Giving Thanks

On the night before Thanksgiving, households around our great country were occupied with final preparations for the upcoming feast, bickering over turkey cooking techniques, deciding between marshmallows or pecans for the sweet potato topping, and lamenting the sad fact that Kraft no longer makes that odd log-shaped, jalapeno cheese product that is oh so necessary for the perfect spinach madeleine. While I do find all of these topics to have some level of merit, such was not the case in my household. We dismissed all concerns for the Thursday meal and instead spent the evening at the new Amway Arena cheering for the Orlando Magic as they took on the Miami Heat. Apparently boxing great Floyd Mayweather wasn't concerned about the great pumpkin vs pecan pie debate as he was in attendance too, on the front row with a team of bodyguards. There wasn't an empty seat in the house and the atmosphere was electrified. It felt more like a playoff game than a regular season match up as everyone was so anxious to see how the Magic would perform against the over-hyped, super-star threesome from Miami. It was Superman versus the King, as depicted in the photo of this adorable father-son, Howard-James pair.

Keeping up with the meaning of this special American holiday, I thought of all of the things that I am most thankful for...and on Wednesday night I was very thankful that the Orlando Magic redeemed themselves with a win over the Heat, especially after that humiliating loss in Miami in October. Dwight Howard was also at the top of my list, as I am always thankful for his power, skill and ridiculously overdeveloped deltoids. Oh, and his very sweet smile. JJ Redick made the cut on Wednesday night with his 20 points and nice ability to sink 3's at just the right time. I was thankful too that I witnessed Eric Dampier (formerly of the Dallas Mavericks) dress out for the first time as a member of the Miami Heat. While not necessarily a Heat fan, I was happy about this because he and I share a mutual close friend, so I think that makes us friends once removed, right? I was also feeling thankful for the new state of the art home of the Orlando Magic, full of chic spots and super cool fan features, such as the life size cut outs of the starting players (where I am happily photographed with a cardboard Dwight and my trusty blue foam, number one Magic hand). And most of all I gave thanks to my charming, sweet husband for allowing me to spend exorbitant amounts of his hard earned money so that we can attend games like this one. All in all, I felt like a very lucky lady this Wednesday night.

While basketball does occupy a large portion of my daily thought process, there are a few things that are more meaningful to me. And that is what I am most thankful for... an amazing husband, a loving and wonderful family, the most incredible and beautiful friends on earth and a spoiled rotten but precious black labalike. Their health and happiness is what I am truly thankful for, this day, and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

Tipped Off

Greetings sportsfans. The season has officially begun. After a long hot summer full of exhausting self-promotion (LeBron), a newcomer ascending to the throne as the new king (Kevin Durant) and big guys going organic, and green (as in Celtic green a la Shaq), the 2010-2011 NBA season has finally gotten underway. And so far it's promising to be a very entertaining year for all of us hoops-lovers.

The season "tipped off" in Boston with the Celtics taking on the possibly overrated superstardom of the Miami Heat. I'm afraid those blinded by the Heat-centric propaganda saw the light as the men in green won that game. Immediately after the game, Craig Sagar, complete in purple sport coat, had the poor sense to ask Rajon Rondo (Celtics Point Guard) "Is Miami the team to beat in the East?" And this just after the Celtics beat the Heat. Obviously not. But the Whiskey Tango in Hollywood, Florida was betting heavy on the Heat. They offered to pay the tabs of patrons of their bar on the night of the first Miami loss. I'm betting they were a little "tipped off" that they had to pay up on that bet as early as opening night.

In the West, the Lakers naturally defeated Houston in their opening game. No surprise there, except possibly for the shock that Khloe Kardashian has lost her spot as the most famous and stylish of all the Laker's player's wives. It's true, wedding bells are ringing for newly engaged Lakers Guard Sasha Vujacic and tennis great/total hottie, Maria Sharapova. As if the Lakers needed more starpower sitting courtside. So move on over Khloe, looks like you've got competition.

