garden update - plants!

I followed the plan and waited a full year before I started planting anything of permanence in my yard. I'm glad I waited.  I have wildflowers in unexpected places, and I now know that sunlight is a precious and rare commodity.  Most of my yard is what is considered not just shade, but deep shade. 

As soon as my year was up, I started on the Rock Garden, and Bird Garden.  I had already added edging here, broken up the soil (quite a chore), worked in compost, mulched, and tried a few annuals.(more)  In the process, I've learned a lot about this space. 

May 2012

December 2012

The impatiens did OK, (I think some were diseased) and the basil I planted in the tree stumps was no where near as successful as I'm used to.  Oh well, no more pesto for me this year.  Lesson learned, shade it is.

Deep shade or not, I'm really excited about this garden for next year...I just have to be choosy in my plant selections.  This area gets winter and some spring sun, but is mostly shade by summer.  Since we have already done some legwork here, I was able to start planting this fall. I added Christmas Roses (hellebore) and Hostas in between the hollow tree stumps, and planted Pansies in the stumps.

Look at the plants not the paint. I promise the house is going to be painted soon.

This spring I will replace the Pansies with impatiens.

But aren't they so pretty for now?

I also have some woodland poppies and money plants near my back door that I can't wait to see how they do next year.   This area will eventually become the kitchen garden, but all I have done in this area so far is weed and a little mulching.

Where the Rock Garden turns into the Bird Garden there is a singular spot that gets some morning  sun in the summer.  I planted a butterfly bush in this spot, and it seems to be doing well.  I'm excited to have some color here next summer.  Butterfly bushes can get huge, so I'm hoping that this one will get just enough sun to bloom, but still keep the size under control. 

The back side of my house is the area that I see everyday, as I come and go through the kitchen rather than my front door.  I've also started working on the sideyard, more on that soon :)

garden update - is it spring yet?

We've only had a few days of cold weather, and I'm already looking forward to spring...is that bad?  (I do love snow, but cold without snow is just not something I enjoy.)

Maybe it's because I'm really excited about spring at my house, specifically in the yard.  Last year was my first spring in my great grandmother's house.  It was pretty without me having to do anything, but it was very overgrown.  I loved it, but as my mom put it, 'it's a good thing you don't have neighbors who can see your yard.'  Ouch.  Over the past year we've done a lot of cleaning up, and I think spring is going to be fantastic this year. 

Since it's been a while since I've given you an update on my yard and my garden, I decided I would bombard you with garden posts for the next few days.  I hope you don't mind.  This is more for me than for most of you, but I know I'm pretending that you secretly want to know too.

Project # 1 Mulch
The biggest project of late was mulch.  It may not sound like a lot, but I think we unloaded 4 truckloads of mulch.  At some point I stopped counting and just kept shoveling.  The path to the pond was overgrown, and the beds around the house looked like they have been neglected for the past 20-30 years.  The dirt is hard and dry, and not suitable for much of anything without some serious TLC.

Luckily, utility crews were trimming near my parents house, and a neighbor who worked on the crew asked if they wanted mulch.  They said yes, and got over 10 dump truck loads of raw tree mulch...we're talking piles and piles of free mulch.  Accepting this kind of mulch is risky, since it can be a mix of anything and everything, but this looked good enough to use around my house.

The good thing and the bad thing about raw mulch is that it as it decomposes it kills everything underneath it.  This made it perfect for the path to the pond, and near the rock foundation of my house (the ivy is gone, and I want it to stay that way).   It took almost 2 truckloads to do the path to the pond, and the rest has gone around the house.  I protected the existing plants with older mulch, and used the raw mulch to fill in between.  I also put down cardboard in the areas that were weed or ivy prone before I added mulch, just to be safe.

You can see the darker mulch with a thin layer of raw mulch on top.

The plan here is to let the mulch decompose and have mother nature do her thing before I try and really work here. This gives me some time to focus on other areas and feel good knowing that when I'm ready to dig in here, it will be a lot easier. It already looks so much better having the beds defined and the weeds gone!

So much nicer seeing where the beds will be.

