Rammer Jammer, Part Two

Hey Auburn! Hey Auburn! We just beat the hell outta you! Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer give 'em hell Alabama!!

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Rammer Jammer at the game yesterday was the loudest and best I have ever heard! The Bama Nation had six years of pent up frustration, and we all let it out.

John and I got to Tuscaloosa about 10:30 and stopped at Dreamland for ribs. Yum! We got to campus around 11:30 and met up with Amy and Allen and Susan and Tim. Jessi and Lance were tailgating on the quad at the library, so Amy, Allen, John, and I walked over and talked with them for a bit before walking over to Ferguson Center. Lance seems like a very nice guy, and he ain't hard to look at either. hahaha Jess deserves someone who will treat her like a princess, and from what she's said, he's doing a pretty good job of it. :)

Before the game. Notice the hair--nice and straight

Jessi and Lance

We hung out at Ferguson with Susan and Tim until time to walk to the stadium. Amy and Steven, who tailgated with us for the last couple of years, came by for a bit, too. We sat outside because it was so blasted hot inside. That did a LOT for my hair. lol I straightened it because I knew that it would be a huge, fuzzy mess if I didn't. After getting misted on, it was still a mess, but it wasn't quite as huge and fuzzy as it could have been.

After the game. Notice the effect a little moisture in the air has on the hair...

By the time we got to the stadium, my butterflies were about the size of Mt. Cody. I always get nervous before the big games, and this was a big game. I knew that Bama could win, but there is always so much emotion and passion that goes into this game. On more than one occasion, the "hot" team has ended up losing. This was not one of those occasions, though. (I wonder if Brad Lester regrets running his mouth and saying that Auburn would beat both Georgia and Alabama by "a good number of points"? Seems Brad was just a wee bit wrong on both games, especially the Bama game.)

The seniors came back out onto the field after the game. It was so much fun to watch them having fun. The last time Bama won a game, these guys were sophomores in high school. I know they are men, but they were running around like little boys. :)

If anyone had told me four months ago that Bama would be undefeated in the regular season and would shut-out Auburn 36 - 0, I would have thought he was smoking crack. I'm glad I didn't know, though, because that has made the season so much more enjoyable. I know it's a very special season to the young men who have put their all into it.

Now, it's on to Florida and the SECCG. Of course, none of the national media expects Bama to win, but after seeing how these guys have bought into Coach Saban's "process" I don't doubt anything. I do think it will be a great game because of the two totally different styles of the teams. A lot of people prefer Florida's style because it puts lots of points on the board, but I prefer that old-school, smash-mouth style Bama uses. No matter what happens in that game, Bama will be playing in a good bowl game this year--Miami or New Orleans. Who can complain about either?

I guess that's about it for now. Just one more thing...

ROOOOLLLLLL TIDE!!!!!

B & E

John got up this morning and started cleaning the leaves out of the yard. While he did that, I washed up a few dishes and started laundry. I was almost through with the dishes when he came in said for me to come outside with him. I figured he had something he needed my help with. I wish that had been all.

When we got outside, he walked over to the passenger side of my car, so my first thought was that something was wrong--a dent, a huge scratch, or something along those lines. Again, I wish that had been all. Apparently, someone (or ones) had decided to do a little breaking and entering last night.

I am the world's worst at tossing gas receipts into the console of my car. Unfortunately, I had also tossed an expired credit card and a receipt from the new card into the console the other day and haven't thought about them again. Fortunately, those things were still there. It doesn't appear that I had anything taken, but Gloria, who lives behind us, had her purse taken. They had also gotten into the vehicle of another neighbor and grabbed her leather jacket. Whoever it was then left the jacket in yet another vehicle. We suspect that whoever did it was scared by something as they/he/she was looking in Ray's truck and ran, leaving the jacket. Ray had some tools in his truck, but they were all still there. It seems like maybe the thief was looking for money.

On to better topics now. We had a great Thanksgiving with Jessi and her pups. We had decided that we'd stay home since we've done so much traveling over the last several months and because the ballgame is tomorrow. If we'd traveled, we'd have had to drive three hours up (whether to Oakman or to Hartselle) and three hours back; then, we'd turn around tomorrow and drive almost three hours again to and from Tuscaloosa. It certainly would not have been a relaxing few days off.

Jessi came over yesterday about 11 for dinner. We had a ham instead of turkey--Jessi, John, and I all prefer ham over turkey. I also did a broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, green beans, glazed carrots, and dressing (I have to give credit to Publix for the dressing.) I actually CAN cook, but I just don't most of the time. With it being just John and me, it's a lot easier to do the frozen meals like Bertolli or the Crock-Pot Classics.

After dinner, we all curled up with a dog (or two) and did nothing. John and I watched The Bucket List, and Jess napped. I guess it was 3:30 or so when Jess left, and John and I just kept doing nothing. :) He commented that it was the first day in a LONG time that we'd just sat around the house and done absolutely nothing to speak of. Those days are rare, but they are so enjoyable!

