Snow. My new arch-enemy. Is that even how you write arch-enemy? Or is it archenemy?
You know you're old when you don't want snow days anymore...
But apparently, it's comin! Knox is supposed to see 4-6 inches total.
So I went to the grocery yesterday...mainly because I hadn't grocery shopped since November, partly in case of a blizzard.
So tonight I'm hanging out with friends, possibly getting snowed in, and eating tacos. YUM.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend.
And can I take this moment to point out that I haven't missed any classes this semester? I have friends who've skipped...and I keep going strong. 8 a.m. every morning! BOOM!
And the other day I even tagged along with Matt Kelley to Thermodynamics and Manufacturing Processes. Sad to report I didn't unleash my inner Engineer. I did realize I wish I had because the ratio of cute boys to girls is approximately 60:1. Hmmm....
Funny for Friday: Take time to appreciate Keith's face. Matt Jones and Carl...what more do you need?
The opening ceremonies of the UT Christian Student Center annual Decath'e'lon.
This is how we roll on a Friday night in Knoxvegas.
The first event was Battleship. I successfully beat Andrew and Matt Kelley to advance to the championship.
Unfortunately, Eric 'Dobbie' Dobbs had written down his strategic game play for Alex to use.
(Dobbs was competing but was at work on Friday night, but still managed to write down his moves for Battleship using an Algorithm equation, so Alex used his notes, complete with phrases to say after each sunken ship...like 'I like where this is going' or 'I'm beating you with Math!')
Dobbs successfully beat me in the final battle, winning the first event at the CSC Decath'e'lon without even being present!
Congrats Dobbie! Yes, Dobbie is balla! And so is this video...
Sorry I laughed so much during it.
My favorite part, apart from the obvious when Alex falls down with the burning torch, is when Sara Jackson says "something something something" while singing the National Anthem to which Matt Kelley replies..."You don't know the Star Spangled Banner? You need to be deported!"
And the hick guy who screams 'burn it all down!'
p.s. the torch is made out of an old Lane Kiffin shirt.
I would also like to take this time to officially welcome J. Crowe back into the wide world of blogging. Her beautiful thoughts and insightful perspectives have been missing in my everyday life and I'm excited she has returned.
I also love the fact that J. Phil & J. Fred have been active on my Blogger dashboard as of recent.
At the beginning of the year I went through my collection of pictures and picked out some faves.
So far I have about 230 faves.
I tend to have a lot of faves...it's just who I am.
So I am not copying J. Fred... I just happened to put up my old picture on the same day she did. BELIEVE IT!
I love this picture. I took it the day that Ames moved out of the beloved house on Marion. It was a Sunday afternoon. Matt had been back in the country for approximately 30 hours. We drove down 385 with the sunroof open and talked about how awesome the blue sky and clouds were, and how bad the smog in China was. We drank High Point coffee. We watched Ames carefully move things out of the house & into the moving truck. We even helped carry a couple of items under specific directions. Then we left the house on Marion for the very last time. June 29, 2008.
And this picture is proof that my memory is better than yours :)
I had the most invigorating, reviving, strengthening weekend getaway in Panama City. I went last year, but was in a little bit of a funky depressed state and didn't appreciate all that was around me. I didn't let that happen this year.
I sang. I cried. I prayed. I felt. I heard. I believed. I was convicted. I was refreshed.
I had been sinking but now I feel free of Satan's overwhelming pull.
I've been too comfortable in such an immoral world. I was reminded that if we truly live as Christians, we won't feel at home in the world.
My fire inside was relit. I'm ready to be a shining light to those around me. I want to be different and set apart from the world.
My partner in crime this weekend: Matt Kelley. The 2nd original Mattie Poo. Not as good as the first!
We are BFFFN, BFFFAY, BFFS. translation- (best friends forever for now, best friends forever for a year, best friends forever sometimes)
We ventured to the beach on Saturday despite the rain and wind. It was chilly. I rolled up my pants and waded in the water after being splashed by waves. The wind blew so hard that sand was hitting against my skin like sharp daggers. I could barely walk against the gusts. But we watched the angry waves for a while anyways.
I was fortunate to see friends from Memphis, Freed, and beyond!
