Happy Sports Free Holidays!
December 24, 2008 12:58 PM | 0 Comments
We wish you a very Merry Sports-free Holiday season and a Happy 2009! Stay safe, warm and dry.
Life is a Contact Sport; Seize the Remote; Reclaim the Recliner; and, Get Into the Game!
Cheers!
Nan Hall (aka: Sports Widow)
Dave Sharp (aka: Sports Widow Coach)
Listen to Nan Halls' Sports Widow Report every Friday at 8:00a.m. (PST) on Chat with Women Radio KKNW 1150 AM or download a podcast.
Tell me what you think of Happy Sports Free Holidays!...
From the Sports Archives
The Sports Widow Interview with King 5's Paul Silvi, Occupation: Sports Anchor
December 11, 2008 1:08 PM | 0 Comments
Host Pam Alhadeff and I interviewed Paul Silvi during The Sports Widow segment of the Chat With Women show, which is scheduled weekly on KKNW 1150AM, from 8:00-9:00am. Paul Silvi is a respected and acclaimed sports anchor for KING 5 News in Seattle, and also hosts Northwest Sports Tonight on NorthWest Cable News and The High School Sports Blitz. Paul He lives in Maple Valley, Washington, with his wife Carol and three children. He’s also a fellow Midwesterner.
A Sports Fan's Guide to Scheduling Surgery
November 14, 2008 11:39 AM | 0 Comments
My sports fan husband Bryan has to have hip replacement surgery. Even though he’s relatively young, he suffers from early arthritis. We’ve been trying to figure out the best time to schedule the surgery, because he has a pretty intense job as a Project Manager. I suggested the month of December. My rationale is that things pretty much come to a halt for about three weeks of that time anyway, and his estimated recovery is about a month. Additionally, since he never helps with Christmas shopping, being on the injured list won’t impact the holidays that much.
The Sports Widow's 13 Horrifying Habits of Sports Fans
October 31, 2008 4:39 PM | 0 Comments
For The Sports Widow, Halloween would be incomplete if I didn't prepare a ghoulish, hair-raising, spine-tingling list of the 13 Horrifying Habits of Sports Fans. So, here it is, Mwah ha ha ha ha ha....
The Sports Widow Gets a Regular Gig on the Chat With Women Radio Show, KKNW 1150AM
October 28, 2008 4:51 PM | 0 Comments
In September, I was interviewed by two funny, warm and wise radio hosts: Pam Gray & Rochelle Alhadeff. They, along with their amusing sidekick Benny, host a morning show entitled Chat with Women on Seattle's KKNW 1150AM. Well, now I am pleased to announce that those crazy lunatics have invited me to become a regular contributor to the show.
Sports Widow Discovery: Chat, Chew & Chocolate
October 24, 2008 11:39 AM | 0 Comments
I just discovered a new web site that I wanted to share with my fellow Sports Widows. Chat, Chew and Chocolate, is a super fabulous company that is sweeping the nation that serves fun, friendship and inspiration with a side of chocolate. Everything they do is for that busy woman who suffers from the Superwoman Syndrome (or Sports Widowhood) who need some chocolate, wine and girlfriend time every once and a while.
Chat, Chew and Chocolate has custom retreats, chapters, merchandise and members online AND offline.
Even better: The CCC Party Kit: everything you need to host a Girls Night In for 8 friends. The kit includes gourmet chocolate, Sex and the City Movie DVD, 8 goody-bags for your party guests plus A LOT more stuff.
Poll: What Type of Sports Widow Are You?
September 20, 2008 11:26 AM | 0 Comments
With election season approaching soon, I decided to get into the spirit by conducting a Sports Widow Poll (please take a minute to take the poll below). In the U.S. alone, there are well over 62 million sports fans and at least 19 million sports addicts, and they are 92% male, ages 18-54. (See more details in my entry entitled The Definition of a Sports Fan.)
If you think about it, conservatively, behind these sports fans at least half -- or 40 million – have a disenfranchised wife, girlfriend, mother, partner or reluctant companion, who is overshadowed or excluded from “The Club.”
Who Are We Sports Widows and What Are Our Credentials?
