So we had our first snow not quite two weeks ago... it's December, not uncommon. I mentioned how they had a 'blizzard' while I was in FL last week. Well, I guess it wasn't as blizzard like as they were saying it was going to be - but the did get around 8 inches, or so. Still a good amount. Then there was more on Saturday while I was still in FL (Eric was home), but only a couple of inches. 
And today, we got another inch or so, all piling up because it's not getting warm enough to melt. It's pretty and all, but it also means it's cold!
While snow in December is not uncommon, and I wouldn't normally blog about it like this this, what is kind of crazy is that we've had more snow in these first couple of weeks of 'official' winter than we did ALL last winter! We didn't even break the 10 inch mark for snowfall last winter. We're already at/past that (depending in which side of town you're on)!! What does this mean for the rest of winter???
I have to say, I was kind of figuring on a long, cold, snowy winter. We had it too good last year. And our blistering, hot, drought-laced summer wasn't Mother Nature's payback, this COLD, snowy winter is - Old Man Winter had a say in said payback!
*sigh*
And this Florida Girl is not ready for a cold winter. I will try to refrain from too many weather based venting blogs, but I can't promise anything. I don't like the cold. Period.
Wow. Another Christmas has come and gone. Just showing, once again, how fast this year has gone by. But as usual, Christmas was a great time with family and this year, we even missed a blizzard back home (yay!).
Eric and I headed down to FL on Christmas Eve (see previous blog) and were glad we did come Christmas Day, when the snow apparently started falling late in the day, covering Indy in about 8 inches of snow. You know... I just wasn't ready to see it yet, so it's good that it came while I was gone.
Christmas Day. Eric and I spent the morning on a nice drive and short walk on the beach. I love being able to say I was at the beach on Christmas Day, even if it wasn't to catch some waves (or rays!). We actually found the perfect area to go to just north of Ponte Vedra. It was the perfect was to start the day!
We spent much of the afternoon waiting for my sister and her family to get up to Jacksonville (they spent the morning doing their own Christmas, of course). Finally, they made it! And it didn't take long to head to the tree to open gifts. There were some fun surprises for everyone under the tree this year. It still amazes me how it's over so quickly. But the best part is actually being ALL together this one time of year.
So after all the presents were opened, the stockings emptied, and the tummies filled (we had ham AND turkey!), we finally got to relax a bit and just have some good family time together. We spent the rest of Christmas night doing just that - being a family. Well, for the most part. Bubba spent a large portion of the rest of the WEEK playing one of his new games on the Wii. The downfall of giving video games on Christmas,I guess. (Side Note: Eric and I did NOT give him the game - he brought it with him from Palm Bay. Though I can't say I didn't think about getting him one since he's hard to shop for...) For that matter, we never got ALL the family in one converstaion, but everyone was nearby to talk, at least.
The next morning, we had a long overdue family picture taken. We hadn't had one since Eric's and my wedding, and while that was nice, it's nice to have them when someone isn't in a wedding dress. So we spent much more of the morning contemplating the pictures that we planned to buy, which led to a later brunch, which led to Eric having to leave without eating. Well, not eating much, anyway... He had to head south for work stuff - boo! It wasn't a surprise, but a bummer, just the same. But I still had a few days to spend with my family on my own.
And boy did we make the most of it! We hit a few day after Christmas sales on Wednesday - nothing spectacular. Thursday, my mom, sister, and I headed out on a mission to find some frames for the newly acquired family photos. Easier said than done - apparently, 10x13 frames aren't so popular in NE Florida! we ended up out longer than we planned, but we made it back in time for dinner. And in time for a family board game - talk about some good memories! Friday was just a straight-up girls shopping day with mom, my sister, Darian and I. We really stayed out longer than we anticipated - but there were so many good sales and Darian had a bunch of gift cards to use. We didn't close down the mall or anything... but none of us thought we're be out for hours! So yes... a little bit if shopping was done. It was fun!
We had family fun at home, too. Don't think that we're just shopaholics! I think we played some sort of family game each night after shopping. 
I think I had more fun doing that each night! We the kids at the age they're at now (12 and 15), it's a special treat to get them to do anything with you as a family!
Alas, the week had to come to an end. My sister and her family left this evening and I leave tomorrow afternoon. It was a good Christmas. I'll always love my Florida Christmases.
Ah, traveling during the holidays... what fun it is... not.
I'm used to traveling. I don't do as much as I used to, but it doesn't phase me (aside from the trip anxiety the night before, but I'm used to that, too). Eric is very used to traveling, a little more than me (actually, a lot more than me). Even traveling during the holidays, no big deal. But this year...
This year was just kind of weird. We get to the airport and go to check bags, and the ticket agent tells us our flight it delayed and we might miss our connection. So they go ahead and confirm our seats on the NEXT flight out of ATL to JAX without actually changing our initial itinerary - this was just in case (kudos to Delta's customer service - FOR ONCE!). So we got to our gate, and again, unusually good customer service from the gate agent. I'm just not used to it from Delta!
Out flight from IND to ATL ended up being even more delayed than initially thought. But the oddest thing... right before we boarded, Eric and I both got calls from Delta about our flight from ATL to JAX... IT was going to be delayed, too! But it was still going to be close. But we might be able to make it work. Depended on how fast out pilot flew from IND to ATL, first.
I discovered something cool in the air, though... the Delta App on my iPhone works with the plane's wi-fi (gogo inflight) WITHOUT paying for a session. Score! I could keep track of the JAX flight while in the air. The good news was that it was getting pushed back more as we flew!
We land in ATL and check on my app, again, the next flight's status. According to it, we had about 15 minutes before the doors closed. We only had to go over one terminal... we could do this! Maybe.
We book it over to the next terminal, me in my 5 inch heels (I never wear heels when traveling - why did I choose today to wear them??). As we come up on the gate, we see something surprising... they haven't even started boarding yet! The boards hadn't been updated yet, but the flight had been delayed even more! We were going to make our original flight, that had been delayed, even though our first segment was also delayed. Everything worked out and we didn't get in super late! Only an hour late, instead. Yay!
So, despite all the delays, we made it to FL. Bags even made it (though mine did get searched, which is another odd story in itself - don't put a watch next to jars of home jam and a 6-pack of soda!). We finally made it to my parents in time for a late dinner and some Christmas Eve visiting. Now, we can relax.
Usually, I get pretty excited about the first snow of the season. But this year... this year I'm just not feeling it. When the snow started to fall last night, all I could think was, "Great... now I get to deal with this for four months!"
Part of it might be the new car. (By the way, her name is 'Tuscany') I hate that she was snowed on with me having her less than a week! With no garage to keep her in, the weather will be impacting her way too directly for my liking! The snow, the salt, the ice, you name it... I can't do much to protect her, other than park on the side street and hope no one skids down that way. Don't like the thought of that, at all.
But I think the biggest part is the fact that this year has just gone by too fast and I'm not ready for it! I hate to admit it, but I didn't even fully decorate for Christmas this year. Just wasn't feeling it. Didn't even try - left the bins in the attic. Nothing got put up outside and the only evidence inside is the trees and two very lonely stockings. For me, this is a very sad day, because I normally go crazy with Christmas decorating. But not this year.
