Went to my grandson's 4th (7th Grade) football game of the season yesterday and they defeated the New Hope (MS) 7th grade team 21-0. So they are still undefeated at 3-0-1 (since 7th & 8th grade do play tiebreakers). He has 3 games left. On the road (to Louisville, MS) next on Sep. 29. Then two home games to end the season. I'll let you know more about those games later.
DKW's mom is packing up today and heading back home to Arkansas today. She did a fantastic job painting the master bedroom and accompanying bath while she was here. It looks fabulous. This is still part of what she said that she was going to do for us as a wedding gift - and it is greatly appreciated. It makes the place look very nice and I really like the "Peppermint Tea" (a pale green) paint. Makes it very easy to relax at home after work.
SHS (2-2 after pre-divisional play) opens their division competition this Friday night at home against the Lanier High Bulldogs(from Jackson, MS). Lanier is 0-4 on the season so far - so I feel pretty good about our chances. Kind of odd though, there will be a bunch of Bulldogs in town this weekend as the MSU (Bulldogs) play host to Louisiana Tech - and LA Tech is also the bulldogs. Odd. Just saying - ya know.
Everyone have a great weekend!

Catching up

Its been almost 2 weeks since my last entry just because I haven't felt like it. Not a good excuse I know - but I'll try and catch up. Tuesday (9/6) my grandson played in his 2nd game of the year and they tied the Columbus (MS)7th grade team 28-28. So they are 1-0-1 on the year and go to Tupelo tomorrow. This past weekend was kind of disappointing as SHS got whipped by West Point 33-12 and MSU lost to Auburn 41-34. What a heartbreaker. My favorite pro-team (Oakland Raiders) play tonight against divisional rival Denver. The best pro game of the weekend was the Jets' amazing comeback against the Dallas Cowboys. Starting the 4th quarter down by 14 points their defense turned the tide and they won 27-24. J*E*T*S* - Jets!Jets!Jets! Sorry - I'm a Cowboy hater and anytime they lose is cause for celebration in my book. My mudder-in-law is visiting and I'm really having to toe the line. Just kidding! She' a really nice lady and has done a bunch for DKW and I. She's welcome to visit any time!
The weather has started to turn just a tad cooler and its welcome. Beginning later this week the highs will only reach around 85 and lows in the upper 50s. Feels like football weather to me. Yesterday I cooked my beefy-vegetable soup, but changed up my recipe a little and instead of using two cans of Veg-All I used two one pound bags of gumbo veggies. Man it turned out good. Glad there's enought left for tonight. Yum! Yum! Eat it Up!
Everyone have a great day!

Football Tonight! (tomorrow, Saturday)

Football! Football!! FOOTBALL!!! This weekend (which in my book starts tonight) is a football junkie's dream. It starts this afternoon at 4:30 when my grandson starts for the Armstrong Junior High (7th grade) Yellow Jackets. Normally I would stay afterwards for the 8th & 9th grade games, but with the MSU on TV at 7 PM and a 45 minute to an hour drive home (They are playing Noxubee County in Macon, MS)depending on traffic - I'm headed home. 7th and 8th grade games consist of two 20 minute halves so that the boys don't get overheated. So I should be on the road back home by 5:30.
Tomorrow SHS (1-1)plays at home against Tupelo (1-1) and should be favored for the first time this season.
Then Saturday is the first full day of college ball. I've checked my DirecTV schedule and on just the channels I get - there are kickoffs for 5 games @ 11AM, 7 games @ 2:30, 3 games @ 6 PM, 2 games @ 7PM and 4 games @ 9PM. DANG!! Now I do have yard work & stuff I want to do, but with Monday being a holiday - I can quit whenever I'm ready and still be able to get stuff done before I come back to work. BRING THE BALL GAMES ON! Now - having said everything above - I've got to give a tip of my hat to my sweetie who indulges me and my football addiction. Most guys aren't as lucky as I am in that respect.
Everyone have a great day! (I know I will.)

A Real Nail-biter

What a game! What a game! After jumping out to a 13-0 lead SHS gave up the lead to Madison Central in the second quarter. SHS took the second half kick-off and in a drive that took just over half of the third quarter, got a field goal that gave them a 16-14 lead. Defense was then the name of the game as they held on and that was also the final score. What an exciting game!
MSU starts their season on Thursday night (Sep. 1st) against Memphis. I can't wait. Everyone around here anticipates a good year for the Bulldogs.
Everyone have a great day!