I'll be using rocks to define this edge more

While we were working on the mulch, we also took care of some drainage issues.  I'm not sure why the downspout drains were running uphill, (since my house is on top of a hill), but they were, and that was easily corrected.  My house can get a little damp, and this should go a long way towards correcting that problem.

It's always good for the water to flow away from the house.

The mulch has made a world of a difference, without violating my rule of observing for a year before I started planting anything.  

I have been busy, so look for more posts the next few days while I get caught up!

o christmas tree

I love Christmas.  I love the lights, the decorations, all of it. Since this is only my second Christmas in my new house, and last year I had just moved in, I don't have a lot in the way of decorations, and everything is either a hand me down or homemade.

What I do have are lights and a tree...and they're awesome.

My porch lights are so awesome that they stay up all year and are a feature of my Sunday night porch nights.

My tree is also fairly fantastic.  This year's tree is not quite as epic as last years 'go big or go home tree,'  but with a little help from my friends, I did cut it from the yard, and I love it.  It has a more traditional Christmas tree shape and still reaches the top of my ten foot ceilings.

The comedic value of last year's tree was enhanced by how sparsely it was decorated.  This year I've gone to the other extreme, and most branches have 3 or 4 colorful ornaments each.  Seriously.  It's wonderful.  Plus 75% of the ornaments on the tree are older than I am, which I think is pretty hysterical.  Apparently pink & blue & sparkle was what Christmas in the 70's was all about.
 
The only question I have left about my tree is whether to go all out and add vintage silver icicles to my tree...you know, the tacky, messy kind.  What do you think, too much or perfect?

Clemson Football, 9-1

I've hesitated about writing about Clemson football this year because in my 10 years as a Clemson fan there has always been a catch.

here

Clemson is sitting just outside the top 10 nationally, and while I think it's a little bit inflated, I think it's about right.  I love Clemson, but they're not a top ten team...yet.  They've made huge strides in the past few years, and they're closer, but they're not quite not there.
 
The attitude of the team is changing.  They're hungry and confident.  They haven't freaked out when they've gotten behind, or when individuals have had less than perfect games.  In those cases, the rest of the team has stepped up and made plays.  They've gotten the job done.

here

Clemson has also kept their focus when a win appeared to be in the bag.  This weekend vs Maryland I loved seeing the second string guys in the game and making plays.  To me that reflects the attitude, hunger, and the beginning of some depth to the team.

One thing I remember about the glory days of Tennessee football, the Peyton Manning era in the 90's, was that they were so deep, that most individuals only had one or two years as a starter.  The teams were so strong that you had to work hard to earn your playing time.  When you got the ball, you had to make the most of each possession to get noticed and hold your spot.  That competition made for some exciting years of football, and I think Clemson is getting there.

here

I was not Brent Venables biggest fan through the first part of the season, and I think it was mainly Chad Morris's fault.  When 'The Chad' came in as Offensive Coordinator, it was like someone waved a magic wand and put some fight in their eyes.  They made big changes, and with that came some big plays.  When Brent Venables' defense stepped on the field for the first time this year, there was no evidence of a magic wand.  There were a lot of mistakes, and the same missed tackles & blown coverage that Clemson fans see too often.  Yes Chad Morris is a badass, and he did amazing things in his first spring at Clemson, but he had a few things that Brent Venables didn't have...namely huge play makers like Sammy Watkins, Andre Ellington, Tajh Boyd and D'Andre Hopkins.

here

What I like about Brent Venables is that he didn't coddle the defense early in the season.  He called out the mistakes, and said these are the things we need to do better.  He coached the guys how to do better, and they have.  They're still not perfect, but they're better.

here

One thing I love about Dabo Sweeney is that he is hiring coaches.  His hires have great minds for developing schemes who seem to have a vested interest in teaching their players.  Even from the outside, you can tell that the coaches lay out a path to success for their players, and they coach them on how to get there.  They give the players the tools make success obtainable, and they hold the players accountable. They have changed the attitude of the players, the administration, and have won a lot of fans in the process.

here

So yeah, Clemson is not a top ten team today, but they're getting there, and might be by the end of the season.  South Carolina will be tough, but it's going to be a really good game that I'm excited to go to Clemson for.  After that emotional win or loss, maintaining focus through a bowl game will be a challenge.  That's the next step for Clemson.  To be a top 10 team, Clemson has to conquer focus, consistency, and intensity every play of the season.

