So here's your report on the Christmas Road Trip. 12 hours down and 12 hours back. Reed was with Jade the whole time and I have no idea what they did but he was at her parent's house. I took off and had a great time with old friends throughout Florida and we got back Sunday night. Here's the rest of Reed's playing time at the Rotary Tournament in Frederick MD.

OK so the weekend was fun as EMU won the Rotary Tournament at Hood College in Frederick MD. They beat Piedmont College 69-66 on Sat, a game they didn't pay particularly well but Reed did well. And then on Sunday they beat Frostburg State 77-68 in a game that Reed didn't play so well but the team did great. After the games Reed and I headed to Florida for girlfriend Jade's house in Jacksonville for some warmer temps and R&R. Here's the tourney team picture with Reed on his way to picking his nose. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ And then here's the play by play of perhaps Reed's greatest minute of college basketball. I'll post the video here after we get home and I get it edited. ------- And here it is. Decided not to add the other clips. They weren't that long and why spoil this one. White #0

EMU played Virginia University of Lynchburg and won 76-69. Not a very good game as both sides had lots of turnovers. It did get better but after the first 4 minutes of the game the score was 1-0. Coach Kirby Dean had some interesting things to say here: http://www.emuroyals.com/sports/mbkb/2014-15/videos/MVI_4458-1- ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reed got in for 2-3 minutes and had 2 points. White #0. EMU's basketball men did enough to get the win Tuesday night at home, getting past the Virginia University of Lynchburg by a final of 76-69. The Runnin Royals improve to 6-3 in their final home game of the first half of the season. They head to Frederick, Md., this weekend for a tournament hosted by Hood College. The men play at 6:00pm on Saturday, taking on Piedmont College. Note the corrected start time, which is earlier than previously listed. The Royals will play either Frostburg State or the host Blazers on Sunday. It was a cold start against the Dragon, now 1-12, in Tuesday night's win. David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) hit a single free throw 38 seconds in but then neither team scored until the 15:51 mark. VUL had their biggest lead at five points, and the Royals returned fire and grabbed a seven-point lead. Two more free throws from Falk eventually got Eastern Mennonite to their biggest lead of the night at 34-24 with 1:14 left in the half. But the Dragon scored the final six points of the half to get within 34-30 at the break. After VUL locked up the score at 34-34 early in the second, the Royals rattled off a 14-4 run to go back up by 10 points at 48-38. But EMU couldn't build any momentum and watched as their visitors again came back and tied the score at 59-59. The men finally got a handful of defensive stands to trigger a 9-0 run, vaulting them back in front at 72-65 with 2:47 to go. The Dragon got within three points, before Falk landed the knockout blow on a massive alley-oop dunk from James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) with 36 seconds left. Williams added a pair of free throws for the final 76-69 margin. EMU set a new season high by shooting 54.7% from the floor. They also had a season high 22 turnovers with a -12 turnover margin. VUL shot just 37.8%, but had 16 offensive boards, as the turnovers and second chance points helped them stay in the game. Falk was good for his fifth straight double double with 18 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) also hit for a double double, totaling 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Williams had one of his best games of the season with 12 points and a career best seven assists. Woody Furbush (Bridgeton, N.J./Salem) gave a great effort of the bench with 10 points and three offensive rebounds. Hakeem Anthony led VUL with 24 points and three assists.

Another 1 point loss for EMU this afternoon 91-90. Here's the recap------------------------------In a game crowded with 15 ties and 22 lead changes, the difference came down to a single rebound in the final minute, as Greensboro College snuck by the Runnin Royals by a final of 92-91 Saturday afternoon in Bridgewater. EMU finished 1-1 at the Don Glick Classic, playing two eerily similar games as they move to 5-3 on the year. Eastern Mennonite led by as many as seven in the first half at 24-17, but the Pride, now 4-4, were up at halftime, 45-43. The second half became a contest of individual possessions and foul shooting, as a total of 19 fouls were called by the midway point. The fouls eventually slowed down but the scoring didn't as the teams were locked at 80-80 with 6:30 yet to play. The score was still tied when Marcel Crump (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) hit one of two free throws with 1:10 to go, making it 88-88. Needing a defensive stand, the Royals got the missed shot they needed when a Pride three pointer was off target, but the men couldn't grab the loose ball for a rebound. Greensboro repeatedly found an offensive board, only to miss an inside look. Finally on their third such attempt, GC got the go-ahead bucket from Parris Scales with 36 seconds left. After scoring with ease for much of the game, Eastern Mennonite struggled to find an open look when they needed it. Jerome Jones (Charles, Town, W.V./Washington) came up short on a three pointer and the ball fell out of bounds to Greensboro with 16 ticks to go. A quick foul and two free throws from Devan Gregory put the Pride up 92-88 with 14.4 remaining, but GC disrupted the Royals' offense enough to where they couldn't get up a shot until Jones drilled a three with 1.6 showing. The men couldn't force a turnover, and Greensboro wasted away the final time for the one-point decision. Eastern Mennonite shot a season-high 52.8%, including 8-for-16 from three point range, and attempted a whopping 41 free throws, going 27-41. The Pride hit 45.3% of their attempts and were 16-19 from the stripe. The biggest difference came in turnovers, where the men had a -6 margin at 15-9. Greensboro had an 18-9 edge in points off of turnovers. The Royals had very similar stats in Friday's 88-83 win over Milligan, but had a smaller turnover margin at -2, with points off of turnovers being even at 20-20. Crump led EMU with 19 points, his second-high total of the year, but also had six turnovers. David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) collected 12 rebounds and 10 points, as both players were named to the All-Tournament Team. Crump averaged 18.0 at the Classic, including 12-17 free throws. Falk was good for 15.0 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over the weekend. Freshman Blake Steele (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) had his first double digit effort with 17 points, including 11 in the first half when Falk was saddled with early foul trouble. Jones finished with 13 points. Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) had eight points, five rebounds and three assists, but he missed the final 1:10 with an injury. Gregory finished with a game high 27 for Greensboro. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team as he added five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Scales came in with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Royals return home Tuesday for their final contest in Yoder Arena before Christmas. They host Virginia University of Lynchburg that night at 7:00pm, before wrapping up at a tournament in Frederick, Md., over the weekend.

