Going Home in October

As of 2:oopm today, I am officially on my way to a Florida State game. Well, not today.

I’ve been watching airline prices a lot lately and have been planning on making my way back to Tallahassee for a game this season, seeing as it is Bobby’s last year coaching. Well, when checking prices today, I found tickets from LAX to Jacksonville, Florida for $290 a ticket. After a quick thought, I clicked “Purchase Tickets” and haven’t looked back since.

So at 10:45pm on October 24, my father and I will be leaving LA, on our way to Florida with a brief stop at Atlanta. We arrive in Jacksonville at 10am, drive to Tallahassee, and meet some friends to go watch the game. We play Virginia Tech that weekend so the competition should be intense.

I will more than likely write the pregame analysis before I leave for the game (or in the ATL airport at 3am…who knows), but post-game will be from a hotel room in Florida on Sunday morning after the game.

Ah I can just see it now. Driving to the game. Cars covered in garnet and gold Seminole fan paraphanalia. Seeing the front of the large catherdral-like stadium. Hopping out of the car early to walk through the traffic to the stadium. Approaching the giant Bobby Bowden statue and hearing the vendors doing business with fans.

Stepping inside the stadium and smelling the concessions. Making our way to our seats, right behind the band in the home endzone. Running down to the field and watching the players warm up. Feeling the Florida sun on my back (yes even in October). Watching the pre-game ceremonies. Listening to the band. Enjoying the Seminole spirit.

Well, until then, here’s a little something to get you ready for the season.

All Things Florida State

For all my loyal readers, you may notice a small change in the site design and name. Well, as the fall season approaches so does the time for college football. And as we all know, I am a major college football fan.

So as of right now, this blog will be geared to be a one-stop site for information about Florida State Seminole football. With preseason analysis, competitor evaluations, and postgame summaries, I will do my best to keep you in the loop and in the know about all things Florida State.

Postscript: Never fear, when the season is over I will revert back to the old design and name.

ESPN College Football Team

It’s that time of year people! Summer is winding down and college teams are widning up for another great year of college football! As you may know, I am an avid Florida State Seminoles fan. And with this being Coach Bobby Bowden’s last year, you can only imagine the excitement building in me.

The nights get shorter. The leaves get browner. And every Saturday brings with it another exciting day of rivalries, upsets, and the chance for glory.

More preseason comments and predictions to come.

Viva Las Vegas

Where to start….ah, at the beginning…

About a month ago, I got the idea to visit some friends of mine in Las Vegas during the 4th of July weekend. So after purshasing my ticket, securing my lodging, and getting a day off work, I was set.

Thursday, July 3 came and my sister and I were off to LAX for our 45 min flight to McCarren Intl airport in Vegas. We arrived and hooked up with our friend. Let the fun begin. Or so we thought…

Come to find out my friend had the flu. It had been going around there in their church so I made sure to dissinfect my sleeping area.

But despite all that, we settled in for a weekend of fun by having a group of young people over that night for a movie night. We watched The Patriot and ate popcorn on the eve of July 4th. That made the movie so much more real. But that’s another post for another day.

So the next day, July 4th, we woke up to find out that my friend’s mom and dad and brother in law had the flu. Uh oh. They all stayed home while we went to a church picnic at Mount Charleston in the mountains surrounding Las Vegas. We had fun playing volleyball, barbequeing, and hiking. Ah yes, hiking.

Well all I was wearing was flip flops so I did not plan on taking part in the hiking that day. Guess I was wrong. My friend, who was also wearing flip flops and who had hiked this mountain before, assured me that I would be fine. So me, not being one to turn down an adventure, started up the mountain with my friends.

As I was nearing the top, my foot slipped and as I regained my balance, I happened to look down. I saw my toes covered in blood. I wasn’t really worried, per se. Just kind of shocked. I found a large rock, sat down, and took a look at my big toe. I guess I had sliced it on a sharp rock, because I saw a large chunk of skin hanging off and I could see all the way to the second layer of skin. I thought maybe if I rested for a minute it would be fine (I still think my brain was in shock and wasn’t functioning correctly). As I was sitting there I watched as the blood rolled down my foot and puddled in the dirt. That’s when I decided I should probably turn around and go back down the mountain.

I called out to a couple friends and told them I was going back. They accompanied me down the mountain because by that time, the shock was wearing off. I still didn’t feel pain, I just couldn’t walk correctly.

So as I got down the hill, I found a water spicket and washed off my toe. Not very well though. From all the hiking, dirt had lodged in my wound. So I bandaged it up and went on about my day, still not feeling pain. (I refrained from uploading the photo here on my blog for those with weak stomaches. It was rather bloody.)

