Play by Play Day by Day with Amy Lawrence

Remember the t-shirts?? I used to scoff at them, mostly because I grew up in New Hampshire with automatic loyalty to Boston. As I spent more time in Beantown and fell in love with the city and the Celtics, I naturally adopted the sports rivalry between the two cities as my own. More than once, I said out loud, “New York’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.” Ha! God has such a sense of humor! When CBS Sports Radio came calling, I maintained some skepticism about working in the Big Apple. For awhile, I even entertained the notion of commuting from my house in Connecticut to lower Manhattan five days a week. Now four months into this new phase of my life, my entire perception has changed. Total about-face.

One of my favorite things about New York is the constant energy. At every hour of the day or night, there are people on the streets, in cabs, on the subways and trains. You’re never truly alone in New York. More often, the opposite is the case – too many people trying to cram into a finite space. Penn Station is a perfect example. Navigating that transportation hub in the daytime should be an Olympic sport. Thousands of people moving at various speeds in whatever direction they feel like moving, many of them with heads down as they try to use their phones at the same time. No rhyme or reason, no way to predict which way they’ll go or how to get out of the way. Inevitably, you lose all sense of personal space in Penn Station. But there’s such a sense of accomplishment every time I traverse that sea of humanity successfully! It daily blows my mind that so many people can use mass transit to get where they’re going on time with relative ease. How does it happen?? I have no idea, but I love being one piece of a huge puzzle.

It’s impossible not to be enamored by the diversity in New York. A plethora of colors, races, ethnic mixes, languages, cultures, backgrounds, personalities, positions, and lifestyles – with nearly all sporting different kinds of headphones. Ha! It fascinates me to look around my subway car and realize how unique we are as human beings. There are no two people exactly alike, and nowhere is that more evident than NYC! I never get bored with people-watching here, but that means I can’t miss the homeless people who look for a warm spot to sleep at Penn Station next to a trash bag or cart full of their belongings. One of the heartbreaking contrasts in New York – so much money but so much poverty.

I take the train into Manhattan twice a week and drive the other days. No matter what’s going on or how much traffic I’m battling when I approach the Lincoln Tunnel, the New York skyline always takes my breath away. The Empire State Building is usually decked out in some array of colors to celebrate a local sports team or event. Even better, the first new World Trade Center tower is nearly completed. It’s always lit up from the top floors to the ground level – a pillar of light to represent the hope, spirit, and strength of a city and a nation that will never forget.

There is supreme comfort and peace in knowing you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. That’s the case with me in New York. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever anticipate living and working in the Big Apple, but I’m so grateful for a job and employer that allows me the freedom to spread my wings. CBS offers an amazing challenge with the chance to be creative and comfortable in my own skin. I get to do what I love, so I can’t help but love the city where this takes place. Yes, I HEART NY!

A huge thanks to all of you for listening to me on CBS Sports Radio. You’re finding me on Facebook and Twitter (@ALawRadio) to weigh in and you’re also calling the show on a regular basis. You read my blog, and you make the job so much more fun with your participation and interaction.

People keep asking about my hours and how to listen – on a “normal” week, you can hear After Hours with Amy Lawrence Friday and Saturday nights from 11p-3a PT (2a ET) and Sundays from 10p-2a ET (7p PT). To find a station in your area, check out cbssportsradio.com, and you can also listen to the shows live on the website. For you techies who need the show to be portable, download our radio.com app! Wooooo!

Disbelief > That’s the first emotion I experienced on Monday when I received a text from a co-worker telling me something had gone horribly wrong at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. As I read the word “bomb,” my mind leaned toward denial. No, this is NOT another attack against innocent people. No, someone did NOT plan to bomb unsuspecting runners and spectators in the midst of their jubilation.

Recognition > I was on the train when I first heard about the Marathon bombings, so I had time to think. I vividly remembered a Patriots Day just a few years back when I finished covering a Red Sox game and decided to walk along the Marathon route from Fenway Park to Copley Square to watch runners cross the finish line. What a scene, unlike any other in my life. Wall to wall bodies, at least ten deep on the sidewalks. The closer I got to the end of the race, the harder it became to move. Once on Boylston Street, I was hemmed in on every side by thousands who had the same idea. I could no longer walk full stride; instead, I was inching along and pushing my way through the crowds to find a good vantage point. The scene would’ve been similar this week.

