My hubby is not a shopper and definitely not one to spend money on frivolous things like diamonds. No, he goes for the practical like an edger, a vacuum cleaner, a new set of pots and pans, all things suggesting I continue cooking, cleaning and maintaining! Every now and then, however, he does surprise me with something big that is very exciting.
This year my stocking held tickets to the BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. In case you missed it, that game between Florida State and Auburn was for all the marbles where college football is concerned.
The Rose Bowl, of course, has a storied history and is a great venue for taking in a big event.
Surrounding the stadium was the ultimate tailgate party where thousands of fans mixed and mingled for hours before the game.
What made this really fun was people watching. Auburn’s bright orange and blue stood out in the crowd for sure.
FSU’s palette was more subtle, but some fans found a way to show their Seminole pride.
An hour before kickoff, we were in our seats.
The Goodyear blimp was overhead,
stands were filling up, teams had gone through their preliminaries, each university band had done its thing, score was 0-0. It was time to get it on.
For Seminole fans, the battle begins when Chief Osceola rides Renegade onto the field and thrusts the spear into the ground. Many people agree this is one of the best traditions in college football.
I won’t bore you with four quarters of football that were among the most exciting of any event I’ve ever witnessed. If you watched the game, you know how heart stopping it was. As with any game, someone has to win and someone has to lose. This night it was the Seminoles who remained unconquered.
Supporters on both sides were stunned, and it took a few minutes for garnet and gold fans to find their voices and raise them in jubilation.
Yes, the hubby did it big this time, and there’s more to come as we head to Napa Valley to unwind.
i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind
Lulu's Musings 
How much fun! What a great surprise!
Jenna
Well, I will still call you my friend, as I am a Gator fan….:)
What a game…a nail biter for sure…but congrats on the win…one of my BFF’s is die hard FSU fan and my nephew is now attending FSU..and hopes to go on to Med school…As for me, on my bucket list is to go to the Rose Bowl Parade!…Glad you had a great gift in your stocking..I would take that over diamonds any day…(but not for an FSU game..ha!)
Wowie.. his shares went up for sure.. well done Linda’s hubby.. and Linda on this great review.. I got excited just reading your post! .. making memories is high on my priority list .. aah and then there was Nappa valley as well.. gosh.. double digit shares for sure.. happy for you that your bloke knows you so well Linda.. what a blessing x j
Loved it!!!
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone >
That was a SUPER great gift! Way to go, Dad! But when it comes to the practical gifts, he doesn’t exactly come up with those on his own. Those have usually been your “exciting” requests. 🙂 XO!
What a wonderful gift! Glad you had a great time!
Uh… Nice present… Looked like a lot of fun…
Lulu, what a fabulous gift! Glad your team won. I look forward to seeing the shots from the wine country.
What a great time!!!
I’m not big on sports but this does sound like a spectacular time! And a very cool gift. Love your pictures and you and your hubby are a very sweet couple!
XO,
Jane
Even if you dont like sports,you probably would have enjoyed the happening.
Wow. Your hubby is a hero !!!!!!!
That was an awesome game, and you were there! I had to put up with my hubby’s anxiety during the first two quarters of the game while watch the game on TV 😀
We recorded the game, and would you believe we watched it last night when we got home! I’m still reeling from the excitement.
🙂
Glad you got to go to the BCS game. It was a great game. Congratulations. I enjoyed your post and love your outfit for the game. Great tradition with chief, horse and spear.
My daughter and her husband were there rooting for their alma mater, Auburn. We kept their kids while they were there. I also attended Auburn my freshman and sophomore years and finished at Alabama because my husband to be was there.
Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.
What an absolute heart breaker that game had to be for Auburn fans. Auburn played a great game throughout, but FSU got its act together in the fourth quarter and made the game a nail biter.
I’m not a big football fan (or a fan of sports generally, although I do enjoy watching equestrian events, such as three-day eventing) but I’m glad you had a wonderful time at the game! 🙂
Do you also ride?
Yes, I started riding when I was 7 and between the ages of 11 – 16 I had my own horse. Well, actually two, because I had a Welsh pony when I was 11 and then I ‘graduated’ to a bigger horse – a Thoroughbred – when I was 13.
I haven’t ridden for a few years now. Due to the commitments of studying and university, I had to sell my horse. But I do miss it. Horses are wonderful animals and riding is a lovely stress-reliever.
Going to Napa was the best part. 🙂
Loved Napa, but I still can’t get over how exciting the game was!
Winner winner chicken dinner! Boy if you had tickets for a BCS game this one was the one to be at for sure. The last 4 minutes were amazing. How fun that you could be there. Hubby and I grew up in Southern California but I’ve only been to 2 games at the Rose Bowl. One time in high school and then after we moved to Washington state we traveled back for the Rose Bowl game that the University of Washington was in and won. Hat’s off to hubby for this unique stocking stuffer!!
How fun that your trip did not stop in Southern California…
Oh Ellen, the game was amazing and the last few minutes were crazy. No one knew who was going to win until the last second.
We were at Boston College for the BC-Florida State game in September… no chief on a horse since it was at BC but definitely a large group of spirited fans from Florida! I think I saw some feathers in the crowd 😉 Enjoy your trip Lulu!
Ordinarily the chief and the horse are left behind, but I guess with the game being a big deal, they were allowed to participate. Next year BC comes to Tallahassee. Maybe you should, too!
I think that sounds great!!