A sad story about a girl and her car

There was a girl who was driving in the rain one morning on her way to work. It began raining so hard that she had to lean in to see through the windshield as the rain pelted down onto it. She became nervous and silently thanked herself for having gotten her tires rotated and balanced as well as her oil changed in the car the previous day. Luckily though, the rain began to lighten up and eventually stopped. A few miles down the road the girl was about to pass through a traffic light. Suddenly, the light turned yellow. The girl realized that due to the wet roads, quickly hitting the brakes to stop for the light may cause her car to skid or even hydroplane-- potentially causing a wreck. At the last minute, she decided that she must continue forward under the yellow light.

In an instant, she saw the blue minivan turning in front of her. It was like slow motion-the van pulling out in front of her car. The girl immediately slammed on her brakes to avoid hitting the van and attempted to steer to the right hoping to miss it. Instead, within an instant, her car slammed into the side of the van creating a loud squealing than slamming sound. The girls mind raced. There was smoke all in the car and she couldn't get the car to turn off. Her hands were shaking. The airbags had deployed, thankfully she thought. She felt her face and looked for any injuries on herself. She then grabbed her bag and phone and made her way out of the car. She ran to the van to see a large black woman yelling "my babies! my babies!" The girl asked "are your kids okay? are you okay?!". The woman ignored the girl. The girl then picked up her phone and called 911 to report the accident. She was shaking and her heart was pounding. She kept wondering whose fault this was or how it could have been avoided. After calling 911 and her husband the girl realized that everyone was okay. The lady she hit as well as her "babies" were fine. The other woman began to talk on her phone. The girl suddenly realized her wrists were hurting and her face was in throbbing. She felt her nose and realized it may be broken. Her thoughts were racing as quickly as her heart was. She willed herself to remain as calm as possible and not cry.

Soon, the sirens wailed in the background as the firetrucks, ambulance, and police made their way to the scene. They made a parimeter with their cars and trucks to block off traffic. They got out of their vehicles to find the black woman hollering as if she suddenly were in pain. They immediately came to her to assess her injuries (which the girl noted had been none prior to the emergency responders' arrival) and began to pull the stretcher out of the ambulance. They placed her on the stretcher and into the ambulance. The "babies" that were in her car turned out to be 3 young children, under the age of 4 who were not in the appropriate car seats. Only 1 of the 3 was in a car seat, and that was the baby, who was in a car seat that was not appropriate for the age of the baby. The lady also informed the police that her van was new, therefore she did not have any car insurance.

Another car pulled onto the scene and a young black man with long dreads and colorful clothing got out of his car. His pants were sagging low as he walked towards the wreck. The "babies" were his children, as he was the other drivers' son. He parked in the middle of the road and the police officers yelled for him to move his car before another wreck happened. He ran and picked up the 3 children without even checking on his mother in the ambulance and left as quickly as he came. A few minutes later another car came screetching down the road. The driver was continuously honking the horn and stopped his car in the middle of the intersection. He began to run into the road towards the wreck yelling. He was still wearing his telemarker headseat and looking frantic as he searches for his wife, who is the woman in the ambulance. The police and firefighters become aggitated at this man's careless behavior. They begin yelling for him to get back into his car and pull into a neably parking lot. Instead he drives off.

The girls husband arrives and she immediatly begins to feel her heart slow down and she slighty relaxes some. The police talk with her and her husband obtaining the details of the accident and informing her that a tow truck is on the way to pick up her car. He gives her the okay that she can now leave. She and her husband walk away with their backs turned against the terrible crash and event that has just happened. Though the cars and debris are removed from the sight of the crash, the memory will remain with the girl about that terrible rainy morning.

So, as most of you all know, this story is about me Wednesday morning. Thankfully, I am fine and though my nose is fractured, it doesn't look so and will heal on its own. My car is currently in the shop and is most likely going to be deemed totalled. Though this wreck was scary and terrible, I have been overwhelmed by the caring and concern shown by my friends, family, co-workers, and even Matts' co-workers. I am so lucky to be alive and okay, and to have the support that I do. I wake up (most-haha!) every day happy and I now realize why I am always such a happy person-because the amazing people in my life!

Here are a few photos of the wreck and my car:

War Cam Eagle!

This weekend was awesome! And mainly it was because my Auburn Tigers are #1, not only in my heart, but in the BCS ratings as well! I have been trying not to get to cocky or arrogant about how well Auburn's football team is playing this year, but in doing so I have limited my excitement and enthusiasm for our season. Well, no longer! I am soo proud of Auburn and how far we have come since last year. It was very difficult to see our team have a not-so-great season last year, while on top of that, have a strong punch in the gut to see our rivals Bama win the National Championship. We have suffered through the "Bamer" fans bragging on Mark Ingram and Sabanation and blah, blah, blah. Well Bamers, we have Cam Newton who is amazing and-- an awesome team altogether! We are not perfect and still have many games to play, but for now I'm going to celebrate how great we are doing and being on the top right now! I know a lot can happen in the next few weeks, and I pray it gets better and better for Auburn, but no matter what happens-- it sure does feel great to be an Auburn Tiger right now!

