Since Christmas and The Last Post of 2014

The problem with Christmas break is that I'm not keen on picking up a computer while I'm off work and also, most of the days are all the same and so there's really not a lot to write about. Alas, I figured I needed to churn out one last post for 2014. Can you believe this is it? The last day of 2014? I hope it was a good year for you and your family.

I never got around to posting anything about Christmas, but we had a good one. On Christmas Eve, my parents hosted their annual breakfast and we had some new faces and old faces in attendance. That evening we had Christmas with my granddad and then went out on the town to look at Christmas lights. Unfortunately, it was raining and so we weren't able to make a scheduled stop at the Tinsel Trail.

Christmas Day I went over to my parents' house around noon and the three of us had Christmas together. Justin wasn't able to join us because he is once again at The Way and had not been there long enough to get a pass home; but, we still had an enjoyable time despite being a family member short. I think everyone liked their gifts, or at least I hope so. That evening around 5:00 p.m. my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother came over for Parker Christmas. We had dinner, watched the little kids and my grandmother open presents and played a game of Dirty Santa which was basically a gift card exchange. However, in a turn of events, we actually drew names for next Christmas which I'm really excited about because Dirty Santa has become kind of boring and I look forward to seeing what gifts people will choose for the name they drew. The rules are no gift cards and you have to come up with a gift without asking the person what the would like. So, it should be a fun and interesting exchange of gifts.

The day after Christmas I went out with my dad to check out the after Christmas sales and pick up some door prizes for our New Year;s Eve Party. We also knocked out some other errands including having one of my tires repaired as I had a nail or screw in it from my grandmother's new neighborhood where they are still building houses.

Saturday I ran some more errands and saw "Into The Woods" which was okay but not as good as I had hoped. I loved the music though. Sunday was church and that evening my dad and I made a quick trip to Pulaski and back. The grandfather of a friend had passed away and we went up for the visitation. While we were there we ran into some other people we know from the area because as it always turns out, we can't go anywhere without running into someone we know.

Monday I stopped by the grocery store and went to see "Unbroken". I also picked up some shoe bags for the back of a couple of doors and wow, what a great decision that was. I can now see the bottom of my closet and close the door and I can also see all my shoes. This decision came about because I recently came across two or three pairs of shoes I forgot I even owned and they had been buried in the deep dark depths of my closet for so long that they had mold growing on them which is unfortunate because they were great pairs of shoes. I should not have this problem again as I can now see all of my shoes.

Tuesday I put away the Christmas stuff and got the house back in some semblance of order. I went to a late lunch with my sweet friend Pat and we were able to catch up on all that is going on in our lives and at the church  I used to attend. Then I came home and watched copious amounts of football while preparing some dishes for the New Year's Eve Party.

That brings us to today, New Year;s Eve, December 31, the last day of 2014! All in all, 2014 wasn't a bad year. I wouldn't say it was a spectacular year, but it certainly wasn't bad. I traveled as far west as I've ever been back in March when I went to Hawaii with my dad and brother. I took a few road trips to Louisville for the PGA Championship, to Gatlinburg for a girls weekend, to Memphis for a Pearl Jam concert and to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. I saw the beginning of some great new friendships and the end of some older ones. I attempted to play softball after many years of not playing, and wrote my 1,000th post back in February and the fewest amount of posts since my first year of blogging - go figure. I threw out the first pitch at a Huntsville Stars game ( in their last season no less), I saw Sarah Palin speak and Pippa turned one and has grown up and settled down quite a bit. I worked the polls (five times this year), ran some races, and had knee surgery. Really, when I look back, I guess a lot happened in 2014.

I hope 2014 was good to you and your family and more importantly, I hope we all have a very good and fun 2015! Happy New Year, my friends!

A Post-Surgical Post

So, first of all, I'm alive and I guess that's the most important thing. I had a busy week at work and otherwise last week and didn't post as much as I had planned. Then, I had knee surgery and I'm using that as my other excuse as to why there was nothing posted. My surgery was last Thursday and in addition to being somewhat busy or incapacitated since then, I also haven;t much felt like picking up a computer - time off from work will have that effect on a person. So, here I am to catch you up on everything before the onslaught of Christmas activities begin.

My surgery was last Thursday and I had to be at The Surgery Center at the wee hour of 5:30 a.m. My dad picked me up that morning and took me in. I got signed in and was back in pre-op ready to go within an hour's time. My dad stayed with me until they took me back. We had a prayer just the two of us and then my surgeon prayed as well which I thought was great. I obviously do not remember one thing about the surgery, but I do remember the attempt to wake up from the surgery. I got extremely sick such that a gown change was necessary. I don't remember the last time I felt that nauseous. I was so sick, in fact, that they moved me to a room for about an hour (maybe two) so I could recover. I was given plenty of anti-nausea medication and by the time I left I felt 100 times better than I had earlier.

My dad took me home but first we stopped off at the drug store to get my medications filled. We both napped in the den after getting home and at some point my friend Candy came by to drop off a Steak-Out gift certificate so I could have some yummy dinner during my recovery. My dad left at some point during the day to take a trip up to Tennessee to buy some country ham - I realize that sounds kind of hilarious, but it's true. Our friend Naaman stopped by to check on me and Pippa while my dad was gone and other than that I think I slept the whole time.

That evening my friend Amber brought by some food for me to have for lunch the next day and not long after she left, Nick and Kristina brought dinner. They stayed to eat with us and then Paul and Leah stopped by to visit and they ate dinner too. The next thing I knew my cousin Jessica and my grandmother came by with some soup and all of a sudden we had an impromptu party of sorts. It was good to visit with everyone and it was so nice of all of them to stop in and check on me. Everyone left about 9:00 p.m. and I fell asleep soon after. About 10:00 p.m. I told my dad I was going to bed and he was shocked because he thought it was early still. When I told him what time it was, he was even more shocked. He ended up going to bed too. He stayed the night with me to make sure I didn't need anything which was very nice.

Friday morning my dad cooked pancakes and was then on his way. My friend Kristen came by with lunch and a movie and while she was at the house, DirecTV came by to set up my new DVR system - I bought myself a new TV for Christmas. While the guy was here, he opened up the new TV box and it was shattered. So, Kristen graciously drove me to Target to exchange it for one that wasn't shattered. Thankfully they had the same one in stock. We got back to the house and Paul arrived not long after to fix my glass door and he helped move TVs around and get them set up. Then both Paul and Kristen went their separate ways and I enjoyed my new TV. That evening Christy stopped by with some dinner and stayed to visit for a while.

Saturday was rather uneventful, although I did get to take my bandages off and shower for the first time since surgery which proved to be an exhausting task. That afternoon, Leah and I went to The Living Christmas Tree at First Baptist Church which was really nice. We both enjoyed it a lot. She also brought me some soup for dinner which I enjoyed when I got home.

Sunday my cousins Chris and Amy picked me up for church and we enjoyed a nice Christmas service and then went out to lunch together. That evening I braved driving for the first time since surgery and met some friends at the theater for "The Hobbit"/ I still have an annoying cough which is worse at night so I'm sure I got on all their nerves with my coughing but they were kind enough to not say anything.

On Monday morning, I got up early, showered and then went to physical therapy. I had very little pain since the surgery, mostly just tenderness by the time Monday rolled around. The physical therapist was impressed with my mobility and gave me an at home routine and sent me on my way. He told me there was really no need to come back unless I started experiencing pain. I go back to the surgeon next Monday to get my stitches out which I'm looking forward to because they are starting to itch. Thankfully I keep them covered with a waterproof bandage and so I just scratch the bandage for a little relief.

Today I haven't done much of anything other than nap and watch TV. I have HBO for free for the next three months and so I decided to watch Game of Thrones - I'm already on the third season. I think my brain is on Game of Thrones overload. It's been a rainy, stormy day so really it's good that I didn't have anywhere to go or anything to do. I had made a stop by the grocery store the day before after therapy so there was no need for me to get out and fight all the holiday traffic.

