A FRIDAY CHAT ( about this and that )

Good mornin' everyone !

HUFFINGTON POST

Josh Smith Discusses His Upcoming Struggle To Survive On $6.9 Million

#PrayForJoshSmith

Justin BlockSports Editorial Fellow, The Huffington Post

Posted: 07/24/2015 | Edited: 07/24/2015 03:18 PM EDT

Somehow, some way, Josh Smith and his family will have to figure out how to survive on just $6.9 million during the upcoming NBA season.

During a Los Angeles Clippers news conference on Tuesday to introduce the newly signed forward Josh Smith, the former NBA All-Star discussed the challenges he'll face as a result. 

"At the end of the day, you know, I do have a family," he told reporters. "So it is going to be a little harder on me this year. But I'm going to push through it, you know?"

Smith -- who has earned over $97 million from NBA contracts in his 11-year career, according to Spotrac -- signed a one-year deal with the Clippers earlier this month for the veteran's minimum of $1.5 million. His former team, the Detroit Pistons, will also be paying him $5.4 million to not play for them. (Smith was released last December by the Pistons after signing a four-year, $54 million contract in July 2013.) 

That adds up to just $6.9 million next season -- a far cry from the over $13 million he was making just two years ago. We weep for you, Josh Smith. 

In all seriousness, Smith seems to be paying homage to former NBA star Latrell Sprewell by focusing on his family's impending financial struggles. Remember when Sprewell deemed the Minnesota Timberwolves' three-year, $30 million contract offer as "insulting"?

"I'm at risk. I have a lot of risk here. I got my family to feed," Sprewell told the Free Republic in 2004. And so does Smith. But another thing that he's going to "push through" this year? The $100 million mark for total NBA earnings. 

_________________________________________________________________

I thought we'd start with that.

Just in case you were feeling all alone with your own personal struggles.

You're not.

I can't even add on that it's all relevant here - BECAUSE IT'S NOT !

The word " Struggle " should not be in the same sentence as SIX POINT NINE MILLION DOLLARS a year.

I know they live in some sort of alternate reality - but really?  Come on now !

_________________________________________________________________

For the past 3 weeks we've been emptying the skimmer every morning and finding 15 - 30 dead beetles 

( thank God for spell check - I spelled it Beatles - you have to forgive me - it's been a hard days night & I've been working like a dog................)

We appear to have an infestation.

The Ants?

They're completely taking over - you lay on a float in the pool and they're all over the float

We appear to have an infestation.

I can't sit outside after the sun goes down without coming in the house with more lumps than I had as a child with Chicken Pox - damned mosquitoes - 

We appear to have an infestation.

I also walk into spider webs every morning when I step outside - thrashing around and jumping up and down trying to remove them - 

We appear to have an infestation.

I watch as a swarm of wasps fly outside the office window - I've taped up every crack I can find because

We appear to have an infestation.

This summer our section of the city decided to cut back garbage pickup to ONCE every 2 weeks - 

are they insane?

In temps that hit in the 30's ( or close to 100 for you Americans ) they decide to let garbage rot outside our homes for 14 days?

So of course the flys are in rotting flesh heaven.

( It's enough to make you go vegan - seriously ) 

We appear to have an infestation.

The groundhog doesn't appear to mind at all..............neither do the skunks - although I've noticed the infestation of squirrels seem to be scratching more these days.

And now?

Well now we stepped outside yesterday to find 5 holes in our front garden - what made them we have no idea

I'm anti gun - but lately I fantasize about sitting outside on the back stoop with a rifle and just blasting everything to smithereens.

And I'm serious.

One of the twins ( Lindsay - who's a vegan ) gets upset when I talk like that - 

An ant was crawling up my leg and I killed it

Lindsay says - WHY?

Mom says - What?  It was an ant

Lindsay says - WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL IT?

Mom says - Listen - what I really wanted to do was torture it................

Lindsay says - I don't understand you at all

Mom says - I WANTED TO RIP IT'S HEAD OFF !

Lindsay says - relax - you sound crazed.

Mom says - Well I think YOU'RE a little crazy - it was an A.N.T.

Lindsay says - I don't kill anything at all.

Lindsay says - You could never be a Buddhist 

Ah well - such is life. 

I have no respect for the life of a bug.

Is anyone else noticing there's more this year than ever before?

Is it climate change?
_________________________________________________________________________________

I had a girlfriend whose stomach was shot to hell after her 3rd child.
Really - shot. to. hell.
She had what I called an overhang.................but she quickly corrected me - saying it was called
" an apron " - you know - when the fat hangs down ?
Well - I'm not proud of it - but I've developed " a maxi dress "
Jeezus................I HAVE to go on a diet.
Right after I finish that family sized bag of salt and vinegar chips in the pantry
I keep lifting my real maxi dress up to stare at it ( in morbid fascination ) and it looks like I STILL HAVE THE MAXI DRESS ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suzan says- I really need to get some Spanx
John says - Come here - I'll give you a couple
Suzan says - WTH?
John says - I'll spank you
Suzan says - THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT !
John says - oooh - you meant the frisky kind?
Suzan says - I MEANT A GIRDLE - you pervert!
John says - Well why didn't you say that - how the hell am I supposed to know what you mean when you say you need spanks?

God help me - for a second I wanted to smack him.
With my maxi dress.
The inner one.
_________________________________________________________________________________

My Son was over this for supper and swimming - and we had a contest.
He told me to jump with my legs directly out in front of me ( like you're sitting on a chair with an ottoman is the only way I can explain it )
Sure !
No Problem !!!
Sounds super easy !
Let's go.............

I even had a foolproof bathing suit on so I didn't have to worry about my puppies freeing themselves (which they sometimes do when I dive off the board )

I got to the edge of the diving board - jumped - stuck my legs out straight across in a sitting position - and the thought that hit me as I hit the water was

OMG - the skin on my thighs just came off my body !!!!!!!!
I frantically grabbed them to make sure they were intact.

Pain like you can't imagine.

I whacked my Son with a towel and

Mom says - DON'T MAKE ME DO THINGS LIKE THAT - I'M TOO OLD FOR IT !!!!!!!!!!!  ARE YOU CRAZY?

And then I sat down - depressed like hell that I was actually too old to do something like that in the water.

So I did it once more.................it was even worse.

Gordie says - Maybe it's because your skin has gotten looser ?

He got another whack of the towel for that one.

But it's true - if you're as loose as a caboose - don't try it.

You're better off diving and letting the top of your bathing suit fall off - than your actual skin
_________________________________________________________________________________

We babysat one of the " grands " for the last 2 and a half weeks.
She's a blessing - a joy to have around - and totally exhausting................
( so that front porch is STILL not finished )
Guess what I'll be doing this weekend?

Oh and trying my best to work on this

Which I picked up for Ashley ................

You all have the most wonderful of weekends - I think maybe the humidity has " broke " here - I can feel a slight breeze as I type - exciting stuff !

Hugs,
Me