Christmas 1999

Chattanooga again with Magan

So I have some duplicated pictures, but this is from an album where (learned from Granny) I would old school blog, by typing out my captions and putting them below the pictures.  With that said, I will stop writing now, and just let my old school blogs show what hilarious humor I had at the time.  Hasn't gotten any better unfortunately.  

 

Chattanooga with my gal

First trip out of state with Magan.  We have made it to many more states since, but the first trip was to Chattanooga.  It is kind of weird looking thru albums before digital pictures...not very many pictures.  Anyway, I knew Magan might be the one, when she put up with me on that trip that morning.  I have always had stomach issues when I don't eat breakfast, or when my schedule it made up, and she sat patiently at a McDonalds on the way that morning as I "overcame" my stomach issues.  How embarrassing!  Still is embarrassing, but now shared with future blog readers to see that it worked out anyway.  Oh well, we hit the Aquarium (Just one building at the time, not two as it is now) and I don't know if we saw any of the fish, just smiling and googley eyed at being together, holding hands. 

 

Ruby falls was next, and Magan has gotten much better taking pictures as this picture below of me is really not very good.  :)  Anyway, we met the cutest little girl in the cave, and just had to get her picture.  I have always had a soft spot for those little girls.  Magan says this girl was another reason she fell in love with me...knew I would be a good dad.    And I think this picture with John was when I got home, it was right in with this trip in my album, and I liked it, so I guess John was happy that I was home from Chattanooga also.  :)  Crazy to think he was that little when I had already moved out of the house. 

 

So to be fair to the timeline, this is really close to the end of me and Magan's relationship.  Shortly after January 1999, and after I began work in Grenada, MS, things just didn't work out.  If facebook was around, her status went to single, and mine to "Its complicated", but I was just in denial.    Probably lots of reasons why, with me being a butt as primary.  Anyway, knew I had something good, but also knew I messed it up.  Maybe she will take me back...Just have to wait and see.  Scatterings of memories for that dark period they call 1999...but those are for another blog.  Ended '99 in Chattanooga back with Magan...but never would have thought it at the beginning of '99.  

 

Crazy little thing called Love...

Where did it all begin?  Backward blogging really challenges the memories, as some are so clear, but others are mixed in a soupy collection of good, bad and ugly.  But it begins just prior to where this written note alludes too...and while cloudy, there are two memories that pre-date our K-mart romance....

 

The first was a basketball game at Danville perhaps, which was after a Math tournament.  Don't know why we would have been playing basketball on a Saturday, but I remember math, I remember lunch, then I remember basketball...so that must have been the order.  But more than any of that, I remember Alan driving me and a collection of gals to the basketball game after the tournament.  And that collection of gals included Magan, Deidra, and Jessica.  This was during my senior year of high school, and my self confidence with girls was somewhat at a peak, altho at 17, self confidence is probably just an unhealthy mixture of testosterone and imagination. 

 

But at lunch, I had a long talk with a local Vinemont cheerleader, that shall remain nameless, but the conversation peaked my interest.  Then on a crazy high (figurative, not literal), I started flirting with the other gals in the back seat on the way to the basketball game.  And that crazy high made me think, crazy as it might sound, that I had a shot with Magan Ratcliff.  Alas, it did not work out at this time, but there was a spark...perhaps something to explore later...which leads to the second memory that is murky, and Magan does not remember, which makes me question it, but I still see a last period of school, and that sweet smiling Magan working out upstairs in the gym.  She has probably never had the will power to work out without someone to talk to, and that day I was one of the lucky ones.  I don't remember a thing she said (haha), but remember that she was beautiful that day in a little pony tail, and so sweet. 

 

Which leads to a K-mart romance that began with many many nights chatting  away next to that Black Elantra.  Loving to see her laugh, and doing everything I could to see it as many times as I could before she would leave me.  At the time, her boyfriend was in the store working the night shift, and my gal was probably at home with parents.   I floated home with heart beating fast after those late night conversations.  She most likely sped off hoping to not get a ticket as her mom was going to kill her for being late...again. 

