As happy Thanksgivings go, 2010 rockets to the top of the rankings. The family enthusiastically indulged my lifelong desire to attend a Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving Day. In keeping with the “thanks” theme, we are immensely grateful to a generous friend who invited us into a suite at Cowboys Stadium, where we enjoyed the game in high style.
The conversation was spirited, the food and drink were abundant, and the game itself was magnificent.
The Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints and the disappointing Dallas Cowboys kept the outcome in doubt until the final seconds. The Saints won by three points when a 59-yard potential game- tying Cowboys field goal attempt sailed just outside the left upright.
My daughter was fully engaged and seemed to be rooting equally for both teams..
She cheered when something good happened for either side, and I believe she was sincere. It’s nice to think she was happy in part because she knew I was happy.
My son, I think, surprised himself with how much fun he had. He was delighted to discover he had friends who were coincidentally at the game So, he walked around the stadium, took in the sights and talked with his friends.
He also identified his favorite Dallas player, running back Marion Barber. it's not barber's hard-nosed, straight ahead style of play he admires. It's his hair.
Moments after he returned from one of his stadium tours, a couple of noteworthy visitors showed up in the suite. How can a guy pass up that photo op?
This also presented an opportunity for brother and sister to spend an entire day together. They’re both out of the house now, so I can’t tell you the last time that happened. Just listening to them have adult conversation with one another was a joy in itself.
Everyone had a different highlight. My wife, dressed diplomatically in Saints gear, perked up when she realized that Keith Urban would be performing at halftime. We have seen him in concert and were impressed with his performance. So, she wrangled her way into a front row seat for the show. She was not disappointed.
Holiday memories are made, no doubt; but I suspect we’ve forgotten more Thanksgiving details than we can recall. There’s no chance we will forget this one. The drive was pleasant, the company was outstanding and the accommodations were world class. The bonus is that the game itself was great, too.
With the Cowboys out of playoff contention, it was relatively easy to see the bright side of a Saints’ victory. I have a warm spot for the saints and always have, but I was raised to be a Cowboys fan. Even though they’re having a terrible season, a real fan has to show support. This may mean surrendering your dignity at times.
It was so much fun. So, Thanks to everybody who was a part of it.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Silver Stars and Fleurs de Lis on Thanksgiving
Monday, September 06, 2010
No Rest For The Froggy
Our daughter, a freshman at TCU, seems to be settling into college quite nicely. While several of her contemporaries used the long holiday weekend as a reason to come home for a few days, our little Frog apparently never considered it. Why would she? Her school’s nationally-ranked football team was playing in Cowboys Stadium against Oregon State.
She made the short trip from Ft. Worth to Arlington in a large group. They were set up to have a great time no matter what happened.
I’m sure that since her team won a thrilling game, things were about as exciting as she could have hoped. It’s a great way to kick start her college career, no question about it.
She has decided that sorority life is not for her and she has dropped her bid. From a distance, I can’t be sure what went wrong there, but her mother and I trust her judgment. Everything we’ve heard and seen indicates she’s making friends quite easily.
She’s been active socially. Don’t ask me about academics. I guess it would be bad form to post grades on a social networking site. Since that’s pretty much how we keep up with her, I guess we will have to wait until Family Weekend until we get an idea about grades. That's okay. It's just a couple of weeks away.
But, hey? Who’s worried about school when there’s so much fun to be had.
