A perfect Saturday!

John and I got up about 8, I guess, and did a few things around the house.  Both of his girls called him before we left to wish him a happy birthday, so he got off to a great start.  :)

We left about noon and stopped at Keywest Inn in Clanton to check in.  Boy, am I glad we decided to stay there.  As it was, we didn't get back there until about 1:45.  Had we come on home, it would have been after 3 AM.  Then we headed on to Tuscaloosa.



Dreamland white bread and barbecue sauce



Ain't Nothing Like 'Em Nowhere!

Damage done

Our first stop was the original Dreamland in Tuscaloosa.  This little hole-in-the-wall rib shack has been here since 1958.  John "Big Daddy" Bishop was the founder of this institution, and I fortunately had the opportunity to visit the restaurant before he passed away.  I say fortunately because he was known for sitting in his chair right next to the pit, slopping sauce.  The place is, like I said, a hole-in-the-wall, but on a football Saturday, it will be filled with fans from both teams.  We've stopped as early as 10 AM for ribs.  LOL

John has wanted to get some ribs, so we did since it was his birthday.  They were, as usual, delicious.  You can see that we didn't leave anything on the bones.  While we were eating our bread sopped in sauce, I told John that if I were ever on death row and about to eat my last meal, I would want it to be Dreamland bread, sauce, and ribs.  Not that I ever plan on being on death row or planning my last meal there...

After filling our tummies we headed on over to campus.  We parked and hopped on the transit bus for the quad.  We met up with one of John's high school buddies for a bit.  Mark's company has a huge tent on the quad, but this was the first week we've been able to catch him there.  Mark recently had knee replacement surgery.  We were asking how he is doing with it, and he dropped this neat little tidbit.  He is doing his rehab with Mark Ingram!  Mark's wife, Judy, is Coach Mal Moore's secretary, so Judy asked if it would be possible for Mark to rehab in the athletic department.  So he is, and he is often there when Mark Ingram is.  I asked our Mark if the other Mark is as nice as he seems in interviews.  He said that he is just that nice, if not more.  That makes my heart happy because I WANT my Alabama program to be known for attracting quality young men who represent my school well.

We finally headed to the stadium about 6, but we didn't go in until about 6:30.  It felt so good outside, and we weren't so sure it would be as cool inside.  (It ended up being a perfect evening weather wise.)  All over campus, the Gator fans were "chomping" and yelling "Go Gators!"  I didn't have any personal interaction with them, but they were quite a bit more "mouthy" than other fans who have visited Tuscaloosa. 

The game was PERFECT!  I was honestly thinking that it was going to be a nail biter, but the TIDE took care of business early.  And then we laid back.  I'm not a fan of holding back against a team like Florida because a good team can be back in the game in a matter of minutes.  Our offense produced very little in the second half (apparently this was "by design" according to the sports writers), but our defense bowed up and kept the Gators from getting into the endzone.  An interesting side note...five years ago, the score was 31-3.  Yesterday it was 31-6 (two field goals).  The LAST time Florida was kept out of the endzone was on Oct. 2, 2005 in Tuscaloosa.  That has been something like 61 games.  Pretty amazing job, D!



A happy guy!  He got his birthday wish



The TIDE is STILL #1!!

We stayed in the stadium until the last seconds ticked off because we definitely wanted to do Rammer Jammer.  I think that was one of the loudest ones I've ever heard.  I did not do RJ at the San Jose State game or at the Penn State game.  I don't believe in taunting those teams we are SUPPOSED to beat by 40 or 50 points, and I just have too much respect for coaches like Coach Paterno.  SEC teams, however, are a completely different story.  They are our "siblings" and you know how it is with your siblings...you can be as mean to them as you like, but heaven help those outsiders who treat them badly.  LOL  I also believe that programs like USC, Texas, Oklahoma (even though I have tremendous respect for the Sooners, too) are subject to the cheer.  We're getting into the meat of our SEC schedule.  I'm looking forward to many more Rammer Jammers this season!