Adrenaline > Strangely, this is the next emotion that surges through my body. I can’t wait to get to work and do my part. That means gathering as much information as possible and sharing it with as many people as possible on CBS Sports Radio. This is what I do. It’s how I help – making sure people are informed and equipped with as many details as we can find. Of course, it also keeps me busy and focused, so I have less opportunity to feel the pain over another terror attack against our nation.

Shock > When I finally see video of the bombs going off within seconds and yards of each other and then hear the explosions captured on a camera phone, it’s worse than what I read. So loud with such sudden impact; so quickly the triumph at the finish line turns to fear, confusion, and chaos. And I know the video can only tell part of the story. Being THERE on Boylston Street to see, hear, and feel the power of those bombs was infinitely worse.

Familiarity > I’ve done this before. We’ve all done this before. It’s almost becoming routine. 9/11 changed the world we live in. Now part of me expects more terror attacks of greater frequency. Mixed with the disbelief, there’s a corner of my brain that’s not surprised. Terrorists are constantly planning ways to bring down the US. And our definition of “terror attack” now includes random shootings in public places. These emotions have become all too familiar.  Oklahoma City, the Atlanta Olympics, Columbine, 9/11. More recently, Tucson with Gabrielle Giffords, the Aurora movie theatre shooting, Newtown, Boston. There have been others – some successful and some foiled. No matter how much security we add, how many arrests are made, or how many times the terrorists fail, they WILL keep trying. As one person tweeted me, you can destroy the ant hill, but the ants immediately start rebuilding and re-organizing. There will be others who open fire in public places. This is now the world we live in.

Anger > Inevitably, I am furious when we finally learn about the victims. An 8-year-old boy who loved to run, jump, climb, and cheer on his favorite Boston sports teams. A 29-year-old restaurant manager with a zest for life. A Chinese grad student. And there are others who survived but lost limbs or had nails and shrapnel imbedded in their bodies. For awhile, the anger drives me. I want to strike back at those responsible for this grief and pain. It may not be possible, but I want to do it anyway. Strike back with the full force of the United States to exact revenge…NOW!

Apprehension > I left work that night and caught the subway to Penn Station to wait the half hour for my train home. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was in the line of fire for the next attack. It dawned on me for the first time that Penn Station at midday would be a logical mark for terrorists. We know they’ve frequently targeted trains, subways, and buses. How do we stay vigilant without letting our guard down? I have no idea; but the threat feels more real than ever in New York City.

Pride > In the hours and days since the horror of the Marathon bombings, we’ve heard numerous stories of first responders and strangers coming to the aid of the wounded. Runners, spectators, medical workers, police officers, firemen, military personnel. So many rushed into the chaos and confusion with no thought for their own safety if another bomb were to go off. I’m proud of their response in the face of devastation, proud to live in a country full of heroes, proud of our law enforcement who are working tirelessly to find the bombers and bring justice.

Hope > It always happens this way. As I process the myriad of emotions and feel them to my core, the hope slowly rises to the top. As a nation, we WILL survive. We will not be bullied. We will not lose this fight. We will band together like we always do and press forward. We will support one another. And we will pray. That’s where my hope comes from. The morning after the bombing, a line from an old hymn kept running through my head: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” This is not the end. We are strong, and there will always be hope.

Whenever I mention household chores or life’s mundane tasks or my busy schedule, I inevitably receive hysterical responses on Facebook and Twitter — asking me why I’m doing my own laundry or cleaning the bathroom or why I’m driving myself when I could use a car service. Some even suggest “my staff” should do it for me. Haha! I am a staff of one (unless you count my pets). No entourage, no assistant, no staff and I prefer to do it myself anyway. Somehow people get this idea that working in TV and Radio automatically means you have an unlimited supply of money, resources, and manpower at your disposal. Nothing could be futher from the truth. Though I love my life and my jobs, there’s nothing glamorous about them. I’m an average girl who’s blessed with a career about which I am passionate. I also have a knack for getting myself into the most ridiculous situations; and from the last week, I have two stories to share which illustrate the decided LACK of glamour in my life.

