In case you missed it...

Here's a quick recap of 2007 here at Steph's Other Space with a list of my 10 favorite links (should have posted this back in my "heyday" last week but oh well!) Here it be:



10. Young Girl. Way outta line, indeed!
9. Dixielando Delighto. Roll Tide Amigos.
8. Woo Hog. Violent? Maybe. But effective nonetheless. Just ask Houston.
7. Cute ole Little Bit.
6. Mmmm...whatcha say?
5. Still love ya Timmy...Go Gators!
4. No guffawing, no guffawing.
3. Hang in there Jen, one last Dear Sister.
2. Certainly my most popular link evah.
1. My personal fave... the first is always the best!

I can't believe I've only been doing this since September 12th! I can't believe the sheer volume of randomness in only 3+ months (Steph's Other Space: Your definitive source for randomness.) Stay tuned in 2008 for randomness, football despite the offseason, randomness, football on signing day, randomness, football at the start of spring practice, randomness, football before/during/after SEC Media Days, randomness, football season at the start of fall practice, randomness, football because it's finally in season, randomness, football because it's November, randomness, politics because it's November and we're also electing a president by the way, and more randomness! And yeah, probably some more Dear Sister stuff as needed.

Well folks, party like it's 2007 and don't drink (no "and drive"...my advice is just don't drink!) I'll be watching football and pulling for that team whose mascot looks like the lovechild of the Tootsie Roll owl and Garfield. Happy New Year's Eve!

PS-- Bonus, end-of-the-year randomness (146 posts and counting...) Do your thing, cohort Dino! For some reason it reminds me of this.

PS:

Guess what I saw this afternoon when I looked out my window? Standing water... that's right, there was so much rain the ground couldn't hold it all, at least temporarily. Thank you God for a good soaking rain and thanks to all the prayer warriors for their petitions. I'm definitely no prayer warrior but with God's grace we all benefit from those who are.

Thanks also for a WIN. Roll Tide.

SHUT UP!

Ugh... there's still 10+ minutes left in our game but I don't know if I'll be able to sit through that much more of these bozo announcers. What is Saban's salary again?!?!? How does it break down per win?!?!?! 4 mil...we get it...WHO CARES?!?!?! Call the game but otherwise SHUT UP.

PS-- For every unfavorable thing from the announcers, the refs make up for with tres favorable calls and spots. That probably wasn't a 1st down just a minute ago (but they gave it to us with inches to spare) and I can offer no explanation for the conspicuously absent flag for Nikita Stover's acrobatics. Can't wait to get in a whole new class of players (pun intended.)

Ugh.

What's this bowl called again?

All I can seem to remember is that Bama plays on Sunday this week while the Pats played on Saturday... it's a world gone mad! I can't jump straight into Bama ball without first rehashing the Pats-Giants game. Did you see that Brady-to-Moss touchdown pass? I really haven't felt that kind of rush ever in a pro game. I can only hope Daniel Moore will recognize the considerable money-making opportunity and wave his magic wand to recreate the moment. Our little family would probably preorder at least two prints. Anyhoo, it's been fun watching Don Shula almost choke on his words of congratulations. I do hate it for one Mr. Captain Crunch who is a bona fide nice guy and happens to be the uncle of one of our dearest friends. He's the only reason I'm not cracking open a bottle of champagne as I type this. Well, that and the fact that I'm a teetotaler. And oh yeah, they still have 3 more games to go...

Okay, so now onto Bama. I hope they play well tonight. Yup, that's about it. I don't have any real thoughts on the game other than that. The Saban Dance (heck yeah I worked it into the conversation!) is about as far as I've followed the bowl game preparations. And in the past I've always liked Colorado. I thought they beat Miami back in the day (turns out they just beat up on Miami back in the day--see if you can spot The Rock) and of course they've got Ralphie and all. (Just FYI... my neighbors--HUGE AUBS--claim to have seen the Colorado cheerleaders bathing Ralphie in the Atlantic Ocean in prep for a game several years ago. Just thought that was a cool story to share with you, my dear readers.) But now, I'm not feeling the Buffs so much anymore. First there was this and now this. So I guess that's enough to get sufficiently pumped tonight, even after a long and exhaustive Holiday week. Well, that and the fact that the SENIORS ARE OUTTA HERE! Roll Tide to all and to all a good night!

PS-- Why the heck does the University of Colorado go by CU?!?!?! If you know, do share please. Much thanks!

Go Pats...

It's not exactly Dear Sister...

but it's a remix nonetheless. I knew it was only a matter of time. I think this makes me giggle more, in part because of the song (man, I've been out of public school a loooooonnnnngggg time and it's evident in my musical tastes!) but mostly because Nick Saban is indeed representing the "Duurty South". Love it!



I promise to take a break from the nonstop Saban Dance coverage in the near future but for now I'm just trying to the give people what they so obviously want... Saban Dance today, Saban Dance tomorrow, Saban Dance forever!

Back by popular demand...

...and I do mean POPULAR. Once again, you can enjoy the Saban dance here. Kudos to Ian Rappaport for staying on top of this situation better than anyone.

PS-- Who can watch that without giggling?!?! I agree with most of the comments I've read so far... it's really Terry Saban that's breakin' it down. They must have picked up their moves in Bat-awn Roooge. I bet their kids are dyin' right about now.

Heard this before?

Ian Rappaport (the guy who first linked to the elusive Saban dance video) ponders SEC fans' conference allegiance. Didn't we discuss that here already? I think we did but I can't find the post. Anyway, I have one diehard Aub friend who pulls for all SEC teams during bowl season, including us Bammers, but I have another diehard Aub friend who wouldn't dump Gatorade on our coach if he was on fire so I think this is a fairly divisive concept. Do tell... will you pull for the other SEC teams this most wonderful time of year? You know I won't.

And there's an update to the whole Saban dance youtube phenonmenon in that article too. Apparently you can view it on crimsontradition.com but you have to have a subscription, which means I can see it. Of course I'll be in big trouble if I post that sort of info here but if you see Ricky Bobby, you can ask him to log you on... he loves that site.

Big deal

This is a bigger deal than most Americans will understand. Sad day.

Update to Saban's Hustle

Wow... I'm learning a little something about blogging. Basically, you pander to the lowest common denominator. So if I want to ring up hits on the ole blog meter all I have to do is throw in a few key words from current events to register on a google search. In other words, "Jimmy Sexton" (hard to believe but I still average at least one hit a day thanks to Jimmy!) and "Saban dance" have brought in unprecedented amounts of visitors to Steph's Other Place. I don't make any money off of ads or anything so it's essentially just my ego that benefits from these extra hits. Still it's good to know I suppose. So just for the heck of it:

Zoo tiger attack
Lindsay Lohan denies drinking before wreck
Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant
Patriots-Giants football game
Writer's strike
Presidential Election 2008 (Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Guiliani)
Miley Cyrus
And of course, my bra Jimmy Sexton!

Well, that oughta do it for now. Stay tuned for results.

Don't know if "Tha Bayer" (aka Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant)...

... could have ever done this. Check out Nick Saban dancing on Christmas night in Shreveport:




Go Nick Go!

Bloggin' away...

...on my new laptop courtesy of the hubby Mr. Santie Claws. Hello 21st century! My name is Stephanie and it's nice to meet you. Kudos to Mr. Claws for the surprise.

Kudos to our Heavenly Father for his Christmas gifts today of rain, safe travel, and of course His Son Jesus! I hope everyone has had a blessed and merry Christmas... I know we have!

Dare ya not to cry...

Check out Crosby's mom's latest journal entry.

"Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld."

2 Chronicles 20:20 (New meaning to seeing things 20/20?)

Christmas Countdown...

