Pat's Odyssey Act III

Without further a due my running diary of Saturday in Iowa City.

7:30 a.m. CT: Woke up in Toby's house wondering why the hell I am up this early on a Saturday when I do not have to work.

7:45 a.m. CT: Now I remember why I am up this early after buying a 12-pack of beer at the local gas station.

8:10 a.m. CT: Parked the car and cracked open the first beer of the day, have not done this tailgating thing in about three years but after that first sip, this is something I could get used to.

8:20 a.m. CT: Arrived to Rally Alley in horror as the giant inflatable to welcome visitors to Rally Alley has already been put up without Russ and I helping out for old time sakes. I cry a little.

8:21 a.m. CT: Remember all the horrors about cleaning that giant thing on my last day of work and begin contemplating taking a leak on it.

9:00 a.m. CT: I love how you can just walk around with a 12 pack and an open beer drinking before noon and it is considered normal.

10:00 a.m. CT: After walking around looking for other tailgates, decide to come back to Rally Alley to bug everyone and get free food out of it.

10:50 a.m. CT: Now with a full belly of free food and a lot of beer in us, we decided to help out the marketing staff take down the giant inflatable, it got really emotional for Russ and I as we just help push it down and deflate it, after that we quickly ditched the marketing staff when it came time to pack and lift the inflatable in the van.

11:25 a.m. CT: Up in the Press Box watching the game, saying hi to old staff members, poor Russ was getting annoyed that no one remembered who he was and people were just doing those fake pretended to remember you talks without ever using his name. But everyone remembered me and missed me.

12:05 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes offense is sucking it up first half, thank god they sell beer in the Press Box otherwise why would anyone want to watch crappy football.

12:40 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes are down to the Spartans at halftime, the band is playing their traditional Halloween theme music, nothing special but the highlight was the announcer of the band using Halloween terms in the PA, example "The Iowa Marching Band is hoping you are having a spooky good time." "The marching band is led by our own ghoulish (golden) girl." Everyone in the stands did one of those "that was stupid" laughs, hehehehehe.

12:50 p.m. CT: Just like old times Toby makes me go and get some autograph of one of the TV announcers who won the Heisman Trophy, don't worry I am tacking on the hours to what they owe me for the Message Center work.

1:15 p.m. CT: Beer sales are ending, which is probably a good thing because the Hawkeyes are making a comeback, I think they know I am back in town and are giving one for the Gipper (that's me).

1:28 p.m. CT: Just love watching the 70,000 fans that can not sit in the Press Box like me, one of the few joys I get for knowing people in sports.

2:07 p.m. CT: Just got more bang for my free ticket, we are going into overtime.

2:40 p.m. CT: Hawkeyes just won in overtime and though Michigan State was not ranked or really considered a big upset for us, our fans decide it was appropriate to rush the field. I guess when you are having a terrible season you take the moments when you get them.

2:55 p.m. CT: You think our Hawkeye sports are done for the day, but the football game was just the tip of the iceberg. We head over the Carver-Hawkeye Arena to catch the basketball teams scrimmage against each other. I like our odds for this game, I think we can beat ourselves.

2:59 p.m. CT: Just got sneaked into the arena without paying for a ticket, when you know people they can help you get free admission to a $5 event. Just some more perks of the biz.

3:28 p.m. CT: Watching our team play against themselves is just as exciting as you would think.

3:35 p.m. CT: One amusing thing about the scrimmage was during a time out for the music selection they decided to play some Frank Sinatra, really do not hear a whole lot of Frank at basketball games anymore. It did not get the crowd pumped up or anything, but it was entertaining.

4:15 p.m. CT: Game Over, Black 42 Gold 26. I just lost a thousand bucks on that game, Gold just did not have enough hustle to beat themselves.

4:30 p.m. CT: You think our Hawkeye sports experience is now over, but guess what (what?) there is a volleyball game at 7 p.m. The Hawkeye Sports Marathon continues.

4:45 p.m. CT: Russ and I decide to go to the Wig and Pen for a flying tomato pizza, on the way out some drunk was trying to get into Carver with an open beer. I explained to him that he could not go into Carver with an open beer, he did not care. He kept trying to get around me to get in, but I kept telling him he can't with that beer. He decides to set it down and go inside we start walking away from him when we see he turns around to go get his beer, now I am pissed. So he is walking away from me in Carver with his open beer and I tell him I am going to call security and proceed to take out my cell phone and pretended like I am calling someone. He finally says fine then tells me to hold his beer for him, I do and he stumbles his way to the bathroom. I take his beer outside and just chuck it on the ground and dust my hands in a cool way. (man I am such a bad ass)

5:00 p.m. CT: Walking towards the Wig and Pen, keep checking my back to make sure no pissed off drunk is charging at me because I chucked his beer on the ground.

5:11 p.m. CT: The lady at the restaurant ask for my name to put on the waiting list, I tell her Pat Thompson and she stares at me with confusion and ask me if I am the same Pat Thompson from Facebook. I said yes and realized this girl is some random friend on Facebook page but we have never met before, small world.

6:30 p.m. CT: After a few beers and a full belly of pizza we say good bye to my random Facebook friend and head to the final Hawkeye sporting event for the day.

8:30 p.m. CT: Iowa Volleyball got worked by Penn State, saved you some reading.

9:15 p.m. CT: Head out to a house party to see some old friends, forget that it is Halloween weekend which everyone dresses up in a costume and of course I did not bring my costume, (side note: my costume this year was going to be a flying monkey from Wizard of Oz)

9:17 p.m. CT: I tilted my trucker hat to the side, had a scruffy beard, and decided I was going as a college student because I am no longer one, that it would make a perfect costume. I kept talking about how much I was looking forward to the new Dave Matthews Band album and talking about how that mid term last week kicked my ass. Everyone thought my costume was stupid.

9:55 p.m. CT: Just saw a penguin and a bunny win in a game of beer bong and I was not drunk.

10:25 p.m. CT: Getting really tired, been up and drinking for over 12 hours and just do not think I can make it out to the bars the rest of the night, we decide to go back and crash at our friends place and finish the night by watching the Disney movie Hook.

11:10 p.m. CT: RU-FIO! RU-FIO! RU-FI-OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

11:54 p.m. CT: Finally going to sleep and realizing I did not get to hang out with everyone at the bars, so feel bad, but then realize I have to be in a car for over 10 hours while listening to the Vikings lose to the Eagles with an Eagles fan in the car.

Amazing weekend, glad to see everyone and hand out my business cards, sorry to everyone that I could not spend more time with, but people are more than welcome to come out here and visit me. You know where I live, you have my business card.