The List

Everyone's got one...it's the list of things you want to do, see, accomplish before you die. All those little things you promise yourself. My list tends to revolve around my obsessions, but part of what makes me me is my obsessions. My Birthday is 9 days from today, but I got one of my presents yesterday. I'm not typically a material girl, and just like my list...my material possessions revolve around my obsessions, but yesterday I found out what "it's the thought that counts" really means.

One of the things on my list is to see Peyton Manning play professionally. I was privileged enough to see him play in his last Alabama/Tennessee game when I was in college. I sat on the second row in the student section at Legion Field in Birmingham right behind these two ladies from Tennessee. I think they were thankful I was a quasi-Tennessee fan because of Peyton Manning. (Side note: after his graduation, I realized how much my appreciation of Tennessee stemmed from Peyton...try ALL OF IT.) Before the game at Legion Field, the Tennessee team was actually warming up in the end zone next to the student section, so I got to see even more of Peyton. (I could put something in here about how great he looks in football pants, but I'd rather keep that one to myself.) =) I digress...

So, yesterday Sammie and Jill pulled me aside and told me that they were fulfilling a dream of mine and helping shorten the list. They gave Oprah's Wildest Dreams Come true a run for her money. They have procured 2 tickets for me to the Ravens/Colts game on September 11 this season. I cried...and I think I almost made Sammie cry (I didn't know that was possible!). I'm an emotional person, but I really just had to figure out why I was so emotional about it. Part of it I'm sure was because I got all of one hour of sleep on Saturday night (because I couldn't fall asleep), but then I realized that it wasn't even the tickets that I cried about. (Don't get me wrong, I'm still smiling and marking the days off the calendar until kick-off...T-minus 41 days). But the fact that I have friends in my life who know how much certain things mean to me and are actually willing to go out of their way to do things for me that mean more than they will ever know...it's just beyond me. I am blessed infinitely more than I will ever deserve.

I'll be saving my ticket and taking pictures at that game for posterity (and a blog entry). More than knowing that I've crossed something off my list, I'll look at those pictures and that ticket and remember what wonderful thoughtful friends I have who take the time to really think about who I am and what I love. Now I just have to find someone to go with me...any takers?!? =)

Sammie and Jill....Y'ALL ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I see all these news websites that tell people on Monday what stories they're planning to cover in the week ahead...so I thought...why not!?:

Coming up this week (topics are subject to change):
Farewells to Dan and Jason
Ben, Katherine, and Peanut
Musings about August Recess