All in all, the road to recovery has been very easy. I was blessed with some many people checking in on me and making sure I was doing well and bringing me yummy food to eat. I was well taken care of by my family and my friends and I am so grateful to all of them for their help and most of all their prayers. I don't think I could have asked for a smoother recovery from knee surgery.

Favorite Things Brunch 2014

The past couple of years, some of my oldest and dearest friends and I have had a "Favorite Things" Christmas party. This year, instead of having a party on a weeknight, we had a brunch. Our friend Kendra recently moved to Nashville for a new job and so we decided to do brunch this year so that she could continue to join in the festivities. The brunch was this past Saturday and we started around 10:00 a.m.

Totally random side note - The Rocket City Marathon was earlier that morning and the new course is about three blocks from my house. I had every intention of going out and cheering on the runners, but because I've been battling this sinus/cold/lung disease lately I decided to stay inside my warm house instead.

Each of the girls brought a dish for our brunch. Erika made delicious cinnamon rolls, Candy brought grape salad and Kendra made a hashbrown casserole. I made a sausage egg and cheese casserole and some hot cider. We enjoyed our meal and spent most of the morning catching up. Erika and I hadn't seen Kendra since she moved and were anxious to hear all about how things were going for her. She and Candy are sisters and undoubtedly talk more often.

Later on during our visit, we got to the "favorite things" part of the brunch. You may have read about our party before, but if not, we each buy something that we love (our favorite) that costs $5 or less and give it to the other girls in our group. Erika gave us all monogrammed key chains. Mine was crimson and white (naturally) and Candy and Kendra's had the colors of that other team. Kendra gave us all her favorite hand soap from Bath and Body Works (Raspberry Meringue) and some Lindt Chocolate and Peanut Butter Truffles. Candy gave us all $5 gift cards to Chicken Salad Chick and I gave the girls a set of coasters shaped like the state of Alabama which are made out of carpet remnants. Erika's were Alabama colors and Candy and Kendra got orange and blue ones. All of the gifts went over well and we were all pleased with each other;s selections. We have done much better in recent years than we did the first year when the majority of the gifts were some form of lip balm.

The girls packed up their goods and headed separate directions around 1:00 p.m. We had a good three hours of visiting together and enjoying time with each other. This is one of my favorite parties of the year and I'm thankful to some of my favorite people for making it so much fun each Christmas season!

Downton Abbey Screening

I feel like I'm way behind on posting because last week was completely insane for me; but once again I say better late than never.

So, last Tuesday, I met up with some of my favorite gal pals at the US Space and Rocket Center for an early screening of the first episode of season five of Downton Abbey. Yes, that's right, old world met new world right here in Huntsville. You may be wondering why the Space and Rocket Center was hosting such an event. Well, as a Smithsonian museum, the Space and Rocket Center feels a duty to share historical information and films, etc. and decided to preview this episode in conjunction with Alabama Public Television.

I found out about the event through a co-worker who knew of my love of dressing up as the Dowager Countess. She had heard about it on the radio and sent me the information. Not only was it a screening, ,but period attire was encouraged and so I knew I would once again bring out my costume. May as well get some wear out of it more than just at Halloween. Leah was kind enough to go by and pick up tickets for our group. The screening was free, but tickets were required and the event was "sold out".

We decided to go to the 6:00 p.m. screening and so I took my costume to work and changed before I left. As you can probably imagine, I got a few interesting looks as I walked out the door looking like I just stepped out of the early 20th century. We met up about 30 minuted before the screening so we could get good seats. There were eight people in our group and three of us dressed up - me, Candy and Leah. In all, I would say about 1/3 of the people in attendance dressed up, including quite a few gentlemen who donned tuxedos and looked quite dapper.

The episode was so wonderful and I was sad when it ended. I'm so looking forward to the new season. After the viewing, tea and scones were served but we skipped out because Erika had prepared luncheon for us at her house. Me, Candy, Leah and Amber went over to Erika's and enjoyed chicken salad, strawberry pretzel salad, cheese and crackers, and fruit. We enjoyed visiting with each other but didn't linger long as the night was already getting late.

It was such a fun evening and I think we are all grateful to the US Space and Rocket Center and Alabama Public Television for hosting this event. I look forward to attending more events like this in the future and I think my friends would agree.

Even More Christmas-ing

I suppose you could say that my Christmas celebrating is now in full swing after this past weekend. In addition to Friday night's party and Saturday's parade, I did more Christmas celebrating on Sunday and Monday. 

Sunday night I had Christmas for my ninth grade Huddles group. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it, but I am a ninth grade sponsor at my church and the program is called Huddles. Basically I serve as a mentor and friend to the kids in the group and am there to provide them support, advise, whatever they need. It's proven to be a little more difficult than I thought it would be because man am I ever so out of touch with the teenage generation. With time, though, I hope to grow closer to these kids and get to know them better, it's just taking longer than I expected to break the ice. 

At any rate, we had out Christmas party on Sunday night and it was at the home of one of the youth ministers. I missed church that morning because I am feeling terrible again and was basically miserable and wanted to go to the doctor (which unfortunately didn't open until noon). So, despite feeling terrible, I managed to pull myself up by the bootstraps and make it to Huddles which was an accomplishment in and of itself. Yes, I wore the Christmas tutu again because I thought the kids would think it was funny and I also wore and ugly Christmas sweater as it was encouraged. Sadly, none of the kids wore Christmas attire, but I was saved by two other Huddle leaders who also dressed up in goofy clothes. 

We had a yummy meal and then played a game of Dirty Santa, once again using gifts from our home. This time around, I brought a card game that had never been opened and was laying around the house and I came home with a "Whimsy Alarm Clock" which was a purple cat. I can assure you this gift will be recycled at some point, maybe soon. The evening ended around 6:45 p.m. and I made a very brief stop by Publix before going home and going straight to bed. 

Monday night was our last women's Bible study of the year, and y'all, after a whole year of studying the book of Ruth, I can finally say "it is finished." Although we each enjoyed the study, I think we are all glad to move on to a new study in January and hopefully the next one won't last the whole year. The night was hosted by The Rieders and the men's group came as well and we had a Christmas potluck if you will. As is often the case at church gatherings, the food was good and so was the fellowship. After we ate, we split off into separate rooms and conducted our studies, wrapped up things a little before 9:00 p.m. and called it a night. I have enjoyed these nights with the girls as it has allowed me not only time to learn more about the Bible, but has also helped me develop closer friendships with these women and I'm so thankful for each of them,

Y'all this is just the beginning of December and it has already been so busy! I have something on the calendar pretty much every day and night from now until my surgery next week. So, there should be lots to write about provided I find a few minutes each day to sit down and start typing. If your month is anything like mine then you are running round crazy as well and I wish you luck and fun in your journeys!

A Christmasy Weekend

Friday night was my first Christmas party of the season. It was with my Sunday school class at church at it was a blast! The party was held at the home of my friends Stephen and Lauren who have a beautiful new house in West Huntsville.

We enjoyed lots of great finger foods and even better fellowship with friends. Most everyone wore their tacky Christmas sweaters and I also brought out the Christmas tutu. I figure I may as well get as much use out of it as I can. The main event of the night was a game of Dirty Santa which we played with gifts brought from our homes. I wrapped up an unused key chain and came home with a mug full of Christmas candy so I feel like I did really well. The craziest gift was brought by one of our children's ministers. He picked up off the road and wrapped in a box a dead possum. That's right folks, a dead possum. Needless to say, it was the most interesting/hilarious point of the night. I laughed so hard I thought I might burst.

The party was fun from top to bottom and such a fun way to kick off the weekend and the holiday party season. I am so blessed to have these folks as friends and brothers ans sisters in Christ.

On Saturday, my parents picked me and Pippa up for the Christmas parade in downtown Huntsville The parade hasn't been all that great in recent years but this year it was taken over by a local radio station instead of the television station that has hosted for many years and so I was hoping it might be revitalized and better than it has been as of late.

We set up out chairs but didn't go outside the car until the parade was about the start. The wind was blowing hard and it was rather cold out. My dad, in fact, bailed early on and went back to the van with Scout, my parents' dog. Pippa started shivering too and so I decided to take her back to the van and when I got back to the street, my mom headed to the van and then Santa came and it as over. Yep, the parade lasted about 30-45 minutes and was not even remotely good. There was only one band!

We got every human and dog loaded back in the van (Pippa in the front and me in the back by the way) and went back to my house where I put The Pip in the crate and left Scout in the bathroom with the gate closing him off so we humans could go get something to eat.

We ate at Five Guys and then came back to the house to discover that Scout had maneuvered his way out of the bathroom. Pippa was barking like crazy, I'm sure because she was upset that Scout had free roam and she did not. My dad grabbed up Scout and they were on their way.

The good thing about taking Pip to the parade is that she was rather tuckered out and spent the rest of the day being lazy which was a-okay with me as I do enjoy a lazy afternoon and evening. Every year I hope for a better parade. Who knows, maybe one year I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Another State Championship and Expired Diet Coke

Last Thursday morning about 6:30 a.m., my dad and I jumped in the car for what was my final road trip of 2014. We headed south to Auburn for yet another Madison Academy state championship game in football.On a side note, my first and last road trips of 2014 would be to football games. Go figure.

As luck would have it, we didn't time things too well for rush hour traffic and hit it in Birmingham on the way down. Once we were through Birmingham, we stopped and grabbed some breakfast at a Jack's which I must say have a much lighter and flakier biscuit than Hardee's.

We made it to Auburn some time after 10:00 a.m. and found the parking lot where the Super 7 folks were supposed to park and quickly made our way to the shuttle. We were dropped off at the stadium and I had already purchased our tickets so we went straight in and found a seat. The sun was beaming down on us and it was hot as blazes. My dad wanted to move to the opponent's side because they were in the shade, but I looked up and noticed some smart people were sitting under the overhang, which put them out of the direct sunlight and so we moved up there. We were also blessed by a breeze and so things were looking up.

The game started at 11:00 a.m. and the Mustangs were quickly up 14-0. I can't even remember what the score was at the half, but MA was still up by two touchdowns and we were not really concerned about the outcome. We visited the concession stand at the half and please let this blog post serve as a reminder to me to never ever again buy a Diet Coke from an Auburn concession stand. On the way down (yes, this is how my Diet Coke loving brain works), I remembered that I had a bad experience with purchasing soda the last time we were in Auburn for the state championship. The experience was so bad that I thought they sold Pepsi products. However, after this year's half time experience, it all came rushing back to me. I ordered a Diet Coke and a popcorn. The Diet Coke tasted horrible and they poured me another and it still tasted bad so I asked for my money back (which they gave me along with some attitude). Then I remembered that this same thing happened the last time - I had a bad tasting Diet Coke and ended up with water. At first I thought it was because I was drinking out of a Barner cup, but now I believe that the fountain soda had expired. So, I bought a bottled one, and had a feeling ti was expired too because it had a "Share a Diet Coke with" label on it and Coke hasn't made those labels since the summer. I tried to find the date but couldn't see it clearly because it was faded. Long story kind of short, I made it back to my seat, took one sip and knew it was expired. I finally found the date hidden beneath that fist sip and it had expired on October 27. So, I marched back down the stars, and traded it for a water. Let this be a lesson learned. Y'all, I'm serious about my Diet Coke!

The second half was a runaway and the Mustangs ended up winning by a score of 70-34. When it was 67-34 my dad said he was ready when I was, which I thought was crazy, After driving all the way there, I wasn't about to leave until the trophy was handed out. So, we stayed.

When the game was over and the trophies passed out, we made our way to the shuttle line which was ginormous. We waited about 10-15 minutes and not one shuttle had come and there were three lines of people and tons of people in front of us in each line. I didn't think the parking lot was too far away and thanks to my good sense of direction remembered how to go. So, we decided to walk. It took us about 20-25 minutes to get to the car and I think both of us had screaming knees when all was said and done.However, it was a much better plan than waiting for an hour or so. No pain, no gain I guess.

We headed north to Birmingham and stopped off at  my favorite, The Fish Market on the way home, although this time we stopped at the one on 280 rather than the one downtown. After dinner, we began the rest of the journey home, once again hitting the rush hour traffic on 280, which makes me even more thankful for my commute. We finally made it home a little after 7:00 p.m. both tired from the journey but with another state championship! Congrats to the Mustangs!

Galaxy of Lights 5K and Fun Run

So far the month of December has been full of activity and there are no signs of slowing down any time soon. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I spent both nights at the Galaxy of Lights at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens for the 5K and the Fun Run.

Monday night was the 5K and I participated in place of one of my cousins who ended up having to be out of town for a work. Another cousin, Lauren was running and it was her parents who had signed up but had to be out of town and so I went in one slot and a co-worker of hers went in another slot. Per usual, my plan was to walk. For one, I hate running and for two, my knee and leg have been in immense pain over the past few days.

I met Lauren at the garden and the race started at 6:30 p.m. about a mile in, I wasn't even sure if I would be able to finish, that's how much pain I was in. I was in the very back of the group with a couple who were no doubt in their 80s and the woman even asked me if I was okay when she passed me. I wasn't, but I smiled and said I was. At the 1.5 mile mark I thought I was going to bail, but I toughed it out. I did send Lauren a text and told her not to worry about waiting on me because I was going super slow and I didn't want to keep her from getting home at a decent hour.

I ended up finishing around one hour and eight minutes and then had to walk what felt like another half mile to my car. When I got home, a hot bath was on the agenda to soothe my aching legs and feet and hopefully help offset the pain that would come the next day.

Tuesday night I was back for more. It was the Fun Run which was only 1.6 miles. I had gotten up a group of girlfriends to participate so there was no way I was going skip. I met the girls there at 5:30 p.m. and we entered the ugly sweater contest and the run started at 6:30 p.m. We all walked and I managed to keep up despite the fact that I wanted to scream with each step.

When the walk was over, we went to the pavilion for the door prize drawings and sadly, not one of us won a prize - not even the ugly sweater prizes. Lauren, however, did go home with a whole pizza, so it wasn't a total loss. It was a fun night and it was so good to catch up with everyone and I'm so thankful they all decided to do the run/walk with me. Last year I did it solo and while I had fun, it was a much better experience with some of my favorite people and I'm hoping everyone will agree to do it again next year.

Christmas Tree Woes and More Reasons Why I Loathe Wal-Mart

Earlier today I was thinking, "what should I write about next on the blog" and I thought oh yes, I'll write about the Galaxy of Lights Runs that I did this week. Then this afternoon when I got home, I remembered I had not yet regaled the tale of Saturday and all of the craziness that came with it. So, please allow me to share the story with you and I do hope it gives you a laugh or nine.

Saturday morning, I got up early, as usual, and started some laundry and cleaned the kitchen and then watched a little TV. I was confined to the house because I was covering for someone at work and had to make sure some things were taken care of Saturday morning before I could leave the side of my computer. I made a few work calls and thought I wouldn't be able to leave to run errands until closer to 11:00 a.m., but, as luck would have it, we were ahead of schedule and so by 9:30 a.m I was done with all manner of work for the day and so I changed clothes and left the house to take care of business.

As luck would have it, it was Small Business Saturday and I just so happened to need to stop by some local businesses and purchase a few things to complete my Christmas list. I also made a purchase or two for myself because 'tis the season. I made it home by noon with hopes that I wouldn't need to leave again the rest of the day.

