A Baby Boomer's Perspective on College Basketball

As long as I can remember I've always been a basketball fan. When I was little, my dad would take me to Cleveland, OH to see the Indians play (if you have to ask what sport, this blog posting isn’t for you). My mom went to high school with one of the “original” Cleveland browns—and he would often stop by our home to chat and eat. As I recall, he LOVED to eat!

As a cheerleader in elementary and high school, I took even more of a liking to sports and developed a sincere interest in learning what I was actually cheering about. I’ll never forget the time one of my fellow cheerleaders started yelling:

FIRST AND TEN, DO IT AGAIN, GO MCKINELY BULLDOGS!”

It was actually a THIRD DOWN play. Or the time someone struck up a “Defense” cheer when we actually had the ball. I’ve often thought of teaching a Sports 101 course just for women but that’s another story…

Being from the Midwest, I’ve always been partial to the Big Ten. Besides, a good friend and high school classmate of mine (Phil Hubbard) went on to play for Michigan. He even played for the 1976 Olympics Team. Even though I graduated from a MAC school, my loyalties were still with the Big Ten. And although I lived in New England for several years and saw some of the most exciting basketball ever, my heart was still with the Big Ten.

And then I moved to North Carolina---where the skies are always blue. That's where Duke and Carolina reign and they dare anyone to come into their territory and dethrone them. I immediately developed a disliking for both teams because of what I saw as arrogance and racism. My ex husband used to tell me stories about how Blacks were never permitted to watch Carolina games when he was a little boy. I really don’t know if that’s true because his track record with the “truth” proved not to be too good. But I will say this: I have seen first-hand the special treatment the black athletes receive while the black students on campus are constantly discriminated against. I have also witnessed the special treatment Duke & Carolina seem to get from the referees when they're playing on their respective home courts. And let’s not even talk about the commentators. They are so biased in their analysis, many times I have to turn down the sound just to appreciate the game.

I witnessed such actions last night as my #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes took on #6 ranked Carolina in the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. I wanted to believe the game would be played fairly---that OSU would be given the respect of a #1 ranked team. But that was not to be the case. As the game clock ticked away, questionable calls got in the way and NO CALLS became evident. Carolina, as expected, got the win but I tell you, had the game been played in Ohio the outcome would've probably been different. And even if Carolina did win on OSU's home court, I would've felt OK about it because at least I would believe the referees were calling the game fairly.

OK...so here we go...another season of college basketball where I am, once again, the odd woman out in Duke & Carolina’s back yard. But of course, I could always root for NC State or Maryland since their school colors have red in them just like OSU.

And if it’s any consolation, my Ohio State Buckeyes are #1 in Football. Did Duke win a game this year??? And Carolina was also scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Oh well, I’m just a southern fried baby boomer yankee.

"Don't Let it go to your Thighs!"

All week long, I’ve listened to my girlfriends talk about their Thanksgiving spreads. I wanted to talk about another kind of spread—the one that clings to your stomach, hips and thighs—known as middle age spread.

One by one, each friend mapped out her menu, while I was trying to map out a nice way to issue her a warning: “Don’t let it go to your thighs!”

Their lists were incredible. Along with the traditional “stuffed” turkey, there were plenty of loaded fixins.’ Now, for those of you who aren’t quite sure what a “fixin” is…it’s a southern term used to describe the “rest of the menu.” (That’s one of the benefits of moving to the south. I get to learn a whole new language).
Their fixins include: green beans, collard greens seasoned with ham hocks, cabbage, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, candied yams, cranberries, cornbread, garlic cheddar biscuits, pumpkin bread and corn. And on top of that, some of my diva sisters have also included additional items like Prime Rib, steak, shrimp, salmon, BBQ Ribs and crab legs to give a variety, they say, to those who are sick and tired of eating turkey EVERY Thanksgiving.

For dessert, their menus consist of pumpkin pie, pecan pie, sweet potato pie with homemade whipped cream (yum, yum!) apple pie a la mode, banana pudding and berry cobbler. As I licked my lips over what I was going to be missing out on, I shook my head in disgust and thought, “Don’t let it go to your thighs!” How many times have I tried to tell them we’re at the age where our metabolism is slowing down and calories don’t burn as quickly as they used to? How often have I stressed the importance of eating and drinking in moderation? How many occasions did I listen to them groan and moan over not being able to lose any weight?

