WOW..it actually DID save it as a draft, so all's well that ends well. Ignore the post above this one.

I am at my parent's house right now, and I just finished cleaning, except I haven't dusted the living room yet. I cleaned both bathrooms, vaccumed the whole house, emtpy trash cans, swept & mopped the kitchen, then stopped to eat lunch and feed the kids, and now I'm here. Extra money is good. Extra money is very good. Jacob is asleep in the playpen and Travis won't leave the back of the computer chair alone. And I'm sort of depressed. Depressed about what used to be my bedroom. It's been converted into a office, almost ever since I moved out, but there were still some things that were the same, like, the carpet, the wall colors, the ceiling fan. Even the computer that was in there was the same computer I spent my high school years on. NOW...the floor is no longer carpeted...it's wood. The ceiling fan is gone. The walls are still the same, but now there's all this brand new expensive office furniture in there. The computer screen is probably twice as big (it's a flat screen) than the old one. The room resembles MY room none whatsoever. It almost seems heartless. Like why is it that my sister's old room has remained a bedroom, and my old room is now an office? Man, if those walls could talk, they'd have a pretty interesting story to tell. There are somethings I wish never had to change. What's worse is my parents keep talking on and off about selling this house and moving, maybe getting some land somewhere down in Mississippi and building a house on it. Then I couldn't come back here at all. This is where I was brought home from the hospital and was raised. How many moments did I take for granted all those years? Practically every one of them. I thought I'd be young and innocent forever. I was wrong.

We have a busy, busy weekend ahead of us. After I change clothes, get the kids' clothes changed and leave here, I am meeting Michael up at his work, and then we're heading over to the U of M Homecoming parade and the Pep Rally will be to follow. Then tomorrow morning we have to get up rather early for a Saturday because we are following my Dad out to his workplace (Tennessee Air National Guard) for some big to-do they're having to dedicate the new airplanes...C-5's...them jokers are gi-normous!! If you've ever seen one fly over, you know it takes up most of the sky and casts a huge shadow on the ground below. Travis is going to love seeing all that. They are also supposed to have some other fun stuff for the kids. The main reason we have to leave so early and follow my Dad out there is because we can't get in on our own for security reasons. (I think my Dad wants us to go so he can show off the grandkids :-) )

So after THAT, we are heading to the Liberty Bowl for the Homecoming game against Houston, kickoff is at 1 p.m. Oddly enough, Houston is who the Tigers were playing LAST year the day I started my blog. I'm just hoping we will have the same winning results as last year.

After THAT, if the kids aren't totally zonked, which more than likely they WILL be, we plan on going to the Fair, (which is like right there AT the Liberty Bowl), since Fair admission is FREE with our game ticket stubs.

In other news, yesterday afternoon I was able to fill out my financial aid stuff online, and I am supposed to hear something on that within 4 weeks. I TRIED to print out the Northwest Admission Application, and I only had ONE piece of paper left, which my printer ATE when I tried to print it, and so I have to buy some more printer paper before I can print it, fill it out and mail it in. I registered for a PIN so I could electronically sign my FAFSA form, but I received an e-mail today stating that they were unable to process my request because my Social Security # does not match the data the SSA has on file. Which is true. I never did change my SS card when I got married. Actually, I filled out all the paperwork some time ago and never took it in. So now I'm going to have to get THAT taken care of, too, which I needed to do anyway. I just hope I can find my marriage license. It is the ONLY identifying document I possess that has both my old last name and new last name on it. Why does everything have to have so many obstacles? Why can't I just fill out a dang form, send it in, and get a reply in a few weeks? One of the phrases I find myself using quite often: "You can't get there from here!"

Okay, I had this really well thought out blog entry, and blogger ate it. This is the 2nd time over the last 24 hours this has happened. What gives???

Good morning to you, too.

