Husker weekend
Here's the highs and lows
A trip of ill omens, but still very fun would be my summary.
MORE BEHIND THE CUT - Photos and video
Friday - I'm thinking Tracy isn't going to get off work until 5pm and won't arrive home to pick me up until 6:30pm. That would suck since it will take 6 more hours to reach Lincoln. Why did I think this? Because at noon, that's what Tracy told me. So I was getting ready, but not busting butt.
It starts to snow. Not a ton, but mixed with freezing rain to make the roads slick. Good news was as soon as we hit Iowa, the roads were supposed to be clear. Good deal.
Tracy calls me at about 1pm-ish. Says he's actually in Blooming Prairie - about 1/2 hour away. EEEEP! I haul butt getting packed and getting the cooler full of ice and pop. What a sneaky man I married, but what a smart one!
Tracy gets there and while he's getting a few things ready, his mother calls. I can tell from the tone that she isn't happy. Tracy then gets to try to placate the three women in his life all at once - me, his mother, and the cat. He brushes the cat, tries to calm his mother down, and defends me from her wild rantings about how evil I am so that I don't kill both of them. (He would have done it anyway, though) You see...I'm forcing him to risk his life just so I can go to a Husker game. Whatever.
We pack up, hit the road, and sure as hell the roads are fine after we get south of Albert Lea. Tracy tries to call his mother to let her know he's fine and the roads are fine, but she's on another call and doesn't have time to talk to him. I pat him and tell him, "Well, at least your mom gave a crap about you for 10 minutes. But now she's probably talking to someone about a horse and you take back seat to that." His heart was almost warmed.
We make good time and get into Lincoln at around 9pm. Check into the Luxury Inn (it isn't!), meet up with my parents and chat, and then go to bed.
Wake up and the fun begins!!!!! But instead of the SUNNY and warm day that was forecast - it is cloudy and threatening rain. But I'm still chipper. After all, I've survived slick roads and a cranky Mother-in-law - a few clouds are nothin'.
At 8:30am we all loaded into my parents car to go to the stadium. On the way to the parking lot (space purchased in advance) we saw this sign:
Yeah - I wish. But at this point we didn't know how the game was to turn out and we were in high spirits.
We parked the car and then headed to meet HawthorneHusker and his lovely bride (she is SUPER nice). Hawthorne introduced me to the deliciousness that is Elm Creek. I had never heard of it. Orange juice, Vodka, and Gin. I hate gin - but I loved the crap out of this stuff! I need to remember to ask him how a person actually makes that stuff!
Next up - we headed to the HP tailgate. Talked to 1200 and one other HPer - I'm trying to remember his screen name...something dog? Moon something? Or maybe I'm on crack. Was going to go to Sidetrack, but there was so little time I decided against it. Time for the game!!!
We get there and the seats I had were friggin fantastic. Best seats I have ever had at the game. See how happy we are? That is AWESOME SEATS smiles on our faces!
We got some Val's Pizza and I ate my whole slice - as did Tracy. Perhaps I shouldn't have done that. More on the "outcome" of that later.
When you go to a Husker game there is this thing that they play at the start called the Tunnel Walk that gets the crowd pumped up. They used to crank the bass so that the stadium vibrated and you could feel the music before you heard it. They've toned that down. Bummer. But - it was still a great thing to see an entire stadium of 85,000 fans standing up and clapping along for over 2 minutes - and then go wild cheering when they finally saw the Team and the Coach! The video doesn't do justice to the feel of the stadium when this happens. It's part of what makes watching a game in Lincoln such and experience.
First Q was ok and we got to let go of our balloons. Another husker tradition - when the Huskers make their first touchdown - the fans release red balloons. The sky fills with them and it is pretty impressive and just plain fun. How often do adults get to happily play with balloons?
From there the game went to crap. And so did I - about 1/2 way through. I'm not sure if it was the turnovers that turned my stomach over or Vals pizza and the wheat that I'm allergic to - but I certainly "vented" in more ways than one during the game.
I'm not going to recount the game. We lost. It rained a bit. I swore. I texted. I cried. It wasn't pretty.
This is us after the game. The men folk put on a brave face, but my mother and I couldn't do it.
After the game, we needed food and a drink. So we went somewhere. I don't remember - in the Haymarket area. The Microbrew place. But here is what makes Husker fans the greatest fans on earth. Sure, we're loyal. Sure, we have had 302 consecutive home game sell outs, sure even blue haired old ladies can cite football stats and know if a player is running the wrong route - but what makes Husker fans great is how respectful we are of the other team and their fans. When they come to Lincoln, we help them out, welcome, direct them to fun places to eat and drink. We chat with them before, during, and after a game - win or lose. Now this game....we friggin LOST! Fans left the stadium ticked or heartbroken. and yet...all over...this is what you saw after the game. ISU fans and Huskers rubbing elbows, friendly as can be.
