A Sad Day

Well in all honestly I couldn't have asked for a more fun and exciting day on Saturday. It just had a sad ending.

First of all let me tell you how we started the weekend off on Friday. Susan I headed over to Notre Dame Firday night to go to the Pep Rally at the Joyce ACC Center. Doors opened to Notre Dame students at 5:30p.m. and to the public at 6:00p.m. We got over there just at about 6:00p.m. Well the place was already so packed that they were turning a whole crowd of people away, so we couldn't get in. It was a major bummer. Apparently there was already a ton of people lined up to get in starting at 3:00p.m.! There was no way we would have gotten in even if we got there at 5:00p.m. and we were both still at work till then. Keep in mind the Joyce ACC holds 10,000 people! We decided we weren't going to let it spoil our fun, so we headed over to Fiddler's Hearth, which is a great Irish Pub (seeing as the weekend is all about the Fighting Irish). Real Irish food, great pub atmosphere, and Irish music. We hung out there for a couple of hours, having a great time, and then went back to Susan's apartment to chill before heading back out to the Notre Dame campus for the Midnight drum circle. For those of you who do not know what a drum circle is, that is when the marching drum line comes out and plays a bunch of awesome pieces and everyone gathers around them. They totally rocked. It's a good way to get all psyched up for the game.

Now comes the big day . . . Game day! Susan and I left early and got to campus a little before 10:00a.m. It was just amazing to see the parking lots full of all the tail gaters. The smell of all the barbeque, people playing games, and even people with giant tv's set up in the back of their vehicles. It's just a whole different atmosphere there on game day. We headed towards the bookstore because I wanted to look around for some things in there even though I knew it was going to be mobbed. After spending some time in the bookstore we came out and listened to the live music they had going on on the stage that was set up right next to it. It was nice and relaxing. Around noon we headed over to the library where we were going to meet Kendall and Nancy from my church. While there we took some time to glance up at "Touch Down Jesus", a mural that is painted on the front of the library everyone has come to call this because you can see it from inside the stadium in the endzone, and the way Jesus' hands are raised it looks like he is saying "Touchdown!" Well Kendall and Nancy did not meet us at the Library, and since we did not want to miss the band's concert on the steps of Bond Hall we headed on over there figuring they may be over there, since that was where we were going to all go. On our way over there, we were about run over by the Irish Guard (big men in kilts). The concert had just gotten started as we got over there. Sure enough in the giant crowd of thousands of people though we were able to run into Kendall and Nancy. We enjoyed the concert, and afterwards headed over to the main building for the Band's inspection and marchout to the stadium. The inspecition was great. The band members all line up at perfect attention staring forward, not smiling or anything. Then the section leaders all go through and inspect each member. They make sure their hair is not touching their collar, their uniform is all straight and perfect, and the whole time everyone standing by in the audiance around them is screaming at them and trying to make them laugh or smile. It was just too funny to watch. Then the band marches and plays the fight song out across campus to the stadium what was really awesome was the fans can march right behind all the way to the stadium, so Susan and got right behind them, and I mean RIGHT behind them. We were literally behind the piccolo players. The whole way too. I mean people tried to cut in in front of us, but were weren't letting them! It was a blast! See that is what is just great about Notre Dame football, there is just so much tradition that goes on.

So we got in the gates, and found our seats. Game starts, and bam! . . . Michigan State scores. It's rediculous! I'm like it's okay, it's okay, we'll get em, no big deal. Man the first half goes by, and we're down by 21 points!! I'm starting to feel hopeless here. I'm thinking well this stinks, my first ever actual time getting to see a live Notre Dame game, and this happens. Whats going one? We started out the year so awesome. We beat Pitt. and then we beat 3rd ranked Michigan, so why are we down 21 to Michigan State? So we come back in the 3rd quarter though, and man to we make a come back. Our defense is kicking butt! We are shutting them down, and then our offense is making some plays now! We come back from being down 21 points to tie the game 38 to 38 by the end of the 4th quarter!! It has to go into overtime! So here I think we are going to pull this off now! I mean man this has been one heck of a game to watch now. Talk about having a sore throat the next day from screaming so much. So overtime comes. We make 4 point field goal . . yes! Now Michigan State has the ball. Lets just shut em down again right, and we win! Nope, they make a touchdown . . they win by 3 points. Such a sad ending. An awesome weekend, so much excitement, so psyched for the game, and awesome tense game, and bam . . . it's like the wind gets knocked out of you. It's all over. Oh well It was still fun. I'll have some awesome pictures from it all up later. Check back later.