A football kind of a day

Pictured above are two happy campers who drove to Waco to watch Baylor whup UT. I’m sure they won’t lord it over the Austin branch of the family—or maybe they will. Meanwhile, back in Fort Worth, Jordan and I had a nice day together—she made tuna for lunch and helped me get myself together to go to Tomball tomorrow

But she too was watching the Baylor game—some of it in my cottage. She had me so cowed that when she went to feed the neighbor’s cat with a warning she’d be back to watch the game, I was afraid to change it to the news channel. As soon as Baylor won—well, with five second left but it was clear—she was off to friends’ house to watch the TCU game. She had urged me to go, but in all honesty I’m happier at home with a book.

Watching football never did much for me. Maybe I was off to a bad start, because I came from the University of Chicago which had abandoned the game long before I arrived on campus. In fact, the football stadium was famous for something entirely different—the development of the atomic bomb. I grew up with stories of how they almost blew us in the surrounding neighborhood to smithereens, but that’s another story.

When my ex and I arrived in Fort Worth for his surgical residency, we were often invited to TCU games by physicians. In those day—the sixties—going to a TCU game was strictly a dress-up affair. Funny to think of now. I remember one of the first games I went to. It was September, but coming from Iowa, Illinois and Missouri I associated football with cold weather and dressed appropriately, lugging a full-length coat to the game. Needless to say, I was a bit over-dressed.

Later, when I was single, Toni Newton, the wonderful woman who was assistant to Chancellor Bill Tucker, befriended me and used to invite me to the pre-game parties at her apartment, which was kind of across the road from the stadium. I went for the conviviality and for the delicious array of pot-luck snacks, and then I went to the game out of politeness. After a few of those evenings, I got so I went to the pre-game party and snuck home when others went to the game.

I have never since been to a game and only watch when I cannot escape. Tonight I was completely happy to stay home with leftover meatloaf (only medium good—freezing didn’t preserve it as well as I’d hoped) and the rest of last night’s spinach, which was delicious. And two molasses cookies—I am loving them. And, of course, the mystery I’m reading.

Sophie had a spa day today in preparation for travel—a bath, a trim, nails trimmed, a fresh scarf, the whole works. Lisa, Colin’s wife, does not like dogs on furniture and I don’t blame her. That’s certainly how I was raised. They have a big dog who wouldn’t dream of getting on the couch. Sophie on the other hand thinks beds, couches, upholstered chairs were meant for her, and try as I might I cannot dissuade her. So I thought the least I could do was have her clean. I’ll take her crate, where she happily sleeps at night. I usually displace my granddaughter whose bed is so high Soph can’t begin to think of jumping on it. Shoot—I can barely get into it. It always puts me in mind of the tale of the princess and the pea. (I guess you have to be a certain age to get that reference.)

Sweet dreams, y’all.

Flashlights in bed and divided loyalties

If you were a die-hard reading kid like me and one of my sons, you remember taking a flashlight to bed so you could read under the covers after lights out. Well, technology has changed all that. Last night, after I thought Jacob was safely tucked in bed, I checked and saw this strange glow coming from under the cover. He'd taken his iPad to bed with him. Unfortunately, he was playing games, not reading. I confiscated the iPad, but it brought back fond memories. Jamie may correct me but I think he used to read Dungeons and Dragons books. He had several favorite fantasy, paranormal authors. Me? I was probably reading Nancy Drew. An iPad just isn't as subtle as a flashlight.
We are a family of divided loyalties. I have a degree from TCU and worked there thirty years; while Jordan never attended the school, she grew up in its shadow and often in the midst of its social life. Christian is a proud alum of Baylor. Saturday it all came to a head with the epic clash on the football field between the two schools.
Jacob is caught somewhere in the middle. He's grown up on stories of Baylor, but he's gone to baseball camp at TCU and then by serendipity met and was most impressed by a football player. He's been to most of the games this season at both schools. Last week Jordan announced his hashtag for the weekend was #identity crisis--Friday night she dressed him in a Baylor shirt, a TCU hat, and one glove from each school. Then she posted a picture.
But Saturday, at the game in Waco, they were all green and gold. Jordan has told me, almost apologetically, that she would root for Baylor. Her sister called her a traitor, and I commented that if she'd only worn purple as she should, TCU would have won. It was one of those games people can't stop talking about and, yes, TCU should have won. But with twelve minutes to go (which can be an eternity in a football game), they lost focus and acted as though the game was over. Result, as many of you know: Baylor won by three points.
At this point, eight years old, it's almost a given that Jacob will go to one of the two schools. I suspect in the long run it depends less on his preference but which one gives him the best scholarship. Since he "forgot" to turn in last  week's homework on Friday, that's not looking hopeful in third grade but we're working on it. We can't get him to believe that what he does now will matter by the time he's ready for college.
Wish he'd start taking a flashlight to bed and reading under the covers. I wouldn't confiscate the flashlight, at least not so quickly.

The excitement and fright of a new computer

After two hours in Best Buy with my second son and oldest granddaughter, I am the proud owner of a new computer, a  new remote monitor, keyboard and mouse, a subscription to Microsoft Office, and a new landline telephone. Best Buy is their favorite store and they are like two happy children cavorting around in there. Jamie looks at this one, then that one, then decides on one, then changes his mind. Wants me to judge which weight is better, which keyboard. I finally sorted out my priorities--keyboard matters when I travel and don't have a remote keyboard; weight is less important because the difference is small. We've been so preoccupied with the computer, no one has even looked at the phone--have to figure that out later. I must say Jamie has been absorbed all afternoon--I have had a nap and kind of been a casual onlooker--I have no idea how to transfer files, etc. And, frankly, the idea scares me--what if some deathless piece of prose doesn't make it to the new computer. So far, apparently, everything has been transferred to the new Lenovo except my email, which is causing great angst and may well take someone from TCU to figure it out. But of course no one is there on a Saturday.
Jamie was out the door this morning at 5:30 to bike and ride--30 miles and six. I know he's tired, and I've urged him to quit. But he says "just one more time." I wish I could be more helpful."
But there's a plus. I've had the company of some of my favorite people today. And I'm so grateful to Jamie for doing this. When he's really frustrated about the email he says, "I'm not a computer guy, not a tecchie." Unfortunately, his brother-in-law who is a computer consultant by trade is in Hawaii--which is another story. Now I have to worry about children and grandchildren in stormy Hawaii.
And Jacob, who had a wonderful day at football scrimmage at Baylor and met players and the coach, leaves for a week at camp tomorrow. Sometimes it's all too much change to comprehend, but I figure being flexible about change is on way to keep young. On the other hand, not sure I wanted to keep young by learning Windows 8.