Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Big Heads and Tailgates



Our recent trip to Atlanta was planned around a football game and tailgating for Georgia Southern where our friends' son plays. We've been meaning to get to a game to see #77 play and since he graduates in December, we got there just under the wire. It was Senior Recognition day, so not only did we get to see Chip and Debbie, Taylor and Blake...but also their extended family and friends.  It was a nice reunion of sorts and a peek into their world of weekly football games and tailgating. 



I have probably watched more football this fall than I have in my lifetime. And by watch football, you know I mean try to watch the "football" and not get distracted by the people. The Aggies have a winning team this year so that's grabbed all of our attention. The Houston Texans are also doing great...so I may have screamed "go, GO, GOOOO!" from my living room a time or two...while watching the game with Chuck. But this game at Statesboro, Georgia, on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, surrounded by our good friends, the traditions of the pre-game, the game and the tailgating afterwards was the real deal. I can see why people get caught up in the whole thing. Down to wearing the colors of the team. And maybe even a fake tattoo on their cheek.


 
 
 
The football team arrives at the stadium from the other side of campus on old yellow school buses. The story goes that when football was first started at the college, there was no money for buses. So they went to the county and an old school bus was donated. The coach used black spray paint to block out the name on the bus, since it didn't say Georgia Southern, and to this day...even with money to support nicer buses...the boys still arrive across campus in the old yellow school buses. They are escorted across campuses by police cars running their sirens.
 
 

When  you hear the sirens, you drop everything and run to greet the players.





 

This might have been my favorite part of the day...getting caught up in the frenzy of rushing to meet the buses and seeing all the fans wave the boys on.  There's Chuck doing what he does...videoing the moment.



Debbie's sister Linda had a big head made of Blake to hold up in the stands. This Big Head was the hit of the game. Such a hit that it made the front page of the paper the next morning.



Linda holding the Big Head. 

But way before that, it got a lot more action.



The cousins even wore fake beards...which at some point in the day ended up on the Big Head.


 
Pre-game activities including ......
 

a photo op with The Eagle...
 


Blake's grandfather and uncle watching the players warming up....


And more videoing...and strange man thinking even stranger woman was taking his picture.

 
...streeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnng....



#77's family lining up to go out on the field for Senior Recognition Day....


 
Senior Football Player #77 being called across the field..through a line of cheerleaders.

This makes me laugh because those 2 girls have clearly lost their attention to the reason they are out there.  Except for the bodies, that could be me.  Okay, the bodies and the youth and the tans and the long, blonde hair.  But the attention?  So me.


 And #77 handing a rose and his plaque to his mama.  Debbie's in the gold skirt and boots. 
 
 
And then the game...and the people.
 
 
Maggie

 










George


Chip



Lawson
 
 
Julie and Payton

 
Gracie and Timmy
 
 
Beautiful





  
  
 
Halftime...and the students on the hill..
 


 
 
...then the sun went down and the game was over...
 
 

Some headed to the showers, others to the Tailgate Party.

 
 
 
Five huge tents and a trailer.  A professional, master minded set-up.
Chip must have been involved.
 
 
 
On the menu: fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, hot rolls and banana pudding. 
 
 
With a generator, a satellite dish and a television, Cameron and Chuck were able to watch the A&M/Alabama game.  A nail biter.
A&M pulled it off! 
Our Bama Fans/Friends are still our friends I hope! 
 
 
 
 
 
The football players' parents.  Tailgaters.  Friends.
 
We spent the night in Statesoro and even went to a college bar for awhile. 
Let's just say we stuck out amidst the 18 to 22 year olds and the music and dance moves have changed since we were that age.
 
On Sunday, we headed back to Atlanta and were dropped off at the airport for our flight home.
It never gets any easier to say goodbye to Chip and Debbie. 
 
Never.
 
 
 
I loved this trip.
I love them.
 
 
 
The Big Head was a huge hit.  And at the end of the Tailgate Party, after everything was packed up and it was time to go, Gracie and Maggie took it out one more time and provided the entertainment for some very tired people.  Check it out.  Volume on.
 
 

Friday, November 16, 2012

My Idea of a Best Day Ever...

After a wild morning of forgetfulness trying to get to Atlanta, I finally arrived only 4 hours later.  Debbie, being the hostess that she is, slowed down her schedule to cater to me.  We started our days with a lingering cup of coffee in our pj's....filled the days with shopping and eating...and ended them with a glass of wine.  My idea of a best day ever.  Only it was 3 days in a row. 
 

It's a challenge to stay in the moment...just be...
much less remember to capture some of it with a camera.
So alot of these pictures were taken from the cell phone or a moving car.
 
My friend lives in an urban townhouse down the street
 from a historical area of Roswell...Big City meets Mayberry.

 
 Walking to the shops and restaurants, this is a tucked away sitting area in the townhouse development.  On Friday nights, homeowners can walk down with their cocktail and their dogs for an evening of socializing....they call it Park Tails. 
Move me there.
 
 

Would you look at those trees?
If you live near me, you will understand how awesome that is to see.
Fall colors....ahhh.
 
 



 On the right are some townhomes...
straight ahead the cute street of shops and restaurants. 



Perfect weather...outside dining.


Chip took us for a ride in his 1930 LaSalle that once belonged to his aunt. 
No power steering, no windows, but plenty of leg room. 


 
Why they call the "trunk" the "trunk."


 
The trees...


 
the trees...

 
 the trees.
 

I got to go to Ballard's Backroom!  If only I had had a truck,
I could have brought home some treasures.  While I didn't buy anything,
I did have fun seeing all the things in person. 
 If you haven't heard of Ballard Designs...now you have.


And we went in and out of lots of cute stores like this one. 

 
Bad cell phone picture...but cute idea on the front porch of this store.




Yeah way down yonder on the chattahoochee
It gets hotter than a hoochie coochie
We layed rubber on the georgia asphalt
We got a litte crazy but we never got caught


We crossed The Chattahoochie River several times while out and about. 
 
 
 
 
The '88 models. 
 
 Cameron (my second child) and Taylor (Debbie's first born)
 were born 10 days apart in February, 1988. 
They met when they were 4 and were in Kindergarten and First Grade together. 
While they've grown up and are now adults...they are still the same to us. 
 


This is Blake and Taylor when we met them back in 92. 
 We love these kids and honestly, they are frozen in my mind like this. 



A gentle giant...Blake. 
These boys are all grown up in to two great men.
 
Next up...it's all about the football!
 
Until then....thankful for this trip, this family, the lasting friendship.