War Eagle!

Waiting for Superman

I recently learned of a documentary that is being shown in certain cities called "Waiting for Superman". After hearing that this was focused on children in America and our education system, I thought that I really didn't have a strong need to watch this since I, a.)am not in school b.) don't have a child, and c.) therefore don't have a child in school. Stupid me to think that! Once I started hearing more and more about this documentary the more I want to see it. Of course since I live in Alabam-er we don't get any breakthrough documentaries showing in our theatres. Luckily though Oprah did a 2 show special on this and I feel that this is a subject all citizens of our society should be aware of whether we are in school, have a child in school, or not.

Basically the premise of this documentary is that the American education school system is failing our children. There are millions of children in school who aren't being taught correctly, being looked over, and forgotten. There are tons of children who want to learn but are being failed by the teachers and our system. HUGE disclaimer here--there are TONS of great teachers who are doing an awesome job, and this is not about you. The problem is the teachers and faculty who are not so great and don't care about the students. In some states there is a lottery system to get into so-called "good" schools. I saw clips of families shouting and crying with joy after their child was selected to attend these schools, and others bursting in tears when their child was not. One woman stated how she knew her son (who was maybe 6) getting into the "good" school would make the difference of him going to college or jail. Wow. That really strikes home and makes the Social Worker in me upset. Why should a child have to win a lottery to get a good education?

Another problem discussed is putting children into different programs or tracks such as a vocational degree, college prep degree, advanced placement degree, etc. The problem they pose with this is that unless there is a specialized problem such as a disorder or mental deficit, shouldn't we expect all of our students to be knowledgeable about the concepts taught in school? To say, oh well you just want this type of degree so we won't make you learn more. Does this sound okay to anybody? It doesn't to me. I believe you live up to the goals you set for yourself. This starts with the education system and carries on to our lives. If we set high goals and expectations for children as students, then they learn they should strive to meet them-- and have teachers who are supportive and helpful to get them there. They then learn that in life to set high goals for themselves and that when the going gets hard they must continue to push on and to try harder. Instead, we are basically giving up on students learning concepts that may be marked "too difficult" and showing them that they are not worth trying for? No one truly believes that they can do better? What type of message does that send to children and teens? Give up on yourself doing anything difficult, it just isn't worth it, or can't/won't happen?

Before I step off my soapbox of this subject I want to give you a few facts I learned. This is what really started the spark in me to be interested in this subject and think of how this subject doesn't directly affect me but soon will. Our nation is now ranked #26 out of 30 countries with our students test scores in math and science. Almost dead last. We used to be on top! This is the first time the younger generation will be LESS knowledgeable than the one before it. What will happen to our country and our future? America is one of, if not, the leading country with our power, intelligence, and business. Will this continue with our education system working the way that it is now? John Legend says he believes the fight for reform within our school system is going to be this generations' civil-rights movement. I agree that it is something we all should look into and fight for not just for our future childs'/generations' sake, but for our country as well. If I get the chance to see this documentary I certainly will, and recommend you do so as well.

What's been going on

We have been pretty busy lately! Last weekend we went to Atlanta to hang out with my family and relax. We arrived Friday evening around 7:30. My mom recently moved and this was our first time to check out her new place. We love it! My mom has an amazing knack at decorating and it seems like she makes everywhere she lives seem to feel homey and comfortable. This new place is no exception. We went to a nearby (as in across the street walking) pizza place Friday night and enjoyed some amazing food and a few drinks. After, we walked home and ended up heading to be early.

Saturday we did a little shopping (thankfully for Matt I didn't find anything to purchase!) and came home to watch the Bama vs. South Carolina game. Around half-time of the game we headed to my dad's house to watch the 2nd half and watch our Auburn Tigers play. We grilled out and had a great time.

Now, I'm a true Auburn fan. It began just out of high school when I went to Camp War Eagle for 3 days where new incoming Auburn students stay in the dorms, learn Auburn traditions, go to the stadium to learn and practice Auburn cheers and fight songs, and bask in the Auburn way of life. Since that weekend, I have felt part of the Auburn family and am 100% loyal to that family and school. Therefore, as an Auburn fan, I despise The University of Alabama, as they are our rivals. So, when the undefeated since 2008, former National Champs lost this past weekend to South Carolina (whom we already have beat this season) I was elated! I love my friends who have made the mishap of going to, or loving UA, however, I think they must understand that with my love for Auburn comes my hatred for UA (not them, though, of course!). So needless to say, I was in an awesome mood Saturday night. Until that is, my Tigers gave me a heart attack by having such a close game with Kentucky. Thankfully, I believe in Auburn and love it, and they pulled through with a win to make our season a 6-0 record so far. I must admit my anxiety about this upcoming weeks game against Arkansas, but I will keep the faith and believe in my team.

