Huh?

So the new season of Dancing with the Stars has been announced:
http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/08/30/dancing-stars-season-11-bristol-situation-audrina/
I don't watch this show on a regular basis but do try to catch it every once in a while. I actually TiVo it and then fast forward thru most of it. They look pretty funny when they dance in warp speed. Actually, I don't even bother watching the "results" night when someone goes home. The casting is becoming predictable and a bit boring:

Kurt Warner -- obligatory "athlete" (last year was the Bengal's OchoCinco, previous seasons have included Evander Holyfield, Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno and football great Jerry Rice)
Florence Henderson -- obligatory "older woman" (i.e., Jane Seymour, Priscilla Presley, Chloris Leachman)
Bristol Palin -- I'm just going to put her in the WTH? category. I mean Seriously? What the Hell? The only thing this kid is "famous" for is having a DB for a baby daddy and being the offspring of a politician.
Audrina Patridge and The Situation -- the "reality TV star" (a la Trista {the very first Bachelor/Bachelorette contestant}, Kate Gosselin, Melissa Rycroft {former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader/Bachelor contestant}, Kim Kardashian). Audrina could also fall into "the hot girl" category (see below).
Jennifer Gray -- the "has been" w/ a little bit of dancing capabilities (think Donny Osmond, Joey McIntrye from NKOTB, Joey Fatone, Aaron Carter or Nick Lachey's brother whose name I can never remember). Joing Jennifer this year is "has been" Hasselhoff. Although I can't wait to hear that crazy Bruno shout out something like "don't hassle the hoff!" during an episode!
Other than Audrina Patridge, I don't see anyone emerging as the "the hot girl" -- WWE's Stacy Keibler, Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls, Erin Andrews, Hef's old girlfriend Holly Madison, and who can forget Pamela Anderson???
If he's not careful, Michael Bolton could easily fall into "the stiff" category (Tucker Carlson, George Hamilton, Harry Hamlin, Jerry Springer and Buzz Aldrin) but I'd hope he's some got some soul after all the beautiful music he's produced over the years.
"The youngster" this year is the kid from "That's So Raven" (one year it was a kid from Hannah Montana).
And finally, no one, not even the Situation, can fill the shoes of "the hot guy" Mario Lopez. Enough said.

All My Life I wanna be a Raider!!!

Saw the following story about our high school in New York on CBS and felt so proud! Actually, I wasn't a bit surprised to hear about this at all. 25 years ago when we were in school, Coach Casarella always had special needs students on the sidelines as ball boy, water boy, equipment managers, statisticians, etc.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/08/24/wheelchair-bound-teens-football-dream-comes-true/

www.lohud.com/article/20100824/NEWS03/8240355/Teen-in-wheelchair-makes-football-team

Let's face it folks. Casarella is a demi-God in the great state of New York and is a class act all the way. He has the respect of every student, every parent and every teacher in that high school (and the respect of every student, every parent and every teacher in the state). And he does it without fanfare, without an ego. He is one of the most unassuming people you'll ever meet. He doesn't pass out autographed 8x10 glossys of himself, he always looks like he needs a shave and his clothes are always a wrinkled mess. The guy is so old school New York/Italian, he can't even count to three (it always came out as "one, two, tree"). The man is the stuff of legends. When someone of his caliber stays in one place for 40-something years, his level of commitment to the kids and the community is unquestionable. How many coaches can you say that about? How many coaches (high school, college, professional) these days are always looking for the bigger school, the bigger buck? Trust me, with a record and a reputation like his, he could go anywhere in the state, anywhere in the country and name his price.

This press is release is from is from 2002 and highlights some of Caserella's accomplishments on and off the field (back when he had only been coaching 36 years, he's now been at North Rockland High School for 44 years). This article is 8 years old, God only knows what he's accomplished since it was first written:
http://www.giants.com/news/press_releases/story.asp?story_id=886

Here's Coach Cas's outlook for the 2010 season (this article cracks me up because Cosmo & I used to hang out w/ the PK's dad of the same name back in high school): http://varsityinsider.lohudblogs.com/2010/08/20/camp-stop-north-rockland/ A lot of familiar family names on that roster.