After I ate lunch, I began to drag some of the Christmas decorations out of the shed. You may recall that last year I only put up a small tree because I didn't want Pippa to knock over a big one and break all manner of ornament. This year, however, I decided to bring out the big tree once again. So, I did and I plugged it in only to discover that the only lights working on the tree were the top strand. Needless to say, I was not happy.

In case you don't know me, and I suppose most of you do, I am the type of person who, once I've decided to do something (like decorate the tree), I will do it, no matter what and so I couldn't just sit there without a tree since I had decided I was going to put the tree up. Since I had left The Pip in the crate earlier in the day to run errands, I decided to take her with me. So, I loaded her up and off we went to the new Wal-Mart. I decided if I could find a tree for $100 or less, I would buy it.

I left The Pip in car (obviously) while I went in to Wal-Mart. I parked by the Garden Center since that's where the trees are and discovered that the entrance was locked and I had to walk around to the front of the store. I went back to the trees, found one that I liked fairly well for $89 and found it on the shelf. There was only one with white lights and it was on the very top shelf. I asked a worker to help me get it down and she said she would and then disappeared. After waiting a few minutes, I found a ladder, climbed up and got the tree down for myself. Another customer stood beside me and told me she would call for help if I fell. She also kind of held on to my back while I walked down the ladder with a jumbo boxed tree in my hands. Thankfully, no one was injured in the process.

I returned the ladder to it's rightful place and made my way to the cashier where I discovered that the tree was actually on sale for $62 which made it an even better bargain. As I was leaving the store, carrying the tree over my shoulder, the woman who was supposed to have helped me was concerned I was going to report her for not helping and went into a long dissertation as to where she had disappeared to. I told her not to worry about it and try my best to get away quickly because I was ready to get home and get to decorating.

When I got to the car, I had to put Pippa on a leash and let her out of the car so I could let part of the back seat down in order to fit the tree in the Rogue. I finally managed to get tree, dog and human in the car and on the road.

Once home, I unloaded the dog and the tree and immediately began to set the tree up. I got the last part assembled only to discover one of the strands would not light up. I was less than thrilled, as I'm sure you can imagine. So, I boxed it back up and attempted to call the Wal-Mart in Hampton Cove to see if they had one of these trees there. Since I knew that I had gotten the last one at the new Wal-Mart.

I waited on the phone for probably 20 minutes and no one in the Garden Center would ever pick up. So, I put Pippa in the crate, loaded up the tree and took off. I got to the Hampton Cove Wal-Mart, unloaded and carried in the tree and returned it. They credited back my money and I went back to the Garden Center to see if they had that model with white lights and miracle of miracles, they did. I loaded it in the loudest shopping cart of all-time and started to make my way to the register when another tree caught my eye. This one had a price of $99 and was a lot prettier than the one I was about to purchase. It had more of a pine look about it and I decided I had rather have it instead.

However, there were no pine trees to be found in a box. That model had apparently sold out and the man who looked like Santa Claus who was working outside said a lot of people had been looking for it but they didn't have any more and so I asked the Santa look alike if I could buy the display. I mean, at least I knew all the lights were working. Santa told me to talk to a woman named Meghan. To abbreviate the next 10 minutes I spent trying to locate and get an answer out of this Meghan, the conclusion was yes, I could buy the display.

Of course, no one volunteered to get the tree for me and so I walked to the middle of all the trees on display which is where the pine was, unplugged it, lifted it over my head and walked out of the middle of the trees to place it in my obnoxiously loud shopping cart. There were two ladies in the way though and I couldn't get to my cart and so I walked, literally, all the way around the Christmas section of the Garden Center carrying a seven foot artificial tree over my head until I reached the cash register. I only knocked down one other tree in the process, which the two ladies picked up for me. They also brought me the loud shopping cart which I couldn't get to before.

The cashier scanned the barcode hanging from the tree, I paid and then loaded it up in the noisy shopping cart because heaven forbid anyone that works at Wal-Mart actually help a customer with heavy lifting. I managed to get the tree to my vehicle and shoved it in and made it home without going postal on someone. It was truly a Christmas miracle.

Once home, I opened the door to discover that Pippa was not in her crate, but sitting in the chair by the front door. Clearly in my haste and frustration to get out the door and back to Wal-Mart, I had not really fastened the door to the crate like I thought. Thankfully nothing was harmed or peed on in the great dog escape. I managed to get the tree up and decorated and the rest of the Christmas decorations out and the floors vacuumed and mopped before 5:00 p.m. which was my goal once I realized what a fiasco I was in. I then took a long hot bath and more or less crashed on the couch. I seriously felt like it was 10:00 p.m. and it was more like 6:00 p.m. I had no words for the exhaustion I felt.

The remainder of the night was spent watching football and also cleaning and wrapping presents to distract me from what was a disastrous first half. By the time the third quarter rolled around, I decided to just lie down on the couch and watch the game and try to relax which was kind of impossible since Alabama wasn't playing so well. Finally, the game got turned around for the better and I was able to enjoy the final quarter and the nice victory over our rival. Once the game was over, I went straight to bed, illuminated by the light of a Christmas tree.

I realize the tree looks kind of crooked here. I promise it's not. I was laying down when I took this photo and I'm too lazy to get up and take a new one.

On Black Friday

On the Friday after Thanksgiving (otherwise known as Black Friday), as is our tradition, my dad and I hit the streets of Huntsville for all manner of dollar saving deal. Let me tell you, they were few and far between this go around. I suppose this would be a good time for me to rant for a brief minute about how our society has clearly lost their minds and apparently values a sale and a profit over time with family and friends. I just find it ridiculous that stores are now opening on Thanksgiving Day and it gets earlier and earlier every year and soon stores will probably just stay open the whole day. I, for one, much preferred it when stores opened at 5:00 a.m. and you had to get up in the wee hours of the morning to make it to the store and stand in line for a good deal. I guess no one else feels that way though because the madness just gets worse every year. 

Anyway, we went out on Friday morning, leaving my house around 7:30 a.m. Our first stop was Dick's Sporting Goods, which is where we stop every year because they have golf balls and gloves on sale and my dad loads up for the next year of golf. We also bought some hand warmers in anticipation of the football game that evening being cold. 

When we were done at Dick's, we headed over to Verizon. It was time for my dad to upgrade for several reasons. One, it was literally time for a contract renewal and two, he was still using a Blackberry which is basically a useless phone in today's age on Android vs. iPhone. So, he switched to an Android and got the Samsung Galaxy S5. So far he is loving it and I am so glad! He also got a tablet so he can play games on a larger screen, etc. I haven't heard him say much about it but hopefully he is liking it as well. I would say the time at Verizon was a well-spent success. 

After Verizon we went to the mall but didn't spend too much time there. We didn't have anything in particular to get, there were a ton of people there and we were both tired and ready to get a nap before our planned evening adventure. So, we left not long after we arrived and we didn't even stop for breakfast which is typically our routine. 

That afternoon, around 3:45 p.m., we left for the big city of Gadsden to watch Madison Academy play Glencoe in the semi-finals of the state championship. We both had a feeling it would be a close game and despite MA's prowess, neither of us felt confident they would win. So, we went in case it turned out to be the last game of the season, and let's face it, because we love football and wanted to go. 

We stopped for dinner along the way and got to the game about 20 minutes before kickoff. It was freezing cold outside which seems strange considering it's so warm now. The game was the best one we have seen all year. It was tied at the half and tied again late in the game. With just 16.9 seconds remaining,MA kicked the field goal for the win. It was so exciting and a fun night and great win. I was so glad we were there. Now, we'll head to Auburn on Thursday for the state finals. 

When the game was over, we made the journey back home, and I dropped my dad off just a few minuted before 11:00 p.m. which was a lot earlier than I anticipated us returning.  It was a fun full day and evening.

