Lookin' at a BUSY week!

Before getting into the week ahead, I have to make my weekly comments about the football weekend. John and I went to Tuscaloosa, but we ended up not going to the game. Yeah, shocker of ALL shockers...I willingly did not go to the game! Somebody better call a doctor. Fast. 'Cause that ain't normal behavior for this football lovin' gal! hahaha

There is a very good reason, though. And as much as I would have LOVED to have sung along with the crowd to Rammer Jammer, we had so much fun doing what we did. So, what DID we do, you ask? Susan had called and said they were considering staying at the condo to watch the game since the weather forecast was for tons of rain. They asked us to come over and hang out before the game, so we did. And it rained. About 1:45, I said something to John about us heading to campus. He said he'd just as soon stay at the condo and watch the game instead of sitting in the rain. "Sounds fine to me," I replied. Tim looked at me and asked if I was okay. LOL So we stayed there and watched the game with some of the best friends in the entire world. Of course, the rain ended about the time the game began.

Susan and Tim are more than friends...they are family, but they are the family we chose, not the ones we were born in to. It never matters what we do when we get together. We always have a good time. We have spent 10 days together chaperoning 20+ kids in Europe; we have spent two hours sitting on the porch at the lake talking. And it has all been great. They are such special people, and we thank God for bringing our lives together. :)

Susan and I walked over to Alumni Hall during halftime of the LSU-Miss St game. I got a new T-shirt for John and one for me (like we NEED more T-shirts) and I got a cute gray zip-front sweater with a script A for myself. Now, I need a 3/4 sleeve white top to go under it. After our game, we walked over to Iguana Grill for dinner (yummy!) and then we stopped in Kinnucan's. Susan and I both got a pair of HOUNDSTOOTH flip flops! Too cute!!

It was another GREAT day to be a Bama fan, with the exception of the injury to Don'ta Hightower. I am truly hoping that his knee is merely sprained or bruised, but from the look on his face as he was being carted off the field, I'm not so sure. There haven't been any "official" reports that I have seen, and I'm not going to believe anything I read on message boards or hear on TV until I can see that it is from Coach Saban.

Our awesome DEFENSE stopped the much-vaunted Ryan Mallett and the Arkansas offense. It was a slow start, but after our guys got their motors warmed up, they didn't stop. Our OFFENSE really shined, too! Greg McElroy is doing a fabulous job of being the field commander, and it seems as if the entire team has really and truly gelled. It is so different from just a few years ago. I know that the season is still new and that there is still LOTS of ball to be played, but it seems like our team has what it takes.

OK...so on to the busy week ahead...

Tomorrow is our Open House at school. Yeah, this is the 8th week of school. Why we are having it SO late is beyond me, but I just do what I'm told. Each year, we all dread Open House because it makes for SUCH a long day. I'll leave home around 6 AM, and I won't get home until after 8 PM. I could come home between the end of school and the beginning of Open House, but that would be 40 minutes of driving. I'd just a soon stay in town. Right after school, I'll get my classroom ready for the parents, and then some of us will go grab a bite for dinner.

When I taught special ed, there would be nights when we (the spe. ed. teachers) would have NO parents whatsoever. That was always so discouraging. Especially when so many of the parents never even came for their child's IEP meeting. It is sad when kids don't have anyone who can or will take an active roll in their lives. True, some parents couldn't come due to jobs, illnesses, etc., but in the 13 years I taught special ed, I can honestly say that there were some parents whom I never met. Sad.

On Tuesday, the pups have to go to the vet for their yearly checkup. Not a fun time for them. Or me. Luckily, their appointment is at 5, so John should be home and can ride with us. Last year, the minute I pulled into the parking lot, Bama groaned. YES, GROANED! He jumped into the back seat, so I had to open the back door to get him out. Then Ali ran to the other side of the car. I was trying to keep Bama from jumping back in and trying to get Ali out...I'm sure it looked like chaos. It was. After I got them out of the car and into the office, someone else came in. Bama managed to slip out of his collar and almost made it out the door. If he had, I know that he'd have been waiting on the steps by the time I got home.

On Wednesday, we'll need to pack because we're going to Gatlinburg for the weekend. Well, until Saturday. Woo hoo!! We've had this planned for MONTHS, and I am SO excited!

Since we're going to be gone from Thursday until Saturday, that meant we had to find something to do with Ali and Bama. At first, we were going to offer to pay Jess and Lance to keep them for us. When I sent her a message to ask, she said that they had planned on asking us to keep Scruffy Pup and Chipper that same weekend because THEY are going to Tennessee for the AU-UT game. (Had I realized that game was being played in Tennessee that weekend, I would have scheduled our trip for another weekend in an effort to avoid a huge crowd. Oh well!)

We debated our options, but we finally decided to board them at Southern Star Farms. Ashlee, who is a teacher assistant for me, works there, and she has assured me that they will be very well taken care of. I don't worry about Ali quite so much because she seems to adjust to change better than Bama, but Bama...well, he mopes when we have to leave to go to work. I talked to the owner, Amber, and she said they'd spend a lot of time playing with him so that he would forget he was supposed to be sad. :) I'm sure I'll call to check on them. They ARE my babies!! LOL

Southern Star Farms in an alpaca farm. After I first talked to Ashlee, I went to the website to look around. In addition to farming alpacas and grooming/boarding animals, they have a store with products made from alpaca wool. One of the first things I saw on the website was a houndstooth scarf, and I fell in love! I ended up going out there Friday and buying two of them..one for me, and one for Susan. (It was her birthday present...for her birthday this past JANUARY! Yeah, a tiny bit late, but I had to find the perfect gift. LOL) I can't wait until it is cool enough to wear it.

I guess that's about it for today. I'm considering making a quick trip to Talbot's at the mall in Auburn to see if they have the perfect shirt to go under my new gray sweater. :)

I'm quite sure I won't be around this week, so have a GREAT one, and

ROLL TIDE!!

Hey, HOGS...We just beat the hell outta you!
Rammer Jammer, Yellow Hammer! Give 'em HELL, Alabama!