Out of all the friends and family I've consulted about the idea of me going back to school, only TWO of those people...okay, THREE, have not said anything negative about it or asked the obvious question, "What about your kids?" One of those THREE people, surprisingly, was my own Dad. At least my Dad still believes in me. The other two people are people that I have known since I was 13, which I find rather interesting. I guess people that know me from the post-college years remember that I do actually have a brain in my skull and can work hard and succeed at something other than popping out babies and "sitting" at home all day with my kids. Maybe I didn't word that quite right. I am VERY VERY greatful to be home with my babies (I am starting to sound like a broken record), but I also feel the need to one day, once again, enter the working world and contribute something somewhere in this world. My own Mother accomplished this feat. My sister and I were a little older at the time, but that's irrelevant at this point.

Okay, I will shut up and quit ranting about this whole issue. I will just have to stop asking for everyone's opinions, buckle down and prove everyone WRONG.

I have a lunch date this afternoon downtown. I am meeting my friend and former co-worker, Michelle, at her work (my old place of employment) and we're going to have lunch together. It's a BEAUTIFUL day outside, so it will be enjoyable to take the kids through the park. There is a chill in the air this morning...it is truly FALL! And tomorrow will be the 1st day of October, my favorite month of the year. I don't have a birthday in October, I don't have an anniversary in October, there aren't any significant holidays in October for me. October is just a beautiful month. The weather starts cooling off enough to where you can go outside and not burn up during the day, you don't have to run the A/C as much any more, you can leave the windows open all day long, and you need a light jacket at night. The leaves change into colors I can't even describe. The sky possesses a certain shade of blue that it doesn't have any other time of year. The sun rises and sets in a different place in the sky, causing the sunlight to filter into the house at a different angle, casting a warm glow. Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. Sweater weather is upon us. I can get out my boots...I love sandals in the summer, but I love boots in the fall and winter even more. The Fair...althought overly priced...is just part of fall. The sounds and smells and the rides is just part of tradition for me. Football...what can beat going to a football game, high school OR college, in the cool night air? Camp Meeting is the 2nd week of October (next week!), which means we go up to Reelfoot Lake for 2 or 3 days, spend all day and all night at church for a couple days, (with an afternoon break in between morning and evening service, to take a nice long nap), lots of singing, preaching, getting to see people you haven't seen in a long time, lots of good eating, and time to get away and forget that there's a busy life back home. There are just so many reasons I love fall. I could go on and on.

I had actually written a little more, but blogger ate it when I tried to publish it, so this will have to do for now. I have to go hop in the shower and start getting ready to head out in a bit. More later!

My night SEEMED to be going pretty good. We actually went to church tonight...kind of a last-minute decision. Usually Michael doesn't get off in time for us to eat, get ready and make the drive to church, but tonight we hurried things up and waited 'til after church to eat, and we got to church at 7:02 and they were late getting started, so technically we made it on time. The message was EXACTLY what I needed to hear...it was on James 1, talking about when trials come in your life, temptations may come your way, and it will be easier to give into those things and backslide if you are going through trials, and the end result is death if you give into whatever temptations you may have. Not necessarily physical death (although possible), but death of relationships, marriages, friendships, etc., depending on the actual sin I guess. Very basic message, but very, very helpful. Then we stopped at Chik-Fil-A on the way home. They have THE best chicken nuggets in the universe, and we let Travis play in the play thing for a few minutes, but he was too chicken to climb up very high in it, lol.

But besides that...

I am highly p'd off right now, and it's a lot of things all rolled together to make steam come out of my ears.

1) For one thing, and this is the least of my problems right now, but my post count on blogger hasn't changed in like a week or so...not sure when it started not working...so now I'll never know when and if I reach post #400. And no, I'm not going to go through my entire blog and count them all.

2) The TV keeps getting louder and louder in my ear. I wish I could move the computer desk in such a way where my right ear wouldn't be directly in front of the TV speaker. When I am online, I like to relax, or concentrate on something I'm reading, or play a game in peace and semi-quietness. No, I do not expect to sit in total quietness, I can never expect that as long as there are kids in the house, but to have the TV turned down to a reasonable level shouldn't be too much to ask. If you are sitting right underneath the TV when you watch it, trust me when I say you don't need it turned up that loud.

