Note: This is Part One of a series of blogs I am going to be posting about my brother-in-law, Jaron Peck. I will be taking you through his journey of boot camp, his wants, wishes and what he wants to get out of life with the military. Although some might find this trite, we, his family, believe his story should be told, in hopes it will inspire someone else to do the same thing: Pick up, pack up and leave everything behind to do what you feel is right, deep down inside.
For almost a month, my brother-in-law, Jaron Peck, has been stationed in Ft. Benning, Georgia, completing the first of many obstacles in order to become a solider in the US Army. So far, we have received two letters from him. They have been short (as he hasn't had a lot of time to write) but nonetheless, we read them eagerly in wanting to know more.
Before Private Peck left, he approached me about the idea of using my blog to write about him, so people back home could have a way to see what he sees, what he is experiencing and why he made the choice to join the military. His entrance into the US Army is quite interesting.
Jaron and his girlfriend, Brittany, decided to move back to Illinois, (where they were both born and raised),in June of 2010. They had both decided a fresh start was in order for the two. So they packed Brittany's Monte Carlo, a little U-Haul and headed to the Land of Lincoln.
After work was hard to come by, Jaron was starting to fall on hard times and decided to visit his father in Jacksonville, Ill. One afternoon, he was walking to get a pack of cigarettes, when an Army recruiter van pulled over to talk to Jaron. He met the two recruiters, struck up a good conversation and Jaron started mulling over the idea of joining.
While the idea of joining the military was nothing new for Jaron, (He watched several of his friends ship off years before) he had not made the leap of faith himself. With the idea fresh in his mind, he brought it to the attention of family and friend. While everyone was supportive, watching a family member join is a hard pill to swallow.
So in late March, after a visit to his family here in Arizona, Jaron took his leap of faith, swore in and is now a member of the US Army.
Some pessimists may say Jaron's life is now over, but to us, his friends and family, this is just beginning. The military will forever change Jaron Scott Peck. They are going to make him stronger, faster and sharper than he already is. The US Army is going to mold him into a well-balanced man.
Before writing this, I consulted a military friend, asking him if Jaron was a soldier yet. He said no, not yet, but he will be.
Well Jaron, when that day comes, we will be there. We will rise, clap and be proud of what you have become. The tag: Our (Soon to be) soldier will no longer hold true. In fact, not only will you be a soldier, you'll also hold another title with us: Hero.
"Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be."-----Douglas MacArthur
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
My Experience with SIU baseball coach Dan Callahan
When you hear the words, "He/she has cancer," the mind sinks and worry begins to emit from the soul. Pain and anger can ravage the mind, wishing the awful disease would auto correct its self and everything would return to normal.
In some cases it does, in a lot, it doesn't. As is with SIU head baseball coach Dan Callahan.
Since 2006, the skipper has been battling melanoma, a most dangerous and deadly form of skin cancer. On Monday, he succumbed to the disease.
While I won't claim to know the most intimate secrets of the late skipper, or pretend I knew him for years, I do have some great memories I would like to share about Callahan.
This reporter had the pleasure of covering SIU baseball during the 2006 season. As with any team, a squad of promise. There were many young faces on the Diamond Dawgs that year, including Scott Elmendorf, Bret Maugeri, Cody Adams and Danny Wells.
While coach Cal (as most called him), promised nothing to freshmen, these players would see significant playing time and develop into great players during their tenure at SIU.
My first time meeting coach Cal was a couple of weeks before the season began. Basketball was in full swing, but America's favorite past time was about to begin and I was needed to get a couple stories before the season started.
As the latest reporter to cover baseball, I made an appointment with Callahan and met him down at his office at Abe Martin Field the next day. At the field...? I wondered to myself. After meeting the head basketball and football coaches, I fully expected to be going to Lingle Hall for my first sit down. Not at all.
The next day, while rather rainy, I walked over to his office. Using the word, "office", would be rather giving. He had an old desk covered in paperwork. Behind him the locker rooms and to the left, a couple sets of old washer and dryers. This was far different than what I was expecting, but after a few interviews with Callahan, I saw it was fitting.
