'Twas the 39th Anniversary of My Birth

It was my 39th anniversary this past Monday. I'm now walking in the 40th year of my life and I'm here to tell you, that seems a little weird. 

This year's birthday was much, much better than last year's disaster - thank goodness! I kicked off the birthday weekend by welcoming my new furniture into my home. Santa and Mrs. Claus put some money towards new furniture for me for Christmas and it finally came in the week before my birthday and was delivered on Saturday January 30. It looks so great. I just love it! I got a new couch and a chair and ottoman. The couch is grey and the chair and ottoman are off white with grey polka dots. I also bought some coverings to keep on them when it's just me and Pip at home. That way we can (hopefully) keep things clean. Pip has done really well with the furniture so far. The decorative pillows that came with the furniture are sitting in another chair and thankfully Pip hasn't eaten any of them. I did take the couch cushions away from her during the day because the way she lays on them to look out the window causes the shape to warp and it's hard to fluff them back into place. So, she is cushion-less during the day which is probably for the best. 

The day before my birthday, my dad and I headed up to Nashville. We left about 12:30 and made the journey north. We had bought tickets for the NHL All-Star game which was held at Bridgestone Arena. I grew up loving hockey and my dad is a fan as well, although he doesn't follow it as closely as I do. When I found out the All-Star game was going to be in Nashville the day before my birthday, I made it a point to start watching tickets like a hawk. It became sort of an obsession and I was checking prices about every 30 minutes; but, it paid off because I bought tickets in a pretty great location one week before the game and the next day the prices started rising again. So, I think it worked out perfectly. 

We had the best time at the game. We've had a lot of good times and seen a lot of amazing things, but this game might have been one of the funnest and most exciting things we have ever done for ourselves. We cheered and jeered and laughed and watched people and just thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I am so glad we went! We ate at Outback in Nashville before heading home and arrived back in Huntsville around 11:00 p.m.

The actual day of my birthday was also a good day. I took the day off work which I have never done on my birthday. I went to Jones Valley Elementary to have a make-up day with my lunch buddy (our last day had been cancelled because of snow) and then I went and ate lunch with my parents, grandparents and sweet Ada. We went to Red Lobster which is my birthday spot. I have eaten their for years on my birthday and decided not to brake with tradition this year. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and then most everyone came back to my house to see the new furniture and give me a few gifts. Most of the gifts had to be returned because I had already bought them for myself and my mom and dad didn't communicate on the gift giving front, My dad had already ordered a pair of boots I wanted. Communication is key my friends! 

That evening I went to Ladies' Bible study and celebrated again with my friend Amberly who shares a birthday with me. Her mom hosted Bible study that night and we had a delicious meal. While at study, we received news that my dear friend Leah gave birth to her first child, a daughter, Juniper Willoughby. I think it goes without saying that the weekend of the 39th anniversary of my birth was indeed a great one. 

How The Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical

This past Saturday my parents and I went to Nashville for the day to see "How The Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical." The Grinch (the original cartoon one that is) is probably my favorite of the Christmas classics. My mom gets me a Lennox Grinch figurine every year for Christmas and I just generally love the story. So, when I saw that the musical was coming to Nashville I decided to go and asked my parents if they'd like to come along as well. Mother said yes, my dad said no and so I bought two tickets for me and my mother. Then my dad felt left out and so I bought him a ticket too. Long story short, the play was this past Saturday and the three of us went. 

We left Huntsville around 10:00 a.m. and headed north. We anticipated the traffic to be slightly insane around the Grand Ole Opry and it was; but, we found a restaurant close by and were able to enjoy a nice lunch before making our way over tot he Opry House. After lunch we had about an hour to spare before the show started and it took almost that long to get the two or three miles from the restaurant to the venue. We were having no luck finding a parking spot; so, my dad dropped me and mother off at the curb so we could get the tickets from Will Call and he went off to find a spot to park. Mother and I got the tickets and left my dad's at Will Call for him since we didn't know how long it would take him to find a place to park. As luck would have it, he found a spot pretty soon after dropping us off and actually beat us to the seats. We were in the balcony and the Opry House has a wheelchair lift that took some time to get to and use. 

The show started on time and overall was good. It wasn't as wonderful as I had pictured it in my head. Since I am a lover of the original, I don't like much deviation and this show had a lot of musical numbers that were not in the cartoon. Overall the story was the same, but I think I was anticipating it to be an acted out version of the cartoon as someone narrated and it wasn't like that at all. Also, I was either very tired or it was very slow in some spots because there were times when I thought I might fall asleep. I'm glad we went though because we did all enjoy the outing and it was nice to do something Christmasy that we haven't done before. 

When the show was over, we headed back to the wheelchair lift and had to wait on some other folks before mother had her turn. We finally made it outside and were soon on our way home. Ya'll when we got on the interstate to head home, you would not believe the amount of traffic trying to exit at Opry Mills for shopping. I bet the traffic was backed up for five miles or more. It was nuts. This is why I shop online, my friends. 

We made it back to Huntsville around 6:30 p.m. or so and called it a night. We had originally planned on going to a concert at the library but by the time we got back, we were all tired and ready to go home. It was a fun day and I'm glad we were able to enjoy some family time together doing something Christmasy. 

