Sorry, but when I am talking about my son and his Happy Valley Happiness, I get long-winded!
Arrived around 1:00 Friday and hit CC Peppers as is tradition. Enjoyed Otto's for dinner that night.
My son and I have been to Thee Happiest of Valleys many a time, but he wanted to go to the game and took a friend from high school (they are both juniors) who is an OhowIhate fan.
Went to Lasch and my son and his friend looked in from the outside while JJ was completing a workout. Walked around inside Holuba Hall and then to the stadium. Getting the $8 visitor's parking pass is a good idea BTW.
While at the stadium we run into Spider and talk with him for a while as we met him back in the day and would see him each time we stopped in to see our good friend JT. He said practice was at the stadium, but it is Fort Knox to get a pass to practice. Players and coaches to arrive around 4:00, so we had time to kill.
Went to Medlar to look in at stadium, but saw Sue Paterno registering people for her Special Olympics run/walk. OMG! She is just like Joe! We waited while she was talking to a staff member at the registration table and when she finished, she looks at us and says "what? You have to be told how to come up here and register?" And, for the next 15-20 minutes she talked about multiple topics. My son has on his Trine Football shirt. She goes into a speech on how Trine used to be Tri-State and it's in Angola, IN. Tells how Mr. Trine gave a lot of money to the university and they renamed it. Told us about her and Joe's friend Mr. Bellasaurris (spelling??) giving money that morning to PS, and that he wanted some of her cookies, so she made him a batch this week. When we asked for a picture with her and gave the phone to my son's friend, she says, "you're an Ohio State fan, do you know how to use that device?"
Then she corrected me when I said I was a Steelers fan. She said it's "Stillers" because they don't know how to talk right.
I could fill a long post just on our conversation with her. Incredible visit that won't soon be forgotten.
Bought a $20 raffle ticket for the O$U game weekend and 2 nights hotel in the same place the team stays. Would be a nice raffle to win.
Went back to stadium and Coach Franklin comes over and starts talking to us like it's Old Home Week. I take a picture of my son, CJF, son's friend, and Tariq C-F. CJF called TCF into the photo. You'll see TCF doesn't seem excited. My son posts the picture on his Twitter and gets nearly 100 likes and starts getting followed by a media person. HA!
Coach Pry then stops over to say "hello" and spent a few minutes talking to us. He looks at my son and asks what year he is in high school. My son is 6'3" and 210 pounds. Looks great if a DB. Ha.
After we eat at Otto's, I drop the guys off on College Ave around 8:00. Keep in mind the town we are from- Archbold, OH, is 4,200 people and very conservative. To say the least, they have never experienced anything like a college town on a Friday night in spring. They enjoyed the atmosphere and the scenery. Holy Hannah girls did NOT look and dress like that at the U of Toledo in the mid-80's.
Saturday prior to the game and after walking around, my son gets his picture of Marcus Allen and him signed. Made his day. I think Marcus had a smile almost as big as my son's when he saw the photo of the two of them doing the "Kodak" thing with the hand to mouth.
While eating our Prospectors ribs on the Athletic Department/Football Team's courtesy golf carts, these boys arrived next to us.
Wasn't sure I wanted to make the 800 mile round trip, but it was worth it to see my son so happy. Advice to all fathers with young'ens. Do whatever you can to get them to the things that make them happy. These last 17 years have flown by.
God Bless,
OL
Arrived around 1:00 Friday and hit CC Peppers as is tradition. Enjoyed Otto's for dinner that night.
My son and I have been to Thee Happiest of Valleys many a time, but he wanted to go to the game and took a friend from high school (they are both juniors) who is an OhowIhate fan.
Went to Lasch and my son and his friend looked in from the outside while JJ was completing a workout. Walked around inside Holuba Hall and then to the stadium. Getting the $8 visitor's parking pass is a good idea BTW.
While at the stadium we run into Spider and talk with him for a while as we met him back in the day and would see him each time we stopped in to see our good friend JT. He said practice was at the stadium, but it is Fort Knox to get a pass to practice. Players and coaches to arrive around 4:00, so we had time to kill.
Went to Medlar to look in at stadium, but saw Sue Paterno registering people for her Special Olympics run/walk. OMG! She is just like Joe! We waited while she was talking to a staff member at the registration table and when she finished, she looks at us and says "what? You have to be told how to come up here and register?" And, for the next 15-20 minutes she talked about multiple topics. My son has on his Trine Football shirt. She goes into a speech on how Trine used to be Tri-State and it's in Angola, IN. Tells how Mr. Trine gave a lot of money to the university and they renamed it. Told us about her and Joe's friend Mr. Bellasaurris (spelling??) giving money that morning to PS, and that he wanted some of her cookies, so she made him a batch this week. When we asked for a picture with her and gave the phone to my son's friend, she says, "you're an Ohio State fan, do you know how to use that device?"
Then she corrected me when I said I was a Steelers fan. She said it's "Stillers" because they don't know how to talk right.
I could fill a long post just on our conversation with her. Incredible visit that won't soon be forgotten.
Bought a $20 raffle ticket for the O$U game weekend and 2 nights hotel in the same place the team stays. Would be a nice raffle to win.
Went back to stadium and Coach Franklin comes over and starts talking to us like it's Old Home Week. I take a picture of my son, CJF, son's friend, and Tariq C-F. CJF called TCF into the photo. You'll see TCF doesn't seem excited. My son posts the picture on his Twitter and gets nearly 100 likes and starts getting followed by a media person. HA!
Coach Pry then stops over to say "hello" and spent a few minutes talking to us. He looks at my son and asks what year he is in high school. My son is 6'3" and 210 pounds. Looks great if a DB. Ha.
After we eat at Otto's, I drop the guys off on College Ave around 8:00. Keep in mind the town we are from- Archbold, OH, is 4,200 people and very conservative. To say the least, they have never experienced anything like a college town on a Friday night in spring. They enjoyed the atmosphere and the scenery. Holy Hannah girls did NOT look and dress like that at the U of Toledo in the mid-80's.
Saturday prior to the game and after walking around, my son gets his picture of Marcus Allen and him signed. Made his day. I think Marcus had a smile almost as big as my son's when he saw the photo of the two of them doing the "Kodak" thing with the hand to mouth.
While eating our Prospectors ribs on the Athletic Department/Football Team's courtesy golf carts, these boys arrived next to us.
Wasn't sure I wanted to make the 800 mile round trip, but it was worth it to see my son so happy. Advice to all fathers with young'ens. Do whatever you can to get them to the things that make them happy. These last 17 years have flown by.
God Bless,
OL
