In my excitement to attend my first tailgate last weekend, I somehow overlooked the fact these occur every weekend that there’s a home game. I was reminded when Blaine and Paul began texting last night about what time they were going downtown to help John get set up. They only do this for games that start before noon because there are fewer people willing to be down there by 7 a.m.
I panicked because I hadn’t thought about what to take, and it was late. Blaine always contributes beverages and ice so he was ready. He said, “You’re with me. You’re covered by the drinks,” he said.
Of course he was wrong. That’s not the way it works. “We’re Midwesterners,” I reminded. “We show up at social gatherings with food or we don’t show up.” I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Eve.
“They’re taking wings,” I told Blaine as I typed Should I bring something breakfasty?
“‘They’re’ taking wings. Not Paul is taking wings and Eve is taking a dip.”
“Point taken.” I opened Pinterest.
“And ignored?”
I smiled. “Yes. I’m still new. I have a good impression to make.”
And that’s why I was up early this morning making sausage and cheese mini muffins with ingredients I’d shopped for even earlier.
Blaine picked Paul up while I was at the grocery store. Eve picked me up a couple of hours later. When we arrived, the three guys were sitting side by side on the literal tailgate drinking Bloody Marys and eating Chex mix.
They hopped up to help us with the slow cookers, and Paul drove their car over to the parking lot so Eve wouldn’t have to walk back.
Kim had a morning appointment and arrived in the first quarter of the game, which was already hard to watch. The team didn’t play well at all. Still, our group remained positive unlike those at the tailgates around us. Not nearly as many people came to this morning’s gathering. The early games are never as well attended, I was told. By the end of the game there were only eight of us, the other couple being Terry and Maggie (who tends to introduce me as the dogsitter).
I suspect I need to make a special effort with Maggie, but I’m not sure how to do that.
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