Sigh......

I'm going to miss the first and second Clemson games this year. The first for work commitments and the second for Lovey and my annual trip to the Knoxville side of Tennessee. It's always so hot the first games that I rarely see the whole thing. In recent years, I've taken a book with me so when I get overheated at least I have something to do while I sit under the stands to cool down.

Then today, I read this. It's stolen from Mickey Plyler's blog:

"We started the Tiger Walk two years ago and I try not to miss this new tradition. I have to admit it is now my second favorite Clemson tradition (Howard’s Rock and the Hill are first). I can’t wait to see the team get off of those buses and greet the fans for the first time. Dabo created a sense of unity with this new Tiger tradition. If you have not seen this, try to get there about two and a half hours in advance to get your orange blood pumping.

And most importantly I get another chance to see the Tigers run down the hill Saturday. I wrote this in a blog last year about the greatest Clemson tradition, Howard’s Rock and the hill:
This is really what gets most of us going. This makes the hair stand up on your arms. This is the adrenaline pumping. This is what Clemson football is all about.

The way I see it, I am about half way through a normal life expectancy for a male. If I am lucky enough to live another 40 years and if Clemson plays seven home games a year, then I get to see this about 280 more times. Therefore, I cherish every time I get to witness.

The anticipation of seeing the video of the buses starting their journey is the first step. This is when your heart is not only a supplier of blood throughout your body, it now provides the bass beat and your chest starts to feel the energy.

Then you actually see the buses come around the corner and you start to see fans at the top of the hill get excited.

One of the most unique feelings I have ever had is the one I get every time I see the first Clemson player emerge at the top of the hill. By this point, my heart rate is between 150-190.
This is when noise becomes a feeling.

How about the first note of the Orange Bowl March? Does any single note of any song strike that kind of emotion?

Then the band makes its way towards the hill and the energy is climbs even higher.
The cannon sounds. Tigers pour down The Hill into Death Valley. Fans spell out C-L-E-M-S-O-N the loudest they do all day.

I get to see this again Saturday. Yes, I feel so blessed."

And now, I'm sad. Because it is an awesome sight. There is an incredible energy to be surrounded by so many other Solid Orange fans. Lord willing (and I don't fire anyone) I'll be there in October when the leaves begin to turn, the air is crisp and the sky is a beautiful, deep blue. Go Tigers! I'll be there in spirit.

Day 8

The Held Hostage by Heat crisis is (nearly) over. The A/C dudes are outside making sure everything is in Proper Working Order and the thermostats are set down to 70 to cool this joint down - which I'm assured will happen around 9 PM tonight.

Here's one thing I've learned yesterday and today. I was BORED not being able to do anything all day. Not that I didn't have anything to do around the house, it's just that when you sweat when you type, you tend to stay sedentary.

At one point yesterday, I was watching Amazing Wedding Cakes. A show. About high-end wedding cakes. Another thing I learned, rich people can request Uuuugly wedding cakes. I'd rather be poor and have taste than rich and .... well, I don't really have a choice in the rich part, but you get my drift.

Today, I got up at 6 AM (and it's not even football season yet!) to let the guys start work at 7 AM. Desperate times and all that. At 7 AM, I became "enthralled" with DIY channel's photography show where I learned how to take better architectural photos. Embarrassingly, it was quite informative.

I've checked and double-checked my work and personal email and flipped through some catalogs. I've watched HGTV and DIY and other channels with only letters for names. I'm actually looking forward to mopping the kitchen in an hour or so (sadly!).

The high point of the day: I scored some big, beautiful lamps off of craigslist. My first successful purchase! The little Navy guy I bought them from reminded me of Landry from Friday Night Lights. Aw, Landry.

It's dangerous to leave my mind with too much time of its hands. I've mentally rearranged every piece of furniture in this house. I've come up with three different ideas for each project I have so far.

Ah, back to a real bed tonight. Goodbye, Manland. Goodbye, Blow Up Mattress. I think I'll miss you most.

Too Cute Not To Post

Goodwill. $2.99. Love!

A/C Update

It ded. D-E-D. Like as a doornail.

R. I. P.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go google "how to sell a kidney"

Go Figs!

Yesterday, I had to get up Super Early to be at work for an 8 AM conference call (because somebody at corporate must hate me). My Lovey left for Phoenix after being home for two whole weeks which makes it harder when he has to leave.

I left work early to take my little Duffy back to the vet. He had some minor surgery last week and had been humiliated since then with his little cone hat. He's fine, by the way.

When we got back from the vet, the house was unusually...humid. Wha? I looked at the thermostat and my suspicions were confirmed. 80 degrees. Of course!

You see, since Lovey and I have been together he has had to travel with his jobs. First, 3-6 month deployments and now weekly trips.

Over the course of our relationship, I've had to deal with the following:

• a main electrical line leading to our house which had nearly burned through (which could have started a fire)
• a condensing unit fan that was split in half which made a godforsaken noise and prevented cool air from entering my abode
• a condensing unit leak in the ceiling (see cool air comment above)
  
• a defective alarm sensor that created false alarms (and scared the bejesus out of me when it went off)
• a garage door which would not open for me to get the car out

I'm sure there are more. These are the ones that stick out the most. At least Manland has a separate a/c unit. So the beasties and I are huddled in there until it can be repaired tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Hello, Beautiful!

Head over to The Green Room and see the transformation of Old Ugly. She turned out so pretty!

I Can Ride My Bike With No Handlebars

Well...not really, because all the roots would surely knock me off of it.

Here is my bike and I love him.



It is the Giant Revel 2. I call it "him" because it is a men's bike. The Revel 2 W (for WOmen) only came in pink/white, and I'm not really a pink kind of girl. Besides, it is an XS - and anything I can "wear" in an XS is OK by me.

The first two weeks Lovey and I had bikes it was Too. Blame. Hot. to ride them. That's Southernspeak, Yawll. But since then, we have ridden the heck out of these bikes. His is a Giant as well, but I can't be bothered to know its name. It's blue/white, and it's bigger, OK?

We are fortunate enough to live very near Sawmill Branch Trail. It is 6.1 miles long and keeps us off of the busy streets. It's great because the trail branches off into other neighborhoods so it's not the same boring stretch of trail each time.

I'm surprising myself at how competitive I am when we are riding. I will NOT stop pedaling or let up intensity AT ALL if Lovey doesn't. Although we both took a break when we cut across the soccer field. Chickens, it is HARD pedaling in manicured grass. Some massive leg burning going on there.

I'll be super glad when these "scattered" showers (um, scattered has meant hovered over our house for the past two nights) go away so we can get back to our riding routine.