...T-minus 4 days and counting. I hope you all are having a wonderful CHRISTmas season and maybe even getting a break? I know I am with the kids out of school. However, I still have a few little odds n' ends to pick up so I'm not totally chillin' but I did want to post a quick little entry before all our Holiday travel gears up. I have lots of things to discuss with y'all... like why at least two people a day google "Jimmy Sexton" and come to my site (Jimmy Sexton, Thou Art the Man!) or how ridiculously confusing facebook is ("how do you know this person," "what network would you like to join," "what is your blood type" etc, etc) and how that makes me feel old or follow-ups to the We are Marshall post (hopefully with help from Emily...see original post comments) or my thoughts on the Petrino situation (per request) or how the HECK to get more of you to agree to help me in a Secret Santa project. It's only $5.41 so it must just be that y'all are leery because you don't know the details. Well, here's a few more in case that would make the difference: I would like to organize a Chik-Fil-A gift card drive for Crosby's family (see sidebar ------>) since Chik-Fil-A is one of the few foods he will eat after chemo treatments. His family is in the ministry (Athletes in Action at UK) and I know the costs of constantly eating out must weigh at least a little on their wallet. I know most of us wouldn't miss the $5 (plus the 41 cents for the stamp) but if enough of us do it, it could really make a difference to them. I will get you their address if you will just email me (stephsotherspace@gmail.com) and then you can either mail it anonymously or drop them a note of encouragement. I will up the ante by agreeing to embarass myself somehow if I get enough response (a la upload "Chipmunk" pictures of myself from wisdom teeth removal at age 15 or possibly video and post me singing the "War Eagle" fight song... I'm open to suggestions.) So never fear, the $5.41 isn't going to Saban's salary or to Botox for me... instead I think it's a practical way for the body of Christ to administer His love.

Well, that's probably it from me for a few days. I hope everyone enjoys Christmas with their families and friends. Since I don't have everyone's address, here's an abridged version of our family Christmas card:

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

PS- The actual verse on the card is Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Just trust that it is quite appropriate for our family...Thanks, God! :)

Oh good gravy...

I am sickened by this and really wish I could adopt the whole Spears clan. That's an open invitation Britney, Jamie Lynn, Sean P, Jayden, and newest-yet-to-be-named Baby Spears in case you're reading this. Someone needs to mount up and regulate (you're welcome, Miss Lori!)

Too tired to post anything more after a very, very long week (it's only Wednesday?!?!) but school's almost out so check back again soon for complete and utter randomness.

Oh the weather outside is...

COLD! I really can't remember what I posted yesterday because I had been up since 3:30 in the morning, which happens to be the exact time that we noticed the heat to our house was NOT WORKING! My husband got up and flipped a breaker (I think that's the terminology) but within half an hour it had tripped the breaker again so we went without heat until about 8:30 yesterday morning. It really wasn't that bad and we both have a new appreciation for how blessed we are for so very many reasons. Thanks to God for the lesson!

Okay, now I don't have a lot of time because Crabman still has one more day at preschool BUT I did want to post a little sumpin'-sumpin' before I start my daily routine of Christmas shopping. First, I have to brag on Ricky Bobby who doesn't get much air time here at Steph's Other Space. That's mostly because the printed word does not do justice to his shenanigans. You just have to trust me that in most cases, it loses something in transition to the written word. But I can brag on him, right? Last night he asked me if this is how you spell the Steeler's Quarterback's name and proceeded to spell it "Capital-B-e-n-space-capital-R-o-e-t-h-l-e-s-b-e-r-g-e-r." He asked if that was right and I said something to the effect of "heck if I know" and then he got a book, double-checked, and corrected himself that it was an "i" after the "l." We then called my parents and he correctly spelled it out for them. I just thought that was funny. It's seriously hilarious the way his mind works. And you can tell that for the most part college ball is over because he has moved on to memorizing the NFL players. He does pay homage to college ball by remembering their college schools though. (FYI, Roethlisberger went to Miami Ohio, who are the Red Hawks--all according to Ricky Bobby!) As I type this, Crabman keeps interuppting me to tell me all about his College Football 2004 conquests on the Gamecube. I think we have a serious football problem around here.
* Editor's note: Ricky Bobby is 7 and in the 1st grade.

Anyway, onto another topic quickly... I will save most of my poly-tickin' for after the New Year because I wouldn't want to ruin the Christmas spirit with lots of political banner here on Steph's Other Space but I thought this made a nice crossover. And I'll go ahead and put it out there that I'm a Huckabee gal. As in, there's no suspense or mystery... that's who I'll be voting for at every turn in '08 unless something shocking happens (a la Ted Haggard or Larry Craig, who--JUST FYI--I knew nothing about beforehand and certainly did not support... just making an illustration) during this campaign season. But since he made such a convenient crossover, I'll gladly oblige:



And since I know my sister is leaning towards Ron Paul, this link is just for her!

Don't forget...

...about the Secret Santa project below. I don't want it to get "covered up" by random posts without everyone getting a chance to participate if they want. And surely they do... :)

We are... MARSHALL!

I've got a few minutes to kill while I burn about 20 CDs for Crabman's preschool class PLUS I wanted to talk about how much I loved the movie "We Are Marshall" before I forgot while it was fresh on my mind. Love, love, love it I did. If you've seen the movie then you may want to check out this site for a commentary on the reality vs. movie theatrics but be warned as there's a mild spoiler there if you haven't seen it yet. And if you haven't seen it yet then I suggest you take full advantage of the writer's strike and rent it today. I'd watch it again if it wasn't due back tomorrow... it was that good. AND it was good enough that I'll be cheering for Marshall anytime in the future, so long as they're not playing Bama but of course. As a sidenote, I have a whole new appreciation for Bobby Bowden, which is weird because he was already growing on me. It's a world gone mad! And in case you're wondering, yes, I also cried like a baby at the end. I teared up during most of the movie but couldn't hold it in any longer in the end. That doesn't happen often, folks. So, here's to you, Young Thundering Herd... You are indeed MAR-SHALL!

Secret Santa Anyone?

Anyone with $5.41 they could spare and interested in playing Secret Santa to a very worthy cause, please email me at stephsotherspace@gmail.com and I'll give you the details. If not, I'll just assume you don't have $5.41 and/or a heart... honestly, I'll try anything to drum up help for a worthy cause! :)

Jesus said "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3)

Dead Presidents

and other bits o' randomness on tap for this dreary (but in a good way) Saturday. First up is this about the strange (dun-dun-DUN) similarities between Abe Lincoln and Jack Kennedy. It's good for killing (no pun intended) several minutes. And no I haven't independently verified any of the facts but feel free to do so and report your findings here. Consider it homework.

Okay, up next is this, which reminds me of this. (RELAX... I'm sure they were calling it other this.) And here's the sequel (In that case it was this AND this.)

All that talk of animals brings me to this, which would be SUPERFREAKY if breed with this. I'm more of a "dog person" than ever before!

Okay, lastly and completely just thinking out loud with this one. What the heck was I doing in the summer of 2000 that would cause me to miss a spin-off from Dawson's Creek? (My all-time favorite show... SHUT.UP.) Oh right, growing a baby in my belly for the 3rd trimester. Somehow I did manage to catch the original Survivor that summer... go figure.

Jimmy Sexton...

...must be one popular man. I get an unusual amount of blog hits from internet searches for "Jimmy Sexton" and of course they eventually seem to find their way to this entry. I don't know that much about him but you can read more about him here if you like. (I aim to serve!) I just find it odd that so many people are searching for him and I find it funny that so many people end up at this blog as a result. I've had some other interesting search links to this blog but my personal fave is "I think my husband is a fagg" which pulled up this entry on my blog. Good stuff! Freaky stuff is a person from Bangkok, Thailand who googled "stephs other space." Do I know anyone in Bangkok? I suppose now would be a good time to mention I have three pit bulls on loan from Michael Vick trained to eat pedophiles. That will be all for now...

To My Top Friends

Just a quick note to my former "Top Friends" from myspace: You may have been dropped from my profile but you have not been demoted in my heart. I decided to make the move for security reasons but I still love ya!

Monday Morning QBing...

Go Pats! Hey Anthony Smith, just so you know, this is how you do it! (Anybody else notice how the Alabama family in some form or fashion is always screwing with Don Shula?!?!) **Addition: Found this a bit later and thought it was appropriate/funny.

Now onto college ball... It's really getting hard to dislike Tim Tebow (Gator fan or not, if you're a Christian, you'll be happy you watched!) Sure he was playin' Bama all along this close to choosing Bama so I know I shouldn't officially like him (so here's this again for my obligatory Capstone cred) but man he seems like a great guy. And ya know, Tim Tebow's tears cure cancer... too bad he never cries! (Apologies to all of you who have heard that one before-- which would be any of you who watched a Gator game with me this year.) So congrats Timmy!

Well, that's it from me for now. Happy Monday!

In case you're wondering...

I added a picture to the previous post and yes, that really IS my Pa Paul! Watch out now!

Remember Pearl Harbor

And thank a WWII vet today (everyday) if you can! My grandpa was not at Pearl Harbor during the attack but he assisted in the clean-up shortly thereafter. He was supposed to be interviewed today by a local group collecting WWII stories. I'm not sure of all the details but hopefully I'll be able to pass along some info (and a link!) at a later date. I am certainly proud of his service. Hey G-Jo, feel free to comment with an update.