After a basketball game on CBS Sports Network last Saturday, I sat in the Birmingham airport waiting for my flight to depart from Charlotte. Unbeknownst to me, three inches of snow in North Carolina was about to throw the whole mid-Atlantic into flux. After hearing a few announcements about the flight being delayed, I started to worry about my connection in Charlotte and getting home for my CBS Sports Radio show that night. I spoke to a US Airways ticket agent and re-booked on a later connection; but I also noticed everything in the airport shutting down: restaurants, Starbucks (thankfully, I snagged a coffee first), even TSA. There were no other options in Birmingham. Either get to Charlotte that night or get stuck. US Airways warned of no hotel rooms in either location, so we were likely to spend the night in an airport if we couldn’t reach our final destinations. With all of my work responsibilities on Sunday, staying put was not an option; and when they cancelled our flight six-and-a-half hours later, I had to find another way out. Using my new iPhone and my mom (on her computer in Ohio), I discovered an alternate route home…from Atlanta! Before the rental car counters all shut down, I paid through the nose for a one-way rental; hopped in the car with a travel companion who I met in line and who was, thankfully, NOT an ax murderer; and made the three-hour trek across the interstate to Atlanta. Yep, so glamorous!

In Atlanta, there was no place to sit since dozens of other people were stranded by the massive snowstorm in Charlotte. The only option was the floor of the terminal where I sat off and on for the next three hours, using Twitter to keep me company. I also spent an hour on the phone with my radio show, telling stories and talking sports with the fill-in host. When I finally landed in Newark aroun 9:30am, I’d been up 26 hours and felt like a zombie. The muddled brain would explain why I nearly broke down in tears when I couldn’t find the parking lot. I’m pretty sure the airport attendant thought I was mentally unstable as I tried to described where I left my car. Then the parking charge was nearly $100 which almost caused me to cry again. Ha! No time for tears, though, since I had to be in Hartford for a women’s basketball game in 3 hours. It was the game of the year against the first-place club as well as our annual Pink game to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. Unfortunately, I had no time to stop at my house so I was the only one in the arena NOT wearing pink. In fact, my only option was the suit I wore on TV the day before. Luckily, it didn’t smell too bad. SO glamorous.

After the game, I had to jump back in the car and return to New York for my Sunday night radio show. Don’t ask me how I remained coherent, though I was main-lining coffee. My producer managed to snag some great guests, including the Miami player who nailed the game-winning shot against Clemson AND my favorite media writer from Sports Illustrated, Richard Dietsch. But I vaguely remember putting my head down during commercials and being unable to keep me eyes open while talking. By the time I got home after the show, I’d been awake 43 straight hours! Insane, even for me. That’s my new record.

Thankfully, I slept for nearly 6 hours before it was time to head back to CBS and host an afternoon show on President’s Day. Surprisingly, I felt good which sets up my final story of the weekend — my “welcome to NYC” moment. Because I felt good, I dressed up in a sweater and nice pants, my 3-inch heels, and a brand new winter white coat. The show went very well, and I received a ton of compliments so I was feeling even better when I stepped on the subway platform in Manhattan. That’s when I heard a pop and felt something oozing into my shoe. I looked down to discover a ketchup packet exploded all over my right heel and up my black pant leg. All I had in my bag were a couple oatmeal packets, so I smeared the ketchup around with those. On the crowded subway platform, people saw the red goo and assumed I was bleeding so they began to stare. However, when they finally caught a whiff of the ketchup, the stares turned to snickers. I finally smeared enough ketchup away to roll my pant leg back down, only to feel it oozing all down the INSIDE of my pants. Eeewww! Double eeeewww! I smelled like ketchup all the way through my dinner appointment. Awesome and especially glamorous.

I’ve made dozens of people laugh with my stories in the last few days, even sharing the ketchup incident on Twitter. So now you know — my life is not the least bit glamorous. It’s humorous and ludicrous and ridiculous and there are times when I’m delirous. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Who wants glamour anyway??

I said farewell to Penny this week. I already miss her, and it’s only been two days. Only five-and-a-half weeks to go. Boy, do I wish my dog could read so she’d know why I left her with family in New Hampshire. Even though I hate not seeing her every day, she’ll get more exercise and attention in the Granite State than she will with me since I’ll be traveling, working, and spending nights in 11 states between now and mid-March.