In my unofficial survey, Sports Widows span age, nationality, temperament and gender, but we are mostly female. Despite Title IX, Sports Widows are as self-replenishing as their foils, the sports fans, are. We may not generally identify with the term Sports Widow, but instead may consider ourselves a specialist: Football Widow, Basketball Widow, Baseball Widow, Soccer Widow, Golf Widow, Tennis Widow, Hockey Widow, Racing (NASCAR) Widow, Bowling Widow, Hunting Widow, Fishing Widow, Cycling Widow, Poker Widow…
Our definition of Sports Widowhood may even get more specific, depending on how the sports fan in our lives manifests his/her passion. Is the fan an athlete or a spectator? Does the fan follow or participate in professional, college, or youth leagues? In other words, there are as many Sports Widow varieties as there are Bubba Gump shrimp recipes***.
Why Sports?
September 3, 2008 9:55 AM | 0 Comments
It's the first day of school, the annual transition time from lazy, lackadaisical summer to face-paced, structured Fall. This period of time always makes me pensive. Naturally, a topic which I frequently ponder is: Why Sports? Why are so many people, largely men, obsessed with sports? So, here are my mostly unscientific musings.
The Sports Widow Summarizes The Beijing Olympics, Le Fin d'Olympics
August 24, 2008 10:46 PM | 0 Comments
So, the torch for The Beijing Olympics is now extinguished, punctuating two exhilirating weeks in which we have witnessed athletes from around the globe performing astounding feats, breaking records and occasionally really flopping in front of millions of spectators. How can I, The Sports Widow, contribute to the commentary? How can I intelligently assess the phenomenon known as The 2008 Beijing Olympics?
The Sports Widow Reflects on Sports Palaces and KOs
August 23, 2008 8:12 PM | 0 Comments
Today marked our return to West Seattle, after a 2-week stint in Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach. As I left Washington, D.C., which is where I met my sports fan husband Bryan, memories swarmed me like mosquitos in a swamp, like mosquitos in Washington, D.C., which at one time was a swamp and, frankly, still acts like one. Ask my children, these mosquitos have unusually large proboscises (I'm too lazy to look this one up, but it means stingers, emphasis on plural).
The Sports Test, Quoth the Raven and Other Baltimore Stories
August 22, 2008 9:30 PM | 0 Comments
It was our last full day on the East Coast and 10-year-old Austin had to see The National Aquarium in Baltimore. When he is not planning to be a baseball or basketball player, his goal is to be a wildlife photographer or to host a wildlife show, a la Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter.
When Cheering Goes Too Far: The Sports Widow's Inappropriate Outburst
June 14, 2008 7:34 PM | 0 Comments
Last night I went to a movie, which was featured in the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), entitled The Wackness.
One of the members of my Movie Club, which is 16 years in the running, is a past president of SIFF, so we always let Mary do the driving and select the movie during the festival. She has a film website you should definitely try out. This is a welcome change from attending Little League Baseball games, which are my recent preoccupation. The problem is that I've gotten to be such an exuberant, vocal fan that I don't know when to cut the cheering off. Here is my embarrassing example.
TV Turn-off Week Frustrates My Sports Fans
April 24, 2008 9:07 AM | 0 Comments
This week, April 21-27, is the official TV Turn-off Week, so I decided to sacrifice myself to the volcano and take the plunge into the fiery abyss of TV addiction in my household. While the mushroom cloud over West Seattle is probably visible from space, we're surviving, but it's not pretty -- especially for the sports fans in my family, namely my husband Bryan and his mini-me, 10-year-old Austin. So here's my accounting of TV Turn-off Week as we conclude it.
Sports Widow reviews Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
March 2, 2008 3:42 PM | 0 Comments
It's that time of year again, when Sports Illustrated publishes the annual Swimsuit Edition. Maybe I was in the mood to torture myself. On the other hand, perhaps I was steeled for it, but last night I reached over to the Guy Side of the bed and grabbed the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition to take it for a visual spin. Here's my review:
The Sports Widow Helps Coordinate Sports Night - Ironic, Huh?
February 15, 2008 2:02 AM | 0 Comments
One of the great ironies of my life is that I serve on a church committee that is responsible for planning an annual family event for elementary-aged children called Sports Night. This event is religion lite for Presbyterians in that it's heavy on fellowship and short on doctrine.