In January, I Shall Rest

It was another busy weekend, as most are this time of year. Friday night we went to the Madison Academy game and for the first time in three years, the Mustangs lost in the playoffs. It was kind of expected and therefore not so devastating; but, it was a good game. They had a good run, but alas, all good things must come to and end. 

Saturday morning I left my house at 8:00 a.m. to run errands and knock some things off the to do list. I also had an ALANA meeting and this is where I shall pause to tell you three readers about this organization because we are in desperate need of some new faces so consider this my plea. ALANA is the Association of Ladies for Agape of North Alabama. This group of (old) women support Agape in various ways. They hold charity sales throughout the year to raise money and collect dues of a whole $10 a year. With the money that is raised, the ladies help support the foster children who are supported by Agape. They provide money for such things as a spring (or Easter) outfit, a Thanksgiving turkey, they help pay for the foster family retreat in the fall and also provide money for school supplies. If other needs arise, they address those as they come up and try to help the foster families out as much and as often as possible. I'm not sure how many members there are in total, but there is a core group of about 20 or so women and the average age is surely close to 75 (if you throw out me and my friend Leah). The ladies meet about four times a year on Saturday mornings for about an hour and food is provided at the meetings. Here is my plea - this group is in desperate need of some new and younger faces! If you are interested in getting involved in this great group, then please get in touch with me either by emailing me or leaving a comment with your contact information in this post. OK, that's it for the public service announcement for today. 

After the ALANA Meeting I had a little time to kill before picking up my produce basket for the week. So, instead of going home for 30 minutes, I went by and volunteered to sort baskets. There were actually a lot of volunteers that day so the sorting went quickly and I was able to get my basket and head home. Once home I changed clothes, sat down for about 15 minutes and then drove three houses down the street to pick up my cousins Anna and Randy for a basketball game. My cousin Tyler (Anna's brother) is the assistant coach at Shorter University and they were playing in a tournament at UAH. So, a bunch of us went to support him. The game was actually really good and we had a great time cheering on the Hawks. 

When the game was over, we went to Mellow Mushroom for dinner and then I finally headed home for the night. Anna, Randy, Tyler and Autumn went to see a movie; but, since I had been home for all of 15 minutes that day I opted to go home and stay home. It was a good thing to because I think I was asleep by 7:30 p.m. 

It was a busy, busy Saturday and I've got to tell you, I'm ready for a weekend of rest which will no doubt happen in January, which will be here before we know it. 

A Night Out in Nashville

Well, I never found the post I lost. That is seriously one of life's great mysteries. So, I'll try to recreate it as best I can. 

So, earlier this year when I wrote this post, I mentioned it was the last concert of 2015, but apparently I was a liar because as luck would have it, the concert gods had one more show in store for me. the Sunday after the Foo Fighters show, I was having dinner with my cousins and some friends of ours (Russell and Cindy) were over as well. Lauren and I were telling Russell about our Foo Fighter's experience and somehow it triggered him to tell us all about Tab Benoit and what a great show he puts on. Tab is from Louisiana and sings a Cajun/Zydeco type of music and Russell was pretty fired up when he was talking about the show he had been to. The next thing I knew, Russell was looking up the dates for upcoming shows and then we were all buying tickets. 

The show was last Tuesday and there ended up being 13 of us who went up to see it. The show was held at City Winery in downtown Nashville which is a very nice venue. I had never heard of it before buying my ticket to the show and was very impressed with the place. I rode up with my cousins Jan, Benny, Anna and Randy and because of rush hour and a couple of accidents, we arrived a little after 6:30. The seats are such that you are actually seated at a table and you can dine before the show, which is why we arrived early. I think everyone was happy with the meals they ordered. I had the steak which came with a cauliflower and mushroom puree and asparagus, all of which was delicious.  

The opening act, who's name I cannot remember to save my life, came on stage about 7:30 and played for 45 minutes or so. He was actually quite good and I enjoyed listening to him. Tab took the stage around 9:00 p.m. and seriously, the folks in the crowd went a little nuts. It was rather humorous. Tab can play the guitar like nobody's business and doesn't have a bad voice to boot. That particular night was hi birthday and I'm here to tell you the man was three sheets to the wind (or drunk for those of you who are not familiar with the expression). He ended up doing a whole lot more talking than singing and playing which basically amounted to us getting a stand-up show in conjunction with the concert. I couldn't tell you the last time I laughed that hard. I don't know if he always talks that much, but he sure talked that night and it was hilarious. 

The stand-up show/concert ended around 11:00 p.m. at which point we discovered that one of the couples who came with us paid for everyone's meals, which was an incredibly nice gesture and took everyone by surprise. We collected the truck from valet parking and then headed back south. Most of us stayed awake for about 45 minutes of the drive before nodding off to sleep. Big thanks to my cousin Benny for driving all us sleepyheads home through the night. It was a very fun night and a great way to end the 2015 concert season! 

Galaxy of Lights

It's hard to believe it, but Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is just around the corner. I've finally managed to knock a dent in my Christmas list. Thank goodness.

