Out of Context

Today, my Stats class was great. Our professor had some awesome one-liners and he didn't event know it. You see, I pay attention about 67.87% of the time, but the other part of the time, I blackout. So today, during the "blackouts," our professor caught my attention with some seemingly inappropriate comments.
The first one that caused me to take notice was this:

"You know what?  I just hate relationships that aren't straight.  They make me sick." 

Now, originally I thought this was some deep South rhetoric against homosexuals.  But upon asking my classmates for clarification, he was just talking about scatter plots that had curved distributions. He wanted them straight so he could set a model for them.  I'll take their word it.

Next, I heard this gem:

"You just throw some stuff in the front, then do some work, and blow it out the other end."

I really wish he meant exactly what I thought he meant, because I would vote him professor of the century.  Anyway, if you don't think that quote's funny, then 1 of 2 things are happening.  1.  You are more mature than me (highly, HIGHLY likely) or 2.  You have a "crappy" sense of humor...

Rolling With the Tide: How we wound up in Columbia, SC. Quite an Unlikely Party

Guess what? I don't wait for parties to show up.  I make parties happen.  If you remember one thing, remember that.

I didn't think it was possible to go two days without sleep.  Honestly didn't.  But I just did it this weekend.  Never want to do it again.  Never, ever. BUT, it was well worth it this time.

People say stuff about having no sleep all the time: "I haven't slept all week!"  "I didn't sleep at all last night!" etc.  Most of the time, these people have had at least minimal shut-eye.  They're engaging in hyperbole, if you will.

On Friday night though, me and my friend, Frank started what would be the most intense, party packed, college-football infused, sleepless weekend bashes imaginable.

On most Fridays, I start getting Eric Church songs stuck in my head, and I have to get to a bar for at least one or two "cold, cold beers."  As the former manager of the Burlington Indians, Kevin Higgins often told me, "it's nice to break down the week or break down a day over a beer."  True dat.

 This Friday was no different.  Met up with Frank and another friend, Ryan at the Houndstooth for a couple rounds to celebrate the end of another good week.

At this point, it's necessary to explain the fact that I get these "ideas" all the time that are a little bit out there.  Like Butch from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," I'm thinking all the time.  That's what I'm good at.  Thinking.  Doing? Not as often.  But man, I've got these ideas.  I'd love to tell you some of them.  Just ask me for one.  Seriously.  Set aside 5-minutes, though

Anyway, I heard tell of a good friend in Columbia, SC that was having a bachelor party this weekend...The Tide just happened to be playing South Carolina the same weekend, so I thought it might be nice to shout at them real quick and catch the game.  Either way, it just made me start thinking about the feasibility of getting to and from Columbia and back.  Generally you want to plan these things in advance, and generally you would have wanted to head to Columbia earlier in the day. But, I threw the idea out to Ryan and Frank, and all three of us laughed it off.  At first. 

At about midnight, I threw it out there again.  I wasn't standing for another weekend of marginal fun.  Didn't want to sit around waiting for something awesome to happen.  This time, I could see it in both of their eyes.  We were on to something.  Phone calls and texts started to be made.  We began to get preliminary market value figures on tickets, and the next thing you know at 12:30 am on Friday night, we're talking about how soon we can leave.  Frank said, "I'm going home to pack.  We can't waist any more time.  If we're going, we need to get on it.  If not, I'll just go to bed."  Ryan and his gal, Kelsey understandably opted out.  I went back home and was about to get in bed.  Then I thought about how awesome spontaneous things are.  You really nail it if you do something you didn't even expect.  You know how some girls talk about liking dudes that are "spontaneous"?  Those girls better watch their mouths around me, because I will blow their freaking minds. I don't even know what I'm going to do most of the time.  Just imagine how in the dark everyone else is.  Anyway, I called Frank and said, "let's do this."  He said, "O.K. let's go.  Are you serious?"  "Yeah, I'm dead serious.  I'm serious if you are."  Frank then responded, "I'm packed. I've been serious."

The rest is history.  We left Tuscaloosa at 1:30 am CT, and arrived in Columbia around 9:30 am ET.  Tailgated all day with some awesome Alabama randos, and went to the game at 3:30 ET.  Got back to Tuscaloosa at 1:30 am this morning.  Hadn't had sleep since Thursday night.  Stupid?  Yeah.  Poorly planned?  Absolutely.  Worst idea we've ever had?  Close.  Simultaneously the best idea we've ever had?  Yeah, I think so.  And yes, Alabama lost and South Carolina won.  But guess who else won? We did.  Suckers.

So long, summer. I love you. More than you'll ever know

It's finally over. Summer has come and gone. We'll occasionally get the day in the upper 80s, maybe 90s...In October, we'll probably get an "Indian Summer" where it's hot for a whole week.  But, for all intensive purposes, it's gone.  This is always the saddest part of the year for me because I love Spring and Summer so much.  For the last time this year, I would like to share my favorite movie clip of all time:



To see the pools closing and the grass turning brown just kills me.  And the temperatures...What can I say? I get cold easily.  I'm just a wittle guy.  My entire family is small.  Maybe we're descendants of South American rain forest tree house dwellers. Alabama was suppose to solve the cold weather dilemma for me, but I think I'll have to keep moving south.  Jackets don't belong in my wardrobe.  Neither do scarfs, winter hats, or mittens. Either way, I've got my eyes on some warmer locals...Looking at you, New Zealand.

Having fewer hours of daylight stinks.  Having to bundle up in 5 layers (Charlie Jones can attest to this) stinks. Being an even pastier white dude with the lack of sufficient sun rays, stinks.

Yeah, the Holidays are alright.  College football is cool.  But i prefer swimming pools, road trips, baseball games, tank tops, and sunglasses.

I'll get over this.  I always do.  But it will take time.  About 6 months to be exact.