Sunday - CHOMP CHOMP!

Hidyhi from Florida again.  Where did this week go??  WOW!

A mixed bag this week...

Tailgate Party - If you look that term up on Wikipedia you will find this...

"In the United States, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and concerts. People attending such a party are said to be tailgating. Many people participate even if their vehicles do not have tailgates. Also, many people don't even go into the game and just go to the tailgate to party.  Tailgate parties have spread to the pre-game festivities at sporting events besides football (e.g. basketball, hockey, soccer, and baseball) and is also used at non-sporting events such as weddings and other non-sports-related barbecue gatherings".

I attended my first ever tailgate party yesterday (Saturday).  It is indeed exactly what Wikipedia says.  I could not imagine local councils in New Zealand ever letting thousands of vehicles of all shapes and sizes congregate on grass verges and in parks, under trees and unload all of the goodies like tents, tables, TVs, BBQs, fake trees for putting your empty beer bottles on (these are to keep flies away by the way.  The motto is "Fear the Brew", seemed to work, there were no flies, although maybe there wouldn't have been any in any case, but that isn't the point..), LARGE blow up 'Gators, gazebos, chairs, chilly bins, food, food and more food and of course beverages.  ENORMOUS RVs were rolling in one after the other after the other...even a car the shape of an alligator drove past!  It had a tail and scales and everything!  Everyone was there for the same reason, the Florida Gators.  It is a family event too, not just for adults.  There were plenty of kids there enjoying frisbee and remote controlled cars and kicking a ball around.  It was a great day.  First ever tailgate party, and I hope to go to more.

One thing you have to learn in Gainesville is the "Gator Chomp".  This is the action you perform at a Florida Gators football game.  The Gator Chomp is done by fully extending your arms, one over the other in front of your body with the palms facing toward each other. Then you move your arms apart and together to symbolize an alligator's chomping mouth.  This gesture is used by Florida Gators fans to intimidate opposing players and fans.  I haven't been to a game yet but I hope to.  In case I do, I have been practising my "chomping".  CHOMP CHOMP!

There are only 7 Gators games played here in Gainesville each year.  2 have been played, but this weekend coming is the first BIG game.  It will be against Tennessee.  More on that in a later blog...

On the way to the tailgate yesterday we went past a lake, a lake very close to the road's edge.  When I say "close", I mean ONLY a few metres.  This lake is in a very built up area, not way out in the wopwops.  Although I guess the houses were built in the wopwops...  Anyway, it's no wonder these things end up in some peoples swimming pools!  Pretty awesome to see them out in the wild when you're just driving along an average neighbourhood street.  Not something you would ever see in New Zealand...well hopefully not!  Henley Lake would never be the same!

Today I went for a tootle on "Road Runner", as my scooter is now affectionately called, and it was 38c!  Whew!  I went for a swim the other day, in a POOL, NOT a lake!  But stupidly I picked the coolest day of the summer and the water was a little chilly.  If it is this hot tomorrow I will don my water wings and take the plunge again.

Lastly, but certainly not leastly (is that a word?).  This week my twin brother Bruce was also diagnosed with Pompe Disease.  He's less affected than I am and in fact would probably never have gotten tested if it wasn't for the fact that I have been diagnosed.  So this is a good thing for him as it means that he can HOPEFULLY get treatment before symptoms really get a hold on him.  When I found out what I had I was relieved to find out.  When I found out Bruce had the same thing, I was totally gutted...Now i've got even more reason to get Pharmac to do the right thing!  No one is allowed to be mean to my brother!

Ok so i need to get the Gators shirt, but the hair looks great! Doesn't it?...? CHOMP CHOMP!!