Another Memphis Son Lost

I, like many Memphians and Tiger fans, prayed he would turn up. Prayed that he decided to take some time off to think. Prayed that maybe he was on a beach somewhere figuring out his newly single life. Prayed that he maybe took off to Israel to try out for a basketball team there and surprise his family with the news that he made it. Now we are praying for his family and six children who no longer have a father.

It is such a sad, tragic end to a very promising career for a true Memphian and Memphis Tiger. Lorenzen Wright was a star at Booker T. Washington High School. He was a star at the University of Memphis and a star at the Memphis Grizzlies. He was loved by Tiger fans. He was loved by Memphians. He was loved by the African-American community. He was loved by the Caucasian community.  Now he is gone. And we all grieve...together.

Lorenzen beat the odds. His father was paralyzed when he was shot breaking up a fight at a community center. He coached Lorenzen from a wheelchair making him a star at BTW. He played at the U of M, endearing himself to Tiger fans as a hometown kid who had made it. He was drafted into the NBA in 1996, eventually returning home to Memphis to play for the Grizzlies. He had made it. He had beat the odds. He didn't face the reality that so many young African-American men face not only in Memphis, but in America today. He wasn't shot. He didn't succumb to the violence that often plagues young African-American men. He didn't fall prey to drugs (that we know of.) He was living his dream in the NBA.

We all grieved with him when his 11-month-old baby girl died. We hoped he could feel the prayers and the arms of the city reaching around his family to comfort him. When we learned he was missing, we began to pray for him and his family again. Reaching our arms out to him and his family to keep them safe.

He had fallen on some hard times. He wasn't playing in the NBA anymore. He was newly single. He was away from his kids. He was apparently having financial troubles. He needed our prayers and support, but we didn't know about it until it was too late.

Today, as Tiger fans and as Memphians, we grieve the loss of Lorenzen Wright. We pray for his parents, his six children and his family. But let's also pray for other young basketball stars -- and other young men, of all races -- so they won't meet the same fate as Lorenzen Wright. Let's also pray they will figure out who did this to Memphis' son and that they be brought to justice.

Hair Envy

I have major hair envy. I see someone's hair and I want it. I must have it. I will do anything to get it. I think it's because I went for a very long time and didn't do anything with my hair. After I got married, I cut it off (that's what brides do, right?) Anyway, then I let it grow, just to see if I could. I kept it in a pony tail most of the time, so I decided to cut it off again, and I loved it. Then I got bangs because I saw someone with great bangs, and then I hated them. Then I decided to cut it shorter, because I saw someone with short hair and I liked it. For a bit. Then right before Zane was born, I decided to get it even shorter. I went to someone new (I don't have an allegiance to any hair dresser) and I did not like what she did. At all.

So, it's been 11 weeks since I got it cut and it has grown out a little (it's still short of course) and I can't decide if I should grow it into a bob like I had before (and I liked) or if I should keep it shorter (which I also liked.) I really need to make up my mind.

I really wish my hair envy would go away. It bother me.

So I guess it IS Rocket Science

I am little late posting this, but Tom and I took the Politician on a little weekend trip over July 4th weekend. We decided to leave little man with Mama Sue so the Politician could spend some quality time with mom and dad. We drove to Huntsville, AL on Friday and were lucky enough to get a very nice rate at the Hilton Garden Inn right at the US Space and Rocket Center.

The first night we were there, we went to see the Huntsville Stars play the Chattanooga Lookouts. We are baseball people and we love to go to different baseball stadiums and leagues. Hunstville has a AA team and it was a lot of fun.  We go to the Memphis Redbirds games a lot and AAA is darn close to the Majors. AA and A, not so much. But it is good, cheap family entertainment. Beer is $2 cheaper, burgers and hot dogs are cheaper. The baseball is pretty good and we had a lot of fun. Their mascot was a pole cat, which is kinda like a skunk but the placement of the stripe on the tail is different.

The next day, it was off to the US Space & Rocket Center. They had recently opened a Star Wars exhibit, featuring all of the costumes, models and other props from the Star Wars movies. The exhibit was very cool (even though we were contributing to George Lucas' fortune.) Tripp and Tom both enjoyed it very much. Okay, so did I. They even had roaming storm troopers and Darth Vadar walking around and trust me, they were really great costumes, like movie-grade costumes.

