Shout-Outs and Shameless Plugs

* The first official Shameless Plug this Friday morning goes to my brother Christopher, who just had his first novel published! The Return of Legends is the first novel in his "The Forgotten Heroes" trilogy.

It's just been released by Rage Machine Publishing and is right now just available via the Internet. Go to www.gwthomas.com to learn more about it . You can also visit Christopher's website at www.christophersloan.com and see all the cool stuff he's written and learn more about him.

(Christopher is definitely the most natural writer in our family, and this comes from a family that includes our father, who has had more than 20 textbooks published, and our mother who has written several books, published hundreds of articles, and is working on a novel right now! )

If you love fantasy, you really need to check his book out. The back cover says that it is the story of "several aging bounty killers who go on one last mission and end up embarking on the adventure of their lives. The trilogy is full of sword-slicing, axe-chopping action . . . but is also character-driven."

I'm really proud of him! So go check it out and buy a few copies for yourself (and for gifts--because you know, Christmas is just over three months away!!)

* To my various sports teams this third week of football season. To Hueytown High School (we are 2-0 and ranked in the top ten in the state, and tonight is our first home game; and we're having what we call a Fifth Quarter party afterwards, so that should be fun!), and to the Alabama Crimson Tide (Delaney is excited because she finally gets to go to a game with me; we're playing Cream Puff U--otherwise known as Lousiana-Monroe--but definitely need a decisive win. We've been struggling BIG TIME in the Red Zone and we need to score some touchdowns bad!! Because the real heart of our season, including SEC play, starts soon!)

* To the Creator of all things, who has decided to grace us with beautiful weather the last few days. Down South--where we've been known to wear shorts on Christmas Day--we've actually been feeling a nip in the air when we leave for school in the morning (it was 53 this morning; woo hoo!) and have felt comfortable all day long. I really love it when the weather changes like this!

* To the Gas Lord, whoever that may be, for getting my gas price down to $2.39 a gallon. Hallelujah!

* To my dad and Uncle Kirk. Dad has been having some serious back pain and had to have a spinal shot the other day. He still tries to go everywhere at 110% and doesn't take it easy like he should. And my Uncle Kirk is in the hospital in Tyler, Texas, having all sorts of tests done (he's in a lot of pain, is swollen, and they think he could have a cyst or something, but still aren't sure). Send some prayers out for both of them!

* To my Sydney, aka Scout, aka "The Entertainer," aka "She Who Will Not Be Subdued," aka "Still So Darn Cute that You Just Gotta Laugh with Her, Then Hug Her." You really should be able to buy tickets to just listen to the things she's saying these days! Some of my favorite lately have been . . .

"My name is Ooey Shooey." (Yesterday, she had made a big mess in her Pull Up--yes, she's almost 2 1/2 and since she is also informally known as "Stubborn Like My Pop," she really could care less about being potty trained! But that's another post!--and she declared that she had a new name. This obviously came from my describing her messy pants as "ooey" and "yucky" and "shooey" and various other pseudo-English words. "My name is Ooey Shooey," she said, " and when people talk to me, they say 'Hi Ooey Shooey.'" It was BEYOND funny!)

"Let's Do Cheers" (if you have a cup in your hand, you better be ready to share a toast with Sydney! She grabs her cup and tells you, "Let's do cheers." Yesterday, we did three of them--"Cheers for Mommy and Poppy," "Cheers for the tv," and "Cheers for chips." Then you have to clink glasses with her. Gotta love it!)

Woke up this morning to Delaney feeling bad, so I guess the Sick Bug has left Scout and made its way to her. So, another day of staying home and watching over a little one.

Tomorrow's plans? Sleeping in a little bit late, going down to Tuscaloosa for the game with Delaney, hopefully meeting up with my best friend for lunch, and finding other fun stuff to do! Gary has plans to go into The Woods tomorrow, and he's really looking forward to that.

Hope all of you have an OUT-standing weekend full of football, food, fun, and friends. I'm planning on doing so!