Chapter Three – Tuscaloosa Bound

Another 30 before 30 accomplished!  Kyle and I went to Tuscaloosa for the Homecoming Game Weekend and for once, during football season in Tuscaloosa, post-graduation we went inside Bryant Denny for the game.  Normally: we are in Tuscaloosa and just watch the game at a bar with friends.

The trip to Tuscaloosa took pretty much forever and a day due to construction traffic so when we arrived in town, we were exhausted and just wanted major catch up time with my bestie Heather and her momma. Plus – kickoff was at like 10:00 AM or something crazy like that so Friday night was super low key. 

Saturday we got up – ate breakfast at her condo’s clubhouse and went to the sorority house for more breakfast.  Don’t ask. Heather’s little sister’s boyfriend needed to eat and of course my growing husband chowed down on more fun.  Then after a little stroll through the Quad and the required photos in front of Denny Chimes and the Stadium we found our seats. 

The game was boring – we were those fans that Nick Saban is currently complaining about.  It was hot.  It was a blowout.  We wanted Yellowhammers from Gallettes.  We had eaten the required  Denny Dog {hot dog} … so we left right at the beginning of the 3rd quarter.  Bad Alabama Fans – BAD!

But Saturday was less than crazy too.  After a long day in the sun and being up super early after a late arrival Saturday night we were in Heather’s condo – in front of the TV by like 10:30 PM. 

But we were there really to see Heather, her mom, and just to have a little bit of non-crazy, get Kyle in the stadium fun.  I do remember the stadium being WAY more fun and loud as a student – maybe it was the less than exciting game we attended – maybe it is the lame, spoiled student section that didn’t have to live through the Shula days.  Kyle agreed it was “pretty” but then just called it a “stadium”.

We will be back and if you’re reading this Heather – we require a better football game!!!

{three things Thursday}

i was walking down my blog memory lane earlier this week and discovered an oldie, but a goodie! Do you remember {three things Thursday} and how i did it every stinking week? Well. I am brining it back this week.

{one} In 7 days, I will be in sunny Florida with my mom and dad. And, I have nothing planned but to read and maybe run and lay by the pool. I do need to finish the AWFUL book I have been reading for what seems like months now, but i cannot seem to pick it up and just read. but i am someone who finishes EVERY book I start. I want a real, true beach read and I have a zillion on my bookshelf to read!

{two} Despite going to Nordstrom on Monday and using a Visa gift card to buy a new pair of black Tory Burch Revas {they were basically free/paid for by my company thanks to credit card points}, I also bought a pair of tan ones on Tuesday thanks to that amazing ShopBop sale.  My obsession with all things Tory is a little out of control, but I do not care . And I spent all day yesterday telling kyle “shopbop.com. Tory Burch. 20% off. we are family. Christmas.” ...doubt he got the hint {fingers crossed he did}! Did any of y’all cash in on that Tory sale!?!

{three} i am currently in a torn state. I had planned on heading to Tuscaloosa for the Western Carolina game with my friend Afton and to stay with my friend heather. There is 50% of me that wants to go. it will be fun. a girls weekend. we all need one of those. and then 50% of me wants to stay in town/knows i need to stay in town and house hunt with the husband since our weekend looking time will be limited due to being in VA for Thanksgiving & Christmas. if you were in my shoes... what would you do?! Part of me says push it back till January. Find a house and THEN head to Tuscaloosa for a girls weekend. what would you do?!

1 more work day to the weekend. i think we can make it! And... for all my Tennessee friends – remember this?! Mt. Cody and the blocked field goal for the WIN! Cannot wait for this weekend’s game! Roll Tide!!

our tuscaloosa trip

It has taken me a few days to put this together and to wrap my head around our weekend in Tuscaloosa. I brought my camera with me because I wanted to get pictures for this post, but then I thought to myself this is not a tourist attraction. pictures don’t need to be taken, there is work to be done. and trust me when I say, the pictures do not do it justice.  and if you watch the news, you have seen what tuscaloosa looks like right now.