Free Sports Widow Tattoos; Yes, Absolutely Free, While Supplies Last....
January 22, 2008 12:31 PM | 0 Comments
The Super Bowl, Final Four, Opening Day of Baseball. They're all coming up fast, which brings up a subject that is important to me. In our country, there is a debate swirling around a critical issue, which is at the heart of our constitution and our civil liberties: Exercising the right to bare arms. If you opt to bare your arms, is it a requirement to have toned musculature? I sure hope it isn't, because I have taken the risque and risky action of showing you my bare biceps, adorned with a Sports Widow temporary* tattoo. Sadly, my biceps are hillocks instead of mountains.
Sports Widow Holiday Highlights
January 2, 2008 9:20 AM | 0 Comments
Happy New Year to all of you Sports Widows out there!
My wish for you in 2008 is that you achieve ultimate harmony with the Sports Fan/s in your life. Lofty, unachievable? Perhaps. But we can dream, can't we? Here's a rundown of the sports-related events in our household.
The Sports Widow's Christmas Wish - Teammates & Correspondents Wanted
November 27, 2007 10:05 PM | 0 Comments
I just officially launched sportswidow.com and sportswidowstore.com but, as you can tell, I've been blogging about my Sports Widowhood for nearly two years now. I wanted the site to be fully loaded when I turned on the switch, so that there would be something for everyone. The best way to describe blogging without a community is that it's like talking into a tin can with a string that doesn't connect to anyone else.
The Sports Widow's Thanksgiving Scorecard
November 22, 2007 11:17 PM | 2 Comments
Well, Thanksgiving is over. I bade goodnight to my mother-in-law, as well as sister-in-law and her family, grabbed a late-night turkey & gravy snack, and here I am to give you a report on the day.
There are three more sports-dominated days ahead of me, but so far I haven't been knocked out. Here's why:
The Sports Widow's Survival Guide to Thanksgiving
November 18, 2007 5:25 PM | 1 Comments
When we're all sitting around a festive, autumnal table celebrating Thanksgiving, that uniquely American holiday, we'll gratefully pass around the standard-issue turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie ("Light on the whipped cream, please, I'm watching my weight."). But, hey, isn't there always one more staple on the menu that can leave you with heartburn? Yes, there is: Sports, and lots of it. Somehow I don't think this is the outcome the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag anticipated when they had their first potluck in the 1600s.
The Penalty Box: Sports Fan Abandons Daughter's Birthday Party for Football Game
October 21, 2007 2:19 PM | 1 Comments
Today is my 8-year-old daughter Caroline's birthday party. At her request, we are having a Charlotte's Web-themed party, which she has carefully arranged. As we speak, I'm on break, because she is watching Charlotte's Web with a gaggle of eight girls in our basement. Just before this, we painted the girls' noses pink with black nostrils, colored in a picture of Charlotte feeding Wilbur a bottle, did a scavenger hunt for pigs and spiders, and played Stick-the-Spider-on-the-Web. Much to my chagrin, a couple of hours before the party, my husband Bryan got last-minute tickets to a Washington Huskies game and left with my 10-year-old son Austin. This introduces an age-old dilemma, an age-old feud between Sports Fans and Sports Widows: Priorities.
The Sports Widow Pays Tribute to Sports Team Mascots
October 9, 2007 10:30 AM | 0 Comments
As The Sports Widow, one of the few entrees I have into sports is, naturally, through the back door. Even though I don't relate to, care or understand the rules of the games themselves, I've discovered that the football game half-time entertainment, the pounding tribal music, the perky cheerleaders, the absurd fan behavior, tailgate party food and the concessions can sustain me. Oh, and for me in particular, there is that other sideshow, that animal magnetism: The Team Mascots.
In corporate America, they love to do warm-up activities at retreats, and a favorite is Three Truths & A Lie. You tell the group (3) truths and (1) lie, and they have to guess which one is the lie. One of my offerings is: One summer, I was the Wisconsin State Fair mascot - Violet the Cow.
