The Final Frontier

I love sports! I’m an only child and at the age of 9, I got the crazy idea that if I was really, really into sports, my dad would never be saddened by the fact that I wasn't a boy. Sounds crazy now, but at 9 it made perfect sense. So, I jumped in with a childs' enthusiasm. I played softball, soccer and basketball with my dad. We watched football, basketball, boxing and tennis. I even convinced him to buy New York Giants season tickets that a neighbor was selling so that we could go to all the games together. Whoa.

By high school, my love had waned a little, but I played softball and still had my affair with football and boxing. I had dreams of playing football in college, but being a girl, I knew that it would never happen, so I just watched the NFL with envy for many, many years. And wouldn’t you know - I married a guy that could care less about sports? I’m not as into them as I once was, but I still follow the games and the stats. Imagine my surprise at learning that there was not one, not two, but three Professional Women’s Football Leagues. WTH? Is this a conspiracy? How come no one told me about these leagues? I watch enough ESPN and I surely watch the nightly news. So, upon hearing of these leagues and particularly, my local team, the D.C. Divas, I did a little research and decided to go to the first game of the 2007 season this past Saturday night.

I was looking forward to it because my research revealed that the Divas were the 2006 league champions in the National Women’s Football Association. After crushing the competition in that league, they decided to move to different league, the Independent Women’s Football League, in an attempt to get some real competition.

Ya’ll, the game was great and these ladies are BAD! “Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning GOOD!” (And please tell me that somebody loves Run’s House on MTV as much as me?) These ladies are seriously doing the damn thing! Makes me want to lace up my pumas and start training with them girls! They spanked the New England Intensity, 70-0. **crickets** Yep, I said 70 to zero. ZERO. From the first play to the last play, the Divas pushed them other folk up and down the field with ease. The Divas are a dominant team and New England couldn't seem to get a thing going. *lol*

So, since this whole Women’s Football thing is apparently a secret, I wondered if it would get any new coverage. I neither read, saw or heard any mention of the game on the local news or in the Washington Post. And folks, I need to know why. This team has been around since 2001 and they’ve been killing the competition for years. These women are ethnically diverse, they range in age from 20-40 and they all have full time jobs in addition to training and playing with the team. They are our mothers, sisters, girlfriends and neighbors. They play at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, in the shadow of the Deadskins. Oops, I meant Redskins. Can a sista get some shine? Hmm, who do I need to talk to about this? Maybe the Diva’s need help in their marketing campaign. Or maybe they just need a grassroots effort of support. I emailed my favorite news team on NBC 4 about the lack of coverage and this is the email that I got back:

Subject: RE: No Coverage of the DC Divas?
Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 14:40:05 -0400
From:"Hellie, Dan (NBC Universal)"
To: "TDJ" *#*#*#@yahoo.com

Hi TDJ-

Saturday was a little packed with Redskins draft and Wizards playoff game. We
will try to make it to a Diva's game once things slow down a bit.

Thanks for watching Channel 4!
Dan


A little packed? Hmm, don’t know about ya’ll but I kinda took that as a slap in the face. When things slow down? So, we get 6 minutes of Redskins draft day coverage, 6 minutes of the LeBron show vs the poor Wizards and the Divas can’t get a stinking mention? And, as I said, you can walk from FedEx field to the Divas field, so why not cover draft day, then mosey on over cross the road for the 7pm game?

Hmm, is the mainstream not ready to see a woman making a tackle, throwing a pretty spiral or running a punt back for a touchdown? Do I smell sexism? Maybe it all comes down to money and support. Tennis was the first hurdle. Thank God Billie Jean King broke down the door in 1973. Now, the NBA supports and acknowledges the WNBA, as does the PGA to the LPGA. Women’s soccer made a run, but they collapsed under the financial pressure. Obviously 3 leagues with varying rules, fees and talent levels is bit much to keep up with, but why won’t the NFL sit down with these folks and come up with something? It seems that only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached out a helping hand to the female teams in their respective cities. Huh? 3? Counting all three leagues, there are over 70 teams. So, kudos to the Cards, Dolphins and Bucs, but what about the league itself acknowledging these athletes and lending support? Apparently not, according to this article - Hello, NFL, Commissioner Goodell, is anyone listening?

