Game Day

How did you spend your Sunday afternoon?

At The Clanton Hacienda, the elders devote much time to the observation of the backs of our eyelids. Yes, the Sunday Afternoon Nap is an established, yea, revered, age-old tradition.

Don’t you be telemarketing or making a door-to-door stop around here after about 2pm or so. The digestive process is in full swing, and whatever sound is emanating from the TV is lulling us all into a post-lunch stupor.

I also utilize Sunday afternoons to get ready for Monday mornings, which come earlier for me than for most of you. Reading the Sunday paper is a right that has become ritual. Parade Magazine over Sunday morning cereal; a quick glance at the front page headlines while my Bride puts the finishing touches on her warpaint before church.
My son devours both sports sections, especially on Game Day.

Adam* is a parabolic mic grip for the Houston Texans Radio Network, the flagship for which is KILT AM/FM in Houston, a CBS station combo. He basically gets paid to go watch an NFL team play hard, and sees the games from the sidelines. I don’t know what 50-yard line seats at Reliant Stadium might set you back, but the vantage point Adam has is literally priceless.

During today’s game between the Texans and the Dolphins, I loyally multi-tasked, listening to the game on the Radio while running errands and getting ready for another week of work. During the 3^rd quarter, as Miami was leading Houston by more than a touchdown, he sent me a text message with this photograph of his vantage point on the field of the stadium.

Little show off.
He’s done this before—text-messaged images from a Billy Joel concert, or some away-game for which he’s worked. I always respond with an encouraging word ("hey, great sideline sounds today!"), and a companion photo to let him know his old man is keeping busy, too.

As the Texans tied the game at 16-apiece, I texted** him this photo from the Cookie and Beverage aisle of our neighborhood supermarket, and asked, “Need anything? Field goal, safety, etc.?”

Houston eventually won the game, 22-19.

* Watch Adam Clanton during the "Friday Night Football Frenzy" segment of the late news, Sunday nights on KPRC-TV, Channel 2/Houston.

** Since when did this noun (text) become a verb? Have you noticed how technology has not only altered how we work, play and communicate, but also morphed the very parts of our language, twisting nouns into verbs and adjectives.
Perhaps we'll tackle that on another rainy Sunday afternoon...