Highlights from the Highway

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Fried macaroni and cheese....calamari....spinach and artichoke dip....a 25 page menu of delicious entrees....and cheeeeeesecake! That is what the 26 Shorter alumni and friends enjoyed tonight.

We had our very own section in the back of the popular and busy Cheesecake Factory in Orlando, Florida. I sat at a round corner booth with 2 wonderful alumni: Jim Brotherton ('63) and Chris King ('85) along with our very own Dawn Tolbert and our new Christian Studies Chair John Connell and his wife Donna. We had great conversation and John was a hoot! I really enjoyed the Connell crew and I can't wait for them to move to Rome in August!

I table hopped for a bit and then went and chatted with the legendary Dr. Newman for a while. He found out Rachel and I laid by the pool earlier today and he was giving us a hard time about that! I sarcastically explained to him that because I work so hard at Shorter and I'm always in my office, I never get to see the sun! Let alone lay out! Haha! So I needed a healthy dose of vitamin D and laid out today and he understood. Phew!

Here's a little fact for the day: did you realize that the "Craig's carrot cake cheesecake" at the Cheesecake Factory has a whopping 1590 calories in it?? Ay, caramba! Note to self---don't order that.

Everyone enjoyed their Shorter U goodies and the event was a success. Yay! People were having such a great time that the event lasted about 3 hours! Everyone finished eating and just sat around talking for a good long while. Not gonna lie....I got a little sleepy towards the end. The restaurant kept dimming the lights and that mixed with my full belly was a sleeeeepy combo!

Speaking of sleepy combo, I'm off to bed. We've got a little drivin' to do in the morning before we make it to Jacksonville. Maybe I'll drive if I'm not too tired! Ohh decisions, decisions!

Over and out,

Mal

Our stop in Orlando was extra special, as it coincided with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). In addition to our alums in the area, several Shorter employees and alums not from Central Florida were able to join us. Outside of our events at the Atlanta campuses this was by far our biggest event. We had 26 people that made it out to the Cheesecake Factory. With such a large turnout, we weren’t all able to sit around the same table. After dinner though, I was able to do some table hopping and meet everyone. This group was so appreciate that we had included their city on the Road Tour, and by the end of the night were talking about when we would be back.

Tonight’s dinner was extra special as my college roommate Joy Usry Sullivan ’04, her husband Scott and baby Jack joined us. Without a doubt, I can say that Joy is by far one of the most remarkable women I have ever met in my life. Randomly we were placed on the same hall our freshman year, and since then have formed one of the most irreplaceable friendships. The great thing is that I can say the same things about Scott. He is truly her gift from God. We do a pretty good job of catching up often, but it’s always a special treat! AND JACK—he is getting so big! He definitely left the restaurant covered in kisses from Aunt Rachel!

Shoutouts—Dr. Newman, Dawn, Aimee, John Head ,Shorter and my roommates back home! We are about halfway through this leg of the tour, and it was so awesome to see the SU staff at the event. They are my normalcy back in Rome, and made me feel happy inside. They brought a little bit of Home to the Road- Thanks guys!! Writing about Joy in this entry made me start reflecting back on my time as a student on the hill. SHORTER gets a shout out because without it I wouldn’t have met the most important people in my life. I am forever grateful! Lastly, but definitely not least I’ve got to shoutout to my roommates back home! Hope you guys are missing me because I am missing yall!

Headed to Jacksonville in the morning! Excited to meet our oldest alum on the tour- class of 1938!

Till next time,

Rach

We had the largest turnout yet in Orlando. Between the alumni in the area, alumni in town for the Southern Baptist Convention and Shorter faculty and staff working our booth at the convention, it made for a great night.

I sat with James Pooler and hisgirlfriend. James graduated in 1981and hasn't been back to the campus since. His 30 reunion is coming up next year and he is making plans to attend. I also got to spend some time with Jim Lynch from the class of '70. He and his wife are from Rome and actually grew up in my home church (his mother, brother and sister in law are still at Fifth Avenue.)

Depending on how you calculate it, we are about halfway done with the trip. On one hand it it doesn't seem like we have been gone for as long as we have, but on the other hand June 1st seems like three years ago. 

I got a FEVER! And the only prescription...is MORE COWBELL!

Chip