Managed to get in 18 holes today before Reed's game. They beat Milligan College, an NAIA school, 88-83. Reed got in for 4 minutes and you can see it below. White #0 EMU's offense was in high gear despite being off for the week due to final exams, as the basketball men shot nearly 53% from the floor and got past Milligan College 88-83 at the Don Glick Classic in Bridgewater. Eastern Mennonite held of a second-half comeback by the Buffaloes and scored the final four points of the game, all on free throws. The Royals, now 5-2 after the win over the quality NAIA team, return to the court Saturday afternoon in Bridgewater, playing Greensboro at 2:00pm. Milligan, who received votes in the NAIA National Poll this week, slips to 10-3 and will play the host Eagles at 4:00pm. Admission to the Don Glick Classic is free with the donation of a canned food item. Eastern Mennonite and Milligan were locked in a tight first half until Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T. C. Williams) kick-started a late run which put the Royals up 40-32 at halftime. The senior scored 11 points, including nine in a row, in an 18-10 run which broke a 22-all tie. But led by Mickey Woods, the Buffaloes came stampeding back in the second. At one point he hit back-to-back three pointers near the end of a 25-16 run, which gave Milligan a 57-56 lead just six minutes into the final frame. The Tennessee team had their biggest lead at 74-68 after a James Songster three ball with 7:22 to play. The Royals took over from there. The men held their opponents scoreless for nearly four minutes, scoring nine unanswered during the stretch. Marcel Crump (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) capped the surge with a three-point play, putting EMU in front 77-74 with 4:09 to go. Woods hit another three pointer to tie things back up. Yates converted a three-point play of his own to give the men a little breathing room at 82-79 with 2:40 left, but the teams continued trading points. Morgan McLeod hit a jumper to pull the Buffaloes back within one with 1:39 to go, as EMU led 84-83. Both teams came up empty on their next possessions, but Crump rebounded his own missed shot with 34 seconds remaining to keep the Royals in charge. A quick foul put Jerome Jones (Charles Town, W.V./Washington) at the line, and the freshman hit both free throws to push the edge to three. Woods missed a three ball and David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) essentially sealed it by grabbing the rebound, getting fouled and then hitting both free throws with eight seconds left. Milligan missed a quick three and let Jones run out the time as he grabbed the final rebound. Although EMU struggled to slow down the Buffaloes, they out-shot them 52.6% to 45.2%. Milligan his eight three pointers, but the men repeatedly got to the foul line to keep the edge. They were 24-40 from the stripe compared to 19-29 for MC. Yates finished off a multi-faceted night with 22 points, eight rebounds, five steals and three assists. Falk hit a double double with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Crump added 17 counters. Jones scored nine in his second-straight start while James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) added four assists. Woods led all players with 31 points, including 6-of-9 shooting from outside. Julian Bailey had 14 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.

Not much going on this week but I did get Reed to rehab for his neck a couple times and he promptly sprained his ankle at his practice on Monday. Not bad though. I did get my copy of Sports Legends of Micronesia from and by Dr. Kurt Barnes. Here's the cover and my page.

Interesting game against Roanoke College yesterday as they won the first half by 20 and EMU won the second half by 19. Reed did not play. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A huge second half rally couldn't erase the damage done in the first half, as EMU's basketball men lost 81-80 at Roanoke Saturday afternoon. The Runnin Royals out-scored their hosts 48-29 in the second, and had a chance to win it with the final possession, but they fall to 4-2 with the loss. Four of EMU's six games this year have been decided by two points or less, including three holding a margin of one point. The largest margin in any game has been six points from the season-opening 80-74 win over Ferrum. RaShawn Latimer (Warrenton, Va./Kettle Run) opened the scoring with a three pointer, and the men held a small edge over the first few minutes. But a 12-0 run by Roanoke vaulted them to a 16-7 lead which they never relinquished. The Maroons led 52-32 at halftime, and scored the first four of second for their biggest lead at 56-32. EMU started marching back from there, reversing all the turnover, shooting and defensive problems from the first half. Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) hit a layup with 7:34 to go, getting the men back within single digits at 66-58. An offensive putback from Yates made it single possession game at 81-78 with 1:03 to go. After an RC miss, Marcel Crump (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) hit a pair of free throws with 50 seconds left to get the men within 81-80. A defensive stand gave the Royals the ball back with the shot clock off, but Yates missed a three pointer with five seconds left. After a quick foul, the Maroons missed the front end of a one-and-one, but David Falk's (Madison, Va./Madison County) full court shot at the buzzer bounced off the backboard and the rim as the comeback fell short. Despite the massive second-half effort, EMU was out-shot 44% to 41% in the game. They did have a slight 44-41 rebounding edge. Yates finished with a game high 22 points along with six rebounds. Crump had 15 points and seven boards. Falk notched his third double double of the season with 13 rebounds, 10 points and four blocked shots. Andrew Daniels led a balanced Roanoke attack with 15 points and four assists. Cameron Smith had 13 and 11 rebounds. The Royals return to action next Friday at the Don Glick Classic hosted by Bridgewater College. EMU takes on Milligan, a 10-2 NAIA program from Tennessee, Friday at 6:00pm. Saturday the men get Greensboro College at 2:00pm. Fans can get free admission to either of the games by donating a canned food item to the local food pantry at the game.

EMU lucked out tonight and beat Washington and Lee 78-77. Reed got in for 4 minutes in the first half and had a rebound and a blocked shot. I got video of him rather than the game. White #0.

And back to golf. Snow was gone. 18 holes and neck wasn't too sore.

Took Reed to Thanksgiving Dinner today at Traditions, a favorite Harrisonburg restaurant. And after our big snowfall yesterday you can't beat the view out my front window. (Actually my front window is about a mile to the left with the same basic view and maybe even a little better, but I found this pic already on the web.)