Warning: Baseball Playoffs & Football Monopolize October
October 3, 2007 11:29 AM | 1 Comments
Sports Widow Advisory: Autumn is officially here in Seattle, and a steady rain is falling on The Emerald City. Despite the gloomy weather, I do have one thing going for me: As of today, our hometown baseball team, the Seattle Mariners, throw in their gloves and bats for the season, and the stadium lights at Safeco Field go out until April 2008. I confess to feeling a bit Grinchy about this sense of relief, but, between NFL and NCAA Football there appear to be plenty of distractions for the sports fans in my family.
My false sense of security about what might translate into a waning interest in baseball was scuttled when I scanned the Major League Baseball web site to see what the October Sports Widow Forecast holds. Sure, our home team is no longer a factor for the World Series, but the dreaded Migration Phenomenon will come into play.
The Sports Widow Playbook: Scheduling "The Big Games"
September 24, 2007 6:24 PM | 0 Comments
Everyone always says that the cobbler's children frequently have the shoddiest shoes, if they have any shoes at all. (I think many of them just wear sweatersocks.) So, you could surmise that - while The Sports Widow can talk a big game - she may not always heed her own advice.
To counter any such accusations, I decided to employ one of the more controversial survival tactics from my Sports Widow Playbook: Scheduling "The Big Game".
Football Fans: I Come in Peace
September 17, 2007 4:00 AM | 1 Comments
After being interviewed on CNN Headline News about how Football Widows can survive the NFL and NCAA football season, I received my first flaming torch email comment from a defensive Football Fan, Ryan, who misconstrues what I am trying to accomplish with sportswidow.com. His antagonism doesn't surprise me because I know that when I shine the spotlight on the tensions between Football Widows and Football Fans, I am treading on sacred ground. But, since Ryan got personal, I'm compelled to respond. My premise is that sports is here to stay, so a peaceful co-existence is the only option. My crusade is to help all Sports Widows keep their sanity, gain access and gain equity, preferably maintaining a sense of humor along the way.
The Sports Widow Asks: Hot Dog Eating, Poker, Cheerleading, Fishing...Sports or Not?
August 7, 2007 10:30 AM | 0 Comments
How do you determine what activities are sports and which are non-sports? As a Sports Widow, this haunts me. Seriously, are fishing, poker, cheerleading and hotdog eating sports or not? Nathan’s Famous International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, NY got full play-by-play commentary/coverage on ESPN, Fox Sports, CNN and NBC's Today Show as a major sports event. When, at age 8, my brother Scott devoured 42 ears of corn in East Troy, Wisconsin, where were the cameras?
One Sports Widows Story
July 23, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 Comments
To describe myself as un-athletic would be a gross understatement. For years, simple acts like trying to throw a Frisbee or skip a rock have sent onlookers into paroxysms of laughter.
The Definition of a Sports Fan & Their Stats
July 16, 2007 10:08 PM | 0 Comments
As we unite the Sports Widow Nation, it's helpful to understand our foils, those often loveable sports fans. According to www.Wikipedia.org, sports fans are: enthusiasts for a particular athlete, team, sport, or all of organized sports as a whole. Sports fans are often seen attending sporting events or following them on television, as well as through newspapers, radio and Internet websites such as ESPN.com. The mentality of the sports fan is often such that they will experience a game, or event while living vicariously through players or teams whom the fan favors. (I like to add that sometimes the athlete is the fan's child, which makes the association especially vicarious and personal.) This behavior manifests itself in a number of different ways, depending on the venue.
The Definition of a Sports Widow
July 9, 2007 10:04 PM | 0 Comments
Each day, our nation’s television and cable networks, radio stations, newspapers, magazines and Internet devote an astounding amount of time, space and money to reporting about sports to the sports-savvy.
Drive through any major metropolitan area, and sports facilities, shrines to our national obsession, dominate the skyline; sports bars teem with rowdy, beer-swilling fans; politicians regularly debate how much we should invest in sports facilities and franchises; and sports/athletic gear is a wardrobe staple.
In the U.S. alone, there are well over 62 million sports fans and at least 19 million sports addicts, and they are 92% male, ages 18-54. (See more details in my entry entitled The Definition of a Sports Fan.)
If you think about it, conservatively, behind these sports fans at least half -- or 40 million – have a disenfranchised wife, girlfriend, mother, partner or reluctant companion, who is overshadowed or excluded from “The Club.”
