Mr. Clougherty and I have known each other since I started high school in the mid-1990’s. He was initially my math teacher but eventually, he took me under his wing when he accepted the role of high school swimming coach at Hempfield during my sophomore year of high school. I graduated in 2000 and was off to college that fall. Life may have gotten busy for both of us, but our friendship never suffered because of the distance. I occasionally came to visit him at practice and he has always talked me up to his freshman swimmers, even to the point of asking them their birthdays (one of my special tricks).
Since 2013, Mr. Clougherty and I have begun our own tradition of meeting once a month for dinner. We always got together once his swimming season came to a close. We’ve usually eaten dinner at the more family friendly joints, like Eat’n Park and Kings; however, we let our hair down and eat at some of the bar and grill type places too, like Applebee’s and Chili’s.
2023 began yet another season of what I’d like to now call the “Dinner Series”. We kicked it off at Oliver’s Pourhouse at the beginning of May. We’ve met here many times for dinner and we enjoy it, plus Kevin and I have been served by a few of his present and former swimmers. Our most memorable meal this year took place at EDO Hibachi in August. Located in the former Buffalo Wild Wings, this place is amazing and you get to watch your food being cooked and you see flames as well. It was a front row seat to the action and we had the tickets for it. It was my second time eating there and it was just as good as the first time.
For my birthday dinner, we ate at Burgatory just as we did in years prior. There we picked a day to attend a Pittsburgh Pirates game. Kevin has always listened as I ranted and this time was no different. I told him about the negativity towards Dylan Mulvaney which was bringing me down and he assured me that everything would work out in the end. Every time I eat at Burgatory, I always order my own custom burger and a shake from the menu. When we went to the Pirate game in August, we enjoyed a pregame meal at Primanti’s in Market Square.
For years, I got the opportunity to attend water polo on Christmas Eve at the high school. All of the former alumni came to visit and catch up with their former coach. The swimmers would have some fun after morning practice before Kevin read the Night Before Christmas. This was a long standing tradition that for me would come to an end when COVID hit in 2020 and my schedule would change a few years later as I took on a new position working at Giant Eagle. Water polo was scheduled last Christmas but was cancelled due to the cold weather Christmas Eve morning.
Kevin (Mr. Clougherty) always fills me in on all things swim team related as well as high school and Hempfield related. I got the shock of my life when I found out that Harrold was closing and Hempfield would be down to two middle (junior high) schools. While the high school would begin phase one of its construction, ninth graders would attend the former Harrold Middle School. It’s bittersweet for me because I grew up with this school, having attended in the mid-1990’s. But, the district is shrinking and there’s no need for three middle schools. Hopefully, Kevin can teach in the new Hempfield and coach in the new pool before he retires.
Our Dinner Series came to a close on October 26 at Kings, but we will be back to eating out next Spring. We’ll celebrate a big birthday as well.
Stylish 🍒 