It's not that I don't want the year to end... there's nothing significant about it. In fact, it was a pretty bland year for me, so if anything, I WOULD want it to end. But I'm just not feeling the season (Neither winter, NOR Christmas!). Maybe the blandness of my year has just impacted my overall demeanor?? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I did nothing fun or exciting this year (because I know I did)... it's more just the lack of anything significant. Just the same ol', same ol'... which is just not the norm.
*sigh*
Oh well. First snow has come and, well, not gone - it's still on the ground. But it's not snowing anymore! It's a little slush, and a little powder, and very white (until the plows come through). But worst of all, it's COLD! Looking forward to my GREEN Christmas!
One thing that comes with traveling for the holidays is an earlier deadline to get 'things' done.
There is no last minute shopping... well, there is, but it's two weeks out from Christmas. Everything has to be shipped out a week beforehand to be 'guaranteed' for Christmas Delivery (though FedEx rocks on that department - Ground Delivery=2-Day Delivery to FL!). But the crunch on the gifts somehow causes a crunch on everything else, because the shipping of the boxes becomes the priority. They suddenly need to come before the cards, and sometimes even before the decorating.
And that I can't do. I simply cannot wrap gifts if the tree is not at least up. For as long as I can remember, I wrap by tree light. Well, other lights might be on, too, but the key is that the tree is up and decorated.
So this year... we seemingly had an extra week between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but that week somehow disappeared on me. Like, seriously unaccounted for. I have no idea what I was doing that I lost that week. I know I took an extended weekend for a cruise... but I've been here every other weekend. So how was I feeling the stress of getting it all done??
At the end of it all, I barely got my packages out... literally shipped them on Monday. Which impacted my cards, which I just finished... right now... at 1am. All 78 of them. When did my Christmas card list get so big?? I'm not complaining - I love that I can at least has some personal, non-Facebook contact that one time of year. Scary part is I feel like I forgot some one/people... I think I keep good track of my list, but I just have that instinctive feeling. Maybe it's just because I'm lacking sleep.
Anyway... at this point, I'm done. All that's left that's even remotely stressful would be the actual traveling. Which, for me, is not stressful. Except for the night before... For as much as I travel, I still manage to get trip anxiety before every trip, and packing for me as quite the process because of it. Oh well. I'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, I just get to enjoy sitting by my tree.
12/20/12 - 2pm
P.S. Yup... I missed some people. Already added two more within 12hrs of writing this...
Okay... enough it enough. I've been biting my tongue, not wanting to post anything about this, but I have to. The tragedy in Connecticut is so.... so... there are no words to describe how horrible it is! And it's because of the damn media, once again.
There's a statement floating around social media - not sure who really said it (some claimed it was Morgan Freeman, at first, but that's been disputed, now.), but it's spot on...
"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.
It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.
CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.
You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."
This has been the case since long before social media, and long before the cable news channels, too. Think about it... you can go back to John Dillinger, the notorious bank robber/gangster. Just about anyone you ask can tell you who he is. But can you tell me about any of his victims along the way? How about any of Al Capone's victims?
Our society sensationalizes the bad guy. And then Hollywood follows up with movies about them. Or, probably worse, crime investigation TV shows that give people the perception that everything is solved in a day (or in an hour) and the 'how' and 'why' should be made immediately available to the public. And now 'the public' are the experts on the situation.
And the media... there needs to be a stop to their intrusion on tragedies like we've endured lately. Why in the heck did 60 minutes already have an interview with the school nurse last night?? And some 'experts' on the situation followed that nurse's interview... seriously. Two days after it happened, and we're already interviewing people involved or directly affected?? Let the dust settle, at least! I know there's a right for free press, but it doesn't say they have a right within hours of something happening, before the investigation has even come close to concluding. Maybe, just maybe, if they waited and followed up after a few days, there wouldn't be so much incorrect information hitting the airwaves, just because they want to be the first to report something. Personally, I think there should be a gag order on all information coming from a scene like the one in CT for at least 24 hours, if not more... let them report the breaking news (the headline) and maybe fly a chopper over the scene, but that's it... "We'll bring more details tomorrow."
Part of it is our fault, too. We've become a society of instant gratification. We want things, and we want them now. And we expect that from people who 'serve us', whether it be at a fast food drive-thru or a breaking news story. If we have to wait, we get impatient and upset. That's not a good way to see life.
So if you haven't already, turn off the TV. Stop reading every detail about the CT shooting. If you must read something, read about the victims, not the 'why' of the shooter. Don't point fingers, or cry foul at gun control laws. Don't blame the government for lack of funding for mental health institutions. Instead, take a step back, look around at your own little world, and cherish what you have.
I've blogged about my Baby Bleu before... I love my Xterra. Loved her from day one (June 17, 2000), with only 16 miles on her. Yep... 12.5 years old tomorrow. I rolled over 197,000 miles last week. She's been good to me - never left me stranded, even when I thought it was inevitable. Somehow, she always got me home. Which is why it was so hard to let her go yesterday.
I can't say I didn't know it was coming. Eric started hinting at a new car this time last year. But I pushed it off, say she still had a lot of good life in her (which she did) and that there was no reason to take on a car payment (neither of us have had one for at least 5 years). But the little bit of yearning he had last year led us to know that this was definitely the time of year to buy if/when we do. Which it did seem to come this year. My Bleu wasn't a baby anymore and was starting to show her age - some major dollars (relatively) would need to be sunk into her to maintain her if we were to keep her longer, which we easily could've done and she'd have been fine for another decade. But with Eric traveling as much as he has been, he was just starting to worry I'd end up stranded somewhere, with or without the needed maintenance.
So off to the Nissan dealer we went (there was no doubt in my mind I'd be sticking with Nissan). This was after some research, of course, both in general, and on a particular vehicle we had been eyeing that seemed like too good of a deal to be true. And this was in the drizzly rain... but we decided last week we were going to do it, despite any weather, and this was probably not a bad thing for test driving purposes.
As we pulled in, the vehicle we liked online was right up front. We scrambled inside in the drizzle and were, of course, immediately met by one of the salesman. I think we threw him off by (1) actually seriously shopping on a day like this and (2) knowing exactly which vehicle we wanted to look at. So he pulled it into the garage, out of the rain, so we could get a good, full look, inside and out, of the new car. That was quite nice of him, actually - brownie points for him! Yes, I know that's his job, but I don't think either of us expected him to offer that up, especially since they were working on vehicles in the garage.
We liked what we saw, so we continued with our pursuit of a new car by taking it for a test drive. In the drizzly rain. No interstates for us, either - give us the narrow, neighborhood streets with parallel parking that I drive on daily! And yes, I did even parallel park it to make sure I could handle the non-Xterra type vehicle - I had become so used to my little SUV!
By this point, I was sold. So was Eric. It was just a matter of making a deal we were happy with. We knew what we wanted and had a folder full of research, comparisons, and a pre-approved loan. We knew what the fair market value was on this exact vehicle (and, surprisingly, they were already advertising below that mark). So it was just a matter of details and making sure there were no hidden fees or other crap. There was a little back and forth, mainly us trying to get that little bit more off... but at the end of the day, they really were up front with everything and laid it all on the table before we even asked. Done deal.
