College Football

Yesterday, when talking with my sister friend, we spoke about how she was going to a football game that was close to me. It is still about an hour, but it is definitely nearer than it is to where she lives.

I then offered to go along with her. She said it is going to be cold, and you probably aren't prepared for that. I told her that I was a hockey mom and I have everything needed for the cold. My son still plays hockey at 47 years old.

This morning, I attended a water ceremony and got home in time to ride with her to the game. On the way, after catching up a bit on recent life, I taped her, telling an abbreviated life story.

She and I sat in the stadium seats, away from most of the people, as our team was from out of the area. Our team came a few hours for this game today. Sunday football. Nothing new to me. Hubby was watching it when I got home after sis and I had dinner.

I asked if he would be interested in attending the game today. My sister asked and I didn't think to ask or invite him to join us. He said no, he only watches the pros. "No college games for me." I suggested it would be different if he knew all the players. What is the difference I asked.

He said, "I do know all the players, and even if I don't, we won't be working on dishonesty and truth until tomorrow." And we both laughed. He pulls a chip every day to work on, and that was the chip he pulled for tomorrow.

My visit with my sis was going to be more than the game. I was going to record her talking about her yesterdays and todays. She was one of my younger elder interviews for my book. Just 66 years old and thinking about retirement next October.

At the game, it appeared we were the only fans for her college. Her and I with the other teams' fans all around us. Well, the coach's wife was in the stands too, and halfway into the game, we heard another voice cheering for our team, sitting at the other end of the stadium seating.

One of my boys played football in the early grades and decided against it for hockey, baseball, running, and tennis. I went to one grandson's football games in high school, and I was hoping he wouldn't play football as I watched him sacrifice himself one time too many for the team.

I am a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, and that is all the football I follow. I have been following them since I was a kid, as they had summer camp where I was living a long time ago.

Other than those experiences, football was not something I followed. My sister, however, is the Director for Athletics at the college where she works. So it is her job to follow what is going on. She has gotten to know many of the players and thinks highly of them.

So, there we sat on a Sunday afternoon on a brisk day. It was 38 degrees when I left for the water ceremony, and it got into the 50s at the game with the sun coming out in the last quarter.

The game did help to keep us warm, yelling, and keeping us on the edge of our seats the entire way through. I told her a person could have a heart attack watching a game like that too often. They were both playing their last game if they didn't win. The winning team would be moving on to the last game of the season in Rochester, MN.

Her team won. And I was claiming them too at the end of the game. It was anyone's game until the end. Good game!

Before she headed back home, we had dinner at a place just down the road from me. Homemade wild rice soup and broasted chicken. The soup was $10 for a cup. My sister complained, and he took $5.00 of the $20.00 for the soup. It was a good soup!

As I was paying, it was alright with me, but that is my sister for you. How often do we get together I asked her. She said the next time she is buying dinner. We are planning a BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) trip for next June. I will be looking forward to that trip!