 

Then it finally happened, during the summer after my freshman year, and as soon as I could get her alone at K-mart, we sat together during breaktime with the smells of crazy bread in the background.  Conversation continued just like it had always...both of us laughing, me intoxicated by that smile...dear me that smile...and those eyes.  I was not dating anyone, and she informed me that she had been seeing another guy at K-mart (It is a small world at K-mart), but it was not serious.  So out it went..."So if another guy asked you out, could you be free tonight"...And she said yes...head spinning...happy dance...hold it in.  The kiss was later that night, haha, after a trip to Denny's.  Kids, no poking fun, I was 18 and we were in Cullman, Denny's was the other side of town, and guaranteed me maximum time with the most beautiful girl I have ever met. 

 

And at Denny's, we ran into Misty Jo ?something?, and she invited us to a play the following night at Wallace.  So there you go, May 16th, 1998, and I took Magan out on our first date.  Looks like City of Angels was the first movie, although she often thought it was Deep Impact, but I later corrected her, and helped her realize that was with another guy.  And of course it was brought up many times later.  But K-mart was where it all really began...and the start of a wonderful summer where this stock boy LOVED each call of Code 1 to the front (Need Buggies), because I got to walk to the front and see that beautiful girl in one of her stunning long sundresses, sometimes hair up, but more often down.  Still love to make her laugh, but when those eyes squint tight and that smile goes wide, I am still that stock boy longing to get a glimpse of her as I walk by to get more buggies.  

 

Math Team Champions

To help prepare for the State High School Math competition on the following day, apparently we decided to play spoons.  And I don't know why the Toga picture is below...but when you are back-blogging, you have no idea...I really don't know when I drafted this little blog. 

 

So my senior year, we went to the state math tournament in Montgomery, AL.  Our team was stacked, mainly because it had me, but there were some other guys on here that also did well.  Stacy MacDonald, Alan Scott, Andra Bogart and Celia Holmes representing Advanced Math, Corey, Trae, and Allen Pike representing the other maths...and compared with the previous year, I would say spoons was probably much better preparation. 

 

The tournament was more of a series of ciphering and time tests.  And in baseball speak, I was batting clean-up to make sure we won.  The team had already taken a large lead and it was really not even fair as I walked up to the plate...4 ciphering questions would be asked, 6 points to a answer provided in the first 30 seconds, 4 points within 60 seconds and 2 points for 90 seconds.  I was in the zone, and 4 questions later, I added 24 points to our state tournament championship total, and we walked away with the title.  Good Hope High School did not hang a sign out on the interstate, nor did they put our picture up in the gymnasium, nor did they even remember to mention it the following Monday morning at school...but for the few of us there, it was an amazing accomplishment, and something people would still be writing about 23 years later!  

 

Out West (1989)

June 21, 1989...The six of us, Tim, Rene, Scott, Colby, Mamaw and Papaw loaded up the van and headed west.  Our destination, Durango, Colorado.  We are to meet up with Tanya and Joe there then proceed to other "points of interest".  Well, everyone survived the trip and rested up at our motel suite in Durango.  Friday morning we're all up and ready to go, but go where?  Day one, Mesa Verde, Four Corners and Ship Rock

 

I love that my mother captured the original blogs, and she is definitely my inspiration in how I wrote my first photo album trips with Magan, and even now with the electronic blogs.  I did not capture each of her "blog" words, but many of them below.  Because these are the words I read over and over again when I looked thru these pictures.  I love pictures, and they say they are worth 1000 words, but I think that is because the equated 1000 words were not the words of a mom or dad that loved taking kids on fun adventures...It is those words that make these pictures come alive...those words help me see those deer eating out of my hand...the words help me see that 32 foot ladder and my fear going up it on this trip...Thanks mom for all the words and memories.