Bachelor Recap Week #2

Holy cow.  These girls are cuckoo for Colton-puffs.  And I get it.  He's adorbs.  He reminds me of Chris Pratt.  He just seems like a really nice, genuine guy.  But I am so so tired of hearing about his virginity.  And I'm sure he is, too. 

KJ and I watched the show live and tried to get T to watch with us from Denver but she couldn't get the ABC app to work properly.  Here's my thoughts on the second episode:

• It was a long episode.  I'm new at all this so I thought it was just going to be a 1-hour show. 
• I didn't realize the Bachelor could give out roses willy-nilly throughout the episode.  I thought he only gave them out at the end of each show during the rose ceremony. 
• The date with the one girl from Alabama, (Miss Alabama USA), Hannah B was very awkward despite it being her birthday.  You could tell she was nervous and uncomfortable.  I don't blame her.  I would be too.  I'm nervous and awkward on a regular basis and don't have cameras following me around.  And I understand her need to be perfect all the time.  I have a daughter like that.  The night time date got a little better when she started to open up and talk about her own sexual experience(s).  Which I found interesting.  I was wondering how the sweet Southern girls were going to handle the topic of their own sexuality if and when it came up.  I think Hannah B's experience is pretty common . . . she thought she was in love so they took the next step.  Oh!  And #RollTide  Yup.  Like I said, awkward. 
• I find it so incredibly rude and disrespectful when the girls interrupt each other during one-on-one time with the Bachelor.  During competition or group dates, that's fine.  But not cool to interrupt someone else's time.  Which brings me to:
• The two girls trying to out-do each other with noisemakers.  What are you?  Ten?  An air horn?  A pot and pan?  I think the one girl was the same one who showed up with a snorkel in last week's episode and said she was "drowning in a sea of bitches."  She had a whistle with her then so the airhorn was an apparent upgrade.  Oh!  And she made some cheesy comment about "being horny." 
• Tracy is going to blow a gasket.  For real.  She's got a vein in her forehead that is going to burst.  She had a mini-melt down last night and it was only episode 2.  It's just a matter of time before she goes full-blown nuts.  She is totally triggered by: 
• Demi.  Girl.  The robe?  The fantasy "closet?"  Touching the "group rose?"  Jumping off the stage during the group date and kissing Colton???  This is one very aggressive chick from Texas.  And, on top of her assertive behavior, she's making fun of the "older" ladies in the house.  Tracy confronted Demi and Demi apologized in an extremely condescending manner, but Demi was still confident she would receive the stem. Not.  So.  Fast.  Colton gave the rose to Elyse (she’s 31; he’s 26). Demi subsequently dubbed Elyse a cougar.  Elyse, btw, is a confident, very attractive red-head. 

• The Pageant Drama is going to get pretty intense if the sneak peeks are anything to go by.  Caeylnn, Miss North Carolina USA, gossiped a bit with the other girls about Hannah B.  These two girls not only competed in the Miss USA competition together, but they were even roommates!  According to Caelynn, Hannah was extremely upset (read "jealous") when Caelynn placed higher than her and Hannah B flipped her sh*t in a hot minute.  Caelynn also predicted Hannah B's behavior will rear its ugly head again soon.  Hannah B also mentioned Caelynn to Hannah G.  But good for Hannah G!  She seems to be playing it cool and staying true to herself.  From what we could see, she did not stoop to their level and did not gossip.  She listened to what Hannah B was saying, but didn't add any fuel to the fire. 

• In the end, Annie, who grew up in Wisconsin but attended . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . Yup!  You guessed it!  Alabama!  #RollTide went home last night.  And some other girls.  IDK.  This early in the season I don't even know if they have names or if they are just called Girl like in Birdbox (i.e., Girl #1, Girl #2, Girl #3). 

I am no longer a Virgin

Yes, it's true.  I am no longer a virgin.  A "Bachelor" virgin that is! 

While the rest of the world was watching Alabama shit the bed against Clemson (one of my husband's favorite phrases, not mine), I broke down this week and watched my first episode ever of the Bachelor.  I will admit, I'm intrigued. 

I have poo-poo'd this show since the beginning.  I never understood the fascination with this show (and subsequent franchises) and quite honestly thought finding true love in 6-weeks on reality TV was ludicrous.  Now I'll admit, I had kept up on social media with who's who over the years (kinda hard to avoid when that whole Arie thing was all over the internet and these contestants usually end up hawking some kind of food supplements or on Dancing with the Stars).  I mean, I knew who Trista & Ryan were, I think Jo-Jo Fletcher is absolutely adorable and I knew Rachel was from Dallas.  I knew who Juan Pablo and Andi Dorfman were, too.  I knew who Melissa Rycroft was because I watch the Dallas Cheerleaders show.  I never liked that Emily Maynard and I knew who Jesse Palmer was (duh).  Oh, and I think Josh Murray is pretty nice looking! 

