Seriously, Sarah Palin is my homegirl!

This was 20 years ago so I'm pretty sure that predates Michelle Tafoya, Jill Arrington, et al. I mean, if she wasn't a lifetime member of the NRA, I'd swear we were soulmates (in a non-Vermont kinda way). Well, I was never in a beauty contest nor do I have 5 kids. And that's a no to the moose-hunting. Okay, maybe we're not that much alike but I think it's safe to say she's my hero. No, she's my homegirl.

Hmmm, Impressive.

Word.

Julio says "Clemson can kiss my Escalade."

PS: My apologies if that caption did not make sense earlier. I was up way past my bedtime!

Alabama Football Is:

Another annoying Editor's Note: Here's some thoughts I jotted down in the heart doc's waiting room today. (Good news, I can safely watch and cheer for The Tide tomorrow. Seriously, no worries. I'm all good.) I like to start off a new season with some general sentiments (kinda like this)... Enjoy!

Alabama Football is:
Working, tithing, feeding/clothing your kids, and then using whatever little bit remains to purchase Bama season tickets, even during the tenures of 3 incompetent Mikes.
Furthermore, it's not even bothering to purchase the magazine with your current coach plastered on the front, declaring him "The Most Powerful Coach in Sports" because you know that until he wins 7 rings, he won't even be our most beloved coach. Probably not even our #2.

It's enthusiastically supporting Dennis Franchione as our new head coach, right up until he jumped ship and left our players holding the rope, all the while knowing he was left with just enough rope to hang himself.
Furthermore, it's anxiously awaiting his next debut, not as a football coach but as a color analyst on ESPN... Radio... calling our big game.

It's being proud of Siran Stacy in 1989.
Furthermore, it's being more proud of Siran Stacy in 2008 than in 1989.

It's gladly letting your dear husband's high school buddy and his wife use your two extra tickets for the Bama-Clemson game because they are on furlough from their mission work in China yet it's still important to them to see Bama play before they head back for another year.
Furthermore, it's knowing you can sit this one out because in 16 short years, you've already seen more amazing football wins than most other fans can only imagine.

It's staying home while your husband and father go to the game without you because you love watching games with your little football prodigies, making sure you're training them up in the way they should go.
Furthermore, it's knowing that yo babies' daddy owes you the next time there's a big game but only two tickets! :)

Roll Tide!

It's A Gift

*Editor's Note: So today I'll have to let the typing, cleaning, packing, etc slide for a few hours more because I am most definitely going to find the time to blog.

Okay, seriously, I'm totally stoked about Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. I'm also a little in shock a la Mal Moore actually bringing home "Saint Nick" from Miami as a belated Christmas present. (Yes, I can relate virtually anything to football. It's a gift. And you're welcome.) You see, just when I thought ole Pop-Pop, my pet name for Bama's AD Mal Moore at the time, was clearly senile--bordering on the need for institutionalization-- he proved me wrong. It turns out he was in fact crazy... like a fox. All his foes underestimated him and in the end, Pop-Pop was the last one laughing. In much the same way it appears John McCain, forever a candidate but never the prez, appears to have been sand-baggin' all along. I mean, Joe Lieberman? Come on! Turns out he was just setting the table for us, my friends. Out of his hat comes what may be the most shrewd political move of the 21st century (I know, it's only 2008!) and to all us gals out there who know women can and must do everything the men do--except backwards and in heels without breaking a sweat-- it's a historic day when we can actually rally behind another woman. Sure, there's been Geraldine Ferraro but she stood for so much of what I stand against. It seems today really is a good day, all my girlfriends! It's a gift.... a gorgeous hand-wrapped gift with a shiny red bow on top.

Choke on it moveon.org!

Signs of the times:

Okay, I couldn't even wait for the real signs to be made!

Celebrating with another generation of women (who also happens to be my neighbor)... I'm glad many of them have lived long enough to see this moment and am praying they'll all make it to November to see it happen for real (then I guess they'll still have to hang on until January for the inauguration...):

(Um, who's neck looks older? Mine, definitely. I'll attribute it to a "bad" angle.)

