I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Jackson and Tyson sure did!
(more to come on that later.)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
letting go
2009 is coming to an end and there has been so much to happen! Daniel and I completed our first year of marriage. I must say I think the second year will be harder than the first though. We are slowly settling into the married life. I must thank Mom and Dad right here, because they prepared me for letting someone know what is going on all the time. Little did I know that they were prepping me for marriage when they would ask 50 million questions about what I was doing, where I was going, when I was going to be home, etc.
Enough about that...
2009 for me has been the year of "letting go". I have learned to let go of a lot of things: Sis, MeMe, friends, my perception of other people, caring about what others think, and frankly just the reality of my life as I know it.
Monday, December 21: I said "good-bye" to my little sister. She stepped on the plane to travel halfway around the world to start the rest of her life with her husband, Josh. It's weird to think that Sis and I are old enough to be married. I still think of her being in elementary school. I will miss her while she is there. She missed me while I was at Auburn and in some ways, Germany is her Auburn. The difference is that she can't drive 2 hours and be home. I look forward to visiting her and Josh while they are there. The Todds and Pates will reunite in the summer of 2010.
Monday, December 14: Daniel and his family tragically discovered that MeMe had passed away. It hit his entire family very hard, because she was the rock/glue of the family. She was precious and always had a smile on her face. When I first met everyone, she was the one to welcome me with open arms. She always had to give a hug and kiss when she saw you and before you parted ways. I will miss her humor and laugh. In some ways, I feel like she is still here watching over us. We will miss you, MeMe....until we meet again.
It never fails. The circle of friendship comes and goes as if on cue. I have learned to let go of best friends through various stages of my life. No friendship has been easy to let go, but this one in particular has. There's no need for details, because at the end of the day, it's really not important. In this situation, I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person's character by the way they handle a disagreement/argument. Being stubborn and prideful only get you so far in life and then comes reality. Secondly, there's no need to try to patch things up when the other person has deleted you from their life. Friendships come and go in life. Do I regret certain friendships? Never. They have made me who I am today. I have learned more from that one friendship than I could ever learn in a classroom. Do I still love this person? With my whole heart. Like I said before, friendships come to an end, but one chapter's end is another one's beginning.
It has taken my 25 years to truly understand that everyone is different. Not everyone was raised like me. I know you might think this is an elementary concept, but I have learned hard-core just how different two people can be. I learned in college what it meant to have an open-mind about my surroundings. At the time, that was a foreign concept to me, but I have learned that in order to form accurate, ethical decisions you must be open-minded. I never realized that some people don't have basic manners. Maybe their parents didn't teach them that sort of thing: to put others before yourself. Basically you must live by the Golden Rule. Yes, I must have been living partially under a rock. How does this constitute as my letting go? I am letting go of my "raising" perceptions of people. In a way, it's like letting go of my expectations of people, which I have ALWAYS held people that I knew to extremely high expectations. Not a good idea, Leslie.
If you spend your entire life worrying/caring about what other people think, you will die at a very young age. I am not saying you shouldn't "dress to impress", but if you dress like a million bucks every day, how far up the ladder will that get you? a minimal raise? sure. a pat on the back? possibly. a thank you for your hard work? don't hold your breath. Sometimes you can do your best only to find out that you might as well be sitting on your hands. Sure it's frustrating, but are you going to let that rule your life? The great thing about your life is that you get to decide what you want to worry/care about. Just remember: no one is perfect including you and the other person. I am learning to let go of the thoughts of others and learning how to truly be "free" from the criticism of others.
"Letting go of the reality of my life as I know it" might sound a bit strange to you. Let me explain: I feel I am destined for greatness. (who doesn't, right?) Ever since I was in high school, I have always wanted to help people, whether I am a teacher, financial analysist , or counselor. There's not much that I can do help people by sitting in an office all day 5 days a week. Don't get me wrong. I love going to work every day. I love the people I work with. I just don't feel like I am really making a difference in people's lives by paying bills and invoicing for concrete utility poles. I think I am reaching an age where I ask myself, "Leslie, what do you want to do? What is your passion?" I am 25, and I am only getting older. Once Daniel and I start having kids, it will be 10 times harder to accomplish my personal goals. This is why I am starting up my own business: becoming a professional organizer. I will explain in more detail later, but this is the direction that I am heading. There's a lot to figure out, but I know that I can make a difference in someone's life. The first person who I will make a difference in is my Aunt Jane. Her house is my "dummy" and I am super excited about revamping her life.
