I LOVE #2: Go Surfing

While on vacation a few weeks ago and I completed (slightly) #2 on my 30@30 list: Go Surfing. This was a big one for me. Since I first hit the waves years ago surfing has been a surreal activity that I only occasional get to do. While I was only in the water for an hour or so, and only got up maaaaaybe twice, I'm still going to grudgingly count it, since I don't know if I will have another opportunity.

Just like my last post, this one has a lot to do with my summer in Ocean City. The house had two surfboards that had been handed down over the years. They were junk, but they floated, and most of the time kept you above water! What I loved almost immediately about surfing was the rush of riding the waves. That feeling, when you hit a wave just before it crests, and it takes you and your board with amazing speed, its awesome! In Ocean City it was so easy to love. Many mornings I would wake up early, sit on the porch with coffee, then take the board and my work clothes and hit the water before I went to work. Most of the time I would paddle beyond the break and just lay there, looking over the blue ocean at the newly risen sun, and back at the boardwalk. It always seemed so far away, and it was like being out there on my surfboard, it would put me in a place where no one could reach me. I was alone, in the BEST sense of the word. Some days, I would even go right back out after work.

After that summer I didn't surf until after I graduated and lived by the Outer Banks. Even then it was only twice or so, and it would be a few years later that I would get the chance again.
However, going out this past summer, paddling past the break, sitting on the board looking over the ocean, it still gave me a sense of peace....and then a rush as I headed into a wave.:)

#2: Go Surfing

Free McDonald's but no Free Pizza!

While on a business trip in Eastern PA this summer I swung down to Jersey and a place near and dear to my heart, Ocean City! I lived in Ocean City for a summer while in college and it was amazing. I surfed in the morning and evenings, worked at T-shirt shop on the boardwalk, and roamed the streets of Ocean City with my friends, eating ice cream and pizza. My favorite pizza place in Ocean City was, and still is, Manco and Manco's pizza. It's a very traditional New York style, hand tossed pizza that's sold by the slice or pie on the boardwalk. I immediately fell in love with it that summer. When I created this challenge for my 30@30 I knew I would somehow have to make my way back to Ocean City to try it again. Would it be as good as I remembered? I would be crushed if it wasn't!

On many days during that summer I would visit a particular Manco and Manco's on the boardwalk during my lunch break. I would grab a couple slices, cover them with paper plates (tip so Seagull's leave you alone) and savor each saucy bite! So one of the great things about actually living and working in a beach town such as Ocean City is the amount of free stuff you could get from other businesses. For me this consisted mostly of free coffees and macchiato's from a neighboring cafe, monkey bread from a place down the walk, and sometimes free pizza late at night from other parlors. However, despite my propensity to gain free food and drinks (I swear to you I ate free McDonald's all of July and August) I could never get free pizza from Manco and Manco's! I would try so hard almost everyday to flirt with the girl at the counter, talk it up with the bakers, and still....nada! One day they gave me 30 cents off, but that was almost worse than having to pay full price. Despite their financial stinginess I swore by those cheesy slices all summer.

My return trip this summer was terrific! I walked the beach, checked my old house, snapped some pictures, and eventually made my way to Manco and Manco's. And I am soooo glad to say it was just as good as I remembered, if not better! What a relief to know its a quality slice of pizza, not just a quality memory! As I thought about how to rank it, I decided this one stays outside the system, mostly because I didn't have an appetizer or any kind of specialty slice. How could I properly grade this slice of heaven without fulfilling all the requirements?

Thus Manco and Manco's will not enter the contest....and I am okay with that. I know that every time I venture out to NJ I will, without a doubt, find myself back at Ocean City, sitting on the boardwalk eating Manco and Manco's pizza...at full price as always.

Oh How Things Have Changed! Update on my 30@30

It has been a while since I have written much about my 30@30 challenge. So I though I should provide a brief update, just to show that I am still working on it!

