On Any Given Saturday...

When one makes the decision to relocate to another part of the world, the desire to keep in-tune with family, friends, culture and current events is a very overwhelming pull, for me anyway.  I know people who live in the HERE and the NOW, and are able to walk away from the former life, for whatever reason.

When I studied in Germany in 1993, my main form of communication with my family, and the occasional friend who had time, was through hand-written letters, once-a-week phone calls with the kitchen timer set to assure we didn't talk for much more than 30 minutes, and a cassette recorder that I narrated into as I walked to the U most mornings.  I would send my film home to be developed and my Mom would mail the prints back to me, because it was cheaper than processing the photos in Europe.  That was our Facebook...she would look at all the great places I'd been and write her comments of awe and wonder of things she would never experience, and she'd include them when she mailed the package.

I'm fairly certain that the internet was common in some places.  I'll bet I even had a CMU e-mail address that I could have used if I knew how, but that wasn't how things were done yet.  I can at least say that I developed a consistent style of handwriting over that period...

Fast forward almost 20 years, and my form of connection to all that is familiar is dramatically different.

While living in France five years ago, we jumped into a VOIP and logged onto Vonage for all of our home phone needs.  The little box moves with us from house to house, and we can call from and to almost anywhere in the world, over the internet, for almost nothing a month and nothing extra, no matter how long we talk or how remote the contact.

I can e-mail.  I can text.  I can read my book, even if I didn't bring my book with me, because it's on my phone and my phone will update to the page that left off on my iPad...OH, and of course, I can download a new book rather than find an English book store with through-the-roof prices!

This is all great...if it works!

Since we returned from our Summer in MI, we've been flirting with a technology hole.  Not only are many useful and fun internet sites blocked by local authorities, but my trusty laptop seized, and I needed a new hard drive (because I take too many pictures and ran out of memory).  Through that process I've lost a few things and had to update this and that.  Some updates have been great...others, not so much.

We have a Slingbox on our DVR at home.  It connects our home TV with the internet, which allows us to watch anything we've recorded or live television from here.  That needed replacing too...

The reason for all this mindless techno-rant comes down to the return of Autumn, school and COLLEGE FOOTBALL!  Now, I acknowledge that I didn't attend a Big-10 school, but I'm very proud of my roots and fiercely support my CMU Chippewas.  We have occasional great years, followed by graduation and years of rebuilding...we're rebuilding right now.

At 3:30 this morning, MSU kicked off against CMU in Kelly/Shorts Stadium to a record-setting capacity crowd of 35,127.  I could rekindle the glory days of 21 and 20 years ago when I marched in the band and CMU had a thing or two to teach the Spartans on MSU turf.

It was awesome!  

I wasn't expecting that today.

But I was up past midnight last night, having talked to a friend for almost an hour while she sat in my Howell basement and we hashed out the installation process for our new Slingbox so I could see the game from the other side of the world.

See, it's not often that one sees Chippewa football on national television...and I don't know that I've ever seen Kelly/Shorts Stadium on TV, so this was a big deal!  I woke up pre-crack-of-dawn to watch THE GAME!  It wasn't so hard, because D was up to go golfing anyway.  I curled up with my iPad and my earbuds and snuggled in to watch, for the spectacle of it...maybe hoping for something special, but really just to see it.

Somewhere, while the score was 31-0 (MSU), I lost my video-worthy connection to the internet.  Then I drifted off and woke up a few hours later with a dog on my chest, wanting to go out.  First things first...I checked the final score of 41-7.  It wasn't a blowout since CMU managed one touchdown, but that's about it.

Still proud to be a Chippewa.

Some of my best memories are of crisp Saturdays, wearing maroon and gold, cheering on the Mighty Chips.  Even the wet, drippy days were good...

After a game, the Chippewa Marching Band files out of the stadium for a tree ceremony.  The mood is ordained and very distinct, depending on the outcome.  On the rock that stands next to our tree is a bronze plaque that reads:

Dedicated to the 

MARCHING CHIPS

CHIPPEWA SPIRIT GROWS HERE

IN VICTORY THE MEN OF THE MARCHING CHIPS

SALUTE THE TREE BY RAISING THEIR INSTRUMENTS

AS THEY MARCH ENTHUSIASTICALLY AROUND IT.

ON THE SOLEMN OCCASION OF DEFEAT THE

ALMA MATER IS SUNG AS A TRIBUTE TO THE

GREAT CHIPPEWA SPIRIT WHICH WILL ON ANOTHER

OCCASION PROVIDE THE CAMPUS WITH

THE VICTORY CHANT

So today, I guess I sing:

Alma Mater hear us now

Ever more we praise thee

Hear us pledge our sacred vow

Ever to defend thee

Mighty Mother, queen of Earth eternal

Precious emblem of our lives supreme

Ever symbolizing truth and knowledge

In glorified esteem

Well done, Sparty.  We'll meet again, and it just might be one of our years next time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS, I still have all the letters that my Mom wrote to me while I was in Germany, and the cassette tapes.  Always the supportive band parent...she cheered the Chips right along with me!

FIRE UP CHIPS!