August: the month of sports

Earlier this month, we went to see the Comets play at the Toyota Center. That was a first for me. The game was pretty good, they have hot cheerleaders, and the tims went by rather quickly because I was knitting. I think for basketball, it goes by quickly anyway.

We had an opportunity to see the Texans play the following day, but it was a preseason game and eb suggested we pass, so I still haven't been to a Texans game, but that isn't something you will see me crying over.

The day after that was the Astro's Stitch & Pitch game. I have been to a few Astro's game and I can actually follow baseball, so the knitting was a bonus, and we sat with the knitters. William went, and we had a ticket for Thomas as well, but he had forgotten and got tickets to go with his girlfriend, so I offered our extra ticket to Berrylicious(that's good friend Irene). We went and had a good time at the game. It was the celebration of Biggio's 3,000th hit, and there was a sell-out crowd. Craig Biggio has played his entire 20 year carreer with the Astro's, and he is the first Astro to join the 3,000 club, the 27th in baseball history, and at the time, was at 3,029, which ranked him number 20. That I know that much about baseball is too taxing on my brain on this lovely Sunday morning.

Yesterday, I went with my good friend Edna to see her son's first game at Blinn College. It was a football game, of course, the first I have ever been to. I know almost nothing about the game and couldn't follow for shit. Thankfully, Alexander is in the band, not on the field. I think his mother would have been having a heart attack if he were actually playing. I learned early enoughon that when the man in front of me got up, totally decked out in his Blinn Bucanner's paraphenalia, and raised his right hand with his pointer finger bent and shaped like a hook shouting "AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...", well, that was a good thing and we could cheer. He was definitely the unofficial (or maybe official) section leader.

Blinn College is about an hour from Houston. When we got there, we could park relatively close and did not have terribly far to walk. Then we hit the bleachers. It was 3 in the afternoon. Clear sunny sky. weather.com tells me the high was "96, feels like 106"....and yes I can vouch for the feels like 106 degrees part. We left Houston and it had been pouring, so I was half expecting to get to Brenham and have the game cancelled. I didn't have a single thought about being out in the hot sun in August. at 3pm. hey, sunscreen might be a good idea. Nope, none of those thoughts.

The bleacher seats were metal, my hoo hoo thought it was getting a spa treatment. Naturally, we got there about halfway through the first quarter and the bleachers were pretty packed. there were a few seats by the band, goodie, and near enough that Edna could talk to her son, oh, only about 27 rows up, and please, uunderstand this is a serious concern for uncoordinated bad ankle and currently bad knee me, no hand railing on the stairs!! We got up there easy enough, but seriously, I had no idea how I was going to get down. I considered oonching down on my but one stair at a time the best alternative.

Did I convey to you exactly how fucking hot it was? I sent a text message to eb who was on the road back from taking T to Syracuse. I think it said, "Omigod it's fucking hot here". It didn't occur to me that I had not told her what I was doing. She called me back and as I answered the phone, there was a big Argh going on (the section was in full swing by this point), and then we got cut off. EB called back a while later in the middle of the halftime show and I asked her if she could hear the band. Then I told her where I was and no that was not static on the line before.

The band had a break for most of the third quarter, so Alexander could sit and talk with us.

A: Hey, guys, thanks for coming.
E: Of course baby, I told you I will come when I can for the home games. You want some chips? (we had nachos}
A: Sure, I know better than to ever turn down real food now.
E: What did you have to eat earlier?
A: (holding up the basket) Nachos.
E: Omigod, Alexander, you need to eat, let me go get you something.

So Alexander and I watched the game while Edna hoofed it down the stairs for the second time to get her boy some food. She was back about ten minutes later with a hot dog with chili and cheese and a gatorade. He ate. He was content.

E: So baby, I think it is too hot for me and Maxine and we will go now if that is okay.
A: Aw mom, I hoped we would go get dinner and hang out a little.
E: But it is so hot.
A: Well, okay. I understand. But I just miss you.
E: Okay, we'll stay.

We sat about 10 more minutes and then Edna told Alexander we would go to Starbucks and he could call when he was done. Frankly, I was surprised that Brenham has a Starbucks. Can you say small college town? So we went to Starbucks for about an hour and then when Alexander was fone, we got him and went to Applebee's for dinner. Salty, but good.

A: Where do you want to go eat?
M: We're just visiting, you should already know where all the good places are.
A: (Not really sure if I was kidding or if he could be a smartass as we just really met) But I have only been here a week!

We left my house around 2 and I was home again at 9. It was all in all a nice diversion for a Saturday afternoon. Connor had the opportunity to join us, but at 2 he was still sleeping and elected to stay in bed. William had to work, so it was a nice getaway for me.

Other things I appreciated while at Blinn: the game was at Spencer Stadium. Pretty basic as small colleges go I imagine. If I had a child there, I would have to head up the hand railing on the bleacher stairs fund raising committee. Everytrime I looked down at the field, I was expecting to see a goalie. NOw I know that football has no goalie, but it is my experience with school sports to see hockey or soccer, so it was a goalie I expected to see. Other than knowing there is no goalie and there are four quarters, I might need a football for dummies primer.

The cheerleaders were in front of our section the entire game, and most of you rterading this and knowing me realize this might be a draw. Well, not so much. Certainly they were all cutr. but very much children. During half time, the pom pom girls did a routine. Of the chearleader types, the pom pom girls were definitely the a line while the regular cheerleaders the b line. Is this the norm?

Let us not forget the featured twirler. She was really pretty awesome. Constantly twirling a baton the entire game and during the half time show she was juggling three twirling batons. The girl has some talent. Really.

I was totally surprised this morning to look in the mirror and see no sunburn. Not even pink. As I was in the shower, there was a light knock on the door. EB is home!! I was up early because I was taking Will driving in to the bagel store. He was going to get up on the big bad freeway. I think eb in the card made him a little nervous. We turned the corner and were on the feeder road and he was a wee bit close to the right curb. I need a new rim, but Will learned how to change the tire. We are all okay, and maybe the freeway will be on the agenda next Sunday. After changing the tire in the mall parking lot, we opted to go to Panera Bread instead since we were right there. Will is a little freaked out by it all, but we parent folked remained rather calm and unfazed. I think he was expecting someone to go off and when neither of us did, he was a bit in shock. He can shake it off at work and we will be back on the horse soon enough.

Also, eb brought me a box from the beautiful people. There is an an appreciation award citing me as a proud sponsor of the V Word bracket tourney. It is an awesome original watercolor from Weese's MAW(tm). Thanks so much!! I will post a pic as soon as the camera is revitalized form eb's journey.

This post has gotten way too long to edit, so typos be damned. Nap time.