The timing of this article about my high school alma mater is so coincidental to me. Apparently several Hoover kids have decided to quit the football team the past couple of weeks which I find kind of amusing (not in a funny ha-ha way but more of an ironic way). I don't know their personal reasons for quitting but I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision to make. I don't know if they quit because of the playing time they were seeing (when you dress over 100 kids for a Friday night game, chances are 90% of them aren't even going to touch the turf) or if they just got tired of it and want to try something new (most of these boys have been playing organized football since first grade). Regardless of their reason, I'm proud of them. Football is SO huge down here and it's not easy to go against the grain (or in this case, the mob mentality of high school football). These kids (and their parents) LIVE for Friday nights. Grown men count down the days to the home opener. Grown men are active participants on message boards and football forums and can recite stats better than they know the names and birthdates of their own children. Don't get me wrong, I love football. I cheered my entire life, went to thousands of games (high school, peewee, college and professional) and I can totally hold my own in any football-related conversation with the best of 'em (thanks to my dad and my hubby). What I DON'T like about this entire situation are the morons who are blaming lacrosse for this recent exodus. A friend of a friend made a stupid, very public statement about "lacrosse is stealing the best players." Lacrosse isn't "stealing" anybody. Lacrosse is appealing to good athletes because of the physical contact, the speed, the agility. As a parent, why wouldn't you encourage your child to pursue an activity/sport/hobby that they WANT to do? I think a lot of these daddies (and mommies) are living their lives precariously thru their children. I can't even begin to count how many times a boy has come up to Champ and said, "I really want to try lacrosse but my dad won't let me. My dad won't let me quit football" (or baseball, take your pick).

Friday night high school football is THE social event of the fall and, to a lot of these folks, if they don't have football, they feel that they don't fit in. I've always said that not everyone can play football at Hoover, not everyone's going to star on Two-A-Days. If your son has decided he's done with one sport and wants to try another, why wouldn't you give him your full support? You may not like the sport or activity or may not understand it but why wouldn't you give that kid two thumbs up for trying something different? Unfortunately, at a school like Hoover where football is king, it's damn near next to impossible for a kid to play both sports. However, up North, it's commonplace. So common in fact, that Coach Cas was Coach Cos's football AND lacrosse coach when he was just a wee little Cos.

http://bamalax.blogspot.com/2008/10/if-you-played-at-north-rockland-you-are.html

Lots Going On

Lots of fun stuff this week and weekend. The Hoover Buccanettes were in the Birmingham News this week for their accomplishments at UDA camp. Great photo of all the girls proudly displaying their blue ribbons. The dance team also got some really cool news this week but I've been sworn to secrecy. Champ and I got some cool news this week too but can't say too much because the girls don't know yet. I hate secrets and surprises. Never liked 'em, never will.

T's friend from the dance studio, Scarlett, is representing Alabama at the Outstanding Teen pageant tonight. She won talent earlier in the week so big congrats to her! She's a lovely young lady and has worked so hard to get where she is. http://www.fourpointsmagazine.com/news/article.asp?id=922

Today was the big Hoover football game on ESPN.
http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/-3936384345410506724/bucs-better-byrnes/
Offensively they were a little rusty, which usually happens in the first couple of games. Defensively they were able to shut out Byrnes (which hasn't happened in 11 years or something like that). Cowboy had a great game and a couple other lacrosse players got some love. #25 took a HUGE hit that was very, very hard to watch. I actually felt like I was going to be sick. I jumped up and started pacing and KJ kept screaming "turn it off! turn it off!" when they were showing the replay. Connor's a great kid and I hope he's OK.

Last night two of Cosmo's BamaLaxers from Mt. Brook, the Cox twins, had a great game, too http://highschoolsports.al.com/news/article/-3936390345518506968/mountain-brook-37-shades-valley-11/ Those two boys have serious wheels. I've also had one eye on our cross-town rivals Spain Park vs. Grayson (GA). The game's been a bit of a snoozer. Spain Park's players look so young and kind of smaller compared to some of the Hoover kids. Spain Park's sidelines remind me of a peewee game but I give the boys credit for getting out there considering what's been happening w/ their head coach this week.

Cosmo's up in Greenville, SC at a men's lax tournament and should be home tomorrow. The old man's still got game.

My new favorite quote....