Okay, so I was at Walmart today and saw two shirts in the KIDS' department that made me cringe. One said "Naughty or Nice: I get everything I want" and the other said (gagging as I type this) "Oh Come Let Us Adore Me" I wanted to stand there by the rack and shoot rubber bullets dirty looks at anyone who wanted to buy them. And to think: That is the generation that will take care of me if/when I get old. UGH.

Well, that's it for me today. Plumberboy is in a wedding so I have a rehearsal dinner to attend tonight and the wedding tomorrow afternoon. Last week a pallbearer at a funeral, this week a groomsman at a wedding. To everything there is a season (turn...turn...turn) I supose. Have a great weekend!

PSA from P-Paw

I got this from my dad, who is always good about passing quality info along. Now you can add glasses to the list of sickeningly nasty things in a hotel room (mattress and pillow, anyone?) Hopefully now he can convince my mom to just get the friggin' RV.

In a related story, I've gotten many emails over the years about how you can better protect yourself as a woman (mostly common sense) with details on the usual sicko MOs, etc. Well, a couple of days ago I was at Home Depot and noticed an unmarked white van parked very close to my vehicle in the next spot. There was at least one Hispanic male sitting in the van and one of the large cargo doors was propped slightly open. Of course I thought about one of those emails cautioning you against such a situation so I calmly placed my package in the back of my vehicle and then proceeded to climb to my seat through the passenger's door! I guarantee they had a good laugh at the expense of the crazy white lady at Home Depot (that would be me.) Heck, I even laughed at myself but I'll be doggone if I was going to be a feature on Greta Van Susteren that night!

Have a SAFE and happy afternoon, folks!

As a sidenote...

...much like your favorite TV shows (FYI: mine are The Office, House, Friday Night Lights and I must admit that 30 Rock is hilarious!) Anyhoo, back to this blog being like TV shows, it will be slim pickins' here at Steph's Other Space until January. Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with the writer's strike. It has everything to do with me being the room mom who naively offered to organize a group gift from the class along with being a real mom, which means by default I am the gift-buyer for our family. My apologies to any family members who are reading this and I certainly don't want to ruin the illusion but if you received a gift from a member of this family, it was most likely (99.9% chance) purchased by moi, no matter the name on the tag. Of course the gift-buying (and/or making) is in between all the laundry, cleaning, and typing that I have to do, which is in between all the Christmas spectaculars and related activities at the kids' respective schools. Kudos to my husband, who did manage to set up the Christmas tree almost completely on his own though in theory the kids were helping...but ask me (or him) how well that went over.

For some randomness to chew on until the next time: Click here, here, and here. And maybe here or here. Have a nice day!

Randomly generated thoughts...

Hello to all... my apologies for the delay in bringing you this. GOOD MORNING! I am still of the sniffly and snotty sorts (possibly getting worse as now I have some difficulty breathing when upright) so I'm not going to make this a neat, tidy cohesive post. You know, I'm just going to sling around some thoughts and let them land where they may...think stream of VapoRub (which I have inhaled quite a bit of lately, thanks to Shannon's advice!)

First thought: I think I now have sufficient monikers for my immediate family members. My husband shall henceforth be known as Plumberboy (or hubby or beloved--ha!-- or moron spouse) while my oldest son shall be Ricky Bobby (story below) and the youngest shall remain Crabman (strong resemblance?) While I have always been a "safety first" kinda gal with an uncanny ability to think like a criminal madman, I noticed that not once BUT TWICE over the past 24 hours people have linked up with this site via this picture of me. So I am officially calling you out, Mr/Ms. Bedford, Bedfordshire United Kingdom and Mr/Ms. Halifax, Nova Scotia. Please introduce yourselves if you are reading this... otherwise, I will think you are rude and/or creepy. Please don't regard my lack of personal info as snotty (no pun intended) but simply paranoid (a la Kurt Cobain I suppose, though I'm pretty sure he's just repeating that quote. Interesting stuff to research if you're so inclined.) Also, I have given a new subtitle to my blog for all those of you who haven't noticed. It's now Steph's Other Space (Home of the Parentheses) for all the obvious reasons.

Okay, now on to something mildly entertaining. So why Ricky Bobby for my oldest? Because when he gets hurt, this is his reaction, minus the somewhat irreverant remarks about Jesus and prayers to Tom Cruise and Oprah Winfrey--but I think you get the point! Oh, and he usually keeps his clothes on. He's had this reaction for years, although we quite honestly questioned his ability to perceive pain as a baby because he never so much as flinched when he got his shots (ie: Nurse to me: I've never seen a kid not cry) or was injured (ie: he took a tennis ball hit off of an aluminum bat straight to his right temple one afternoon. The only kid crying in that exchange was the one who hit the ball and watched it subsequently bounce off Ricky Bobby's head and roll down the storm drain. True story.) Now he goes all Ricky Bobby when he incurs the slightest discomfort, which Thank God is not that often. We never had a name for this until last year but once we watched that crapfest Talladega Nights, there was an obvious resemblance. I'll be sure to post it here if I ever capture it on video.

And while football season is basically over (who really cares about any of those bowl games?!?), I do have some thoughts on the whole BS BCS debacle. First of all, I can't believe I'm saying this but I concur (wholeheartedly!) with James Carville. The BCS and NCAA are both borderline criminal in the way they handle affairs (think The Gestapo and/or The Gambino Family.) They do not care about the athletes or their respective fanbases. I do not know why the National Collegiate ATHLETIC Association is run by a bunch of college presidents (Academia who in my opinion are solely interested in settling some schoolyard score with the bullies who stole their lunch money and spraypainted "nurd" across their lockers.) Why is the NCAA not run by a group of ATHLETIC Directors?!? So I guess we're going to settle it their way, which will backfire when Less Miles proceeds to meet Jim Tressell on the 50 yardline after the game for the handshake and instead gives him a wedgie, breaks his glasses, and steals the BCS trophy.

And for the record, I don't cheer for SEC teams during the bowl season-- at least not per se. I will cheer for a team if I liked them before this bowl season (most of whom never make it to a bowl game anyway) OR if they are playing a team I detest (no further explaination needed) but I do not--repeat, do NOT-- cheer for a team on the sole basis of SEC membership. I have no allegiance whatsoever to the SEC as the SEC has no allegiance whatsoever to Alabama. It makes me sick that we even have to share any of our bowl profits with the SEC.

So hopefully that clarifies a few things. I look forward to a time when I can discuss real topics on this blog but now it's time for Yo Gabba Gabba, which incidentally is another appropriate subtitle for this blog...

Internet down...

...but fortunately back up as of this minute. Usually net downtimes are no big deal because let's face it, I'm in all likelihood just killing time (as are those of you who read this blog) but today I was actually Christmas shopping online. I rarely shop online as it drives me nuts to pay shipping and handling (hubby is not the only "cheapskate" in the family I suppose) but today I decided there were a few things that were S&H-worthy. First, I ordered our Christmas cards online. These are always worth the online effort as the Walmart Photo Center (pick the location--any location, it doesn't matter--this statement applies to every single Walmart in America) is slow to the point of madness. And that's January-November. Once you flip that little calendar of yours to December, the Walmart Photo Center somehow morphs into the DMV or the concession stands in Bryant-Denny at halftime. Surely all of you readers have experienced this too. Anyhoo, I ordered plenty of cards this year so there won't be any last minute freak-outs as the pile grows dangerously low while the stress level is high. It's only taken me, ummm, like 7 years to figure this out. Then there were a few gifts that I could only find online so I decided I better order them before it gets any closer to Christmas morning. That one took me about 5 years to figure out. (Quick learner--Roll Tide!) So hopefully I'm nearing the end of my Christmas shopping. At least my husband (and our checkbook) hope so. I also tend to freak out every year that we won't have enough--like I'm stockpiling for World Word III or worse, Walmart going out of business--and then it's over in approximately 15.2 minutes and without fail the smallest, cheapest toy was the biggest hit. So with that in mind, I spent a lot of time on the $1 Target aisle.

So I have lots of things swimming around in my head but quite honestly, there's a lot of snot up there too so I'm not feeling 100%. I know it's just from running around and not getting enough rest but then I can't get enough rest because there's so much snot in my head and I can't breathe. Hello, Mr. Vicious Cycle. I'm starting to lose it I think but good news... it's kind of funny. I let our eldest son have a friend over Friday afternoon and when his dad went to drop the kid off, the little sister (who is only a year younger) looked like she might cry so I offered for her to stay. No big deal... only four kids for one afternoon (and hey, both my sister and sister-in-law LIVE WITH FIVE!), right? All was well until we started loading up the van with all these kiddos, turning off lights, locking the dogs up... but wait! Where the heck are the dogs? OH GOOD GRAVY! They are still at the groomers...on a Friday...at 5:30 PM. So I totally forgot my dogs at the groomers for the first time ever. At least it wasn't a kid, right?