Typically, I don't do anything Christmas related until after Thanksgiving, but this past Sunday night I made an exception. My cousins and I and a couple of friends went to the Galaxy of Lights at the Botanical Garden for one of the walking nights. Every year I say I'm going to go on a walking night and never end up making it. They have a couple of nights were dogs are welcome - maybe one year I'll be brave and take Pippa to enjoy the holiday spirit. I've participated in the Fun Run the last couple of years and have enjoyed it so much. Walking the Galaxy of Lights is so much better than driving. You definitely get a better perspective and are able to take it all in so much more I think.

The gates opened at 5:30 p.m. and I think we all got there around 6:00 or 6:15. Since I'm a member, I got a ticket for a free hot chocolate and a cookie, but I gave it to my cousin Anna because she had mentioned hoping there was some hot chocolate and she's pregnant. So, we'll be treating her with special care for the next few months, starting with hot chocolate.

We had a great time walking, talking about baby names from A to Z and other things and just enjoying each other's company. The night was cold, but not freezing and so it was perfect for a night walk to enjoy the lights and sounds of the season.

I'll be doing the Fun Run again this year on December 1, but there are a few more walking nights before then. This Friday, November 20 thru Monday, November 23 are the last walking nights. November 23 is a dog night so if you're not a dog fan, I wouldn't recommend going that night. After these last few walking nights, the driving nights start.

Galaxy of Lights is so fun and festive and has become one of my favorite activities of the Christmas season. Check it out if you have a chance!

The Last Concert of 2015

I saw the Foo Fighters on Monday night and y'all, it was so good. My brother has always said I'm the biggest Foo Fighters fan he knows, which I personally consider a huge compliment. So, when they announced a tour and tickets went on sale back in February, you'd better believe I took advantage of that pre-sale and ended up in the nose bleed section. I was in the building, people and that's all that matters. 

My cousin Lauren accompanied me for the show which was in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. We made plans over the weekend to leave town at 3:30 p.m. so we could get to Nashville in time for dinner before the show. That morning, I was scrolling through Twitter when I notice that my friend Grayson said he was pumped about the show and so I contacted him and his wife Margaret Anne (who is one of my closest friends) to see if they wanted to ride with me and Lauren. They had gotten tickets at the last minute which is a long story in an of itself. MA and Grayson got to my house a little after 3:00 p.m. and we soon headed over to pick up Lauren and made our way north. 

We got to Nashville a little after 5:00 p.m. and met MA's sister and her boyfriend at Five Points Pizza for dinner. MA's sister had the tickets that MA and Grayson were going to use that evening. Is this story getting confusing yet because I feel a little confused and I was there. Anyway, we ordered pizzas and sodas and enjoyed a yummy dinner together before parting ways. We found a spot to park downtown and walked to the arena. Grayson and I bought t-shirts because we each were in desperate need of a new t-shirt (she types sarcastically); but, it was the Foo Fighters and truth be told I've had a Foos shirt on my Christmas list the last couple of years so it's justified. 

As luck would have it, MA and Grayson's seats were in the section right next to mine and Lauren's seats which worked out perfectly because we were able to find each other very easily after the show. Gary Clark, Jr. was the opening act and he wasn't too bad. I'd never heard of him before so I was pleasantly surprised. Gary wrapped up his set a little after 8:00 p.m. and the Foo Fighters were scheduled to come on at 8:30 p.m. 

The Foos came out right on time and put on a fantastic show. They played for about two and a half hours and played songs old and new. There were a few songs I had my fingers crossed for that didn't get played, but that's the way it goes. I suppose they can't play every song or else we'd be there all night. Really, that would have been okay with me. Dave Grohl was hilarious as always and seriously big props to that guy for playing this tour with a broken foot. He had a "throne" designed so he could still play and sing while keeping off his foot. I had a great time at the show and cannot wait until they go on tour again, hopefully some time soon. 

We made it back to the car around 11:15-ish and were back in Huntsville around 1:30 a.m. We were all exhausted but everyone did a great job of keeping the conversation going so that no one would fall asleep. I think this is the last concert for me for 2015 which is kind of sad. You never know though, in a weird twist of fate I may end up at another show of some kind; but if the Foo Fighters is who I end the 2015 concert season with than it was a good note to end on.Can't wait to see what the 2016 concert season holds!

The Color Run Huntsville 2015

This past Saturday was The Color Run Huntsville. It was the second year in a row that The Color Run took place in our city and this year it was more colorful than ever! 

A few months ago I received an advance sign-up email for the run and set up a team (because the price was a little less if you signed up on a team) for me and my cousins. Four of us signed up - me, Jan, Lauren, and Anna. Friday afternoon on the way home from work, I stopped by Kohl's to pick up our race packets. The process went a lot smoother this year than last. Last year there was a bit of a wait to get up to where you checked in and this time, they had plenty of people to get you checked in and on your way. The whole process took about 15 minutes and I picked up four packets. 

This year's race started at 8:00 a.m. which was an hour earlier than last year and perfectly okay with me as I had a lot to get to on Saturday. Jan, Lauren and Anna all ran down to the race start while I drove because admittedly, I'm lazy and they are training for yet another half marathon. Some people like running, I like strolling. I was in line to pay the Boy Scouts $5 to park when I noticed an unoccupied lot up ahead (well, it had one car) and a couple walking from that direction.  I decided to save my $5 and park in that lot and many other people followed suit because by the time I got back to the car later that morning, the lot was full. 