In Support of Chattanooga Whiskey

Now that the presidential election is over and the dust has settled, there is still one more vote on my radar - the November 15th 21st* Hamilton County Commissioners vote on whether or not to support distillation of alcohol here in Chattanooga & the rest of Hamilton County.

Even though Tennessee is famous for it's whiskey, since prohibition, the State of Tennessee has only allowed liquor production in 3 adjoining counties, all right around the home of Jack Daniels.  In 2009 the state loosened it's regulations on what was was required for additional counties to allow liquor production, but Hamilton County was not included in the final version of the bill. [1]

So, as much as I love Chattanooga Whiskey, it's not actually made in Chattanooga, and the company wants to change that.  To try avoid the lengthy process of petitioning for a local referendum followed by a popular vote, and to speed the process of actually making Chattanooga Whiskey in Chattanooga, Chattanooga Whiskey Company is asking that Hamilton County to be added to the 2009 bill.  This requires the support of the Hamilton County Commissioners, and the issue is to be discussed at their meeting next Thursday at 9:30 at the courthouse.

It's no surprise that I'm in support of Chattanooga Whiskey making their product in Hamilton County.  I love the Chattanooga, and as I've said before, I love the product.  I've blogged about how Big River's Southern Brewer's Festival, and Wine Over Water are two of my favorite annual Chattanooga events.  Hamilton County is an alcohol friendly environment, and I personally don't see logic in allowing breweries but not distilleries.  (A keg is going to do more damage than in a bottle of whiskey.)

Chattanooga Whiskey has launched a #VoteWhiskey campaign and is asking for your support for in the form of a letter or e-mail to your county commissioner, and I encourage you to do the same.  You can find your district here, and then e-mail your county commissioner here.

I'm not asking anyone to do something that I have not done myself, and here is the letter I sent to my commissioner on October 15th:

Mr. Henry,

As a resident of your district, I would like to please ask you to support a resolution stating Hamilton County is in favor inclusion into the Tennessee bill of 2009, allowing the distillation of alcohol in Hamilton County.  It is my understanding that this issue will be brought to the Commissioner's attention at your November 15th meeting.

I'm sure many people will have words for an argument in support of this change that are more eloquent than mine, but I feel like we are a county that as a whole supports local business innovators, as well as a county that is already supportive of the alcohol industry, as evidenced by the success of our numerous breweries and winery.  Distillation is a natural extension of the business already being done in Hamilton County.

Tennessee has a reputation for distilleries across the state, and I think there are unique opportunities for Hamilton County to significantly capitalize on this fact.  As the national demographics for tourism change, I think adding distilleries to Hamilton County makes the county more attractive to a group of tourism that would traditionally bypass Chattanooga in favor of other areas of the state.

Please let me know if you are in favor of bringing distilleries back to Hamilton County.  If you are not in favor, I would be interested in meeting with you face to face to discuss why.

Sincerely,

Emily

The #VoteWhiskey campaign is also very active online, and you can show your support on facebook (here & here), or by using the #VoteWhiskey hashtag on twitter.


I hope you'll take a moment and let your county commissioner know that you support bringing the business of distilling alcohol back to Chattanooga.

*Edit 11/12/12 - Hamilton County Commissioners will hear argument from Chattanooga Whiskey on the 15th, they will vote on the 21st.

[1] http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/oct/09/chattanooga-whiskey-wars-overtake-hamilton-county/

election night twitter tips

Tonight promises to be one of the biggest nights in the history of twitter.  If the presidential debates were any indication, the tweets will be flying so fast it will be hard to keep up.  If you're planning on being on twitter tonight, it will probably help to go in with a strategy....and my strategy starts with TweetDeck.(Yes, I know there are alternatives to TweetDeck, but it's still my favorite.)