I only joked about hitting the sales at 4 AM today. Robin and I did that for about three or four years, and that was enough. First of all, I don't enjoy getting up that early for ANYTHING (not even football, but I will...) Second of all, the sales usually continue after "black Friday" anyway, so why fight all the crazies trying to save an extra 5%? And third, I really hate being in huge crowds while I'm trying to shop. It drives me crazy to have to try to fight my way through a store. I think the thing that did me in the last time I went shopping was all of the women who had the Winnebago-sized strollers. I wanted to scream! I mean, leave the kids at HOME, but noooo...they use those huge strollers as package keepers. I have even seen them and there was no baby in sight. I hope it would be a matter of someone taking the baby somewhere quiet, but it does make you wonder. Things that make you go "hmmmmm..."

The weather forecast for tomorrow has rain in it. I really hope this is one the meteorologists have missed because I don't enjoy sitting in the rain, but I will. I'm glad we hung on to our Harley rain gear.

I guess that about does it for now. I need to go do another load of laundry. Fun... Yeah, right.

ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!! I hope the entire state hears "Rammer Jammer" over and over and over and over and.....

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Birthday wishes to the best dad in the world!

Dad, I hope your dad is awesome in every way!

We love you,
John, Trina, Ali, and Bama :)

Things I'm thankful for

Before I talk about the things I'm thankful for, I have to give thanks to God for all that I have. All of my blessings, both spiritual and material, are from Him. That being said, here goes...

• John -- I know without a shadow of a doubt that he was the answer to many, many prayers. I believe that everything that happens is part of God's ultimate plan for us. I don't think it was coincidence that I was hired at the hospital. John has been such a wonderful blessing to me. My life certainly would have been much less fulfilling were he not a part of it.
• Kiddos -- Katy and Jessi were part of a package deal with John, and I was more than willing and happy to get that part of the package. Even though I knew biological children were not part of my future, I was open to being a step-mom...even before I met John. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have such beautiful, funny, and smart (step)daughters. And an added bonus is that I get to claim Phillip and Sam, too. Other than John, these are two of my favorite guys.
• Family -- My family is a huge part of my life. I don't always get to see them as much as I'd like, but that's one of the pitfalls of living away. Growing up, we were always a pretty close family. I remember cook-outs on summer nights, more food than could be eaten at the holidays, and lots of laughter. When I talk about family, I'm not talking about only my family I was born into, I'm also talking about the family I married into. John's family accepted me for the beginning and made me feel like I belonged. Carl and Billie made me feel as if I were one of their own children, and Connie and I have always been just like sisters. Needless to say, I am very fortunate in the in-law area. :)
• Friends -- I have some of the best friends a person could hope to have. These are people who I can be myself--100%. They know my quirks, my faults, my likes, and my dislikes. We laugh and cry together. We can talk about everything and about nothing. We don't have to DO anything to have a good time, and sometimes those are the best times.
• Health -- Both John and I are relatively healthy. His diabetes and my allergies are the worst problems we have, and we are able to control them.
• A home -- Not just a house--a home. Almost as soon as I was hired at Ben Russell, we began looking for a house to buy. We looked and looked and looked, but the second we pulled up to this house, we knew we'd found our home. We both love antiques, and this house was built in 1937, so it fit perfectly with what we wanted. Over the years, we have filled it with lots of love and laughter.
• A job I love -- Well, most of the time. LOL Seriously, I do love my job, but there are parts of it that I'd change (like TONS of grading...) My students keep me on my toes and keep me young. There have been times when I still taught special education that I often wondered what else I could do, but when I 'd really sit down and think about it, there wasn't anything else I wanted to do.

There are many other things in my life that I am thankful for, but I don't think I should go on forever and ever. :) I know how very fortunate I am, and I thank God each and every day for everything.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Love you all!

It's IRON BOWL WEEK!!

When I was in college, there were bumper stickers that said, "Beat the rush. Hate Auburn early." I had one for a while. :) I didn't really start to dislike Auburn as badly as I do until I moved to this part of the state. I have had to listen to "barners" put down Alabama time and time again, and over the last six years...well, many of them have been excessively obnoxious. Anytime the "six in a row" talk comes up, I remind them that Bama has a "nine in a row" streak and when they have ten in a row, then we'll talk about them being superior. I'm hoping that all their talk comes to an end about 6 PM Saturday.

The first time I ever went to an Alabama-Auburn game was 1985. I was a freshman at Bama and was on the color guard of the Million Dollar Band. I can still see "the kick" just like it happened last week. I think I'd be able to find the exact place I was standing. hahahaha The kick was going right to left, and it seemed like it took forever for the ball to go through the uprights. I remember jumping and screaming and hugging everyone around.

Another Iron Bowl memory was Coach Stallings' last year. We had won, and John and I were in the truck waiting in traffic. We had the post-game show on and heard Coach announce that he was retiring. He is the only coach to have beaten Auburn in his last Iron Bowl. I've wondered what the next few years would have been like had he stayed, but it was more important to him (and to the Bama Nation) that he spend time with John Mark. Johnny was, and still is, his life. Coach Stallings is, without a doubt, one of the classiest individuals I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

I'm looking forward to Saturday and hopefully putting an end to the talk SOME of the Auburn fans are doing. I will definitely be "an obnoxious Alabama fan" come Monday if (when) Bama wins. :) RTR!!