Football Mayhem

Georgia here we come! Watching the Bulldogs trounce on LSU last weekend was a little upsetting, but go SEC-East! Now the fateful weekend has arrived. We will see if Florida has what it takes to go to the SEC game this year. One obstacle in their way - Georgia. I am still once again impressed that 3 SEC teams are in the top 10. Can't wait for this weekend. Go Gators!

A Little Bit Chilly

What happened to my lovely fall weather? It went away so quickly this year. The high today is in the 40s and we should expect rain/ snow showers. Too early! I was enjoying leaving my windows open, but now I have the heater on.

We attended Fright Night this year (recommend it for next year). We decided on the walking tour. In 40 degree weather that may not have been the smartest idea. Certain body parts went numb on our walk.

Another way I know it is getting wintery...my cat. She hates the cold. She keeps going to the fireplace and putting her paw against the glass. She gives me the look like mom this was on last year, turn it on. She naps on top of the clothes dryer while its running. She refuses to sit on our leather couch unless she is sitting on one of us or we place a blanket down for her. My favorite is her burrowing under the covers.

Someone (Delia) left me a Let it Snow snowman on my desk. I think winter is arriving early this year.

Family Vacation

We leave for our Florida vacation soon, but our plans have drastically changed. We originally had planned to travel to Key West for 5 days on the beach, boating, and sea life, plus a side trip to see family. That plan dissolved when someone (not me) decided that they didn't want to go to Key West.

Thankfully we had a flight to Miami so we can travel elsewhere. It has now been decided by that other person, not me, that we are going to spend 3 days at ... Universal Studios. I honestly don't care since I just like to go places, but I will have to now look for someone else to visit Key West with me in the future. (It's on the list.) I actually like Universal and City Walk, so we'll have fun. The hubby has not ever been to Islands of Adventure (he thought it was a water park) and hasn't been to Universal since pre-Jaws instillation. So we'll have a good time. I'll stop by Margaritaville to get my Key West feel for a bit.

The other drastic change on our trip, but one I whole-heartedly think we need is to visit my hubby's mom. She is interred at the National Cemetery in Florida. Neither of us have ever been there and I feel it is time. This will be extremely emotional for both of us. Then we are off to visit the family. For those who know, this can be extremely emotional as well, but I get to see my beautiful nieces and nephew. The part I'm looking forward to is partying with our friends. Need some regrouping with the gang. I can't wait for the adventure!

Motherhood

I knew I would grab your attention with the title. No, I'm not making any announcements. I had to comment on how amazed I am by the women around me. Cheryl had a beautiful baby girl over the summer, Sara gave birth to an adorable baby boy this weekend, and Jen is due this winter. Each of these women continued living life to the fullest while pregnant, which impresses me. I see myself as an overly-neurotic mother, which is one of the many reasons motherhood is not for me. It does not stop me from being impressed with my friends though. Cheryl even completed the Leadership Institute while pregnant and returned to work to accept a promotion. (Congrats to Cheryl!) Sara still taught at the university while working her normal full time job during her pregnancy. Who knows what will happen when she returns to work. I remember Jen and I discussing our wedding plans, oh 6 or so years ago. At the time her fiance wanted her to have 4 kids. I really hope that is not the plan. Each of these women are remarkable in their own right, but with the entrance of motherhood, they have become awe-inspiring to me. Congratulations!

Filming Fears

I'm a little nervous this week. My friend Erik is helping me with an experiment. He will film my class I'm teaching this week. I should be comfortable with this, but I'm not. I can get in front of a class and lecture without much concern. I actually thrive on it. But the moment a camera is around, I get very nervous. I can't explain it.

It makes no sense. I was one of those kids whose parents carried around one of the big camcorders in the 80's. Major portions of my life are forever immortalized on home videos, including some horrific choral concerts and dance routines. My dad has since started converting these to DVD. Thanks Dad!

So I should be comfortable in front of a camera. Yet when we filmed the Military Symposium PSA, I fumbled my way in front of the camera. At one point Kay stopped filming to ask if I knew my lines, which I then recited easily. Once the camera was on though, I once again became nervous.

So of course, I am quite hesitant about actually being filmed this week. Wish me luck!

Family History Month

Come one, come all! October 1st begins Family History Month! And we have plenty of activities planned. A genealogy class every day. This weekend,10/4 we have speakers from the Ulster Plantation in Ireland giving a full-day seminar. ACGSI is offering the Beginning Genealogy course on 10/11. Another two-day mini-course, Beyond Basics is on 10/24-25. Of course, we end all the festivities with our Annual midnight Madness, which falls on Halloween this year. Come and learn about your ancestors.