If I knew last spring that my life would be turned completely upside down in the span of 10 months, I might not have adopted Penny. I’m SO glad I didn’t know because she’s MY dog. She was supposed to be my dog all along, so I’m making it work as best I can. The sacrifice is a small price to pay for an awesome new opportunity with CBS Sports Radio! Five weeks in, I love the unique challenge of each show. Obviously, you couldn’t ask for a better time to launch a sports radio network than the NFL postseason; my first month was driven by jaw-dropping moments and all-consuming storylines. The last ride of Ray Lewis; the bold run by the Niners behind their brash leader; the upsets in Denver and Atlanta; the timid exit by the Patriots; and finally, the power outage at the Superdome and Baltimore barely hanging onto its second Super Bowl title in franchise history. Throw in Lance Armstrong, Manti Te’o, some Lakers drama, and Alex Rodriguez — and your month is packed to the gills. The new show is called “After Hours with Amy Lawrence.” And coming up on President’s Day, I’ll fill in for Doug Gottlieb on his midday show (3-6p ET). No doubt, CBS Sports Radio is the right place for me.

In addition, I still have the privilege of doing radio play-by-play for Hartford women’s basketball. CBS stays flexible with my schedule so I don’t have to give up my other passion. What a blessing! It does require some crazy long days — like getting off the air in Manhattan on a Saturday at 6am, driving out to New Jersey to retrieve Penny, and then making a beeline to Boston for a noon tip. I stopped at a service plaza on the interstate to walk, feed, and water Penny; and since she was exhausted from the early morning and the drive, I left her to sleep in the car in the shade on her favorite blanket. We do this all the time because she loves road trips and would rather come with me than be left at home. Pen will nap while I grocery shop or run errands, but apparently, the Boston police officer manning that particular street didn’t see it that way. He gave me a ticket for leaving my dog in the car — ha! I’m still laughing out loud at that, two weeks later.

So there’s my full time job at CBS Sports Radio plus Hartford basketball and Sunday, I start traveling for CBS Sports Network. It’s a college sports channel, and I’m thrilled my agent could drum up six games in six weeks on TV! Thanks, Matt! This will give me a chance to showcase my basketball knowledge and TV presence and potentially open a door for more play-by-play/color down the road. While TV is NOT my favorite and definitely high-maintenance, this is a great way to raise my profile for future basketball opportunities. My journey will take me to Bethlehem, PA; Birmingham, AL; Raleigh, NC; El Paso, TX (might as well be Mexico); and New Orleans. Can’t wait!

If Penny could read, she’d know I don’t want her to be bored by herself while I’m traveling all over God’s green earth. Basketball season is my favorite time of year, and I’m thrilled to chase this passion all over the country. However, I’ll be just as happy when I can drive back to New Hampshire to get Penny. We’ve already developed a nice routine for our new life in New Jersey, and I look forward to settling in. For now though: three jobs, two homes, and 11 states over six weeks. Ready, Set, GO!

Hard to believe 2013 is nearly a week old! Hope the first stages of the new year fill you with new hope, new direction, new anticipation, and new enthusaism for what’s to come. I can’t thank you enough for the outpouring of support , encouragement and kind words since I took this new job with CBS Sports Radio. From family and friends who’ve known me forever to former colleagues to people I’ve never actually met in person, the response has been truly overwhelming. You’ve made me smile countless times over the past week, and boy, have I needed it in the midst of total chaos. Ha!

Everyone’s lives are busy around the holidays, but honestly, it’s never been quite this crazy for me. I quit one job where I spent nine years; drove from Connecticut to Ohio to Washington DC in the same week to see family and call a Hartford basketball tournament; found a temporary place to live in northern New Jersey; packed as much as I could in 36 hours; said good-bye to my church family after 5 years; took the Hartford team bus to Binghamton for an overnight stay and game; signed a lease; and hopped the train to Manhattan for my “first day at school” with all its paperwork,  introductions and training. In the midst of all that, I’ve spent hours emailing back and forth with my agent and new producers and friends who are just finding out my news because I was delinquent in sending Christmas cards. Sorry!! Thanks for loving me anyway.

So here I sit at the little dining room table in my new apartment with boxes and suitcases everywhere (and the cleaning supplies calling out to me) while the emails, text messages and phone calls keep coming. Yet today, it’s different. As the sun sets and the hour for my first CBS Sports Radio show draws closer, my brain is gently moving everything else aside into various compartments (of which there are many for us females). The reason for my excitement is the chance to dive into a new radio opportunity headfirst. To talk sports with passion, humor, and enthusiasm and to pull together with a talented team and interact with a brand new group of sports fans — that’s what drives me!  It’s almost time, and all the ancillary details can wait until after the show is over. It’s finally gameday!

