Bazinga!

I've mentioned before my love of Jim Parsons (my nerd crush) and the TV show The Big Bang Theory. Last night Jim Parsons won the Emmy for Outstanding Male Lead in a Comedy Series. Wahoo!! Now, I'm not a fan of any award show, so I flipped back and forth until it got to his category (then promptly stopped watching after his speech). Congrats Jim!! If you have never watched this show, it is hilarious!! And Jim Parsons is a-dork-able!! ;) It airs on CBS on Thursday nights starting September 23!

These videos are for my fellow TBBT fans (they know who they are!!) :) Enjoy!!

His acceptance speech:

Funny Sheldon clips. Enjoy!! :)

This kid is too cute!

My friend Ryan posted this video on his Facebook page this week. This kid is adorable!! And he's only 3!



I found another one of him you Youtube. I just wanted to share these today!

TGIF!!!!

Happy Friday my friends! Are you as tired as I am? It's been a long week. I really shouldn't complain. I brought it upon myself. One of these days I'll realize I'm probably no longer young enough to stay out late every night and then be able to function on 5 or 6 hours of sleep the next day. **sigh** And yes, you probably have guessed that it's Rangers related. :) What can I say? I'm a fan! I realized when I was at the game on Monday it was the first Rangers game I had been to since July 23. I KNOW! I can't believe I went A MONTH without going to a game. Granted, they had a pretty long road trip mixed up in that (and also I went to Atlanta on vacation), but still. It seems like I was going at least once a week or every other week for a while. I made up for it  this week though. I went Monday night, Tuesday night, last night and I'm going tomorrow night as well. Well, I'm actually going tomorrow for the Mercy Me pre-game concert, but I'll stay for the game as well! :) (For the inquiring minds that want to know why I haven't gone to a game every night, Wednesday night I had dinner with friends at this WONDERFUL Brazilian steakhouse and tonight some friends and I are having a "Girl's Night Out" and going to dinner then we are going to see the new movie Takers.) I know Paul Walker isn't the greatest actor out there, but he's nice to look at! ;)

Last night we had fun at the game (despite the loss- but they did make a good attempt to come back. We still took three out of four from the Twins, I won't complain). Like I mentioned yesterday, it was my friend Monica's birthday. It was also Elvis Andrus' birthday (he's the Rangers shortstop). I was off work early yesterday and made signs for us (I hadn't made a sign to hold at a baseball game since I was 17). I made one for me that said "Happy Birthday Elvis" and I made one for Monica that said "It's my birthday too!" I think she was a little hesitant at first to hold it up, but she did (I may or may not have had to twist her arm a bit).

Our signs- they were shown on TV!

As my faithful readers know, I'm good at sneaking down closer during the game (I wait until the 5th inning. I figure if you aren't there by the 5th inning, you aren't showing up. Why let a perfectly good close seat go to waste?) We were able to get about 7 rows back from the field (if you are a Rangers fan, we were 7 rows right behind Rangers owners Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan). We were pretty close to the on deck circle and the next time Elvis was up to bat, Monica and I yelled at him. I never thought he would hear us, but he looked over at us. We held up our signs and he smiled and gave us "the nod". Everyone around us said it was pretty cool he saw the signs. That's what I love about baseball games, you make new friends every game you go to! :)

 

A view from our new seats. The birthday boy Elvis up to bat, Michael Young waiting on deck.

Sorry for rambling, almost done, I promise. Anyways, towards the end of the game, a foul ball was thrown into the stands by the bat boy. The security guard in our row caught it (he's actually the security guard "protecting" Chuck and Nolan). He was trying to find someone to give it to, so I started pointing at Monica. I was like, it's her birthday. He saw her sign and gave it to her. Wahoo!! I told her that was part of my present to her since I made the sign. She laughed! :)

Foul ball!

Okay, I'm done with baseball talk for today!! :) Before I get to my answers for Five Question Friday,  I have a few friends that need your vote for their videos (thankfully they are for two different contests!) Mama M. over at My Little Life (our gracious Five Question Friday hostess) entered a contest for Tasteful Selections. If you could please visit her Youtube video here and click "like", that will help her out tremendously! Voting for her contest ends today!! Please pass the link along to your friends and bloggers! :) FYI, in order to "like" a video on Youtube, you have to have a Youtube account. It's free and only takes about 10 seconds to sign up. Okay, maybe 20 seconds.