The 1st time I saw 15th Street I was speechless. It took everything in me to not cry. I know there were business and restaurants there, but what they were, I cannot tell you.  Forest Lake … there is really a lake back there, I always thought it was a little pond.  But no, it is a full big lake.  For miles all you see are houses were just flattened and what houses were still standing are covered in tarps. There are houses and buildings that have the katrina markings to notify of body counts.  As you drive into Downtown you can see kids playing in the fountain, but not even 400 feet away is a big FEMA setup. Flags all over town are still flying at half mast. And I swear, if you never watched the news and drove certain parts of that town you would never know a massive tornado had hit that town a month ago.  Devastation is the only word I can use to describe what we saw as we drove down 15th street. I was telling Kyle how you’re not supposed to see certain landmarks from certain parts of the city, but now you can. I saw things that I never thought I would see and it was all in a town that I love.

And Saturday and Sunday for the 1st time in the longest time I was without my phone.  I felt that I needed to 100% be focused on helping out and updating my facebook or twitter page could be and should be saved for after I was in the hotel, showered, and done for the day.  And it was amazing to not see 1 phone out the whole time we were working.  I guess America really can disconnect from their phones when it matters.

Saturday: Kyle and I got up REALLY early.  6:30 AM early and were at the Animal Shelter by 8:00 AM.  I secretly was hoping to be able to walk the dogs and give the dogs baths and be able to love on them – but when we got there we were asked if we liked cats and were told we would help with the cats area. I am not a cat person at all, but we nodded and said we were there to do whatever.  They ended up getting distracted by our donations and once my car was unloaded we ended up working in the garage cleaning out cages and moving animals.  I immediately found 4 dogs I wanted and got teary but made myself not cry and got and dirty cleaning out cages.  The worst was when we were told to sort and stack bowls since we were surrounded by super sad looking dogs.  I made the BIG mistake when I decided I wanted to walk the shelter floor.  There were so many beautiful dogs that so badly just want to find their families or go to a new home.  Their eyes and their tail wags killed me and I lost it.  *here come the tears thinking out it*  I just wondered about them and who they belonged to.  If I ever lost Mulligan in a tornado or anything, I would be at the shelter everyday looking for him.  I saw 2 people leave with their dogs that day and it made me so happy, but I also saw 2 people come in looking for their dog and their dog not be there and the sadness and defeat in their face as they walked out of the shelter killed me and I had to fight back the tears (not doing a good job of holding them back now). We also saw someone bring a dog into the shelter which was sad too.  And when I overheard the director talking about potentially having to euthanize some of the dogs due to over crowding it took everything in me not to cry.  A dog is so innocent and so full of love, and over crowding is such a sad reason for a dog to be put to sleep. Please. If you’re ever in the market for a dog, rescue one.  There are so many amazing dogs that need good homes and to be taken out of shelters.  And I really believe a dog knows when you save them.

Sunday: We headed to the big Tuscaloosa Emergency Services donation warehouse around 10:00 AM to haul and sort donations.  We got there and learned that they didn’t open till 1 normally on Sundays because of church but they did not want to turn away volunteers since they needed help and they put Kyle, me, and this other guy Blake right to work.  And they had us sweating quick as we sorted foods into categories. We did pretty much everything from sorting food to hauling donations to various sides of the warehouse.  It was unbelievable how many donations had been brought on and what was brought it.  I think it is wonderful that people felt compelled to donate their belongings, but I wish people would think about what they were donating.  This is not an opportunity for you to ditch your junk.  We sorted empty tins, single crushed pop tarts, left over christmas candy, bar soap that was SO old that it was crumbling, cleaning supplies, paper products, clothes (and there are A LOT of clothes), diapers.  But I know we should not judge those who donated and what they donated – at least they felt the urge to do something.  Around 1 the big organized groups showed up and Kyle and I felt like we were more in the way than helping, so we chose to leave and get back on the road to Atlanta.  But in those 4 hours we worked and worked hard.  I do not know where the donations go from there – we were only sorting and boxing them up – but I can tell you they have A LOT but still need A LOT of the essentials like food and toiletries.

