"Auld Lang Syne"

And just like that, another year has come to a close. It feels like that last 364 days flew by, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've said "goodbye" to some folks this year, but said "hello" and "hello again" to many more.

Saw the following article on a friend's FB wall, it just struck a chord and I wanted to share, Days of Auld Lang What?

Here's my take, if you were a part of my life for whatever reason, you will always be a part of my life. I take the good with the bad. After all, if I never experienced any negatives, how would I be able to enjoy all the positives I have been blessed with? Our past helps shape us, it does not define us.

I'm most thankful that distant friends have become closer friends and that close friends have come even closer. I miss those that I have lost, but I know I'll see them again...

What Music City Miracle?

OK, so we all know what happened at the Music City Bowl. I can not believe we got "Les'd" twice in the same season. There are no "do over's in college football", unless you're LSU or North Carolina, so now it's time for us to "dust off our britches" and build our program.

Give me players and coaches that will give their all for Tennessee, all day, everyday and I will support you till the day I die. I still believe in our future, but I really need to see a leader/s step up next season. It's time to stop beating ourselves and beat every team we play.

I shot a message to a buddy and asked how he was doing after the loss. He was handling it like I expected, but his last comment to me hit home. He said, "we have Tyler Bray. I'd take him over any Music City Bowl trophy..." And I'd have to agree, but I don't want to forget about Justin Hunter or my current favorite, Janzen Jackson (who IMO did not spear anyone last night, that was all shoulder).

With that, Go Vols, I'll see you in 2011!!

What would you do with $237 million?

That's what the Mega Millions jackpot is up to, $237 million dollars! I can honestly count on one hand the number of times I've bought a lottery ticket. I bought one the first day it became legal in the state of Tennessee and maybe only a few more after that.

Seeing as how I go to Vegas at the drop of a hat, I'm actually surprised I don't buy lottery tickets more often. But then again, the most I've ever won on a single ticket was $8.00. I have a friend who lives in the Atlanta area that seems to do well when it comes to lottery tickets. If I had her luck, I'd buy them more often.

There was a package on the local news asking what people would do if they won the $237 million ($150.8 million if you took the cash lump sum). A lot of the answers revolved around paying off debt and giving to charity. Both are solid choices. But then I started to think about what I would do with the $150.8 million cash option.

I'd buy several vacation home across the country, starting in Hawaii and ending somewhere on the East Coast. Then I'd wear my passport out. I'd hit every continent and almost every country as I travel around the world. Maybe I'd do it twice, just to make sure I didn't miss out on anything.

Then I'd come home and open a bar or two. One would have to be an old school sports bar in Knoxville, right Jessica. And another would have to be on a beach, I don't really know what beach, but I'd find a good one...that overlooked crystal blue waters.

And in case you were wondering, I wouldn't spend it all on myself. Family & friends would be taken care of and so would all of my favorite charities. I do have a heart, after all.

This all sounds fantastic in theory, maybe I'll actually remember to buy a ticket this week and see if it's that one in a million...

It's gone...

My hair that is, after almost 2 years of growing and trimming, I finally cut off about 11 inches and will donate it to Locks of Love.

This is the third time I've donated my hair, but for some reason it seems like this donation took the longest to grow. I go through these weird phases, sometimes I like my hair short in the winter & longer in the summer. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it seems to work.

I also don't like to mess with my hair a whole lot. It's super straight & thick. I always know when it's time for a cut when I start breaking rubber bands or get headaches from the weight. I kind of like the length it's at right now. I may keep it like this for a few months.

We had a White Christmas!

It starting snowing in Nashville late on Christmas Eve and continued to snow throughout the night. When I woke up on Christmas morning, the ground was covered the fluffy white stuff!

I enjoy the snow when I don't have to drive across the state in it. It's so much prettier when I'm in the house with a mug of hot chocolate in my hands.

I found out that Bristol's not a big fan of the snow. He went out and ran around a bit, but didn't roll or dig it up like BoJangles did. BoJangles would come in the house with snow all over his noes and whiskers. Not this little guy, we had to put a doggie shirt on him to keep him warm and his little paws kept slipping on the ground.