Second, my friend Lauren entered a video in the Taylor Morrison's Homemade Memories contest. If you go to the site here, her video is on week two. Please watch and vote! If you enter your vote, you are eligible to be put in a drawing for a prize as well! Information is on the website.

Thank you friends for your help, I know Mama M. and Lauren appreciate it!!

Now, onto my answers!

1. How many pets do you have?

At this time, I don't have a pet. I'm hoping to one day have a house and I plan to get a dog or two then. I love pugs, so I want one of those. I have recently developed a love for bulldogs so I think I want one of those too!

Cute bulldog video!

2. If you could switch places with anyone in the world for one day, who would it be?

Wow, I've always heard you don't know what it's like to be someone until you walk around in their shoes for a day. I would say some famous actress or singer, just to see what the "luxury life" is really like. Even though it sounds all wonderful, I bet there are times they wish they were just an "average every day person". If I had to pick an actress, I would pick the one playing Shemar Moore's love interest in either his TV show or a movie! ;)

3. What is your favorite money saving tip?

Don't go to Kohl's just because you have a coupon!! :) In my head I'm thinking, "well, they destroyed a poor tree to create this coupon. I owe it to that poor tree to at least go to Kohl's and check it out." I know, a terrible reason to go shopping. But that is how my brain works (are you really surprised??) :)

4. What do you want your kids to be when they grow up?
Well, I don't have kids yet, but I think when I do I will want them to be whatever they want to be. I don't want them living out my dreams, I want them to live their own. But if they could be something that makes a lot of money so they could take care of me in my old age, that would be lovely! ;)

5. What is your favorite quote?

I have two that I really like.

"I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much." - Mother Teresa

"Pick the day. Enjoy it-to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come. The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present- and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future." -Audrey Hepburn

Have a great weekend friends!! If you are a new follower, please leave your site address in a comment below! I'd love to follow back!! :)

Thursday Thirteen

I got tagged in a note on Facebook and I decided to use 13 of the questions from that for my weekly Thursday Thirteen.

1. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Either Macaroni Grill and Chili's.

2. How many televisions are in your house?
Two

3. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right handed

4. What's the last movie you saw? 
Charlie St. Cloud. It actually wasn't too bad. And I was impressed that Zac Efron finally made a movie where he didn't sing, dance or play basketball!

5. What are your plans tonight?

Today is my friend Monica's birthday and we are going to the Rangers game. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONICA!

6. Have you ever had a pet fish?

Yes. I won a fish at the Halloween carnival at my elementary school. I named him Goldie (I know, that wasn't original at all).

7. Do you have any saved texts?
Yes, my iPhone archives them.

8. Have you ever been in a car accident?

Yes. Some friends and I were in a car accident leaving the Rangers home opener in 2008. It was my first (and hopefully last) ambulance ride.

9. It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
Probably my nephew James. He is at Texas Tech University and runs on College Standard Time. He won't think about it being 4 a.m. ;)

 

Me and my nephew James

10. Do you have any tattoos/piercings?
My ears are pierced. Seeing that I'm not too fond of needles, I passed on getting a tattoo! :)

11. Does anyone love you?

Yes. Jesus, my family, my friends, and the Texas Rangers (well, I would like to think that the Rangers love me). :)

12. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
My friend Thomas while we were at the Rangers game on Tuesday night.

13. Do you like pulpy orange juice?
No, I like my orange juice pulp free!!

Hallelujah! A cold front is headed our way!

Yesterday the Dallas area tied an all time record high of 107 degrees (some stations reported it was 109, but the "official temperature" was recorded at only 107. Yes, I said "at only". : ) According to local weathermen, a cold front is headed our way this evening. And when I say "cold front", I mean that tomorrow our high is supposed to be only 91. Yes, "only" 91. The lows are supposed to be in the low 70s. For the past few weeks, I've been leaving my apartment at 7 a.m. and the temperature is 85 degrees. 

 

Greg Fields, greatest meteorologist in the DFW area! My friend Bekah will agree! He's hilarious! Here is his 7 day forecast for this week.

Trust me friends, after almost a month of 100 plus temperatures, this is going to feel like fall to us!!

