Five on Friday

Five on Friday, linking up to share all the things I'm loving this week

-1-
Our roof is done! Looking a little red after the evening storms last night.



-2-
That James loves to help clean, he can even turn the central vac on all by himself.



-3- Fresh Flowers and Fall Candles - what's your favorite scent? I love Farmers Market from Yankee Candle.


-4- My little coffee & tea station for playgroup this morning


-5- That we are Gainesville bound tomorrow. Can't wait to tailgate with James, go to the reception at my sorority house, and let my kiddo go into Albert overload. He literally screams, "ALBERT ALBERT" everytime he sees the gator logo (both standup Albert and the standard gator head). It's gonna be a fun day. One of the pictures I sent for the alumnae reception at Phi Mu...



Ole Miss Game 2002

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Family Game Day

I'm really loving game days with my family.

 A few weeks ago, while watching a game at a friends house, I commented how you really can't beat watching a game lounging on a sofa, sitting in AC, hearing what happened during the play on the hi-def TV and eating ice cream. 

My younger self WOULD HAVE DIED.  I can't believe how things have changed.  When we are at games, we usually are in the shade, have a TV to look at and even ice cream during the third quarter - thanks champions club.  Still I can't believe I actually said out loud that I really like watching games on TV in the comfort of home (at someone's house vs a game viewing party). 

The social aspect of going to games and tailgating all over the SEC, has always been my favorite pastime of mine and Josh-heck it's how we met and fell in love. There hasn't even been a time in my life until now that I haven't been on the board of the Gator Club in whatever city we were living in-which entails watching games with all the other Gator fans in the geographic region.

But things change...

Babies don't go to bars, and jet setting throughout the south eastern (and now kind of western) conference seems a little more daunting with a baby on board.

Although my taste in game-viewing has matured evolved, one thing is still the same.  The Gator Games I've enjoyed the most are the ones watched with my very best friends.

I'm glad James has already learned this lesson.

Editors note: they were not actually watching the game, we still honor the "no TV for babies" guidelines at our house.  Luckily bed time was about 30 minutes after kick-off so mommy only missed the fist quarter, and daddy "owes me one."

-

Football Season

Wow, I can't believe it's right around the corner.  What I really can't believe for the first time ever my life doesn't feel completely engrossed by it, cha-cha-cha-changes.

Of course we've made plans, we're going to a handful of games, but I need to get on the ball and coordinate all my outfits-ha!  I've been enjoying Copacetic in Carolina's Tailgating posts the past few weeks, but looking at her brunch recipes made me think of how good our tailgate breakfasts are.  Then, I realized we pull into the RV lot right after the gates open at 8 am, which means getting up at 6:30 to meet our group at Law School Publix by 7:00.  I don't know if I ready for this after all...

I do know we won't be making the trip to Florida until the Tennessee Game, and our seats for the 3:30 kick-off are a few rows off the field on the 50 yard line.  I've decided to help me cope with the Florida sunshine I'll be needing a big ole hat!  Since it is the Tennessee Game, I'll be sporting a blue dress.  I did want to get a cute orange a-symmetrical number, I just couldn't do orange for Tennessee.  So I'm recycling a dress from last season (Josh, you did just read that):

and I'm thinking this Marley Lilly hat with a blue monogram.

I've got a little more time to figure things out for Kentucky, LSU and FL GA.  Even though I'm helping to plan the DC Gators road trip to Kentucky, it's still 50/50 in my book.  If I can convince Josh that we need to take an extra day on the way to Lexington to stay at the Greenbriar, it may move higher on my priority list-ha!

To get into the spirit, I wanted to share this little number, also seen first at Copacetic in Carolina.  Of course they picked the TACKIEST Florida fans, but hey it is what it is. 

Big Decisions

I was faced with a real big decision today.  Go to the sneak peak of Bridesmaids with Lacey or go to Capitol Hill for a reception with the Florida Congressmen and elected officials.  To be honest it was a biggie-When 5 o'clock rolled around, I was honestly really wanting to join Lacey with a big tub of popcorn, some Junior Mints and laugh my head off.  But of course I chose to get Gatorfied and head into the city.  To be honest, although I live here I don't really hang on the hill.  It was fun to really feel like a DC Gator, and kind of made me want to hang on the hill more often.  Men in bow ties, it does something to me....

So now I am really able to confirm that DC is a small town in a big city.  While walking through Capitol Hill to the reception I ran into a great friend on the street, then at the reception I saw lots of my peeps.  My fellow board members, sorority sisters, Josh's friends, other folks I knew at UF, it was awesome.  I hob nobbed errr networked for a while, and then was persuaded to head over to the Florida State Societies Happy Hour.  Now don't for a second think that I went to hang with a bunch of 'noles... Most of the states in DC have State Societies, to get together with your fellow staters and party down errr network. 