Oh how my life has changed so quickly! Only a few months ago I was substitute teaching and had no leads on any full time jobs. Now I am three months into a great job with wonderful people and a full schedule! The only down side so far is much less time to accomplish all 30 items on my list. I have been going at a decent clip though, and I have plans for this fall to pick things back up. One thing for sure is that I can cross off #20:"Go Somewhere I've Never Been". Since starting my new job I have traveled to 6 different states and every trip has included places I have never seen or been too. I will write more about that later. The pizza challenge continues with a few more to add in the next few weeks, including a trip to an old favorite!

I'm looking forward to working on quite a few more in August. I don't anticipate traveling as much for my job so that should free up some time to play frisbee golf, wear a tux, maybe even have dinner with a celebrity! But no matter what I am still determined to accomplish all 30 things before November 23rd! Continue to wish me luck!!!

Why I think a College Football Playoff could Ruin the Sport

It seems college football is finally heading towards a playoff format, and at the very least, a plus one situation. With that said I can not help but feel very nervous for the future of this beloved sport. While critics of the BCS and in general the media (not to mention ESPN's horribly overdone coverage on the 'situtation every fall') have been screaming for a playoff to begin, the loudest voice belongs to the money to be had by TV, stadiums, cities, and a very small percentage of colleges (almost all college football programs lose money every year). So here are a few things I wish they would keep in mind when it comes to a college football playoff:

PROS

• This will definitely help decide a clear cut champion. The most used argument against the BCS is its failure to crown a 'true' champion in a lot of years. I believe it was 2003 when an undefeated LSU team was paired up with a one loss Oklahoma team for the national title. Critics, and again ESPN, almost broke into riot when USC, also with one loss, was kept out of the game in favor of the Sooners. In a playoff system, USC would have had a 'fair' shot at being crowned champions. (on a small note, the following year Auburn was left out of the national title game despite finishing the season undefeated).
• This ALMOST guarantees the SEC a spot in the playoffs every year. In the last five years of dominance by this conference, it has become commonplace to believe the SEC will always reign supreme over any other conference. A playoff system will protect the SEC, the infinitely superior and toughest conference, against being left out of the national title picture forever. A two, possibly even three loss SEC team will undoubtedly earn one the four spots in most years over a one loss major conference team and definitely over an undefeated minor conference team. I list this very cynically but also very sincerely. The college football world is so enamored currently by the SEC this would be considered a "PRO" for many.
• The money generated by a playoff system will be mind boggling. After years clamoring to create this system, bowls will surely fork over multi-millions to host these games and in turn create revenue from the actual event. In addition, it seems under the current proposed system, cities will bid for the right to host the championship game, with the winner being the highest bidder. This is very much like the current Super Bowl system. And finally, TV will come out as the biggest winner, with ESPN (who has first bid rights) raking in billions in revenue. 

CONS

• Rematches will still happen. How long will it honestly take before the top 4 ranked teams are two SEC and two Pac-12 teams? My guess is this scenario will not take long. A playoff does not solve this problem, only enhances it because now you have to let the one loss Michigan's and Alabama's and USC's in, regardless of who else is there. I would imagine within 5 years the top four teams will be LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan.
• If its not conference champions, whats the point? Under the proposed system, the top 4 ranked teams will be in, regardless if they win their conference. So if an undefeated Texas loses in the Big 12 championship game against a two loss Kansas team who cares? It won't matter and the games will lack enthusiasm. Further, this creates multiple situations such as this past year when a team that finishes tied for 3rd in their division (not conference) will leap frog conference champions. Obviously it was not the best situation this year. 
• Somebody will still get left out. Every year commenators argue about the teams that get left out. They say if only we had a playoff then this wouldn't happen. It seems almost to obvious to state that someone will always get left out. The only difference with a four team playoff is its the 5th best team. It's Oklahoma State getting left behind as #5 instead of #3. Basketball has a HUGE bracket and they still have this issue. 
• Teams such as Pittsburgh, Louisville, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Houston, East Carolina, Boise State, Connecticut, Cincinnati, South Florida, Central Florida, Oregon State, Minnesota, and many more will become irrelevant and never have a shot at winning a title. What do they do when all but four conferences collapse? The Big Ten becomes the Big Twenty. Every week will see epic match ups, but the competition will be so insane and schedules so tough that weaker squads will have no chance at finishing close to the top. Dominant teams will become more dominant. Not to mention the polls will continue to favor the traditional powerhouse teams with multiple losses over the conference champion with multiple losses.
• The college football season will expand to 16+ games. Eventually the four team playoff will just not be enough to satisfy the folks at ESPN, and so the format will grow to include 6 teams, then 8, then 12, etc... With that length of season players will move on to the NFL with more wear to their bodies. The average career of a professional player will drop below 10 years, injuries will become rampant, and a decline in sport participation will result. A couple of weeks ago LaDanian Tomlinson retired after 11 years. That's a somewhat lengthy career for an NFL running back right now. I bet if he played in a college football playoff era it would have been more like 8 years. 8 YEARS. Imagine retiring after 8 years. Seriously.

