Davy Jones, The Monkees and me

No, I don't have any direct connection to either Davy Jones or The Monkees. I was born one year after The Monkees TV show went off the air. However, there is a special place in my heart for these guys.

In early 1986 MTV started showing The Monkees on a daily basis. I was 16 and I fell in love with the show and the four guys in it immediately. I taped every episode from the TV and bought The Monkees music and books about them. They became my secret obsession. Of the four, my heart belonged to Micky Dolenz (comediens and ballplayers always win my heart). My mom thought I was crazy. She reminded me that this show was over 20 years old, which was her way of telling me that Micky was much older than I was and not what she considered dating material (in addition to the fact that he was married and I had little shot of meeting him being 16 and living in central Jersey) I didn't care - that's why they call it an obesession, right?

By the summer of 1986 a resurgence in The Monkees popularity thanks to MTV resulted in The Monkees reuniting (minus Mike Neismeth) touring the country and in 1987 releasing Pool It, their first new album as a group since 1970. Pool It had all new songs and I wore that tape out.

As time went on my obession waned like most teenage obessions do. Every so often, when something about The Monkees would be on TV or in the paper, my mom would remind me of how much I loved those guys while she shook head and rolled her eyes. But I would smile and stop to read or listen to the story. Immediately I was 16 again. Over time I have downloaded various Monkees songs - Daydream Believer, Pleasant Valley Sunday, Valleri, Last Train to Clarksville, and of course I'm a Believer, just to name a few. My obsession may have waned, but my love of their music never did.

I was a truly saddened when I learned last Wendsday that Davy Jones had died. Over the years, watching various interviews of Davy (with and without his former bandmates) made me realize how he was not only a good singer but what a great sense of humor he had. He performed in NYC only two weeks prior to his death, singing Monkees classics and entertaining the audience with anacedotes. He embraced the fact people wanted to hear the songs of their youth. Once again, talent has been taken from the world much too soon.

In Davy's death another resurgance in The Monkees music has happened.
Somewhere Davy Jones is smiling and loving it. Of that, I'm a Believer.

The Oscars

The 2012 Oscars have just ended. By next year this years winners will be a distant memory or an answer to a Jeopardy question. The true staying power of any film is what it means to the people who watch them not the awards they did or didn't win.

For me, the movies that hold a special place on my heart are there for reasons that are as different as their plot lines.

1. Moonstruck - I can quote various lines from this movie (in various accents) that to this day make my Mom laugh. ("Someone tell a joke")

2. The Natural - As previously noted I love Baseball and this movie again reminds us to never quit no matter how long it takes you to acheive your dream. The scene at the end when he hits the homerun always makes me cry.

3. Breakfast at Tiffanys - I have LOVED this film for years and years. What girl wouldn't want to look as beautiful as Audrey Hepburn or to be rescued like Holly Golightly was by "Fred".

Those are just a few of my favorites. Movies make us cry, hope, laugh, think and just about every other emotion a human can have. That is why we watch movies and the Oscars remind us why we love movies, past and present.

Thank You Oscar..for the memories!

When it comes to Jeremy, count me Lin.

By now almost everyone on the planet has heard about Jeremy Lin and his amazing rise to fame as a New York Knick.

If it appears his fame has come overnight it seems that way to everyone but to Jeremy. Here is a kid who wanted to play basketball since he was a young kid. He dreamed of going to Stamford or UCLA (being from California) but could not get a basketball scholarship to either. He does get a basketball scholarship to Harvard with hopes of being drafted to the NBA. He goes undrafted and after bouncing from a few teams he lands in New York with the Knicks in December 2011. Jeremy was 5 days from being released by the Knicks but fate intervened. The Knicks suffered player set backs with their Point Guards (Lin's position) and after their two biggest stars, Anthony and Stoudemire, go out for an undetermined amount of time, Jeremy Lin was given his opportunity. and he made the most of it.

In the seven games he has played thus far, the Knicks have won all seven, even making a tremendous 3 point buzzer beater shot to win one of those games.

Jeremy Lin is an example of fate handing someone an opportunity and them running with it (or in this case dribbling with it). In addition to all that, he refuses to get caught up in all the hype and has stayed humble and thankful.

One can only hope this is just the beginning of a long and successful career for Jeremy Lin. Only time will judge. In the meantime when it comes to Jeremy, count me Lin. Go Knicks!

How will I go on..