As my own personal show of support, I bought “season” tickets to the Divas games. Their season is a bit on the short side and there are only 4 home games, but I’ll be there. I’m not suiting up, but I wish I was. I may just have to volunteer to do some marketing or event planning for these ladies. Check out the sites below. There’s probably at least one team in your local area. Anybody local in DC/MD/VA that wants to join me at a game, holla at cha girl!
Links:

http://www.dcdivas.com/

http://www.iwflsports.com/

http://www.baltimoreburnfootball.com/
http://www.womensfootballcentral.com/
http://www.womensprofootball.com/

A Saw By Any Other Name

Hey all. I’ve been MIA dealing with a big work conference. It’s over now and I can return to blogging. I bet ya'll all think you know what the pic above is and what it's used for, don't cha? Well, keep reading.

Anyway, I’m working on a few posts, but what I saw tonight when I got home made me grab the laptop for a quick post.

A little info on my neighborhood: I live in DC, in a neighborhood that is starting to become gentrified, but it’s another 5-6 years coming. So, there are still abandoned buildings, drug dealers, mixed with 400K homes and brand new condos popping up daily. Get it?

Our home is small, but neat. My husband isn’t that handy around the house, especially in the yard work. With all the recent rain that we’ve had, our grass looks like this:

It’s kinda pitiful, I know. Hush! Prior to this year, there was a teenager three doors down who cut it every two weeks, but he's gone away to college. I haven't yet found another teenager to handle things.

We also have another neighbor, address unknown, who I call Crack. Crack is a likeable dude, but unfortunately, he’s a an addict. Not sure exactly what his drug of choice is, but there’s definitely a problem. So, Crack comes by every couple of days to offer services like car washing, trash collection, gutter cleaning, etc. He offers most of his services for $5. WTF? Note to Crack – ask for $10 dude. Anyway, hubby and I normally give him at least $10, but sometimes, depending on what the work is, we'll give more.

Fast forward to this evening. As I’m coming in from work, Crack appears and chats me up a bit. After a minute or two, ya girl is ready to get in the house and take my damn stockings off. Crack claims that he knows someone with a lawnmower he can borrow and asks me if I want the grass cut. Uh, Crack, I think I lost my husband in there this morning. Of course I want the grass cut. So, I say yep, cut away.

Hubby arrives and we take a ride to go house hunting (more on that another day). When we return, this is what we see:

What in the Edward Scissorhands, blind grass cutting hell is this? There is no sign of Crack, but there is a collection of tools on the front porch:


Let’s take a closer look at the tools that Crack has chosen for this task:

A hand saw with half a handle? And what the hell was he planning on digging up? Where are the rest of the "fingers" to the rake? Lordie, lordie. My poor lawn. I laughed all the way into the house to get the digital camera. As you can see, this pic was taken at about 9pm and it was pretty dark out. The porch is only lit with motion lights and the entire yard is normally dark.

Crack hasn’t been back to finish, so he may have given up. Judging by the assembled tools, I don’t blame him. He’ll be back. If not tonight, then tomorrow. If you live in NE DC, lock up ya lawnmowers!

My Grandma Should Be On a Stage

Some of ya’ll out there know my Grandma LouLou in real life. I wrote about a funny conversation that she and I had here. She’s a pistol and she should be a comedian on stage somewhere. But, she’s never actually trying to be funny. She just tells it like she sees it and in her 81 years here, she’s developed a comedic timing that could rival the big boys.

A little background on the conversation that we had over the weekend. LouLou has six children. Our conversation centered around her oldest son. We call him Uncle Phil because he looks like James Avery from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Uncle Phil and Aunt Alice have been married for over 30 years. Aunt Alice happens to be white. Not an issue as far as the family is concerned, but it’s essential to the story. After living in upstate New York all their married life, they’re moving to rural North Carolina this month. Over the last two months, while they put their home on the market, packed, visited NC, etc, they’ve been hard to reach. So, this is what LouLou had to say about the whole thing:

Me: Have you talked to Phil and Alice lately?

