Tag: Doing good

A Birthday, A Career Position I Can Get Behind, Writing Big Checks & Traveling With Uninvited Reptiles.

The Birthday

The Coach had a birthday the weekend before last. Is it just me, or is that guy getting UP there? 😳 I laugh! But really, he’s 58, and I never imagined I’d be married to someone so old. Again, I laugh!

Unlike me, he doesn’t require much fanfare but requested a dinner with the family. 

Since Lolo traveled 2 hours, we asked her if she wanted to have a sleepover at her old house with her old parents, and sure as heck, she did! Sunday morning we had an early breakfast together before she had to attend a work event.

The New Position

I think I failed to tell share that Lolo has moved positions, and her mom couldn’t be happier. Instead of walking the downtown streets in the middle of the night, wrangling drunk people, answering distress calls, and generally asking grown humans to behave, she’s now part of the Community Relations Unit.


This position is varied each day; greeting kids as they arrive for school, fitting children for bike helmets, being a part of the city’s annual chili cook-off, meeting with neighborhood crime stoppers groups, and speaking in women’s groups about safety. Pro Policing!. She mentioned something about going through training to know how to properly install children’s car seats, as you have to be certified to do it and teach others. You would’ve thought part of her Master’s Degree would have covered that, but NOPE.

Another bonus: her Police district shares a boat load of pics on The Face Book, so I can see what she’s doing all the time. It’s perfect for a wannabe Mrs. Kravitz.

It’s not all fun and games because at any moment she could be called in for her Crisis Negotiation Gig which is where her heart is. Her current position isn’t as exciting as what she was doing, but for me it’s perfect and it should ALWAYS be about me.

Big Checks and a Big Event

Remember our big event in August? We were able to give to our three beneficiaries this past week. $150,000 will go a long way for these charities.

On Saturday, Coach, I, and a Lizard hitch-hiker drove across the state.

The lizard could not be caught and refused a seat belt.

We were attending Operation 300’s biggest fundraiser: the Red, White & Blue Bash.

Operation 300 is a fantastic organization started and run by the family of Aaron Vaughn, who lost his life during Extortion 17 in 2011, leaving behind two very young children. 

The Op 300 organization hosts weekend-long adventure camps for children who have lost their parent due to military service, pairing each child with a parent-aged mentor who spends the weekend doing things with the children they might have done with their parent. Who couldn’t get behind this? 

Our friend Vince, whom Coach has known since they were 7, joined us at the fundraiser. Don & Kelly were busy, so we had their son, his GF, and their best friends, who are also our friends, with us. 

I kind of felt bad I left the lizard in the car, but it was too risky. So many feet.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as we supported a beautiful cause and had a night with Old Friends and Young Friends. None in the middle.

Did anyone wonder if the Lizard Hitchhiker might have been my Jesus Lizard from ye’ ole days?

Coach and I have a lot of OLD friends, and not just because we’re old. Most of his close friends he’s known since he was 7-8 years old. I think the oldest friends I have go back to ninth grade, but none before that. Who is your oldest friend?

XOXO

Clean Living, The Event, My People, My Dress, So Many Givers.

My husband uses a phrase when good stuff happens for us and to us: Clean Living.

When I hear the phrase Clean Living, I (used to) think of: eating clean, not drinking, not smoking, etc, but he’s changed that for me.

When he says this, he means: not being a cheater, not stealing, giving to others where and where you can; being a good human.

No matter what it means, we’ve been very fortunate the last few years to be on the receiving end, so that we can in turn be on the giving end. Giving is so much more fun, but to be able to give, you have to be able to ASK and RECEIVE from others too.

I have a hard time asking, but not The Coach. He actually doesn’t ask donors for anything; he says: I need you to help our Veterans. And by golly, it works!

This was our best event yet. In that I mean it was the most fun, entertaining & all went smoothly AND it was the biggest money raiser yet.

We had close to 300 people attend and raised almost $190,000. IN ONE NIGHT!

Probably a month before the event we were worried that we wouldn’t have enough sponsors and enough silent & live auction items. Then they started flowing in and I heard Coach say many times: Clean Living.

Linds, her BF and several of our other employees are integral in this event; we could not do it without them.

Lolo was able to attend this year as well as both sets of my In-Laws and my Aunt, Uncle and Cuz Patrick drove down from NW Georgia for the weekend. It was literally a family affair.

AND, all of my best girlfriends were there aside from D in Texas who wasn’t able to come this time.

These ladies have my heart and I think Kelly had my butt in this pic.

The Songwriters

We had a some of our usual suspects who I absolutely love: Patrick Davis, Tyler Reeve, Django Walker & Channing Wilson, but we also had a ‘new to us’ songwriter who was fan-freaking-tastic: Tim Nichols who has many hits under his belt, but perhaps my favorite is Live Like You Were Dying, recorded by Tim McGraw. (BTW, have we ever discussed what an amazing talent Tim McGraw is, because we should.)

