Crimson Tidings....

Christmas is over and what a great one it was. The house looked lovely and was decorated with ornaments and items from our travels. We had a 10 foot tree in the family room that was just gorgeous. I made some gorgeous bows for the top and added a lot of extra sparkles. With all the fluff on top, it looked to be about 13 feet tall. In the office was a 6 foot tree with ornaments from our travels. We buy ornaments when we travel and that has turned into a beautiful, unique tree. I did a 9 foot Bama tree in the media room that was decorated with black, crimson, and white everything. We had ribbons, bows, elephant ornaments, and UA ornaments. The topper was a Bear Bryant hounds tooth hat with lots of "umph" on top. We also added shakers, a car tag, ball caps, and flags. Of course there was a hounds tooth tree skirt. It was amazing.

My mom got me a large metal cow that is painted in great colors, I'm going to put it in the basement when we get it ready this spring/summer. In addition to other things, I got a North Face jacket and a new laptop, which was necessary as my other one was about to crash. Tide Guy got a pellet gun and some UGG house shoes. He also got a propane standing heater that will be great around the pool. We both got some cash and some other goodies. We got tickets to see Celtic Women. Oh, and we got tickets to the National Championship Game!!! YES!!! We are going to THE game Santa left the tickets in our hounds tooth stockings in the media room.

The Niece had a great Christmas. She finally got it this year. Meaning, she knew she would get more than one gift. In years past, she would open one gift and want to play with that item without opening any more. No longer. The paper was flying. She racked up, too. She got an iPad, iPod, New Balance shoes like her dad's, Justin Bieber items, John Deere tractor items, tons of Ken (of Barbie and Ken) items, the Barbie camper and accessories, a BB gun (and "bullets", or as we call them "BBs"), a Wii game, a DS game, and some outside toys. She had a blast and it was such a joy to watch her.

I painted four of the side boards for the deck and we got those up yesterday. It was freezing, but we got that done. Now, I've to paint more so we can get those up and get the railing back up.

Well, today is another busy day. The Niece is having a friend over to spend the night and I'm going to help by spending the night, too. I will probably be exhausted tomorrow.

Have a great one!
Tide Gal

Catching Up....Again!

Ugh. So much has happened since the last post.


Let's start with Bama football. We were undefeated until we played LSU in November. We lost in overtime 9-6. We could have won the game as we missed several field goals. It was just heart breaking. Our hopes for a National Championship were gone. Then, for the next several weeks, things just started happening to put us back into position to play in the big game in January. There were several major upsets in other games and conferences. Suddenly, if the voting went our way, we were back in. And it happened. So now, Bama is playing LSU in New Orleans for the National Championship. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this game. Some saying we should not be in it as we lost a game, even though we lost in over time to the number one team. Some saying there should not be a "rematch" between the two teams. Some saying two SEC teams should not be playing. Some are saying LSU should play Oklahoma St because OSU lost a game a few days after their women's basketball coach was killed in a plane crash. Anyway, since New Orleans is in LSU's backyard and easy driving distance from Alabama, ticket prices are insane. Insane as in over $1,500 EACH!! And that is for the upper endzone tickets. We are hoping prices go down after Christmas. Way down. Regardless, we are going and meeting a lot of friends in New Orleans. We are still hopeful for tickets between now and game time. I have been to the past two National Championship games and I just have to go to this one.

Other big football news surrounds Penn State and a retired assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky. He has been arrested and is being charged with child abuse. It seems the abuse on boys has been going on for many years. Joe Paterno was forced to retire mid-season since he was informed about the alleged abuse about 20 years ago. At first he had a lot of support from some students, but now things have quieted down. And, even worse, since his ousting, Joe Pa now has cancer and is going through treatments.


On a brighter note, Tide Guy put the very last board onto the deck last weekend. Ah!! Love it. Now, we have to have the tub put back onto the tub deck, remove all the railing, add "sides", and put the rails back on. It will be nice to have the whole deck completely done. But, the "sides" are hardy board and will have to be painted. Now, with it with it so cold it will be a problem trying to paint outside.