Somehow on the way from Congress to where ever this secondary happy hour was taking place, I ended up in a Gator Entourage.  As we had all pertaken in happy hour numero uno and where headed to happy hour numero dos of the evening-we were a sight of Orange and Blue to see.  And then we created my best DC memory, and totally top 20 memory of all time.  We sang the Florida Fight Song, Alma Mater and We are the Boys while walking in front of the Capitol (take that fourth of July).  Wowzers combining the Gators and my love for America - AMAZING.  But wait, then I saw even more people I knew at happy hour numero dos.  I actually surprised my friends (and myself actually) at how many people I knew.  Wow, reminds me of the good old days when my life wasn't a constant stream of strangers.  I'm not going to lie though.  It's nice to be able to go to the grocery store without seeing someone you know on every aisle up here as I can get away in going in semi PJ attire instead of having to "dress" to go to Bayshore Publix across the street from my old house. 

So I have to share my gatorfied outfit, hopefully y'all will like it as much as Josh, plus how often do I get to tie on my vineyard vines gator scarf?  My OOTD-I take photos in the bathroom style.

Don't for a second think I'm not planning to catch bridesmaids.  But with how nutso my life is right now, it may not be until I get it in my mailbox from NetFlix...

We Do Cry

So during my commute this morning where my speedometer did not register over 10 mph the entire trip, I had some extra time to listen to some radio shows.  The DJ on my country station put up this clip of a girl from South Carolina crying after the gamecocks lost to Kentucky.  He was making fun of the situation, but it made me realize that he just didn't get the importance of the SEC and our teams record.  What bowl game you get a bid to, makes or breaks your New Year's Eve.  These are important things especially to a sorority girl in the SEC- don't mess with our big hair, mascara or social calendar.

So on my trusty new iphone I found the utube video of my fellow SEC SG (sorority girl). 



And it made me remember all the games that I have shed a few tears over - why does Alabama always seem to be a consistent theme.  I guess they are a benchmark of sorts, if you win - you just beat fricken Alabama.  If you loose well you just lost to fricken Alabama. 

Speaking of Alabama, it was the first Gator game that I shed a tear (or two over).  It was my sophomore year at UF, we had beaten Tennessee earlier in the season, and we just didn't loose in the Swamp.  That damn tide came in and we lost...and I cried...at a football game.

I somehow made it through the season in 2000 without any football related tears.  So I was totally unprepared for what happened to us in '01 in Auburn, Alabama.  I had made the road trip with my two best friends, and we were planning to stay at my cousins house in Auburn.  Let's just say - driving to Alabama sans sleep is something not even a Burger King Breakfast can fix.  Then add lots of Jack Daniels to the situation and Auburn fans running over you to storm the field as you sit crying in the end zone-it's not a good thing.  It only got worse.  Fights with Red Neck RV Drivers, sleeping in our car on the side of a back road in Alabama and a few speeding tickets followed.  Would I trade it for anything-NEVER!

I've adopted a new philosophy around my beloved Gators, and that it's we always win the tailgate.  That we did at the FL GA game this weekend.

Tailgating with my girls!

My brother drove down from South Dakota, and he was loved on by everyone there!  I think it may have been because he makes some of the best BBQ on the face of the planet.

A little bit of our crazy tailgate.  I was in charge of the Bloody Mary bar-the only organized part of the table at the other end.

And at some point of the day I promised Riley Cooper I would make a custom Cooper/Grossman jersey and wear it to the Eagles v Redskins game on the 15th.  I better get busy.



Chaos

I can't even begin to tell you how crazy my lift has been - CRAZY... CHAOTIC... BEYOND..

1.  I cried at work today, which has never, I mean NEVER happened here-but I finally reached my breaking point.

2.  Maybe it's because I didn't get enough sleep last night because the wind literally blew out the windows in our bedroom, as in BIG GAPING HOLE in the wall with nothing there, but the cold midnight sky. 

3.  Don't worry after yelling at Josh for not being home for the third MAJOR catastrophe in the past four months I took care of it...in my own special way.

4.  Duck tape is my friend.

5.  Duck tape and a tarp are my best friends.

6.  Duck tape, a Tarp and Vodka are my best friends forever-and really create an amazing trifecta.

7.  Just checked into my flight and upgraded my seat so I could spend time with my best friend Vodka on the way to Jacksonville tonight.

8.  Sent Josh to buy every flavor of Vodka he could find so they would be prepared for my arrival tonight.

9.  He complied and went to Wackos his favorite liquor store/strip club in Jacksonville. 

10.  He took my pregnant best friend there two years ago on accident, and now makes a point/finds an excuse to go every year.