So a a few signatures later and handshake to seal the deal, and it was ours. A brand new, 2012 Nissan Armada. She's a beauty. No name yet - need to figure out her personality over the next week or so... but there are a few things bouncing around in my head. We'll see what fits. A lot bigger than my Xterra, but I'm adjusting quite quickly.
And yes... despite the acquisition of something brand new, I did tear up upon saying good-bye to Bleu. I managed a private moment to 'check to see I cleaned everything out', and send her off to her next life, which will be a good one. She's in the hands of people that can fix her up like new, and she'll be a great vehicle for someone else. 
The dealer even commented on how he could tell she was taken care of and, considering the age and mileage, was in really good shape.
Some of you might think I'm crazy to be so attached to a vehicle (I know Eric does), but the love is what makes the vehicle last. Like I said before, she was good to me... she gave me a great 12.5 years and while she wasn't my first car, she was my first decade long vehicle. More importantly, she was my Baby Bleu. A lot of memories in her... long roadtrips, a few Auburn tailgates, concerts, ballgames, even some off-roading early on...
I'm sure I'll have some great memories in the Armada, and I hold nothing against her for replacing Bleu... she's a great vehicle! And those who know me will laugh, but the first time we saw her (a few weeks ago), my first comment was that she matched the boots I was wearing. Which made me laugh to think that could actually match my shoes to the car I drive... not good. But funny, none the less. And maybe foretelling to the connection I'll have with her (and yes... I keep referring to the new Armada as a 'her'... no 'him' could possibly ride as smooth as her).
So here's to another decade (or more) in a great Nissan. This time, starting with the test drive at only 33 miles. I'm sure I'll love every memory made, and every mile driven. Just like I did with Bleu.
While I didn't get much traveling in early on in the year, I sure am trying to cram a lot in these last 6 weeks, or so! Another trip. This one, pure pleasure, pure fun! And just us girls on a big boat going shopping for vanilla! (I'll explain more later)
About 2 months ago, my friend, Jen, go the urge to go to Cozumel. She brought it up in an odd fashion, though... I get a cryptic message from her, something like, "Are you going to need some vanilla for baking over the holidays?" Baffled, I respond, maybe and try to figure out what she's getting at. She replies back, "Cozumel Cruise, 5 days, 4 nights, leaves Nov. 29." Needles to say, I was intrigued since I hadn't gotten away too much this year. This was pretty last minute for planning a cruise, only two months out. So it had to be a pretty quick decision. It was relative cheap - granted, in the big scheme of things, cruises usually are. But this one was especially enticing. A quick check of things, and I was in. It was just to be three of us this time around - which we anticipated to be much more fun!
Fast forward to This past weekend... well, last Thursday. Direct morning flight to TPA, and we were some of the first one of the ship, Jewel of the Seas! It was surreal. We left Indy and had to be de-iced before taking off. Now we were changing into our bathing suits to sit poolside. But none of us could disagree... we all needed this little vacay! Let's just hope we had more sun on this one than last year's cruise... which, from the forecast, should be the case.
Finally, after our 4pm muster, we set sail! I don't think I really ever realized how big Tampa Bay really was! It seemed like forever before we got to the Sunshine Bridge! In fact, the sun had set by the time we got there and the moon was full glow after we passed under it. (Got some cool sunset pictures, though!) Oh, and The Jewel barely fits under it! It was kind of cool to listen to wave to cheering from passengers as the ship passed under it, too. Great way to start the trip!
So our first day at sea on Friday did have some scattered showers and overcast skies. A bit of a bummer, but there weren't enough to kill the day. In fact, the day really seemed to fly by when all was said and done - we actually got to enjoy a little more of the ship! The Jewel of the Seas was much nicer than last year's boat, the Monarch of the Seas. It was bigger, for one, and newer. I'm sure it helped that we had a balcony room, too, which is the way to go, we learned. Gives you that private piece of the ship where you can feel the breeze. The staff on this ship seemed a lot more fun, too - they had the best photography staff on board, which was enough to get us to actually find all of them when they set up for portraits at night. And even buy pictures at the end. They just had fun with us, and the rest of the staff was right on par with them, just making sure we had a good time.
Saturday we were in Cozumel, bright and early! Literally. As the sun came up, we were cruising in. We had our day all planned out though - it was going to be one of relaxation! After a quick shopping trip into town. For vanilla. That's right, vanilla. Jen has bought vanilla from here before - they have pure vanilla that is apparently the vanilla to use in recipes. For cheap! But along the way, we found a few other fun stops and found something else Cozumel has become known for - silver jewelry! When all was said and done, though, we went back to the ship, lots of bags in hand, and did a quick turnaround to head to our beach break, Nachi Cocum!
Nachi Cocum was a private beach that you had to make reservations for. This time of year, there's even fewer than the typical 100 allowed. So we nearly had the beach to ourselves... us and maybe about a half dozen or so other people. This was all inclusive - you paid a small fee for the privacy, but that included all the food and drink (adult beverages, included) you wanted! It was the perfect decompression spot we all wanted and needed! Jen and I even took a snorkeling trip, which was fun, too! We saw some barracudas, a giant sea turtle, and even a shark (though I'm not sure what kind). And of course, lots of fish! Our guide even got us up close and personal with some conchs and a giant starfish!
We stayed at Nachi Cocum for as long as possible, soaking up the sun with drinks in hand! We finally headed out just before sunset - we actually watched the sunset from the cruise pier. In fact, Jen and I were 2 of the last 6 people to reboard the ship! We were kind of proud of that. Even then, everyone was still on board early and the captain left port early. It was, indeed, the perfect day.
Sunday was another day at sea. As Jen put it, this was how sea days were supposed to be. Bright, sunny, lazy poolside days. Plenty of entertainment poolside, too. We made sure to get to the pool deck early so we could stake out the perfect spot. It was a good thing, too, because it filled up quickly! While Saturday was the perfect port day, this was definitely the perfect day at sea. None of us wanted to speak of how the cruise was coming to an end. But it was.
Monday morning, we were back at the Tampa Bay Port. Just like that, it was over. Karla, Jen, and I had so much fun, though - we even talked about making this an annual thing. It was the perfect time of year to do it, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not as many people were taking cruises, and it was just the right time to get away from Indiana, as the cold weather started to set in. So we shall see... Maybe there will be another cruisin' blog next year.
You can see a lot more pictures on my Fotki Page. A LOT more!
Is anyone else thrown off by the 'extra week' between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year?
With Thanksgiving so early this year, I'm just not feeling the Christmas spirit yet, and I'm usually one of the first to get into the spirit. I'm struggling to even think about decorating yet, though! Maybe it because of my traveling?? Or am I just so busy with work and trying to finish the bathroom at the house? Maybe because Eric's traveling so much?? I'm really not sure... I just know it doesn't feel like the holidays for me yet...
