It's very hard for me to get excited about football, even regarding my alma mater, University of Georgia. I hope the Dawgs win, of course, but I don't get excited about it. My parents both went there, I went there, several of my aunts and uncles matriculated there, and one of my cousins sons is there now.
However, I have always loved marching bands. I want to skip watching the football and go straight to the marching band. Football fans think I am insane.
My friend John posted a video clip on his Facebook wall of the University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland marching band. I watched it and got Fired Up. Not for UT, no. I got my master's degree there, but it's not the Family School like UGA. (I got only my masters degree there because I was living in Knoxvegas and it was cheaper than leaving town.)
I got Fired Up to see the Dawg band, The Redcoat Marching Band.
So I went on YouTube, the greatest time-waster ever invented, and just spent some serious time wacthing the UGA band. I watched several clips, but I have to say, this one right below is my favorite. It hints at the frenzied excitement that is a UGA football game day. I don't care where in the US you live, if you've never been to a football game at UGA, or even UT, or Alabama, or any other southern university football game, you cannot fathom that excitement. I lived in a dorm beside the football stadium my sophomore year at UGA, and the motor homes with die-hard alumni would park outside the dorm sometimes two days before game day and start tailgating, and blast Georgia fight songs the entire time until the game started.
Here in the south, "tailgate" is a serious endeavor. It ain't just a piece of the car, y'all.
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Hmmm... I am not sure that embedded. Let's try a link. Enjoy.
We had a pretty pedestrian day, except for the fact that I jerked awake at 6:45 this morning, freaked out by the fact that it was light outside. Alesia had been up for more than an hour. She gets up at 5:30 and leaves the house at 7:30. Lord, think how early she would have to get up if she were UGLY?! Yikes..
Alesia announced at dinner tonight that DN [I won't spell out his name here, for privacy reasons], the boy who danced with her at Homecoming and invited her over last Saturday, asked her to be his girlfriend, and she said yes. She said it casually but her eyes were twinkling and her voice was unnaturally high. She said he asked her out for this weekend, although plans are not firmed up yet. Mother and I instantly peppered her with questions, which she fielded with ease. We know where he lives, but we are unsure of siblings. Mother wanted his father's first name. Finally, we got a grip. "Mother' leave her be," I said.
"If he gets out of line, slap him, OK?" I told her. She giggled. "Of course!"
Uncle Bruce has taught her the fine points of self-defense, and I am not concerned. I also have stockpiled cans of whoopass in my room.
I am proud of Alesia, and pleased for her. He seems like a nice kid, and she is not getting hysterical. I think she will play it cool, and I want her to have her first boyfriend while still young enough for me to advise her.
When DN came to pick up Alesia the other night he was exquisitely nice to Coco, who didn't bristle and bare her fangs at him. That's a good sign. He didn't say a word about my purple hair, another good sign. When we see him next, as long as he has reasonably decent manners and is nice to Michael, he will be in my good graces.
I signed Alesia up to take the SAT in December, and she will take 3 PTSA provided prep classes, the next three Saturday mornings. I have to discuss this with her, but tonight was not the night. It's unfortunate that high school juniors have to start making declarations about what they want to do in life. How many 17 or 18 year olds have a clue about that?!
I am just going to advise her that before she can plan the wedding, she will have to go to college.
Go Dawgs!