On Thanksgiving Day

Well, it's December, which is beyond hard to believe; but, here we are and I hope you are well on your way to being ready for Christmas. First things first though, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I can honestly say that this year's Thanksgiving was the best I've had since I was a kid. It's been a long while since I've really enjoyed a Thanksgiving and this year took the cake. 

Many years ago, all manner of Parker would congregate together on Thanksgiving for a big meals and lots of loud talking; but then people started getting married and having babies and long story short, it's been a hot minute since we've all spent a holiday together. Last year, my dad and my cousin Chris decided we needed to bring the tradition back and that is exactly what we did this year. 

The gathering was at the home of my parents and we were slated to start at 4:00 p.m. This was a big change for our side of the family because we usually eat around noon, but I, for one welcomed the later start time as it gave me more free time that morning and early afternoon and also allowed people traveling from out of town more travel time. I got up early in the morning and rolled out my rolls and did a few other things and then got all bundled up in multiple layers and drove two miles up the mountain to the Land Trust Parking Lot. 

The Land Trust sponsors a Thanksgiving morning hike every year (this was the 21st year in fact!) and I had decided that I was going to participate. For one, I needed some physical activity before spending the rest of the day eating and sitting (although the sitting part didn't really happen) and for two, I thought it would be nice to have some solitude before the chaos of the afternoon ensued. I mean, let's face it, I had no idea what the afternoon would hold and I figured I would be much better equipped to handle it after some fresh air and exercise. Thirdly, I want to get as much in as possible before my knee surgery and figured this would be a good way to get in some more exercise before I have a few weeks of not so active activity. I expected there to be maybe 10 or 20 people on the hike, but, in fact, there were 101 people and six dogs, Pippa not included. I didn't take The Pip because I figured she would be wild, I didn't want to scoop her poop (although I'm not sure if you have to) and she had just had a bath recently and I didn't want her to get gross (maybe I'll give it a try with her on another day). 

The hike started was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. but was a little late getting started because everyone had to get signed in and they also gave some door prizes for the people who lived the farthest away and the youngest and oldest. The oldest was an 86 year old man and a woman who was older than 80 but younger than 85 was a close second and they both did really well on the hike. The hike went from the mountain down to three caves with a couple of stops along the way, including the old railroad bed that was used to transport people up and down the mountain in the late 1800s. In total, it took about an hour and a half and I was glad I did it. It was cold to start but after we got going, I was really warm and even shed some layers. I really enjoyed the hike and learning some more about the history of Huntsville and will definitely go on another Land Trust hike when I have the chance. 

After the hike, I went back home and finished up my cooking and then laid down for a nap of sorts. I don't think I ever really got to sleep, but it was nice to lay down and take a load off for a while. I finally got up, showered and made myself presentable, finished up the food, loaded it up in the car and headed over to my parents' house. 

Folks soon started trickling in and we got started with a Thanksgiving prayer a little after 4:30 p.m. In all, there were 41 people in attendance and an abundance of food. We could have fed another 20 people I think. People stayed for hours which was such a welcome change from the past when people ate and then ran out the door. We still had some folks to leave as soon as they were done eating, but most everyone else stayed and I think the last person left some time after 8:00 p.m.

I got some of the kitchen cleaned up before heading home and by the time I got home, I was worn out, and that was only the first day of a four day weekend. The rest of the weekend was just as busy and I have so much more to tell. Fingers crossed, I can find some time to write all about it because some of it will definitely make for good blogging material. 

The Hustle and Bustle

The past few days have been crazy for me and I'm sure they have for you as well. I've been trying to get ready for Thanksgiving and have had a million other things going on as well. I guess not really a million, but it sure seems like it. 

Sunday night at church we had a special Thanksgiving service and afterwards I headed over to my friend Kristen's house (along with some other friends) to make Christmas sweatshirts. We are all participating in the Galaxy of Lights Fun Run this coming Tuesday and I thought it would be fun for us to make a tacky Christmas sweatshirt to wear. Kristen and I ordered iron-ons with our name on them and the other girls made reindeer shirts. They all turned out cute/tacky and I'm looking forward to us wearing them when we go to the Fun Run. 

Monday after work, I had a doctor's appointment. I mentioned a while back about my appointment with the vein doctor. I went to my second ultrasound on Monday so they could prove to the insurance that I have some varicose veins and that I need to have them repaired. It will probably be early next year before I do anything about it, if I do. I think I want to, but the thought of wearing stockings for two weeks is less than appealing. So, we'll see. 

After my doctor's appointment, I went by my cousin Lauren's house to pick up my bag of yearbooks that I had left at her house. I ended up talking to her for about 30 minutes or so. Then, I went by the home of Paul and Leah to have dinner. Leah's parents and brother are in town from Texas and she had a lot of leftovers from a wedding Paul was in this past weekend and so we all ate some delicious food and enjoyed some fellowship. I had grand plans of starting some cooking on Monday, but after stuffing my belly at Paul and Leah's. cooking was the last thing I wanted to do. 

Tuesday after work, I went by Hobby Lobby where I ran into none other than Paul and Leah and her parents and they invited me over for dinner again. I grabbed the things I needed (I am making a Christmas tutu for the Fun Run) and then swung by Publix to get a handful of items for a pie I have decided I want to make. As much as I wanted to go by Paul and Leah's for dinner, I knew I should be disciplined and go home instead and so I sent her a text and said I was going to be responsible and go home and get some things crossed off my list. I did just that and started some of my cooking for Thanksgiving. 

That brings us to Wednesday, which is currently today, but probably isn't today by the time you read this. For the past few years, I have gone to a movie on the eve of Thanksgiving and that is exactly what I did this year too. After work, I caught the 4:30 p.m. showing of Mockingjay Part I. I have so been looking forward to this movie and it did not disappoint. My cousin Jan met me there so we could both have some down time before finishing up our cooking. 

I went home after the movie and got a big chunk of cooking done so that there wouldn't be much left for Thursday. This year we are having a larger group than normal for Thanksgiving and I think we are all looking forward to a good meal and a good time together. Hope you and your family have a great day as well! 

It Wiped Us Out

Y'all, this past weekend was exhausting and really I don't know why because I feel like I accomplished absolutely nothing. I didn't even get the sheets changed on my bed which is usually the first thing I do on Saturdays. I'm usually a very good planner, but had a lot of oddly times activities going on Saturday and so mostly I just felt like I was running around like a crazy person all day. 

I got up around 6:00 a.m. and started some laundry, ate some breakfast, cleaned the kitchen and spent the next few hours doing something. I know I watched some TV, but I feel like I also did some straightening or putting things away but for the life of me couldn't even tell you what that was. I had an appointment for an oil change at the Goodyear downtown at 10:00 a.m. and so about 10 minutes til, I headed out the door.

The oil change took about an hour and I used that time to clip and sort coupons and plan out my shopping trip to Publix. After the oil change, I had about 45 minutes - an hour to kill before I had to pick up my produce basket for the week. I didn't want to go to the grocery store until after I got my basket so I could see what was inside and determine what I might or might not need to add to the grocery store list. 

So, I went by the new Wal-Mart to pick up a sweatshirt and some fabric paint because some friends and I were planning to decorate sweatshirts on Sunday night for next week's Galaxy of Lights Fun Run. Have I lost you yet? While on the way to Wal-Mart, I decided to get a car wash, but as I arrived at the wash, I remembered it was supposed to rain on Sunday and so I decided against a clean car and drove on to Wal-Mart instead. 

I picked up the things I needed and some things I didn't and then made my way to pick up my produce basket. This week's basket was kind of disappointing I thought. Two whole things of celery (which I will be lucky to eat before it goes bad), cranberries, garlic, sweet potatoes (only three, but they were huge), one pound of green beans, one pound of brussels sprouts, a few oranges, a few apples, mushrooms, a pineapple, and a few bananas. I'll probably eat the majority of the items, but for some reason, I was a wee bit disappointed. 