These are the Sports Widows.
So, with a constituency this large, I ask you… Where’s the rebuttal? Where’s the foil? Who’s commiserating with, interpreting for, negotiating for and most importantly cheering for the OTHER team?
No one…
Until now.
Enter sportswidow.com, the web site designed for my people, the Sports Widow Nation.
Sports-Related Gifts for Father's Day Are a Click Away
June 13, 2007 1:04 PM | 0 Comments
There are about three days a year when I feel charitable about sports, when I even consider feeding the fires of sports fanaticism. They are Christmas, my husband Bryan's birthday and, of course, Father's Day, which looms before me. Last year's Itty Bitty Book Lite, which I confess may have been more of a gift for me, lies fallow in an itty bitty bedside drawer, so I did a little surfing. Here are some of my more intriguing sports-related gift discoveries for Father's Day.
The Tarheels Loss to Georgetown Brings Back NCAA Memories
March 25, 2007 11:45 AM | 0 Comments
Last night, the University of North Carolina Tarheels lost in overtime to Georgetown. This reminded me of my halcyon days as a young Sports Widow and UNC Journalism student. It also revives a story about one of my greatest claims-to-fame in the realm of sports, my brush with greatness.
In 1982, the year I graduated from UNC, the Tarheels competed against Georgetown and won the Men's NCAA College Basketball tournament, which I witnessed from the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house. Actually, when the final shot was made, I believe my back was turned to the TV, as I was refilling my plastic beer cup at the Budweiser pony keg, but this is just a detail. (Hey, I grew up in Milwaukee, where hops are king.) What followed the deciding shot was a tremendous roar of fan appreciation and an all-night party. I recall viewing the enthusiastic crowd from a rooftop on the main drag, and the throng looked like amoebas.
The Sports Widow Downloads the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition
February 16, 2007 10:41 PM | 0 Comments
Maybe I was in the mood to torture myself. On the other hand, perhaps I was steeled for it, but last night I reached over to the Guy Side of the bed and grabbed the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition to take it for a visual spin. Here are my random thoughts in no particular order of randomness.
First of all, why is it that when THEY-THOSE SUPERMODELS-get sand stuck on their skin, especially their buttocks, thighs and stomachs, it's sexy, and when I do it's just plain irritating and an eyesore, merely underscoring my lack of buoyancy?
Speaking of buoyancy and evil perkiness, Beyonce: The Dreamgirl as You've Never Seen Her, was the featured model. Why can't she just be satisfied with being a popular, award-winning musician? Does she have to grab ALL of the categories?
Question: What separates the Rookies from the Regulars?
Clearly, I have GOT to do more squats and crunches.
Furthermore, I need to think about how I can accessorize my swimsuits with cowboy hats, lassos, and wedge heels, or embellish them with Ipods, guitars or just guitar picks? This summer, I also plan to consider macrame as an alternative swimsuit material. I wonder how Arbor Heights Swim & Tennis Club will receive the new me?
Lastly, when did Burt Reynolds become a bare rug?
Super Pressure
January 30, 2007 3:58 PM | 0 Comments
The 41st Super Bowl is scheduled for this Sunday, February 4, and I am already getting an anxiety attack over the upcoming event.
In my opinion The Super Bowl is a lot like New Year’s Eve, an all-comers holiday which always makes me feel inferior and unpopular. This is because on New Year’s Eve I feel pressure to do what I imagine “other” Americans are doing, namely having more fun. To keep up, I should have elaborate plans, wear some low-cut Barbie-esque evening gown, ride in a limousine and exchange a movie-star kiss with my dashing husband when the clock strikes midnight.
But, the fact is that most New Years Eves, my husband and I can’t even stay up to watch the festivities at Times Square on TV -- and we live on the West Coast.
The Bike Lesson
January 27, 2007 11:03 PM | 0 Comments
Growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the 1960s, I was oblivious to sports. This is incomprehensible to most men I know, who can’t believe I wasn’t avidly tracking the tragic exit of the Milwaukee Braves or the promising debut of the Milwaukee Bucks or the incredible feats of the Green Bay Packers. In fact, the Pack is the source of a recurring nightmare I have had throughout my life.
