It's OK Thursday

It's OK . . .

...it's OK that I bought 3 beach towels this week.  I have Spring Break on the brain.  Can't help it.
...it's OK that I was very excited to watch the Duck Dynasty season premiere last night.
...it's OK to know that Justin Bieber's birthday is tomorrow. 
...it's OK that I've worn black three days in a row this week. 
...it's OK that I am probably one of the few women on earth who have absolutely no desire to see "Les Miserables."  Especially after that Oscar performance.
...it's OK that I still don't care about the Bachelor and his virginity. 
...it's OK that I am looking forward to the possibility of snow this weekend.
...it's OK that I am looking forward to cleaning out my closet this weekend.  Got to make room for my Spring wardrobe purchases!

De-Bunking a Myth

In a perfect world I'd blog every day.  Some days I'm busy and some days I just don't have anything to blog about (shocking!).  So today I did a google search "things to blog about" and one of the suggestions was de-bunking a myth.  While I don't have any actual data or research to de-bunk a myth, it got me thinking about my favorite kind of shows on the History Channel. 

Lately, I've been watching alot of "Ancient Aliens" and "America Unearthed."  These shows are positively fascinating to me.  I love shows that encourage open discussion and dialogue and open up a whole new world of "what if's."  Let's start with "America Unearthed" today and I'll discuss "Ancient Aliens" another day.  Yeah, I know.  Some of you can hardly wait.

"America Unearthed" is hosted by Scott Wolter, a forensic geologist and president of the Minnesota-based American Petrographic Services."  He developed a new science called archaeopetrography--a scientific process used to date and understand the origins of mysterious stone artifacts and sites. The first artifact Scott studied using this new science was the Kensington Rune Stone, which he believes is an authentic, pre-Columbian land claim carved here in America by none other than the Knights Templar. The Kensington Rune Stone is this guy's claim to fame and he is hell-bent on proving that Columbus was not the first to discover America.  He is convinced that the Knights Templar were here as well as a "giant" race of people (Vikings?) that settled in Minnesota (which is totally plausabile in my humble opinion if the Vikings stopped in Iceland and Greenland before hitting North America).  One of the shows examined the missing colony of Roanoke and another dissected the possibility of whether Meriwether Lewis could have been murdered shortly after his return from the American West. 

I like the show.  I really do.  However, there have been some red flags for me.  Sometimes Mr. Wolter seems like he's really, really reaching to draw a conclusion which correlates with his personal agenda (Mr. Wolter has written a book on the Kensington Rune Stone so obviously his objective is to sell more books).  He's been called a modern-day Indiana Jones and the show has been described as "alternative history." 

Both the show and Mr. Wolter himself come under close scrutiny each week in a blog by a Mr. Jason Colavito who does his very best to de-bunk everything discussed on America Unearthed.  Colavito is a bestselling author and editor based in Albany, NY. He is internationally recognized by scholars, literary theorists, and scientists for his pioneering work exploring the connections between science, pseudoscience, and speculative fiction. His investigations examine the way human beings create and employ the supernatural to alter and understand our reality and our world. He has published several books and is "currently pursuing a number of projects, both in nonfiction and fiction" according to his website bio.  He's also launched his own line of print-on-demand books collecting rare texts about alternative history, the occult, and speculative fiction. Colavito holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York where he majored in both anthropology and journalism. A summa cum laude graduate, Colavito was recognized as the Distinguished Graduate in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, and he was made the Jessica Savitch Communications Scholar for his work in journalism. http://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog.html  So yet again we have someone with ulterior motives -- to sell more books. 

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. 

It's OK Thursday

It's OK . . . 

...to be sarcastic. 
...that no one in my family knows how to replace a roll of toilet paper or load the dishwasher. 
...that I am completely bored with my current wardrobe.  Spring shopping spree!
...to not "get" the Harlem Shake videos. 

25 Random Things

Saw this over on www.CreativelySouthern.com this morning and thought I'd join in on the fun!

1. If anyone asks, I automatically say that my favorite color is green.  But I really like them all.  Except yellow.  I don't think anyone looks good in yellow.
2. I eat a brown sugar cinnamon pop-tart every morning at my desk.  Monday through Friday. 
3. I was a cheerleader in high school.
4. I'm not a cake person but I do like cupcakes! They are the perfect proportion.  Not too big.  Not too little. But I don't like a ton of frosting. 
5.  I have a cup of darjeeling tea every morning.
6.  I have a Schwepp's ginger ale every night. 
7.  I have a hard time throwing away old address books or planners.
8.  If money was no object, I'd have a personal chef.  I really, really, really hate to cook.
9.  I truly believe that some people should not wear yoga pants or leggings in public. 
10.  I am addicted to lip gloss. 
11.  I've had the same Brighton key chain for about 15 years. 
12.  I wear a size 5 shoe but they are very, very hard to find so I end up buying a 6 and then using inserts and/or heel cushions to make them fit better.
13.  I have to read a little bit each night before I go to bed to soothe my head.
14.  I don't like pancakes.
15.  I don't like diet soft drinks of any kind.
16.  The change purse in my wallet is filled with coins but none of them are US currency.  I carry around coins from Jamaica (our honeymoon 20 years ago), Pesos from Cabo and Cancun and Euros from my trip with T.  I also have casino chips from Vegas and a merry go round token from the Birmingham Zoo.
17.  I keep the cards from the flowers Coach has sent me over the years in my wallet and take a look at them when I need a pick-me-up.
18.  I have never worn false eyelashes.
19.  I have never broken a bone in my body.  The closest I've ever come is a really bad sprained ankle. 
20.  I've never had anything removed from my body either (other than 2 kids).  I still have my spleen, my kidneys, my gall bladder etc. 
21.  I was lucky enough to know both sets of grandparents and two great-grandmothers. 
22.  I'm pretty prompt.  I'm rarely, if ever, late.
23.  I clean out my handbag once a week.
24.  I've never played a real game of golf.  Mini-golf, yes.
25.  Still don't like bananas or coconuts. 

Tuesday already?

Tomorrow's Hump Day.  Where has this week gone???

I braved the bitter cold Saturday and sat through most of the JV game and all of the Varsity game.  JV lost by 1 and Varsity won (can't remember the final score).  After the game we grabbed a bite to eat and the assistant coaches and a couple of the kids ended up sitting at the table next to us.  We got home in time to see most of the high school's Beauty Walk on iHigh.  I missed all of the girls walking out at the beginning but caught the top 30, the top 10 and the finale.  Luv, luv, luv seeing the girls all dressed up and grown up! 

Sunday morning were two more games but I didn't go.  It was nice  to relax and sleep in a little and get a some laundry done.  Last night Coach and I went out to dinner before getting KJ from the airport.  She had a wonderful, wonderful time in DC and took some amazing pictures.  They were on the go the entire trip and she's exhausted and slightly cranky. 

Getting ready for the lacrosse team's arrival this weekend -- been buying snacks, bought some extra pillows in case someone forgot theirs and bought some fresh guest towels.  Hopefully most of the girls remember to bring their air mattresses.  The girls will get here late Friday night and will go out to dinner after the games Saturday so I just need to feed them breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning.  And hopefully it doesn't rain so I don't have 30 girls covered in muddy tromping thru the house!