#38 Funny T-Shirts

Several years ago I found two fart t-shirts and gave them to Aaron for his birthday. Last year, while looking on the Internet for birthday gift ideas for him, I came acrosse a great Web site - www.cafepress.com. They have t-shirts and other gifts for every occasion. I found a great one and gave it to him for his 18th birthday - it has a picture of a wooden bar stool on the front, with the title, "Solid Stool Company". Below that it says, "Because there's nothing like a good, solid stool." I like it because it's subtle.

When Christmas came around I looked around for swim-themed t-shirts and came up with this one:



He wears it proudly!

#37 Senior Night

No, I'm not talking about senior citizens, I'm talking about New Palestine High School swimming and diving team's senior night, which was held Tuesday, January 26. Aaron is a senior this year. I have been going to watch him swim since his days at Doe Creek Middle School and have never taken pictures! This was the night. That night he swam in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke and the 400 freestyle relay. I think he usually only does the 200 medley, 100 backstroke and the 400 freestyle(?). I can't keep track. :-) He is a four-year letter winner and his most memorable moment is winning this year's Hoosier Heritage Conference meet for the first time. He will attend Purdue University to study pharmacy. I am very proud of him! Not only is he a good swimmer and a smart student, but he's a great "kid" (young man) and lots of fun. (And the third from the left.)



If you've seen one person swim, you've pretty much seen them all, but here's his leg of the 200 medley relay. He's the third swimmer up from the black handrail. Enjoy...

#36 "Very Superstitious..."

While driving back from Lexington, Aaron called me with a request. He is a huge Colt's fan and was excited that they were going back to the Super Bowl. "Aunt Linda, I'm really superstitious, and since we went to the last Super Bowl in Miami, we need to go to this one too." As fate would have it, when the Colt's made it to Super Bowl XLI, two face-value tickets fell into my lap. One person had already passed on them, and I even offered them to another person, but they regretfully declined. After thinking it over I decided it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So Aaron and I made our way to Miami. We stayed with a friend of a friend in Coral Gables. We arrived very late Saturday night. We took a bus to the stadium and our butts hit the seats just as Billy Joel was to sing the National Anthem.

The whole experience was very surreal. I never in a million years thought I would be at a Super Bowl. I've been to many Final Fours and even the US Open, but this was crazy. It was also very wet. It rained all day and most of the game. Aaron put blue paint in his hair and it dripped down his face and pooled in the corners of his eyes.



Unfazed, he told me "This is what football is all about!" He also said at one point, "I will remember this for the rest of my life." Me too. Prince was awesome at halftime and his song "Purple Rain" was very appropriate. Most importantly, the Colts were victorious!



So back to this year. I have put out some feelers for tickets but think it will be an even bigger long shot than the last time. Aaron also informed me that my brother will not pay for the trip this time. When I asked him how he would pay for it he looked at me and said, "A loan from my Aunt Linda?" Hmmmm. I will have to think about that.

#35 Bluegrass Road Trip

Megan and I took a road trip last Sunday to Lexington, KY to watch the Lady Cats take on the Auburn Lady Tigers at Memorial Coliseum. We did this two years ago and decided to do it again. Unfortunately, the outcome was the same. The Lady Tigers lost. By 18. Ouch! Kentucky was very quick and shot a lot better. Nonetheless, we had a fun trip. I was impressed with the large crowd in attendance. We had to drive around the block to find a place to park. Megan didn't plan on the rain and her cute moccasins got wet walking to the game.

After the basketball game we listened to the second half of the Colt's game on the radio as we drove home. Auburn travels to Lexington once every two years so it was a small sacrifice to miss the football game. Megan and I also got a chance to wear our Aubie t-shirts.



I'm glad Megan enjoys going on trips with me - she's lots of fun. She spent the night Saturday night and we watched "P.S., I Love You." Great movie!

#34 Blue Friday

No, I'm not feeling down and out, it's Colt's Blue Friday! We are allowed to wear jeans and Colt's gear at work during playoff Fridays (thanks to a $5 donation to Haiti). I decided to wear my vintage #4 Jim Harbaugh jersey. Hopefully I won't jinx the team. I'm not superstitious but some people think if you wear a particular shirt one time and you win, you have to wear it the next time. Last Friday I wore my regular old Colt's t-shirt. Time will tell...

P.S. Thanks to Denise for giving me the fabulous jersey. She didn't want it anymore and it was either me or the Goodwill.

