Whirlwind Weekend...

So, this weekend was a whirlwind...and it actually began Thursday. My mom was in town with me because I had a minor surgery and well the rest of that day was a blur - probably because the night before was such horrible storms, I think that I might have slept for a total of 2 hours!! Then Friday, my sister Barbara, her daughter Abby, my mom, and Ethylea (a great family friend) were scheduled to meet at 6 pm for dinner for at the Cheesecake Factory. Now although I was sad to see Virginia lose to California, it meant that Matt could come visit me this weekend - and most importantly meet members of my family he has never met.

So I "surprised" Barbara and Abby with having Matt meet us at dinner! Matt brought Abby her very own UVA basketball t-shirt! Now all the kiddos have one - Logan, Carter, and Abby rockin' some sweet UVA gear! Dinner was delicious and Matt and I got to have some quality time with Abby while we took her for a walk while waiting on desert to arrive. It was a fun night. The next morning was breakfast at the hotel that my mom, Barbara, and Abby and then while they went swimming we went and worked on our registry at Bed, Bath, and Beyond - (Sidenote: This is what I mean by "worked on"....I changed my mind again, and thought we should add some color to our selections...and Matt well, he enjoyed if for oh, about the first 10 minutes...but we were out within an hour!! Woo-hoo!)....then it was back home to rest and so Matt could enjoy some Alabama BBQ for lunch. Yesterday afternoon Matt held down the fort with Molly while I joined my mom, Barbara, and Abby for Disney Playhouse Live at the BJCC (the reason Barbara and Abby were in town). It was actually a pretty good show - considering I'm a lot older than the targeted audience. I think the best was watching Abby's reactions....She was mesmorized by the show...I'm pretty sure she didn't blink once!!!!! And she would clap and dance. Did I mention that both she and my sister were dressed like Minnie Mouse? Abby wore her halloween costume from last year - Minnie Mouse...and Barbara had a more sophisticated Minnie Mouse outfit. I even attempted my best Minnie Mouse appearance wearing Abby's ears and she well, didn't so much love them yesterday!

After that it was back to the house to hang out with Matt - meaning more basketball and Jason's Deli for dinner. Today Matt is headed back to Charlottesville, and I'm attempting to finish homework and pack up the rest of my apartment!! I think both of us are ready to be within minutes of each other rather than hours!

So, as my mom, sister, niece, and Matt are on the road - Here's hoping everyone had a great weekend and a safe trip home!

I Love March Madness!

I absolutely LOVE March Madness. Every year I do the bracket thing - and for the past two years I've won the group I'm in. This year I've got 14 out of the Sweet 16 and a PERFECT bracket for the East Region. I'm not in the lead - thanks to Arizona - seriously, who saw that coming? But I'm okay with that and I'll tell you why....Because this year I can say it's great to be a BAYLOR BEAR!!!! I am so proud of the Bears and Lady Bears! Last night I had the honor of watching both teams in AMAZING games! The Bears took on Auburn last night at Auburn. It was a phenomenal game with a final nail-biting score of 74-72. Today is a great day to be a BAYLOR BEAR in the state of Alabama. Then, the Lady Bears took on South Dakota State last night - and a shot by guard Kelli Griffin with 0.5 seconds left in the game gave the Lady Bears the win.

Now I'm not sure my bracket will make it much further - I have Mizzou beating Memphis, but that's ok with me because I'm more interested this year in the Women's bracket and the NIT bracket...So good luck BEARS!!!

Sidenote: Enough about Baylor, and on to an update about those amazing HOOS I'm always talking about. Unfortunately the HOOS season ended with a loss to Cali on Monday night. It was a great effort, but unfortunately, just not quite enough. I'm excited to say that next season though they will have one more fan in the crowd - ME! So here's to next season - GO HOOS! And congrats on a great season!

2009 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Update

As I'm back in Birmingham after a week of wedding planning, it's time to update about those amazing Hoos! The Cavaliers played Marist Saturday night in Los Angeles. It was a close game. Marist had the lead at the half due to a 12-2 run right before halftime, but those Cavaliers came out from the locker rooms ready for second half domination of Marist! They started the second half with a 14-4 run, and kept up the power and intensity until the final buzzer! Way to go Hoos! So, on they move to Round 2 in the NCAA 2009 tournament.

