DUMB AND DUMBER...

So I just realized that I had totally forgotten to share this story until I was uploading pictures on my computer Sunday night. I will preface this with there is a reason why you have to have a boating license and now I know why. Picture this...the Monday of Thanksgiving week I was home in Birmingham with my family. Over the summer my dad and Scotty purchased a pontoon boat and I have never gotten to see it or ride on it. The weather was going to be beautiful on Monday so dad had the boat put in the water and we planned a family day at the lake. We had picked up lunch on the way and so Teri and I were eating our Subway sandwiches while dad drove the boat. When we had finished out lunch and said why don't one of you drive so I can eat...my sister quickly jumped up and took the wheel. She looked at me and said "this never happens...he never lets anyone drive the boat." It was quite entertaining to watch my dad give her directions to where we were going because he would pick an obscure point of reference in the direction we were going and Teri could never figure out

what he was talking about. Needless to say there was much abuse taken at Teri's expense. Granted they were obscure references but I was always able to spot them. After a while I asked for a turn at the wheel. The pressure was now one....I felt like if dad referenced something I had to say "got it" in .8 seconds or I was going to be like Teri. I had great fun driving...especially getting to go much faster than Teri cranked it up. It came time to head back to the dock and that is where is got fun. Teri asked dad which pier he was going to park the boat at and his response was "I'm not the one driving the boat...KB, which pier are you going to park the boat at?" I knew he was only kidding but the competitive nature in me welled up and I said I can park this thing...no problem." Having been told by Teri that he normally doesn't let anyone drive the boat I seriously doubted he was going to let me prove my mad skills but as we approached the pier I was still in the drivers seat. AND THEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE....I just want to say for the record I did an excellent job and couldn't have gotten more parallel to the dock than I did on my first try. However, it would be crucial to have lessons in the gear shifting prior to trying to park a boat for the first time. As soon as I was parallel to the pier with Teri hanging off the back end and dad hanging over the front, I hear dad yell..."put it in neutral"...I don't know how to do that so of course as I figure it out we have drifted a little too far past the pier. So dad yells..."put it in reverse." Something you should know about a boat...when it's in reverse it is not going to be obvious at first and back up quickly so I thought I must not have gotten in gear so I pushed the throttle down some more and boy did we go in reverse....problem being we will going quickly in reverse with the back end of the
boat tied to the dock. PROBLEM!! All I hear is dad yelling...Teri yelling and the cracking of wood that indicated we were about to pull the dock off the boat was about to be ripped apart. When all was said in done we were all laughing hysterically...I amost pee'd my pants. It was hilarious and both the boat and pier were in one piece. Like the title suggest though it was the story of dumb and dumber and I will let you decide which is which after the next story...

So we have secured the boat and gotten the cover put on and dad wanted to take us over and show us the trailor they are getting ready to buy on the lake. The currenty owners do not live there year round so we nosied around the trailor looking in the windows and walked down to the pier. The couple had just recently added a new deck on to their pier and so we were admiring it. Dad noticed their was a ladder built on to the end of the pier so he pulled it up to inspect it. I must say is was a quality ladder minus the nest of fish eggs that were attached to one of the lower rungs. Dad told Teri and I to watch out as he let the ladder go to fall back in the water. We both appreciated the warning so we didn't get soaked by the splash. As we were walking away we here "oh sh&*" and we turned around to see that the ladder has come loose from the pier and has now sunk in the water. I am laughing right now just thinking about it. Funny thing was that dad was closing on the contract that day so I asked him if he was going to call and renogiate the price and tell the owners that there was no ladder on the pier. Well in the Thomas family where there is a will there is way. Dad scavenged through the people's shed and found a rope and hook and went fishing for the ladder. When he finally got it he told me sister to get down on teh pier and grap a hold of one side and hold on to it until he could get down and help her pull it up. Guess what was on the side he has pulled up for her to grab...the nasty sack of fish eggs. I might have to go to the bathroom just thinking about it...I can still hear her just carrying on..."I am not going to grab that nasty ladder...I am not going to touch those fish eggs"...with dad responding just as loud "grab the da*& ladder Teri." Are you wondering what I am doing at the time...trying not to pee on myself and holding everyone's phone and wallets in case this situation goes south in hurry and people end up in the water. My momma didn't raise no fool! We, or shall I say, they managed to get the ladder out of the water and our day of adventure was brought to an end.

I can honestly say I have laughed that much with my dad and sister in a long time. Lucky for us it was a Monday and no one else was out on the lake to see all this stupidity take place...it will just have to live on in our minds. We're all getting older and our minds are that great which is why I decided to blog about it.

"PLAY BALL"

....so it's one of my favorite scenes from Christmas vacation where the fireworks are going off and Aunt Bethany starts singing the star spangled banner and everyone joins in...then she yells..."PLAY BALL"...I love that senile old lady. Well aside from being my favorite Christmas movie it will also be the theme for this weekend.
At 3:00pm on Saturday my AUBURN Tigers are taking on the South Carolina Gamecocks in the SEC Championship Game. The currently #1 ranked Tigers will clinched a position to compete in the National Championship with a win this Saturday....WAR EAGLE BABY!!

