Tailgating Mania and Other Such Nonsense

Well, maybe not "mania" but it sure was entertaining!

OSU's Band Spells out "STATE" when playing the Fight Song

I'm so glad that football season has started. I just wish I hadn't been nursing the world's worst hangover when I was supposed to be celebrating OSU's first kick-off of the season.  I would have taken some pictures of our AWESOME spread if my head wasn't pounding so hard.  I will try harder at this weekend's game.

If you've never come to a Durant Tailgate, you should. They have in the past been known as the Duranning Tailgates because of another family that we set up with. However, their daughters have both graduated and thus, I feel we need to welcome the Roberts clan officially into our Tailgate name...

My friend Rachel's parents just started tailgating with us last year, and let me tell you, they REALLY liven up the place!!  That is to say, that I love my sorority sisters and my dad, but nobody and I mean nobody seems to appeal to my appetite like Kelly and Mick.  They always bring DELICIOUS options (i.e. food fresh from their garden or something else homemade, like blue cheese dressing)!  They take our tailgating meals that have become routine-- burgers and dogs, chili, soup, etc-- and spice things up with something that just sets everything into a whole new realm. You can just taste the love that goes into everything they do.

Thus, I suggest we become the Duroberts...Robants...Anterts... Any other Suggestions? I'm up for any combination.

After the ass kicking that OSU put on Washington State, my weekend became pretty boring. It was long due to Labor Day and I had a hankerin' for an honest-to-goodness cookout--not to say tailgating isn't honest-to-goodness, just that it's totally a different feel to be grilling in your back yard as opposed to a college campus.

I will make a confession right here and right now of one of my deepest desires.  I want desperately to be one of those people who throws parties for their friends and everything that's served is fresh and tasty and just from the farmer's market/garden or made in their kitchen--or at least that's how it appears--and everybody laughs and mingles and has a great time.  I get these images in my head of how I would be a great hostess and have awesome parties.

The frustrating side of this is, I tend not to think about it until too late. I think on the day of, "MAN! You know what would be great?!..." And maybe it's not my job to be that person. I don't know that I'd be up for that kind of responsibility. Maybe I'm just meant to be a patron of a party like that?  Maybe one of my engaged/married friends needs to step up their game and be that awesome hosting couple. Any takers?  I would gladly be the friend to brings along a great homemade dessert!

All this is to say, I didn't have a totally BA Labor Day Party. Instead Brian and I settled for eating locally at a yummy Chinese Buffet for lunch and Natalia made some tasty enchiladas for dinner, where we were going to attempt to make our own taco seasoning, but failed for lack of one spice--cumin--a very important ingredient when making Mexican food.  So we went with the packaged stuff.  We ate and drank and were merry. Then watched Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion Show Part II.

My weekend may not have been filled with the smell of  veggies cut fresh from my fantastic garden, the smoke from a charcoal grill filled with meat from the closest farm, and margaritas prepared the way my friend Ryan Maxey makes them, but it was filled with lots of laughs and love and I feel like that made it all worth while.  Maybe next holiday I'll plan something outrageous and  invite all my friends to marvel at my party-hosting abilities.