Then, it was off to see the Rockets and learn all about our journey to the moon. That, my friends, was super-cool! They had an entire full size rocket hung over your heard, broken into pieces, with lots of memorabilia from NASA. There were space suits, rocket pieces, and lots of other cool stuff. The kids could get in a few of the pieces and see what it is like to be an astronaut. It was very cool and I highly recommend you go if you are looking for a quick weekend trip!

Then we headed back to our hotel and swam a bit in the pool. That evening, we went to a nice dinner and went to an outdoor mall (correct term is lifestyle center) and walked around. They had balloon artists, magicians and face painters who worked for tips. We enjoyed some great people watching and ice cream and Tripp got a cool dragon painted on his face.

We had a really great time, but were ready to get home and see the little man. Of course, he had a great time at Mama Sue's. I'm not sure she even  put him down all weekend!

What is the advertising world coming to?

So I am very bothered by the Kia Soul commerecial with the "street" hampsters driving the Kia Soul. Very odd. If you haven't seen it, let me paint you a picture...

The song is "The Choice is Yours" by Black Sheep (the "you can get with this; you can get with that" song.) These hampsters are rolling in their Kia Souls, wearing hoodies and other clothing young kids and college students wear today. Now, I realize I am not in Kia's demographic for this car, but I'm not sure I get it. It leads to many questions, and I would like answers...

1. Are hampsters the new "in" thing, like the puppies Hollywood socialites carry in their purses?
2. Is the car only big enough for hampsters? (stole that one from my husband)
3. Why are they human-sized?
3. Why Black Sheep?  (am guessing the significance of the song is that you can choose from all sorts of "box-type" cars out there -- the Nissan Cube and the Scion -- but the Soul is the best choice (hence, the line is the song, "this is where it's at.)

Seriously, I wish I could have been in the board room where the agency sold this concept to the marketing VP. Did the conversation go something like this???

Agency: "Okay, imagine it. There are human-sized hampsters rolling uu, dressed like your typical colllege student."
Client: "Why hampsters?"
Agency: "our research shows hampsters test very favorably among 18-25 year old males, your core target audience."
Client: : "SOLD"

I'm not really sure I get it, but I think the agency has succeeded at doing their job. After all, I remembereed the commercial, can recall the type of car and I am blogging about it. That's really what marketing is all about

Stupidity, Thy Name is Mel Gibson

What happened to Mel Gibson? He used to be a bona fide movie star and family man. We loved him in the Lethal Weapon movies (remember "I'm too old for this sh*t?") Heck, he was even People's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1985. He made women swoon and men pound their chest as William Wallace in Braveheart (still one of mine and Tom's all time favorite movies.) He was from a foreign land, had gorgeous hair (hey, mulletts were hot then) and beautiful blue eyes. He was gorgeous and every woman wanted him. But seriously, he has now gone insane.

Either he was crazy all along and had a good publicist, or he has just gone ape sh*t. First there was the controversy over "The Passion of the Christ," which I thought was an excellent movie and the controversy was blown out of proportion. Then, he was arrested for drinking and driving and saying some very off color remarks to a polic officer. Inexcusable. So I began to think, "ok, maybe he is a little crazy." Then he left his wife of 100 years and his 500 children (ok, exaggeration) to be with this hot, young, chippy. Of course, he added to his brood and had another child with her.

Now we are listening to these secretly recorded audio tapes where he is berating Oksana, his lovely young chippy, for dressing provacatively and that she will be raped by words I will not use. Seriously, Mel, WTF? You had Hollywood and the entire world in your back pocket. You were a superstar, a brilliant director and actor. Have you gone mad?

Of course, I think it is weird that she is taping their phone conversations. And I also think it is weird he sounds so strange on the line and she sounds like she is speaking into a microphone, but I am no sound expert.

Anyway, I just think Mel has lost his marbles. I'm just sayin'.