Thanks for all of your inquiries about the details of my debut. My shows will air Fridays and Saturdays from 11p-3a PT (2-6am ET) as well as Sunday from 10p-2a ET (my absolute favorite time slot ever). There will be other shows to host or co-host as time goes on, so I’ll keep you posted. First things first, we’re asking sports radio fans on Facebook & Twitter to help us name the weekend shows. I’m sure the suggestions will provide some comedy! Feel free to submit your names at @ALawRadio on twitter.

You can find a list of CBS Sports Radio stations around the country on cbssports.radio.com so check out the website to see how you can listen over the air. You can also listen to the live stream on-line at that same web address. For those of you who prefer to listen with your phones, iPads or other devices, download the app from “Tune In” or radio.com!

Can’t wait to share this experience with you! Thanks again for caring as much as you do. It wouldn’t be any fun if I was making this journey alone. I look forward to your feedback as we launch this weekend. Couldn’t have picked a better time to hit the airways on CBS Sports Radio — the first weekend of the NFL playoffs! Wooooo! Go Time!

Happy New Year!! I can hardly believe 2012 is now in the rearview mirror. Sometimes it seems as though time moves faster and faster and the days pass more and more quickly until I want to slam on the emergency brake. It’s entirely fitting, though, as I stand on the gas to go full speed ahead for the new year. So many changes in store, so many adjustments to my lifestyle, so many new challenges await. But I’m thrilled for this new open door, and I’m diving in headfirst!

After almost nine years at ESPN Radio, I’ve accepted a full-time position with the brand new CBS Sports Radio Network launching across the country on January 2nd. I’ll be hosting my own four-hour shows every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. What an amazing creative opportunity — 12 hours per week to tackle the biggest topics, welcome a variety of guests, and interact with sports fans from coast to coast! I’ve always loved working nights and weekends because mine is the job to share and analyze events and stories as they break. I enjoy the immediacy of the information, and I’ve spent years honing the ability to react in the moment. It’s one of my favorite things about radio: the adrenaline jolt that comes with being the voice that delivers breaking news and scores. There may be chaos all around me and a producer may be yelling in my ear; there may be new details bombarding me from all sides. But my job is to filter quickly and then communicate what I know accurately with a sense of urgency. All this while staying relatively calm on the air. Ha! Most of these moments happen nights and weekends, so I can’t wait to get started at CBS Sports Radio the first Friday night in January.

In addition to my weekend shows, CBS will use me to fill in for Dana Jacobson weekday mornings as well as other time slots on the network. Throw in a few evening anchor shifts, and it’s a total package. I’ll choose diversity and variety over routine any day! A job that requires me to wear different hats and show off my versatility is right up my alley. To morph from a solo talk show host to a co-host to an anchor keeps me engaged and challenged and focused. Within the confines of a full-time job, I maintain the freedom to juggle several different roles. Perfect!

The best part is I don’t have to give up my play-by-play aspirations as I jump to CBS. I’m thankful to the network for recognizing my desire to broadcast basketball on both radio and TV. Not only did CBS Radio make a way for me to finish my season with the Hartford Hawks, but CBS Sports Network will use me an analyst for several TV games this winter. I’ve never asked for more than an opportunity to prove myself; and CBS is offering an unbelievable platform to showcase my knowledge, experience, and passion for the game of basketball.

The nine years at ESPN Radio changed me. There is no way to adequately describe the impact on my life and my career. I barely recognize the host who filled in for the first time in 2004. From the outside, the job may seem like a breeze. All you do is sit down and talk about sports for a few hours. But hidden from view are the constant pressure, the stiff competition, the glass ceiling for women in sports radio, the politics, the never-ending scrutiny, and the absence of any job security. These last nine years were the toughest of my career; but I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m stronger, tougher, more confident and armed with a wealth of experience. I believe in myself and my abilities because they’ve been tested and shaped by years of adversity.

As I launch this next phase of my career and my life, I would be honored if you’d join me on this ride. As my first CBS show approaches, I’ll let you know when and how to listen; and I’ll continue to share the journey on Facebook, Twitter (@ALawRadio), and this blog. Thank you so much for all your support, encouragement, and prayers. They’re invaluable, and clearly, they work!

Bring on 2013! Let’s attack the new year with a vengeance!! Wooooo!

