What if...

What if we all acted like Brett Favre? What if every year we waffled with a decision to retire? What if we decided to miss the prep meetings and hours of work, only to show up for the big meeting and take all the glory?

I'll tell you what... people would get pissed. Really pissed. And no work would get done. And no one would want to work with you because you didn't want to put in the time for the team. Really, that's all Favre is doing. I personally think he feels he is too good to go to preseason camp and sweat his ass off in practice. I think he feels he's been playing in the NFL for 20 years and doesn't have to do all of that anymore. Well, #4, in my opinion, you are dead wrong.

Brett, you are a talented player, one of the best quarterbacks the game has evern seen. You will certainly be a Hall of Famer, when you ever decide to retire and become eligible. But let me tell you, Grandpa, you keep making PR mistakes that are costing you your fans. Sure, Minnesota fans love you.... you almost took them to the Super Bowl. But need I remind you that you alienated an entire state, yes state, because everyone in Wisconsin is a Packer fan, the remainder of the Packer Nation, as well as New York Jets fans? How does that feel?

You could have handled your departure from the Packers much better.  Just retire with decency and move along living it up in Hattiesburg. But no, you had to go play for the Jets. Then retire. Again.

Then, you betrayed all of Packer Nation by becoming a part of their rivals, the Vikings. You had one of your best years ever and almost took them to the Super Bowl. The last we saw of you, you were really hurting physically and mentally. And the questions began... will he retire? Will he stay a Viking? Will he go somewhere else? Will he enjoy being a new grandfather? The Favre Watch began.

And in your typical fashion, you decided to waffle and come back one last time. It took some of your teammates coming down to Hattiesburg (gees, what is it with that town of late? Tiger goes there to sex rehab then the media circus of Favre. It must be a happening place) to get you to come back. Now, you say you were hurt and had surgery on your ankle. I believe you. I'm sure it hurt. But I also believe your ego and pride were more hurt than your ankle. I'm thinking you couldn't believe you didn't beat New Orleans, of all teams, to go to the Super Bowl. Even after your record breaking year. Then all hell froze over when the Saints actually won the Super Bowl. The great QB couldn't go back after that. Everyone would remember that game. So you waffled, as you have been prone to do these last few years, and even caused ESPN to create the Favre ticker, much to my chagrin. Your ego made you sit out the summer and wonder if you were coming back. Are you really that much of a baby? Do you really need the attention? Did you really need some of your teammates to come down to Hattiesburg to ask you to rejoin the team?

You finally gave the world your answer yesterday and surprise!!!! You are coming back to the NFL. Again. You missed the preseason practices and camps. Way to be a team player.

Now, I really don't care either way. I'm neither a Favre lover or hater. I certainly didn't have anything against him and won't deny that he is a spectacular football player. But come on, Brett, your ego is getting to be as big as LeBron's and Tiger's. And that's not good company to keep.

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.