We also cleaned up a bit in the back yard last weekend. More limbs and trees are gone. I think we are to the point where the tree cutting may be beyond our abilities.

In the adoption world, China is still slow. Nuff said.


Gas prices are actually going down and we paid $2.97 the other day!! Finally.


We just had Christmas at my mom's yesterday. The Niece (turned 5 last month) had a blast. Before eating and opening gifts, she rode her scooter inside the house singing loudly "it's the most wonderful time of the year". It was hilarious. She has finally gotten the opening gifts thing. Now she knows that she gets more than one gift. In times past, she would open a gift and want to play with it at that very moment not realizing there were other gifts. She also got "The Elf on the Shelf" which has been so much fun for her.

Christmas is today at my dad's and Sunday morning we will go to my brother's house since Santa will visit The Niece Saturday night. I think Tide Guy and I will exchange gifts after lunch Sunday.

Well, I hope not, but this may be the last post this year. Maybe I'll have time to get back to update Christmas events!!

Til Then,
Tide Gal

There was an October 2011

Yep. October did exist. I just never had the time to document about the month.

As of now, Bama is undefeated and ranked 2nd in the BCS. We have a huge game this weekend against LSU, the number one ranked team. This game is being hailed as the unofficial national championship game. Number one against number two in a regular season scheduled game. And it is in Tuscaloosa. So much media attention has been on this game for months and especially in the last week or so. We have pre-ordered our National Championship game tickets. Since the game is in New Orleans and so close to Tuscaloosa, we do not think we will get tickets from The University so we are searching.

The Libian looney tune leader, Maummar Gaddafi, was killed by Libian rebels on October 20, 2011. He had been in hiding for months when his convoy was attacked by NATO warplanes. The rebels on the ground found MG hiding in a drainage pipe. He was then beaten and shot numerous times before dying. He has a son who is now in hiding in the Sahara desert.

We have gotten more work done on the hot tub deck. The hot tub has been removed from its deck, all the boards have been removed, and most of the new aluminum boards are cut and ready to be screwed into place. The back yard is a mess. The old boards are on the ground, trees are down, tree limbs are in piles, the hot tub is in the middle of the yard, and other junk is piled in various areas. This is all called progress.........I think.

We got a dining room set! And it is absolutely gorgeous. I finally got to unpack all the china we have, including the two sets of china we bought in Japan. So, there are four different types of china in the cabinet plus a few pieces from my grandmother. I had some Venetian prints I bought at market in Atlanta three years ago that are now on either side of the china cabinet. When we were in Germany and Italy three years ago we bought some prints that I had framed over a year ago. They went perfectly in the room, too. There is also an antique black Chinese cabinet that is being used as a buffet. We bought a huge screen from Hong Kong while in Okinawa that is in a corner. I looked at flower arrangements for the table, but could not find one I loved so I made one myself. It looks good and doesn't even look like I did it. On the table is a table runner I bought in China. All in all, that room is fabulous.

In the adoption world, it is all the same. Slow. Uneventful. Our four year LID anniversary is in a few days. Barely worth mentioning.

Gas prices are around $3.20-ish.

Ok. So now I need to prepare food for this weekend's tailgating. So much to do!

RTR!!
Tide Gal

Here Comes Fall

We are over two weeks into the 2011 Bama football season. Last weekend, Tide Guy & I traveled to watched Bama play Penn State. Last year when Penn State came to Tuscaloosa, our student section and fans gave a standing ovation to their coach and cheered as their team entered the field. Such respect for their coach, their tradition of winning, and the past rivalry between the two teams. We knew there were a lot of requests throughout the Penn State family to not boo our team as they entered the field. In fact, we felt very welcome at restaurants and on campus prior to the game. A lot had to do with the southern hospitality they received the year before and the tornado tragedy. So, to say we were surprised to hear booing as Bama ran onto the field would be an understatement. Oh well. Bama played well and the victory lessened the sting.