That night I thought nothing of my foot and continued having fun. A group of us climbed onto the church roof and watched the fireworks from the Vegas strip. Then we played basketball and messed around till late that night.

When I got home I soaked my foot in some hydrogen peroxide (holy cow that was painful!) and some sea salt on request from my friend’s mom. It cleaned off some of the dirt but there was still a lot left. After a call to my parents and some advice from my friend’s parents, we decided that I would take a trip to the ER the next morning to have them clean it out. Bad move…

Saturday morning, time for more fun? Yes, but first I had to endure one of the most painful times in my life. Being ignorant, I thought this trip would simply be a quick time of pain but that it would be over quickly. Wrong.

Fast forward, I am lying on a cot in the ER, waiting for my doctor. My sister is on one side of me and my friend is on the other side. The doctor explains that I will have to have a tetanus shot (no problemo) and that in order to clean out my toe I will need a shot of Novacaine to numb my toe (although this made me nervous, the nurse assured me that it was a small needle, so I cooled off a bit). But what she forgot to tell me was that small needle was going directly into my wound. Into the exposed skin. Into the second layer of my epidermis. Into the heart of my agony. I winced, bucked, tensed up, cried.

The tears didn’t stop for a while. That pain was worse than the injury. As I laid there crying, wiping a mixture of tears and mascara from my cheeks, another nurse came and began scrubbing the wound. I felt the pressure of her scrubbing but partway through I began feeling another sensation: pain. The Novacaine was not working. I told her, but she didn’t seem to believe me. So the scrubbing continued, and my tears increased.

After what seemed like forever, she was done. I looked down and saw that it was a lot cleaner, but it was also a lot redder. The wound had been reagitated and began hurting a lot. I thanked the nurse, paid what I owed for their service, and headed out the door.

I grabbed some lunch, took my pain meds, and continued on with my day. That night our group of kids went shopping at an outdoor shopping market. Even though my toe was in pain and I was high on pain medicine, I had the time of my life.

Sunday night we all went downtown to the Vegas strip and walked through the Bellagio hotel. Their flower gardens are beautiful and we had fun just roaming around the hotel. We watched the water show out front then headed down the strip to see the sights.

After getting home late and watching a movie, we fell asleep early Monday morning. Before I fell asleep though, I began feeling ill. I shrugged it off as needing sleep. The next morning I woke up feeling even more sick, but I had a flight to catch so I pressed on. Right as I was about to hop in the shower, I began throwing up. Argh. I had caught it. That flu bug I had avoided my entire time in Vegas had finally caught up with me.

After debating delaying my flight a day, I decided I could make it. After all, it was only a 45 minute flight. So I threw all my luggage in my suitcase, threw on some clothes, and headed out the door, large metal bowl in hand to catch my sickness. The drive hurt but I was throw-up free. But the minute we stopped the car, it came. To spare you the gross details, I threw up a lot. But I had come this far, I couldn’t stop now.

I emptied my bowl, got my luggage out of the car, got my ticket, and headed for my gate. Yes, people looked at me funny as I lugged around a large metal bowl, but what did I care. The security lady even laughed and asked me if I planned on baking while on the plane. Not feeling the need to explain my life story, I simply said yes.

We got to our gate about 2 hours early. I laid down on the ground and was out. To sum up the rest of the trip, I got on the flight and sat down (our seats were in the very last row of the plane…great). I laid my head down and went to sleep, not to wake up until we landed in LA.

After landing in LA, I felt really good and knew the bug had passed. I don’t know why it only lasted a few hours, but I was thankful it was over.

So, what to some may sound like a trip of pain, illness, and misery; I can honestly say this past weekend was one of the funnest weekends of my life. I met some great new people (I will never forget you guys, Muriel, Keith, Peter, Isaac, Chris, Yuri, and Bryan!), saw a beautiful city, and got to spend time with some of my closest friends.

So what’s a little hole in my toe or an upset stomach? I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Tragedy
Storm
Death
Disease
Cancer
Death

Why do bad things happen to good people? It’s a question asked by many people. After the attacks on 9/11 many people wondered why God would allow such a tragedy to happen. While we all wondered this, the question takes on a whole new meaning when someone you know and love is hit.

I just learned that my high school English teacher and mentor in my life was diagnosed with cancer yesterday. She truly was and is a “good person.” She never hurt anyone, went out of her way to help others, and not only taught but mentored her students. I am getting my college degree in English in large part because of her. I want to pattern my teaching after her. She impacted my life in a great way.