3) I need to go to the dentist. I have a wisdom tooth coming in, and it is giving me heck. I know they're going to say I need to have it, along with my other one, removed, but I don't exactly have $1,000 right now to do that, nor do I feel like having any more surgery!!

4) Our cat, the one that the VET told us was a GIRL, is soooo not a girl. I've been told it can be hard to tell when they are kittens, well said kitten is not a kitten anymore, and HE...yes HE has very adult male organs, and now I am more than ready to get rid of the cat. But there's like nowhere in the world to take him. My sister-in-law was the first one to notice a couple weeks ago...we never noticed because we don't exactly look at a cat's rear all the time...and we almost didn't believe her at first. But now I believe her. I am SHOCKED that the vet told us it was a GIRL!!!!!!!

5) I get tired of some people thinking that because a woman is married, she is not allowed to have her own feelings, or more like, she is not allowed to EXPRESS her own feelings and be heard. I'm not into the women's lib movement or any junk like that. I'm just saying that I AM a person, too, and I have feelings, dreams, wishes, desires, etc., and there is nothing wrong with that. I'll be danged if I let ANYONE tell me how I am supposed to feel/not supposed to feel about anything. And...and...if she has an interest or hobby outside of her husband's hobbies and interests, she's not really allowed to take part in those things because it will interfere with her motherly duties, or so I am told.

6) This is the REAL kicker...so far, almost EVERY PERSON I have told that I want to go back to school, the first thing that's popped out of their mouth is, "So what are you going to do with the kids while you're at school?" Are there not other students that are parents? And what about the other parent of my kids? Why am I suddenly the only one responsible for their whereabouts and who they stay with? Why am I suddenly feeling constrained to not getting my big diploma on the wall? I WILL find someone to keep my kids while I'm at school and pay them if I have to. I am not getting any younger, and finishing my degree is something I want to do. And then I get the little well-you-should-have-thought-about-that-before-you-decided-to-have-kids spiel. I didn't exactly PLAN on getting pregnant 4 months after marriage, okay? It just sort of happened. God's plans are not always our plans. My Plan A has turned into more like Plan Z, but that's okay, too. I love my children with all my heart, but believe me when I say there are other people in school that have kids...not just Dads...MOMS TOO. What century ARE we in, anyway?? This just makes me want to walk up to somebody and just slap them! No one specific really...it'd just feel good to take out some aggression somehow. I need a punching bag.

So my school situation is looking better than I thought. At least at the moment. As it turns out, I only need 4, and maybe 5 classes at Northwest and then I can transfer to a 4-year school. All I need is Physical Science, a higher math OR science (I can choose), English Lit II, and a Fine Arts Elective. WOW. I e-mailed a former teacher of mine that was the Education Advisor at NWCC while I was there, and he e-mailed me back with his phone number and told me to give him a call. The only thing I am in question about right now is whether or not Western Civ I will count as my other history class I need. I am following the Ole Miss core curriculum for Secondary Education, and in the Social/Behavior Science classes I need, it says I need Psychology I, which I've done, and I can choose 2 courses from History 101, 102, 105, and 106. Well, History 105 is US History I, which leads all the way up to the end of the Civil War, and I've taken that. History 101 is European History Pre-1600-something. I am wondering if Western Civ counts as European History. I mean, that's what Western Civ. is, basically, right? So if I end up having to take another history class, no biggie. It'd just be really nice to able to say I could be done at NWCC in a semester and then transfer. Several of my classes I've taken already don't count for anything apparently...Spanish II, Sociology, Oral Communications, and Intro to Computers. Used to, they made EVERYONE take a computer class as part of the core stuff, and also Education majors had to have Oral Communications and 4 semesters of foreign languages. Not anymore. MAYBE some of those other classes can count as electives somewhere along the way...especially Sociology and Spanish II.

I also found out there's a scholarship I can apply for. It's for students age 25 and older who are returning to school, and it's based on how well you previously did in college. So just MAYBE I have a shot at that.

