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A place to update and discuss facts surrounding the controversial, tragic death of legendary Hollywood film actress, wife and mother, Natalie Wood who drowned mysteriously Nov. 29, 1981 off Catalina Island. Thank you for visiting.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Proper Radio Call Could Have Saved Natalie Wood


"This is the Splendour moored at the Isthmus. Seeking Coast Guard and surrounding help immedately to assist in locating Natalie Wood, missing from Splendour. Dinghy, Valiant, also missing. Repeat: Natalie Wood missing from Splendour in Two Harbors mooring area at Isthmus."

The above "call" is an example of the simple words that very likely could have spared Natalie Wood's tragic drowning. But such a call was never made.

A woman's cries for help from drowning were heard by a couple from a neighboring Splendour boat, the Capricorn, between approximately 11:06 and 11:26. Marilyn Wayne and John Payne and Wayne's young son, aboard the Capricorn crew, heard the cries. They placed two calls, one that got through to Avalon, 12 miles across the coast of Catalina. They could see nothing in the ocean due to the drizzly atmosphere. Their rubber dinghy had been deflated and they could only hope help would arrive. They heard music playing and cries for help for at up to 20 minutes. They are three witnesses who can place Natalie Wood in the ocean at 11:06 PM. They were never interviewed by authorities.

At 11:06 PM, another witness, Splendour boat skipper, Dennis Davern, turned up radio music while on Splendour's bridge in hopes the high volume would  muffle the loud arguing taking place on the back deck below him where married couple Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner were furiously exchanging words. Dennis could see activity on the back deck through the isinglass window, but the loud arguing had subsided for about 10 minutes. Near 11:25, Dennis turned off the music and went directly to the back deck where Robert Wagner told him Natalie and their dinghy were missing.

Dennis wanted to immediately call for help but Wagner insisted Dennis search the entire boat for Natalie.
None of this made sense to Davern but he did as told. A few minutes later in the wheelhouse, Dennis wanted to radio a call for help and turn on the searchlight, or gun the engines and use Splendour to search for Natalie. Wagner insisted they wait to see if she would return.

Natalie was never in the habit of using the dinghy alone. She did not know how to operate it. The dinghy engine had never been started or Dennis would have heard its loud engine. Dennis believed Natalie was in the dinghy but also understood she could be adrift in it and carried out to sea unless Natalie would think to grab onto a mooring can. Several scenarios he ran through his mind still convinced him it was imperative to call for help. But Wagner insisted they wait for Natalie to return. He told Davern that his image was the priority, and he wanted no attention drawn to the situation. Wagner poured himself and his captain a drink.

(The calls finally made are verified and on record)
At 2:30 AM, over two hours after Natalie was no longer aboard Splendour, Wagner placed a low frequency radio call saying, "Someone is missing from our boat."  The terribly vague statement proves a vain attempt for help: it covers that a call was made, but certainly was no ardent plea for assistance.

But, Island people and area boaters who picked up on the call responded immediately, the way most people in the marine world know to do when someone is missing from a boat. Unfortunately, the count was low, a handful of people.

A boat search started in the immediate area by three Island workers, a cook, a restaurant manger, and a groundskeeper. The Coast Guard with trained, professional lifeguards minutes away, was still left out of the mix, although the Harbor Master continued to plead with Wagner to have the Coast Guard brought in.
A drunken Wagner told the Harbor Master Natalie was wearing her nightgown and pleaded to not have to call the Coast Guard. He felt there was already too much attention drawn to the fact his famous wife was missing--at sea.

At  3:25 (on record), the Coast Guard was notified and became involved in the search. It wasn't until daybreak, however, that air help could assist in the search. The lament of the Coast Guard Captain is that he was not notified immediately. His rescue boat with proper searchlights and equipment was moored right near the Splendour. Although he too would have needed to wait until daybreak for air assistance, he believes, with his knowledge of the sea currents, the area, and the proper way to search, that he may have been able to rescue Natalie before daybreak. He was so angry he hadn't been called, but more angered by Wagner's explanation that he thought his wife was "off screwing around on other boats" and that's why he didn't want the Coast Guard involved. (Started to get confusing. Screwing around in her nightgown?)