Yesterday I mailed the final paperwork to Alli.

We have spent a bit of time cutting down a few trees, cutting them, and hauling them away. It looks so much better to rid the yard of the ugly and basically dead trees. We are able to get a better visual idea of the area for a pool.

The work on our deck has almost stopped. Tide Guy has the outer trim down and has completed most of the upper stairs. We now need to have the hot tub moved so we can begin on that level. The only problem is Tide Guy is in DC for work 2 or 3 times a month and now all weekends are dedicated to football. Ugh. So close.

I bought gas yesterday for $3.39. Still too high.

Ok. Big day. Gotta run! We have a game in Tuscaloosa this weekend.

Tide Gal

Baby, It's Hot Outside!

And it is hot. We have had 90-100 degree weather for weeks with very, very little relief from rain. Gardens are suffering from heat & no rain.

A lot has happened since the last post. I went with Tide Guy to DC while he had meetings. I played tourist for a few days. We lived 20 miles from DC before 9/11. During that 10 months prior to 9/11 we played tourist every weekend possible. After the tragedy, we were not able to visit some of the places on our wish list. This trip allowed me to go back, see a few more things, and stay as long as I wanted at each attraction.

We took our trip to Kaua'i. We loved, loved, loved this Hawaiian island. We found a beautiful beach and fell in love with it so much we visited it three times. Our resort was fabulous, the island was gorgeous, and we had so much fun.

I just returned from a beach trip and we have a trip planned to go back very soon.

We have completed a few tasks at the house. Tide Guy cut down a few trees, we planted a tree, put up storage shelves in the shop, and cleaned up some debris in the back yard.

In national news, the US debt limit is increasing at a rate that will cause our country to not be able to pay bills or government employees. Even retired military. Which is us. Great.

Gas prices are about $3.54 or so. Ugh. Nuff said.

Big news may be coming soon...stay tuned.

Playing Catch Up!

So much has happened since I last posted. I just needed some time to gather my thoughts so I wouldn't forget anything.

Mentioned in my last post was the potential government shut down. Well, the government came through, did their jobs at the last minute, and, for now, everyone is getting paid. Of course, this same situation could be a problem later this year.

The tsunami and earthquakes in Japan still pose lots of problems, but we don't hear much about it anymore. I think they have contained the radiation and mostly have the plant under control. There are many repairs and lots of clean up still to be done.

Our deck looks fabulous. Yesterday we installed the last full board in the main deck. We still need to cut and install two partial boards against the house, add the T mold, and trim. Then, we need to start on the hot tub deck. It is the never ending deck project.

Below are the reasons why I haven't posted in a while.

On April 27th, 2011, tornadoes ripped through central and northern Alabama. They came from Mississippi, across Alabama, and went into Georgia and Tennessee. There were so many storms, tornadoes, and possible tornadoes the weathermen were having a hard time keeping up with them. They would have to talk about a certain area while showing radars in others. It was crazy. Tornadoes were everywhere and just kept dropping from the sky. Afterwards, driving through the areas, it was easy to see some of the tornado paths. Massive trees were gone! Not down....gone. Some subdivisions here were completely wiped out. Some people returned home only to find a slab with rubble strewn about. We saw wide strips of metal wrapped around trees. We saw pictures of mattresses in trees. Large heavy gun cases were in trees. Bark was stripped from trees. Trucks appeared in yards and no one knew who the owners were. People with 5,000 square foot homes could only fill a pick up truck with the personal items they found. The clean up here will take months. Repairs will take longer. Many families have to start completely over. Sadly, some people didn't have home owner's insurance.