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm anti-holidays this year. I love Christmas - always have and always will! But I feel like I'm forcing it more so this year - I'm just not ready. The year has been going by way too fast for me. I feel like I've missed half the year! Or more!! Is that because I didn't travel at all until recent weeks??
I'm trying, people. Bear with me. Hopefully I'll be a little more ready for it next week, after my little vacation this weekend. Those who know me know I'm usually all over the holiday decorating and such. I AM getting my Christmas shopping done, at least... but even that doesn't feel like 'holiday shopping' yet...
*sigh*
If you see me, just make sure I haven't gone grinch. I shouldn't, but this lack of spirit has me concerned. Maybe I do just need my little break this weekend and all will be right again. Maybe.
Some of you may remember the tragedy that struck the Live Oaks at Auburn, known for the tradition of being rolled after big wins. Back in 2010, after Auburn beat Alabama and went on to win the National Championship, a lone Alabama fan, Harvey Updyke, took it upon himself to poison these trees and later call into a well known radio show to brag about it. I wrote an emotional blog about it at the time, and even I didn't expect the outpouring of support received from all over the SEC, even 'Bama. Who'd of thought our tradition would spur that emotion and support from others.
Well, it's been nearly two years now, and the Ag Department staff and students at the school (and others beyond our campus) have been doing everything possible to save them. They started by digging out all of the contaminated soil, but they could already see signs of the poison in the trees early on. But they didn't give up hope. They continued to nurture the trees, even though when spring came along, they showed serious signs of struggle. They pruned back the areas of the trees, getting as much sun and natural strength to the parts of the trees that seemed to show signs of pulling through, literally leaving skeletons of the trees that used to be there.
Fall of 2011 came, and they okayed the rolling of the trees to continue, with the removal of the paper a much more delicate process. I went to a game in 2011 and saw the trees in person. It broke my heart. But at least there were still signs of life.
Earlier this fall, Auburn spoke out with the plan to give the trees until spring to see what kind of life remained. They had some hope, as there were shoots coming from the base of the tree, and a few in some branches. While the full tree canopies would never recover, maybe something could be made of what remained. Until November 17th. Auburn had their 3rd and final win of a dismal football season. But the rolling of Toomer's Corner commenced! A traditional never tasted so sweet! However, that night sometime, the toilet paper caught fire (they are trying to find our how/who), catching the trees on fire, and killing much of what tender life remained.
Again, crushed.
While they haven't outright said this is it for the trees, I can't imagine them able to come back from this. We're heading into winter, which means, while it be minimal compared to up north, the trees will go into a dormancy. Which means what life there was won't even have a chance to heal. Which means it will be difficult for anything to come back in the spring.
You can read about the latest analysis on the webpage created to keep updates on the trees. The latest update goes to a document full of pictures showing before and after shots... neither of which are pretty.
A very, very sad day in Auburn.
One can't help but look back and compare the demise of the trees to the demise of Auburn's football program the last two years. Call me superstitious, but why wouldn't there be a connection? We were at a peak in our football program when this happened. We showed signs of weakness last year, just as the trees did. And this year... it all but died, just like the trees. So next year, start anew with younger, stronger trees and a new coach and a fresh, young team?
I just want to know what's going to come of our tradition. It'll have to stay alive somehow, and rolling little 20' trees won't be the same. I know they've had a task force working on this - it's a big deal! Not only does this affect the tradition of rolling Toomer's Corner, but that corner also stands as the original gateway into campus. So it has to still maintain that welcoming feel, it still has to be a statement corner.
Regardless, the old oak trees that stood there for so long will be greatly missed. They already are, in fact, since they are but a frame of what was once there. One can only hope this becomes a notch in the history of the school, and the tradition that follows is even stronger than one we had, whether it includes rolling Toomer's Corner or not.
Is it just me, or had Black Friday lost its excitement?
I remember when we used to get the Thanksgiving paper on Thursday morning, and pour through the ads and make a plan for the next day. We'd even include some of the things that didn't have ads, like outlet malls. Then Friday morning would come, and very early one, and we were off!! And usually home by lunch, DONE! But now...
Between the fact that all the ads are put on line before hand, and we even get all the ads delivered to out door the day before... eh. Plus, not you have Cyber Monday, which has just as good, if not better, deals. Then this year, you even have places opening on Thanksgiving night! I don't care what kind of 'guaranteed in stock' mumbo-jumbo you give me... that just makes Black Friday insignificant. The excitement is gone.
Maybe it's cause I'm older or I'm just not looking for the things that are the hot items on Black Friday... but I just don't think it's the same as it used to be. It's become one more thing that mass retailers have ruined for consumers. Sure, they get their buck from people still. But I rarely even look at the ads anymore for Black Friday. Why bother - the deals just aren't that special.
I'm looking forward more to Small Business Saturday tomorrow. Even if it's just my one favorite shop I go to. It's not about the sales they have, but rather, it's about supporting local. And my favorite spot, Silver in the City, has lots of fun stuff, anyway. Way more fun to go to, now.
For the first time in quite a few years, Eric and I did NOT host Thanksgiving. It was kind of weird, actually... we, instead, got in the car and drove to his sister's house in KY. Again, strangely odd... but in a good way!
Kelly moved to Kentucky this past year and since she has a job in retail, Black Friday really impacts her Thanksgiving availability and schedule, so it only made sense to make it work for her better by going to her house. She and Kimber had no problem taking on the cooking responsibilities.
It worked out nice, as well, because the kids still had the neighborhood kids to play with during 'down time' from the family time.
But I forgot what it's like to travel on a holiday like this - everything (well, a lot) it closed between point A and point B. This makes it hard to plan stops, though having an iPhone sure helped determine what did and didn't work along the way for that! But we managed. We got down there just before noon, which gave us just enough time to settle in before eating. The kids seem to really enjoy their new house since they have so much room to spread out and call their own - that can be hard with four kids!
After the nice meal, we watched some football as the kids played. After our food settled, we finally had dessert before calling it a day so we could drive back home. We brought Nolan with us so he could visit his Dad in Indy, so we again had to find the right places along the way to stop. Again, yay for the iPhone!
All in all, it was a good day. Strange not to host, but a welcome change, too. But we'll be back to our hosting duties at Christmas. Until then, time to decorate!
Until this past weekend, I had not done any significant traveling. A couple of trips to Chicago, and a quick weekend wedding out west in Spokane, but that was it. Which is very rare for me... But I finally managed to get in a trip back to FL this weekend. With purpose, of course.
I flew out on Friday into Jacksonville. Friday was 'the big day' for the trip. Or so I thought, at least. I did learn later that I was also a surprise visitor for my niece and nephew. How was I the last to know that?? But Friday... Friday was the reason I was really heading to FL.
Saturday was my Mom's birthday. Since last Christmas, Eric and I have been planning on a big birthday/Christmas gift for her this year... a new stove. She still had the 15yr old, builder grade (no woven window!) stove in the kitchen, despite upgrading the other appliances. So with some savviness, Eric and I got a good deal and schedule delivery of the new stove on Friday.