It had taken more than FOUR HOURS for the Coast Guard to be alerted of Natalie's disappearance.
Even a Harbor Master had deferred to Wagner's wishes for a low-profile search.

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47 comments:

  1. One good question to ask yourself after reading this: Nomatter who you are, what would you do if your spouse was missing from a boat?

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  2. Better yet, what would you do if a child was missing? Point is, when someone you are supposed to love is missing and in possible danger, you act.

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  3. That's what RJ did. He ACTED! He got away with fooling everyone, case detectives included. Guess he's a better actor than given credit for. Best performance of his life and the award goes to...

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  4. There are no excuses for what Wagner did. It is clear to me now, he didn't call immediately because he didn't want to save Natalie.
    Ms Wood's death was no accident.

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  5. The only people who don't see this are those who don't want to.
    Whether one loves or hates the book, it's so obvious that Wagner has been lying all along.

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  6. I agree. His actions speak louder than even Dennis' words. His actions enhance Dennis' words, and speaks volumes. Where did the picture of Robert Wagner on the radio come from?

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  7. He looks real concerned in this photograph. WOnder what bothered him more than his wife's disappearance????

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  8. Anonymous 12:38PM. Very well put!
    They don't see it because they refuse to see it.

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  9. We're also overlooking an obvious point. They lived in LA where everything is geared to Hollywood and celebrities. He said SOMEONE is missing because if he said the great Natalie Wood is missing, they would have called out the fleet to search for her. Every resource would have been called out and authorities would have responded above and beyond what your average citizen would have been accorded. I'm not talking about Roger Smith, who would have acted honorably no matter who was missing, I mean those who were politically motivated, starstruck or benefited from the movie industry. Wagner was a "celebrity" he knows very well the importance that would be put on her missing. Hence, the anonymous somebody was missing. Cad.

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  10. I think it's been established that he said "someone" because he did not it to be made public and that is what would have happened had he said her name. He could say the he was looking out for their privacy but that's ridiculous as her life should have taken priority over her "privacy". Look at his choices. He either protects their privacy and risks her life or he says "the hell with our privacy, her life could be in danger." and contacts the Coast Guard immediately. Let's not forget that he did not want lights turned on. He made his choices. He let her die.

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  11. He was worried about his own image.
    Wagner made his mind up when he released the dinghy. He never had any intention to call for help; he only called after he felt Natalie was probably gone (knowing she could not swim).

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  12. It's interpretive why he said "someone," but as he explained to Roger Smith his reasoning was because he didn't want negative publicity. If she had fallen overboard accidentally, what negativity could have come from it? He feared the bottle smashing coming into play. He feared Dennis would have no choice but to be honest if the disappearance was called in properly. It only stands to reason.

    Roger Smith has journaled his experience with Natalie's case, and titled one of his entries "SO the famous must die" meanin exacly what Anonymous 2:46 says. Her life should have been the priority.

    The photo was taken by Dennis. I have two of the same shot and he looks concerned in each one, but Dennis can't recall what was going on when this photos were taken.

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  13. That's what makes me wonder if he knew the jacket was keeping her afloat, Kevin. He might've seen that it did, and may not have factored that into it.

    Believe me, ANYONE, in ANY kind of water can test a down jacket's floating ability in water. It is amazing! You CANNOT sink yourself. Natalie was in a cold ocean, in temperature that does not kill instantly, but eventually, will kill.

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  14. He probably thought she would sink right off the bat. When he saw her in the water and undoubtedly heard her call for help he knew plan two was to play the waiting game. His boating knowledge would have given him a rough idea how long it would take to succumb to hypothermia. That's why I get furious when people try to make excuses that he was drunk and not thinking clearly. He put a lot of thought into her demise and his alibi, he controlled the situation from the minute she hit the water. Sound like any drunk you know? They can barely function much less orchestrate a beautiful woman's death.

