Happy Anniversary Jason and Kristen!

My young brother and his wife celebrated their one-year anniversary Sunday, May 17. Congratulations! It's hard to believe it's already been a year.

The photo below is of all the groomsmen and my dad on the end, and is one of my brother's favorites from the wedding. It's based on the movie Tombstone, which is one of his favorite movies.


All the siblings on both sides are now married, so no more weddings for a while. Hallelujah!

Samdog Millionaire

We've started calling Sammie Samdog Millionaire just for fun with all the hype of the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. We also call her Sambolina and Samboli. I'm not sure why.

Both Sammie and Dolly enjoy spending time outside on our porch now that the weather is warmer. They love to lay in the sun and watch the birds perch on the bird feeder. Sammie has always been a higher jumper than Dolly and quickly jumps up onto the deck chair on the porch.



After a while Dolly comes inside and wants to cool down a bit. She is doing about the same, but is getting weaker. Because she has lost weight and muscle, it's harder for her to jump.



Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals, so we bought a statue of him and placed it near the girls' food and water bowls. Dolly is only a tad taller than him, and sometimes she rubs up against him while waiting on us to feed her. It's nice to know he's watching over both our girls.

Happy Mother's Day

This is one of my mom's favorite quotes and mine too. Happy Mother's Day!

"I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it."
-Rose F. Kennedy

Graduation Stories

I was an usher again Thursday at UT's Graduate Hooding Ceremony. Next May, I plan to be one of the graduates and not an usher. However, it's fun to help out and be at the ceremony.

My job was to greet guests as they entered the Thompson-Boling Arena and help direct them to their seats, answer questions and pass out programs. As you can imagine, there are some interesting people who walk through the doors, so I thought I'd share some of my experiences.

One man and his family walked up to me, and after I handed them all programs, he said, "Where is the whites only section? I'm a racist. Where do you put the racists?" I was obviously caught off guard by his comment and after a second or so I said, "We got rid of that section a long time ago." He started laughing and claimed he was kidding. His wife looked horrified and said, "I'm so sorry. I can't take him anywhere!"

One of the other ushers stationed at another entrance came and told me someone had brought their little dog with him and was sitting in the audience. A little boy sitting near the dog is allergic to dogs, and his mother had complained. So I was the one who had to tell the folks their little doggie couldn't have a seat up front. I kindly told them animals aren't allowed and asked them to move to a seat in the back. The man tried to hide the dog at that point, and I told him there were people around him who are allergic to dogs. They moved to the back of the arena but he told me he was there first and didn't like being asked to move. Again, I said only service animals, such as seeing-eye dogs are allowed. His wife responded, "Well, she's a dog and she can see!" I just smiled and told them to enjoy the ceremony.

One couple came in 15 minutes after the ceremony and seemed confused. "We're here for the graduation. What do we do?" I told him it had already started, but the guest speaker was still talking, so he hadn't missed much. They proceeded to look through the program for another 5 to 10 minutes trying to find their daughter's name. They kept saying how confusing the program was, and I kept explaining it was separated by degrees. Then, they asked when their daughter's name would be called. I explained that students walk up on stage in a random order within their college or department. They don't walk alphabetically. They couldn't believe this and kept complaining about how unorganized everything was. I walked around the arena after they left to obtain more programs, and I saw them walking around as well, still confused about where to sit. I hope they heard their daughter's name and saw her walk across the stage!

During the ceremony, lots of people with children walk around since the kids aren't thrilled about being at graduation. One man was walking with his grandson who had braces on his legs. He was a cute kid and playing with an action figure, so I asked him about the toy. His grandfather was friendly and told me how his grandson was like Forrest Gump who also wore braces. He told me all about his condition, and I just listened. Then we realized a bird had made its way into the arena and was trying to get out. The man proceeded to tell me how a grocery store in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama had a whole family of birds living inside the store, 7 of them! He hated it since the birds obviously use the bathroom on some of the food items at times. He told the owners he could get rid of them, but they seem to like having them inside. He talked for about 10 minutes about the birds, while his grandson was begging him to keep moving.

Unfortunately, Dolly Parton was honored with an honorary degree at the next day's ceremony, so I didn't get to hear her sing "Rocky Top" live on stage. It was still a fun experience. Congratulations graduates!

Thoughts from the Dog and the Cat

My aunt sent the following to me today in an e-mail. I love it! Thanks Aunt Vada!

Thoughts from the Dog

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
6:00 pm - Oooh, Bath . Bummer.
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Thoughts from the Cat

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed
hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the
rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to
keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt
to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their
feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it
clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made
condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was
placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However,
I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my
confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this
means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my
tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try
this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.
The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and
seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously an idiot.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with
the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My
captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell,
so he is safe. For now.................

Viva Las Vegas!

