Tales From The Road, Day 2
After taking my father-in-law out for lunch for Father's Day (yes, I avoided the menu entirely) Kelsey and I got on the road to Auburn. It was about an hour and a half drive from my in-law's place.
Kelsey was amused that the radio stations were already promoting the broadcasts of Alabama and Auburn football games this fall. I was amused by her being amused. To me, that's standard operation.
We stopped at a Wal-Mart to get some batteries for her hearing aid. At the front entrance there was a magazine rack dedicated entirely to pre-season college football magazines. Kelsey was amused by this. I was amused by her being amused. "They're not even talking about the Cowboys yet in Dallas, Dad. It's baseball season." I didn't try to explain. You can't. I picked up two magazines.
It was fun taking Kelsey through all the traditions at Auburn and letting her see the things she's been hearing about pretty much all her life:
For example, when we drove through Toomer's Corner, a place where AU fans celebrate victories (oddly enough to outsiders, but the most normal reaction for AU Family members) by throwing toilet paper in the trees--I have pictures in my office--she said, "There's the Tiger Paw in the intersection." She turned, pointed, and said, "And there's the score from the game!" (in reference to the win over Alabama last year, 21-13).
We had a glass of hand-squeezed lemonade from there...something they've been doing there for like a hundred years or something...to which Kelsey said, "Man, this is really good lemonade." It's my belief that tradition implants something in your brain that makes it taste better. That, or the reality that you now pay $4 for a large lemonade so it better taste good.
We headed off to see the aviary where they keep the bald eagle mascot, which has since been moved, but the remnants of the old one were there, and I showed her the grassy lawn where her mother and I used to hang out when I'd skip class and Tracy would have an off-hour between classes. "Dad, you skipped classes?" "A couple." There'd need to be an exponent after the word "couple" but let's just keep that between you and I, okay?
Naturally, we checked out the baseball stadium. Lots different nowadays. It's all brick and walls and such. Chain-link and aluminum seats when I was here.
We then headed off for the sports museum. Lots of videos and such of victories and motivational speeches by football coaches...and we took her picture with the Heisman trophies and all that jazz. We spent about an hour there just looking around and playing with the interactive stuff. Kelsey was pretty impressed by all the other sports in which Auburn had gold medal winners, like track, swimming, women's basketball, and, of course, Charles Barkley & Bo Jackson. There was even a place where you could throw toilet paper in fake trees. There was even a roll from the day AU beat Alabama in 1989 (long story, but it was the first time Bama played AU in Auburn and they were unbeaten at the time) that some family had on their Christmas tree that year and donated it to the museum. No kidding.
Finally, before we checked her in to her camp, we headed off for the football stadium, which was locked. Until a security guard walked out and we asked if he'd take our picture in the stadium. He agreed, and after the shot from the stands, he asked, "Would you like me to take one of you both on the 50? We're not supposed to do that, but no one will care." The answer, of course, was yes.
I'd post the pictures but I forgot the computer cord that connects with the camera, so I'll do it on Thursday.
Anyway, it was pretty cool to check my daughter in to the camp and she was a little awestruck by the college players working the camp. She seemed so big and grown up, too. Checking into her dorm room. Anxious for dad to go so she could meet people. Ready to take the tour of the complex the team would put on for recruits. Ready to watch the 2005 highlight video. Ready to eat pizza with real, live college softball players and coaches. That made it worth it, right there...seeing how she is becoming her own person, doing her own things...
And she's starting her process of that in the same place I did it...she's just doing it a few years earlier.
After taking my father-in-law out for lunch for Father's Day (yes, I avoided the menu entirely) Kelsey and I got on the road to Auburn. It was about an hour and a half drive from my in-law's place.
Kelsey was amused that the radio stations were already promoting the broadcasts of Alabama and Auburn football games this fall. I was amused by her being amused. To me, that's standard operation.
We stopped at a Wal-Mart to get some batteries for her hearing aid. At the front entrance there was a magazine rack dedicated entirely to pre-season college football magazines. Kelsey was amused by this. I was amused by her being amused. "They're not even talking about the Cowboys yet in Dallas, Dad. It's baseball season." I didn't try to explain. You can't. I picked up two magazines.
It was fun taking Kelsey through all the traditions at Auburn and letting her see the things she's been hearing about pretty much all her life:
For example, when we drove through Toomer's Corner, a place where AU fans celebrate victories (oddly enough to outsiders, but the most normal reaction for AU Family members) by throwing toilet paper in the trees--I have pictures in my office--she said, "There's the Tiger Paw in the intersection." She turned, pointed, and said, "And there's the score from the game!" (in reference to the win over Alabama last year, 21-13).
We had a glass of hand-squeezed lemonade from there...something they've been doing there for like a hundred years or something...to which Kelsey said, "Man, this is really good lemonade." It's my belief that tradition implants something in your brain that makes it taste better. That, or the reality that you now pay $4 for a large lemonade so it better taste good.
We headed off to see the aviary where they keep the bald eagle mascot, which has since been moved, but the remnants of the old one were there, and I showed her the grassy lawn where her mother and I used to hang out when I'd skip class and Tracy would have an off-hour between classes. "Dad, you skipped classes?" "A couple." There'd need to be an exponent after the word "couple" but let's just keep that between you and I, okay?
Naturally, we checked out the baseball stadium. Lots different nowadays. It's all brick and walls and such. Chain-link and aluminum seats when I was here.
We then headed off for the sports museum. Lots of videos and such of victories and motivational speeches by football coaches...and we took her picture with the Heisman trophies and all that jazz. We spent about an hour there just looking around and playing with the interactive stuff. Kelsey was pretty impressed by all the other sports in which Auburn had gold medal winners, like track, swimming, women's basketball, and, of course, Charles Barkley & Bo Jackson. There was even a place where you could throw toilet paper in fake trees. There was even a roll from the day AU beat Alabama in 1989 (long story, but it was the first time Bama played AU in Auburn and they were unbeaten at the time) that some family had on their Christmas tree that year and donated it to the museum. No kidding.
Finally, before we checked her in to her camp, we headed off for the football stadium, which was locked. Until a security guard walked out and we asked if he'd take our picture in the stadium. He agreed, and after the shot from the stands, he asked, "Would you like me to take one of you both on the 50? We're not supposed to do that, but no one will care." The answer, of course, was yes.
I'd post the pictures but I forgot the computer cord that connects with the camera, so I'll do it on Thursday.
Anyway, it was pretty cool to check my daughter in to the camp and she was a little awestruck by the college players working the camp. She seemed so big and grown up, too. Checking into her dorm room. Anxious for dad to go so she could meet people. Ready to take the tour of the complex the team would put on for recruits. Ready to watch the 2005 highlight video. Ready to eat pizza with real, live college softball players and coaches. That made it worth it, right there...seeing how she is becoming her own person, doing her own things...
And she's starting her process of that in the same place I did it...she's just doing it a few years earlier.
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