The Farewell Tour - Sunday Edition

This is a big week here in the USA, today is a National Holiday honoring the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tuesday, America officially gets a new leader that brings renewed hope and vigor to a nation sorely in need of both, President Barack Obama.

On a much lesser note, Wednesday marks the end of the Farewell Tour as I fly to London for two days before landing in Catania, Sicilia, Italia (Eatalia?) Saturday evening.

To recap Sunday's Tour Events...

Dr. David and Gayle Hicks

"Physician Heal Thyself"

Gayle, Laurie's sister, and David drove up from Santa Ana in Orange County to visit and get travel tips for their first vacation to 'The Boot" this spring.  Unfortunately, David wound up feeling ill and had to lay down for most of the visit.

David was out of commission but Mike, Vanessa, Laurie and I proceeded to give all of our ideas to Gayle on the essentials for their first taste of Italy.

We look forward to their visit to Sicily at the end of their journey from Venice, Florence and Rome.

Hope you feel better today David.

Getting in the Mood

Sunday was also a day to work on packing for Sicily and watching both of the NFL's NFC and AFC championship games.

Though on a commercial break when this picture was taken, we were riveted by the Chicago-St. Louis-Phoenix-Arizona Cardinals' (this is why I like college football more than pro football, your college team NEVER moves or changes names) 32-25 come from behind after being way ahead victory over the Philadelphia Eagles to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLIII on February 1 in Tampa Bay.

In order to watch the AFC championship game we would have to switch venues and move to Chuy's Mexican restaurant to engage in a very large Tour stop.

Gonzalo "GONZO" Rodriguez

Head Coach, Rio Mesa Girls Calcio Team

"Forza Spartans!"

Watching the AFC game on Chuy's multiple TV screens

Sixteen of us with Rio Mesa H.S. ties showed up for another round of food, football and friendship.  It was a great to see everyone one more time before leaving.

The AFC game was a good one too as the Pittsburgh Steelers outlasted the Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens (yes they both moved AND changed their nickname) 23-14.

Today's NFL Trivia Question: In 1970, after a decade of fighting, the upstart American Football League's ten teams merged with the older, more established National Football League's 16 teams to form the current NFL.  The NFL split into two Conferences, the American and the National.  To make the Conferences equal in number, 13 each, the Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore-Indianapolis Colts (yet another infamous moving franchise) and the Pittsburgh Steelers joined the new AFC from the old NFL.

Now for the question, with the Chicago-St. Louis-Phoenix-Arizona Cardinals earning a spot in their first ever Super Bowl yesterday, only two other of 1970 franchises that merged still have not played in a Super Bowl.  Can you name them?

The answer is at the end of this post...NO FAIR PEEKING!

Kathy DeVera, Koreen FitzGerald and Laurie

Even Tanner Wrout made a

Special Guest Appearance!

Many of you have been clamoring for updates on Tanner's progress since the end of the Freshman football season.  School is going well for him, he is performing at a very high level on the Frosh-Soph basketball team and the chicks dig him!

Lori, Tanner and Jeff Wrout

I can't thank these three people enough for making the 8-2 2008 Frosh football season such an interesting experience.  The Oxnard game... WOW!

A BIG thanks to Mike, Vanessa, Laurie, Brian and Koreen FitzGerald, Gonzo and Pam Rodriguez, Joe Mollica, Ben Todd, Kathy DeVera, Yen Lam, Marlene Mahan, Jeff, Lori and Tanner Wrout for all of their friendship and support!

Connie and Gino Milano

Owners of Camarillo's Cucina Isabella

The Milanos are building a Bed and Breakfast in the Sicilian hill top town of Enna about an hour west of Catania.  Gino just got back last week from a trip to Sicily. 

The Cucuina Isabella is a great little italian restaurant that is located across the parking lot from Chuys so we just had to go over and include them in the Farewell Tour.

Today's NFL Trivia Answer: Only the New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions from the original 26 franchises involved in the 1970 NFL-AFL merger teams have failed to play in at least one of the 43 Super Bowls.

2009 Catania Elephants Schedule - Revision #1

The Catania Elephants vs. the Ancona Dolphins in 2008

The IFL has published a revised schedule with two date changes for the Elephants from what we posted originally.  Also the kickoff times are now listed.

