Coming Soon…

…to a TV, computer, tablet, smartphone near you.

Here’s the completed 2013 network television grid for returning and new shows coming this fall or spring.

(Click on the picture to see the full size)

Also find a PDF version here: Fall 2013-14 TV Schedule.  In the PDF, you can click on the network call letters at the top of each column, which will take you to the comingsoon.net article about each of their schedule releases including descriptions of each of the new shows.

Just Living

These two people have a great deal in common. They love sports…lordy do they love sports. They love learning and understand that education is a life long journey. They love movies. They love to laugh. They love hugs. They are fiercely loyal to the ones they love.

And as of this week they are both LIVING WITH diabetes.

I stress the words “living with” because diabetes, which he has been diagnosed with for more than 20 years and I have been diagnosed with for 4 days, is NOT a death sentence. It is also NOT a wake up call as some might think because neither one of us did anything wrong. It is an indication that your pancreas doesn’t work the same way a non-diabetic’s pancreas works and genetics are a HUGE part of it. Neither one of us will ever not be diabetic for the rest of our lives. It’s just a matter of how we control our blood sugar either through medication/diet or just diet.

I’ve spent a great deal of time this week learning and making changes. Though my learning curve is shorter than some because I have a built in resource in my father, there are still a million things to learn about my own body because just like almost everything else in life, every person’s body is different.

For detail purposes, I am Type-2 just like him, so I will be taking oral medication as opposed to insulin shots or an insulin pump more common with Type-1. I have this tiny, fancy new machine that tests my blood sugar. (I do love a good gadget.) I’m considering getting a MedicAlert bracelet cause hey why shouldn’t I get some jewelry out of this. And somewhere down the line I’ll probably get to go shopping for new clothes!!

My father was my first teacher, so it seems only appropriate that he is also my teacher through this new “adventure” probably finding ways to laugh all the way through it. Laughter is the best medicine after all.

Happy 50th, Your Airness

It is in our human nature to mark important milestones in our lives, and on this day 50 years ago, Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born to Deloris and James Jordan in Brooklyn, NY.  I can say with almost complete certainty that when Mrs. Jordan looked down into her baby boy’s eyes for that first time that she did NOT see the future that was ahead of him.  At that moment, she probably just hoped to raise a good kid, and yet here we are 50 years later celebrating the birthday of one of the greatest athletes ever in the history of sports.  I tried to think of how to properly mark this occasion for a man who epitomized the words dedication, determination, strength, competitiveness, and perseverance as well as phrases like “love of the game” and “never quit” and “no obstacle too big.”  The best I could come up with was to post a few of my memories of him.

Happy 50th Birthday, Michael!

From North Carolina, At Guard, 6’6″, Michaelllllll Jorrrrrrrdan…

I’m not sure any single shot has ever made my mother as happy as THIS one did.

All the dunks over cars or people in my mind can’t hold a candle to this one.

Visual evidence of a proverbial monkey being taken off someone’s back.

His second Olympic Gold Medal.

Fear the tongue…that meant he was doing work and if you were in his way he was working you.

My absolute favorite of all the shoes. Who doesn’t love a sneaker with patent leather?!

No matter the criticism, I can never fault a kid for attempting to carry out the dream his father had for him.

Winning championship number 4 was just as emotional as championship number 1, but for completely different and horrific reasons since it was won on Father’s Day.

The Flu Game. Enough said.

The Last Shot (in a Bulls uniform).

Yep…6 championships in 2 three-peats.

Hangin’ with MJ at his house.

With Phil Jackson.

And with The Dean.

And a few of my favorite videos.

“Be Like Mike” Gatorade Commercial

“Let Your Game Speak” Nike Commercial

Three “generations” of Michael Jordan’s

“Maybe It’s My Fault” Become Legendary Commercial.  My favorite of the series.

And the greatest Hall of Fame Induction Speech EVER…

The Breakfast Club

From time to time, we stop and remind ourselves to enjoy some of the amazing things we’ve experienced in our lives.  For me, it happened, again, Monday as I participated in my third Presidential Inauguration.  I remember years ago when I was in fifth grade and the son of a family friend attended the Inauguration.  I had him come speak to my class about his experience.  I remember thinking how incredible that all must have been…never expecting that one day I would have my own memories from three of them.  We’re reminded to, at some point on “game day,” stop and take a look around and take in all that we see and realize that we are a part of history in the making.

It’s at these times when I also remind myself just who I am.  At my core, I’m just a small town girl.  It wasn’t all that small to me when I was growing up, but after living away from home for several years, I realize it was just that.  People like me aren’t supposed to grow up and become employees of an organization responsible for orchestrating one of the most important ceremonies of our entire country.  And then I remember I’m not alone.

