Florence, AL

This is the obligatory introduction where I tell you I haven't posted in some time and I promise to do better and stuff, but let's face it.  I'm too busy providing for my family and being an awesome dad to post on this blog.  Or at least checking out Auburn's recruiting sites for the latest updates.  Nevertheless, it is important to document these memories lest we forget them altogether.  

Last weekend, we went to the lovely city of Florence, Alabama.  Why you might ask?  Because I am cheap and there was a Groupon and I look for opportunities for us to get away on short vacations once a month or two.  So we stayed in a pretty awesome room at the Shoals Marriott.  

I know you guys don't believe this, but Taylor and Avery really do love one another and hug like this often.

We went to the UNA campus to look at the real life lions there.  Their names are Leo (not very original) and Una (struggling with how to pronounce this).

This is a picture of our shadow and for some reason, I look like I weigh 450 lbs.  The sun is not my friend.

Avery marches to the pace inside her head without regard to what we are doing so Rebecca often stays behind to make sure she isn't mauled by wild lions like Leo and Una.

Leo and Una.  A woman yelled at us.  I wanted to punch her in her hippie, old lady face for killing my daughter's excitement in getting Leo's attention.  Apparently there are no noises in the wild and Leo isn't used to having his name called by a three year old.  Lady, if I see you again, you are getting a firm talking to.

Avery was unimpressed with the iPhone front camera trick.

Taylor wanted to ride Leo's little friend.

Which meant that Avery wanted to ride Leo's other friend.

The girls had a blast running around the campus.  UNA's campus is very pretty.

My roommate from college recommended we eat at the historic Trowbridges.  Here's what I'll say about that: Terrible chili, mediocre sandwich, but awesome old pictures and custom milkshakes that are out of this world.

Taylor really dug the strawberry ice cream.

Next, we went to a park under the O'Neal bridge.  The girls had a blast there.

After naps, we headed to the Florence Children's museum.  It was unexpectedly awesome.  I'd never seen a piano you could walk on, but Becca informed me this was old news from a movie entitled "Big".

Taylor and Avery enjoyed making "beautiful" music on a real piano too.

They had great playrooms.  Here, Avery has that "I'm about to do something wrong.  Is anyone looking?" face.

Then she went down the slide and busted it.  I laughed.  Hard.  Then I remembered she probably needed some help so I picked her up and comforted her.

She's such a sweetie.

And she is too.

Taylor really got into the puppet show and exhibited qualities rivaling that of Castro and Chavez.

Avery is looking forward to school.

We ate at Rosie's that night and Rebecca loved it.  The next day was kind of overcast and rainy.  We went to the Wilson Dam.  It is an engineering marvel, like all dams, and it is perfect for someone nerdy like me.  

We drove by my old workplace, Wise Alloys.  Here, grown men peddle tricycles like they are going out of style and think nothing about it.

We also went on a little drive looking for sidewalks and streets put in place during the '30s by speculators who bought up land behind Henry Ford's declaration that Muscle Shoals would have 1 million Ford workers and be 75 miles wide.  That obviously didn't happen and the sidewalks must be covered over.  For all of Google's strengths, all I could find on the subject was a 1989 article on the subject with some vague references to the location.  Nothing.  Anyway  . . . .

We did run across some cows that looked weird and since I am from Cullman, I know when cows look weird.  Apparently these are called Oreo cows by rednecks like me and I just didn't know it.

We had a good time on the quick getaway.  We've got another Groupon for Chattanooga we have to use before the end of February so look for that update next.

Auburn A-Day

Last weekend, we went down to Auburn to see A-Day.  We knew the Heisman statue unveiling would be crazy, so we avoided that and came into Auburn about an hour and half before the game, met up with Josh and Nicole, and walked to the stadium.  It was a gorgeous day and the girls and I had fun.

Taylor looking for Aubie.

Cam Newton with Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan at mid-field pre-game.

The first snap from scrimmage.

Kiehl Frazier breaks one open.  Let's hope we see much more of this in 2012.

A picture of the family.  My hair is wonky, Becca looks amazing, Taylor really doesn't want me to be in the picture, and Avery is looking for Jesus.  That sounds about right for our pictures.

Rylee and Taylor enjoying the free food in the Scholarship section (actually not free; the most expensive food ever consumed :)

Becca and Tay in front of Cam's statue.

Ring around the Rosies once the good guys had the game in the bag.

Becca and Avery played patty cake.

Ours is the one squeezing the bejesus out of the other kid.

Atlanta

It's rare that I have the opportunity to take the family with me on a work trip, so when we get the chance, we take it.  We went over to Atlanta at the end of March and came back on April 1.  We took the girls to the Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Atlanta Zoo, and IKEA (ok, so they didn't want to go to the last one).  Here are some pictures from the trip: 

I know what you are thinking, how did you get two girls in one picture?  It's my mad photo skills.  Do you love how neither one are in focus and Avery is looking at the camera with the thought of a Native American "You just stole my soul with your picture taking"?

First up, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

Next up, Avery decided to be cool and let me take some pictures of her.

Then we went to the aquarium which was RIDICULOUSLY packed.  Go during a weekday.  You'll thank me later.  We did see some pretty amazing stuff though.  

Yes, she is waving at the fish.

No, this isn't one of those optical allusions.  The fish is really that big in proportion to me and Taylor.

We walked over to a cool Children's museum from the aquarium.  It's called ImagineIt.  Taylor had a blast.

Finally, we went to the zoo.  Besides the occasional animal mating, it was pretty amazing.  Taylor had fun while Avery enjoyed being pushed around in the stroller (read, being held everywhere we went).

This is what happens when you focus on the background and not the foreground.  It does allow you to check out how the lion behind us is sleeping.

Yes, she is staring at a baboon's butt.

Atlanta, I learned, is one of only 5 U.S. locations to have pandas.  They are on loan from the Chinese government.

When you see kangaroos, you expect hopping.  Of about 10 kangaroos at the zoo, exactly zero were hopping.

That was it.  We grabbed some sodas and hit the road.  A pretty great long weekend if you ask me.