The BCS system is definitely not the greatest system. While it has USUALLY crowned a National Champion, to many teams get left out to many years. But a playoff system as they are proposing will devastate college football and numerous programs. I don't have the solution, but neither do they, not yet. More time needs to go into this with student-athlete well fair in mind, not just money.

The Pizza of my Youth

Adornetto’s was an unexpected but great addition to my pizza list. As a kid we would go to Andornetto’s almost every weekend for their salad and pizza! If you look on their website they proclaim themselves as one of the top 100 pizzerias in the country, so this place is as good as I remember it! We loved our trips to Adornetto’s with our friends the Moore’s. They had a player piano that was played by a ‘ghost’ and a love meter that told you how ‘hot’ you were! So on a recent trip to Ohio, when my brother told me we were going to Adornetto’s for dinner, the answer was an excited ‘great’!

 

We started off on the only way you really can at Adornetto’s, with their house salad. Loaded with mozzarella cheese and a delicious Italian dressing, it quickly took me back to my childhood! There was no doubt in my mind this was the best ‘addition’ we have had. For the pizza we landed on the garlic cheese pizza. It was great of course, and I did manage to sneak a regular piece of cheese and pepperoni in there as well! So, after another successful and fulfilling pizza trip, here is how Adornetto’s ranks:

 

Sauce=3

Cheese=4

Crust=4

Toppings=4

Overall=4

Additions=5, House Salad with Italian Dressing

Total Score: 24/30, and nothing but great things to say about all of my trips to Adornetto’s!

The Albemarle Sound

#9 on my 30@30 list was Teach Again. This was a tough one for me to decide on. I truthfully did not really want to include it as something to do this year but I knew if I didn’t force myself to I would most likely regret it the rest of my life. For years now I have wrestled with teaching, especially in secondary education. I have sworn off ever going into a classroom again only to become determined to return to teaching the next day. It has been back and forth since I left my full-time teaching job 7 years ago, and through those years there has been only one constant, I had not tried it again. So I did.

At some point in my high school years I decided that I would grow up and become a high school social studies teacher, a basketball coach…and maybe tennis, live somewhere in the south preferably North Carolina (not to far, not to close), and find a place as close to the beach as possible. When I finally reached college I declared myself an undecided major. It seemed way too reasonably to follow in the family footsteps and choose right off the bat a career in education. However, after only one semester I gave in and made it official. Despite contemplating switching majors many times, and a horrible student teaching experience, I graduated and passed my license exam to become certified. And then lo and behold, after a month of searching, I landed my dream job!

I still think about that year of teaching in Currituck, North Carolina…every. day. Over the past few years I tell people the biggest regret in my life is leaving that place. But I can admit, it was hard, right from the start. I really struggled with teaching high school, being away from my family and Amy, and adjusting to such a different culture. After the first three weeks I returned to PA over a weekend for a wedding. I remember stopping for the night at my friend Matt's house in D.C. and venting so much frustration about education and how much I hated it. It is hard to admit but I made up my mind teaching wasn’t for me 5 months into it.  But I’ll get to that.