So having said all that, why would I, a staunch critic of the show, decide to start watching this particular season?  Well, there's a couple of reasons actually: 

#1 Colton Underwood
He's adorable.  I mean, like really cute!  Very boy next door.  He seems pretty sincere and comes across as a nice guy.  And let's face it.  The whole virgin thing is intriguing.  Not that I care about this guy's sexual history (or lack thereof) but I do admire him for putting that info out there and not being ashamed of it.  It's kind of sweet.  It doesn't sound like it's a religious choice, it's more of a "I haven't found the right person yet" kind of thing. Very refreshing to see a 26-year old virgin rather than a 26-year old man-whore.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colton_Underwood

#2 Bri
Twitter was a-buzz prior to the season premiere about the girl with the strange Australian accent and whether or not she lied about it.  I thought it was pretty brilliant.  I get it.  She's trying to stand out among 30 contestants.  But how will this all play out when Colton discovers she's not exactly Australian???

#3 The Entrances
Again, newbie here so I had no idea what to expect from the limo entrances and found it interesting how I immediately "liked" or "disliked" a contestant just from those edited, initial few moments of interaction. Meeting someone for the first time is hella awkward as it is. And the girl who brought the balloon?  Yikes!  I liked the butterfly girl (and how cute was Colton when he put one of those butterflies in his pocket???!!!), thought the girl who gave him nuts was hysterical (especially after the Cinderella entrance -- she turned to the other girls, with a full glass of wine in hand, and said something like "I probably should have done more than give him a bag of nuts!" hahahahaha  My kind of girl.  We could be friends.).  Oh, and BTW . . . when I saw Cinderella girl my immediate thought was "Run Colton Run!  She's too high maintenance!).  Spoiler Alert -- she did not get a rose.  Did not care too much for the girl who handed over her dog (she then went on to sabotage other contestant's time with Colton.  Not cool.).  The South?/North? Carolina pageant girl was cheesy and comes across as someone who's used to getting what she wants.  And let's just say Sloth Girl was weird.  Spoiler Alert -- she did not get a rose.  Hannah B from Tuscaloosa seems pretty chill and I also liked Nicole from Miami who spoke Spanish. She seems a little unsure of herself but I'd like to see her gain some confidence and find her worth.  Didn't care too much for the girl who showed up in a squad car and claimed she was Fashion Police. 

#4 Hannah G. 
a girl from Hoover is on the show!  Hannah is a year or two younger than T so naturally I wanted to check her out!  T said she is/was a genuinely nice person in high school.  Not being a Bachelor veteran, I had no idea what a big deal it was that she received the first rose!  https://www.eonline.com/news/1002862/meet-the-bachelor-contestant-who-won-colton-underwood-s-first-impression-rose

So there you have it!  I will be watching The Bachelor.  This season at least! 

Happy Anniversary!

Today in History . . .

On this day, 2007, "Make Mine A Cosmo" was originally introduced as www.cos4.blogspot.com! 

The blog was similar to the Seinfeld show.  It was basically a blog about nothing.  With a little focus and the addition of a professional blog design, the little blog about nothing eventually evolved to the blog it is today:  www.makemineacosmo.com

Make Mine a Cosmo is still basically a blog about nothing.  Nothing specific, sometimes the blog is about travel, about make-up and skin care, new products, the weather.  Sometimes the blog is about sports.  Sometimes the blog is political, sometimes it's raw emotion.  Very rarely is the blog about food or recipes, however the posts are often about family.  Make Mine a Cosmo also reviews books and movies. 

Blog Statistics . . .
Since starting Make Mine a Cosmo, the author has:

• lived in three different states (Alabama, Maryland and Texas)
• has traveled to the following countries:  Italy (Rome twice, Florence twice, Pisa, Assisi, Pompei), Spain (Barcelona and Mallorca), England (London), France (Paris and Marseille), Mexico (Cabo and Playa del Carmen), Caymans, Jamaica
• viewed the Sistine Chapel twice
• climbed a Mayan ruin
• swam in a crystal clear cenote
• learned how to paddle board
• climbed Dunn's River Falls
• sipped champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower
• gazed upon the Mona Lisa
• climbed all 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe
• has had both daughters graduate high school
• has had one daughter graduate college
• has lost a gall bladder
• successfully recouperated from a hysterectomy
• celebrated her parent's 50th wedding anniversary
• celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary to her high school sweetheart
• celebrated her (and her husband's!) 50th birthday
• uncovered some interesting facts about her ancestry

If you've been reading Make Mine a Cosmo regularly, thank you!  Looking forward to another 11 years of blogging!

Ice Ice Baby!!!

My kids definitely inherited my gypsy gene.  Seriously.  When we lived in Madrid there really was a band of gypsies that lived near our apartment building.  My parents used to tell me they think I was switched with one of those gypsy babies. 

