Roughing It

The long awaited extended weekend has come up on us... a Thursday through Sunday in Gatlinburg, TN with my man. I planned the trip, in secret, for our 2nd wedding anniversary (March 17th). Three nights in a secluded cabin in Gatlinburg right off a trout stream just for him and me.








Now that we're here and enjoying our time together, I am coming to grips with the fact that we are incapable of "roughing it" without technology. We love our blogs, whether it's my own or all the ones my hubby reads about sports, we love interacting with friends via email and facebook. It's quite hilarious how much we interact with that stuff. We brought our computer with us, but have been unable to find a WiFi connection that will work while we are in the cabin. Therefore, after a day full of college basketball yesterday, and some more today... we have decided we must experience some internet connection and made our way to Gatlinburg's one and only: Smoky's Pub & Grub to enjoy one another, college basketball, big screen tv's, and a WiFi connection.

So far it's been fabulous to be at this place. Kelly and I have both been very impressed with Smoky's Pub & Grub. The hospitality of this joint has been awesome. From setting us up in front of a big screen all on our own and giving Kelly the remote to do what he may, to the good food and drink specials, to the owner sitting and talking with us about how this pub came into being just as recently as July 2008... this place has been great.

My hubby over here has told me the same line probably three or four times already:

"Have I told you I like this place?"

From hearing the owner tell another table how an employee of his (a young high schooler) is going through his first day, and he likes to give the local high schoolers some place to work and a chance... to the rustic but warm atmosphere of the multiple rooms within the pub.... to the nice big screens- Samsung of course surrounding the rooms, to the great fireplace in the main room, to the friendly hospitable nature of all the employees, to the hysterical story of the waiter giving Kelly the remote to the big screen and saying,

"Here, I'm going to let you hold onto the family jewels"

to which Kelly quickly responded, "uhhh.... why don't we just call it the remote"

Yeah, we like this place. If you're ever in Gatlinburg, come visit Smoky's Pub & Grill, it'll be worth it. Try the potato skins, Mmm, Mmmm.

AI Elimination Bracket Standings - 1

Well tonight the 2009 American Idol finalists quickly went from the TOP 13 group of yesterday to a TOP 11. In one quick two day cycle, America said goodbye to young'in Jasmine and Puerto Rican Jorge.










With two folks going home tonight that leaves our current American Idol Elimination Bracket standings as follows. We completely ignored TOP 12 grouping and began our count with the TOP 11 tally because two folks went home.

Current Standings:

• Mr. McGoo - 10 points
• Ashley C - 10 points
• Nicole T - 10 points
• Steve R - 10 points
• Candace B - 10 points
• Kelly L - 10 points
• Laura R - 9 points
• Katy B - 9 points
• Erin Marie - 9 points

Everyone is neck & neck at present, but by glancing at how the brackets move forward and the points that are acquired more greatly as we go... this will get interesting.

American Idol Elimination Brackets

I know there are more than a few of us who watch the American Idol contest on a regular basis. At my work we do an American Idol Elimination Bracket to coincide with the NCAA brackets that also start up in the same month. It gives both none sports lovers and sports lovers all an even opportunity to win something.

So I made the elimination brackets for this season of Idol. Ignore the three lines under TOP 2. There should only be 2 lines, but I made the file into a pdf before I caught that and am being less perfectionist like than normal and letting it be.

Anyone want to play? The event begins tomorrow night - so I need brackets turned in by the beginning of the show tomorrow - 7pm Central.

To Play: Turn in brackets by 7pm Central, Tuesday March 10th.
Turn your answers in via email or by posting on the comments section. If you post in the comments section you can list the person that gets eliminated each week (label them: i.e. TOP 12 = Lil Rounds, TOP 11 = Danny, etc). The pdf file below is a "write who stays each week" bracket.

In other words: You will label in the comments section "Who will NOT make the TOP _?"
For example, there are 13 contestants, who will not make the TOP 12 (in other words who will be voted off first). Write TOP 12: _______.
Now you have 12 contestants. Who will not make the TOP 11 (in other words who will be voted off second). Write TOP 11: ________.
Therefore you will have 1 person not written at all on the list as you write it like above. That "missing person" will be the person you believe will make the TOP 2, but will not win the IDOL.
If you have questions, let me know. My hubby started to confuse folks in the comments section. Imagine that. ha ha.