2009 is about letting go and 2010 is about imbracing the new and unknown.
Enough about that...
2009 for me has been the year of "letting go". I have learned to let go of a lot of things: Sis, MeMe, friends, my perception of other people, caring about what others think, and frankly just the reality of my life as I know it.
Monday, December 21: I said "good-bye" to my little sister. She stepped on the plane to travel halfway around the world to start the rest of her life with her husband, Josh. It's weird to think that Sis and I are old enough to be married. I still think of her being in elementary school. I will miss her while she is there. She missed me while I was at Auburn and in some ways, Germany is her Auburn. The difference is that she can't drive 2 hours and be home. I look forward to visiting her and Josh while they are there. The Todds and Pates will reunite in the summer of 2010.
Monday, December 14: Daniel and his family tragically discovered that MeMe had passed away. It hit his entire family very hard, because she was the rock/glue of the family. She was precious and always had a smile on her face. When I first met everyone, she was the one to welcome me with open arms. She always had to give a hug and kiss when she saw you and before you parted ways. I will miss her humor and laugh. In some ways, I feel like she is still here watching over us. We will miss you, MeMe....until we meet again.
It never fails. The circle of friendship comes and goes as if on cue. I have learned to let go of best friends through various stages of my life. No friendship has been easy to let go, but this one in particular has. There's no need for details, because at the end of the day, it's really not important. In this situation, I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person's character by the way they handle a disagreement/argument. Being stubborn and prideful only get you so far in life and then comes reality. Secondly, there's no need to try to patch things up when the other person has deleted you from their life. Friendships come and go in life. Do I regret certain friendships? Never. They have made me who I am today. I have learned more from that one friendship than I could ever learn in a classroom. Do I still love this person? With my whole heart. Like I said before, friendships come to an end, but one chapter's end is another one's beginning.
It has taken my 25 years to truly understand that everyone is different. Not everyone was raised like me. I know you might think this is an elementary concept, but I have learned hard-core just how different two people can be. I learned in college what it meant to have an open-mind about my surroundings. At the time, that was a foreign concept to me, but I have learned that in order to form accurate, ethical decisions you must be open-minded. I never realized that some people don't have basic manners. Maybe their parents didn't teach them that sort of thing: to put others before yourself. Basically you must live by the Golden Rule. Yes, I must have been living partially under a rock. How does this constitute as my letting go? I am letting go of my "raising" perceptions of people. In a way, it's like letting go of my expectations of people, which I have ALWAYS held people that I knew to extremely high expectations. Not a good idea, Leslie.
If you spend your entire life worrying/caring about what other people think, you will die at a very young age. I am not saying you shouldn't "dress to impress", but if you dress like a million bucks every day, how far up the ladder will that get you? a minimal raise? sure. a pat on the back? possibly. a thank you for your hard work? don't hold your breath. Sometimes you can do your best only to find out that you might as well be sitting on your hands. Sure it's frustrating, but are you going to let that rule your life? The great thing about your life is that you get to decide what you want to worry/care about. Just remember: no one is perfect including you and the other person. I am learning to let go of the thoughts of others and learning how to truly be "free" from the criticism of others.
"Letting go of the reality of my life as I know it" might sound a bit strange to you. Let me explain: I feel I am destined for greatness. (who doesn't, right?) Ever since I was in high school, I have always wanted to help people, whether I am a teacher, financial analysist , or counselor. There's not much that I can do help people by sitting in an office all day 5 days a week. Don't get me wrong. I love going to work every day. I love the people I work with. I just don't feel like I am really making a difference in people's lives by paying bills and invoicing for concrete utility poles. I think I am reaching an age where I ask myself, "Leslie, what do you want to do? What is your passion?" I am 25, and I am only getting older. Once Daniel and I start having kids, it will be 10 times harder to accomplish my personal goals. This is why I am starting up my own business: becoming a professional organizer. I will explain in more detail later, but this is the direction that I am heading. There's a lot to figure out, but I know that I can make a difference in someone's life. The first person who I will make a difference in is my Aunt Jane. Her house is my "dummy" and I am super excited about revamping her life.
