It's my last day of summer, blogosphere!
And on this very last day of my incredible summer vacation, I feel as if it is appropriate and highly necessary for me to write a blog post.
What should I write about?
Perhaps I could write about my summer in Hong Kong, my trip to visit my adorable little old man dad in China, filming YADA commercials in Philippino mansions, kayaking around the islands of Sai Keung, climbing waterfalls with Felix and our "see-lai-sat-sou" cousin (here's to you, Brian!), Nine out of Ten with relatives daily, Blockbuster season of superheroes, Empire magazine (Harry Potter limited ed.), my brothers and sisters in GPS, Auntie Christina & co., filming a documentary in Luoyang, secretly doing aerobics all summer long in my Hong Kong room behind closed door, adventures with 852 Hong Kong life group!, discovering Karen Yiu, the new season of quiet time discipline that unfolded, my refreshing reboot with Jesus, Langham sticker pictures (see: Facebook profile pictures), cake pops and Chapters on Highway 7, Tim Hortons meet-ups with my best friends, camp-fam reunions galore, the tennis racket that bruised my forearm every time I play with it, summer reading list (including, but not limited to: The Hunger Games trilogy (thank you, Karen), The Oxford Murders, Confessions, Nineteen Minutes), my itunes and Zen makeover, or watching my snake eat a huge toad.
I could write about those things.
But I'm not going to.
I choose to write about the first Michigan football game of the regular season on September 3, 2011, against Western Michigan.
It was an eventful day in general. I got up, and hurriedly threw some last-minute items into my bulging suitcases and laundry baskets. Then I made Felix and mom get up so they could drive me to campus (move-in day!). I wanted to be at my apartment in Ann Arbor by noon, but Felix didn't wake up until then. And then he decided he had to eat a baked potato and a bread stick before he could leave. We didn't arrive at my apartment until 1:30 pm. I unpacked as best I could, realized that I brought too much clothes to school, and sweated bullets. I kicked my family out at 2:30 and asked them to drop me off at the Union so I could meet my football friends. I wanted to deposit a check on the way. And then I realized halfway there that I had forgotten to bring my credit card. And then we had to go back and drop off the $600 check. And then I ran to the Union, afraid I'd be late. I was the first one there.
The line outside of the Stadium gates were long. I had never had to stand in line so long before. It was about 99.9 degrees Farenheit, sunny, dry, no clouds. SO HOT.
We listened to the first quarter of the game meters away from the Stadium entrance (the line just didn't move for all that time), and then, finally, holding our crumpled and partially-melted Section 31 Row 5 tickets, pushed our way down towards our seats... which were, of course, all taken by then. We somehow managed to kind of all find spots on the bleachers to stand on. It was so crowded and hot and nasty. But soon enough, my concerns about dehydration and sticky forearms touching me were swept away by the deafening chorus of cheers and "You Suck"s and "Hail"s, and replaced by a more pressing concern that I was going to drop the beach ball or miss doing the wave.
A little after halftime, suddenly, this large cloud came overhead from nowhere. Like, for real. It was so hot one minute and then suddenly, the stadium let out one loud, "ahhh" of relief. Minutes later, it started to pour. The raindrops were actually the hugest, most painful drops of water to have ever hit me. The "ahhh" turned into a roar of loud cheers and laughter. Except for Jean, who looked miserable, and Joe Yang, who was afraid the rain was going to make him sick.
The game got suspended. But by the time they made the announcement, the rain had stopped and the sun was making its quick re-entry. The refs decided on a 15-minute wait period. We stayed. The game resumed.
After another quarter, the storm came back. It was serious this time. Stadium evacuated. We got home at about 7:30, drenched and miserably but happily cold. We split ways to shower and change, and then regrouped at Carriage for a night of Ramen, Monopoly Deal, and funny youtube brainstorming.
My friend Jeff said it best when I ran into him as I was leaving the stadium, cold, sopping wet, hair matted down, and shirt thoroughly stuck to skin... "B. This is the most fun I have ever had at a football game here."
Hail.
We won the game.
Maybe it's just because I'm a senior this year, but I'm glad to be back in land of Maize and Blue.
- bcl.