Played golf near here yesterday.

Reed got to play in his first college basketball game last night as EMU lost to Messiah College 70-65 in the finals of this tournament they had there. He played for about 5 minutes, had 2 points and 1 rebound. I'm hoping to get some video from the coach and if I do I'll post it here. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ So Coach Dean has posted the game on Krossover.com The entire game is here but you can jump to when Reed is in. He's in blue, number 0, and plays from about 9:00 minutes (59 minutes on the player) down to 4 1/2 minutes of the second half (68:45 on the player). His rebound comes just as he gets in and the basket is at 61:35 on the player. http://www.krossover.com/intelligence/shared/5472237d4f1af -----------------------------------------update------------------------------------------------------- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16YOTGc2Ucg&list=UU9wu1-8U3x_XUTOeBZYilkw ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pics of the highlights

At 6 weeks post op Dr Ver wanted me to get some x-rays and send them to him. Got them today. How do I look?

OK so Saturday Ry sends me this poster about being an extra in a movie. I had done something like this before in 1981 for a movie that ended up being called ALL THE MARBLES with Peter Falk. It amounted to sitting around most of the day and then doing something for 15 minutes and then collecting your money. It was kinda fun (we were at the MGM Grand in Reno) boring (sat most of the day) interesting (got to see Peter Falk and a couple of hot babes) and you got $25 which was close to my daily wage as a change guy at Harrah's. So anyway, I emailed and got hired BUT they wanted me to be clean shaven and have a dark suit. Clean shaven - no problem but I needed a haircut. Dark suit – problem---I mean I am from Guam—What the hell is a dark suit. BUT I don't have to be there – Martinsburg -- until 2:30 on Monday. No problem!!! Martinsburg is an hour and a half away. So Monday morning I'm up bright and early and I'm off to Goodwill who just happens to have an ok blue suit that fits, shirt, tie, a PERIOD t-shirt all for $17. What a deal!! Take it home and throw it in a bag along with some other pants, etc that they told me to bring. By this time the barber is open so I get my $15 haircut and, after lunch, I'm off to Martinsburg. I get there about 1:00 and find the place which is just a large room in a shopping mall that they are using as a holding area. When they want you they put you in a van and bus you over to the filming location. I notice there are 20-30 guys dressed just like me. The girls running the place tell me to sit down and they'll get to me. Some paperwork...........and wait. After a couple hours one of the girls motions me to come with her to the hairdresser, but she's not quite ready yet so just sit right here and wait. 20 minutes later the hairdresser can't improve much on my new haircut so she just hardens it and back outside..... to wait. 20 minutes later to wardrobe and there the nice lady doesn't like my blue suit much but she does like my grey slacks which fit better 20 years ago. She gives me a better white shirt, a better tie, and a jacket, and conversation how she's been working for production companies for 20 years when she's not working at her family business in eastern Tennessee. And now dressed, back out..... to wait. I did find out though that I am officially “Reporter #1” which leads me to think “Hey! I might have a line or 2”. A few minutes later they give ma a script and WOW! Reporter #1 says “Frank, how are you feeling today....?” ---Now I forgot to mention that the movie is supposed to be a 5 part mini-series on the beginnings of the Mafia and organized crime. My line is said to Frank Costello before he goes in to testify before the Kefauver Committee (Look it up). Visions of a Best Supporting Oscar dance through my head. Who should I thank in my acceptance speech?? 20 minutes later after having thoroughly practiced my line I hear “Reporter #1 – Meyer on the bus.” and with 10 seconds to secure my bag and belongings I'm off. Now filming is in this vacant building in a room on the 3rd floor and it's cold. Temp outside that day was around 40 and now it's late in the afternoon and the sun is going down and they only have a couple space heaters going. Luckily I'd brought my coat. But it was still cold. I stood and watched as various scenes were being shot in this room which was supposed to be Senator Kefaufer's committee room. It seemed laughable to me that this small room could ever be taken as a Senate committee room but such is the magic of the movies. Then all of a sudden one of the guys said “We need everybody in the gallery” and then pointed to me to stand on a ledge behind other people in the gallery for Costello's testifying scene. The ledge was about 2 feet high so I grab part of the set to help myself up and since it wasn't secure--I knocked it over. We got it fixed. I was part of the gallery. We laughed appropriately as Costello fended off the Senator's questions—6 or 7 times and then the director called a wrap and began to thank all the extras and to shake their hands as we left. When my turn came I asked about “My Scene” and he told me they bagged it and that's why they put me in the gallery. No problem. I mean my scene had been cut from ALL THE MARBLES too. So downstairs to the bus...which just left so we had to wait until it got back. Then back to the holding area where we couldn't leave until we were called to wardrobe and turned in our stuff which took about 45 minutes for me. Then sign the paperwork and I realized it was $100 if you worked the 12 hour day that some of these people had been there. Mine was ….... let's see......3½ hours. Probably close to that 25 bucks I got 30 years ago. And then, of course the hour and a half drive back to Harrisonburg. Was I ever glad they didn't want me to come back Tuesday. It was supposed to be REALLY cold.