I can name a few reasons why I wanted to teach again. 1) After spending 7 years trying to do everything I could possibly do to get away from teaching, I had gotten nowhere. The only option left, really, was to return to the classroom against my own will. 2) I know…that when I lived in NC I hated my life most days. I was miserable. But most of my thoughts now were that I could have done it…it would have gotten better. 3) I remain very passionate about education, and I still LOVE to teach, but how would I know if I still hated the classroom if I never took a chance and tried it again? So I put my name on some substitute list (it sucked, I was miserable filling out these app.’s) and got called in March from Eden Christian Academy.

It was amazing how it all came back to me so fast…at least how much I disliked it! I couldn’t stand most of the middle school classes, they were so immature and irritating. After period 2 I was bored out of my mind and had drank my weight in coffee. You know what’s amazing about education right now? With all the advances and supposed improvements in how we teach, TEACHERS STILL GIVE HANDOUTS. In the middle of all this, however, I LOVED being a part of a community again. I LOVED how when I came in next time to sub the kids were excited to see me and laughed at my dumb jokes as if they were the greatest thing ever. I LOVED the few moments when I got to teach something for real, and they listened.

I am very, very glad I taught again this year. I had to do it. I have tormented myself for so long over my decision to leave Currituck. And sitting here now, I could be a teacher for the rest of my life. Would it be my dream job as I had believed in high school? No. But it would be a great job, and I could do it. There is so much more I wish I could write about teaching…but this point in my life is not the time, maybe in a few years when I can go a day without thinking of Currituck.

It was a cold, clear night in late December 2004. I was the JV coach for the Currituck basketball team and we had just gotten crushed by Bertie, a school located two hours away in the middle of nowhere North Carolina. I had almost gotten in a fight with the clock operator. The A.D. was driving the bus home, and the head coach and I were in the front 2 seats, talking a little about the team and the school. After a while the A.D. turned to me and said “hey look out your window, that’s the Albemarle Sound we are crossing.” The sound was big and the bridge took a while. It was a beautiful sight, with the sky melting into the still cold black waters. I thought how odd it all was that I would find my life here, on a bridge, crossing a sound, in a place I didn’t know existed until now. I closed my eyes and immersed myself in an imaginative reality, in which this WAS my life, for the next 35 years; The A.D., the coach, the players, the sound…and I thought I could do this, and I smiled. The next day I returned to PA and Ohio for Christmas break. And when I drove back down to NC I had made up my mind to leave after only one year in Currituck…. #9: TEACH AGAIN

Cheeseburger Pizza in Paradise!

One of my favorite parts of running in any race is the meal that night, when everything is over and all you feel is STARVING! After Amy’s marathon we demolished a Chinese buffet! When Amy finally woke up from her post-race nap in VA Beach (I hurt too much to sleep) we took to the streets to find a good place to dine. Our intentions were not to end up at a pizza place but alas, we did!

Doughboy’s Pizzeria is a local chain found up and down the main drag. It is decorated in a very beachy, almost Hawaiin theme. One of the reasons we picked it is because it was not far from our hotel and I could barely walk! It was empty after the race and as I proudly wore my marathon finisher hoodie we dug in to some terrific food!

We started with a very simple yet hot and fresh dish of French fries. I am kind of a fry fanatic and nothing looked better than that first plate of golden fries. They were lightly seasoned with garlic and surprisingly a great finger food to munch on as we waited for our pizza. For the main dish we settled on their specialty Cheeseburger Pizza. With a blend of cheese and thick cut rounds of ground beef it was a great choice! As the pizzeria name suggests, their crust was very doughy, but not in that “this is undercooked way”, but in the “this is soft and fluffy way”. We finished all but a few pieces which we took back to the hotel to consume as a late night snack!

Here is the ranking for Doughboy’s garlic fries and cheeseburger pizza:

Sauce= 3

Cheese= 4

Crust=4.5

Toppings=5

Overall=4

Additions=4, Basket of Garlic Fries

TOTAL SCORE: 24.5/30. Doughboy’s Pizzeria was a great choice for our post-marathon race and I would happily go there again! For this 30@30 item, Doughboy’s stands strong in second place!