Tennessee opened their 2012 football season on Friday night....and we had tickets to the game! Woot! We gave the tickets to Y2 as his birthday gift. The game was in Hot-lanta, so it was an easy trip to make. Thankfully, Tennessee won the game and in fine fashion, too! Would have been quite the let down for Y2 to have a "losing" birthday present! As you can imagine, the opportunities for social observation were PLENTIFUL!!!! It was kind of hard to concentrate with such a visual smorgasbord! So much to report! If this goes sort of random, just hang with me...we'll work it out.
GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- We'd had this trip planned since June...before Y1 was up to his eyeballs in football practice. After emailing his coach to let him know that Y1 would be missing practice on Friday because we were traveling (which we truly were), I found out that "traveling" is not an excusable reason for missing practice. Missing practice meant he'd not play in this Tuesday's game. That's the policy...no practice, no play. I don't like it when folks expect rules/policies to be bent/changed for their convenience. When this happens, the rules/policies are no longer valid. I hated the idea of Y1 not playing, but understood. I picked Y1 up from practice that particular day and he said that one of the coaches informed him he'd have to do some running to make up for missing practice. What wasn't said was the part about not playing on in this next game. He was surprised and really upset. The ride home was getting tense and then he said "Give my ticket to K...he and Bubba will have a good time. That way, the ticket isn't wasted and I can play on Tuesday." I'm hear to tell you, sweet friends, I just wanted to sob! I was so proud of him! He made a tough decision...he made a HUGE sacrifice...he did the right and honorable thing when he really didn't want to. He had second thoughts after making the decision, but stuck to it. We left him in the care of our carpool friends and he had a really good time. Practice Friday after school...varsity game Friday night....which WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our high school is not known...has never been known...as a football powerhouse. I am told that the stadium was packed to capacity because of our new coach and the buzz he's created.
- Our little friend, K, had never been to an SEC game. K is Youth Pastor's youngest son and one of Y2's bestest good friends. Being that K and his siblings are home schooled, their new academic year has yet to start...so no worries for him missing a day of school. He is the sweetest child...head full of curly hair and dark eyes...bright as buttons! He even wore a Tennessee shirt, despite the fact that his daddy is LSU to the core. In fact, we sent him a picture of K sporting some Big Orange. Fear not...no reprogramming will be necessary...not just yet, anyway:)
- Lots of tailgating where we parked The Family Truckster. So good to see all that orange! Would have been fun to tailgate...didn't even think of it! We even have an orange tent! But it was WAY too hot and we were just as happy with our lunch stop at Crack*r Bar*el...Friday fish fry, baby!!
- The kiddos had a really good time at the pregame Fun Fair...different types of games and freebies. Ch*k-F*l-A was passing out samples of their new chocolate chip cookies...warm from the oven...sounded good, but it wasn't. Or mine wasn't, anyway. There was something in the texture...I ate one bite, wanting to enjoy it, and passed it on to one of the kids. They must not have palates as delicate or discerning as mine!
- You see all sorts of "spirit wear" or game day outfits. Some are casual...some are a little dressy...some are just TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKYYYYY!!!! For instance, the two "ladies" that I saw wearing white short-shorts and black tank tops that had "Vols" in orange sequins across the front. I told Mr. Snark..."Oh, good...looks like the university is paying homage to H**ters!"
- Part of the pre-game festivities was a walk through by the team. WOW!!! Those are some LARGE human beings! Of course, our favorite team member is actually the mascot...we LOVE Smoky! He's a beautiful, Blue Tick Coon Hound and we love to see him running onto the field...pulling his handlers the whole way! Coach Dooley looked SHARP...like he was going into the courtroom, instead of onto the sidelines. Maybe that's how it feels for him. SEC football is HARSH on the coaches. This is his third year and unfortunately, this is "put up or shut up" time. Fans are already calling for his replacement. To my way of thinking, that's completely unfair. You don't throw your three year old child away because he/she is difficult and doing things that you don't like! It was easy to tell the Upperclassmen from the Freshmen. The Upperclassmen came through the walkway with their shades on...fancy-shmancy headphones/ear buds firmly in place....total steel in the eyes. Mr. Snark calls it "the thousand yard stare." The Freshmen...all smiles, slapping high fives to the fans...loving life.
- Gates open and we make our way to our seats. SWEET! In the Tennessee end zone, two sections over from the band...about nineteen rows from the field...are you kidding me???? As the stands were filling in, it became pretty clear that Volunteer fans had showed up with the intent of turning the Georgia Dome into Neyland (say knee-lund) Stadium-South!
- Mr. Snark took the boys to get something to eat while it was still early. I'm getting my people watching buzz going, when all of the sudden, I hear a commotion behind me. Some ill mannered Tennessee fan was ripping into a couple of NC State fans, who had the unfortunate luck of being seated in our part of the arena...which was HEAVILY covered in Big Orange. Not sure what the catalyst was...but it was purely humiliating!!! When it was finally over, I tried to be sweet and apologize, but Mr. NC State wasn't in the mood for my kindness. He shot back with some smart alecky comments and I just let him rant. It's football, people...it's just a game. I LOVE that Tennessee posted a win...it's been a long time and they played with a sort of fire that was a sight for sore eyes. Win or lose, life goes on. All that idiot did was make the rest of the Vol Nation look bad. I'm sure Mr. NC State and his wife (who looked like she'd rather have been anywhere else) went home with a very bad impression of my university and that makes me very sad.
- Coach Dooley and the boys came onto the field for some pregame warm-ups. He was sporting his orange pants...which I love:) And then...he trips...and then...he face plants...just near to midfield! Springs back up, unassisted...fist pumping and just laughing! Now, I'm not a superstitious kind of person, but maybe he should trip this week, too, just to see what happens!
- I guess there's no real shock when I tell you that there were some drunk folks in that arena. Even less shock, I suppose, when I tell you that there were some PLASTERED people in that arena and we were so very blessed to have three of the Boozer Brigade sitting in front of us. They were well on their way to being hammered when they got to their seats. After Big Bubba finished his first beer and tossed the bottle to the ground, I looked at the young man sitting two seats down from me and said, "You know this is only going to get worse, don't you?' "Yes, ma'am...I'm afraid it is." To their credit, Big Bubba, Medium Bubba and Pipsqueak were friendly. They weren't mean and they pretty much kept to themselves. Pipsqueak didn't look much older than Y1. Don't know if he was the son of Big or Medium. Maybe a nephew. My opinion...he needs to keep better company. Pipsqueak was well and truly sauced by the 4th quarter...not sure that he actually saw any of it...as he fell asleep. Big had abandoned his mates; thus leaving Medium to babysit. Precious sight...the two of them...Pipsqueak, sleeping in a drunken stupor on Medium's shoulder. Lots of folks were so impressed by the sight that they took pictures of it....and probably posted it to their favorite social media outlet. I did not....although, I really did think about it!!!
- We stayed overnight, at a hotel on the north side of town....and had to traverse post game midtown to get there. Can I just tell you that I HATE Atlanta traffic! I rode with my eyes closed for most of the trip. So thankful that we don't have to deal with that mess as often as we did when we lived in SMALLtown, GA! Only one way to Vol-ville from there...straight up 75N...right through midtown...YUK!
- I know you can get a contact buzz if people are around you smoking a certain herbaceous intoxicant....but can you get a contact buzz from the drunkards around you? I felt like my clothes were drunk! Not kidding you! Clean and SOBER jammies were a wonderful thing!
GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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