Writing can consume big chunks of my life, especially at deadline time. I spend the major portion of each day writing or engaged in writing-related activities that can suck up way too much of a my time. But as rewarding as that time may be, it’s the time I spend on non-writing activities that are the most fun, because that’s time spent with family and friends. And football season always encompasses both.
We’ve had college football tickets for fourteen years. On home game days we get up at 3:15 AM (yes, that’s early for this morning-hater!) We leave at 4:20 AM to get to our tailgating spot by 6:30. No matter what time the game begins–11:00, 2:30 or 7:00 PM–we get there at 6:30.
Game week involves a lot of cooking. To listen to my husband, too much cooking. But we never know if there’s going to be a dozen people at the tailgate or three dozen. So I cook for lots of company. Some of my kids attend every game, others come to at least one a season. Friends also drop in. I think one of the reasons I like game-day Saturdays so much is they give me an excuse not to work (always welcome!) and a chance to hang out with family members and friends, while cheering on my beloved Hawkeyes.
Every year delivers at least one memorable game. Last year it was beating Michigan in the last 1:31 minutes…on my birthday. And this year’s big event? Last Saturday’s game… a three-hour beatdown of (formerly) third-ranked Ohio State, to the tune of 55-24.
Games like that make the 3:15 wakeup times worth it!