No explanation should be necessary but if so, then because it's football season:

What's better than choosing Bobby Jindal (no offense)?

This!!! Who says politics are boring? I've been cheering at my TV for the past half-hour and the talking heads are actually tracking planes! (Sound familiar?) Feels more like a Saturday than a Friday to me...

PS: Bobby Jindal still rocks but he's got his hands full with Gustav right now. Who has time for a hobby like veeping when you've got to take care of the place accurately portrayed in The Waterboy? Seriously, God's speed to those in Louisiana.

Update: Don't want to take my word for it that Palin would be a slam-dunk? How about his?

Happy (9th!?!) Anniversary...

Mr. and Mrs. Plumberboy on August 28, 1999

*Random Factoid: Coolest wedding gift? Tickets to the UA-Florida game in The Swamp thanks to our good buddy Lori! Sure, there were lots of other fantastic, thoughtful gifts but that had to be the "coolest," the most memorable, and certainly the most appropriate!

Smile if it's your birthday!

PS: Be sure to leave your birthday wishes in the comments section.

I'll be sure Cotton reads them.

Updates and whatnot:

Hello dear friends. Sorry I have been away for quite some time (notwithstanding the sprinkling of random blog posts... hello Francis Scott Key!) but it's been busy in our neck of the woods. We are in our 3rd--yes, THIRD--week of school with Ricky Bobby. So as of August 11th, I had a 2nd grader for a son and I was officially 30. Yes, I feel old. Thanks for asking. But for the record, they say you are only as old/young as you feel so between arthritis, gray hair, and did I mention a son in the 2nd grade?!?! That makes me somewhere near menopause, give or take a couple of years. Yeah, I feel rather old.

So what else may be of interest to those of you who occassionaly peruse Steph's Other Space? I'll try my best to answer your burning questions but feel free to leave a comment with a FAQ. (Oh dear, that looks much more interesting than it really is!) Anyway, in no particular order:

Mentioning my birthday: No, I did not get a dog. I did get a verbal commitment/contract (binding!) to seriously revisit the issue next August when I send Crabman off to kindergarten. Plumberboy is pricing a licensed therapist to see which is cheaper. (Just for a visual... this is what I want, plus a money-back guarantee it won't grow up to bite my kid in the face. By and by, did you see those dudes with the lion?!?! And I can't even find a dog who won't bite my kid in the face. Sheesh.)

About my friend Stacie: Remember Stacie, the girl whose house was hit by lightening and caught fire? Well, they are doing their best to get back to some sense of normalcy. They will be out of their house for 6 months to a year. Until then, their insurance company will pay for a rental house and they should be moving into that sometime after Labor day. Their brand new minivan was a total loss but they did finally get a rental van until the insurance company can decide exactly how much to give them for a replacement vehicle. Everyone is safe and sound but obviously stressed and out of sync (as opposed to N'SYNC. Har, har.) Hopefully things will get better soon once they settle into their new digs. I've tried to organize a donation drive for folks who have good, clean stuff that they wouldn't mind donating. Everything in the kitchen and the kids' room is a loss because of smoke, water, and insulation damage. So basically they are in need of just about anything! They have two young daughters (ages 2 and about 3 months) so any baby clothes would also be much appreciated. Plumberboy is taking a truckload to them this Saturday (no, I'm not going to the Clemson game... more on that later!) so if you have anything that you are looking to get out of your house and into the hands of someone who could really use it, send me an email and I'll be happy to see if I can work something out. I am also trying to spearhead a gift card drive for them... again, just email me if you are interested. Stacie, if you're reading this, feel free to either leave me a comment with further updates or just email and I'll post it here. There are many, many folks who are concerned about you and your family!

