Weekend update
That was an unusually busy weekend for me.
On Saturday, Dad and I attended the PSU/Temple game at the Linc, which was a lot of fun. It's only the third time I've been to the Linc, and it's a really impressive stadium. Unbeknownst to me, we had "club level" seats, which really just means "between the lower and upper decks," but the club area seems to have its own concession stands and restrooms, so we didn't have to wait in line for anything. We also extracted some humor out of being VIPs with our fancy club seats. The game itself was...pretty terrible, to be honest. Yeah, PSU won 31-0, but they really didn't play that well, at least not in the first half. Temple was able to march 75 yards with little resistance, but managed to find the most absurd ways to blow it in the red zone (and when I say absurd, bear in mind that I've been watching the Eagles play all year, so I know blown scoring opportunities).
I don't know if it's because I'm old now, and I view football differently, or because the game didn't really mean anything at this point in the season, or maybe it's just seeing it live, but I felt really sympathetic towards Temple, wincing when their trick plays fell apart (and wow, did they run a lot of trick plays), applauding their good plays, and generally trying to figure out what strategy would be best for them -- up to the point where they actually threatened. It wasn't just me, though; at one point, Dad remarked, "Hey, that was a good tackle...although I don't know why I'm rooting for Temple."
The one part of the Temple experience I really could have done without, though, was part of the PA system. Nittany Lion fans will recall the "Lion growl" that plays over the loudspeakers at Beaver Stadium whenever the Lions get first down, or make a good play, or even just don't screw up, depending on how good they are that season. (If you just fought an urge to jump to your feet and do the "claws" thing with your hands...Hi, Squid!) Temple has a similar sound effect, used in similar situations, except, of course, their mascot is an Owl. In blatant disregard for the fact that the mascot seems to be a regular barn owl, the sound effect is the most horrible ear-piercing screech, and I'm pretty sure it emanated from a special speaker right above our seats. Although Temple didn't score, they did get a lot of first downs, at least in the first half, and everyone in our section learned to duck-and-cover just as soon as the announcer called it. Dad and I figured that preventing that horrible noise would be sufficient motivation for the PSU defense, if nothing else.
It was cold, and it was drizzly -- in short, great football weather. I got to see my first live Penn State game in 13 years. And, if I may say so myself, the Lions fans were gracious and polite to the Temple folks -- even the local news remarked on it. Of course, the crowd was mostly alumni, not students, we outnumbered them by at least three to one, and we clobbered their team, so there was no reason not to be gracious, but I hope we set an example for the frat-boys who like to throw beer at Ohio State fans.
Yesterday, I attended the fall concert of the Chester County Concert Band, of which elora_c is a member, of course. Because I'm a moron, I left the tickets on the table and had to go back for them, but I had left with enough of a cushion that I would still be able to get there at starting time, and therefore get a seat...or so I thought. If you want to go to one of these shows, be warned (as some folks who will remain nameless found out yesterday): the band is getting more popular. The theater was SRO shortly after the concert started, although they did bring in some chairs from elsewhere. They're doing a free Christmas show at the Exton Square Mall on December 12, at 7:00 p.m., if you want to come out and listen.
And tonight, I'm attending the free screening of Battlestar Galactica: Razor, that laddical talked about a while back. That is, I'll be attending if I show up in time to get a seat. Factoring in my age, the fact that it's a weeknight, my affection for BSG, and my general lameness, I've arrived at the conclusion that I can show up one hour, fifteen minutes before showtime, but more than that is asking too much.
On Saturday, Dad and I attended the PSU/Temple game at the Linc, which was a lot of fun. It's only the third time I've been to the Linc, and it's a really impressive stadium. Unbeknownst to me, we had "club level" seats, which really just means "between the lower and upper decks," but the club area seems to have its own concession stands and restrooms, so we didn't have to wait in line for anything. We also extracted some humor out of being VIPs with our fancy club seats. The game itself was...pretty terrible, to be honest. Yeah, PSU won 31-0, but they really didn't play that well, at least not in the first half. Temple was able to march 75 yards with little resistance, but managed to find the most absurd ways to blow it in the red zone (and when I say absurd, bear in mind that I've been watching the Eagles play all year, so I know blown scoring opportunities).
I don't know if it's because I'm old now, and I view football differently, or because the game didn't really mean anything at this point in the season, or maybe it's just seeing it live, but I felt really sympathetic towards Temple, wincing when their trick plays fell apart (and wow, did they run a lot of trick plays), applauding their good plays, and generally trying to figure out what strategy would be best for them -- up to the point where they actually threatened. It wasn't just me, though; at one point, Dad remarked, "Hey, that was a good tackle...although I don't know why I'm rooting for Temple."
The one part of the Temple experience I really could have done without, though, was part of the PA system. Nittany Lion fans will recall the "Lion growl" that plays over the loudspeakers at Beaver Stadium whenever the Lions get first down, or make a good play, or even just don't screw up, depending on how good they are that season. (If you just fought an urge to jump to your feet and do the "claws" thing with your hands...Hi, Squid!) Temple has a similar sound effect, used in similar situations, except, of course, their mascot is an Owl. In blatant disregard for the fact that the mascot seems to be a regular barn owl, the sound effect is the most horrible ear-piercing screech, and I'm pretty sure it emanated from a special speaker right above our seats. Although Temple didn't score, they did get a lot of first downs, at least in the first half, and everyone in our section learned to duck-and-cover just as soon as the announcer called it. Dad and I figured that preventing that horrible noise would be sufficient motivation for the PSU defense, if nothing else.
It was cold, and it was drizzly -- in short, great football weather. I got to see my first live Penn State game in 13 years. And, if I may say so myself, the Lions fans were gracious and polite to the Temple folks -- even the local news remarked on it. Of course, the crowd was mostly alumni, not students, we outnumbered them by at least three to one, and we clobbered their team, so there was no reason not to be gracious, but I hope we set an example for the frat-boys who like to throw beer at Ohio State fans.
Yesterday, I attended the fall concert of the Chester County Concert Band, of which elora_c is a member, of course. Because I'm a moron, I left the tickets on the table and had to go back for them, but I had left with enough of a cushion that I would still be able to get there at starting time, and therefore get a seat...or so I thought. If you want to go to one of these shows, be warned (as some folks who will remain nameless found out yesterday): the band is getting more popular. The theater was SRO shortly after the concert started, although they did bring in some chairs from elsewhere. They're doing a free Christmas show at the Exton Square Mall on December 12, at 7:00 p.m., if you want to come out and listen.
And tonight, I'm attending the free screening of Battlestar Galactica: Razor, that laddical talked about a while back. That is, I'll be attending if I show up in time to get a seat. Factoring in my age, the fact that it's a weeknight, my affection for BSG, and my general lameness, I've arrived at the conclusion that I can show up one hour, fifteen minutes before showtime, but more than that is asking too much.