2009 is about letting go and 2010 is about imbracing the new and unknown.
Monday, December 7, 2009
from eye twitching to amazing
There's something about it. I can't deny that I am always in a good mood when the sense of accomplishment arrives. It's not hard...just takes time. This is my definition of being a nerd: a person who becomes overly estatic when something is cleaned and/or organized in a wonderful manner. Ah yes, just call me Leslie, the Nerd.
This past weekend Leslie, the Nerd, and her nerdy husband, Daniel, decided to take on (yet again for about the 6th time) the mess in the garage. It drives me NUTS to see crap laying around when I know that it can be and should be put away. I am very much the person who has always tried to put everything back in its original place once I am finished using it. Itsometimes always blows my mind that people let their clutter consume their lives. If you just take a few minutes a day and "clean up", then you wouldn't have as big of a problem later on. I am reminded of the preschool song that I would sing to either my MDO class or while babysitting: the clean-up song. It goes "clean-up, clean-up. everybody do their share". So simple and easy that even a preschooler can understand.
Back to the mess:
So this was a long time coming. Daniel has been collecting various types of wooden boards in order to make his very own work bench in the garage. I think it's great that he has that desire and actually knows how to make it! He is handy to have around. In the midst of the collecting, he has brought in more grass, spiders, and dirt than I am willing to let into our home. Plus he was staking everything up in front of the "junk" pile that I am in charge of organzing/donating/decreasing until it all goes away. So how could I organize my pile with his stuff in the way? Yesterday we changed that.
In just about 3 hours, our garage went from making my eyes twitch to it being very livable and enjoyable to look at. We mounted a shelf that he got from his dad. And I must say it helps A LOT with the strorage factor. Then I busted out the little shop-vac and proceeded to vacuum up every spider/cobweb and blade of dead grass that I could find. Daniel worked on getting his tool box in order. His tool box still is not as "together" as I would like it, but he has quickly reminded me that his tool box is his stuff. Fair enough.
He borrowed a saw-type-of-a-thing from his friend so he is planning on building his workbench this week! Yay for progress! Once that is complete, then I will be the one holding us up with the junk pile. I plan on tackling that this weekend though. I really should have taken "before", "progressive", and "after" shots of the garage to have documentation of the fantastic teamwork that Daniel and I possess. Eh, I will always remember it in my memory and that gives me nightmares just thinking about it.
This past weekend Leslie, the Nerd, and her nerdy husband, Daniel, decided to take on (yet again for about the 6th time) the mess in the garage. It drives me NUTS to see crap laying around when I know that it can be and should be put away. I am very much the person who has always tried to put everything back in its original place once I am finished using it. It
Back to the mess:
So this was a long time coming. Daniel has been collecting various types of wooden boards in order to make his very own work bench in the garage. I think it's great that he has that desire and actually knows how to make it! He is handy to have around. In the midst of the collecting, he has brought in more grass, spiders, and dirt than I am willing to let into our home. Plus he was staking everything up in front of the "junk" pile that I am in charge of organzing/donating/decreasing until it all goes away. So how could I organize my pile with his stuff in the way? Yesterday we changed that.
In just about 3 hours, our garage went from making my eyes twitch to it being very livable and enjoyable to look at. We mounted a shelf that he got from his dad. And I must say it helps A LOT with the strorage factor. Then I busted out the little shop-vac and proceeded to vacuum up every spider/cobweb and blade of dead grass that I could find. Daniel worked on getting his tool box in order. His tool box still is not as "together" as I would like it, but he has quickly reminded me that his tool box is his stuff. Fair enough.