And speaking of competition, there's a big game tonight as the Heat take the floor against the Orlando Magic. This will be the debut appearance for the new big three on their home court. They'd better watch out...looks like Superman has dusted off his cape and is ready to play.

xoxo

Lucky Number Three

I've been noticing a lot of 3's lately in the world of sports and want to share my thoughts on this series of important "trios". And, with fall upon us, I must also share my top three favorite fall finds and the three staples I can't do without. After all, the real basketball season commences next week, and I must be an appropriately attired fan, right?

Important 3's in the hoops world:

• We have the three superstars teaming up in Miami. Will they make believers out of all of us doubters? Are they really as good as all the hype? Hmmm....if you look at their preseason stats, they have three wins, but 4 not so pretty losses. Let's see what happens when they make their debut in Boston on Tuesday night.


• Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are going after their third consecutive championship this year. Don't be fooled, this team has not been distracted by the summer's LeBron Mania and they are hungry for their own lucky number 3 (or lucky number 6 total championships for Kobe).


• And three Ben Franklin's my friends, that is what you must pay for a seat in the lower level to watch the Orlando Magic take on the Miami Heat in Orlando on the day before Thanksgiving. A nice appetizer before the turkey day.


• Three--the number of times I've threatened my husband with sleeping in our non-existent dog house due to outrageous and completely unfounded pro-Heat statements.

And in the world of Gator football: The University of Florida has three consecutive losses, something that hasn't happened since 1999. Can they break their losing streak? With the hopeful return of number 3, Chris Rainey, the Gators might be able to change their pattern next Saturday at the worlds largest cocktail party, also known as the Florida/Georgia game.

In other Gainesville football news, my nephew Phillip is number 3 (times 5) so actually number 15, playing Safety and Wide Receiver. Formerly a player for St. Ed's in Vero Beach, he's 'taken his talent' to Gainesville and the Oak Hall Eagles. I'm hoping he's not growing too fond of the team colors which seem to me a slight variation of Garnet and Gold. Coincidentally his dad, Tom, was number 3 on his 8th grade football team where he and fellow Lovett Lions won their county championship. What an athletically gifted family I have.

As for my favorite three fashion finds this fall:

1. Hunter Boots--I know, I live in Florida, the sunshine state, but my friend Patty assures me that she has worn her Hunter's "a hundred and one times" in Miami. You could spot me wearing them on a day when my toes might be a little warm, but I just couldn't pass them up, especially with those super cute sock liners!


2. Hudson Jeans--I'm still a little sour at Sissi and Kelly for not forcing me to purchase these earlier, they're soooo flattering.


3. These adorable Tory Burch flats--I'm totally channeling my inner Blair Waldorf with these cuties.

And as for the three staples I can't do without, this season or any other:

1. A nice supply of bubbly, like the case of Veuve that Susan and I "won" at an autism charity event last Sunday.


2. A beautiful string of pearls, or 2 or 3 or more...


3. A really sassy haircut, such as my new do, compliments of Dan Findley, an old friend and true architect of style.

So there you have it friends, threesomes abound in the world of sports, and so much more.

xoxo

Where the Girls are the Fairest

I realize this is a blog primarily focused on basketball, but I am taking this opportunity to discuss a little football, Gator style. I recently had the great pleasure of meeting up with 7 other girlfriends from the college days (all Tri Delta ladies, of course) and hanging with my sister and her family as they have just relocated to Gainesville. We all gathered for the Florida/Kentucky game, in which Florida made a very promising performance and beat Kentucky with great finesse. Prior to the game, one of the Delta ladies and her lovely beau took us on a tour of the "behind the scenes" areas at Florida Field. We even went out onto the field that other teams know and fear as "the Swamp". At this point I was with my brother in law, niece (of Vero Beach Rivers Volleyball fame) and nephew (also famed, but not yet discussed in the Full Court Dress) and the three of us dropped to the ground to touch the fine blades of grass as we stood in the south endzone. In addition, we checked out the training room, the fitness center, the locker room, the lucky gator the team touches on their way out onto the field and the storage room stacked from floor to ceiling with Gatorade, that tasty beverage invented by the fine folks at the University of Florida. Really, this was a Gator fan dream come true.

