Dear Coach Mark Richt.....

Dear Mark Richt (and the rest of the Georgia football team):

You're welcome.

I am positively 100% sure that the victory this evening over the much-hated Florida Gators is attributable mostly to my own tried-and-true superstitions.

These are the shoes I wore to the grocery store this morning.

With these socks. I'm sure there's such a thing as "overkill". Stay tuned.

These are the shoes I wore before my feet got cold. Literally, cold feet.

My pajama pants. I was tempted to wear them to the grocery store, but I do have SOME standards. Okay, one. Standard.

I know we were supposed to wear red today, and if I had been in the stadium, I would have. I figured since I was at home, the black one would suffice, as long as it had the "G" on it. Laundry is not my favorite thing to do.

My bracelet. Not a very good example of proper depth-of-field.

Earrings

CAUTION: THE FOLLOWING PICTURE IS RATED PG AT BEST. DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU.
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This may be the least comfortable bra in my dresser. But I was afraid to take it off until the game was over!

As the Bud Light commercial says about sports superstitions, "It's only weird if it doesn't work."

How 'bout them Dawgs.

Love,

Bragger

Excuse My Tardiness.....

Forgive me for being tardy with my blog post tonight. Or if you're one of those who read it the next day, you probably didn't even NOTICE I was late.

I had good intentions of posting during halftime of the UGA game, but I flipped over to another game, and I forgot. And I was sort of crocheting between plays, and I didn't think I could triple-task. Yay for UGA - they beat Tennessee 20-12. What a relief.

I sort of dozed off during the Georgia Tech game earlier today. [All tuckered out from a 20-mile bike ride? That doesn't bode well for the 60-mile ride tomorrow IN THE FREAKIN' WIND.] When I woke up there was an ambulance on the field. The game was delayed about ten minutes while they tended to a Maryland player. They said it was a leg injury, which sounded better than a neck injury, but they said it was so gruesome that they would NOT replay it. What? They broke Joe Theismann's leg over and over and over and over and over again on television. And for some reason I've never seen it.

I've done better in my College Pickem games this week. I have 41 points out of a possible 55, with three games still to be decided. The person who is currently in first place is a 12-year-old. In this contest, there are ten college football games every week. You have to pick the winner of each game and then assign "confidence points" to each game, with 10 points assigned to the game you feel the most certain you have picked right. One of the games still to be determined tonight is my 9-pointer, and they are currently losing. But I am an eternal optimist, and I fully expect them to come back with over ten minutes left in the game.

Up way past my bedtime, and a bike ride tomorrow. I'd better turn in. Gus has been trying to get me to go to bed for the past two hours.

If there's anything I hate, it's being bossed around by a dog.

I Got an "F" in Feminism 101.......

Before I get blasted for this post, let me be clear: I DO believe in equal rights for women, equal pay for equal work, all that jazz. Obviously I believe women ought to be able to serve in the military (duh), and if they are capable and willing to fight on the front lines, more power to them. I cheered for Sally Ride (although I was extremely jealous). I said I was going to wear a tuxedo to my senior prom (I didn't).

All that being said, I fail miserably at being a true feminist.

First of all, what's the deal with the toilet seat debate?

He needs it up; he has to put it up. (And I'm glad he does.)

I need it down; I put it down. I don't see why one person should ALWAYS be responsible for leaving it in a convenient state for the other person.

I understand the argument from women who have fallen into the toilet in the dark of night because they didn't realize the seat was still up.

Really, shouldn't ONCE be enough for that to happen? Hubby and I don't typically share a toilet at home (I just heard a resounding "AHA! No wonder she doesn't understand!" from the masses), but when we are out of town we do. When we were in Jamaica last week (can it really be that long ago already?), it was pitch black in our room. When I had to go to the bathroom in the night or early morning, I knew to FEEL for the seat to make sure it wasn't still up. I am proud to say I didn't fall into the toilet a single time.

Personally, I'd rather save my energy for arguing about things that really matter. Like whether or not to tear out a wall, move our bedroom, and do major renovation on our house just to accommodate a USED bedroom suit that Hubby decided he had to have.