Tis The Season...

The holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving and going all the way through New Years is my absolute favorite time of year. I love that people are generally in chipper moods (not all, but most). I love the decorations...especially driving around looking at white christmas lights on houses. I love the food...I could swim in my dad's cornbread dressing. And I LOVE THE MUSIC. I have been playing my Christmas music since long before Thanksgiving. I am usually opposed to such things because I don't like to bypass Thanksgiving..BUT...I have realized that one of the things that I am so thankful for is this season and the birth of Christ so why just limit it to the 31 days of December. If you don't agree that's fine, we can still be friends but it's my blog and I can write what I want.

Here are just some my favorite Christmas songs thus far this season....in no particular order. If you're looking for something to listen to this are just my suggestions.
* O Holy Night sung by Martina McBride (you can't find a better version)
*Joy to the World and All I want for Christmas is You sung by Mariah Carey
*I'll Be Home for Christmas sung by Anne Murray
*Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas sung by "ole blue eyes"...Frank Sinatra
*Born to Die and Glory in the Highest sung by Shane & Shane
*Breath of Heaven and Grown Up Christmas List sung by Amy Grant
*Don't Save it All For Christmas sung by Avalon
*Christmas in Dixie sung by Alabama

That's a good start....hope you enjoy.

And if you're looking for a good Christmas movie here are my top picks for the holiday season. You will find these movies playing non-stop in my DVD player from now until January.
*ELF
*Christmas Vacation
*The Holiday
I know these aren't the classics like White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life but I enjoy a good laugh and these three never disappoint.

In other holiday news....I have set a fist ever record for completing my Christmas shopping. I was done with my shopping before Thanksgiving Day with the exception of one gift that has since been ordered. I usually don't get my shopping done until, oh, the Christmas Eve. I think this year is was possible because I always feel pressured to get the "perfect" gift (which doesn't exist) and make sure that I don't jip someone out of a good gift if they get me something really good. The pressure was off this year. Financial hardship has fallen on the Thomas family because of unemployment or retirement and I am pretty much the only one giving gifts this year. I am excited to be able to give to my family with no expectation of a gift in return and it completely took the pressure off finding the perfect gift. Who would have thought?

My house has also been overcome with the smell of all things pumpkin baking in the oven...fresh ground coffee with peppermint mocha creamer...and the aroma of homemade gumbo and chicken and dumplings. I just love being home and being domestic this time of year. I just love sitting in my living room with nothing but the lights of my christmas tree filling the room. So, are you catching what I am throwing out here? I LOVE THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

I wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday...tis the season in deed, shall we not forget the reason why we celebrate.

It's the small things in life....

This time of year I usually make a list of the top 50 things that I am thankful for. I've obviously been slacking on my blogging and every day when I check facebook or twitter I see people's daily thanksgivings for the month of thankfulness. I decided today was the day that my list was created. Crazy thing about this list is that after a life changing trip to Africa I have found great pleasure in the small things this year and so that is what my list is about this go around....it truly is the small things that happen on a daily basis, things that aren't elaborate, usually don't cost any money...but make my day brighter. This are in no particular order so enjoy:

1. Being at the hospital for Noah Lee Chandlers grand entrance into the world.


2. Falling in love with a dog more every day because she is so stinkin cute when she sleeps.
3. Coming home and having Matti greet me at the door like she hasn't seen me in ages.
4. Free haircuts from a dear friend.
5. Using a towel fresh out of the dryer.
6. Seasonal flavored coffee creamers...thank you pumpkin spice and peppermint mocha.
7. Being the first one to use the bathroom at work in the mornings...I love finding the toilet with the lid still up and blue in the bowl (weird I know).
8. Making Noah Lee Chandler cackle...it's precious!
9. Having a biscuit with homemade pumpkin butter made by Amy.
10. Finding a great new station on Pandora radio that makes the work day better.
11. Walking around the corner in the morning and seeing my Christmas tree lit.
12. Walking out in the backyard and seeing new blooms on my plants.
13. Getting home from a grocery store trip and realizing I have so many options to choose from.
14. SAM's hotdogs....they are amazing.
15. Watching Auburn football on Saturdays.
16. Catching up with old friends over the phone or on facebook.
17. Cleaning out my closet and taking bags of stuff to goodwill.
18. Finding a "too good to be true" deal on something you didn't even know you needed.
19. A good heart to heart with a student.
20. Taking Matti on a walk around campus on a beautiful Fall day.
21. The first morning of Daylight's saving time change.
22. Finding a book that I just can't put down.
23. The first time I was able to run a mile this year without stopping.
24. Blowing my diet and realizing that today is a new day!
25. Getting to camp with my dad for three days in Tennessee.
26. Having my mom and sister come for Mom's weekend.
27. Resetting my gas gauge after filling up at the gas station.
28. Getting new plug in air freshners for my house.
29. Getting to go home for the holidays.
30. Finding the perfect ringtone for someone so that when they call you literally laugh out loud.
31. Buying new undies.
32. Eating a Reese cup egg or two.
33. Getting to sleep in.
34. Getting bear hugs from Cliff Magee almost on a daily basis.
35. Rearranging my office or living room.
36. Stumbling on a great movie on TV on Saturday afternoon when you should really be cleaning the house but instead you settle into the couch.
37. Getting a note from a mentor that starts with "I'm so proud of you..." (thanks Tommy McGregor)
38. Getting a thank you note from a student's parent (it's a rare thing)
39. Getting a new bottle of shampoo and conditioner.
40. The way my teeth feel after leaving the dentist office.
41. Laughing until you cry for no reason at all.
42. Finding money in the washer or dryer.
43. Finding boyfriend tees on sale at Target and buying one in every color (that's for you Jill)
44. Mastering another Louisiana dish (I've got Sara's gumbo down now)
45. Pecan cobbler from Portabella's
46. Buying an ice cream cake and sitting around with a group of girls digging in without an occassion except we wanted ice cream cake.
47. Hearing the LC marching band play "Living on a Prayer"
48. Getting to hold a sting ray.