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  15. Marti, You think Wagner knew the jacket was keeping Natalie afloat?

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  16. Because I totally believe Marilyn Wayne (who is also willing to take a polygraph the minute I or any authority asks her to), I believe that it had to have been Wagner's voice she heard who said, something to the effect of (miserably) "Hold on, we're coming to get you." Thus, I believe Wagner saw that Natalie was floating. Down jackets are not only buoyant, they seem to have a "super-buoyancy" about them making it difficult to have control of movement.

    The currents in the cove where they were moored are strong. Dr. Lyndon Taylor is an expert on those factors and tells me that Natalie was probably caught in a current. Lyn Taylor says there are "cross currents" -- if she had been lucky or able to swim with enough force, she might've been able to catch the current going toward shore. Either of the currents, however, would've pulled her further away from Splendour. Her only hope was to immediately get back to the Splendour.

    I've often wondered if maybe Wagner untied the dinghy to use it to help save her, then changed his mind, knowing it would be divorce court after she got back on deck and back home.

    I think he always calls her down jacket her "parka" to sway the possibility of someone realizing down jackets float. Yes, I truly believe someone who needs to cover his confusing story, what little he gives of it, would think to replace "down jacket" with "parka."

    Dennis calls this weekend nothing less than the weekend from hell. It was an incredibly miserable and tense weekend with pure animosity and hatred glaring from Wagner's eyes.

    When Dennis looked out the window, Natalie was still on deck in just her nightgown. The jacket somehow got on her quickly, because while Dennis heard voices after that, muffled by the music he had turned on, Natalie was already in the water. (As Marilyn heard her at 11:06) when Dennis had put on the music. Dennis had no way of knowing Natalie was in the water, but her heard the arguing voices, which indicates Wagner and Natalie still may have been arguing while she was IN the water! Dennis waited until he couldn't hear the arguing before turning off the music.

    Lyn Taylor, before ever hearing any details from me, told me about sitting across from the Wagner party at Doug's restaurant that night. Lyn was "afraid" for the party...he saw the resentment and anger in Wagner's eyes. He said Wagner appeared almost inhuman when he passed him in the men's room. Lyn Taylor is a doctor of nonverbal communication. He taught and studied psychological behavior in people for decades. Here's this doctor, having dinner, and actually fearing trouble for someone at the Wagner table. He was horrified the next morning to hear that the trouble had indeed happened: for Natalie.

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  17. I would be shocked if they argued while she was in the water. I think survival would have been her first thought, especially to the degree she was afraid of the water. I would have made nice until my husband got me safely back on the boat. Then the minute my feet hit dry land I would be sprinting to Divorce Court. Yes, I believe Mr. Taylor that Wagner looked "inhuman". How else could he have done something so monstrous to someone he "loved". I don't know how old all of these witnesses are now, but I pray that they will all be around when this finally comes to a boil.

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  18. So, without a down jacket to keep afloat, a person who couldn't swim would drown quickly. Wagner knew the coat was preventing Natalie from drowning, but he must have also seen that Natalie was being taken out to sea. Thus, the very long wait to call for help.
    I think if he wanted to save her he would have dived in and brought Natalie back. Releasing the dinghy served one purpose; to make it appear that Ms Wood left of her own volition.

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  19. I'll correct myself, as I believe you are right. I don't think they actually argued while she was in the water, but I believe there were words... Marilyn heard a man's voice, and Natalie's cries. Maybe Natalie's cries were heard by Dennis but he didn't realize it or actually hear the words: Help me, I'm drowning. He heard "voices" on the deck. He waited about 10 minutes before going down. Sometime inbetween, the dinghy was released.

    I interviewed a lot of people independant of Dennis...they all gave accounts that substantiated Dennis's account. I'm no professional, but would think that only happens when truth is involved and people are giving accurate accounts.

