Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

This is your second annual reminder that January 6 is Epiphany, or Little Christmas, or the twelfth day of Christmas, or Three Kings Day - depending on who you ask.

If you ask me it’s Three Kings Day, or to be more true to my heritage, El Dia de los Reyes.

The traditions vary from country to country, but the basic idea in most Hispanic countries is the same: three magi - traditionally named Melchor, Balthazar and Gaspar (no relation to our favorite fake pirate) - bring gifts to everyone much like they brought gifts for the baby Jesus (myrrh not required). Much like the milk and cookies left for Santa Claus, children are supposed to leave grass or hay for the magi’s camels to eat during their long day of delivering presents.

Of course sometimes it’s adults too, and you better believe my family of two 26-year olds will be participating. My wife, with nary a Hispanic leaf in her family tree, has taken very well to the tradition, if only as another chance to exercise her generous heart with more gift-giving.

It’s probably too late for you to gather up some gifts and grass, but you can still amble on over to Centennial Park in Ybor City between 11 AM and 5 PM for the Three Kings Day Festival, brought to you by the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce Gulf Coast of Florida. There will be a toy collection, along with the expected live music. And we know our music.

I do apologize for the eleventh-hour notice - finding grass or hay is a chore when you live in a suburban townhouse.

Overheard, a response to a woman’s comment about being from Pasco County:

But I ain’t from no Wesley Chapel - I’m from New Port Richey!

The comment is not in the context of the original conversation, but I assure you it makes as much sense now.

I do spend most Sunday afternoons in Wesley Chapel, but I rarely leave my in-laws’ home; I don’t think I’ve been to New Port Richey in five years. For those reasons I don’t feel qualified to decipher exactly what was meant by the comment.

Sticks of Fire is a firm believer in the One Bay, One Love concept, an idea that should extend beyond the traditional, traditionally silly Tampa/St. Pete rivalry.

That being said, can anyone shed any light on this apparent tension? Is this a sign of a brewing Battle for Pasco, or shall I chalk it up to Things People Say?

The USF Bulls had 80 offensive plays last year in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, with none of them resulting in points.

It took one offensive play this year for walk-on running back Benjamin Williams to pick up the Bulls’ first ever points in a bowl game en route to a 24-7 win in the Papajohns.com Bowl. Congrats to the Bulls on their first ever bowl victory!

Williams had a good game with two touchdowns, but the game belonged to the Bulls front seven: six sacks, several batted balls, 56 yards rushing allowed. The only real blemish for the defense was in the secondary, allowing several 3rd-and-long conversions including the only points for ECU.

Best of all, only twice were the Bulls referred to by another school’s name (one Florida, on Florida State though those were hardly the only mistakes made by a D-list ESPN broadcast crew). With this win USF could put the school’s name in a lot of other people’s minds - a top-25 ranking to end the season is a real possibility.

And what better way to celebrate a successful season than a fun dinner? Some pizza, perhaps. Anyone know of a place?

Screw it, I’m going out for Thai.

What do you get when you put two directional schools in a December bowl game sponsored by a pizza online ordering service?

A USF Bulls victory.

I say that to avoid what are likely the more popular punchlines: a reason to mow the lawn, a reason to order from Pizza Hut, and so on (I for one think it beats playing in Idaho on blue turf).

I also say that because I have yet to find a remotely qualified prediction of the Papajohns.com Bowl that fails to name USF as the winner.

Yes, USF is playing an East Carolina Pirates team against which they are 3-0 lifetime. Yes, East Carolina plays in the conference USF outgrew just a few years ago.

But this is a pretty good East Carolina team. They beat two ACC opponents; that’s a pretty weak compliment this season, but it does at least show they’re capable of beating someone other than UCF. Their pass defense is capable of creating turnovers, a trait that will come in handy against a freshman quarterback.

East Carolina will likely be the best pirate-themed football you’ll see this weekend.

But USF is still the solid favorite. The Bulls have three Freshman All-Americans, three First Team All-Big East, and clearly the better team colors.

My own Bulls predictions have been pretty lousy this year, but I remain prognostically undaunted: USF 31, ECU 17.

One of the many things I left behind when I moved out of Tampa city limits and into Temple Terrace (distance moved - 6 miles) was Mayor Pam Iorio’s pet project, the Tampa Riverwalk (turn down the sound if you don’t want Pam to talk to you).

Of course urban renewal is not an easy thing to outrun. Temple Terrace has its own slowly-developing revitalization project, in which developers have offered countless proposals for residents to live that sweet, sweet life.

If your patience for the Riverwalk to move into the tangible phase has grown thin - or for those in opposition, patience for an official abandoning of the project - it’s time to pull up a chair.

This from the City of Temple Terrace’s site:

The original town plan for Temple Terrace, created in 1922, was a model of town planning in its day. Between 1923 and 1925 during the land boom, streets were paved, storm sewers installed, and a well was drilled to tap spring water…

The stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression caused the City to fall upon hard times. The plan that developers originally had for Temple Terrace was never fully realized.

84 years and counting.

According to the Master Plan, talk of a Riverwalk has been around since the 1970s. So despite all that talk about 2010, don’t expect any real progress until the middle of the century.

By then most Tampans will be old enough to move to Temple Terrace (sorry, it’s just too easy). Don’t despair - how often can you get a zoning hearing and fresh tomatoes in one stop?

