One of those weekends where we attempted to pack in as much as we could. And where I learned for the umpteenth time that moving past inertia can be a good thing. Mrs S made arrangements for us to go have dinner at friends house on Friday night, a lovely couple whom we don’t seen enough of these days. My first reaction, a very loaded “yes dear”. Loaded because I delivered in the most passive aggressive way possible. Not that I don’t like these folks, it’s just it’s Friday, I’m tired, I wanted to do nothing, and I had to be up early in Saturday, blah blah blah.
But I went, because she made me and other than a few yawns, I behaved and had such a wonderful time that I left asking her why we don’t do that more often. “I told you you’d enjoy yourself once we got there dear” I said to her. Good to keep them on their toes.
Saturday morning was a chance to preside over a Master Mason degree. Another thing that feels like a lot of work until I do it and am rewarded by the experience. I do love doing the degree work.
I got home from that even at about 1:00, exactly my forecasted time, to find the family ready to go to the lake. “You read Sank”, my slow response and lack of enthusiasm belayed to Mrs S that yet again my passive aggressive “I don’t wanna go” side was coming out. I was tired. I’d been up at 5:30, I hadn’t eaten all day, It’s cold, I wanna watch football, I have a hangnail, blah blah blah.
This is the time of year when I find myself starting to talk myself out of going to the lake. This year I had said it would be different, I like going up there, lets just go and worry about the consequences when we get there. So we did. And once again I was proven wrong. I’m always happier at the lake it seems, even when it’s 48 degrees in the afternoon in the middle of September. My daughter brought a friend with her and the four us spent the afternoon wandering down our road. Rather than think about it as cold windy day I framed it up as a gorgeous fall afternoon, crisp, colors just starting to turn and I was hanging out with the family in the woods. Doesn’t get a whole lot better than that to be honest.
Saturday night we headed over the local tavern, the Eagle Lounge the closest venue where ESPN is available. Goal to watch the Auburn LSU game. Eric had let us know Friday that he had secured a ticket in the student section and was going to the game. I told him to bring a towel to cry into as I expected that it would be ugly. We arrived at the War Eagle Lounge early to make sure we got the big screen, Minnesota had a night game as well and I was pretty sure we’d have to compete for the TV.
The game was much better than I thought it would be, Auburn’s defense was certainly looking good, even if the offense was not. As predicted the Gophers fans started rolling in and the poor barmaid had to keep answering the questions “Why are we watching this game?”, she pointed to us. “Hello”.
I did get a chance to meet some of my neighbors, explained about 10 times our connection to Auburn, answered the question “where is Auburn”.
I have the most interesting conversation with a barfly, whom I assume had had too much to drink as there is no other explanation other than perhaps a couple that he wouldn’t want hear-
“Why we watching LSU and Auburn?”
“I have son a Auburn.”
“Oh my sister and her husband live down Baton Rouge, they got LSU Football and nuth’n else. Where is Auburn?”
”It’s in Alabama.”
“Oh yeah.. LSU, is that in Alabama also?”
No answer to that question that doesn’t lead my getting my ass kicked, other than, “no I think it’s in Louisiana”.
I have to agree. Saturday was a perfect fall day. Wedding and barn dance for us. Son home from college for the first time. Loads of laundry for me to wash. But, hey, at least I didn’t meet a barfly.