Road Trip(s)

It's kind of a school tradition around here that the 8th grade band plays for the last high school football game of the season. Cody was so excited. It was all he talked about for weeks. That night finally got here. I don't know what he was more happy about--playing at the game, or being able to get out of school early. The game was in Vicksburg, which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from here. It's slower if you go by school bus. They didn't get back until 1:00 AM. I creeped along through a thick, dense fog to pick him up, and the first thing he said when he got into the car was, "We lost."

Yep, the football team pretty much got clobbered--48-6, but Cody said they had a good time anyway. He told me that the game seemed to go by in an instant, they were having so much fun. They didn't do the halftime show, but they sat in the stands and played during the game. I didn't know until today that Anchors Aweigh is the fight song. I asked Cody what the connection was with the Navy, and he said, "They just liked the song." I think there's more to it than that, though, because there is a Blue Angel displayed in front of the school.

Cody said the other school's band was pretty bad. Their trombones and trumpets were pathetic, and their tuba section kept messing up. Or so says Cody. I replied that it must be embarrassing being outplayed by a jr. high band.

Today started out with us sleeping in. I got up around 9:30 and puttered around the house a bit. I made my birthday cake, and a cherry pie. I know, I know. I'm not supposed to have to make my own birthday cake, but with my allergies, it just seems safer to do it myself.

When the pie was out of the oven, we decided to make a road trip. Cody needed a new jacket. He has a heavy coat, but he needed something lighter, for those cool, but not too cold days. The Wal-mart here in town didn't have any he liked, so we decided to head on up the highway to Batesville to see what their Wal-mart had.

The day was pleasant and sunny. The sky had just enough clouds to give it character:



and we managed to see a little bit of color along the highway. It's pretty difficult to take pictures while driving, and most of what I took looked like this:

This is probably the best of what I took.

As you can see, most of the trees are just brown, but there was an occasional bright red one, or a deep orange, or sunny yellow one.

We got to Batesville without incident and found him a jacket he liked at the Wal-mart there. I also bought him a new set of sheets, which he desperately need. We got home just in time to catch the 4th quarter of the ND-Air Force game, won by the Air Force.

Probably the best news of the day: #1 Ohio State LOST to unranked Illinois! This gives LSU a chance to move back into the #1 slot, and keeps their hopes of a national championship alive. Yeah, I know, LSU lost to Kentucky, but at least UK was ranked. Right now LSU is leading La Tech 44-7 in the fourth quarter. I don't expect them to lose this one--or have to make one of those last minute come from behind victories, either.