It could have been perfect

Don't guess there is much left to say about Saturday's sorry lost to Auburn.

Lethargic offense. Incomplete passes. Dumb decisions.

But, it's funny. Somehow, despite it all, I had a good time.

Maybe part of it was eating with family -- and almost eating with good friends -- at the Downtown Grill. Maybe it was the joy in finding RC Colas (in a glass bottle!) at the Mast General Store. Maybe it was the picture-perfect autumn afternoon.

Whatever the case, I had fun.

Even bought a black Outback hat with a feather in the brim. It matched my orange shirt, so I wore it to the game. Got a few compliments, too.

Making my way up to NN, the Mabe's UT football home since 1972, I shook hands with the usher, who grinned and said he was glad to see me. A bit later, we shared laughter and loss with our favorite football family, the McCrackens.

Then we lost. I shrugged. At least the Big Orange didn't give up, which it would have in previous seasons. A "never say die" attitude could be a harbinger of better things to come.

As I walked home in the chill of an early fall, my family by my side, I thought to myself, "Jake, you're one lucky guy."

The only thing that stopped it from being a super Saturday were dropped balls and dumb decisions.

It could have been perfect...

The simple joys of the season

This time of year is like one big Technicolor motion picture come to life.

No, really. The grass is greener, the sky is a deeper hue of blue, everything is alive and I just get to feeling good despite myself.

Even if the Tigers can’t figure out how to win a darn ball game. But that’s another post for another day.

Yesterday, we took in Sunday brunch at the Downtown Grill. Quite nice, I must say. Dean ordered steak and eggs; Allison enjoyed the French toast. I branched out and tried something called Mountain Eggs -- cooked in a muffin pan. Good stuff.

We walked down Gay Street as the sun began to peek through the clouds. Ducking into the Mast General Store, we spotted Halls guy David Wayland downstairs in the outdoor gear. David works downtown on Sunday afternoons after church. He was the longtime guidance counselor at Halls High and says he is enjoying retirement.

From there, we headed south to the Bijou for the KSO Chamber Classics’ "All Mozart" concert. Maestro Lucas Richman took to the piano for the first selection, "Quartet in G Minor for Piano and Strings, K. 478." After intermission, the chamber orchestra performed Mozart’s final symphony, "No. 41 in C Major, K. 551," also known as the "Jupiter" symphony.

We walked out of the grand old Bijou into the golden sunlight of a spring afternoon. I didn’t want to sit at home on such a pretty day, and the UT baseball team had already concluded their abbreviated game with Florida, so I drove out to West Knox and took in a Chinese dinner with friends.

My former boss and good friend "The Rat" gave me a belated birthday present -- a collection of wartime correspondence between Random House co-founders Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. Sounds nerdy, I know, but Cerf is one of my all-time favorite human beings. He surely led a charmed life.

I drove home in the fading twilight, Sinatra playing gently on the iPod (This time, we almost made the pieces fit, didn’t we, girl?), quite thankful for the simple joys of the season.

The old ball game...

They play rap music now at Neyland Stadium.

Is there anything more obnoxious than modern music blared over a bad sound system? Didn't think so.

Otherwise it was a nice return to the big house. New scoreboards. New green grass. And, for once, a little defense to go with the no-huddle aerial attack.

Boy, it was hot. Couldn't wear the big orange suit. Felt like a Labor Day game. Thankfully the sun was to our backs most of the game.

Several nubile Georgia co-eds were dressed in suits and ties and dresses. They looked sharp. Passed a guy wearing orange pants and an orange suit. Wished I'd wore mine.

Ate lunch (well, breakfast actually) at Pete's coffee shop. Then we walked down to the Mast General Store before the game. My dad likes to get over there insanely early, so we had plenty of time to spare.

Haywood Harris stopped me on my way into the stadium. He wanted to know why the Shopper wasn't going to South Knoxville. I told him we were working on it.

The 35-14 thumping of the Bulldogs was a lot of fun. It's nice to go home happy from that place.

Even if we did have to suffer through all that rap.