I Always Forget to Assign a Title...

Well HI. 
As has been my habit of late, there's been loads going on in recent weeks. Which means I haven't blogged. Which means that if I attempted to COVER all of the recent events we'd all be here much longer than we'd like.

Therefore I'll go for the Brief Version. This should be fun. Seeing as how you all know I don't have a very solid grasp of the term 'brief....'


We've had Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And New Years Eve/New Years Day. And with this family, you can multiply each of those by at least three.  Plus Edie's Baptism and First Birthday and work parties and school plays and school parties. 

Thanksgiving (the first one) for us was in Memphis. While in Memphis I went for a run on Thanksgiving morning, I face planted about 1/10 of a mile from my dad's house. Two skinned knees, a skinned shoulder and a busted up hand... fast forward to almost exactly one month later, on Friday Dec 21.  

 Having just wrapped up Eileen's party at school, followed by lunch with R and her Mommy, it was time to run some errands. Being four days before The Big Man was to visit, Eileen was a smidge hyper. And then, she saw a piece of gum on the grounds. And certainly, she did NOT want to step in it. So of course, apparently with no other option, she stepped in front of ME. In a split second I went from standing 5ft8 to eating pavement. AGAIN.  A man came running over - but after all these years of falling I can morph back to standing pretty quick. 

Other than busting the OTHER elbow and my pride, I somehow came out ok. I daresay, if I can make it to January 23, my body will go into shock. From staying upright. 

------>> I implore you to study the picture to the right. We (FINALLY) lost a tooth.  Well, actually Eileen pulled it out herself. She came sauntering downtairs on Christmas Afternoon, bloody kleenex hanging from her mouth, and one less tooth.  And I do mean, one.less.tooth. In her eagerness to pull it out, the tooth went MIA in her bathroom. We presume it went down the drain.  The tooth fairy must grant the First Tooth as special, because she came to visit anyway, even tho all she got was a BUTTON. And that beeatch left FIVE DOLLARS.  

Here are Eileen and Edie up at the Bryant Farm.  And no, that is not a green screen backdrop. It is real.  

We've made cookies and played with play-doh and had sleepovers. I have set up a second home at the gym. I had grand plans of all sorts of social activities for ME, but I have developed a not very friendly cold. 

 We sent out 99 Christmas cards But maybe that should actually be 98, because I apparently mailed two of them - not two in one envelope- but two addressed, stamped, sealed and mailed cards - to one family. I don't think we're actually that popular.. we just have a super large family and a few friends.:)  This year I tasked Bill with envelope stuffing, and Eileen with envelope sealing. No, I didn't have her licking the crappy glue a la Seinfeld. Scotch tape is our friend. 

 So, as of today 2012 is history, and 2013 is a blank slate. 2012 had a lot going on. We got married. Eileen started Kindergarten. Bill got promoted and I took on a new role. All good things, of course. 

I can't say I have any resolutions for 2013. I'd be OK with a somewhat boring year. 

I want to run more and train hard. I'd love to get in three halfs and maybe a full. 

I want to be on time to meetings and appointments. 
I want to not be such an airhead (ok, we all know that probably is IMPOSSIBLE). 

I want to cook more and eat less frozen pizza.  

I want Eileen to run track or play basketball or play golf.  

I want to hang out with my husband. All the time.

 I can't wait to see my brother in law graduate from Nursing School. 

I want to read more books and take more pictures and blog more and make it to church more.

Are those resolutions? Or is it just knowing what matters? 

Knowing what matters and trying to keep that in mind, every day. 

Happy New Year friends. May it be a healthy, happy positive year for all of you.

Fascinated Me.

I realize it has been ages since I blogged. And now here I am blogging about football. :)

But actually this is more about how Social Media continues to fascinate me- despite the fact it has been part of our general culture for many years now. 

This photo is of Tee Martin. If at all you follow college ball - certainly Tennessee and SEC ball- you are well aware of who he is. 

He took over for QB after Peyton had played as much as the NCAA would allow. Tee took the Vols to the first ever BCS National Championship, and the Big Orange took home the trophy. 

And lets just say, it has been a very very very long time since 1998. In the past four years, we have fired one coach, been shat upon by another, and then as of last month fired ANOTHER coach. We shan't discuss the records of late, certainly not the conference ones. 