A trip of ill omens, but still very fun would be my summary.
MORE BEHIND THE CUT - Photos and video
Friday - I'm thinking Tracy isn't going to get off work until 5pm and won't arrive home to pick me up until 6:30pm. That would suck since it will take 6 more hours to reach Lincoln. Why did I think this? Because at noon, that's what Tracy told me. So I was getting ready, but not busting butt.
It starts to snow. Not a ton, but mixed with freezing rain to make the roads slick. Good news was as soon as we hit Iowa, the roads were supposed to be clear. Good deal.
Tracy calls me at about 1pm-ish. Says he's actually in Blooming Prairie - about 1/2 hour away. EEEEP! I haul butt getting packed and getting the cooler full of ice and pop. What a sneaky man I married, but what a smart one!
Tracy gets there and while he's getting a few things ready, his mother calls. I can tell from the tone that she isn't happy. Tracy then gets to try to placate the three women in his life all at once - me, his mother, and the cat. He brushes the cat, tries to calm his mother down, and defends me from her wild rantings about how evil I am so that I don't kill both of them. (He would have done it anyway, though) You see...I'm forcing him to risk his life just so I can go to a Husker game. Whatever.
We pack up, hit the road, and sure as hell the roads are fine after we get south of Albert Lea. Tracy tries to call his mother to let her know he's fine and the roads are fine, but she's on another call and doesn't have time to talk to him. I pat him and tell him, "Well, at least your mom gave a crap about you for 10 minutes. But now she's probably talking to someone about a horse and you take back seat to that." His heart was almost warmed.
We make good time and get into Lincoln at around 9pm. Check into the Luxury Inn (it isn't!), meet up with my parents and chat, and then go to bed.
Wake up and the fun begins!!!!! But instead of the SUNNY and warm day that was forecast - it is cloudy and threatening rain. But I'm still chipper. After all, I've survived slick roads and a cranky Mother-in-law - a few clouds are nothin'.
At 8:30am we all loaded into my parents car to go to the stadium. On the way to the parking lot (space purchased in advance) we saw this sign:
Yeah - I wish. But at this point we didn't know how the game was to turn out and we were in high spirits.
We parked the car and then headed to meet HawthorneHusker and his lovely bride (she is SUPER nice). Hawthorne introduced me to the deliciousness that is Elm Creek. I had never heard of it. Orange juice, Vodka, and Gin. I hate gin - but I loved the crap out of this stuff! I need to remember to ask him how a person actually makes that stuff!
Next up - we headed to the HP tailgate. Talked to 1200 and one other HPer - I'm trying to remember his screen name...something dog? Moon something? Or maybe I'm on crack. Was going to go to Sidetrack, but there was so little time I decided against it. Time for the game!!!
We get there and the seats I had were friggin fantastic. Best seats I have ever had at the game. See how happy we are? That is AWESOME SEATS smiles on our faces!
We got some Val's Pizza and I ate my whole slice - as did Tracy. Perhaps I shouldn't have done that. More on the "outcome" of that later.
When you go to a Husker game there is this thing that they play at the start called the Tunnel Walk that gets the crowd pumped up. They used to crank the bass so that the stadium vibrated and you could feel the music before you heard it. They've toned that down. Bummer. But - it was still a great thing to see an entire stadium of 85,000 fans standing up and clapping along for over 2 minutes - and then go wild cheering when they finally saw the Team and the Coach! The video doesn't do justice to the feel of the stadium when this happens. It's part of what makes watching a game in Lincoln such and experience.
Click to viewFirst Q was ok and we got to let go of our balloons. Another husker tradition - when the Huskers make their first touchdown - the fans release red balloons. The sky fills with them and it is pretty impressive and just plain fun. How often do adults get to happily play with balloons?
From there the game went to crap. And so did I - about 1/2 way through. I'm not sure if it was the turnovers that turned my stomach over or Vals pizza and the wheat that I'm allergic to - but I certainly "vented" in more ways than one during the game.
I'm not going to recount the game. We lost. It rained a bit. I swore. I texted. I cried. It wasn't pretty.
This is us after the game. The men folk put on a brave face, but my mother and I couldn't do it.
After the game, we needed food and a drink. So we went somewhere. I don't remember - in the Haymarket area. The Microbrew place. But here is what makes Husker fans the greatest fans on earth. Sure, we're loyal. Sure, we have had 302 consecutive home game sell outs, sure even blue haired old ladies can cite football stats and know if a player is running the wrong route - but what makes Husker fans great is how respectful we are of the other team and their fans. When they come to Lincoln, we help them out, welcome, direct them to fun places to eat and drink. We chat with them before, during, and after a game - win or lose. Now this game....we friggin LOST! Fans left the stadium ticked or heartbroken. and yet...all over...this is what you saw after the game. ISU fans and Huskers rubbing elbows, friendly as can be.