This time around I had the privilege to work on the Inauguration with some of my very favorite people.  There’s the one who grew up on a farm (he may call it a ranch) in New Mexico who has brought so much joy and support to my life that I can’t imagine my life without him.  And the one who is adopted and makes me wonder what if he hadn’t been adopted.  Would he have ever been who he is today?  He can drive me bananas, but when he gets out of bed the morning after the Inauguration (after working the previous two months on a 24/7 schedule) and comes to work just to give me a hug and thank me for my hard work, I forget about the bananas because he’s the one who’s been through all three of these with me and he KNOWS what surviving one of these (much less three) really means.  Or the one who grew up in a small town in Michigan, the only son of parents who own the local hardware store.  He’s the one who worked and saved his money so he could afford to move to Washington, DC without a job, so he could look for one once he got here.  He’s the one who keeps a smile on my face…whose eyes everyone should get to see the planning of the Inauguration through.  There’s the sweet girl who’s the daughter of one of my favorite office managers.  It’s her face that lights up when she sees me walk in the room.  It’s her I stop by and see to make sure she’s keeping her sanity and isn’t going to cry herself to sleep over the stress.  The one I tell “everything’s going to be ok” and “it’s in no way, shape or form her fault that something stupid just happened.”  There’s the lady whose laugh is contagious.  Who has some of the best advice in the world and two of the greatest listening ears ever created.  She’s our fearless leader and the one who escorts the Vice President to his seat and instead of clapping and cheering for a Vice President I really do adore, I yell at the top of my lungs in excitement and pride for her because she’s my friend and she just escorted the freaking Vice President of the United States to his freaking seat on freaking national television.

That’s when I stop and ask myself, “how does this happen?” How do all these people come together at this very moment…having known each other for years…and end up planning and orchestrating an event of this magnitude with practically perfect precision?  The small town girl, the New Mexico farm boy, the crazy adopted dude, the Michigan blue collar kid, the Capitol Hill legacy, and the fearless leader pulled it off with a lot of help from a lot of new faces who quickly became old friends, too.

Somewhere along the way I stop and say it doesn’t matter just how each of us made it to this very moment in time.  It only matters that we did because looking back, I realize I wouldn’t have wanted to go through this experience with any other group of people.  Together we made history, we recorded memories, and we changed lives…including our own.

Daddy Took the T-bird

So here we sit.  It’s been 295 days since Peyton signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos on March 20, 2012.  Truth be told since he came into the league, he’s only reached the end of a season with the last team standing once, so I’ve spent 90% of his career not smiling at the end of a season.  But something funny happened on Saturday night despite my “shout heard round the world” when Jacoby Jones scored on a 70 yard TD pass to send the game into overtime for an eventual loss to the Ravens.  (Seriously, if you didn’t hear me scream, you should get your hearing checked.)  I smiled…at the end of a season that didn’t include Peyton’s team raising the Lombardi trophy…I smiled.  Why was I so “ok” with it?  Why was I, dare I say, happy?  And then it hit me…at some point between last season’s sadness and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, I re-evaluated how I view the end of a season.

And it turns out Peyton felt the same way:

“When you take a year off from football, you come back for all the enjoyable moments,” Manning said. “When you’re not playing, you miss out on all the highs, but you also miss these disappointments. But I would rather be in the arena to be excited or be disappointed than not have a chance at all. That’s football. That’s why everybody plays it. You have to be able to take the good with the bad.”

“You can’t do it right away, but as the sun continues to shine every morning you do take some time to reflect on some good things that happened this year. It’s certainly not the finish that we wanted, but I think it’s a mistake if you don’t reflect on some of the good things.”

Ten months ago when the Colts decided they no longer needed his services, I absolutely was completely unsure if he would ever play football, again.  It was an uphill battle for him to not only prove to NFL teams that he could still play the game, but convince them enough to invest a significant chunk of their salary cap in him. When he finally made his decision, he landed himself smack dab in the middle of Colorado with the Denver Broncos, a franchise I hadn’t necessarily been all that fond of in previous years, but I accepted it for two reasons: Peyton was satisfied with his choice and the Broncos WANTED him unlike his previous employer.  Of course this didn’t stop me from cringing at the thought of him running out on that field and taking that first big hit.  My hope ten months ago was that he would survive the season.  My hope was that he would be given the opportunity to get his legs back under him and his arm back into the swing of things.  I got a lot more than I hoped for or expected.