So now we have a new guy. A virtually unknown from Cincinnati. I should say -the last coach from that school went on to Notre Dame, and is now counting down the days to playing in this years National Championship - and undeated at that.  So this new guy- Butch - has come to town and in a matter of hours - CLEANED HOUSE. (Thank Heaven).  He did keep Jay Graham in tact on the coaching staff - another Vol Favorite - I imagine someone advised him to hang on to Mr Graham or risk being burned at the stake. 

So what is the point of all this rambling? As soon as Butch was official, less than a week ago, he made mention of hiring Tee.  And see, Tee HAD been at Kentucky - which was annoying as they are in the SEC.. but THEN Tee went out to California to work for that coach who shan't be named, but did Shat on Vol Nation.  

Here's where social media comes in. First thing this morning Twitter and Facebook were on fire with news that Tee and his whole family were heading to town to meet with Butch. Was it true? who knew. One person would pass on another's update and so on and so on.  Then the media outlets started to tweet and FB that Tee was headed here. But really? I mean they bleed Orange just as much as the next Fan, so in this case, I can't say the news outlets are completely objective.... 

but then, then, - THAT IMAGE ABOVE - that appeared in my feed. And that is definitely Tee. And that is defintitely our cute little 12gate airport. 

So I snagged it from my friend who lives in Nashville. She had snagged it from another of our friends who lives in SAN DIEGO. He had it before us! And within seconds of ME snagging it and posting it on FB and Twitter - there were loads of comments and re-shares from my friends. We're talking a span of MAYBE 90 seconds that this all transpired. 

Think about that. Yes, to some of you this is 'just football'  - but it could have been anything. Think about when Princess Diana was killed - that news broke late at night on a holiday weekend here in the States. And most of us probably remember where we were when that happened. Now fast forward to when Micheal Jackson died. We found out about that within minutes - mere minutes.  I remember where I was when I found out about that - on my smart phone - too.

Social Media. I still know some who say it is a fad, or it is just gossip and mean. And certainly, in some cases - it is.

Now think about Hurricane Sandy. One of the biggest and most impactful cities in the WORLD came to a screeching halt.  Social Media was an option for communication - whether for letting family members know one another was ok, or for asking for help, or simply sharing information. 

So. yes. I'm here giddy about the potential homecoming of a local favorite, and that I am able to keep up with it bc of FB and Twitter. I continue to be fascintated by the whole concept. 

(So much so that I actually got around to blog again!)

if i blogged for a living..

If I blogged for a living... I'd be broke. If, however, I got paid for how often I blog IN MY HEAD, I would be richer than rich. 

 Lovely shot here of the Mini with Pumpkin Guts. She had very little interest in actual carving of said gord, but she loved loved loved getting out the nasty insides. 

Two Quick Mini Stories:

#1
Picture it. Our bathroom, Eileen on stool while I am attempting to tame her hair. GMA on the TV, reporting the demise of Justin Beiber and Selena Gomez's relationship.

E: Hmmm. I wonder if Bella knows yet. 
Me: Why? 
E: MOMMY. BeCAUSE, if Bella doesn't know yet, then I can be his new girlfriend. But if she knows, then she will be. 
Me: Oh. Well, Bella had to be on the bus earlier, so she may not know yet. 
E (while sighing):  Oh, I am sure she already knows, I mean HELLO,  I am sure she heard it on the radio. 

Me. Stunned Silence. 
 
#2

 We have been a bit up in the air about where/what/when we were doing for Thanksgiving. Finally figured out we'll head on over to Memphis. 

Me: So we'll go to Grandpa and Beanie's for Thanksgiving, ok!?
E: Oh, ok cool.
**pause of perhaps half a second**
E: WAIT. That means Chuckie has to figure out how to get to Memphis!

(for any new readers.. Chuckie is our Elf). 

Me: well Chuckie always knows where you are. But we can send a note to Santa just in case, just so he knows to tell Chuckie.

E: NO. Here's what we do. We call Mimi (aka Sarah), and SHE can call Grandpa Roger (Sarah's Dad). Because remember Mommy, Grandpa Roger works for Santa (he does, he dresses as Santa during the holidays and reports back what kids would like to have..).  SO- Grandpa Roger can THEN call Santa, and that way we KNOW Chuckie will get the message to come to Memphis. 

Me. Stunned Silence. 

This girl will either be a super successful lawyer, or some sort of Spy Agent.