The college football bowl season has earned me another failing grade in feminism.

I don't like women announcers for football games.

It's not that I don't believe women are intelligent enough to understand the game of football. It's like I challenged a man on a bike ride one time when he remarked that I "know a lot about football .... for a woman." I asked him what body part it takes to understand football, a brain? or a penis? I think it embarrassed Katydid, but at least the man got up and left us to watch the football game in peace.

I don't mind the women sideline reporters too much, even though they ask some of the dumbest questions I've ever heard.

Holly: Coach, what does your team need to do in the second half to win this game?

If I were the coach, I would respond: Oh, I don't know, Holly. Maybe score more points? Keep them from scoring points? Just where DID you go to college? (I was going to insert a few choice sarcastic schools here, but I don't want to risk offending any of my loyal readers.)

Of all the sideline reporters, Erin Andrews is my absolute favorite. She was my favorite long before she became a household name because some psycho stalker secretly videotaped her naked in her hotel room. Still, I don't think I could stand to hear her call an entire football game.

I don't think it's even a matter of gender. I just hate their voices. They are often whiny, and they become piercing when they get a little excited. They can't help it; their voices just go up a few octaves.

Please don't leave me hate comments. I realize I am an embarrassment to my gender.

Busy Day......

We were up at 6:30 this morning to get started on the work that had to be done on the upstairs before other work can be done.

The bedroom suit that Hubby bought is so big that we had to move the air conditioner vents so they wouldn't be covered up. To do that we had to clean out the center of the room.

I found a taker for the L-shaped computer desk, and I told the woman she could pick it up on Monday. If I had known we would have it emptied out by 10:00 this morning, I would have told them to come today.

Once the duct work is finished, Hubby and his friend are going to paint. Then the new carpet will be put in, and only after all that is accomplished can we actually have the bedroom suit delivered. I'm relieved that Hubby has decided to hire a professional moving company to bring it; if I have to lift my end of one more heavy piece of furniture, I'm going to protest. Loudly.

Today wasn't ALL work, though. I was allowed to take time out to watch the football game (just try to stop me), read a little bit, play the Nintendo, and work on my quilt. I have started again on my cathedral window quilt, and I'd like to finish it this winter. That's quite a lofty goal, and whether or not I reach it may depend upon how much I also crochet. I find crocheting much more relaxing.

My reward for all this work is that sometime this weekend I fully intend to spend some time in the pool. It won't be long before that first leaf falls, and that's generally when Hubby covers it up. I wish every weekend could be a long weekend.

NFL Draft......

I don't follow the NFL draft much, possibly because I don't understand it at all. I don't understand picks and rounds and trades and all that stuff at all.

Because I'm watching a Florida television station, however, news just came across the crawler that Sir/Lord/His Highness/The Almighty Tim Elbow has been drafted by the Denver Broncos.

I find that particularly ironic, since Georgia's big-dog (pun intended) running back from a couple of years ago, Knowshon Moreno, has kept up his awesomeness since joining the Broncos.

I'm going to have a heck of a time deciding whether or not to continue liking the Broncos. Depends on how much playing time Elbow gets, I suppose.

I wish life weren't so full of these tough decisions.

Baseball Overdose.....

There is really no such thing as baseball overdose, but it's past my bedtime and that's the best I could come up with.

We went to a minor league baseball game tonight, a first for me. I had heard several people say there isn't a bad seat in the house in this new stadium, and I have to agree with them. It was a small, intimate, fun environment.

Thank goodness for the torrential rains we had this afternoon, or I would never have been able to sit outside in the pollen clouds. But everything was fresh and cleansed by the rain, and it was very pleasant.

We didn't get to stay for the whole game -- do we EVER when Hubby is along?

So now I'm home, watching the animated version of the game we just left to see the conclusion (the home team won 8-6).

I'm also watching the end of the real Braves' game on television, where there is one out in the ninth and the end may not be so good for the home team unless something positive happens in a hurry. Our phenom batter just went down on three pitches, so I am a little less confident.