Another New Address . . . . .

I retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1992 and have resided in the same house on the same spot ever since. However, the U.S. Postal Service has once again changed my mailing address. This is the third address I will have for the same place in 20 years. I have one year (from 8/20/2011 - when I received the official notice)to notify everyone that sends me mail with any regularity. What a pain! Hope that this will be the last time.
For 3 quarters, this past Friday it was a neck & neck game - but Noxubee County capitilzed on SHS mistakes in the 4th quarter and beat my Yellowjackets 33-21. Not making excuses - but our starting QB missing nearly all the 2nd half due to cramps did not help. Oh well! But it doesn't get any easier this week with #5 Madison Central coming to town.
Everyone have a great day!

Pickin' and Grinnin'.........

......with the J-Man! Yesterday my oldest son called and asked if I would watch my grandson for 2 to 3 hours so that he & his better half could take in a movie matinee. I told him sure - as it had been a couple of weeks or more since I last saw him. The J-Man (Jonas) is a little over 2 1/2, is talking well and is cute as a button! Anyway - my son dropped him off around 1:30 and Jonas & I walked next door to visit my mother. (Be aware I live in a rural area and next door is 400-500 yards away.) I had carried some plastic bags with us and on the way back we stopped at my pear tree - which is loaded. So much fruit is on it that the limbs brush the ground. J-Man had a ball picking pears from the tree. I put a few pears in each of the 4 bags and then just kind of set back and watched him We spent well over an hour filling those bags and I had a smile on my face the whole time. I could have finished by myself a lot sooner but I would have missed the show.
Every pear he picked went like this - Grabbed the pear, "grunt, grunt", twist it left - twist it right, pull again and the pear comes off - followed by an elated "I got it! I got it, PawPaw! I picked the pear!" And if I didn't remind him to be gentle - it was followed by a slam-drunk of the pear into the bag. I'm pretty sure I had as much fun watching him as he did picking. When we did get back to my house I peeled and sliced a pear up for him. He ate the whole thing - all the while telling me about how he picked that pear. Such a great kid!
I'm happy! Football is finally here. Watched some NFL pre-season ball this past week and today marks "game-week" practice for Starkville High. It's not an easy game to start either. Starkville is in 5A this year (dropping from 6A) and opens on the road with the #1 ranked 4A team - Noxubee County. Noxubee County is also the defending 4A state champion. I expect a very tough - but close game - irregardless of who wins.
Everyone have a great Day!!

Its August - Time for Football........?

Man - Hard to believe it but Starkville High starts their football season 2 weeks from today (Aug.19th) at tough Noxubee County High School (in Macon, MS). At least the predicted high temp for that day is only 91 degrees! Tuesday of this week I week and purchased my SHS season tickets. So I'm ready to go!
My oldest grandson will be playing organized football for the first time this year on the Junior High team. He's in the 7th grade and is a big boy. I'm 5'9", wear a size 11 shoe and weigh 155 (& I'm 56 years old). My grandson is also 5'9", also wears a size 11 shoe and outweighs me by 20 pounds or more - but is not fat. (& he's 12 years old). I have no doubt that by the time he graduates high school that he will be 6'4" or better. The Junior High schedule has yet to be released but I expect to see it soon. His games will be played on Thursday nights.
The USA Today Coaches Pre-season Coaches Poll came out today and MSU is ranked in the pre-season for the first time in 10 years. If you don't think the SEC Western Division is tough - consider this- MSU is picked to finish 5th of 6 teams in the west. The 4 teams picked ahead of them are all ranked 15th or higher in the same Coaches Poll. TOUGH!
Since DKW and I have plans for Saturday and its predicted to rain every day for the next week - I took off work on Wednesay to cut my 5+ acres - and it was HOT! The high for the day was 102 with a heat index of 114. I started early (7 AM) and mowed until 2 PM. At which point I took a 2 hour break - I took a cool shower - ate a popsicle or two and drank lots of water while sitting in the AC. Went back to cutting at 4 and finished up around 6:15. It was slow going because even though I had cut just 2 weeks ago the grass was really high. All the humid/hot weather causing the rapid growth. Ahh Well! Such is life.
Everyone Have a Great Day!