Category Archives: Go Team Go Team Go Team

When to say “enough”?

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I love sports. Except for golf and basketball. Basketball squeaks too much and golf? Men running around trying to fit things into holes? Yeah.

But NHL hockey, AHL hockey, Even my kid’s hockey, baseball and football, I have been a fan. Yes, I rooted for the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s when they went and lost 4 consequtive SuperBowls. Yes, I still cheer for the Sabres and I have recently accepted that while the Buffalo Bisons will be my favoirte AAA baseball team, I am a Red Sox fan.  Oh I agree these guys are away over paid, I agree they whine, I agree we need more womens professional sports, BUT, I like my sports.

And then on last Thursday, Dave Duerson committed suicide. He had played for the NFL, he was a pro-bowler and had won the Super Bowl twice. He was active in the player’s union and worked with retired players and their disability claims.

What is the issue here? This happens.His personal life had spiraled down recently. Finances and family gone bad. And like most men, Duerson used a gun to kill himself. In the chest. Not a quick a painless shot to the head, but a shot to the chest where it could be instant, or take minutes to die. He was 50.

He left suicide notes (text messages actually) to have his brain sent up to Boston University for study. It is possible that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease associated with repeated concussions.This disease is also associated with depression. CTE used to be only associated with boxers. Now it is becoming more and more suspect in NFL player’s suicides. 

Dave Duerson deliberately committed suicide in a manner that would allow his brain to be studied. A life cut short because he did what he loved; played football. I want to repeat that he was 50. 10 years older than me. Dead because he suspected a damaged brain that would make his life no longer worth living.

While I want to know the results of the examination, while I know the media outlets will carry this information, I also want to know, when do we fans say "ENOUGH"?

ENOUGH to hits to the head.

ENOUGH to saying "Man up and get back out there"

ENOUGH to implying or even outright stating that players of any sport need to suck it up during injuries.

ENOUGH to letting people die for our entertainment.

Open Letters

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Dear Pharmacutical companies,

Will you please stop making anti-depressants that make people gain weight, have trouble losing said weight and give them insomnia? Because those all kind of fuck with the whole "anti" part of anti-depressants.

Thanks, Nance

Dear Kitchen contractors:

I know we are geeks. That’s our job, to be geeks. We even call our children "nerdlings". But when we ask for special lighting for under our cabinets and it comes in two temperature colors, consider asking us before blindly ordering. Having 4000K lights when the rest of the kitchen are 2700K lights really looks weird. And yes, I am going to insist that you change them. Even though they cost an arm and a leg. Oh, and fix the leak in the new sink, will ya?

Thanks, Nance

Dear Hockey Gods,

What the hell do you have against me seeing the Sabres play this season? I mean seriously, they are in town TOMORROW. The game is during the day! I can go! EXCEPT that I would have to go alone because someone has to take Soleil to ice skating. And I don’t trust my teen sitters to do that. And I am so not going into the Boston Garden (okay, the new Boston Garden) cheering the Sabres alone. Not after that year when the drunk asshole tried to rip my Sabre jersey off and Jay almost broke his arm.

How about you just let me see one measly Sabre game this year? I have tickets in March. Or are you going to throw another snow storm at me?

Thanks, Nance

Dear Luna,

I love you and I will never stop telling you even when you move to Hawai’i and insist that you won’t answer your cellphone when I call to tell you I love you. But will you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop placing your pee filled pull-up on my face in the morning? I just would prefer something more pleasant, like the smell of coffee, to wake up my senses. Thanks!

Love, Mom

 

Dear Soleil,

 

I am thrilled that you are growing up in a more culturally diverse and sensitive life style than I ever was. But I cannot make your hair look like Christina’s. First, she is African-American. Her hair is a completely different texture than yours. It can hold all of those tiny braids so much better than your fine silky brown hair. Secondly, you can’t sit still anyway, so how the hell am I supposed to braid your hair when you keep moving? Let’s stick to one or two braids, Okay?
Love, Mom

A Open Letter to Red Sox Fans

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Dear Red Sox Nation,

I am sorry. It’s all my fault.

You see, in late August, it happened. I was at a Cleveland Indians/ Chicago White Sox game. While the Indians were losing, I kept a close eye on the Red Sox/Baltimore Orioles game. The Orioles took a lead. A Big lead. I bitched about Timlin blowing it AGAIN. Then, just before the Indians started their amazing comeback, I saw that the Red Sox were also on the rally train. I poked Dr. Jay in the ribs and said

"We’re coming back! Look! The score is now 9-6!" 

Jay looked at me and said "What’s this "we" shit? The Indians are losing!"

I pointed out the Red Sox score. But that was it. I was suddenly identifying myself as a Red Sox fan. I’ve lived in Massachusetts for 11 years and I am finally a Red Sox fan. I will never be a Bruins (ice hockey) or Patriots (football) fan. I have teams for those sports.

In fact, it is because I have teams for those sports that I must take full blame for the Red Sox TANKING it right now. I grew up in Western New York. Buffalo area to be exact. Yeah, those four super bowls that the Bills went to and Lost? I cheered for each one. The Sabres? My team all the way. When the "no goal" was scored in 1999, I threw the remote into the wall. It shattered into many pieces.

You see, those of us from Buffalo are USED to our teams sucking. Sucking with the strength of a giant hoover vacuum (OK, I know, vacuums don’t SUCK, the air pressure outside is forcing the air to be blown into the bag with the dirt, but you get the point).