So my mom picks me up at the airport - I was totally watching the clock since I had been given a window, but we had plenty of time. But I was still watching it. We swung by Publix and met my Dad for a late lunch, and then we headed to the house. By this point, I was just waiting for the heads-up phone call from the deliverymen. It was no surprise they were slammed the weekend before Thanksgiving, so they ended up being a little late. But that ended up being a good thing.
Funny part was before I gave my Mom the card with 'the gift' inside, we were sitting at the table and she was pondering going to look at stoves over the weekend, since she might get a good deal before Thanksgiving. I just had to bite my tongue at this point, thinking, in the back of my mind, "just wait a few hours..."
Needless to say, she was thrilled by it! We broke it in Friday night rather quickly, baking a cobbler, a cookie cake, and some quick bite appetizers. And we continued to break it in on Saturday morning with breakfast. I do believe it will be well used over the holidays.
Saturday morning, after our late breakfast/brunch, we headed down to Palm Bay to see Kristin and the family. I had n idea I was a surprise to the kids until Friday night, so I figured this was going to be even more fun! 
Darian's soccer team was in a tournament, thought she wasn't playing since she had a cast on her arm. But she was still there to support, as was the rest of the Pitts' family. So we showed up at the field and met up with all but Darian on the sideline - she was on the team bench across the field. Kristopher was a bum and figured out I was coming already, so he showed little surprise. We watched the rest of the game, though, and afterwards, started walking around the field to find Darian.
As we walked and talked, getting closer to the team, Darian apparently saw her Mom and then did a double take on my. All I heard/saw was her scream my name and come charging at me. If that doesn't make you feel loved, I don't know what does!
We went back to their house and just caught up through the evening, ordering some pizza and then we did a little celebration with the cookie cake - we celebrated Kristin's, Darian's, and Mom's birthdays. Not too special or spectacular, but we got to taste the creation of Mom's new oven - it was the perfect cookie!
The next day we met back at the soccer fields for one game, and then went out to breakfast. Mom and I stole the kids away for a quick shopping trip before heading back to Jacksonville. As I figured it would be, it was a fun side trip for me. of course, we shopped our way home a bit - Christmas is coming, after all! We finally got back to Jacksonville, grabbing some take-out along the way, and got back to the house in time to see Dad for a bit more and catch-up with him.
This morning wasn't much more than getting ready to head back to Indiana. Oh, and taking Christmas decorations down from the attic so Mom could start getting things up around the house. I was kind of jealous, as I knew I hadn't started that yet! But we only got things down - nothing decorated. And before I knew it, it was time to head to the airport.
So yay for finally getting back to FL! Crazy to think I'll be back there in just over a month for Christmas. Where has this year gone??
I feel like sometimes I ask for a lot... but I'll never stop asking for a cause like this!
The annual Z99.5 Make-A-Wish 36hr Requestathon in currently going on! Make-a-Wish is my philanthropy. I donate. I volunteer. And this Requestathon is was inspired me and introduced me to Make-A-Wish all those years ago.
Like any marathon fundraiser, they have a big goal and it's usually the biggest fundraiser of the year. This is no exception. It's amazing to listen to if you can (which you can do online at the above link). They brink Make-A-Wish families int he studio and they talk to them, both ones who've had their wish granted and those who are waiting and depending on the fundraiser. If you listen long enough, you'll go through the whole range of emotions. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll get warm fuzzies.
You can also donate at the same link. Or you can call in for a little one on one with a volunteer. I just finished up with a shift at the phone banks. The phones weren't ringing enough!! But, I think it was being made up for online somehow, because they were on track with milestones. But don't let that stop you - help me support a wonderful cause for kids with life threatening illnesses and their families.
Initially, I wasn't going to blog about this. It's a serious topic, and I didn't think it'd make waves. But once I learned it made national news, I thought it was worth a short blog to reflect and ponder.
Eric and I were watching TV around 11pm last night. Eric was kind of dozing in and out of consciousness, and I was surfing around on my iPad - nothing good was actually on the TV, obviously. Suddenly, there was a shudder on the house, enough to rattle the windows, along with a big 'BOOM!' sound. We both looked at enough other, wondered out loud about what it was, and jumped up, looking out windows and such. The news was just ending, and they didn't say anything about it, so we assumed it was localized in our neighborhood somewhere... but what was it??
It wasn't until about an hour later, as we were heading to bed, that I notice a helicopter hovering over an area somewhere south of us. First, I though it was over the interstate - maybe a truck overturned? Was that the noise?? It made me grab the iPad on my way upstairs and start searching news websites. It didn't take long to find out what the helicopter was hovering over.
"BREAKING NEWS: House Explodes on southside!" Reading further, and turning the TV on, led us to learn that there was a huge explosion that destroyed TWO homes, and then caught neighboring homes on fire. Even crazier was that it was such a huge explosion, it actually knocked other homes right off of their foundations, blew out(inward) windows for blocks, and sent people running outside trying to figure out what happened and what to do. We felt it and it was about 10 miles away! There were a few interviews happening, but there was such little information to be shared, even from neighbors, because so many people were asleep already or at least inside for the night.
So obviously, more photos and news about the explosion has started to trickle through the news outlets today. Surprisingly, only two dead (with quite a few in the hospital, but none life threatening). Still no confirmation on the cause - while most people keep thinking a natural gas explosion, I find it odd that the gas company is getting very defensive in that fact, claiming there were no calls from the area about a leak, nor was there any obvious evidence of that yet. Which you gotta admit, for an explosion that big, even if the house was unoccupied (which it was all day, apparently), it had to be permeating outside of the home at some point that someone would've smelled something. But I could be wrong, I suppose.
As of now, there are a lot of houses that aren't even occupiable - aside from the ones that completely exploded or burned down - others have structural issues, or broken pipes, or a slew of other issues. It looks like a war zone in this once quiet subdivision. It's insane.
Even more insane is to think that this happened out of the blue. Can you imagine, sitting in front of your TV or already in bed and all of the sudden, a house next door just explodes unexpectedly?? What would you do? What would you grab if you had to evacuate at that moment, not knowing when you'd be able to come back - or if you'd be able to come back? I don't think I'd know what to do in such a split second...
So the day has finally come. After months of horrible, mud-slinging, negative ads, Election Day is here. Thank goodness!!
At the end of the day, there will be winners and losers. But what's sad is that whomever wins the presidency, this country will still be divided and full of spite. Our party system has gone so far to the left and right, and they've taken so many constituents with them, that the subject of politics is essentially fubared from conversation. It's become so focused on being a red state or a blue state that they've forgotten about what's right. Politicians no longer know how to reach across the aisle and come to a compromise that's good for the people.
Even worse, there's no end of this one side view anywhere in the near future. Both parties are guilty of it, and any other party that tries to break into the system doesn't have enough money to make their voice heard. Some of them actually have the right ideas, too - it's amazing what you learn when you do a little research. But of course, some are even further out of whack that the two parties we've all come to despise around elections (damn ads).
Democrats and Republicans have become so wrapped up in what their 'party' believes that they forgot about why many of them got into politics to begin with - to make things right for the people. They're so busy pointing fingers and the other one, pointing out what they did 'wrong' because it's not what their party believes. And so much of the nation has been sucked into the debate that they, themselves, find themselves taking one side or another, and driving a bigger wedge into this nation.
