Missing from the Weekend Round-Up: Auburn takes 2 of 3 from #1 … #5 … #9 … #15 Mississippi State.

…that is all.

[1] Beach Report:

Got a little burned on day 1… sidelined me for half a day on Saturday, which was just enough time to swing by the outlet mall for much-needed RL and BN.

Cut my leg playing beach baseball with some 6-year-olds.

A nice view around dinner time at Pampano Joe’s.

Almost had to backhand a couple of Stephen and Dieter wannabes who couldn’t seem to control their totally awesome boards around our group… including the 6-months-pregnant Amy Byars.

Recieved no smart-butt comments for my infamous cowboy hat.

This is why I don’t own an SUV.

Too many quotable quotes. Just too many.

[2] After watching What About Bryan last night… I’m on board, for now. Nice plotline developing. It’s also from the producer of LOST. Not to mention they ended the show with one of my favorite songs of 2005.

Also… anybody notice the girl from Saved By The Bell – The New Class?

[3] Do you have issues? Come on… this is Landon you’re talking to. You can open up to me.

Leave it to me to do some blogging from the beach. But it’s late, everybody’s in bed, and I’ve been up doing some theological reading, which quickly leads to theological thinking.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I get creeped out whenever Christians refer to God as “Daddy” or “Papa” or any other Earthly reference commonly used for father figures.

“Father” and “Father God” don’t bother me. I mean, God *is* the Father and his role over us is father-like. But I don’t know if God should serve as a replacement for our Earthly father figures.

One’s need to establish relationship with a father figure is a necessary one… but some people do it in very peculliar ways.

Having dated my share of girls with “daddy issues”, I’ve been privy to both verbal and nonverbal “daddy didn’t love me” moments where my inner voice says: “Run Landon! RUN!”

I once heard a girl say, “I never knew my real father… so God is now my Daddy!”

Whatever floats your boat, sweetheart.

Refering to God as a father isn’t at all Biblically incorrect. Jesus himself told us that, “…no one comes to the Father except by me.” However, constant references by Christians to God as a father figure simply reveal other inner insecurities these individuals posses.

I believe that since God is God, He sends father figures to those with a parental void. Keep in mind, my mother lost her father at a very young age. However, she has been surrounded by respectable men if faith since that point to guide her throughout her life.

God did that.

Where the spiritual touch of God ends, the physical touch of fellow believers begins.

If calling the Almighty God – the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the Alpha and Omega, the Great “I Am” – if calling him “Daddy” is your thing… by all means, go for it. However, do it in a way that is glorifying to His name, and not in an obvious attempt to scratch your inner “orphan itch”, so-to-speak.

But be forewarned: It creeps most people out.

The quotes from this week will all remain anonymous… just ’cause it’s fun like that. Plus, two of them are about relationships, and revealing their source would reveal the relationship.

Boy am I glad I went to Mississippi this past week. Now, none of you have any idea if these things were said by Alabama or Mississippi folk.

Quote 1 in reference to a wedding I think may not happen (…but I didn’t say it. Mwahahaha!):

“Well… put it on the calendar in pencil.”

Quote 2 in reference to people you see everyday in the south (and not funny to anyone who wasn’t there):

“Mama.”
“Yes, Dakota?”

Quote 3 in reference to getting engaged when the time might not be right:

Person 1: “She thinks she might want to get engaged.”
Person 2: “If you think you wanna be engaged… you might not need to get engaged.”

I’m off… destination Destin, Florida.

I wish all of you the very best Easter weekend. Which, for all you Catholics means that you can finally eat chocolate and drink Diet Coke again! Because nothing says “I love Jesus” like giving up junk food for 40 days.

Kidding, folks.

I will be joined by the following individuals who will serve as witness to the all natural tan I will recieve. Which, like all beach tans, will fade all-too-quickly, returning me to “normal Landon” with 2 weeks.

John Byars [Auburn University]
Amy (Davidson) Byars [Auburn University]
Mick Crump [University of Alabama]
Kristy Beall [University of Alabama]
Stephanie Hannah [Auburn University]
Catherine Gail Upton [University of Alabama]
Andy Byars [Auburn University]

Elephants and Tigers and Choctaws… oh my!

(sorry)

No real reason for posting this. I just love viewership stats.

1. American Idol – Tues (FOX)
2. American Idol – Weds (FOX)
3. CSI (CBS)
4. House (FOX)
5. Deal Or No Deal – Mon (NBC)
6. NCAA Basketball Championship (CBS)
7. Lost (ABC)
8. Survivor (CBS)
9. NCIS (CBS)
10. The Unit (CBS)
11. Law and Order: SVU (NBC)
12. Without A Trace (CBS)
13. 60 Minutes (CBS)
14. Unanimous (FOX)
15. Deal Or No Deal – Weds (NBC)
16. Numb3rs (CBS)
17. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
18. Cold Case (CBS)
19. Extreme Makeover (ABC)
20. 24 (FOX)

Oxford, Mississippi is a wonderful college town with a pretty clean slate when compared to other collegiate cities.

However, events over the last few days have Rebels shaking their heads.

Drew Snyder has done an excellent jobs of keeping the UM faithful up-to-date on the developments of the beating and drive-by-shooting seen last week.