Hopefully I'll have something more interesting to share later in the week. I have a folder full of random articles I've archived to share with you my dear readers, including one about a two-headed cat, but you'll have to wait at least another day. And that, my friend, is what they call a hook.

You dodged a bullet...

...Michigan. Regardless of my feelings for you, ole maize and blue, this is not the guy you want representing your school. He was tailor-made for LSU. Hope this pans out for so many reasons, it's not even funny!

All Quiet on the Western Front

No exclusive tidbits to report from my neck of the woods... no sightings, no hullabaloo, nada. Ssslllooowww news day [crickets chirping] but word on the street is that it will pick up substantially come tomorrow and Sunday. Monday should be a frolicking good time for all football fans in our fair state. I doubt the local-yocal internet providers will be able to handle it so to my Alabamian readers, enjoy your seamless connections and quick downloads today as I fear it is the calm before the storm. Welcome back, Mr. Eventful Offseason.

Good weekend to you all!

PS--My advice to anyone new to this coaching rodeo--don't listen to Finebaum (and I don't even know what he's saying right now... it's just a good rule of thumb.) Listening only ups your blood pressure and his ratings. In my humble opinion, certain message boards are where the action is at (and don't ask me which ones because they change from time to time...)

PPS-- JUST IN! Tubbs just flew back to Auburn and boy are his ears tired. If you like seeing him in all orange, all Auburn then that's a good sign (again, just my humble opinion). Letting a coach return "home" is not good for the suitor--think Rich Rod.

Duck Hunt

I knew that video reminded me of something...

1st Annual Find-Those-Glasses-Now-Buddy-Or-Expect-Me-To-Take-The-$15o-Out-Of-Your-Inheritance Day Recap

Good News: Glasses were found.

Bad News: My dad was the one who found them (after only 5 minutes!) and I'll probably never live it down.

Thanks, P-Paw!

Who were the ad wizards...

...that came up with that one? I honestly thought it was a joke since I first read about it on gump4heisman but much to my dismay (and only slight amusement), it is FOR REAL! Talk about your all-time backfires. What on earth were they thinking and why isn't it bigger news? Have you heard about it? Do tell...



Note to self: Register at Bromberg's on each and every remotely special occasion. Additional note to husband: Arthur Court elephant paraphenalia will look even better wrapped in Bromberg's box. Roll Tide!

What's up with all the "?!?"

Just commenting on the "?!?" theme in my titles as of late...

Could you get mad at this face?!?

You could if you realized those glasses are no longer on that face and that face doesn't know where they are...doesn't care where they are... and HECK! cannot even rule out the backyard as a possibility! I know he's 3 and all but he's quite verbal so the silent treatment/5th amendment approach is GETTING ON MY NERVES. I even offered 5 bucks to the first neighborhood kid who could bring me the glasses but to no avail. So it looks like the 1st Annual Find-Those-Glasses-Now-Buddy-Or-Expect-Me-To-Take-The-$15o-Out-Of-Your-Inheritance-Day is now officially scheduled for tomorrow. Email if you are interested in celebrating this special occasion with us. Free Cokes and Juicy Jumbo hot dogs will be served.

College Football Playoff System--Schyeah!?!

This is basically what I say needs to be done (as in yesterday) and I wish I had the power to do something about it. Anyone want to start a grassroots campaign? Anyone? Anyone?

It's great to be...

...from Alabama! That article is a much-needed ego boost after the past weekend (okay--not gonna lie--the past month! okay--not gonna lie--the past 4 years!) And I've always liked Major Applewhite (pointless tidbit: "Major" was a finalist in kids' names for us) but I don't think anyone is going to be too sad to see him go. Most think he really screwed up JPW's game but I've also heard interesting little rumors here and there as to the real reason for JPW's football demise. Of course, I won't purport them here... that would be irresponsible. ;)

On a related note, it's so nice to not otherwise have Alabama taking a spin on the the good ole coaching carousel this year (at least so far!) Last year I about burned up my motherboard tracking planes, trolling message boards, and stalking blogs for updates--all the while my husband was face-down from his second retinal detachment surgery. Thank you God for a better 2007 (at least so far!)

Seriously--I've got work to do, people, so that will hopefully be it for me now. Not sure if I'll be around tomorrow or not because of a funeral but either way, I've got so much typing to do that I really have no good excuse to be here other than I {{{love}}} my readers (well, at least those of you I know!)

I could so be Jimmy Sexton

Me and my husband called this last night. What a good fit in my humble opinion. And Jimmy Sexton has to have the easiest, best-paying job in all of sports. Carry on, folks.

Forgot to mention this before...

Hey Fran, don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya on the way out. And yeah A&M, we're cool now.

Monday, Monday

What a dark, dreary day and it's raining too. But I'm grateful the rain and ask that everyone who reads this thank God for hearing our prayers. The rain over in our neck of the woods has been most beneficial. And yeah, we lost our football game too. I had planned to write a little bit about the Iron Bowl today but honestly, there's not much to say (except "We suck!") I had hoped against all odds that there was still enough Alabama magic to pull out a win but that's not what this season was about, not by a long shot. At least I have a Daniel Moore to commemorate our last victory over Auburn (6 years ago!) because I'm beginning to forget what that looks like. I do want to tip my houndstooth hat (actually my crimson-and-grey-striped wool Alabama hat) to Auburn for a couple of things from Saturday night. First, they had at least a minute's worth of sincere silence for Siran Stacy's family. It was a touching moment and no goobs on either side messed it up. I hope that was in some way uplifting to the Stacy family. Second, Auburn orchestrated the best fly-over I've ever witnessed--hands down. It was a night fly-over and I've never even heard of anyone else doing that before (am I just an uncultured hick? Wait, don't answer that!) The fighter jets were huge and flew incredibly low (felt even lower to us because we were in the upper deck.) You could just make out the silhouette of the jets and see the glow of jet fuel...SWEET! Anyway, the pregame slightly atoned for the rest of our Jordan-Hare experience, which I won't get into here (hey, that's what the pregame in the west upper deck at BDS is for!) but it had nothing to do with the score. And I'll be the first to admit that every single school in the country has some of "those fans." In fact, we saw some of "those fans" from Alabama before the game and had to apologize for their behavior, which seemed to be much appreciated by the justifiably offended Tiger fans. Ladies and gentleman: Alcohol, The Great Equalizer. And boy are night games the worst! I do have some doozies to tell from the game but you'll have to email me if you want the scoop... they're not fit for print.

I did realize a few things over the weekend that I'll share as quickly as possible.

1. Traveling to 10 out of 12 games over about a 13-week period makes for a long football season.
2. Losing 6 out of those 12 games makes for a longer football season.
3. Losing to Auburn for the 6th straight year makes for an even longer offseason.
4. The older my kids get, the more I miss them when they are gone. Very soon they will have to go with us to the games (ka-ching) or we will have to stop going... I miss them too much to keep doing this! Stay tuned to see what gives...
5. The Auburn player who got bit by the dog was pretty funny in a postgame interview. He seems quite intelligent and represents Auburn well. Wallace Gilberry is about the only Alabama player who represented us well in the postgame media. That's just my take...

Anyway, I just got word this morning that one of our dear friend's father passed away unexpectedly this morning. He's in his mid-50s and this is such a shock to all of us. My in-laws are very close friends of this couple and my husband is close with the son so it has touched our whole family. Obviously football is the last thing on our minds. So today is just another reminder of these Biblical truths:

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. " James 4:13-14

Depressing--sort of--but brings us to this:

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

I wouldn't dare post those things if I didn't whole-heartedly believe those words. May you find comfort in those words today, regardless of your situation.




(And of course, Roll Tide anyway...)

Don't buy into it...