Point System: Each week you will get points for each person you choose correctly to stay in the game. Therefore, if you get the right person out of the game from the start, the first week you can accumulate up to 12 points. If you get the wrong person, you'll only get 11 points. The point accumulation will continue throughout the entire competition.

Winner: Person with the most points at the end, WINS. If there is a tie in points, the person with the actual American Idol pick WINS. If there is still a tie, the person with the most fully correct weeks WINS. If there is still a tie, I'll pick a number from 1-50 and those who have tied will guess what number - closest to the number I choose WINS.

PRIZE: Winner gets bragging rights! If the WINNER is local, they get a FREE meal cooked by the McGugan's. If the WINNER is out of town, we'll send a small gift card of some sort.


American Idol 2009

Publish at Scribd or explore others: american idol

Let the games begin. I look forward to seeing some of you play! I'll post weekly updates on how everyone sits in the standings.

PS. You don't ACTUALLY have to watch the show regularly to play - make a guess at it if you want, I don't mind... you may even do better because you won't over analyze it like the regular watchers will do.

Memphis Weather - argh!

I'm not sure about the other 672,000 plus people in Memphis, TN - but I'm totally over this weather. I wish Memphis would just figure out which type of weather it wants to run with and STAY THAT WAY!!! Even if it means the cold will stay for awhile, I'm willing to endure that if it means some sort of consistency with the weather around here.

It's crazy!!! I've totally enjoyed this weekend's worth of warmer temps, but when I stop and think about the fact that it SNOWED multiple inches (almost a foot in some places) just LAST WEEKEND, and now I'm in shorts and a t-shirt - it drives me bonkers. What's the deal?

Check out the following temperatures from Memphis, TN.
End of February to present day March 2009:


Isn't that absurd?

If you notice on the high's, from Feb. 27th to Feb. 28th there is a 29 degree jump!!! What is that?! No wonder people are getting sick left and right around this place. We drop like flies, and yesterday, I could have died from the sinus headache that consumed me throughout the entire day. I missed church because of it, and didn't find relief from it until I went to bed last night for good. I'm so thankful I didn't wake this morning with it's leering again.

I've heard the saying:

If you don't like the weather in Memphis, hang around a day or two and it'll change.

These days that could not be a more true statement.
Memphis weather = pure craziness. Oh, by Friday we're supposed to back in the 40's, imagine that.

McGugan

My maiden name is Wilson.
I was born a Wilson and have always had a "you can't screw it up" kind of name: Heather Elizabeth Wilson.

But on March 17, 2007... that changed in a dramatic way. My life of a "simple, can't mess it up" name was no more. I married and became Heather Wilson McGugan.

At first, I didn't think twice about the name change. Sure it was strange for awhile to introduce myself as Heather McGugan. I had been Heather Wilson for 24 years... and now I had to break the habit. But I never thought the name was going to be complicated... BOY WAS I WRONG...

I quickly learned the McGugan apparently is not the most simple name to pronounce and have heard more random "attempts" at pronouncing our last name... scratch that, I've heard more people BUTCHER her our last name than is imaginable.

People add letters, subtract letters, totally make it up as they go... it's amazing. The other night, Kelly got a good one... he had to call our cable company to inquire about something and the lady on the other end totally butchered our name. I could tell, because Kelly made a corrective response that totally cracked me up.

Apparently the cable gal said,

okay, Mr. Meeekkk-geee-an?

To which Kelly responded

Uh... That's so not even close, let's go with McGUGAN

We cracked up about it together after fact. It's really interesting how people often get it totally wrong.

BIG BUNKO!!!!!

Six months ago I started a Bunko group. It's a group of ladies that I put together to join me for a monthly adventure into the game of Bunko, ultimately socializing together. We began in September 2008, and by now we're regularly known as the "Bunko Divas".