Tomorrow night I'm going to a high school baseball game between the two schools in our county. Lawanda the Warrior Princess's son plays catcher for one of the teams.

Then I'm going to come home and watch highlights of the Masters. Saturday I will ride the tandem with Katydid, watch more Masters coverage, watch highlights of the G-Day football game, and catch the gymnastics regionals online.

I need to go buy some Cracker Jacks.

But We'll Still Be Okay.....

I can't say I expected both our quarterback AND our star running back to enter the NFL draft today, but I can't say I'm exactly surprised either. And I'm not as upset about it as I thought I would be. We'll be fine without them. Most of our fans are disappointed that we didn't win a National Championship this year. I keep hearing talk about our "disappointing" season. Hellooooooooooo?????? 9-3 isn't a terrible record. Undefeated is almost unheard of, and what good did it do Utah anyway? Okay, so the loss to Tech was embarrassing and demoralizing, but I think the wind had just gone out of our sails after Florida, so it was almost inevitable.

I wish both Stafford and Moreno the best. Stafford will probably go to the 0-16 Lions next year. They can take a chance on a rookie quarterback, because the only way to go for them is up. The Falcons didn't do so badly with a rookie quarterback this season, although I'm pretty sure there are some fans who are disappointed because they only made it to the first round of the playoffs. Helloooooooooooooooooo????? This is the same team that only won four freakin' games last year (I think). Making the playoffs at all with a rookie coach, a rookie quarterback, and the shadows of a criminal former quarterback and spineless former coach hanging over them was quite an achievement.

For those of you who aren't football fans, I apologize. Starting this weekend, it will be all about gymnastics. I'm just warning ya.

Gotta Love a Two-Day Week....

My favorite kind of work week: a Monday and a Friday. Well, not really, but it seemed like it. We even got to wear jeans today, since it was the last day before the long Thanksgiving weekend. We didn't actually get permission to wear jeans, but we did and we're still employed, so there.

I am definitely NOT a day-after-Thanksgiving shopper. I just saw a commercial on television that I could have saved $50 on the GPS I got for Sweet Girl's Christmas present (don't worry, even though she has the link, she wouldn't be caught dead reading her mom's blog) if only I were willing to show up at 5:00 AM Friday morning. That ain't happening. Oh I don't mind getting up that early. I frequently get up earlier than I have to on days when I don't have to go to school. Last Friday, when I played hooky? I was up at 5:45.

And Friday I will be in a state of high excitement, looking forward to the wealth of college football games from which to choose over the weekend. But I am not going to battle the traffic, the crowds, and the crazies just to save $50. Or $100. I apologize if I just called you a crazy. I'm just sayin'.

I don't have any more refills on my blood pressure medicine, so it's time for my twice-yearly visit to my friendly GP, whom I like a lot even if she DOES appear to be about 12 years old. And she keeps going on maternity leave, which means I have to see the doctor in that practice whom hubby is fond of but I CAN'T STAND. I called the office today for an appointment, expecting to make an appointment for early in December. The friendly receptionist asked if I could come in on November 28th at 11:40. Glancing at my calendar, I realized I wouldn't be in school that day, so that would be perfect.

Only after I hung up did I realize what I had done. Scheduled a doctor's appointment for the day after Thanksgiving. The day when I try very hard not to leave the house. I usually put up the Christmas tree and decorate it while I overdose on college football. Hubby either works or plays golf (or both, he's extremely talented that way), so the day is mine. I don't have to put on a bra or make-up or anything other than sweats.

Usually.

A doctor's appointment the day after Thanksgiving. What was I thinking? Hop right up here on this scale, lady.

Past My Bedtime and Rooting for the Underdog.....

Hubby is out of town on a golf trip, and I'm enjoying some quality "me" time. Usually I'm in bed by 8:00, lights out by 8:30 (9:00 if I'm really into a good book). Tonight I watched "Dancing with the Stars" from Monday night that I had recorded. I'd never seen the show, and we only recently got a DVR. Love the dancing, but not sure what all the hype is about.