Round 2 brings the Cavaliers another challenging opponent, Cal. The game is scheduled for tonight - 8:30 CT. So, here's hoping that those Cavs know that they have got some fans rooting for them! LET'S GO HOOS!!!

- Other NCAA Women's Basketball news...the Lady Bears (my alumni institution) have also advanced to the second round. The beat UTSA in overtime last night. I close game - too close for my liking! Here's hoping that those girls continue to make me a proud Baylor Bear and that "The Mulkey" is back in action at the next game and feeling better!

The Search for a Leprechaun....

Yesterday was St. Paddy's Day (properly referred to as St. Patrick's Day) and I was on the hunt to find a leprechaun.  I knew my best bet would be at Baytown Warf last night. I mean green beer, celtic singers, strolling bagpipers...isn't that just screaming "There's a leprechaun hiding somewhere!!!"  

My parents and I doned our green outfits (although truth be told we wore them ALL day - dancing leprechauns and orange hair bouncing from mine and my mom's hair while purchasing necessities for the wedding and their new house was definitely a site to see!) and headed to the warf to partake in the festivities.

Although we had a good time - listening to the music, drinking green beer (i had a small sip of my mom's small glass to see if it really tasted different...it didn't - which I like to say thank goodness...because there is absolutely no reason to change Bud Light...and my dad wasn't overly thrilled about a tasty green beverage), and walking around.  The only potential activities of a Leprechaun was our hour and a half wait at dinner for water!!! Seriously, the food never came in an hour and a half and this was the order: 1) chips and queso (not me...i know...shocker...my dad's)....veggie quesidilla (my mom's) and a hamburger (me)....So although there were signs of a leprechaun playing games he was never seen....and as such the hunt will continue next year!

Here's hoping everyone had a Happy St. Paddy's day and wore some green, but for those of you that didn't didn't wear green...well I kind of hope someone pinched you! Ha! Ha! (Course I didn't pinch anyone who wasn't wearing green - can't afford a lawsuit! Ha! Ha!)

Speaking of Green....my friend A (Andy) made an EXCELLENT point in a comment to a below post about the HOOS going to the big dance.  It seems that in all my excitement for the girls, Matt, and the school - I forgot about my loyalties to the GREEN and GOLD!!! So, I would just like to give a shout-out to those Baylor Bears! The men upsetting both Kansas and Texas to take on Mizzou (and give them a run for their money) in the Big 12 Championship game...and of course the women's team, Big 12 Champions!  SIC'EM BEARS!!!!!!!!!!

Selection Monday

So tonight was the night - Selection Monday.  Now some of you might not know what this means, so I'll explain.  It is when the teams who are selected to play in the NCAA Women's tournament are picked.  Ok, well that's not technically true.  They were picked before hand by some important people and they were released tonight - the names of the team, their seed, who they will be playing and where they will be playing.  For those of you who follow basketball - the bracket is announced on Selection Monday (then again, if you follow, I'm guessing you knew that! Ha!)  

Well, it's official, the HOOS are in!!! Although there wasn't really any doubt that they were in because after all, they are 22/24 in the national rankings, the real question was what seed would they be (turns out a 5th seed), where would they be bracketed and who against.  

Those awesome HOOS are headed to Los Angeles this weekend.  Of course when Matt texted me La, I definitely thought Louisiana.  Ha! I'm guessing Los Angeles is why better than traveling to Louisiana.  According to Matt he'll be working on his tan - and apparently that was code for a lot of filming as we are sure those HOOS will be advancing!  Which leads me to let you know who and when they play.  

The HOOS will face No. 12 seed Marist in Los Angeles in the first round on Saturday, March 21, at approximately 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time. The game will be televised on ESPN2.  So hopefully some of you will get a chance to watch - I'm hoping I will!