That's it for today!  Have a GREAT week, and remember to

ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!



Still smiling

My first thought upon waking this morning: Bama won the National Championship Game! Second thought: Ugh, it is TOO cold, and I do NOT want to get up. Fortunately, we had a two hour delay in the start of school, so I wasn't having to crawl out of bed at 5:30 after going to bed at 1:00. That would not have been good.

So...the game. Parts of the game had me on the edge of my seat screaming from frustration, while other parts had me jumping up and down screaming from excitement. When we did nothing on our first possession, I was concerned, but hey, it was the first series of the entire game--the biggest game of the entire season--so nerves had to play a part of it. They'll go to the sideline, talk, and settle down. Texas gets the ball and is moving. Suddenly, Colt McCoy takes himself out of the game. HUH?? Our big linebacker, Marcell Dareus, made a clean hit on McCoy's throwing shoulder, forcing him out of the rest of the game. I hated to see him have to come out because he seems like such a classy young man. In his post-game interview, the emotions were there, but unlike another big-name college quarterback, he didn't cry. (Sorry, I know losing the SEC game was hard for Tebow, but man up. We can win 'em all.)

The TRUE FRESHMAN backup qb came in. Can you imagine how he felt? One minute, he standing on the sidelines just soaking up the atmosphere and the next he's taking a snap in the biggest game of Texas' entire season. He definitely had the "deer in the headlights" look to begin with, but as the game progressed, he settled down and made some really good passes. Texas may have found the replacement to McCoy.

Texas ended up with two field goals to lead 6-0, but Bama rallied. In the second quarter, Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson scored touchdowns, and Leigh Tiffin added a field goal. With only 15 seconds left in the half, Gilbert tossed out a shovel/shuttle/shuttle pass and Marcell Dareus (yep, the same guy who took McCoy out of the game) intercepted it and ran it in for a TD. Anytime a big defensive lineman intercepts a ball or recovers a fumble and runs it, John will say "I love to see a big man run." Now, don't go thinking there is something about John that you don't know. It's just fun to watch those big ole guys lumber down the field. If they have a long way to go, they generally won't make it before they run out of gas or they are caught by a faster offensive player. (Not that the player is offensive. LOL)

The third quarter was ALL TEXAS. I was going NUTS because Bama wasn't doing anything on the offensive side of the ball. (Their play truly was offensive.) Texas scored in both the third and the fourth quarters to bring the game to within three points. A field goal would tie; a TD would win. The next to last time Texas got the ball, I sent Susan a text and said that if they scored, that would probably be the game. I was still hopeful, but I also knew that a couple of really good plays could bring the hopes of the Bama Nation to an end. However, our D made some awesome plays.

First of all, Eryk Anders blitzed and sacked Gilbert, causing him to fumble. (I had just commented that Bama DESPERATELY needed to force a turnover.) Courtney Upshaw recovered the fumble, and Mark Ingram, behind Mount Cody, ended up taking the ball in. Score: 31-21. On Texas' next possession, I again said that we needed another turnover. There were still about two minutes on the clock, and with good clock management and good play calling, Texas could win. All it would take would be a quick score and an onside kick with another quick score to follow. Javy read Gilbert and ended up intercepting him again. Trent ended up taking the ball in for our final score.

After Trent scored, Saban was doused with a nice, cold Gatorade bath. He looked none too happy, but it looked like he got whacked in the head with the cooler, and I'm sure the Gatorade was iced. His nice, white shirt will never be white again. It ended up being a really pretty shade of pink. We said it needs to end up in the Bryant Museum. After all, Coach Saban is the only Division I (or whatever it is called now) to win a BCS Championship at two different schools.

After the trophy presentation, Kristen and I jumped in the car and drove to Academy Sports and Hibbett Sports in Auburn. Yep, we bought our National Championship shirts in AUBURN. And it felt great. By the time we got back to the house, it was almost 1:00.

