Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
8:00 pm Sunday, December 7, 2008

A memorable birthday

By Staff
Melissa Cason
It's already December.
I can't believe it. December is a big month in my family. In addition to Christmas, we have three birthdays and an anniversary in December.
Jimmy turned 30 last Wednesday, and I will be celebrating another year on Dec. 17. My brother-in-law will have a birthday on Dec. 20, and my in-laws will be married 31 years this coming Wednesday.
I always thought Jimmy's family was weird with so much in one month. That was until I had two babies in August.
While there is so much to talk about for the month of December, I want to focus on Jimmy's 30 birthday.
A few months ago, I decided I wanted to get him something he'd always remember, and cherish. There was not better gift than tickets to the Florida State vs. Florida game.
I got online and found tickets. They would cost me $150 each. I wanted to get them, but that is a lot of money. So I decided to tell him what I wanted to do, and he decided that $150 is too much to pay for a ticket.
I was a little sad because I knew he'd be turning 30, and I wanted him to remember it fondly.
Well, last Friday, Jimmy was web surfing, and found unclaimed tickets on the school's athletic website.
We got two tickets for $100.
So Saturday morning, we headed down to Tallahassee. It took us six hours to get there, and it rained all the way.
When we got to FSU, it was still raining…hard.
After a 20-minute walk from our parking spot to the stadium, we found our seats. It turned out we were in the middle of Gator-ville.
We stood in the pouring rain to watch Jimmy's team (FSU) get stomped. The score was 45 to 15, but we still had a good time.
The gator fans we sat next to were pretty great.
On our way to our car, we met some FSU fans and they were talking about when FSU played Alabama. They said it was the greatest experience!!
They said that even though Alabama lost, the fans still wanted to kick it with the FSU fans.
They even suggested that the two teams pair up every year in Jacksonville.
Jimmy and I both agreed that would be great, but Jimmy said that will never happen.
Anyway, we had a great time. I was exhausted when we got back home. I felt a little bad because Jimmy had to leave for Texas a few hours after we got home. I had a little cold this week, but I guess it was worth it.
I think it's safe to say, he'll never forget his 30th birthday.

Also on Franklin County Times
Goodwin stepping down as Golden Tigers’ football coach
High School Sports, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
January 9, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Dustin Goodwin, who served as athletic director and head football coach, announced he is resigning his position to seek other opportuni...
Dowdy sentencing delayed due to medical emergency
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The sentencing of Brandy Dowdy will have to wait until another day after her defense attorney suffered a “medical emergency” on Tuesday...
Legislative session opens Jan. 13; Kiel prefiles 2 bills
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE -- State Rep. Jamie Kiel has prefiled two bills ahead of the 2026 Alabama legislative session. The bills, which will be considered when l...
Hollimon reflects on 40 years in education
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Dr. Deanna Hollimon always felt she was called to be an educator. After 40 years as a teacher, reading coach, administrator and educati...
Firefighters train for vehicle rescues
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — City firefighters trained last week on how to stabilize overturned vehicles and remove trapped occupants. Fire Chief Joe Mansell said t...
Neighbors helping neighbors, one soda pop tab at a time
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
January 7, 2026
Most people don’t think twice about the small aluminum tab on top of a soda can. But those tiny pieces of metal have quietly helped families stay clos...
2025: A year of results for Alabama families
Columnists, Opinion
January 7, 2026
The past year has certainly been a memorable one — and, more importantly, a rewarding one. Beginning the year by leading the Laken Riley Act through t...
Author’s collapse was motivation for comeback
News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
When Pete Key collapsed on the bathroom floor in 2024, it didn’t feel like a turning point. It felt like an ending. He had been sick for days — dehydr...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *