Jan. 12-15: Memphis, Tenn.

I flew to Memphis Thursday morning for the winter meeting of the SPJ Executive Committee. On the way into the city from the airport, I had to pay my respects to Elvis through a visit to Graceland. I did the whole tour, cars, airplanes, house and the works. Then, I had dinner Thursday night with Ron Spielberger and his wife. Ron is executive director of College Media Advisers, and we wanted to discuss the situation at Ocean County College, where the newspaper adviser was replaced after 35 years.

Friday, Terry Harper, Clint Brewer and I had lunch with Chris Peck, editor of the Commercial Appeal. The fare was Cajun, and Chris was very gracious, agreeing to support SPJ in his newsroom and keynote the regional conference.

In the afternoon, I played hookey and visited Sun Studios. It was a spiritual experience to stand in the small room where so many famous muisicans made their first recordings. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins were among them. We had dinner -- Memphis barbecue, of course -- at the Rendezvous, my second trip to the famous alleyway barbecue joint in two days.

Saturday, the executive committee met from 9 a.m. to nearly 5 p.m. in a plush conference room at the Commercial Appeal building. Dinner was at a Brazilian place serving all-you-can-eat meat, a churrascarea, if you will, called Texas de Brazil.

Caught an early flight home on Sunday.