Number 22

I skipped the gym Saturday morning, but got up at dawn to make the drive to Knox to wish my baby boy a happy birthday. 

I got this great picture. 

And this one. 

I’m sick. The photographer is dead to me because of this. 

If you had told me in 2004 in Germany that I’d one day celebrate Evan’s 22nd birthday at a tailgate for a SEC school, I’d believe you. At the age of two, his favorite movie was “Rudy.” He got into a three point stance before he could talk. And I can’t tell you how many times I had to pull him off of the AMHS football field on Saturdays during a game. He wanted to be on that field with those teens, my students, so badly. So it is appropriate we celebrated turning 22 on a game weekend outside of Neyland. 

Happiest of birthdays to my boy! 

Winning Season

They did it! After coming back from behind a goal, they rallied to secure the 4-2 win. This marks the best reserve team record in school’s history. 

Good stuff! 💜⚽️🎉

Crafting

We are back at it. After a hiatus from crafting, today my co-workers turned besties and I made a reversible holiday sign. 

We painted, stained, and glued so one side represents Halloween and the other Christmas. 

This one turned out so well that I have no intentions of throwing it away or donating it. 

Smoke ‘em If You Got ‘em

What a day! Keagan met Evan in Knox for the Alabama game. The morning after the third Saturday in October 2022 Evan woke up clutching an AL lineman’s knee brace. Today that knee brace sits proudly on display in the AGR house. I think the guys might have prayed over it this morning hoping God was a Vol fan.  

Evan stormed the field again this year but no memorabilia was taken.

Wes said this pic is worth the ticket price. I donated plasma this week to help pay for it.

This pic might have to be framed; the celebratory cigar smoke can be seen from across the river. 

Everybody else is wearing jackets and sweatshirts. Evan is half naked. That beer and stress must have kept him warm. 

Meanwhile, after the game I was in Nash for a Postie concert. What a show! He’s so odd in a completely good way; you can’t help but be swept into his performance. He took his camo crocs off after the third song and performed barefoot for 90 minutes. Then he proceeded to smoke a pack while singing. The shoes sat neatly together next to the mic until he left stage. 

The three of us have seen some great shows, but our calendar is empty until next spring. 

His special guest was Blake Shelton who literally stood in one place smiling at Post the entire song. He was clearly feeling the same as the rest of us.

Fireworks were all around Tennessee last night. 

Theatre

We have weekends free. We are not married to soccer tournaments on Saturday or have to attend Church of the Soccer Parent on Sundays. On a whim, I decided last spring to buy season tickets to the theatre and then crossed my fingers we wouldn’t miss any big football games. That didn’t go exactly as planned because our first ticketed show was this weekend during the UTK game.

But that was okay since the game was difficult to watch. The musical was everything I wanted when I hit pay back in May. I feel like I have to see this on Broadway, though. I need to see the choreography with dancers instead of singers who dance. I mean I have the time. Why not book a weekend in NYC to see a line up of musicals? 

Northern Lights

I downloaded an app for Northern Lights last June when we were in Canada on the off chance there would be solar activity. There wasn’t, but I have dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights for years. My phone app sent me an alert Wednesday night just as I was about to doze off that alerted me to the 1% chance I had to see the lights in my back yard. I debated skipping it because I was looking forward to my bed since last Friday night, and the last time I got this alert, I saw nothing. But I forced myself up anyway just in case (I’d hate myself if they were indeed visible and missed it) and caught this. 

Who needs Iceland? 

I joke. I do, because I need to see the green lights too. 

Collegiate Goal

What a night! I’m sleepy. My bed has been so tempting all day after a long weekend and little sleep, but I wouldn’t miss this for anything! Keagan’s first collegiate goal!!!!

After going down a goal in the first half of tonight’s game against Covenant, we were awarded a PK. Keagan motioned to the coach he wanted to take it, and the coach said, “If you are that confident, Keagan, then go ahead. You take it!”

Center backs never score. They never take PKs either. But never say never to Keagan. He tied up the game with his beautiful goal. 

In the last ten minutes, we scored again on a beautiful upper 90 goal. The team is 3-0.

4:15 will hurt tomorrow, but I can sleep this weekend.