TweetDeck is a organizational tool that, among other things, helps you filter and sort your tweets.  You can create different columns of tweets based on groups of users, search results, and direct interactions.  TweetDeck can be used as a stand alone desktop program, in your web browser, or on your cell phone.  I'm a huge fan of one of the older desktop versions (38.1 is the BOMB) but all of the versions have the same basic functionality, and will help you survive tonight without information overload.

If you are as excited about watching the news unfold on twitter tonight as I am, here are a few of my tips:
(Tips for anyone who want's to be on twitter tonight, but avoid the crazy talk are at the end.)

1. Allow yourself some time to get your TweetDeck set up for tonight.  This goes for new users and TweetDeck pros.  It won't take long, but you're going to want to give yourself some time to customize your view of twitter tonight. 
2. Set up a column for trusted sources.  If you want to know what Tom Brokaw has to say about the election, look him up.  Most of your favorite news organizations, anchors, bloggers, and pundits are on twitter.  If you haven't already followed them, look them up.  You can always un-follow them tomorrow.  If your best friend has the big scoop of what's going on in Ohio, by all means put him in this column.  Think about whose tweets you don't want to miss, and put all of those people together in one place.
3. DO NOT use #election2012 as a search column in TweetDeck.  Tweets will be scrolling faster than the eye can see.  Seriously.   Generic hashtags are not going to work tonight. 
4. Use specific hashtags as your search columns.  If you don't know what hashtags you want to follow, look at what your politic-savvy friends are using in their tweets and start with that.  If you're interested in state specific information use the state abbreviation + either 2012 or the district.  So #tn2012 would be any election for Tennessee, and #tn03 would be the third district of Tennessee.  If you're interested in a specific issue, use a buzzword or abbreviation for that issue. Searching for #equalrights, #equalpay, #economy #DADT (don't ask, don't tell).
5. Use filters.  If you don't want to hear about what the other side has to say, filter it out.  My version of TweetDeck Desktop has filters (include/exclude) specific to each column.  The web version I just checked out has global exclude filters that apply to all of TweetDeck, so you have to be careful since the filter will apply even to the columns you have set up for specific users.  If you're going to be on twitter tonight, but don't want to be inundated with election mess, filters will be your best friend tonight.

A trusted sources column really is going to be your best resource tonight, and here's a look at who I will be watching closely:

• @tombrokaw Special correspondent, @NBCNews, New York, NY
• @naterawlings: high school friend and @Time reporter
• @AnnCurry, NBC News, NYC
• @TheDailyShow: believe it or not, Comedy Central does news pretty well.
• @RoryAlbanese: Daily Show Exec Producer & Writer, Stand-Up Comedian 
• @CharlieRose: host of @CBSThisMorning and @CharlieRoseShow
•  @ClayTravisBGID, sports author & funny person
• @andersoncooper: CNN anchor, NYC
• @jimmyfallon:late Night TV
• @nooganews: local news
• @janabarnello: former local news anchor, now in ME
• @topolk: college friend & NC resident
• @trueparallels: college friend & SC resident
• @gracevancleave: high school friend, former DNC employee, IA resident
• @phatsdawg: interwebs friend & IN resident (are you seeing the trend here)
• @barackobama: no introduction needed
• @sree: @ColumbiaJourn professor
• @support: twitter user support, in case something goes wrong
  

Please let me know who you will be following so I can add them to my tweetdeck tonight!

It's also worth mentioning that I'll also be spending a good amount of time on digg.com & tumblr tonight.  Those guys always have something interesting to say!

EDIT 11/6/12 18:23: If you're looking for a good hashtag to use and to follow try #TIMEVote!

election day

Happy Election Day everyone!  First I want to thank everyone who has already voted (early voters & absentee voters, I'm looking at you too), and encourage everyone who is registered to vote today!  There's a lot on your ballot, and your chance to have your voice be heard on national and local choices.  You may not think your vote matters on a national scale, but it does.  Also, think about the impact you have on local issues.  School board choices, mayors, local resolutions, these are all things on your ballot that really could be decided by single digits, and have a direct impact on you and your neighbors.

