Fall means Football!

Happy September 1st to all! I can hardly believe it when I turned the calendar to a new month this morning. Where is 2007 going? Fast I guess. I love all that fall brings. I love to see the change in the slant of the sunlight and feel the slight cool in the air. It's time to be back in school, bake pumpkin bread and make soup. I think about all the fun warm weather clothes I can soon pull out and wear. I can put up the beautiful fall wreath on the front door. And the best part is that in just one short month decorate for Halloween, my ULTIMATE favorite fall event. The celebration of Halloween begins promptly on October 1st in our house. I can't wait to get out the new Eddie Walker items I got on EBay last November. I'm so excited.

But to Rich and many other men and women around the world the beginning of fall means football. And today marks the start of a new season for many excited and often devoted college football fans.

Rich was getting dressed this morning and I noticed he had a Stanford red color shirt on. I asked him if he was pulling a "Tiger." He said of course. He had to wear his beloved Cardinal to support his team as they were playing tonight. So funny. I have to admit that I loved hearing Lee Corso's voice on the TV today. He's a hoot to see which mascot head he pulls out and puts on each week.
I should have known Rich would be dressed for the big game since just last night I heard a ticking sound coming from the computer and found Rich watching the Stanford football preview video online. We watched it and he told me it even had a new Dollies shot. (They are the Stanford dancers- all 5 of them) I laughed. They really aren't that good, but I guarantee their ACT scores are far higher than mine.

On my first visit to Stanford Rich and I attended a football game. We sat next to Mark Harris and his wife Sarah and some of Rich's basketball teammates. It was so much fun to watch Josh Madsen and Greg Clark play. Josh, Greg and Mark had all played football at Stanford. All three had been Rich's roommates at some point. And all are considered his some of his best friends. What a great group of guys and what a support they were to Rich during his time on the Farm.

The game was sunny and warm and I felt happy to be there with Rich, finally getting to experience this part of his life. It was hard to make a 100,000 seat stadium look full, but the game was exciting. I remember Stanford shooting the cannon after a touchdown, seeing the insane band perform for the first time, watching the Tree run crazily around and loved the huge 2 story flag they ran up and down the field.

After the game I met Josh's wife Tiffany the first time. She was living in Canada at the time performing in Showboat. Who would have thought eleven years later we would have shared over a decade of great times together. From graduation, medical school, Halloween at the zoo, Huber Farm, Thanksgiving and lots of babies, we've been together for so long and shared so much. I can hardly believe they'll be headed back to Fresno in the spring. There will be a hole in our hearts when they leave this great state of Kentucky.

A few months later I also got to attend the Stanford VS Cal football game in Berkley. What a beautiful view of the Bay area from that field. Stanford won the coveted Axe and I was glad we didn't get injured by some crazed, drunk Cal fan since we were in the Stanford section. Go Card!

My fondest memory of a Stanford football game was when BYU and Stanford played in Provo, Utah in 2003. It was the battle of a lifetime, both colleges we had attended. We had just flown in that morning from Louisville. The first person I saw when I exited my car at Cougar Stadium was a tall fellow. I recognized him instantly, it was Mark Madsen. We got to spend time with many friends we hadn't seen in years. Fellow Stanford alums Jarron Collins, John and Gale Bunnell, Mark Harris, Greg Clark, Josh Madsen, J.B.Taylor were all there. Tiffany Madsen was there in her BYU blue and so were Marcie and Jim Alcorn. The lines were drawn and this girl hailing from Salem, Utah and Rich the good old boy would grew up under the shadow of the Y let everyone know where our loyalties lie. We proudly sported new Stanford gear I bought online. We were dressed and ready for a win.

We had amazing tickets around the tenth row on the far southwest side. The game was hyped up and my stomach had butterflies. The game was tense and Rich went and stood on the sidelines at half time. Stanford just had to win and along came a last minute miracle and they pulled off a victory by the final score of 18 to 14. I was by Rich's side on the sidelines for the last part of the game and to be on the field with the team when they won, it was magical.

Even with all those great memories, when I think of football, I don't think of any college team really. I think of the hours and hours I spent cheering the SF Dons team during my days in high school. Those were the days. There was excitement in the air, intense rivalries and boy did I love it when we won (which sadly wasn't often). We were there through sun, rain, sleet and snow. I loved cheering at football games. I have some of my best high school memories there.

Next I think of my brother Brad playing football. I nearly got in a fight with an opposing teams fan during one of his sophomore games. I was married at the time! I guess some people think you should not cheer loud at a sophomore games. I think of the game Brad played at Pleasant Grove. Rich and I pulled up and saw an ambulance on the field and I instantly knew it was Brad. I was right. He was playing QB and got tackled and broke his ankle. Rich's dad performed surgery that night. I then think two years later coming to watch him play as a senior with a brand new Trey tucked inside a Baby Bjorn. It felt like below zero, but he was safe under a coat and blanket. I love the photo I have of Brad, Brad Hales, and me holding Trey on senior night. Those are great memories.

While I was actually a college student I didn't go to that many football games. I went to BYU-Hawaii my freshman year and they don't have a team. The closest thing I got to a football game that year was shopping the huge swap meet held at Aloha Stadium parking lot in Honolulu. I did not go to one BYU football game while I was in college and single that I can remember. I never owned student tickets but when I was married we went a few times and used Rich's parents tickets.

But my favorite BYU game was on September 25, 1999 and I didn't even go to the game. I had a baby shower that afternoon at the Jackson's home, and after some of Rich's family walked down to the game (BYU vs. Virginia, Virginia won). Rich and I stayed to take pictures of Danny and Michael in their suits before they left for the Homecoming dance at Timpview High School. The game was on TV and we watched bits and pieces. During the game I went into labor with Trey and we found ourselves stuck in the game traffic driving to the hospital when we literally lived three blocks from both the stadium and the hospital (UVRMC). That was a night to remember. It was fitting since my mom went into labor with me the night she attended a BYU basketball game. Trey arrived just hours later at 2:02 AM and I'd bet money that the stadium lights were still on!

Obviously, Rich and I both grew up going to BYU football games. I loved standing for the fight song, watching the cheerleaders and still have blue and white pom poms they passed out one game when I was a child. It was a fun family outing. I'm sure when we head back home to Utah in a few years, I will once again cheer for the Cougars of BYU, while Rich hopes they lose. We'll just have to fly back to Palo Alto to root for the Cardinal from time to time.

Happy fall and football to all!