I would say my only complaint about this weekend was the attitude of some people. 95% of the people were grateful we were there and wanting to dive in head first.  But there was that 5% that made my wonder if I was hearing them right. On Saturday when we were picking up our credentials so we could volunteer the Samaritan’s Purse people had a nasty attitude that we weren’t helping that day but the next day and wanted to start at 10:00 rather than 1:00.  With a tone in their voice we were told “we could not start working till 1 because of church”.   And then in the warehouse on Saturday the AmeriCorps people just threw attitude around  since “they had cleaned this place up a few days ago” and thought they were better than everyone else helping out.  To me: no one is better than anyone else.  We all were there because we wanted to HELP.

And I think I cried more writing this than I did when I was in Tuscaloosa. Oi. Probably because when I was there I was focused on working and helping and did not really give myself the chance to process what I was seeing. But it was a great weekend, I wish I lived closer because I would volunteer more. If there is one thing I know for certain it is: that town is going to be needing help for a LONG time, there is so much rebuilding to be done. And I hope the big groups of volunteers continue to pour into that town and that people don’t forget what happened there.  Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city. Roll Tide.

I saw this after the storm and it still is amazing to watch.

Three Things Thursday.

Three things. That's the introduction you get.

1. Kyle and I are headed to Tuscaloosa tomorrow to help with recovery efforts.  Saturday we're helping with the dogs and working in a donation center sorting donations.  Sunday, we're doing something and then heading back to Atlanta.  I hope I can keep my emotions in check.  I have a feeling it will be a long, hard weekend.  BUT on the brighter side, I cannot wait to eat at Mugshots and have dinner with Nicole (I have not seen her since her wedding in 2007! This is long overdue!) and introduce Kyle J to Bob Sykes BBQ!

2. The hotel for my bachelorette party has been booked and confirmed.  Savannah over St. Patrick's Day weekend it is.  And there will be tutus and glitter and good times. Just waiting on 4 people to flip to the "yeah I am there" or the "nope, can't make it" side to get the cost per person down but it will be a good time. And then the following weekend I get to get married! :o)  And... I feel like I am majorly behind on this wedding planning thing but I am really not, but the knot.com has an uncanny way of making you feel like you are behind.  But, I have learned that I have some wickedly amazing friends and I am SO grateful for all of them.  if anyone has any suggestions on good dinner places and things to do, let me know. i am not accepting any and all recommendations!

3. My birthday is on Tuesday and I feel like it has been forgotten about. Except Kyle has my present on our mantle {i really hope it is Glee for the Wii or the Zac Brown CD or both}.  I have not received any birthday cards yet in the mail.  Maybe this is karma for forgetting my mom's birthday.  whoops.  2012 I will be better at calendar management.  Which, speaking of 2012 ... where has 2011 gone?! 

200. have i really blogged 200 times.

so i have entertained you now with 200 blog posts and this little thing has evolved from 100% running to a bunch of nonsence mixed in with running. for the 200th post i am going to share in the same fashion as blog number 100.  SO thanks for following and supporting me and being awesome.

10 random things about me
1. for awhile there i was overly obsessed with cupcakes. i think i overdid it - they kinda have lost their luster to me. put one in front of me, yes, i will eat it ... but no longer will i go out of my way for a little cake.
2. i got engaged in july. yay. my ring has always been a little big. i really need to get it sized. it fits perfectly on my index finger... but it just looks funny when i wear it there. :o)
3. at some point i became boring and have learned that i like staying in on a weekend and realized that i love all things crate and barrell and love kitchen accessories. i am 26. i need to find my young side gain.
4. if i could, i would leave my christmas tree up 365 days a year.  ...but i REALLY need to get a christmas tree skirt!!
5. i am perfectly content sitting on my couch watching old episodes of TV shows. I love discovering shows that I had heard about but never really watched. Gilmore Girls for example... sucks me in.
6. i do not wear my engagement ring on the weekends unless i am going somewhere. i have no idea why i do this, but i do.
7. medieval times could be one of my most favorite places. it could be my disney world. not only did i get engaged there, but the whole production is just fun.
8. i have the oddest obsession with wrapping paper and i love wrapping presents. sometimes when i get bored, i reorganized my wrapping paper storage bin thing.
9. i always thought that my to do list book journal thing was something only i did.  i carry it everywhere with me and the list grows by the minute. then i learned my mom does the same thing. ....i guess you really do turn into your mother.
10. i often have to fight back urges to do cartwheels and forward rolls.