I listened intently as each one of my wonderful friends joked about how they knew this was the time of year they would be going off of their diets and packing on a few extra pounds. I kept thinking to myself this could all be avoided. All they had to do was re-do their menu. How about a nice Tofurkey? It’s a wonderful vegetarian dish made up of tofu and it’s also a super calorie-counting alternative. How do I know? Well, I don’t actually know first-hand but I’ve read some articles about it. There are even recipes available to spice it up to a taste suitable to your liking. And if that doesn’t work, why not try some soy burgers or soy chicken and when you combine that with a non-seasoned vegetable dish, you’ve got a meal fit for a diva queen!

OK, but who am I kidding? Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the traditional holiday feast—complete with all the fixins’ and then some. It’s the one day out of the year when it’s alright to forget about the treadmill and calorie counting. It’s a day when we can stuff ourselves without guilt and then sit back and enjoy the company of loved ones.

So who cares if we let it go to our thighs? There’s always tomorrow to work it off.


Beverly Mahone is the author of "Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age. To learn more about Ms. Mahone, got to: http://www.talk2bev.com

Thank you America for coming to your senses--Now BUY MY BOOK!!!

Some of you may recall last Thursday, November 16, I was vying to become a best Selling Author on Amazon.com As I watched my book begin to move, I also noticed that OJ Simpson was ALREADY on the Top Sellers List with his "IF I DID IT" book. The book wasn't even PUBLISHED yet. Amazon was busy racking up on the pre-sale orders and they must've made quite a bit of money that day because OJ's book went all the way to the #20 spot at one point. Now unfortunately, they will have to refund alot of money because the Publisher has pulled OJ's book off the market. (What do you want to bet it will show up somewhere else--like a foreign country?)

I kept thinking to myself, "What in the world is wrong with the American public in wanting to purchase the book written by a man they were so convinced committed those two murders? Why would they want to help him gain financially? He reportedly go paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for this "theory." That just didn't make any sense to me.

But then I came to this realization:

1) American book buyers love a good murder mystery so the next time I'm having a hot flash, I'll go ballistic on the person nearest to me and blame it on the rage of a "heated moment" and then I'll write all bout it!

2) There are 38 million women going thru some form of menopause so how hard could it be to get a million---or even 5,000 of those women to go to their computers and purchase a copy of MY book? Or maybe they were all experiencing one of the symptomsAT THE SAME TIME---it's called FORGETFULNESS.

3) I was targeting the WRONG GROUP. I should've been going after baby boomer men. After all, they're the ones who have to put up with all of the crap those menopausal women dish out!

I guess I'll know better next time................................

Remember, my book is still out there: Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age

Baby Boomer Women Rock the Casbah!

The Amazon Best Selling Author day Promotion has come and gone. No, I don't get to run around bragging about being a "best selling author." I didn't crack the Top 100.

My book went from 1,622,326 to #498. Not a bad showing.

But what IS impressive is the help I got from Baby Boomer women all across the country. And get this, most of them I don't even know! That's right. These are women I've met on line. We chat daily about all kinds of stuff. We've talked about how we came up with names for our kids. We admired the gorgeous new look of a fellow member--complete with "these boots were made for walking" attire. We share heartaches and prayers for sick loved ones and celebrate the births of our grandchildren. I even had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing a woman who spent a couple of years living amongst two packs of wolves in the wilderness.

It's called Internet Marketing and if you do it right, you not only cash in on sales but you gain some "fabulous" friends in the process. I went on line shortly after I lost my job at the television station--looking for women to connect to. The intention was NOT to sell my book but to be someone they could laugh with and exchange ideas. We've done more than our share of that I'm happy to say!

So when it was time for my BIG BEST SELLING AUTHOR DAY, I went to the group I knew would be my biggest cheerleaders and they were!!!

Now to read their comments, you'll have to click on to my Boomer World Blog.

Peace & Blessings,
Beverly Mahone
Author, Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age
http://www.talk2bev.com

"I'm not a writer because I wrote a book. I wrote a book because I was inspired by God to write."

A Review from a Fellow Author

Thank you Bev, for the delicious candid account of words so many of us women have been accused of thinking. I just couldn't put the book down; it was completed in one day, wow! This book is awesome you must read it! Your story brings out your compassion, and wittiness, and serious side as you glide us through the expectation of entering the baby boom era, thank you.