The unthinkable happened in the NFL on back-to-back weekends. While we were still trying to process a murder-suicide by a Chiefs linebacker, a Dallas Cowboys player died at the hands of a teammate who was driving drunk. Nose tackle Josh Brent got behind the wheel of his Mercedes with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit; and while speeding through the Dallas suburbs, he ran into a curb and flipped his vehicle. His longtime friend Jerry Brown was pronounced dead soon after. The 25-year-old Brown had just earned a spot on the Cowboys practice squad. He was also an expectant father.

Unthinkable, unfathomable, and preventable if the pair doesn’t get in the car…if Brent doesn’t risk the life of the man he calls his “very best friend” by choosing to drive while intoxicated. Cowboys players and coaches offered their support for Brent after he posted bail on intoxication manslaughter charges. They hung his jersey in the visitors’ locker room in Cincinnati the day after the crash. Head coach Jason Garrett told reporters, “We want to embrace Josh and let him know that this is a good place for him. Being around Valley Ranch, being around his teammates is a good thing for him…he’s certainly welcome to be there.” In the week since the tragedy, Brent has visited with Garrett and team doctors. All signs point to the Cowboys wanting to keep Brent in the fold, though he faces charges and potential discipline from the league. Somewhere in my brain, I can understand the organizational support since Brent is a member of the Cowboys family, and NFL players often refer to themselves as a fraternity of brothers.

What I can barely grasp is the response from Jerry Brown’s actual family. His mother Stacey Jackson requested that Brent meet her at the airport when she flew in for a memorial service. Not just that, but she asked him to sit with the family during the service. The man responsible for the death of her 25-year-old son was right next to her the whole time. That floors me. I’m not a mom yet, but I do have two nieces who mean the world to me. I also have two brothers, one of whom is Brown’s age. I’m not naive enough to think I would show the same grace and mercy to a drunk driver who ended one of their lives, especially not in the 72 hours after it happened. But this mother who lost her son far too soon invited Brent to spend time with her, grieve with her, cry and mourn with her. I’m blown away by her forgiveness.

Yes, God asks us to forgive those who hurt us…hate the sin while loving the sinner. But in so many cases, it’s easier said than done. I’ve always despised drunk driving. When I was in high school, I won a series of speech contests with my passionate appeal to end drunk driving. In my opinion, it’s inexcusable to get behind the wheel of a vehicle when your judgment, cognition, and motor skills are impaired. In the eyes of the US justice system, it’s manslaughter; but to me, it’s murder if you end a human life while driving under the influence. The risks are scientific and well-documented, so I’ll never understand how people believe they can dodge the risks. It’s a game of Russian roulette with a motor vehicle.

Josh Brent weighs 320 pounds, and officials estimate he would need roughly 20 shots over 4 hours to raise his blood-alcohol level to .18 where it was at the time of the crash. As a starter in the NFL, he can easily pay for a cab OR he can use the free car service available to all players. He did neither. He climbed into his car to drive home after a night of partying, sped through the suburbs in the dark, flipped his vehicle, and killed his best friend. I’m sure he’s heartbroken and racked with guilt. He’s also forgiven. In spite of her anguish and a flood of uncontrollable emotion, Jerry Brown’s mom embraced Brent as part of the family. Stacey Jackson delivered the most powerful message in sports this week, a lesson I’ll never forget. Forgiveness is an action, not a feeling.

For months, I’ve wanted to post a blog entry looking back on my trip to Mozambique in September 2011. I tried to prepare it for the one-year anniversary and then I decided I’d write in October because it took a full month to re-adjust after returning to the US. But as is typical of me and my brain, with any subject that’s important to me, I’ve had writer’s block. How to condense the story of everything I saw, felt, experienced, and processed over two weeks? And how to communicate what it means to me more than a year later? There may be no way to share as accurately as I’d like, but as we dive into the holiday season, I’m determined to offer my best explanation of the most important lesson I learned.

Even though it’s been more than a year, I still remember the journey so clearly. Mozambique is the eighth poorest nation in the world, and you can see the signs as soon as you cross the border from South Africa. The two countries are as different as night and day. I will never forget the trash in the capital city of Maputo – trash lining the streets, trash dumped into large craters in the middle of dirt roads, trash washed onto the beach along the Indian Ocean. I was so excited to dip my foot in an ocean on the other side of the globe, but I was stunned and saddened by the debris and beer bottles floating in the surf. And yet despite these conditions, the churches we visited in Maputo were overflowing with uninhibited joy.