49. Buying chickens for two wonderful families in Uganda...you would have thought we gave them a million dollars.


50. Having great friends and family who read my blog because they care what goes on in my life...love you all dearly.

Back from a week in Paradise

Well I am sitting at my desk on Monday morning eating an apple, drinking water and trying to figure out why my desk is swaying. Diet and workout begin today and vacation is officially over. We had a blast on our cruise though. I enjoyed getting to hang out with friends outside the office and I always love vacationing with my pops. I got to do some amazing snokeling in Jamaica with Eric and Lauren....then I got to swim with the sting rays in Grand Cayman. I won't lie that was a little unnerving to me at first but once I got used to them I love it. They are like big babies...they love being held and petted and fed. Our tour guide was fabulous and made our trip unforgetable. He was explaining to us the differences between male and female sting ray. The females are really large and the males are really small. As he was showing us a male and female side by side he said "now this is the joke portion of my tour....if I died and came back as anything I would want to be a male sting ray for two reasons. The ratio is 1 to 8, male to female so the odds are in my favor. The second reason is this (as he pulls up to things from the back of the sting ray)...I call this one Oscar and this one Myer" (and then he proceeds to laugh). Who knew male sting rays were so well endowed.
Our last day in Cozumel was a bust. We went to an all inclusive result to spend the day on the beach only the waves were too rough for us to snorkel or get in the water...the "mexican buffet" was terrible and because of the weather I couldn't parasail, which I had my heart set on doing.

Regardless of our last day in Cozumel and a cold, rocky day on the boat the last day headed home....we had an amazing time. Pictures to come but for now here is a picture of me and the sting ray I got to hold and kiss on.

Cruises, Costumes and soon to be Cursing...

So this is going to be a catch all blog since I have been horrible about updating my blog. My apologies....the semester is just flying by and dragging me keeping and screaming with it.

CRUISES....well we booked a 7 day Carribean cruise over a year ago and it's finally here. We leave out of Mobile on Saturday for 7 glories days on the high sea. We will be stopping in Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Cozumel. I am excited (and a little anxious) about vacationing with friends and co-workers but we are all desperately in need of a break. I shall tell of our adventures (at least those web approved) when we return.

COSTUMES...we recently had our annual homecoming hoedown and I went all out this year. Your's truly dressed as a cowgirl wtih cow printed chaps and all. The same costume will make an appearance at the Halloween party on our cruise. Since it's debut at hoedown I have added a cowgirl hat, a holster and pistol and a whip. More pictures to come.


And last but not least...CURSING...why is that you say? Because I have slacked on my workouts since I got back from Uganda. I came back with pnuemonia and after battling that for several weeks and the semester kicking off I find myself months removed from working out and I am feeling it. As soon as we get back from the cruise my grueling workouts will commence and I assure you there will be cursing (at least under my breath).

Happy Hump Day my friends!

Adventures...oh we had adventures

It has been an insanely busy few weeks with Mom's Weekend and then the Adventure Trip and then homecoming week and now I am getting ready to head out on a 7 day cruise. No rest for the weary and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I am way over due for a blog update so I thought I would share some pictures from our adventure trip. We camped out at Raccoon Mountain in Chattanooga, TN and went white water rafting on the Occoee River. We had a blast and didn't freeze too much. And sadly enough we ate better while camping then I usually eat when I am home. My dad and Scotty pulled their RV up to camp with us and did all the cooking. YUMMY!

Great trip...great students...fun memories...we shall do it again next year!