We chatted for the next hour or so about his father who was in media relations, the expectations of this year's team and what I should expect from his players. First and foremost, Callahan required his players to make themselves available to all media requests in a timely fashion. He understood what deadline was and how anxious we can get when someone doesn't call back. The same availability went for him too.
Callahan went so far as to pull the list of players numbers off the wall so I could copy it and call them whenever I needed a quote. From there on, I knew covering baseball was going to be interesting. While covering basketball, tracking down a player after hours was about as easy as finding the Holy Grail.
After our meeting, I knew baseball was going to be my favorite sport to cover of all SIU Athletics. Since I was set to graduate in May, the culmination of ending my career in Carbondale and at the Daily Egyptian, finishing it with my favorite sport seemed fitting.
The season began and within the first couple of weeks, it was obvious two things were happening. Several pitchers were dominating, but the defense was sinking faster than the Bismarck.
The once-stable left side of the Saluki field, anchored by Matt Brewer at third and Nathan Emrick at shortstop, was falling apart.
While Brewer didn't flat out lose his position, Emrick was replaced by true freshman Scott Elmendorf. Emrick was fresh off a phenomenal junior season, garnering first-team honors for the Missouri Valley Conference, and had no words to explain this rapid downfall in defense. Callahan couldn't offer any solutions to the question either.
Over and over, the central theme was behind the fledgling defense. In fact, at the end of the year, they lead the conference in errors by a solid 20 percent.
I found this a mystery myself...so I began to write about the inequities of the Saluki defense. Apparently this started getting to Emrick's girlfriend, Krystal Stein. We shared a class, and one day after an article I wrote she decided to spout off loud enough for me to hear.
I remember her saying something like, "Nathan didn't get a hit, but at least he hit the ball hard." The guy went 0-3, advanced no runners and committed three errors. Not what I would call solid production. What drove me nuts is Stein played softball, so she knew better. This little outburst left me laughing and I knew someone who would also appreciate this humor...coach Callahan.
What a coincidence I was going down to the field after class. He burst into laughter and told me he was glad I was writing what I was. Maybe the focus on the bad would finally get it through their heads and they would play better baseball. Eventually their defense got better, but that is clearly no attribute to my writing.
Thursday was my meeting day with coach Callahan. After class, like a ritual, I would meet him at the field and we would discuss the weekend match ups, pitching rotation and everything Saluki baseball.
Callahan would discuss his players potential and if they were hitting their stride or working off a slump. As one would expect, he knew everything about his program, from the ground on up...literally. He knew what kind of grass the field had and specifically ordered it.
After decades on the diamond, Callahan knew what kind of grass was conducive for southern Illinois weather and baseball.
The paper stopped publishing before the season ended, so I wasn't able to finish the year properly. I called Callahan for the last interview. As usual, he was courteous and offered me an official Saluki baseball hat, which I never took. I did see him off campus before I left and had a quick conversation. Little did I know that would be the last time I talked to him.
Coach Callahan was total class. No other way to explain it. Total class.
In some cases it does, in a lot, it doesn't. As is with SIU head baseball coach Dan Callahan.
Since 2006, the skipper has been battling melanoma, a most dangerous and deadly form of skin cancer. On Monday, he succumbed to the disease.
While I won't claim to know the most intimate secrets of the late skipper, or pretend I knew him for years, I do have some great memories I would like to share about Callahan.
This reporter had the pleasure of covering SIU baseball during the 2006 season. As with any team, a squad of promise. There were many young faces on the Diamond Dawgs that year, including Scott Elmendorf, Bret Maugeri, Cody Adams and Danny Wells.
While coach Cal (as most called him), promised nothing to freshmen, these players would see significant playing time and develop into great players during their tenure at SIU.
My first time meeting coach Cal was a couple of weeks before the season began. Basketball was in full swing, but America's favorite past time was about to begin and I was needed to get a couple stories before the season started.
As the latest reporter to cover baseball, I made an appointment with Callahan and met him down at his office at Abe Martin Field the next day. At the field...? I wondered to myself. After meeting the head basketball and football coaches, I fully expected to be going to Lingle Hall for my first sit down. Not at all.
The next day, while rather rainy, I walked over to his office. Using the word, "office", would be rather giving. He had an old desk covered in paperwork. Behind him the locker rooms and to the left, a couple sets of old washer and dryers. This was far different than what I was expecting, but after a few interviews with Callahan, I saw it was fitting.
We chatted for the next hour or so about his father who was in media relations, the expectations of this year's team and what I should expect from his players. First and foremost, Callahan required his players to make themselves available to all media requests in a timely fashion. He understood what deadline was and how anxious we can get when someone doesn't call back. The same availability went for him too.
Callahan went so far as to pull the list of players numbers off the wall so I could copy it and call them whenever I needed a quote. From there on, I knew covering baseball was going to be interesting. While covering basketball, tracking down a player after hours was about as easy as finding the Holy Grail.
After our meeting, I knew baseball was going to be my favorite sport to cover of all SIU Athletics. Since I was set to graduate in May, the culmination of ending my career in Carbondale and at the Daily Egyptian, finishing it with my favorite sport seemed fitting.
The season began and within the first couple of weeks, it was obvious two things were happening. Several pitchers were dominating, but the defense was sinking faster than the Bismarck.
The once-stable left side of the Saluki field, anchored by Matt Brewer at third and Nathan Emrick at shortstop, was falling apart.
While Brewer didn't flat out lose his position, Emrick was replaced by true freshman Scott Elmendorf. Emrick was fresh off a phenomenal junior season, garnering first-team honors for the Missouri Valley Conference, and had no words to explain this rapid downfall in defense. Callahan couldn't offer any solutions to the question either.
Over and over, the central theme was behind the fledgling defense. In fact, at the end of the year, they lead the conference in errors by a solid 20 percent.
I found this a mystery myself...so I began to write about the inequities of the Saluki defense. Apparently this started getting to Emrick's girlfriend, Krystal Stein. We shared a class, and one day after an article I wrote she decided to spout off loud enough for me to hear.
I remember her saying something like, "Nathan didn't get a hit, but at least he hit the ball hard." The guy went 0-3, advanced no runners and committed three errors. Not what I would call solid production. What drove me nuts is Stein played softball, so she knew better. This little outburst left me laughing and I knew someone who would also appreciate this humor...coach Callahan.
What a coincidence I was going down to the field after class. He burst into laughter and told me he was glad I was writing what I was. Maybe the focus on the bad would finally get it through their heads and they would play better baseball. Eventually their defense got better, but that is clearly no attribute to my writing.
Thursday was my meeting day with coach Callahan. After class, like a ritual, I would meet him at the field and we would discuss the weekend match ups, pitching rotation and everything Saluki baseball.
Callahan would discuss his players potential and if they were hitting their stride or working off a slump. As one would expect, he knew everything about his program, from the ground on up...literally. He knew what kind of grass the field had and specifically ordered it.
After decades on the diamond, Callahan knew what kind of grass was conducive for southern Illinois weather and baseball.
The paper stopped publishing before the season ended, so I wasn't able to finish the year properly. I called Callahan for the last interview. As usual, he was courteous and offered me an official Saluki baseball hat, which I never took. I did see him off campus before I left and had a quick conversation. Little did I know that would be the last time I talked to him.
Coach Callahan was total class. No other way to explain it. Total class.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Using Twitter to Snag Suns Tickets
When I first signed up for Twitter, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew that it was a great source for an insightful look into the personal lives of celebrities, and a quick source for information in 140 character form. I still wasn't sure it was for me.
Since using it for the last five or so months, I am hooked.
Twitter is my generations radio. When you want to know now, you get on Twitter and find it. And for a news junkie who always wants the most current information, it's a perfect tool for me.
Not only has it also gotten me reconnected with friends across the country, I won basketball tickets from using Twitter.
Two weeks ago, my new favorite radio station in the Valley posted a tweet saying if you retweet this, you have a chance at winning tickets to the Suns home opener against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Even though I never win anything like this, I figured why not give it a chance. Retweeted the message just like they said and Booommmm, got a DM like an hour later telling me I won tickets to the game. All I had to do was drive to the station and pick them up.
Andrea and I went, had good seats and thorough ally enjoyed ourselves. The Suns/Lakers rivalry is pretty big here, so it was fun to see everyone really getting into the game, especially it being the home opener.
Thank you KTAR for the tickets. We look forward to having a chance at winning again!
Since using it for the last five or so months, I am hooked.
Twitter is my generations radio. When you want to know now, you get on Twitter and find it. And for a news junkie who always wants the most current information, it's a perfect tool for me.
Not only has it also gotten me reconnected with friends across the country, I won basketball tickets from using Twitter.
Two weeks ago, my new favorite radio station in the Valley posted a tweet saying if you retweet this, you have a chance at winning tickets to the Suns home opener against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Even though I never win anything like this, I figured why not give it a chance. Retweeted the message just like they said and Booommmm, got a DM like an hour later telling me I won tickets to the game. All I had to do was drive to the station and pick them up.
Andrea and I went, had good seats and thorough ally enjoyed ourselves. The Suns/Lakers rivalry is pretty big here, so it was fun to see everyone really getting into the game, especially it being the home opener.
Thank you KTAR for the tickets. We look forward to having a chance at winning again!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Have a Tucker Max Kinda Day
Since moving to Arizona, life has been quiet.
Don't know a lot of people, so we don't go out a lot. We have been to parks, taken the dogs for long walks, eaten some great food and for the most part, enjoyed ourselves. Especially this past Thursday.
Tucker Max was in Tempe to sign copies of his new book, Assholes Finish First. I had to be there. It's not everyday you meet a person who claims to have "slept with more women than is safe or reasonable." Besides the fact that he is a raging asshole (obviously he likes to be called that) who pisses off a lot of people, he is a fantastic writer.
He pieces together stories brilliantly and knows how to word each sentence to get the full picture, even though sometimes I don't think you want the Full Monty.)
Well, I got to meet him and here are the pictures.
Before the book signing, he got everyone together to do a little Q&A. A lot of dumb college students asked him questions like where he was going to party tonight and blah, blah, blah. I asked him "You are an accomplished writer of two books and made a movie, where do you go from here?" He replied that the residuals from the two books and movie will keep him living just fine for the next 15-20 years. Makes sense. I do really wonder how much money he does make.
http://www.tuckermax.com/
Don't know a lot of people, so we don't go out a lot. We have been to parks, taken the dogs for long walks, eaten some great food and for the most part, enjoyed ourselves. Especially this past Thursday.
Tucker Max was in Tempe to sign copies of his new book, Assholes Finish First. I had to be there. It's not everyday you meet a person who claims to have "slept with more women than is safe or reasonable." Besides the fact that he is a raging asshole (obviously he likes to be called that) who pisses off a lot of people, he is a fantastic writer.
He pieces together stories brilliantly and knows how to word each sentence to get the full picture, even though sometimes I don't think you want the Full Monty.)
Well, I got to meet him and here are the pictures.
Before the book signing, he got everyone together to do a little Q&A. A lot of dumb college students asked him questions like where he was going to party tonight and blah, blah, blah. I asked him "You are an accomplished writer of two books and made a movie, where do you go from here?" He replied that the residuals from the two books and movie will keep him living just fine for the next 15-20 years. Makes sense. I do really wonder how much money he does make.
Creating a New Avenue For Myself
Working in a bank is mundane for the most part. From time to time, exciting events might take place, but for the most part, the monogamy drags. SSDD is the best way to describe it.
Yes, I do get to meet new people everyday, help out ones I already know, but mainly, I feel my brain slowly turning to mush. I swear I am having dreams about DDA's (where are my bankers, you know what that means...if you don't, look it up.)
The money is good, the bonuses are better and the benefits (I mean health insurance, not the ability to look cool by saying I work for a bank) are aspects that seem harder to walk away from each day I dig deeper into the sands of the financial industry.
But I digress.