At 9:00, when it was already past my bedtime, I STARTED cooking for our pot luck lunch at school tomorrow. I made some cheese muffins (thanks to Pioneeer Woman) and then I got ambitious and made some baby quiches. I glanced over the recipe quickly, since I'd made it a hundred times about a hundred years ago. I only saw "bake 30 minutes" and thought to myself, "Heck, 30 more minutes isn't much." I didn't take into consideration the prep time, nor did I notice that you have to preheat the oven all the way to 425 degrees AND there's a 15-minute cook time BEFORE the 30 minutes. Oh well....45 more minutes isn't much either. Not when Oregon State is making #1 USC look like a bunch of punks (14-0 so far in the 2nd quarter). I'm loving it. (My apologies to The Pioneer Woman, a USC alum.)

It's not JUST that USC is ranked #1 and always are and my beloved Bulldogs are currently ranked #3 and have a huge showdown in our own backyard this Saturday. It must have something to do with that awful USC music.......

This may be the ONLY post I ever write with a label of "cooking."

Note to Self...

...yeah you, the one with the raccoon-looking sunburn and lips that will more than likely break out in a million fever blisters tomorrow or Monday and a voice way too hoarse for a non-conference game, not to mention an empty pocketbook...

Football in the South in August is brutal. I understand it had been 9 years since you went to a game Between the Hedges. And Uga VII was making his first appearance today, and the last time you were at Sanford Stadium was when Uga VI made HIS debut. I get that. And I understand that watching it on television cannot compare to being there, because it just means more when you share the 90 degree heat with 92,756 of your closest friends. Even though you could have sat in the air conditioning (or better yet, the pool) and listened to Larry Munson call the game, I get that you needed to return to your college days and attend the season opener in person. I even acknowledge that part of the thrill was buying the tickets on eBay, satisfying in itself because you REFUSED to be outbid. I comprehend that you wanted to make it a girls' day at the stadium because hubby had to work and he NEVER stays past halftime anyway. I grasp the concept of leaving home at 8:00 AM for a 12:30 kickoff when the stadium is just over 30 minutes away from home.

I get all that. But I'm writing this reminder for next week, when you will have forgotten just how miserable it was sitting (standing) in the glaring sun for three and a half hours. Constantly wiping sweat with the towels they gave out at the gate, the best thing they have EVER handed out at a football game. Drinking three 20-ounce bottles of water and wishing you had more and never even feeling the slightest need to pee. Worrying that your shorts will fall down because they have become so heavy from perspiration. Dealing with the drunks and almost wishing you could BE one of the drunks. Smelling people you don't even know. Spending more on one tailgating experience than you will spend on groceries for all next week.

Excuse me, are you listening, Self? You keep cutting your eyes to the Alabama-Clemson game, and I want to make sure you are paying attention.

• The game next week is televised.
• It comes on at 3:30.
• You have a pool.
• And it's Central Michigan.

Usually #1 is a GOOD thing...

...but I really wish the USA Today/Coaches' Poll HADN'T picked my beloved Georgia Bulldog football team to start out the season at #1. I mean really.......how many teams have ever maintained that ranking throughout the whole season? Okay, I don't know myself, but I'm guessing it's rare. There's only one way to go from #1....... I'd rather start out the season at, say, #10 and work our way up. I've already had bad dreams......I dreamed that South Carolina beat us AGAIN. And my husband dreamed that some podunk team (think Appalachian State vs. Michigan) beat us in the first game, and even in his dream he was saying, "Man, they shouldn't have ranked us #1 to start the season."

We may be just a little bit over the top, having nightmares about football. And I'm more over the top than my husband is. If we are down 35-0 with three minutes left in the game, I HAVE HOPE! Hubby, on the other hand, thinks that all is lost as soon as the other team scores, even (or especially) if it's in the first two minutes.

On a positive note, it appears that Larry Munson WILL return to announce home games this season, as he is in the final stages of rehabilitation following surgery to correct a subdural hematoma this past spring. Yay! It's just not Georgia football without that gravelly voice.

I'm ready for the season to begin........................Go Dawgs!!!!!!!!!!

Photo Courtesy: Radi Nabulsi
UGA Football