EMU won two games last night and tonight. They beat Ferrum 80 - 74 and then tonight they edged St Mary's 82-80. Reed didn't play but he made two pics from the pros taking them. A hot start wasn't enough for the Runnin Royals, as they had to sweat out an 80-74 season-opening win over Ferrum College in the EMU Tip-Off Classic Saturday evening in Harrisonburg. Eastern Mennonite takes on perennial power St. Mary's (Md.) to wrap up the classic Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm. The men looked as good as advertised from the opening tip, forcing Ferrum into nine turnovers and five missed shots to start the game. EMU scored the first 14 points, all in the first five minutes. But the Panthers regrouped and quickly cut the lead down to 24-18. The visitors kept coming and eventually tied the score at 35-35 on a jumper from Rashawn Speas with 1:46 to go in the half. The Royals scored the next three points and still clung to a 40-37 edge at the break. In the second, the margin stayed between two and six points until a 9-0 run pushed EMU up 67-53 with 5:41 remaining. The Panthers responded with a 14-6 streak, cutting the lead back down to 73-67 with 1:19 left. Put to the free throw line, the Royals made 5-of-6 tosses over the final 54 ticks to seal the six-point win. Both teams shot a shade better than 43%, but EMU got their needed advantage by forcing 20 turnovers. Marcel Crump (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) was unstoppable, connecting for 22 points and 10 rebounds. The wing was also 8-8 from the free throw line. Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) was good for 15 points and seven rebounds, while David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) added 11 points, seven boards, three steals and three blocks. James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) had a game high three assists. Jamal Pullen led Ferrum with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Marcus Huff had 13 points off the bench and Speas came in with 11. Eastern Mennonite has a tall task against the Seahawks on Sunday, who beat ODAC rival Bridgewater 76-58 in Saturday's first game. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Drama was plenty in Sunday's finale of the Loyal Royals Tip-Off Classic, where EMU's Runnin Royals got past St. Mary's (Md.) in the dogfight. Eastern Mennonite trailed by six late, but closed the game on an 11-3 run to earn an 82-80 win in front of the home crowd in Yoder Arena. The Royals led by as many as eight early in the game, but SMC used a 12-3 run for their first lead at 21-20. The streak build to 17-4 as the Seahawks had the lead at 26-21. EMU regrouped and the score was tied 42-42 at halftime. The teams traded leads in the second half with neither getting ahead by more than six. Royals nearly tied the score with eight minutes to go, but Kwa McDonald (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) was whistled for a charge on a fastbreak shot. The call seemed to fuel St. Mary's as the visitors answered every EMU score and then pushed up a 77-71 cushion after a MacGyver Biniak layup with 3:11 to go. Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) missed the front end of a one-and-one on EMU's next possession, and the Seahawks looked to improve on their biggest lead of the contest. But a wild swing whipped the game's momentum in a 180-degree turn. Yates was called for holding on the defensive end, but SMC's Biniak threw the ball in response, earning a technical foul and exiting with his fifth foul. James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) headed to the stripe for the two charity tosses, but after he hit one, the Seahawks' coach was tagged with another technical foul. As a result, Williams shot and swished four free throws, slicing the SMC lead to 77-75. The Royals took the gift and ran with it. The men got the ball after Williams' tosses, and David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) hit a jumper in the lane to tie the score at 77-77. Yates then picked off a pass and threw down a dunk to complete a shocking 8-0 run in the span of 37 seconds and vault EMU in front 79-77 with 2:08 to go. The teams traded a number of misses until Williams hit two more free throws with 16.6 showing, bumping the lead to 81-77. Tanner Brooks hit a quick three for SMC to trim the lead to one and Williams was sent back to the free throw line with 8.3 left. The senior hit the second of two tosses and Donya Jackson missed a contested jumper in the closing seconds to leave the Runnin Royals with the two-point win. EMU had a slight edge in shooting, 43.9% to 41.3%, and neither team shot well from outside. St. Mary's was 14-15 from the free throw line, but the Royals out-did them by sheer volume, going 20-38. The Seahawks also committed 15 turnovers to 11 for EMU. Yates led all players with 19 points to go with six rebounds and a game-high three steals. He was named the MVP of the Loyal Royals All-Tournament Team, averaging 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 assists. Falk came in with his first double double of the year at 15 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. EMU's center was named the All-Tournament Team by averaging 13.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 blocks and 1.5 steals. Williams finished 8-9 from the free throw line and connected on 17 points. Blake Steele (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) added six points and six rebounds off the bench. Troy Spurrier led St. Mary's with 17 points while Brooks added 15 points and six rebounds. Jackson had 10 points and 13 rebounds. All-Region guard Nick Laguerre was held to eight points on 2-16 shooting, but had a game high five assists. Now 2-0 on the year, Eastern Mennonite has the week off as they prepare for the second of their four two-day tourneys this season. The Royals head to Grantham, Pa., for a tournament hosted by Messiah College, opening against NCAA qualifier DeSales on Friday at 4:00pm.

EMU basketball team had a scrimmage last night with Southern Virginia University. They played 3 20 minute games with the last being a running clock. EMU won all three games and played a fast nonstop offense and defense that was really fun to watch. Reed didn't get in until the last game and had 6 points including one 3-pointer, a smack in the mouth, a hit on his thigh, and he came out of the locker room with a bag of ice on his neck which has been bothering him lately. We've also started to make plans for his week off during Christmas vacation which looks like is going to be a ROAD TRIP to Florida. Reed will stay with sweetheart Jade and family and I'll go visit friends and family. Sounds like a plan.

And another

Reed is standing third from right.

Here's the EMU schedule.

Reed had a scrimmage on Saturday morning. Thought he played alright with 9 points including 1 3 pointer. I did manage to get a closeup with my camera of him waiting to come into the game.

So Reed and I spent the afternoon on Virginia's famous Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. The first overlook was incredible but all the rest were pretty much the same thing-the Shenandoah Valley from 3000 feet up. Would have been better if it had been a little warmer too as the 40 degrees with wind blowing was a bit too brisk for the Guam boys.