Anyhoo, the night was just perfect, my husband works so hard putting this together on top of running a successful business and tending to my every whim.

One part of the event that’s always been a headache for the Coach: Travel. He books all the artists airline tickets, (using his personal miles, he’s got a lot!) and you know how artsy people are? Sometimes, they’re flaky and want to change plans at the last minute. This time, the Coach wisened up, sought out a private plane company to be our Pre Show VIP Sponsor and to fly the artists in & out from Nashville.

I know, GENIUS!

And Almost As Important, Suz Pulls Off Another Soma Dress!

Ok, maybe that isn’t nearly as important as helping our veterans, but a good dress can change your life day.

I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be in the company of so many like-minded people who really love our country and appreciate our veterans and their sacrifices. One thing we never thought about when starting this years ago is that some of the biggest supporters of Veterans are actual Veterans! Coach has connected with so many ex military people who’ve gone on after their military careers and are super successful and they’re the first ones helping.

Our beneficiaries this year are Operation 300, Operation Healing Forces & The Kevin Popke Foundation; all are near and dear to our hearts.

I think we’ve finally caught our breath and what’s next? 😉

XOXO

Not Exactly A Heart Of Glass, VD Stuff & Loving Time With My People While Doing Good.

Back in the day, I decorated for almost every holiday. The last few years I was SuziSlacksALot. But this year, I went all out with a tablescape for VD.

And by All Out, I mean one little tray on the dining room table and a few odds and ends. Sunday morning I saw Peanut chewing on something and I assumed it was one of the 327 toys that she has at her disposal, but then I noted it was shiny and NOT a chew toy. That B*TCH! She climbed up on a chair and helped herself to whatever her heart desired…and her heart desired my sparkly heart!

SPOILER ALERT: It turns out that the interior of my heart is just plastic. 🤣

This is a vintage piece of artwork (the heart spins) made by Lolo about…hmmm...I have no idea how many years ago, but she signed it in childlike chicken scratch, so I’ll guess it was 22 years ago?

My sweet Lindsay gifted me with these adorable kitchen towels. She didn’t even know that I often refer to Peanut as Peanut Butter! How sweet is that?

On Friday night I shared one of the best nights of my year with Lindsay and Coach; they volunteered with me for Tim Tebow’s Night To Shine. (this is my fifth year) I knew they would both love it; we had such a good time. We were in charge of organizing the guests into the Limo’s and party buses as they traveled from one area of the Church property where they were staged to where the actual prom was held. Coach was great as a Hype Man…getting the guests pumped up about their night as they patiently waited for their transportation turn.

It was a lovely way to spend our Friday night, made more so by dinner at a Mexican restaurant with a well deserved cocktail after our roles were finished.

How was your weekend? Do you decorate for Valentines Day? Are your surprised that my heart is actually plastic?

XOXO

Gratitude And Adjusting My Attitude

Y’all. We had the best weekend. Our event on Saturday was ahhhhmaazzzing.

I found myself repeating this line the past few weeks: I can’t wait for the day to get here, have the event, wrap it up and let’s move onto other things.

It was very time consuming, mostly for my husband, who, by the way never ever complains. Never. Although early Saturday morning he said: this is like herding kittens. Getting the artists here is always a challenge; sometimes the airlines like to switch things up or the artists themselves need to change travel times at the last minute. Creative people can be flaky; I’m not telling you something you don’t already know.

This was our fourth year for the Songwriters For Vets Event and each year we’ve been building onto the foundation. More sponsors each year (who by the way happily write big fat checks!) and we added silent auction baskets/gifts, plus some live auction items. I wasn’t able to see my craft table for the last few weeks…but today, I can see what the countertop color actually is.

ATTITUDE ADJUSTED

Anyhoo, as we were setting up all the tables, merchandise area and silent auction items on Saturday morning, I was taken aback by all the lovely people in my life who always show up with a smile on their face, always ready to help.

Family photo photobombed by Mr. James Otto himself.

On Sunday morning as we were having breakfast with our kids at the hotel and discussing how the night went my girls also marveled at how many long-term ‘lifer’ friends we have. We are surrounded with good, quality humans and I adore them all. BONUS: Lolo, Linds, Nathan and Lindsay’s new beau were a huge help weeks prior and the day of; I appreciate my kids so much.

We’ve not settled up the funds yet, but Coach thinks we should net about 40k, but maybe more.

Channing Wilson, Kristian Bush, Patrick Davis, Angie Aparo, James Otto.

The Coach and I arrived home on Sunday afternoon and after unloading both vehicles we took the time to rest as we were going nonstop Thursday-Sunday morning. I think I slept 10 hours last night, and surprisingly, I’m still tired. Getting old ain’t for sissies!

Did anyone else attended a musical/charity super spreader event this weekend?