I, for one, have never voted a straight party ticket. Ever. I don't think there should even be an option to fill in one bubble and vote straight party. In fact, I don't think the party affiliation should even be listed next to the candidates. First off, that would force people to do some research before going to the polls. Secondly, it would take the party system out of the actual polling places on election day. Sure, they'd still throw a ton of money towards their candidate in the form of advertising (if only we could ban negative ads). But it sure would make for a better outcome, I think - keep people from voting for someone just because of their party affiliation. How do they even know if that person really stands for what they want? What's keeping someone from crossing over just to get elected?
As we sit here and watch the results come in tonight, I can only wonder how much more this country can handle going down this road... a road with nothing but bickering and one-sided politics that will never actually make people happy. A road to forever gridlock. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... our political party system needs to be scrapped, as it works now, and we need to start from scratch. Because right now, democracy is NOT working.
One thing that I DON'T like about living downtown is the lack of Trick or Treaters on Halloween night. I'd go through bags of candy when I lived in the suburbs. Now I get excited if I get ANY goblins at my door, downtown. Last year I didn't get any. The year before that, just a few, and I think it was only because Eric and I sat on the porch, making it VERY obvious we were giving out candy. I'm happy to say I've had a handful this year... but all in one cluster of kids. Bummer.
Granted, it is very cold this year. I know one of my neighbors across the street actually has his kid 'helping' hand out candy. They likely went to one of the many 'safe' events earlier in the week or last weekend. The other thing is that there's a lot of younger kids that may not even go out in this neighborhood - just too young. And maybe we just don't have enough participation in this neighborhood since there's not a lot of kids - which means we won't draw from other neighborhoods, either. Whatever the reason, it makes me miss the kids in the suburbs... except for maybe the teenagers that didn't try very hard on a costume.
It bums me out so much that I don't even decorate like I did at my old house. I'd always throw something fun outside, usually involving lights or sound...or both. But here, we're too far from the road for passer-bys to appreciate it and, well, I don't get a lot (if any) Trick-or-Treaters to make it fun.
*sigh*
Hopefully it'll get better as the kids get older. Eric and I have started to see this neighborhood become very family friendly and very kid friendly. So *fingers crossed* hopefully next year we'll see more kids and it'll just grow from there.
In the meantime, hope everyone else out there is having a fun and Happy Halloween!
Once again, we have another storm being over-hyped by the media. Seriously over-hyped!
Hurricane Sandy, which is turned into a Category 1 storm after going over the Bahamas and will barely be a Category 1 when making landfall, has been hyped like it will be New Jersey's Katrina. While she is of massive size, she's still just a Category 1... which just means a lot of rain and more wind than you're used to. But I think the northeast can handle it - they do, after all, get these crazy storms called blizzards on occasion in the winter.
Don't get me wrong - I know these storms can be devastating. But nowadays, more often than not, the media over-hypes whatever the storm is. Has anyone every told these media types the story about the boy who cried wolf?
I get that the warm hurricane winds will be combining with the coldfront coming down from the north to cause this 'perfect storm' that is going to wreak havoc on the northeast... but seriously... hype. Pure over-hype. If treated like and reported for what it's really going to do, you wouldn't have the panicked people you have right now, completely freaking out before the storm has even hit.
*sigh*
At the end of it all, everything will be fine. Maybe a little flooding, some wind damage, some people without power (only because of the ancient infrastructure in place)... but really, just another big rain storm blowing through. Sure, there will be damage left behind... but relatively normal, in terms of any type of storm damage. With that said, though, anyone impacted by this storm, be safe. And that just means don't do anything stupid that will end up on TV.
Okay, so I voted. I am lucky enough to live in a state that has early voting (yay for that!). Yesterday morning, Eric and I walked over to the courthouse, waited in a really short line, and voted. Glad that's over with... now can the politcal ads go away??
I know they can't. So many millions of people have not voted yet, and won't until next week. Less than 10 days, now, and all the craziness and mud slinging will be over. And what will have to show for it? A still very divided country. And why are they divided? Because this stupid, outdated, two-party system we call democracy divides a majority of the county. Bottom line - it's broke. And no one can seem to step up and actually fix it because that would mean going against the system, which means going against the money. Cause isn't that what is seems to be boiling down to - he who has the most money wins?
That doesn't seem right, does it? Yet, daily, instead of seeing the comparison of the different candidtae views on actual issues, we see who has raised more money to date. And that matters why? Bacuase more money equals more negative ads against the other candidate. Oh, and only in the so-called swing states for federal offices. We'll just write off a majority of the states as not needing to know anything. But that won't stop them from bombarding you with ads at the local/state level.
Wow. Sure makes you feel like your vote counts, doesn't it?
I think politcal ads needs to be against eleaction rules. Or at least all content must first be approved by some non-biased governing board and not allow anything about the other candidate - only speak to what your the candiate can and will (try to) do. This even goes for all those ads put out by lobbiest. Negative ads should be banned.
I'm going to do my best to tune out all the ads over the next week since I know they will actually be ramping up this week. But I already voted. They don't change my vote.
It seems I have found a new hobby! As strange at it may sound to people that know me, I have found that I love canning!
Why do they call it canning, though? You seal the stuff up in jars, not cans...
Seriously, though... Eric and I talked about how with our garden out back, we need to try to preserve some of the great stuff we get every year. So after talking about this a lot, I finally decided to dabble a bit, starting with the loads of raspberries we had from our bush. Apparently, raspberries thrive in our soil. So I made some jam.
It was so easy! Why do more people not do this??? Granted, I haven't tried anything overly difficult yet - I made some salsa today, which was still pretty darn easy. But I want to do more! At least a little more practice jams to get it perfect (consistency it not yet my strong point).
My mom said it's in my blood - her mom canned and she thought she remembered my dad's mom canning, too. Back then, it was more of a process, too - you had to wax seal things shut, which with today 'technically advanced lids', you don't have to, anymore (unless you just really want to).
So while I promise not to become 'that friend' that passes out homemade jam to everyone she knows, I can't say you're never get any of it. But I do assume it'll be a seasonal hobby - just when the fresh produce is there for me. Unless I get really crazy about it... then maybe I have an addiction, though, not a hobby...
It had been awhile since I had a 'real' trip... one out the the midwest. While a trip to Chicago is nice, it's still the midwest. So where better to go then to Colorado to visit some friends.
We flew out Friday morning - it's been awhile since I flew and it actually felt odd to be at the airport. To think, just a few years ago, I was there nearly every week - at least every other week! I miss traveling for work. But I digress. This was a 'fun trip' and I was really looking forward to it.
With the time change, we were in Denver early afternoon. After a little chaos with getting the rental (we had a 'bad' car at first, meaning, running poorly), we were off to meet up with The Phillips' family. It was such a beautiful drive - not sure how I so quickly forget how beautiful Colorado is. It's always a pleasure to come back to!
Our first night was a low key night, just hanging at the house and going out for an early dinner (relatively). Eric even wound down by playing on the Wii with Jackson - it's an amazing feat to get Eric to wind down!
