I think I have mentioned before I watch more football now because other than racing, that’s the sport Hubby really loves. He unfortunately has had a terrible football year since his alma mater had to “rebuild” – something that occurs when you lose a large number of seniors. On top of that, the Atlanta Falcons played terribly the first two-thirds of the season. He always has the Saints as a back-up and they’re gone from the play-offs now. As it happens, we like three of the four still vying and will see which way that goes.

The above is an intro though because my first husband’s mother (the one who inspired me to write Your Room at the End) was a true sports enthusiast. She subscribed to and avidly read Sports Illustrated; not something you would think in looking at her or reading her background. She loved baseball, football, hockey, and most of all golf. Her son and my first husband, a New Englander through-and-through, started in Pewee Hockey and played all the way through college. He said it always startled him when his mother would yell at the referees because she just didn’t give that appearance as a first impression. Anyway, back to her enjoying golf. For her, it was a “gentleman’s game”, and one played with skill and style. (She did not golf herself, but then again, New England isn’t exactly a place where one has long seasons for such.)  In view of making it almost to her 89th birthday, she could well remember some of the “greats” I know only vaguely by name. Golf was also the professional sport she felt was less impacted by money although the purses have of course greatly increased.

I can’t recall if she followed tennis much, but she probably did. She also wasn’t into soccer, but that was also a function of time – it simply wasn’t a sport popular in the United States in her formative years.

During dinner the other night, a point about my military career jogged another memory of a series of events. I’ve explained before that my “inadvertent pioneer” status was largely an issue of timing although also my response to opportunities presented. The initial odd one was being trained in maintenance as I have also covered. When I arrived in Germany  as the first ever female officer of the organization, the decision to place me in a captain’s position even though I was a junior 2d lieutenant was because there was still the reluctance to put me into position I was allegedly trained for. It so happens two other female officers were assigned within months of me and they did have to go into lieutenant positions because there was no way around it. So, in the position I held, there were times when I was at cross purposes with one of the captains; the one I would have by rights gone to work for. I tried to get along with everyone, but there were certain procedures which I had to enforce as is common in the military.

After a year, I was due to rotate positions as was also common, but it was fairly well-known the captain was basically waiting for me to be assigned to him as was appropriate considering the ordinary way things worked. At a minimum, he intended to make things difficult for me and could have quite frankly easily ruined my career. Unknown to me, the senior officers I worked with went to the decision maker and essentially said it would be unfair to place me in that position since I had demonstrated the ability to work above the rank I held. He agreed with the assessment of, “Yes, she makes mistakes, but never the same one twice.” (Hey, that’s a technique for learning.) I was subsequently provided the opportunity to command the Headquarters Detachment as a first lieutenant and also the first female to do so in the history of the unit. In other words, in the space of one year, I racked up three “firsts”.

A friend who is a local radio personality has me come on one of the location-specific show sometimes. It’s a bit of a drive, but takes place at a fun waterside restaurant in Islamorada. Hubby and I usually go down, have fun on the show and enjoy dinner after. Last night was the exception as traffic was terrible and he had to work all day which meant we had to drive separately. I say traffic was terrible although it was for only part of the route. Fortunately, he had not started out yet. I called the dive shop and told him not to bother because there was no way he would make it in time for the show and better for him to head home. I would plan to grab a bite either at the restaurant or at a fast food spot on the way back.

At the end of the show, there’s usually a give-away and I take a copy of whichever book I discuss. For last night, I had a copy of Small Town Lies since that’s the first of the series I’m finishing up with Small Town Quilting Treasures, due out January or February. There must have been around 20 women in the audience (only women get a ticket for the drawing) and since it’s random, one never knows what someone likes in books. I always explain it can be re-gifted and offer to inscribe it for the individual who wins, someone specific or generically. The first thing the woman who won said is, “I am an avid reader”, and she had just finished the book she’d been reading so was ready to start another one. Added to that, she has done some quilting. I suppose there might have been a better match for the book somewhere in the audience, but probably not. And traffic was definitely better on the return trip.