On Friday night I asked Mrs. SteveE79 what our plans were for Saturday. She said there weren't any. I long ago lost the stomach for even watching an SEC power take over stadium and run the score up on us. I noted the forecast was for a clear skies and nice breeze in NE OK, so we spent Saturday afternoon sailing our old boat.
When we got back to the dock, I checked the score on my phone. It was 33-28, 6 minutes to go, and we were threatening. But I'm too experienced to mess with the gods, so I didn't even put the audio on. When I told the Mrs. (not a VU alum, but has 45 years of experience with one) she told me that there was too much time left, don't get my hopes up. After the score to go 40-28, I said F-it, and put the audio on as we drove home.
In the car my phone rang, interrupting the audio feed. It was son #1, VU alum class of 2002, asking me if I knew what was happening. He's a Naval Commander, who had traveled to Houston from his base in Seattle to visit his brother, son #2, VU alum class of 2004, to watch Detroit (his birthplace) beat the Astros, and visit his 7 year old nephew (potential VU grad, class of 2040). They had been running around all day doing brother/uncle/nephew things, while periodically checking the score. But not wanting to jinx anything, that's all they did. Until they got back home, at about the 6 minute mark, and said screw it - turn it on.
We told them - interesting story, but we can't talk to you and listen to the game - so let's talk later.
After the win, we talked to about 30 minutes, sharing our collective joy. While talking, I got texts from various relatives. After that conversation, I called my brother-in-law, VU class of 1979, in PA. He had been monitoring the score as well, not wanting to jinx it, until about the 2:00 mark, when he said to hell with it, and turned on the game. I told him I was at least twice the fan he was, since I beat him by about 3 minutes on the game clock. He admitted as much. It turns out his daughter, VU Law 2010, was visiting at the time, which he used as an excuse.
Is it weird that we all cared enough to monitor the game, were afraid to jinx it, but couldn't hold out to the end? Or is it just the natural consequence of experiencing years of something you love disappointing you, and just not being able to totally end the relationship? In any event we all agreed to head to the Anchor Collective site and ante up.
God bless you, all those that made yesterday happen. We don't know, and may never know, who all of them are. But yesterday was a big step in burying the thought that "we have no chance, I can't bear to watch".
Now let's go get more.