I Was Born in a Small Town

If you know me, you know I was born in Halls, TN, population (around) 2,000, one stop light, one grocery story, one drug store. No Sonic.  A small town by any standards. I try to get back to see my mom some, but it keeps getting harder and harder to get there with 2 kids, working full time, keeping up with the preschool politician’s busy schedule, etc. (The politician makes it back fairly often to spend time with Mama Sue.)


Recently, I went to visit Mama Sue, with baby Zane in tow. The politician was already there and we got there on a Thursday morning. I decided to reconnect with a friend I have known for 30 years and she came to visit. She lives in Halls with her 3 boys and husband and I thought it would be nice to reconnect. She invited me and Tripp over to her mom’s house to swim the next day (her mom was my kindergarten teacher.) (For all who may know, I am talking about Lori Booker Wilson.)

Tripp and I arrived at the pool that day around lunch time and he had such a great time swimming with Lori’s son, Sam. It was surreal, however, sitting there with someone I have known for 30 years and watching our children play together. Swimming in the same pool I had swam in for many summers. Jumping off the same diving board.

Sitting on that deck, there in the hot summer sun, it was hard to believe that we were watching our children do the same things we used to do. We caught up on our lives (what we didn’t know through Facebook, that is) and she caught me up on all of the Halls gossip.

As I tried to go to sleep that night in my childhood bedroom, I thought about the allure of a small town and why people stay there after high school, go back there after being gone, or just move there altogether. There are certainly some great things about living in a small town: you know your kid’s teachers (and not just by being introduced to them on the first day of school), you run into people you know at the grocery store, your kids can walk home from school or to ball practice or to the store for an ice cream cone.

But me, I’m just not a small town girl anymore. Of course, some would argue that Memphis is hardly a big city, but I guess it is big enough for me. I sometimes see folks I know at the grocery store, but not usually. (Sometimes I’m just not in a talkative mood when I am in the cereal isle, and that really isn’t an option when you live in a small town. You have to talk. It’s just rude if you don’t.) I enjoy the plethora of things available to me and my family for recreation: movies, museums, a larger church, AAA baseball, U of M basketball and football, concerts. (not to say you don’ t get these things when you live in a small town, but they aren’t as easy to get to.)

Lately I’ve been feeling pretty nostalgic about my childhood and the friends I knew back then. I don’t really keep up with them anymore (except for Facebook.) I didn’t go to my high school reunion and never will. I’m not sure why I lost touch with all of them, but I do miss them. We all had some pretty fun times and some not-so-fun times. All of our experiences shaped who we are, for better or worse. Maybe I am running away from what I was back then. I was so insecure and had such low self esteem. I don't want to be that person ever again. I don't think I really figured out who I was until I got married and settled in my life.

Small towns remind me of the person I used to be, and I don't like that person. I never did. I can certainly see the allure of a small town, but I think I’ll stick with the suburbs. For my own good, if nothing else.

Worst. Breakup. Ever.

I’ve been through tough breakups before. We all have (unless you are one of those freaks who have never been dumped… that’s just not natural.) They’re not pretty. I’ve had a few bad ones myself. My high school boyfriend and I broke up 3 times. The first time, he broke up with me. I was devastated, depressed. Everything a 15 year old girl would be when she was dumped. After all, he broke up with me three weeks before Valentine’s Day. We got back together after a few weeks, then it was my turn to dump him. I think he took it better than me, but we ended up getting back together again, much to my parents’ chagrin. It lasted a few more months and then we both broke up with each other. Neither of us handled it well.

As an adult, I have had a few breakups and some went better than others. One was amicable and we are still friends to this day. The other, not so much. I was dumped and I decided to drown my sorrows (don’t we all?) I drowned my sorrows in an entire bottle of Gossamer Bay Zinfandel and boy did I pay for it. (Bear in mind I wasn’t a wine drinker then but I sure did guzzle that $6 bottle of wine.) It ended very badly. Of course, I drunk dialed and that led to me going to his house, becoming belligerent, yelling at him and then throwing up. A lot. At least I didn’t throw up on him. That was the last time I talked to him so I am quite sure he has a horrible lasting impression of me.


