End of January

When tomorrow comes to an end the first month of 2011 will come to an end as well. Hard to believe January is already done. Looking back on the month it has been an eventful one. Since coming back to Gainesville I have:

Survived a snow storm- See my previous post for a closer look but this was a time in which we as an apartment were forced to have some bonding time. The bonding time has made for a much more comfortable living situation.

Started P90X- Wow... what a program. I have started to see results from working out everyday. By doing the program I am now starting to feel a need to workout everyday. I physically feel better, sleep better, and feel more productive about my days. I still have 60 more days to complete but I can say that I am looking forward to them.

Joined First Baptist Gainesville's Sanctuary Choir- This has been one of the best things I have done since moving here. As sort of a New Year's resolution I wanted to become involved in a group other than my classmates. I am still struggling with names of people but everyone has treated me like one of their own. The hardest part about the choir? This is the first choral group I have been a part of since 6th grade chorus that isn't led by my father.

UGA basketball game- Again, check out the previous post for a breakdown but I had a great day in Athens roaming around with my sister. She's cool and makes me look hip and trendy when I am in downtown Ahhhhhthens. But really, it is always fun to go to see someone else's environment. Now I am expecting a visit in return from Ellen to show her all the fun here in Gainesville.

Started my second semester of occupational therapy school- Yeah... so when I am not busy I do this thing called graduate school. This semester is all about Neuroscience and Pediatrics. I am learning a lot and am not too far behind from the registration fiasco that took place for the first two weeks of school. I am doing my fieldwork in Lawerenceville, Georgia at All About Kids. Being in the clinic is so much better than the classroom. I am really looking forward to doing it on my own in a couple of years.

Life is good here in Gainesville.

Stegeman Collesium

Most people who know me know that I have this weird obsession with stadiums and the whole atmosphere around them, no matter who the home team is, or even if there are people in the seats or not. Some people like fine clothing, shoes, purses or cars. My weird little obsession is stadiums. This past weekend I had the privilege to go to my first UGA basketball game and came away impressed with the whole experience (of course, much of my enjoyment had to do with the fact I got to spend the day with my sister). Anyways, I had always heard that Stegeman Coliseum was not much to see as far as basketball stadiums go, but something about it felt homey.

The Bulldogs hosted the Bulldogs from Mississippi State and handedly defeated them, which makes every home crowd happy. From the student section that extends through out most of one half of the stadium to Rocky climbing into the rafters, and American Speedo guy with  shakeweight in hand, I came away not only with the satisfaction I had seen a college basketball game but entertained as well. There was never a dull moment.

The crowd had some clever chants (in which most everyone participated, students and all):
-"Fight! Fight! Fight!"- to MSU forward Renardo Sidney who was previously suspended this season for fighting with his own teammate on national TV over a seating situation.
-"I-sa-iah! I-sa-iah! I-sa-iah!" (along with other football recruits' names)- to Isaiah Crowell, a top running back recruit on his official visit to Athens
-"We want Buck-lin!"- to the small white guy who finally got in the game and had he scored Stegeman Coliseum may have fallen apart. (I can say with pride this was my role, too, when playing for the Rome High School Wolves)

It was a great day of brother-sister bonding, capped off by dinner at Transmetropolitan and a stroll through downtown Athens. I came away impressed again by the Classic City and will be back soon.

A Few Thoughts

Doesn't it seem like the media is just begging someone from the four remaining teams in the NFL playoffs to trash talk? More time this week has been spent praising the other team by oppenents, or by the media talking about the lack of trash talk. Can we just talk about the game?

Nothing good has happened to the Miami Heat since LeBron James's "karma" tweet in which he made fun of his former team after a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the tweet LeBron and Dwayne Wade have gotten hurt and  the team has lost its last 5 games. I guess its true what they say when they say what karma is. Right LeBron?

On another tweeting note Michigan QB, or former Michigan QB, Tate Forcier let the world know via twitter that he would be transferring. Way to be a man about it Tate. Hard to think back but Forcier was the starting QB when former Head Coach Rich Rodriguez won his first four games at Michigan.

Florida beat Auburn 45-40 last night. No, that is not a football score. Florida shot a solid 28% (Auburn- 39%) from the field in the win that kept Auburn defeated (0-4) in SEC play. Florida Coach Billy Donavan has never been beat by Auburn and keeps the streak.

Props to New Jersy Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov for saying he has had enough with the Carmelo Anthony trade drama. Who can blame him for not giving up his team for one player that wouldn't sign an extension on his current contract? It is clear Melo is counting down the days until he can sign with the New York Knicks.

Here is one you could have never seen coming... College Football Conference Rankings The SEC finishes the season ranked number one by ESPN Stats & Information. Ok. Everyone saw that coming and maybe this too but, the Moutain West Conference and the Western Athletic Conference were ranked as tougher conferences. Can we please take a closer look at those conferences that get automatic qualification into BCS games?

