Bison Saturday

Bison football.  North Dakota State University.  Fargo, ND.  As of Saturday afternoon, they are the Division One FCS National Champions.  I wasn't an NDSU Bison but I did live in Fargo while I attended Minnesota State University in Moorhead right across the river.  I loved MSUM because of their elementary education program.  But I loved living in Fargo and my social life pretty much existed around NDSU and its people.  Tailgating and football games on Saturdays.  Parties on every day.  Brother went to NDSU and lived in a old white house with five other boys.  And my friends and I frequented their house.  It was similar to Animal House.  Real similar. 

Yes, I donned Bison green and gold Bison many times during those college years when I wasn't wearing Dragon red and white.  What can I say?  I didn't want to miss out on a drop of fun.  Two colleges make for better times than just one. 

So you better believe on Saturday I enjoyed a beer with a pickle.  

 

And you better believe I met up with friends to take in the game.  Coincidentally, all of whom happened to have some sort of connection to my days in Fargo.   

I lived with Natalie for a six month stint in an apartment with vintage blue floral couches.  We referred to them as the blueberry couches.  And we referred to ourselves and our other roommate Elaine as the Blueberry Clan.  Let's just say there might have been some wild times.  We were quite the combination.  When you get two noise violations in your first two days of living somewhere, it might be a sign.   Loud.  We were loud.  Well, we still are.

We haven't lost our fun finder either.  Because when Nat texted me that her friend said it was filling up and they couldn't pull another table over until the entire party arrived, I sensed her panic at the thought of all of us not being able to be together and promptly threw my hair in a ponytail and texted her that I'd pick her up at her house in ten.  We left her husband there to wait for the babysitter.  And I put my mascara on in the BWW bathroom.  Some things are simply necessary when ensuring good times.      

Natalie, her husband, and their two kids recently moved back here and I am so excited about having her in my life on a regular basis again.  Here's to the many ridiculous times I know we will have and let's hope this time, we don't get in any sort of trouble.  Because we are getting much too old for that business. 

Brandon and Jessie are cute.  Jess is one of my forever friends from way back.  Like elementary school way back.  High school slumber parties way back.  Plus, she was a part of my first six months at MSUM.  To this day, there are a few songs that instantly drum up road trip memories with Jessie.  And there was an incident during our first days in Fargo with glow in the dark stars on our faces I will never forget.            

Lee and Mary are cute too.  Lee was one of the five boys who lived with Brother in that white house.  Right away on Saturday, he started in with stories of the shenanigans my friends and I used to pull.  He especially enjoys reminding me of the one time I yelled into the answering machine for a solid nine minutes in the wee hours of my second night at college because I needed one of those boys to hear me and go wake up my brother.  Let's just say I needed him to come and get me from a predicament.  Lee is the one who finally heard, woke up Brother, and rode with him to come pick me up.  He also saved Jessie and I from blowing ourselves up while trying to jump start a vehicle.  For real.   

What does one do when they don't have any Bison gear to wear?  One puts the only green and gold in her closet together.  Even if it happens to be a shirt actually from 1983.  The year she was born.  And from the town two miles away from the farm.  Hartland.  Population two.  Possibly three.  Then to make the odd combination better, one asks the guy sitting at the next table to borrow his old school sunglasses with a neck strap.  Because one knows they will really add to the look.  And then she stands during an exciting part of the game and gives the cheesiest smile ever.  

Yes, I have spent this whole time talking about the people, the place, and the fashion statement.  Game?  There was a game going on too?  I really did watch bits of the game as well.  There was even a time when Somebody came back to the table to find me watching the screen and clapping.  And yelling.  Because I never skip an appropriate reason to yell. 

 

It was an entertaining game and the Bison won.  When it was over, Natalie and I ran around the place giving high fives.  Most people gave them back.  Then way after the game, Nat started telling stories about her daughter who is in kindergarten.  My cheeks hurt from laughing at the similarities in their personalities.  And then, Nat put the icing on my laughing cake when she told me she is the ROOM MOM.  Natalie is the room mom.  Like volunteers in the classroom and plans the crafts/parties of kindergarten room mom.  Far cry from the Blueberry Clan days.  Yet another reminder we are in the land of adult now.     

But that doesn't mean we can't let loose and do some donkey kicking and plastic bead necklace wearing every once in awhile.  Friends, football, fun, and putting mascara on in a BWW bathroom on a Saturday.  Check yes.