It's Finally Here

Football. What ultimately brought me to Clemson. It was 2003, Clemson was playing FSU at home, and I was a senior in high school tailgating with fraternity boys and jamming to Outkasts 2 hit records from Speakerboxxx/The Love Below ("Hey Ya" and "The Way You Move") at all the parties. Mix in free beer and gin buckets, and you have the perfect storm for making an overwhelming college decision seem like a cakewalk. Not to mention that I wore so much Clemson gear during my senior year of high school that if I didn’t get in and head south, it would have been highly embarrassing. Anyway, as history will tell you, the tigers won the Bowden Bowl and as you can imagine the students were thrilled. As was this high schooler who fell in love with a town….and several upper classmen :)

Flash forward a few years, tailgates, boys, and digital cameras later and you’ve got the start of another football season. Last week the CU tigers took on Auburn in the season opener down in Atlanta. My bank account being as pathetic as it has been lately encouraged me to stay behind with a group of friends. I have serious FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) so it was difficult to see and hear about those heading to the ‘dirty A’ but my stay in Greenville was not to be discounted. Par for the course, I “lost” my digital camera on the first game. What started out as a calm, mature viewing party in the penthouse/rooftop of a building downtown, soon turned into me consuming the large amount of BL’s I brought - - which I referred too earlier in the night as “plenty”. Not plenty. Gone. So I headed back to my college roots and went for the offered Coors Lights my good friends knew I once had a passion for. Cadence counts and a win later, we moved onto flip cup, which turned in to a dance off, which turned into a dance party. Once it was ‘time’ we moved onto our beloved Chicora. After that blur we headed home….safely I’d like to note.

Anyway, I’d like to think we all know that feeling of when you wake up and are like “holy hell, that was a good night”. Well those who know me know that I take far too many pictures. I don’t know if it’s because I’m like my mother and document everything, or if it’s just turned into convenience to piece together a night like Saturday, but when I went to look at ‘what happened’ and my camera and other contents were missing from my purse, I couldn’t help but think ‘well, I guess it really is football season’. I got in my car and headed to Chicora. When I walked in the bartender just started laughing at me. I said “Obviously judging by my looks I was here last night”. I told him what I was looking for and of course nowhere to be found. I left my information, took any part of my dignity I could find, and went on my way. After tracking down the keys to the building I dominated, I went up, and of course, just where I imagined, there was my camera.  Sitting in the middle of our dance floor……and just like I predicted……awesome video footage of the dance party, and the night’s events.

Not even one home game down and I already had a shambly game day. Success. For the ones coming up though, the event planner in me has come out yet again. For safe rides to and from Greenville to Clemson, my friend Jill and I have orchestrated a shuttle bus ride for 20+ each game day. It will be filled game by game, but just knowing I don’t have to worry about driving or parking in Clemson opens a lot of doors for “gameday success”……scary almost. I briefed the owner of the bus company that “this type of crowd still wants to be in college” before asking if coolers and other tailgating paraphernalia were allowed on. He’s met me several times before when I have gotten these buses for wedding receptions in the area, so he interrupted me and told me “Lacey, not to worry, I know your crowd”. I followed with, “I don’t know what that means, but I’m glad we’re on the same page” and laughed it off as every awkward response deserves. Better safe than sorry. On all fronts I guess.

I love the fall and am so glad its finally here. September is going to be filled with football weekends. Followed with October - - throwing in my birthday and a mountain weekend, plus Halloween. Then onto November with more games, a concert,  and my favorite holiday. Bring it on Clemson. I’m ready for you.