Happy Birthday little Jack!

My college-aged neighbors in Franklin Residential College (FRC) coordinated a birthday party for a young man, Jack, of 7 years. Jack and his parents used to live in the very apartment that I now call home. Thus, little Jack Toma is a popular little guy with the college students who live here. On his birthday, he had his own field day, orchestrated by the FRC student leaders, on Myers Quad, right outside the FRC. Water balloons were flying, freeze tag was in full effect, and the aroma of birthday cake and pizza filled the air. Little kids birthday parties remind me that life can be just that fun...and I have decided that for my next birthday party I am having an adult field day, complete with three-legged races, egg toss, and freeze tag. Because, why not? As adults we become so stuck in the confines of adulthood. When was the last time you got grass stains during a wicked game of freeze tag?

Partyin' Like it's 1980-1990!

Dress-up theme parties never get old and they make for great birthday celebrations. A few of our PhD colleagues were celebrating 30 years and so we decided to throw a party where everyone was invited to don apparel from the 1980's-1990's. Gorbachev was not invited, but his presence was certainly felt as his picture hung proudly on the wall. The evening attire included tie-dye, Fame-style big sweatshirt and legwarmers, gold lamet jacket, big hair, a bowl haircut, black and white checked suspenders and matching shoes. The music of the 80's and 90's got everyone off of the couch and dancing to the sounds of Prince, Michael Jackson, Blondie, Cure, Vanilla Ice, Beastie Boys, Whitney Houston, and Boys to Men. I love that, even in our 30's, we are still having wicked dance parties. Happy Birthday Yarbrah & Scott!

Blue Ridge Parkway...Incredible!

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles from North Carolina to Virgina. It is considered to be one of the America's most scenic drives through the mountains. On our way back to Georgia, we decided to drive a portion of the Parkway. Incredible! 75 years ago, as part of the New Deal's work program to employ citizens during the Great Depression, the Parkway was designed and construction began in 1935. In 1987, the "missing link", Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, was constructed and the parkway was completed. The incredible thing about this parkway is that the scenic landscapes were preserved, so in the distance all you see are layers of mountains. Amazing vistas and more butterflies!

Great Smokies...CHEESE!

We stayed in the super cheesy town of Gatlinburg. For some reason, Southerners think it's cool to "bling" out mountain towns with such things as Dollywood amusement park, Ripley's Museum & Moving Theatre, Hollywood Wax Museum, and indoor putt-putt golf. As if the mountains were not entertaining enough...

One night we decided to partake in the cheese and came home with an old-time photo, hill-billy style! I have to admit...it was pretty fun and the photographer helped us "ham it up" as he kept calling me "mama" and Charlie "pa". We chose the moonshine scene, as it was very appropriate! In June, Tennessee moonshine went legal and the first (legal) distillery opened in Gatlinburg.

The Great Smoky Mountains: Vacation!

After two months of studying in a cave...it was time to breathe some fresh mountain air. The weekend after comps, Charlie and I drove three hours north to spend time in the Great Smoky mountains in Tennessee. During the day, we spent our time hiking trails with butterflies dancing around us and wild blueberries and blackberries on the side of the trail. The Great Smokies are different than the Rocky mountains; the Smokies are much older, hence worn down and not as rugged. And, the Smokies sit at a lower elevation (6,000 feet vs. 14,000 feet), so the foliage is different. But, they are still mountains and I am still a mountain girl...thus, I wore a perma-grin the entire weekend.

Comprehensive Exams: Celebration!

After ringing the bell, we ventured across the street to the downtown Athens area for a little celebration with tequila and red-velvet cake (what a pairing!) Relief. That was the one word we all kept saying...relief! So happy to be done. After a few hours, the fatigue began to settle in and the lights were out before 10 p.m. A full-nights sleep never felt so good.

Comprehensive Exams: Ringin' the Bell!

A bell tower sits proudly behind the beautiful Chapel on campus. Dating back to 1832 this bell originally sat on the Chapel rooftop until it was found to be rotting, then it was refurbished. Today, the ringing of the bell signifies something victorious. During football season you can hear the bell ringing when the Bulldogs score a touchdown. But, in comprehensive exam season, you can hear the bell ringing after someone has finished the exams. And, that is exactly what we did...we rang the bell. Woo...that felt good!

Comprehensive Exams: Mission Accomplished!

Done. Done. And, done. Having run two marathons, I can now say that I have completed a mind marathon too. Seriously, that was grueling! I averaged about three hours of sleep every night, as my mind did not want to shut down. The last day was similar to the Chicago marathon at mile 23. You just don't think you can go anymore, because your brain feels like mush, when all of a sudden a burst of mind energy allows the wisdom to flow.

I was not alone in this adventure, see the amazing IHE comprehensive exam crew in the photo!

Playing TODAY: PhD Comprehensive Exams