THURSDAY : Macaroni Grill/930 Blues Cafe/an unspecified amount of ice cream with Kristian Dambrino… she also tried to steal my cellphone. Nice try sucka.

FRIDAY : Lunch at Chick-fil-A/Laying-out with Karen Howell, Griffin Lewis. Nagoya (sushi)/Bops (ice cream) with Karen Howell, Griffin Lewis, Katy Thompson, David Thompson, Diane Swalm, and Lindsey Box… and we tried to make Griffin pee in his pants.

SATURDAY : Laying-Out with Karen Howell, Griffin Lewis, Katy Thompson. Keifer’s (Greek)/Starbucks Karen Howell, Griffin Lewis, Katy Thompson, David Thompson, Lauren Lee, and Brooke Williams Johnson… and David entertained us with his dance antics in a random Clinton parking lot.

SUNDAY : Church at Pinelake/Nagoya (sushi) with David Ash and Laura Pickard. One last day of laying-out with Karen Howell, Griffin Lewis, and Laura Pickard. Caught some of the Master’s while gnawing on ribs with Jennifer Wyckoff, Lindsey Box, Laura Pickard, Mollie McCormick, and The Box Family. Pizza and baseball with Jonathan & Ashleey Pettus… then I attempted to entertain with stories from eurosix.

MONDAY : Lunch at Cinco De Mayo with Jonathan Pettus and Kelly Maloney… Kelly thoroughly entertained with stories of Europe and life. Onto Starkville for a meeting with Daville President Hossein Razzaghi, dinner at The Grill, and a quick catch-up with Dr. Mandy Armstrong.

I’d like to once again thank the Pettus duo for letting me sleep in “my bedroom” and for David Ash allowing me to adopt a new room in his lovely abode.

If I didn’t catch you this weekend, I apologize profusely, and offer my first-born son as a token…

I gotta swing through Starkville on the way home (see: DaVille Oufitters) today…. but I’ll have a short video tomorrow that’ll be sure to make you laugh.

It isn’t everyday that a newspaper with a daily circulation of over 2 million people features an article just on how good your cousin is doing in baseball.

Hot-hitting Hartel provides options – The Clarion-Ledger

I’ll be in Jackson over the weekend.

I’m bringing my tennis racket if anybody is up for a rally/game on Saturday and/or Sunday. Mixed-doubles could be fun as well.

If I don’t catch you over the weekend, I’ll be at Pinelake on Sunday. Holla.

It’s sad that although I’ve only been back a few days from my Euro-trip, I’m already thinking about where I wanna go next.

Please don’t mistake this for, “Landon’s going on another trip soon.”

In the last 11 months I’ve been to Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Dallas, Chicago, and… a few other cities.

My wallet can’t take much more.

However, all you folks need to get fired up for travel season. Forbes just released the 13 Best Travel Sites, 8 of which I use on a regular basis.

So, do your self a favor and consider something other than Destin or Orange Beach this year, and actually go somewhere.

Got this in an email forward from a family member:

Tomorrow morning, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00
in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06.

That will not happen again for 1000 years!

If anybody stays up late enough to actually watch this happen… let me know what it’s like.

I’ll be asleep… with everyone else.

The wedding season is upon us… and the babies are starting to get anxious.

If you want to make an addition or change some of the info below, either enter a comment, or send an email to landon.howell@yahoo.com.

Wedding

Jennifer Horton & Tony Oravet [Jasper, AL] – April 8
Saundra Brown & Jason Strong [Jackson, MS] – May 6
Kathryn Hooks & Kennon Vaughan [Tupelo, MS] – May 13
*Amy Byars & Jake [Jasper, AL] – May 13
Mauren Ferrell & Brennan Sanders [Jackson, MS] – May 26
Jennifer Moss & Chris Smith [Clinton, MS] – May 27
Natalie Carmichael & “Brad” [Jasper, AL]- July 15
Katie Trent & Austin Stewart [Clinton, MS] – July 15
*Lacey Fortenberry & Brock Howell [Columbia, MS] – July 29
Haley Howell & Jay Penney [Scottsboro, AL] – Aug 19
~Matt Adams & Wendy Veazey [?, Tenn] – Aug 5

Baby

Bethany Burns [Bham] – Finlee Faith Johnson (7 lbs 10 oz) on March 2
Erin & Phil Rexroth [Wash DC] – Haley Elisabeth Rexroth (8lb & 19 in) on March 27
John & Amy Byars [Bham] – July 28 {will be a girl}
Erin and Brian Hannula [Clinton, MS] – August 7
Brad & Lacey (Travis) Madden [Jackson, MS] – August ??
Chad & Lori Hayes [Jasper, AL] – September 10
Kay (Brown) & Tim Doremus [Waco, TX] – October ??
Justin & Melissa Jackson [Brookhaven, MS] – November 9
Matt “Spunk” & Jennifer Weston [Nashville] – ?? {will be a boy}
Katy [Gambrell] Burns & Heath Burns [Jasper, AL] – ??

*I’ll be singing in the wedding.
~I’ll be in the wedding in some capacity or another.

ITALICS means that it is a new addition.
BOLD means that the wedding/baby has already happened.