Wreck 'em, Tech (and get me some cocoa!)

Last weekend was Texas Tech's homecoming game. This year, I twisted Amy's arm and convinced her to come with her family and to stay in Lubbock overnight on Saturday. We were planning on meeting our friends Chris and Karen and their girls and just enjoying a great weekend in Lubbock with friends and family. Little did we know that a "mock-Arctic front" or some such meteorological term would definitely put a damper on all our plans.

When we left ABQ on Friday afternoon, it was nearly 70, sunny, and beautiful. When we arrived in Amarillo, it was 45, cloudy, and drizzly with little chance of it getting better. There was discussion as to whether or not the front would dip down to Lubbock so we were cautiously optimistic that we might be able to go through with our (limited) plans on Saturday.

Mother Nature had other plans. The weather definitely put a damper on our plans but I don't think our spirits--while we did go to Spanky's, the hamburger place across from campus, for fried cheese and burgers, we didn't walk around campus at all on Saturday. The hotel's swimming pool was indoors but the atrium area wasn't heated so swimming was off as well. We went to Raider Alley around 4:30 for dinner but it was cold to be standing around outside. Plus the band that was there was playing slow, mellow, moody music--not exactly what we'd like to hear to get pumped up before a game. We were bundled up but it just wasn't as much fun as it could have been.
Looking tough although she later decided that she didn't like these--they made her shy when the cheerleader was talking to her. Amy found the Double-T tattoo stickers and the kids switched out the eye black for the tattoos.
There's pretty much anything you can think to eat at Raider Alley including meat on a wee-little stick.

We headed into the stadium about 20 minutes before the game and went in search of hot cocoa. There was no hot chocolate to be had in the stadium. There was coffee and cold drinks. Plus, while we were searching for something warm-not-coffee, we missed the band coming onto the field which is easily the highlight of the game, especially this one.
Amy and Benjamin bundled up before the game got started.
Abigail watches the action on the field.

Apparently, K-State forgot that they were supposed to show up for a football game and by halftime, the score was 38-0 and the fans were beginning to leave in droves. We hearty souls made it until after the halftime performance. The band's show was a bit of a let-down as well. Who knew that Boston had more than one song? I didn't until the band decided to play four of them.
Yep, that says Texas Tech 38, K-State 0. The final score ended up being 66-14.
We'll say this was during "More Than a Feeling" which is the only Boston song I know.
Bundled up but ready to go. We were glad we had a blanket in the car to bring with us into the stadium. Thankfully, the wind wasn't blowing too much--it was just the rest of the weather that wasn't much fun.

By this point, the children were restless, we were restless, and the game was pretty much in hand. We left in search of something warm to drink at the Starbucks across the street from the stadium. As waited at the streetlight, a carload of college boys were yelling "Raider!" to which all the pedestrians were replying "Power!" I'd "taught" this to Abigail earlier as we were walking to the stadium. She thought it was a silly cheer until everyone at the crosswalk was participating--then it was more fun to do.
Goofing at Starbucks--Paul opted not to get something warm but continue to eat the kettle corn we'd gotten at the game.
Little arms make it hard to do rabbit ears, even when your mama ducks down some.
No one to help out didn't deter Abs from getting in the rabbit-ear action. She'll just do it herself.

From Starbucks, we headed back to the hotel to watch the rest of the game on the television while flipping around between some other, more competitive, games as well.

Sunday morning, it was still cold and drizzly and the indoor swimming pool was still closed. However, the hotel's breakfast did feature make-your-own Texas waffles. So we all had waffles shaped like Texas for breakfast, including the non-Texan who just thought it was fun to make his own waffle. More hanging around the hotel since it was too chilly to do much else and then we headed down to Gardski's for lunch because Paul had commented earlier about their onion straws and David likes it as well.
Quite the look from the four-year-old.
Picture by Abigail. She's getting much better than some of the past pictures I have. She even asked us to move the glasses so they wouldn't be in her shot.
Yep, David was there too. He's just hard to catch in a picture.

