The Stupor Bowl

The Stupor Bowl

I drove over to Bill and Vicki's this afternoon for the big game. Really, Mark Johnson drove me, which was very kind of him. I still haven't gotten back into the driving saddle yet.

The game itself was deadly dull. Clearly, Pittsburgh was the anointed team this year. The "all star" officiating crew blew two key calls in the first half--the offensive interference call against Seattle and the bogus touchdown for the Steelers. Still, even though the 21-10 score belied it, the game never really seemed as close as it appeared. Kind of like objects in the rearview mirror.

The companionship at the party was what made the game. My parents came, as did the Cazins, Mark Johnson, Fred Beecher, the Klinzings, Ruben Ruiz, and some of Bill's old buddies from work. The weather was great, and most of us stayed on the back patio after the barbecue, watching the game on a rabbit-eared TV.

Later, we went inside after the sun went down and the weather cooled off. I left for home about 7:40, as the game was over and all else were taking their leave. When we got back to my place, Mark and I said our goodbyes. He's heading back to Sioux Falls on the 6:30 AM flight tomorrow. He really doesn't look different from the old days, except his hair is grayer now. It almost seemed as though he hadn't been away from Mira Mesa for the past 11 years. I did miss Ellen, his late wife, who passed away in 2004.

Certainly the tinge of mortality hung heavy in the air tonight. Admittedly, most of these friends are older than I am (by 2-10 years), but you know you're getting old when one of the main topics of conversation is everybody's illnesses. Two of the people present have deadly cancers, and as Bill joked, "scar night" is just around the corner.