He borrowed a saw-type-of-a-thing from his friend so he is planning on building his workbench this week! Yay for progress! Once that is complete, then I will be the one holding us up with the junk pile. I plan on tackling that this weekend though. I really should have taken "before", "progressive", and "after" shots of the garage to have documentation of the fantastic teamwork that Daniel and I possess. Eh, I will always remember it in my memory and that gives me nightmares just thinking about it.
Monday, November 30, 2009
time to get a'shopping
Thanksgiving down, and Christmas up next.
Just over 3 weeks until Christmas is here. Seriously, time does fly. And it flies faster and faster every year.
Daniel, Jackson, Tyson, and I spent Thanksgiving at the beach with Mamski, Dad, Sis, Paul, and Carolyn. We all had a wonderful time. It was nice to have the parents together swapping stories. It's moments like those that I have learned to cherish more and more as I grow older.
I think I gained at least 5 pounds while we were there. We ate non-stop. For Thanksgiving dinner, we ended up with 8 or 9 different desserts. That's no lie either. I loved them all.
We were able to get our Christmas card picture made as well. We tried something different this year since we were at the beach. I haven't studied all of the pics yet, but there looked like a few good ones. Stay tuned for the pricture winner...
Just over 3 weeks until Christmas is here. Seriously, time does fly. And it flies faster and faster every year.
Daniel, Jackson, Tyson, and I spent Thanksgiving at the beach with Mamski, Dad, Sis, Paul, and Carolyn. We all had a wonderful time. It was nice to have the parents together swapping stories. It's moments like those that I have learned to cherish more and more as I grow older.
I think I gained at least 5 pounds while we were there. We ate non-stop. For Thanksgiving dinner, we ended up with 8 or 9 different desserts. That's no lie either. I loved them all.
We were able to get our Christmas card picture made as well. We tried something different this year since we were at the beach. I haven't studied all of the pics yet, but there looked like a few good ones. Stay tuned for the pricture winner...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
DWWD
Why is it that people love to ignore history? All of my life, especially in school, I have learned that history repeats itself. Whether its with the stock market, economy, wars, or rulers/presidents, there's no denying that the repetition of history is part of the circle of life.
This Iron Bowl Friday Auburn has the opportunity to keep the "circle of life" going. There's a lot of history stacked against the Tide beating Auburn this year. Yes, they have a good team, but just read the facts. I believe history will be faithful in its repetition in 2009. Below are 2 more emails that I received from Tiger Rags. I don't know about you, but it has me pumped up for game time! WDE! DWWD!
On November 27th, 2009, Black Friday will take on new meaning here on the Plains. It's a day that signifies 20 years since Alabama first came to Auburn for the Iron Bowl back in 1989. After many Alabama fans and athletic staff members agreed that Alabama would never play Auburn on the Plains, it finally happened in 1989. Since then, the Tigers lead the series 11-9 overall, holding a 7-2 advantage in Jordan-Hare Stadium and even a 4-1 record on Alabama's home turf.
When Alabama made their first trip to Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium on December 2nd, 1989, they entered with 10 wins, no losses and were ranked #2 in the nation. They left with 10 wins, 1 loss and an ORANGE and BLUE stain on an otherwise perfect record.
The Alabama Crimson Tide made their second visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1993 following their 1992 National Championship and back-to-back down years for the Auburn Tigers. Alabama was coached by the popular and successful Gene Stallings while Auburn welcomed new head man Terry Bowden to his first Iron Bowl. Alabama entered the game 8-1-1 having lost to LSU and tied Tennessee earlier in the season. Alabama packed up their 21-1-1 record from the past two seasons and headed to the Plains for what now would be a regular trip for the Tide.
-from Tiger Rags email
Here's another...
The Alabama Crimson Tide made their second visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1993 following their 1992 National Championship and back-to-back down years for the Auburn Tigers. Alabama was coached by the popular and successful Gene Stallings while Auburn welcomed new head man Terry Bowden to his first Iron Bowl. Alabama entered the game 8-1-1 having lost to LSU and tied Tennessee earlier in the season. Alabama packed up their 21-1-1 record from the past two seasons and headed to the Plains for what now would be a regular trip for the Tide.