11.  He also makes it a priority to wear buba teeth all weekend ala James Bates during Tennessee Week.

12.  And throws mike bones at unsuspecting Georgia Fans, particularly the girls dressed to the nines.

13.  Which reminds me, he only packet T-shirts (and probably jorts) - so I better find him a polo and bright blue or orange shorts, and burn whatever else I find in his suitcase so what I picked is his only option.

14.  Well, that's the run-down.  I guess with that all I have to say is:

15.  Oh and if you're in Jax hit up my cell and come to our tailgate!

On Being a Gator

I got an email this morning from the student body president at UF inviting alumni to share words of advice with the incoming freshman class. Here's what I had to share:

I had no idea how stepping on campus at UF as a freshman would affect the rest of my life, but I did have the feeling it was the start of something special.

That the girls I sat with in the lounge of my dorm hall would be the bridesmaids in my wedding.

That I would meet my future husband on a football road trip to LSU,

or that I would forever be instantly connected to a complete stranger in a Gators T-shirt.

It’s all true.
 
The years I spent walking those lovely vine clad halls were the best of my life and significantly shaped my future,
 

whether it was job offers from fellow alumni or a connection in our Nation’s Capitol where I now call home.

 

I can proudly say that my experience at UF shaped me into the person I am today both personally and professionally. I couldn't be more grateful for what the Gator Nation has done for me.

As you start your collegiate career at UF, take advantage of everything! Go to sporting events, go to class (and the library), run for student government and spend lazy days reading by the shores of Lake Wauburg.

Be proud to be a Gator and be proud to be the next generation of the Gator Nation! You have no idea what your time at UF has in store for you, but I can tell you it will exceed anything you can imagine.

Welcome to the Gator Nation.

Finally Friday!

What a week!

The movers are moving our furniture back in today-it's going to be so great to be home tonight!!

This week, responsibility trumped my social calendar.  I'm still not 100% sure how that makes me feel, but I'm pretty sure it means I'm growing up. 

So, I didn't make it to a happy hour on Georgetown's Waterfront or at The University Club.  But I was a good homeowner, good wife and a good friend.  And the latter two are probably the most important things I could possibly be. 

Not only did I give up happy hours, but I'm also giving up a Gator Game road trip - which is an extreme rarity.  No Neyland Stadium or tailgating on the Tennessee River this weekend in Knoxville. For the very first time since I was a freshman at UF, I will not be sitting in the stands as the Gators take on the Vols.  I will be unpacking boxes, while watching the game on TV.  Sigh.  With that, there's only one thing to say:

You Know What's Awesome?

When you walk in your house to see that the tile you selected for each of your three bathrooms has been installed into the wrong bathroom.  Not to mention the patterns that they were to be laid in completely ignored, but the tile for the guest bath in the powder room, guest bath tile in the master bath, master bath tile in the guest bath.

It usually results in a warm fuzzy feeling all over your body.

It's also awesome when after you fall asleep during the South Carolina, Southern Miss game, your husband decides to pack for himself for the weekend.

And packs his favorite Gator polo that is developing a nice size hole in the middle of the chest, that you were meaning to hide so he couldn't pack it/wear it.  When asked nicely to pack a different polo, he tells you he is a tailgator, and only cares how the burgers get to the grill, how long the fries are in the hot oil and if the grits get enough cheese.  Not what he wears to the game.

Words Cannot Express

How insane my life has been in the past few days!

Living in a hotel for the past month and a half has gotten to the best of me.  I am so excited, yet terrified of football season starting this weekend.  I love it, our lives revolve around it, BUT to survive football season (as an adult, living out of state) your life needs to be in 100% order come kick off.  Well, my life is in 100% disarray right now-ha!

We interrupt this life to bring you football season!

Miss Molly my beagle baby had an incident last week.  On Thursday evening as we were walking to our hotel room she had a stroke/seizure/cardiac event.  It was so hard for me to pick up her limp shaking body and rush her to the emergency vet.  I had no idea what happened and couldn't get her help fast enough.  The worst feeling was being all alone as Josh was sitting in the Boston airport when this all took place.  Luckily, Miss Molly is on the mend, but my new bedroom furniture will have to be put on hold for a few months as we spent a few unexpected G's on her the past few days.

I'm also ramping up my volunteer work with my two (hope this wasn't a mistake) placements with Junior League this year, an advisor to the Phi Mu Chapter at American University (YAY-LOVE IT), and continuing to work with my sororities alumnae group in the area.  Mix all this with three upcoming weddings and I don't have a free weekend until December 11th.

Hoping to move back into our house sometime next week-the movers are tentatively set to bring everything back in starting the 9th.  Ya know, moving in the middle of the week, while working full time and a totally booked weekend looming-it's what all the cool kids do really.

I'm doing my best to keep my sanity as I figure out how to see all my friends and family, host a baby shower and have one of the worlds greatest morning tailgates this weekend-oh yes and cheering my Gators onto Victory!