Well, it's been a while since I've talked about the Rangers. I know deep down y'all have missed it! I went to the game last night (shocker, I know). But this was the first Rangers game I've been to this month. The last time they played at home, I was in Atlanta. After the way they've been playing the past week on the road, it was obvious they needed some lovin' from the home crowd! It was a great game (despite it being 100 degrees at the start of the game at 7:00. Yes, I have an obsession with weather, I can't help it!) :) 

Our view last night

The Rangers pitching staff only gave up one hit (and that didn't happen until the 9th inning- so close to a no hitter). It was the first of four Rangers games I'm attending this week. I'm going tonight because I won tickets to sit in my company's suite at The Ballpark. Then I'm going again on Thursday for my friend's birthday (she had free tickets). And then I'm going on Saturday because Mercy Me (one of my favorite Christian bands), is giving a pre-game concert (I've had these tickets since the beginning of the season). I know, it's a crazy, busy week!! Thankfully I'm just 10 days away from a four day weekend (I'm taking the Friday before Labor Day off work so I can go visit my folks!) A little rest and relaxation! Nothing like going home to fix that!! :) While I'm talking about my folks, if you think about it, please remember my mom in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow morning. She is having shoulder surgery (I think it's from picking up all the chubby babies in my family!!)

Have a great day friends!
:)

What a day!

On Saturday evening I was on my way to get something to eat when the AC in my SUV (I sometimes call it my truck) started going in and out. I was about one exit away from my apartment when I noticed the radiator gauge needle was on the "H". For those mechanically challenged (I'm not insulting you, I'm part of that group), that is BAD. I called one of my guy friends and he told me I needed to get it to a mechanic right away. He said NOT to drive it if the needle was on the "H". So, I took today off work to go to my mechanic. Unfortunately he was closed today (not sure if it was because it was the first day of school or he had another family emergency). So, I had to go elsewhere. I took it to a place that I've been to before and the "prelim" report was that it was a leak in the radiator. The nice guy at the shop said it was going to be a few hours before they could get to it for an estimate, so he offered to have someone drop me off at home so I didn't have to wait in the waiting room all day. This was about 9:00am.

I'm so glad they let me go home. They finally called me about 1:00 with the final report. I need a new radiator, new thermostat and the hoses replaced. The guy was very honest. He said the radiator HAD to be replaced today. He said I could hold off on the thermostat and hoses but he couldn't swear that they wouldn't break tomorrow. I actually knew a few months ago I was needing a new thermostat soon. I decided to bite the bullet and take care of everything at once (I drive entirely too much to worry about my car breaking down). The guy was very sweet. He took $150 off of the labor portion to help me out, but it still came to over $600. I joked on Twitter that I was now accepting applications for a Sugar Daddy. ;)

So, I've pretty much spent all day in my apartment (it's too insanely hot to be outside). I'm supposed to have my car back before 6:00pm tonight (I have a friend who is taking me to pick it up). I did decide to go check my mail  though and had a wonderful surprise. A few weeks ago I won a gift from Vic at Freckles and Fudge and I received the package today!! It totally made my day!! Vic is a true sweetheart. She gave me a wonderful shout out on her blog on Friday (thanks again girl!) Even though we only know each other through blogging, we have become great friends. If we lived closer, we would TOTALLY have drinks together every week!! :) Or ice cream. Or both! :) You should check her blog out here.

Here are the goodies that I received:

 

 

 

 

 

Once I get my car keys back, I have a new key chain! :)

 

I love this. I am so putting this on my car!

 

I saw these hair clips on her blog and told her how much I loved them. I don't remember if I told her blue was my favorite color or not (if not she did a great job picking which one to send!) I love this!! Sorry the picture is blurry, it's hard taking a picture of yourself with an iPhone! :)

 

A Sarah McLachlan CD. I promised to send Vic a review of it!

 

The sweet note she included with the gift.

Thanks again girl!! You have made my bad day so much better!!

You gotta check out this musician!

Happy Friday friends!! We have made it to another weekend!! :) **insert happy dance here**

My regular readers know that I love listening to music (especially country and contemporary Christian music). I follow Mac Powell (lead singer of the Christian band Third Day) on Twitter (you can follow him here). On Wednesday he posted that he was having a contest to see who could do the best Mac Powell impression. He later posted links of the finalists on his Twitter page. One of them was a musician named James David Carter. His video was awesome, he has such a great voice (and he's really good on the guitar too)! The link was to his YouTube page, so I checked out some other songs he has posted. I sent him a message on Twitter and he gave me the okay to post some of his videos on my blog so you can check them out as well! I highly recommend taking time to watch these! I honestly think no matter what your music preference is, you will like him. For more information, check James out on Twitter here. He also has a music Myspace page here. 

