Friday night in our house rarely gets more exciting than a trip to Taco Bell and a chance to eat something we shouldn’t – remember we are training for the Disney Princess half-marathon. But this weekend I’m off call and determined to fill the hours with fun things that we can’t normally get away with when tethered by the Nextel. So my brilliant plan for Friday night was to visit Central High School for their upcoming Friday night varsity football game. I hadn’t been to a football game since I left high school, but the allure of being out in the cool air (the temp. has finally dropped below 80 here) on a nice evening and cheering for a local team with a cup of hot chocolate warm in my hands sounded too good to pass up. I guess you could say that although we are living in a city my heart still belongs in a small town kind of world.
Now why would a pair of 30-something, childless professionals give up that chance at a peaceful Taco Bell dinner in our pajamas – well, I’m afraid that’s my fault (and my husband Gray would agree). I made a list (again) and put down all the things that made me think of Fall and celebrating Fall. I have several things on that list that I run through in my brain while images of autumn leaves falling and pumpkins dance through my head. There are so many things I adore about Fall: Halloween costumes, leaves changing colors, the crisp cool air that finally relieves us of summer’s heat and apparently a small town high school football game.
Luckily I just happened to have a football mom working nearby who filled me in on all the necessary details (you know critical facts – such as we have a high school football team nearby, their name is, their colors are, and oh by the way you’re going to have to pay for parking). In the interest of full disclosure you don’t actually have to pay for parking; you just have to make sure that you manage to show up after kick off. Because as it turns out, you did forget to ask for one more critical piece of information – what time do the festivities start 🙂
Despite being late (hey, at least parking was free) the cultural bevy of young adults was still worth the $6 admission to the game. There were several highlights throughout the night:
- opposing team = The Beavers (seriously!!!)
- Beaver mascot (hilarious – so want to see his/her future job interviews)
- “Touchdown Beavers” (at least it wasn’t homerun beavers)
- the concession stand sold fried double stuffed Oreos (only in the South)
- multiple band members smaller than their instruments
- an amazing display of team camaraderie and sportsmanship complete with group prayer at the end of the game
- proof that Gray and I can stay up later than 9 PM
- sheer joy that no matter what else happens I don’t ever have to be 15 again
Overall the night was a success and I’m looking forward to what my constant pursuit of truly enjoying Fall leads me, OK us (poor, poor Gray) to next – I’ve been exploring the use of power tools as a method by which to carve pumpkins and if I keep my fingers I promise to tell you all about it sometime soon 😉