T-bone had always told her sister that she would take her anywhere in the world she wanted for a graduation gift.  They had kicked around a bunch of different locales but I had final say in the matter because I was not crazy about my two chickadees traveling during the height of tourist season and being the target of terrorists.  Also, KJ didn't want to go anywhere tropical because she had been to Costa Rica, Nicarauga, Jamaica, the Caymens and Cozumel all in the same year.  #firstworldproblems  So, after much debate, my two knuckleheads decided they wanted to go to Iceland!  Yes, Iceland!!!  And I'm totally OK with it!  T found great flights and they leave two days after KJ's high school graduation.  Which is totally crazy. 

Also crazy is the fact that Coach and I are going to be empty nesters in a few short months!  We've been waiting a long, long time for this!!!  hahaha!!!  Very, very proud of KJ though.  She was accepted at every school she applied to (Alabama, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State) but when it came down to it, she decided to take her talents to Ole Miss.  #hottytoddy  She already has a roommate and they've been busy planning their dorm room.  I'm happy for her.  I was actually hoping she would have gone to Arkansas or Oklahoma State because I want her to have her own college experience and not feel that she has to follow in T's footsteps.  But, at the end of the day, they are two very different people, with two very different goals and I know she'll do great where ever she is.

Jazz Hands

I don't know what it is about this time of the year but no matter where I've lived ...  North, South, New York, Maryland, Cincinnati, Birmingham, Texas ... January and February positively wreck havoc on my skin. 

I usually have "combination" skin or problems with my T-zone. If I break out anywhere, it's usually my chin.  Yes, at 48 years old I still have the occasional zit.  However, this time of the year my skin goes haywire.  My sometimes oily T-zone area gets very dry and flaky.  Over the years I've learned to exfoliate regularly, keep my face exceptionally clean and drink lots of water.

Unfortunately 8 glasses of water doesn't always do the trick and my hands get horribly dry and cracked.  They get so cracked they actually start bleeding.  My cuticles are the worst and it's not uncommon for me to be sporting band-aids on 5 or more fingertips at a time.  Although I love a good hand lotion (i.e., L'Occitane or Crabtree and Evelyn), they contain a lot of chemicals and make the situation even worse.  In the evenings I slather my arms and legs with Aveeno Overnight Relief lotion but that really doesn't help my hands. So, this winter I invested in a pair of therapeutic cotton gloves and a good old fashioned jar of Vaseline petroleum jelly.  It puts the lotion on and then it puts the gloves on.  Hopefully this remedy will help.  I look like a total clown but wear the gloves throughout the day when I'm at home.  KJ says I look like a crazed health inspector but I like to think I look like Mickey Mouse or like I have really happy jazz hands.

Happy New Year (a couple days late)

2016 is off to a great start in our household!  Coach and KJ spent the evening at Jerry World watching Alabama play, T was in New Orleans with Pony Boy and friends for the Sugar Bowl and I ushered in the New Year with a glass of wine and a bubble bath.  I think I was asleep by 10:30 pm. It was glorious!

Christmas was really great.  Very quiet with just the four of us but very relaxing.  Since the girls were very little, we've always gotten a new game for Christmas and we played it Christmas Eve.  We all slept in on Christmas morning and had our traditional breakfast casserole.  I think everyone was happy with their Christmas gifts (Coach got a FitBit, the girls and I got lots of Kendra Scott, James Avery jewelry, Hunter boots, Michael Kors bags, clothes, etc.).

Lax season is fully underway.  KJ is super duper happy with her lax team. It's a combined FloMo/Marcus team and she said the girls are all incredibly nice and have been exceptionally welcoming.  A couple of the girls knew a couple of her volleyball teammates so that was a Nice ice breaker.

The weather has been so crazy the last week or so.  Last week I had the heat off and some windows open, the weekend was noticeably chillier and the heat is back on. 

We've had a nice relaxing 3-day weekend. Friday KJ had a half day and the three of us had an awesome lunch at a little local place we've been dying to try.  We also did some furniture shopping and ended up buying a new patio set.  Saturday was rainy and dreary so Cosmo and KJ started painting the office. It was a dark, dark green and felt like an old man's office (previous owners had dark window treatments and old, boring golf prints).  I picked out a nice light color that's hard to explain ... not tan or beige but not ivory either.  The color perfectly matches the tab-top curtains I had in the upstairs hallway in our Alabama house.  The room looks so bright and airy now and ten times larger than it did!

Sunday the sun came out and warmed up a bit so KJ and I spent the afternoon walking around Grapevine. Such a cute little Main Street with great shopping!

We also bought new light fixtures to go over the kitchen island.  I like all of the light fixtures in this house, they had all been updated before we moved in.  However, I positively hated the dark Tiffany stained glass pendants. We bought very simple ivory shades to lighten things up and it makes a huge difference. 

The patio set was delivered Sunday afternoon; now we just need the weather to cooperate so we can have some steaks on the grill!

weekends

The last two weekends have been absolutely wonderful!  Great weather (although yesterday was one of the hottest days we've had in a while) and we've tried to take full advantage of being out doors.

Last Sunday we were able to cross paddle boarding off our bucket list!  I absolutely loved it and told Coach I want a paddle board for Christmas. It was an incredible total body workout and a great family activity. Coach and I each fell off the board once but KJ never fell off at all.  We were together as a family but paddle boarded at our own pace.

