29 days and counting ...

Marlene Terry

Never ever thought I would be counting the days for football to begin. That is I never thought that until we relocated to Boise and I became acquainted with the Boise State Broncos.

Now it's on my calendar every fall. And I can say with all certainty that I'll be seated with bated breath (different than Nacho breath), in front of my TV screen on Saturday, Aug. 31 this year when the team away from home, runs onto the field to take on the Washington Huskies

The Broncos were just beginning their way up when we first sat in that gorgeous blue turf stadium at the university and rooted on the likes of Ryan Dinwiddie and the boys. But back then and for me at least, being at a game included participating in a friendly competition among those who passed the time making paper airplanes from the pages of the printed program.

Especially during half time it was to fun to fly our crafts downward from our seats high up in the stands and try to land on the playing field.

Needless to say things changed pretty fast for the team ... and for me too.

In my "mother with a kid on a team" days, stories about me and my over-zealous fan antics were legendary.

Can't tell you how many times my enthusiasm got me thrown off a field to the cheers and hoots of those who just didn't understand how wonderful those kids were performing. They also seemed to lack the knowledge about how unfair the decisions of referees, umpires,  etc. were ... especially when the player involved in the call was one of my own!

To the chagrin of family members (my hubby especially) I just could never put off the need to express my displeasure with what I thought were very clever ... as well as very loud ways.

Thought I was over all that. But it wasn't long after I was presented an honest to goodness "Bronco Rootin' Rock"  (about the size and shape of a full size headstone) as a Mother's Day gift, that I also began carrying a long blue horn to Bronco games. Then came the face paint and knowing without a doubt which color of shirt to wear for an orange out or a blue out for each confrontation.

... I also caught on quickly and was soon able to join in with the special chants and hand gestures of those in the crowd who were also wearing face paint and gesturing with their No. 1 foam fingers, showing of their dyed orange and blue, and like me, were expert in embarrassing themselves and a lot of times members of their own family!

... By the way, and for your information ... there's some space way up in back of the last row of seats in the stadium, where more than one person can stand or sit in a vacant seat if one is available and watch the game without any fuss at all.

... And if you end up there ... please don't forget to say 'hello' to my hubby! OK?

♦ Hope you'll let me share your stories and photos here at my new residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.