10 things I am looking forward to...
1. my wedding. march 24, 2012 :o)
2. registering for wedding presents, getting grown up things, and getting to donate all our cheap cups and stuff to goodwill
3. june 22 2011 - new kids on the block / backstreet boys concert.  the last new kids concert i went to was amazing ... add BSB, oh it is going to be SO much fun.
4. buying a house (not renting) with an awesome kitchen so i can buy so many awesome kitchen things with a good backyard for my demon dog.  {i have settled for now, on a cute rental house with both awesome and awkward qualities}
5. having babies! or baby ... depending on how painful the 1st one is!! but no kids till at least 2014!!
6. My bachelorette party in Savannah over St. Patrick's Day weekend. 
7. The holidays.  I love Thanksgiving and Christmas and the holiday season.
8. Finding a work life balance and the motivation to workout.
9. going home in july and being able to actually take a vacation.
10. my honeymoon. hopefully to costa rica.


10 thing i covet and want so badly... and what i want to do with it
1. a little more time in the day. i would hang out with kyle more, run more, read more, enjoy life just a little bit more.
2. a personal trainer, a chef, and a personal shopper so i can be utterly fabulous all the time.
3. a pair of alabama boot slippers. big gaudy and awful but so amazing at the same time. our floors are cold. my feet freeze.
4. awesomely amazing patio furniture for our screened in porch. i would love to sit out there and drink wine, listen to the rain, and read ... and to have dinner on the porch!
5. a new toyota 4runner or jeep grand cherokee. black please. 4 wheel drive is a must. to drive. duh.
6. a pair of burberry rainboots and i want to wear them to the office on jeans friday with skinny jeans when it rains. nothing screams professionalism like nova check rain boots. i die.
7. a $3000 treadmill. (which for the record, i will never ever own). these are super similar to the treadmills used at blast900 and i love the ease of the inclines and i LOVE how this one connects to real life trails.  (it was on sale for $2000 around the holidays...)
8. a pair of hunter rain boots (yes i want 2 pairs of rainboots) ... and i want to wear these to the office too on rainy days. but i cannot decide on a color.
9. season tickets to alabama football. this needs no explanation.
10. a vacation. to the mountains. where there is no cell service. so i can disappear and decompress.


10 things i am super thankful for
1. my super supportive and awesome family
2. kyle j. and his carefree personality
3. waking up every day. the sunrise and sunsets.
4. that my parents paid for my college education. i hear about people and their student loans all the time, i could not imagine having that sort of burden. i like that i am 26 and debt free.
5. our awesome neighbors, even though they are supporters of the university of auburn (as nick saban likes to call auburn).
6.  my crazy awesome friends and their raw honesty
7. that i understand the concept of a dollar and not living outside my means.
8. the company i work for, the people i work with, and that i love coming to work every day.
9. good runs and bad runs. long runs and short runs. hard workouts on bad days and easy workouts  ... each one is my moment to be alone and clear my head.
10. 5:00 PM on Friday.

10 pet peeves/things that irk me
1. people who create their own parking spots
2. vanity license plates (i once saw a plate that said "atthelake" and my thoughts were no sir, you are not on the lake, you're in rush hour traffic on peachtree)
3. speaker phone and people who take their calls on speaker phone
4. slow drivers in the left hand lane. slow drivers in general.
5. voicemails that are longer than 30 seconds
6. spam emails and eblast marketing emails... don't email me unless it is important.
7. inconsistency.
8. when the weather gets nice and then gets cold again and then it is nice and then it is cold. weather, make up your mind.
9. people who think they're entitled to anything and everything.
10. when people copy & paste other people's tweets for facebook statuses.  they think they're all funny and witty, but really they're lame and unfunny.  if see your status or tweet and think where have i seen that it does not make me laugh again, but go on a scavenger hunt to see where you stole it.  you plagerizer.


