LaTech Whirlwind
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I’m told how much fun it must be for the two of us to follow the team to all of the games this year. And while I will agree that we are having fun, I am surprised at how much work and how little sleep we are getting. For this latest trip it turned out to be a lot of odd schedules and seat time in the car and in the stands.
It started earlier in the week while we were trying to shuffle our schedule for the early 11AM game time. With that start time we shift from a typical lunch style tailgate to breakfast and the number of hours for tailgating is reduced. So forget about burgers or pasta bars and come up with breakfast fixings. We decide to do the catering thing this trip as an easy solution [except when both places we contacted and reminded that day before failed to even start making the orders by the time we got there]. So we ordered breakfast tacos from Whataburger and coffee from Starbucks.
While this planning is going on, we were still trying to figure out what the tailgating situation was and where to setup. Those that have followed us know how we roll which is to get somewhere up front and center so we are easy to find. And yes, we like to fly our colors high and next to their stadium. Now, the Houston tailgate was just awesome, but most all of the credit for location and such goes to Anthony and his brother! When we went to OSU, there was a fair amount of information online and then we ran across “the” passes on StubHub just by shear luck. FAU was somewhat light on information but I got some help from their message board and athletics site, so that turned out OK. But LaTech was just plain confusing with very little information online and no responses from misc. online queries.
This is where strange things happen [and for a reason I like to think]. When Linda was arranging for the Starbucks coffee, she mentioned to them what we were doing. Linda also asked the gal if she tailgated there and what the lay-of-the-land was like. She wasn’t a tailgater but there was a flyer there at Starbucks from the LaTech Alumni Association. It has information on tailgating along with a name and number. So Linda calls Tyson at this number and explains what we were looking for. Next thing we know, Tyson had us setup with a prime tailgating spot in their main booster lot, just behind the visitor section. So MAJOR props to Tyson and the LaTech Alumni Association!!! That was really cool and classy!
Now most of this occurred the day before we left [note we got the call from Tyson on the tailgating spot on our way to Corsicana]. So on Thursday we are trying to get ready; Linda is baking a few dozen of her special cookies and I’m trying to get out of town from an office perspective. That evening I start packing the car for the trip. Just the necessities mind you: tent, sand bags, chairs, table. Oh, and the flag poles, flags and bases. Then the marine battery, inverter, extension cords and charging stations. And of course the webcam stuff [hot spot, wifi extender, cameras and cables]. And the decor: small UTSA table, UTSA table cloth, ‘lil Phil (Minion), George (effigy) and Rowdy along with their support equipment. Kitchen stuff follows: Utensils, paper products, trash bags, serving trays, etc. Oh, and don’t forget our luggage!
By the time we are all packed and finished with the baking and some basic house cleaning [our house sitter, Liz, must think we are the worst at keeping a house clean] it is in bed by one in the morning. Then the alarm goes off at 4 and we are in the car an on the road by shortly after 5. This allows time for us to get over to the Austin bypass 130 prior to the heavy morning rush. Then it is breakfast in Waco and finally lunch at the hotel in Shreveport around 2:00.
Before I dive into the rest, let me break here for a brief consumer message for those that have not traveled to Louisiana: Take plenty of asprin. The minute you hit their highways the dreaded ka-thump…ka-thump…ka-thump begins. You know the feeling. It is like you are going over a bridge where the bridge sections don’t quite line up or where there are long spans causing a bit of a rise/dip/rise action. This is my experience with most of the highways there (not just this trip). Good news is that it will occur so often that you will almost stop noticing it. And for truth in advertising, I also ran into this between the Texas border and Oklahoma City on the way to OSU.
The rest of the day was spent testing the cameras and network for the Tailgate Cam, updating the website, checking eMail (what a terrible invention!) and getting ready for dinner that evening. We got home from dinner [yes, I just call whatever bed I’ll be in that night, ‘home’] around 10:30 and this is where it gets really weird. We start to pack! The morning will start with us leaving for Ruston just before 6am. So we pack up and then head to bed.
