Tis the Season..

That's right folks.. it is FOOTBALL SEASON! Oh how I have come to love those words! Football season means family get togethers, screaming, yelling, laughing and possibly even some crying. It also means King Pigskin Fantasy Football!!! Ghostriders are back for seaons 2 and we are ready to kick some serious tail!

The other night was the draft for our teams. We all go in with a plan. We look up stats , watch players and what they did the previous year and of course talk smack!

We are all competitive but it is all in the name of fun. Everyone wants to win the coveted first place trophy. Brian holds the title from last year but I have a feeling Ghostriders will be the next name engraved on the beloved bobble head.

Brian blew me away this year with the draft! He made a colored coded chart!!!! A man after my own heart for sure. This is proof we are blood related. I had fun with the draft but secretly I just kept eyeing the chart and thinking how impressed and proud I was that he made it. The lines were straight, he made computer printed labels with all of our team names and had a color key so everyone knew what each color represented. I'm getting all excited just thinking about it!

I can't wait to see how my team does this year. I recognize a whole 2 names but that is ok. I have faith in them. They are my Ghostriders and I am proud to be their manager. Oh and if you're wondering about the name.. Ghostrider is the nickname given to me by Station 82 in ramona :)

So.. With that... May I intriduce to you the

2009 Ghostriders:

Philip Rivers (SD-QB)

Jake Delhomme (Car- QB)

Roddy White (Atl- WR)

lOwens (Buf-WR)

Domenik Hixon (NYG-WR)

Brian Westbrook (Phi-RB)

Marshawn Lynch (Buf-RB)

Rashard Mendenhall (Pit-RB)

LenDale White (Ten-RB)

Cedric Benson ( Cin-RB)

Jeremy Shockey (NO-TE)

Anthony Fasano (Mia-TE)

Stephen Gostkowski (NE-K)

On Defense:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Make me proud boys. I know you can do it!

10 Years

This weekend is my 10 year High School reunion. I'm still in shock. Part of me feels old. Another part feels like high school was just a couple years ago. I've been thinking back on those times and the years in between. I wonder what I have accomplished. In the eyes of most people, probably not a whole lot. In my mind, I am happy. Therefore the biggest goal or dream has been accomplished.

People ask "If you could do high school over again, would you?". Honestly, I wouldn't. I had a great time in high school but I am enjoying being an adult. Some of the highlights though:

**Freshman Year P.E. : Having the class w/ 3 of my friends and meeting Jessica, my bestie. 14 yrs later we are closer than ever.
**Also in freshman yr P.E.: our team vs heather pyle's team in street hockey. Not sure if we won but man, they were mean and there were a few screaming matches.
**Slumber parties at Summer's House
**Sophmore year making it into Show Choir.
**Show Choir Competitions almost every weekend
** Football games (eventhough we didn't actually watch the games).
** Senior Ditch Day at Sarah's House
** Being mad at Summer, Jessica and Mary when they ditched school and left me standing on the curb waiting for them before school started.
** Watching "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Romy and Michele's High School reunion" about 1,000 times
**Walking into Show Choir late during Senior Year as Mrs. Beck was giving the speech about coming to class on time after lunch
**Traveling to New York
** Summer school crushes
** Going on "walks" with Mary and Summer so we could stop by our crush's house. And yes, all three of us liked him at one point.
**NSYNC concert w/ the girls. (yes, I know.. a boy band..)
**Driving all over San Diego county to win a radio contest and backstage passes to said NSYNC concert. For the record, WE had the 1993 Nickel that was needed and the team who got there 30 seconds before us didn't. Yet they won the passes... stupid 93.3
**Running in a circle around a huge area rug @ Jessica's to the Friends theme song.
**Tech week for Play Productions
** Coach Koch's Chocolate Chip pankcakes during finals week.
** Passing notes between classes.
** Sitting under our favorite tree during freshman year.

Oh the list could go on forever. High School was a good time but I am glad it is over. I am happy where I have ended up in life. Sure there have been a few bumps along the way but they have made me a stronger person. It poses to be a fun night full of memories, hugs and laughter. I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and getting caught up on life.

The Night I Almost Got Shot..