When the wife and I bought a townhouse a few weeks ago, our commitment was not only financial - we commited ourselves to the Tampa Bay area for at least a sizeable amount of time.

How am I feeling about that commitment? After being wholly absorbed by the house for many days, I got a chance to enjoy the city in two very distinct ways this past weekend. I’m happy to report that it is indeed worth leaving the house from time to time.

As much as I’d like to deny it, there’s more to life than a T-shirt and jeans. Of course it’s much easier to suffer through a suit and tie when you’ve downed your third free scotch-and-soda, watching Betty Castor, Jim Leavitt and other Tampa luminaries performing variations of the same.

That was my Saturday night at USF’s 50th-anniversary gala at the Hyatt Regency.

There was very little actual reason for me to be among the revelers; there was definitely very little reason for me to be seated at the table directly to the right of President Judy Genshaft’s table.

And yet that was precisely where I was, front and center to enjoy a fabulous meal, as well as the evening’s entertainment provided by USF alum Quentin Earl Darrington.

The cynic in me couldn’t hold a smirk when Darrington, class of 2004, mentioned that he first set foot on USF’s campus as a freshman in 1996. I’m sure many in attendance told U Stay Forever jokes to themselves, but the jokes ended when Darrington began to sing.

He took the night out, receiving the evening’s only standing ovation and daring you to make fun of an education that clearly served him well; he’s already played the lead in Ragtime:The Musical, and he’ll be joining the first touring production of The Color Purple next year.

Indeed my sense of not belonging was heightened by the presence of many other distinguished USF alumni, including NBC News’ Kerry Sanders, who was the master of ceremonies. But unless she didn’t merit a mention during the ceremony, I never saw Mayor Pam Iorio, who received a master’s from USF (not to mention Iorio was an indirect recipient of that $3.2 billion annual impact the school has on the Bay area).

After the gala ended, I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman in the valet line - the USC-UCLA game, USF’s like bowl scenario, the long valet line. He took several glances towards the back of the line during our conversation, eventually explaining that his wife was back there somewhere. His wife did arrive several minutes later, along with the other couple that rode to the gala with them - Mr. and Mrs. Sam Gibbons.

Before the Gibbons and friends stepped into their car, Mrs. Gibbons and I agreed that it had indeed been a lovely evening. My car followed soon after; I drove home and promptly changed into a T-shirt.

When the wife and I bought a townhouse a few weeks ago, our commitment was not only financial - we commited ourselves to the Tampa Bay area for at least a sizeable amount of time.

How am I feeling about that commitment? After being wholly absorbed by the house for many days, I got a chance to enjoy the city in two very distinct ways this past weekend. I’m happy to report that it is indeed worth leaving the house from time to time.

The members of The Hold Steady hail mostly from Minneapolis and New York; for that reason it’s rather conspicuous that singer/lyricist Craig Finn drops the name Ybor City in two of the band’s three albums.

Whatever the details of the connection, it became very obvious at last Thursday’s show at the Orpheum that the band is quite enamored of our cigar-turned-party-turning-family district. I can scarcely remember a band more sincerely in love with their audience.

But who could blame them? The audience was every bit in love with them. There were real fans in attendance - singing along to every last word, air-drumming to each and every fill. They swung their bottles and glasses in the air, especially when Ybor City popped into the lyrics.

Maybe it was the relief that a real rock band had taken the stage after middle act The Big Sleep, which apparently left their songs back home in NYC and instead settled for numbing grooves adorned with tacky sound effects (my apologies to Scott Harrell’s Nessie - I don’t have the patience for a three-act bill). At least we all were given the opportunity to amble to the bar, where the Orpheum bar poured Stella, Bass and other brews with loving efficiency.

And maybe it was all that alcohol that made everyone so darned giddy. Of course the most enthusiastic fans in the crowd were clearly missing the 21-and-over wristbands; that didn’t stop them from dancing spirit-slain during every song and encore. Even while I was ducking their swinging elbows and fists, I couldn’t help but wish I still had the shameless energy necessary to give in that completely. When you guys are old enough, I’ll buy you a beer.

The Orpheum deserves a lot of credit for the great vibe on Thursday. Tucked away on Eighth Avenue - away from the hubbub of clubbers and cops on Seventh - the Orpheum lets you forgot for several hours the Ioriofying of Ybor. If noise and flowing liquor are being frowned upon these days, you’d never know it dancing on that beer-soaked floor.

But of course it doesn’t happen without the band. The Hold Steady’s gracious performance ended with Finn lifting crowd members onto the stage, even handing one fan his guitar so he could mingle unimpeded. You could see why the band has been in Ybor twice in less than a year, why they just can’t help but sing about it.

If they keep putting out albums, you can count on them coming through town again; we’ll all be all the better for it.

Today marks the end of the 2006 hurricane season. Hurrah!

Alberto and Ernesto gave everyone some tense moments, but this was largely a calm season. Now most of us have been left with a great amount of good fortune; those that prepared for far worse also have pantry full of hurricane supplies.

As it turns out most people don’t need that much good fortune or canned corn, so why not pass it along to those in dire need of both? Tampa Bay Harvest and Metropolitan Ministries are two local charities that will be thrilled to distribute your surplus food to people in need.

If anyone knows of any other organizations in the area looking for food donations (particularly for the holidays), please leave some details in the comments.