The first presidential debate between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump in the 2016 election took place on September 26, 2016. I tuned in, of course, and posted this piece the following day.
The 400-Pound Hacker in the Room
Donald Trump on our national security in the debate tonight:
“Hackers could be anybody sitting on their beds weighing 400 pounds.”
Whaaaaaaat? What did you say? What does that even mean?
Donald Trump on foreign affairs:
“I haven’t given lots of thought to NATO…I just know we have to knock the hell out of ISIS.”
Really? Not much thought to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization? You might want to add that to your debate prep topics for next time.
Donald Trump on the war in Iraq:
“I was against the war in Iraq…all you have to do is call Sean Hannity and ask him. He knows I was against the war in Iraq.”
Somebody please call Sean Hannity… and restore a little sanity.
Donald Trump on deal-making in the Obama administration:
“You almost can’t name a good deal they’ve made.”
I can name that deal in three notes…or was that tune…deal, tune…whatever.
Donald Trump on what it takes to be President:
“To be President of the United States, you have to have the stamina.”
It also helps to have an understanding of the job description.
Hillary Clinton on preparation:
“Yes, I prepared for this debate. I’ve also prepared to be President.”
And with that I say to all good night and good luck.
***********************
Never underestimate the importance of the presidential debates. Somewhere today a 400-pound hacker sits on his bed laughing uproariously.
Pretty found this card when she was clearing out one of her carefully packed away boxes yesterday. She saw that it was mine – and asked me if I wanted to save it. It was dated 12/31/15, and when I read it, of course I wanted to keep it. This card should have been kept with my collection of most treasured personal mementos I carefully pack away in my own special box in my office – not randomly mixed in with Pretty’s hundreds of tubs filled with collectibles at various stages of “to sell or not to sell.” Occasionally she surprises me with something that got crisscrossed in one of our many moves over the past twenty-three years. This card slipped through the cracks during the 2017 move from Casa de Canterbury in downtown Columbia over the river to Cardinal Drive in West Columbia.
Sheila, where does the time go? It seems only yesterday that I was racing down the basketball court to pass the ball to you. You were always there, ready to take the pass. Wonderful memories!
Carolyn and I played basketball at Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas, from 1961 – 1964. We played a variant of the game called six-on-six because well, each team had six players on the floor at the same time: three guards playing defense on one half of the court and three forwards for offense on the other half. Carolyn was one of the fastest guards we had, could steal the ball from one of our opponents’ forwards and then dribble like crazy to get to the half court line ahead of players who were always a step behind her, desperately trying to get the ball back before she could pass it across the half court line to one of her forwards who would be waiting to alter the course of play with a switch from defense to offense. Thankfully, women didn’t play full court basketball with five players like the men until 1971. I played forward for our six-on-six team but definitely lacked both speed and endurance for full court. I’m exhausted just thinking about that.
our senior pictures in the 1964 Columbia High yearbook
Carolyn’s beautiful smile was deceptive on the basketball court – she was much tougher during competition. Since I was the shortest forward on the team, I needed to look tough, but that wasn’t easy when my mom insisted she needed to roll my hair in tight curls before games and especially before the yearbook pictures. Sigh.
The 2024 WNBA season started this week, and we have ten former University of South Carolina Gamecock women’s basketball players who made Opening Day rosters, second only to UConn alumni with sixteen. Basketball for Pretty and me is more fun when we know the players, when we see “our girls” playing on the big stages of professional excellence.
But when I saw this beautiful card from my former high school teammate Carolyn Buchanan (Reid Young now), I was transported to the rush of feelings I experienced waiting for her to pass the ball to me at that half court line sixty years ago. I had to be there for her, for my team, ready to take that pass. Nothing could have been more exciting! And if by some miracle, I actually scored after I caught the pass – Caitlin Clark herself couldn’t have been happier.
Isn’t it funny, this thing called life. The directions it takes us, the experiences we share and the special people we meet along the way.
Carolyn is one of the special people I met along the way, and her card brought back a flood of wonderful memories for me of a “forever friend” who made my five teenage years in Brazoria, Texas, some of the happiest in my life. I hope she still has that Hollywood smile.