LouLou: No. I call and they don’t call me back.

Me: Really? That’s not really like them.

LouLou: I think Alice got a plan.

Me: A plan?

LouLou: Hmm hunh. You know I love Alice right? She’s a good daughter in law. But yesterday, I was watching that Lifetime channel for women. You watch that channel?

* chuckling lightly to myself *

Me: Yes ma’am, sometimes I watch Lifetime.

LouLou: That’s a good channel – sad sometimes, but still good. So anyways, I was watching and I got to thinking. I think that all this not calling back and stuff is part of Alice’s plan. She gonna take Phil down to that little town, where they don’t know nobody, kill him for the insurance and we won’t know for months. Then, after she kills him, we won’t even think nothing of it when he don’t return the calls. She’s setting up a pattern.

Me: Huh? You think Auntie is going to kill Uncle Phil?

LouLou: Well, like I say, I love her and she’s been good to me, but you know how them white women are. They kill their men. And sometimes for no good reason at all.

* silence as I try to control my laughter *

Me: Gram, I’m pretty sure that Auntie is not plotting to kill Uncle Phil.

LouLou: Umh hunh. Ok then, I’m not gonna tell nobody else, but you remember what I say. Come July or August, after it’s all said and done, they won't even be able to find no evidence of the crime in the woods out there. I knew it first.

Me: Isn’t it past your bedtime?

LouLou: I know you think I’m crazy sometimes, but you better mark my words. I know how them white women are and if you don’t, you need to watch a little more of that Lifetime channel for women. They’ll explain it you real good, in a bunch of ways. Good night baby.

Me: Good night Gram.

What more can I say? I love her dearly and she cracks me up.

The Thinker In Me

Creole and TndrHrt have both done this little quiz and the results seemed very interesting. I know these ladies a bit and I'm learning more over time. The majority of their results seem to accurately describe the women I am getting to know. So, I decided to take the test myself. Check out the site if you'd like to take the test:
http://www.9types.com/newtest/homepage.actual.html

Here are my results:

(I've highlighted, in red, the ones that really nail the essence of me *lol*)

The Observer/The Thinker (the Five)
Observers have a need for knowledge and are introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful.

How to Get Along with Me

• Be independent, not clingy.


• Speak in a straightforward and brief manner.


• I need time alone to process my feelings and thoughts.


• Remember that If I seem aloof, distant, or arrogant, it may be that I am feeling uncomfortable.


• Make me feel welcome, but not too intensely, or I might doubt your sincerity.


• If I become irritated when I have to repeat things, it may be because it was such an effort to get my thoughts out in the first place. (NOT!)


• don't come on like a bulldozer.


• Help me to avoid my pet peeves: big parties, other people's loud music, overdone emotions, and intrusions on my privacy. (Why the h*ll am I blogging? *lol*)

What I Like About Being a Five

• standing back and viewing life objectively


• coming to a thorough understanding; perceiving causes and effects


• my sense of integrity: doing what I think is right and not being influenced by social pressure


• not being caught up in material possessions and status


• being calm in a crisis

What's Hard About Being a Five

• being slow to put my knowledge and insights out in the world


• feeling bad when I act defensive or like a know-it-all


• being pressured to be with people when I don't want to be


• watching others with better social skills, but less intelligence or technical skill, do better professionally

Fives as Children Often

• spend a lot of time alone reading, making collections, and so on


• have a few special friends rather than many


• are very bright and curious and do well in school


• have independent minds and often question their parents and teachers


• watch events from a detached point of view, gathering information


• assume a poker face in order not to look afraid


• are sensitive; avoid interpersonal conflict


• feel intruded upon and controlled and/or ignored and neglected

Fives as Parents

• are often kind, perceptive, and devoted


• are sometimes authoritarian and demanding


• may expect more intellectual achievement than is developmentally appropriate


• may be intolerant of their children expressing strong emotions

Whoa! That was a pretty accurate read of ya girl. Not a parent yet, but that sounds like the kind of parent I'd be. Ya'll should try it.