At the end of April, we flew to Las Vegas for the Broadcast Education Association conference, where I had three research presentations.

We left Knoxville on time at 3:15 p.m. and arrived in Atlanta for our connecting flight. We boarded the plane in Atlanta on time and were ready to take off, but the captain told us there was a problem with the electrical system, so we went back to the gate for the maintenance staff to take a look. This took a while since we had to taxi back to the gate.

The maintenance crew boarded the plane and determined there was an issue with the back-up generators, so we all had to get off that plane and board another one. Keep in mind this was a full flight, so it took a while for this process to occur. Once we were ready to take off, the captain told us we would be furthered delayed since the control tower had lost the paperwork for our flight and would need to refile it. Finally, we made it into the air and because of all our delays, our compensation was a lovely pair of cheap headphones. Granted, I'm grateful they put safety first and had us get on another plane, but it was still a long night.

We arrived in Vegas and took a shuttle to our hotel, and we were of course the last stop, arriving at 11 p.m. Vegas time (2 a.m. Knoxville time). The woman at the front desk informed us that our room wasn't ready since someone had checked out late. She could put a rush on cleaning it, but it would still take an hour and a half. She ended up putting us in another room for the night that had 1980s decor and a murphy bed.



This is the view from our original room. We were on the 21st floor.




See how the pool is shaped like a moose head.




We changed rooms the next day and had very nice renovated accommodations as you can see below.





I had three research presentations Thursday and Friday, so we had a little time to have some fun. We didn't gamble much, just playing a few of the slot machines. You can't smoke in the Vegas restaurants, but you can in the casinos...another reason why I don't like to gamble.

The flight home Saturday was much smoother, and Dolly and Sammie greeted us at the door, not so much because they missed us, but they were hungry!

Spring Travels

During April, we traveled the most we probably ever have in less than a month. David was in six states during three weeks, and I was in five (Texas and Georgia only count since we had layovers in Houston and Atlanta).

At the beginning of April, David and I drove to Norfolk, Virginia for the Southern States Communication Association Convention, where I presented some research about students and text messaging.

The drive was a nice one since we had not traveled through that part of Tennessee or Southern Virginia. Once we arrived in Norfolk, which is next to Virginia Beach, we couldn't believe the traffic at 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. To get there, you have to drive through an underground tunnel, which would definitely freak out those who do not like closed spaces. Apparently, traffic can be backed up for miles through the tunnels. We were lucky driving in but not driving out the next day.



We only stayed in Norfolk for one night and ate at a great seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach, the Lynnhaven Fish House Restaurant. While on a flight a few weeks later, I saw the restaurant listed in a magazine on a list of the top 10 seafood places in the U.S.

On Saturday, we visited the actual beach, which was nice because we haven't seen the ocean since we moved from Florida.





We had lunch at a cafe on the water (photos below) before heading halfway back and stopping in the Roanoke/Salem, Virginia area for the night. We ate at a delicious restaurant with a huge menu in Roanoke called Montanos. It's in a strip mall, but don't let that turn you off. The food and service were excellent. It's a mix of Italian, Spanish, Greek, steak, seafood and more. I had the best paella I've ever had, and David had a wonderful veal dish. Just putting in a plug for the place in case you ever find yourself in Roanoke.









The Monday after Easter, David flew to San Francisco for the Materials Research Society spring meeting. He was there for a week and took a few photos of the city.








At the end of April, we flew to Las Vegas for one of my conferences. I'll blog about that experience in my next post!

A Spring Wedding

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the wedding of my dear friend Katerina and her husband Iso on April 2 at the Knox County Courthouse. It was also Katerina's birthday.



The man who married them was a true Southern gentleman and so excited to perform the ceremony. I asked him how many weddings he has performed over the years, and he said he's lost count.



Katerina and Iso's son Aljosha joined them and was a little shy at first, hiding between his parent's legs.



We had a post-wedding celebration at Calhoun's on the River. Katerina loves the BBQ ribs.



Instead of feeding each other wedding cake, they celebrated with a wedding ice cream sundae.



Congratulations to the happy couple!

A couple of weeks later, we celebrated their daughter Sara's fourth birthday with a dinner and cake. I brought them some markers that can only be used on special paper, so my hands and their walls were safe.





Aljosha loved wearing my sunglasses!

April Showers

I realize it's May 2, and I'm finally blogging about a lot that happened in April, which is one reason I'm so far behind. The end of the semester and several trips have kept us pretty busy.

The first week in April we had some snow showers in East Tennessee. It's hard to believe, but up here we have a different kind of April shower. Here are a few photos I snapped as proof.





Dolly enjoys looking at the snow but not being in the snow.



Sammie has taken Dolly's lead and now likes to work on the computer. Dolly is about the same. She doesn't have as much energy as she used to, but she still enjoys being Dolly.