I walked over to the start which was a different and much more convenient location than last year and quickly found my trio of cousins. We headed over to the start line and not long after we were on our way. Jan and Lauren were content to enjoy the festivities and walk and have fun. Anna had to be talked into walking with us as she's the more hard core runner of the three. So, we walked and talked and enjoyed getting splashed with orange, yellow, pink and blue along the course. 

It took us an hour or so to walk the three miles and when we crossed the finish line, we were splashed with silver metallic powder and then handed a gold medal and a color and metallic color packet. We made our way over to the stage where there was an emcee and a DJ and at that precise moment, a dance off. Lots of additional color packets were thrown into the crowd and soon everyone was tossing color powder into the air and jumping up and down and acting a fool - including us! The air was so thick with colored powdered you could hardly breathe. Lauren had to abandon the chaos because she got hit in the eye with some color. For all I know I could have been the one that doused her, but hopefully not. By the time that fun was over we had color from head to toe. 

There was a tent set up (sponsored by Shout) to blow the excess powder off and we walked through that because we did, in fact, have a lot of excess powder. The girls decided to ride back in the car and I brought some sheets with me in case they decided to do just that. We spread the sheet across the back seat of the car and we were soon on our way. I dropped Lauren and Jan off at Lauren's and then Anna and then pulled up to my house where I promptly changed clothes so that I could sit down and eat some breakfast without getting colored powder everywhere. 

It was a fun morning with fun people and I look forward to doing it again next year! 

Road Trip to Atlanta

The last few days have been crazy busy - fun, but busy. Last Thursday, my dad and I drove over to Atlanta for a quick trip to see the sights. Our first stop was the World of Coca-Cola. I had been once before when I was a kid, but it has obviously been a while so we decided to make it one of our stops. I got us free tickets through the My Coke Rewards program which was nice. 

We took two hours or so to tour the facility. They had a lot of interesting and neat memorabilia and a lot of interesting facts about Coca-Cola, most of which I didn't know. At the end of the tour (and the only thing I remember from the last time I was there) you can taste different sodas from all over the world. I've got to say, Diet Coke is still number one in my heart even after tasting all those other flavors. 

At the end of the tour you get a free bottled Coke and then you are deposited into the gift store (of course). I bought a Diet Coke magnet and pen and my dad bought a lapel or hat pin, which he collects. When we checked out, you could buy a surprise bag for $1.99, $4.99 or $7.99. So, we both went for the $4.99 bag and both got the same thing which was a Coca-Cola notebook and pen. 

After our trip to the World of Coca-Cola, we walked back to the car and went over to Turner Field for the Braves vs. Mets game. There was no traffic on the way (probably because it was early and because the Braves are terrible) and we arrived at the park about two hours before game time. We got a free Bobblehead doll of Julio Tehran upon our arrival. There were so few people at the game they probably had enough dolls to give everyone two. We ate a hamburger at the restaurant in the stadium. It wasn't the greatest food ever, but it also wasn't the worst. 

When we finished our burgers, we walked around and watched the Braves drumline which was a lot of fun. They should play during the game too, I think it would make the game way more enjoyable. We then went to the gift store because all the merchandise was 50% off - it's the end of the season, y'all. Even though I'm not what one would consider a Braves fan, I still bought a t-shirt. They were my Papa's favorite so I'll wear it in his honor. 

We made our way to our seats which were on the first base line under the upper deck which was a good thing because not long after we sat down, there was a torrential downpour. We actually had to get up from our covered seats and move back because the wind was blowing water under the upper deck. There was thunder and lightening and quite a show by mother nature. The rain delay ended up being two and a half hours long. While we waited, they showed some documentaries on the jumbotron of John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux who were great Braves players back in the 1990s. My Papa loved watching those guys play. So, at least we were entertained while we waited for the rain to pass. 

Finally, at 9:30 p.m. we had the first pitch. The Braves are terrible and were losing 4-2 when we left at the bottom of the seventh. We only stayed that long because I bought a 50/50 raffle ticket and I was just sure I was going to win. Sadly, I did not. We then drove west down 1-20 for about 15 miles to our hotel for the night. FYI, the Braves lost 7-2.

The next morning we got up and ate breakfast pretty much right before it was shut down for the morning. Our plan was to go to the College Football Hall of Fame (CFBHF) and it didn't open until 10:00 a.m. so we weren't in a rush. After breakfast, we made our way back downtown and parked in the same lot we had parked in the day before and then walked over to the CFBHF. We got our tickets and made our way inside. 

When you go in, you sync your badge (ticket) to the computer and pick your team (Alabama, of course). Then, when you go through all the exhibits and you scan your badge, the tour is catered to your team. The second floor is all interactive exhibits. You can film yourself picking a winner on College Gameday, you can record a play-by-play of a famous game, you learn about teams and coaches and uniforms and the history of rivalries and how to run certain plays - it's all so much fun! 

There is also a movie at the beginning of the tour on the second floor about college football and it was very entertaining as well. There's lot of memorabilia to look at including trophies and old uniforms and items that belonged to famous coaches. 