Sunday, we headed back to Birmingham around lunchtime. I'm pretty sure I mentioned in the past about my broken camera mishaps and I'm happy to report that this issue was resolved finally yesterday at Best Buy when my camera was replaced with a new and improved model. So, though it was sad to see my old camera break and not to have it for a couple weeks, it worked out well when Best Buy gave me a newer and better model. Thanks Best Buy! Last night we relaxed and watched some of our favorite shows (the Amazing Race, Undercover Boss).

Today is exciting for me because after work, Matt and I are going to Williams Orchard, a place in Springville, Al to pick out our pumpkin, some Mums, and hopefully some fresh fruits and vegetables. We are also having dinner with some of our best friends as well so hopefully it will be a great night!
Happy Monday everyone! Oh and to those who are off today, happy day off! (you suck! ;) )

Why I love FALL

Fall is one of my favorite seasons and I wanted to compile a list of why I love this season. Here are a few:

1. Football. Nothing like getting together with your best friends and watching Auburn football. Or even going to the wonderful town of Auburn, Alabama and tailgating prior to attending the game. Oh yeah, and I LOVE tailgating food! Every Saturday morning I try to think of a great dip or dessert to bring to wherever we are watching the game.

2. Weather. Nothing is better than the crisp breeze you feel during a beautiful Fall day. And I love being able to turn the a.c. off and open the windows.

3. Colors. I love watching the beautiful colors the trees turn during the Fall. The oranges, fiery reds, browns, and yellows are so amazing.

4. Food. There is nothing like cooking a pot of soup or stew and sitting on the couch snuggled up with your loved ones and eating it. And, it's also time for pumpkin pies, which are one of my favorites!

5. Holidays. Fall has two holidays that are both on my favorites list-Halloween and Thanksgiving. Halloween is so much fun, to decorate for and dress up for. I love candy, scary stuff, and dressing up. What a perfect holiday. And Thanksgiving, which warms my heart to even think of. Getting together with my family who I rarely get to see and enjoying THE BEST food ever. Ahh I can't wait!

6. Decorations. Last year I made an Autumn wreath and was so excited to get it out this year and put it up. I already have some neat Autumn themed decorations up around the house and would love to get more. I'm always keeping my eyes posted for more! I love to buy large Mums in bright colors to put on the front doorstep by some pumpkins. I think it looks so pretty!

7. Traditions. Everyone has different traditions but I'm sure most are similar. Carving a pumpkin is one that we always do. Matt and I always go together to pick out the best and most perfect pumpkin we can find and get home and decorate it. I usually make Brunswick Stew and pumpkin pie the night we carve the pumpkin.

8. Dress. I love to wear boots, scarves, sweaters, and light jackets and Fall is the time to start pulling these out.

So these are just a few of the reasons why I love this season. I'm trying to enjoy each day as it comes, as the seasons usually fly by. Fall is such a great time of warmth, traditions, and time to spend with family. Happy Fall to you all!

Megan's Bachelorette Bash

This past Friday night several good friends and I went out to celebrate my soon to be sister-in-law Megan's looming end to her single hood- her bachelorette party! Our boys all went to Philadelphia, Mississippi to lose, I mean gamble their money away so we took advantage of being single for the evening and had a night out on the town.

We started at this neat restaurant/bar called Rogue Tavern in downtown Birmingham. It has a really neat atmosphere and great food. There was a band playing and I think the staff at Rogue thought it would be an easy persuasion to give us all free shots to dance with the band. And they were right! As we started to talk about moving to another venue, the bartenders kept giving us free drinks to stay a little longer so we did. After awhile though, we decided to move on.

Next stop was the bar called "Above" which is literally above, or on the roof of the Redmont Hotel in Downtown Birmingham. It overlooks the city and was really neat. I have heard it can get very crowded but we were lucky and had plenty of room that night. We danced on the roof and mingled in the bar. After Above we lost a few soldiers of our party (huge THANKS to my friend Amanda who was a champ and took care of our sick friend who will remain nameless ;) ), the bride-to-be, her good friend Elena, Phoenix, and I ended up continuing on to Nano Funks.

Nano Funks was a blast and we danced the night away. We didn't end up getting home until 5:30 am and needless to say I was SICK the next day. Ugh! It was worth it in the end though and I think the bride-to-be sure had a great time which is what matters the most!

Due to an unfortunate accident in Auburn a few weeks ago, I currently don't have a camera (hopefully will be getting a new one ASAP). So instead of taking pictures, I wrote down funny quotes we said through out the night. Some are hilarious, and some are just plain silly. Without further ado, here they are:

-This is a good dressing for dinner (as we are in the car not talking about food at all)
-I wouldn't have his babies but I'd have sex with him (talking about a famous celebrity crush)
-She's sutcher in a hurry
-If you put a bag over our waiters face he'd be hot
-I just don't want to throw up in the taxi (which happened to 3 of us-including the bride!)
-Filter. Off.
-I need a beat. Let's get some rap!
-Is that a challenge? Cuz I like it!
-Anyone in a minivan...I will drink down.
-Oh! They're in a mommy mobile!
-Oh is that a snuggie? I thought it was a large jacket!