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I am leaving LA at midnight tomorrow and will be gone for three weeks. Lots of stories when I return!
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I...

...aspire.

...am purposeful.

...like to have fresh flowers in the house.

...laughed in Banger Sisters and cried in Beaches.

...know how to set a table.

...never wear white before Easter or after Labor Day.

...have great teeth.

...frantically vacuum when company comes calling.

...am a shoe-aholic.

...am creative.

...can't carry a tune in a bucket.

...am courageous.

...make fabulous biscuits.

...appreciate a bargain.

...despise disorganization.

...love a tropical environment.

...know I can do anything, everything.

...have killed at least one ficus tree.

...wear matching-set roos.

...appreciate tradition.

...am educated.

...am happy.

I am who I am... because of my mom.
Happy Mother's Day, Mama Lama.



(Day at the San Diego Zoo)




(Showing off our tans in Hawaii)




(Hot Tubbin)




(Christmas in Disneyland)




(On the Star Trek set)

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Friday night lights. The smell of freshly cut grass as we make our way across the dirt parking lot to the field. The sound of paper ripping as helmets and uniforms barrel through the hand-painted sign of spirit at the end zone. The whispering hum from the crowd between plays. The sticky feel of bug spray on our skin. Our feet stomping the bleachers in time with the band as they play the fight song. The announcer echoing through the night who absolutely no one can understand through the worn-out speaker system. The half-time formations. The third-quarter concessions. The cheerleaders throwing pom-poms and leading us into a defense chant.

A football game.

That's how I know a football game.

This past weekend, I went to see the Los Angeles Avengers for the first time. I had awesome tickets - nearly dead center on the 25-yard-line. The what? The 25-yard-line? Those are supposed to be good seats?

Well, when the game is an indoor Arena Football game, then yes, the 25-yard-line is center field.

Now, say that again... an arena game? What is an arena game? I had no clue. www.arenafootball.com.

It was pretty fun, but certainly different from any other game I had ever been to. It almost felt like a big-city version of a small-town game.

For the first half hour or so, I couldn't really concentrate on getting into the game because I was noticing and figuring out all the difference between regular football and arena football.

For one, the field is much smaller. No 50-yard-line... instead a 25-yard-line. There is no area to run out of bounds... instead there is a wall where the field ends and the arena seats begin. The goal is also much smaller (which I think says a lot for the talent of the kickers).

At either end of the field there are large nets that catch the footballs. Following each touchdown and kick, instead of going to the center of the field to begin the next play, the ball is kicked from one end of the field to the other, it bounces off the large nets, and wherever the player catches the ball, the play begins.

Strange.

The ball is beige.

The grass was not grass at all.

There were no cheerleaders (there were Laker Girls).

The announcer? Could hear him fine... and he was the one to lead us into chants instead of cheerleaders.

No drums from the marching band (there was music pumped through the sound system).

The halftime show was Jazzersize with some local elderly group.

The concessions were McDonald's and Wetzel Pretzel. Shoot, they even had wine.

But here's a kicker - one of the players on the roster graduated from Valdosta State University!!! My alma mater! How cool is that? All the way on this side of the country. Reggie Rhodes is his name. I'm gonna have to follow Avenger football a little closer knowing someone on the team feels my description of a football game. :)