10 things i really really want to do
1. go to costa rica and zipline over the rain forest and hike next to the waterfalls.
2 ride in a hot air balloon
3. watching alabama win a national championship.... in person.
4. own a house with a great backyard and kitchen
5. swim with dolphins
6. know that i have touched just 1 person's life in a positive way
7. take a running tour of washington dc ... or any city for that matter.
8. volunteer with habitat for humanity
9. take more time for myself to do whatever. sleep in. read a book for hours. run.
10. be so good at the wii that i do not always lose to Kyle!!!

10 things i love
1. my little family and our little house on the hill.   ....and my big family in Virginia
2. websites like groupon and half depot. $15 for $30 worth of sushi. $35 for 2 rooms to be professionally steam cleaned. $7 to for 2 rounds of mini golf. don't mind if i do.
3. long dinners and happy hours with good friends
4. a good mind clearing, soul searching run.
5. my bridal party.
6. tuscaloosa on a game weekend. the excitement, the energy, all the ROLL TIDES and the food.
7. good quotes that make you think and make you write them down
8. random phone calls from friends i have not talked to in awhile and long phone conversations with good friends
9. my wedding dress.
10. when a guy opens my door.  it makes me think that chivalry is not dead.

and there you have it. i am now even more of an open book than i was before.

three things thursday - tornado edition.

i am gonna try my best to keep this 3 things thursday as short as they normally are, but i wanted it to have a theme.  it has been 8 days since the tornado ripped through my college town and though i can now watch the news or read stories without busting into tears, I feel it should not be forgotten about.  Yes, it was and is great news that Bin Laden was killed, but with the breaking of that story, the reports of Alabama and Georgia and Tennessee and the tornado have been pushed to the side.  And this is not a time to forget or move on.  There are still people missing, donations of money and supplies are still greatly needed, and the states still have broken hearts

One thing that has made me so so so proud to be an Alabama fan is that our love for Tuscaloosa does not stop at football and bear bryant and saturdays in the stadium, we have a LOVE for the University and the town.  Yeah, we may bring out 90,000 people for a spring football game but the out pouring of people wanting to support and rebuild that town has been and I think will continue to be amazing. 

1. this past saturday the atlanta alabama alumni association held a fundraising event at one of atlanta's "alabama bars".  For each Sam Adams beer that was sold 100% of the proceeds went to tuscaloosa and all the proceeds of merchandise sold went to t.town. {some random spectatur told me i needed to be in a marketing commercial}  And... $8500 was raised!! YEAH!  AND.... we filled 3 car loads and a U-Haul full of supplies, tarps, food, toiletry items and clothes!! Many thanks to the auburn and ole miss alums that came out!! We appreciate and thank you!!!
2.  i am so sad for not only the people who lost everything. but the pets.  every day i think about the scared animals who are wondering what happened to their home, their city, and their owners.  Every day I look at the lost puppies and cats that need to be reunited with their owners and it breaks my heart to see their sad eyes  But, can we please take this as a lesson.  Having a collar on your animal is not enough.  I do not care if your pet is an "indoor pet" ... it needs a collar with tags that can help the pet be reunited with the owner.  Yes, I know and understand that there is a chance the wind yanked the collar off, but please tag your dog!  And if you're going to spend the money to have your furbaby chipped, please keep that info up to date.  I have been telling Kyle that I am going to spray paint my phone number on Mulligan's back! I really hope the animals can be reunited with their families soon. 
3.  I am heading to tuscaloosa Memorial Day weekend to volunteer. I have been wanting to go back to that town for SO long and I feel this is a really good reason.  Kyle and I are going to dedicate the weekend to helping out with the pets, trying to get them back to the owners or fostered out until they can be reunited with their owners.  I hope I do not come back with another dog.  I feel like the least I can do is give back to the town that gave so much to me.  If you're in Atlanta and want to send donations (clothes, toiletry items, pet supplies) let me know.  I can and will deliver it for you!!!