On the third floor are the list of members in the CFBHF as well as some more trophies and a few more interactive items. There wasn't as much to look at on this floor. Then, on the bottom floor is the Chick-Fil-A fan experience where you can toss footballs into a net (I got two out of three!) and you can run through and obstacle and dive as someone throws you a ball (I caught it!) . You can also try ti kick a field goal which I didn't get to of because I wore sandals and I didn't think kicking a ball with my bare feet would feel too good. My dad gave this one a try and had the distance, but not the height. It's harder than it looks I guess. 

When we were done playing on the field, we perused the gift shop. I bought a Christmas ornament which I've been doing the past few years as I visit places and my dad got a hat pin. In all we spent about four hours at the CFBHF and probably could have spent even more time there. 

We wrapped up the afternoon by eating a meal at Legal Sea Foods. I happened to spot it as we were walking back to the car. My dad had the seafood casserole and I had a lobster roll and we were both happy with our decisions. We got back to Huntsville around 5:30 p.m. It was a very quick trip, but lots of fun. I'm glad we were able to get away to enjoy some time together. 

Sunday Night Appetizers with Tyler

On most Sunday nights, I eat dinner with my cousins. There are anywhere from eight to 12 of us there each week and Sunday nights have recently become one of my favorite nights of the week. I used to hate Sunday nights because it meant dreading the week ahead; however, since I've been joining my cousins for dinner, Sunday nights are full of laughter, love and always a fun time which makes the end of the weekend much more bearable. 

This past Sunday night Tyler decided to make an appetizer before dinner. Apparently he had seen a you tube video on pizza cones and wanted to give it a try. By the time I arrived, he was pulling the cone portion of the pizza cone out of the oven. He had made a cone out of aluminum foil and then taken canned Pilsbury pizza dough and formed it around the aluminum cones. He then placed the open end of the cone around the bottom of a muffin pan and baked them. So, it was literally a cone of baked pizza dough and it had me intrigued. 

Once the cones cooled, Tyler and Jon Mark stuffed the cones with pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese and bacon. The stood the cones up in oven safe mugs and baked them a while longer until the cheeses melted and the sauce was warm. We all gave the pizza cones a try and admittedly they were quite good. I think we were all a little surprised and impressed. 

There are a few more steps to the pizza cone making process than I outlined here. So, if you want to watch the video, which is less than two minutes I might add, check it out below. Happy pizza cine making!

Twas The Fourth of July

Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! Mine was interesting, a little different than normal, but still a lot of fun. I, along with most every other American, was thrilled to have Friday off from work; although, admittedly, it was confusing at times because Friday night I kept thinking that church was the next day. Friday morning I had an appointment to get the oil changed in the car and the tires rotated and just about the time I got ready to leave, the bottom fell out of the sky. I had planned on walking to the YMCA to get a workout in while my car was being worked on, but the buckets of rain kept me tucked safely and dryly inside the Goodyear. 

When the car was finished, I drove over to my parents' house and made a quick trip to Wal-Mart with my dad and then he cooked pancakes and then we began the arduous task of cleaning out the attic. We decided it would be best if we went to Lowe's to buy plywood to nail down to give the attic more room and so we could maybe move a few things around and actually get some work done. We got two strips of plywood down and moved some of Justin's things to that corner, threw some things away and set some things aside for the yard sale this fall and then my dad said we were done for the day. He said we got a lot more accomplished than he thought we would, whereas I was disappointed in how little we accomplished. The telling of two minds I suppose. The rest of Friday was spent being lazy and doing not much other than a few loads of laundry. 

Saturday morning I was up bright and early as the Tour de France got underway. I made my traditional French toast and enjoyed watching the time trial and just generally speaking enjoyed a relaxed morning. I made a cake and coleslaw for the cookout later that day and cooked some meat for my dad who was having a cookout as well. Justin stopped by that afternoon to pick up the meat that I had cooked and in the process dropped almost the whole pan of meat drippings all over my front porch. So, it probably goes without saying that I spent the next 30 minutes or so cleaning up greasy meat juice off my front porch. It wasn't exactly how I planned on spending some of the holiday, but those are the breaks. 

Once the meat juice was all cleaned up, I showered and headed over to the cookout which was being held at the brother of my cousin Jan's. Jan and I are cousins by marriage so her brother is not my cousin if that makes sense. All of the cousins that are my age were there and had set up games of slip and slide, volleyball, wiffle ball, corn hole, etc. I, however, was not provided the memo that there would be intense physical activity and didn't really come prepared to play. rest assured, I will be prepared for next year as I've already ordered a t-shirt for the occasion and will come ready to play. 

We had lots of food and there were lots of people there, most of whom we didn't even know. We all laughed because there was a "Family" side and a "We Don't Know Those People" side. As luck would have it, the skies opened up once again about the time it got dark and so the fireworks show was put into a predicament of sorts. We waited for the rain to pass, but it wouldn't let up and so the guys went out in the rain to shoot the fireworks. The problem was that the trees were clocking the view. Had it not been rained, we would have been able to stand where we could see, but as we were all crammed under the carport, we had to look at the fireworks between tree branches. There were also long breaks between each shot and I eventually got tired of sitting around waiting for the next one and decided to pack things up and head on home. 

Overall, it was a fun afternoon and evening and I look forward to next year's festivities where I will come prepared to play! 

The only picture I took - of G and his light saber fire sword!