*Note from editor: This post will be short 'n sweet under threat of computer destruction from my husband. He's just thrilled that I'm posting on Iron Bowl Saturday as opposed to getting ready! :)

Don't let any Bama fan tell you this game doesn't mean anything. They may say something like "hey, it's his first year of 'The Process' and things don't change overnight" or "this season's shot already so who really cares?" or "yada yada yada..." I assure you any REAL Bama fan wants this game and wants it bad. Saban should want this game and want it bad as it will set the tone for the rest of "The Process." Beating both of UA's rivals in your first year goes a long way in justifying $4 mil... and don't let any Bama fan tell you that's not worth the cost of admission alone! Like someone famous once said (Frank Broyle's maybe?!?! Someone from Arkansas, for sure..) "The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards." And yes, I'm putting this out here on the world wide web at about 10:00 AM central so that no one (including myself!) can say I felt otherwise about this game. It will be real easy to make excuses one way or the other AFTER the game and I don't ever, ever want to be that kind of fan! (However, I reserve the right to reverse all of my football picks on the rare occasion that they make me look like a buffoon!) ROLL TIDE y'all and have a happy (AND SAFE) Iron Bowl Saturday!

Woo-Hog! Soo-ie!

Love my maw, love my paw... how I love ole Arkansas (or Ar-Kansas if you're Less Miles!)

Happy 100th!

First OJ, then Barry, now this! Lots to be thankful for I suppose...

By the way, it's my 100th post and I wanted to post something a little more monumental for the big 1-0-0 but it's just as well cuz I'm not going to have a lot of time over the next couple of days. HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL!

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Gettin' their hate on...

It's obvious by now that most everyone outside the "Sabanation" despises Nick Saban. Fair enough, I suppose. He's probably not the most likeable guy and it's also true that at least once in his life he was a bald-faced liar. But the outcry over his remarks yesterday is just ignorant. (FYI, I like Scarbinsky and usually enjoy his articles. Also, I'm not standing up for Saban because he is Alabama's coach. That's the truth, whether you want to believe it or not.) All I'm saying is that he did not imply that this loss was like 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. He did imply that change usually follows something catastrophic. Case in point: Saban said "Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event. It may be 9/11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to a catastrophic event." Inappropriate would go something like this: "Our team imploded just like them Twin Towers on 9/11" or "We're Alabama so we should have been able to sink ULM's ships just like the Japs did to us at Pearl Harbor" or "So help me God, I'm going to freakin' drop the A-bomb on this team like we did to those SOBs after Pearl Harbor." See the difference?

So he talked about some tragedies at a football-related press conference... at least he remembers 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. A quick viewing of Jay Leno's "Jay-walking" would show he's in the minority. People in this country need to care more about what we can do to prevent another 9/11 (hello Patriot Act!) and become a little less sensitive to people referencing 9/11. Now Ann Coulter was out of line with her 9/11 remarks--not Nick Saban-- but it seems people just like her a heckuva lot more than Saban.

And on a related note, word on the street is Saban's handlers will be asked to issue an apologetic statement tomorrow to the Rapers and Pillagers Alliance Against Defamation. Now I will give you this: Saban most definitely miscalculated when planning his speech to the team... I think he lost them at Pearl Harbor.

PS-- Brownie points for Saban in my book: He spanked his kids! :)

PPS--I couldn't have said it better myself! Seriously, I know I'll keep finding stuff here 'n there to add to this post but I'm officially cutting myself off from editing this post any further. Hopefully I'll get in one last football post before the Iron Bowl.

PLEASE Watch This!

A: It's cute. He's cute. In my humble opinion.
B: It cost me a half-roll of Sweet Tarts, an hour of Gamecube, and a Ferrari when he turns 16 (hey, he didn't stipulate that it had to be functional!) to get this thing made. Enjoy and Roll Tide!

So sad...

Regardless of your team affiliations (like they really even matter) just please pray for Siran Stacy and his family. Pray for God's comfort and peace that surpasses all understanding through Christ. Amen.

PS- That photo was taken at the scene of the accident.

I told you so!!!!

Click here at your own risk. The songs are NOT radio edit.

If you don't laugh, you'll cry...

Sorry about the couple of durty wurds here but it's so funny and I couldn't help but take a jab at ourselves. Well, it's probably more of a rip on ULM and I'm not sure the folks from ULM would find it funny so all apologies to Tim McGraw and the ULM family.

PS- Click at your own risk on that gump4heisman site. That guy is SNL-hilarious with SNL-raunchiness to match. If you are easily offended then the College Football Monkey will singe the ears right off your head.

Conspicuously absent?

No, just undeniably exhausted. Let's see... I think we've now gone to 9 games in about 11 weeks and it's finally catching up. Of course it doesn't help that WE LOST TO ULM, people! I don't really have a lot to add to what's out there in the media, though I'm happy to answer a few FAQs:

1. Is this Alabama's worst lose ever in your mind? I don't know if Bama as a team has ever looked worse than they did on Saturday. They don't care and it's obvious. It reminds me of the time Freddie Milons reportedly refused to load the team bus going to Starkville because of some team "issues" shall we say. For sure this one ranks right up there in the Top 5 or so but I have at least a couple that rank ahead in my mind. Since it's Iron Bowl week, I'll recap a couple of Iron Bowl games that were nothing if not abso-freaking-lutely miserable. 2000 was the first time they played the game in BDS and we as a Bama Nation were all hyped up. I even left my itty-bitty one at home so I could make the trip. It was so cold and damp, I had frozen hair just like a scene from Titanic. Literally, my hair crunched if I moved it. And yeah, of course you know we lost. Then there was the Iron Bowl two years ago where I sat next to a 40-something-year-old woman in a rubber tiger hat who knew nada about football but screamed and carried on as though she was a defensive coordinator. I think I got up and "relocated" after Brodie's 9th sack. In 1997 Alabama lost its homecoming game to La Tech (at the time they were revered about like ULM, even though they had Tim Rattay under center if my memory doesn't fail me) and I actually sat through the entire game despite the fact that my grandmother was in the hospital on life support. My dad didn't even go to the game (a real rarity) to be with my mother but he insisted that I go and sit in their seats since there was nothing I could do at the hospital. I was already in a raw mood and that game did nothing to offer solace from the situation. Then of course there is my all-time favorite... back again in 2000 I sat through the entire UA-Southern Miss game at Legion Field despite the fact that I was 38 weeks' pregnant. I was swollen (and clearly on the verge of preeclampsia, though I didn't know that at the time) We lost 21-0. My famous last words: "If they put Tyler Watts in that game for one more series, I swear I'm going to go into labor..." 9 1/2 hours later, we welcomed our first son into the world. True story.
2. So did you boo the team on Saturday? Actually, no, I did not. Do you think the players who deserved the boos really care? They just got 4 years of college for FREE with very little work actually required of them. And the way I figure it, listening to boos is a small price to pay. Those who really do care about the team don't deserve the boos.
3. What about JPW, since you at one time "hearted" him? Undecided. He definitely sucks it up as of late and has lost all semblance of confidence but I think he cares, I think. So far he hasn't said anything boneheaded in the media this week (ie: "I don't think I'm really playing that bad.") Like I told my husband (who at times heckled JPW but let's face it, he's jealous of my affections!) At the time JPW was recruited, we couldn't get a Vince Young or Dennis Dixon-esque player so we remain stuck with a fair-haired, blue-eyed boy who grew up wanting to don the Crimson jersey. I'm not going to boo a guy for doing the best he can do, even though he's clearly outmatched in Division-I football. In case the Bama fans haven't noticed, here's the names two other guys who wanted to sign with Bama about the same time as JPW: Brandon Cox and Chris Smelley. Look up their stats.
4. So what's your take on the game this weekend? Given the track record of my previous picks (see previous post entitled "Because everyone else is doing it..."), I'm picking Auburn by three touchdowns (that be 21 points for those of you from LSU!) Me thinks the Aubs might need to quit laughing (hey, for real, I'd totally be laughing too!) just long enough to figure out how the heck to fit "Honk if you sacked John Parker Wilson" on a bumper sticker! You'll probably need about about 90,000 of 'em come Saturday night.
5. Which brings me to: Are you still going Saturday night? Why, yes I believe I will and thanks for asking. Someone has got to go and absorb the punches to a once-proud program. I'd be mortified if I turned on ESPN and saw no one in crimson except the band... which is a distinct possibility given the current atmosphere at The Capstone.

Well, that's it for now. I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving! Just freaky how time has evaporated as of late...

I'm Guilty...

...I know I am. I think essentially every Alabama fan is guilty of bad-mouthing Leigh Tiffin at one time or another (or many, many times maybe) so I was floored by the stats in this article. And I promise you, Leigh Tiffin knows exactly what he needs to do to make a name for himself. Wish I had time for more football talk but I've got so much to do before I scoot outta here. Turns out I will most likely be at the game tomorrow. I was going to let my ever-deserving MIL go but we got some extra tickets so it looks like we can all go. I was cool with not going because it turns out that we finally seem to have secured tics to the Iron Bowl but I do want to enjoy the game with the boy formerly known as Mr. Roll Tide --->(aka Mr. UPS and Mr. Popcorn). I have LOTS to say about football, including the picks I made last week (UGH!) and the Ducks' loss last night (double UGH!) but it's not looking likely that I'll post again before Sunday. Have a great weekend y'all and ROLL TIDE!