Bev expresses her dilemmas with younger co-workers that we all can relate too, the pretty faces with little to no substance for most of them. As a pre-menopausal boomer myself, I was in awe, but now I understand my mood swings, and crazy fire department heat flames is only a beginning of possible other symptoms to come, and am elated, I no longer need to visit a shrink, I am sane. I am in the beginning phase of menopause, and “yes I am still sexy but it comes in flashes now,” as Bev has expressed. They (symptoms) do not divert me, but I welcome them, because now I have an understanding of them…whatever, and as the youth would say, “bring it on” and I concurred.

I recommend this book to all that wanted to know, the men that need to know, and the cute faces that will need to know…”whatever” because they too must pass this phase. Bev, I can’t wait for the sequel, continue to keep it real, and know no matter what people say about the baby boomers, we are real women with real issues, with real symptoms, and still SEXY! “Your book hits home, and there is a time and season for everything, and WHATEVER IS RIGHT ON TIME”


Much blessings always,

Loretta Scott (author of “YES I CAN”)

www.gulfnurse.com

Augusta, Ga

Whatever! A baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age is availabe on Amazon.com

Lordy, Lordy, are there any good men still left over 40?

It’s safe to say that if I knew then what I know now, I would’ve definitely taken a different approach in my pursuit of finding Mr. Right. What about you? How much have your thoughts and feelings changed over the years about love and marriage? I made a checklist of things I was on the lookout for prior to hitting the middle-age dating scene again, so I could resolve any issues that could have an impact on my happily-ever-after the second time around.


Compare my list to yours.

Has he ever been married or divorced?

That’s important to know—especially if you’ve been divorced like me. It’s been my experience that older people, who’ve been single for a while, tend to develop a mindset and get used to doing things their own way because they don’t have to answer to anyone. The dating part of the relationship can be a lot of fun, but when you decide to make that trip down the aisle and move into each other’s space, your living together could end up being cramped and uncomfortable. Some people should be prepared to face the hard-core reality that they may be better off alone.

What kind of baggage is coming into the relationship?

Dating during middle age can be challenging because all of us bring some baggage into each other’s lives. Some of us have packed so much stuff over the years from bad relationships that we could take a trip around the world twice.

They say time heals all wounds. That may be true, but you need to find out how old and deep those wounds are. In my case, I tried dating about six months after my divorce. It was someone I had known years ago, and I had always wanted a second chance. But the wounds from my tumultuous marriage and divorce were still fresh. No matter how much I wanted the relationship to work, I couldn’t get past the anger and resentment. It caused me to slip into a deep depression and made being around me an unpleasant experience. That was my baggage. But, thank God, I unpacked my suitcase and threw that “junk” away.

On the other hand, if your middle-aged prospective mate has some very old, deep wounds and can’t seem to get over the past, it might be wise for you to get over him. I once dated a man who actually caught his wife in the physical act of cheating and, although they had been divorced for ten years, he couldn’t get over it. He even admitted he could never trust another woman again because of it. That was a major red flag.

Character matters!

Years ago when I was actively pursuing a husband, I had one very important criteria. He had to come from good stock. By that I meant he had to have a gene pool that generated good looks and intelligence. Of course, I’ve since learned that he can be as fine as Denzel Washington or Brad Pitt with an IQ that would put Einstein to shame, but if he doesn’t have character, he’s missing a key ingredient.

If, in your search, you’re willing to accept someone who is known for being a ladies’ man, breaks dates without explanation, forgets birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions, doesn’t show much respect for his mother or, worse yet, can’t keep his hands to himself when he’s mad at you, then all I have to say is you’re getting what you deserve.

You can read more about finding Mr. Right in my book, "Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age. Available on Amazon.com

Review: Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age

Please Help me become the First, Unknown, African-American, Female, Pushing 50 to hit #1 on the Amazon Best Selling Author's List on November 16 WITHOUT OPRAH'S HELP!

Here's another review:

"Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into Middle Age is a delightful and witty portrait of a woman’s journey through middle age. Filled with plenty of laughs, heartfelt advice and spiritual insights to help us cope with the new challenges that await us during the middle age and years…and beyond.

Beverly Mahone is gifted at making you chuckle at yourself while at the same time reminding you to reflect on your own uniqueness and beauty as you move forward towards your God-given destiny. No matter what age your age, Mahone reminds us in WHATEVER! that with faith, laughter and hope, we’ll make it through and have the best second act imaginable."

J. Woods

www.GoodGirlBookClubOnline.com


Thanks for your support!
Peace & Blessings
babyboomerbev