Friday night KJ had a volleyball game in Dallas and Saturday she had a tournament in Arlington which was perfect because we were right by the stadium and made it to the Alabama vs. Wisconsin game with plenty of time for a little tailgating. Although we really wanted to go to the game, we were hesitant to buy tickets before she tried out for volleyball.  We knew there was a tournament the same day as the game and didn't want to spend big bucks on tickets only to be sitting at a tournament clear on the other side of town.  At the last minute a friend mentioned on FB he had four tickets so we jumped on the chance.

We had never been to a game at AT&T stadium and it did not disappoint.  What an incredible place to see a game!!  The stadium is phenomenal and there is not a bad seat in the house. We had such a good time at the game and of course KJ and Coach loved being among true Alabama fans. 

Today we slept in a little, Cosmo made French toast for breakfast, did a few things around the house and spent the rest of the day in the pool.  Last week the pool temp had cooled considerably and I thought maybe our pool days were numbered but today was absolutely perfect! 

Rivals

Watching the 3rd Quarter of the Iron bowl (right now Bama is down 27 to 36).  Happy to see Ole Miss defeat Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl earlier today and glad the Egg will be in Oxford for the year.  T, The Dew and his sister Cassi were all at the game.  Cassi was also there for the win over Alabama so I think she's the good luck charm. (OMG, as I'm typing Alabama just scored.  It's now Auburn 36, Bama 34).

T had a lovely week with Pony Boy's family for Thanksgiving.  On Saturday she competed in the Miss Amory pageant (and won!) and Sunday they headed to Johnny Frat Boy's house for the week.  I haven't had a chance to really talk to her but I think they met up with some of his high school friends, she met almost all of his family, had lunch with his mom, and went shining and shot off some guns.  T said she's dating Elmer Fudd.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving which also involved a little bit of snow from Wednesday.  My cousin Alison and her husband Zach came over as well as two friends from work.  I always have a hard time with timing the meal but this year everything turned out just right.

I had to go into the office for a bit on Friday and took KJ with me.  We also helped with the holiday decorations and I took her for sushi for lunch.  On our way home we stopped and did a little black Friday shopping.  We made it home in time for KJ to go to the high school football game.  Damascus is undefeated and is going to the Maryland state football championship this week (Thursday).  Not sure if KJ can make it to the game as volleyball practice starts Tuesday.

Super duper proud of her . . . she made the 15/16 travel volleyball team.  Over 70 girls tried out and since the team is also comprised of sophomores and juniors (depending on their birth date) and they only took 12 girls, we were really unsure how it was all going to play out.  She has also said repeatedly that she is going to play lacrosse.  Which just makes my heart happy.

OMG.  Alabama just scored again.  The score is now Bama 42, Auburn 36).

This morning KJ and I met our bestest friends for breakfast and had such a nice time.  I think we sat in Panera for over 3 hours.  AG was invited to cheer in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade so we met them just outside of Harrisburg while they were on their way back to Cincinnati.  And we did a little shopping on our way home, too.

Cosmo got some stuff done today while we were gone.  I think he was happy to have some peace and quiet in the house for a change!  He got the outdoor Christmas decorations out of the garage and also re-covered our kitchen chairs and bar stools.  It was time to change the black and white check and I found a gray and white link pattern I love, love, love!  Tomorrow I'll finish putting Thanksgiving away and start on Christmas.

Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!  Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!  I know we are!

KJ had a scrimmage on Friday at home.  She's playing SO good!  Her serves are solid and she's been setting.  She's still fighting the setter position but Cosmo and I keep telling her it's the perfect position for her -- she knows what she's doing on the court, she controls the action and she sets very, very well.  I don't know what her problem is.  She is loving high school life and it was so weird to see her doing some Damascus chants and cheers during the Varsity game.  Anyway, she played awesome and a couple of her friends came to see her play and then they went to the football scrimmage while Cosmo and I went out to dinner at Laurienzo's.  I luv, luv, luv their lobster ravioli!  http://www.laurienzobrickovencafe.com/

KJ's friend slept over Friday night and my parents arrived Saturday afternoon in plenty of time to watch the Alabama game.  Cosmo's niece and her husband came over (FSU fans/alumni) and my cousin and her husband joined us as well (Penn State fans/alumni).  I was hoping we could set up the TV poolside but it was quite humid and it looked like it might rain.  I swear, I love having people over.  The more the merrier.  Sunday's weather cooperated and we spent the entire day in the pool.  The.  Entire.  Day.  We only got out of the pool to eat (and bathroom breaks!!).

Today Cosmo, KJ and my parents are at the Spy Musuem in DC.  http://www.spymuseum.org/
I decided to stay home and get some stuff done to get ready for the week ahead.  I have a bunch of pool towels to throw in the wash and just need to chill for a bit.  The sun is shining today so I'll probably lay at the pool and catch up on my magazines.