I wonder how many times I told her that. I wonder how many times I thanked her for all she’s done for me. Does she even know she’s influenced me? I am ashamed to realize I’ve never thanked her for all she’s done.

This cancer has opened my eyes. Life is so short. Why waste time on what will never matter when there is so much that needs to be done?

Life is short. Don’t waste your life.

Economic Stimulus Plan

Over the past few days I have been debating as to how to spend my economic stimulus check which comes June 20. My first thought was to buy an Apple Macbook but my check isn’t that much! I will get around to making the investment in a new laptop in a few years. The one I have now is only two years old.

My next idea was to open a separate bank account with the money and set up a new savings plan with plans to use it on a rainy day. But then I figured that defeated the purpose of the economic stimulus plan since it would in no way help stimulate the economy. Plus I already have a savings account and some money stored away.

Another thought I had was to invest it in the stock market. I have had some stocks in the past but currently do not own any. I thought this would not only be a great way to help the economy but could also double or triple my money. But after a good talk with my brother (the stock market analyst of the family) I decided against it.

I also considered saving it and putting it toward my school bill in the fall, but that thought quickly left me.

So here I am with money in my pocket, just itching to be spent. And not only do I WANT to spend it, but the government is telling me I HAVE to! I have never had problems spending money before. I have easily dropped a couple hundred at the mall or on a spur of the moment purchase of a new gadget or toy. So why is this so hard?

But after some long time of thinking and debating I have decided to do two things with it. I believe they will most help the economy and take full advantage of this opportunity I have to help out struggling companies. Here they are:

My first purchase is going to be an Apple iTouch. My current mp3 player has been lacking and I have had my sites on a new one for quite some time now. I use this mp3 player mostly at the gym and while doing various different things around the house when I do not wish to carry my laptop around. I also use it for long trips or car rides. I travel regularly and find myself wearing down the battery on my laptop by listening to music or watching movies. But the iTouch does all that and more. It has 32 gigs of storage (7,000 songs, 25,000 photos, and 40 hours of video). It also has wifi internet connection, a map application, email application, and up to 22 hours of battery life. It also has the ability to download audiobooks and podcasts. Overall it’s perfect for the travel enthusiast. I look forward to taking full advantage of my first purchase while enjoying my second which is…

I am planning a trip! Just recently I have connected with an old friend I haven’t seen in 11 years. While we were talking, we found out that we live 4 hours away from each other (under 2 hours flying). So while we were talking I got the idea that I could fly over some weekend and see her. After checking our schedules and checking airfares, I found out that on the weekend of July 4th I can get a plane ticket for $78, roundtrip, to go see her. Now I just have to work out all the details (like work, etc). If it all works out, I would leave Thursday and come home Sunday. This would be a time of shopping, spa treatment, baseball games, and just hanging out. I am looking forward to this and I hope everything works out.

Of course, my stimulus check is not THAT large and some of this money would come from my savings, but I am doing my best to stimulate the economy during this time.

So, what are you going to do with your economic stimulus check?

By the way, here’s a chart for when you should be receiving your check.

Sleeping in Hospital Waiting Rooms

Life has been one large roller coaster ride lately. Within the month of April, I have spent more time in a hospital than I ever want to (over 70 hours). Here’s how the story goes:

April 1: My baby niece is born. I already wrote a post on this, but it was a whole day spent in the hospital nonetheless.

April 11: Around 3 am, my dad wakes up with extreme pain in his kidneys. My mom takes him to the emergency room where they wait for several hours before being seen by a doctor. I spend the night awake by the phone, waiting for her to call with details. After he is seen by the doctor, she calls to tell me that he has kidneystones and after they picked up his medicine they would be home.

April 12: Dad still in extreme pain from the stones. The vicodin is no longer working for his pain.

April 13: Still in pain. Enduring it. Doctor said to wait and come back in on Monday if things weren’t better.

April 14: Sunday, more pain. Poor dad can’t take much more.

April 15: Monday. We encourage him to go back to the doctor. He wants to wait one more day. We give in.

April 16: 2pm He can’t take it anymore. Mom takes him to the hospital near our house.

5 pm I get a call from mom saying that the kidneystones have lodged in his kidney and they are blocking his kindeys from working…they are failing fast. The hospital doesn’t have a urologist who can take a look at him, so they are going to transport him to the nearest hospital, covered by our insurance, that has a urologist: 45 minutes away. They load him up in an ambulance, hit the lights, and take him away. I find a ride home from work, change, grab dinner, and wait for my mom. Mom comes home, we leave.