The Deck at 260 Volume 54

October is almost over sadly and it's one of the best times to hang on the deck.

Homecoming battle, 24 team playoff, perfect attendance award, dark college football weekend

Gaffney's Homecoming/birthday was this past weekend and per always a fun and exciting week. I see the folks down in the Pee Dee area stating Wilson has the best high school Homecoming at least in South Carolina.  As I stated last year on the deck, one day I'll get down to Wilson to form my own thoughts. Meanwhile I like it when we can simply enjoy the Homecomings we know and not try to compare too hard. 

I like the current college football playoff system. Some were afraid it would take away from the regular season (although playoffs are the norm in every sport). In a weekend like we had with so many highly ranked teams losing, it's always interesting to see where they land and how this will affect the season long term. However 24 teams will make the playoffs too broad, the regular season more insignificant and guess what deserving teams will still get left out? Just a thought there. 

I was at one point all for the perfect attendance awards at school and even the workplace. However as diseases and illness continues to spread I don't think we should normalize it as much anymore. I'm speaking to the schools especially with e-learning being more of a concept. There needs to be less encouragement towards perfect attendance as that isn't the healthiest behavior. 

See you all next week!

The Deck at 260 Volume 53

Back after a six day layoff and transitioning to another work shift. Gaffney Homecoming is on the horizon (which we will be discussing, Halloween in 2 weeks)  

Aja v Moore, Homecoming battle, Buffie the Body, Doing Life, Clover v Lake Wylie, roller coasters

A'ja Wilson won her 3rd consecutive league MVP and fifth overall. She won't win a WNBA championship this season but now the GOAT talk intensifies with the likes of Cheryl Swoopes, Maya Moore, etc (CC and Angel Reese haven't been playing long enough yet, give them time). 

Gaffney Homecoming (Gaffney's birthday) is this week/weekend. It's always a huge event that spans 2-3 days. It has even prompted the city of Gaffney to require those having adjoining cookouts within town limits to obtain a permit from the city (another topic). It's always a debate whether who in SC has the better high school Homecoming: Gaffney or Wilson? It seems it depends whether you're from the Upstate or the Pee Dee. I debated with two Gaffney guys I knew (and a woman I had never met). I brought in a source: someone that had worked in both areas. Now what started as a good natured debate nearly turned ugly. I will just say this, you can like what you want to like (especially since it's your school). However my brain has a difficult time processing the words "no high school Homecoming is better than ours." Don't worry Gaffney faithful, I tell Wilson folks this also. I hope to make it to a Wilson Homecoming next year or soon after because I truly enjoy Gaffney's Homecoming.  I am just not going to say it's the best Homecoming. Best in football or peaches, you have numbers to back that claim up. 

2000s video vixen Buffie the Body has come out basically saying she concealed her age during her modeling era and actually is in her 60s perhaps 50s at youngest. I want to know why everyone is pressed about that interview? Buffie is still a social media and YouTube sensation with her workouts and landscaping (fully clothed these days and happily married). This isn't whether or not Buffie said that to get her former audience's attention.  It's whether or not you were tuning in and why does her age matter? 

Netflix/Tyler Perry seem to be on a streak that may last the remainder of the year. Doing Life was one of those movies I might pay to see in the theater and I watched it twice. It makes a person believe in love again despite loose storyline holes. I would definitely like to see a sequel since Carousel and Anika became such a great couple. It's awesome when two folks can let their "hands off the brakes", and follow their hearts. 

The most exciting part about the weekend in my area had to be the inaugural Clover/Lake Wylie football game. I had a competing priority or I would have been there. To see the community come together through the pictures and videos was beautiful. The town of Clover is so near and dear to my heart and Lake Wylie has grown so much the past 20 years.  I cannot wait until both teams are more evenly matched and we have games like we see in Rock Hill and Spartanburg.  

I have been dropping a lot of weight the past year but I am still not below 300 yet. That means I haven't ridden a roller coaster since 2019. Given how often the rides at Carowinds stay broken down (a friend of #imjustdrew Josh Erwin actually got stuck on a roller coaster back in the summer) and the recent death of the man at Six Flags Over Georgia I can wait on the roller coasters. I am excited to get back into the 200s but I'll hold off on riding these rides. 

Ok although I will be working I will give a recap of Gaffney Homecoming.  Hopefully I can do it in a civil manner because I know folks will be cutting up on and off social media. 

The Deck at 260: Volume 51 (October is here)

There's no debating what my favorite month of the year is. Here we go with an exciting 4 weeks! 

-Shane Beamer

- High School Football

- Christina Pike

- Lindsay Clancy (again)

- Fair season

- MLB playoffs

- Blacksburg small town support

Ok this one is fresh off the press. I was just thinking also when Steve Spurrier's run was over and how he stepped down to avoid the inevitable. While I'm watching Clemson v Miami and Dabo is far from being out of the woods, Shane Beamer is underachieving higher. 3 straight SEC losses now, the latest allowing Kentucky to rally at home. I think it's time for Dabo, Beamer and Sellars to all hang it up.  

High school football is also heating up as every team is now in region play. Gaffney is in probably their most favorite region slate in decades. Blacksburg's is favorable for the size but not the travel. Gaffney will need to avoid letdowns so they can play at home in the playoffs as much as possible.  Blacksburg will need to keep up the momentum going into the finale against Fairfield Central. Clover v Lake Wylie is this week. It's one of the games I want to see real bad. It's also my 30th year high school reunion (can't miss that). 

Christina Pike is a WTHeck story.  She beats lethal injection twice and is now on a ventilator.  If she does get off the vent, does the death penalty debate go on further? In Pike's case she dehydrated herself, turned down her last meal. Medical professionals are saying that thickened her veins allowing the poison to not infect her. 

Lindsay Clancy is turning out to be a trial of the century. I'm here for this as it appears the husband definitely did it, is already remarried with a child on the way. Notice when I talk about about how crooked the justice system is I do go beyond race. I place extra emphasis when it's a racial matter. In this case, Clancy's husband has a much superior lawyer. 

Fair season is here, I've been to the Cleveland County Fair and it's still the best fair around. Only debate is do you go at day or night? For me the fair is always best at night although during the day on a weekday you don't see many people. I'm just glad I'm keeping this tradition going for myself. 

The MLB playoffs roll on as the Atlanta Braves are still in it. I want them to beat the Dodgers so bad. We owned them in the regular season but Shotani wasn't at his best. Now our bullpen is thin. 

Ok Parkin Latte in Blacksburg had a promotion in partnership with El Vacquerito across the street between 9am-11am to give away free coffee.  Mind you, Parkin Latte's slowest time have been after 9am and there have been talks from ownership on pulling the plug on the Blacksburg location and focusing on Clover. National Coffee Day is another indicator. Parkin had 215 customers between 9-11am. I think one of the staff said they do good to get 40 in that normal time frame.  It's definitely not the hours in Blacksburg, it's a failure to show support. I promise you if/when businesses like Parkin Latte go due to this, the locals will not hear the end of it from me. 

Until next week!