Before I say anything else, I have to say this: there’s something very comforting about being the company of people who love dips as much as I do. I can’t help but feel that we should all stand in a circle and sing songs and then pass around a ginormous bag of Frito Scoops.

Which reminds me.

Our little family rang in the college football season this past weekend in Memphis at my brother’s house, where my sister-in-law kicked off the festivities (kicked off? get it? think I’m lame yet?) with some classic Rotel dip. It was so stinkin’ good, and at one point I think I actually PICKED UP THE BOWL and scraped around the edge with my chip.

You know how some people can’t bear to see a drop of water go to waste? I feel that way about cheese.

It was so fun to be able to watch the Mississippi State game with the family unit. Sister and I yelled like crazy (it is RIGHT and GOOD that we were able to be together for State’s first game), and the Bulldogs were victorious. Plus, we had a small staff of people checking the scores of other games during commercial breaks.

I know. I KNOW. Sister decided that we should call the den “the press box.” And don’t you think that the cat looks like she wants a laptop of her own? Maybe a tiny little chicken-scented one?

Anyway, considering that the Memphis branch of the family cheers for Ole Miss and the Birmingham and Nashville branches cheer for the Bulldogs, there was potential for a wee bit of SEC tension in the house. But I have to say: we did remarkably well. Even the children had a spirit of cooperation and unity.

Warms the heart, doesn’t it?

After the game we went out for a lovely dinner to celebrate Sister’s birthday, and LO AND BEHOLD our table was next to a TV that was showing the Alabama / Virginia Tech game. I didn’t watch much of it, but just knowing it was there was a soothing balm to my soul. By the time we got home from dinner the LSU game was on, and I actually fell asleep while I was watching the Tigers play.

So, you know, it was pretty much a perfect Saturday.

Now.

Pretend like there’s some sort of segue’ here.

Sometime in the next couple of days Melanie and I are going to record a podcast. And as many of you know, we like to plan our podcasts several minutes in advance and have been known to record two and sometimes even four podcasts over the course of an entire year. We like to think of ourselves as the semi-annual white sale of podcasting, only without the predictable schedule and high thread counts.

All that to say: if the eight of you who listen have any questions or topics that you’d like for us to answer or address when we record our new podcast this week, feel free to ask away in the comments. And if nobody has questions, that is totally fine. We’ll just talk about what we always talk about: college football and TV. And also our hair.

Hope y’all have a great Wednesday!

p.s. I’ll post the Christy Nockels giveaway winners later today…I haven’t forgotten!

A couple of you left comments on my last post asking if I was going to set up a group for March Madness picks on ESPN’s Tournament Challenge. And honestly, I wasn’t planning on it, but the more I thought about it, the more I decided that it would be quite the kick in the pants for the teens of us who might be interested in such a thing.

So I set up a group. And since I’m the only member of the group right now, I would obviously love for you to join me.

Here’s how it works. Go to ESPN’s Tournament Challenge. If you don’t have an ESPN account, you’ll have to create one (seconds! it takes mere seconds!). Once you’re logged in, you can search for groups, and my group is called – GET READY – BooMama.

Obviously I’ve scored major points on the originality front.

Once you’ve joined the group and made your bracket picks, you need to make sure that you print out your bracket so that you can put it on your refrigerator and astound and amaze the people in your life with your basketball savvy. Be sure to throw around terms like “RPI” and “strength of schedule” and “body of work,” and the next thing you know your family members will be calling ESPN so that you can be a special commentator on the SportsCenter.

But here’s the best part.

When it’s all said and done, I’ll send a special prize (read: some CDs and such) to the person in our group who does the best with her (or his – the menfolk are welcome, too) bracket. In the event of a tie, well, I have no idea what I’ll do. But I’ll figure it out in due time and it’ll all be big fun, now won’t it?

If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments. And if you’re ready to get started with your bracket, then head on over to ESPN.

p.s. If you join the group, you’ll be able to look at my bracket.

p.p.s. After you look at my bracket, please don’t make fun of me.

p.p.p.s. Because sometimes, if I don’t know much about the teams in a certain game, I go with the mascot that I think is cuter.

p.p.p.p.s. Really. Please don’t make fun of me.