2009 Catania Elephants Schedule

 

Sun., March 22, at Ancona Dolphins  3:00 p.m.

Sun., March 29, at Bergamo Lions  2:30 p.m.

Sun., April 5, Bologna Warriors  3:00 p.m.

Sun., April 12, BYE

Sun., April 19, Reggio Emilia Hogs  3:00 p.m.

Sun., April 26, Bolzano Giants  3:00 p.m.

Sat., May 2, at Bologna Doves  8:30 p.m.

Sun., May 10, Parma Panthers  3:00 p.m.

Sun., May 17, BYE

Sun., May 24, at Milan Rhinos  3:00 p.m.

Sun., May 31, Lazio Marines  3:00 p.m.

Sat. & Sun., June 20 & 21, IFL Semi-Final Games

Sun., June 28, IFL Super Bowl Game

 

As with all things Italian, this schedule just yearns to be changed a few more times in the upcoming months.

I'll be in Catania this Saturday, WOW how the time has flown!!!

The Tracy Family and Buca di Beppo

From left to right:

George and Laurie Contreras,

Mike and Molly Tracy and their son

Luke Tracy who will be the

Catania Elephants signal caller in 2009.

We met the Tracys today for lunch at the Buca di Beppo in Santa Monica for what turned out to be a VERY Sicilian lunch that lasted for 3 1/2 hours!

Of course the main topic of discussion was our upcoming campaign and what was in store for Luke in Catania.  We covered every detail and answered every question that all five of us could come up with while still having a delightful time.

Laurie and I left the restaurant both feeling very positive about Luke and that we have the right guy to lead us in 2009.

In a related issue, our defensive back, Larry Atkinson arrived in Catania yesterday.  Wide receiver Claudio Mangano reports that he was quickly welcomed into the fold with an evening of fun and frivolity at Fundo Bianco.  The Fundo's owner, Atillio, was reportedly in rare form with his usual fire and drink show.

WELCOME TO THE ELEPHANTS, LARRY!

Farewell Tour Year Two

Shi Young Kim, Martha Jimenez-Ito

and Laurie Contreras

at

Cafe Firenze

563 West Los Angeles Avenue

Moorpark, California

805-532-0048

Friday night marked the beginning of the Second Annual George Contreras Farewell Tour.  This year's festivities will cover only a relatively short five day period as opposed to the inaugural two week shindig last year.

The first round of these deeply appreciated gestures was a small one with Martha, on her home court in Moorpark, and our "adopted daughter" Shi Young.  One of the interesting developments of aging has been the many wonderful ladies that I now have as true friends not just acquaintances.  As a youth who attended an all boys Catholic high school it took me a VERY long time to get over my shyness around the members of this fascinating gender.  It turns out that I really like them... GO FIGURE!

Cafe Firenze is a top notch Italian (there's that word again) restaurant whose main chef and owner is featured on national top chef competition on TV's Food Channel.

Penne Arabiata was my choice and I was not disappointed.  They also serve a rather interesting balsamic martini that sounds nasty but is quite good.

These last few days and meetings are the really hard part about coaching in Catania, the knowledge that for six months you will not be able to see your family and friends and share their joys and tough times up close and personal.

Of course the opposite is also true in that I get to reunite with my Sicilian friends and share in their lives.

Bittersweet times indeed!

The "Tour" has two stops today, the first one in Santa Monica to have lunch with our new Catania QB Luke Tracy and his parents (Buca di Beppo and YES it is an Italian restaurant) followed by an evening in San Marino to visit my mother, Chuny, and my aunt Katy.

Ferraro's Restaurant and "The Godfather"

Every Thursday night, the Regency Theatre in Ventura reserves one of its six screens to show a classic movie instead of one of their normal, first run pictures.

Last night's Classic-of-the-Week was "The Godfather".  How could we resist?

The Real Sicilian Town of Corleone

The town in "The Godfather" where Michael Corleone meets Apollonia Vitelli who will become his first wife.

Because Corleone was too developed for Francis Ford Coppola's tastes, he used the town of Savoca near Taormina to represent the city of Corleone.

