COLUMN: Roll Tide! Season's over now what?

Let’s go ahead and get the important stuff out the way right away ...

... Roll Tide!

My Crimson Tide beat LSU Monday night to bring home a 14th National Championship to my beloved University of Alabama, and I still can’t wipe the smile off my face. I am one happy girl!

You Gamecocks and (Clemson) Tigers should be happy, too. Both teams had great seasons, and both ended up in the national Top 25. Not too shabby a showing for the great state of South Carolina.

Now, back to reality. With college football done until late August, eight long months away, what are we all going to do with our Saturdays?

Well, you may be in luck. There are a number of pretty cool happenings coming up. (Warning: These events will, however, require you to put the chicken wings and beer down and get off your couch.)

For starters, there’s the third installment of Second Saturdays Songwriters Circle this Saturday (Jan. 14) at Railroad Junction in downtown Florence from 4 to 6 p.m. In case you’re not familiar, here’s a quick rundown: Each month, three singer-songwriters are featured. They sing their songs. They tell their stories. They even take questions from the audience. It’s a very informal, intimate affair and a rare experience for those who love music. ... And it’s free. (Donations are encouraged. All tips go to the performers, and if you’ve ever been a musician, known one, dated one, run into one, you know just how much these starving artists need them.)

On tap this week are singer-songwriters Sarah Harrelson, Rachel Riner and Dylan Sneed. I have to admit I’m not familiar at all with Harrelson or Riner, and I’ve never seen Sneed live. But I have been Youtube stalking him for a while, and I like what I hear.

If you can’t make Songwriter’s Circle, you’ve got another chance to catch Sneed, thanks to his first Florence house concert sponsored by Country Fried Rock.

What’s a house concert? Well, let me explain. Obviously, it’s a concert … at a house. The date and time are public, but to receive the address of said concert, a ticket must be purchased through Paypal.

For the Sneed event, tickets are $15. You can find more information on this on facebook or by visiting www.dylansneed.com or www.countryfriedrock.com. Time is of the essence on this one, so if you’re interested, get on it.

The Florence Literacy Council’s annual Novel Event is earlier than usual this year. And when I say early, I mean early. It’s less than a month from now, so if you plan on going, you’ll want to reserve a table now.

The Novel Event is one of the best events of the year in Florence in my opinion. Think Halloween in the spring. Here’s the deal: You (and your friends or your company) buy a table for eight. You choose a book, and everyone at the table dresses as a character from the book. You even decorate your table to go with your book theme. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative tablescapes and costumes.

The Novel Event is set for Feb. 4 at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Then all characters are invited to shake their groove things on the dance floor as a DJ spins tunes all night.

For more information and pricing, call the Florence Area Literacy Council at (843) 667-1908.

In the meantime, here’s to a great week, and I’ll see ya on the town!

-- The Morning News’ Traci Bridges is on the town and in Currents every Thursday. Contact her at (843) 317-7325 or tbridges@florencenews.com. Or find her in person, grinning from ear to ear over her alma mater’s 14th National Championship. Roll Tide Roll!