Here goes...I am getting back into journalism. No other way around it. My desire, taste and want is there. Since options are limited at this point, I am going to start blogging on a regular basis. I am going to start writing for associatedcontent.com. I am going to take this to the next level because, I am not going to get stuck working in a bank for the rest of my life. I have too much talent and energy to get micromanaged on a daily basis.
There are also some other ideas I currently have floating out there as well. I don't want to divulge anymore information until I finish the book I am reading. From there, I might be making strides toward a similar avenue, expect with me in the drivers seat.
MM
Yes, I do get to meet new people everyday, help out ones I already know, but mainly, I feel my brain slowly turning to mush. I swear I am having dreams about DDA's (where are my bankers, you know what that means...if you don't, look it up.)
The money is good, the bonuses are better and the benefits (I mean health insurance, not the ability to look cool by saying I work for a bank) are aspects that seem harder to walk away from each day I dig deeper into the sands of the financial industry.
But I digress.
Here goes...I am getting back into journalism. No other way around it. My desire, taste and want is there. Since options are limited at this point, I am going to start blogging on a regular basis. I am going to start writing for associatedcontent.com. I am going to take this to the next level because, I am not going to get stuck working in a bank for the rest of my life. I have too much talent and energy to get micromanaged on a daily basis.
There are also some other ideas I currently have floating out there as well. I don't want to divulge anymore information until I finish the book I am reading. From there, I might be making strides toward a similar avenue, expect with me in the drivers seat.
MM
Monday, September 20, 2010
NFL Football News after Week Two
Some interesting headlines coming out across the wire after all but one game is finished for week two of the NFL.
Kolb Back and will start in Week Three
Eagles QB Kevin Kolb will be back for Week 3, despite the strong performance from Michael Vick against the Detroit Lions.
Eagles head coach Andy Reid said, "I think it's a beautiful situation. I look at it a lot differently that a lot of people look at it. I've got two quarterbacks who can play at a very important position."
Vick will still see action out of the Wildcat formation.
Moore Benched, Leading way for Clausen
Fans of the Carolina Panthers will see Jimmy Clausen taking the snaps this Sunday after head coach John Fox announced he is benching Matt Moore.
Moore has compiled a 0-2 record and six turnovers since officially taking over the starting job this season.
I guarantee Fox has his fingers crossed Clausen can do the job better than Moore. His pants are starting to get a little warm and the threat of the longest tenure for any NFL coach might be on the line because of it.
Buffalo Bills changing QB's as Well
Two losses have the Buffalo Bills already pulling their No. 1's, hoping the No. 2's can perform better.
Try as he may, QB Trent Edwards is now losing the starting gig to Ryan Fitzpatrick who will make the start this week against the New England Patriots.
I remember when Fitzpatrick played for the St. Louis Rams several years ago and came out and took over for an injured Marc Bulger and threw for almost 400 yards in one game.
The seventh round QB must have been using that knowledge he earned playing for Harvard to stay in the NFL as long as he has. No offense, but he hasn't lived up the hype since that first appearance. It won't be looking any better on the road against Tom Brady either.
Kolb Back and will start in Week Three
Eagles QB Kevin Kolb will be back for Week 3, despite the strong performance from Michael Vick against the Detroit Lions.
Eagles head coach Andy Reid said, "I think it's a beautiful situation. I look at it a lot differently that a lot of people look at it. I've got two quarterbacks who can play at a very important position."
Vick will still see action out of the Wildcat formation.
Moore Benched, Leading way for Clausen
Fans of the Carolina Panthers will see Jimmy Clausen taking the snaps this Sunday after head coach John Fox announced he is benching Matt Moore.
Moore has compiled a 0-2 record and six turnovers since officially taking over the starting job this season.
I guarantee Fox has his fingers crossed Clausen can do the job better than Moore. His pants are starting to get a little warm and the threat of the longest tenure for any NFL coach might be on the line because of it.
Buffalo Bills changing QB's as Well
Two losses have the Buffalo Bills already pulling their No. 1's, hoping the No. 2's can perform better.
Try as he may, QB Trent Edwards is now losing the starting gig to Ryan Fitzpatrick who will make the start this week against the New England Patriots.