I saw this article the other day and some people think the timing is not right but when I read it, I saw it as a journalist looking to cheer for a University and a town that has been through so much. 

....if you're wanting to help out the state of alabama you can of course donate to the red cross.  If you want to donate supplies or anything, let me know and I can get you linked up with a donation site.  Auburn has done an amazing job with Toomers for Tide and they have many donation sites set up in most states.  There is SO much hate between Alabama and Auburn I can only hope that between the trees and this the hatred dies down a bit.

another way to help tuscaloosa.

If you follow me on Twitter or know anything about me, you know I am an Alabama Grad and that I bleed crimson and white and I love everything about Alabama and that city!  Over the summer I showed you a running tour of my campus and favorite town.  As you know Tuscaloosa was rocked by a tornado yesterday and so many are looking for some way to help out.  I plan on heading to Tuscaloosa for Memorial Day to help with Habitat with Humanity or a soup kitchen.  I have been wanting to get back to Tuscaloosa and this is a perfect reason to get back - thought it is a sad reason.

In the mean time I have bought a shirt to benefit Tuscaloosa.  Want to help too?! You can spend $12 (well $16.50) with tax and buy a shirt.  You can do so HERE and they come in Mens S,M,L, and XL!

three things thursday.

we have almost survived another week. hope it has been a good one thus far!

1. yesterday morning we oddly lost power. i was getting ready to leave for work and then BOOM and all the power went out.  My first thought was, oh well i am glad i have my make up on already. and then I thought, oh crap, my car is in the garage and i cannot call my boss to tell him that i will be late since my car is stuck in the garage.  I knew I had to pull the red thing from the ceiling, but I didn't know I had to lift the door too.  After pulling and pulling I quit and called Kyle.  Who then turned his car around, came back to the house (with his coworker in the car) and came home to rescue me and my car.  Oh my knight in shining armour.  :o)

2. I have cried over Tuscaloosa two times in my life. First, when I left that amazing city after graduation and then again yesterday. Tuscaloosa was hit really hard by a tornado yesterday - the mayor described the damage as "catastrophic" {see picture to the right and that is just a TASTE} my friend's little sister has a friend who died in the storm and i have a friend who lost his house and 15th Street is just pretty much gone. it is so hard to look at pictures and watch videos of all the destruction and all the people who have lost so much. Tuscaloosa means the world to me, it holds a huge part of my heart and all my memories bring nothing but joy. it was 3 or so of the best years of my life to date and it breaks my heart to see a place i love damaged and destroyed. it breaks my heart more to hear that the firemen say they will be discovering bodies for awhile and it hurts my heart to know that they're spray painting body counts on the houses. i cannot even begin to imagine what families are going through and how parents are holding up - I know my parents would have been freaking out from 600+ miles away. all my friends have to say was "it is really bad" and that "it was terrifying" ... college is supposed to be a happy and fun time full of amazing memories and good memories - it breaks my heart to know that there are so many students who are displaced and no longer have a place to call their home away from home. it makes me want to head there some weekend and just help. do something. anything. the campus and the stadium were missed but so many awesome businesses and homes were flattened. thankfully, everyone i know that is still in Tuscaloosa are accounted for and okay and the auburn community is amazing for setting up "Toomers for Tuscaloosa".  my thoughts and prayers are with everyone there. forever i love alabama.  if you want to help out .... you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10

3. My life is about to get REALLY busy at work. I am participating in my 1st training class as a teacher next week and then we have to dive right into planning another one that is in June ... and on top of it all I am in the process of selecting a new background screening company and then have to have it all rolled out and implemented by June 1 ... and we may possibly be switching software companies so there are meetings on top of meetings about that and if we do switch that will start the traveling (probably) to train.  Needless to say, I am pretty happy that I bowed out of Ragnar, I don't think I could have done it.  But I LOVE my new job and am SO happy that I chose to take this role over the one the other company had offered me.  I am busy but a good busy, a different busy than before.