Runnin Royals Picked To Finish Third In ODAC Boosted by a strong end to last season plus and large group of returners, the EMU men's basketball team has been tabbed in a tie for third place in the ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll.  The Runnin Royals earned 91 points in a voting of the league's coaches, locking them up with Guilford College, which also received 91 tallies. The two teams are just a hair ahead of Hampden-Sydney which came in fifth with 87 votes.  Randolph-Macon received 10 first-place votes and stands atop the Old Dominion Athletic Conference for the second straight season with 120 total points.  Virginia Wesleyan received the remaining two top nods and 111 tallies to sit in second. Eastern Mennonite rattled off a six-game winning streak at the end of last year which only ended with a loss to Hampden-Sydney in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals.  They finished 17-11 overall, including 10-6 in the ODAC. The Runnin Royals return 11 of 12 regular players from that squad, replacing only graduated All-ODAC Third Team senior RJ Sims (12.7ppg, 2.9rpg).  Headlining the returners are All-ODAC First Team center David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) (14.1ppg, 13.4rpg, 2.9bpg) and All-ODAC Second Team wing Marcel Crump(Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) (17.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.6apg).  EMU also brings back starters James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carrol) (8.3ppg, 2.5apg) and Kwa McDonald (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) (3.9ppg), along with Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) (13.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.5apg) who started much of last season before coming off the bench as a sparkplug sixth man. The men also brought in a large and talented recruiting class, giving them the deepest team they have fielded in recent years. EMU opens the 2014-15 season at home by hosting a tip-off classic on Nov. 15 and 16.  The Runnin Royals play Ferrum on that Saturday followed by St. Mary's (Md.) on Sunday.  Local rival Bridgewater also plays at the EMU Tip-Off Invitational, held in Yoder Arena. Click here to see the entire 2014-15 EMU men's basketball schedule. Two squads made a trip to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament in 2013-14, increasing the conference's representation on the national stage to 14 teams since the 2009-10 season.  Last year, Virginia Wesleyan punched its automatic ticket to the field of 62 by winning its fifth overall ODAC title via a 77-74 thriller over Hampden-Sydney College in the conference championship game.  The crown marked the second for the Marlins in the past three years. VWC, making its 10th straight appearance in the national bracket, was joined by fellow perennial qualifier Randolph-Macon as an at-large entrant.  The Yellow Jackets hosted their first round matchup against DeSales University, but were unable to take advantage of home court in falling to the Bulldogs, 77-74, in overtime.  Virginia Wesleyan also was awarded hosting duties by the national committee, and the Marlins turned that into a pair of wins in the Jane P. Batten Center.  They topped Johns Hopkins University, 84-72, in round one and followed that with a 79-74 triumph over Wesley College the next day.  VWC traveled to the University of Mary Washington for sectional action, where the Marlins fell to the host Eagles, 74-70. Last season, just seven all-conference performers returned to courts across the ODAC.  The story is much the same this year as eight All-ODAC honorees are back.  Still, you'll be hard-pressed to find a bare cupboard in the league, a notion that was recognized by the national pundits as two squads open the season ranked in theD3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll.  Randolph-Macon is slotted 11th, while Virginia Wesleyan sits 19th.  Reigning national champion the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater stands atop the chart voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country. Listed below is the full 2014-15 ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll.  For more information on ODAC men's basketball, visit any of the participating school's websites, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com and view the men's basketball virtual media guide. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook.  You can also follow the ODAC on Twitter @odacathletics.  Be sure to check out the ODAC's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/ODAC1976) and watch an interview with each of the ODAC's head men's basketball coaches as they talk about their programs from media day in Salem (videos not live --- to be added after the event). 2014-15 ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PREASON POLL (#) Denotes First Place Votes 1. Randolph-Macon (10) 120 pts. 2. Virginia Wesleyan (2) 111 pts. 3. Eastern Mennonite 91 pts. 3. Guilford 91 pts. 5. Hampden-Sydney 87 pts. 6. Roanoke 66 pts. 7. Lynchburg 64 pts. 8. Randolph 53 pts. 9. Washington and Lee 38 pts. 10. Bridgewater 35 pts. 11. Shenandoah 22 pts. 12. Emory & Henry 14 pts.

Nice flights thanks to All Nippon Airways and United. Cousin Ry was a quick call away after I landed and he even took me to Harrisonburg as Reed had a late basketball practice and it was going to be a really late night for him if he came to Reston. Ry and I watched his practice for awhile then went to eat before he headed back. What a cousin!! My little apt. is as wonderful as ever. Spent yesterday trying to get all my services back with the biggest problem being Comcast as I'm having to spend more money and my modem refuses to work properly.

Last day here and there's problems with the cable but looking outside I'm surprised it works at all.

Email from Reed: I'm back to practicing we had a scrimmage tonight for the fans to watch. I had 16 points in our 99-91 win. The seniors on each team made a bet that the winner gets coach Kirb's wife's cookies and brownies. I hope we get more of those because they are amazing. We even had a dunk off in the beginning. Got to show them what I can do. From EMU's website------ Runnin Royals Opening The Gym For Blue/White Game Saturday Night The moment has come for everyone itching for their first look at the Runnin Royals. EMU's basketball men are holding a Blue/White Game this Saturday night at 7:00pm, giving the general public a chance to see the men three weeks before the start of their season. The night starts with a dunk extravaganza, featuring the numerous high-flyers on the Eastern Mennonite basketball team. A full length intra-squad game tips off at 7:15pm. The event is open to the general public and admission is free. The Runnin Royals open the 2014-15 season by hosting a tip-off classic on Nov. 15 and 16, taking on Ferrum and St. Mary's (Md.). Local rival Bridgewater College will be the fourth team at the invite, playing before Eastern Mennonite each day. Click here to the see the entire 2014-15 EMU men's basketball schedule. The men finished last year on a tear, winning six in a row before getting knocked out of the ODAC Tournament in the semifinals. They return 11 of their 12 regular players from that squad, which finished 17-11. Among that large core are seven seniors, including center David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison), who was named All-ODAC First Team, All-State First Team and All-South Region Third Team, along with All-ODAC Second Team wing Marcel Crump (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs).

Tired of being in Manila. Saw Ver today and he's pleased with my progress. Got my instructions which includes x-rays to send him and exercises to do. In case you're interested in just what my procedure was, Ver showed me where to find a short video on it.

Well, out of the hospital and back over to Lourdes Suites. Actually got to stay in the hospital 2 more days. Here for about a week as I'll see Dr Ver again on Saturday and jump on the airplane for Narita and Dulles Monday morning the 27th. Here are the 4 other pics Dr Ver gave me.