The morning starts out as planned and we take the hour drive up to LaTech. When we arrive we drop by the Whataburger to pick up the tacos that weren’t ready (so we wait). From there you need to cue up the Mission Impossible music.
We drive up onto LaTech’s campus. Early morning. Birds chirping. I park off to the side next to their administration building. Linda exits the car. Looks both ways. Quietly sneaks up towards the entrance. Leans around a post to see behind a potted plant. There. Taped on the window. Hidden in plain site. There is an envelope with our name on it and the number 62. She looks around to verify all is clear and then nonchalantly bends down and takes the envelope. A quick look inside reveals the prize: Parking Pass for Lot C. Linda quickly walks back to the car and hands me the pass. “Hit It.”
Of course, if you know the campus there at LaTech, you know we were directly across from the stadium with police and other cars all over the place. So not much in the way of being stealthy. But it makes for a good story.
We hit the parking lot and figure out our spot and begin the unpacking and setup tasks. By 8:30 we are pretty much set and ready to start relaxing. Flags and tent are up. Food is out. Tailgate Cam is running. Things are good. We spent some time meeting our tailgate neighbors. Luke was the first one to come over and greet us. He welcomed us to the area and introduced us to his group. It’s alway nice when you are in unfamiliar places and don’t know anyone to run into a gracious host. This was the case with Luke and his friends. They welcomed us as friends and fellow tailgaters. I have offered to return his hospitality next year when he comes down to San Antonio. So y’all that tailgate with us will get a chance to meet him.
About this time the Taylors came by. They had picked up the coffee for us that morning and brought fixings for the mimosas [these didnt’ last long!!!]. Marc also came by with donuts and kolaches. From a food standpoint, by the time the game started, all that was left was one donut. One single donut. Oh and some cookies. But those didn’t last much longer.
I know this will probably surprise some, but even with a morning game, there was beer. Lots of beer! I can’t recall who all brought it but John was involved even while recovering from the night before [I’ll let the RowdyTalk posts speak for themselves on how that night went!!!]. David dropped in along with the Iannos, Taylor and Brandon from the AD’s office, and the list continues. A few USTA fans that we did not know and who just happend to be walking by were surprised to see our group and jumped on in themselves. This is the pinnacle of tailgating. Offering a place where people of like minds, in this case USTA Football, can all come together. Where total strangers can meet for the first time and instantly have conversations as if they’ve known each other for years.
So a special thanks for all of you that were able to drop by. Anywhere you see our flag flying, you know you are welcomed.
Unfortunately this was an 11am game. So we had to shutdown the tailgate after two hours [Note to Brandon: 11am games are not good for local flair unless you can get the city to open the gates at about 5am]. Luckily we were in a pretty good tailgating location where I could keep a bit of a watch on the stuff and it was fairly in the open. So we only did a partial teardown leaving up the tents, flags, tables and what was left of the food/drinks. Then on to the game.
Great game as long as I can forget those 7 minutes to start the 3rd quarter. But our boys played hard and didn’t quit! And even with the turnovers and the early 3rd quarter meltdown, we were still in the game with a chance to tie it up at the end.
So back to the tailgating. We talked a bit and I unloaded the car so that I could now pack it back up in my Tetris method. Said our goodbyes and went over to a Wendys to change clothes and grab a bite. Then on the road around 4:30 for the drive down to Waco. Five hours later we hit Waco and pick up some food and check into our second hotel. Eat, shower and bed by midnight. Up the next morning for breakfast and back on the road for the final 200 miles. By 1pm we were home unpacking the car.
So 55 hours after starting the drive, we are back at home sitting on the sofa. Having a conversation on….. wait for it…….. wait for it….. what do we want to do for the UTEP tailgating next weekend. Yep. It’s a disease and there is no cure.
David