All in all, breakups are just bad. I’ve heard of breakups where car doors are keyed, houses are rolled with toiler paper, even baseball bats are taken to cars and their windshields. Now with Facebook and Twitter, it is bound to get even uglier. But never before have I seen the scorned burning jerseys in the streets. But then again, never before have a seen a breakup any worse than the one between LeBron James and the city of Cleveland.

Poor Cleveland Cavs fans. They now feel like that dumped, 15 year old slightly chubby girl sitting in her room listening to the radio relating every song to her breakup and her broken teenage love affair. I was that girl and I feel for them.



LeBron handled himself so poorly during this entire free agent process. At first, I didn’t blame him. I blamed the media for putting him on this pedestal. I even blogged about it. But now, I have changed my mind. LeBron acted like a spoiled, little rich kid, the self-proclaimed King, showing no regard for the city that has been with him, stood by him, and built an entire team around him. A city that lived and breathed LeBron and basketball. But no more.


When I first heard ESPN was holding a one-hour special entitled “The Decision,” I thought, at least he is doing it from the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, CT. (of course, I have to ask why Greenwich needs a Boys and Girls Club, I always thought it was full of rich people who commuted into NYC to work. Perhaps the organization is there to help kids whose parents make less than $200,000 a year, but I digress.) But seriously, this whole thing has been ridiculous. A media spectacle that can only be found in America.


I just wish he would have made his decision and put it out in a statement to the media like everyone else. I would have made him seem more humble. It would have been the classy way to go. Perhaps Cleveland fans wouldn’t have felt so betrayed. Instead, he had to drag it out for a week, having the media camp out on his doorstep, report on his every breath and leave poor Cavs fans on pins and needles.


Since the Bosh and Wade news was announced on Wednesday, the day prior to LeBron’s announcement, it seemed to be inevitable he would join them in Miami. He had played with them before in the Olympics and it was no secret they wanted to play on the same team. He should have just released a statement shortly after that saying he had made the decision to join his friends Bosh and Wade and the Miami Heat in the quest for an NBA Championship. That’s it. No more spectacle. It would have made him look more humble and less like an ego maniac. But no, he had to drag it out for 24 more hours and star in a special on ESPN.


I personally didn’t get to see “The Decision,” so I decided to read the transcripts from the interview with ESPN’s Jim Gray. Of course, I can’t just post it the way it was transcribed. I will break it down so you will know what LeBron really meant.


What have you thought about this process?

This process has been everything I've thought and more. And that's what I did a few years ago; I put myself in a position to have this process where I can hear teams' pitches and figure out what was the best possible chance for me to ultimately win and to ultimately be happy.

Translation: I love all of this attention. I’m an ego maniac. I want to win and be rich.

You weren't able to be recruited because you went straight to the NBA from high school. Have you enjoyed this recruiting process now?


I have enjoyed it. And I want to thank all six teams that I had an opportunity to sit down with and hear what they had to say. And my team, they hear what we had to say also.
It's been an unbelievable experience, a real humbling experience to be even to be in this position.

Translation: I’ve enjoyed every minute of the entire country, heck, world even, watching my every move. I’ve loved having a ticker on Sports Center. I’ve loved having media camp out in front of my Nike Skills Camp. I’ve loved having grown men beg me to come to their city. I’ve loved having President Obama beg me to come to Chicago. It is an ego maniac’s dream.



When did you decide?


I think I decided this morning. I mean, I decided this morning I went day to day. I wake up one morning, it's this team. I wake up another morning, it's this team. And it's a process that I felt it was I may feel like this is the best opportunity for me or not the best opportunity for me.


But this morning I woke up, had a great conversation with my mom. Once I had that conversation with her, I think I was set.


Translation: I’ve known all along I was going to Miami. I want to see how much people would beg and plead with me to stay in Cleveland or go to their city.



You've had everybody else biting their nails. So I guess it's time for them to stop chewing. The answer to the question everybody wants to know: LeBron, what's your decision?


In this fall, this is very tough, in this fall I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.


Translation: This fall, I’m going to take my ego and powder down to Miami. I mean, who wouldn’t choose Miami over Cleveland???? Beautiful women, sandy beaches. Hell, it’s freakin’ cold in Cleveland.


Why?

Like I said before, I feel like it's going to give me the best opportunity to win and to win for multiple years, and not only just to win in the regular season or just to win five games in a row or three games in a row, I want to be able to win championships. And I feel like I can compete down there.


Translation: Being filthy rich just isn’t enough for me. I can’t win a championship by myself, being at Cleveland has proven that. I need more talented teammates.



How do you explain this to the people in Cleveland?


I mean, it's heartfelt for me. You know, it's hard to explain, but at the same time my heart, in the seven years I gave to that franchise, to that city, it was everything.

I mean, those 20,000 plus fans that came out every night we played, and they seen me grow from an 18 year old kid to a 25 year old man. And I never wanted to leave Cleveland. And my heart will always be around that area. But I also felt like this is the greatest challenge for me is to move on.


Translation: Suckers!!!!!!!!!!



What do you think will be the fans' reaction back there, and will you still live in Akron?

I'm not sure. You know, they can have mixed emotions, of course, but it's going to be a lot of emotions not understanding why. And then you're going to have the real friends who love me for who I am. For me being from Akron, Ohio, and loving Akron, Ohio, it's always home for me. I'm still going to live there, always be home. And Akron, Ohio is always home for me and that area.


Translation: I think the fans will still love me. I put the Cavs on the map. Of course, they will never be the same without me. I’m sure some folks will be mad at me, but that’s life. I’ll have a championship ring next year. Something Cleveland will never have. If I couldn’t give it to them, no one can. And will I still live in Akron? NO WAY! I'm gonna get me a sweet pad in South Beach.


For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about my behavior after that breakup. It was childish and immature. But it’s funny how things work out. If he hadn’t dumped me, I would never have met Tom and wouldn’t have the life I have now. So cheer up, Cavs fans. You never know where the road might lead.

Yum!

A couple of my dear friends have created a blog...http://www.appetitesignite.blogspot.com/. If I so say so myself, it features some pretty yummy recipes and other entertaining ideas. They are both very talented dessert chefs and always have great advice about cooking. So I invite you to follow Toni and Rox. Bet you will learn something!

It's Good to be the King

All I have to say is, “wow.” It must be good to be LeBron James. Now there is a LeBron ticker on ESPN. Everyone knows by now (unless you live in a hole) that King James is a free agent and he is being courted by several NBA teams. It is quite possibly the most pathetic display I’ve seen in sports in a long time, maybe ever. It is quite ridiculous how teams and entire cities are courting him. Grown men are singing songs about LeBron staying in their town or moving to their town. It is a frenzy that can only happen in American sports.

I don’t blame LeBron. He is a great basketball player and is trying to make the right decision. Sure, his decision is based mostly on money, and honestly, can you blame him? He made more money in endorsements the day he signed with Cleveland at 18 years of old than the majority of us will make in our entire lives. Besides, I guarantee you if someone offered you an obscene amount of money to do the job you loved to do, you would take it.

I blame the media for this frenzy. Everytime I turn on ESPN there is a new story speculating where LeBron will go. They've uncovered someone who claims to know something and is predicting LeBron will go here or stay there. They have a reporter camped out in front of his basketball camp in Akron, or in front of the office where he has been meeting with a team.

You have to imagine LeBron is enjoying this attention just a little bit. I mean, he’s got teams fighting over him, something we would all love to have happen to us. Put yourself in his shoes. Say you got a great job at Joe’s Corporation. You worked there a few years and made Joe’s a household name and improved their profit margins. Then, other companies began courting you. They flew you out to meet with them and showed you everything they could give you. It is obvious with all of the companies that you will be the top dog and you will get anything you want there. New desk? Check. Expense account? Check. Gourmet coffee? Check. New computer and iPhone? Check. Everything you need to do the best job you can do. What would you do? Would location play a factor? Would you still be loyal to Joe’s because it is where you got your start and happens to be located in your home state? Would you take a chance on a new company where there are new coworkers and a new boss/coach?

The big question now is just where will LeBron go? Will he stay in Cleveland? Will he go to Chicago? Miami? New York? Honestly, I don’t think it matters. His previous history with Cleveland has shown that one man – no matter how talented – cannot win a championship.

