Forward Rebels...

Part two of my fun weekend....

As Katherine so kindly reminded me in the comments here, my Hotty Toddy Saturday last week began with David singing the fight song to get everyone in the mood.  Also to drive everyone crazy probably.  I'd actually repressed this memory until I read the comments.  But she's right.  Now that Ole Miss doesn't have flags to wave, songs to sway to, or the original mascot, we've started singing the fight song for school spirit.  No one really knows the fight song, except, obviously, David.  He is kind enough to sing it to us while we are asleep in hopes that it will seep into our dreams and we will learn it that way. 

So, up and at 'em.  We get up, and get going and I'm dragging a little bit, so Katherine, David and Crockett head on to the game while I'm still getting ready.  I then load up everything, including the sort-decent-looking-flower-arrangement I'd labored over the night before.  Unfortunately for Mrs. Barbara's floors, my flower pot apparently has a leak and water goes EVERYWHERE.  So, there I am, in my cute blue, pineapple-print dress with my hair just perfect, mopping up the water that is now all over her concrete floors.  I'm sure there is a metaphor for the actual football game in there somewhere.  But I got it all situated and headed onto the game. 

Now I've been going to Ole Miss games for MANY, MANY years.  And for many of those years, I lived in Oxford-- which is especially nice when you are having to wake up early or get home late from ballgames since you live only minutes away.  But its been 5 football seasons since I lived close by and, well, you forget easily.  Being able to stay in Oxford the night before a game, meaning you don't have to wake up at 6 a.m. to get ready and on the road, is AMAZING.  Like, totally wonderful.  I arrive at the Grove with minimal traffic, meet the boys on the side of the Circle to help me unload, find a pretty decent parking spot and am sitting in the tent with my friends in less than 20 minutes.  Wonderful!  All the while, my mom and dad were still a couple hours away, having woken up with the roosters to get going. 

If you've never experience the Grove, then you should totally come to our tent sometime-- its really indescribable.  But its wonderful.  I know people think the Grove, and Ole Miss, are all snobby and pretentious and obnoxious.  And there are arguments to be made for that.  But, the Grove is a home-- its my home, our home.  Come football season, I get to spend time with my friends, some of whom, I've not seen since last football season.  I run into people I've known over the years-- from college, law school, Newton, Laurel, and other places.  I see family members that I rarely see other than Christmas.  I get to sit in a tent, enjoy the breeze (if there is one), eat some good food and relax with some of my favorite people in the world.  One of the more interesting aspects of "Grovin" are the people whom you only know from the Grove.  My family has set up with many different people over the years and in a few different places.  We typically have different neighbors each year. 

But my law school friends have set up in the same place since we started.  And I'm pretty sure we've had these same neighbors since then.  Its a large family and we really only know them from the Grove-- we know their names, their families, their children's names and where they go to school, where they are from, etc.  But its literally like a family reunion at the first game!  These people are our friends-- even though we've never seen them outside the campus of Ole Miss.  We've celebrated with them, drowned our sorrows (especially last year!), shared food and drink, borrow supplies, even helped them guard their tent at time.  And vice versa.  I think its a really neat relationship and its once of the reasons the Grove is such a special place to me. 

This year, I'm really happy to be back in the Grove.  Last year, for obvious reasons, just wasn't the same.  Not only because our team wasn't so great, but also because yours truly wasn't so great.  And it all culminated in a spectacularly bad Egg Bowl.  But this year is, thankfully, a new year.  And while our team apparently won't be much better, I am.  Being in the Grove surrounded by my friends is a wonderful, wonderful place.  Its worth 15 sessions of therapy, I promise.  I also get to see my brother, and my mom and my dad, and sometimes my sister.  Plus, I get to eat really good food.  Honestly, its just about perfect. 

And last weekend was just about perfect.  I had a great time.  I did get a tiny bit stressed out about a few things, and there was one temper tantrum about some tableclothes, but otherwise, it was great.  Unfortunately, the game wasn't.  Fortunately for me, however, I'd left the game at halftime, so in my mind, we totally won.  I ran into a friend after the game, as he was walking, along with 50,000 of his closest friends, with sorrow-filled steps and frowns on their faces.  I told him that in my mind, we'd totally won the game.  He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Good for you, Jess, stay in that happy place.  You are better off than the rest of us."  I think, in so many ways, he was right!