Shots

Who doesn't love fall?

 It's beginning to cool down here; dropping into the 30s at night at warming to the mid 70s by 3pm. 

For two people who aren't very fond of snow, freezing, winter or cold the warm afternoons are a great source of joy. We (or maybe I should say I) froze to my seat during Friday's soccer game but Sunday afternoon, in true Alabama style, we both got sunburned after a few hours outside. 

......Open the doors, see all the people

Here is the church,

Here is the steeple,

P.S. Here is where the Southern Baptist Convention Began

I've Never

A popular youth group game. I've Never. You stand in the middle of the circle ready to fight for the win. Every chair around the circle is taken and the only hope you have of scoring a place to sit is to call out something you've never done. If someone sitting down has done what you haven't they have to rise and hopefully you are fast enough to land in their seat. 

If you are clever enough you create an upset in the circle by listing something that nearly everyone has done, except for you of course. We are learning more and more as the days pass, here are the things that happened just this week that I'm pretty sure would land us a chair if the South was the circle around us.

I've never participated in so many prayers for our nation, military or government. Granted we are in the middle of a shutdown but even before said changes were in operation our church brought requests for politics before the Lord often. (side note: I'm not saying this is a bad thing just a new thing for me)

I've never had to schedule church 'cookouts' around college football games. Is it an away game? Who are they playing against? Is it a team worth watching? These are things I've never considered before. 

I've never eaten or cooked anything with 'hog tail' in the ingredient list so I find it odd when people in our healthy living class find it a struggle to eat their green beans without such ingredients. 

I've never been appalled by the lack of BBQ joints during my travels.

Have you experienced any of these things? Would I get your chair?

SPIRIT

How much do you love your team? 

Enough to advertise it on your truck?

How about your work vehicle?

Would you bring your pooch on board too?

However you chose to celebrate, just remember this is the 'bama life'.

Day off

What do you do when your husband has the day off? 

Go exploring, of course!

Dan finished his first session of teaching last week, can you believe how time flies? We set off to explore and celebrate; hitting up the health food store in Birmingham and Tannehill State park, which in its prime created iron for the South during the Civil War. 

We found what you might imagine to be the 'real Alabama', you know the houses and scenery that look like they could be on the set of Hatfields and McCoys, or is it the other way around- that this place is so 'southern', the movie nailed it right on the head? Either way we found it. 

Will the real Alabama please step forward.

We also found the hipsters. I have to say I miss the skinny jean wearing, nose pierced, reduce, reuse, recycle folks. They are all hiding out in Birmingham apparently, congregating at the chain health food store "Whole Foods", oh how I wish they would come to Tuscaloosa. The hipsters and the health food store. 

Since diving deeper and deeper into the movement of 'whole foods' or rather the reawakening of what it means to be healthy we have discovered lots, including how pricey things can be. But this is a little over the top. No, we did not indulge. 

Here are some other treasures we found romping through the park.

Beautiful eh? Just for the record it was 85 degrees yesterday on the 14th of October and we both wore tanks and Chacos.

How about....

Look what I found today.

The clerk at Sam's Club was very kind, 

indulging me in conversation about apples from my home. 

Surplus

The UA has a surplus sale once or twice a month. They auction tons of stuff; cars, chain link fence, printers, desks, dryers, etc. We went to the surplus garage a couple of weeks ago hoping to find a treasure. We submitted our sealed bit and waited, hoping we would top all the others. We bid on two storage cabinets and a media cabinet.

I knew I could find a desk on CL for about $40 but that was more than I wanted to spend. We bid $15.84 for three items. We received a call this week that the items were ours! Thank you again in-laws for the use of your truck. We lugged the items home, and I set to work making them 'belong'. Three was more than we needed so I listed and sold the third for $20. That's right we made a $4 profit on our bid and got some really snazzy treasures.

Snazzy treasure #1

Snazzy treasure #2
 (the cabinet we sold was the twin of this guy)

Kickoff

Have you ever worn a skirt or dress to a sporting event? Me either, at least not until today. Today we went to our very first Alabama Crimson Tide football game, a gift for Dan's Birthday. The trick is to pair your Sunday brunch outfit with your team colors.

Wedges, pearls and cowboy boots are also encouraged.

Stephanie: Someone could get easily get lost in here. 

Dan: Just remember I'm wearing red....

The student section.
I think an 11 o'clock kickoff was too early to rouse most National Champion Fans.

We left the game a little early, sorry Georgia State there was really no hope for you. 28-0 at halftime we figured we knew who the winner was. We made a stop at Winn Dixie on the way home but not to worry they were broadcasting the radio coverage in the store....this place (said with a smile.)

A little bit of the excitement:

Birthdays

Our first celebration in BAMA.

Happy Birthday Dan!

Oh so yummy sweet potato pancakes.
Thank you  recipeyum.com.

Football Game: Alabama vs Georgia State

To end the celebration, chocolate cake.
 Thank you to: yammiesnoshery