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Browsing Tag: #volunteers

Game Day

Oh, football weather is once again upon us. And I’m happy. I’ve got veggies, bottles of ranch dressing, and all the fixin’s for nachos.  I also bought some sushi, but that can be our little secret.  So anyway, the preparations have been underway. We’re flying the colors and sporting our best orange.  Mom has been out to the graveyard to get Grandmother ready, too. I approve of this, mainly because it’s cool and I couldn’t do it if I had to. I can still see her, perched on the couch, her back ramrod straight. “Hold ’em boys, hold ’em.” She’d be puffing away on that cigarette and probably wishing for a shot of Jack Daniels. Grandmother was a big Vol fan, as we all are here in big orange country. Knoxville is a sight to behold on game day.  Not sure if you can make it out or not, but the little football says “Go Vols” on it. My contribution was the “live, laugh, love” part because Grandmother wasn’t very religious and all the scriptures just felt wrong. She was all for laughing and loving, though.  So that’s her little piece of Big Orange Country, about ten miles from Neylabd Stadium. I’d say she can hear the cheering and feel the stands thundering as 100 thousand strong…

A Cold Clear Night at Neyland

You wanna know what its like at the last home game of the season? Its a roar. Its the stadium shaking so hard from the pounding from almost two hundred thousand feet that it makes your liver quiver. Its Vandy, whom as a rule aren’t even worth the energy it takes to scream yourself hoarse & then take a coughing fit because the air is so cold you can watch it float away from your mouth. Its being so chilled from the slight breeze out of the north that you can’t feel your fingers or nose but you’re vaguely aware that its dripping. Its fans not leaving in the fourth quarter because we’re only ahead by three. Its Rocky Top. Again & again. Its UT football. And I love it…