A Little Snow and the Power of the Internet

We woke up Thursday to an absolutely beautiful winter wonderland.  I know most people hate the snow, but honestly, I love it.  I love the snow as much as I love the rain.  Anyone can love a perfect, blue sky, cloudless day.  I think it takes something special to appreciate the subtle nuances of an inclement weather day. I love how weather can stop us in our tracks and make us slow down and enjoy  the day.

We knew in advance that KJ's school was closed, Cosmo closed his office and we all had a wonderfully relaxing day at home in the snow.  We shoveled the driveway, played with the dog in the snow and met several neighbors.  KJ walked over to her friend Connor's house and a bunch of the neighborhood kids walked over to the park to go snowboarding.  The plow hadn't been down our street yet and the snow was up over our knees.  Cosmo had to make a path for her so she could get to Connor's.  On the way, they met the new neighbors on the corner.  KJ said they just moved here from North?  South?  Carolina (she couldn't remember) and they had a little girl.  KJ thought the little girl was about 2 and said she was having so much fun in the snow.  Cosmo uncovered our sidewalk and cleared it over to the neighbor's on our left.  He finally got to meet Mr. W who graduated from Alabama, went on to TN for his Master's and New Mexico for his PhD.  Naturally, the conversation turned to Alabama football and the SEC.  Since the plow still hadn't come through, we didn't bother shoveling the end of the driveway.  Once the plow finally came down our street, it made a huge mountain of snow near the mailbox.  So in the late afternoon Cosmo went out to tackle the glacier.  By this time the snow had gotten quite heavy and wet so another neighbor came over to help him out with a small plow on the end of his lawn mower.  And then it snowed again overnight.  So, Friday morning Cosmo was shoveling out again.  The Pastor from next door came over and gave him a hand.  See!  Snow days can be fun!!!

This weekend is the Capital Hill Classic volleyball tournament at the DC Convention center.  Holy moly.  The largest tournament I had attended was the Regional's in Atlanta.  This is probably 5 times that.  Almost 900 volleyball teams from all over the country (girls from ages 12 to 18).  Our friend from Hoover, Amanda, had mentioned several times that she'd like to see KJ play so when she saw my post on FB about the tournament, she texted me and said she was on her way.  She got to the convention center in time to watch KJ's 7 and 8 PM games.  Amanda played volleyball in youth leagues like KJ and also played in high school.  I think she'd be a good coach!  After the games we all grabbed a bite to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe and had a good time catching up!  KJ played well but they lost a couple of games they shouldn't have.  She's an incredibly consistent server and is enjoying her first season as setter.  Unfortunately, we don't have much of a defense.

KJ's team was in the afternoon wave today and has some very late games so I did not go to the tournament today (we got home last night around 1 AM, of course I was wired and couldn't settled down.  I finally fell asleep around 5 AM but woke up at 9 AM.  So yeah, I'm operating on less than 4 hours of sleep).  I was on FB and noticed a friend of our's from high school posted about watching his daughter play at a tournament in DC!  So, I quick wrote on Zap's wall (his nickname in high school), texted Cosmo and voila!  The two of them met up and got to visit for a while.  I think they saw each other last year at the alumni lax game but still!  I love the power of the Internet!

Friday! Friday! Friday!!!

 

Yay yay yay!  It's Friday!  Should be a great weekend!  KJ gets out of school today at noon (I have no idea why) and tomorrow we're having some friends and family over to watch the Ole Miss vs. Bama game and then KJ has vball on Sunday.  The weather looks great for the weekend and next week the forecast is calling for warmer temperatures.  We've been in the high 70's this week and next week should be in the low 80's.  The pool heater is still on and KJ has been swimming 3 days this week. 

The other day she came running into the house and said there was a frog stuck in the pool filter.  I had to go out there and poke at him with a pool noodle and scoop him up with the skimmer.  He was HUGE (bigger than my fist!) and we released him back into the wild (OK.  It wasn't exactly the wild.  It was more like I threw him into my neighbor's yard). 

I had a great birthday on Wednesday!   Coach and I had lunch together on Tuesday and I woke to flowers and cards and chocolate chip muffins on Wednesday.  I had a spa day at the Red Door (I used to go to the one on 5th Avenue when we lived in NY) and had a wonderfully relaxing day.  I changed my toe color from my usual OPI Cajun Shrimp to Essie's Merino Wool.  It's officially Fall y'all! 

We went to Buca di Beppo for dinner and had so much fun!   http://www.bucadibeppo.com/  The portions are huge and I ate my left overs yesterday for lunch.  KJ gave me a gift card to DSW (swoon!) so I can get new boots (something casual that I can wear everyday with jeans)  and T sent me a new Ole Miss mug and a couple of Ole Miss pins for KJ and I to wear on game day.  She also tweeted at Coach Freeze and he tweeted some birthday wishes at me so that was kind of exciting!  She's travelling to T-Town for the game this weekend and will stay with some friends.  One of Coach's buddy's offered her his tickets so she's super excited.  They are great seats!  Tom has given us those seats a couple of times and they are lower level, just a few rows up from all the action.  Should be a GREAT game!!!