Deck the Halls with Sports Highlights
December 10, 2006 9:17 PM | 0 Comments
Yesterday we made our annual holiday pilgrimage to Auggie's Tree Farm on Vashon Island to chop down our Christmas Tree. This has been a tradition for 14 years now, even before we had children. Our friends Mark and Diane introduced us to the farm and to the adventure. For the past few years the cousins - Grant and Anja have joined us with Bryan's sister Ann and husband Steve. We typically tote hot chocolate or champagne and treats, and travel on a short ferry ride from West Seattle to Vashon Island, which is part of the allure. Generally we find a great tree, although one year we unintentionally brought home a truly pathetic Charlie Brown Christmas tree, which depressed me every time I looked at it. It looked lush when we left and scraggly and forlorn once it was placed in our living room.
Stalked by Sports
October 23, 2006 10:49 AM | 1 Comments
This weekend, it seems like everywhere I turned, there was some game on and an announcer was blasting in my ear. Whether it was the TV, the car radio, the kitchen radio, the restaurant radio or general discussions, a game was at the focal point.
Sports Metaphors Abound at Business Magazine Event
October 9, 2006 11:13 AM | 0 Comments
Last Thursday, I attended an event honoring a local business magazine. It was held at the new, state-of-the-art local football stadium, Qwest Field. After 30 years of reporting business news, Washington CEO magazine entitled "Serious, Successful Businessmen in Ties," (which granted is a mouthful) was given a face-lift. The powers behind the magazine, who must have been fraternity brothers, decided to simultaneously unveil the new look AND celebrate our state's fine sports record. It was a marriage fit for a businessman. It was a marriage fit for a sports fan. It was a marriage fit for a businessman, who likes sports. If you were in any other category, however, it was... cause for dissolution.
My Husband is a Seeder - What Should The Sports Widow Do?
July 31, 2006 6:22 AM | 0 Comments
All summer, my husband Bryan has been on a strange snack craze. He appears to be addicted to David's low-salt sunflower seeds. Much to my horror, he has become what they call a "seeder." In my opinion, this is one step away from becoming a member of the family rodentia and growing exceptionally long, sharp incisors.
The TV is Back in My Bedroom - Sports Rules Again
July 16, 2006 6:26 AM | 0 Comments
We just moved to a temporary house while our regular home is being remodeled over the next few months. It's kind of like when the dentist gives you a temporary filling until they seat a crown or perform some other hideous procedure like filing your tori. The only difference is that, when making a short-term move, you are experiencing a form of purgatory in which you are endlessly sorting and deciding which objects are important to you and which ones are expendable. This is a mentally and emotionally exhausting process.
Sports Widow End-of-Little-League-Baseball-Season Highlights
June 20, 2006 6:29 AM | 0 Comments
Unfortunately, my schedule has been so crazy. Here's a roundup of what's been going on in reverse order:
What Really Happened to the Sports Widow on Mother's Day
May 15, 2006 6:49 AM | 0 Comments
After I shared my Mother's Day wish list, you're probably wondering how much of it was realized.
The La-Z-Boy Recliner: The Sports Fan's Friend and The Sports Widow's Most Elusive One
May 5, 2006 7:00 AM | 0 Comments
Seeing my son Austin last week recuperating from his Little League Baseball injury in our La-Z-Boy reminded me of how far I've come in my esteem for this piece of furniture, not to mention how much the future generation of La-Z-Boys has evolved aesthetically.
A Muthuh of a Sports Widow Mother's Day
May 5, 2006 6:51 AM | 0 Comments
This Sunday is Mother's Day, and I can hardly wait to have ALL of my dreams come true in a single 24-hour period of tribute. I will finally get my due, what's owed to me for all of those countless kindnesses, the little sacrifices made, the quiet suffering, the pure unselfishness, the bottomless patience, all against the backdrop of what appears to be pure joy. (That's how it is when the medication kicks in.) Yes, it will all be mine: Adoring children. A doting husband. The bosom of family. A trinket, like maybe a Tiffany's tennis bracelet or a diamond ring with a trio of chunky, multi-carrot rocks that symbolize my past, present and future. OOPS. Wrong holiday. That's what I was supposed to receive for my anniversary last month.
