Summing up November

Of course there was a lot going on in November. I know for me, much of my attention was directed towards a very major project for work. My company took a very major leap and opted to restructure and become a decentralized home office. This is a very fancy and technical way of saying, most of us get to work from our homes as opposed to going to an office. There were a lot of challenges seeing this goal to fruition and I was honored with being asked to oversee some of the major pieces of this project. I often thought it was like herding cats - the idea of having 80 employees scattered across the lower 48 to operate as though we are located in 1 home office. But we did and and I am very proud and pleased.

While I was about 85% consumed with that, we also enjoyed some other, personal stuff. Pat and I continue to enjoy socializing with our tennis teams. Our mixed doubles team had a lot of different events (in addition to matches and practice and lessons). Friendly poker games and a bowling party to name a couple.

LHS Dance Team had a few things to keep Lindsay and I busy, different planning meetings (competition season is just around the corner), as well as making plans for the upcoming holiday season. To get a full feel for the teams activities, please take a look at the team website (of which I am the webmaster - I am sure you are surprised to learn that). http://lassiterdanceteam.vnsports.com/ . There was one Dance Competition. We consider this particular competition to be a practice run for our team to prepare them for the upcoming competition season. LHS did very well, placing 1st or 2nd in every event they entered. Lindsay tried a solo and did very well. It was unfortunate that she did not place, however, after looking at the score cards, it appears her scores were changed by the judges, marking her lower than they had originally thus allowing for a girl from another school to place instead of Lassiter sweeping. A bitter pill to swallow, but a lesson learned.

Pat and I had tickets to see a show call Veranda. The playwrites who wrote Peachtree Battle wrote this show. Both are very funny and specific to life here in Atlanta. There are a lot of references to the political climate locally and nationally and a lot of pop culture references too. I purchased tickets for my mother and I to see A Sunday Afternoon at Loehman's, another play by these gentlemen and it opens in March. http://www.ansleyparkplayhouse.com/

We visited the King Tut exhibit, currently here in Atlanta. It was spectacular. I will admit, I kept peeking around the corners looking for Steve Martin appear in Egyptian costume singing his famed "King Tut" song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP7AJiQM2RI) or maybe even the Bangles singing their hit "Walk Like an Egyptian" (http://12121.hostinguk.com/egypt.htm ). Well, here's the website for the exhibit we did see. http://tutlanta.com/ We are looking forward to the next big cultural exhibit at the High Museam - China's First Emporer. We will write about it in January, after we see it. http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=3,1,1,10

Our Thanksgiving meal was held at our home and this year we were blessed to have guests in addition to family. Matt & Gaby opted for a trip to NY this year. Ryan and Patrick enjoyed Thanksgiving with their Mom. So we were down to Pat, Lindsay, Zach, Brianna, Bri's friend Becki, my parents and friends from our tennis team. This is the second year Becki joined us. She is in the military and works at Dobbins Air Force Base. It is an honor to have her at our table, not to mention to be able to celebrate her birthday as well. Reid and Pat are on the same Men's Tennis teams as well as on the same Mixed Doubles team I am on with Pat. Reid's wife Marci doesn't play tennis (YET - we all vow to convert her). Reid and Marci have 3 little girls - all precious. The official rules for our family gatherings is that I make the meal (with assistance from Lindsay on the cooking - Pat & Zach do the major set up) and Brianna makes the desserts. Pictured here you will see Brianna getting ready to unveil one of her dessert masterpieces. Also pictured is a bearded Zach!