This past weekend was the first time that I have been back to Texas Tech since I graduated. I went back for the annual beat down of Daryl's Texas A&M Aggies. I will get to the game and all of the festivities later, but first Lubbock.
Things have changed!! Across the street from the university used to be old and run down. It didn't really look great and most of the buildings were vacant. But now, the buildings are new, the businesses will actually make it, and the architecture of the buildings matches that of the university. It's really amazing how much nicer and friendlier it makes the area look. That's not the only new things going on in Lubbock. The city is adding a new highway in and around town, so far there is just construction, but you can see the plans starting to take shape.
As for the university, they are planning on adding onto the football stadium, and they are currently working on a water park that will be near the rec center that includes a lazy river around the intramural fields. That will be really cool.
There are lots of projects going on and the area around the university finally looks nice.
Now for the game. We arrived at the tail-gate around 11 a.m. We were greeted with jalapeno poppers, hot dogs, brats, burgers, and of course the official beverage of Texas Tech, cold beer. The tailgate was great, hundreds of trucks, RVs and grills. Tents were set up with couches and TVs playing various football games going on across the country and dozens of Texas flags, Tech flags and pirate flags. A great atmosphere. People everywhere. One thing I noticed, the student body seems to stay the same age even as I grow older, I may appreciate that more as I get older.
Earlier in the week a frat guy came up with the idea for a t-shirt just for the game against the Aggies. The shirt said Vick'em of the front and had a football player wearing the number 7 hanging Reveille, the Aggies dog mascot. The shirt was discontinued and Tech officials apologized to the A&M officials for the shirt. I was upset about the shirt and thought it was a bad idea at first, but after seeing them, I thought there were hilarious. I only saw a few, and they weren't nearly as bad as the shirt I saw that said "OJ'em" on the front, and had a picture of OJ stabbing the Aggie dog mascot. For the most part the fans were great and the rivalry was great.
I had forgotten how electric the atmosphere is for a Red Raider home game. I guess it was one of the things that I took for granted while I was there. Once I was in the stadium I was taken back to the first time I entered the stadium and how it made me feel. I was in awe. I remembered all the great games, catches, and hits I had seen there. It was great.
We found our seats which were in the shade. There was about a 20 mph wind blowing through the stadium, typical Lubbock. We got the ball to start the game, and we went three and out. Then the Aggies got the ball. They rumbled down the field and scored easily, it looked like it was going to be a long day for us, and it also looked like the Aggie running back who guaranteed a victory for them was going to make good on his promise. However, it was not to be for the Aggies. That was the only time they would score. We dominated the rest of the game. We scored 21 points in the second quarter to go up 21-7 at the half. The Aggies did not even get to our half of the field in the third quarter. They did not even score in the 4th when we had our mop-up defense on the field. We took it to 'em for the final three quarters and left no doubt who was the better team. Not a bad first game back for me to go to at all. The final score was 35-7. After the game we headed back to the tailgate spot for Victory Beers. It was a great win, and a great day. And it will be a great year as I have locked up bragging rights over Daryl...again.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The State Fair of Texas
It is that time of year. The weather starts to cool down to 95, and football season is in full swing. Yes it is that time of year. Time for the State Fair of Texas. Alexis and I took our annual trip to the fair last night. Now, I don't know who, if anyone reads my little rants, but this is for those of you who have not had the honor of experiencing the State Fair.
The fair takes place annually at the appropriately named Fair Park. This is the home of the Cotton Bowl and the giant Texas Star Farris wheel (which I won't ride). The "hood" surrounding the fairgrounds could rival any inner-city, poverty stricken, gang infested, graffiti covered ghetto in the country. It seems pretty rough and there is nothing nice around the fairgrounds. It is the type of area that could have really benefited from the economic stimulation brought on by building the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in the area, but Dallas' not-so-much-of-a-thinker mayor decided the new stadium would be a better fit in Arlington, leaving no economic benefit to the city that is associated with America's Team. Anyway, the area around the fair is ghetto.
But once inside the nurturing biosphere of the State Fair, you quickly forget what waits for you as you return to your car at the end of your fair experience (if your car has not been stolen). The State Fair of Texas is a treat for all of the senses. The people, while not purposely dressed as clowns or other comical characters, often look ridiculous. Jorts (jean shorts for guys) to one's ankles, big baggy shirts that could double as a dress, dirty clothes, clothes that are way too tight, sideways hats, gold teeth, and the nappy, ungroomed goatees. It truly is a meeting ground of the substandard people of the Texan society. The pathways through the fair are littered with flashing lights, dirty carnys, police and rides that look as entertaining as they do unsafe. In fact we saw a carny (a worker at the fair, usually white trash) being escorted out of the park by four police, he was probably drunk or high.