Boo...

...hoo :(

It's right up there with this "tragedy"

Just sad...

Random really but nothing more to say than just sad.

Real Quick

Man, November has turned out to be busier than October so far and that's bad news in my humble opinion. Regardless, there's nothing I can do about except be the best steward of my time/energy as possible, which includes not blogging as much as I might like. So my apologies for those who have checked the blog in hopes of killing some time with my random (some say pointless) posts. If there were more hours in the day then I'd post more... no, no, I probably wouldn't. I'd sleep more.

Anyway, here's the point of this post. Now if you'll notice the date on this article is November 13, 2007. Now didn't it rain in Georgia on November 14, 2007? (Maybe it was actually the 15th but they're on eastern time so that doesn't count.) God's hearing us... let's keep it up (and remember to thank God for his faithfulness thus far!)

"It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil." Deuteronomy 11:13-14

Watch out now!

Just ask Logan Young what "they" will do to you. That's right, you can't. He's dead.

In random news...

Paris Hilton's latest crusade. And by "drunken elephants" she really means Lindsay Lohan and other girls weighing over 100 pounds.

From the pages of Cat Burglary for Dummies. Unfortunately, he skipped the last chapter entitled "How to Dislodge Your Bloated Body from Itsy-Bitsy Opening and Avoid Needless (and Embarassing) Death."

For those of you who wonder "what ever happened to Boy George?"... now you know. Unfortunately (fortunately) I don't know enough about his music to make a snide comment. Feel free to add a comment of your own.

And lastly, something inspiring. It's good to see that above all, common sense still triumphs in this country.

October 31st Pics

Here's a few pics from halloween. Just FYI, our oldest son wanted to be a UPS driver. I think he originally wanted to be Dale Jarrett, the Nascar UPS driver but it evolved into the big brown UPS truck driver. So we made the little one the UPS package and my husband wore the big brown UPS truck, which was constructed from our new TV's cardboard box. My husband enjoys making costumes out of cardboard boxes and the last picture shows the one that started it all... random, I know!

PS- Mr. UPS Driver (formerly known as Mr. Popcorn) is down and out with a stomach bug so I don't know when I'll get around to a real post but as always, check back often!

Happy Birthday

P-Paw!

Thanks, Veterans...

Enjoy your Veteran's Day and remember to thank God for folks like this (and the countless others!)

PS- I'm posting "on location" so that's it for now. See you Tuesday!

Yow-za!

So the picks aren't going quite as planned and the only one that really matters really backfired. My UA prediction would've looked like sheer genius if we only played one quarter of football but turns out they play four. YIKES! That game was sloppy-ugly for Bama and they definitely deserved to lose. Where's the fast forward button on "The Progress?"

PS-- I reverse my picks for the remaining games...ha!

Corndog U

So can any of my friendly Aubs confirm this? (Editor's note: the original link was the incorrect link... sorry for any foul language!) I found it while googling "LSU corndogs." I have a confession, I've heard the corndog talk all season long on message boards, etc but then one of my friends referred to it, which reminded me to just google it so I can be in the loop. So I did and that blog entry was first on the list. I dare you to read it and not pee, just a little, in your pants. Yeah, I said it... what's it to you? I've birthed two kids and whether or not any other woman will ever admit it to you, you have bladder issues after pregnancy. So what, now Bama is Incontinence U? Laissez le bon temps roulez...

Per a suggestion...

...so I got an email with a link to this and knew many of you would enjoy, especially my Bammer friends. Now I think I need to make a clarification... much to the horror of my father, I used to be a Notre Dame "fan" (using that word loosely as I was never a "fanatic") because I liked the little Irish man. Plus I like the color green, I'm part Irish (isn't everybody?), and they've got a decent law school so I thought it seemed like a logical choice. Then I wrote a paper on the 1966 Bama team and, let's just say, things changed. That plus some other Catholic-related events has pretty much purged me of my once-warm feelings towards "The Irish." And oh yeah, I outgrew that size small ND sweatshirt years ago! Kudos to Stacie (a frequent reader but extremely infrequent commentor!) for sending me that video.

PS-- After watching some Gameday this morning, it should be obvious that I didn't "cheat" with my picks below... they pretty much disagree with every team I chose!

Because everybody else is doin' it...

... so as I've mentioned before, this blog is purely for my entertainment so basically I'll do as I please, even though I know this post is going to bore each and every one of you into oblivion. But I've had a long, long (long) day so mostly I'm looking for an excuse to veg out on the computer...I look like I'm working so hard, pounding away at my keyboard so no one asks me to do anything. Really, it's pretty nice... you should all get a blog and try it.

And since I get to enjoy a Saturday at home, I decided to make the day more interesting by going "on the record" with my picks. Yeah, boring I know--sue me.

Florida at South Carolina: South Carolina... Urban Meyer is a goob. And rhythmic clapping never beat anybody in the SEC.

USC at Cal: Cal just because USC is on the downswing.

Texas A&M at Missouri: A&M wins as Fran makes a last-ditch (futile) effort to save his job.

La Tech at LSU: I wish La Tech, I mean I really wish La Tech, but LSU will roll them. Less, watch out for the Rebs though... in case I don't get a chance to say it before next week I take Ole Miss in that match-up.

Kansas at Oklahoma State: The Pokes coach cracks me up but I don't think he's really that good of a coach... plus, Kansas is getting hosed this year and are REALLY REALLY good. They crush the Cowboys on Saturday.

Air Force at Notre Dame: Ticked about being an underdog, Notre Dame doubles their wins this season with a victory over Air Force.

Arkansas at Tennessee: Arkansas finally takes one from Tennessee (start packing Phil!) Does anybody else remember that Arkansas quarterback (Clint Stoerner?) laying the ball on the ground for UT several years ago? I still think he was paid. My gosh I'm a loser for remembering that.

Illinois at Ohio State: UPSET ALERT! Ron Zook is kind of a dweeb but I pick the Illini to make the BCS ratings that much more confusing (and political).

Auburn at Georgia: Flip a coin... I don't know how I feel about this game and am probably too emotionally invested to make an accurate pick. However, I think Georgia LOSES this game if they wear those ridiculous black jerseys. Otherwise, I give them the edge in a very close one. Tubbs, true to his Riverboat Gambler image, makes it very hard to gauge whether or not he's focused on his job or handing out resumes. Seriously, flip a coin.

Alabama at Mississippi State: I'm telling you, my husband can't stand the "Go State... Go State!" cheer. Ironically, my oldest son (and football "Rainman") loves Mississippi State, primarily because of Bully the bulldog mascot. Our stuffed Bully will "magically" disappear tomorrow morning... Anyway, back to the game. Mississippi State is probably a better team than they get credit for. They know they are disrepected in the SEC (and country) right now so they are ripe for an upset. But I, probably against better judgment, pick Bama to win in a rout. In further related step-outs, I envision UA's secondary having a field day.

Well, as of Sunday you will probaby see why I don't do this for a living (legally or off-shore) but I figured it would be fun to put my butt on the line with a few picks. And seriously, no one is actually going to take the time to read this post so what's there to lose? ROLL TIDE and enjoy your weekend.

PS-- I assure you once football season is over, I will cover other topics. In fact, if my calculations are correct, 2008 is an election year which means I'll probably perch myself on a soapbox for most of the year (11 outta 12). Trust me, you'll either quit reading or long for football season...

Busy Morning

so can't type much but I was reading Pat Forde's article on ESPN, which has some good stuff regarding Notre Dame--a team I formerly supported, of course that was before I earned my history degree! Anyway, he links to this youtube video and it reminded me of how I've felt over the past few seasons at The Capstone (just substitute high-powered rifle for paper shredder.) Here's to what's already become better days...

PS-- GO DUCKS! QUACK ATTACK! QUACK ATTACK!

Free PSA

Aquadots (whatever the heck those are) are being recalled and though I don't regularly advise it, I'd take this one seriously and throw away every single one you can find. They're covered with GHB (aka: the date rape drug) and are very easy for a youngster to swallow. You just can't make this stuff up, folks.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming already in progress...

I keep bookmarking these bits and pieces of randomness so here they are in no particular (random!) order...