Mother's Day Weekend

Well, this past weekend was mother's day weekend which meant I spent the majority of the weekend cooking and getting ready for Sunday's lunch which was eaten in 30 minutes - the plight of women for centuries I suppose. Also, the baby birds, Huey, Dewey and Louie turned one week old. I imagine they'll be flying the coup soon. 

Friday after work I made my grocery store run and picked up everything I needed for Sunday's lunch. When I got home from the store, Pippa has torn the top of my favorite chair and pulled a lot of the stuffing out. I've had this beloved chair for either 10 or 11 years. My parents got it for me for Christmas in either 2003 or 2004, I can't remember which. It's a "chair and a half" and is super comfy and everyone loves it - including Pippa I guess. She sits on top of the chair and looks out the window during the day. I noticed when I got back from vacation that the top of the chair had a small rip in it and I then had a premonition that this day would come. I had been putting a blanket on top of the chair for Pip to sit on during the day, but the blanket would inevitably fall off during the day. In hindsight, I should have gone ahead and bought a slip cover for the chair; but, as they say, hindsight is 20/20. So, I gave her a "whoopin" as we like to say in my family and put her in "time out" for the next couple of hours lest I kill her. When she came out of time out, she wouldn't have anything to do with me which was humorous considering she was the one in trouble. 

Saturday morning, I was up by 6:00 a.m. and immediately started cooking. I cooked and cleaned and did some laundry and even got in a TV show or two before I left to go pick up my produce basket for the week. After I got my basket, I went by Bed Bath and Beyond and bought a slip cover for my poor old chair. The slip cover is a solid gray and I washed it as soon as I got home and put it on the chair that evening. It's not the best looking thing in the world. In fact, I hate slipcovers, but, it will do for now since the top of the chair is split open with stuffing poking out of it. For Christmas I'm asking for that chair to be re-upholstered or a new chair, we'll have to see which is the more affordable option. Saturday afternoon I did some more cooking and then mowed the grass and then did more cooking and laundry, etc. They say a woman's work is never done and they are right, whoever they are. 

Sunday morning, I was up at 5:30 a.m. for the last of the cooking and chopping and then off to church before going back home, loading up all the food and taking it over to my parents' house. When I got to their house, I came with hot food, ready to be eaten; but, my brother had chosen this time to take my mother to Lowe's to get her some bulbs as her gift. So, we had to wait about an hour before we could begin eating. In the meantime, my dad called my grandmother and asked her to come over because he didn't realize he was supposed to invite her. My cousins Jessica and Nathan (who live with my grandmother) and my aunt Sandra also came which was great because we had a lot of food and I wanted it to be eaten. While we were waiting on everyone to show up, my dad ate a roll and proclaimed them, "the best you've ever made," to which I replied, "I didn't make those," and then we laughed hysterically. They were the Rhodes rolls that are frozen and have to rise before you bake them. Apparently they were a big hit though because everyone loved them. Note to self: Rhodes rolls for Thanksgiving is way easier than making them from scratch! 

When lunch wad done, my brother was kind enough to clean up the dishes. I'll say this about my brother, that kid doesn't mind cleaning up some dishes and for that I will forever be grateful. The two of us visited with our parents for a little while and then we loaded up the dishes and The Pip and headed out. I dropped my brother off at his place of living and then headed home where I napped and spent the rest of the evening being lazy because after three days of cooking and waking up with an enormous headache on Sunday, all I wanted to do was lie on the couch and do a whole lot of nothing and so that is exactly what I did. 

Vacation 2015 Came to a Close

I'll try to not to repeat myself today, but I'm not making any promises. Our vacation drew to a close over the weekend. Our last day in DC was Saturday. We packed up, loaded up and hit the metro for one last ride into the city. We had seats in the grand stands for the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade.

The parade started at 10:00 a.m. and we were close to the section where the performers stopped to sing a song or dance a jig. It was definitely the best parade we have ever seen which I guess isn't saying much since we've only ever been to parades in Huntsville. It lasted about two and a half hours and had a lot of great marching bands (my favorite) as well as floats, and some of those large balloons that they have in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There were also celebrity performers, including Lance Bass formerly of NSYNC! There were other "celebrities" but I wasn't really familiar with them.

Once the parade was over, we caught the metro back to the station, jumped in the car and made our way southwest. We stopped for gas and food about two hours into our drive before arriving in Abingdon around 7:00 p.m. We checked into the hotel and unloaded our bags before we made a return trip to the Barter Theater for another live production. This time we saw "Anything Goes" and it was great! We laughed so hard I was actually doubled over at times.

On Sunday we went to church and then went to the grassy knoll by the Martha Washington hotel for a free bluegrass concert from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. After the concert, we went back to the hotel and watched some of the Masters before going to dinner and another play. Sunday night's play was called "The Gnome". It had apparently won some play writing competition in Virginia and it was by far the worst play I think I have ever seen. I think we both wish we could have our money back on that one.

Monday morning, we left Abingdon around 10:00 a.m. and headed South. We made a stop in Chattanooga at Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls. I'm sure I've probably been there before, but I don't recall. It had been raining quite a bit recently and so the falls was actually flowing pretty well. I didn't know it was underground and so it was a pretty interesting journey into the cave to see the falls.