What a great scene at the cafe when Michael's two body guards are unknowingly talking to Apollonia's father about the beautiful girl that struck Michael "like a thunderbolt" when he first saw her.  I love that after the father gets angry and Michael and the bodyguards realize their offending unintentional disrespect, Michael apologizes and smoothes things over WITH RESPECT.  The part I really like is when Apollonia's father realizes the now respectful gravity of the situation, how he subtly pulls up his suspenders thus returning the respect to young Michael.  I'm sure Michael's death threat didn't hurt.

Special thanks to Claudio Mangano, a.k.a. Michael Corleone, and Roberta Dantona for both responding quickly to the question of what Michael and Apollonia were passing out to their wedding guests out of a spoon.  It was traditional Sicilian candy made of almonds dipped in chocolate and covered with a hard sugar coating known as confetti.  Different colored sugar coatings are used to celebrate different events... white for weddings, sky blue for the birth of a boy, pink for a baby girl, red for graduation, etc.

Corleone in the Distance, June 2008

Corleone Up Close

The Traditional City Map of Corleone

I couldn't find the Vitelli's Cafe on it, maybe with Laurie's help this year we'll find it.

They still have horses in Corleone.

"Liberty and Justice"

The town's motto is permanently posted on Corleone's City Hall

A Great Italian (What Else?) Dinner

To get us into the proper mood, we joined Brian and Koreen FitzGerald for a pre-movie Italian dinner at another classic, Ferraro's restaurant.

I have only seen this film one time from start to finish. That was in a theatre in Santa Barbara in 1972 when "The Godfather" first came out.  Of course, I have since seen various different scenes from it on TV over the years but never again, until last night, the whole thing.

WHAT A MOVIE!!!  First, I think you have to see it in a theatre to get the full effect that Francis Ford Coppola wanted for the viewers.  Incredible story telling and, of course, it is packed with so many key phrases that are now part of the fabric of American linguistics.

"Leave the gun, take the cannoli."

Rio Mesa Wrestling

Wednesday night I joined Brian and Koreen FitzGerald to watch Rio Mesa's wrestling team compete in a thriller against Channel Islands H.S.

One-on-One

The beauty of this sport is "NO EXCUSES"!  It is always you vs. one opponent.

The gym lights go off as they turn out the single mat light to create this eerie scene for combat.  The gym is packed with now faceless fans yelling encouragement out of the darkness.  As they wrestle, EVERYTHING falls on the individual wrestler's shoulders.  You don't have the luxury of blamimg disaster on a receiver dropping a pass, a point guard missing a shot at the buzzer or a batter striking out with the bases loaded.  It is ALL about you and what you are made of!

I REALLY like wrestling and wish that every lineman and linebacker took up the sport, it would make them far better football players.

You Have To Be Quick To Win!

Final Score: Channel Islands 33 - Rio Mesa 32

A tough loss for the home team but a lot of great action for all in attendance.

Being a Tourist in Los Angeles

Our son Michael had the day off today so we decided to have last full day together before I go back to Catania next week...

Time to once again be...

"A Tourist in Your Own Town"!

But First... Dick Bellman and Betty Bright

Seen here at a holiday get together in December of 2007 

It IS the second Monday of the month, so at 8:00 a.m., a group of retired educators from Rio Mesa H.S. held our monthly meeting to catch up on each others lives.

Dick spearheads this monthly breakfast at Camarillo's "Eggs and Things" restaurant.  We purposely convene at this hour because we know that many of our former teaching pals are just starting their new work week at this hour... SWEET!

The big news of the day was that Betty Bright got engaged during the holidays to her long time beau Al Martinez.  Two REALLY nice people, they plan to get hitched in April.

CONGRATULATIONS!

After a light breakfast, well, light for me at least, I picked up Michael and we started our trek to L.A. just in time to come upon a BAD accident on the Ventura Freeway that closed down the road in both directions for 30 minutes!

By the time we got to downtown Los Angeles it was about 12:30 p.m. and Michael had not eaten yet so we just HAD to find him some sustenance!