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  20. Absolutely!!! I wasn't questioning the accuracy of the accounts. I was putting myself in Natalie's place and wondering could I be pissed enough to keep arguing when I was in peril. Nope. I would play smart and take my revenge later in spades! It's too bad Dennis couldn't hear the exact words. If he had, you know this would have ended up much differently

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  21. Kevin, I tend to think the same but no one will ever know what went through his mind while those dinghy lines were untied. It could've been that he had a few moments of clarity and was going to use the dinghy to save her, ot it could've been that he was thinking it would make it look like she took off in the dinghy, or maybe that ridiculous banging dinghy theory ran through his head at that early point and Natalie's death was shockingly calculated. I do know he was raging mad, and I do know that Dennis and Christopher didn't release the dinghy, and I'd bet my life that Natalie had nothing to do with it either. Roger Smith believes she may have caught up with it, as he claims he saw scratches on it and that it was in disarray, but that gets confusing too because Rasure says he saw no scratches. The restaurant manager claims to have found the dinghy but Roger says he found it. There's a little missing piece of that puzzle I'm checking into.

    There are some things only Natalie knew and are lost forever, and some things only Wagner knows, probably lost forever too.

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  22. Anon 9:40, I know you weren't questioning the accounts, and I was just reiterating that Marilyn Wayne only heard the cries for help. I wonder if maybe Natalie did say more, pleading to stop the madness, but the ocean was cold...it would've shocked her, mentally and physically. No time to argue in that kind of a position. It's horrifying to think about.

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  23. Marti,

    Thank you for writing your book. It was a captivating read.

    LAM

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  24. Mr Wagner, When are you going to answer these questions?

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  25. Unfortunately, Kevin, it may not happen. I think Wagner would rather die than admit what he did. I'm sure that callow jerk would prefer martyrdom to giving up one iota of his "celebrity".

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  26. I finished reading GNGS yesterday and I'm still in shock. I can't shake this feeling that this is just a nonfiction mystery... but I know it's not! I'm truly haunted by this book, but I'm so grateful I read it.

    I keep rereading Dennis' most detailed account of that night and replaying it in my head, trying to understand why no one heard a splash (particularly the neighboring boaters) and how so many wrong things combined to doom Natalie. If only Dennis had turned on the searchlight, if only Capricorn's dinghy was available, if only Marilyn *had* jumped into the water to look for the mysterious victim... but I understand why the people involved didn't do those things. Sometimes you make a snap decision, not thinking so many things could go wrong like that. The odds just kept stacking up against Natalie.

    I wish I could build a time machine and go back and change history in this instance. What a terrible, terrible loss. This is purely my own conjecture, but my feeling is that RJ knew Natalie was going to divorce him and he just wouldn't allow that. I wondered if RJ paced the deck saying to himself, "Should I save her? Should I not?" as she floated away. Perhaps that's why he said, "Hold on, we're coming to get you." He knew there was no fixing his marriage at that point, and maybe he felt that losing her through death was going to be easier than losing her in a highly publicized divorce. (For me, that's such a ridiculously selfish thing.) And it's horrifying to me that RJ knew about Natalie's lifelong fear and lack of swimming ability... and yet he allowed this horrible fear to come to fruition in front of him.

    This is such a tragic, horrific story. Thank you for your persistence and dedication to detail, Marti, and thank you to Dennis for finally sharing his truth.

    (As a sidenote, I have a "six degrees of separation" story about Robert Wagner... 13 years ago my husband and I bought an Arabian mare and boarded her at Jack Tone Ranch in Stockton, CA, the same breeding farm where RJ bought his two mares after Natalie's death. When we boarded our mare there, one of RJ's mares, Fadjurs Margie, was now living at the ranch again. She was one of my favorites and really beautiful. While in RJ's care, she suffered some kind of riding injury and had permanently damaged back legs (broken down pasterns). I don't know if anyone knew what happened to her. I suspect it shortened her life. I plan to ask Jack Tone Ranch what happened to her.)

    ...from KB

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  27. I'm sorry, I meant to say "fiction mystery" in my previous message, not "nonfiction mystery."