So, with that...CONGRATS HOOS! You deserved it - now go out there and kick some Marist butt on Saturday!

Home Sweet Townhouse!

As I type Matt is driving to the realtors office to drop off our signed lease and other stuff because - we have decided to rent 314 Glade Lane in Charlottesville for the next year.  Matt and I have been searching for a place in Charlottesville for what feels like forever!  This property was definitely a team effort. I found the listing and Matt did the visiting/realtor talking.  He took pictures when he went and we were both hooked with the results - and that it was a lot of what we talked about wanting and in our price range (something that was rare up until this listing).  The lease will begin  May 1st! Woo-hoo! More pictures coming soon, but this morning Matt just wanted to make sure I posted our good news on here! P.S. We love visitors and will have a guest room...hint hint! 

Results of ACC Tournament

Well, the ACC Tournament is over and the team has had the ability to rest for a few days, of course that ends tomorrow as they prepare for the NCAA tournament. Anyways, the (20) HOOS put on a great show in Greensboro, N.C. last week at the annual ACC Tournament. Thursday night they took on the Virginia Tech Hokies and kicked some butt!!! Then they were up against (10) Duke Friday night. Unfortunately, Duke got a jump on the HOOS early and even though a comeback was staged, it just wasn't enough. The HOOS returned to Charlottesville safe and sound. Although those HOOS aren't ACC champs, they are definitely still champs to me. So just so you know, I'm proud of you HOOS and I can't wait for more in the NCAA tournament! WA-HOO-WAH!

The Famous Law Prom

Barrister's Ball was this past Saturday or as most people affectionately call it "LAW PROM." Now I've gone to law prom for the past two years, so it should come as no surprise that I went this year too. This year we passed on dinner and opted for hors d'oeuvres at Anna's house. Anna and Scully (Anna's fiance) cooked some AMAZING stuff for us. By "us" I mean...Me, Robby, James, and Jennifer Oliver (who I call Oliver because there are so many Jennifers!) So first things first drive over to her house. I was Oliver's designated drive and Robby was the designated drive for James, Scully, and Anna. We got to Anna's house around 6:45 and snacked until 7:30. The food was phenomenal! Then it was off to law prom. The prom was held at B & A Warehouse. It's basically a time for law students to enjoy free food and free liquid courage (and by free I mean for a $55 ticket). However, I didn't eat or drink. I sat at the blackjack table for almost the whole night and won a little over $8,000. Now of course that was fake money, but for every $500 you got an extra raffle ticket. I ended up winning a $45 bottle of red wine (which I gave to Anna to thank her for the pre-law prom), a gift certificate to somewhere (catering place or something - not sure) and a $125 spa gift certificate for a Silk Peel (I don't know what it is, so don't ask!) Anyways, after that it was off to Nana Funk's...well, at least it was me dropping Oliver off there with the others and I went home. Molly needed out, I was exhausted, and thought I'd be sound asleep in a few. Instead it was a sleepless night and an early morning. I realize now, I'm getting old because even though I consumed no liquid courage, the next day I was worn-out! Guess that means Barrister's Ball was again a GREAT SUCCESS!!!

EXTRA EXTRA - READ ALL ABOUT IT!

So, you've already heard about Rascal Day - how Molly loved it and how we got to hang with one of Molly's most favorite friends in B'ham Charlotte...Well apparently Jenna and I (the proud pet moms) aren't the only ones that found our two "kiddos" adorable! None other than THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS agreed with us!

Check out the site (just click on the words The Birmingham News in the sentence above) to see the best looking pups in action on Rascal Day - apparently a consensus confirmed by the news itself!!!