Terry Bowden’s first season on the Plains certainly surpassed expectations after Pat Dye stepped down as head coach following a five-win season in 1992. Auburn entered the game 10-0 with only the defending National Champions standing in their way. After falling behind 14-5 early, the Tigers backup quarterback Patrick Nix stepped in and threw a 35 yard touchdown pass to Frank Sanders and the SEC’s leading rusher James Bostic rumbled for a 70 yard touchdown to seal the Crimson Tide’s fate in a 22-14 Auburn win.
In 2009, Alabama will likely bring a two season record of 23-2 into the 1:30pm “Black Friday” kickoff in Jordan-Hare. Like in 1993, Auburn is coming off a five-win season. Once again, Auburn is introducing a new coaching staff to their first Iron Bowl while Alabama will be coached by the popular and successful Nick Saban. Chizik will not take a 10-0 record into the game like Bowden, but he is entering with a new offensive scheme, one of the SEC’s top rushers and a stadium full of supporters who echo the Auburn creed’s “I Believe in Auburn…”
Alabama shut-out the Tigers 17-0 in Coach Dye’s last game in 1992 and 36-0 in Coach Tuberville’s last game in 2008. The 1993 Tigers followed up the shut-out with a 22-14 win over the Tide. The 2009 Tigers have a score to settle as well.
-from Tiger Rags email
This Iron Bowl Friday Auburn has the opportunity to keep the "circle of life" going. There's a lot of history stacked against the Tide beating Auburn this year. Yes, they have a good team, but just read the facts. I believe history will be faithful in its repetition in 2009. Below are 2 more emails that I received from Tiger Rags. I don't know about you, but it has me pumped up for game time! WDE! DWWD!
On November 27th, 2009, Black Friday will take on new meaning here on the Plains. It's a day that signifies 20 years since Alabama first came to Auburn for the Iron Bowl back in 1989. After many Alabama fans and athletic staff members agreed that Alabama would never play Auburn on the Plains, it finally happened in 1989. Since then, the Tigers lead the series 11-9 overall, holding a 7-2 advantage in Jordan-Hare Stadium and even a 4-1 record on Alabama's home turf.
When Alabama made their first trip to Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium on December 2nd, 1989, they entered with 10 wins, no losses and were ranked #2 in the nation. They left with 10 wins, 1 loss and an ORANGE and BLUE stain on an otherwise perfect record.
The Alabama Crimson Tide made their second visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1993 following their 1992 National Championship and back-to-back down years for the Auburn Tigers. Alabama was coached by the popular and successful Gene Stallings while Auburn welcomed new head man Terry Bowden to his first Iron Bowl. Alabama entered the game 8-1-1 having lost to LSU and tied Tennessee earlier in the season. Alabama packed up their 21-1-1 record from the past two seasons and headed to the Plains for what now would be a regular trip for the Tide.
-from Tiger Rags email
Here's another...
The Alabama Crimson Tide made their second visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1993 following their 1992 National Championship and back-to-back down years for the Auburn Tigers. Alabama was coached by the popular and successful Gene Stallings while Auburn welcomed new head man Terry Bowden to his first Iron Bowl. Alabama entered the game 8-1-1 having lost to LSU and tied Tennessee earlier in the season. Alabama packed up their 21-1-1 record from the past two seasons and headed to the Plains for what now would be a regular trip for the Tide.
Terry Bowden’s first season on the Plains certainly surpassed expectations after Pat Dye stepped down as head coach following a five-win season in 1992. Auburn entered the game 10-0 with only the defending National Champions standing in their way. After falling behind 14-5 early, the Tigers backup quarterback Patrick Nix stepped in and threw a 35 yard touchdown pass to Frank Sanders and the SEC’s leading rusher James Bostic rumbled for a 70 yard touchdown to seal the Crimson Tide’s fate in a 22-14 Auburn win.