Photo from last year's match-up in Tuscaloosa.  KJ is an Ole Miss fan (except when they play Alabama). 

Update !!!

Today I have officially been back in Maryland for a week!  So far so good! 

To date, the move has been awesome!  The packers who boxed up the house were great!  Very easy to work with and very professional.  The local Birmingham movers who loaded up the truck were okay, not great, not terrible.  Unfortunately, they were on the "older" side which surprised me since their representative had been out to our house, saw that it sat on a huge hill and also knew it was 3 levels (basement/garage, main level and upper).  The local guys did nothing but bitch and complain about the hill, the stairs and the heat.  All out of my control.  And the bitching got on my last nerve quite quick. 

After some room service, a hot shower, some wine and a restful night at Ross Bridge, the dog and I left Hoover Saturday morning and headed North.  I could have and should have driven straight through but decided to stop in Virginia and break up the trip a bit.  I had never driven that far by myself and didn't know how I'd do.  When I made my hotel reservations, I forgot that I was driving from Central to Eastern time and lost an hour.  I should have made my hotel a little farther than I did and end up stopping a little too early.  And I kind of had to smuggle the dog into the room in a Vera Bradley tote.  I was a nervous wreck that she'd start barking and give us away so I didn't sleep a wink.  At 4:30 AM I was still wide awake and by 5:15 AM I was on the road.  And I hit a lot of heavy, heavy dense fog the entire way up I-81.  Other than that, the drive was uneventful and Trixie was great. 

I was at our house by 12 noon Sunday and after lunch we spent the entire afternoon in the pool.  And on Monday, we barbequed and lounged in the pool the entire day.  It was so nice not having anything to do or anywhere to be.  Tuesday I drove KJ to school and picked her up but Wednesday she rode the bus both ways and has been riding the bus ever since.  The bus stop is two houses down and it's awesome.  She waits at our front door and doesn't start walking to the bus stop until the bus passes our house. 

From the middle school on Tuesday I went grocery shopping and ran a bunch of other errands trying to get familiar with everything.  Tuesday afternoon the previous owners came by to say hello and show me how to run the pool heater, filter, etc.  I gave her my contact info and she texted me later that afternoon to ask if she could bring her daughter by to meet KJ.  Lexi then texted a bunch of girls in the neighborhood and they came over to meet KJ which was super sweet.  This neighborhood is FULL of 8th graders!  So awesome!!!  Two of the girls, another Kendall and a girl named Lucy, made plans to walk KJ to the bus the next day. 

The local Baltimore crew who unloaded on Wednesday were absolutely awesome!  Wow.  I couldn't have asked for a better crew!  Pleasant, fun, helpful, personable.  I am up to my eyeballs in boxes but we're getting through it.  Our family room has curtains (yay!), most of the kitchen has been unpacked, haven't touched my dining room (low priority) and KJ's room is almost done.  I haven't done anything in T's room but Cosmo is all unpacked.  We have separate closets in the house so I'm taking my time with mine.  The closets are positively HUGE and I've got a dressing table in my closet and plan to make it look all fancy and chic. 

Wednesday was a little crazy with movers running around, the pool guy came by, KJ rode the bus for the first time, etc.  One top of all that Cosmo had contacted the volleyball coach and explained our situation to him and asked if he could recommend any clubs or camps.  He asked if KJ had played any travel ball and when Cosmo replied she had 3 years of travel ball under her belt, he told them to come out to that night's practice.  Fortunately I had separated her volleyball stuff and drove it up in my car and we didn't have to hunt through a million boxes to find it!

 

I'm kinda losing track of my days but one night (Thursday or Friday maybe?) we went to Jimmie Cone for ice cream.  For my North Rockland friends, it's like Hoyers and it's delicious!  I'm just a plain vanilla soft serve, cake cone w/ rainbow sprinkles kind of girl but it totally hit the spot! 



Move it Along Folks

So crazy to think that at this time next week I'll be both homeless and unemployed! We've had a super busy week with parties, dinners and get-togethers saying good-by to friends. Cosmo came home last weekend and we had a huge blowout at the house. It was so good to see everyone -- neighborhood friends, lax friends, Hoover friends, volleyball friends, work friends, even friends from Cincinnati! All I wanted to do was clean-out the bar and get rid of our liquor. Somehow, I'm +6 bottles of wine which is amazing considering we threw away 4 huge trashbags of nothing but beer, wine, rum and tequila bottles. Say what you want about the Cos family but man! We can throw a party! Lots of toasts, lots of shots.

I had all the chicks in the nest last week which may not happen for a long time. T drove in Saturday morning and of course her daddy had to make her favorite macaroni for dinner and I had to make her favorite chilli cheese dip for the party. She had to be back in Oxford early Sunday morning so it was a quick, emotional trip for her. It hit her hard that she will never come home to this house ever again. We had a long talk Saturday night (morning???) and I told her it's just a house. It's just four walls. Memories are made any where and every where. It's what's you keep in your heart.