#32 Maggie and Sophie

Last Saturday I visited Alyce and her new baby Maggie (see Post No. 22). We had a nice visit and I even got to dress Maggie. After tossing me her clothes, Alyce told me that she hates having her clothes changed and she would cry. Thanks a lot! I don't think I've ever dressed a two week old baby. Maggie was a champ, even though she did cry a little.



I also took Sophie for a walk. Allan works weekends and I thought she could use the exercise. We walked for an hour and it was fun to pretend I had a dog. I ran with her for about a mile and then she pooped. After that we just walked - it's hard to run with a dog on a leash in one hand and a bag of poop in the other. After we got back, Sophie crashed on the couch. Apparently she was "pooped" out!

#31 1, 2, 3...JUMP

Alyce and Allan were married September 15, 2008. I was honored to be one of the bridesmaids. The photographer was very creative and had us doing all kinds of things before the wedding. One shot was to get all the bridesmaids to jump in the air on the count of three.



The photographer had a bit of difficulty with me. When she got to three, I would squat down, but since I'm so tall it took me too long to get in the air and I was never on cue with the others. Finally she suggested I squat down on the count of two. It worked! After seeing the final photo Alyce and I laughed so hard. I took up the entire frame! When I do something, I really put my all into it! At least my face wasn't covered up with the bouquet like one of the other girls... (Note: The girl on the far right had a broken arm so give her some slack for not jumping very high.)

#30 Rationalized Shopping

Today I walked to Circle Centre Mall to take back a sweater I bought before Christmas. I always go to the sale rack first and even though this sweater was on the sale rack, it wasn't cheap. I try to buy things I absolutely love, are the right color and fit for me, AND are at least 50 percent off. This was only 20 percent off. However, I knew I would have Christmas money coming in so that was my rationalization for buying it. After sitting in a bag in my back bedroom for three weeks I decided today was the day. As I approached the store my rationalizing began again. "Ok, if I find something else I like, I'll take the sweater back. If I don't find anything I like, I'll keep it." I tried on two sweaters and a skirt and decided against all three. I did really like one sweater but it was similar to one I already had. So I walked out with my original sweater. Some may think that it was a wasted trip. Not at all! It's warmed up a lot and the sun was out. I had a lovely walk!

#29 Dating Brad Garrett

On August 1, 2008, I went on a date with Brad Garrett. Yes, THE Brad Garrett from "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Til Death". I heard a contest on Q95 and sent in a video for a chance to be one of 10 women to go on a date with him. He's 6'10", funny, and I always thought he was kind of cute on "Raymond". I flew to California July 31 and arrived around 1 a.m. Bright and early I had breakfast with him at some Polish restaurant they closed down for the day. They did my makeup and I spent about 45 minutes with him. The date was shown on www.crackle.com and about five minutes of footage was shown.

Here is the link: www.crackle.com/c/Dating_Brad_Garrett/Linda/2400778

He was obviously very funny and also very attractive. He acted like he liked me during the date; his comments afterward did not reflect that. Oh well. It was lots of fun anyway! After the date I took a trolley to Manhattan beach and had a nice afternoon. I took the red eye back to Indy that night. My parents are so proud...

#28 Facebook Friend

Since starting my blog I have had two e-mails - one from someone who works at our local mall in fashion PR and a recent e-mail and Facebook Friend Jen from California. She's 6'5" and happened to come across my blog. She enjoys being tall too and says that the older she gets the more she appreciates it.

We have some similar views about men - the cuter a guy is, the more likely we are to let the height issue slide a little. They still must be relatively close in height - 6'0" for Jen and around 6'3" for me.

We have slightly different views on other tall women. We agree that we like to see tall women out in the world (as rare as that may be). I must admit that when I see a woman around my height I have a reaction similar to what others do when they see me. I think, "Oh my gosh - she is so tall!!" Once we are out of ear shot I may make a comment to whoever I'm with. And they will shake their head and tell me I'm as bad as everyone else. It's just that I don't feel tall in my own body. Even as I'm walking around, bending over to talk to my 5'6" friends, I just don't feel any different. But when I see another tall woman I think, "Oh, THAT'S what people are talking about." Jen commented that she's a little uncomfortable when she sees tall women. She's competitive and feels that they are taking her height away from her.

It's interesting to get other tall chick's views on life. Hopefully I'll hear from others.