    ...from KB

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  28. KB,

    Thank you so much for your comment. I wrote GNGS and STILL am amazed at the stark truths it contains and of the convoluted mess this saga has become, even more amazed for the continuing lack of justice for Natalie, but we're still working on that. One reviewer at Amazon said GNGS has more twists and turns than the DaVinci Code. I wouldn't go that far, but it really is a tangled mess due to all the innuendo, false reports, lies, and continued disregard for a negligent investigation.

    Seems the people we need to listen to us continue to put their fingers in their ears and start to hum when they hear the name Natalie Wood. Decent media must tread carefully, but they are beginning to listen.

    I don't know if you read the paperback version but now even the lead detective in the case is fabricating information about the purpose of Thanksgiving 1981 cruise: he told a CNN producer last March that Natalie had been celebrating that weekend because she had just learned to swim.

    I continually ask myself: IS THIS FOR REAL? I can only imagine how difficult it is for readers to not have questions, but I did my best to answer most in the book. It's all so real it borders on incredible. If I were that good at creation, I WOULD'VE written something like the DaVinci Code. At the end, it would've been over. This never ends.

    As terribly tragic and heartrending as it is, what's in GNGS is exactly how Natalie lost her precious life.

    Thanks for sharing your 6 degrees of separation anecdote. RJ stayed away from the marinas after Natalie's death. Dennis was still living at RJ's house when RJ took up his "replacement" interest in Arabians. Dennis says he was dedicated to it.

    Again, I really appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog and let me know your reaction to GNGS.

    Sincerely, Marti

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  29. Marti, will the "decent" media really risk much if they tell about GNGS? I've never understood what they are afraid of. How can they be sued if they are just reporting on a book. The story doesn't originate with them they are only reporting it. Are there still legal risks for them? I don't see how. Wagner can threaten all he wants and try to stop them but does he really have any legal legs to stand on? Doesn't seem like it. I would be more inclined to believe that they are gutless and don't want to step into what they perceive will be a hornet's nest. God help us, if that's true and the media sticks with stories they perceive as safe. The public will be in big trouble if no media agency is free and autonomous. Sorry, I'm rambling but it makes me angry that this story wasn't told a long time ago.

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  30. Anon 5:58

    My sentiments exactly. Dennis and I gave over a two hour interview last year in New York City with EXTRA. The producer really "felt" this story (some I've worked with in the past didn't...they just wanted sensationalism.) This producer had a crew and, at one point, everyone needed to take a break to absorb the pure sadness of this tragedy ... we were down to details never before talked about in an interview. I was totally absorbed by their direct and brilliant questioning and I relaxed and got to really open up. So did Dennis.

    There was NO WAY this crew left this interview without emotion over the loss of Natalie. They shook our hands over and over, then they decided they wanted some footage of Dennis and me in the city so they spent another half hour with us outside. I really didn't care about that, but what it showed me was that they recognized the many angles of this tragedy...even the parts about how a friend (me) helped a friend to regain his life and sanity back. It was everything I ever would've wanted in an interview. I couldn't believe we were sent such an intuitive, sensitive producer!

    They went hard on Dennis, too. They didn't let him whitewash anything. At one point, when they asked Dennis why he and Wagner drank after Natalie was gone, Dennis answered with, "What else was there to do?" Everyone gasped, including me. I looked at Dennis, angrily and said, "How about searching for a woman lost at sea?" Dennis looked embarrassed but immediately told us we misunderstood him. He had been trying to explain (with words and attitude) EXACTLY HOW WAGNER'S ATTITUDE WAS that night! Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This crew liked Dennis and believed him. Dennis went on to explain that after Wagner had toned down his demand to not turn on the searchlight and calmed his tension after pouring drnks, he made it appear as it was no big deal she was gone, and to just wait for her to come back, as if "what else is there to do, Dennis?"

    But, this is an example of how things can be misconstured. The interview went on for another hour or so after that, and many things were talked about.

