Keep Calm … and Go Hawks??

How was your weekend?

Mine was a whirlwind! On Friday night, we made the 5+ hour trip down to Iowa City to visit my sister-in-law and her family, arriving just after 11 p.m. and welcomed with a beer for Teacher Man and glass of wine for me – much needed after driving through wind, rain, hail and a spectacular lightning show. Although … I must say the 80s station on Sirius XM Radio was rocking a 1982 countdown, which kept us entertained on the long drive.

This trek to Iowa City in the fall is becoming an annual tradition for the family I married into. Several of us head to the heart of Hawkeye country for a football game at Kinnick Stadium. (You can read about our trip last year here.)

This is also the only day of the year you’ll catch me wearing Iowa black and gold, which I am sure amuses my in-laws and has my own parents – University of Minnesota Golden Gopher fans like me – shake their heads. My sister-in-law teased me prior to the weekend in an email, “Practice that Go Hawks smile!” And my mother texted me early on Saturday morning, asking if I was indeed “ready” for the big game.

Despite allegiances to different teams, I think the ribbing on both sides is all in good fun and, in fact, we all have something in common – a love of college (and Big Ten) sports and the whole college game experience.

This weekend our college game experience started with cinnamon rolls hot from the oven (praise be!) and shots of Rumchata at 8 a.m. Now that’s how you get warmed up for game day!

After a toast that left all of us in stitches (sorry – some things said in Iowa City will stay in Iowa City), it was off to Kinnick Stadium for the morning tailgate prior to the 11 a.m. game start. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law (the ones who live in Iowa City) bought a van this year specifically for Iowa tailgating and affectionately dubbed it “Van Force One.”

It’s clear these people know what they’re doing and we’re all the better for it. They load up Van Force One with all the tailgating necessities – grill, coolers of beer, vodka, more beer – and literally park it next to the stadium the night before for the optimal tailgate spot at Kinnick. You can see the brand-new giant screen inside the stadium from here.

Let the tailgating begin!

Teacher Man and I walked around a bit and, of course, the AgNerd in me couldn’t help but notice the rows of corn planted right by the stadium and this great “America Needs Farmers” t-shirt. I love the Farm Strong message!

The Hawkeyes actually didn’t dominate the field on Saturday; they lost to Michigan State University in a lackluster performance, but we had a terrific time hanging with family and enjoying the game day experience.

After the game, we drove all the way back home (I told you – whirlwind!), with a quick stop at my sister’s to pick up Joe. Crazy fast trip, but it was nice to be home on Sunday to catch up on, well, weekend things – like laundry and grocery shopping and naps. Naps are always good on Sunday.

Have a great week!