Saturday morning we woke u to a chilly, drizzly day. We debated about what to do and when to do it. We knew we wanted to hike, but did we try to wait out the drizzle, or head out and hope for the best? When should we do lunch? We finally decided to suck it up and head out - it appeared to be ending. But then as we get on the road, more drizzle comes, so we decided to see if lunch will get us through to the blue skies we were promised by the weatherman. But no... lunch didn't do it. So we headed out anyway, geared up with umbrellas, hats, and gloves. Destination - Castlewood Canyon State Park.
It was about a 20 minute drive or so, and the rain seemed to increase rather than end. We started at the main entrance, only to get rained on even more at the first 'scenic viewpoint' nearest to the entrance. So we got back in the car and looked at the map we were given at the ranger checkpoint. We discovered that most of what we wanted to scene was probably easier to get to from the other entrances, and though maybe the drive to get to it, again, would help us get through some of this overcast, drizzly day. So around the perimeter of the park we drove!
It did let up somewhat, and we got out the hike the trails. The big attraction of this park, aside from the scenic canyon (hence the name), was a blown out dam that was built across Cherry Creek in the late 1800's. It blew out in the 1930's and caused one of the worst floods in Denver's history. What civil engineer wouldn't want to see such a thing??
By the time we made it to the dam, the kids were starting the wear down, as were the adults, so it worked out well that we didn't plan on going further and just headed back to the car. And wouldn't you know, the rain started to complete let up on the hike back. We even saw blue skies as we drove away. But we still had fun, mud puddles and all. 
And even in the drizzly rain, there were some really pretty views to be had.
After be worn out by the hike, we decided to do the low key thing again and sent the boys out to pick up some dinner for the night. It was nice to just hang out and catch up. It was nice to just slow down for once! Even if it was caused by wearing ourselves out... at least it was doing something fun and not due to stress or work otherwise.
Sunday rolled in with blue skies and gorgeous weather. It figured. But with a late (relatively) flight out, we had time to enjoy it and decided on another small hike, a little closer to the homestead. And one we could take the overly large puppy on, too. I think Kirby enjoyed getting out of the house. As we all did as we took a gradual hike up a foothill, seeing lots of prairie dogs a lot the way. And once we were at the top, we could even see the snow topped mountains in the distance. Yet, here we stood in short sleeves. It was an ideal hike to end our trip with.
And just like that, our trip was done and were heading back to Indy. But what a perfect weekend. Both Eric and I were able to unwind and just relax. It always helps the soul to get away - sometime a weekend out of town is just what the body needs to be rejuvenated.
I had quite a fun girls night out this evening. It was planned out, but I did not know what to expect!
So in general, it was a fashion show with the styles based on one of the Indianapolis Museum of Art's exhibit, An American Legacy: Norell Blass, Halston, and Sprouse (fashion designers from the 50's, 60's, & 70's). Alone, they were fashion icons in their era. But they still followed the trends of the moments.
So overall, I was quite impressed - there were some really cool outfits, some of which I wouldn't hesitate to wear! There were still some crazy things on the runway, but for the most part, relatively tame (no meat dresses, to speak of). The designers were from all over the US, even NYC and LA, which are known for fashion. It wasn't too long - just enough to keep everyone's attention span long enough. So for my first true fashion show, I say bravo!
After the show, we all went downtown to Bru Burger for a quick bite. The fashion show kind ran right at the middle of dinnertime, so we were hungry, even if it was getting late! But it turned out to be a good place to end of the night.
So as I said, quite a fun girls night out!
Eric is on a board for a non-profit community development organization, and being non-profit, they of course must have fundraisers. Well, last night was one such event. It was nothing crazy - a basic dinner fundraiser with raffles and such, but it turned out to be quite a nice even and I really enjoyed myself!
There were a few quirky things that weren't explained very well - you could tell this was one of the first times for such an event, but they hid it fairly well. One thing that was a little off that could've been explained better - your table had to collectively come up with a bid (donation) for your dessert (there was a table full of items) and the highest bid chose dessert first, AND got to go to the buffet line first. They didn't explain if it had to be cash, check, or if credit card could be used... as a table, we just came up with a cash bid. But when they announced the winner, it was clear that credit cards were involved. But no biggy - it turned out to be a neat idea, none the less.
The best part was that the event only lasted as long as an event like this should last - just over 2 hours. It probably would've been less without some of the early 'bidding' confusion, but no one felt trapped or that it drug out too long. Which was good, cause I had one more place to go last night.
One of my best friends, Chris, was in town - he moved to Texas a few years ago and I hardly get to see or talk to him anymore! But last night was the only 'free time' he had during this weekend trip, and I wasn't going to let another 6 months (or more!) go by without a little catch-up time with him. So Eric and I headed to the north side for a drink (or two) and some good quality time with Chris. I can honestly say, it was just great to see him after not seeing him for so long. I just love how you can pick up with a good friend, no matter how long it's been, and feel like it was just yesterday since you got to see each other. That is exactly what it felt like, too... now if I can only lessen the amount of time before I see him again.
Bullying may be defined as the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another person, physically or mentally. Bullying is characterized by an individual behaving in a certain way to gain power over another person.
There are a few keywords in there... but the first one that strikes me as rather important is repeated. There's a story in the news about a news anchor receiving a single email from a viewer concerned about her image on TV (being that she was overweight). One email... and she responded with an anti-bullying segment. From what I've heard of the email, it sounded like criticism, yes, but not bullying. There was no name calling, and this wasn't one email in a string of emails... it was a single email voicing concern about her weight and what it portrayed to her audience.
Now I'm not 'pro-bullying', by any means. I was bullied in school - I think most kids were, at some point, in the mental way, at least. Some, then, became bullies because of the bullying. Others, like myself, shrugged it off and went on with our lives. But it seems like the definition of what was considered bullying was much narrower back then...
Which leads me to the next issue... why do we shelter our children so much?? When are we going to stop living in denial (and putting our kids in that same state of mind) about 'real life' and just reality in general?? The world is not perfect. We will not always get our way. There will be bad days in all of our lives. Not everyone is a nice person, nor can you expect every person to be nice. There is NOT a logical excuse for everything that is bad - sometime 'bad' just comes the poor decisions made by someone. And not everyone can be the winner (or the person in charge). And just because someone says something negative to you does not make it bullying!
Wake up, people! Political correctness and all this other BS is making us soft! Suddenly, we can't take a joke, nor can we tell one for fear of 'offending' someone. Your child can't play in a park without you hovering over them, or you're thought to be a bad parent. Any progress we've made in equality of race and gender is slowly being diminished as we get to a point where if you look at someone of another race or gender, you're 'looking at them the wrong way' and have authorities called on you. Okay... that may be extreme, but it seems to be going that way...
I don't know who started the PC craze and who felt it was their authority to determine than anything negative is bad/mean and shouldn't be said or done. But to those people, I say this - you really f'd up this country! Every country has their issues, but we're the only one that seems to have an 'excuse' for every 'issue' we have, and it's never our own fault. Because we've become soft. We don't know how to own up and take responsibilities for what happens to us. We don't teach the next generation how to be strong and work hard to get what you want. Instead, we teach them that it's all happiness and goodness in the world, and you get what you want, because everyone deserves to win. WTF?? It's no wonder we're practically owned by China.