His video for the Mac Powell contest.

Here is his cover of Garth Brooks' "She's Every Woman" (one of my favorite Garth Brooks songs!) :)

His cover of  Amos Lee's "Arms of a Woman".

Here is one of his original songs!

For more videos, go to his YouTube page here. Best of luck James!! :)

Well, it's Friday, so you know what that means. It's Five Question Friday, Friendly Friday Follow and New Friend Friday time! Welcome to all visitors and new followers. I hope you enjoy your stay here!! If you would like to check out other blogs, click on one of the icons below and meet a new friend today! :)

1. Do you have any nicknames and if so how did they come about?
I wonder if she read my blog yesterday and got inspired by my Thursday 13 post? :) Instead of retyping all of them, if you are interested, you can check out my post yesterday for my list of nicknames here. OH, I did leave out one that my sweet friend Gena reminded me of. Sniffles. My freshman  year of college I constantly had an upper respiratory infection or allergies, so I was sneezing and sniffling all the time. So, I got the nickname Sniffles!! 

 

Gena and me at the Women of Faith conference last year- we hadn't seen each other since college! Yes, that is a Dallas Stars hockey poster behind me! :) We were at the AAC.

2.What is your birth order amongst your siblings?
I am the youngest of 6 kids.

3. In a movie of your life, who would play your significant other?
I think I'll have to go with Zachary Levi (the title character on the TV show Chuck). He's adorable. And I know for a fact he likes baseball. And from the interviews I've seen, he has that dorky/goofy quality that I seem to like in guys! :)

4. What is currently your favorite song?

Oh wow, I like so many songs, I don't think I can choose just one! :) I've been listening to a lot of Third Day and Jeremy Camp lately, so it will most likely be from one of them! :)

5. Are you saving your money for anything right now? Big or small purchase?
I just got back from my trip to Atlanta (go here for pictures), so that is what I had saved up for. Some friends and I want to go to Graceland, so I guess I should start saving up for that. I also want a big flat screen TV (note: I said, WANT, not NEED). I just can't bring myself to dish out that kind of money. BUT, if someone wanted to buy me one, I would gladly accept it! :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

It's Thursday Thirteen/Thirsty Thursday time!

This week for my Thursday 13 I thought I would list 13 nicknames that I am called (I know, I was running out of ideas for a Thursday 13 list, I had to come up with something!)

1. Rach: This is an obvious one, most people named Rachel are called this at some point!

2. Ray-Ray: My cousin's kids started calling me this when they were little. To this day they still call me that. If you call me Rachel in front of them, they say, "No, that is Ray-Ray."

Some of Cousin Ray-Ray's precious bunch (the littlest one is missing from this picture).

3. Sugarfoot: My mom calls me this. It's one of her MANY nicknames for me. :)

  

My mom having dinner with my dad on their anniversary last week!

4. Auntie: I have a few nieces and nephews that call me this when they are trying to be cute. ;)

5. The BFF: My friend Brandy calls me this sometime.

 

Me and Brandy at the Rangers game on my birthday

6. Angel: Another nickname from my mom. She has Caller ID so when she picks up the phone she says, "How's my Angel doing?" One time she was handing the phone to my dad and he asked who it was. She said, "Our little angel". He thought he would be funny and got on the phone and said, "I have no clue who I could be talking to." HA HA! :)

7. Precious: My sister Martha calls me this. And she says it in a loving way, not in a derogatory way. She now calls her two grandsons this!! (that would be "C" and "E"). :)

 

Martha having a Chick Fil-A lunch with her grandson "C". (Yes, the love of Chick Fil-A runs in the family!)

8. Crackie: Unless you were present when I cracked my tailbone in college, you MAY NOT call me this! :) For the story of that incident, you can read about it here.

9. Dumpling: My dad calls me this! When I was little he called me Baby Dumpling (it's a reference to the old Blondie comic strip. They called their kid Baby Dumpling.)

 

My parents at my mom's first Rangers game back in June!