After I got my basket, I headed to Publix and spent about an hour there spending way more money than I ever intended. I left with two shopping carts of groceries by the time they got it bagged up. I blame this on the fact that I needed stuff for Thanksgiving and also because Publix had the best sale ad ever this week and it was hard to pass up some things which I know will be used and will carry me through the Christmas season. With all the in-ad savings and my coupons, I saved $110 and really, despite the fact I came out of the store with two carts and spent more money than I intended, the price was surprisingly reasonable. 

By the time I got home, unloaded the groceries and put away the cold stuff, it was nearly 2:00 p.m. and time for me to shower and change into some decent looking clothes because Pippa and I had plans to have our Christmas card picture made at Green Mountain. We left the house around 3:15 p.m. to meet my friend Kristen at 3:45 p.m. for our photos. She had a shoot before us which was running a little late so we walked around until about 4:00 p.m. when she wrapped up with the other family. The park closed at 4:30 p;.m. so we didn't have a lot of time; but, in those 30 minutes, Kristen managed to take over 400 photos of me and my insane dog who was being anything but cooperative. There were so many people and so many other dogs roaming around that Pippa wouldn't sit or look at Kristen when her name was called or really do anything at all that we wanted. When the park closed, we finally gave up and hoped there might be one good photo in the hundreds that were taken. 

Of course, as soon as we got into the car to go home, Pippa laid down in the back seat and went to sleep. Heaven forbid she be that calm for picture taking! Since she had rolled around in the leaves all afternoon and had been playing outside quite a bit lately, I decided to stop by the dog wash on the way home, but the wash was booked until closing time. So, The Pip just got her nails trimmed and we scheduled the bath for the next day. 

When we got home, it was close to 5:30 p.m. and we were both worn out! I changed clothes, laid down on the couch and more or less fell asleep immediately. Pippa laid beside me and also fell asleep. I think I got up around 8:30 p.m. and changed out some laundry and then crawled in the bed and slept the rest of the night. Like I said, I didn't really accomplish much, but for some reason, I was worn out and Pippa was too and it made for a very quiet evening in Five Points.

I Love The Winter Weather

Well, in case you missed it, the whole country has been under a massive freeze this week. Some of us are lucky enough to thaw out over the weekend and next week before the next round hits. Others of us, however, aren't so lucky. When I lived in Niagara Falls a long, long time ago, I saw my fair share of snow. I cannot even imagine the amount of snow they have right now. I wish I could see my old apartment building. I'd love to know how tall the snow was at my former home.

Here in Alabama w haven't had any snow, but we've had quite a chill. One day this week it was colder in Huntsville than it was in Alaska. That doesn't even remotely make sense. It's like we skipped fall all together. Admittedly I love the cooler weather. I'm a big fan of sweaters and coats and hats and gloves and scarves and all the other fun accessories that come this time of year.

The bad things about it being cold outside is that it is steaming hot at work. I'm tempted to buy a portable air conditioner it's so stinkin' hot! I (and others) have emailed the head maintenance man asking for him to turn down the heat; but alas, our pleas fall on deaf ears. Today, I wore a short sleeve shirt under my sweater and cost and early in the morning, I had already shed the sweater and despite the fact I was in short sleeves, I was still hot.

I don't know if it's the combination of cold outside and sweltering hot inside, but something had got a lot of folks at the office coughing and hacking and not feeling well, myself included. I stopped by the Quick Care after work on Wednesday because I had a sore throat and wanted to nip it before it got worse. I also want to make sure I'm 100% well before my surgery lest it be cancelled. As it stands now, it's scheduled at a perfect time and I want to do everything I can to make sure it happens when it's scheduled. I got a shot of antibiotics and oral antibiotics and hopefully I'm well on the way to feeling better.

Soon it will be December and I have not even had pictures taken for my Christmas card. My cousin (who usually takes our photos) has been busy getting married and setting up a new home and our schedules haven't meshed. So, this weekend, my friend Kristen is going to take photos for us. Fingers crossed we have at least one that's Christmas card worthy.

I've got a full weekend of random activities planned, including shopping for Thanksgiving and maybe even getting a head start on cooking. Speaking of which, we are having a little Thanksgiving potluck at work on Friday and I'm looking forward to enjoying some delicious food with my work family. It will be a great way to kick off the weekend and the holiday season!

Friends, Family, Volunteering and Wrapping

After my adventures at the hospital on Friday morning and a trip to the movies on Friday afternoon, I spent Friday evening at my friend Leah's house. She cooked us a delicious dinner of salmon, and roasted sweet potatoes and a salad. The plan for the night was to wrap presents, but I was to lazy to haul all my stuff over to her house. So, I worked on homemade gift tags while Leah wrapped her presents and we watched one of my favorites, "Meet Me In Saint Louis." Before the movie was over, I started dozing off; so, i left Leah with the movie and took my very tired self home and straight to bed. I think the craziness of the day had caught up with me.

Saturday morning, I was up early and started on the laundry and the cleaning. Erika and I had signed up to volunteer for Plentiful Produce and had to be there at 11:00 a.m. Besides the two of us, there was the gal who runs the co-op and two other ladies. We got all the baskets sorted by 11:30 a.m. and since pick up is at noon, we had about 30 minutes to kill before folks started coming to get their baskets. So we made small talk and enjoyed the company.

All the baskets were picked up by 12:30 p.m. and we were done for the day. We also got a little extra something in our baskets for helping. I chose an extra head of cauliflower and an extra bag of spinach. I made cauliflower soup which was actually very good, I had never had it before and was pleased with how it turned out. I also got a fun surprise from Erika before we got started with our volunteering. She had ordered a best costume prize for our Downton party and it didn't arrive in time for our soiree. So, she brought it to me on Saturday and it was a Downton t-shirt which I love and can't wait to wear.

After we were finished with Plentiful Produce, I went to Publix to pick up a few things and then headed back home where I spent the rest of the day finishing up chores around the house and watched a lot of football. I also managed to wrap about half of my Christmas presents which was a big relief. For some reason, wrapping has been on my agenda/mind for weeks now and so I was glad to get at least some of that accomplished.

Sunday was a miserable rainy day, I'll make no qualms about it. After church, my cousin Alexandra had a bridal tea and so I stopped by there to drop off a gift and visit with friends and family. Before I left, it looked like she had gotten a lot of great gifts. I was pleased to see how many people came out on such a yucky day and was glad she got some nice things.

Sunday evening I had dinner at the home of my cousins Jan and Benny which was a nice way to end the weekend and get ready for the week ahead. As much as I enjoy the weekends, they never seem to be long enough, but I'm sure everyone feels that way.

One Down, One to Go

Well, the first Parker knee surgery of 2014 is complete! My dad had his right knee operated on this past Friday and so far I think he is doing great. He had to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and my cousin Jessica "drove" him to the hospital. By "drove" I mean she rode with him as he drove to the hospital. He had to have a responsible adult there to make sure he had a ride home and she was nominated to be the responsible adult. 

I got to the hospital about 6:30 a.m. after first making a stop at Hardee's for some sausage biscuits for the handful of people I knew were coming. When I arrived, I went back and saw my dad, talked to the doctor and stayed until a slew of church members came back at which point I took my leave because it was a wee bit crowded. The gave him his sleepy drugs not long after the church folks stopped by. My mother, unfortunately was relying on my unreliable brother and didn't make it to the hospital until after my dad had gone to surgery. 

In addition to the folks from the church where my dad preaches, our good friend Naaman and my friend Leah also came to sit with us at the hospital. The surgery lasted about 45 minutes and I talked to the doctor when he came out because my mom was off talking to Naaman somewhere. Every time I talked to the doctor I felt like a very responsible adult. When the surgery was over, most everyone left except for Naaman who stayed with us to the end. His wife Cheryl came by and so did my mom's dad. 