Ok well, not really. But it got your attention didn't it?

Jared and I went on a double date with his best friend, Zach, and his Fiance' , Missy. He suggested Jamaican food and mini golf. Jamaican food? I know.. sounds a little scary yet intriguing at the same time.

We pulled up outside of our eatery and I was instantly scared. Bright orange building, bright green trim. Probably the size of my apartment (or smaller). Set back a little ways from the road in an area that isn't quite ummm Luxurious? Safe? Clean? Desireable! Plus it was next to a bridge with an equally questionable area below it. We decided this could go one of two ways: It would be a great mom & pop shop with great food or we would all get serious food poisoning.

Across the street was a bright purple house that I would expect to see in an Edward Scissorhands neighborhood. Well, except this house had bars on the windows...

A couple tricked out Escalades drove by and I thought for sure Jared and I would be the two drive-by victims for the evening. "Young white couple victims of drive-by shooting in ghetto-ville san diego".

Zach and Missy arrived so we made our way to our inside. Missy looked just as scared as I was. We made Jared walk in first since he chose the place. Again, it was small. Only a few tables. Maybe the kind you would get at say, Ikea... Kinda cute but a little rickety. We walked in and the four of us kinda just stood there silent. Probably had the "deer in headlights" look on our faces. The woman at the counter was very nice and asked if we needed menus. She pointed them out and we took our seats. Clearly we didn't need to wait for someone to seat us. The place screamed "seat yourself".

The first thing I noticed on the menu was Oxtail. Yes folks OXTAIL! The tail of an Ox. The rear end blocker on an Ox. That long, thin thing that swats flies by the butt of an Ox. Oh.Dear.God!

Goat Curry..Thanks, but I will pass. Cod..ummmm no. Curry Chicken or Jerk Chicken? That sounds normal (I use that word lightly). We all ordered the Jerk Chicken. The verdict? Surprisingly really good. I would actually eat there again.. well, maybe just take out..

Here's a little picture of our newest eating adventure.. But the picture is googled. Doesn't quite do it the justice it deserves. Picture a cloudy friday evening surrounding the bright orange Island Spice Restaurant, not a happy sunny day shining down on the ghetto.

Mini golf was a blast. We played teams. Zach & Missy vs. Jared & Shannon. Poor Jared. He had the weakest link on his team. More times than not I was the last one trying to get the ball in the hole. Not to mention the pressure of having the super minigolfers on the course right behind us. We would barely start our hole and they were done with the previous hole. Zach and Missy won. Missy launched her ball into a garden of cactus one time. My ball liked to circle the rim of the hole and bounce out. I think we all agree that the best shot of the evening was this:

Way to go Jared! Just a bit outside..

The Key..

Yesterday I made a bunch of treats for one of the stations. When I arrived at the station the car key wouldn't come out of the ignition. I figured I was having a "blonde moment" and didn't put the car in park. So I reached down to the gear shift (is that what it's called??) and it was already in park.

I had a pie on my passenger floor that was well on its way to melting and the stupid key wouldn't come out!! Put it in drive, neutral, park. Key still stuck. OK.. Turn it on, put it in reverse, drive, neutral, park.. still wouldn't give the key back. I started sweating and thinking how embarassing this was. How was I going to face the guys in the station and tell them why I couldn't stay for a few minutes?!? (and not get teased until the end of time).

They were gracious. I excused myself for a moment and went to try again. Still stuck. I just sat there completely unsure of what to do. After about 5 minutes one of the guys came out.
Firefighter #1: Did the key come out?
Me: Nope
Firefighter #1: here, let me try
Me; Oh, you know stuff about cars?
Firefighter #1: No not really. but I thought I could try. I really don't know what I'm doing though.
Me: oh. well I appreciate the effort.
Firefighter #1: Starts the car, puts it in reverse, neutral, drive, park. The key is stuck.. still.

I went inside to say goodbye and firefighter #2 followed me out to try.
Me: So you think you can get it out?
Firefighter #2: not really but I am hoping it comes out so I can rub it in firefighter #1's face
Me: either way I hope it works.

