My Penn State Life...23 years after I left Old Main Behind..Part 2

Well, this is part 2 of my Penn State journey...this is one that started about 23 years after I left behind Old Main, fraternity parties, The Lions Den, The Skellar, and nutty roommates...I am going to flash super forward..to September 2011..

An amazing thing happened in the fall of 2011, my kid decided not to play soccer anymore..if any of you know me (yes, most of you do), you know that I am not a fan of travel soccer and soccer in general.  Mostly, I hate traveling sometimes 2.5 hours so my kid can kick a soccer ball around with other kids who are in his same ability level.  Really, you are telling me that I have to travel to Scranton to find some other kids that are B level players??  Long ago I vowed that no matter how much I loved my son, if it was soccer and involved a toll, a bridge, or the turnpike, I was not going..if its lacrosse, its a whole different ballgame.  All of a sudden we had open fall weekends...can you say ROADTRIP?

Penn State v. Temple - Saturday September 17, 2011

A group of my PSU FB fans started chattering about getting together for the Penn State/Temple game at Lincoln Financial Field...what could be better, the two schools that I matriculated from heading to the gridiron..and I could drive there in under 30 minutes..spectacular..Well that game was more like SPOOKTACULAR...Penn State absolutely sucked...but that did not stop me from tailgating.  Here are some pics from that lackluster performance..well, tailgating pics..

Aoatoa Polamalu - tailgate host with the mostess

Pam and Johnny Blue

Alpha Sigs, tailgating of course

Now, here is a weird blank space here that I cannot figure how to get rid of or format...so please for give me...I am really blond.  So here is a random picture to fill the spot.. Great flip flops...picked them up in South Carolina last year.

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It was during this awesome tailgating the plan was hatched for the Arms Family to head up to State College the weekend of October 7th to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Betsy and I running on the football field at the Fiesta Bowl..and the National Championship game.

Back to State College - The Weekend of October 7th..

Somehow I convinced my husband and son that it would be fun to come up to Penn State with me and help me relive some of my fondest memories with some of my oldest, and now, hairless friends.. We sat in a traditional State College traffic jam, but found our lovely little apartment and headed out to take in all key, essential Penn State things.. Here is a picture of a 3 month old TJ and I during Arts Festival, 1998...the best thing I can say about this picture is...that 14 years later - I think I am better looking than I was then..

So...first stop...of course...The Nittany Lion..

Wouldn't you agree?  And TJ does not look like a frightened blob.  He really gets most improved of the two of us..Next stop..the CREAMERY...This is TJ making his selection..sporting his Ashbee Lacrosse jacket though...just in case someone thought he played soccer..

Both TJ and Powell got enormous ice cream cones...I did not...one of the cruel twists of my advanced age is that I am now lactose intolerant.  Yes, yes, I realize that is a bit of oversharing..but I just wanted to explain why I was not imbibing on Peachy Paterno (a real flavor...and STILL ON THE MENU!)

The boys were pretty beat, and really had no interest in drinking French 75s with me at the Adams Apple, so they left me to my own devices..Below, you can learn more about the French 75...from the world's most reliable source...Wikipedia..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_75_(cocktail)

They used to limit you to two a night at the Adam's Apple, but apparently, but when you have a Gold Amex card..you can get as many as you like..I got together with a bunch of buds...with a big shout out to my old pal, Pete...he grew up to quite the admirable adult, we had concerns about his Pepsi and Dominos addiction in college...Here is a picture of him back in his youth..He looks pretty much the same..without hair..

They partied late into the night..I gave up at midnight...and cabbed it to our little apartment.

Saturday October 8, 2011
It was the most glorious morning...the sun was shining, the skies were cloudless.  It could not have been a more beautiful day.  Wow, and let me tell you - tailgating is now a professional sport, not just a bucket of hairy buffalo and hot dogs..Not only was Iowa here to play..but so was the Heisman Trophy..so TJ and I got our pics snapped with it.

Want irony?  That same rag publication SI put forth a very disappointing cover this week.  I shredded it..if you are friends with me on FB..you can see me shredding it.  And below is a modified version of that now shredded cover..We are pretty clever at Penn State with photoshop.

The family came along and joined me on a few tailgates..an Alpha Sig one and a Letterman tailgate.  I saw people that I had not seen in 23 years..It was great to see everyone. Really!

As game time neared we entered Beaver Stadium. The crowds snapping pics in front of the JoePA statue were huge..so we did not wait.  What a regret..

Okay..I am the biggest softie..I cry when I hear my Alma Mater and all my other PSU songs..now they put the words up on the big screen so we don't have to sing "We don't know the God-damned words."  A big improvement, I was a blubbery mess..The Blue Band marched, the dude did his flip (I cannot remember if he fell or not), there was half-time and of course the boys of 1986 came out and were honored..More tears...of happiness...and the story continues...