I am writing this now so that I can remember good times with the Gators, rather than the heartache inflicted by that houndstooth-loving, semi-pro team in Tuscaloosa. Ouch!! And many thanks to my friend Mark, a big fan of this blog, and an even bigger Bama fan, for not heckling me during the game and after the miserable loss. That was a true act of kindness.

The Gator defense may have been lackluster last week, but I have a little defense of my own for my alma mater. I hear a great deal of criticism of the game day attire worn by the Gator Nation. I'm sure it's shocking that unlike our oh-so-southern rivals in the SEC, we don't do cocktail dresses and you'd be crazy to wear a tie, let alone a sportcoat into the great sweltering heat of Ben Hill Griffin stadium. But I do have evidence, as I am photographed here tailgating with my friends, that we are looking quite nice for our game and very stylish, in a relaxed UF kind of way. We may have left our pearls and stilettos from the previous nights outing behind, but I think we look quite nice and are proof of good Gator fashion. Krissy (third from right) even managed to find an orange and blue, lightweight Tory Burch dress for the occasion. I mean, really, how cute is that?

Now I've got to go assemble my own game day attire as the Gators play those crazy Tigers from LSU tonight. I'll be watching from home with my husband and a nice glass of wine, hoping for a Gator win. (Sorry Mr. Baton Rouge)

Wins and losses aside,

It's great to be a Florida Gator!

xoxo

The Season for Sports

I have so much to report about the wide world of sports right now that I can't even fit it all in one blog entry. With the final day of summer last week, and fall beginning, I am now able to fully embrace college football, NFL football and NBA preseason activity. I'm so happy that my summertime sports drought is over...call me un-American, but I simply cannot follow baseball. Going to a live game, of course, but the endless days of televised baseball are not for this sportsfan. In only one week, I have the Miami Heat training in my hometown, I cheered on the Gators at Florida Field and...brace yourself...I met an all-star NBA player!!! Perhaps it would be more fitting to say that I ambushed him.

Here's the story: I was spending the day shopping at the Mall at Millenia in Orlando with Krissy, my super shopping-savvy cohort, just flown in that morning from Connecticut. As I was standing in the entry area of Neiman Marcus, perusing the fall Theory collection, I looked out into the mall and spotted none other than Orlando Magic Forward Rashard Lewis. He tends to stand out a bit as he is just shy of seven feet. At first I thought it was just cool to have seen him, but thanks to Krissy's encouragement, we chased him along the corridor past Jimmy Choo, Tiffany's, etc. (and it's hard to move quickly past those enticing windows) then down the escalator where we finally caught up to him. Wow, is that guy tall!?! He was very nice to us and kindly let Krissy snap the photo shown here. In my frenzy of catching up to him and my typical moment of idiocy when meeting famous folks, I forgot to ask him any sports questions or where he had been shopping that day. Next time I'll be better prepared, but I was able to tell him I'm a huge fan and that I hope they have a great season. He seemed to be quite confident that it will be a good year for the Magic.

Back home in the panhandle, the Heat have arrived and are staying very well protected and out of the public eye as guests of the Air Force. Sadly for me they are staying on the base (in California king beds provided by the team--I just knew there wouldn't be beds their size around here), dining on base and practicing on base. Very tight security there so it is unlikely that I'll get to see them, which I don't mind now that I've had my recent brush with Magic royalty. My brother-in-law, Devon Ravine, however has been on the scene photographing for the Northwest Florida Daily News. He hasn't been close enough to chat with them, but reports that they "seemed personable" and of their playing skills found them to be "insanely fast". He sent me this great shot of Dwyane and LeBron. Click here to check out the rest of his photos.

Upon reviewing Devon's photos, my sister, Mathilda has declared that Dwyane Wade "almost rivals Dwight when he's smiling." Good thing she threw in the almost because we all know Dwight has the sweetest of all smiles. I'll be looking for him on my next shopping spree...

xoxo

Panhandle Forecast: Heat

Imagine my surprise when my sister called me bright and early this Thursday with the front page story from the Northwest Florida Daily News. She said I wouldn't believe the news...so I'm thinking "finally we're getting a real Saks not just the outlet store", but no, it's a sports story, and not just any sport, it's basketball. Then I query "is Carmello Anthony being traded to the Magic?" No, it's better than that sportsfans...the Miami Heat has announced that it will be holding it's training camp in none other than my hometown. That's right, you read it correctly, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and company are coming to town to train in the quiet and (unfortunately for me) protected setting of Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base.