Whose birthday was it this past week since we’re in the birthday celebrating mood recently? That would be Pretty’s dad who turned 91 (or 90 – no definitive date but what’s a year here or there among friends) on May 2nd. Last weekend Pretty and I met our granddaughters and their daddy Drew for an overnight visit in the upstate to celebrate Walker Williams who is known to his family simply as Papa. As always, the hospitality of Darlene and Dawne, their dog Gabe, and an assortment of cats made the celebration in their lovely lake home extra fun for everyone. We missed the granddaughters’ mommy Caroline who had to leave early for a wedding in her family.
four-year-old granddaughter Ellanapped during an afternoon boat ride
on Lake Bowen
Nana needed her sunglasses –Naynay had sunshineon a cloudy day
(what can make me feel that way? my girls – talkin’ bout my girls)
Naynay, is this yellow thing a bracelet? asked two-year-old Molly…
outside local brewery following dinner later that evening
Hm. Better ask Neena, Naynay said
Neena, is this yellow thing a bracelet?
Molly, the hole is too small to be a bracelet for me, Neena said as Daddy smiled
oh, so this is where the yellow circles go
three cheers for the kindness of strangers
On Sunday morning, we took Papa for a birthday brunch. Molly sat at the head of the table next to her great-granddaddy who she felt obligated to entertain since older sis Ella watched “tubes” on Neena’s phone. Whenever Molly understands her behavior is inappropriate, as in throwing food she doesn’t like on the floor, she has learned to give an infectious smile and say “Molly funny.” It’s impossible not to smile back at her.
Some birthdays the hits just keep on rolling. Although my actual birthday was the 21st., two nights later another Memory Maker at El Jimador in Cayce. Pretty and I met some of our Gamecock Women’s basketball buddies JD, Garner, Brian, Joan and Robert for a dinner at a – wait for it – Mexican restaurant to continue celebrating the euphoria of our third National Championship, and talking up the chances of repeating in 2025 when the Final Four returns to Tampa Bay where Pretty and I attended our first Final Four with the Gamecocks in 2015 when, alas, there was no victory to celebrate.
Garner and JD found this birthday card that reminded them of my greeting whenever I see them at the games: Hey, girls, hey!
But they also brought me a bottle of my favorite liquor for shots before the games, or really for any occasion. Silver Patro’n Tequila. (Excuse the accent mark error.) Hopefully, you already know the tequila I’m talking about. JD included a container of his famous homemade blue cheese dressing that I could almost drink by itself with or without a shot. Thankfully, I have a bag of Fritos I can dip into it for a tasty lunch today. Yummy.
Brian and Robert treated me to my favorite dinner of two cheese enchiladas with delicious rice and beans as a reward not only for a birthday but also for my win with Pretty for the most repeat viewings of the 2024 championship victory over Iowa in the past two weeks. Our number was 5, but Garner and JD weren’t far behind with 3. If anyone can top 5, please let me know. Coaches and players can’t participate in the contest!
In June of 1967 I was already a sports fan even as I contemplated my graduation in two months from the University of Texas at Austin. This random picture recently came out of the blue to me from another UT friend who lives in Wyoming now. She and I were visiting my grandparents in Richards, Texas. Their house is in the background of this picture of me with my parents’ bird dog puppy Seth. The house no longer is there – it burned to the ground many years ago. I recognize the Texas sweatshirt – they came in all colors, and I had bought this blue one since I already had several orange ones. Check out the vanilla jeans, a wardrobe necessity for me.
That twenty-one-year-old young woman could never have imagined the twists and turns her life would take in the next fifty-seven years, but she would always remember her family on every birthday, holiday, and days in between because she still felt their love from deep in her heart.
Maybe she should write a book about that time, the place and her people. Oh, that’s right. She did. Deep in the Heart: A Memoir of Love and Longing.
birthday cake from Pretty shared with granddaughters and their parents
four-year-old Ella sat on table for better position near cake
icing the best part of the birthday cake – Yummy!
Birthday #78 started with a wonderful surprise in our yard when Pretty asked me first thing in the morning, have you seen the Happy Birthday yard sign? to which I responded, no, but let me look. When I opened the front door, I couldn’t believe my eyes! I went outside to take a picture and saw that one of our good friends for many years, Chuck Archie, had made the colorful wondrous birthday wishes and delivered them like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the tooth fairy during the night for me to see when I woke up. Heartfelt thanks to Chuck for making such a festive gesture – it’s a real memory maker for me – I will smile whenever I think of his kindness.
I had a personal Happy Place on my birthday yesterday, a space created by the many texts, Facebook messages, and cyberspace greetings. From childhood friends and family in Texas to friends and family in South Carolina to blogging friends around the world, I will treasure the warm feelings of love your words gave me. I am, indeed, a fortunate woman.
While the day was extraordinary for me and Pretty, some things remained the same.
Carl and Charly had their regular posts next to my favorite chair in the den
I'll Call It Like I See It 
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