If you are worried about long lines today, I encourage you to try and vote at an off peak time.  Try to take an early or a late lunch today, and plan on eating while you're standing in line. It's just a guess, but I imagine there will be quite a difference in wait times at 1:30pm vs 12:30 pm.

Here are a couple resources for anyone who is voting later today.  First, if you're not sure if you're registered, or need to know where to vote, you can Google the word vote, and you'll get some great information.  The old adage, when in doubt: Google, is extremely relevant on Election Day.

 

Second, if you encounter any problems when trying to vote today you can call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  More information is available on their website, http://www.866ourvote.org/, and they have an app available as well.

Most importantly I encourage you to vote, I hear they're giving out stickers!

PS: Check back later for some tips on how to take in all the election coverage tonight.  Twitter's about to go bonkers, and there are a few things you can do to filter down all the noise, and get some really good information in real time :)

baby shower and a bonfire

Confession: I'm a bad friend. Not as in I'm a horrible person, but in a 'I promised I'd throw you a baby shower & a bonfire a year ago, and your child is getting Christened this weekend' sort of way.

Confession #2: I am one of those people who needs a reason to do deep cleaning.  I don't mind doing it, but it's never on top of my 'I have a free Sunday, what should I do' list.

So I was thrilled when I got home Sunday night, and I had a voice-mail from said friend asking me if I wanted to host that shower we keep talking about.   Since I have been thinking about this shower for over a year, I had the guest list figured out, and thankfully almost everyone is available on short notice.  I also had a pinterest board going for the shower, so food took care of itself pretty quickly too.

But blue & green, because, well, the baby is a boy.

The only thing that needed to be done was getting my house what I call Christmas Clean.  Unpacking the last boxes from my move (almost a year ago), check. That hall closet that is supposed to be a coat closet, check. Light fixtures with bulbs that actually give light, check.  Media center hooked up and chords hidden, check. Refrigerator cleaned out & cleaned, check.  These are all things that I just needed a reason to do, and hosting the parents of your high school friends was that reason for me.... but don't let me fool you, I haven't done this in a flash without help.  My dad helped with light fixtures, and drilling a hole in my mantle, and my mom has helped me go through boxes and canvas grocery bags full of more stuff than I knew I had.  Again, all things that I had been thinking about, but needed a reason to do.

So I'm ready, and I'm excited.  In high school I always hung out with the guys.  And while I never was on their sports teams, I felt a part of the group, and consider them, and now their wives, some of my closest friends (even if we don't hang out as much as we'd like, and I was mia for a while...my bad).  That's why this shower is part shower/part bonfire, but 100% celebration, that's just how we do things. 

garden update - fall colors

Fall is a gorgeous time of year in Chattanooga, and my house is not exception.

I'm so spoiled.  There is color everywhere, which makes me happy, because there was not a lot blooming this summer.

My garden strategy for the first year in my new-to-me house has been to let things go as natural as possible, and see what sprouted on it's own. It's been survival of the fittest, Darwin Style.

Spring was full of wonderful surprises. Daffodils (or jonquils as my grandmother calls them) irises, and even a few hyacinths and tulips dotted the garden and gave me an idea of what my great grandmother's gardens may have looked like.  Summer brought the daylillies, a few wild black-eyed susans, but not much else.  I'm not going to lie, I was pretty bummed.  As the leaves filled out, my house became more and more shaded.  Great for my power bill, but I really don't think 'deep shade' is so great for most blooming plants.

The flip side to all that shade is the show the trees are putting on.  It's absolutely gorgeous right now, especially around the pond.

Edit 10/25/12: I'm adding this post to the Fall Color Project 2012 over at Growing the Home Garden.

(Re)Discover Chattanooga - Glen Gene Deli

I feel like I give a lot of love to downtown on this blog, but not my neck of the woods...East Brainerd.

Glen Gene Deli is one of my go-to lunch stops, and I think it's time to share it with everyone.

