Well, I have finished my fifth week of classes at Xavier and all is going well.
From principles and management of sport to finances, budgeting and accounting to media relations, I am neck deep in education right now.
No, it is not all bad.
A couple Wednesdays ago, my finance class professor took us on a field trip to Cinergy Field, the home of the Reds. Our professor is the Controller for the Reds. He is the guy who budgets the money to pay for things like Griffey and Barry Larkin's huge salaries. It is neat to hear his stories about the inner-workings.
Let me tell you two things I observed from the field trip:
1. The new Reds stadium to open in 2003 is going to be a thousand times better than this 30-year-old cookie-cutter hole of a stadium.
2. Ken Griffey Jr.!! Griffey had a sore hamstring and did not play the day we went to the stadium, which was great because he was not in the dugout. He was in the hall behind the dugouts where we were. He was talking to about 20 kids who were all sitting around him. I was about 10 feet from him, and that is as close as I got. He was doing some special talk to the kids they all had Pepsi shirts on. I did yell, "What's up Griffey!" to him, and he waved back and said, "what's up guys."
Well, we made it back to Chattanooga the weekend of Sept. 15-17, and had a great time with some of my family, friends and fraternity brothers. I also caught some of the Chattanooga Mocs football game - the 72-17 bashing of Mississippi Valley State. We will be back in town Homecoming weekend, Oct. 13-15.
Stacy is doing great at her new job at the University of Cincinnati Foundation. The building she works in, University Hall, is quite awesome. Her office facilities are very nice. The UC campus is undergoing some really large building projects, which add to the impressive campus.
My Thursday night professor, Betsy Ross, who works for ESPN, called class off last Thursday. She stayed at the ESPN studios to help cover the Olympics. She has been doing updates in the morning before the hourly SportsCenter.
So last Thursday, Stacy and I am went to XU campus for the dedication and blessing of the new 10,250-seat Cintas Center. Remember, Xavier is a private, Jesuit campus, so the President is a "Father." Father Hoff blessed the arena and unveiled the new Musketeer statue outside of the arena. The Musketeer is about nine feet tall carrying a sword and pointing toward campus. By the way, our nickname is Musketeers. If you were wondering, and I did, other Jesuit campuses include, Marquette, Georgetown, St. Joseph's, Boston College, St. Louis, Loyola, Santa Clara and about 21 more.
Now that I am pretty set in my classes and know what I can handle, I am starting to look for a job that will continue to help with my personal and professional experiences.
My birthday was last week so it was a time for gifts, including Pottery Barn delights, the new, very awesome Jimi Hendrix four-CD box set, some DVDs I wanted and some Ivy League gear my mom, step dad and sister got for me on their trip to the New England states.
Stacy and I are both trying to get involved with our respective Greek alumni groups here in Cincinnati. Stacy's, Sigma Kappa, is said to have one of its strongest alumni groups here. My alumni chapter here with Sigma Chi is deep-rooted in tradition as our first chapter was founded up the road in Oxford in 1855.
We are also hooking up with the University of Tennessee National Alumni Association Chapter up here. The chapter is watching the UT-LSU football game at a local sports bar this Saturday. The best thing about this is the sports bar is about ½ mile from our apartment. Sorry, we could not get the UTC-Wofford game on pay per view, though I would love it!
It is supposed to be sunny and mid-60s through the weekend. Well, thanks to everyone for keeping up with me and keeping in touch.
Wednesday, September 27, 2000
Thursday, September 07, 2000
News and Notes
Hello from Cincinnati, home of your Bengals!!
Well, with that nice of a new stadium ($450 million) on the riverfront I guess they gotta be good, so I better get on the bandwagon. Uh, okay.
I finished another week of class and everything is going well. I got home in time to get the Mocs football game at UAB on the internet broadcast. We had them on down 15-7, but UAB came back and won 20-15.
In good news, Stacy finished her first day with the University of Cincinnati Foundation. She really likes the people in the office, especially her boss, which is a great thing.
Her first project is to research other college foundation web sites, and create a new direction for the UC one. She will probably present several approaches, then pick and have an outside design firm create the new site.
Our commute is definitely different from Chattanooga. We could drive down our driveway and be at work in five minutes. We live on Exit 19 on I-71. Xavier is on Exit 5 and UC is on Exit 3. It is interstate driving so it is not stop and go, which makes it just fine for me.
Last Sunday was the Tri-state area's Labor Day celebration, complete with 500,000 people and 30 minutes of fireworks. We watched the fireworks from the Kentucky side of the Ohio river, and I must say it was a spectacular view of the city skyline and the celebration. It is wild because mostly all of the streets on both sides of the river are closed all day long, so you can imagine the people and partying everywhere.
Stacy and I went to the Cincinnati Army football game on Labor Day. It was a nice day and some good football. The UC campus is very large with many unique buildings.
This weekend is the 23rd Annual Oktoberfest in Main Strasse Village in Covington, KY, just across the river from Cincinnati it might as well be Cincinnati. They have the ceremonial beer-tapping on Friday and do not stop until Sunday. We are going to celebrate this occasion on Saturday.
We are coming to Chattanooga on September 15. We are going to the Mocs football game on the 16th and will go out that Saturday night if any of you Chattanoogans are up for it.
Write when you can, and take care!
Well, with that nice of a new stadium ($450 million) on the riverfront I guess they gotta be good, so I better get on the bandwagon. Uh, okay.
I finished another week of class and everything is going well. I got home in time to get the Mocs football game at UAB on the internet broadcast. We had them on down 15-7, but UAB came back and won 20-15.
In good news, Stacy finished her first day with the University of Cincinnati Foundation. She really likes the people in the office, especially her boss, which is a great thing.
Her first project is to research other college foundation web sites, and create a new direction for the UC one. She will probably present several approaches, then pick and have an outside design firm create the new site.
Our commute is definitely different from Chattanooga. We could drive down our driveway and be at work in five minutes. We live on Exit 19 on I-71. Xavier is on Exit 5 and UC is on Exit 3. It is interstate driving so it is not stop and go, which makes it just fine for me.
Last Sunday was the Tri-state area's Labor Day celebration, complete with 500,000 people and 30 minutes of fireworks. We watched the fireworks from the Kentucky side of the Ohio river, and I must say it was a spectacular view of the city skyline and the celebration. It is wild because mostly all of the streets on both sides of the river are closed all day long, so you can imagine the people and partying everywhere.
Stacy and I went to the Cincinnati Army football game on Labor Day. It was a nice day and some good football. The UC campus is very large with many unique buildings.
This weekend is the 23rd Annual Oktoberfest in Main Strasse Village in Covington, KY, just across the river from Cincinnati it might as well be Cincinnati. They have the ceremonial beer-tapping on Friday and do not stop until Sunday. We are going to celebrate this occasion on Saturday.
We are coming to Chattanooga on September 15. We are going to the Mocs football game on the 16th and will go out that Saturday night if any of you Chattanoogans are up for it.
Write when you can, and take care!
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 26, 2000
Moving to Cincinnati
I wanted to give you all an update on our impending move to Cincinnati.
My last day at UTC Athletics is Monday, August 14.
Stacy's last day at UnumProvident is Tuesday, August 15.
We will be loading the moving truck on Friday, August 18 and leaving Chattanooga on Saturday, August 19.
We will be leaving early and getting the truck unloaded quick because the Cincinnati Bengals' first exhibition game in the new Paul Brown Stadium is that Saturday night vs. the Chicago Bears! Ha, Ha I know Stacy will love to hear that!
Once again, we thank you for your support and friendship. We appreciate all the good wishes many of you have sent. We are excited about our move, but will miss you all.
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