My Favorite Time of Year

It's Fall. For lots of people that means raking leaves. But considering my "inability" to rake I watch our housemates, Chris & Cathy, do it. So, Fall means one thing to me—Football. Specifically, the Oregon Ducks and other college teams including the OS Beavers (aka: flat-tail rats). Oh, and A.B.N.D.—Anybody But Notre Dame.

I lettered at Oregon as a student manager in football in 1974 & '75. The team was 2-9 and 3-8 respectively. Not fun years for the most part if you only consider the win-loss records. But they paid for part of my education and I will forever bleed "thunder" green and "lightening" yellow. And my last game was the Great Pumpkin, Dee Andros', last game. We sent him out with a loss in the Civil War, 14-7.

The last decade + has been much more fun. And since 2000 my friend Chris and I have had season tickets. We've enjoyed lots of victories at Autzen Stadium. And a few stinging losses. None worse than last years loss in the Civil War. (I know I'll get comments about that. Jodi will be first.)

Yet truly, the best part is the ride to and from Eugene. We take the back roads route and enjoy listening to the pre and post-game radio shows. Plus, we catch up with each other's lives and reminisce about our college days and our almost weekly trips driving the same route to come to Corvallis. Back then it was to come see Cathy (Chris' girlfriend–now wife) and Mel. Another highlight has been meeting up with Chris' mom, Helen, for post-game dinners at Red Robin.

Tomorrow we'll swim upstream through all the beavers coming into Corvallis to watch OS smash WSU and make our way to the Oregon-UCLA game at Autzen. Hopefully we'll come home having watched the Ducks beat the Bruins, our Oregon car flags flapping happily in the brisk Fall breeze.