My son (AKA My Favorite Domer) departed yesterday.
For Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.
The BCS National Championship football game.
Notre Dame vs. Alabama.
Monday, Jan. 7, 8 p.m. EST, televised on ESPN.
He was excited. And a tad nervous. After all, he’s never been to Miami before. Never participated in a National Championship game.
And doesn’t particularly like to fly.
Especially the taking-off part.
But he looked all spiffy in his Band “traveling clothes” — collared shirt, nice jeans, dress shoes.
Dress shoes, I asked. In Miami?
C’mon, Mom, it’s the BAND, he told me. We don’t want to embarrass the University.
Or the BAND.
Well, okay. There is that.
So I put him on a plane after a big hug and made him promise to not “be a stranger.”
In other words, to let me know every once in awhile that he’s alive.
And well. And safe.
Who’d have thought, back at the beginning of this season when the pundits were talking up everybody but Notre Dame and the Irish were struggling to eke out wins, that the Fighting Irish would be where they are?
With a perfect 12-0 record.
Going up against the SEC’s Big Boy, ‘Bama?
With its “Million Dollar Band”?
Should be a great game.
But don’t be surprised if it’s the BANDS who put up the biggest fight!
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
I confess I don’t follow college football, but I was vaguely interested in Texas A&M vs Oklahoma last night because of that young Heismann trophy winner. And now I have a reason to be vaguely interested in Notre Dame vs. Alabama. No question – I’d be rooting for Notre Dame even if I didn’t “know” someone in the band. After all, I come from Big Ten country, and I grew up in the days when ND was a powerhouse and Vince Lombardi was everyone’s hero. 😉
He’ll have a wonderful time, regardless, but I hope his team wins.
Thanks, Linda, we hope the Irish win, too! I grew up loving college football — still do, to this day — and I’ve spent many a Saturday cheering on my favorites. Bowl season is just about more excitement than I can handle (nah, not really!)
Oh this is so cool! When I was in the states for the holidays, I was admiring all the bands at the big bowl games. On the BTN channel before leaving Chicago, I saw a clip of the ND team boarding the plane headed to Miami. What a thrilling experience for your son.
This game will be especially cool for us Band lovers, Pat — both the Irish Band and the ‘Bama Band boast about 400 members, each! Talk about making some noise!!
I love college football. It’s the heart and soul of the sport I think. I so enjoyed watching the Ducks win a couple nights ago and I’ll be looking for your son during the game Monday night. 😉 What instrument does he play? Oh – and I’ll be rooting for the Fightin’ Irish too! What a fun experience for the Domer young man!
Thanks, Barb, I totally agree! I watch pro football only if it’s a really good match up, but I hardly miss college games, especially the Irish and my alma mater the Rebels. Domer isn’t easy to spot on TV, but I’m going to try. He plays trumpet and has dark hair, if that helps you find him!
I love this picture of Dallas in the snow!
Darling Doggie thanks you for noticing his “pretty side.” He loves being in the snow, and I’m not sure what he was looking at so intently when I took this shot, but I thought it came out pretty good, too!
Great picture of DDD. We had a snow burst today and now it’s over. No accumulation. SO VERY COOL about the Notre Dame vs. Alabama in Miami game! I now know more about College football than I use too—FUN. Love hearing about the bands that make parents proud and have made it a point to tune in to them. I’m betting the ND band and the players will have more than a little divine intervention from heavenly Alumni. How exciting!!!!
I think you’re sooo right about the divine intervention stuff — that’s one reason, I suspect, that playing at Notre Dame Stadium is so intimidating. All those priests on the sidelines and the mural “Touchdown Jesus” (http://s587.beta.photobucket.com/user/jollyspider/media/100_1965.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6) on the library, right between the goalposts if you look just right! Let’s hope the announcers let us see the halftime show so we can appreciate how much the Band kids work, too!
How exciting for him! I hope the performance goes well (both for the band and the football team.)
I had to laugh at the shoes. Yes, I get the dress shoes. I didn’t do band in college, but even in high school, they expected black shoes, polished! I think it’s good to instill a sense of pride in one’s appearance (that’s the adult me speaking here…the high school me just thought the band director was being a nit-picky jerk :))
I got a kick out of your memory of high school band! These kids have marching shoes, but they had to carry them. The dress shoes — with jeans, no less! — had to be worn. Since they weren’t wearing any school-identifying stuff, I don’t know why, but I guess pride and rules over-ruled my practicality of wearing beach shoes on the beach, ha!
I hope he has a wonderful time and that his dress shoes aren’t too tight. 🙂
He’s texted me a few times, miffed at having “dead time” — yet it’s too little to have any fun (the mom in me is grateful the directors are keeping them on a tight leash!). I’m sure it will be memorable, regardless the outcome!
You’re staying up past your bed time hoping for a glimpse, aren’t you?
Oh, absolutely! Who’d miss out on something this important — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of importance! Now if only the announcers will pan the bands every so often. . . .
I don’t follow football either. Pro or college. Still, I wish your son’s team best of luck!
Thanks, Monica — we’re not really expected to win, but you never know, with the Luck of the Irish and all!
It’s a really great opportunity for him to play in the band at a really big big venue…not that Notre Dame games weren’t already big deals, but you know what I mean. I have a cousin going to Notre Dame…so of course we’re rooting for them to win…but then I have family in Alabama…of course they’re so used to winning that I think it would be kind of cool if Notre Dame wins. Will be watching! Hope he has the time of his life! What does he play?
Domer plays trumpet, Dawn, and we appreciate all the rooting you can muster! I went to Ole Miss and played clarinet in the Band, so I have a deep-set “hatred” of ‘Bama, haha! I know they’re SEC, and I should probably root for a fellow SEC team, but not against ND. No way!!
National Championship Game sounds so thrilling, and you sound like such a proud mama! You are getting me so excited to watch my daughter play in her college marching band next year!
You’re going to have a ball, Lisa — college band is way better than high school, where you’ve got fund-raisers and stuff! I’m glad your daughter will continue with band, and I predict she’s going to love the camaraderie!