It’s been a fun few days at our house, what with having my sister-in-law and nephews here for a visit, making a trip to Five Guys, seeing The Gabe Dixon Band and The Dave Barnes in concert and celebrating a certain little boy’s birthday.

But today was mighty special, too, because our beloved MSU Bulldogs played the Tennessee Volunteers for the SEC basketball tournament championship, which means that you cannot imagine the level of enthusiasm that was on display in our living room between noon and 2:30 central. It got so lively during the last twenty minutes of the game that I kept feeling like I needed to be closer to the TV, JUST A LITTLE BIT CLOSER, so I hopped off the couch and sat on the living room rug with my face about ten inches away from the screen. I clapped and yelled so loudly that at one point the little man asked if me I could please try to be more quiet, and I responded by saying, “BABY, YOU KNOW THAT MAMA HAS A SPECIAL BRAND OF CRAZY THAT COMES OUT WHEN THE BULLDOGS PLAY BASKETBALL.”

I feelt that it’s better to be up front about these things since my crazy is in fact his heritage. His precious, blessed heritage.

Anyway, sitting with my nose pressed up to the TV was all worth it in the end because I’ll be doggone diggity if we didn’t beat those Vols and win the tournament and secure a spot in the NCAA tournament as a result.

photo by The Associated Press

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HAPPY THIS MAKES ME?

So the Bulldogs are headed to Portland to play the University of Washington this Thursday (any of you in Portland? any of you Washington fans? any of you scared by the level of my obsession?), and I’m headed back to the living room to watch today’s game one more time before I go to bed.

I think it’ll be even better this time since I know the outcome and won’t suffer from the hand-wringing anxiety and crippling nausea that characterized the first go-round. But by the same token, I cannot wait for the hand-wringing anxiety and crippling nausea that’s in store for me this Thursday when we square off against Washington.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

1. We had to cancel the birthday party because of rain. The little man was a remarkably good sport about it because his older cousins are here this weekend, and that is a party in and of itself. In fact, the Cousin Party just shut down for the night, and it is about 11:45. They are having a blast.

And despite the fact that we had to postpone the party for a few days, it was actually a really wonderful birthday. We had cake and ice cream with the family this afternoon, grilled hamburgers tonight, and the boys played more Wii than humans should be allowed. So much fun.

2. My beloved Bulldogs beat Alabama in overtime tonight in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. And when the Bulldogs were about two minutes away from their victory, the roof literally came off the Georgia Dome. I’m not kidding.

I’m telling you: that game shaved a solid decade off of my life. SWEET MERCIFUL GOODNESS. If the rest of the tournament follows tonight’s lead, then I’m going to require some sort of oxygen tank before I watch tomorrow’s semi-finals. And perhaps even a defibrilator. With a medic on standby.

3. Today the mailman brought us a package from some sweet friends in Texas.

This is what was inside the box.

It’s PERFECTION! Thanks, Wisners!

And fortunately, despite a lively in-house basketball game between my nephews, our roof remained intact.

If only the Georgia Dome could say the same.

4. The oh-so-talented Jules redesigned my blog, and I pretty much squealed and clapped my hands when I saw this new look for the first time. I love it! I have been wild about all of my blog designs but just felt ready for a change – something fresh and (just a little bit) funky for spring. I’ll give you all the design scoop on Monday.

Hope y’all have a great weekend!

Tonight my beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs hosted the Kentucky Wildcats at The Hump in an early-season SEC match-up.

Really, the pleasure was all ours.

MSU – 69
UK – 64

I’m sure you’ll be shocked to know that I stood in one corner of my kitchen for two hours and fifteen minutes because that’s where I was when the game started and clearly if I moved to another room there was no way we’d win.

I don’t know about you, but I just couldn’t live with that kind of guilt. Sure, sitting down is convenient and comfortable, but is it really worth losing?

I think not.

At one point Sister called me from a hockey game to check in on the basketball game (what? don’t all sisters do that? what?), and while we were talking Kentucky started to cut the lead, so I said, “WE HAVE TO HANG UP. WE’RE RUINING EVERYTHING!”

Her response?

“OKAYBYE.”

The crazy, it is genetic, you see.

What a tender heritage we share.

Go ‘Dogs.