The Calm Before the Storm

Doug and I spent the majority of our day enjoying the sights and sounds of IU football.  We started in the tailgate fields where we met Cameron at Cora's family tailgate.  We had fun catching up with Cora's parents, meeting the rest of her family and enjoying traditional tailgate foods.  We were extremely impressed with their set up that included not only the food, but several tents, a pong table, a grill and even a television connected by satellite.  

Cameron had to work at B-Town Boulevard today, so when he left for the stadium to check-in, we headed to "Hep's Rock" to watch the walk.  It was dramatically different today than it was a month ago at the Indiana State game.  Back then, we could easily find a spot along the path to see the football players walk into the stadium.  Today, it was packed at least three rows deep.  In September, only one security guard walked in with Cignetti.  I counted six with him today.  It was still really cool to see the team arrive to the game, but I decided afterward that it would be my last this season.

After the football player parade, Doug and I spent the next hour at B-Town Boulevard where the band played a lot of seventies music which we really enjoyed.  The cheerleaders, Red Steppers and Marching Hundred joined the festivities as well.  We shared our table with a father and daughter from St. Charles, Illinois.  Doug had a great time talking to an alumnus from his rival high school, and I enjoyed chatting with his daughter who graduated from IU a year after Brett.  

The stadium was packed which didn't surprise us since it was homecoming. We did find our seats and rally towels with no problem, however.  The first half of the game was a little intense as Michigan State controlled the ball for the majority of the thirty minutes.  We were just getting ready to relax as IU marched down the field poised to go ahead 21-10 at the half when a black cloud emerged over the stadium.  We had no phone reception, but my dad was able to let me know that a storm was coming via text.  At the half, an announcement was made to evacuate the stadium due to lightening.  Doug and I joined the crowd walking down the stairs, but once we got to the tunnel, I got really scared.  It was packed with wall-to-wall people trying to move with no one going anywhere.  Once some of the men started pushing, I asked Doug if we could stand in the bathroom doorway until the crowd dissipated or the game started again.  We waited there until my dad said that the teams were taking the field again and then inched our way back to our seats, happy to be away from the crowd.  

It drizzled the rest of the game, but it didn't detour us from watching the second half.  IU dominated the third and fourth quarter winning 38-13.  Watching IU win was a lot of fun, but my favorite part was seeing Cameron on the jumbotron multiple times throughout the game.  Doug and I left as soon as the game was over with a plan to drive as far as we could toward Chicago before stopping for the night.  Traffic was very slow getting out of Bloomington, so we only made it to Lafayette where we found a nice place to stay and dinner close by at Outback Steakhouse.  It made for a relaxing rest of the evening.