The Heat will arrive on September 27 and will train and practice here until October 3. Needless to say, I am wracking my brain to think of ways I can have a sighting of this most highly anticipated hoops trio. Security is something that the Air Force, naturally, takes quite seriously so I'm not sure how my chances are looking for seeing the live action on base.

Perhaps I'll have to spot them in a public setting, maybe a restaurant. The husband seems to think that basketball players eat lots of steak , so we should go out to steakhouses during that week. Hmmm....it's an interesting thought but he might just be using this as a way to get out of the house where he is typically force-fed a mostly plant based diet. Meat deprivation can apparently make one quite devious.


Then I wonder, where will they stay? Could they be staying on base, eliminating any wishes I have to see them? Are they staying in a fine local hotel? Are there extra long beds available at fine local hotels? Do we have any fine local hotels?


I'm sure the details will soon be revealed as secrets don't usually stay secrets in small towns. The imminent threat of oily beaches seems to have spared us, tourist season is over and the tropics are not (knock on wood) sending their winds down Hurricane Alley, so we have little else to do but chat about the fact that a hugely popular professional basketball team is coming to town. I have happily lived here, on the Redneck Riviera, for my entire life and cannot recall any visits/events of this magnitude. Previously we just looked forward to the running of the crabs and Captain Billy's yearly show of taking the city over from the Indians so I'd say this is pretty big news for our once sleepy fishing village.

And hopefully, yours truly will be able to take in some of this exciting basketball action.

xoxo

Organic Basketball

My life lately is displaying a lot of contrasting interests. For example, I typically start the day with a a brisk walk and a nutrient rich green drink, then I could find myself starting the afternoon lounging around poolside with an oddly green, lime enhanced pina coloda (you know the one, Krissy). Or after a quiet bit of yoga, reflecting on the simple joys of life, I immediately turn up the AC/DC and check out the latest at Saks.com, consumerism at its finest. Perhaps I have multiple personalities, but I prefer to think I just do a nice job of keeping my life in a state of balance and harmony.

In this same vein, I find it somewhat curious that the only two magazines I subscribe to are Whole Living (previously Body & Soul) and Sports Illustrated. This seemingly polar opposite pair showing up in my mailbox seemed odd to me at first, but it's starting to make sense. I tend to spend a lot of time studying up on what to eat, what not to eat, what's good for the environment, what's bad, the importance of exercise, etc. Basically, I'm trying to take care of myself, inside and out, and apparently so are all of those athletes reported about weekly in Sports Illustrated. The really great ones know that their birth talent alone is not enough, to be the best, you have to work hard and you have to treat your body well for peak performance.

I recalled an article I'd read about Shaquille O'Neal as I was perusing the selection of local produce at the Seaside Farmers Market this weekend. Even Shaq is going organic, and removing soda, white bread and red meats from his diet. I'm hoping this change will give him better luck sporting the Celtic's green than he had back in Cleveland with that other guy.

So, Shaq and I have this interest in common now, except I don't think he buys his healthy provisions in Seaside, but he should consider it. It has a lovely market downtown every Saturday morning, where I can now purchase all types of seasonal fruit and vegetables, honey, milk, eggs, etc. all from local area farmers with lots of local color. And I've been reading up on what are the MUSTS for organic and which ones are safe if you can't find organic, so here's the scoop:

Organic Musts: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, pears, potatoes, raspberries and spinach

OK Non-organic: onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwis, cabbage, eggplants, papayas, watermelon, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, bananas

But don't be fooled, it's not always healthy eating around here, as indicated above by the midday consumption of strangely delicious green drink. Moderation is the key so they say...

or to quote the great Oscar Wilde, "I can resist anything except temptation."

xoxo