It was a very long day (Georgia @ Arkansas)

As I posted last week, I was very excited for the first SEC game of the 2009 Arkansas Razorback Football season.  I knew there were still some questions to be answered, but I was confident that there would be a great improvement over last year.  Well, the offense was impressive, but the defense needs some work.  So instead of posting about the game itself (you can find a lot of information about the game elsewhere), I will concentrate on the surrounding “festivities.”  BTW, for the Monday Column by Malvie, check out:  Georgia vs. Arkansas: Oh, where, oh where has my Defense gone?

I was able to spend time with several friends and I really made a full day of it.  By the way, I apologize for the quality of some pictures.  They were taken with my cell phone.

I got up at 6:30 a.m. so that I could take care of the dogs and be on the road by 9 o’clock.  That allowed me to be in Fayetteville in time for …

Lunch

I originally planned lunch so that my friend Jim (aka AZHawg), his brother, and I could have lunch with Holly and Carl (aka StressHog and Mr. Stressie).  Then Holly got sick and the “Stressies” had to stay in Choctaw, Oklahoma instead of coming to the game.  Our friend Clay Henry (once known as arkansaspub) was able to join us before he had to go to work reporting on the game.

We stuck to the original plan and went to Mama Dean’s Soul Food Kitchen.  I had fried pork chops, yams, corn nuggets, hot water cornbread, sweet tea, and lemon cake.  I was full when I took the picture of my plate.  As you can see there was still a lot of food left.

Al, Clay, and Jim were great company for lunch.
It’s a shame that I didn’t get a better picture.

After Lunch – Tailgate!

It was beginning to mist when I left the car and started up the hill.  I was lost in musing as I walked when I heard someone say “Is that Marty?”  It was Jeremiah (JGage), his wife Ginger and a friend of theirs.  (I’m sorry that I forgot her name.  I’m bad that way.)

I stopped by the old WebHogs Razorback Club tailgating site.  While I was visiting, a car stopped on Leroy Pond Drive.  It was Fred (Tuschawg) and Jan from Tuscaloosa.  When Daddy and I first started going to tailgates, Fred and Jan were the first to welcome us.  After they parked, the three of us walked up the hill looking for the location that Nick (MalvernHog) had told me about.

Once we found the spot, we were all welcomed by Joey (WherezThePork).  I have been spoiled by pre-game tailgating and I sure do not want to give it up.  So folks, look for me to join your tailgate!

Jeremiah, Nathan and Nick

 

After some high-class tailgating, Fred, Jan and I walked over to the Alumni House.  They offer a great get-together too!  They had hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.  But there was also a contingent of the cheer squad and the band to get everyone in the mood.  By this time I had forgotten to keep taking pictures, so I failed to get any shots of Kathy (PetuniaPig), Larry, and their son Ben.  Nick took care of that by getting a photo of Kathy and Larry after they joined the tailgate.  (See the post linked above.)

Nearly Game-Time

For the first time in recent memory, the sides of the A were straight!!
Good job band.

The Game and after

The game was incredibly exciting and very long.  As I said earlier, you can find lots of game analysis elsewhere.  By the end, I was exhausted.

Then there was the long drive home.  I was pretty tired so I thought that I would take a nap before starting the journey.  Usually by waiting a while, the traffic will clear.  Not this time.  I stopped at the McDonalds in Siloam Springs for coffee.  But the line for the drive-thru wrapped all the way around the building and I decided to pass.  I finally made it home at 3 a.m.

So there you have it, a very boring recital of an exciting day.  Maybe you enjoyed the pictures?