Delayed at Sea?

Lee & I have just returned from our first (but likely not our last) sho'nuff cruise. We left last Thursday, 9/1, on the Carnival Elation for a 5 day cruise in the Gulf to Cozumel, Mexico. It was a combination celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary in Oct and Lee's milestone birthday in July. Lee's sister Faye agreed to stay with Ellen while we were gone & Izzy was headed to the vet's for her own little staycation. The trip started out great! We left shortly after Ellen left for school and drove to Mobile where we boarded the 900' ship with 2,000 of our (now) friends. After our couples massage (AWESOME!), the weather began to turn ugly Friday thanks to Tropical Storm Lee (go figure that!) but was still tolerable thanks to the skillful captain of our ship. We swung out to the east in order to avoid the worst of the storm and then turned west into Cozumel on Saturday. Our day in Cozumel was awesome! The weather was perfect! We shopped, sunned, ate, read & napped all day. We were unable to see the Bama game, but we expected to be able to withstand anything that Kent St had to offer and thanks to the text messages of our Bama friends, we were able to keep up with the score. RTR! We were even able to watch the LSU/Oregon game Sat night on the ship. Unfortunately, we were joined by a number of LSU fans. It took a bunch of SEC fans (ARK, AU, Ole Miss, Gators & Bama) to offset their obnoxiosness. Sat night at dinner, I thanked Lee for the best 25 years of my life & asked her to marry me again. She said yes & gladly accepted the white gold wedding band that I had for her. Bigtime points scored in the love bank!
Sunday morning was not too bad, but after our workout the weather quickly turned REAL ugly during the day. We were scheduled to arrive in port in Mobile on Monday morning, but due to the weather, were forced to go back out into the Gulf for an additional day. Originally, it was thought that we would only be delayed in arriving until later in the afternoon, but the Port Authority was forced to close the Port, leaving us stranded until the weather cleared. We scrambled to find accommodations for Ellen (thanks to the Castleman's) and then hunkered down to ride out waves & swells larger than I have ever seen! Thanks to Dr. Tim for the medicated patches & Bonine pills! I don't know how we would have made it without the medication. Many of our mates were not as lucky and a number of them were not seen again after Sun morning. :) I suspect they spent the remainder of the day & Monday hugging the porcelain. Thankfully, the ship was well stocked with food, diet coke & ice cream. We ate well, slept well and made a number of new friends. We arrived safely in Mobile on Tuesday and finally made it back to Bham late Tuesday afternoon. Overall, it was a great trip and will likely be the first of many cruises that we will enjoy. Next time, Ellen will go too. Thanks to everyone who helped us out!

resolutions

Like most others, I have never been big on new year's resolutions. That is until Chris Hodges posted this suggestion on twitter: If you want a resolution, try Luke's description of Cornelius in Acts 10:2. "He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly." That is what I want to strive to be. The only part not mentioned is his desire to be a good husband & father. Of course that could be considered as a requirement if your family is devout and God-fearing.
Change of pace: I'm watching the Under Armour HS allstar game. Bama committments are looking good. RTR!

Fun, Food, Family & A Few Days Off

I haven't had much of an opportunity to provide an update on life & the general pursuit of happiness. I have seen a lot of that this week in the eyes of my daughter. The joy on her face when we surprised her with an iphone and a new guitar. First, let me put in a shameless plug for Art's Music in Inverness and Jessica Freehling-Kazzie. She was so helpful & patient and really led us to the right instrument for Ellen. The Breedlove has a sweet sound, even to an old hack like me. I would recommend Jessica & Art's to anyone looking to make music. Also to Shannon Grider at Planet Cellular for his patience with me & the iphone purchase. Thanks for all your help! We've had a great weekend together as a family. We even saw a little snow today. I am so truly blessed by a wife & daughter who love me and a God who loves me no matter what. He gets all the praise and glory!

I hate to lose

I don't really have a competitive nature (ha!) I just hate to lose. I hoped Bama would win, although I feared that we didn't have an answer for the Cam Express. I didn't think we could stop him, but I thought we might be able to control the game by holding on to the ball. The first quarter was magic, the second was nerve-racking and the 3rd & 4th were a nightmare. I've got to hand it to them, they never quit and kept believing they could win. Bama just couldn't close the deal. Oh well, Roll Tide anyway (as my Mother-in-law says). I'm trying to overcome the loss by focusing on the positives. I'll let you know when I find some. :) RTR

I just can't figure out what is wrong with the Tide. One game they look like a pro team & the next like the team from a few years ago (pre-Saban). We have to successfully run the football. There is no reason why we can't. Trent & Mark are world class and so is our O-line. keep pushing to be the best boys! Fight on, Fight on, Fight on men. Remember the Rose Bowl, we'll win then. I write this as I sit with my best girl watching DWTS. She loves this stuff, so I love it too. It takes a real man to sit with his wife & watch people dance. I'm switching back & forth between ESPN. Love does strange things to your mind!

Off Week

Congratulations to my Crimson Tide for taking care of the Vols 41-10. Maybe we are climbing back in the saddle. It was a great weekend of worship, golf, football and time with my girls. I even was blessed to see my Nashville daughter Libby. She looked fabulous and is as sweet as ever. Her real Mom & Dad did a great job raising her. Bama has the off week this week and it comes at a great time. I guess I will have to do yard work this weekend. :( Next week it is on to Baton Rouge to take care of the Bengal Tigers. RTR!

Tennessee Week

There is just something about the 3rd week in October and the Saturday that fills the air with sound of pads popping and the rivalry between TN and the Crimson Tide. The season is officially in the second half and began in good form with a defeat of the Ole Miss Rebels (or Rebel black bears). I'm not sure which & I don't think they are either. It's now on to Knoxville and a Saturday evening date with the Vols. No one should have to wear that orange color. I saw a license plate the other day (Bama of course) that said RNJH8R. Think about it. I can't wait to watch the game with my girls and pull for Bama. RTR!! Even at 6-1 we still have a shot at a 14th NC. Take care of business.