As bad as it was here, it was even worse in Tuscaloosa. A tornado that was over a mile wide ripped through the town. It destroyed some of the streets we take to Bryant-Denny stadium. Completely destroyed. As in gone. As in....we have been down 15th Street hundreds of times and cannot find one landmark when we look at the destruction of that street. So many people were killed and severely hurt. This massive tornado was very close to the campus, but there was no direct hit. It will probably take years to rebuild this area.

These tornadoes completely wiped out a few small towns in west Alabama. They are gone. Many people were killed and still missing. These small towns had many citizens without insurance, small businesses, and many lower income families. There was a Wrangler jean factory in Hackelburg, a town I had never heard of before April 27, 2011. My brother found a size 5 pair of jeans in his field. They were covered in mud and the size jeans his daughter wears. Strange!

We didn't have any damage from the tornadoes. However, we found lots of debris (papers, wall paper, shingles pieces, vinyl, wood, etc.) in the yard for a few days. We didn't have power from Wednesday afternoon until late Saturday afternoon. Our cable came on late Saturday night. Internet took a lot longer and was spotty for a while. We only bought gas for Tide Guy's little car and our generator and we only bought a loaf of bread, some lunch meat, and cheese. We ate from our freezer so we didn't buy food we really didn't need taking it from someone who may have needed it.

Since we bought a generator, we had our freezer and fridge in the garage hooked to it. We also were able to hook up our Renai hot water heater and have hot showers. Our neighbors came over for showers. We have friends who were without power for longer than us and they also drove over for showers. We smoked ribs on our Big*Green*Egg for friends without power. It gave them time to relax. They didn't have to eat off paper plates or wash dinner dishes in cold water. They didn't have all the hassles of NOT having power and trying to prepare something to eat.

Gas prices soared to about $3.89 a gallon for a while. The prices spiked the days after the storms as everyone needed gas for their cars and generators. Right now, prices are about $3.58 or so. I saw a prediction there the price should drop 55 cents by summer's end. Fingers crossed.

On Friday, April 29, 2011, Prince William married Kate Middleton at 4 am our time. I never planned to wake early enough to see it as many people did. I thought I would catch highlights on the news afterward. However, since the power was off I saw very little when we were finally able to watch TV.

On Sunday, May 1, 2011, a group of six Navy Seals stormed into OB*Laden's compound in Pakistan and killed him. In the process, they took several computers, tapes, papers, and various other pieces of intelligence. They dropped his body in the ocean for a burial at sea. This keeps his followers from having a burial place to honor and visit his grave.

This past weekend my brother was in the hospital for 4 days with diverticulitis. Once he came home I stayed two nights with him and his daughter.

We have also gone to see Burn the Floor, Trans Siberian Orchestra, and the Beach Boys. A trip to DC is close and a vacation trip Kauai is soon. We are also traveling south to visit our tailgate friends this summer. We also have tickets to Toby Keith and Keith Urban. We have reservations to the beach for a long weekend. Sounds like a fabulous summer!

Told you a lot has happened since my last post.

OK. Now, I've got to get on with the day!

Tide Gal

Government Shutdown??

Well, spring is here and the days are warming. The buttercups are gone, red buds are in full bloom, and leaves are popping out of the trees. Now, the sun just needs to stay out and the rain clouds need to stay away!! The University of Alabama men's basketball team did not make it into March Madness, but did qualify for the NIT. They made it to the finals and then seemed to fall apart during the championship game. Oh, well, I guess the fans are ready for the A Day spring football game coming up soon. We are doing well with the new decking material. It looks fabulous and is fairly easy to install. We thought the easy part would be making a run down each board and screwing in the clamps very fast. Unfortunately, that has turned into the most time consuming part because occasionally the screws strip. Once stripped, Tide Guy has to pull it out without removing the board. If we attempt to remove the good screws on a board, we run the risk of stripping those, too. We should have most of the top part done by the end of this weekend. Then, we have to remove the hot tub on the lower level, replace those boards, and do all the steps. In national news.... Gas prices are so high it is scary. Right now, our local Race Way is $3.59/gallon. There are predictions the prices may go to $5.00/gallon by summer or by summer's end. Prices of everything are soaring. I buy a 2 liter generic ginger ale for 79 cents. Today, the price had gone up to 89 cents. Now, a dime isn't much, but it has gone up over 10%...at once. If everything goes up 10%, everyone will have to cut back on everything. Japan is still having major problems with the nuclear reactors. It isn't know how much radiation, if any, is in the water system or food supply. Thousands have died from the earthquake and tsunami. A crew spent many days in a nuclear plant trying to cool the reactors. They still have lots of potential problems. It is scary. And, to make it worse.....our government hasn't funded anything in months so it seems Washington DC may shut down Friday. The military may not get paid....even those stationed and fighting overseas. The government hasn't released funds, extended contracts, and owes some companies for work already completed. If this resolution isn't addressed and a compromise happens soon, no one knows what to expect. It could get very interesting!! Tide Gal

