Friday: Dad & Mom left Joliet later than planned but still made Champaign in plenty of time to check in at the Illini Union, pick up Brian and Lauren, and have a nice (large!) dinner for four at Biaggi’s. Ran into Bob Valdes (Valdes Engineering) and his immediate & extended family. Dad & Mom dropped off Brian and Lauren, then went for a walk on Green Street (11 pm-ish). It is very warm out and it was fun to see all the students & their parents out cruising Green Street (in the upper 70’s at 11pm). Filled the coolers with fresh ice and crashed and burned exhausted!
Saturday: 6:30 am – Dad (aka Mr. Tailgate) was up and at’em and got a great “Game Day” space right on Kirby Street. Mom slept. Mr. Tail-gate ran back to the Union after getting a campus construction status update:
IMPE upgrades - making progress,
Stadium - still under major construction;
Orange Snack Bar by the Six-pack – now a hole in the ground;
New Business School - making good progress. Outer shell nearly complete.
New apt building across from Brian Patrick’s apt – re-started construction.
After showers, we had a quick breakfast and walked to the tailgate, set-up and watched the river of orange humanity flow by us on Kirby St sidewalk, en route to the stadium. Our space was situated on the sidewalk a couple of places down from one of the many ExxonMobil dad’s (Tom Chesebro and Alex, a freshman in ME). After a couple of cookies and several bottles of water later, Brian, Lauren Kmieciak , her sister Lia and dad, Gary joined us and we flowed to the sold-out stadium (scalped tickets going for $130+) and found our respective seats (which we had “scalped” from the Kmieciak’s!). Fabulous game (U of I beat 5th ranked Wisconsin).
Stadium is reconfigured to handle construction with the scoreboard switching ends and the student section now behind the north end zone where the scoreboard used to be. Half-time show: Three -in-One. Sans Chief, but with the requisite responses from the crowd: “Chieeeeeeeeeef”. Dad says there was a big hole in the three-inone performance without the Chief. Final score: 31-25. U of I led the entire game, but the game seemed very close the entire second half.
Tailgated post game with several XOM friends & families stopping by – Chesebro’s, Readles, Valdes’. And of course the Kmieciak’s and Beaird’s (missing Chris). Grilled burgers, brats among the hard-core tailgaters in our “hood”. Lauren had a Bean Bag toss and Lia (4), learned to use a bottle opener on beer. With only one minor injury. Lia was a trooper, especially considering the heat and the length of the day.
Went to our respective rooms, showered/napped/emailed (everyone had their own agenda!) Met for Cold Stone Creamery (dinner). Ran into Knox Go-and-Servers, Russ Heitz (heading to a bar to meet Brittany) and Bill Hilton (not heading to a bar with his daughter). Dad ordered the “Gotta Have It” size (much to his embarrassment and Deb’s happiness since all she ordered was a “spoon”.) Lauren, Lia and Gary returned to the dorms. (Lia spent the night with Lauren. We still don’t know where Gary slept. His plan was to sleep in his truck.) Dad, Mom, and Brian hit Murphy’s (where Jay, a track team friend of Brian’s, was bouncing and we got in without a cover.) Had a couple of drinks, dragged Brian up to our room in the Union for brief social visit. Afterwards, he hopped a bus back to his apartment and we called it a night. (Bed by about midnight).
As an aside, big sports week-end. U of I beating Wisconsin, Northwestern beat Michigan State in over-time. The Cub’s were swept by the Diamondbacks in 3 games in the play-offs. And Briana ran the Chicago Marathon in 4 hours and 14 seconds. In 90+ degree heat.
Sunday: Got up at 7:00 to get in line to get rooms for NEXT year’s Dad’s week-end. (Quite the hassle, but it’s so worth it). We were successful in securing two rooms. You just never know. Got another hour of “rest” (people banging around the hotel). Showered, shopped (one can never have enough U of I garb.) Hit Curtis Apple Orchard for a donut and bag of Honey-Crisp apples for Brian. The three of us had a nice brunch at Radio Maria, dropped Brian off at Huff Gym so he could meet his teammates and run in the 95 degree heat with a full stomach.