Snow Break 2011

Snow Break has come to a screeching halt and class is back in swing like we nothing ever stopped. Professors expected us to continue chugging along like we were back in the swing of things. Needless to say, after a full Christmas break and two days of class before our ten day break my class was not ready to be back in the swing of things. I had class yesterday from 8:00 until 6:45. Granted, Tuesdays are my groups “tough day,” it was like immersion therapy. After a full day of class, a workout, dinner, and some homework my body could not even stay awake long enough to finish the Kentucky-Alabama basketball game in which Alabama pulled off the minor upset. I had not been that tired in a while so I slept better than a newborn and was up in no way tired when I was up and at ‘em by 7:45.

Back to the break, those living in 2912, who through the first semester had not grown that close together, but because we were forced to be together for 10 days straight I must say we are all better friends. With P90X and cooking dinner the only activities to break up the monotony of watching TV, we spent a lot of time in the living room and have become better friends because of it. I am feeling much more comfortable here in Gainesville and it is starting to feel more like where I am supposed to be.

These are some pictures from the Snowmageddon that took over north Georgia last week.

Ole Blue's bed was filled to the brim with the white stuff

One of the parts of the weekend we all looked forward to (other than getting out of the apaprtment) was the Atlanta Falcons game on Saturday night. This excitement lasted all of about an hour and was completely gone by the second half in which the Falcons were owned by the Green Packers. I feel as if I pull for a team they are doomed to win the big game. Now that my favorite football teams are done for the season it is on to basketball and following recruiting for next season.

Some of the decor for the Falcons game in the living room Saturday night

The Finest Gentle-Man

One year ago today the world lost one of its finest gentlemen it ever called its own.

I got a call around 6:00 AM one year ago today from my mother and father in which they told me that Grandaddy had passed away that morning. I sat up in my bed after they hung up and tried to take in all they had told me. Grandaddy was the first person I have had a close familial relationship to to pass away, and I did not know how to take the news. I waited on my family in Birmingham as they got their things together and arrangements made so we could all head to Arkansas. I must say a word of thanks to those at Samford that let me just simply talk to them about how the loss of Grandaddy affected me. I had some of the greatest ears and comforting words come from you.

I was picked up and the four of us headed off to Arkansas. Upon arrival we met with family, shed tears and laughed remembering this wonderful man. From my own experiences I will remember trips the grandchildren took with he and Grannie. From Branson to the beaches and many a Finance games in between, I never saw him upset, except for two times: in a McDonald's parking lot after one of his beloved grandchildren slipped from the water in the parking lot and when his youngest granddaughter beat him in Finance.

I found out in the next days what a fine man my grandfather was to all he met, and that his love and kind heart was not something he shared with just his family. I could not get over how every person said something about how he was such a gentleman who enjoyed the finer things in life. He truly was that, a gentle man and role model for a young man like myself to look up to.

I know he is singing loudly with his beautiful bass voice in heaven now, waiting on everyone else to get up there with him. But in the meantime, here on this earth, I know there is not a kinder, more caring, or more gentle man than Charles Wayne Holt was to everyone he met.

Back to Gainesville

I am back to Gainesville after Christmas break filled with a lot of KHGE being together, my favorites. A new year has begun and we spent it all together for the first time since spaghetti at IHOP. I have a couple of things that I am trying now that I am back to school; things to make my stay here feel a little more like home. I am signed up to begin singing with the Sanctuary Choir at First Baptist Gainesville, a way that I can keep scratching my music bug and get involved more with a church.

I have also begun the journey through the P90X workouts. I can say I have successfully made it though a week and a half. I can barely move some days when I get up, but I know it will get better. Maybe when it is all said and done I will be able to do more push-ups and pull-ups than my 73 year old grandfather. I am looking forward to being in better shape just in time for Spring Break. No worries, I will not post before pictures but when I am ripped and huge at the end of 90 days I am not making any promises… Yeah right.

In Stanford News

Seriously, when was the last time Stanford had this much publicity? The Princeton Review's list of most successful graduates? They have been in the news lately due to such characters as QB Andrew Luck and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh.

Andrew Luck... It is hard to give the kid grief for going back to school for his degree but he is giving up over $40 million to do so. Who is to say that he will not be the next Matt Leinart or Jake Locker? What else can he do at Stanford after delivering their first ever 12 win season? Win a Pac-12 Championship or a national title? Not likely. There are few times when someone is the without a doubt, consensus number one pick. I hate to say it but Andrew, you should have taken the money and gone to the Carolina Panthers.

Jim Harbaugh... You have already lost the respect of many by interviewing with the Miami Dolphins while they already  had a coach. Come on Jim, especially after playing the "class card" during all of your interviews following the Orange Bowl. You are better than that. I completely understand taking the job with the 49ers for a 5 year/ $25 million dollar contract. Good luck next year but it's hard to like you know after the way you treated current head coaches.

Now that Stanford women's basketball team has defeated Connecticut and the Jim Harbaugh-Andrew Luck drama appears to be over, see you later Cardinal.