I got Eric Decker, Von Miller, Demaryius Thomas, Elvis Dumervil, Knowshon Moreno, Wesley Woodyard, Joel Dreessen, Champ Bailey…just to name a few.  I never expected to fall in a love with this team so quickly.  I never expected to have so much fun watching them play.  And somewhere along the way, I became a Broncos fan.  Somewhere in the middle of a season I could’ve only dreamed of, I suddenly felt like Peyton had been a Bronco his entire career.  The season felt more like they were out in the backyard just throwing the ball around.  And I realized the reason I was having so much fun watching them play was because THEY were having fun playing.  I couldn’t even begin to tell you the last time I saw Peyton have this much fun.

So here we are 10 months later.  And of course I would have cherished a Super Bowl victory, but knowing where this all started and never expecting this team that entered week 6 with a 2-3 record and won their 1st of 11 straight games in incredible fashion, made the playoffs with 4 games left, and then ended up the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, how in the world could I be anything but happy, thrilled, thankful, and excited…for the future.

If I can have this much fun as a rookie fan of the Broncos…I can’t wait to see what’s next.  I couldn’t script Peyton’s twilight years in the NFL any better than this if I tried.  He needed a place where the organization and fan base would let him be himself…where he could do everything in his power to reward them for their belief in him…where he could eventually sail off into the sunset on his terms and not the terms of some doctor’s scalpel…where he could get back to the pure joy of playing football…where he could have fun, fun, fun til daddy takes the t-bird away.

Taking Care of Business ~ Captions Week 17

Thanks to a little help around the NFL yesterday and the Broncos taking care of their own business in grand style, at the end of the day, Denver had secured the #1 seed in the AFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  They’ve come a long way since their 2-3 start.  For that matter, they’ve come a long way since March, and as much as I’d like to say I expected this, I’m not that clairvoyant, but I have enjoyed the heck out of the ride these guys have taken us on.  I’m not ready for it to end just yet, and I don’t think they are either.

“The Three Musketeers…All for one and one for all.”

“You got any lotion in there? My hands are kinda dry.”

I found Doc Brown. Now, where’s Marty McFly?

“You know it’s hard out here for a pimp.”

“This is my best Gabby Douglas impression.”

“Feet don’t fail me now.”

“FORE!!”

“And now introducing the human PEZ dispenser.”

“Jump, jump for my love
Jump, I know my heart can make you happy”

“Oh you know…just another average day on the job.”

“What are you a mime in a box?”

“We’ve been working on this pyramid for a while now. Don’t drop me fellas.”

“That’s my job, big guy. I can handle it from here.”

“Oh you think that’s impressive. You just wait.”

“I’ve got moves you’ve never seen.”

“Hell yeah that was a touchdown. You’re a little slow on the uptake there, buddy.”

“I see you’ve been using those trapeze lessons I got you for your birthday.”

“Wait a minute. Come here. What kind of material is that in your socks? They look cozy.”

“I got it…I got it…I got it.”

“Bring in da noise, bring in da funk.”

“Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away.”

“Oh come on, mom. Just 5 more minutes. I’m playing with my friends.”

“I look stupid?! Dude, we’re wearing the same hat, and I make this look good.”

“Damned if mom wasn’t right that my face would freeze like this.”

“Not bad for an old dude.”

“That’s the last time I ask these guys to grab me a drink.”

“You just saved my career. I love you, man.”

“Guys, let’s try using a little more deodorant in the new year.”

Christmas 2012

I’ve been meaning to post this for the last several days, but kept forgetting.  In any case, better late than never.  Here’s my Christmas picture and letter for 2012.

Christmas 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

I know after last year you all have been counting the days until you received my next Christmas newsletter, and I completely understand why, so let’s go ahead and get the “elephant” in the room out of the way.  I ended my last letter reminding you all to tune in on January 9^th to see Alabama play for its 14^th football National Championship.  Little did I know we’d need to stay glued to our televisions into June.  Following the 21-0 win over LSU in the BCS National Championship game in New Orleans, LA, the Alabama women’s gymnastics team brought home a national championship in April from Duluth, GA winning back to back championships in the sport for the first time in school history.  Not to be outdone, the women’s golf team brought home their first national championship in May from Franklin, TN.  And finally, the softball team that had been knock, knock, knocking on the door of the Women’s College World Series championship for years won their first national championship in June on a rain-soaked diamond in Oklahoma City, OK.  Quite a way for our women’s teams to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Title IX. We very nearly had a fifth team championship to report, but the men’s golf team came in second to Texas in the national championship literally by one stroke on the 18^th hole.  So, by the time summer rolled around, my beloved Crimson Tide had experienced one of the most successful years in college sports history, and I couldn’t have been prouder of how each of them represented our school. It was practically surreal and still is even now as the football team is preparing to take on the Irish of Notre Dame in the BCS national championship game on January 7^th in Miami, FL.  I know at some point this ridiculous ride will come to an end, so I’m savoring every ounce of it while it’s spinning.

