Just a few images of This American Life.

This will be a collection of very random shots taken over the last two weeks or so. The point of this? Hmmm. Let's see. The point is to notice your life. Because the days are long but the years are short, my friends.

And away we go. . . .

First up, a few shots of one of my favorite girls:

She's so photogenic. And she always stands still for me. I mean, mostly she does.

A few snaps of life inside of Grady. Took these yesterday while strolling the halls. Candid shots of happy people make me happy.

Don't these faces make you happy, too?

And here is Lucas G.--likely one of my favorite residents of all time. He snapped this in the stairwell and sent it my way the other day. I love it when people don't take themselves too seriously. Lucas totally doesn't.  I fancied it all up with this cool app called "Glaze."

Cool, right?

Here's another "glazed" shot that makes me really happy. From our last SG Delta dinner. This is Jessie P. having a big laugh at something. I'm not sure what.

Hmmmm. What else? Oh. This:

My boy running strong in his cross country meet last weekend. So handsome and dear, that boy.

I just love him.

Here's a snap taken the other week with Zachary and his uncle, Will. He'd just slept over my brother's house and was sad to be leaving. Hence the sour grapes expression.

Ha.

Two very good looking young men pictured below.

Football pics? Well. Don't mind if I do.

Let me introduce you to my alter ego, Kimmie T. She comes out on Saturdays and occasionally on weeknights. She is 100% turned up, 100% of the time. She knows all the latest dances and popular songs and is not afraid to encourage the entire crowd to join her.

Kimmie T. is a proud, card carrying member of the TMZ--Tucker Mom Zone. Yes, she will cheer for your baby, too. If and only if he is:

a. On her son's team.
b. Injured and getting looked at by someone.

The minute he or she gets up, it's a wrap.

Kimmie T. is possessed with a bit of crunkness channelled from Zachary's auntie Deanna. Voices get lost. And should I arrive at the game in a crocheted football hat?

Obvi.

Clearly Auntie Deanna was 100% turned up if she crocheted this! That woman!

I don't know if it's true or not, but somebody told me Kimmie T. was doing the cabbage patch dance, the running man, and the Bankhead bounce all within one quarter of the last game. Yup.

But let the record show: When Kimmie T. took the place of Dr. Kimberly M., things changed out there. The energy got kicked up a notch. The 7U moms began cheering in unison. And . . .dare I say it. . . we saw more wins.

I'm just sayin'.

Anyways. It is insanely fun. We have a blast, man.

What else? Hmmmm.

How funny is it that my friends' kids and ours think that they are actually in our fraternities and sororities? Here's Zachary on a random snapshot with twins Reggie and Ryan W. Our boys are pretty much convinced that they're Omegas and Ryan seems to have the Delta girl hands down just right at age 8. Here's them at football the other day.

Kimmie T. comes to the football games. But Dr. Kimberly M. comes to football practice. So snooty with her iPad mini reading and such.

*eyeroll*

Funny. Hmmm.

Oh. Oh man! How could I not have posted about the thing that has had me too tired to even post as of late?

Tuskegee's Homecoming was the week before last and man, oh, man was it EPIC. Yes, it was rough being down there without Deanna or my grandmother. But the sun was shining so brightly that it seemed like they were both smiling down on us. I kind of think they were.

This is the first sight I saw while driving in. It gave me warm fuzzies inside!

I had just bid my alter ego farewell in the car before I got there. Because CLEARLY Kimmie T. had to go to the FOOTBALL game before I could go down to our homecoming. Fortunately, it's only a 2 hour drive south to Alabama. Even with Kimmie T. and her shenanigans, I made good time after the 7U game ended.

One football game down, one to go! Next stop? Homecoming!!

Was sooooo happy to see my line sister Glencia. Hadn't seen her since we ran the Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon together. It was like old times within minutes.

Oh, and this. Why was it my first time paying to get into the homecoming game in 22 years? My granny's house had a cut through that landed you smack inside of the Alumni Bowl so clearly we always trekked through there into the game.

Even over the age of 40. How funny is that?