Update on TiVo or not TiVo: Our unanimous answer is to NOT TiVo and I know this is a disappointment to those of you firmly rooted on TiVo's side. Rest assured we know how wonderful it would be to watch all our favorite shows at our convenience without all the commercials but we also decided that we would like to make an earnest effort to drastically cut back on our TV viewing. I cannot imagine a time in the future when we would actually chuck our TV all together but we would like to at least get to a point where we watch as little TV as possible. Let's be honest. It's seriously all trash. Even the news is trashy (beloved FNC included!) If it's not the actual content of the show then it's most definitely the commercials! We love SYTYCD (Hey Jen, I found another "Dear Sister") but it got to where we couldn't even watch it with our kids! Some of the dances were quite racy (that's always been the case) but the real camel's-back-breaking-straw was the Thursday night guest performers. Did you see Katey Perry's performance? If not, then good for you! We saw just enough to get nauseated. I don't know why I didn't change the channel before she came on. She's a one-hit wonder so I knew what she was there to sing. And completely incidentally, I hate the Teen Choice Awards on Nickelodeon. In fact, I hate Nickelodeon all together (though both my kids still love Noggin.) And I'm bordering on that exact emotion for Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana. Okay, I'll end this before I digress any further. I could go on and on and on for days about all of this but the point is, I'm hoping there will be a day in the near future when I can order a la carte all the sports and news channels...and maybe Lifetime. Sure, that's one of the most liberal stations out there (2nd to MSNBC and that goob Keith Olbermann) but I would really miss The Nanny. I know, I know. I'm a hypocritical prude. Thanks for sharing!

New blogging buddy: Hopefully you're following MckMama at her blog. Despite being read by thousands and thousands everyday, she has been known to find time on occasion to grace us with her presence here at Steph's Other Space. I'm honored (and a bit embarrassed) that she'd even take the time to read any of my stuff! She's a really cool gal and a great, entertaining, insightful writer/photographer. (Don't those kind of multitalented folks get on your last nerve?!?! Oh, wait. I guess that's just jealousy!) Seriously, take the time to go read her if you haven't already.

Football: I hope to have an entire post dedicated to my love for UA football in the near future. Keep holding your breath, fingers crossed! :) Currently I spend most of my free computer time (not much of that these days though because lo and behold I actually have typing!) playing Cash Cow on Webkinz. There. I said it. I like playing Webkinz games. And I even got my own Webkinz for my birthday. Her name is Sassy and my user name is MrsPlumber (no punctuation) so look me up! You'd be more likely to communicate with me via Webkinz than facebook anyway. I still hate facebook (but have had quite a few comments on there lately thanks to my sister posting a ton of family pics from the 80s. Did I forget to say "thanks!" Stacy?)

Politics: Every 4 years I watch the party conventions and every time it's the same thought running through my head. Me to myself "Boy, those folks sure need football! That would be a much more productive outlet for their blind enthusiasm, penchant for goofy headgear, and overzealous vocal cords. Not to mention the homemade signs." Besides, you can trust your head football coach more than any politician. Well, maybe not. Oh, nevermind.

Random Tidbit: A couple of weekends ago, Plumberboy and I were honored to participate in a wedding uniting two of our "adopted" college students. The groom's brother/best man and his wife stayed at our house for a few nights to save on hotel costs, etc. We really enjoyed getting to know them and truly found them quite delightful. At some point during their stay, we discussed all things southern, including SEC football. We watched the Olympics, yada yada. A great time was had by all. So anyway, this guy decided to thank us at the end of his best man speech (keep in mind this was a "society" wedding in our current hometown.) and you know what he said? Two simple words: "Roll Tide!" Priceless. Mad props to Bryan and Whitney! :)

Well, I guess that will do it for now. Don't forget your FAQs. :)

History lesson for the day:

Did you know the Star-Spangled Banner as originally written by Francis Scott Key has four stanzas? I have to admit that I didn't either (oh come on! You did NOT know that!)--at least not until today when I was looking over a book for Ricky Bobby to read as homework. I liked what I read so much that I decided to give it some much-needed props here on Steph's Other Space. Pop quiz later this week! :)

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Francis Scott Key, 1814

Maybe it's just me...

Does anybody else think the Democrats' presidential bumper stickers just might backfire? I imagine it will look something like this: Vote Obama-Biden! But when you're zooming past them at 70+ MPH on the interstate, I suspect your first mental image might be this:

I'm just sayin'...

Never again...