While walking through the fair one can't help but notice the gourmet items those crazy carnys have cookin'. Things like alligator sausage, fried coke, fried cookie dough, fried latte, fried guacamole, fried fries, fried cosmopolitans, fried queso, (are you noticing a trend?), fried peanut butter jelly and banana sandwiches, and of course the corny dogs. As bad as most of that sounds, there are a few items that are eatable, but of course will require a trip to the fair's angioplasty booth. Alexis and I love the corny dogs (a true fair staple), funnel cakes, and the fried macaroni and cheese. None of which can be found at a salad bar. After our dinner, we felt like he had gained about four pounds and we could feel the grease swishing around in our belly.
We did see some good things at the fair. We checked out the animal exhibits including the grand champion steer. Which was sold for $94,000, you will be able to see him soon in your grocers meat department. We went through the petting zoo, which now that I look back on that, may have been the grossest thing I have ever done. First of all, they are petting zoo animals, they don't exactly live in the cleanest conditions, unless you consider saw dust, hay and poo clean. Then throw in the nasty people mentioned earlier touching the gross animals...you got yourself a petting zoo!!
Our evening wrapped up with a pig race, but most of the people in the stands could have used the exercise more than the pigs as they watched the race with a bag of popcorn in one hand and a turkey leg in the other. We also toured the car show, which I can't twist that and make it sound bad. Unless...you consider that the same people who were at the petting zoo were probably a lot of the same people touching the cars, sitting in them, and imagining themselves behind the wheel of the latest model, just like Alexis and I did. Gross.
The State Fair of Texas is truly a great experience. The art exhibits are nicely put together, the entertainment is top rate (there are concerts almost every night and parades too), and the atmosphere can't be beat.
State Fair of Texas; I will see you next year!
The fair takes place annually at the appropriately named Fair Park. This is the home of the Cotton Bowl and the giant Texas Star Farris wheel (which I won't ride). The "hood" surrounding the fairgrounds could rival any inner-city, poverty stricken, gang infested, graffiti covered ghetto in the country. It seems pretty rough and there is nothing nice around the fairgrounds. It is the type of area that could have really benefited from the economic stimulation brought on by building the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in the area, but Dallas' not-so-much-of-a-thinker mayor decided the new stadium would be a better fit in Arlington, leaving no economic benefit to the city that is associated with America's Team. Anyway, the area around the fair is ghetto.
But once inside the nurturing biosphere of the State Fair, you quickly forget what waits for you as you return to your car at the end of your fair experience (if your car has not been stolen). The State Fair of Texas is a treat for all of the senses. The people, while not purposely dressed as clowns or other comical characters, often look ridiculous. Jorts (jean shorts for guys) to one's ankles, big baggy shirts that could double as a dress, dirty clothes, clothes that are way too tight, sideways hats, gold teeth, and the nappy, ungroomed goatees. It truly is a meeting ground of the substandard people of the Texan society. The pathways through the fair are littered with flashing lights, dirty carnys, police and rides that look as entertaining as they do unsafe. In fact we saw a carny (a worker at the fair, usually white trash) being escorted out of the park by four police, he was probably drunk or high.
While walking through the fair one can't help but notice the gourmet items those crazy carnys have cookin'. Things like alligator sausage, fried coke, fried cookie dough, fried latte, fried guacamole, fried fries, fried cosmopolitans, fried queso, (are you noticing a trend?), fried peanut butter jelly and banana sandwiches, and of course the corny dogs. As bad as most of that sounds, there are a few items that are eatable, but of course will require a trip to the fair's angioplasty booth. Alexis and I love the corny dogs (a true fair staple), funnel cakes, and the fried macaroni and cheese. None of which can be found at a salad bar. After our dinner, we felt like he had gained about four pounds and we could feel the grease swishing around in our belly.
We did see some good things at the fair. We checked out the animal exhibits including the grand champion steer. Which was sold for $94,000, you will be able to see him soon in your grocers meat department. We went through the petting zoo, which now that I look back on that, may have been the grossest thing I have ever done. First of all, they are petting zoo animals, they don't exactly live in the cleanest conditions, unless you consider saw dust, hay and poo clean. Then throw in the nasty people mentioned earlier touching the gross animals...you got yourself a petting zoo!!
Our evening wrapped up with a pig race, but most of the people in the stands could have used the exercise more than the pigs as they watched the race with a bag of popcorn in one hand and a turkey leg in the other. We also toured the car show, which I can't twist that and make it sound bad. Unless...you consider that the same people who were at the petting zoo were probably a lot of the same people touching the cars, sitting in them, and imagining themselves behind the wheel of the latest model, just like Alexis and I did. Gross.
The State Fair of Texas is truly a great experience. The art exhibits are nicely put together, the entertainment is top rate (there are concerts almost every night and parades too), and the atmosphere can't be beat.
State Fair of Texas; I will see you next year!
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