#27 Zachary Levi "Rule"

In Post No. 2 I discussed an exception to my height rule with one Jim Harbaugh. Now that I have stated my age range for dating (Post No. 26), I would like to discuss the one exception to my ten up, ten down rule. Zachary Levi is an actor who currently stars in "Chuck" (season premiere January 10). He is also in the new "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel", which I WILL see.



He is adorable and happens to be 6'4". He also happens to be 29, which is a few years out of my range. When I realized his age, I knew I would have to make an exception for him. (For what, I have no idea. Although unlike Jim and James Taylor, I believe he is NOT married.) My niece, Megan, also likes Zachary and loves "Chuck". She's really the one who got me started watching it. After Thanksgiving I read somewhere that Zachary was in Indiana for Thanksgiving visiting his grandmother. I think it was around Kokomo. I wonder if he ever ventures to downtown Indy? Alas, I have no photo of myself with Zachary. Maybe he will be in town for the Final Four?

#26 Ten Up, Ten Down

Some of you may wonder what my age range is for dating. I stole a funny line a co-worker used to say - "Ten up, ten down." That is, ten years older, ten years younger. I've never really had a problem with age. It really depends on the person and their maturity level. And I am attracted to all ages. James Taylor is 61 and I find him incredibly attractive. It doesn't hurt that he's 6'4". (I believe he is happily married and living somewhere in Massachusetts.) My mom is six years older than my dad so I've always thought it would be nice to find someone a bit younger. Mostly I've dated guys around my age. I do remember one guy I kind of dated who was 36. I was 28. I remember telling my friends, "In four years he'll be 40!!

#25 Tall Tips - Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Although "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is one of my favorite movies, this post is not a movie review. I will talk about travelling as a super tall person in a world of average joes.

Planes. Early in my travels I had some good luck on overseas flights and was bumped to first class. Other times I was able to lie across the middle section of about 5 or 6 seats and sleep most of the way. Back then the rear of the plane was smoking so I did have to deal with that, but it was worth it. I don't travel as much now so my #1 tip is to ask for the exit row. They say you can request it before checking in, but I haven't found that to be the case. I ask upon check in and most likely can get it. I also like the window seat so I can lean my head to the side to sleep. The backs of the seats are too low for me to lean my head back. I would end up with my mouth hanging open and a neck ache.

Trains. I have ridden trains before, but not very often and not for super extended periods of time. I have no tips for trains. Sorry!

Automobiles. Before I got my first car (while driving my parent's Turbo Impala) I always liked the look of the Honda Accord. When it came time to buy my first car, that's what I wanted, but my dad made me look at others. It was a good idea to see the features of other cars, but when it came to fit, I couldn't beat a Honda. They have plenty of head and leg room. I even sat in my own back seat once and fit great. The only drawback, and this is probably with most other cars too, is that I can't get a car with a sunroof. The sunroof takes away several inches and I hit my head on the ceiling. This did not stop my brother Paul from buying a Volkswagen Jetta TDI with a sunroof. He barely fits and has a permanent part on the right side of his head. :-)

I'm comfortable on long car trips in the front seat where I can alternately stretch out my legs. The back seat, as mentioned in my previous posting, is another story. Two to three hours is ok, but 11 with three people in the back seat was very uncomfortable. Funny college story about a back seat - I once rode in the back seat of a Honda Prelude from Auburn, AL to Panama City, FL. That's about 4 hours. My friend Lisa drove, and her roommate, Kendall had first dibs. She's 6'4", so I didn't complain too much. Lisa's sister, Dawne, and I were in the back. The Prelude had a sunroof so as I stretched my legs I stuck them out of the top. What a sight!!

#24 Statistics, Schmatistics

I had two weeks off over Christmas and New Year's. Although I don't watch Dr. Phil on a regular basis, one of his promos sounded interesting and I decided to watch. It was about women over 40 dating and getting married. One statistic he mentioned right off the bat made me sorry I turned on the TV - women have a better chance of being struck by lightning than getting married after age 40. What?! (I mentioned this to a friend who told me I already had a high probability of getting struck by lightning since I'm closer to the sky.) Combine that with another statistic I heard recently - 5 percent of the male population is over 6'2" - and I am not in a good statistical place as a 6'6" 41 year-old single woman.

It's a good thing I don't live my live based on statistics. I still have hopes of getting married and possibly even having kids. A long shot? Yes. But I believe that with God all things are possible. Even proving Dr. Phil wrong.