Tiger Woods + Skanky Women = HUGE payday for Elin

Rumor has it, and some say it is just rumor, that Elin Nordegren (aka Mrs. Tiger Woods) is set to receive a butt load of money in her divorce settlement. At first, it was rumored to be $750 million, but now the figure is only a mere $100 million. Yep, that’s right, folks, Elin is a beautiful woman who will be rolling in the cash that her ex-husband made. Good for her! Good for her for not taking his indiscretions of sleeping around with skanky women. Good for her for being a role model for her daughter and son and showing that she won’t just take being treated that way. Good for her for showing the women of the world that she isn’t just a delicate little flower that relies on a “big strong man” to take care of her.


I really only have one thing to say to Tiger: I hope all that messing around with skanky women and sex while high on Ambien was worth it, because it may be the most high-priced sex in history. I'm just sayin'...

I'm Just Sayin'...

Apparently, I say "I'm Just Sayin'" a lot. I also apparently blog that phrase a lot. As in "I don't like Erin Andrews... I'm just sayin'..." or "Tiger Woods is such a putz (keeping it clean, but could think of much better words to use) ... I'm just sayin'..." I use it so much, in fact, that Tom suggested I change the name of my blog to I'm Just Sayin'.

I really like the name of my blog, so I'm not changing it. But, I will think I will start a regular feature entitled, you guessed it, "I'm Just Sayin'." Here is the first one. Hope you enjoy.


I'm Just Sayin'...

It's the Fourth of July and it seems there are fireworks safety tips on every news station. Turn on your TV and you will like see warnings about sparklers, firecrackers and roman candles. Now, I think that idiots should not be allowed to use fireworks, but sometimes, it seems idiots are the only ones that do use fireworks. I believe people should be responsible when they are setting something on fire (doesn't everyone?) and a few tips on the news here are there are perfectly fin. (Personally, I am a bit afraid of fireworks and have never lit anything more than a sparkler.) But why must we see the clip of a sparkler being held to a sweet little girl's sundress every year and subsequently watch it burst into flames? I think even idiots know not to hold something on fire up to a little girls dress, don't thye? Of course, I know accidents can happen and likely no one is just holding it up to the dress to watch it catch fire for shits and giggles, but can't we show a more realistic clip? How about just the sparkler getting too close to the little girl's dress instead of some deviant holding it up to the dress (okay, it is a mannequin, but my imagination sees a deviant.) How about warnings of how bottle rockets being shot in the middle of the night can give elderly folks a heart attack (ok, maybe not, but they certainly bother me.)

So on this July 4th holiday weekend, celebrate America and our glorious freedom with family and friends, but please, do not, under any circumstances, put a sparkler to a little girl's dress. I'm just sayin'...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Hello my name is Dawn and I'm a snorer. A BIG, LOUD snorer. It's caused some frustration in my house. It seems I snore loudly. It is worse when I am pregnant, but doesn't get softer for some time. And when your husband is a light sleeper, that can be a problem. I feel guilty because I am sleeping away and he is not. He is frustrated because he knows I can't help it. I tried Breathe Right strips, throat sprays, a wedge pillow. Nothing worked. Then, the Pure Sleep device came into our lives.

We resisted it for a while. We thought surely it must be a sham. And at $60 plus shipping and handling, it isn't cheap. But it worked! Can you hear Tom singing Hallelujah?????????

It's almost like a retainer and you boil it in water for a minute, then fit it to your mouth. The trick is to push out your lower jaw. Apparently, that opens up your airway a bit and keeps you from snoring. It is glorious, or so my husband says. My snoring wasn't bothering me at all.

I'm Finally Speaking Out

I’ve been silent about this topic for sometime, but I have to break my silence. I don’t like Erin Andrews. There, I said it. Several people have been bashed for saying negative things about her, but I am speaking out. I don’t like her. I don’t take her seriously. She wants to have it both ways. She wants to be a serious sports journalist, but them turns around and poses in Maxim and the like.