You are gone.
How will I go on..
Never touching your face, kissing your cheek, holding your hand.
How will I go on..
Never hearing your sweet voice telling me you love me or your laugh that cheered me on my darkest days.
How will I go on..
Never feeling your arms around me or your fingers stroke my hair.

How I will go on..
by thinking back to the last time you kissed me, feeling your lips on mine.
How I will go on...
by remembering funny, happy memories with those, who like I, loved you.
How I will go on...
by seeing you in my dreams with your sweet visits to me while I sleep.
How I will go on...
by knowing you are not gone but with me every moment in my heart.
I will go on...
until we meet again.

Talent versus Passion

Almost everyone has a passion for something. For me it's sports and baking (I know one has absolutely nothing to do with the other). However, something a friend said to me yesterday made me realize that although we may have passion, we all do not have talent. The question becomes which would you rather have?

Professional sports is filled with players that have tremondous talent and little passion and visa versa. The thing is talent is difficult to learn but passion is impossible. I can teach you to swing a bat or catch a ball-but I can never teach you to love or even like the game of baseball.

Back to my friend who made me think of this. She is an actress. That's not her full time job, although she has and still does local theater for years-that's talent. But something she said to me struck me. For her, acting was something she couldn't imagine ever not doing. That is passion.

All this makes me realize I really don't have talent. But, with exception to my cousin who is a wonderful musician and singer (his band even produced a couple CDs) and my niece who is a really good artist, no one in my family has actual talent. We are, however, a pretty passionate bunch when it comes to sports, politics, careers, our kids, etc.

So, talent versus passion? Talent usually pays money and passion wins hearts (in sports anyway). If you are lucky enough to have them both-embrace them and try never to lose either. If you have only one, hopefully it's passion. Because as we saw in Superbowl - the Giants had enormous heart and the Patriots had alot of talent....the Giants won. Yes, I'll take passion everytime.

Why I LOVE sports

I love being a woman. As a self proclaimed "girlie girl" I love doing my hair and make up. I love wearing skirts and dresses and high heels. I love flirting with a guy and when a cute guy winks at me my heart will ocassionally skip a beat. Which is why it surprises many that I also LOVE sports.

Tonight I watched an awesome football game and the Giants win the Super Bowl. But its not just football or the hometown team. I watch ESPN almost every day. I have the MLB and ESPN app on my phone. I can have a sports conversation with any guy I know. Why? I guess I can credit my Dad. He lives for sports. He took me to my first Yankee game when I was 10 (which I still remember). He taught me how to throw a curve ball with a baseball, a spiral with a football (its all about where your fingers are on the seams or the laces) and how to make a lay up with a basketball. We still talk sports to this day.

However, I have come to realize It's really about the concept of "why NOT us"? "Why isn't it OUR time"? Sports shows us that if you don't give up and with a little luck ANY time can be YOUR time. The last champions of all the three big sports (basketball, baseball and football) have all been won by the underdog (Mavericks, Cardinals and the Giants). Many of us live our lives as the underdog...sports reminds us that being favored doesn't automatically make you the winner. As in life sometimes - heart and faith can trump talent. That's why I love sports!

The beginning of the end to the Core Four

Warning: If you don't like sports or the Yankees..you can stop reading here......


In the coming weeks, Jorge Posada is suppose to announce his retirement from baseball.  This comes on the heels of the Yankees having no desire to bring him back after his contract expired at the end of the season.  My heart is broken.


Actually my heart broke initially before the beginning of last season when Andy Pettitte retired.  He was the first of the "Core Four" (Jeter, Mariano, Pettitte and Jorge) to leave.  I guess the difference was that Andy made that decision completely on his own.  On his terms.  Jorge was not afforded that same luxury. 


Maybe that's why this one hurts a little more.  Can't we all relate to being pushed out?  Pushed out by a lover, friend or employer.  Our desire for something we love to continue but have no choice but to give it up?  I know what everyone says.."He has plenty of money..He doesn't need to work".   But it's not always about money.  Jorge honestly and truly does what he loves, what he has been working towards since he was a small child in Puerto Rico.  How many of us can say that about our jobs?


I expect that when Jorge, in a week or two, says those words in front of reporters, friends, his wife and kids and Yankee brass it will be the toughest moment of his professional life.  The tears he shed will be shed on this end as well.


My wish for Jeter and Mariano is..go out like Andy not Jorge.  Not so that you save yourselves heartbreak..so that you save ME from it.


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