Now, let’s see what else happened this year. In March, the South Florida women’s basketball team was invited to play in the WNIT.  They played a game against James Madison University here in Virginia, so I drove out to see them.  Despite losing the game, the girls fought hard, and it was great to get to see my brother. In April, I traveled to Atlanta, GA to visit my college roommate, Stefanie and her family.  It was a nice vacation, but not nearly long enough.  We ate and shopped and watched movies and got tattoos.  Yes, you read that right.  We both wanted new tattoos, so we decided to go to the shop (Inksomnia in Alpharetta, GA. Ask for Jeff.) together during my visit.  I had promised myself I’d get an Alabama tattoo if we won our 13^th national championship in 2009.  I was definitely overdue on keeping my promise, but nevertheless, I kept it.  Interestingly enough, we got our tattoos on April 13^th…4/13…FOR #13.  That was completely unplanned, but in hindsight it seems like it was meant to be.  Stefanie got an equally appropriate tattoo for her that read “Flawed but Fabulous.”  In October, Stefanie and her family came up to visit her husband’s family for an all too short weekend, but we got to spend an afternoon together window shopping at the mall and talking each other’s ears off.

In July, mom and dad came for a visit over the week of July 4^th, so I took some time off from work to spend with them.  I even took them to their first Washington Nationals baseball game while they were here.  In late July, my annual conference for work took me to Nashville, TN.  I had been there before, but only briefly, so this was my first time to really see the sights of Nashville like the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, and the Grand Ole Opry.  The Ryman even had this eeriness to it like you could feel the ghosts of past performers in the building; however, the eeriest part of any tour I took was the line that was nailed to the wall in the backstage lounge of the Opry showing where the flood waters had reached in May 2010.  The building is on a hill, and that line was easily up to my waist.

In August, the NFL, as it is wont to do, began a new season, but this time, my precious Peyton Manning no longer had a horseshoe on his helmet, but rather a horse’s head.  The Colts released him in March and a week later John Elway signed him as a Denver Bronco. It has been a relief seeing him play in a way that suggests he hasn’t lost a step during his time off recovering from four neck surgeries. As hard as it has been to embrace the color orange, I have enjoyed becoming a Bronco fan this season and hopefully for many seasons to come.  Also in August, at a Bucs preseason game, mom, dad, and Andy were randomly invited at the concession stand by the Bucs Executive VP Bryan Glazer to sit in the owner’s box for the game.  They were treated like royalty with great seats, food, and gifts.  It may very well have been one of the greatest days of my father’s life. The smile on his face in the pictures is priceless. It was an incredible honor for him considering the loyalty and dedication he has given that organization.  He can still count on one hand how many home games (all preseason) he has missed in 37 seasons.  Over Thanksgiving, I got to attend the Bucs/Falcons game with them, but even though I kept my eyes peeled for Bryan Glazer to walk by, we, unfortunately, had to sit in the regular seats.  However, I did get to see former Colt Dallas Clark and former Alabama greats Julio Jones and Mark Barron play.

In September, we celebrated Lincoln’s 5^th birthday, and quite slyly, mom pulled off a surprise 70^th birthday celebration for dad complete with my Uncle John and Aunt Gussie, friends, Rotarians, and former colleagues attending.  It was a joy to see so many people who love my father wanting to celebrate his life so far.  He is well loved, deservedly so.  While I was home, I attended his weekly Rotary meeting with him at which he presented Andy and me with Paul Harris Fellows (named for the founder of Rotary International) to honor us for all the work we’ve done with him over the years to help the Rotarians in their community service.  It was a truly unexpected honor to receive it from my father who taught me the importance of giving back.

Other happenings this year included Andy resigning from the South Florida women’s basketball team to return to the classroom full time at Benito Middle School teaching reading.  Janet received the Teacher Incentive Fund Award in recognition of the improvement her students have made because of her teaching.  Lincoln, having missed the birthdate cut off for kindergarten by five days and his preschool having to close its doors due to funding, started the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program at Family of Christ Christian School. He is smart as a whip, knows his alphabet and his numbers (much to the pride of his accountant Aunt), is easy to smile and laugh, and will talk your ear off about dinosaurs (complete with scientific names and facts).  I’m not ashamed to admit the kid’s probably smarter than most of us.  Mimi and Pa continue to be very good at retirement and at being two of the best grandparents a kid could have, in my humble opinion.

I hope all of you have enjoyed 2012 in countless ways, and are looking forward to a prosperous 2013.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, 

Leann

P.S. 1/7/13: “Are you hungry or are you satisfied? Because you can’t be both.” ~ Coach Saban