Hail to the Spirit of Miami U

If there's a better way to spend a Saturday than watching college football at the Orange Bowl, I don't know what it is.

I woke daughter #2 with a rousing rendition of the Hurricanes fight song, and at 930 am we hopped into the T Bird convertible and headed for Little Havana. It was a gorgeous day. The sky was cloudless, and while it was hot, it wasn't even too humid.

We parked and hung at the tailgate with most of the folks we've been seeing for over 20 years. Darriel was frying bacon while drinking mimosas. Daughter #2 went and sat with Mike's daughters and two other Palmetto classmates, and folks came and went, as I drank 2 10:30 am beers.

The toddlers of yesterday are somehow 15 and 16, and there's a new crop of little ones coming behind them.

Eric and Dana stopped by, and we exchanged some laughter and tales of Hurricane yore. There was a nice crowd in the parking lot, and the mood was festive.

We walked through turnstile and up the stairs, and saw the green grass on the field. We found our seats and shook hands and slapped backs with the folks we last saw last December.

The Canes took the field, and they dominated, like the Canes teams we love. The Orange Bowl was loud. Mike turned to me after a great quarterback sack, and I said "I really don't see why this has to be the last season here. We both got a little teary eyed.

Jeanine showed us how easily the orange plastic seat bottoms pry free, and we all agreed we were taking them with us November 11, after the final game. Jeanine remarked "I've sat here every season since 1975. This is going to my house. Let them try to stop me."

Daughter #2 and I left with 10 minutes left in the game, and we drove to Canton --another college favorite of mine. The co owner, Mrs. Lee, was leaving as we were arriving, and she stopped to chat. She asked, as always, if I keep in touch with Colin, my roommate from Hong Kong. I told her I'd heard from him last year.

The familiar, the traditional, is so wonderful. IT gives us roots in this world. I got to share this with my daughter today. What a blessing it was.

Daughter #1's college team, the Gators, also won their home opener. Daughter #1 doesn't really care about football. She's creating memories with friends in a sorority house. I hope her experiences are as rich and textured as mine were in college.

I hope they continue in the form of sunny days with dear friends.