How We Met

How perfect that Kelly is featuring how to you met your husband for today’s “Show Us Your Life,” and my anniversary is next week. I decided to join in the fun.

Josh and I met in the fall of 1999, my sophomore year at UF, on a road trip to the LSU football game. One of my sorority sisters invited me to ride with her family in their RV. It was so much fun! Josh had known her from high school and they were good friends and eventually ended up dating all through college. I always though of Josh as a friend, and volunteered on the same team as him for UF’s Dance Marathon.

After graduation, we lost track of each other (these were the days before Facebook). I went on to grad school and he moved to Chicago for his first job.

In the fall of 2006, I was in Gainesville for the Alabama game. 

Here's me getting ready - I spilled a glass of water on my dress.

After the game, Josh and I  ran into each other at The Swamp, my favorite hangout. I was super excited to see him again. As we talked I found out that we were both living in Tampa and he was finishing up his MBA at UF. Being the super Gator that I am, I told him I should get his number, so I could invite him to events I planned with the Tampa Gator Club. He said “No, I’m the guy, I should be getting your number.” Well, something just clicked. I had never thought of Josh as anything other than a friend, and I was even dating someone else at the time. We traded numbers, and I went off with my friends to continue our night of debauchery.

Two weeks later I was in Auburn with a bunch of my girlfriends for the UF Auburn game. My brother had even driven over from Mississippi to join in the tailgating fun.

We had a great time at the game, and even though we lost, my friends and I stayed until the very end. As we were walking back to the tailgate, I heard my name being called outside of the stadium. Low and behold, it was Josh and some of his friends. I invited them back to our tailgate, and later in the night we went back to the RV lot where he was staying. He made us some awesome wings, and loaned Julie and me some warm clothes because it had gotten a little to chilly for us.

The following weekend was our bi-week. I had traveled up to Baltimore for one of my best friend’s weddings. As I was picking up my baggage Sunday night at the Tampa airport, I got a phone call. It was Josh, he wanted to know what my plans were for the FL GA game. We made arrangements to try and meet up, so I could return his warm clothes to him.

It was a rainy Friday night in Jacksonville, but Josh made the journey out to San Marco where all my friends and I were hanging out.

He came back with us to Julie’s parent’s house to enjoy some chili that Julie’s mom had made for all of us. We called it a night and I figured we would tailgate at some point the next day.

Well, we weren’t able to meet up before the game, but I wanted to stop by afterwards. I didn’t know exactly where he was tailgating, and with the obstacle of climbing a fence facing us, my friends headed to the landing, and I continued on. Josh and I hung out all night, and by the time we realized it, the wee hours of the morning had approached. The chances of me catching a cab were slim, so we slept in the back of his Exterra. Now, nothing, I repeat nothing happened, but the windows were completely steamed up in the morning (from the car’s heater) when we woke up to a tapping on the window. I was sooo embarrassed. The drive back to Tampa, I had butterflies in my stomach.

The following weekend we met up to watch the Gators play Vandy at the Tampa Gator Club’s game viewing party. We ended up sticking around to watch the next game and the next game. It was kind of late when Josh asked me if I wanted to get ice cream. Now I am not one to turn down ice cream, so during half time of the Georgia Tech game, we slipped away from our table and headed to Cold Stone. Our first date, and a tradition we continue when we watch games with the DC Gator Club.

South Carolina we tailgated with friends, and the following weekend was his MBA graduation.

We fell in love, and continue to go to as many gator games as our schedule allows. Ours was a marriage brought together by University of Florida Football.  Go Gators!

LSU Game

We started off our fab weekend get away to the Big Easy with Lunch at Commanders Palace. It was one of the best dining experiences of my life-I highly recommend it!
Here's a picture of Josh and me after a wonderful lunch in front of the famous blue and white stripped awning.

We spent a fun afternoon with my double first step cousin (it's a southern thing), Mary Margaret! She is going to seminary in New Orleans and is such a wonderful person, I could never say enough sweet things about her!

Here we are on Bourbon street we had a fun time seeing all the Gator Fans in town and meeting up with a group of friends to see the sights!

We went out to dinner at Remoulads with Mike, Lacey, Riannon and Andy. The Oyster Bar was soo fun, and we had a great time, after that Josh and I headed to Baton Rogue!

Here we are tailgating with Jimbo and Brittney at the baseball stadium before the game.

We sat in the end zone for the game-it was loud and crazy!

Another Gator Victory!!

After three hours of sleep we headed to the Baton Rouge Airport, only to find that our flight was over-booked. We volunteered to fly out of New Orleans that afternoon, I was excited that I got to see Reema and Lacey! We were able to pick up our rental car keys, head back to New Orleans and had a great time, we had Breakfast at Cafe Du Monde and lunch at the Bourbon House. What an awesome trip!