Those tickets cost $30!!!! The lady at the gate said, "Um, that's what it's been for years." At which point I dropped my head, handed my money, and decided not to say another word. Ha.

It was worth the 30 bucks for sure. Here's JoLai and I at halftime.

After the game was one of my favorite things. . . . .serenading in a big beautiful circle with my Delta sorority sisters initiated at Tuskegee. Isn't it a sight for sore eyes? And just look at that sky! And those historic buildings in the backdrop.

Le sigh.

And of course, those Omegas took over the campus avenue. Fortunately, Poopdeck did not decide to hop around with them. 

Whew.

 Dad and his "number" from Fall '84 got to get a snapshot. The Fall '84 guys were celebrating 30 years. Poopdeck was celebrating his 52nd year so had him by just a few years. Those number 12 dogs cleaned up nicely after all these years!

Some more of the 30th anniversary guys from Poopdeck's chapter. I love the tradition. Don't you? And that #12 was so excited to meet my dad. There aren't many #12s in that chapter over the years so it was quite serendipitous.

Speaking of numbers. . . . .here's me with my number. I'm spring '92 and she is spring '12. I have to say--to be 20 years before her, I'm not too shabby. Ha!

Loved meeting her. Hugs to you Jasmine A.!

Below--A great shot of my line sister, Falona. I've known her since we were 8 years old. Her dad, her mom and Poopdeck went to high school together in Birmingham. Then her mom and Poopdeck were at Tuskegee together! Love that we got to pledge together, too, after our pre-existing connection.

This was when I first saw her on the yard. Looking as fierce as ever!

Got to see my big bro on the yard, too. He brought the whole fam down which was super awesome.

Our Tuskegee tradition is so rad. I just love that about Homecoming.

Eventually we were pooped and had to head on back to Atlanta. I trailed Poopdeck and Tounces, which was fine with me since Poopdeck sprung for a Waffle House pitstop on the Alabama state line.

Woot!

Plus I needed to get back and get in bed. Why? Because I am a masochist and planned to wake up and run the Atlanta Ten-Miler that next morning.

Um. Yeah.

But not just me. At least two of my other fellow Tuskegee girls were joining me--both of whom also were out there wagging their Delta duck tails at the game the day before. Crazy girls indeed!

Tamika, Ishan and I made it from Tuskegee though. I have to say, it felt pretty bad ass that we did, too.

As for my race, I linked up with the bestie Frieda M. aka Free Free. FreeFree and I have so much fun at races together. I just LOVE that girl's energy. She's awesome.

Guess what? I even got a P.R. that day--personal record! Ran very close to an average of ten minutes per mile which is super fast for me. That course was insanely HILLY, too. I was proud of us.

It was another beautiful day. Perfect day for a P.R.! I even ran into one of my advisees from SG Gamma, Courtney C. She was way faster than her advisor, so I have no idea how I even saw her. Ha!

Oh snap! Almost forgot. Let me backtrack to the Friday before homecoming. Had an awesome gathering at Harry's restaurant, Mardi Gras Cafe that day with a bunch of my Tuskegee sorority sisters and friends.

We had sooooo much fun.

Aren't these girls beautiful? So ageless, those Tuskegee girls!

Glencia and I were showing folks what they'd get if they messed with us or our line sisters. Ha.

My JoLai was there! Woo hoooo!

And here I am teasing my line sister Marra when I first saw her. Why? Because this is what we do. Ha ha ha!

Kind of seems like Kimmie T. might have been a part of that. I'm not sure.

Lots of shenanigans, I tell ya. 

So yeah. Survived all that. It was as awesome as it looks, too. So awesome that it had me on blogging hiatus. But. The rule of blogging is to never blog about not blogging right? 

Right.

What else?

Couple of snaps from our Jack and Jill activity last week. 

 Loooove my fellow mom, Shaton M. She's become a good friend which makes me enjoy Jack and Jill even more. We have more fun than the kids!

Well, almost. Here are the boys of Zachary's second grade group.

A wild and crazy bunch, I tell you! 

You should be thoroughly exhausted now. I know I am.

See you soon, okay? 

***

Happy Thursday. From me and Kimmie T.