Take some time to hug your family. So thankful the weekend is coming up.  What are you doing? Anything fun? 

tuscaloosa, i love you.

if you know me, you know i love the university of alabama and tuscaloosa and pretty much anything associated to those two. crimson and white, bryant denny, paul bear bryant (“I ain’t never been nothing but a winner”), denny chimes, tuscaloosa, the houndstooth, tailgating on the quad, our fight song (we’re dixie’s football pride, crimson tide), the beautiful campus, rammer jammer, the restaurants, bear bryant, roll tide, the million dollar band, and well alabama.  I graduated in December 2006 and 4 years ago this month I was wrapping up my last semester at Alabama and enjoying my last football season.

my old college roommate got married yesterday and I of course wanted to celebrate her becoming Ms. Johns (and finally meet the infamous Mike) and it was a great reason to get back to the town that I do not go  back to often enough.  The wedding was beautiful, the bride was gorgeous, it was great to see so many familiar faces and catch up.  I am so so so happy to see my Stacey Faith with a great guy and so happy!  Other than seeing my old roommate and friends who I miss dearly, I had a few things on the agenda…

1. run around the campus, downtown, and my old neighborhood. tuscaloosa will always hold a special place in my heart and i wanted to see it by foot.  (ran part of campus and my old neighborhood and no dowtown}
2. i HAD to chow down at as many of my restaurants as possible.  {I ended up eating at mugshots – still great and Newks – um not as great as I remember. I wanted Pita Pit, but I was out of town before they even opened.}
3. pick up kyle a new alabama polo shirt since his is 2 years old and had a hole in it. {I ended up getting kyle a polo, mulligan a toy, and me a garter for my wedding!}

i decided to make my run fun and low key and decided to run the city and take pictures of my favorite spots, places I lived, and old stomping grounds and share them with you.  I really do love Tuscaloosa and wish I could get back there more than I do.  One day I will be a season ticket holder – I promise you that!!

 Total miles run around T.Town: 2.03 honestly, I was hoping for more, but I woke up late and needed to get back to  Atlanta so I just ran the quad, by the stadium and my old house on 13th street.  I was amazed how hot that city was (at 9 AM) and even thought there was a huge tinge of jealousy since everyone was moving into the dorms & their houses off campus as I ran, I remembered just how brutal it was walking to class in the late summer and early fall.  Campus was still pretty dead so I pretty much had the quad to myself, which was change from when I was in school.

My run was super easy and slow – just the  way I had planned it to be since I wanted to take pictures.  I parked next to our massive stadium and headed off campus towards my old neighborhood, took a picture of the house I lived in, and then headed back to the quad.  Cut through Sorority Row and landed on University Blvd. I had all the intentions in the world to run down to New Fraternity Row, loop around but when I drove by it yesterday it looked as if a lot of the roads were blocked off due to new construction on Frat houses (wait, PIKE has a new house?! since when?! and what is going up next to SigEp??)  So, I cut that out of my run and I also cut out the run up to Temerson Square – I am sure 4th and 23rd is still there along with new bars.  I know I already said it but it was crazy to see how much had changed.

It was the first time I had been in Tuscaloosa and did not go out to the bars (which was a very different feel) but it made it easy for me to wake up, run, and drive home.  The campus was SO different, frat houses got bigger and prettier, the stadium grew larger, new dorms went up, roads were created, restaurants and bars changed names and locations.  I guess that’s what happens 4 years post graduation.

I do want to get back there for some football games.  Kyle has been to Tuscaloosa and did the bar hopping thing, yet he has never be INSIDE Bryant Denny and well, if you’re gonna be an Alabama fan you go to experience the stadium on a game day!  

27 DAYS TILL KICKOFF!!!