNIGHT: I would hope that's true. It's also true here. When (Tech A.D.)Gerald Myers called me, (Knight's wife) Karen said, "Well I tell you one thing: The people of West Texas will feel very comfortable with you, and you will feel comfortable with them." She was right. This is a great place to live and work. The people are really good. They have an independent streak in 'em that you really have to like. GREERMAN: We do appreciate this opinion and he is right, we do have an independent streak to us and we like to tell it like it is. Coach Knight can relate to that himself. We are glad to have him as a citizen of our city. After he wears out two pairs of jeans he will be considered a native.
Movie review: "Children of Men" *, Probably one of the most depressing movies I have ever seen, with very little reason to go see it. Usually I can say good actors, or good acting, or good story, or something, but Clive Owen is a good actor but totally wasted. This is about the world in 2027 and the oldest person in the world dies and he is only 18. Because of mass infertility problems in the population their are no babies anymore, but alas one woman does get pregnant(somehow)so the movie centers around the birth of the baby and survival. Since the world is in a state of mass terrorism there is continual fighting and killing going on(kind of like Bagdad, you know the "Mission Accomplished" place). Julianne Moore(one of my favorites) is totally wasted and her role was a bust. Owen was the lead actor and was in most scenes, but he role in life was never clear(to me anyway). I would not recommend this movie for any reason, even if it was free, with fresh buttered popcorn, cold coke, and M & M 's. This one doesn't deserve a star, but I am a weakling for Julianne.
Off to ride the trainer,
greerman
posted by Fast Twitch Mind at 6:24 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home