Frankly, I think being stalked and filmed through a peep hole in a hotel by a creepy man was probably the best thing that happened to her. Now I know that’s a bold statement, but think about it. Did YOU know who she was before she was taped walking around naked in her hotel room by a stalker? I didn’t think so. Very few people did. Sure, she’s visible on ESPN and you may have known her from there, but let’s face it. She was eye candy for ESPN viewers, the majority of which, happen to be men.

Now, I’m not saying what happened to her was right. Her privacy was violated. She should be allowed to walk around naked in her own hotel room (no matter how strange I think that is, but anyway.) I’m just saying it was the best thing to happen to her career. She became a household name from the media coverage of her stalker. Then, she was asked to shake what her mama gave her on Dancing with the Stars.


And speaking of DWTS, I think it was a bad move for her. I mean, here she is, in the middle of this stalker mess and she is dancing on television doing sultry, sexual dance moves in skimpy clothing with a really handsome dance partner. It just was weird to me. How can I take her seriously as a real sports journalist if she is shaking her rump half naked? The answer: I can’t.


Don’t get me wrong, she is a beautiful woman and is free to pose wherever and however she wants, but don’t expect me to take her seriously when she is half naked. I think she is pretty good at her ESPN job, but when she starts to become a “celebrity” outside of that job, that is when I lost interest and respect.

And We Shall Call Him...

Zane Ezekiel Ray


Well, we did it. We named a person. If you will recall, I blogged about baby naming a few months ago. You’ll remember we didn’t want to just name a baby, but we wanted to name a person. Give him/her a strong name, one that would stand the test of time; one that wouldn’t seem silly when he/she was 45 years old. One that would sound great when he was up to bat in the World Series. One that folks could take seriously when she was sitting at the head of the boardroom table. I think we hit it square on the head.

I have to confess, we didn’t know our top 2 choices for each gender until we were on our way to the hospital. We named our little bundle in the operating room about 10 minutes after he was born and we think we came up with a winner. Question is: did it pass all of our tests?

• The 40-year-old career man/woman test: as this test is fairly self-explanatory, and subjective, we think we nailed this one. Zane is a good VP or CEO name. It’s unforgettable, but not juvenile. Zane Ray: sounds like a power broker.

• The Yell Test: go ahead, yell it. We did. Several times, in fact. It comes out of your mouth nicely, doesn’t it? Almost like butter.

• The Graduation Announcement Test: Zane Ezekiel Ray (said stately over the loudspeaker.) Yep, that works. Sounds like a kid ready to go tackle college.

• The Athlete Name Test (over the Intercom at say, the World Series): Now batting for the St. Louis Cardinals, your shortstop... #8... Zane Ray. Great jock name, but also sounds strong and intellectual.

• The 4-year-old test aka the Tripp test: As stated previously, this isn't what Tripp thinks of the name, but mainly what he thinks of when he hears the name. When Tom told Tripp he had a brother named Zane, Tripp smiled and said “cool.” Enough said.

• The Tooth Fairy Test: this is essentially what the child's name would sound like when he/she says it after losing a bunch of teeth, as kids are prone to do. No s’s, so we’re good.

• The "was she/he a slut/jerk in high school/college/other parts of your life test?": The only Zane I know is my uncle (whom our little guy is name after) and Zane is his middle name. He's a great guy, my favorite uncle, in fact. So, no problem there. (Tom didn’t know any Zanes either.)

• The "how the name sounds with a thick Southern Accent" test: Say it with the thickest Ellie Mae accent you can muster. It doesn’t sound weird at all. Sure, it has a long A sound, but not too bad, even for my sweet mom with the thick Southern Accent.

• The "which one are you again?" test: We wanted a distinct name, not one where there would be several kids with the same name in his class. Do you know any Zanes? Yeah, neither did we.

In all, we are very pleased with our name choice. We named him after a wonderful man (who happens to be my Dad’s twin brother) and his middle name is my maiden name, so he is named after my dad. That was very important to me. So you see, I didn’t really have anything to stress over. And, I told you we would probably name the baby John or Jane. Hmmm…. Zane is derived from John (according to my baby name book and it also means “Gift from God”) and it also rhymes with Jane. Perhaps I knew his name all along.