On the way out of town, we drove by Christina’s apartment-to-be on Second and Armory and it was looking nicely maintained. Hit the road and headed to Grandmother and Granddaddy’s house for supper. The entire week-end was really nice!
Mom & Dad
Saturday: 6:30 am – Dad (aka Mr. Tailgate) was up and at’em and got a great “Game Day” space right on Kirby Street. Mom slept. Mr. Tail-gate ran back to the Union after getting a campus construction status update:
IMPE upgrades - making progress,
Stadium - still under major construction;
Orange Snack Bar by the Six-pack – now a hole in the ground;
New Business School - making good progress. Outer shell nearly complete.
New apt building across from Brian Patrick’s apt – re-started construction.
After showers, we had a quick breakfast and walked to the tailgate, set-up and watched the river of orange humanity flow by us on Kirby St sidewalk, en route to the stadium. Our space was situated on the sidewalk a couple of places down from one of the many ExxonMobil dad’s (Tom Chesebro and Alex, a freshman in ME). After a couple of cookies and several bottles of water later, Brian, Lauren Kmieciak , her sister Lia and dad, Gary joined us and we flowed to the sold-out stadium (scalped tickets going for $130+) and found our respective seats (which we had “scalped” from the Kmieciak’s!). Fabulous game (U of I beat 5th ranked Wisconsin).
Stadium is reconfigured to handle construction with the scoreboard switching ends and the student section now behind the north end zone where the scoreboard used to be. Half-time show: Three -in-One. Sans Chief, but with the requisite responses from the crowd: “Chieeeeeeeeeef”. Dad says there was a big hole in the three-inone performance without the Chief. Final score: 31-25. U of I led the entire game, but the game seemed very close the entire second half.Tailgated post game with several XOM friends & families stopping by – Chesebro’s, Readles, Valdes’. And of course the Kmieciak’s and Beaird’s (missing Chris). Grilled burgers, brats among the hard-core tailgaters in our “hood”. Lauren had a Bean Bag toss and Lia (4), learned to use a bottle opener on beer. With only one minor injury. Lia was a trooper, especially considering the heat and the length of the day.
Went to our respective rooms, showered/napped/emailed (everyone had their own agenda!) Met for Cold Stone Creamery (dinner). Ran into Knox Go-and-Servers, Russ Heitz (heading to a bar to meet Brittany) and Bill Hilton (not heading to a bar with his daughter). Dad ordered the “Gotta Have It” size (much to his embarrassment and Deb’s happiness since all she ordered was a “spoon”.) Lauren, Lia and Gary returned to the dorms. (Lia spent the night with Lauren. We still don’t know where Gary slept. His plan was to sleep in his truck.) Dad, Mom, and Brian hit Murphy’s (where Jay, a track team friend of Brian’s, was bouncing and we got in without a cover.) Had a couple of drinks, dragged Brian up to our room in the Union for brief social visit. Afterwards, he hopped a bus back to his apartment and we called it a night. (Bed by about midnight).
As an aside, big sports week-end. U of I beating Wisconsin, Northwestern beat Michigan State in over-time. The Cub’s were swept by the Diamondbacks in 3 games in the play-offs. And Briana ran the Chicago Marathon in 4 hours and 14 seconds. In 90+ degree heat.
Sunday: Got up at 7:00 to get in line to get rooms for NEXT year’s Dad’s week-end. (Quite the hassle, but it’s so worth it). We were successful in securing two rooms. You just never know. Got another hour of “rest” (people banging around the hotel). Showered, shopped (one can never have enough U of I garb.) Hit Curtis Apple Orchard for a donut and bag of Honey-Crisp apples for Brian. The three of us had a nice brunch at Radio Maria, dropped Brian off at Huff Gym so he could meet his teammates and run in the 95 degree heat with a full stomach.
On the way out of town, we drove by Christina’s apartment-to-be on Second and Armory and it was looking nicely maintained. Hit the road and headed to Grandmother and Granddaddy’s house for supper. The entire week-end was really nice!
Mom & Dad
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