Just wanted to check in really quick and give a big shout out of praise to our Heavenly Father for Plumberboy's wonderfully normal routine eye exam today. The doctor was in and out in 5 minutes tops... just the way we like it! And believe me, we won't ever take those kind of routine check-ups for granted again!

We live by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

My bad...

Saban explained why he pulled all the scrimmage highlights off TideTV: "It's no big deal," Saban said. "I don't think that's something that we want to do. That's why we close practice -- so that the other team can't see us. We got on the Internet to see if we could see any of Clemson's plays from their scrimmage and didn't see any. That's not what people usually do when you're getting ready to play a game, to advertise on TV or the Internet. I'm not pleased about it, but it's something that can be corrected and it won't happen again. I don't think the person that did it, did it intentionally."

You can read more about all of this hoopla (well, not really "hoopla" but it's a slow football news day so I guess can you call it that) at Ian Rappaport's blog. And let me once again say "my bad" to Saban and the coaching staff. I would never knowingly help the enemy. And to Coach Tommy Bowden, "Stay off my blog... at least until August 31st!"

Worried? Who, Me?

Yes ME. McCain is suffering from Alzheimer's, Lewy-Body dementia, Parkinson's, or all of the above if he picks Lieberman as his running mate. Seriously. What the... And since I know McCain reads this blog and cherishes my opinion (he should) then I've got to do my little part and carve out a voice of reason here on the world wide web.

Dear Distinguished Senator McCain (catch more flies with honey...):

With all due respect, you are certifiable if you pick Senator Joseph Lieberman as your running mate. While he has many admirable qualities (*trying to remain calm here*), he will ruin your ticket and hand-deliver a defeat. However, I have it on good authority that you will in fact run away--downhill--with the election if you choose Governor Bobby Jindal as your running mate (somewhere in the ballpark of a 65-35 split). Do.Not.Mess.This.Up. Make him reconsider. Since there is no box marked "Not Barack Obama" on our ballot, you have us over a barrel. We're counting on you to do the right thing. We're crying uncle. We get it. Do you?

Sincerely,

One of your earliest fans in Alabama who is hoping you don't make her look like an old fool who's so cool.

PS: Mike Huckabee is still an extremely viable option. Check into it.

PPS: Seriously, don't screw this up.

I'm sure someone out there needs this (we all do!)

I just read this (even though I have a bazillion other things I should be doing) and I feel led to point you in that direction. It's far more eloquent and personal than I could have ever written, though I fancy myself feeling the same way (albeit probably a lot angrier at satan and a lot less peaceful... sorry, that's just the truth!) Anyway, I have no clue AT ALL why God would want me to post it here. I don't know of anyone who might need to read that specifically at this time but still, I wanted to post it here because it blessed me and thought it might bless you too (at least more than that Julio Jones video!)

Just cuz...

Oh, how I long to post about important things while referring to things like Tbilisi, Musharaff, and vacuous (hey, that "chick" Roseanne called Brad Pitt that, not me... darn!) but I have so little time yet an unwaivering commitment to make you chuckle. Oh the dilemma! Although this oughta do the trick...

2nd grade Teacher to Ricky Bobby's class: Let's name things that come in pairs. Anybody?

Ricky Bobby's classmate #1: Hands!

Ricky Bobby's classmate #2: Feet!

Ricky Bobby's classmate #3: Eyes!

Ricky Bobby: Your chest!

Ricky Bobby's teacher: No, you only have one chest.

Ricky Bobby: Well, some people have two! (Motioning to each side of his *ahem* chest)

Funny? Yes? No? Do I have to spell it out for you? If so, he was talking about B-O-O-B-S. That is all for now.

Has it been THAT long?!?!

Apparently it's been so long since I posted that either Blogger changed the dashboard layout and I'm just now finding out or I simply forgot what it looks like. Quite honestly, it could be either of those two. And while I was hoping my first post in such a long time would be well-written, insightful, and even awe-inspiring as I certainly have enough material swimming around in my head... Alas, it is just a cheap-n-easy link to a football video (check the calendar, folks... you should have known this would happen!) Remember Julio? That's him in that highlight reel (a looping reel, no less.) You'll thank me in a couple of weeks we you can speak with authority on the subject and be ahead of the curve. Go ahead, impress your friends!

