Frommy’s World

[rockyou 92150770]

Today I got the privilege of being a proud father. My daughter Sydney is being recruited by Washington State University. Sydney, my wife, and I were all invited for a special lunch at Safeco Field in Seattle and free tickets to the WSU vs. Grambling State football game to follow at Qwest Field. What is most gratifying, Sydney is not being recruited for her athletics, but for her academics.

The day began with Sydney and my wife running late (they need to primp you know). As the girls got ready, I took Sophie up to Nana’s house for the day. My other two kids were off to Vancouver for Paytyn’s soccer game. Once back home, Sydney and Tara climbed in the car for a two-hour trip to Seattle.

As we pulled into Safeco Field’s parking garage we paid the discounted fee of $8.00 and began our trek towards the field. As we entered Safeco Field, Washington State University faculty and alumni greeted us. They handed us name badges and three tickets to the WSU football game at 4:00 pm against Grambling State University at Qwest Field. Immediately a WSU science professor who began to ask Sydney about her college plans approached us. Sydney sheepishly smiled and began to talk about herself. She told him that she was interested in History and possibly pre-med.

We were next asked to take a seat behind the visiting dugout for a presentation on WSU by a few faculty members and alumni. After the presentation we proceeded to a hamburger and hotdog lunch buffet. Tables were arranged throughout the main concourse where patrons generally buy food and baseball programs. As we sat and ate our gigantic burgers and dogs, a few more presenters from WSU got up and talked to the full crowd of Washington’s finest students.

An agricultural studies professor sat down at our table and talked with a student from Rainer Oregon who was interested in her department. Sydney, unsure of what she wants as a major, just sat and listened as different WSU faculty said a few words.

My wife had a mental breakdown and got the giggles. Alumni and faculty were asked to stand in the crowd for a courtesy clap. Tara, for some reason, stood up. As my daughter and I looked up at her in bewilderment, she realized her mistake. Tara thought they were asking the crowd to stand. As she sat down and tried to become small, Tara got the giggles and couldn’t stop. To make things worse, the speaker’s podium was only a table away, so everyone could see my poor wife’s dilemma.

Next we were asked to go up to the second stadium level for a desert (ice cream and cookies) buffet. The ice cream was from WSU’s Pullman creamery and was very good. We ate our treats as we sat and looked over Safeco Field.

Finally, the face-to-face event ended with WSU passing out complimentary backpacks with various information included inside. We exited Safeco Field, changed into our Cougar gear, and headed toward the convention center for a WSU pre-function. While at the pre-func, Sydney visited different academic department booths set up throughout the center.

Game time! Now it was time to make our way to Qwest Field for the football game. As we headed up to our seats we began to realize our free tickets were to be in the nosebleed section. As we progressed up and up we finally made it to our destination. On top of the world, we finally sat down. If you haven’t had the chance to sit up in the 300 level of Qwest Field, I advise that if you’ve got vertigo, stay behind.

The game was a total blowout with PAC-ten competitor WSU mopping up on the division 1AA team in Grambling State. The highlight of the game was not on the field of play, but with Grambling’s band. Grambling State University has the most famous college marching band in all the land. Their halftime performance was greeted with a standing ovation as they performed their fun gyrating marching style for the thousands in attendance. Even during the game the focus would easily turn to Grambling’s band as they performed from the stands. With the football game way out of hand, spectators waited to see what cool thing the band would do next.

Overall, the day was a success. Sydney got the chance to talk to a few professors, has plenty of information to take home with her about scholarships and academic deadlines. Just being apart of the college atmosphere was worth it alone for Syd. The pre-function, the experience of a major college football game, and the introduction to other potential students and alumni was enough to begin what will be a year-long venture into college applications, scholarship applications, and campus tours.

Last night my wife and I got to do some serious rock’n! Tom Petty played his first of two concerts at the Gorge Amphitheater. Tara and I not only got tickets for the first show, but we also got great seats only 31 rows back.

This was only my third adventure to the Gorge for concerts: the first was for the Steve Miller Band, the second for Lollapalooza, and now for Tom Petty & The Heart Breakers. This was my wife’s first ever trip to the Gorge, so she could hardly contain herself as we pulled into the parking lot.

Showing up about two hours early, we hung out in the back of our Chevy Tahoe that was furnished with the “Man Couch”. Former teacher Mr. Minarsich and his wife and a friend hung out with us as well playing cribbage and doing lots of people watching.

At 6:30 pm we locked up the cars and headed into the amphitheater. After a quick visit to porto-potty heaven, Tara and I ventured through the mob to find our seats. This was the first time I ever had seats at the amphitheater. Usually I’m sitting up in the grass with the general admission ticket holders. This time we spent the money to sit up front. The great thing with Tom Petty is that he keeps his ticket prices down. He has made it point over the years to keep his concerts affordable. In a recent Rolling Stone interview Tom Petty said, “I turn a very healthy profit on (tickets); I make millions on the road. I see no reason to bring the price up.”

The recently reunited Black Crowes opened up the concert with some solid rock & roll. The Black Crowes took the stage moments before we found our seats. Not only did we have perfect timing, but a perfect view of the stage. The crowd didn’t remain seated very long, and I found myself swaying and singing to the Crowes psychedelic grooves.

The Black Crowes played for about an hour and a half, finishing with their more popular songs such as “Thorn In My Pride,” “Space Captain,” “Jealous Again,” and their final song, “Hard to Handle.” I would’ve gone to the concert just to see the Black Crowes, and they didn’t disappoint. They looked like they could have been plucked right out of Woodstock. Lead singer Chris Robinson my look like a pasty white hippy Jesus with a full beard, but he rock n’ rolls with the best of them.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers continued the rock fest with hit song after hit song. Petty played hits from throughout his almost 30-year career. There was “Don’t Do Me Like That” from the 1970s, “Don’t Come Around Here No More”, “Free Fallin” and “I Won’t Back Down” from the late 1980s, and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and “You Don’t Know How It Feels” from the mid-1990s. It’s unbelievable how many great songs Tom Petty has written. I sang along with almost each and every one of them throughout the night.

People were singing at the top of their lungs throughout the show. People-watching was half of the entertainment. There were hippies, college students, business people, moms, dads, grandparents, and even some younger kids. It’s almost like a religious experience when you go to a rock concert. People are singing out loud in unison while swaying their hands in the air.

The night was perfect in many ways: the weather was warm and comfortable, the sky was huge with the stars shining so bright that you could almost reach up and touch the Big Dipper, and Tara and I celebrated this night as our fifth wedding anniversary present to each other.

Tara and I left our friends during the encore performance to escape the crowd. There were thousands of people to beat out of the amphitheater. After finding our car we drove off to find a place to park for the night. With the “Man Couch” laid out in the back of the Tahoe, we pulled off at a rest stop for the night and crashed as soon as our heads hit the pillows. As we awoke early in the cold morning, I opened up the car door and saw that the rest stop was full of concertgoers sleeping in their cars. I started the car, turned up the heat, and took off towards Puyallup for my daughter’s soccer tournament that started at 9:30 am.