If You're a Mensan Wannabe, Can You Bunt a Bundt Cake?
May 1, 2006 6:56 AM | 0 Comments
The Sports Widow Mom Ponders the Bunt in Baseball
For years, one of my standard amusements is to infer I am a Mensan, a member of the Mensa Society, which I quote "welcomes people from every walk of life whose IQ is in the top 2% of society." I kid around about the subject enough that my friends and co-workers begin to believe in the possibility, despite all signals to the contrary. In their defense, I do use multi-syllabic vocabulary words, and I've learned the art of furrowing my right brow, as if in deep, profound thought, both of which are good smoke screens.
When the Sports Fan Travels, His Athletic Shoes Are Tough to Fill
April 30, 2006 7:02 AM | 0 Comments
The Sports Widow Mom Struggles With His Absence and Things Like the TV Remote
My husband Bryan is attending a conference in Boston. If you must know, they've asked him to participate in a reenactment of the Boston Tea Party, but I don't like to brag. As we speak, he is hoisting tea into the harbor. (FYI, since you don't know me, only parts of this statement are untrue.) Since Bryan left at 06:00 PST on Saturday, all I've been hearing from Austin, my 8-year-old sports fan, is: "That's not the way Dad usually does it." I'm not proud of this, but my resentment is mounting. What am I? Chopped liver? I thought this reverent language was reserved for adored, absentee mothers, who were regaining their strength by sunning in Tahiti. So, here are a few challenges that have arisen since my husband's departure.
Little League Baseball Bewilderment & Survival
April 24, 2006 7:05 AM | 0 Comments
I am the unschooled Mom of an 8-year-old son, Austin, who is in Little League Baseball this Spring. Last Saturday, his team, the Boa Constrictors, played the Marlins. Hmmmmm. A snake battling a large fish. The word marlin always reminds me of Old Man and the Sea. While this is in the literary realm, there is a metaphor here. For me, learning baseball is the equivalent of that old guy trying to reel in a recalcitrant marlin. It takes a great deal of exertion and tenacity. So, here's how I'm surviving Little League Baseball.
Foul Territory and the Sports Widow
April 24, 2006 6:46 AM | 0 Comments
The Term Applies to Baseball AND Moms
Long ago, when Bryan and I started having children (about 12 years ago), we made an unspoken pact that I was responsible for cleaning up anything that was truly disgusting, particularly bodily issuances from children. While Bryan changed his share of diapers, when the going got tough, the tough (and that would be Bryan) definitely got going, and I was always the last woman left standing.
The Sports Widow is on the Injured List... Again
April 17, 2006 7:07 AM | 0 Comments
A Baseball Collides With My Left Eye
Last week, my family enjoyed Spring Break at a lovely place called Wapato Point on Lake Chelan in Washington State. We've been going to this destination for the past five years. It's a particularly great spot for elementary-age children. We have three: Kit, short for Katharine (11), Austin (8) and Caroline (6). Most of the vacation we cater to the whims of this young trio: We swim in a heavily chlorinated pool, chase tennis balls and occasionally make contact with them using a racket, and explore this spectacular region, which was sculpted by glaciers. Last Tuesday, however, we decided to visit Big Pine Winery, one of the local wineries that are cropping up in the area. In order to placate mostly Austin and his unquenchable desire to be active, we gathered up the baseball bat, mitts and ball so that he and his cronies could play in a field on the vineyard while we adults relaxed and sampled wine.
The Madness May Be Over, but the Season Never Ends
April 3, 2006 7:09 AM | 0 Comments
March Madness is Just the Beginning for the Sports Widow
It's time to break out the champagne or at the minimum some box wine with a good nozzle. The sporting event that has turned my husband and 8-year-old son into the equivalent of a painting, entitled "Still Life: Man and Boy With Snacks and Beverages in Front of Tube," has concluded. Yes, tonight, the Florida Gators clamped their jaws on the UCLA Bruins, wrestling them to the finish and thereby mercifully ending the 2006 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Basketball Tournament.
How I Became a Sports Widow
March 2, 2006 7:11 AM | 0 Comments
The only math formula I ever memorized was: Tragedy+Time=Comedy. When I apply this to my relationship with sports, believe me, comedy is the operative word.