We made it home around 4:30 p.m. or something like that. I honestly am not sure what time we finally landed in Huntsville. It was another good vacation and time well spent on the road of adventure. I'm blessed to have these memories with my dad.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus made an appearance at the parade! 

More About Our DC Vacation

Well, our DC vacation has continued to keep us busy the last couple of days. On Wednesday we got out early and went to the Supreme Court. The judges see cases on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays through April and so we were hoping to catch them in action, but apparently, like Congress, they must have  had a break for Easter because no cases were being heard. We did get to tour the building, see the courtroom and watch a video about the judges and the system. It was all very interesting and I'm glad we made this one of our stops.

After leaving the Supreme Court, we stopped by the Library of Congress and did a quick self-guided tour. There really wasn't a whole lot you could see, but the building is quite lovely as is the one reading room we were able to view.

Our next stop was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum which was the best of the three Smithsonian museums that we toured. I've got to be honest, the Smithsonian's are way different than I remember them being as a child. I remember being in awe as a child and this time around I could take it or leave it. All of the exhibits now seemed geared towards children (which could be why I remember loving it so much) and there are thousands of people wandering about and there's no order to anything and it really will drive a Type A like me a little nuts.

When we finished up at the museum, we headed back to the condo for a few hours and took a nap. I realize that sounds lame, but we have walked and walked and walked and were tired and had a long night ahead of us. We left the condo about 5:40 p.m. to meet my college friend Casey at the Verizon Center by 6:45 p.m. for the Washington Capitols vs. Boston Bruins hockey game. Once we were at the game, we had some trouble getting in because of a ticket system crash, but eventually made it in and enjoyed a win by the Caps.

Thursday we went to the National Zoo which was quite enjoyable. Not all of the animals were out and about, but the ones that were meandering about were pretty active. It was probably one of the more enjoyable trips we've made here in the nation's capitol. We spent quite a few hours there seeing everything before heading to Ford's Theater where we were disappointed to discover that all the tickets for the day were gone. Y'all, there are so many people here this week. Loads of school children and chaperones and others just taking a family vacation. It's been nuts. So, I was disappointed, but not surprised that we were not able to get in.

We then headed back to the Tidal Basin to check out the cherry blossoms. They haven't been blooming all week and we wanted to check on the status. They have finally started opening up and should be at peak by the parade on Saturday. We then headed back to Alexandria, ate dinner and called it an early night so we can rest our feet before heading to Mount Vernon on Friday.

Thus Far

It's been a busy few days since I last posted. In case you didn't know, I'm on vacation. That's right. It's once again time for my yearly travels with my dad. This year's location is Washington, D.C. which may not sounds like fun to some people, but being the political junkie and lover of America that I am, I thought it was time to visit again because I haven't taken a vacation to DC since I was 12. 

We left Huntsville on Thursday morning around 10:00 a.m. and headed north. Our first stop was Abingdon, Virginia. We have been to Abingdon in the past and like it a lot and so we decided it would be a good place to stay both coming and going. After arriving, we had dinner at a local restaurant The Tavern which was good, but not as good as we remembered it being. After dinner, we saw a live production of Hamlet. There were only six cast members and five of them played multiple characters which I thought might get confusing, but it seemed to work out rather well. The show was good and even my dad liked it for which I was grateful because he wasn't overly excited about seeing a Shakespearean production. 

On Friday, we got up and drove to Alexandria, Virginia where we have rented a condo for the week. We had a little time to kill along the way and so we swung by Virginia Tech so I could take a look at their football stadium. My dad has seen quite a few games there from when he was traveling for work and so it was nice to finally see it for myself. 

We arrived in Alexandria around 3:303 p.m. and after dropping off all our belongings, we decided to head on in to see something and so we settled on Arlington Cemetery. We got on the metro and got off at the cemetery with about an hour to spare before it closed. So, we went over to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After that, we headed back to Alexandria and ate dinner at a local place called Carlyle which was really good and then called it a night. 

Saturday we started the day at Arlington and took the tour around the cemetery, getting off and back on the trolley at various spots. We saw the Kennedy grave site, went back to the Tob of the Unknown Soldier, visited Arlington House and also walked over to the Iwo Jima Memorial. When we were finished at Arlington, we went down to the waterfront to check out the Cherry Blossom Festival fun. There were lots of things to do, mostly activities for children. We scored a lot of free samples from Proctor and Gamble which was nice. We then had a lot of time to kill before the fireworks show that night so we went over to the Pentagon Memorial. This memorial is for those who lost their lives at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. 

When we were finished at the Pentagon Memorial, we went back to the water front and got some dinner from the food trucks and about froze to death waiting on the fireworks. It was a super cold day and I wished 1,000 times over I had brought my jacket with me, but, alas, I did not and I nearly became a Popsicle before the night was over. 

When the fireworks were complete, we stopped at a grocery store by the metro and got a few things to cook for breakfast and then went down the metro only to discover the whole system was down. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but was probably more like 30 minutes, a train came and we were able to make our way back to the condo. 

Sunday, we got a late start as we went to church in Arlington and it didn't start until 10:30 a.m. After church we went to the National Mall and were able to visit the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument before we had to head back to the waterfront for our 4:00 p.m. cruise we had scheduled. The cruise was just around the Washington Channel and lasted about 45 minutes. We were supposed to be able to enjoy the cherry blossoms, but the trees still haven't blossomed and we have our fingers cross that they will open up before we leave. 

