Dario Franchitti takes pole for Indy race at Long Beach, CA

Posted on April 20, 2013 by admin

Finally, Dario Franchitti looked liked the Dario we all know and love today in qualifying at Long Beach, CA.  The Indy race (street race, thus a ‘parade”) will be televised tomorrow at 4:00 pm EST on NBC sports network.  Uh oh, Lakers are on ABC at 3:30 pm EST.  Well, guess the DVR and remote will have to do it’s job!  Anyhow, Dario came in first after the first two rounds of qualifying and the “fast six” which means he will be the pole sitter for the 30th time in his career.  He has not achieved this since last year in Toronto.  Dario has had a rough start this year, and Indy fans and Dario fans are hoping he will turn things around tomorrow and get himself where he needs to be before the Indy 500 on May 26th.  As many know, he is going through a divorce from actress/activist, Ashley Judd, and one hopes his head is where it needs to be.  My Indy insider tells me he is the once who initiated the divorce.  This is of course rumor so to speak, but still, inquiring minds want to know.  Best to them both and here’s to hoping for a great race tomorrow and Dario racing like the Dario Franchitti that has been the series champion for the past four years!  The top six finishers today were as follows: 1 Franchitti, 2 Hunter-Reay, 3 Power, 4 Sato, 5 Conway, and 6 Castroneves (current point leader).


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Indy race series returns to action in Long Beach, CA

Posted on April 20, 2013 by susan

The Izod Indy Racing series returns to action Sunday in Long Beach, California.  It is a road course, or as my Indy insider likes to call them, ” a parade” (see chapter 8 – Beach People of my book Surviving “Paradise” by Susan Willoch Shaver).  The qualifying rounds are on NBC sports network tonight and the race will air tomorrow on NBC sports network as well.  I am trying to figure out what is wrong with my driver, Dario Franchitti, who has had a very poor start to this year’s season, following a rather lackluster year last year for the four time series champ.  I guess if he wins the Indy 500 like he did last year, it really won’t matter?  Tomorrow’s race should be interesting and  Long Beach, CA is a beautiful setting.


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Indy race series returns to action in Long Beach, CA

Posted on April 20, 2013 by admin

The Izod Indy Racing series returns to action Sunday in Long Beach, California.  It is a road course, or as my Indy insider likes to call them, ” a parade” (see chapter 8 – Beach People of my book Surviving “Paradise” by Susan Willoch Shaver).  The qualifying rounds are on NBC sports network tonight and the race will air tomorrow on NBC sports network as well.  I am trying to figure out what is wrong with my driver, Dario Franchitti, who has had a very poor start to this year’s season, following a rather lackluster year last year for the four time series champ.  I guess if he wins the Indy 500 like he did last year, it really won’t matter?  Tomorrow’s race should be interesting and  Long Beach, CA is a beautiful setting.


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Djokovic – Nadal rivalry renewed in final at Monte Carlo

Posted on April 20, 2013 by admin

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both made it through their semifinal matches (Nadal in three tough sets) and will meet on Sunday for the final of the Monte Carlo Open.  This is a clay court event and will perhaps be a preview of the upcoming French Open final?  Am somewhat inclined to go with Rafa given the surface.  We shall see.  Very interested to see how Roger Federer performs when he returns to action after a seven week layoff in the upcoming Madrid Open, also a clay court event, scheduled to begin May 6th.  Roger returns to #2 ranking in the world on Monday, courtesy of Stan Wawrinka’s defeat of Andy Murray at the Monte Carlo event.  Sunday’s match should be interesting.  Stay tuned…


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Roger Federer will return to #2 in the world on Monday

Posted on April 19, 2013 by susan

Tennis news for Fed fans:  Thanks to Stan Wawrinka (Fed’s fellow Swiss tennis player and friend) who defeated Andy Murray today in Monte Carlo’s third round action, Roger Federer (who had briefly slipped to a ranking of #3) will return to #2 in the  world tennis rankings on Monday.  Good news to me and all other Fed fans.  Thank you Stan  and good luck in Monte Carlo.  Federer will not return to action until the clay court tournament in Madrid prior to the French Open as he announced early on that he would take seven weeks off after Indian Wells.  Hope he has practiced, rested, enjoyed family time, and the back issues he was struggling with are  A – OK!  Glad to see Fed returning to #2!