Rascal Day

Today was Rascal Day at Cumberland School of Law. The celebration honors a mongrel pup named Rascal. According to tradition, Rascal faithfully attended classes at the law school’s former campus location in Lebanon, Tennessee, beginning in 1933, until he was presented with the rare degree of Doctor of Canine Jurisprudence in 1937. Legend holds that his diploma was awarded in recognition of the hundreds of classes and mock trials at which his attendance had been difficult to ignore. When he passed away in 1940, Rascal was buried beneath the window of the classroom where he had spent so much time. When Cumberland moved to Birmingham in 1961, Rascal’s tombstone and a few spadefuls of dirt from his grave were brought to the Samford campus and reinterred on the west side of Robinson Hall. Each year, a procession of two- and four-legged creatures passes by Rascal’s grave to commemorate one of Cumberland’s most memorable graduates. After the procession, Professor Walthall gives a eulogy for Rascal and then the party truly begins with a jazz band reception and lunch served to students and those in attendance by Cumberland professors.

Molly dresses up every year for Rascal Day in a new leash and collar -this year she wore a ladybug set that we both really love. After getting a bath last night, Molly started off her day with some frisbee at the law school and then worked hard in the law library with Alice and Grace. Before the festivities began Molly and I took our annual Rascal Day picture with Jenna and Charlotte outside the back doors (Thanks to Shannon for taking them). Additionally, every year Molly enters the "Best Trick" competition. This year she did 4 tricks - sit, shake, lay and catching a frisbee at long distance 4 times in a row...well apparently this was her year and that spelled WINNER! So Molly celebrated with her basket (winnings that included: a new bowl, toys, treats, a big bone, and a football) and 3 hotdogs served by Governor Brewer! Then it was off to class - Bioethics to be exact. I sit by Donald in that class, and Molly and Donald's dog Leo are like best buddies so I knew it would go well. Molly did great in class, even when Joss (Kasey's boxer, and Molly's old playtime buddy) decided to come back to our row for some water and playtime...right in the middle of class! Silly dogs! After class, it was time for Molly to say goodbye to Cumberland. Although she might go to campus again before I graduate, this was Molly's last Rascal Day, and I know she enjoyed it in true Rascal-fashion and had a DOG-RIFFIC time!

Happy Birthday To....MOLLY!!!!

Ok, so I might not be the best pet mom in the world, but I'm definitely not the worst! Although it was 1/2 way through the day I remembered Molly's birthday was today, the important part was that I remembered. However, I did make a decision that her actual celebration will be later - during spring break where she can really enjoy her day with lots of playing in lakes and other fun stuff. In order to do some celebrating today, we did get in some frisbee playing (about an hour because it was a slightly chill, but beautiful day) and some playing with her new "water bottle cracking" toy that was a Valentine's Day gift from my parents (she loves it so much I bought another one the other day for her). Unfortunately this is where her good times end as tonight spells bathtime and tomorrow is a school day for both of us (that's right, Molly is going to law school....she's so smart!) So here's to Molly, one of the best aspects of my life for 7 years and hopefully a whole lot more years to go! Seriously, with my track record with plants/fish and other live things - I'm pretty sure both Molly and I are stoked to be celebrating her 7 years together tonight!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOLLY (aka Molly McGee...aka Downtown Molly Brown...aka Mols...aka Mollll-eeeeeeee...)

Good Luck Hoos!

So today the UVA Women's basketball team is traveling from Charlottesville, VA to Greensboro, NC for the 2009 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament. The first game is tomorrow night against arch-rivals the Hokies (Virginia Tech) and once they kick their butts (which I have no doubts) the next game is against Duke friday night. So here's a little shout-out to those fantastic HOOS.....GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!!

Snowy Sunday...

Well I wasn't able to see Matt last night/today and I'm not able to watch the Hoos kick some Georgia Tech butt this afternoon, but I did see something else today that I haven't seen in Birmingham in over a year....SNOW!!!!!!

It's kind of silly, I love watching the weather and we have had a crazy weather week. Friday was an afternoon and evening filled with tornadoes, storms, lightening, rain, hail, sleet, flooding....and then last night they predicted 1-2 inches of snow for this morning..let's face it, it got cold yesterday, but I definitely thought that snow and that much (because let's face it, in Alabama that much snow means BLIZZARD!) would never happen....well as you can see above I was wrong, and couldn't be happier that I was wrong!

So now that Molly and I have explored the snow we are back inside attempting to get toasty warm! I hope everyone has a safe Sunday - snowy or not!