This week’s dining suggestion (see back story in Jan. 1 TBRR) is again a little off the charts but your HB (Humble Blogger) and IW (Incredible Wife) jaunt out to Countryside Mall this time of year – not to shop (we’re early shoppers) but to watch shoppers with their treasures while enjoying one of many offerings of the mall’s food court - people watching at its best.

Hillsborough teachers in a dilemma

It’s easy to see both sides of the problems in the Hillsborough School System. Teachers were talking of “working to their contract” – in other words doing what is laid out in their agreement and nothing more. That means no after school conferences or phone calls and no grading papers at home. As one retired educator who we deeply respect said, that only hurts the kids not the nincompoops who employ the teachers (the last part our words, not hers). Teachers routinely work ridiculous hours, reach into their pockets for needed classroom supplies; but don’t harm the kids in your effort’s to get the rate of pay to which you’re entitled. But do everything in your power to get rid of the cancer that is the Hillsborough County School Board – the folks who should have been kicked to the curb in the last election.

Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. Senator Bill Nelson tells us the tax reform bill working its way through Congress will harm small business. Nelson has fed at the public trough for over forty years. What he knows about small business could be printed on a 3x5 index card with space left over.

2. The Florida Gators lost a big fan and country music legend with Mel Tillis’ passing last week.

3. The fight world, the bay area and Ybor City, in particular, are mourning the passing of Dr. Ferdie Pacheco at age 89. He might have been best known for his role in Muhammad Ali’s corner, but the depth of his existence far surpassed that.

4. Publix is sticking to its story that the new two story Island Estates store will be open on Thursday, December 7. Stay tuned.

5. Stolen from attorney Alan Gassman’s Thanksgiving week newsletter: Happy Thanksgiving; don’t forget to set your scales back ten pounds tonight.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. Danica Patrick will retire from racing after next year’s Indy 500. Exercising a Herculean amount of restraint, we report this without comment.

7. Takeaways from NFL Week 11 – and you thought the Bucs were inept. And how ‘bout those Eagles! In the AFC – same old, same old - the road to the Super Bowl will go through New England and Pittsburgh.

8. It is sad to see three very proud franchises utterly lost. The 49ers (Walsh, Montana, Rice), the Giants (Coughlin, Gifford, Taylor) and the Browns (Paul Brown, Jim Brown, Graham) are a combined 3-28 this season. It should be noted the Browns share the name only. The team comprised of the greats above was moved to Baltimore in 1996 by the infamous Art Modell who not only moved a beloved franchise but fired perhaps the greatest coach in NFL history – Bill Belichick – there’s a legacy!

9. Factoid: the top five groups by record sales and airplay of the rock era are The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Temptations and Chicago. Quite a list, although we were a bit surprised the Supremes and the 4 Seasons didn’t make it.

10. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you dined at the Sandy’s hamburger restaurant on Missouri Avenue just south of Cleveland Street. Sandy’s, a chain started by some former McDonald’s franchisees, was bought out by Hardees in the early 70s and the Clearwater store closed shortly thereafter.

So long to Little E; good but not his Dad

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has hung up his racing gloves after 19 seasons and 26 wins on NASCAR’s biggest circuit – his wins are roughly one-third the number his late father posted on the circuit to go with seven championships. Dale Jr. will go down as one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers ever, but not one of the elite. His 26 wins rank him 29^th all time. The generally accepted top five of NASCAR are, in no particular order, Bobby Allison, Dale, Sr., Jeff Gordon, David Pearson and Richard Petty with honorable mention to Jimmy Johnson, Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough. And wasn’t it refreshing to see a smaller operation team win NASCAR’s top prize? Congratulations to Martin Truex, Jr. and the Furniture Row team.

SNEAK PEEK AT NEXT WEEK: Parking going up and Brian, Burt, Carole and Neil