I hate packing...

I have an issue when it comes to packing for a trip. I can never decide what I want to take, so I pack in rounds. I pick out all the stuff I think I want to take and end up drafting my outfits.

Back in the day, this was quite the process. I'd start days in advance and be ready to go at least 24 hours before my departure time.

Now, it's a different story. I still don't always know what to take, but I end up throwing a bunch of random stuff in a bag and hope I have everything I need. I don't know when or how I got so lazy. It's kind of disturbing. I end up running around like a chicken with my head cut off and normally forget something.

I've got to work on this and get back to how I use to be. It would make for a much more stress free adventure.

Here, there & everywhere...

It's no secret, I like to travel. If this is news to you, we've either never met or you've been living under a rock. But anyhoo, I already know I need to be in NYC next year, so I started to think how I could fill my travel schedule.

Here's what I have so far, but I'm always open to suggestions/destinations:

January --> shocker, nothing "officially" planned

February --> Bon Jovi is playing NYC on my birthday, but I think I'm going to pass

March --> I'm giving up my Spring Bristol tickets for Kenny Chesney's Tampa concert

April --> Las Vegas #2

May --> quick trip to Nashville, a wedding in Chattanooga & maybe a trip to Baton Rouge for the Bayou Country Superfest

June --> Chicago & Wrigley Field (maybe...any takers) or maybe a beach trip?

July --> Las Vegas #2

August --> night race at Bristol Motor Speedway & maybe Charlotte

September - December --> college football & NYC wedding

That list doesn't seem as full as my 2010 schedule, but there are a few places I really would like to hit up:

Washington DC in the spring, I want to see the cherry blossoms & we have that $1 Megabus thing (kidding about the bus)

Chicago...I've never been there and one of my oldest and dearest friends has been living there since college. I think it's about time I paid him a visit.

Charlotte...I love that town and want to hit up the rest of the NASCAR race shops & the Hall of Fame.

Orlando...I really want to go back to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The City of Angels...need to visit the West Coast family

Korea...my dad wanted to take me there, but with all of its current issues I don't feel safe taking a trip over there and won't have enough vacation days. Maybe in 2012, before the Mayan calendar ends...

Any other suggestions?

"New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of..."

I have to be honest, I'm in an "Empire State of mind" after my friend Anne told me that she and Dave are engaged and plan to be married next fall/winter in New York City.

Not only am I excited for the both of them, but I'm super stoked they have asked me to be apart of their big day!

Once May 2011 rolls around, I'll have to switch into my "conserve PTO" mode. The things I'll do for my friends...

I found it...

...my Christmas spirit, that is. I've always loved giving gifts more than receiving them, hard to believe, I know. But for the second year in a row, Brad and I picked up Target gift cards for the ladies at Pete's Coffee Shop.

It may not seem like much, it's our little way to show our appreciation. For those that follow me on Twitter know that I'm at Pete's at least once a week...sometimes twice in a day. The servers are like an extended family.

My goal is to have a menu item named after me or to have a special created in my honor. I already know what I would request. I'd want them to create a broccoli cheese soup and chicken salad sandwich combo during the winter. For $5.95 that would be a fantastic deal.

But I have a feeling it's going to take a few more lunches before that will ever happen. Or maybe I should just bring a Sharpie and start editing the menu!

I think I've lost my Christmas spirit...

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday season, but for some reason, I can't seem to get into it this year. It's hard to believe Christmas Day is a mere 6 days away.

Maybe it's because I don't get the two week break like I did when I was in school. Or maybe it's because I buy stuff all year long, so there's little to no anticipation when it's time to open gifts?

The older I get, the more it becomes about family and less about the material things. I'm actually excited to spend the week at home with the folks and Bristol. Granted, my parents live a quick 3 hours away, but I don't get to see them as often as I would like.

I just have to get through a 4.5 day work week, then it will be time to enjoy my final vacation of 2010.

