Dear Santa...

Please bring the Hokies an Orange Bowl victory! I know we're wearing orange helmets (and this, admittedly, makes me nervous...our other attempts at wild uniform combinations haven't exactly fared well), but we've gotta send Tyrod and the other 15 seniors out with a win...

SO. Santa. You've gotta get those little elves fired up, get 'em working their magic (heck, get Rudolph involved if you have to) and let the good guys win against the Cardinal.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Gurus! May all your holiday wishes come true! (including that Hokie win!)

Go HOKIES!!

-FP

Mike London = the new Al Groh

Man, it always feels good to spank UVA. Although, it sure would feel better if we were actually beating a college football team. I think they’re actually dressing up a bunch of pee-wee kids; this makes for a rather lopsided “rivalry.” I mean, jeez, the last few years we’ve been reduced to inventing rivalries with UNC or Georgia Tech because those are more competitive games. Come on, UVA…make this game something, other than another reason to snooze after Thanksgiving turkey.

And, on that note, another (tailgating) season has come to a close. Now it’s on to the ACC Championship Game and, hopefully, the Orange Bowl. Sadly, I will not be attending either event. (I sense your shock…) Instead, I will be living room tailgating which, although it sounds like a completely laid-back way to watch a game, always stresses me out. For some completely nutty reason, I have it in my head that I can “help” the team if I’m in the stands. (Don’t ask.) Anyway, it was a crazy season and we had a lot of fun, no doubt. I’m extremely proud of this year’s squad for rebounding after such a crummy start. Tyrod Taylor is definitely one of my all-time favorite VT players for the way he has handled himself on and off the field; truly representing what Virginia Tech is all about. We will miss you, TT!

Let me tell you though, not only am I proud of the team, I’m proud of us tailgaters. We weathered those losses right there with the team, but man, did we look cute doing it!

Rachael and I tailgating before the Boise State game at FedEx Field to kick off the season.

The Gurus trying to make the most of a miserably wet day.

That day just got worse when we lost to JM-freaking-U.

And then WE rebounded and rocked the tailgate – new tunes, new gear (who doesn’t love the pop-up VT trash can??), and lots of new Good Times.

The Ladies of the Tailgate, doing one of MANY pictures.

MWAH

Madonna and Hermoine for Halloween and the Duke game (we tailgate everywhere).

Gurus and brother before the Georgia Tech game.

We never did get that RV setup together for the tailgate…although I think we have a plan of attack for next season; I’m already percolating on how to make next season’s experience even better. (I think it involves…amplification…)

We take on FSU this weekend; a team that’s been a bit of a monkey on our backs over the last decade or so. I am certainly no Xs and Os person, so if you want that sort of thing, try here. What I will say is that I am impressed with the character of this VT team. When things aren’t going their way in a game, they don’t give up…they continue to fight and often fight harder. This would be a big game to win. It puts us in the BCS Orange Bowl; it gives us the ACC Championship – and completes a perfect season in ACC play; but most importantly, it’s a step toward winning the “big” games. This team has shown me they’re plenty full of the heart to do it.

Let’s GO!!

Change in Plans

So, my darling husband has done something for which I'm trying very hard to be forgiving. Many weeks ago, we made plans for this weekend to have dinner with some work friends of his. This was, at the time, without knowing exactly when the Hokies would be playing today. I told him, that was fine, but it is a(n away) gameday, so I would still want to be able to watch the game before dinner. Last night he tells me that he has changed plans so that we're heading over to dinner around halftime (it's a 3:30 game) and we'll watch the rest of the game there. (Admittedly, this is a nice concession on their part. I'd've hated to have to cancel completely...)

But, wha??? Hold the phone! If you know nothing else about me, I am quite certain that you have picked up on the oh-so-subtle fact that I am a Pretty Intense Hokie Fan. I go to all the Home games (driving four hours, each way), I plan my weekends around watching them on tv, I don't "do other things" while the game is on. I am a fanatic. (I know this. And I would apologize...but, I sorta like this about me, lol. What can I say?)

Anyway, so now I'm put in the untenable position of A) shuffling my weekend game-watching plans around and B) having to be "social" - already a challenging enough task for me - WHILE watching the game. Basically all of the things I never do.

I know what you're thinking - this is good for me, I'll stretch my boundaries, grow as a person, all that jazz...But can't I do that when the Hokies aren't playing???