Our team spent a week camping in the African bush on the lawn of a church where the village water tank ran dry halfway through each day and left them without until the next morning. The building with its few lights routinely lost power for hours at a time, leaving us to fumble around in the pitch black with small flashlights. The only “bathroom” did not include running water, only a toilet over a hole in the ground; and buckets were the closest thing we had to baths. But despite the poverty, dozens of people showed up to the church every night to sing and praise the Lord, even in the dark.

On several occasions, our team drove deeper into the bush to visit villages with no water or electricity or vehicles. We brought a soccer ball as a gift for a group of children, and they invited us to play on a field where you had to avoid large holes and sidestep throrn bushes and rocks. But the children were thrilled to play a game against the Americans and couldn’t stop smiling. These same villagers have to walk 2 miles to reach the closest water source, and yet they used their limited supply to make soup in our honor. They grow cashews to trade for staples like food and fabric, and yet they presented us with pounds of cashews as gifts.

In Mozambique, the women do everything – tend the fields, go to the markets, raise the children. We rarely saw a woman without a bundle of wood or bucket of water on her head and without a baby strapped to her back. Even teenage girls tote babies and juggle household responsibilities that keep them from attending school. The men do very little. Mostly, we saw them sitting around in groups, laughing at the Americans. And yet despite their lives of labor, it’s the women who smiled and sang and danced in the aisles of the church.

There are children everywhere you turn in Mozambique – children of all ages, shapes, and sizes. They have nothing. One soccer ball to be shared by the village is a reason to celebrate. Two crayons or an empty crayon box is a gift to be treasured. Our team held a special kids’ day in the bush, and more than 400 children showed up. My station featured a rope for tug of war, and I’ve never seen a group of kids more excited. They pulled and pulled and pulled, screaming and laughing the whole time. And when they won, they danced and shouted with joy as though they’d captured the World Cup. Then they immediately wanted to play again. They would’ve been entertained for hours by the same simple game.

During this holiday season when we have so much and we spend so much, it’s humbling to remember the thankfulness of these Africans who have so little. I was ready to leave after just a week in the bush, but they don’t get to pack up and go somewhere else. After 14 days, I was back in my own house with lights, heat, refrigerator, plumbing, shower, and bed; many of the villagers in remote Mozambique will never experience any of those things. And yet, THEY are thankful. How can I not be??

As Hurricane Sandy attacks the East Coast and threatens to cripple cities from Washington DC to New York and on into New England, the timing is almost eerie. It was exactly 12 months ago that a freak October blizzard wiped out power to the majority of Connecticut and many surrounding states. And now millions of people brace for a potential encore. The memories may be a year old, but they are still fresh in my mind.

Saturday, October 29th, 2011, the driving winds and swirling snow started several hours earlier than the forecasters predicted. My first sign of trouble was the huge tree blocking the only road out of my neighborhood when I tried to leave for work. Because a snow plow was also trapped, firefighters came quickly to saw the tree in pieces and move it out of the way. But that was only the beginning. My 20 mile trek to work included steering off the paved road to get around downed trees and power lines. The strangest part was the utter darkness the whole way. It was pitch black until I reached ESPN, an oasis of generated light.

After my shift, I tried to get home, but it was far too dangerous with dangling live wires and unstable trees rendering roads impassable. Would you believe I found a quiet studio at ESPN Radio and spent the night on the floor? Of course, I couldn’t sleep, wondering what happened at my house. I live in the woods, and any number of trees could’ve blown through my windows. By mid-morning on Sunday, the sun was shining on 2 feet of fresh snow, and I was deteremined to see the aftermath firsthand. Not without coffee, though. I’ll never forget my joy and relief at finding the ESPN Starbucks open despite the storm. Ha! I felt the same way when I finally pulled into my driveway to find my house intact, although it was just the start of a full week without electricity.

At night, temperatures dipped down to 41 degrees inside, but thankfully, I had enough wood to burn in my wood stove all week. And rather than let my food spoil, I fired up my grill and cooked outside for 8 hours! Chicken, eggs, vegetables – pretty much everything I had in the refrigerator and freezer. I was really proud of myself on that day! But other than Tuesday spent cooking, my activity was limited. No TV, no laptop, very little time on the phone since I couldn’t charge it. The week was quiet and simple at a much slower pace. I had a built-in excuse to stay under the covers until 1pm. Too cold to do anything else until the afternoon sun allowed me to peel off my multiple layers.