Earthquake and Tsunami

We woke up yesterday morning to news that just north of Tokyo, Japan, there had been an earthquake with 8.7 magnitude. Such devastation. Then, to top it off, a tsunami hit the coast. Even worse, the earthquake caused massive problems and an explosion at a radiation plant.

It has been reported that the damage from the combination of the earthquake and tsunami caused Japan's coast to shift 8 feet and tilt the earth's axis. I contacted a friend who lives in Okinawa and she reported they had no damage or problems. I find that totally amazing. When we lived there, we had one tsunami warning. I think the wave was about 3 inches when it finally arrived. We felt a few minor earthquakes which felt very strange and almost unreal. I can't imagine what a "real" earthquake would feel like, much less an 8.7. We did have two typhoons which had winds in excess of 140 mph. THAT was scary!

Afterwards, Hawaii, Alaska, and the US eastern coast had tsunami warnings. Luckily, there was minimal damage. Of course, there were warnings for our eastern states asking people to go to high ground. Many did, but many people either sat on the beach watching or used the large waves to surf.

Winning!!! Really??

In the last post I forgot to mention that Char*lie She*en was fired from his hit show yesterday. The bigger news about this is that he has lost it. "It" being is mind, his career, and all sense of sanity. He rants about himself and how he is "winning" and his previous employers are "losers". He says he is clean, but one has to wonder about him. He definitely has some screws lose somewhere.

His sons have been removed from his home.

His dad and brother can't help him. CS said there isn't nothing to fix and until his dad and brother accept that, they need to stay away.

He is so bad his craziness is being compared to M*uammar Q*addafi....and CS is losing. It seems that people think M*uammar Q*addafi at least knows he is lying, but CS believes everything he says.

*****************
Oh, and the increasing gas prices continue to make national news. Just saw on a national morning show the highest gas prices in the nation. $5.39!!!! It is at an Orlando station with a close location to the airport.

Gas Prices are Soaring!!

Well, since the last post, gas prices have soared and will continue to go up. With all the upheaval in the Middle East and Moammar Gadhafi's craziness, the prices are out of control and no end is in sight. We paid just $3.38 on Saturday and the news stated the prices went up drastically last night.

We went to the University of Alabama's basketball game Saturday in Tuscaloosa. They played a great game against Georgia and won the game. The men won the SEC West division and will play Friday in the SEC tournament. Before the game, we had lunch with the people we sit beside during football season. It was so nice to see them again.

We have renamed the "industrial side" of our basement to "The Shop". The ceiling is done, the lighting is complete, and the floor is painted and textured. We have a shelving unit up, along with one work bench and a tool box. The sink and and cabinet is also done. Now, Tide Guy is installing baseboards and trim. It really looks great.

Spring is evident here. Trees and flowers are really blooming everywhere and things are starting to look green.

That's all for now.
Tide Gal

Spring??