This is just not my year for sports. Of any kind.
My Cubs are struggling to NOT lose 100 games. 100 loses! There's a mock out there of their 'magic number' to reach that 'goal' of losing (or not losing) 100 games.
My Auburn Football, which I love with all my heart, is in a rebuilding year, in all fairness. But only sitting at 1-3 at this point? So sad. Very hard to take. We did show LSU a hard fought game, at least... but there are so many tough games ahead of us yet.
Then there's my Jacksonville Jaguars, also sitting at 1-3. I was excited to actually be at the game when they won in Indy. I knocked up the loses to road games and tough teams. But as the year keeps going and I see how all the teams are playing, I question that. They really should be doing better... and then I wonder, again, why the hell they got rid of Tom Coughlin?
I don't follow basketball enough to claim a team or any woes. I guess I should be happy that our local WNBA team, the Fever, made it to the playoffs... but it's not really 'my' team. Maybe it should be... no, because then they'd lose.
I guess there's next year. Just count down the days to all of my 2013 seasons.
So, Eric and I had an unexpected full night out last night. We had planned on meeting some friends right after work to celebrate a birthday, but we just assumed a few drinks, and then home for dinner. But then an unexpected invite came to go to St. Elmo's Steakhouse.
For those not in the Indy area, St. Elmo's Steakhouse has a bit of fame surrounding it. It's well know for its shrimp cocktail (if you ever need to clear you sinuses, get one!), and I think the steaks are pretty damn good, too. When famous people come from out of town, you can often find them having a meal here. A lot of people just stalked the exit door during the SuperBowl this year.
So back to 'date night' with Eric... he was actually out of town through Friday. In fact, he was still on a plane when it started - I met the group out at Tastings, a wine bar, and when he landed, he met up with us. We then did a round of pre-dinner drinks at St. Elmo's 1933 Lounge, a prohibition era styled bar above the restaurant (and very cool place to go, regardless). These two places, alone, helped end the rainy, dreary week on a positive note.
But finally, dinner. We did, indeed, start with the shrimp cocktails. Yummm... while St. Elmo's has a range of steaks, I always stick with the 8oz. fillet... I don't need anything bigger and this one is always top notch, anyway. Throw in some garlic marinated green beans, and I'm content as a sunflower in the sun.
So the moral of the story? Find a good steak and all is right with the world.
SO. Much. Rain. Considering the dry July we had, and August, for that matter, we sure are making up for it now! I'm so tired of the rain! And all it's doing is knocking off all the leaves to make sure we don't have fall colors (which were already threatened since we had such a dry summer). It's just miserable!
And there's more coming. Most of next week looks to be much of the same. I read the rain gage in our yard from the rain we've had this week... it was close to three inches. Now granted, that's over a few days. But just having the dreariness looming sucks! Plus, the below average temperature aren't too pleasent. I'm not ready to jump to early winter! Earlier this week, we woke up to the low 40's, feeling like upper 30's. That did not make me a happy girl.
Alas, I guess that's just living in Indiana. This is the time of year it's hardest for me to answer the question, "Why did you move to Indiana?" I can only shrug my shoulders and say, "I'm not sure..."
Eric and I have gone to the Jags @ Colts games for the past few years now - I'm never sure what to expect of the outcome, but the game tends to always be on the exciting side. This year was no exception!
The Jags got the first score - a field goal. Needless to say, I was very excited about that. Sure - I'd rather a touchdown, but a score is a score, especially if it's the first score! It went back and forth for the first half with the Colts leading it, 14-3, as they went into the locker rooms. The second half is where it was at, though!
But first - halftime. Normally, I don't say much about halftime, but they did a nice little induction ceremony for Edgerrin James to go on the Ring of Honor. He hasn't played in Indy since 2005, so they hyped it all up, of course. I'm sure Peyton and Reggie will be up there one day - I think those will be even bigger deals!
Back to the game - second half! Not too far into it, Maurice Jones-Drew ran in a touchdown!! It seemed to stun not only fans, but the Colts payers, themselves. The Jags then held the Colts off, got the ball back and got a field goal, bringing the Jaguars within one point. But the fourth quarter is when it got really interesting!
Scobee scored another field goal (gotta love that guy!) for the Jags to take the lead, but we still had a lot of time left. With just under 5 minutes left, the Colts MISSED a field goal, bring a sigh of relief to me. But then the Jags couldn't hang on to the ball for enough time, gave it back to the Colts. They got down the field and this time, Adam Vinatieri did NOT miss! And now we were under minute.
Bummer.
45 seconds left, and Blaine Gabbert threw a pass to Cecil Shorts for an 80 yard TOUCHDOWN! I didn't even realize I was jumping up and down until I about lost my balance! No one saw that coming! Not even Blaine or Cecil! Again - the entire stadium was stunned and you just heard the few Jaguars fans (including myself) screaming!
But it wasn't over! The Colts still had 45 seconds to do something! And boy, did they try! Came close, but in the end, Jags won!
Last night was the 30th Anniversary Celebration for Eric's fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, at Rose Hulman. Which also meant it was Rose Hulman's Homecoming weekend down in Terre Haute. So last night, it was off to Terre Haute we went!
For the record, I found it a little strange to call something 'Homecoming' without a football game as the main event.
Since we were just heading down to go to the banquet, we didn't leave all that early. We did get there early enough for him to show me around campus, though. Beautiful, but small! I honestly think it was about the size of my high school campus - maybe a little bigger since it had dorms. But the way it's kind of tucked in off of the main road gives it a comfy feel. Granted, there were no stressed out engineering students running around on this particular day... just a couple of them throwing another guy in the lake. (no joke - apparently some tradition, according to Eric.)
After the quick campus tour, we went by Eric's old fraternity house - Delta Sigma Phi. It was quite a ways off campus, which surprised me. Walking wasn't even an option, and even biking might have been based on the road you'd have to ride. But it was a big house - I could see the appeal of it for a fraternity. It was an old government building bought in a tax sale nearly 30 years ago, so there were lots of rooms... and quirkiness to go with it! But it was definitely a house full of guys!
Finally, the banquet, which was down the road from the fraternity house a couple more miles. Some other Indy friends were there, as well, and we caught up with them, as well as some other brothers Eric hadn't seen in awhile. They had some of the original members speak, tell stories, and talk about some of the history that may have not been fully known. Since I never went Greek, I never got involved with any organization like this (where you have a bond for life). The closest I came was UPC, which I LOVED and wouldn't trade for anything. But the Greek thing definitely is different.
We headed back to Indy late last night and just went to bed. Long day... lots of driving. But a fun evening, none the less.
And today, we got another inch or so, all piling up because it's not getting warm enough to melt. It's pretty and all, but it also means it's cold!
I have to say, I was kind of figuring on a long, cold, snowy winter. We had it too good last year. And our blistering, hot, drought-laced summer wasn't Mother Nature's payback, this COLD, snowy winter is - Old Man Winter had a say in said payback!
