My Favorite Afternoon

So I was all set and ready to go on posting my first movie review here and.... well... Ah, it just kind of didn't happen. Piranha 3D, for anyone who's keeping track. I may still put it up but I've had something else on my mind today....

I don't know where this came from, but I was thinking back to a day almost 20 years ago. I was working at Hardee's restaurant, probably in Oak Ridge as a manager. At the same time, I was going to college at Roane State. So that puts it in the early 90s, but I can't narrow it down much more. Being a manager wasn't too hard of a job, lot of stress though. Add in going to college, even at a community college, and you have VERY little time left. I'm pretty sure it's why it took me 3 years to get out of a 2 year school. Working 40+ to 50+ hours a week, or more and then trying to read the Iliad in one week and doing other homework and you've got a fun life. So, as you can guess, my days off were pretty special to me. Very few times in those 3 years did I have a day off from both.
So, on with the story, I got out of class and went do to McKay's Used Book store (back when it was still McKay's). Did some perusing and found some issues of Dragon Magazine I had been looking for. For those of you that don't know, Dragon Magazine was a "help" magazine for the Dungeons & Dragons game. It had articles about people, towns, ideas and the like to help your game. (and if you want an argument, start that stupid lie about D&D being Satanic. Trust me, you won't like what I have to say back.) Anyway, picked them up, some other books and headed home.
I got home and no one else was there. It was warm but not hot that day. I remember well, because I sat out on the porch and started delving in to the books. While sitting there, it started to sprinkle. It increased, becoming a full on rain storm. Nothing too strong, no wind up on the porch. But I remember it like it was yesterday. Had my feet up, good read in my hands, drink at my side and comfortable setting. Gee, I wonder why that memory sticks so well? :) (and yes, I still have those magazines. In a box somewhere in my storage building but they survived the great purge during the last move)

So yeah, that's pretty much it. I guess I should say favorite afternoon alone. I remember as my Mother pulled in, the "spell" seemed to break. It wasn't the same anymore, something had changed. Dare I say it? The "magic" was gone. I knew then that I would remember that for the rest of my life.
How sad is that? I wrote a blog and waxed nostalgic about being alone and liking it.

Divided Football Loyalties

Greetings all,

So, in a reboot of my blog site (Hollyweird can do it, so can I!), here's my first "new" blog. As football season rolls around, I'm kind of concerned about where my college football loyalties may lay.
See, for the last wow... roughly 20-ish years, my college team has been the Florida State Seminoles. Now why would some dumb country boy from the Knoxville, Tn area pick FSU? The answer, like lots of things from my younger days, comes from something I didn't like. When I started watching football in the 80s, I quickly learned to hate the Miami Hurricanes (aka Duh U!). Why you ask? Punks, thugs, the usual stuff. So, since I had my bad guy, I needed a hero to cheer for. Thank you forgotten sports reporter who said that Florida State was Miami's biggest rival. The rest, as they say, is history.
Now I know the question you are wondering right now. If I grew up in the Knoxville Tn area, why wasn't I a University of Tennessee Vol fan? The answer is easy enough. In the 70s around here, Johnny Majors was not only the coach of the football team, he WAS UT Football. And my Dad pretty much hated Johnny Majors. Hence, you don't like Majors, you don't like UT. Now, since I was only 10 when the 70's ended, cut my logic some slack here please. I grew to like them but honestly, I don't have the undying love that most of my neighbors have. Hate me later, ok?
So, I had my team, I had my villain and for the next 20 or so years, it was good. I learned to dislike a few more teams (Notre Dame matching Duh U as most hated), respect some I didn't before ('Bama, Nebraska) and just enjoy college football in general. But then came the last few seasons of FSU football and .... Well, things hadn't gone well for the school or the team. Each year though, the legendary coach Bobby Bowden was still there on the sidelines. In 2007, Jimbo Fisher, then offensive coordinator for LSU, was hired away to the same position at FSU and was named "coach in waiting". Now, I can't say for Coach Bowden, but "coach in waiting" sounds very close to "don't let the door hit you on the way out" to me. Last season, the losses mounted and the head of the chancellor started calling for Bobby to step aside. Let me put that in simpler terms, somebody who had nothing to do with football was trying to tell a coach what to do though the news paper. As the season came and went, unfortunately, so did Coach Bowden. (Hope one day I meet Mr. Chancellor on the side of the road with his car broke down.....)
Year after year, Coach Bowden was there. During the time I met, dated, engaged, married and divorced my ex-wife, he was coach. Through several different post marriage girlfriends, he was there. Break ups, moves, births and deaths, Coach Bowden was still on the sidelines. It became like sun up or sun down, something you just expected. Now, he's not going to be there this year. And.... I don't know if FSU will remain my team. I've begun to wonder (and just wonder as I have no proof) if Jimbo Fisher might have been holding the team back to help hasten the departure. I sincerely hope not, but if the team comes out on fire and kicking butt, it will make me wonder. Still, it will be different this season. Only one last legend on the side lines, Coach Joe Paterno of Penn State.
I know some of my friends will suggest that I transfer my allegiance to the local team here and maybe they have a point. Maybe I'll stick with FSU, considering how many years I've stuck with my pro team (the Oakland Raiders) while they stunk it up. Maybe a new team..... I don't know. I just know I'll be a bit sad as the new season opens and on Sept 4th at Doak Campbell and Coach Bowden isn't there.

Thank you Coach, for all the memories, great teams, times and victories.