We left from there to head home, driving through some light fog and drizzle until about Santa Rosa. By the time we got home, it was about 70 and sunny again. The weekend wasn't quite what we'd hoped for and not exactly the experience we'd hoped Abigail and Benjamin would have for their first Texas Tech football game. Hopefully there will be many more games and much better weather for future football weekends. And if the children ever whine, we'll all tell them about this one game in 1992 when it was so cold and rainy and windy and that they just need to toughen up a bit.

Long Live the Matadors

I finally had a chance to upload all the pictures we took last week. This first round is from our visit to Amarillo and Tech Homecoming. I could get sentimental about how this year marks 10 years removed from my college graduation. How I never expected this to be the life I had but how I wouldn't trade it for the world. How I'm so lucky to be with the same man I was with 10 years ago and to be even more in love with him today. How I loved my time in college but I wouldn't go back to being the terribly insecure 22-year-old of 10 years ago. How I'm so blessed and fortunate and grateful for all that I've experienced in the past 10 years.

Or I can just post this picture:

I think that pretty much sums it all up. Holy cow, I love that man.

Before we left for Lubbock, we spent a few hours with Amy and her family. Abigail, who I think is rather fond of her Uncle Paul, and Paul, who won't admit how fond he is of Abigail, spent most of that time playing and taking pictures. The above picture is courtesy of Abigail--she and Paul were making funny/scary faces at each other. Paul got to make lots of funny/scary faces last week as it seems all the littler visitors got a tremendous kick out of doing this with him.

I got one picture in before the camera was commandeered by the other two. We took Benjamin's birthday present with us. He pulled out some tissue paper and then was totally disinterested. But I can't blame him too much--we are the clothes-and-books aunt and uncle.
Abigail with her My Little Pony balloon. I'm sure there will be plenty of these when she turns 5 in February because she is having a My Little Pony Party. We know this because she's been planning it since shortly after she turned 4.
Abigail thought we needed a picture of me, Benjamin, and the Elmo balloon from his birthday party.
Abigail's mama as photographed by Abigail.
E-L-M-O. It sings. It dances. It's more than a little frightening to me. Paul wanted to take it apart to see the electronics inside it. (Photo by Abs)
Benjamin showing us "teeth." Careful or he will put your eye out in the exuberance to show you "eye."
Uncle Paul shows us "teeth." (Yes, Abigail took this picture too. I'm bad about framing but not quite this bad.)
Abigail's funny/scary face for Uncle Paul.
This is Abigail getting arty with her photography--this is taken inside the cardboard box Abs and Benjamin use as a garage for their Cars cars.
Just exhausted from the whole of it--it was past nap time for both of them.
And then we were off to Lubbock for the football game. Snapping a few pictures on the way from our "usual" (by the Tech Theater across from Wall Hall, dorm sweet dorm for Amy in 94-95). This is the Texas Tech Main Library. We know--it looks like a large radiator.
The fountains at Memorial Circle. These weren't there 10 years ago but I like this improvement.
The ubiquitous Double T, this one at Jones AT&T Stadium (or just Jones Stadium as it was known back in the day--the day before corporate sponsorship on everything, that is).
The South Plains of Texas. Yes, it really is that flat. We were just glad the skies weren't the lovely shade of brown it turns when it gets windy in Lubbock.
See the "C" up there in Tech? Our seats were one row below that--52 rows up (after the flight of stairs to get to the second level). We definitely had the bird's-eye view of the football game.
Double T on Midnight Matador.
And, of course, The Going Band from Raiderland at halftime.

So there it is--Homecoming 2007. 10 years after my college graduation. Tech won, which they probably didn't do 10 years ago. And we got to sit on the "grown-up" side of the stadium rather than claiming our six inches in the student section. That, and all this. Life is definitely good for this alum.

Tomorrow: Balloons!