#23 Ralph and Woody

I thought I would share a funny story from the 2009 Men's Final Four in preparation for the 2010 Final Four, and since it has a tiny link to fashion, which I have referenced. It was Sunday night at the Marriott in Detroit and my friends, Krista, Kenny (Krista's husband), Julie and I were sitting in a bar area. Julie spotted Woody Paige, one of the guys on ESPN's "Around The Horn." I had never heard of him. (Sorry Woody.) In the meantime, I noticed a gentleman with white hair wearing a stylish coat and scarf. Ralph Lauren! Oh my gosh! I watched him walk through the crowd and decided I would try to get a picture with him. I took Kenny with me, bravely said hello, and told him that I loved his clothing. He was very embarrassed but agreed to have his picture taken with me. Then he asked me if I played basketball and said that he used to write for Sports Illustrated. Ooops. This was NOT Ralph Lauren. I ended the conversation and dragged Kenny back to the table, very embarrassed myself. And to think he thought I was complimenting him on his outfit and not his clothing line!

In the meantime, Julie and Krista had snagged Woody as he walked by. They wanted a picture with him, but I was the only one with a good camera. They asked him to come back in a few minutes and mentioned that I had gone to meet Ralph Lauren. I returned and told them my discovery. (I am usually so good at celebrity spotting!) A few minutes later Woody returned saying, "Ralph Lauren? That's not Ralph Lauren! That's Curry Kirkpatrick! He used to write for Sports Illustrated!" I never went back to apologize, but knew I'd been found out.



As if that wasn't funny enough, the next day at the finals we saw him again. Krista is a huge North Carolina fan so we all have jumped on the bandwagon and have UNC shirts. I really do like the program, for the record. Anyway, we were in our seats before the game decked out in Carolina gear when I turned and saw Curry walking down the aisle toward us. He stopped midway, pointed at us and gave us a friendly wave, then went back to his seat. I wish I had gone back and talked to him and apologized. Oh well - he was a good sport.

In my research I learned that he is a UNC grad and, along with writing/editing for Sports Illustrated, he has also written for ESPN Magazine and has written several books. Maybe I will see him again in Indy this year.

#22 Wake Up Maggie!

After 24 hours of labor, my TV star friend Alyce finally had Maggie! Her water broke around 10 p.m. Saturday night so she and Allan checked into the hospital. Then...nothing. So they induced her and waited, and waited, and around 11:45 p.m. January 3 Maggie decided to join the party! She's 21 inches long, weighs 8 1/2 pounds and has reddish blond hair. Alyce and Maggie are doing great!

#21 Sweet Home Alabama

My nephew, Aaron, is a senior in high school and has chosen pharmacy as his field of study. Both Paul and Lori went to Purdue and Aaron was accepted at Purdue. He sent his scores to Auburn and was accepted there as well. For those of you who may not know, I went to Auburn, the loveliest village of the plain. On December 29 my brother's family and I headed to Auburn so Aaron could check out the campus and talk with Lynn, a former basketball teammate of mine who works in the Harrison School of Pharmacy.

The drive down was great. The sun was shining and it was fun to watch the temperature gauge on the rear view mirror slowly creep up. Aaron and Megan happily played with their new iPhones and we also listened to Paula Deen's book, "It Ain't All About the Cookin". The Auburn men's basketball team played Tuesday night and won. War Eagle! I was happy to be in the Beard Eaves Memorial Coliseum one last time before it's demise at the end of this season.

Wednesday morning we met with Lynn and walked around campus. Too bad school was out of session - it was pretty quiet. We also stopped at a couple of book stores to check out some Auburn gear. We lunched at Guthrie's and had their famous chicken fingers, special sauce, fries and toast. Aaron said if he went to Auburn he would gain his freshman 50 at Guthrie's. "Guthrie's is the bomb!" We topped off the evening by visiting with friends who used to live in Indy - Kristine and David, and their kids Justin and Charlotte. They are former Alabama transplants who are happy to be back in their home state. Aaron and Megan enjoyed swinging and rocking on their porch.



Megan came across a bear in their house and we were thankfully able to save her.



The drive back was LOOONG. I rode in the front seat going and thought I'd have mercy on my 6'2"(?) nephew and let him sit in the front on the way home. Lori drives a Saturn Vue. She, Megan and I were in the back seat. I was very uncomfortable and twice had to straighten my legs to relieve my butt. My feet were as far under the front seat as possible and my butt was sticking in the air. I don't care what I looked like to passing cars - it felt great! Stay tuned to find out Aaron's final college choice. I don't care where he goes, as long as he's happy. We arrived home just in time to ring in the new year!