10. Wonderwoman: It's a nickname I got when I was working for the newspaper. I had to cover everything from sports to city council meetings to school board meetings (let me tell you, those  meetings are NOT fun at all!) One member of the city council noticed how I was covering everything around town and called me Wonderwoman. The nickname stuck! :)

11. Sister: My mom calls me and my sisters this from time to time. When we are all together and my mom yells, "Sister, come here please", we start pointing at each other saying, "No, she meant you sister, not me sister." Seeing that I come from a crazy/insane family, sometimes we break into song and start singing the song "Sisters" from White Christmas whenever she calls us that. You think that musicals are ridiculous and people just don't break into song randomly? Try spending time with my family. Happens ALL the time!

12. Boog: My sister Mary calls me this. Again, unless you are my sister Mary, you CANNOT call me this! :)

 

Mary and her three kids. She's been the shortest one in the family for a while now! :)

13. Rae-Rae Hollywood: My friend Elizabeth calls me this. She heard the story about my cousins' kids calling me Ray-Ray and one time my picture appeared in the company magazine. She said I was famous now, and starting calling me that! :)

It's Thirsty Thursday time! Head over to my friend Vic's page here if you want to participate! Since we are on like day 20 of consecutive days of 100 degree temperatures or more, today my Thirsty Thursday will be glass of ice cold lemonade!

 

Here is the outfit I am sporting as I enjoy my refreshing beverage!

 

This picture was taken at the Brad Paisley concert a few weeks ago, but I'm wearing the same outfit today. But this time I'm inside my apartment enjoying the nice cold air conditioning!

It's the 7th inning stretch of the work week. The light at the end of the tunnel is the weekend. Hang on! We are almost there!! :)

Wednesday Ramblings...

As promised, here are a few more pictures from my trip to Atlanta (see yesterday's post for the ones from Turner Field and the Braves game). We were actually staying in Roswell, GA and got to tour the childhood home of Mittie Bulloch, Teddy Roosevelt's mother (one of my friends that went with me is a big fan of Teddy Roosevelt). I love historical sites, so I really enjoyed it too!

A view of Bulloch Hall

Standing on the front porch waiting for the tour to start

Our very sweet tour guide Colleen.

Three guesses what this chair in the bedroom was used for!

 

A view of the attic- it was huge. The stairs in the middle of the room went up to a trap door in the roof. That way if the house caught fire, they were able to get water up to the roof.

A picture for my friend Linda- she loves spinning wheels!

Like I said yesterday, I took a ton of pictures. But again, I don't want to bore you with a picture of every room in the house. (which yes, I took pictures of). I love touring old houses like that and trying to imagine what it was like living back in the 1800s and early 1900s. There are so many things we take for granted these days (air conditioning and indoor plumbing being the two main ones that come to mind!!) :) For more information (and to see more pictures) of Bulloch Hall, go to their website here.

I tried to edit my video of the tomahawk chopping Chick Fil-A cow at Turner Field, but I can't get it to upload onto Blogger properly, so I'm cheating and pulling someone's video from Youtube. They got a better shot than I did. I was across the field so mine was blurry. Seriously, this thing made me laugh- I love it!! :)

I've been tagged by my sweet blogging friend Jenn over at Brown Eyed Girl's ramblings (check her out, she's great!)! It seems I need to answer her 8 questions, then think up my own 8 questions and tag 8 friends. So, here I go!

1. What is your favorite beverage?

If you have been a reader of my blog for at least a week or so, you probably know by now that my favorite beverage is Dr Pepper (I seem to mention it every other post or so!) ;)

2. What is (are) your must have item(s) when you leave the house?

My iPhone, my keys (duh) and chap stick (I'm a compulsive applier of chap stick).

3. What is your favorite vacation spot?

I would say anywhere away from work is a great vacation spot. :) I haven't been to the beach in a while, so I would say some place along the coast would be fun!

4. Vanilla or chocolate?

If we are talking ice cream, I'm all about Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate. :)

5. Where do you spend most of your time outside of work/home?

This year it has been The Ballpark in Arlington!! :) Otherwise, any place where my friends are at.

6. Are you a reader? If so, who is (are) your favorite author(s)?

Oh, I LOVE to read. It's hard to pick my favorite author. I really like the following authors (click on their name to go to their website). The majority of these authors write mystery/suspense novels (my favorite!)

