It’s football season! Excitement is in the air. Even the weather is excited, with a brisk, cool wind.  Not so surprising for those of you in the north, but for those of us in the south, this is huge. 

I can feel the excitement around our house too.  Hubby is a huge football fan.  He doesn’t even need an allegiance or tie to a team for him to be mesmerized by the game.  Many wives hate this time of year, but I actually enjoy it.  While I love watching my Aggies or even my high school team, it’s not the football that I’m excited about.  I’m pumped because during football season all of our ironing gets done – on a weekly basis!

Early in our marriage, Hubby told me he planned to watch football on Sundays – every Sunday.  Seeing my expression, he quickly realized the need to negotiate this time devoted to watching grown men throwing, running and tackling each other over a brown leather ball.  I mean come on; if it was a nice pair of Jimmy Choos I’m sure I would be more enthusiastic.  But not a ball.  Anyway, Hubby offered to do all of our ironing while he watches football.  Score!  Of course I agreed to this arrangement.

This doesn’t mean that I’m not interested in football.  If I can get tickets to see the Aggies, I’m there.  Same thing with my nephew’s high school team.  I’m the proud aunt and am definitely going to cheer him on.

Before I go further, let me say that Hubby and I have different reasons for attending a sporting event.  Hubby is all about the game. His rule is that we need to be there for kick-off and we need to stay until the bitter end, no matter who’s winning, and I’m usually in agreement here.  Yet there’s more to watch than the game on the field.  As a former dance team member, I’m always interested in the half-time show.  I also enjoy watching the cheerleaders with their complicated tumbling stunts. Not to mention the social aspect, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

We recently had the opportunity to see my nephew in action – football excitement at its best.  It was our first time to watch him play varsity and we couldn’t wait.  We had awesome seats in front of my sister and her hubby that were high enough to see the plays, yet low enough to feel the action.

Just after kick-off, Sis and I started talking about Nephew’s school, his game stats, etc.  We hadn’t been at the game more than five minutes when a dear friend found us in the stands.  We chatted excitedly, like old friends do, getting caught up on each other’s lives.  Periodically I would hear the crowd roar, meaning that something happened on field and I would divert my attention from my friend and Sis to cheer or sigh or whatever emotion was needed to support the team.

Hubby, in the meantime, was completely focused on the game. Occasionally he would glance over at me as if to say, “Hey, are you paying attention to your nephew?”  And finally it was half-time.  This is my super-bowl, the time when my eyes never leave the field.  I loved watching the girls dance as I pointed out to Hubby for the umpteenth time where I stood on the field when I was on the drill team.  He politely let me reminisce while he relived his glory days in the marching band.

The second half started and Hubby was in a trance, all of his attention on the game.  I decided to visit my friend in her section of the stands, so off I went.  Nephew displayed his football skills by kicking for three points and we cheered for him in between fashion discussions.  Before I knew it, the game was over.  As I reunited with Hubby, he smiled and sort of laughed.  “What?” I said, not understanding what was so amusing.  “I thought you wanted to watch our nephew,” he said.  Explaining that I did want to see Nephew play, but also see my friends, he said, “Well I certainly wouldn’t want you to be distracted by the game on the field.”

Of course I was not distracted by the game on the field. Duh!  I knew when Nephew was playing; I even knew the score from peeking at the scoreboard.  Men! They just don’t get it, do they?  There are two events happening at once: the game on the field, and the social game in the stands.

“Distracted by the game” – hmpf! Hubby just needs to learn which game to watch.

Hubby Was Right

Hubby likes to be right. This doesn’t happen very often, but occasionally he is right.  At that point he announces to anyone who will listen, “Hey, I was right today!”  Women stare back at him like he’s nuts, while the guys smile and give him a high-five.  This is because they too are seldom right.

It all started because I was having “one of those days”.  You know, the kind where nothing makes you happy, with a funk hanging over you like a black cloud?  Luckily they don’t happen to me very often.  Hubby is extremely glad too.  My mood can go from giddy to ghoulish in a nanosecond, although mostly I just can’t seem to make a decision on anything – going to the gym, working, reading, watching TV – you name it.   I know I’m in a funk, yet I simply can’t extract myself from its grip.

This time was even worse because I had work to do, including writing.  Nothing kills creativity more than being in a funk.  I had been at the computer for hours and all I had to show for it was a Facebook update and a few winning games of solitaire.

Being a very smart man, Hubby assessed the situation and suggested I get out of the house for a break.  Being a very stubborn gal, I didn’t move a muscle, insisting that I need to stay at the computer to get work done.   Not sure exactly what happened next except that I found myself being led to my car, purse in hand, with Hubby telling me to head to the mall and just walk around to clear my head.   “It will do you good,” he said.  “Besides, don’t you need to buy some face stuff?”  That’s guy-talk for make-up, in case you don’t recognize it.

Fine, I thought. You want me out of the house, I’ll leave.  It’s not going to help the funk I’m in, but at least I’ll get some exercise. 

I felt even worse when I got to the mall, realizing that I had not bothered to change and I was still in my gym clothes.  At least I wasn’t sweaty since my funk had forbid me from hitting the gym.  My plan was a quick walk all the way around the mall, with only one stop for “face stuff”.  

As I walked, it occurred to me that I hadn’t been shopping in quite some time.  Serious shopping, I mean.  The kind where you look at all the clothes, assess the season’s trends and make a wish list of must-haves.  Store windows screamed fall, with new clothes in a glorious color palette.  Colors that were perfect for me.  Styles that were perfect for me.  Sale signs that encouraged me to shop – which was perfect for me.

Let me just say that I’m usually pretty quick to decide on clothing. I can enter a store, visually scan the racks, and tell almost immediately whether or not there’s anything I want to look at.  I’m so quick that if Hubby is with me, he barely gets a chance to find a seat before I’m ready to move on to the next store.

This time was different. EVERYTHING was calling my name.  As I stepped into one of my favorite stores, my heart started racing and I found my excitement pushing the funk out the back door.  The colors and styles were almost too much to take in.  Perusing the racks, touching the fabrics, examining the styles – before I knew it I was in a dressing room with a pile of clothes to try on.    And of course for once, everything I tried on fit. And looked good.  Nothing beats a good funk like fabulous new clothes. 

A bit overwhelmed by all of the styles and colors, I decided to move on down the mall while I thought about a purchase.   Every store was the same, with windows ablaze in fashion, each style calling my name.

As I purchased the one item I actually came for – “face stuff” – I mentally tallied the bill to purchase the fashions I was interested in.  My math was rough, but I figured it totaled about $5,000. I got in the car and headed home.

Walking in the door, Hubby could sense that my mood had changed and that my funk had bailed on me.  “See – I told you shopping would be good for you!” he crowed, knowing that his decision to send me to the mall had indeed been right.  “Did you get your face stuff?”  “Oh yeah”, I told him.  “But there was so much to buy!  The clothes are fabulous this season; just my colors. I spent about $5,000”. 

I watched the color drain from Hubby’s face as he clutched his wallet while trying to look brave and supportive.  I failed to tell him that I had only mentally spent $5,000.  After all, it’s important for him to know that he was right. 

© Tami Cannizzaro 2012 All Rights Reserved