Braves

Last night we arrived home from a movie with Jake and the Braves game was in the 9th inning. It was 3-2 Braves! I shouldn't have watched. It always happens when I watch. I went to bed in the 11th inning. Seeing them load the bases inning after inning was too much. This morning I looked at the scores and saw that Philly had come back and won. Shocker!

Just now I was watching ESPN. They've been discussing the collapse of the Red Sox and the Braves all day now.

Mark Bradley, a writer for the Atl Journal-Constitution was being interviewed and they asked about the feelings in Atlanta. He said that Red Sox fans were different from Braves fans. Most Braves fans are used to the collapse, it just happens in October, not September. So true Mark, so true.

I grew up with the Braves winning. I was 10 in 1991 when the Braves came from worst to first. I was up late on a school night when Sid Bream came barreling down the third base line. I can hear the call still in my head. The next however many years, it was a lot and now I can't remember, I was used to them making it to the post season. Sure, they'd eventually lose, but it was normal. Recently, over the past 5 or so years i've come to expect the worst.

Circle of Fire

I did not take this photo. It is circulating around because it pretty much sums up the weekend. There are fires sprouting up all over Austin. This one in the picture is Bastrop. It is about 15 miles east of Austin. This fire, I think is 16 miles long and 6 miles wide. It's crazy. I have lived here in central Texas since 1999 and have never dealt with this. My family has in Southern California though. Fortunately, the winds from Hurricane Lee have subsided and hopefully they can gain some ground on this fire that was moving at 3mph, I think.

We need rain. I don't remember the last time we had rain, a good rain. It's dry. It's a strange feeling to need something so badly and no one can do anything about it.

There are fires surrounding us. They aren't close, but we already have a plan. We know what we're doing, just in case. Of course, if that time were to ever come, who knows how we'd react. Hoping we don't have to make those decisions and no one is stupid enough to flick a cigarette butt out of their car window driving down our street. There are some stupid people in this world.

Name Change

For the last year, since we started the baby process, I have thought about my last name change. I always knew that I wanted the same last name as my children. I grew up like that and it's what I knew. Christian and I talked about it and she was ok with whatever I chose to do. She would be ok if I kept Robinson, changed to Gribble, or gave our baby Robinson. She wanted me to do what I wanted. So, after our cruise I started the process. I didn't want to start it before the cruise because changing passports, flight info, etc. would've been a huge hassle and possibly impossible before our sail date. So after the trip I began the process. I say that I began the process because it took me a month. Things don't move very quickly in my world. I forget, don't get around to it or just generally become too lazy to deal with it. Being that our little girl could show up any day I had a fire lit under me. So after printing forms, getting them notarized, getting fingerprints done at the Sheriff's Office and going to the courthouse, my name change was approved by the judge on Friday.

Christian and I went to the family law district court and sat there and watching divorce after divorce come and go. Most people were solemn about it. Some seemed relieved and one broke down sobbing after she walked out of the courtroom. Being a hormonal landmine it took a lot to not cry myself. Eventually, after 45 minutes the judge called my name. She asked me a few questions, that I can't recall right now because at the time I was terrified, and then asked if the new name was my partner's name and I said it was. She congratulated me, signed the petition and with a smile I was gone. I was a Gribble. Christian wanted to take a picture but got nervous. I wanted to leave before they convicted me of some murder. Hey, it happens on Dateline.

Our celebration consisted of breakfast at Magnolia Cafe. I had a mound of food. Potatoes, sausage, cheese and two over medium eggs. Nothing says congratulations like a mountain of food.

Breakfast of Gribbles



Now comes the dealing with credit cards, driver's license, SS cards, passport, etc. At least now when Baby Girl Gribble arrives her birth certificate will be correct. And now things feel connected.

We may not be able to get married thanks to the great people and voters of Texas (and the general US), but we know that we will never be the ones in the family law courthouse having a divorce granted to us. We don't need the government to define our family.

I will always be a Robinson, but the next chapter in the life of me has Gribble after it. Let the King of the Hill jokes and mockery begin.

Oh, and I don't claim all of the Gribbles. There are only a select few worthy of me.