In 2009, Alabama will likely bring a two season record of 23-2 into the 1:30pm “Black Friday” kickoff in Jordan-Hare. Like in 1993, Auburn is coming off a five-win season. Once again, Auburn is introducing a new coaching staff to their first Iron Bowl while Alabama will be coached by the popular and successful Nick Saban. Chizik will not take a 10-0 record into the game like Bowden, but he is entering with a new offensive scheme, one of the SEC’s top rushers and a stadium full of supporters who echo the Auburn creed’s “I Believe in Auburn…”
Alabama shut-out the Tigers 17-0 in Coach Dye’s last game in 1992 and 36-0 in Coach Tuberville’s last game in 2008. The 1993 Tigers followed up the shut-out with a 22-14 win over the Tide. The 2009 Tigers have a score to settle as well.
-from Tiger Rags email
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
I believe in Auburn and love it
Not only does this week mark another great American holiday, Thanksgiving, but it is the week of the Iron Bowl. Living in Alabama, Thanksgiving tends to get overlooked. Families turn on each other. Brothers are enemies. Friends become strangers. Houses are divided. Yep, nothing like the good ol' Iron Bowl to bring out the school spirit in people.
I was asked today if (under any circumstance...including if it benefits Auburn) I would ever cheer for Alabama. My answer was...always will be...and will never stray from "no". For some reason that was shocking and somehow I should explain my answer. With all of the "tolerance" in the world, do I really have to define/explain/defend why I stand firmly behind my decision to support my alma mater by cheering against its biggest rival? I don't think so, but if that leaves you unsatisfied, please read the story below. I received the below story from the Tiger Rags store, where I am a member of their email newsletters. I plan on posting a couple of more Tiger Rags emails over the next couple of days. It's funny how history can repeat itself.
In 1971, Coach Shug Jordan’s Auburn football team had a 9-1 season that ended with a 31-7 loss at the hands of Alabama at Legion Field in Birmingham. The next year, Auburn lost 13 players to graduation and the NFL (including the Sullivan-to-Beasley combination), so most experts didn’t expect much from the Tigers in 1972. Aside from a hiccup against LSU in Baton Rouge, the Tigers roared through the 1972 schedule and were 8-1 heading into the annual meeting with Alabama on December 2nd.
Prior to the game, Alabama coach Bear Bryant was quoted saying “I’d rather beat that cow college than beat Texas 10 times.” (Alabama was playing Texas in the Cotton Bowl in January). Presumably, Coach Bryant referred to Auburn as the “cow college” based on its agricultural background.
Alabama was undefeated and ranked #2 in the nation coming into the game and raced out to a 16-0 lead by the 4th quarter. Auburn placekicker Gardner Jett put a field goal on the board midway through the final frame and left the game in the hands of a capable defense from that point on. A Tiger walk-on, Bill Newton, and defensive back David Langner stole the show from that point forward. Newton blocked two Alabama punts that were scooped up by David Langner. He ran both blocked punts in for Auburn touchdowns to give the Tigers a 17-16 victory over the mighty, and heavily favored, Alabama Crimson Tide in a game now known, as Punt Bama Punt.
After the game, Coach Bryant regretted his comment and said he would never refer to Auburn as a cow college ever again. (We're not sure why his faithful followers haven't followed his lead.)
The 1972 Auburn football team is often referred to as “The Amazins” after their impressive season that included a 24-3 victory over Colorado in the Gator Bowl in December.
-from Tiger Rags email
I was asked today if (under any circumstance...including if it benefits Auburn) I would ever cheer for Alabama. My answer was...always will be...and will never stray from "no". For some reason that was shocking and somehow I should explain my answer. With all of the "tolerance" in the world, do I really have to define/explain/defend why I stand firmly behind my decision to support my alma mater by cheering against its biggest rival? I don't think so, but if that leaves you unsatisfied, please read the story below. I received the below story from the Tiger Rags store, where I am a member of their email newsletters. I plan on posting a couple of more Tiger Rags emails over the next couple of days. It's funny how history can repeat itself.
In 1971, Coach Shug Jordan’s Auburn football team had a 9-1 season that ended with a 31-7 loss at the hands of Alabama at Legion Field in Birmingham. The next year, Auburn lost 13 players to graduation and the NFL (including the Sullivan-to-Beasley combination), so most experts didn’t expect much from the Tigers in 1972. Aside from a hiccup against LSU in Baton Rouge, the Tigers roared through the 1972 schedule and were 8-1 heading into the annual meeting with Alabama on December 2nd.
