Pleasant Day #2 in a row

Another day where we're in the 70s!! Oh joyous day! It's pretty great to leave the front door open and get some fresh air and hear the birds chirping away!! This is a short post to reiterate my disbelief in how huge football is around here. Any given location you'll pass by a group of people talking about the stats of the last UA game, their predictions for which running back will dominate the upcoming game (Ingram for sure), or how drunk they got while tailgating (really, really drunk). This has so far happened at Target and at Mike n Ed's BBQ...I'll probably just inform you all when I go somewhere and don't hear about Crimson Tide football.

Also, here is a picture of my new haircut with dry hair - feels so nice to have shorter hair! Many thanks to Dan!!

xo

Pleasant!!

Today it topped out below the 80s! We got a nice morning rain and the rest of the day has been partly cloudy. By 4pm Hannah and I went for a walk around the neighborhood and it was only about 76! We are used to that time of day being hot like the sun, but not today! A light breeze kept us company and Hannah didn't break a pant the whole way - a first here!

So, it's been an eventful Monday! I sent off a chapter to Brian (yippee!!), Dan and I went to Mike n Ed's BBQ ("Come pig out with us!"), and Dan tried his hand at being a hairdresser (or hair stylist as he likes to be dubbed). I have been trying to grow out my hair but I got tired of shedding as much as Hannah, so today I made the decision. High Life's in hand Dan took off about 4 inches! My hair is about shoulder length still and it indeed has what I'll dub the Nelson Flair. It's lucky Iceland is on the table else we may lose him to Miss Betsy's Grand Ol' Hair Salon down the corner (totally made up).

Back to Mike n Ed's - we had a deceivingly filling BBQ pork sandwich - bbq pork on a toasted hamburger bun topped with coleslaw and dill pickles - yum! We also got a side of potato salad (a little mayo-y, but had nice tang) and BBQ beans (stewed with shredded pork!). Mike n Ed's also makes three different bbq sauces to slather on - a spicy, hickory smoked, and mild. The spicy wasn't all that spicy, but I am partial to the hickory smoked myself (Dan seems to agree). Afterwards we were hit with a food coma that has yet to leave us four hours after our meal. It was great to taste yet another southern BBQ - I'm used to BBQ joints being scarce and expensive, thankfully in the South they are neither of those adjectives...The two of us had a filling meal for under $14 - and that's including tip!

Anyhow, about to post pictures now of the haircut!

xo!

The Weekend Update...

Hi all! More pictures posted on the online album. Ah Sunday! The pitter patter of raindrops are calming us as we listen to the latest RadioLab podcast. What a relief to have some semblance of fall weather! We've been having record high temps and needing this respite for sure.

I tended to the yard after receiving a wonderful delivery from the Nelson parental units. It's a wonder how effective leaf rakes are at their job versus the dirt rake. The leaves were delivered to the curb in record time and the backyard is looking mighty fine (I think). The ivy plant taking over the large tree in the back seems to be slowly dying, which tells me my raking chores are just beginning back there. I'm having to get used to the deciduous forest after spending so much time in the piney Northwest. I'm excited to see a lot of fall color, but dreading the leaf raking. Ah well, it seems to be one of those insanely satisfying chores, up there with vacuuming or finishing the dishes. A blank yard floor and a pile of leaves at the curb gives one (me) a sense of accomplishment simply unparalleled. Our lawn chairs are out on the brick patio and look splendid - even the cardinals are happy to sit on them. Dan and I sat out in the early evening on Friday and enjoyed the yard for the first time since moving in. Now we get to contemplate a fire pit or chimenea addition...hmmm...

In other news, the Tide are now 3-0 after an exciting game at Arkansas. It was nice to have a break from the the hulabaloo that is a home game. The streets seemed even more quiet with most folks holing up at bars to watch the game. Next week the Florida game will be a big one and should prove to rock Tuscaloosa in fine form...

Oh yes, also amongst the pictures are a few items that rocked Dan down memory lane. Since he moved to Idaho with very little it's been fun to see some items from his childhood and to hear the stories associated with them. Weeee!!

Miscellany

Here are some additional photos! I have been remiss in the blog writing...Now that there are two of us I can shift my guilt to "Well, Dan's not posting either" but that's not fair to anyone is it? So here is what I hope will be many posts coming up. Right now movers are here with a bunch of items that Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were kind enough to send down from Pennsylvania. I'm most excited about a box marked "albums"...I have yet to see a picture of Dan before 2005. When he comes home today we'll have fun looking through all the new stuff we've accumulated in a wink of an eye!

Overall Tuscaloosa is doing quite well. Another heat wave has hit us, with temperatures about 15 degrees higher than what is considered normal for September. We're back in the 100s this week but hoping for a break in the weather next week...

A general comment on Tuscaloosa Gameday - it's like the town is a veritable beer garden. Open container laws are null and void, as you may notice from the pictures we've posted...RV's and tents arrive on Thursday night, and then explode on Saturday. We haven't stumbled upon the Quad (where most of the tailgating occurs) on Sunday, but I imagine the school and city puts the revenue generated from parking to a speedy cleanup.

I now have an official part time job with Dan's advisor. Right now I'm concentrating on putting a "woman's touch" on the lab, as it is overrun with boys. This means organizing the lab and trashing years of hoarding. Best yet, I get to use a label maker liberally..and that I have...too bad I don't have a "before" picture...But from what I hear the lab has never looked better, so it's nice to get paid to make life easier overall for people...

OK, more soon..promise..

xo

Gamedays in Tuscaloosa

Check out these photos.

Well, week 3 of football season is over. The Tide are 3-0 and are tearing through their opponents. We have yet to attend a game but hope to one of these days. Nonetheless, we're having a good time tailgating and checking out the crowd. Enjoy.