'My' Glen Gene is off Shallowford Road, near Hamilton Place Mall.  It's convenient to work, (I can get in and out the back way without getting sucked into mall and interstate traffic) and the food is consistently good, not amazing, but really nice for a quick lunch out.  The menu includes all the lunch staples, sandwiches, salads, and burgers, with a few welcome additions - sandwiches "in a sack" and deserts.

I don't know about you, but anything in a pita feels healthier than the same sandwich in a bun.  My favorites include The Gyro, Chicken in a Sack, and when I'm throwing the diet to the wind, the Philly Cheese Steak in a Sack.  The sacks are a good size, but I've also been known to order a side of tater tots.  Seriously, who doesn't loved the fried potato glory that are tater tots??

Most days I stick with the drive-thru (so I can spend my lunchbreak glued to twitter & Pinterest), but if you dine in, they have a nice little bar with all the sandwich & burger fixings, so you can make everything just the way you like it.

here,  click image for more detail

The other thing I love about Glen Gene is their dessert menu.  This is where you can tell someone put some love into the menu.  You've got pie by the slice, and more milkshakes than I've been able to try so far.  A Cinnamon Toast Crunch Milkshake you say?? That's just one of the fun toppings they have on the menu.

here, click image for more detail

Glen Gene Deli:

Hours: 10AM to 9:30PM,  "Every Day Ending With Y"

 Website | East Brainerd Location on Facebook | Hixson Location on Facebook

East Brainerd Location:

7025 Shallowford Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421
423.899.7733

Hixson Location:
5748 Highway 153
Hixson, TN 37343
423.877.9997
 

(Re)Discover Chattanooga - River Rocks

It's time for River Rocks!



And I'm excited.  If you're new to Chattanooga, or feel like you're stuck in a routine and not taking advantage of all Chattanooga has to offer, River Rocks is a great way to get out and explore.  River Rocks is a fun, 10 day event that focuses on all that Chattanooga has to offer outdoors.

One thing I love about River Rocks is that they have chosen to advance their mission of land conservation by showcasing "the incomparable natural resources of the region and the activities they inspire, the health benefits of an active outdoor lifestyle and Chattanooga’s commitment to environmental stewardship and land conservation."(1) They really want everyone to have fun, and develop an appreciation for the area that we live in.

This year there are over 100 events that range from free to what I consider pricey, but there seriously is something for everyone.  There are clinics and races, festivals and art demonstrations, nature walks & volunteer opportunities.  This video is another sample:



For me, the highlights this year are Wine Over Water, The Hot Air Balloon Glow, The Tennessee River Rescue, countless SUP Paddle board Classes & races on the Tennessee River, Yoga at the Aquarium, The Bike Share Parade, The Gig Concert featuring musicians live in Chattanooga AND in LA, countless hikes, and a sculpture burn.  I won't be participating, but the Rock Creek Stump Jump 50k & 11 mile trail runs are popular and, from what I hear, gorgeous.  

If anyone questions why Chattanooga was names the Best Outdoor City by Outside Magazine, just check out the full list of River Rocks events, and remember that this is just 10 days of the year.

I highly encourage everyone to browse through the list of events on the River Rocks website, or just head down to the riverfront this weekend.  The weather is going to be great!

Paul says it will be like this

 (1) here

football picks

If you follow my blog, or especially if you follow me on twitter, you know that I  think football season is the most wonderful time of the year.  Not much makes me happier than tailgating and watching football.

My friend Phats over at BOILER UP with Phats, has a really great series on his blog where each Thursday during football season he offers his picks on the games in the coming weekend.  He's a die hard Boilermaker, and he also does picks for the teams that his readers follow, and it's a lot of fun.  He also asks a different reader to be a guest picker each week, and you can see who does better, the guest picker or Phats.

You probably know where this is going...this was my week to pick.  Phats likes to put me in an awkward spot, and chose me because two of my teams, Clemson and Georgia Tech are playing each other this week.  The fun thing about picking games for Phats, is that this being the internet and all, his reader's teams are from all over the country and the NFL.   If you want to see who I picked, and see some of the oddest mascots in College Football, check out this week's post over at BOILER UP with Phats.

international talk like a pirate day

Ahoy! Since today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, I thought I'd share my two favorite ways to celebrate.