Kay Hooper: A number of years ago I was out of town and forgot to bring a book (I always take a book wherever I go- I'm such a nerd), so I went to Target to see if I could find one to read. A book called Haunting Rachel caught my eye (gee, I wonder why?) ;) It was by Kay Hooper. The summary sounded interesting so I bought it. I was officially hooked on her writing after that. Many years and trips to Half Price Books later, I probably own most of her books now. ;)

Nevada Barr: Many years ago I was on vacation and was wanting a book to read in the car (I am blessed that I don't get car sick while reading). I came across a fiction mystery book about Carlsbad Caverns (a place I had just visited the day before), so I bought it and another book by the same author, Nevada Barr. Another author I got hooked on immediately. Most of her books follow the adventures of a park ranger named Anna Pigeon. The author actually visits and researches all the National Parks she includes in her book (so there is some real life history in them).

Heather Graham (not the actress): I don't remember how I came across this author, I think my friend Martha might have introduced me to her. Her writing style is similar to Kay Hooper. Another one of my top  favorite authors.

Karin Slaughter: A girl I used to work with introduced me to this author. Most of her books that I've read are part of a series. I'll admit I was tempted to go "Kathy Bates" on her when she killed off a character in that series (remember the movie Misery when Kathy Bates freaks out that her favorite author killed the main character in a book series?) Yeah, I have a few other friends that are reading the series who agreed with me on that part. But I'm willing to continue to read the series, despite that! :) But if she wants to make that one book all a dream, I would greatly appreciate it!! :)

Allison Brennan: My friend Monica introduced me to this author last year. The series I'm reading right now is basically three trilogies (so it's 9 books in the series). Most of the characters overlap within the series. You can read them out of order, or just a few from the series, but it helps to start with Book 1. I'm almost done with that series and she just started a new series on the 7 deadly sins.

7. Other than Blogger, what is your favorite website to visit?

I visit Facebook and Twitter pretty much every day (I have apps for them on my iPhone, so that is how I usually update my statuses). I also go to the Money Saving Mom's website daily (also known as My Dallas Mommy). She posts coupons, discount codes and general money saving information for stores, businesses and entertainment places around DFW. Sometimes the discounts/coupons are good nationwide, so feel free to check it out here. Oh, and I usually visit ESPN and the Texas Rangers website daily as well. :)

8. Who was your childhood best friend? Are you still friends?

That would have to be Mandy, I've known her the longest (well over 20 years!!) And yes, we are still friends! :) I don't get to see her as much as I would like, but hopefully this fall we can plan a trip to see each other.

Me and Mandy a few years ago at the San Antonio Riverwalk.

If I tag you and you don't want to play, no hurt feelings at all!! If I didn't tag you and you would like to participate, leave me a comment so I can check out your answers!! It was hard only choosing 8 blogs, I have so many that I read daily!! :) Here are the questions for you to answer.

1. What is your "guilty pleasure" food?

2. If you could guest star on any TV show, which one would it be?

3. What is your biggest pet peeve?

4. Scary movies- love them or hate them?

5. If someone was to make a movie of your life, who would play you?

6. If you could only shop at one store for a year, which one would it be (not counting grocery stores)?

7. Are you a MAC or PC user?

8. What would your friends say your best quality is?

Now for the 8 blogs:

1. Freckles and Fudge

2. Adventures of a Betty Crocker Wanna-Be

3. Adventures of Gastric Girl

4. Beautiful Collision

5. Cranberry Morning

6. Little Thoughts By LT

7. Sweet Tea and Sunshine

8. Legally Brunette

Happy Wednesday friends!! The weekend is almost in sight!! :)

Georgia On My Mind...

Howdy friends!! I'm back in the great Lone Star State after my long weekend in Atlanta, GA! It was so much fun! Oh, where to begin. First of all, as I mentioned in previous posts, I'm not a big fan of flying. I think I did okay. We started the trip with a 45 minute delay leaving DFW (I think it was either mechanical related or weather related. we never did get a straight answer). The flight itself was pretty good. My friends and I all had our Mp3 devices and books to keep us occupied. I noticed after about an hour and 45 minutes it seemed we were going in circles. It turns out we were. Due to storms in Atlanta and  the surrounding areas, we were having to circle until we were cleared to land. I'm not one to get motion sickness, but maybe the circling on top of my nerves kinda upset my stomach. Thankfully I didn't get sick. Although when we finally started to land, we hit some turbulence which caused my stomach to feel like I was riding The Viking Ship ride at Six Flags. If you've never ridden it, basically it felt like my stomach was in my throat!