Choices...

Life is full of choices. Sometimes they are easy, other times they're a bit more complex. Sometimes the choices we make will affect someone we may never know.

Sometimes we choose to go against our better judgement. Sometimes we choose to listen to our gut instinct. Sometimes we choose to follow our heart, instead of our head.

Sometimes we take the easy way out. Sometimes we wish we took that risk.

Sometimes you have to take a step back, before you can take two steps forward.

What's life without a difficult choice?

Thanks Boss Man!!

Every year at Christmas, my VP will get all of the Team Leaders together for a little gift exchange. There's about 50 of us and the gifts range from the not so good, to freaking outstanding!

We had our gift exchange today. They had Olive Garden & cupcakes brought in. Yes, I got a red velvet cupcake. They're my favorite!!

It's hard to have a strategy when other members of your department are not there. We all draw #'s and pick a gift once your # is called. But, if you get a "good" gift, it can be stolen. A gift can be "stolen" three times before it's frozen.

The department managers normally take one for the team and save one of their people. But my DM was suck at home due to the icy roads. So, I had to go it alone.

Let me start with the gift I did not get, a beautiful new Coach purse. If I had to guess, I'd put the retail value around $250. But that gift was "safe" by the time my # was drawn.

I always feel bad when I steal from other people, but last year, no one cared when they took 2 different iPods from me. So this year, I went for the steal and picked the wii. Too bad I only owned it for 2 minutes.

There was nothing out there worth stealing, so I opted to open another gift. Bummer, I got a Christmas DVD. Then, a while later one of the other DM's stepped up to save me, but there was still nothing to steal, so I tried to pick the package that would contain an iPod. Again, I didn't find it, but actually ended up with a gift I liked.

Everyone else probably thought it was silly, but the first thing I thought of was, "ooooh....I can use this at the Music City Bowl!" I got mini cashmere warmers from Restoration Hardware.

I've come to realize I suck when it comes to picking good gifts, but I'm thankful my company even gives us the opportunity to exchange gifts.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the better gifts:

Coach purse
wii
xbox 360
iPad
iPod touch
iPod classic
$100 gft card
$50 gift card
$50 Best Buy gift card
Salon Visage spa day
Kitchen Aid standing mixer
$300 grill
GPS

And some of the not so good one's:

garden gnome
jelly of the month
random lotion & body wash
snail lawn ornament (it was broken before the exchange was over)
dog toys
random hoodie
blanket (not even a snuggie)
Beast, from Beauty & the Beast doll

They're here...

The tickets for the Music City Bowl arrived today!

I'm not sure why I decided to order tickets for a bowl game in my hometown at the end of December?! Maybe I was going through college football withdrawl. I could have stayed at home and kept warm with Bristol Peyton and a mug of hot chocolate. But no, I had to be an idiot and want to join in the fun with over 70K of my fellow Vol fans.

Wonder if the Doolander will be wearing a hat that night? Or will he keep that hair picture perfect?

I've changed my mind....for now...

I have no desire to travel to the South Pole to hug a penguin. I feel like I'm already there.

It was interesting to see what Key West hit a record low of, gasp, 50 degrees...earlier in the week. I started to think about being there in July...when it seemed hotter than the surface of the sun. That warmed me up pretty good.

The older I get, the more my tropical core resists the cold. I also hate that winter dries out my skin. Plus, my summer clothes are much more comfortable than my bulky winter clothes.

But there's an upside to winter...the hot chocolate tastes so much better. Especially with big, fat, fluffy marshmallows.

Times, they are a-changing...

Ever have those times when you feel like a horrible friend? Feel bad if you haven't talked, e-mailed, texted or otherwise communicated with said friends in a while?

I have those moments too. I always think, "I'll call so and so later" or "I'll e-mail them tomorrow". But then I got to thinking, what if that later or tomorrow never comes? Then how bad would I feel?