Well, I must run take a bath while Jacob is asleep!! More later!!!

My mind is in utter turmoil right now, and there is no one to really talk to about it. Michael is in school, and most everyone else is just not home or whatever. I'm really going out of my mind and I have a thousand and one questions I want to ask and can't at this very moment. I have seriously come to the decision that I want to go back to school to finish my degree. I would LIKE to go to University of Memphis, but THAT's not going to happen because 1) Out of state tuition is a real killer, and 2) According to Memphis' website, if I am reading it right, they only offer a Master's in Secondary Education, not a Bachelor's. CRIZZAP! The University of Mississippi at Northwest offers Secondary Education practically at my front door, plus no out-of-state tuition, so that would probably be my most logical choice, and then maybe get my Masters at Memphis.

The thing is, I have a lot of my core classes out of the way. This is what I already have under my belt:

English Comp I
English Comp II
English Lit I
Oral Communications
Intro. to Computer Concepts
American History I
Western Civ. I
College Algebra
Music Appreciation
Elementary Spanish I
Elementary Spanish II
Biology I, with lab
Biology II, with lab
Psychology I
Sociology

That's 47 hours total, when you include the lab credits. That ought to be worth something. Some of the things I already took don't count (I don't think) for Secondary Ed. since that wasn't my previous major, so I think I could finish Northwest in 2 semesters, and maybe a summer term, and then be on my merry way to Ole Miss. If I am looking at all this right, I am short 7 classes at Northwest.

I still need:

Another Fine Arts
Physical Science w/ Lab
Academic Teaching Area (whatever that is, and it's 6 hours worth, so I guess it counts as 2 classes)
English Lit II
Humanities Elective
Another Academic Teaching Area, another 6 hours.

That adds up to 25 hours that I have to get, which is not a lot.

Whichever route I take to get my degree, I don't want people telling me why I can't or shouldn't or whatever. I mean, hello! This is America, and there are people older than me, poorer than me, and with more kids than me, going to college to better themselves. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am smart...I did very well in school...I left high school #19 in my class with a 91-point-something overall average, and went to Northwest and when I left there, I had like a 3.4 GPA, so I don't want to waste what I've already done. I love being a stay-at-home Mom, and I feel very blessed that I was able to be home with them. I wouldn't want it any other way. But my kids are not going to be tiny forever, and I am going to want to work...not sit at home and play tiddly winks all day. Seems like I should be commended for staying at home with my children while they are so small. And it seems like I should be commended further for desiring to finish my education.

I am in the process now of finding out if I can start back in January (Spring 2005) or if I have to wait until Fall 2005. I know they USED to admit students in the Spring semester, so they more than likely still do. As far as financial aid though, I might HAVE to wait until Fall 2005. But like I said, I have a jillion questions that I need to ask and have answered. So we shall see.

Anybody want a cat and 2 dogs? My animals are driving me nuts. First, the cat. She will not leave Travis alone (not that he doesn't leave her alone, but that's besides the point). Travis can be sitting down, playing with his toys or watching a movie, minding his own business, and out of nowhere, with no warning, Kira will jump on him and scratch or bite him! And then I have to catch her and throw her in my bedroom and close the door. It's ridiculous! And now her favorite place to sit is on top of the green recliner, and she waits for people to walk past it (you have to walk behind it to get to the hallway where the kids' rooms and bathroom are) and she swats and she uses her CLAWS. Also, last week she kept getting on the back of the couch, reaching up with her paws and pulling the wreath that hangs on the wall over the couch DOWN, and pieces of flowers fell off of it, all over the floor. She did this probably 2 or 3 times last week. And then (yes, there's more) I have this fake ficus tree that's just inside the front door, next to the TV, and she gets a running start, jumps into the tree, hangs on and pulls it down to the ground, and then hides in the leaves!! If you try to pick the tree up and sit it back where it goes while she's still hiding in it, she will claw at you. Oh yeah, and did I mention she poked two small holes in the green recliner, and one small hole in the back of the couch? Okay, so I guess nobody wants this cat....I didn't do a good job at selling her. I keep saying I'm going to take her to the pound or find her a new home, but then I don't have the heart to do it. But I don't want my stuff torn up either. I'm just waiting on her to shred my curtains throughout the house and the shower curtain in the kids' bathroom, and I'm sure tearing up the blinds has crossed her mind, too.