(And personally, I do find that video to be awe-inspiring... )

No good title

for what I'm about to post. My dear friend Stacie (frequent commenter and resident Aub) lost her house today after it was struck by lightening. Everyone is safe and sound but as best they can tell, it's a total loss. I'll post more here as I can but I may be slow getting info out to everyone as it is extremely busy for us right now. I will be working on ways that we can help this precious family out so stay tuned or contact me if you are interested... it just may take me a while to get back to you. For now, please JUST PRAY FOR THIS FAMILY.

Gone, but not forgotten

While I may or may not have been missed around here lately, I assure you that though I have been gone, you have most certainly not been forgotten. I just made a stupid mistake judgment in error regarding free time during this last week of summer vacation. So, I'm busy schleppin' from here to there, to and fro all the while trying to get the kids back on some semblance of a schedule. Anyway, I have been on the computer but it's mostly been to type medical notes (hiphiphooray!), email RSVPs and whatnot to various acquaitances, and to keep a check on baby Stellan via this blog. I have stalked this poor lady because at times her son's case sounds so similar to Crabman's that I eventually had to reach out to her. We've emailed a few times and I'm definitely praying for her. If you get a chance, read over some of her most recent posts (there are many, many, many but if you efficiently use the categories section then you will be briefed on her situation in a relatively short period of time. Or you can just use your time "on the clock" to read all of her posts...I haven't found a boring one yet!) So once again I'm asking you to keep me on your list of daily browses because I hope to be back at all of this soon. Ricky Bobby heads off to 2nd grade (yikes!) soon and I'm sure I'll some stories to share. There's already a few I can think of but now's not the time. Let's meet back here sometime around the 11th or 12th, 'kay?

PS: Seriously...until I get back, you should follow that blog (okay, you should follow it even after I get my bloggin' groove back!) This woman is going through an amazing, faith-stretching, gospel-preaching, cross-clutchin',hangin'-on-to-all-of-God's-promises-for-peace-and-endurance kinda time. You'll be blessed if you join her.

Thanks for EVERYTHING Johnny...

Hey y'all... luckily my blog is back up and running but unfortunately I have some really sad news. Gene Stallings' son John Mark (seriously, don't ask "who's Gene Stallings?") passed away today in Texas. I loved* that guy (*from afar-- I guess it was more like a real, sincere admiration) and remember seeing him working hard at the Bryant Museum. I'm extremely proud of the Crimson nation (a rarity these days!) because we all loved him, I mean really loved and appreciated him. They just don't "make 'em" like the Stallings family anymore and that's a real tragedy. Here's a great link and another one here. I'll post more links here as they become available but until then, here's a statement from our AD Mal Moore. I thought it best encapsulated all our sentiments:

"I've known John Mark Stallings his entire life," said Alabama Athletics Director Mal Moore in a statement this morning. "I want to extend my deepest sympathy to Coach Stallings, Ruth Ann and the entire Stallings family. For someone who never played or coached a game, I think John Mark may have touched more Alabama fans than any other person ever did."I would like to thank the Stallings family for sharing their love for John Mark with all of us."

WTH?*

*H= Heck although I'm inclined to say something else.

So can any of you out there read this? For some reason I'm getting a nasty message from internet explorer when I try to display my blog page. There does not appear to be a problem with blogger since I can still use the dashboard as usual. I just cannot view my page with either of our computers and I'm quite concerned. I can view other pages and even other blogger pages but not mine. I deleted my last post (sorry Tom!) to see if that made any difference but alas! It did not. PLEASE just leave a quick comment if you can read this. You don't have to leave a name or anything. I just want to see if anyone else is experiencing weird things on their end. If so, I'm truly sorry and will work to resolve the issue or delete this dern blog in a rage!

Stacie: I'm still having problems with the website, even just viewing comments (although I can catch a quick peek before the message pops up) and I can't post a comment. Thanks for your input and I hope others will let me know if they are having problems.