"A true friend is someone who says nice things behind your back." - Unknown

Time to Break out the HazMat Suit

Late Sunday afternoon KJ developed a bit of a fever and complained of a stomach ache. She laid on the couch for a while w/ a blankie and took a pretty good nap. I actually had to wake her up so she'd be able to sleep at night. She took a shower around 7:30/8 PM and said she felt great. Woke up Monday and went off to school like normal. I got a phone call from the school nurse close to 10 AM. Yup. KJ was in the nurse's office w/ a low grade fever complaining about her stomach. I checked her out of school, gave her some chicken noodle soup and crackers and ginger ale and voila! That seemed to do the trick. While I was at the school I ran into a couple of teachers/moms I knew and they all said there is a stomach bug going around. Yuck! It is just way too early in the school year for this! I hate this time of year. It's still so hot out and the school is just a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Totally gives me the heeby-jeebies!

In the Navy

College football season is just a few days away and Cosmo's pride and joy, the son we never had, Brye French has been getting a lot of ink lately. Because his high school didn't have a lacrosse program, Brye and two of his younger brothers drove up from the Montgomery area to play lacrosse for Hoover (there's actually 5 French boys, all their names start w/ B). The last of the French boys graduated this past spring and rec'd a scholarship to play lacrosse at Shorter University in Georgia (www.gbyla.org).

http://d1scourse.typepad.com/blog/2010/08/navy-linebacker-french-knows-the-language-of-two-sports.html

Cosmo particularly likes the following article because it mentions that Brye was originally a lacrosse recruit, not a football recruit. I like this article because it points out that Brye is the first Midshipmen to play two sports since Craig Candeto (he served as quarterback for the football team and as an outfielder on the baseball squad in 2003-2004). Jamie Doffermyre, Class of 2000, was the last athlete to play football and lacrosse for the Mids. If anyone can juggle two sports, it's Brye. He's such a good kid and always had his head on straight. Very focused young man and a leader on and off the field.

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nas/2010/08/18-26/Navy-Football-French-is-playing-catch-up.html

Politics and Housewives

I luv, luv, luv Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise and have watched the last two weeks of the new DC season. The show has got me thinking about how difficult it must be to live in close proximity with people who have such opposing political views as you. I'm sure things can get pretty heated in DC. These are people you have to socialize with, people you have to do business with, etc. Your political views define who you are, how you raise your family, your thoughts on social and economic issues, etc. I just don't think I can do it. Someone once told me that I have a very "read-able" face (meaning you can tell what I'm thinking but looking at my facial expressions). It's true. I don't do fake, forced or phony. If I like you, you know it. If I don't, you know it. Whether it's right or wrong, it's who I've been for the last 42 (gasp! almost 43 years!) and is not going to change. I guess what I mean is that I don't dislike someone for their political views, I form my opinion based on actions (or lack thereof as the case may be). I don't like or dislike someone "just" because. I have pretty valid reasons for feeling the way I do. I have several friends who have different political opinions than me and it's no big deal. I may not like their views but I don't dislike them personally. What I don't like is people who think their way is the ONLY way.

Having said all that, have I mentioned lately how much I dislike our country's current administration?
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/16/4902132-first-thoughts-team-obama-and-dc-drama?GT1=43001

To read about Mrs. Obama's recent exploits in Spain and the alleged cost to taxpayers, please click here
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20012789-503544.html and here:
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/06/michelle-obamas-lavish-spain-vacation-sparking-criticism/

Warp Speed

Wow. so much can happen in a week . . . school started (check out the pic of KJ and the Vera Bradley messenger bag she HAD to have!) and we totally surprised T with a car! Whoop! Whoop!

Last Saturday Cosmo & T did a little car shopping after lacrosse practice. She test drove a bunch of cars and decided she liked this cute little SUV. She kept saying she DIDN'T want an SUV but I think she got so used to driving my car this summer, she felt a little weird being in a regular car. She said when she test drove all those cars, she realized she didn't like being so low to the ground. Her car is a little smaller than mine and after doing a little research, I discovered that her model received perfect marks on all it's safety tests. She had plans w/ her friend Caroline so Cosmo and I ran down to the dealership while she was out for the evening. We pulled the car into the garage and had Caroline call us when they were on their way home so we could hide in the garage and take photos. Her reaction was priceless!

Mega Star??? To Zoe or not to Zoe??

How did Rachel Zoe go from this in 2006 (former client Nicole Richie referred to her as "raisin" face).....

....to this in 2009???