    When they asked Dennis if he'd like to see the case reopened, he answered, "No, not really, unless it would matter."
    They asked me the same and I said I would like to see it reopened for justice for Natalie so she's not known as the drunk who fell off a boat.
    Dennis then said that if they do reopen the case, he would take a polygraph for authorities and cooperate fully.

    They asked Dennis if he counted Natalie's bruises. He answered, "No." Then the producer asked, "Did you even see bruises?"
    Dennis's face turned into an expression as if her were looking at the bruises for the first time. He answered, "Oh yes, I saw lots of bruises. Many bruises."

    This interview went through every detail of Natalie's last weekend. It would intrigue anyone watching it. It affected everyone present, seven of us. What happened to the two hour EXTRA interview? God only knows. It never aired, but I hope some day it will.

    It was supposed to be ten minutes that went close to three hours, which can happen with this story. What can fast-paced shows like EXTRA do with something this real?

    That same day we interviewed for a half hour with Inside Edition. They aired about 30 seconds of Dennis. They did repeat the segment twice. Kudos to Inside Edition, I think.

    CBS totally chickened out. I have no idea why. They didn't go after anything serious to begin with. They focused on the "pieces of eight" jewelry Natalie had given Dennis as her last gift to him.

    I have no clue what the media is afraid of. It amazes me if it's Wagner they fear. He could never prove Dennis wrong because Dennis's account is what happened the weekend Natalie lost her life.

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  31. Thank you for answering, I guess it is puzzling to all of us. I have previously posted about the bastardizing of journalism and perhaps that is what continues to happen here. A lot of these news organizations also own networks. The cross pollination of these two entities is bound to present conflict of interests. What if there is a juicy story about one of stars? Are they going to let their news organization report it, risking revenue loss in their network interests? You can see how this is a stacked game. I guess I am just a relic from the 60's and 70's. I respect the Washington Post for having the guts to bring down a corrupt, vindictive presidency. It seems like that was the heyday of true journalism. I miss it.

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  32. Anonymous at 8:02 pm, I totally agree with you about journalism. True journalism hardly even exists anymore.

    ...from KB

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  33. Someone must be very happy this morning.

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  34. :-) I get it. Sometimes you wake up to things that make you smile no matter how down you are. Sometimes it's simple things, sometimes important things, and sometimes fanciful things. In everyones' own perspectives, this particular plastered smile on my face is fanciful, but important to me as a baseball fan. I woke up to hear that the Baseball Gods have been busy. Needless to say for those who know me, and pointless I suppose for those who don't, but this makes me very happy. I don't have many pasttimes because I work hard every day. I tend a home and family, I work a business that fortunately has hung in there through our economic disaster, I write and then write some more, I belong to several associations that are active (not just table talkers), I deal with anywhere between 5 to 30 business people each day, but there is one thing I always fit into my busy schedule: BASEBALL.

    From the first game to the last of each season, I somehow manage to have most games on in the background (radio or TV), or I sit down at night to relax with a game (which has lately been impossible to relax with the Phils) and the minute the Phils lost the playoffs last Oct., I changed my screensaver to read: Go Phils 2011! Get Cliff Lee Back.

    TODAY HE IS BACK! I woke up to the news that lefthander Cliff Lee is back with the Phillies! Am I dreaming? Nope, it's on the news every few minutes for the past hour.

    My prediction: 2011 series repeat of 2009 series, but only this time, Phils take home the prize. We lost Jayson Werth, but getting Lee back will help the Phils to be a pitching team unlike any in baseball, ever. (Not an overstatement!)
    ...Back to work now.

    Again, pinching myself.
    Hope something happens in your life today that will make you smile!

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  35. Note: the day I wake up to hear that they are reopening the Natalie Wood case is the day I will break down and ball my eyes out for a justice system that still contains the PURSUIT of justice: its supposed purpose.

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  36. Marti, I'm glad you posted your excitement over sports news (I'm a Nationals fan, glad to get Werth.) It's easy to presume from GNGS that your life is consumed with your pursuit of justice for Natalie, and some people could consider it an obsession. You sound like a busy woman, one who takes the time for something meaningful regardless. I await the day we hear the case is reopened also. I'm happy for you that you fit in a pastime, and what could be better than America's favorite? Have a good day. Keep the faith, keep smiling, but I bet Werth can hit Lee.