Article #1: Helpful advice I suppose, although I suspect the "fish and amphibians" enjoy the free Vicodin and fentanyl. Alas, they are ruthless in their pursuit and will probably just eat the poo. I suppose the same could be said for Britney Spears a crystal meth addict.

Article #2: I suspect the "horrified teacher" was a MAN because someone (anyone) could have put an end to the shenanigans if they so desired.

Article #3: Edible gold? But who would want to eat it?!?!

Praise The Lord!

So it started yesterday afternoon when I picked up the phone about 4:45... "Okay Steph, don't panic but I'm on the way to see Dr. B (an optometrist friend from church) because I'm having some floaters in the left eye" said my husband. Me in response, "I'm on my way!" and like that I was stressed and nervous to the point of having a rash across my pounding chest. For those of you who don't know, my husband has had detached retinas in both his eyes. So he's also had close to a dozen eye surgeries in the past four and a half years. And he's honestly one of the last people you would wish that kind of stuff on but nonetheless, he married me so he's probably destined for more than his fair share of an uphill battle. And because we've bounced from one medical emergency to another in this family, I tend to be a little apocalyptic in my expectations. So I fully expected our last-minute trip to the specialist to be doom and gloom, another detachment or some rare eye cancer (again, if you only knew the half of it--someday I'll share all those stories but they are looooonnnnngggg) or something equally devastating. Plus, it's Mississippi State week and I'm telling you, my husband just has issues with that game. The doctor discovered the detachment last year on Thanksgiving Eve (the scrub nurses were lovin' us as they were called back in to work all night on his eyes) but they feel like it actually detached a couple of weeks before--dun, dun, dun--around the time of the MSU game. It appeared we had gotten Croomed once again.

But as of about noon central standard time, it looks like all is well with his eyes and our life can return to normal programming. Thus, I'm praising the Lord (the one and only Jesus) for another day of mercy. I had honestly resided myself to God's apparent will that we become oversea missionaries but it looks as though we'll have to shelve those plans for now. I cannot tell you what a blessing the main eye doc has been. He is an awesome, awesome guy with amazing abilities as well as a heart for God and his patients. We didn't even know he was a Christian until years after our first meeting but it was always obvious he was a special man. We thank God for leading him into our lives and for all the people who bless us but we mostly thank Him for His infinite mercy and grace that gives us assurance no matter the situation....because I can most assuredly plan on another "situation" at some point in the future. :)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Seriously, one last post...

Happy Anniversary to G-Jo and P-Paw! CONGRATULATIONS! (to them, not Richard Nixon)

Also, Happy Birthday to Jen! Give her some blog meter love --->

Quick Thoughts...

...on stuff not nearly as important as the last post but since I know most people who read blogs are just looking for a way to pass time at work, I'll give you some fluff. There's this and this about Tubs and his future at Auburn. My take? He's jockeying for a raise and/or extension at Auburn. There's no way he wouldn't at least somewhat play the little deny game if he was really going somewhere. And don't tell me it's because he's above it. But fear not! I think Ole Miss is finally over it all (though probably not over the Alabama game. FYI, Colonel Reb, he stepped--and was not forced-- out of bounds.) Lastly, geez Arkansas boosters... who's laughing now?

So I'm cracking up about all these articles suggesting Alabama is looking to exact revenge on Mississippi State. For what? Practically signing, sealing, and delivering the dismissal letter to Mike Shula? The way I see it, we should pay Crooms' salary for at least a year as a thank you! Think about this: Alabama waits until 2007 to can Shula and find a replacement. Michigan cans Lloyd Carr (I think increasingly unlikely but still a possibility) and hires Less Miles. Saban decides now is a good time to return to college and goes back to LSU. Texas A&M also throws down the gauntlet and offers to pay top dollar for a coach, making for one heckuva bidding war. So let's see, now we can re-hire the canned Fran, we can make a play for Tubbs, or we can hire Houston Nutt (Nutt being the operative word!) Maybe we could hire the Boise State coach (not a bad hire) or Jim Harbough from Stanford but now a year into "The Process" would anybody other than Phillip Fulmer go back and change the outcome of last year's UA-MSU game?

PS-- Happy for the Britt family!

Awesome job, Crosby's Mom!

Since Crosby's mom posts pretty regularly on their Caring Bridge Journal (and also since some folks may be reluctant to take the time to visit the link), I thought I would re-publish her post onto my blog before it gets covered up with new posts. It's so awesome I believe it should be read by as many people as possible. Just a quick background in case you are new to this site, Crosby is a 3-year-old (realized today that he is almost exactly the same age as our youngest) with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer in his nasal cavity (I'm sure there are a lot more technical descriptions that would be more accurate but hopefully you get the gist!) Anyway, they found the cancer a couple of months ago on a routine replacement of the tubes in his ears (how many readers can relate to that?!?) and now, with virtually no warning or time to cope, they have been thrown into this "new normal" routine of chemo and nonstop tests. Crosby's mom's posts are so genuine and a true testament to what faith in God the Father and Son can carry you through. If you don't know Jesus, please think about how you would react to the same situation and please know that only through freedom in Christ can you ever really survive. Again, please take the time to read:

Here is a quick update & new thoughts that pop into my head while bathing Emery at night! Bret went to the Doctor today & got some medicine. between meds, rest (haha) and exercises (cross your fingers) he should be feeling much better in 10 days. i know the medicine will happen - the other things- keep praying!!!!Crosby turned 3 1/2 today! It is hard to believe that 2 months ago everything turned upside down...yet he played Candyland with Pop-Pop & played Rescue Heroes most of the day! He still is going hard (besides a few moments of rest here & there). I told my mom- if he had hair & his eyes didn't look droopy- would you know he was sick? not really! We had a great visit with mom & dad- thank you!I usually have great conversations with the Lord while giving Emery a bath. Tonight through tears (probably because I was tired & marveling at His grace) I had an addition to my thoughts on how our sin mirrors cancer. When the Dr. took out Crosby's cyst it was diseased. A tumor. Miraculously all tests showed the cancer was gone first time. When Christ went to the Cross our sins were covered once & for all! So..the new twist is the Chemo. In all the kids books- they show Chemo as a good thing. Fighting the cancer- eating it up. SO...I was pondering how Chemo is like our sanctification process. The sin is forgiven. The Dr. got all Crosby's cancer- yet Chemo is to kill if there are any tiny cancer cells elsewhere in his body. It is hard & yucky. sometimes that is what He does in our lives to move us toward becoming more like His Son. Rooting out all the junk (sin) that is not of Him. WOW...i am seeing him refining me & teaching me through this "chemo" process in my life. I don't know if that even makes sense...BUT maybe one day this might be a great talk at a meeting! : )
So..through the tears I continue to see God's hand on our whole process & Crosby's life. Only He knows- but we have been recipients of how the Body of Christ moves & takes action. Even today I received Bible verses in the mail specifically answering prayers & encouraging us. meals have been provided (especially on days when we don't plan on being at Clinic all day)! Awesome. God is good- even through times & seasons such as this. We go back on Thursday for his blood to be tested & for his Vincristine. (thankfully that is not count dependent). Crosby & I have runny noses. Pray that his dries us quick & does not turn into anything with his immune system so low. Pray that I am EXTRA cautious on washing hands!!! The nurse said that is all I can do! Thank you for praying...exhausted but pressing on.

Ponderations from last Saturday

9,999,997...9,999,998...9,999,999...10,000,000! Wait, um, no--didn't really help. But since I'm already in violation of the 24-hour team rule (Remember? Honorary Captain? Hello?!?!), I figure I better get a few things off my bruised chest despite not really longing to write about the game. Yes, it did take that much out of me and thanks for asking. And okay, you got me... Bear Bryant didn't say "I have not yet begun to fight!" It was Mike Tyson I believe... or maybe Don King. Not quite sure....however, Bear Bryant did say "the same things win that always won and we just have a bunch of different excuses if we lose." That's how I feel about this game. There's lots and lots to whine about but I won't. Coulda, shoulda, woulda--that's for sure! And no, it's not a moral victory by any means. That loss stung and quite honestly took a good bit of wind outta my sails for a while. When does "The Process" finally start paying off and when, oh when, can I finally see us knock off a Top 3 in BDS? Those are rhetorical but, as always, feel free to comment with your educated guesses. I think it would be counterproductive to engage in a play-by-play recap. But you know what would be productive (not to mention fun) ? For me to engage (in the name of sore loser-manship) in a fan-by-fan recap of those chumps formerly known as the Saban Nation (version 3.0 and for those of you keeping up, Alabama is currently version 5.0). I think there is more than enough material left in my RAM for a decent post. Shall we?

