Mr. Cat?

I got word the book was shipped today, so I should have it by Monday of next week at the latest. I will send it off as soon as it arrives.

Also, I must say that Tonya surprised me on The Weakest Link when she didn't get any of the questions right. I wonder if she just froze under pressure? They are coming to Oregon to audition people, I think you should try out- they say they are going to Portland!

Hissy and Joe,
Living in the Milwaukie/Sellwood area for almost 35 years, and knowing Tonya fairly well, it didn't surprise me.
She is a very talented skater, but definately not a scholar.

She has gone through a lot of heartache, grief, and ridicule over the last few years, some of it self induced, some not, but I think she should try to stay out of the limelight a bit longer, and concentrate on making a living in a less public way.
I wish her the best, and am sorry she put herself in another potentially embarassing situation.
I hope she finds herself soon.

Thanks for the low-down on the book! I'm sorry I didn't see this thread sooner, but I've been lax in coming here of late. I'll let you know as soon as the book arrives.



Cleo, I agree with you insofar as I wish Tonya didn't take offers which result in her being made a fool. But she's broke and needed the up-front money. Tonya and I were friends during the period 1991-94; and although she's not a scholar she rates as a genius in her career field: figure skating. What I found saddest of all was the hateful attitudes directed at her by the many non-scholars of Clackamas County.

The journalistic media of communication are very good at what they do, which is largely to shape (not inform) public opinion. A working-class kid from Oregon who's conned by confidence men makes a wonderful punching bag for the almighty New York media; and I came to hate my old profession (journalism) as a result of the 1994 media circus here, which just pounded Tonya into the ground and danced on her dead body. Meanwhile, the local yokels laughed. I hope there's such a thing as karma, because I'd love to laugh and dance on their pathetic remains some day.



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I'm sorry to have sounded so mean in my post here. I was just venting. Please forgive me!



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E! True Hollywood Story is going to do a story on her tonight at 10:00.

Oh Hissy, I want to check that out!!! Is it 10:00 eastern, central, or what?

WooHoo glad to know that the book is on the move.....what is the order of running now???

I saw the E special today, it also aired at about 11 or 12 a.m./p.m...not sure exactly.

Tonya and I used to have a few beers together in Oak Grove, she was going through a lot, both in her skating life, and her personal life with hubby and other issues that she would share with me, but are not really public knowledge.
She is a basically nice, sweet girl, who made some bad choices while looking for love, whether romantic or familial (sp).
I understand being broke, but I think she really needs some type of advisor to help guide her in her choices. We all make mistakes, but Tonya's tend to be public, and it causes her a lot of pain, with very little gain.

Joe, I have no idea what your past with her is, and no offense was taken by your post, as I hope mine don't offend you, I have a lot of admiration for her, and truly hope she finds happiness soon.

No worries, I took no offense at your post! Your description of Tonya coincides largely with my own memory of her. Mind, my relationship to her was purely avuncular! We'd chat during and after her practices, go have breakfast together, et cetera. During 1993, she'd often stop by my place and we'd down a container of orange juice and vodka (which she'd bring). Just prior to the scandal, I'd begun audio-taped interviews with her for a proposed autobiography she wanted to produce.

During the course of our friendship, I did my darndest to advise Tonya about media-related matters — but her lovely husband always "knew best," apparently. She withstood all efforts aimed at helping her understood how to use the journalistic media: To her, they were always adversaries; and as yuppie-generation journalists tend to have very high opinions of themselves they are quick to punish those who don't kiss their butts.

The Oregonian in particular was very hard on Tonya, long before the scandal of 1994; and it remains her enemy to this day. As she had no corporate sponsors, deep pockets or influential friends she was a made-in-heaven punching bag for the likes of J. E. Vader, Dwight Jaynes and others at The Oregonian who delighted in beating her up in their columns. It was, I discovered later, a policy of that newspaper to discredit Tonya whenever possible. Again, this was way before the big media-circus. Many people who've not been professional journalists think "she must have done something" to incur this wrath; but what they fail to realize is that yuppie-generation journalists will gladly beat up whomever they can, which means anyone and everyone devoid of a political power-base.

When the big scandal broke, Tonya decided to write off everybody she'd known previously — which, of course, included me. Suddenly I was a bad guy! Her new friends, mainly gold diggers, saw a marvelous opportunity to fleece her; but to carry off such an endeavor required the elmination of any circumspect friends she might have. Thus, Tonya was informed by them that I was merely "a mentally-ill dirty old man who only wanted to [you can imagine]."

Yes, I too hope life will treat her kindly; but Tonya's penchant for craving low-life males as intimate partners mitigates against such a happy future.

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