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  37. No one is worth what they paid for Werth. LOL

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  38. LOL, Lee is! (worth Werth)
    Werth might hit lee, as he was definitely the Phils best hitter against lefties. It's not that Lee isn't hittable, it's just that he was irreplaceable in my opinion. Although I was thrilled the Phils replaced him with Roy Halladay, despite Roy's 2010 perfect game and record playoff no-hitter, Lee was still on my mind. I whined all season about the Phils letting Lee go, only to hear others insist that I "let it go" (I hear that often about "other" things). I was told over and over by some real serious BB fans that "it will never happen...Lee is gone from Philly forever" and it sure looked that way but I silently hoped-- today I am gloating.

    Some things that seem an impossibility CAN happen! (Yes, double meaning intended.)

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  39. Halliday and Lee are a dream come true!
    I respect Lee for going where he wanted to go rather than when the bigger money was.

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  40. I know absolutely nothing about baseball, but it made me smile to see all of you so giddy on this bit of news.

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  41. Marti, I'm all smiles also. I'm a die hard Red Sox fan, when I heard Lee was going to the Phillies and not those damn Yankees I was Thrilled!! I guess the soxs won't face Lee until the World Series!! Oh by the way I purchased Hairdresser to the stars, I'm in the middle of it now. I highly recommend it, thanks for the heads up on the book. Happy Holidays to all.

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  42. I'm so glad you're reading Ginger's book. She was really close with Natalie. That was one of Natalie's special qualities. She appreciated those around her. There are lots of interesting anecdotes in Ginger's book. I highly recommend it.

    As for the Red Sox, they are a team I really admire, though I'm a true-blue Phillies' fan.
    I really am giddy today over them getting Lee back, and I'm glad he didn't go to the Yanks, too. He left a whole lot of money on the table. People say the Phil's fans are rough, but Yankie fans had spit on Lee's wife when he pitched there. Maybe no money was worth that to either of them. In all things, people get too passionate and carried away. It's a shame because that's what people hear about...the one out of 50,000 that was bad.

    But, and I'm not saying this to be "neutral" or to score points for ulterior motives from the NY crowd... the Yanks are like football's Cowboys. Outsiders love to hate them for one reason in particular: They really hold some awesome winning records. Every sports fan wants the same for their home teams. Phils pitching ensemble now is a baseball dream come true, for the organization and fans alike.

    Can't wait for opening day! In the meantime, happy holidays to all, too.

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  43. I pray in two thousand eleven that the truth finally comes out so Natalie can rest in peace and smile and live eternity in heaven.

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  44. Natalie could have done so much better. I wish she never married him once let alone twice.

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  45. Imagine knowing the man you married is going to be the death of you. Given the evidence now of Natalie suffering through the night floating in the ocean, she must have thought about how her husband was letting her die. I can't begin to fathom how she accepted the reality of his doing. I'm sure her attention was focused on survival, but for all those hours, it had to cross her mind how she would handle him if she came out of it alive. It's unbearable to picture the harrowing way she lost her beautiful life. Shame on those who can not accept this clear picture.

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  46. She would've divorced him I would hope. He knew it too. It was in his selfish interest to let her die.

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  47. It was so in his interest to let Natalie die.
    All of the things Natalie worked so hard to achieve, Wagner ended up getting and living.
    All of Natalie's wise investments (for her old age) Wagner got to spend.
    Natalie's two daughters (who meant more to her than anything in the world) Wagner got to raise.
    Her legacy (which she would have enjoyed so much in her later years) Wagner gets to control.
    I think Natalie would have been tickled to find (as she entered her senior years)that she was so loved and admired by so many people. People who appreciated all of those wonderful performances she gave. People who loved her Deanie, Maria, Louise, Angie, Daisy, Alva and Carol etc... Natalie never got to enjoy that legacy.

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