We proudly represented the University of Tennessee amidst all the other SEC powerhouses, even though our spirits were a little off because of the football coaching drama last week. We proudly cheered the VOLS on during Xgames on Sunday, but props to Landmark for winning! If we hadn't let them beat us in Tug-O-War, they couldn't have taken home the gold :).
I was glad to get home, but sad to leave my safe haven. At least I have my armor on.
Shoutout to Matt's mom, Sandy. She was referenced a lot this weekend. And by referenced, I mean me saying "Your mom."
I'm leaving today to spend MLK weekend in Panama City, Florida for a weekend conference with the Christian Student Center. I'm excited for a couple of days on the beach. Last year it was gorgeous and I hope it will be this weekend. Some sun to drown out these mid-winter blues and icy bones. I think for the first time in my life I'm tired of snow...and it's not even that much. But when it is still barely hanging on a week later, I'm ready for it to leave.
I started school this week. I went to class the second day with no sleep and suffering from a stomach bug that hit me in the middle of the night. I'm tired of these tummy bugs! WHY!? But I slept all day afterwards and felt better by this morning.
Wish me luck, I'm be in the back seat for 8 hours on the ride with 3 20 year old guys. And Aunt Flo is going to visit today...I guess I need to head to Walgreen's and get my Pamprin on! :)
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I know I will.
P.S. Yesterday was a month til Valentine's Day...if you know me at all, you know it's almost my favorite holiday. I'm counting down! And staying away from Target's dollar aisle Valentine's garb.
P.P.S. Enjoy my funny for the day below...She's cute right?
(My title comes from Andy Bernard and the first episode of 'The Office' this season. I tweaked it for my own personal use.)
Me? In a Mob?
So as many of you heard, or rather many of you probably didn't hear because you don't pay attention to college football like I do, UT's head coach, Lane Kiffin, gave up on us after only 14 months and accepted the head coaching position at USC (southern Cal).
At the beginning of the season, the motto in Knoxville was "Ride the Lane Train." People had welcomed him with open arms. He was going to be our Savior...our new blood. He was going to rebound us from complete disaster (or what you might call one bad season).
I was never fully on the 'Lane Train.' I liked him, but something was off.
It turns out he was shady.
Within a couple of hours, many UT fans were blindsided by breaking reports on ESPN.COM to a short press conference in which Lane confirmed he was leaving the Volunteer state.
It's a good thing Lane got out when he did. We watched the local news at 9 p.m. to hear the over-analysis of the situation and one journalist reported via phone that a mob was moving across campus. Mary Beth and I kinda scoffed and thought 'really?" But within a few minutes we were in one accord on our way to campus to see what the fuss was. We kidded on the way that we were mob-hunting and actually thought we wouldn't find anything.
We were wrong.
After arriving on campus we drove past the Rock...a huge rock on a main corner of the campus that students can paint anything on. I'll just say it didn't show Kiffin any love. There was a group of about 25 people milling around taking pictures with it. People had turned quickly!
We continued our drive and passed by the athletic building where all the media was camped out. As we slowly made our way past, we looked between buildings and there it was.
A MOB!
A mob of people. Heads for as far as the eye could see. Angry fists pumping the air.
We immediately started screaming. We had to go see what was up. We found a parking spot by the rock, mingled with the throng of people. Cars full of people drove by, screaming and honking. People ran across streets in search of the action.
We waited a few minutes and then headed down towards the mob. We just wanted to people watch. See what reaction people had. We smelled smoke, and saw fire.
They were burning mattresses. When in doubt, burn your bed. People were walking back down the street with stories about people burning everything in sight, you could hear 'Rocky Top' in a chorus of voices in the background.
We stayed a safe distance away and then you heard people scream. And they ran.
"Tear Gas!"
Mary Beth and I ran. Cop cars were approaching. People were still headed towards the mob.
The mob stopped. We stopped. We turned...and the mob had formed again, overcoming cop cars. Singing 'Hey Hey Hey Goodbye.' One guy crowd surfed...I think he must have burned his shirt in the fire, because he wasn't wearing it.
I thought to myself... "My toes are cold. I guess my feet aren't as flip-flop winter friendly as they once were. Oh, and this mob thing is wild!"
Mary Beth and I watched in awe. Soon the mob moved back towards the center of the street. More fire sparked. More smoke up in the air. The burning had started again.