Just turned on the TV and I'm not sure if I heard correctly or not but I think Nancy Grace just referred to Fantasia (American Idol winner from season 3) as a "mega" star (she's being accused of allegedly making a sex tape with a married man). Seriously? Mega star? When I think of mega star I think of someone internationally known. Someone iconic . . . Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Elvis. Fantasia? Um, no.

Today was KJ's "meet the teacher" day and I cannot believe the rude and obnoxious behavior I witnessed at the school today. I had to go to the office first (even though I paid my registration fees on line and filled out all the necessary forms, I still had to show proof of residency). It was a little hectic in the office today and there were about 6 or 7 of us in line (I was second). One of the sweet office lady's was helping me and another parent at the same time printing out a form for us to sign. Some woman barges into the office, actually squeezes between me and the lady in front of me and says something like "I just need to....blah, blah, blah." It didn't really matter. We were all "just." Anyway, one of the office lady's said, "we'll be right with you." This mom basically shoved her stack of papers at the office lady helping me and the woman in front of me and said, "I just need to drop this stuff off. We're good, right?" and proceeded to walk away. If she's who I think she is, she goes to my church and has a child older than KJ, one maybe in the same grade (not sure but thankfully her kid has never been in the same classroom as KJ) and maybe one child younger than KJ. A good friend of mine is an acquaintance of hers and said she is positively psycho. I could see it today. What makes one person think they are more important than another? What makes anyone think their time is more valuable than someone else's? Why do some people think they don't need to stand in line and wait their turn like the rest of us??

I got the DT's -- Dog Tired and Dragon Tattoos

Fatigue (also called exhaustion, lethargy, languidness, languor, lassitude, and listlessness) is a state of awareness describing a range of afflictions, usually associated with physical and/or mental weakness, though varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one's muscles. Physical fatigue is the inability to continue functioning at the level of one's normal abilities. It is ubiquitous in everyday life, but usually becomes particularly noticeable during heavy exercise. Mental fatigue, on the other hand, rather manifests in somnolence (sleepiness).
Fatigue is considered a symptom, as opposed to a medical sign, because it is reported by the patient instead of being observed by others. Fatigue and ‘feelings of fatigue’ are often confused.

Thank you friends at Wikipedia for clearing up the difference between fatigue and weakness.

I don't know if it's because of the extreme heat this week, a full moon, high tide, whatever. I have been positively exhausted this week. I walked in the door and crawled into bed and slept for about 30 minutes. I mean, flat out, face down slept hard. Thank God I have a hubby who knows me well enough to recognize when something's not right. He's always been really, really good about letting me catch up on my sleep and takes over when I need to crash.

In other, unrelated news, I started reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (you can read more about the author, Stieg Larsson, here: http://www.stieglarsson.com/). I really, really like it so far. I wasn't sure what to expect. I've heard so much about the book and couldn't wait to read it. Then, I kind of backed off and put it on the shelf for a while (I've been going thru one of my historical fiction periods -- alot of Marie Antoinette and Mary Queen of Scots). I was expecting something high action like the Bourne Identity but I'm halfway thru the book and it's not happened yet. In case you've been living under a rock, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is one of the most anticipated, most talked about projects in Hollywood. This is such a hot topic, even my 10 year old knew all about it (she devours my Entertainment Weekly's). There has been a ton of speculation as to who will play the leading roles and I believe Daniel Craig (aka James Bond) is playing the male lead. Die hard fans of the book would like to see an unknown actress play the female lead, Lisbeth, but obviously studio execs want someone who will fill movie theater seats. Enter Kristen Stewart (aka Bella). They're hoping her Twilight fans will want to see her in a remake of a Swedish film. I could see it. I think she would make a good Lisbeth. I could also see Natalie Portman and Ellen Page from Juno (although everytime I see Ellen Page I think of Juno's dad saying, "Next time I see that Bleeker kid I'm going to punch him in the wiener" and quite possibly one of our family's most favorite movie lines of all time: "that's one diddle that can't be undone"). http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/07/28/girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-casting/

Romance is in the Air

Good God Jessica Simpson is an idiot! So tired of her relationships being plastered all over the media; she's so immature and desperate. Maybe if she just concentrated on the other person in the relationship once in a while . . . just saying!

In other relationship news, Chelsea Clinton got married this weekend and she looked positively radiant. Luv, luv, luv her wedding gown (Vera! KJ's favorite!). So classy and elegant. She has truly grown into a beautiful young lady.