Well it's been about 24 hours since I got out of the OR. Haven't slept much but snoozed a lot. Have to wear a neck brace but my neck seems to be longer than the brace so I'm not sure how much it's bracing. Dr Ver was here yesterday and will come again this afternoon to check me out. I may ask him to stay one more day. We'll see. The neck is still pretty tight. After he was here the first time I sent this out to Reed and Ry: Thanks for the thoughts. Dr Ver was just here and showed me pic of the procedure and told me I might be the only guy with 5 fused verts (8 fuses) using that procedure. I'm evidently medical history. Also showed me where he broke 3 chisels trying to separate the bones. See drinking all that milk was good for something. I'll try to get him to give me the pics. And I*'ll see if I can put a couple of the pics on the blog. When his boys came to check my incisions this morning they checked my hip and told me he'd taken a bone graft from there. It hadn't hurt and I didn't even know about it.

Coming up on noon Thursday here in Manila, PI. Going into the hospital in a couple hours for my operation. It's scheduled for tomorrow morning at 7am. Not a lot else to say. Wish me luck.

Typhoon was no biggee for me but creating havoc other places. Anyway, been here about 5 days and have seen doctors and technicians. Bottom line is right now my operation is scheduled for Friday with Dr Ver. That could change as I still have some people who need to clear me. Also my neck is somewhat worse than we first believed as I have 2 joints that are bad and 2 that are Very bad so we'll be fusing 4 vertebrae. I can believe it too as I have more tingling by the day. May have my choice of two different surgeries - lucky me - with my insurance company having some input. And meet my surgeon. Funny guy. Loves to talk and joke.

Sunday afternoon Guam time and Typhoon Something is a possible monkey wrench in my plans. Probably not though as it should be long past when my flight is scheduled to leave. Not a biggee as typhoons go it might give Rota some problems.

Went to Dr Carlos' office yesterday but the earliest appt was over 2 weeks away. Talked to Hillary down at my health insurer SelectCare and decided later to go to Manila and St Lukes Hospital to take care of this. A neighbor told me this morning that he has a somewhat similar problem and after some research decided that a Dr Ver at St Luke's is an excellent surgeon and that's who I should see. And so, by the end of Saturday (Guam time), I'm flying out Tuesday to Manila and will see Dr. Ver on Thursday afternoon.

Some months ago I started experiencing tingling in my arms when I had my hands behind my head and other times. Went to see Dr. Duenas in May and he thought I might have to get some vertebrae fused and had me get an MRI. The results of the MRI was that I had some arthritis, some stenosis (look it up) and a bone spur. Nothing seemed real pressing so I continued on with the original plan of getting Reed set up at college. Lately, however, the tingling seems to be getting worse so yesterday (a relative term when traveling to and from Guam) I jump on an airplane and came back to Guam as that's where my insurance is. Saw Duenas again today and he seemed a bit puzzled as my symptoms seems somewhat incompatible with the MRI results. Sooooo... Duenas is lining me up with a local neurologist, a Dr. Carlos, and we'll see what he has to say.

Beat today as I played 27 holes yesterday. 55 on the first 9. 51 on the second. The last 9 was evidently just for the walk as I blew up. But I'm coming along. Not much else happening. Went to see the chiropractor about some referred pain in my leg and it seemed to help but then cam back. Probably go again today.

Finally got Reed to write something for the blog. "For the blog you can stay I'm enjoying my workouts for basketball and my teammates are a great group of guys. And also that my classes are going well. I'm enjoying being on my own too." and here's his school picture.

Reed told me his ankle was better and that he was back working out with the team so I went to see him play today with the other EMU team members in pickup basketball. He looked fine. Seemed stronger and didn't get winded as easily. I've been playing golf every day. I'm sucking but I'm trying to get into shape.

So a week has gone by and I've still no job but I don't care as I'm getting into golf. Found a nice city course only 6 minutes from home and have been playing almost every day. Got my score down below 60 on a good day and played my first 18 yesterday with a tired body and backache today. Reed, on the other hand, is not doing so well as Monday he sprained his ankle again. Saw him Tuesday and he wasn't on crutches but hobbling around. Caught up with him on his way over to his clerical work study job. He was disappointed that the injury had happened as he was feeling he was getting into shape but he probably won't lose much. Also feeling a little homesick but that's to be expected. Finally, here's a nice pic of my golf course.

Went and shot 9 holes of golf today at the Pack Saddle Golf Club. Beautiful and challenging course. Afterward I found Reed over at the Men's Volleyball Team's scrimmage. We had a good talk and he show me a picture someone had found of his doppelganger. The guy plays for the Serbian National team. I forget what his name is.

It's been a week since my last post so I better report in. Had an interview for a job at the resort east of here on Sunday (yeah they were working on Sunday). Interview seemed to go well. Liked the people and that place is attractive but haven't heard anything. And then Wednesday the City School system had me come in to process to substitute though it will be awhile before I get cleared for that. In between I've been watching old Maverick episodes. Reed did email me last night about their conditioning workouts "Our workouts are pretty good. The one we had on Tuesday kicked my butt. I ended up throwing up all my lunch and dinner." so it sounds like he's being taken care of. I am starting to get into golf. Bought a set of clubs yesterday and went out to shoot some balls. 2 drivers, an iron, a wedge and a putter along with a bag and balls--just under $15 at the Gift and Thrift. All the clubs seemed to work. Oh and went back to the Civil War Dance group last night so Reed and I both worked out but I was less acquainted with my dinner.

So Reed is done today and with his first week at college and since I haven't heard much I assume he's doing fine. I've been using this week to concentrate a little more on finding a job. Did have an interview for a HS library job which could happen but..... Substituting is another option and I get going on that next Wednesday. A third option has come up since I went down to this gorgeous resort about 12 miles east of H'burg. They need some people to man the concierge desk and since I'm an information professional, that might just work. Probably won't make much but don't need much. I did sneak over and watch Reed scrimmage with other guys on the EMU team as they get together every afternoon. Thought he did well and looked strong. Hopefully he can continue to develop.

