Now that will seem obvious to anyone who knows me, but I do recall once telling a woman that very story, standing at a bar in some club in Kansas. Or Nebraska. Anyway, the point is, I was just talking to hear myself talk. And, I suspect, hoping that the young woman I was speaking with might find herself overwhelmed with the desire to reward my near-space skills with some persona; show of affection. As opposed to asking why an almost-astronaut was spending a Wednesday night buying quarter beers for drunken college girls.

I bring all this up as a round-about way of talking about Robert Irvine, the host of the Food Network series "Dinner: Impossible." On Friday, the network announced that it wouldn't renew his contract after he admitted he had exaggerated parts of his resume.

Now I don't want to argue that Irvine's decision to pad his resume was morally right. Or even smart. I mean, exaggerating something like how much you contributed to a Princess Diana wedding cake is almost begging for someone to ask for some verification.

But regardless, the real question is simple. Is this the type of offense that should cost the guy his job at the Food Network?

I would argue the answer is no. Yes, it's going to hurt his reputation, and some viewers won't forgive him and will never return.

But the truth is that most people weren't watching "Dinner: Impossible" because of some past cooking experience they thought Irvine possessed. They watched the show because of the time constraints, and the ingenuity of the challenges. They watched the show because Irvine is an entertainer and he's compelling on camera.

Now I have no idea what the future holds for Irvine. While the Food Network did announce they weren't renewing his contract, the statement released on Friday did offer a small opening for Irvine to return at some future point:

"We rely on the trust that our viewers have in the accuracy of the information we present, and Robert challenged that trust. We appreciate Robert's remorse about his actions, and we can revisit this decision at the end of the production cycle, but for now we will be looking for a replacement host."

Irvine's statement also left open some hope he might return to the network:

"I remain committed and enthusiastic about my work with Food Network and other future endeavors. I am truly sorry for misleading people and misstating the facts. To all my family, friends and loyal fans, I will work tirelessly to regain your trust and continue to use my show and life to benefit the less fortunate."

I hope he does return. Yes, he deserves a bit of punishment and an uncomfortable time as he makes his public apologies. But at the end of the day, he's still a talented chef and a solid television personality.

But I'm still not an astronaut trainee.