I know we all lead different lives, with different responsibilities, but the bottom line is, we share a friendship. I do my best to keep in touch with those I care about, but sometimes time zones can be a real pain in the tush. I've got to make it a point to be better about things like that.

Sometimes I wish all my friends lived in the same town, so I could see them more often. But on the flip side, since they live all over the country, it gives me another excuse to travel!

I've also started to notice that some close friendships are not so close anymore. I'm not really sure why, I guess it's just one of those things that happens. Or it could all be in my head.

The things I do for football...

Thanks to Nick, I finally made it to an NFL game. It was only 33 degrees or so at kick-off, but does it really matter when Peyton Manning and the Colts are involved?

We started our adventure at Margaritaville: Nashville. Sadly Jimmy Buffett did not make another surprise appearance, but it was a really cool place. I've dined in 3 other Margaritaville's and they're all a little different, but I can see this one being a success. There are several different bar areas and each has its own personality. I will have to do a little more research there when I come back home for Christmas.

I will say this, having two margarita's before kick-off helped keep the chill off.

The one thing I don't like about LP Field is its location. It's in kind of weird spot. Anytime I've ever attended an event there, I always park on the downtown side and walk across the bridge. Now it's never been a problem in the summer, but add the walk, the wind and the 2-3 layers of clothing to the mix...I thought I was going to pass out!!

Now I know those TSA scanners and full body pat downs have been in the news recently, but since I was going to a football game & not getting on a airplane, I thought I'd be OK. Boy, was I wrong. I had my bag searched before I went into the stadium, but that's normal. What's not normal was the full body pat down I got before I went in. Um, talk about weird. I've NEVER been searched like that before any kind of sporting event.

A word to any that are coming to the Music City Bowl at the end of this month. I suggest you not put anything in your socks or boots, either. Just saying...

But anyways, back to the matter at hand. The Colts were in town to face the Titans. Both teams are not playing their best football, but the Colts played well enough to win. There were a fair amount of Colts fans in the stadium. I was surrounded by them, so I was happy, but of course Nick had to be difficult and put that stupid Titans cap on after I begged him to not to.

Watching Peyton & the Colts live is something to see. He's always moving, always changing the plays and that kid can still throw. I honestly believe Reggie Wayne can catch just about anything thrown his way. And Pierre Garcon is fun to watch too.

Oh, I almost forgot...I don't know if they have a different person at every game, but the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair was at the game too. I think he raised the "12th" man flag or something like that before kick-off. They kept showing him on the jumbotron and the whole stadium started "wooing". It was pretty hilarious. I wondered if Wells would "woo" in a situation like that?

And Little Jimmy Dickens' was there too. He was celebrating his 90th birthday! 90, imagine what he's seen in those years. And imagine what we'll see if we live just as long?

After being in downtown Nashville for a bit, I started to miss it. I need to make more of a point to come back home and visit old friends. Maybe that will be one of my "New Year's Resolutions".

Manning doing what he does best, leading a scoring drive

It's been too long...

...since I've had the chance to see Peyton Manning play live! Granted the Colts and Peyton aren't having their best season, but I don't care. I've never been to an NFL game and I always tell myself that when Peyton comes to town, I need to go. But something always comes up and I don't ever try to get tickets.

This time, Nick was nice enough to wrangle some tickets for us. It's suppose to be freezing tomorrow night, but I'll brave the elements. My mom told me she picked up some foot & hand warmers. As long as my feet are warm, I'll be good to go.

I'm pretty sure I'll look like the Staypuff Marshamallow Man, but it'll be a lot of fun! Kick-off is set for 7PM CST. You should look for me on TV. I'll be in the upper deck, in my hot pink jacket with my Colts blanket...not a "snuggie", just a regular fleece blanket.

I wonder if I could smuggle some hot chocolate into the stadium?

Three for Three

Whew, I think I kept Tickemaster in business for another year! Over the last 3 days, I've purchased tickets for 3 events: the Music City Bowl, Kenny Chesney & NKOTBSB.