We have had more snow this winter than anyone can remember. It is amazing. We have built snowmen, schools have added 5-6 days to the school year, and it has been cold. However, all of a sudden, plants are popping out of the ground and we have buttercups and other bulb plants beginning to bloom. It is a sign that warmer weather is on the way. I love seeing my favorite flower (buttercups) coming out of the ground. And when my favorite trees (red buds) start blooming I know the warmth is on the way.

In national news, there are huge problems in the middle east and gas prices are soaring, jumping 25 cents in a day or two. Citizens are protesting so that their dictator leaders will resign. All this uneasiness is causing the gas prices to go up very fast.

It looks like Alabama basketball could do well this season. We are going to a game next weekend to see UA play Georgia. Should be a fun game.

It also looks like Tide Guy's job is a bit more secure right this minute. This could change, but we feel safe for about a year. Boeing just got a $32 billion dollar contract with the Air Force. Tide Guy has been moved to a different program, but in a few months is expected to move back to his original program. He is very excited about the move back. I'm still holding out for a pool this season. However, we are going to Kauai this summer. I can't wait.

In the adoption world, China surprised everyone with an early referral. This action has raised some spirits, but we are all still cautious. We never know what causes fast referrals or causes the slow downs. I read on someones blog that the CCAA has said the referrals will not exceed 5 years. Well, we are at 3 years and 3 months and we have a very long ways to go. I don't see how the CCAA can go through the referrals to keep us in a 5 year window. The coming months will be interesting, but it still will be no indication of what is to come.

Well, we are headed to Nashville today to see Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker. We love going to Nashville.

Ready for Spring!!
Tide Gal

More Snow?

Yep. It snowed again last night. Just a little, but it snowed. I think we have close to a inch in some places. School openings were delayed an hour or two. The funny thing is the last snow just melted about a 6 days ago and schools were out a whole week. And, even funnier, is that we are supposed to get more snow in two days.

Gas prices are way up to about $2.99/gallon.

In the adoption world, the news is basically the same. Nothing new.

We Still Have Snow

Yep. We still have snow on the ground and it has been there for over a week. A lot of it melted yesterday and with a possibility of rain today, it should be gone today.

More Snow!

We have snow. And, for here, we have a lot of snow. It started snowing Sunday night and continued on through Monday. It is now Friday, the snow is still here, and local schools have been closed all week. It has been a winter wonderland and the temperature aren't getting above freezing often. Very large snowmen can be found in many yards. Luckily, the roads are mostly clear in most areas. The "back roads" still have ice in the shaded areas. The best part is the power never went off. We were prepared in case, but hopeful we wouldn't have to eat sandwiches or grill in the 20 degree weather.

To make us feel better, Tide Guy has booked us a trip to Kaua'i for the summer. We are excited!

It's a New Year

On with 2011!

But, first a few updates from the end of 2010:

We actually had a white Christmas. It was wonderful. We built a snowman that we named Snow Bear Man. I then made a snow shaped duck named Duck. I used green paint on him, and put two green bead necklaces on him. He was in tribute to the Oregon Ducks who play that other school in Alabama this month for the National Championship.

Gas prices are on the way up. Again. I paid $2.95/gallon recently. Ugh.

We started work on the dropped ceiling in the "industrial side" of the basement. It looks so good that I commented it doesn't look like we did it. We have now renamed it "the shop".

Back to 2011:

On New Year's day, Bama played Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. We did not go and Bama may have played the best game of the season. They completely dominated in all areas. In fact, their first and second string quarterbacks were both hurt during the game and they had to play someone that wasn't a quarterback. Our starters were pulled midway through the third quarter and we played our 2nd-4th string players. Afterwards, the Michigan State players and coaches all commented on the strength of our team. Some stated it was like playing a NFL team. The officials were quoted on the politeness Bama's team. They said they heard "yes sir" many times. I am so proud of this team. Pure class.

Tide Guy begins work on a new program at work next week. We are so grateful he found a job within the same company. The program he is on now could start back later depending on the new, current administration. However, he isn't sure he would go back. He would have to compare job security on each program.

On with 2011!!

Tide Gal