All day long, I had the biggest smile on my face. Very few of the Bama haters had much to say. I mean, what COULD they say? Bama was undefeated and had just been crowned national champs. Coach Saban brought the program from dismal to glorious in three short years. It had actually been three years and four days since he was announced as the new head coach. (And for the win, he will receive a $400,000 bonus. He would have gotten a mere $200,000 had we lost.)

Sadly (for me), football is over until September. National Signing Day will be coming up in about three weeks. So far, our recruiting class is looking pretty good. The staff has put together #1 recruiting classes the last couple of years. Will they do it again? Maybe; maybe not. But I know it will be in the top 10, at least. Shortly after that, spring practice will begin. Who will be the players to step up? Who will vie for the starting positions? Who will fill the shoes of our never-to-be-forgotten seniors? Then, A-Day. The first year Coach Saban was at Bama, over 92,000 people showed up for the A-Day game. He was amazed by that. The crowds at the last two spring games were smaller, but the crowds were still huge. I'm gonna bet that this year's game will see another huge crowd. The the long summer months will follow before fall practice begins in August.

Will the 2010 team be as successful as the 2009 team? That remains to be seen, but I think it's possible. I'm a true fan. I will always start each season believing that it will be a magical season.

Another PERFECT SEASON

I'm as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!

That's one of those sayings I've heard all my life, but I've never really used it. Until now. I guess the only other time that it would have really been accurate was on my wedding day.

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I am an avid (almost rabid) Alabama fan. If you just LOOKED at my blog page and know anything about Alabama's history, you were probably able to figure out that I'm a Bama fan. I try really hard not to be one of those in-your-face obnoxious fans. (I prefer a subtle obnoxiousness.) When Bama wins, I don't brag and rub it in the faces of friends who are fans of the team we beat. (I just wear something crimson and/or houndstooth.) Generally, I won't say anything unless someone else mentions it first. Sure, there are teams that I don't like (Auburn, Tennessee), and I really love to see them lose, but most people who are dyed-in-the-wool fans are that way.

We live about 20 miles from Auburn, so the majority of the people around are Auburn fans. One of my co-workers/friends came up to me today with her Auburn sweatshirt on. Just so happens that her shirt was burnt orange...Texas burnt orange. She told me that she didn't care. She could not and would not pull for Bama, National Championship game or not. Her entire family are dyed-in-the-wool, and they'll love it if Bama loses tonight. One of her daughters refuses to buy anything that is houndstooth. (I understand because I refuse to buy orange. If I do, it in NO WAY is even close to Auburn, Tennessee, or Florida orange.) That's just the way it is.

So, tonight is THE game. The game that Bama fans have hungered for. It has been 17 years since our last national champions title, and I desperately hope we can add one more tonight. Do I believe Bama will win? Sure do. That's another thing about a true fan. A true fan will believe that his or her team will win every game, every year. There were several long, lean years for Bama, but I always believed that we would find a way to pull it out when we were behind, unless, of course, the score was 42-3 going into the 4th quarter. During those years, I never failed to show my support. I continued to wear my crimson with pride. And if by some chance Bama loses tonight, I will still wear my Bama shirt tomorrow.

My thoughts about the game: I think Bama's D will dominate. I think they will be in Colt McCoy's face all. night. long. I think G-Mac will be spot on. I think Javy is going to set the NCAA record for punt return yards. I think Julio will have his break out game. I think Ro is going to show the pro scouts that he is worthy of a first-round draft pick (although I will really hate to see him go.) I think Mark will show that he is deserving of the Heisman trophy. And I really want to see Mount Cody have him a nice little McCoy sandwich. :) I think Bama will win.

Still about three and a half hours until kickoff. The last 32 days have flown by, and now that it's game day, the hours are dragging. This is worse than waiting on Christmas day when I was a kid. :) Maybe if I go get busy, it will help.

Hope you have a GREAT night, and

ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love me some football!

