We had great seats. We had a parking pass. We got there two hours early.
We got screwed. On the parking, at any rate.
Forty zillion people came to the Army-Temple homecoming game at West Point -- apparently well before our arrival time of 10 AM -- and took all the parking in our assigned lot. We ended up miles away from the lot we were supposed to be in, and we never met up with Beau's former co-workers for tailgating, because we were so delayed making the trek to the stadium!
After spending an interminable time on the school bus shuttle (kids are very, very small, as we discovered when we tried to squish in together on the tiny seat), we did finally arrive at Michie Stadium. Security was tight, and we thought we were going to be kept out because I didn't have photo ID with me (that would have thrown Beau over the edge -- he was on his last nerve).
His mood was helped, however, by the fact that the day was spectacular -- and that West Point is a gorgeous, awe-inspiring place. (I kept thinking, "Patton walked here; McArthur walked here; Eisenhower walked here; Edgar Allen Poe walked here (well, for one semester).")
The first half of the game was great. But because Buddy was back at the RV and we knew getting out of the parking lot would take us an hour-plus, we left early -- and Army was in the lead! What the heck happened? Just heard that Temple beat Army 42-35!
Still, the game was a great experience -- I had not been to an Army game since my college days. Speaking of which, after nearly 35 years, I also got to see my
alma mater, the former
Ladycliff College (located right outside the main entrance to West Point), now sadly known as the West Point Museum.
I cried, of course. It had been a very special little college -- 400 girls, a faculty of strict Franciscan nuns, a great, highly personalized education (there were only three or four students in a few of the classes I took), plus all that West Point had to offer right down the road.
How did I get this old??!!
Lots of photos below.
Off to Gettysburg today.
Tanks, Panky
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| Army cheerleaders |
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| USMA Band |
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| Army Cheerleaders, the boys this time. | | | | | | | |
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| Cadet parachuters open the game. |
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| ARMY SCORES!!! |
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| At the bottom of the pic, there are Plebes, who have to do pushups each time the Army Black Knights score. |
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| Crazy Army football fans! |
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| Not quite as crazy a fan...but cute nonetheless. |
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| The Army mules -- well, their backsides. |
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| Tired Mule Mascot heads for the Men's room. |
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| Army players waiting their turn to take on Temple. |
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| Corps of Cadets |
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| View on the way home, overlooking West Point from route 9W. Not the greatest shot of "Old What's Her Face." |
I've forgotten how handsome those cadets are in their uniforms. What a spectacular day you had. Bob and I were at West Point a zillion years ago and the view was spectacular also. We're looking forward to your doings next week.
ReplyDeleteBarbara