Breed 'Em Young University

So... after Thriller, we spent a chilly night in Gramps' trailer (we were all too cold, but none of us wanted to turn on the heat and make the others uncomfortable), and then we left early in the morning to drive to Provo and go to the BYU game. It was sooo pretty leaving St. George, so I took a picture of the scenery:

Yeah, I know - my photography skills are AMAZING. :)

I don't know where I first heard that phrase, "Breed 'Em Young University," but it seems to be true for most people. It wasn't true for me! I graduated without even having a boyfriend - gasp!! Anyone that knows me knows that I didn't really enjoy my time at BYU - I was just really lonely. There are 50,000 students there, yet I have never felt lonelier in my life. And boys wouldn't date me there. I felt like it was because I wasn't a supermodel. It felt like church was a fashion show. Just not a culture I felt very comfortable with. So I hurried and finished my degree and got OUTTA there.

When I lived in Salt Lake, people would find out that BYU was my alma mater, and they would be like, ooooh, BYU sucks! Like, trying to taunt me or something, and I was like, um, you can tease me all you want, because I have no strong, happy feelings about BYU. I don't have any residual school spirit for that place. :)

However, that said, I love going to football games, so when Dad asked me if I wanted to stop in Provo and go to the game, I was... well, game. And I have good memories of going down to Provo to football games with my parents when I was growing up. And I was more than happy to extend my time away from my kids!! Hee-hee!

Here are Mom and I:

I'm not sure why she's flashing a peace sign. But I guess any time is a good time to wish for peace, right? Maybe it's a V for Victory. And I know you love my little outfit. When I tried to put my contacts in that morning, my eyes were like, "NO." So I had to be glasses girl. And it was sooo bright and sunny, so when Dad offered me his hat, I gladly wore it. And I was having a really, really awful breakout that day. I popped, like, four pimples that morning, and during halftime, I went to the bathroom and had to re-pop them, because they had filled with pus. Lovely. So I was looking like a winner, but since when is that a new experience? I always look like a winner. :) And, P.S. I went to the doctor a few days later and asked to get a prescription for benzoyl peroxide face wash. I had had enough. And my face is much happier now.

Here is pops, a little less annoyed this time:

Um, so I know nothing about football. I've had several men try to teach me about it, and I just don't get it. And I don't really care that much. The reason I love to watch football is because of the excitement of the crowd. And just being outside. So Dad was attempting to teach me about downs and stuff, and I was like, "Ohhhh, I get it now!" (But I really didn't. I just felt bad that he was trying so hard and I still didn't understand it.) This guy was sitting in front of us with his wife, and he was probably my parents' age, and he kept turning around and looking at me incredulously. He just couldn't believe I didn't understand football. So then he started mocking me during the whole game. Every time something good happened, he would turn around and say, "Now, that was good." And every time something bad happened, he would turn around and say, "Now, that was bad." It was funny. He got a kick out of me, I think.

My favorite parts of the game remain the same as they were when I was a kid:
1. I love when each of the four parts of the stadium takes turns yelling, "B....Y.....U.... COUGARS! B....Y.....U.... COUGARS!!"
2. I love the wave. It's my favorite thing about football. I think it looks so cool and is so stinkin' fun.
3. I love to sing the BYU fight song. Even though I have to look at the board to read the words.
4. I think it is hilarious when perfect strangers give each other high fives when good things happen during the game. It's so funny.

Some new favorite things I discovered during the game:
1. There is this dude who is.... a running back? His last name is Fooey. Or maybe Fui. I don't know how it's spelled. He's polynesian, I think. And whenever he does something great, or if people want to get him stoked, the whole stadium yells, "Fooooooeeeeeeyyyyyy!!" It actually sounds like everyone is booing, so I wonder if he thinks that people are booing him. So that was fun.
2. The announcer guy does this thing where he goes, "That's another Cougar...." And the audience answers by saying, "First down!" And making this tomahawk-like hand gesture. That was fun.
3. The Polynesian players (and there are a lot of them) do this Mauri dance before each game, apparently. And I love Mauri dances. I think they are funny and cool. And I think it's a good way to pump people up.

Something so interesting - BYU is a Mormon school, right? And most of the fans are, well, Mormons. So I figured the guy behind me is a Mormon. Yet he kept taking the Lord's name in vain during the whole game! If something bad happened, he whipped out the G word. I couldn't believe it! It was very ironic to me.

My cousin, Kallie, and her family had tickets next to us, but they didn't show up within the first three quarters, so we figured they weren't coming, but then they showed up with only one quarter to go:

I was excited, because Kallie is a kick in the pants. So we chattered for the final quarter. Her husband's name is Winn, her oldest is Caleb, and her youngest is Carter. They were heading to a Halloween party after the game, which is why Caleb is dressed as the green Power Ranger. If I was her, I wouldn't have hauled my kids to a game with only one quarter left, but I was really glad she did. Winn is in Construction Management, and guess what? He just got laid off. This economy bites the big one. I've been praying for them, as well as myself, during this difficult time. I hope Winn can find a good job soon.

So anyways, hooray for the Cougars. I had a good time.