My Dad, a huge Penn State fan, convinced Rory and me to accompany him to a game. My parents got their PhDs at Penn State and as a result I was born there accidentally because I couldn't wait until the end of semester! So I was also returning to my city of birth.
The first thing I discovered is that is gets lighter a lot later there than in Maine. I didn't want to deal with the dark, the rain, and a busy street with no sidewalk. So I headed to the gym and the dreadmill. Apparently they were trying to make us think we were vacationing on a tropical island because it was 88 degrees in the gym. Gross.
But, I was glad I'd gotten a run in because the next stop was the diner for grilled stickies. They take an already delicious, gooey cinnamon bun and make it even better by grilling it with butter. It was so worth the wait and we got some to take home too!
Then we bundled up in warm clothes and it was game day. The stadium holds 107,000 people so you can imagine how nuts it is! We had a parking pass and we drove through field after field after field of tailgaters before we finally got to park.
An old friend of my Dad's hooked us up with some amazing seats- first row right by the goal line! Penn State was playing Maryland. I think their turtle mascot is adorable, but they weren't the best sports. They started the game by refusing to shake hands!
The game was a little chilly, but I solved that problem with lots of hot chocolate. I am not a die hard football fan, but it was a lot of fun to be part of such a huge crowd and watch the bands, cheerleaders, and mascots. Unfortunately, Penn State lost by 1 point! But the close score meant it was an exciting game.
After the game we met up with some of Rory's friends for a tailgate. We got the real experience- corn hole, Miller High Life, and hotdogs fried in bacon. (another reason I am glad I got a run in!)
Sunday morning it was light enough to run outside, thanks to daylight savings. Town was a lot quieter than the day before and I had a lovely run up Main street and through campus. It's a hilly campus so I got a good workout in for the day before climbing into the car for the 9+ hour ride home.
I certainly wouldn't want to spend that much time in a car every weekend, but it was a cool experience to go to such a huge game like that. And it was even nicer to do something that meant so much to my Dad.
How was your weekend?
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