Oh well, at least these folks are sort of sports people (ie, they watch baseball)...and, we're still watching the game, while aslo having tacos and CORONAS! Wait. Did I just talk myself into liking this?

I think I did.

We're at UNC and down a couple of key players this week - Dyrell Roberts is out for the season, David Wilson has mono, and Chris Drager is still suffering from some aftereffects of the Georiga Tech game...But we still have Tyrod "Superman" Taylor and some of the best running backs in the nation.

So, this afternoon, I will be watching the game - first from the friendly confines of my living room and, then, from the (hopefully equally friendly) confines of some new friends' living room. I'm just hoping that "Touchdown.....HOKIES!" counts as dinnertime conversation???

Take THAT, Bumblebees!

So, we totally won that junk! What a crazy night in Blacksburg...

Coach Johnson (Georgia Tech), what do you have to say about playing in Lane Stadium on Thursday night?

“...I can tell you one thing. Blacksburg is pretty loud. I have had the opportunity through the years to play in front of probably 95,000 people in different arenas and I have never played anywhere that was louder than Blacksburg was on Thursday night. Especially when the game got tight in the second half. Our guys had a hard time hearing.”

Considering I am STILL recovering my voice, I say thank you, Coach Johnson. It was a pleasure. ;-)

GO HOKIES!!

Can We Skip Wednesday?

It is Tuesday.

It is not, unfortunately, Thursday.

Even though I desperately want it to be Thursday...

It. Is. Not. Thursday.

YET.

As of right now, we are less than 48 hours away from the pure bliss of the Thursday Night Game Experience. The Thursday night game is the perfect combination of all things football: Plenty of tailgate time. Being under the lights at Lane. Fireworks!! AND, while every Joe Schmoe out there is grumbling away at their computer desk on a typical workday…YOU, good VT fan that you are, are midway through your second pitcher of beer during a late lunch in downtown Blacksburg…only to be followed by typical tailgate shenanigans. Yup. You can just have another beer and thumb your nose at those folks that haven’t figured out the college football is a perfectly acceptable reason to miss work. Cheers! (buuuurp…)

So, as I mentioned, it’s Tuesday (aka Not Thursday) and here I sit in my office…thinking about the tailgate and contemplating the finer points of S’mores construction and ingredients (true story!)…This is what you do when you’re a diehard like myself. You schedule your life around The Game. You put off vacations until after The Season. My friends and family know that if they want to see me from September to December…odds are they’re going to have to go to the tailgate. (Rachael has gotten with The Program; what’s up with you, Dad?) Game weeks are a breathless flurry of planning emails and phone calls – tickets, food, travel, ETAs and carpools, cocktails, & supplies. Checking the forecast multiple times (and planning tailgate gear and clothing contingencies). It’s an interesting way to go through life, I can tell you that. When my husband heard on ESPN the other day about a Michigan State fan that, much to the chagrin of his family and friends, put off his pacemaker surgery because he wanted to attend an important game, why was I not surprised when my husband turned immediately to face me and said, “no” – as in, you are not allowed to do that, or anything like it, at any point! (How did he even KNOW what I was thinking??)

But, back to my point. Here I sit, thinking of S’mores. Because this week will be chilly…so, of course we’re thinking FIRE PIT! And (like those word association games the psychiatrist who saw me about my football obsession played), who can think fire (pit) without thinking S’MORES!?! (um. No one.) So. I’m all about it. And, now in typical FP Planner Mode, I thought I’d run a few options by a friend (who also happens to write on this blog) and get some advice. This was something akin to a moment of enlightenment. Apparently there are true S’mores aficionados out there, and these folks have a particular method to their S’mores creation. (I can honestly say that is not on my, admittedly impressive, list of skills.) After multiple s’mores planning emails (go figure – not exactly a phrase you ever think you’ll type!), I think I’ve come up with an appropriate method: Ergo - I will have a variety of chocolates & marshmallows & graham crackers to appeal to different taste palettes. I have found that, when in doubt on things like this, it is best to just go with the Buffet Approach. Give ‘em a little bit of everything and they’re going to find something they like. Just make sure it’s assembled prettily to distract them. Otherwise, they’ll end up finding the ONE thing you didn’t bring. (Worse comes to worst, you can then go to Contingency Plan A: Lie – i.e., “Oh! We just ran out of THAT!”)

So, as if the inclusion of S’MORES wasn’t enough to get your heart pounding for this week’s game…we’re also talking pepperoni rolls, beef and chicken chili, and various other goodies.

