So I think I've mentioned before that Michiganders are a bunch o' football nuts? Yesterday was the '2nd biggest' game of the year—the proverbial Civil War—Michigan versus Michagan State (Ohio State is bigger because 1) they are more often the conference winner and 2) everything about Ohio sucks *cough*) But this is definitely the best ATTENDED game (and by that I don't mean best attended—ALL the conference games are sold out—I mean it brings the most people to TOWN--meaning it has the highest detritus milling about... in our yard and all...). It is unusual in many regards. And LOSING this one is a bigger deal because... they're like... the little brother...
My daughter's best friend lives ON CAMPUS—not because she is a college student, but because her parents have a big house and rent rooms to borders—they live across the street from the Sigma Nu fraternity (would you like my fabulous tales about Oregon Sigma Nus? It was my favorite 'party house' in college largely because I had some great 'just friends' there—seemed I DANCED from the minute I walked in the door—but the scene in Animal House with the bubble fishbowls in the wall? Oregon's Sigma Nu house—they were cool.... but I digress...
House parties sprawled into the street (literally—like people falling OFF the sidewalk... or just losing brain power and STANDING off the sidewalk-mid-afternoon---normalish... but mixed in were Spartan shirts... NOT normal... you see, the OTHER state University means those MSU students have FRIENDS (sometimes BEST friends) here in town. So it may not DOUBLE the number of kids partying, but MSU is only 50 miles and there are all these cross-pollination friendships... people come even with no ticket to the game... Hell, people paid us $15 to park in our YARD even with no ticket... biggest TAIL GATE event all year. I supposed that would have clarified that right off... this is the DRINKING GAME.
Before renovation The Big House held 107,005 people. The renovation added 83 'fancy boxes' for alumni who don't want to deal with Michigan cold or rain---and want to drink beer while they watch) plus a bunch of other seats... Michigan Stadium was ALREADY the largest college stadium in the country—it holds more than HALF of the city's population (were it the city entering)... and they've expanded...
Holy Guacamole, is this a football nutso community or WHAT? The stadium is better than HALF the population? And it is $50 a ticket! (or more) My boss has season tickets (a faculty perk) and passes me a pair of seats most years--$55 a seat for END ZONE. (yes, near the front, but I am betting the money for something closer to mid-line is higher). When I was a teen, we went to University of Idaho games for maybe $8. All students went FREE. University of Oregon Students were also free—never needed to buy a seat there, so I have no clue what they ran....
Anyway...
The community was pretty darned NUTS. For a 3:30 game people were walking around (talking loudly) by 10 (maybe sooner, but that was what woke me up). We park cars in our yard for games... until now we've been charging $10 a car and NOT filling up, Today we put out our 'conference rate' of $15 a car and got 12 cars in our yard (full).-[-very NICE to get a little extra income...] but ALL OVER—barbeques, parties.... hell, the GAME BALL was PARACHUTED in...
So my POINT (HA! I do that sometimes... have a point...) is that regional differences in sports importance are BIG. I was stunned moving here from Oregon. I love my Oregon teams, but it just never crossed my mind that people would get LIKE THIS about sports.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping falls for me, somewhere between alligator wrestling and a root canal in order of preference in activities. Unfortunately, I have to do housework more often than BOTH of those other things.
Not like alligator wrestling-- sometimes you manage to accomplish something in spite of yourself (alligator wrestling goals typically are fairly intentional)... Yesterday I managed to clean the bathroom (NOBODY cleans the bathroom like mama cleans the bathroom), but more importantly—I cleaned my 'bathroom stack'--clearing out the Garden Cozy stuff, and sorting 'needed' versus 'not needed'... the bathroom looks much tidier without all that...
I intend to do similar in the basement tomorrow. I have 6 (seriously) ideas for books and they need fleshing out to see which goes next (NaNo) but that whole fleshy thing can't happen while the other stuff is so chaotic.
Hopefully by the end of the day I will also have folded laundry and a 'connected' desk (I have a hand-me-down desk in the corner that is still in pieces), but the house should at least be a LITTLE improved, housekeeping-wise.