On The Edge Of A New Season

The air is starting to feel slightly cooler, the sun not quite as scorching and hot when it's high in the sky at midday.  The roads have a more constant stream of cars as people have for the most part embarked on their summer getaways and have resumed the daily grind of a five day work week.  At the grocery store, the watermelons are not piled quite as high and the beer selection has shifted from those light summer ales to more hoppy and festive choices - I even saw a Pumpkin Ale the other day...  These are all the subtle signs that summer is winding down.  Fall always seems to creep right up on me.  Perhaps since summer is my favorite season, I always hope that the sunscreen scented days will linger on, that they'll stretch out just a bit longer and grant me a few extra chances to work on my tan.

Even though I consider myself a summer seasoned gal, I'll admit I do have a certain excitement now when fall starts to roll around.  My husband explained to me a few weeks ago that we were in the "dog days".  Of course I nodded, naturally thinking he just meant it was sweltering outside and doggone HOT! He knows me all too well, that I didn't have a clue, so proceeded to explain that he meant we were in the few weeks of summer when there are no sports to watch on TV.  This was my window... I think now he regrets informing me of such a time span since I jumped on the opportunity to commandeer the remote control so that we wouldn't miss any of the riveting shows featured on HGTV, Food network or the Travel Channel.

I can say with full confidence that I enjoyed the "dog days of summer".  I relished in the opportunity to continuously indulge in my choice of TV programming.  But now those days are over and I can also say, I'm ready for them to be.  We are now entering the highly anticipated football season - and I for one am actually looking forward to it.

With football season upon us, there is a felt sense of competition in the air.  I wont pretend that I'm a die hard sports fan. You wont hear me rattling off player stats or reciting a short monologue on the history of a head coach.  But I will admit, after last years season, I think I'm more a fan of football now than ever before.  Perhaps its the extra time spent at bars with other fans.  Or maybe it was my new found love for cooking that prompted me to whip up nachos and spinach dip at home to watch the game.  Or maybe it was that we moved to a college town dripping in the SEC football team colors year round...

In not knowing the intricacies of the game there's one other aspect of football season that I've come to enjoy.  It's a conversation that my sports enthusiast significant other and his friends sometimes engage in: which team mascot would win in a fight against the other?  The game consists of picking a side and lobbying for why that mascot is tougher, stronger and better fit to win against its opponent.  The mascot that has the edge would clearly be the team with a better chance of winning the actual game.  Admittedly, this is a hilarious and sometimes ridiculous way to think of two teams matching up.  Let's take, for instance the 2010 NFL season.  The Cincinnati Bengals will play the New England Patriots.  The Detroit Lions will take on the Chicago Bears.  And the Arizona Cardinals will fight the Saint Louis Rams... so we have a Tiger against a Patriot, a Lion and a Bear and a Bird against a Ram... should be interesting.

We took the extra step at becoming loyal football fans this season and bought season tickets to the USC Gamecock football games.  I'm looking forward to seeing how that mean looking rooster matches up against opposing forces.  In case you were unaware, a picture of the USC mascot is below.

So although summer is drawing to a close, I'm optimistic that the approaching fall season will offer up it's signature happenings that I always enjoy.  Football, the vibrant color of changing leaves, Thanksgiving, and a welcomed crispness to the air.