I ordered the "cheapest" tickets for each event, but it still cost a pretty penny. What annoys me the most is all of the silly extra surcharges and fees. For example, the base ticket price for 1 Music City Bowl ticket was ONLY $15.00. Yes, that was $15.00, but I had to pay $11.00 per ticket in fees. What kind of sense does that make?

The other thing that annoyed me was the fact I didn't have the "pick-up at will call" option. I always freak out when tickets have to me mailed, so I like to get them at the venue. It sucks not to have that option. But then again, maybe it was there and I didn't see it because I didn't want to pay someone to 'hold' my ticket.

In the end, it's all my fault. I didn't have to order these tickets, but I wanted to attend the events, so I guess I should just suck it up and deal with it. But no one said I have to like it.

Goin' Coastal in 2011

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief...I picked up my tickets for Kenny Chesney's  March 19th show at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

I was pretty stressed out since I had already booked a plane ticket & hotel room. I could always cancel the hotel, but I would have been stuck with the plane ticket. Last time I went to Vegas, I bought the concert ticket first, then lucked out in finding a rather cheap flight.

After I saw a Keg in the Closet show, February 2006, I vowed I never had to see him again. I didn't want to ruin the memories. Little did I know, that was only the start of my "Kenny Journey". I saw him later that summer at LP Field in Nashville, saw him there again in 2008, flew down to Florida with the girls to see him in Tampa in 2009 and then there was his once in a lifetime performance at the Joint at the Hard Rock this past May.

Granted, I wish I didn't have to leave the state to see him, but once heard the Zac Brown Band was playing at all of the stadium shows, it was a no-brainer.

From what I hear, this Goin' Coastal is suppose to be one of his larger tours, but he's yet to announce a full schedule. I hope he comes back and plays a few more shows a little closer to home.

You hear that Kenny? You need to get back to where you came from!!

Music City Bowl

Thanks to the Vols winning their last 4 games of the season, they found a way to the Music City Bowl. After the Vols beat Kentucky for the 26th straight time over Thanksgiving, I told my parents I'd take them to the bowl game, if we were selected.

There had been some talk about the Vols playing Michigan in the Gator Bowl down in Jacksonville, FL on New Years Day. I would have been happy with that selection. It would have been a bigger payout, would have been a bigger "deal" for the team and would have helped us with recruiting.

But Nashville has it's advantages too. LP Field will be packed with orange and we'd be boosting the local economy. But above all, we should be the only bowl game on TV that night. Football fans across the country will be tuning in...what better way to market our University, our city and our state?!

I can't wait to see the rest of Vol Nation in Nashville!!

One day...

...I'd like to be able to wear this tank and mean it! Hoping this day comes sooner, rather than later.

I like the stability Coach Dooley has brought to Rocky Top. I feel like our fUTure's going to be bright...I might need new shades.

Stop the maddness

I think I have a shopping addiction. Maybe the term 'addiction' is too strong, but I like to buy stuff. Now, I never put myself into debt or anything like that, but shopping makes me happy. If I see something I want and I can afford it, I'll buy it.

I have a thing for shoes & purses, but lately I've been on a new clothes spree. Maybe it's because I haven't bought winter "work" clothes in about 2 years. I guess I should be happy I still wear the same size I did 2 years ago, but I'm running out of room to put everything.

Then come the laundry issue. Those that know me, know my hatred for all things laundry related. I'm looking at my laundry basket as I type and the bloody thing is about to bust at the seams!

If you hear or see me talking about buying stuff for myself, please slap some sense into me. Thanks!!

"All you people can't you see, can't you see...NKOTBSB"

Tickets go on sale in less than a week. I don't think I can wait that long. They're like the Voltron on boy bands...and I think they're fantastic!!

Burrr...

Not a big fan of winter. I'll take the sun & the sand any day!! I'm thinking I need to jet away to some place sunny & warm....who's with me?

The only thing I'm happy about is, my new pink coat! Yes, I like pink. Hot pink to be exact, but if you see me in my pink shoes and pink jacket, please don't tell me they match. Duh! Why do you think I bought the jacket?