Pink's Hot Dogs

709 N. La Brea Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90038

http://www.pinkshollywood.com/

A Los Angeles gastronomic landmark since 1939, I have forever heard of Pink's but had never consumed one... until today!

But Which One?

It turned out that Pink's has a rather extensive menu

"Two Brooklyn Pastrami-Swiss Cheese Dogs, Please."

"Oh, and we'd like two Cream Sodas to go with that also, thank you."

Fully sated, we realized that we were only about 10 minutes from one of the newest high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District which is of much interest to our family.

The Miguel Contreras Learning Center

Michael poses in front of the MCLC's gymnasium.  The high school is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and is named after a deceased American labor leader with strong ties to the United Farm Workers Union made famous by Caesar Chavez.

The Athletic Home of the Contreras Cobras!

No water in their impressive Olympic sized pool and a dirt track that only measures 390 meters, not the standard 400 meters but they have Field Turf and nice stands.

The Inaugural Contreras Cobra

Football Team

You HAVE to love their choice of helmet design, I know I do!!!

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

(LACMA)

Next up, CULTURE as we spent a few hours at LACMA.

From the American Art Exhibit

Post World War I German Poster Art

This reminds me, Laurie and I need to be sure that all of our shots are up to date before we go to Sicily.

This looked INTERESTING...

They use VERY harsh measures here if you commit a stupid penalty.

And I thought the old Fontana H.S. "Slap" was extreme...

Superman vs. Montezuma

In the Latin American Art section, you would think that the Aztec King would have learned to pick his battles a little better after that skirmish with Cortes.

1925, Diego Rivera's "Flower Day"

"Lux Sit"

The Textures of LACMA

Culture makes me hungry, how about you?

Canter's Fairfax Restaurant,

Delicatessen, Bakery and

Kibitz Room Bar

419 N. Fairfax Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

http://cantersdeli.com/

http://www.seeing-stars.com/Dine2/Canters.shtml

Opened in 1931 in the Boyle Heights area (East L.A.), Canter's moved to its current Fairfax location in 1953.  The Fairfax district is the heart of the Jewish community in Los Angeles, where else would you want your deli?.

When they were still in Boyle Heights my Mom and Dad would often go there for their great pastrami sandwiches.  Who are we to stop this family tradition now that they have moved?

It should be noted that in their famous Kibitz Room Bar, I once saw Rio Mesa H.S. counselor Paul Johnson once play in a band.  Slash from Guns and Roses has played in this very room over the years as well!

  

And I thought Pink's had a large menu...

Michael tries a Chocolate Egg Cream,

Supposedly Jewish Mafia Leader,

Meyer Lansky's

Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beverage

It was damn good!

Is it possible to have too much pastrami in one day?

Across the street from Canter's is an old time, open air news stand.

These precursors to Border's and the like, are now rare but they used to be all over the landscape of Los Angeles.  I can remember going with my Dad at night after he got home from work and driving to one to see what was new in print.

My favorite one is still open in Hollywood across from Micheli's Italian Restaurant on Las Palmas Ave. in Hollywood.  It was right around the corner of the Egyptian Theater where we saw "Ben Hur" in 1958.  What a movie, what a venue!

What a GREAT day, soaking up the old home town with Michael before going back to Sicily!

Catholicism, Never a Dull Moment

Santa Clara Catholic Church

Oxnard, California

Saturday Laurie and I went with our son Michael to meet with Father Mike Grieco at the church, pictured above, where Mike and Vanessa will be married in August.

The purpose of this soiree was for us, as Michael's parents, to swear under oath with one hand on a Bible (honest) that Michael has never previously been married. The answer was no to the best of our knowledge.

Additionally, Father Mike wanted to know if there was any reason that we could think of why they should not get married.  Quickly thinking about the 29 WONDERFUL years that Laurie and I have shared (not bad out of nearly 38 years of marriage) the answer was again a solid NO.

Vanessa and her parents, Tito and Liduvina, had gone through the same intense grilling with Father Mike before us.

Afterwards the six of us had yet another fine dining experience at La Dolce Vita restaurant in Oxnard's Heritage Square which consists of several perfectly restored Victorian homes that are now various types of businesses.

Why does everything good always come back to food, family and friends?