I remember when Fitzpatrick played for the St. Louis Rams several years ago and came out and took over for an injured Marc Bulger and threw for almost 400 yards in one game.
The seventh round QB must have been using that knowledge he earned playing for Harvard to stay in the NFL as long as he has. No offense, but he hasn't lived up the hype since that first appearance. It won't be looking any better on the road against Tom Brady either.
Fotball is Here, Baseball is Basically Over for Me
With the St. Louis Cardinals grasping, hoping and waiting for some help from whomever the Cincinnati Reds are playing, MLB baseball is over for me.
Don't get me wrong, I will be rooting the Cards until the magic number reads 0, but in the meantime, the NFL is in full swing and time to switch gears and watch the gridiron on Sundays.
Ahh Sundays...the day where you can sit back, beer in hand, hot wing in the other (it would be the remote for me, but our landlord won't allow us to get Directv, so I can't get the NFL Sunday Ticket so I am forced to watch whatever is on our here.)
Anyway, The Indianapolis Colts looked terrible last Sunday. Got smoked like a pack of Kool's to the Houston Texans. Didn't actually get to watch the game (see previous note,) but I was excited about this past Sunday's...brother v. brother...Eli v. Peyton. Two Super Bowl winning MVP's.
That until the second half. I figured as usual, the Colts defense would have been left back at training camp, Eli would put up gaudy numbers, as would Peyton, and we would have an action packed game. Well, the Indy defense remembered they were to play on Sunday and showed up in full force knocking Eli around like a punching bag.
Defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney would tell you Eli's cologne stunk of those little beads coming off the new astro turf of Lucas Oil Stadium. No. 10 got pounded and pounded again and again. I would have been quite embarrassed if i were Tackles Kareem McKenzie and David Diehl.
What do you say to Eli after a game like that? 'Sorry we got bull rushed and you got your undies twisted all game.' After a melee like that is it appropriate to take Eli out to St. Elmo's and pay for his dinner? Would that be enough?
I know, I know, it's all part of the game, but wow, you have to feel sorry for him. No doubt about that.
The Colts poured it on and won 38-14.
Indy goes to Denver to take on the Broncos, which should be another clean up game. Eli and the Giants get to host the Tennessee Titans. Vince Young coming off a fresh benching and a beat down of the Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh Steelers should be hungry and in attack mode. That one won't be easy.
Don't get me wrong, I will be rooting the Cards until the magic number reads 0, but in the meantime, the NFL is in full swing and time to switch gears and watch the gridiron on Sundays.
Ahh Sundays...the day where you can sit back, beer in hand, hot wing in the other (it would be the remote for me, but our landlord won't allow us to get Directv, so I can't get the NFL Sunday Ticket so I am forced to watch whatever is on our here.)
Anyway, The Indianapolis Colts looked terrible last Sunday. Got smoked like a pack of Kool's to the Houston Texans. Didn't actually get to watch the game (see previous note,) but I was excited about this past Sunday's...brother v. brother...Eli v. Peyton. Two Super Bowl winning MVP's.
That until the second half. I figured as usual, the Colts defense would have been left back at training camp, Eli would put up gaudy numbers, as would Peyton, and we would have an action packed game. Well, the Indy defense remembered they were to play on Sunday and showed up in full force knocking Eli around like a punching bag.
Defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney would tell you Eli's cologne stunk of those little beads coming off the new astro turf of Lucas Oil Stadium. No. 10 got pounded and pounded again and again. I would have been quite embarrassed if i were Tackles Kareem McKenzie and David Diehl.
What do you say to Eli after a game like that? 'Sorry we got bull rushed and you got your undies twisted all game.' After a melee like that is it appropriate to take Eli out to St. Elmo's and pay for his dinner? Would that be enough?
I know, I know, it's all part of the game, but wow, you have to feel sorry for him. No doubt about that.
The Colts poured it on and won 38-14.
Indy goes to Denver to take on the Broncos, which should be another clean up game. Eli and the Giants get to host the Tennessee Titans. Vince Young coming off a fresh benching and a beat down of the Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh Steelers should be hungry and in attack mode. That one won't be easy.
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