Prior to the game, Alabama coach Bear Bryant was quoted saying “I’d rather beat that cow college than beat Texas 10 times.” (Alabama was playing Texas in the Cotton Bowl in January). Presumably, Coach Bryant referred to Auburn as the “cow college” based on its agricultural background.
Alabama was undefeated and ranked #2 in the nation coming into the game and raced out to a 16-0 lead by the 4th quarter. Auburn placekicker Gardner Jett put a field goal on the board midway through the final frame and left the game in the hands of a capable defense from that point on. A Tiger walk-on, Bill Newton, and defensive back David Langner stole the show from that point forward. Newton blocked two Alabama punts that were scooped up by David Langner. He ran both blocked punts in for Auburn touchdowns to give the Tigers a 17-16 victory over the mighty, and heavily favored, Alabama Crimson Tide in a game now known, as Punt Bama Punt.
After the game, Coach Bryant regretted his comment and said he would never refer to Auburn as a cow college ever again. (We're not sure why his faithful followers haven't followed his lead.)
The 1972 Auburn football team is often referred to as “The Amazins” after their impressive season that included a 24-3 victory over Colorado in the Gator Bowl in December.
-from Tiger Rags email
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
the makings of a new Leslie
2009 has been the year of fixing the "broken down" Leslie. At 25 I am literally falling apart, and I have discovered just how fragile I really am. Seriously, am I 25 or 85? My body might not have a clue with all of the problems that I have had.
In the middle of the year, I thought I was going to have shoulder surgery since I could not lift my left arm without screaming and crying. I had never had so much pain shoot through my body before. Driving, taking a shower, and putting on/taking off clothes, were things that I could hardly do without lifting/rotating my left arm. It's amazing just how much you use your left shoulder throughout the day.
I remember waking up in the middle of the night laying on my back with my left arm over my head. I bursted into tears as I tried to lower it...s.l.o.w.l.y. I woke Daniel to have him get me an ice pack because it was throbbing. ugh. It makes my eyes water just thinking about that horrible night.
Thanks to my husband's suggestion, he took me to the chiropractor. After my 10 weeks of rehab, I have been great ever since. If you have never been to a chiropractor before, I HIGHLY suggest that you go. You have never known what great feels like until you are adjusted and popped. It's like your individual vertebrae is floating on a cloud.
While at the chiropractor, they took some x-rays to see what the shoulder problem was (which turned out to be a pinched nerve), and they found something else (of course). The curvature of my neck is backwards and it puts a lot of pressure on the base of my neck and shoulders. Because of this increased pressure, I have migraines. (eureka!) Finally, an explanation on why I have migraines other than the typical causes that neurologists have given me in the past (lack of sleep, certain foods/drinks, stress). I must say that I have had about 2 migraines since going to the chiropractor (which is about one every 2 months). I will take it! I had gotten to where I had one every month, but one every other month is great! (You have to remember this is coming from the girl who had 1 to 2 migraines per week in college. Umm, yeah...not fun.)
My previous ordeal dealt with my ingrown toenail. (You can relive that memory here. There's no need to document that experience twice.) Just an update on the toe: it's pretty much healed. I am so thankful to be able to walk on my right big toe again.
This brings me to my latest problem: receeding gums on my lower front 2 teeth. I noticed it earlier in the year when my teeth started hurting. It got so bad that I was having to put orajel and pop pain pills just to go to sleep. After doing the dentist's suggestions for 6 months (using a soft toothbrush, don't brush hard, use sensitive toothpaste), I told him that it wasn't working and the gums were still receeding. He referred me to a periodontist (gum doctor) to see about having a gum graft done. (a what?! scary.)
My consultation with Dr. Kent was yesterday. She did recommend a gum graft on my lower front 2 teeth (ugh great). They would get the gum from a donor bank (like as in a dead person?!! yes), and donated gum would be stripped of anything living like blood cells and vessels. She prefers using a donor bank to limit the procedure to just one instead of two. She said in the past they would use existing gum from the top pallette of the patient. Then the roof of their mouth would hurt worse in healing and have more problems later on than if they just used a donor. Hey, sounds good to me...kinda creepy, but could it get worse? After having the procedure done, she reassured me that it would cure my problem and prevent more recession in that area in the future. I am pretty sure that I am waiting until after the first of the year to have it done. The healing period is about 6 weeks, but I won't be down for that long.
With all of my problems and cures, it's like I am becoming a new, better Leslie. I have cost us a lot of money this year, but thank goodness for health/dental insurance (until univeral health care takes over).
-left shoulder pain: cured!
-migraines: more cured than they have ever been
-ingrown toenail: healed
-gum recession: will be cured in 2010
I better live for a long time after all of my repairs. Ü
In the middle of the year, I thought I was going to have shoulder surgery since I could not lift my left arm without screaming and crying. I had never had so much pain shoot through my body before. Driving, taking a shower, and putting on/taking off clothes, were things that I could hardly do without lifting/rotating my left arm. It's amazing just how much you use your left shoulder throughout the day.
I remember waking up in the middle of the night laying on my back with my left arm over my head. I bursted into tears as I tried to lower it...s.l.o.w.l.y. I woke Daniel to have him get me an ice pack because it was throbbing. ugh. It makes my eyes water just thinking about that horrible night.
Thanks to my husband's suggestion, he took me to the chiropractor. After my 10 weeks of rehab, I have been great ever since. If you have never been to a chiropractor before, I HIGHLY suggest that you go. You have never known what great feels like until you are adjusted and popped. It's like your individual vertebrae is floating on a cloud.
While at the chiropractor, they took some x-rays to see what the shoulder problem was (which turned out to be a pinched nerve), and they found something else (of course). The curvature of my neck is backwards and it puts a lot of pressure on the base of my neck and shoulders. Because of this increased pressure, I have migraines. (eureka!) Finally, an explanation on why I have migraines other than the typical causes that neurologists have given me in the past (lack of sleep, certain foods/drinks, stress). I must say that I have had about 2 migraines since going to the chiropractor (which is about one every 2 months). I will take it! I had gotten to where I had one every month, but one every other month is great! (You have to remember this is coming from the girl who had 1 to 2 migraines per week in college. Umm, yeah...not fun.)
My previous ordeal dealt with my ingrown toenail. (You can relive that memory here. There's no need to document that experience twice.) Just an update on the toe: it's pretty much healed. I am so thankful to be able to walk on my right big toe again.
This brings me to my latest problem: receeding gums on my lower front 2 teeth. I noticed it earlier in the year when my teeth started hurting. It got so bad that I was having to put orajel and pop pain pills just to go to sleep. After doing the dentist's suggestions for 6 months (using a soft toothbrush, don't brush hard, use sensitive toothpaste), I told him that it wasn't working and the gums were still receeding. He referred me to a periodontist (gum doctor) to see about having a gum graft done. (a what?! scary.)
My consultation with Dr. Kent was yesterday. She did recommend a gum graft on my lower front 2 teeth (ugh great). They would get the gum from a donor bank (like as in a dead person?!! yes), and donated gum would be stripped of anything living like blood cells and vessels. She prefers using a donor bank to limit the procedure to just one instead of two. She said in the past they would use existing gum from the top pallette of the patient. Then the roof of their mouth would hurt worse in healing and have more problems later on than if they just used a donor. Hey, sounds good to me...kinda creepy, but could it get worse? After having the procedure done, she reassured me that it would cure my problem and prevent more recession in that area in the future. I am pretty sure that I am waiting until after the first of the year to have it done. The healing period is about 6 weeks, but I won't be down for that long.
With all of my problems and cures, it's like I am becoming a new, better Leslie. I have cost us a lot of money this year, but thank goodness for health/dental insurance (until univeral health care takes over).
-left shoulder pain: cured!
-migraines: more cured than they have ever been
-ingrown toenail: healed
-gum recession: will be cured in 2010
I better live for a long time after all of my repairs. Ü
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