Fall Fun

Last night Doug and I headed to Bloomington so that we could host a tailgate for Meg and her friends for IU's homecoming today.  Originally, we had planned on bringing Cameron as he had the day off from school.  With soccer and cross country sectionals, he opted to stay home to cheer on his friends.  Doug and I had also talked about going to the football game, but we realized that IU wouldn't have much of a chance against Michigan.  Thus, tailgating seemed like the best option.   It would also allow us to visit with Pam as she was in town for the weekend.

Doug's day started early this morning as he was up at 5:15 a.m. in order to make minestrone.  We did not have a parking pass for the grass lot like in years past, so he wanted to get there early to find a new place.  Thankfully, there were plenty of spots in the parking lot across from St. Paul's and there were a few other early risers there to help him set up the tent.  I arrived well before Meg and her friends did and Doug and I enjoyed catching up with Pam before she headed to an alumni event.

Meg, Nick, Gabrielle and three of Meg's friends arrived around 10:30 ready for some tailgating fun.  It was chilly this morning, but it didn't dampen the fun.  We had a variety of food and drinks for everyone.  The only issue we had was opening the first bottle of champagne.  Fortunately, a fellow tailgater stepped in to help after watching us struggle for awhile.

Pam left before noon to watch the game in person and we listened to it on the Pilot's radio.  We were surprised that the Hoosiers hung tight for the first half, going into the locker room tied at 10-10.  We had decided to pack up around 2:00 p.m. when we realized that the battery on the Pilot had died.  Thankfully, Meg's car was parked within walking distance and Nick was able to get it within a short period of time.  The Pilot started immediately after hooking up the jumper cables and we were soon on our way.  Meg and friends had plans to go out later in the day to continue the IU homecoming festivities, so Doug and I decided that we would head to Elkhart to watch the Bethany boys play in the soccer sectional finals.  

We listened to the IU game on the way home, not too much surprised that Michigan completely dominated the second half.  By leaving early, we completely missed the football traffic and made it to ECA just after kickoff.  We were glad to see that Bethany had already scored.  It was definitely cold watching the game, especially since we had already sat outside for several hours today.  It was a good game to watch, however, as Bethany controlled the ball and got some key saves from their goalie.  Jordan scored at the very beginning of the second half giving Bethany a 2-0 lead that ended up being the final score.  I enjoyed watching the students rush the field as we were walking to our car.  It was a chilly, cold day filled with a lot of driving, but definitely a lot of fun.