The football season is so close we’re down to deciding what’s on the tailgate menu.
We always leave the house three hours before kickoff. There’s always a brief traffic delay on Crittenden Drive because Louisville Police, for some reason, don’t start directing traffic until two-and-a-half hours remaining. That behind us, we lower the car windows to absorb the sights and sounds as we approach the Green Lot .
The opening game menu isn’t that difficult, almost always consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, pork and beans, walnut brownies, soft drinks and whatever else has caught Barbara’s attention at Fresh Market. The food isn’t important, it’s the atmosphere, being surrounded by University of Louisville football fans as we weave our way through the tailgaters to our assigned parking space.
The Joey Strader’s park to our right. Lisa runs Annie’s Attic in Middletown. We’ve watched their daughters Hannah and Rachel grow up since the stadium opened in 1997. Hannah, in fact, was born on the same day as a UofL-UK football game, Joe and Lisa quickly driving back from Commonwealth Stadium to Louisville so she wouldn’t be born in Lexington. Strader’s a big fan of the KISS rock band. When he’s not talking UofL football, he’s raving about the band. We’re careful to keep the subject on football and the kids.
John and James Fenlon, sons of retired Courier-Journal columnist Dick Fenlon, tailgate to our left. The last time we saw them, they were stuck in a line of traffic leaving Papa John’s. They wanted to turn left, we were going right so we had to cut in front of them. Fortunately, they were laughing as I looked into the rear view mirror. Sorry about that guys.
We’ll catch up on old times, discuss the optimistic outlook for this season and our mutual dislike for the University of Kentucky, and then head off for Card March. The long wait for the opening kickoff is almost over.
See you Sunday, Mr. Springer.
Funny how the tailgaters on both sides call the observer Mr. Springer. 🙂 Looking forward to seeing you guys again.
The wait is almost over. No matter if it’s rain or shine on Sunday,nothing can take away from our excitement. Can’t wait to see everyone. And,of course,watching our Louisville Cardinals Football team!
Remember what it was like to await that magical moment of going downstairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa had left? Oooh, the anticipation! Well, now you can imagine what it is like at our house this week. The Observer is kinda jittery, tingly, speaks with clipped phrases. Ask what he wants for a tailgate menu and you get, “Don’t change what works.” So much for creativity. Ask any kind of question about the game, players, stadium, etc., you get a look like, well, not to be mentioned on a family site. Put on a clothing item with blue in it, and you are voted off the island immediately. And let’s not even get into what it is like sitting next to him during the actual game. Oh my. So, feel for me, you all, and I’ll see you in the seats, a full hour, maybe plus, before kickoff. Oh yeah, we’ll be wearing red. Go Cards!