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I’m linking up today with Angie from Mama Insomnia for her Free FALLin’ meme. I’m here to talk to you today about my favorite thing about fall.
It’s not pumpkins, although they are great:
(This gigantic pumpkin photo was taken at the Pumpkin Festival back in West Virginia. Those West Virginian pumpkin farmers don’t mess around, people.)
It’s not festive fall decorations, although I do enjoy those, too:
(Do you like the mini scarecrow in the palm tree? That’s fall in Florida for you.)
It’s not even the beautiful fall colors — orange, rust, and brown — that inspired our living and dining room decor:
No, my favorite part of fall has always been tailgating before football games. Except when you tailgate with me? I make it a tailGREAT.
What’s not to love about tailgates? It combines all my favorite things: eating junk food; drinking beer; friends and family; and sitting outside in a fold up chair. There’s just something about unconventional eating locations that makes me swoon.
(Hubby getting our tailGREAT set up before a Marshall football game, circa 2007.)
Dude, tailGREATs are awesome! Tents, camping chairs, fold-out card tables. FLASKS. Beanie weenies in bbq sauce stewing in a crock pot hooked up to your car battery; chips and dips in all shapes, sizes and flavors; you and your closest friends huddled around a tiny grill like a bunch of hobos. What’s not to love?
You might have noticed the italicized ” before ” in a sentence above. That, my friends, is what I don’t love about tailGREATing. Football follows immediately and that gives me the sads. That’s extended to all of fall — too much football.
Before the tailGREAT, there is always a parade. Well, not so much as a parade as a march with the band and football team to the stadium. Once there was an honest to God celebrity, too.
(FACT: Matthew McConaughey has really short arms. )
Now that we are living in Florida and don’t have a local team we’d like to support with a tailGREAT, my favorite part of fall (and the only thing that makes football even close to tolerable to me) has lost its luster. Plus, you can’t really buy a breeze until late November down here. Part of the fun of tailGREATing was sipping on the hot chocolate/Kahlua mix.
That doesn’t mean we can’t pull out the tent and camping chairs this fall so Baby Blogworthy can get an idea of what kind of fun he’s missing.
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Those giant pumpkins scare me.
I love tailgating too. We haven’t been to a football game in forever, so I miss it too.
And I am super jealous you were that close to Matthew McConaughey. Thanks for linking up!
Angie@MamaInsomnia recently posted..Free FALLin
It was fun! I was next to him for like two seconds. He was much dirtier in person than he ever has been in the movies
Twitter: bestoffates
I’ve suddenly realized I have never been exposed to a pumpkin larger than average size.
I feel bereft.
Megan (Best of Fates) recently posted..I Want You To Stalk Me (And Want Me)
Well, you need to get yourself to a pumpkin patch in October IMMEDIATELY. It will change your life. Or not.
Twitter: bestoffates
I’ve been to pumpkin patches in October – though they were clearly inferior!
Megan (Best of Fates) recently posted..5 Inescapable Dollar Store Finds
I love this. Although I happen to love football so I think I’d love the entire experience that much more. Although I’ve never tailgated for a game, or even been to a football game. I need to work on that.
Um, the kahlua + hot chocolate? WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THIS???
Mrs. Jen B recently posted..It’s The Great Pumpkin, Mrs. B!
Dude, it’s excellent. You’re missing out on the tailgates…but not on the football games. I usually get bored after about 20 minutes and start people watching and/or taking pictures of myself and random things around me.
Twitter: kristinzas
It’s the acting like hobos part that really makes me love it.
I’m not being sarcastic.
KLZ recently posted..Haircut for the Toddler
Yeah the hobo lifestyle and football just seem to go hand in hand.
Poor Matthew McConaughey!
I would totally prefer the tailgreating over the football, too.
liz recently posted..#iPPP: How Madelyn Spends Time in the Doctor’s Office
We used to skip the football entirely back in college and just sit at the tailgreat the whole time. We said we were “watching the tailgate” and that was an important job.
Twitter: corp2domestic
LOL looks like “tailgreating” with you is lot of fun
I love fall and sorry that in FL you don’t get much of it!
Natalie recently posted..Ready, Set, Go!
Eh, it’s OK. We do get some pretty nice 70 degree days in the fall, and then by Feb. it’s getting to that perfect 70 degree/sunny days again….so that’s the trade off!
Twitter: mrsmidatlantic
I want to go tailGREATing with you! I’ll bring some chili. YUM!
Mrs. MidAtlantic recently posted..Fall
CHILI. Yes. How did I forget that??
I am all about the tailgreating. I am not a fan of watching football unless my son is playing. That starts in a few weeks!! I become that crazy sports mom. Oh yeah. Just wait.