Plus, ya know, the fact that there’s going to be a GREAT game in Lane Stadium, complete with fireworks!! Ryan Williams is feeling nearly 100%, so we will have three starting RBs to work with. Tyrod is on fire right now and is going to juke the GT Defense out of its shoes. Hosely isn’t done snacking on opposing QBs yet – I see another interception for him. And this is the week our D really figures it out. We’ve been saying they were young and inexperienced all season…well, here we are, 8 games in…they’re experienced now. They can play with the big boys. John Graves is going to gobble up Josh Nesbitt. Get some, baby!

Plus, as much as it pains me to say it, this is the next to last home game. (it’s a good thing you can’t see my lower lip quivering…sniffle!)

The weather might not look fabulous, but everything else will be awesome!!

Shout out to Trey and April, who won’t be joining us for this year’s Thursday night game…we’ll miss you, but you know we’re going to party it up in your honor!

GO HOKIES!!

Good Tech: 35
Bad Tech: 17

-FP

Symmetry, to a Hokie

Note: GameDay pics from the Central Michigan game should be up soon. If you really must know, we had a slight technical glitch (which revolved largely around the fact that I, um, misplaced my camera...)

So, here we are…another GameDay is (almost) upon us!! I hate to say it, but we might be a little Gurus Gone Wild this weekend, as we are more or less “unsupervised” this go ‘round…Can you say, “trouble?” (bwa ha ha ha!) Ok, we will do our best to behave…but, I think you know that you don’t get to be Gurus of Good Times by behaving…so there!

First on the agenda is me, getting my Hokie-fied self down I-81 and into Roanoke this evening. I am teleworking at the moment, which largely consists of me reading things for work…and then taking regular breaks to put together my list of things I need to take to the tailgate. What can I say…life is good! ;-) Anyway, so I am planning to shove off around 3:30, putting me into ‘Oke-town around 7:30(ish), and I think it goes without saying…the fun will commence immediately. (Although not too much fun, April – we’ll be good enough to function Saturday!) [Sidebar: SO - you might notice the little coincidence that I'm leaving today at 3:30 and the GAME is at 3:30 tomorrow...well, kiddies, if you think it's a coincidence, you must not know me very well. That is called the Circle of (Hokie) Life. Symmetry, dude. Symmetry.]

Second on the agenda, is getting the truck packed up and making sure we’ve got all of our tailgate gear in order. Sorta goes without saying, but I’m sure you can imagine how many times we actually get this done the night before…I will give you two guesses, but I am thinking you will only need one. (hint: see above re: fun commencing immediately.) ;-)

Third…is, of course, getting up bright and early in order to head down to glorious Blacksburg!! (happy dance)

We’ve got some surprises in store this week…looking forward to upping the ante yet again!!

Oh, just a few words about the game…We play Wake. Wake is bad. Hopefully this will be another Skipper-filled afternoon…and we’ll finally get to see Lane under the lights…been a long time coming this season! Still no Ryan Williams (boo) but, it’s better that he be fully rested and recovered by the GT game anyway. Get all your little tailgate ducks in a row…and start bouncing…it’s almost time!!!

Gobble, gobble, b*tches!

VT – 35

Weak Florist – 10


--FP

Love to Love to Love Ya, Love Ya, Love Ya --- HOKIES!

Well, the Hokies have been playing a bit better, which is nice to see :) I truly hope it continues through this weekend's Homecoming Game. Things have been just WILD at the tailgates lately...We've have some absences, and some new additions...overall...I'm very pleased with our tailgating season thus far. Ready for a new tailgate this weekend...hoping to see Doomsday around again soon...Pinecone already made his appearance this year. Andy even changed his shirt....only for me to take on his normal behavior...I love my new Hokie shirt. So, I wear it to every game...after a brief washing of course. Shout out to the other tailgaters making this season so memorable...Jessie, April, Trey, Steve, Meggan, Mike, Andy, Ashley, Brian, Leslie (new baby in the oven) and Tommy!!! We've had special appearances by Scott, Rob, Adam, Alex, Nick, Kevin, Kirsten, Pinecone (Dwayne), and Amanda. Notice how Rob got moved to the special appearances section...and must attend more games to get back into the "regular" crew. LOL....I'll post pics later...It's been massive FUN! Can't wait to rock out to a 3:30 game this weekend! Shout out to Nick from Section 3 in Lane Stadium for hooking me up with such awesome tickets to the last game...I got to see them looking for a pinky finger. Love it!