Fire Captain:(Yelling from the kitchen window): hey Shannon can you stick around for 5 minutes?
Me: (super a tad frustrated at this point); yes, why
Fire Captain: I am going to try and Google the problem.
Me: Uh ok.. thanks
Fire Captain: (came outside after his google process): yeah couldn't find a solution but other people said they've had the same problem.
Me: great

I stopped by my parents house to have my dad look at it. Still wouldn't come out. So I called the dealership:
Me: Hi, the key is stuck in my ignition
Service Guy: Oh ok, what kind of car is it and what year
Me: 2007 Ford Fusion
Service Guy: Oh well your car is a bit too new to be having that problem
Me: (silence)
Service Guy: go ahead and bring it down. If you get here after 6pm just leave the key in one of the envelopes and put it in the slot
Me: But the key won't come out of the ignition....
Service Guy: (laughs) Sorry, it's been a long day.

I ran home to get the extra set of keys, drove to the dealership, parked in customer parking, put it in park.. the key came out....

You know how everyone says that cars stop making the noise when you get to the mechanic? I experienced that first hand.

(side not: eventhough it came out, I left the car there and they fixed it).

Being Prepared

With the fires raging in Northen California and a small fire while at work tonight, my mind automatically thinks about what it may be like in San Diego this fall. The fire danger in San Diego is here 24/7 , 365 days a year. It just gets a little bit worse between the months of September and November.

I think about all of the people up north having to evactuate. Remembering the fear and unknown that came with the 2003 and 2007 fire storms. I think about my phone ringing constantly. Friends and Family calling to make sure I was ok, where the latest evactuations were, where evacuation centers were, were there any new fires. Many questions I had answers to but no time to answer them because I was at work. I'm pretty sure I even called some of you back but Lord knows what information I gave to you! For all I know, the sleep deprivation may have caused me to tell some of you the nearest evacuation center was on Sesame Street.

In an effort to help everyone get prepared I thought I would make a list of refrences. For those of you that do not live in San Diego or even in the state of California, please google local information for Reverse 911 etc.
WEB:
**Sign up for Reverse 911 Notification: www.alertsandiego.org you can register your email address and multiple phone numbers. Including cell phones, business phone line and home phones.
**Nationwide Fire Information : www.wildlandfire.com
**Evacuations(including animals, evacuation centers, areas evacuated). www.sdcountyemergency.com
**What to do in case of a wildfire/Current state fire info http://www.fire.ca.gov
**Getting your home prepared/defensible space www.wildfirezone.org
**Fire Preparedness and Burn Prevention: www.burninstitute.org

Phone Numbers:
**Evacuation Info: dial 2-1-1
**Cal Fire (San Diego Only) Fire Information/Media Line 619-590-3160 (This is for fire on state land only. Not in the city of san diego, etc. AND for large fires only).

Here's an example Evactuation Checklist. Post it on your refrigerator. Also, The Burn Institute has a checklist that is a magnet. If you would like one, please leave a comment and let me know so I can get it to you.

Feel free to pass this info along to your friends and family. I know this isn't the most exciting blog entry in the world but it is important. I care about you and I want all of you to be safe :)

San Diego SUPER CHARGERS!

Last night I went to my very first LIVE Chargers Game. I was beyond excited! The tickets were compliments of Jared's mom, a season ticket holder. Our seats were Field Level, about 10-11 rows back from the field. Basically amazing!
We got there while the teams were warming up. I tried to behave and act like a normal person and not at all star struck by the famous athletes running around on the field. I think I sat in my seat for a whole 3 minutes before I high tailed it walked calmly to the railing to take pictures.

I did everything I could to NOT scream out their names, wave and jump around like a 12 yr old school girl at a boy band concert. Seeing Merriman was definitely a highlight. Tomlinson wouldn't stay still long enough. Sproles was too tiny and too fast to get anything but a blurry picture. Rivers was a good model and so was Gates.

I didn't mind looking at all the eye candy around me.. No worries.. I know Jared had a good time checking out the Charger Girls. (stupid ra ra's).

It was also Military Tribute Night. They had men and women from the armed forced carry out a large flag that covered the entire field. FA-18 fighter jets(i think that's that they are called) did a fly over. They took time between halves to honor those injured in the line of duty,followed by a slide show to the song "Amercan Soldier". It was enough to give you chills and bring tears to your eyes! I think I hid my tears from the boy !?!

