GO BULLDOGS!

Calm down, everyone. I'm not for "Dumb"ar. Don't tell any 12 year old cheerleaders staying at the Ameri Suites in Birmingham that though.

After our first day of games in the NSA Softball World Series, our team soon discovered that the hotel was not to ourselves. We were in fact sharing it with 100 twelve year old cheerleaders attending camp. Let me tell you, the lobby wasn't so fun that first night when our team hung out while they practiced their "Get Ready, Get Preppy!" cheers.

I was getting ready to head up to my room that night on the elevator, when an arm swung in to reopen the door. In come six cheerleaders who happened to be on all 4 different floors before mine. As soon as they hopped in, one little girl looked at me and asks, "Are you here for camp, too?" OK...seriously... I am 5'8", I was wearing a softball shirt, and please tell me I don't look like I am 12! These girls literally were a foot shorter than me! I just smiled back and said "no". But the conversation just couldn't end there.
"Well, are you a cheerleader?"
"No."
"Have you ever been a cheerleader?"
"Nope."
"I think you look like a cheerleader!"
"Thanks…?"
"Well, why are you here?"
"Softball."
all 4 girls-"GROSS!"
They proceeded to tell me how disgusting it was to play a sport in dirt. I just gave a smile and nodded. It was no doubt, the longest elevator ride I have ever had. You would think I was on the 30th floor.

The next night is when things started to get fun, though. Let me tell you, there are 4 people on my team from Lexington(2 from Henry Clay and 2 from Dunbar). The rest are from(as they would call it) "way out in the sticks" where everything is one syllable- ex. shower=shar, tired=tard, etc. The two Dunbar girls were wearing their school shirts...NOT A GOOD IDEA WITH A MILLION 12 YEAR OLDS THAT WATCH "CHEERLEADER NATION". We were all hanging out in the lobby when in come the cheerleaders, practicing their cheers as they walked. (Just a side note-- nothing against cheerleaders, but if you are one, PLEASE don't cheer when you are doing daily tasks. ANNOYING.) Anyways, all the sudden we hear an uproar of whispers, followed by pointing and giggling. Then a girl is pushed our way by some of her friends. "Um...are you all from Dunbar on 'Cheerleader Nation'?" she asked. I am about to burst out laughing when Tiffany, who is the absolute funniest/most country person I know replies, "Yeah! I guess ya'll seen me befo on TV, Huh?" A wave of squeals and questions followed. Another one of my teammates Maggie, convinced them she was Ryan, which was the only name from the show she knew. We all joked later that the new Ryan ate the old. They even thought my friend Sarah was on the show. Sarah is 6'2, almost 200 pounds. The girls started to get a little skeptical when we said I was the base and Sarah was the flier but nevertheless, they wanted autographs.
OK, OK so maybe what we did was wrong, but it was fun.

Other things learned in Birmingham:
- It's hot.
- Apparently it costs more to use the phone long distance. Oops..I owe my parents some money.
- I have mild asthma.
- It's hot.
- You don't always need Motrin or Aspirin to give you a happy lift. Inhalers work too.
- Cheerleaders really do live up to their rep…they are dumb. (no offense Caroline)
- I could pass for a 12 year old cheerleader.
- It's hot.
- I don't keep track of hotel keys very well. (I had to ask for 4 new ones because I either lost them or locked them in the room.)
- It's hot.


Another side note- On the way down to Birmingham I saw a real rocket ship on the side of the road! Yes that’s right is has actually been to space! My mother refused to pull over so I could touch it. I was very angry and pouted the next 50 miles. On the way back though she stopped! O yeah, after I used an entire camera on pictures of the rocket, I gathered enough courage to touch it! I know, I know, I actually touched something that has been to space! Many people I have told this to thought I was over reacting but they obviously are just jealous. Come on now, just admit it. You are jealous. It was definitely an “out of this world” experience. Ha-ha, get it?