KJ had a ton of kids over Saturday night, too. Naturally it ended in a cake fight. Sunday she spent the day w/ her sweet friend Mo shopping and doing fun girly stuff (I think strawberry shortcake was dessert of the day). Monday KJ got her eyebrows waxed and we did some last minute stuff (shoe shopping), Tuesday we had a relaxing evening getting pedicures (hey! a girl's gotta look good for her first day of school!). Wednesday we met Jo and GW for dinner at the Mexican place and Thursday we had dinner w/ The W Women. Tonight KJ has a b-day party to go to, she'll probably have some friends sleep over and tomorrow she heads to BWI so she can start 8th grade on Monday! Whoop! Whoop!

When we lived in Madrid there was a group of gypsies that lived near our apartment complex.  I am too young to remember this of course but my mom and dad said they roamed across Europe.  I may have been secretly switched at birth and swear I have some gypsy blood in me.  I like to keep moving, I don't like to be stagnant or complacent.  I like to try new things.  I like to read about new places, different people.  I like a little chaos in my life.  It's fun to mix things up a bit. 

I am so absolutely awful at good-byes and totally dreaded my last day at the hotel.  I work(ed) with an amazing group of people and we always had fun no matter what.  Lots of laughs and a lot of silliness.  The girls and I had a nice quiet lunch, no fuss and I tried to sneak out as best as I could.  One of the ladies I work with said, "You and you're family always go on the best adventures!" and I kept that with me all day today.  This next chapter in our lives is definitely going to be an adventure and I'm really looking forward to it! 

"It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure." == Ernie Harwell

Here we go!

Since the countdown has officially began, I thought over the next couple of days I'd share with you some of my experiences of living in the South for the past 14 1/2 years. 

Let's begin with our actual move in day way back in May 1999, Memorial Day Weekend to be exact.  I am 6 months pregnant with KJ and quite large (don't judge!  she was a huge 10 lbs. baby!!!).  Our new house sits on top of a ridge and our driveway is kind of steep.  The moving van was parked at the end of the driveway and the crew was running our household goods up the hill with dollies and boxes strapped to their backs.  I'm at the bottom of the driveway, directing (or, as Cosmo lovingly would say, "bossing.").  T is inside, running around the empty house, twirling from room to room, listening to her voice echoing off the walls.  We haven't even been official Hoover residents for more than an hour when all of a sudden we hear a large explosion and can see a huge fireball and plume of smoke coming up from the back of our house!  Thinking our house is on fire, Cosmo and the guys drop everything, run into the house, screaming for T.  Turns out our neighbor was burning trash/rubbish, added gas to the pile and BOOM!!!!  Welcome to Alabama!!!

Red Neck

"Just once, I would like to wake up, turn on the news, and hear...'Monday has been canceled, go back to sleep."  -- Author Unknown

Had such a nice weekend with T and the girls!  It was wonderful having a houseful of kids and the girls were super sweet.  They were so low maintenance and no trouble at all. 

Unfortunately, the tournament wasn't organized very well and the home team didn't have a contingency plan in place in the event of rain.  The fields were an absolute disaster and the Saturday games were cancelled.  Coach made some phone calls and was able to secure some turf fields for Sunday but the home team did not want to travel the 45 minutes up the road from Ttown to Hoover nor did they want to play on a high school field (which is weird because the high school facilities are a 1000 times better than the rec fields at Bama!).  The girls made the best of the situation and all went to the mall and out to dinner.  A couple of them went to Coach's game (which was super exciting!  It went into double-overtime but Hoovs lost by 1.). 

The bus came for the girls super duper early Sunday morning and we headed to T-town for two games.  Last fall Alabama beat the girls pretty bad but Saturday Ole Miss only lost by two and Ole Miss beat Samford pretty good so they ended up going 1 for 1 on the day.  T scored two goals in each of the games.  And, if I remember correctly she scored first in each of the games.  The weather was so incredible.  Such a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and I love being on the Alabama campus (kind of weird though being on campus wearing and Ole Miss sweatshirt and hat).   Unfortunately, I got sun burnt on the back of my neck and look like a total goober. 

I didn't sleep well Saturday night but Sunday night I had one of the best night's sleep of my life.  A very good deep sleep.  I was so snuggly and really had a hard time getting up this morning.  Monday's really stink.  

Poor Coach

Got SOOOO much done today!  House looks great!  House smells great!  I even had time to bake some cookies.  Beds are made, fresh towels in all the bathrooms, extra pillows on hand.  Now I'm just waiting on the "girls" to get here. 