I won't bore you with ALL the details (if you really want to hear them, feel free to email me and I can share more). Friday night we had dinner with my friend Beks' family (we were staying with them). They were also our drivers for the weekend. (they were such wonderful people, I had a blast getting to know them). They were very sweet and rearranged their schedule so we could go tour Turner Field Saturday afternoon (this was mainly for me). We toured the museum, Braves Hall of Fame and the actual ballpark. Yes, I turned into a giddy 15 year old. For those new to my blog, for the 1990s and the 00's (I don't know what to call the new decade after the turn of the century), I mainly watched Braves baseball on TV because I couldn't get Rangers games where I lived. Make no mistake, the Rangers are my main true love in baseball, but the Braves are my second favorite (seeing that they are in different leagues, I think it's okay that I love both). But if by some miracle both landed in the World Series, the Rangers would have my full support.

Anyways, I'm typing more than I had planned because I'm about to bombard y'all with a lot of pictures. I know it seems like a lot, but I took over 400, so y'all are coming off easy!! Yes, I went "picture taking happy" on my trip!! Thanks for letting me share!

Waiting to board the plane

Me and Beks killing time during the delay at the airport

A view from the plane

 

 

My Steve Avery Braves jersey (I've had it since I was like 15 or 16) And yes, the Avery in the "Averyfan" in both my blog address and my Twitter account are for him. I swear I'm not a stalker, just a fan! :)

 

Arriving at Turner Field

Had to represent Texas and wear my Rangers cap!

  

Group shot with Monica and Beks

  

An insanely giddy Rachel standing by Steve Avery's signed jersey. It was almost embarrassing how excited I was (yes, I'm a nerd, let's move on!)

 

I thought it was funny that Steve Avery's and Mark Wohlers' jerseys were next to each other in the display. My BFF Mandy will understand the significance of that. I might explain it another day!

 

The Three Amigos, err, Amigas. Who would have thought that three girls would travel to another state just to see a baseball game? And yes, I have a Texas Rangers purse!

Greg Maddux, Hall of Fame pitcher

The 1995 World Series trophy

 

The display about the Braves on TBS (the reason I started watching Braves games)

 

The land of the free...and the home of the Braves (that's what the sign next to this said!) :)

 

The tour took us up to the Sky level of Turner Field

 

Possibly my favorite part of Turner Field- the tomahawk chopping Chick Fil-A cow. I got video during the game of it, I'll try and upload it later this week!

 

View of downtown Atlanta from Turner Field. For those who don't know, the 1996 Summer Olympics were held here. If you look in the background towards the right hand side, you can make out the Olympic "rings". The blue wall in the background is the original wall from the Braves old stadium. It's now in the parking lot of Turner Field.

 

View from the Braves TV announcers booth-so many of the announcers from TBS have sat here!

 

Sitting in one of the TV announcers chair. I could so do this job!

I have now had my picture taken in 2 different MLB dugouts!

 

Beks, me and Monica along the side of the dugout

 

Standing by the field. We were told not to get on the grass. I may, or may not, have accidentally "tapped" the grass with my foot as I was walking away. ;)

  

The entrance from the Ballpark side of the Museum and Hall of Fame

 

Yes, I realize I'm a nerd. Moving on...

 

There is a Chick Fil-A INSIDE Turner Field. Chuck and Nolan: can we please get this at The Ballpark in Arlington?

  

A view from our seats

 

Texas girls at a Braves game!

 

Chipper Jones had season ending knee surgery on Saturday. :( This is his press conference saying he's hoping to come back to play one more year in 2011. I'm SO going back to Atlanta if he does! Rumor has it that during Alumni weekend Steve Avery usually makes an appearance. That would be a great time to go! :)

 

Top of the Braves dugout

 

Braves manager Bobby Cox for the past 25 years. He is retiring after this year.

 

Instead of the Dot Races (like we have at The Ballpark), they have a Tool Race where mascot tools race around the park.

  

I really liked the big screen!

This is Braves Country- that slogan was everywhere around Atlanta!

Like I said, I have tons of other pictures, but I'm sure this was enough to bore y'all. On Sunday we went to Bulloch Hall in Roswell, GA, which was the childhood home of Teddy Roosevelt's mother. I will try and post pictures from the rest of our trip tomorrow.