The little things helped me get through – my brother emailing every morning to check on me, a dance party to Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory, coffee runs to find out what businesses had reopened, milk buried in the snow outside, shoveling alongside neighbors while swapping stories, reading by candlelight, and some unbelievable pictures of a winter wonderland in October. It was a major feat: surviving a week without electricity and the everyday conveniences we take for granted.

For seven days last fall, I felt like a pioneer woman; and even though I started screaming when I realized my lights were finally working again, I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. So as Sandy approaches with all her fury and uncertainty, my only response is BRING IT ON!! Woooo!

For the first time in 4 years, I didn’t use my summer for an overseas missions trip. After a pair of soccer projects for kids in Ambato, Ecuador, and then a trek to Mozambique last September, it was time for a break. And somewhere in my brain, I concluded this summer would be calmer. Boy, was I wrong. I crammed more cities, states, road trips and plane flights into a four-month period than I ever thought possible. My family marked several events in a big way, including my Grandmother’s 90th birthday. Most of my dad’s side gathered in the middle of farm country, Wisconsin, three hours from the closest airport, to celebrate her amazing milestone. I’ll never forget how beautiful she looked or how she smiled when she realized more than 100 people showed up to be part of her special occasion. Even though it was a quick trip, I relished the hours with my Gram, uncles, aunts, and brother. We even introduced Grammy to Face Time on the iPad. Ha!

My travels also featured a family first: vacation together in the Outer Banks. What a week! It was an awesome experience, camping near Cape Hatteras, but it was definitely NOT relaxing. My brother’s family is used to getting up early, so there were texts every morning before 7am to make coffee runs! Throw in 27 hours of driving to and from North Carolina with a dog, and sleep wasn’t a big part of the equation. But we made up for it with days full of sunshine, sand, waves, frisbee, walks, cookouts, games, shopping, exploring, and 248 steps to the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The best day was the one we spent playing with paddleboards and jet skis (my brother used his to knock me off my paddleboard). And it was a dream-come-true when I got to parasail with my nieces. I’ll never forget soaring a thousand feet up and behind the boat with two of my favorite people in the world!!

Those experiences were the most prominent but only the tip of the iceberg. A house-warming party in Maine, a drive to New Hampshire to introduce Penny to more family, a jaunt to Fenway Park with V-Foundation auction winners, a 10-day visit from Mom and Gemmy, a surprise picnic/hike along the Appalachian Trail for my sister-in-law’s birthday, and a flight back to Oklahoma to see some of my best friends for the first time in 5 years. I finally got to meet the daughter of one of my closest friends, and she’s only the most precocious and personable 18-month-old ever! Totally worth all those frequent flier miles.

In the midst of all the traveling, I set out to accomplish a professional goal: hire an agent for the first time in my career. A daunting task with so many factors to consider, but despite feeling overwhelmed, I launched myself into the process. After 15 years of basketball play-by-play & analysis for various high schools and colleges, it was time to take a drastic step toward making my NBA dreams come true. An agent has more connections and access to more information than I do on my own. An agent can promote and negotiate and guage the market in ways that I can’t. Initially, I wanted to find an agent who believes in me and my abilities, but I also needed to find one who can map out strategies for landing a female play-by-play announcer in the NBA. I was searching for an agency large enough to have an established reputation but small enough that I wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle. In addition, I had to consider potential conflicts of interest with other clients.

After hours of research and phone calls, I narrowed down my search to a pair of agents on the East Coast. How to know which was the right fit? Face-to-face visits was the only way, so off to New York and Atlanta I went. The process spanned most of the summer, but just before Labor Day, I found the perfect one for me. I’m blessed to have an agent who doesn’t blink at the challenge of breaking ground, who possesses both short-term and long-term vision, and who shares my enthusiasm for the road ahead. Not only am I getting used to saying “my agent” in work conversations, but I’m also adjusting to the idea of sharing this journey with a team. For so long, it’s been just me navigating this career.

Crazy summer that it was, I’m so thankful for precious time with family and friends as well as a rejuvenated energy and purpose for the days and weeks to come. P.S. Dixie is thankful for a break now that summer’s over. She’s up to nearly 273,000 miles now!!