We camped out on the top of some steps and made friends with an independent journalist. He said he was in the locker room when Kiffin told the team. He said it wasn't pretty.
The fire trucks pulled up but couldn't get in. This is one time I was more excited by the events than I was by the firetruck.
I called my friend Daniel. He had been there from the start. He said to get out because the SWAT team was on its way. Mary Beth and I started our walk back to the car.
I was pumped. It's amazing what adrenaline does to you, just by watching other pumped up people. We couldn't believe we had experienced a crazy night on campus. We were a part of history, and a part of the inside story, the stuff you wouldn't see on the news.
BTW, tomorrow is the first day of classes.
Let's see how many people make it to class.
And if you're still reading, and don't understand why everybody has their panties in a wad, it's because Kiffin has left us high and dry, without not only a head coach but half of the assistant coaches as well, just weeks before National Signing Day, causing many of our football recruits to change their mind on coming to UT, meaning it's going to be a while before our football program regroups, meaning I may not be a student here with student-discounted tickets when we finally get back to being in the top 10.
That's a lot people!
AND...
For all you haters out there, Phil Fulmer never would have done this to us. That's why I cried when I met him.
(for the record...I don't condone being part of a mob, I do condone watching others as they do it though!)
I need to keep up with my blog better this year. I am going to start a couple of new series...like reminiscing with some of my favorite old photos, spotlighting people, revamping Music Monday, etc. I want to work on being more open, and being able to evaluate my life all the time, not just when I feel in the mood to write.
My life feels cluttered. I'm relatively an organized person, but somehow have fallen apart just within the past 3 months. Bills, school, junk, my apartment, friends...it all comes crashing down so fast sometimes. 2010 is a new slate. I'm tackling it all, starting today.
Working on my spiritual life. Fired up to fizzled out. Why am I so easily distracted from what's most important? I've become apathetic, but I want to be more. I haven't given up on myself...I just don't know how to get back to where I want to be.
Excuses. Sometimes it seems that I've become a huge excuse maker. Sometimes they're valid, sometimes I'm reaching. I don't like that at all, and I'm well aware that it's become one of my attributes and I am going to change that. I haven't always been that way, and not sure how I got there, but it irks me. Yet, I keep doing it. Well, no longer.
I need a good concert. I haven't been to a concert since August. Truth be told, I've avoided some shows in Knox just based on who I might run into, but I can't let that hold me back. I miss live music. I miss singing along with a crowd. I miss getting shivers listening to my favorite song in person.
Get off my lazy bum. Part of my problem is that I've become a bonafied lazy bum. Just a few years ago, I never had more than 5 minutes at home before I was leaving again. Now I can spend days at home without ever leaving. It seems the more free time I have, the more lazy time I create. There are so many things about myself that I never thought I'd do or become, but here I am, doing and being them. I've got to stay active. I've got to stay motivated. I've got to get off the couch.
Stop hiding behind funny stories. I can make my life look like such a joke. "School for 8 years...harharhar!" "27 and single and can't get a date...harharhar!" "I'm broke again...harharhar!" "Too fat to go down a water slide...harharhar!" I don't blame anyone for laughing, I am a great story teller and jokester and proud of the ability to bring joy to others. Some things in my life are genuinely funny...and I am always the one finding humor in most situations. However, I need to stop living behind my 'funny shield.' I let things snowball and then make them laughable so I don't have to face the reality that I need to change. I want to find funny stories to tell that aren't at my expense. I've become so comfortable poking fun at myself, that I don't know how to take myself seriously and do something with my life.
Find the sparkle in my eye. Somewhere between 2006 and 2010, I lost my sparkle. I look at things from the negative perspective more than the positive. I have a bitter attitude towards others, whereas before I would have given people the benefit of the doubt. Part of it may be getting older and losing my naive outlook of the world, part of it may be my spiritual weakness, part of it may be some unhappiness with my own life. But I know it doesn't have to stay this way. I want to be genuinely happy for others again, I want to wave people off when they upset me instead of letting it sit with me for days or months.
These are just some of the things I'm working on and want for 20-10. I'm not depressed or self-loathing, but I'm trying to be honest with myself about things I need to change. Here's to making 20-10 where it's at!
