Monday, August 28, 2000

Good and Great News


Well, I have some good news and some great news!

The good news-
I had my first class tonight and really enjoyed it. I am glad I spent four years in the workplace before I started to pursue my masters. Being able to apply what I have learned at UTC Athletics is going to really pay off.
My class tonight was Principles of Sport Management. The PR and Communication class that I am taking on Thursday night is taught by a guest faculty member this fall, and I must say I am pumped! It is Betsy Ross, a lead sports anchor on ESPNews.
Now the great news-
Stacy accepted a job with the University of Cincinnati Foundation, as a promotional writer. It is going to give her a lot of exposure to marketing, development, advertising, and public relations - all the things she loves to do!
She will start next week. One great benefit will be the option to go to school there for free. She told me earlier she may need a long break from school, but this will likely change her mind.
This is a great opportunity for her, and I am very proud of her.
It will be interesting to live in a household with Xavier and UC ties - they are very big rivals, at least in the world of basketball. I do not think I will mind attending Xavier and UC games though.
On another note, we are having oppressive heat here - as the weathermen say - high temperatures near 87 and very muggy, 70% humidity. Folks, it is roll the window down weather compared to Chattanooga!
Well, that's all for now. Let's give the Mocs football team some good vibes for the home opener this Thursday night!

Tuesday, August 22, 2000

Home in Cincinnati

Well, I am happy to tell you Stacy and I have made it safely to Cincinnati. The unpacking process and exploration of our new home town is going well.

With the help of Trevor "the Penguin" Parks, David Cope, Jeff Romero, and Stacy's parents and sisters, we packed the moving truck until almost Midnight on Friday, which the Weather Channel informed me was the hottest day of the year in Chattanooga.

On Saturday, the caravan of Stacy's parents and sisters, Stacy and me left for Cincinnati, where we were welcomed by a nice 75-degree afternoon. It was a nice relief from the Tennessee humid heat, even though it has climbed back to the upper 80s here today.

Our first meal in Cincinnati was at Waffle House, mostly because we were in moving clothes and no one else would probably let us in.

We really love our apartment. We are in a northwest area of Cincinnati called Symmes Township. The areas here are called townships instead of suburbs, and Cincinnati is made up of dozens of them. Our apartment is a mile off I-71 and is a straight-shot 25-minute drive to the heart of downtown. We are a tenth of a mile from Meijer Store (a 250,000 sq. ft. part grocery, part Target, part Lowes), a Sam's Club that is being built and a Wal-Mart just down the road. As we have entered "the big city," the Meijer Store does not have check-out clerks. You scan your own items at a computer terminal. It is cool. It is also open 24 hours a day.

Between us and the interstate is a Barnes & Noble, Pier One, Target, Circuit City, Kroger's, Kohl's, TGI Friday's, Olive Garden, O'Charley's, Office Max, Lowes, and a huge Auto Mall to name a few places. Okay, now this sounds like a Hamilton Place without the mall, but it is really not that bad. There is one main drag with all of these shopping centers.

Saying that, our apartment is just past all of that, but it is very peaceful and quiet at night as we are on a side road from the hustle and bustle.

Stacy had an appointment at a PR firm downtown today, and I went to Xavier to get my books and my "Musketeer All Card" a.k.a. my ID. Three books -- $110. I have never spent less for three classes, so I was pumped.

Xavier has a great campus. The University started in 1831. I toured many of the buildings and walked through campus on my own. There are some great buildings, including the new 10,000 Cintas Center. I cannot wait to watch a basketball game there. They also just tore down the entire University Center to make room for a new one.

We also went over to the University of Cincinnati today. That place is HUGE. It has 35,000 students. I thought UT was big - this campus eats Knoxville up, except for the football stadium. I could not imagine being a student on a campus that size.

If you made it this far down and read everything, thanks for putting up with it. We are having a good time and are very excited about all of this.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

P.S. Our two cats, Moe and Boo, are just fine and have already taken over Cincinnati.