Jayme (RandomBlogette) recently posted..May Contain Awesome
Oh it’s going to happen with us too I’m sure, considering how much Kelsey loves sports. Luke already is obsessed with balls and playing with his little hoop.
Twitter: mycrazybusylife
How did I not know you went to Marshall? I now have an actual reason for you come visit me. You play us in football b/c we’re in the same conference. In fact.. I think we play mid-November & will be the only football game we make this year.
Trust me.. it will def. be Tail Great!
Natalie recently posted..Pinning Away
I don’ t know!? I forgot totally that y’all play us. And in basketball too — it’s one of the biggest games of the year every year or every other year or whatever it is. I’m sure it would be a tailGREAT…although would you allow Green and White at your tailGREAT??
We Are…Marshall! Other than your living room and front porch (adorable, BTW), I have been to all of the places photographed above. Naturally : )
ML@My 3 Little Birds recently posted..She Is
Yes! I’m sure you participated in a few tailGREATS in your days at MU!
Twitter: FarewellStrangr
Whoa, that’s a huge pumpkin. And love your living room!
We don’t do tailGREATs here (or tailgates, either) but I wish we did! Without the football, though.
Robin | Farewell, Stranger recently posted..Outtakes From a Photo Shoot
I wish there were more reasons for people to set up a dining station beside their car in the middle of a parking lot! I’m being totally serious! If only there was one that wasn’t associated with football
Twitter: HStayingAfloat!
I have to say, I’ve never been to a tailgate, or a tailGREAT party! But by the looks of your pics, I’m missing out! HELLO MATTHEW!!!
Hopes@Staying Afloat! recently posted..Loud…Louder…Loudest!
I’m was UNIMPRESSED with Matteo. He was yucky looking and really short and had those weird t-rex arms. But yeah, the tailGREAT was awesome, especially when my hub would bring a TV to set up
Twitter: AndiRRT
No what makes me swoon? Mathew McCona-however-you-spell-it when he is having a “clean” day instead of the dirty-wino-chic look he seems to always sport.
Andrea recently posted..Testing 1, 2, 3
EXACTLY. And nobody, not one person can spell his last name. I copied and pasted it from the internet to spell it in this post.
Twitter: amymacsmusings
This post made me smile on the outside AND on the inside! Tailgreating at Marshall was so much fun. You know what was NOT fun though? Sitting in the Marshall student section. It was always a HOT MESS up in there.
Amy Mac recently posted..The Story of My Baby’s Birth
Twitter: decoybetty
I’ve never tailgated (or tailgreated!) but it sure looks like a lot of fun the way you do it!
Deidre recently posted..Waiting and seeing…(with a pinch of "How I Pictured It")
It’s so awesome…just a shame that it is followed by football
Twitter: mytimeasmom
I want to tailGREAT with you!!! I’ll bring beer.
Jessica recently posted..Co-Parenting for Work Widows
I’LL BRING MORE BEER!!!
Twitter: suitcasetricks
I’ve been in Florida since I was 3. “Fall” doesn’t really resonate with me. You know what DOES resonate? Matthew McHoweveryouspellhislastname. He’s foxy despite his unusually short limbs.
Ali recently posted..WTF Wednesday – The "Smurferiffic" Edition
Fall…that’s the two weeks of 70 degree days we have in mid december…right? Although it does get chilly in north florida, we totally skip fall.
I love love LOVE tailGREATing!!! I went to Auburn, and let me tell you, SEC schools are all about that glorious pregame activity! Then again, I also love the football game that follows
Not that you’d ever find yourself near an Auburn game, but if you do we should totally get together for an epic tailgreat!!
Lisa recently posted..What I’m up to
Girl you just never know. My husband is a die hard UK wildcats fan…do they play auburn? The sec does it right with tailgates.
We played them last year, but they aren’t on the schedule for this year. Sad! Maybe next time we play each other we’ll have to plan something out. Sounds like a good time to me!
Lisa recently posted..What I’m up to
LOVE LOVE LOVE tailgating. And I would tailgreat with you ANY DAY.
Except perhaps for today. Because I drank my weight in rum and cokes on Saturday night at a Weezer concert in Palm Desert – also hot hot hot – and as it turns out I’m not in college anymore and can’t hang with all that booze. in the heat. and hydration.
So no alcohol for me. For a while.
But I’ll take ten hot dogs please. And then I’ll stand by that giant pumpkin so my bloated stomach seems teeny tiny.
Love the fall. Hate hangovers.
Please pass the Advil…
julie gardner recently posted..Today call me shelled.