• Mike the Tiger has obviously been replaced by a pimp. Otherwise, there would be no explanation whatsoever as to why a good one-third of the LSU nation dresses in pimp suits--hat and all. Seriously, everywhere we turned there were guys strutting their over-sized stuff in a purple and/or gold pimp suit. I don't even know where they make those things or how much you have to pay (or be paid) to wear one but it's now glaringly apparent to me that Red Stick (ya know, American for Baton Rouge) must have derived its name from the region's most prominent industry (aka the red light district) and not its Indian ancestors. Furthermore, these folks appear to be proud of this!
• With a pimp as the new mascot, there was obviously no longer a need for this so it must have been auctioned off on Ebay. Why? Because Mascot Mike the Tiger-- full garb, head and all--sat about three rows behind us in the Alabama season ticket holder upper deck. That's right, there are no visitor tickets in this entire deck so you would have to be unprecedentedly obnoxious and/or clinically insane to wear that get-up to the game. And wouldn't you know it, the "man" underneath was an arse, a 40-something arse. Shocker, I know! Upon prowling his way to his seat, he was told by a 300+lb Alabama fan to take the head off as it was obstructing others' views. I don't think this dude's 80-lb, quite-possibly-heroin-addicted, and also 40-something-year-old companion was any match (and you know this guy's not going to fight his own battle!) So he took it off... and then proceeded to wave it in the air after every positive LSU play. He quite wisely vacated his seat (aka punked out) after Javier Arenas' punt return for a TD in the 4th quarter to a chorus of boos. Much to my horror, I found good ole Mike hanging out under the upper deck after I vacated my seat following JPW's fumble (not to be confused with a punk out but rather an inability to stomach the nailing of the coffin). He was making out with his aforementioned tranny companion in between harassing Alabama fans who IN ALL HONESTY had said nothing to this tiger-man. I believe a lovely time was had by all.
• Airbrush must be the new monogram in Louisiana. These otherwise affluent-appearing people airbrushed things by the truckload in anticipation of Saban Bowl I. I'm not kidding you... all out fluorescent-colored airbrush akin to the tacky car tags from Panama City Beach. My vote for best dressed goes to the guy with "$aban: #1 $ell-out" airbrushed across the back of his purple pimp suit. If only I had a picture...
• Also in the category of "if only I had a picture..." is the LSU fan who was wheeling his giant cooler down the sidewalk when the plastic handle gave way, thus spilling his beer and ice all over the place. A classic "T!I!G!E!R!S!"moment.

I'm sure there's more lodged in my brain but I'm trying as hard as I can to put it all behind me. I'm burning donating my son's LSU shirt to somebody-- anybody--and saving for a trip in the distant future to good ole Death Valley (incidentally, that name was derived from the universal sentiment that visitors would rather die than live life as a LSU fan.) I'm not sure I could make a round trip to LSU in the near future... I'd either perish in battle or rot in jail.

As always, Roll Tide!

Blog Maintenance

I'm trying to do a little maintenance on my blog... add new (actually year-old pic but too lazy to upload truly new pic) pic to help you put a face with the name and also delete outdated poll (Plumberboy still has not made scorecard but did present me with a computerized draft) and oh yeah, fix time stamp as somehow my posts were being logged in PACIFIC TIME. I even tried to find a way to offer Steph's Other Space blog subscriptions but I'll have to research that one and don't really feel inclined to do so at this par-tic-ular time. Anyhoo, I am considering writing a football post. My apologies to those who enjoyed the break as well as to those who waited with baited breath for my take on Saban Bowl I (yes, they shall be numbered as they may have won the battle but certainly not the war. Didn't Bear Bryant once say "I have not yet begun to fight!"?)

The Machine Rolls On...

I suppose everybody in the NFL cheats. Me thinks this nifty trick is an import from Peyton's days in Neyland Stadium. GO PATS!

Whoa Nelly...

Talk about your all-time backfire...

Feeling Guilty...

...for even caring about that football game at all. The blood transfusions hit home for me because we were told our little one would need them during his hospital stay with every-30-minutes-like-clockwork blood tests. I remember him being so pale and skinny, obviously anemic while all he could get was tube feedings but for some reason, and God alone knows why, he never needed a transfusion. Thanks for the perspective, Abba Father.

Still.Too.Mad.To.Post.

At least anything coherent (or in line with my Christian beliefs).

Miscellaneous Thoughts

In other words, random ramblings from my mind as fast as I can type them out because I've got a gajillion things to do before we head out this weekend. But I do want to talk/type a little football because whether I like it or not (or a little bit of both), the season is winding down game-wise. Of course, the action is really only starting to heat up in T-town, as it does every November. I believe down in Auburn they call it the Amen Corner. So here's some of my thoughts on the topic, prepared as coherently as possible. First, did you see the VT-GT game last night? Does Virginia Tech ever play on Saturdays anymore? They are like the poster child for Thursday night college football. Their mascot should be Kirk Herbstreit or someone from ESPN because they are on the sidelines as much as their turkey on Thursday nights. Anyway, the only interesting part of the game I can remember is this. I hope for VT's sake that someone really did steal those jerseys and the equipment reject guy didn't forget those dudes' jerseys. Talk about a long walk back to Blacksburg. (Just FYI, everything in Virginia ends with a -burg.) Oh yeah, can't remember if I mentioned the Red Sox winning the World Series. GO SOX! That's about all I can muster because really I just don't care about baseball, especially MLB. But I've been to Fenway and all my in-laws are avid Sox fans. My father-in-law wears the "Now I can die in peace!" from the 2004 World Series. They've all been fans for-evah so I'm glad they are finally reaping the rewards. That reminds me that I don't think I've mentioned this before "officially" (though I was asked about this by a "reader"), but we're big Pats fans around, as in the New England Patriots, as in the Belichick-Brady machine. My husband still has his old Patriots posters--you know, the kind you used to be embarassed to hang. Now they seem unstoppable. I think they might go undefeated this year (shouldn't say that before the big Colts game, sorry hon!) and make the Dolphins fans feel even worse. Now speaking of the Dolphins... isn't that the fan base that should hate us?!?! Have they even won a game this year? Suddenly Saban's season last year isn't looking like such a blemish on his record seeing as Miami can't do anything this year it seems. Hey, didn't we loan y'all Bear Bryant once? Oh, he stood you up? Yikes, sorry about that too. It's not like we ever did anything to y'all's "Bear Bryant" Don Shula. WHAT? We canned his son? Yow-za! Moving on, moving on people... isn't there anything else we can talk about? Anyone else out there who hates Alabama? LSWho? No, no, seriously. I'm not going to engage in idle name-calling. They have a great coach in Less Miles and he should be committed commended. There's so much out there, I really wouldn't know where to begin. I've had a lot of people (two) ask me my take on the game. Obviously, they are a good team with lots and lots of fo-real talent. I think we can hang with them but it'll be close if not a blow-out on their part. It pains me to think about them coming in and winning but I think it's a distinct possibility. But like I've said before, no true Alabama ever expects to lose a game so I'm expecting a win... I'm just not betting on it. And as someone funny once said, Coach Miles is a "dunce of destiny" so I can only hope his luck is up by tomorrow. As far as the emotions go, LSU fans are unbelievable. Like truly, truly outrageous. Don't take that as a compliment. I don't even know why they hate Saban so much. HELLO! He didn't leave LSU for Bama. He went to the NFL then wanted out of the NFL and they didn't have a vacancy. And quite honestly, probably not enough ponies in the stable to ante up if you catch my drift. We made a power play and got the best coach we felt was available. He didn't lie to LSU (again, sorry Phins!) so what's their problem? I hate that Saban came to us the way he did and he did handle it wrong but again, what's that got to do with LSU? They would look a lot less pathetic if they didn't care about it and that goes for their coach too. I don't think it's hard to understand why he wanted to leave Baton Rouge? Did anyone see The Waterboy? (Not the funniest clip but the only one without curse words.) But basically, if you want to get your hate on then let's do it. I'll be there! (Note to self: stop by bank and withdraw enough cash to post misdemeanor bail.) Roll Tide! I won an ice-cold Coca Cola on that game!

PS-- Besides, after Saban wins two rings at Bama then it will feel like home!

PPS- Here's the side of randomness you ordered: I once wrote a paper on Guevara and just find this amusing. Can't you just imagine him looking up at that auction with some giant WASP of a man auctioning off his hair?!?!