The past six months have been a trip. The ladies went from timid questionnaires about every move and every notion, to hilariously crazy hyperactive joksters last night. It has been great fun! We get lots of jibs and jabs from the men in our lives about it... but I believe that's because they are secretly jealous of our little "club" we have going on each month.

The Bunko Divas are composed of 11 ladies that have committed to participating every month. Our 12th person, who we need each month to keep our numbers right, is often a different addition each month. This has added some funny times to our mix. Sometimes it's a next door neighbor of the hostess that joins us, other times it's someone from the "sub list" that jumps on board. Either way, we always have 12 ladies ready to fight it out for a chance to yell BIG BUNKO!

And boy, have we ever... last night was a new record for the group - - - 19 BIG BUNKO's in one night. Craziness! The ladies were triple six rolling feigns last night!

What is Bunko? For those that are not aware, Bunko is a dice game. There are many versions of Bunko, and to each his/her own, but the way the Bunko Divas play, 6's matter. The goal is to roll a 6, two 6's, or even better three 6's. It's an individual game, where prizes for most points, lowest points, last big bunko of the night, and most big bunko's are won... but each gal has a partner for the night to follow. It's entertaining and somewhat mindless to allow girls to be girls and lots of chatting to be done.

In honor of completing 1/2 a year in the Bunko Divas circle, I want to share some of my favorite pictures throughout the times we've played. We do not always have a camera on hand, but when we do - we sure ham it up! Thanks ladies, YOU GUYS make it what it has become - GREAT FUN! I'm lovin it, hope you are too!


Bunko Night at Candace's Place, a cute group shot here where Lindsey's head looks like it's resting on Mer's shoulder. awww....


One of my favorites of Kelly and me. She blogs too... if you want click on her name to get a link to her blog called, Observations of the Ordinary.


Bunko Night at Laura's house... taking a quick photo in between the table movement of the night.


Our first Bunko Night... A group shot of some of the starter Bunko Divas.


Bunko Night at Meredith's... this was the "big hat" night. Mer had us wear a GIA-normous hat for our BIG BUNKO wear.


Here is a shot of Kristi sporting that GIA-normous cowboy hat at Meredith's bunko night. See... if you get a big bunko. Not only do you get to YELL big bunko, you sport the Big Bunko gear for the time being, until another divas steals it away when they get their own big bunko!


Lisa is sporting the scarf for that very reason. At my house one night when Kelly F hosted, the scarf was the big bunko attire.


More BIG BUNKO wear as Laura gives me one of the most hysterical pictures out of the bunch. ha ha! Love it.


And Candace screams BIG BUNKO with the best of them.


Last night at Lindsey's Bunko hostess night... not only did we eat some amazing treats, we sported the hot pink feather boa as the BIG BUNKO attire. The divas got into that!





Love it... everyone hamming it up. Good times! Looking forward to next month... BIG BUNKO!

Kodi Update

Tomorrow will mark a full week since Kodi returned home from his ACL surgery. It's been amazing the number of people that have asked about Kodi, truly concerned for his well being. Kelly and I have been blown away by that and so thankful for friends and family that truly care for our fur baby!

So with over a week's worth of recovery time, our Kodi Bear is doing great. We have him set up well in the office... or his "rehab room", with his own water bowl, food bowl, new bed, and even a little space heater for the cold evenings. He has to stay in this environment until we get him back to the vet for a check up. The doctor wanted us to keep him in close quarters for at least a 10 day period. So that means, away from Dexter, and away from us.

The hardest part about it all, so far, has been trying to make sure that Kodi does not feel totally left out. We can hear him whining at times when we're in the living room watching TV or talking together. Therefore to combat that, Kelly and I do our best to spend 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there alone with Kodi to love on him and remind him that he's still our first born.

So here are a few photos of our baby, and his rehab pad:


Below is a shot of Kodi's back left leg where the incision occurred for his ACL surgery.


Thanks again for all the sweet wishes so far, folks. Kodi loves all the loving. So feel free (for those in town) to come by and give Kodi some hugs and kisses along the way.