i love marshall ramsey

As usual, Clarion-Ledger editorial cartoonist Marshall Ramsey hit the nail on the head this morning with his cartoon. But, let's face it - he had a lot of material to work with.


I wonder if he'd prefer a different title. I think "Illustrator in Chief" has a nice ring to it.

they stole the clocks; we stole the game

Sometimes it feels great to be wrong. Like when you go to buy something, ready to pay full price, only to find that it's on sale. Or when you think you've lost something forever and find it at the bottom of your closet. Or when you've given up all hope of winning a heated rivalry football match-up, and you find yourself sadly (or elatedly) mistaken.

Kell assured me (and anyone else who would listen) that State would win the always-tumultuous Egg Bowl, but I wish I could say I held complete faith in the Bulldogs the entire game. In fact, we toughed out three grueling quarters of the Rebel-led contest only to wander out to a friend’s tailgate to finish watching the game on a tiny TV complete with rabbit ear reception. I don’t understand the infamous, questionable 4th quarter call that created the perfect storm, I probably never will, and it really doesn’t matter. When the tides began to turn the way of the Dawg, we ran back into the stadium and squeezed our way into some empty space near the goal line. The next thing I know, the game is tied, there’s 18 seconds left in the game, and I’ve completely forgotten how cold I am. Adam Carlson, who has to be dying for some last-second field goal redemption, places a kick that seemed to just inch through the air in slow motion, and the eyes of all 51,727 attendees were glued to the pigskin as it sailed right down the middle of the uprights. Even watching the replay of the game today, I still don't believe it.

Burly security guards stood between the fans and their desire to celebrate with the team on Scott Field, and game operations had the goal posts down before anyone could think about it. It’s just as well since I’m sure I would have gotten trampled and left by my husband, who was almost comatose with excitement. Maroon-wearers everywhere seemed to be in a state of euphoria mixed with shock, and I think I heard “Can you believe that game?” over 100 times between then and right now. It took seeing the Starkville Daily News front page and reading articles on the internet for it to really sink in. Pretty silly emotions for just a game, right? Maybe. But not silly to Coach Croom, his staff or his players. And not silly to the thousands of Bulldogs that are still pinching themselves. Hey, good thing Ole Miss isn’t able to get fired up to play in Starkville. If they had been, that loss might have been painful.

On another, but equally exciting, note, The Twins are 1 year old today! Exactly 365 days ago, the world became a wilder, albeit cuter, place. O and C enjoyed a cake/sandwich of wheat bread, turkey and peanut butter decoration. They were careful not to mess up their maroon and white. Happy Birthday, Olive and Charlie!

let us give thanks

It's November, and Thanksgiving is on its way. I'm still in Canada, and it's alone time like this that conjures up warm and fuzzy feelings about home. God has been so good to my family and me, and I could go on for days about all the gifts He's given us. With all the hype, uber-commercialism and all-around craziness of Christmas, my favorite holiday is often overlooked. It's easy to get consumed with purchasing gifts for family and friends and forget about things that we already have that we're thankful for. But, here are just a few things (in absolutely no particular order), both intangible and material, that I'm grateful I’ve been given:

God’s unconditional love
a loving husband
bad/sweet puppies
being an American
DVR, the poor man's TiVo
Cupcakes
Hand sanitizer
Mississippi State
good friends, old and new
hair on my head
Old Navy
XM Radio
supportive parents
a fun sister
health
great work friends
Clorox wipes
digital cameras
wise and wonderful grandparents
the CHI
Weight Watchers
great in-laws
blue jeans
Emily Post's Etiquette
freedom
naps
iTunes
laughter (courtesy of The Office among other things)

What are YOU thankful for?

dawg day afternoon

Go freaking Bulldogs! Well, it's finally happened. State is bowl-eligible. And it couldn't have happened to a better team. Ok, it could, but I'll play the cards I'm dealt. I can only hope that there aren't men and women all over Bulldog Country dropping dead of excitement. I'm sitting in my hotel room in Ottawa, Ontario, devastated to have missed the most important game at Davis Wade Stadium/Scott Field since 2000. But, it doesn't matter. Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide failed to roll over State today in Starkville. I hope he crossed the MS/AL state line still scratching his head about how Coach Croom defeated his own alma mater yet again.


Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, Go to h*** ALABAMA! (can I say that? my apologies...I'm just excited)

promote the vote

It's Election Day! Finally, all the roadside signage, all the TV and radio ads and all the bumper stickers put in a hard day's work and either prove to be worth their weight in victory or are worthless.

As Americans, we should take every opportunity to speak through the electronic voting machines (with thanks to Kell and his staff) by selecting the candidates who will best serve our great state. That's not to say that the best man wins each time, but this is what a democracy is all about. It's what the extraordinary men and women of our military are giving their lives for in Iraq. It's about being able to speak your mind in print, on the air, across the internet and over the radio waves. It's about sending your kids to whichever school you choose. It's about worshipping in your church, or choosing not to. And it's something so many of us take for granted. So, get out there and VOTE today! Kell would be proud.