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Lakers get it done, into the playoffs (7th spot)!

Posted on April 18, 2013 by susan

No Kobe Bryant, no problem (actually no Kobe, huge problem!), anyhow, the LA Lakers got it done last night in the Staples Center, defeating the Houston Rockets in OT, 99 – 95.  The Lakers trailed throughout three periods ( I know because that is as late as I could stay up and watch), but Howard and Jodie Meeks really pulled through for the Lakers down the stretch.  Not to mention that triple double by Pau Gasol, 17 points, 20 rebounds, 11 assists.  Steve Blake tossed in 24 points and Dwight Howard added 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 2 assists.  I think someone in the Lakers organization finally figured out that they have two, hugely talented seven foot players, so USE THEM!!!  The Lakers take the 7th playoff spot and will face the San Antonio Spurs, first game on Sunday.  This is a much better match-up for the Lakers than OKC.  The Houston Rockets will face off against the Thunder with the loss last night, falling into the 8th playoff position, thus the dubious honor of getting the #1 seeded Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.  Should be interesting so see James Harden (the bearded one) go up against his former team.  Back to the Lakers, how will they fare in the playoffs?  Most analysts do not see them making it past the Spurs, although they all concede it is an intriguing match-up.  With Kobe, hey, who knows, perhaps they do get it done.  Without him, hey, perhaps they get it done as well.  Stay tuned…Lakers make good on Kobe’s guarantee (with him out for the rest of the year) and will move on to the postseason.  As a longtime Lakers fan, I say, YES!!!

By the way, the Utah Jazz fell to the Memphis Grizzlies last night, 86 – 70.  Very poor performance for a team trying to hold on and make it into the postseason.


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Braves 10 game winning streak snapped

Posted on April 17, 2013 by admin

All good things must come to an end, at some point?  The Atlanta Braves ten game winning streak came to an end this afternoon as Kansas City prevailed 1- 0 at Turner Field.  Mike Minor (2-1) took the loss for the Braves.


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Braves 10 game winning streak snapped

Posted on April 17, 2013 by susan

All good things must come to an end, at some point?  The Atlanta Braves ten game winning streak came to an end this afternoon as Kansas City prevailed 1- 0 at Turner Field.  Mike Minor (2-1) took the loss for the Braves.


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Wednesday, Surviving “Paradise” and I still do not watch Honey Boo Boo

Posted on April 17, 2013 by admin

Oh my, what a Wednesday.  As you know, Wednesday is always Surviving “Paradise” the book day.  The day I plug my book. Well, today I had an appointment at Posh Spot (Vinings, GA) that was moved up because apparently, Momma June, mother book_cover_c_rev1of non other than Honey Boo Boo, was getting a facial and the whole clan was in tow.  Heaven save us…what more can I say?  I am horrified that this show exists, much less that it is filmed in the state of Georgia!  Well, I decided that in the interest of never passing up an opportunity, I would hand out my cards and a copy of my book, Surviving “Paradise” by Susan Willoch Shaver to the camera crew that was gathered outside awaiting the “blessed event”.  Here’s to hoping someone gets a hold of my book and realizes that the potential for an entertaining and enjoyable TV/film is there, far surpassing the likes of Honey Boo Boo and/or Buckwild.

Please check out my book Surviving “Paradise” by Susan Willoch Shaver at Amazon.com.  It is available for $9.99 in paperback, $3.03 kindle edition, and also at Barnes and Noble in nook and the new nook press for $4.99.

P.S. Coming soon, a post on the different reasons people move to Florida and California.  I promise, there is a difference!


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Classy act by NY Yankees, “Sweet Caroline”

Posted on April 17, 2013 by admin

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox are arch rivals.  They “hate” each other.  Very classy act in the Bronx last night during the Yankees win over Arizona, 4 -2.  At the end of the third inning, they played “Sweet Caroline” and the crowd all sang along and cheered as a tribute to Boston and to show support to the people of Boston after the horrific events that occurred on Monday.  As everyone knows, the popular Neil Diamond song is a trademark of the Red Sox, played at the midway point of the 8th inning for fourteen years and counting.  Very classy by the Yankees.


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