Full Immersion

What a weekend. Even during the height of football season I don't always find it desirable to dedicate the entire weekend to the sport. This weekend, though, was my first chance to do so, and I'm glad to say that I was willing and able.

On Friday I left work as quickly as I was able. I got to my apartment in Bowling Green around 5:30 and was heading in as Brandi was heading out. We got into her car and, after a few moments spent figuring out the CD player she had just bought, hit the road for Troy. There was only one all-out traffic stoppage (for no apparent reason) on southbound I-75 this week, and it lasted for only a few minutes, but it was still enough to ensure that we were late for kickoff.

One of the great things about going to high school football games is the low cost of concessions. Brandi and I stopped for some on our way into the stadium--two hot dogs, two drinks, a box of popcorn, and a sucker cost just $6.50. From there we headed into the stands, where Doug and Amy were waiting for us. Despite the Trojans' frustrating play and the fact that they lost, it was a pretty entertaining game, and we had a good time.

After the game the four of us went to BW3 in Troy for a post-game snack. I don't mind the high school crowd being there, but the enormous crowd of unsupervised little kids (keep in mind that this is a bar) was a pain in the ass. We finished our food and then went to Amy and Doug's house to hang out for a while. Brandi wanted to visit their cats (Caroline and Callie), and Doug amused us by getting Caroline to chase a laser pointer until she was too dizzy to walk straight.

Brandi and I left their place around 12:30 and headed back to Bowling Green, as Brandi had to teach a class at the BGSU Rec. Center at noon on Saturday. We got back shortly after 2:00 a.m. and went immediately to bed.

Brandi got up and went to teach her class on Saturday, and I got up and turned on college football on TV. I also straightened up some stuff around the apartment, but I tried to keep an eye on the action. Brandi got home after a couple of hours, and her friend Rachel came over at 3:00. The three of us went to the BGSU bookstore to browse for a little bit, then came back to the apartment to get ready to go to the BGSU football game that evening.

We left for the game a little before 5:00, and got there around 5:15. On the way to the stadium, Brandi was pulled aside and interviewed on-air by a Toledo radio station (I forget which one), which was pretty cool. Then she went with Rachel, who had to buy a ticket, while I went inside to claim our seats.

Bowling Green won the game easily, and it was a good time. There were over 23,000 people there, which is awesome for a game against a weak opponent. The weather was great, and I'm sure that helped a lot. Personally, I enjoyed seeing the Falcons in action in person again. Brandi threw Tootsie Rolls into the crowd with each BG score (a scattered tradition in our stadium), and we made fun of/reveled in the falcon screech played over the stadium loudspeakers with each BG first down. With a new video scoreboard, sound system, and PA announcer, there was a definite difference (in a good way, mostly) in the game experience.

After the game, the three of us walked over to the Student Union. We had planned on getting pizza there, but Rachel didn't really want to eat and instead decided to head home for the night. Brandi and I walked back to our apartment with her, and just ordered pizza for delivery while we watched the end of a couple of late football games.

On Sunday Brandi had to get up and go in to work with a couple of personal training clients, so I got up and had the ideal "guy" afternoon: I crashed on the couch in my boxers, eating leftover pizza and watching the NFL on TV. I was still there when Brandi got home. We continued to watch football and eat for a while (finishing the early afternoon games and watching well into the later one), then headed in for a nap.

We slept for quite a while, then got up and took a walk around the BGSU campus. That's something we always enjoy. We got back to the apartment and turned on the second half of the late NFL game, Kansas City at Denver, and watched that while we were in and out of the apartment doing laundry. After the game ended we watched a little bit of Shrek on DVD before calling it a night.

A few notable moments of nostalgia over the course of the weekend:

Although we weren't in Troy for very long on Friday night, it was good to be in town. I've still got a great deal of fondness for the old hometown. There are times when I think I want to live there again, but that time isn't now. Nevertheless, it's always good to be back. Although I didn't get a chance to talk to him, I think Amy and I saw an old high school classmate and friend at BW3 that night. Next year we'll have our ten-year reunion, which promises to be interesting.

Watching NFL football on Sunday took me back to a year ago at this time. Brandi had just moved to Stow, and we would spend Sundays on her living room floor, watching NFL games through static as she didn't have cable. Those were bittersweet times--we always had a good day together, but it sucked that our weekend together was winding down and I would have to leave the next morning.

As it always does, walking around the Bowling Green campus last night brought back my college days to a point where I almost felt like I was still living them (not that it was that long ago). It's always when I'm on campus that I feel the most optimistic and idealistic. I want to go back to grad school at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future, and I can't imagine doing it anywhere other than BGSU.