1) Make my Facebook talk pirate.  Click English (US) at the bottom of your right hand column, and select English (Pirate) (Confession, my facebook speaks Pirate most of the year.)

2) Listen to Pirateland.  This song just makes me smile.

it's the most wonderful time of the year

I am officially spoiled. ESPN managed to turn the opening weekend of college football into a 5day event, and I loved every minute of it.  They managed to work it so that there were good games that I actually wanted to watch each of those 5 days.  Add in the watchESPN app, and DVR, and I was able to see everything on my list of games to watch.

Yes I’m that girl who printed out the schedule last Monday,and highlighted the games I wanted to watch.

The biggest surprise of the weekend was how much I enjoyed the Notre Dame v. Navy game in Ireland. The football was good, and I love that they played the game overseas.  It made the game extra special, and I hope it’s something that can be repeated.

The best part of the weekend was that my teams did well.  Tennessee came out and played ball for 4 quarters.  Last year they showed moments of brilliance, but endurance, and the ability to keep it together when opposing teams made halftime adjustments were not on their list of strengths.  QB Tyler Bray looked solid, and I’m cautiously optimistic about this year. Opening against NC State is not going to be anything like playing Alabama, even with a home field advantage, but it’s a start, and an improvement from last year.

Clemson rocked against Auburn.  I expected a close game, and I had my fingers crossed for a win.  There were mistakes,and first game jitters, sure…but every Clemson fan knows that’s going to happen.  I did not expect D’Andre Hopkins to have such a stellar game, or for the Clemson offence to look so balanced.  It was nice.  I mean really nice.  And it means I can’t WAIT for Sammy Watkins to make his presence known against Furman. I’m extremely excited that I will be in Clemson that weekend, and the ticket office has got to be happy that Sammy’s comeback has put that game on everyone’s radar.

And Go Jackets!  I love Georgia Tech, but I did not expect them to win in Blacksburg.  I’ll take forcing the first ever overtime in Blacksburg as a moral victory, and choose to ignore the fact that they gave the game away with a stupid interception. Yes the uniforms are awful, but they’re not Maryland bad.  Georgia Tech is going to play hard this year,but I don’t expect great things.

Which brings me to predictions.  I’m not sure I’ve ever made predictions before, so this is going to be an interesting test to see if I really do know what I’m talking about when it comes to football.

Clemson: I’d love to say 11-1, but Clemson will always have a hiccup, and will probably go 10-2 in the regular season.  The more losses we have in the regular season, the better our shots are in a bowl game.  I know that may sound counter intuitive, but if for some reason Clemson is undefeated going into a bowl game, their heads will be so swollen they will barely be able to snap the ball.  A few losses would go a long way to keeping them focused and actually winning a bowl game.

Tennessee: I'm guessing that Tennessee goes 8-4 in the regular season, but probably loses its bowl game.  Tennessee just isn’t there yet.  Coach Dooley is on the hot seat,and hopefully the pressure will keep him focused and motivated.  I haven’t drank the Dool—aid, but I’m not quite sure it’s poison either.  We’ll just have to see how this season goes.

here

GaTech: I’m going to go with a 7-5 regular season.  I know one game doesn’t decide a season, but the ACC likes to beat up on each other about as much as the SEC does, and GaTech is going to have a few more tough losses.  They will play hard and rally, and could beat one of the service academies in a bowl game, but I have a feeling that this season is going to be tough.

I love football season. And DVR.

PS Thanks wikipedia, for teaching me a little bit about fair use of logos :)

hearts-a-burstin

I never knew why this plant was called 'Hearts-A-Burstin'

April 2012

I also heard it referred to as a Strawberry Plant, and that made sense.

August 2012

 But NOW I get it.

This spring was full of surprises at my new house.  Everything that came up was new and exciting. Summer came, as did the drought.  My yard has been neglected, and honestly a little boring.  I'm glad I've made a summer time discovery too.