I don't always listen to pop,

but when I do, I prefer Ben Rector. 

Seriously folks. The man can jam. 

And mad props if you can listen to a whole song without the strong urge to find the nearest piano and teach yourself how to play.

When it comes to buying music, I'm as stingy as it gets. But I could resist no longer, so I broke down and bought his newest album. 

 Big thanks to Nanny for making that possible :)

Unfortunately, Tallahassee doesn't appear to be on his tour...BUT he is stopping in Oxford, Baton Rouge, Nashville, and Austin. Which all appear on this list. 

...Road trip?

PS. Shame on you if you didn't catch the Most Interesting Man in the World reference. 

In the land of the Seminole.

(College Gameday in Tallahassee, 2003)

Throughout my life I thought I loved football. 

In my town, high school football was the biggest only thing to do on a Friday night. In my house, football was the only thing on TV on Saturdays and Sundays from September through December. 

So like most other things I grew up with, I loved football.

Or so I thought.

But I had never experienced the intense weeklong electricity of a town hosting ESPN's College Gameday. I had never attended a game between two Top 5 nationally ranked teams. I had never been in a stadium packed to a record 84,000 people that roared for every single play. I had never been around fans as classy as Oklahoma's. 

 And because I wasn't raised as a Seminole, I didn't feel like I truly was a Seminole. 

Until yesterday.

I made a point to drive/run by the stadium as often as possible throughout the week, because c'mon, how often does College Gameday set up in your town??
  

Trash talking as ladylike as possible. 

For all the Oregon Trail fans out there.

So many people, so many signs. My favorite?
"Our panhandle is bigger than yOUrs!"

Does this need an explanation?

 Lou Holtz signs that made me laugh out loud: 

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B.

Precious father/son combos:

Matching PFGs. 

His sign said "Today is my 8th birthday!!".
 If that wasn't adorable as it is, at one point the majority of the crowd actually sang him happy birthday.

Throughout the past couple of weeks I joked to my family and friends that I was more excited for the FSU/Oklahoma game then I was for the last three Christmases combined.

But I wasn't joking. 

I was really really excited. 

And the day did not disappoint.

Doak Campbell Stadium:

5:59 pm.

6:10 pm.

6:30 pm.

7:00 pm. 

"Let's take a picture now so we don't forget later!!!"

7:30 pm. 

8:00 pm. 

Kickoff.

I put the camera away at that point to avoid all and any distractions. 

11:30 pm.

The student section still cheering as the 'Noles leave the field. 

Florida State lost to Oklahoma 23-13. 

I don't know how the rest of our season will play out, but I do know that our defense was jaw-dropping incredible and our 18-year-old-true-freshman-back-up quarterback did one heckuva job. 

I am so thankful to be able to store that game away in the memory banks. I really don't think I'll ever forget the well deserved hype, the deafening volume of Doak Campbell, and the explosion of the student section when we tied the game to 13-13. 

So now you can believe me when I say that "I really really love college football" and "I really really love Tallahassee" and "I really truly feel like a Seminole."

Because after this past week, how could I not?

Post title reference: Seminole Wind by John Anderson. 

Miss Amanda Gets a Big Girl Job

I don't really have a big girl job. Yet.  

But have I told you how much I love working with children?

by 6 year old Artayvious

Still alive. Still in college. Still blogging.

Ok so it's been roughly 22 days since the last time I posted...

I promise I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Quite the contrary. 

I have been working as an after school counselor at an elementary school.

"Miss Amanda", drawn by a six year old boy named Artevious (pronounced Ar-tay-vi-ous).
 Minus the fact that I look like a giraffe-parrot hybrid, I'd say it looks pretty accurate.

I have been maintaining FSU tradition by throwing friends into the birthday fountain.

Friend 1.

Friend 2. 

It was at least 85 degrees outside, so don't feel too bad for them. 

I have been reaping the benefits of living in a Southern college town. 

Free Justin Moore concert in downtown Tallahassee. 

No big deal. 

I have been enjoying the heck out of Seminole football. 

I don't care what you say, Chief Osceola/Renegade is the COOLEST college mascot. 

83,000 of my closest friends. 

I am absolutely loving being in the same town as my brother. We even have a class together! Which basically means that he is forced to hang out with me for 50 minutes three times a week.

Friends! Some new, some old. 

 And I finally, I have been loving "college". 

I dread homework. I strongly dislike sitting in class. And I would really rather not spend my life's savings on textbooks that I'll look at twice. But after May of 2013, I'll never have to do those things again. And that kind of scares me. 

So like any sappy soon-to-be 21 year old, I have been fully embracing the moments that can only be described as "college".

Like eating Chick-fil-a and Chipotle way more than my budget allows because goshdarnit at least my metabolism can still afford it. 

Like driving a Prius through the old dirt roads of middle-of-no-where Tallahassee in search of some bonfire near some lake. 

Like laughing until tears with my roommates as we come up with explanations for why the ceiling above us sounds like it might cave in. (In case you were wondering, I just talked to the gentlemen of the upstairs apartment and they said they wrestle and throw furniture on a sometimes daily basis. I wish I were making that up.)

Like oversleeping until 7:38 a.m. for a class that starts at 8:00, and still making it there before the professor. 

I could go on and on. 

Some exciting things coming up in the not too distant future:

A free Corey Smith concert. 

The Florida State vs Oklahoma game. College Gameday will be there, so obviously I will too. 

My birthday. (Ok, so it's still pretty distant. I just really love birthdays.)

Love you all! 

Where were you

when the world stopped turning that September day?

I was in Mrs. Nisa's fifth grade classroom. A teacher knocked on the door. Mrs. Nisa excused herself. Mrs. Nisa returned teary eyed. She told us we could put our books away and eat our snack. More teachers came to the door and Mrs. Nisa excused herself again. A classmate returned from the water fountain and told us that she overheard the teachers talking and there was currently "another Civil War". The North and South were fighting again. Clearly she was mistaken, but I didn't know that. I thought, "wow, we learn about war and I've always wondered what it would be like to live in one".  Mrs. Nisa returned and told us something terrible had happened, but don't worry, our parents will be picking us up soon. Anxious whispers broke out among the class. One boy sat under a table and cried because his dad was a local cop and he didn't want him to die. I still didn't know what to think. My only idea of war had been from textbooks and American Girl novels. Parents came and students left. Dad picked both JB and I up from our classrooms. On the walk to the car he told us "terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Centers". I hadn't the slightest idea what any of those things were. We arrived home to my mother watching the coverage. Smoke billowed out of two tall buildings. Who are the terrorists? What is the Pentagon? Why do I feel like I should be crying? 

As a ten year old, I couldn't wrap my mind around the devastation that resulted from that act of pure evil. And as a twenty year old, I still can't. 

My prayers remain with those who have lost as a result of September 11, 2011. (...Mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15)

I'm thankful for those who willingly sacrifice for our safety and defend our immeasurable freedoms. (Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:13)

And I'm certain of the hope and peace offered in Christ alone.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world. 
John 16:33