Ah! Opening day of football at BDS. Nothing can be better than being surrounded by 92,000 people wearing crimson and/or white! As I've said before, I am not the "typical" female because I don't particularly care for all of the fussiness of being all girly. Never have been...never will. Now, if you are a girly-girl, that's fine. We can be friends, but I'll get really aggravated at you if you are still primping when it is time to go. :)




John and I drove up to Tuscaloosa yesterday. We left early enough to stop at THE original Dreamland Ribs for lunch. Oh yum!! There are Dreamland franchises around now, but none of them even come close to the original. There is no way to duplicate the taste of the ribs because none of the franchises have grills that are anywhere close to being "seasoned." After a slab and some tea, we headed to campus.



When we got to the campus, we walked over to our old tailgate spot in front of Foster Auditorium. That is where Gov. George Wallace made his famous (infamous??) "stand in the school house door" during the time of integration. No one is tailgating there this year because they are doing renovations to Foster. There had been some talk of tearing the old gym down, but I'm glad they decided to renovate. While I don't agree with Gov. Wallace's stand, there is still historical significance. I cannot tell you the number of people, both black and white, who, over the years, have stopped there and taken pictures. We did talk to Butch, whose group tailgates across the street from our old spot.

I tell ya what...even though tailgating had gotten to be a headache (because about 95% of the work was done by about 50% of the people) I miss it. I miss hanging out with friends, watching the other games on TV, snacking...all of it! Susan and I have decided that we're doing something for a couple of the games this year!



After our visit with Butch, we walked back across the quad and over to Ferguson Center (now called The Ferg by the younger "kids".) We hung out there watching Tennessee until it was time to walk to the stadium.



Since they are doing the renovations to the stadium (Bryant-Denney will hold around 101,000 when completed), our seats got moved to the north endzone. I REALLY like them! I hope they don't decide to move us around after the renovations are complete.



I took my camera yesterday to see if I could get any halfway decent pictures. I got some that were actually pretty good. My dream is to someday have a GOOD camera and to take some classes so that I can do an even better job at this little hobby. I've added some of the pictures below.

The coach working with James Carpenter is Willie Carl Martin. Coach Martin was one of our former teachers/coaches at Ben Russell. Our only state championship in football was won during his tenure as head coach. I always look for him. One of these days, I'm going to go down to field level and try to say HI!



The Million Dollar Band doing the pregame show. The band is so named because during one of Bama's early years when the team didn't do so well, a reporter made a comment to a manager about Bama not having a very good did and he asked what they did have at Alabama. The manager replied, "A million dollar band." The name stuck, and I am proud to say that I was a member of the color guard during my freshman year at Bama.


The team prepares to take the field. This is one of the most exciting points of every game to me. The PA is blaring, the cheerleaders and Big Al are standing ready, and then on the screen, we see Coach Saban and the team walking down the tunnel. They gather at the opening of the tunnel until Saban gives them the go ahead. The cheerleaders lead them onto the field, the band is playing "Yea Alabama" and 92,000+ are singing along. Chills run all over me!

Greg McElroy getting ready for a play in the 1st quarter. He has done a very good job so far this year. He set a school record yesterday of 14 consecutive passes. After Julio went out with a bruised knee, the Double Mac Attack--McElroy to Mike McCoy--worked beautifully!

Javier Arenas prepares to take a punt in the 3rd quarter. He is such an exciting player to watch. He hasn't broken a punt or a kick off return. Yet. The Bama faithful believe that he will before the season is over. Go Javey!

My wonderful hubby and me just before the end of the game. I had a really hard time breaking him out of the "nervous hospital" but there was no trouble getting him back in following the game. I did have to feed him a mustard biscuit and some "big uns" though. Carl was really glad his roomie made it back safe and sound. Well, safe, anyway. LOL (If you have never seen Slingblade, that will make no sense to you.)

My favorite way to see the clock: triple zeroes and the most points on the side of the guys in Crimson!

We won't be going next weekend. John will be going to stay with his mom, and the pups and I will be hanging out here. I have to work the Ben Russell game on Friday night. But I can promise you that the TVs will be tuned to football all day long. :)

Hope you had a GREAT weekend and that you will have a GREAT week!

ROLL TIDE!!!