rah rah rah rah rah..... GOO-O-O-O-O Cougars!

Mark has season tickets to the BYU football games.  He's been going for several years with his brother.  It's nice for them to get together and enjoy their passion for football together.  I feel very, VERY blessed that Mark has what I see as a moderate appetite for sports.  He enjoys having BYU season tickets and watching the away games on TV if he can.  He also enjoys watching a Jazz game or two during basketball season and really gets into the playoffs but that's about all.  I can totally handle that. 

My Mom and Dad have recently retired, served a spanish-speaking mission in Texas/New mexico and relocated to Southern Utah.  I know! They HAVE been busy.  Now that they are closer, they are also indulging in their passion for BYU football.  For the last 2 seasons, they bought 4 season tickets so they can go and take family and friends.  I and any of my interested siblings can pick a game to go to with them.  They even take Carly and Rachel.  We tried Jacob out last year and he was great during the 1st half but then he was done and wasn't much fun the 2nd half.  We have decided to let him mature a little more before he goes again.  

This year I opted to go to the same game as my sister Maury which was YESTERDAY.  BYU Vs. New Mexico.  Maury is the only one in our family who graduated from BYU although my dad attended for a year and one brother and one sister both spent a couple semesters there.  I went to BYU-Idaho before it was thus called and BYU-Hawaii but I don't think that makes me a cougar however I can to the hula....

We all rode together; Mom, Dad, Mark, Maury & I.  We talked Mom & Dad into stopping for a little yummy greek food on the way. They looked a little skeptical about trying it but Maury and I wanted it BAD!  We tried to be open.  "So where do you want to go? the Greek place is really good.  but whatever...  so do you want to go to the greek place or um.. maybe somewhere else? so what are you in the mood for? That Greek chicken we mentioned? okay.  great. but, only if you want to."

 

May I reccomend to any of my local readers "The Ultimate Broiler & Grill" on state st. just South of 400 North.  It says "Greek Food" on the sign and the window and it is wonderful.  I only get the Chicken Souvlaki (chicken kabobs) with rice and salad.  Mark likes their seasoned potatoes but I like their bright yellow lemony rice with my chicken.  It is seriously the best chicken ever.  It's always tender and seasoned just right.  YUM! If you get the double chicken souvlaki (2 kabobs) then you have enough for lunch the next day.  Just a suggestion.....

I knew I'd have fun going with Maury and I was not disappointed!  She knows the fight song by heart and she LOVES football.  I didn't' think she'd mind helping me out a little when I didn't understand a ref call or a play.  She was awesome.  I always felt a half second behind in being aware of what was happening as I processed what I saw on the field, often checking the scoreboard for the number of yards gained or to watch the replay.  Maury totally had a handle on it, yelling to the refs on a bad call or exclaiming after a play "That's what I'm talking about!" or "what are you doing?!?"  It was fun to sit with her.  It was Homecoming and a sell out game but we were lucky the people right next to us and right in front of us were no-shows so we had a little extra wiggle and leg room.  ahhh!  The weather was great.  Chilly, sweatshirt and extra blanket weather but none of the rain or snow predicted. yea!!!!! Nothing worse than being cold AND wet! 

Even though Mark didn't sit with us I got to hang out with him before (we like to get there early) and see what he likes to do at the games.  We went to the "cougar den" to buy him a new visor and the snack bar where he bought me some hot chocolate and introduced me to the cougar tail!  (like our matching sweatshirts?  it pays to buy sweatshirts when it's 90 degrees outside.  He picked them up at Walgreens, 2 for $15 back in August and saw the same ones this week priced at $25 each.)

A couple of times as we were milling around the stadium before the game started my parents would start off in one direction and he another and my instinct was to follow Mom and Dad because I was sitting with them and he would say "stay with me. I'll show you where the seats are".  It made me feel good that he wanted to be with me, that he seemed excited to have me there.    He was so thoughtful.  In the cougar den he saw me looking at some hats... "Do you want a BYU hat?  At the snack bar "what do you want? do you want anything else?"  I hope I say this right.... because I don't want to imply that he is not often thoughtful and caring because he is.  But for me it felt a bit like when a cute boy takes you to the carnival and wants to buy you a corndog and win you a stuffed animal and go on rides with you....  and you feel a little "twitter-pated" because he's so "sweet" & wants to do all these nice things for you.  Maybe it was the new environment, the excitement of the event, but after 16 years it's a little surprising to get"twitter-pated".  Nice! but surprising!

Of course BYU won and It didn't take nearly as long to get out of the parking lot as we expected it to, we got home and the kids were all safe and in one piece.  whew! Don't you just love Happy Endings?!

As the kids get older I look forward to the time when Mark can buy 2 season tickets and I can go to more games every fall with him.  I'm not ready to be away from the kids that much yet on Saturdays yet but someday...