Now onto the dogs. The dogs are friendly dogs, and they really don't bark a WHOLE lot and disturb the peace. But the problem is, they like to eat nerf footballs, and Travis has somewhat of a large collection of those things, and last night, the dogs distroyed one and left nothing but little foam pieces all over the back yard, and then they ate a big chunk out of another one. Like, that foam nerf stuff can't be that tasty. And these are supposed to be little civilized inside house dogs that became outside dogs because they wouldn't stop peeing on things, and I will not have that in my house!!! I guess they are rebelling for us not letting them inside all the time, but it never fails. I let them inside if a thunderstorm comes up, and the FIRST thing they do is hike their leg and pee on things!! It's definitely a rebellion thing. They've been outside for hours, so they have had plenty of time to take care of business, but instead, they come in and do it in my house and then I have to clean it up. One of the dogs technically isn't OUR dog, and he has done his fair share of damage. He has scratched a big spot on the glass of the back door, AND he scratched and damaged one of the kitchen window screens. They get up in my patio chairs and get mud all over them, and those stupid chair covers are next to impossible to clean. I can't even keep my pillows out on my big swing because they will pee on them and eat them and tear holes in them. I have given up on the idea of ever planting flowers out back because the dogs will dig them up and eat them, too. About a month or so ago, I was cleaning my kitchen windows outside, and I took my cell phone out there in case someone called while I was outside, and I stepped in the house for not even 5 minutes, went back out, my phone was missing from where I'd left it, and I found it all the way over by the fence, in the grass, and the antenna was half chewed off.

So back to my question...anyone want a cat and 2 dogs? You can have them for FREE, PLUS the dog house, dog dishes, cat dish, litter box, cat toys and any left over dog food, cat food, and cat litter we have left...ALL for FREE.

This will be my 2nd quote of the week, to make up for all the weeks I haven't had quotes:

"Batista has got muscles in places where Randy Orton hasn't even got places." ~Jerry Lawler, on Monday Night Raw. Jerry Lawler has the best quotes.

You know what I figured out? It is IMPOSSIBLE to step foot into Walmart without seeing at least...AT LEAST...one person that you know from somewhere. I had to do some major stocking up on EVERYTHING, so I made the weekly Walmart trip (the little Walmart in Horn Lake) and I walked past this one girl twice that I went to high school with, and she just kinda looked at me like maybe she recognized me, but then didn't say anything. I always hate that. People from high school don't recognize me. NO, I'm not the same 120 lbs. I was in 12th grade, but still! I still have the same face, same hair color (almost the same). I'm just fatter. So is almost everyone else I went to school with, including this girl that I saw. Big deal. Then I saw a girl I used to go to church with at Bethel. She had her two kids with her and we chatted for a minute.

I am wanting to write a song, but just haven't quite got it all in my head yet. Maybe if tomorrow is less hectic than today (fat chance) and I get a few quiet moments to myself (even fatter chance) I will get something down on paper. I have said this before, and I'll say it again...I wish I had a way of getting the music down on paper for the songs I've already "written". I don't read music, therefore I can't write music, so basically, if something were to happen to me, my music would be lost forever. When I write a song, I usually either A) Have some sort of melody in my head and write the words to go with it, and then figure out all the chords, or B) Write out all the words and then figure out the melody part later. The first song of mine that I performed in church, I had the musical part in my head first, sat down to the piano and played it, and then the words just came, like they just fell out of my brain and onto the paper and I had a song. That was on a Monday and that same Wednesday night I performed it in church. This was a few weeks before Easter and it happened to be an "Easter song", so our Pastor asked me to sing it again on Easter Sunday morning. Then not even a week later, I wrote another song and ended up singing it in church the following week. I wrote a couple others after that, but they just didn't come together or something, and so I have never sang them. I just have the lyrics typed out and in my binder with the rest of my music. So far, this is my list for the songs I have sang in church, and the list is slowly growing:

Solos:
"When the Stone Was Rolled Away" (one I wrote)
"He Is Always On Time" (another one I wrote)
"Without the Blood" (this was actually my very first solo to sing in church)
"Touch Me Again" (Michael says this is my "signature song")
"America Come Home" (I did this on the 4th of July, but it can be done any time)
"I Give You Freedom"
"My Jesus I Love Thee" (this is actually a hymn)
"Heaven, Can You Imagine?" (This is by the Rochesters, a very awesome Gospel bluegrass group)
"God Has Been So Good To Me"

The only one of those I didn't accompany myself on the piano was "My Jesus I Love Thee"...the rest I played and sang.

Duets:
"God Hath Provided Himself A Lamb" (another Rochesters song)
"But For the Blood"
"Day By Day" (this is a hymn)
"Who Am I?"

Ladies' Group:
"Sweeter As The Days Go By"
"Come Morning"
"Touring That City"
"Jesus Is Coming Soon"
"Christ Arose"
"Haven of Rest" (Our group sang this one just this past Sunday night)

There are probably more that I just can't remember. These songs do not include the songs I have accompanied other singers on. These are just the songs I have sang in church. I am working on two new solos for me to sing, one is called "The Broken Rose" and the other is called "Green Pastures". I heard both of these songs on some oooooollld tapes by the Williamsons (I doubt anybody's ever heard of them) and I want to learn them. I need some new material.

There was something else I wanted to write about, and it slipped my mind, dang it! Oh well. I am getting sleepy! G'night!

Quote of the week (actually I meant to put this in here last week):

"Are there more of those gay bracket thingies?" ~Michael.

Hey, babe, whatever works to help you remember that junk!


The one thing I regret in life right now is getting Michael in the bad habit of hitting the snooze button. According to him, he NEVER did that until he married me. He'd get up the first time the clock went off. However, I have NEVER done that. I will set the clock early enough so that I can afford to hit the snooze button 2 or 3 times before I finally get up. Well...Michael...the dear...I will set the clock about one hour before he actually has to get up, and he will hit the snooze button for the next hour and a HALF. And then he gives me HIS morning things to do, like feed/water dogs, water the trees outback, etc., because he didn't get up on time. Not only that, but I don't feel like hearing the radio go off every 7 minutes for an hour and a half. I don't have to actually get up and go anywhere most days. I think from now on, I'm just going to set the clock for what time he has actually been getting up, and that way, he won't be able to hit snooze or he will be very, very late for school or work. But of course, all of this is my fault. So I guess I should stop complaining and just reverse the problem.

One more rant. I am getting really tired of dealing with "friends" that only want to be your "friend" when they want something from you, and then the rest of the time, you are vapor to them. I thought that sort of thing only happened in the 7th grade. You know, the friends that I do have now, I am friends with them unconditionally, and I'm generally a very forgiving person, even the "friends" that try to use me.

Today feels really blah...I feel sick to my stomach, I am zonked to the max, and I have a massive mountain of laundry to do. Thank goodness we don't have any more road games that we're going to!

My brain is tired...my eyes are tired...I am tired. No more algebra...at least for tonight. And somebody remind me not to look ahead in the text book, because then I get this sinking feeling when I realize what I have ahead of me.

I got a few things done tonight, besides algebra. After church and then going to my Mom's and then getting some food at Krystal (somebody PLEASE tell me what a girl's gotta do to get PLAIN Krystal burgers. NO, I don't want mustard, NO, I don't want onions, and NO, I don't want pickles!! And what really GETS me is the lady that handed us the stuff through the drive-thru window called the order back out to us as being plain. They never can get it right. I am a PLAIN kind of person. I do not like funky green things or crunchy yellow or white things. UGH! I'm just such a non-green-veggie person or almost any kind of veggie for that matter. I guess that's a bad thing, but oh well), I came home, ate, picked up the living room, vaccumed, and dusted a few things. YAY for me!