Poor Coach.  He is going to be severely outnumbered this weekend and he's trying to get in as much testosterone as he can.  He's got a game tonight (in the pouring rain, no thank you) and 2 games tomorrow but they're later in the day so he'll be able to catch T's first game and most of the second.  Coach had made arrangements for the "girls" to use one of the Hoover fields tonight to get in a little practice and the former Alabama Men's coach was going to come out and work with the Ole Miss goalie but Parks and Rec closed the fields due to the weather.  Tomorrow's games are going to be a mess.  The Alabama Men's tournament organizers were scrambling to find alternative fields and the Women (i.e., the "girls") are playing on the Rec field (which is going to be more of a swimming hole than a field). 

Thank goodness for good friends, they are taking KJ to her vball tournament in Huntsville this weekend.  She made me promise that no one would sleep in her bed while she was gone.  She said she doesn't want any "strangers" in her bed.  I couldn't help but laugh.  Trust me KJ.  No one and I do mean NO ONE wants to sleep in that bed. 

Popcorn Day

Alabama weather is positively crazy.  Thursday we had snow, early dismissals, cancellations and a 2-hour school delay on Friday.  Today, my neighbor's kids are running around in shorts and I've got windows open.  It is the end of January already and Spring does come early to Bham.  T's got her SB '13 plans in place and I booked the condo for the rest of us.  But may end up cancelling it -- my mom and dad want KJ to fly to them for the week.  And, of course, she's all for it.  She thinks she's so cool getting to fly around the country all by herself! 

 

Today is National Popcorn Day.  Which is pretty much every day in my house.  I love, love, love my air-popcorn machine and haven't bought microwave popcorn in forever.  I think we've had this air-pop maker almost 15 years now and counting.  When this baby goes, I don't know what I'll do.  I don't even know if they make them any more.  Cosmo and the girls make fun of me but it really is my favorite snack.  I very rarely eat chips (except when at a Mexican place), I don't do cake or cookies.  Very rarely do I keep ice cream in the house (except for the holidays -- have to have my Mayfield's Peppermint Stick!).  I probably should go buy a spare pop corn machine.  Just in case.  

A little foosball

Enjoying the rest of the Saturday with a little Alabama football.  KJ had a volleyball tourney today so I didn't get to see any of the Auburn game.  Folks on Twitter & Facebook are just tearing Auburn up after that game.  And my friend Julie is just loving life right about now.  I don't dislike Auburn, I just like Alabama a heck of a lot better.  Which is hard for Alabama natives to understand.  But, "not being from around these parts," I didn't have to choose a side while growing up.  Auburn's going to have a rough year and I wonder how long it will take before Chizik is on the chopping block. 

I'm such a total dweeb.  I just luv, luv, luv Nick Saban and I luv, luv, luv seeing the new Crimsonette costumes each year.  They are magnificent and positively scream football.  I don't like when schools try to break from tradition and modernize and fool around with uniforms (yes Oregon, I'm talking to you.  And you too, Terps.). 

 

 

 

T is gearing up for the Ole Miss game vs. UTEP.  It's parent's weekend and she gets to do the Rebel Run this afternoon.  She's still loving college life but in all seriousness, what's not to love?  She's at one of the prettiest campuses on the planet, loves her classes, likes her roommate, lax started this week and she's meeting lots of new peoople.  She likes the girls on her lax team alot and she's even met a couple of laxers who played against Hoover and remember Coach.  She tried out for the campus news team last week and originally did not make it.  Which we kind of expected as a freshmen.  But then, she got an e-mail saying they'd like her to do some B-reel, background work, research, etc.  And, she was also invited to two different journalism conferences.  The one in September interferes with Rush but she will go to the one in November. 

Didn't go to the Hoover football game Friday night and quite honestly, I'm not sure if we'll even make a game this year.  I hate this new alignment and have zero interest in any of the games (maybe I'll feel differently when KJ hits high school.  But for now, I'm really enjoying my Friday nights!).  The rivalries are gone, the excitement/anticipation is gone.  Don't get me wrong, Hoover is still an incredible team and no matter the conference or divison they play in, they will steamroll over everyone.  But I miss the Spain Parkers thinking they have a shot each year, I like the ugliness of the Vestavia game and I like the Brookies snubbing their noses at Hoover each year.  Oh!  And Homewood!  I always like their band.  They put on a good half-time show.   

Roughing it

I was doing really great until this morning.  I had a little meltdown and think it's going to be the first of many this week.  Heard that one of T's friends is having a rough time during Rush and that upset me.  A lot.  I got very, very emotional and started crying.  It's starting to hit me. 

Little by little the kids are heading off to college.  The Troy girls are waiting for their bids as I type.  Last week the Auburn girls moved in and they are all anxiously awaiting Bid Day (Sunday?  Monday?).  This week the Alabama girls moved in and are all anxiously awaiting Rush.  Now the guys are starting to move in.  Some of T's friends moved in earlier this week, some are moving this weekend.  One of Coach's boy's came by the other night to say good-bye.  Thursday night T had a BBQ for the friends that are still here and some of the Mississippi State boys are moving in this weekend.  T has just been a roller coaster of emotions the last couple of weeks and said it just sucks to constantly be telling friends good-bye.  This is why I don't ever say "good-bye."  I always say, "See you soon."