Got this from Reed on his first weekend at college "I did a lot of group bonding exercises and met some really cool people. Played some pickup ball with some guys on the team. I'm still trying to transition from Guam to US ball. It's fun though!"

Yesterday was move into the dorm day for Reed. Met his roommate who Reed had already been in contact with and his parents. Nice people from Maryland. Had to buy Reed pillows and pillow cases and somehow in the middle of this I lost my keys but finally got him settled and left him to do the new roommate thing. He sent me an email later "We had a few full court games today. Pretty tired haha but they were fun." Copied new keys and from there I went to check out the Rockingham County Fair which was kind of a bust. Finished out the night 20 miles away in New Market for an interesting performance of The Wizard of Oz. I thought it was going to be a children's performance but it was adults in this tiny little old opera house that maybe held 120 people. It was fun and the evening went quickly. A couple of the performances were very nice. Today I headed early to the market to get a loaf of bread and happened to cross paths with Reed on his way to breakfast. That was kinda weird as I was only in front of his dorm for a minute and here he came out. Later Reed emailed to say he needed soap and toothpaste. Found out even later he needed them delivered as he was just too busy. I evidently have not briefed him enough on the concept of a store-that he can buy things at.

So we're getting Reed ready for school. Physical we have to take again, stuff to buy, nothing big but it takes some time. Last night I went and joined about 25 people of the Shenandoah Valley Civil-War Era Dancers. It was fun. Met the Registrar for EMU who had just been looking at Reed's UOG transcript that day. We laughed how things work out. Theoretically, today is Reed's last day of living with his parents. :-((

Headed to Reston Sunday to pick up Reed. Not only was it a late bus--1:45am but it was an hour and a half late. We didn't get back to cousin Ry's place till 4am. Stayed the next day to go to the Nationals game. Was hoping to head back to H'burg after the game and we even left before the game was done but problems with the Subway (our train broke) plus I wasn't feeling well had us stay overnight with Ry again. Got back the next day. Here's a pick from the game and a really nice stadium experience. And an artsy photo Reed took of the stadium itself.

Spent much of the day looking for bargains at yard sales in the Shenandoah Valley. Managed to do a big (77 mi)circle that included Broadway, New Market, Luray, Elkton and then back to Harrisonburg. Perfect day. Beautiful country. And even got some bargains.

OK So I finally got my car back after 5 days down at Blue Ridge Automotive. And I can't thank Chad and Brandon and the guys down there enough for working so hard to get the car up to spec. Evidently Taj Singh went to great lengths to hide the condition of the car in order to sell it to some unsuspecting doofus like me. He committed at least one federal offense in disabling the warning system in regards to the fact that there was no passenger side airbag among some other things that had to be fixed. Let me repeat, Taj Singh of Gainesville VA is a crook. Cost was $1615. I'd be mad except for the fact that I have this great view.

Took my car to get it inspected today. This should be interesting as you may remember and/or please refer to a previous post. I'll let you know. Also Reed emailed that he had a great time at the Jacksonville - Tampa Bay football game. He sent along a picture.

Spent much of the last 3 days doing the Rt 11 crawl. Even though they say it's just Saturday, it's not. Route 11 Yard Crawl Saturday, August 9, 2014 Shenandoah County, Virginia It's back and it's better than ever! Save with over 43 miles of bargains! This event will feature our historic towns along Route 11 and include business sidewalk sales, yard sales, antiques, food, and much more along the designated scenic by-way of Route 11 in Shenandoah County.

OK so Reed came in 2 days late because of the typhoon on Guam but got here fine. For the next few days we worked on getting him acquainted with Harrisonburg and slowly getting my new apartment livable. Wednesday night he left Union Station in Washington for girlfriend Jade in Jacksonville FL. And although we quite a time finding the place he got off without too much hassle. And the best thing about my apartment? Has to be the view.

Reed came in tonight right on time. Good to see him. We'll head back to Harrisonburg tomorrow.

Thursday the 31st and Reed was supposed to come in yesterday. Unfortunately, he never got off the ground as there was a Typhoon/Tropical Storm over the top of Guam and they cancelled his flight. Cancelled the next day's flights also but as I speak he's supposedly getting ready to get on the plane. Should be here about this time - 7pm - tomorrow. With that we've had to bag the family reunion as it would be just too big a hassle to get there. Just about ready to move into the new apt. Great view, close to Reed's school. Had an interview for the library job at an elementary school just outside Harrisonburg. Didn't really feel the interview went well but sometimes that's when I get the job. When I got here to my cousin's place the 4th of 5 boxes was here. One left and it's rather unimportant. When I went to the tracker there was no evidence that it was even in the states yet.

Well 10 days now since my last post. Continuing to slowly get my act together here in Harrisonburg which I have to admit is one of the friendliest towns I've ever been in. I tend to get informal with people rather quickly and joke around easily. Everybody here seems to fall right into it and joke and laugh back, even if you're just meeting them. As my drivers license was expiring in a few weeks I got one here Tuesday although it'll take a week to get to me. And I've seemed to fall into a gorgeous furnished apt on a hill with a great view only a few blocks from Reed's school. Won't be ready until the first of August or so but really nice and relative to Guam, very reasonably priced. I'll see if I can put some pictures up later when Reed gets here and shows me how to use my phone/camera. Still looking for a job and have finished my applications to the City of Harrisonburg and also Rockingham County. They have a couple of library jobs in the county but both within 10 miles or so. If I don't get either one of those I think I'd rather just substitute, but we'll see.

So it's been a week since my last post. Not a lot happening. Basically figuring out how to live in Harrisonburg VA. I told you Walmart and Subway are close to where I'm staying. Well, so is Costco. I have found the location of most of the thrift stores in town and spent accordingly. I heard of a job working for James Madison U called University Supervisor. It's a job where you help a student teacher have a better experience. Evidently, a lot of retired teachers do it. Doesn't pay much but I signed up. 2 boxes from Guam showed up at Ry's. The first 2 I sent. Picked them up over the weekend. Got a couple a pair of new glasses. Not much. Perty dull.