I found out that our little group got on TV at the game Saturday. I thought that was pretty neat, and we might get a copy of it so we can see it. For once we were sitting down low enough so we could be caught on camera. It stinks big time that we lost, especially the WAY that we lost when we had the chance to win right within our grasp, but it was still a very fun game. We got to sit with some folks we don't normally get to sit with at games.

Okay, well, I could go on and on about stupid numbers, green stuff, and losing football games, but I really have to go to bed now, although for some weird reason, my brain just won't shut down. Maybe I've drank too much Coke today. Until next time......

Well. Memphis lost. It was tied 'til the last 13 seconds of the game. I just don't understand. If Memphis could play the 1st half like they play the 2nd half, they'd win every game by a long shot. And Memphis has been warned the first 3 games. What are we going to have to do? Lose to TULANE to get this point across?

Besides that, yesterday was a LOOOOOONG DAY. I thought we would never, never, never, never, ever, ever, ever, ever get to Birmingham. We left our house a 9, had to stop for ice, drop off the kids, and finally actually got on the road a few minutes before 10. We didn't get to Birmingham 'til a little before 3. Somewhere along the way, 78 cuts off because they haven't finished it or whatever, and you have to make a detour. Well, that detour turned out to be even MORE of a detour than what it should have been, because there was some construction going on to where they had only ONE lane of traffic open, and there was something letting about 10 cars go one way, and then stop that direction of traffic, and then let 10 cars go the other way. As it turns out, they had one lane of this little highway dug out, and the construction workers took a lunch break for an hour. Traffic was backed up for 5 miles, we found out later, and we ended up turning down another highway, then another, then another and went through Jasper, Alabama, and finally ran back into 78. When we got onto I-65 in Birmingham, our exit to get to the stadium was only a couple exits ahead, and then we took the exit, and the directions I had were to take 6th Avenue North, which meant turning right (I got my directions from UAB's website), but we saw a sign that said go straight ahead to get to Legion Field, so we got confused, and stopped at an Exxon to ask just to be sure, and there was a huge line of people at the cash register, and the woman of a certain minority group was carrying on a conversation with a gal pal that happened to stop by to say HI, and they were discussing something that was more important than the customers that were lined up. I saw an older man coming into the store, wearing a Tigers hat, so I asked him which way was the right way, and he said the directions I had to begin with were correct, so we had to circle the block because of all the no left turns, and we finally made it to the stadium parking lot. Then they wouldn't let us park down by all the rest of the Memphis fans, so we basically got out our chairs, table, grill, cooler, food, set it all up and sat there by ourselves and grilled out for about an hour, then loaded everything back up again no faster than we got it out and ate. Then I painted Michael's face, got my jersey on, and we were ready for the game. We had some general admission tickets, which we got for free, but the stadium holds like 80,000-something, and there wasn't even 30,000 people there, so we just kinda sat where all the other Memphis fans grouped together. NO ONE even sat up in the section where our tickets were. All in all, it was a very, very fun game. It's just a shame that we are no longer undefeated AND we lost our first in-conference game AND we drove ALL THAT WAY to see it happen. We got away from the stadium at roughly 10 p.m. and made it as far as Tupelo and got a room for the night...that was about 1 a.m., then got up at 7:15 a.m., got ready for church, ate breakfast and drove the rest the way from Tupelo to our church and made it just in time...about 5 minutes 'til 10. Then I tought Sunday School to the 3 and 4 year olds, then had to play organ for the congregational music, and accompany a soloist on the piano, and sing in a duet with one of the teenagers in our church. Then we picked up the kids at my sister-in-law's house, then we stopped at Wendy's, came home, ate lunch, did half of Michael's algebra, and now I have to get ready to go BACK to church, sing ANOTHER duet AND sing in the Lady's Group, AND play the piano, then go to my Mom's to give her her birthday present, then come home and finish Michael's algebra. IS THIS DAY OVER YET?!?!?!?!