We got called to the back around 10:00 a.m. where my dad, bless him, asked the same questions over and over again - it was the drugs. We got him home and I picked up some Five Guys for everyone and then took my leave. Since I had the day off, I took advantage of it and went to see a movie. I chose Interstellar, and I'm here to tell you, I thought it was terrible so please don't waste your money. 

My dad was actually walking around the day of his surgery. The next day he had pain and soreness, but on Sunday, he drove himself to church and on Monday he drove himself to therapy. When he got to therapy, he could bend his knee 115% whereas most people can only bend it 90%. So, now, I've got to try and match or beat that when I have my surgery because isn't everything in life a competition? 

So, we're one knee surgery down and one more to go. My dad is doing great and I'm thankful for that and I'm hopeful my recovery will be as easy as his is going. Here's to hoping. 

Book Review: Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary

I recently had the opportunity to review Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary by General Editor: Ronald F. Youngblood, Contributors: F. F. Bruce and R. K. Harrison. It arrived a couple of weeks ago and sadly, I'm just now getting around to posting about it. I didn't have a good Bible Dictionary; so, when I saw this was going to be one of the books available for October through Booklook Bloggers, I jumped on it. I was excited for it to arrive and am so glad I chose this book to review. It will definitely be a resource I will use many times throughout my life. 

This dictionary is so great, y'all! At over 1200 pages, this dictionary is packed full of great information that will no doubt be a great resource in your personal Bible study. With over 7,000 words described in the book, there are in-depth definitions for each word which will help you formulate a better understanding of what you are studying. There are definitions for not only words, but also descriptions of people and places which is especially helpful for minor characters in your study. 

In addition to the definitions, there are also plenty of visual aids, including over 500 full color pictures. Most pages have at least one picture  that corresponds to a word listed on the page. There are also a plethora of maps, of which I am a big fan as I like to know how close the cities are that I'm studying about. There are also outlines of each book of the Bible and timelines and genealogy charts. 

This book seriously has it all. If you are looking for a go-to resource, I would definitely recommend this book. It has so much great information, it's hard to believe you would need anything else. 

The book retails for just under $35 on Amazon and would make a great gift for the Bible scholar on your Christmas list. 

On Friday and Saturday

I guess I'm going a bit backwards in my storytelling this week. I've never claimed to be normal. Really, I don't think there's a whole lot more to tell, but I suppose I'll get wordy and make a post of it anyway. 

Friday at work, we had our annual United Way Campaign close-out with the prize drawings. Despite putting way too many tickets in the box for an up close parking space, my name was only drawn once - for the month of June. So, when it's hot outside I'll have a closer walk to my car, for one month anyway. Still, it was fun to see whose names were drawn for the various prizes and I like to scream and make a fool of myself when the name of someone I know is drawn. It makes for a fun time. 

After work, I went home and watched some TV before my dad and brother showed up so that we could all go to the football game. It was the first round of the playoffs and the first cold night of football I've had this season. It had been cold the week before, but I was at a Halloween party; so, for me, it was the first cold game of the season. I was hoping since it was the playoffs MA might have some semblance of competition to play against, but I was wrong. It was yet another blowout. Justin and I were ready to go at the half, but we stuck it out because my dad wasn't quite ready to go. We finally left with a few minutes remaining in the fourth when the score was 56-0. We made an obligatory run by Krispy Kreme and then parted ways for the night. 

Saturday morning, my dad and brother came by around 8:00 a.m. with hedge trimmers in hand. I believe I mentioned in my spider post that the hedges were a wee bit out of control. So, the two menfolk trimmed the hedges and I cleaned up the loose branches, etc. and carted them to the road. It took just about an hour to get everything done and my goodness it looks a ton better now. I completed what I thought would be the last mowing of the season the previous Saturday, but now I'm thinking I may mow one more time to get the leaves up...or not. Time will only tell. 

When the yard work was complete, I took some time to cool off, clean up a little, change clothes and was then picked up by Leah and we went to MA for the Southern Tradition Market. They had lots of cute items this year and if money grew on trees, I would have come home with way too many things. Instead I came home with a small tray and matching canister which I certainly didn't need, but bought anyway. Before leaving, we made a run by the cafeteria because I wanted a lunchroom cinnamon roll which are delicious and usually sold at Southern Tradition. However, I was disappointed because this year, although the menu stated cinnamon roll, all they had were cinnamon raisin biscuits. No thanks. So, I bought a piece of someone's homemade cheesecake instead and it was divine. 

Leah dropped me off back at home and I ate some lunch and then proceeded to take a nap...for three hours. Seriously, I did not intend to sleep that long but I guess I was tired and it was probably for the best since the Alabama game last late into the night. 

Around 5:30 p.m., I headed to my Aunt Linda's house for dinner and to watch the Alabama-LSU game. We celebrated my cousin Chris' birthday with BBQ from Moe's and a birthday cookie. I watched the first half of the game there and then left to go home at halftime, as did everyone else. It was getting late and I think we all wanted to be home when the game was over. I tried not to get too vested in the game, but by the fourth quarter I was yelling at the TV. Alabama managed to literally squeak out a victory, which was the icing on the cake to a busy but fun day. 

The First Christmas Gift of 2014

I'm starting with a post about the second half of my weekend rather than the first half because that's the thing that's easiest to write about and I need easy today because my brain isn't functioning on full steam today.You'll find out why in this post.

A couple of months ago, I got an email about advanced ticket sales for James Taylor in Nashville and immediately thought that it would be a good show to attend with my mother. I felt like at some point I had heard her mention that she would like to see him in concert. So, I sent her an email asking her if she would like to go and if so, then I would take her as the main part of her Christmas present. She said she would and so I bought two tickets for the show, which was this past Sunday, November 9.

I picked mother up for our adventure a little before 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. When I got there, she, my dad and my brother were all in the driveway - it looked like some folks were happy to get rid of mother for a few hours, I joked. We headed north and the first stop on our agenda was The Cheesecake Factory. Mother wanted to eat there and so I had looked up earlier in the week where it was. I knew there was one at Green Hills Mall, but wasn't sure if that was the only one. According to their web site there is one in Franklin but I'm here to tell you it was no where to be found and when I put it in my GPS it didn't come up. The only one it showed was the one at Green Hills, so we got back on the interstate and headed to Green Hills Mall.

By the time we got there, everyone else had to. It looked like we might never get in there were so many people standing about. We got out name on the list and in the meantime, we picked out and bought slices of cheesecake to take home with us. I had noticed a Carrabba's within walking distance and so I looked it up on my phone, called and found they had no line. So, we made another change of plans and went there to eat so we wouldn't have to wait. It worked out really well because we had a great meal and still got a piece of cheesecake.

After dinner we headed to Bridgestone Arena and found a good parking spot that really couldn't have worked out any better in my opinion. Our only concern was that mother's wheelchair battery might not last the night. Some cobble surfaces cause the battery to drain faster than normal and she was losing juice; but, we managed to make it inside and find our seats with no problem.

The seats were great. We were close to the stage and elevated above the row in front of us. I don't think we could have asked for a better location. We got settled in and people watched until time for the show to start. Start time was slated for 8:00 p.m. and it got started a few minuted after that. The majority of the crowd was around my parents' age I would say and so thankfully, they were the type that preferred to sit throughout the show rather than stand the whole time.

James Taylor was really quite humorous and we often laughed at his commentary throughout the night. For someone like me who mostly attends rock-and-roll shows, it was definitely more subdued than I'm used to and that caused me to chuckle to myself a time or two. Mr. Taylor and his band played for three hours and it was really a great show. He played a lot of his hits and also some new songs (which sound like the old songs, he said and it's true). It was just an overall great show. Mother really enjoyed it too which is great.

