Orleans Outing

Last weekend Matt and I took a short weekend trip with a few friends down to New Orleans. The purpose of the trip was the Auburn - LSU game, however, we did not go to Baton Rouge for the game. Matt and I decided to fly down since the airfare was cheap. We left after work on Friday and met up with our group that night. Years ago Matt and his friends agreed to meet up in New Orleans every 2 years for this game, so we met up with 12 other people and stayed in a Victorian house which was very interesting! The style of the house was unique and the bathrooms were certainly authentic! I think it has been my first time to pull a chain from above to flush a toilet and take a shower in a footed bathtub! If you are interested in seeing the house, here it the website where you can see pictures: http://www.victorianhousenola.com/

While I can't say that New Orleans was one of my top places to visit, it was quite a place to see! For someone who loves people-watching as much as I do, I think I found the perfect spot! We also found many great places to eat around the city. I must also mention that while Bourbon Street is an interesting place to be, the strangeness reaches a whole new level on the Saturday night before Halloween! While the men watched the second half of the Auburn game in a restaurant, the girls were able to step outside for a bit and see the large city Halloween parade. The floats and costumes were unbelievable! I have seen hard work and creativity in other floats, but these were amazing! And there are never more unexpected surprises than running into former students (from last year) with their dads on Bourbon Street just after midnight on the eve of an LSU win! Of all the sounds from the bands and bars and thousands of people walking on Bourbon Street, there is nothing quite as strange as hearing "Mrs Tanner!" Before flying out on Sunday afternoon, Matt and I were able to spend another day walking around the city. We ate beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde and walked around Jackson Square while having a quiet lunch in a local cafe. As we left we were also able to briefly see some of the remaining damage of Hurricane Katrina from the cab.

I must also admit that the highlight of my trip came on the plane ride home. After a brief 30 minutes in the air, as we were asked to put our tray tables back in their upright positions, Matt's friend, Rory, told us to look out the window. On the clear, October day we could perfectly see Bryant-Denny stadium, the U of A quad, the Coliseum, Tutwiler, and I was even able to find the sorority house! I don't think the planefull of Auburn fans quite felt my excitement, but it brightened my weekend!

Beginnings

Well, after much encouragement, Matt and I decided it was time to jump on the blogging bandwagon. Hopefully this will be a great way for us to share what is going on in our crazy, busy, over-scheduled life! I know this will be quite the endeavor for me to write just once a week, since just finding a name for our blog took much longer than I expected. Our final decision came from a friend, Chris Tanner, who is quick to remind us that Matt and I run on our time schedule, which he affectionately calls "Tanner Time." It only seemed fitting for the place where we would share what is going on in our lives.

As I write, it is a typical fall Saturday in the Tanner House. Football is on the tv, ungraded papers sit next to me in stacks, and I am still in my pajamas. Matt recently bought a new laptop to work on some of his other design projects outside of work, so it looks like a day that will be mixed with work and play for both of us. The unusual happenings are outside. Along with the strange 50 degree weather for mid-October, it is quite noisy outside. After Matt has owned this house for close to 3 years, we are finally having the house painted! The crew arrived this morning and are pressure washing the house and starting some of the repair work on the windows and exterior. I can't wait for the day to come this week when I will arrive home and the house will no longer be a blinding white with deep stained cedar shingles, but a khaki color that actually compliments the brick. Other than the kitchen updates and repairs, this is the other big house project I have been waiting for! I will be sure to post pictures of the final product!

The homecoming dance tonight will wrap up a crazy week for me. It was homecoming week at the middle school - that means dress up days, door decorations, pep rally, football games, cheer practice, decorating for the football players, hyper children - all the things that drive teachers crazy. The dance tonight means I have made it through all that. The highlight of the week came on Thursday - as I relived the 80s and danced with several other teachers at the school pep rally as Michael Jackson during the song "Beat It" and then sitting through 2 football games in the pouring rain while I watched my girls destroy their new white uniforms in the mud. It has been quite the week and I have not been so thankful for a weekend in a while!

In other pursuits in our lives, I have taken on National Board Certification as well this year. While this is such an important certification for teachers (and also means a raise), it does not come without a lot of work. I have already been in classes on Thursday afternoons between school and the football games. There is a lot of reading, a lot of preparing, and a lot more work ahead. Matt and I knew this would not be easy and would mean a lot of work, but hopefully it will pay off in the end. Since Matt has had to sell most of his Auburn season football tickets for me to stay home and study, he is also hoping it will be worth it in the end!

Now it is time for me to grade papers, get ready for the dance, pull the Tide through a homecoming victory, and making our chili for my starving husband......