So I left Ry's about 7:30 headed for Gainesville and Taj, the guy who sold me the car. The Key was stuck in the ignition and we were told it could be a major problem with the transmission. It's the transmission that tells the ignition that it's in park and to let go of the key. Taj had told us that his shop had overhauled the transmission for this lady and then she couldn't pay so they took the car and paid her the difference. We met him at his transmission shop and did all the stuff with the car there. I was supposed to meet him there Monday morning and we were going to discuss the problem. When I got there the place was busy. I went inside and asked for Taj and the old man said there was no Taj there. I explained the situation and it was then that I found that yes they knew Taj, probably the biggest hustler in town. Always got a scam and an angle going. No he didn't own the shop nor 6 (or was it 9) tow trucks. He liked to sell his cars on weekends and holidays as then he could pretend that the facilities were his. After I explained everything to the old man and his son they couldn't have been nicer to me. Almost like Taj was the ne'er-do-well member of the family and they were going out of their way to help me out. They looked at my transmission and decided they couldn't fix it easily. They did look over the car and decided that it was probably worth what I paid for it and it wasn't in such bad shape. They had seen it when Taj first got it and the right side was all ripped up and it had evidently side swiped something. Great guys. I'll take my car to them even though it's 90 miles out of the way. For some reason I found the idea of me being conned hilarious. I was laughing the whole time. He was good. After I headed to Harrisonburg and found a place to stay. Roommates with Steve, Joann and Michael. $375/mo. Walmart and Subway within walking distance. Mary Sue the landlady is a good woman. Then went to DMV to register the car. They found a whole bunch more things about Taj's business habits including claiming he was a dealer, and that I had bought the car, in some town in Massachusetts. It took a while with DMV as you could imagine but I finally got my tags and paid my money. After that then I went over to the Ford dealership, explained my situation, and they gave me a key to lock the doors with for a grand total of $5. They were great too. After went to Best Buy and then to Staples to buy this laptop that I'm using to type this for $315. Also Home Depot for screws to put my plates on and home and bed==sometime. Long--but interesting--day.

OK So Tuesday I had my interview to work at the elementary school in Woodstock, VA. Principal and VP were real nice and the interview seemed to go well which means I probably won't get the job. Seems the only time I get the job is when the interview goes poorly. Afterwards drove back to Reston to see the US soccer team get beat by Belgium. Wednesday Ry dropped me off in Sterling, to try and get my Virginia Drivers License. I realized I hadn't brought my passport and and probably wouldn't have been able to get one if I had as I needed proof of residency in VA. Will have to wait until I get a rental agreement in Harrisonburg. I exercised on the way home and took the 5 mile Washington and Old Dominion bike path home. As it was in the 90's I was pretty tired when I got back to Reston a couple of hours later. After, I managed to find out there was a First Aid class at the Red Cross office in Fairfax about 12 miles away. The class was the next day. Cost was $110. Ry took me down the next day and it was OK. A class of 11 and evidently we all passed. Betty, the teacher, has been doing this a while. Friday I decided to get serious about getting a car and saw one that was kinda cute on Craigslist. Ry took me down and the guy seemed cool and I bought it. 2007 Ford Focus for $4200. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that the key was stuck in the ignition which meant that there was probably a problem with the transmission besides the fact that I can't lock the car. We'll see how this resolves itself. Saturday did errands with Ry and then watched the World Cup. Sunday, today, not much happening. Party at Moe's (Ry's friend) house tonight. The Car:

Back in Virginia

Let's see. As I write this it's Monday and I got in to Dulles Airport on Wednesday night. Screwed up right from the beginning as I didn't remember which was my cousin's apt. He wasn't going to be in town so he left me a key to the place but it did require me to remember which place was his which I should have done as we stayed here 5 days last summer. But oops completely screwed it up created problems for his best friend and daughter. BUT I did finally get in the correct apt and hit the sack. 3 hours later I was wide awake with a large number of dark hours ahead of me. Such is the wonders of jet lag. The next day I wanted to be sure I caught the Germany - USA world Cup game and did from a Subway in Reston, where I went to eat, and a sports bar down the street. Half way through the 2nd half I got a little light headed at the sports bar, probably due to the lag and a possible cold coming on. Back to Subway to drink tea and finish the game. Then home for a nap before picking up Ry at the bus stop. Friday was cruising the car dealerships for wheels. Ry was patient but they were more expensive than I wanted. Looks like it's back to Craigslist. Oh and took the Langston Hughes record over to Langston Hughes Middle School. Saturday the cold hit me full on and I slept much of the day. That obviously didn't help my jet lag and once again I was awake most of the night. Sunday after the soccer games we went to get my rental for my trip to Harrisonburg on Monday. Where I thought my insurance was going to come from didn't happen and so I had to pay some larger coins for the Alamo insurance. And I learned. And so today is Monday. Got up early (still lagged) and made the 2 hours to Harrisonburg. Visited Rocktown Realty, the Visitor Center, the town library, EMU Athletic Dept, EMU Human Resources, Rockingham County Education Dept. all in the morning. Finally subway for lunch.

OK so here is THE PLAN. We're going to continue this blog as we report in on the latest adventure. After a year off, Reed is going to Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia with the hope of playing basketball, majoring in probably PE and having a wonderful time in the Shenandoah Valley of the East Coast. I'm going along to watch him play, perform and, of course, keep him out of trouble if possible. He'll be in the dorm and I'll be where ever I end up, hopefully not too far away. I'm leaving Guam in a few days Wed 6/25 and get myself setup with car, apt, and maybe even a job if someone will hire me, Reed will come July 28 and we will immediately head out to a family reunion in Nashville before getting us back to Harrisonburg. This blog will be our main tool of getting info out to all our friends. It probably won't be updated daily like last summer but I do plan on putting a link on Facebook if anything interesting happens. That's it. You've been warned.