Spending the night with my favorite football team and my favorite guy was a perfect way to end my vacation. And I am definitely going to another game sometime!!

Another highlight of the night.. not tripping down or up any stairs. A miracle in my book!

RIVERS:

MERRIMAN:

SPROLES:

TOMLINSON:

GATES:

CHARGERS GIRLS:

MILITARY TRIBUTE NIGHT:

R

Good Days

I love how this vacation has not flown by. I've had days where I literally sat on the couch and did nothing but read. That's a very rare thing for me!! It was much needed.

Last thursday I met Jared's Dad and Step Mom. I was scared to death nervous about the meeting. Everything turned out great though. They welcomed me into their home and we had a fantastic dinner. Have I mentioned Jared can cook? And I mean jaw dropping, mouth watering, probably some of the best food you've ever tasted kind of cooking! Shocking as it may be, I didn't make fool out of myself during dinner. Nothing got dropped down the from of me, I didn't trip on any stairs or fall into the pond... Thank the heavens!

Ashley and I went to see Wicked on Sunday at the San Diego Civic. The Civic isn't the type of place where you have to dress up but we did. Why? Because we can.

The show was amazing. During the final number of Act One, I realized I had stopped breathing. I was so caught up in the scene. The ladies playing the witches were incredible! Glinda (the good witch) was soooooo funny! She played up the roll as a ditsy blonde and it left the audience in stitches. The dry humor of Elphaba (The wicked witch of the west) kept us rolling as well. I highly recommend this show to anyone! Especially those of you that love The Wizard of Oz.
Only one near miss when the heel of my shoe got stuck on the cement stairs and I nearly did a face plant. I caught myself before falling though and somehoe managed to avoid flashing the people behind us.

Monday I did a ride along with Medic 7793 in Valley Center. A good friend of mine is one of the paramedics in that area so I hopped on board with Joe and his partner Shawn. These guys are clowns! It was non-stop antics with the whole day. We had a total of 3 calls. One being what we in the fire service call a "cutter". AKA a vehicle accident where the people have to be cut out. I stood by the vehicle and talked to the 14 yr old boy as they cut him out. I was also in charge of holding up his IV so the fluid continually flowed into his body. It was a small glimpse at what my firefighter friends go through on a daily basis.

I spent last night with Brian, Katie, Peyton and our friends Jason, Mindi, Jacob and Evan. Jacob (8) was my little shadow. He sat by me at every show. While walking he asked if he could hold my hand. Of course I said yes (and yes.. Jared knows). Another time he came running up behind me and hit my back (not hard).

Me: OH! My Kidneys!
Jacob: Oh sorry, I didn't know you had kidneys
Me: We all have kidneys
Jacob: we do?
Me: yes, they are internal organs
Jacob: huh?
Me: You know, like we all have a heart and stuff. kidneys are in your back kind of.
Jacob: ohhhhh
Still not sure if he really knew what I was talking about :)

I've also had some quality time with my best friend and her kids, my family, and Jared. Vacation has been good. I feel ready to go back to work and face fire season head on! But not before I end this time off with one of the most exciting things ever! My very first LIVE Charger game at Qualcomm! I can't wait!

Vacation

V_A_C_A_T_I_O_N..Oh how I love that word! Isn't it beautiful? Doesn't it just breed relaxation and joy within you? It does for me!

Vacation officially started wednesday morning. It was a chill day followed by a most wonderful evening with Jared. I made a pretty yummy dinner too. And guess what?!?! I DIDN'T burn anything! It actually turned out good. I have my cooking ability back... finally!

I also met up with my bestie for a late night junk food fest at Denny's. Seasoned fries, ranch dressing and chocolate milkshakes. Talk about a slice of heaven. We had to laugh at ourselves because this little outing was the most spontaneous thing we have ever done. Some people to random and crazy things on a whim but not us home town girls...it was all about Denny's. As I sat there holding her precious baby girl and chatting, I once again realized how extrememly blessed I am to have a best friend like her.

Day 1 of Vacation couldn't have been better. I'm definitely going to enjoy my time off!