We got back to the van at 11:13 p.m. after some concern about the battery dying on the way, we thankfully made it with enough juice to get mother into the car and buckled in. We got on the interstate and made one stop for gas in Franklin before finishing the journey home. I think I pulled into my parents' driveway about 1:30 a.m. and was home and in bed 20 minutes after that.I was up at 5:00 a.m. for work and did my best to function on about three hours of sleep. Needless to say, I was glad to see 4:00 p.m. roll around so I could go on home and sleep.

I'm glad mother and I got to spend this time together and have this memory. It was a great way to kick of Christmas giving for 2014!

The 2014 Mid-Term Elections From The Poll

I had every intention of writing a post yesterday and posting it to the blog when I got home but then 815 people decided to come vote and I was busy from the time the doors opened until we closed and then some. I think it may have been the busiest and most insane day I've ever had at the polls, y'all! By the time I got home I just wanted to shut my brain down and go to sleep. 

Per usual, I got to my polling location at 6:00 a.m. I served as inspector for this election as well. I think the inspector torch may have permanently been passed on to me which is just fine. I'm happy to serve and happy for the little bump in pay as well. I think I was the last one to the poll even though I got there at 6:00 and had woken up 20 minutes earlier than I had intended. All the folks that work with me are old enough to be my grandparents and so I suspect they are up this early every day. We put the finishing touches on setting things up and took the poll worker's oath and had about 20 minutes to sit and enjoy breakfast before the madness began. 

At 7:00 a.m., when the polls officially opened, we had a line of about 10-12 people and when the doors opened, the line kept getting longer. People were fired up to vote. I had wanted to do two sets of books (clerks and voters list), but my top lieutenant  (if you will) wasn't keen on that idea. So, I gave in on that one, but will not give in at the next general election because I think two books would have served us well. I've also got to come up with a better flow of traffic because it was often crowded and chaotic and the check-in and sign-in tables. It was good for me to see how things went so I can work to create a better plan for the next go-around. We were only given five voting booths, one of which we couldn't use because it had a set of short and long legs and therefore wouldn't stand up. So, we set up three additional tables with chairs for people to sit at and vote. I was concerned that people might complain about it because as you are probably aware some folks are super secretive about their ballots. However, it worked out great and people were thankful for a place to sit and fill out their ballots. 

In addition to the masses of people coming in to vote, we had a new law to follow this go around which made the day even more insane that usual. In the past, if someone was registered in our precinct but had moved to a new address, we asked them to fill out an update form and let them vote. This time, as a result of a law suit that was filed in Mobile County, we had to send those people to what was now their correct precinct where they would be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. In turn, I had people sent to me who had moved into my precinct who came to vote provisional. The problem with provisional ballots is that they have to be approved by one of three members of the Board of Registrars and getting one of these three on the phone on election day was a nightmare. It's always hard to get one of them on the phone on election day but this time because of the new provisional law, it was 100 times worse. I had one gentleman wait a little over an hour before I finally was able to get someone on the phone to approve him to vote. I heard of another precinct who had someone wait two hours and 15 minutes. It was nuts! I spent 75% of my day on the phone and probably 90% of that time was dialing and redialing because the line was busy. 

I think my favorite part of this election day was when a young man born in 1918 came in to vote. He was legally blind and his caregiver brought him to vote. Apparently he must have had differing political views than the caregiver or he didn't trust her because he asked for me to help him with his ballot. First, he had to vote a provisional because even though he had a card and a letter from the Madison County Board of Registrars stating that his precinct was #03, he was not on the Madison County voters list. This is still a complete mystery to me. At any rate, once he was approved to vote, he told me in a very loud voice (he yelled rather than talked because I'm sure he is hard of hearing) to just vote a straight Republican ticket. Then I read each of the amendments to him to which he would reply (very loudly) if he thought it was good or bad and to vote yes or no. I filled out his ballot for him and placed it in the ballot box and he was on his way. I got such a kick out of him and was so proud to see someone his age get out and vote. Ya'll know how passionate I am about exercising our right to vote and it just made me so proud to be able to help this man. 

There were lots of other interesting and exhausting things that happened throughout the day and I probably couldn't recall them all if I tried. We had a man yell at us and call us liars and said the news station lied because he came to our precinct to vote but was registered at another precinct. We had another man make a loud and long announcement thanking us poll workers for our service, making it possible for him to vote. The man whose lone duty was to watch the voting machine let more than one person slip out the door before realizing the machine had rejected the ballot because of an over vote or some other such circumstance.  We had 19 people mark a ballot incorrectly such that they had to be given a new one.  

We were so busy throughout the day that we barely even had time to eat lunch. I had made potato soup and taco soup for my Bible study group on Monday night and made enough so that I could bring it for our lunch on Tuesday. Ruby, the lady who cooks for the church where we vote, made us some coleslaw and tea and she ate some soup too. We finally managed to eat in shifts, each getting about a 15 minute break. It was just a crazy day, y'all. 

Overall, most of the workers pulled their weight. At the end of the night, we pulled out the ballots with a write in and spent the next 45 minuted filling out the write in forms and closing up shop. I think I was the fourth person the courthouse and would have been home about 8:15 except that I had to track down someone from the probate judge's office to get a work excuse. Usually a sheriff's deputy brings one by, but I guess everyone else's day was just as nuts as mine so no one brought one by In fact, we usually get visited by a deputy three or four times during the day and only had one visit this go around. 

I finally made it home at about 20 minutes until 9:00 p.m. and was so glad to walk into my house, change into my pajamas and promptly crawl into my bed. I love our country and I love the freedom we have to get out and vote and choose our leaders and I feel so blessed and thankful to be able to watch the process each time and election rolls around and at the end of the night, that always trumps my exhaustion. 

A Halloween Recap

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween! I absolutely cannot believe that we have reached November. This year has flown by so quickly! I was able to celebrate Halloween two nights in a row this year and had a great time both nights! 

Thursday night, Erika hosted Candy and I for our Second Annual Downton Abbey Costume Party. Our friend (and Candy's sister) Kendra moved to Nashville a few weeks ago and so she was unable to make the party. We had also invited my friend Leah but she couldn't make it either; so, it was a small, quaint group but we still had fun! 

Erika and Candy both dressed as housemaids this year and I stuck with my Dowager Countess outfit, although next year I'm leaning towards Ms. Patmore. Erika cooked a delicious meal of potato soup and some hot ham roll-ups. She also made brownies which believe it or not we never even cut. She decorated the table so nicely with little vases of flowers that held our name cards. She also printed out some Downton games for us to play. We had one that determined your Downton name (mine was Lady Jo McKinley of Madison) and we also had a quiz which Candy won. The prize was a Starbucks Huntsville mug that was super cute. Last, but not least, Erika printed out Downton paper dolls for us which were hilarious and gave us quite a laugh. It was such a fun night visiting with these friends of mine. 

On Halloween night, I went over to my cousins' Lauren and Jon Mark's house for a Halloween soiree. This year most of us dressed up and the costumes were really amazing. We snacked on delicious food throughout the night and greeted trick-or-treaters as they came to the door. It was absolutely freezing outside and I was glad I wasn't out roaming the streets for candy. 

Halloween is also my cousin Cecelia's birthday, so, Lauren had a cake ordered to celebrate. Since Lauren is pregnant, the cake also served as a gender-reveal cake. When we cut into it, the icing in between the layers was blue - they are having a boy! Their three-year old was pulling for a baby sister, but I think he'll be pleased as punch to have a brother. 

I finally ventured back home around 9:00 p.m. and promptly changed into PJs and climbed under the covers. I believe I mentioned it was freezing out. I think it was the coldest Halloween of my life. I do not recall one being so cold. 

It was a fun night with family and friends and I'm already looking forward to next year's gathering!