So far it's been a good trip. We haven't been completely organized the whole time, but we have figured some things out along the way and I think the rest of the week will go a lot smoother. 

 

Three Times The Surprise

My cousin Anna, yes, the same on who moved in down the street, turned 30 over the weekend and her sweet husband planned not one, not two, but three surprise parties for her. So, my weekend was more or less consumed with surprising Anna, although I don't think I yelled "Surprise" one time. 

The festivities kicked off Saturday afternoon at Shakalaka. You may recall I spent some time there for my own recent birthday. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Shakalaka has added a new area to the fun in the form of an obstacle course with ropes and bars and rings and tight ropes and all other manner of obstacle course fun. Remembering the trouble I had getting out of the foam pit at my birthday soiree, I elected not to participate in any activity that might land me in a foam pit. In other words, I only jumped on the regular trampoline and played some dodgeball. There were tons of people there, mostly children and to be honest, I didn't want to slow up their fun; nor did I want to fight my way out of the foam pit. They seriously need a step to get out of that madness. We jumped from 3:00 - 4:00 and burned a lot of calories and had even more fun. Sadly, I also walked away a case of Athlete's Foot which really isn't all that unusual as I tend to get it from time to time. 

After the jump around, I ran an errand for Jan, Anna's mom, and then went home to shower and change and prepare for party number two which was a gathering of some of Anna's friends from school, most of whom were from out of town. Jan made chicken enchiladas, taco meat and had a plethora of toppings. I made a five-layer dip (as opposed to a seven-layer) and some tortillas rolled up with cream cheese and Mexican spices that were apparently a big hit because they were all gone. I'm not sure how many people ended up at this party, but I would venture to say it was close to 40. Everyone seemed to be having a really great time and most importantly Anna was having a good time. 

There was so much food left over from the party that we gathered back at Benny and Jan's for lunch on Sunday which was great. After lunch, I headed home to take a nap which was more like a resting of the eyes more than anything. I also managed to get a few chores done around the house before heading out for the third and final party of the weekend. 

The last party was a family only party at Baumhower's (formerly known as Wing's) and seriously, the food there is sub par compared to when I waited tables there 137 years ago. Anna and Randy were the last ones to arrive and I think she was surprised, but honestly don't know because she made such a quiet entrance. There were about 15 of us in all and I am pleased to say we were served in a rather timely manner. I was hoping to be home by 8:00 p.m. that evening and, in fact, achieved that goal which made me very happy. It's not that I wasn't thrilled to celebrate with the family, it's more like I enjoy being home by 8:00 p.m. on work nights because I am old and set in my ways. 

It was a fun and eventful weekend celebrating Anna's 30th. Hope you have many more, cousin! 

Circus Time

It's that time of year again - The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus was in town the past few days and I for one couldn't have been happier. I think I've made it abundantly clear on several occasions that my love for the circus may be a wee bit unnatural. 

As is often the case, I got tickets the week they went on sale. I usually send my dad down to get tickets the day they go on sale, but I could never quite figure out what day that was going to be and so we missed it. Have no fear though, because I went the Monday (January 12) after they went on sale on Friday and managed to get great seats for me, my parents and my circus buddy Erika! 

Finally, the day of the show arrived. Erika picked me up about 5:30 and we met my parents and Ada at the VBC. My dad had bought Ada a ticket in the section next to us the day before the show. We went in when the doors opened at 6:00 p.m. and Erika and I made a pit stop before going to our seats and then venturing out the floor to get the up close and personal circus experience. When we arrived at our seats, we were surprised to find that our seats were not there because the Ringling folks had decided to set up their sound equipment in the handicapped section where our seats were. I turned to the usher and explained our dilemma and she took my ticket and immediately walked off - not saying a word. I chased after her, calling out, "ma'am" but she continued to ignore me and kept walking. We passed my parents who clearly had someone already on the case and I again tried to get the lady's attention and she again continued to ignore me. I followed her all the way to the stairs where you come in until I could go no further or else I wouldn't have been able to get back in. She finally came back with my ticket and declared she was making sure it was a valid ticket. At this point I was so fired up, it's a miracle I didn't hit this rude woman. 

To make a long, aggravating story short, after an hour of the VBC talking and conferencing among one another, it was finally decided that they would give me my money back and put us in some other available seats. So, I had to walk back with the ticket manager to get my money and our new tickets. The new tickets were at the end of the arena, not the center where I prefer to sit, but at least we were at the circus. Also, we now were all five sitting together so Ada didn't have to sit by herself which worked out better. Some of the views were obstructed, some were closer than we have ever been and the best part of all was that we could see the curtain being pulled back and see what was coming next. 

This version of the circus (Circus Extreme) was good, but not the best one I've ever seen. For starters they didn't have what I love to refer to as The Globe of Death. There also weren't as many animal acts. They did have a lot of interesting human acts though and a lot f the time I got more enjoyment out of looking at the wonder on Ada's face than I did the actual show. 

All in all, after my blood pressure settled down and we finally had somewhere to plop our bottoms, I think we all five enjoyed the evening. I, of course, am looking forward to the next time the circus comes to town because I want all my days to be circus days!