And Red Sox fans are used to suckage as well, (the famous Bucky fucking Dent). But, after the 2004 World Series, I think people expected a change.

I am truly sorry, Sparky and all residents of Red Sox nation. It is all my fault.

Sincerely,

Spacemom…fan of sucky sports teams 

Sweet pain of my Caroline!

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What a weekend!

Friday night, I saw "Wicked" with a friend of mine. It was a good story, although most of the songs were not memorable. I also had a good laugh over the T-shirts on sale in the lobby. They were promoting the song "Defying Gravity" (sadly, not the Jimmy Buffett version). The T- shirts had the words "Defying Gravity" across the chest. Now all I could think was "Implants!"…But maybe that was just me.

Yesterday afternoon/evening Jay and I went to the Yankees/Red Sox game. For those in the know, the title of this post refers to the middle of the 8th inning in Boston. It was a great game (Boston won, 10-1), but man was it long. I had to buy (darn) a Red Sox hat in the early innings because the sun was in my eyes. It’s just part of the inevitable… I am a Red Sox fan. I refuse to be a Patriots or Bruins fan, but yeah, I can cheer the Red Sox.

 This morning, I awoke to some of the worst pain in my life (labor was worse…really). I developed sciatica.  I have scoliosis and this can cause severe pain when I sit still too long. I guess the theatre and the game was too much for my poor back. I went apple picking with the kids and Jay, but only picked 2 apples as I can’t bend at the waist. I am sitting on the couch with a heating pad on my back… I hope this ends soon! At least I can watch the Red Sox on TV tonight with a heating pad!

The little things

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The greatest part of the trip to Hawai’i was the little things.

  • Watching the kids play in the sand
  • Not caring if they ate Peanut Butter and Jelly every night and pancakes at the Cafe every morning
  • Enjoying the sounds of the ocean
  • Listening to nature
  • Not stressing about everyday things
I want to offer a loud Congratulations to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim! You’ve won the Stanley Cup and you deserved it!

Jay’s crohn’s has taken a turn for the worse. It started in Hawai’i and it has gotten worse everyday. I am hoping that it is because we’ve been 8 weeks since his last infusion of medicine. His next one is Monday. To see him double over with cramps after eating is so hard. I hate this disease.

A friend recently asked “What have you done for yourself lately?”
Many friends responded. They had great plans and situations, a spa weekend, time off, things like that.
Me? Not so much.
The trip was fun, but with a few exceptions, it was almost 24/7 with the kids (my parents are good with the kids, but they would rather watch the kids with us, not alone). I am trying to line up a babysitter for next weekend. It’s our 10th anniversary and I want to at least go out.

Losing weight without speed

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(The title is from a Jimmy Buffett song)

This morning, at the crack o’dawn, our door opened. Soleil popped in and said "Mommy! I am going to watch the sunrise" I mumbled something and sent her on her merry way.

Between 5 am and 7 am Soleil:

  • watched the sunrise
  • got her milk sippy out of the fridge
  • drew some pictures
  • got dressed
  • made her bed
  • cleaned her room
  • set out clothes for tomorrow
  • did all of this while singing out of tune

Jay rolled over and asked me at some point if I slipped her some speed last night. I replied that HE put her to bed, I was the one who had Luna.

Last night, the Buffalo Sabres regained face and beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2. At least we won’t be swept. Now, if we can win one more game and make it s 6 game series, there will be some pride restored to Buffalo.

The pajama project started in earnest last night when I created a pattern based on my jammies. I first forgot to take the waist to crotch measurement into consideration and the first pattern had the crotch at my knees. After some good natured ribbing and passes from Jay, I fixed that.
The fabric is cut and I can start sewing tonight!

Doomed…

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The Sabres are down 0-3… One more loss and we are out. Sigh… I knew we were cursed when we won the President’s trophy (the award for the best regular season record). Very few teams win the President’s Trophy and Lord Stanley’s Cup….
Sigh…
I should be used to this. I am from Buffalo, after all. Buffalo, The city of losers. We never win. We get close, and we wait for the other shoe to drop. And then, we come back for more. Yes, that’s Buffalo for you.

I bought some cool fabric and I measured my own favorite jammies last night. Tonight I will edit the pattern I bought to match my jamies. Wish me luck! I also took some time on the weekend to make 2 capes. (yes, I have the words of Edna from the Incredibles going through my head "NO CAPES"). The girls decided to use their blankets as capes and nearly choked to death. So I make them each a wonder pet cape, complete with a W on the back. Lovely. By the way, if I EVER run into Josh Selig, the creator of the Wonder Pets and Oobi, I will lock him in a room with my children and ask them to sing the Wonder Pet theme song until his eyeballs melt out of his head. I hate that song and the girls sing it CONSTANTLY.

The jeans came and I looked like a stuffed sausage. They were the right size, but the thighs were squished and the waist was too low, so it gave a huge gap (you know, about the size of the Delaware Water Gap) in the back. I sent them back and tried again. Wish me more luck. Because I hate finding good jeans.

I am still recovering from Saturday. To help Crazy H and Kobyashi, Jay went to their place to rip drywall down from the bedroom that will be their girls’ room and I took 4 kids at my place all day. Jay has standing orders to shoot me if I ever offer to watch the four kids again. From 9 until 4, I had kids from almost 5 to almost 1 in the house….
Oy!