Turks and Turds...and Tailgate
This past Sunday, women all over the country, for better or worse got their husbands and boyfriends back. Or better yet, football lovin' women (like my sister) have returned to being full-time moms or wives on Sundays as the NFL regular season came to an end. Tears no doubt were shed by many grown men as teams like the Cowboys (my fave team), the Jets and Pats hung up their helmets and called it a season.It seems like just yesterday the season was kicking off on a Thursday night, with a NYC style concert followed by the Giants facing the Redskins for a first season victory. Now, in only a few days, Wildcard Weekend...
So as I take a walk down this season's memory lane, I remember fondly the day the Cowboys came to town...
It was November 2nd, the same day as the NYC Marathon and I was in a bit of a conundrum. I had suggested a marathon party to friend Kathy K. and ever the hostess, she had one planned before I realized the 'Boys would be in town. By the grace of God, the game was scheduled for 4pm which meant that I could split my time - be at the party by 10:30am; jump on the bus to the Meadowlands by 1pm; tailgate; and then enjoy the game! The wea
ther cooperated - a crisp fall, mostly sunny day and I was out the door by 9:30am and ready for the fun ahead. I hit Kathy's party with a bottle of sparkling wine and a bag of bagels in hand (what else is a gal to bring to a NYC brunch?) When I arrived at the UWS where she and her husband live, there was a helluva a spread of food and a great group of people. By the time 12:30pm rolled around I was comfortable and somewhat reluctantly left to head to the other side of the river!
ther cooperated - a crisp fall, mostly sunny day and I was out the door by 9:30am and ready for the fun ahead. I hit Kathy's party with a bottle of sparkling wine and a bag of bagels in hand (what else is a gal to bring to a NYC brunch?) When I arrived at the UWS where she and her husband live, there was a helluva a spread of food and a great group of people. By the time 12:30pm rolled around I was comfortable and somewhat reluctantly left to head to the other side of the river! I subwayed it to Port Authority and boarded the bus with many, many G
iants fans. I had my iPod earplugs pinned inside my ears and kept a low profile amongst the sea of red and blue. Within 15 minutes I was wandering around the disaster that's called the Giants Stadium parking lot and found my crew. My crew meaning my brother and his rambunctious two best friends from childhood and the Texas contingency in from Dallas - my second cousin Geoff, his dad Paul and thier friend Gabe and his girlfriend.
iants fans. I had my iPod earplugs pinned inside my ears and kept a low profile amongst the sea of red and blue. Within 15 minutes I was wandering around the disaster that's called the Giants Stadium parking lot and found my crew. My crew meaning my brother and his rambunctious two best friends from childhood and the Texas contingency in from Dallas - my second cousin Geoff, his dad Paul and thier friend Gabe and his girlfriend. I won't get into a ton 
of details, but this was quite a tailgate. For twenty bucks there was an all you can eat and drink situation with the food actually nothing less than gourmet for a tailgate (it pays to go to a chef's tailgate!) with seared tuna topping the list of grilled specialties. The accommodations - mostly just standing around the parking lot or sitting in the back of a truck (Who's truck? Well, I have no idea!) The best part is that all of the people were a lot of fun. So much fun in fact that I bonded with a gal named Amy on what I thought was a typical Port-A-John line. I should have been suspect from the start - it wasn't that long a line! Amy, only a few years older than me is a mother of 5 and with all of our chatter, the time wizzed by and before we knew it, we were at the front of the line. Oh crap! (Pun intended!) We'd been duped! Brace yourselves - this was no ordinary Port-A-John. It 
was a tent that zipped up the front with a bucket inside. I know, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself, so I took a picture to share with all of you! I had no idea what to do in this kind of situation, so promised my first born to the man who kindly emptied the bucket before I entered the tent. Yeah, so you know how you're gagging just by reading this? Well multiple that by about 1,000 and you'll be where I was that day! Ick! Enough said on this topic.
of details, but this was quite a tailgate. For twenty bucks there was an all you can eat and drink situation with the food actually nothing less than gourmet for a tailgate (it pays to go to a chef's tailgate!) with seared tuna topping the list of grilled specialties. The accommodations - mostly just standing around the parking lot or sitting in the back of a truck (Who's truck? Well, I have no idea!) The best part is that all of the people were a lot of fun. So much fun in fact that I bonded with a gal named Amy on what I thought was a typical Port-A-John line. I should have been suspect from the start - it wasn't that long a line! Amy, only a few years older than me is a mother of 5 and with all of our chatter, the time wizzed by and before we knew it, we were at the front of the line. Oh crap! (Pun intended!) We'd been duped! Brace yourselves - this was no ordinary Port-A-John. It 
was a tent that zipped up the front with a bucket inside. I know, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself, so I took a picture to share with all of you! I had no idea what to do in this kind of situation, so promised my first born to the man who kindly emptied the bucket before I entered the tent. Yeah, so you know how you're gagging just by reading this? Well multiple that by about 1,000 and you'll be where I was that day! Ick! Enough said on this topic. And, only those amongst my tailgate crew can truly understand the meaning of turks and turds...
Into the game we went and I sat with cousin Paul and we had a great time watching the game until the Cowboys really started to get an ass kicking. I had to cover my eyes to block the carnage so with that we left a little bit early, hoping to make a speedy exit. Well, too bad for us that twenty thousand other people had the same idea. The first stop would be my apartment, only about 5 miles from the stadium. I thought I would make a clean break home, but there was just enough time for the grown men I was with to partake in some serious debauchery and I guess what some might call male bonding. Ok, Ok I really didn't care, it was all pure entertainment for me and several times I threatened, "You know I'm gonna blog about this!" Ummm, that didn't work, not even for a minute!
Ahhhh fo
otballl...I've been watching it for as long as I can remember and in a nutshell, this is what I've learned: It's a game of 22 men on a field in tight pants chasing a pigskin ball, competing in a 60 minute game that takes three times as long to complete, all the while slapping each other in the ass. Makes me wonder, why do so many of us covet this sport? It's the tradition and the camaraderie amongst friends and family celebrating your own NFL tradition Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays! And for me this past November 2nd, it was all of that and more...it was turks, turds and tailgating.
otballl...I've been watching it for as long as I can remember and in a nutshell, this is what I've learned: It's a game of 22 men on a field in tight pants chasing a pigskin ball, competing in a 60 minute game that takes three times as long to complete, all the while slapping each other in the ass. Makes me wonder, why do so many of us covet this sport? It's the tradition and the camaraderie amongst friends and family celebrating your own NFL tradition Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays! And for me this past November 2nd, it was all of that and more...it was turks, turds and tailgating. 
Before I go - - some parting words to all those that lost their team this past weekend - - it's not over yet! Hop on a bandwagon and keep your spirit going until you're forced to really say good bye at the conclusion of the SuperBowl. Well, sorry Giants fans, the Dolphins bandwagon drove by my Weehawken, NJ apartment and I've hopped on board! I mean really, who doesn't love the underdog and want a little vindication for my sister's long lost husband Chad Pennington?
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