The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You...Except If You Live In Berlin

Growing up in Austin sans any professional sports teams, Longhorn football reigned supreme. And then I had the privilege to go to the school there and had the best college experience of all time. No seriously, it was. I was there for the Vince Young National Championship days. You cannot compare. (This is the greatest video ever if you want to watch the highlights mixed to a Longhorn rap song, which you obviously do.)

Vintage game day circa 2007.

Me and my madre last year at Hill Country NYC. 

Anyway, in New York I was grateful to find a bubble of fellow football fans to enjoy my Saturdays with at Hill Country Barbecue, a little piece of Texas holed away in Manhattan. I mean, I went to Hill Country Middle School. How much more 'home away from home' can you get? Oh right no one cares. I would know since I have literally told someone that every time I go there and they literally could care less. Anyway, knowing I had that Southern oasis a few minutes away to grab some brisket, a Shiner Bock (makes me think of my dad!) and some Blue Bell ice cream kept me from ever getting too homesick.

Our first post-college OU in New York.
(PS The next time I see Lauren (right) will be at HER WEDDING!!!!)

Unfortunately I don't even have a tiny sliver of that in Berlin, forced to solicit game info from Facebook status updates and ESPN.com. So when I received a message from The German, who is still in America, about how great it is to be able to watch college football on Saturdays, it was like a knife in the heart.

He has no idea, though, how fun the true game day experience can be, particularly in Austin. Specifically at my friend Meredith's parents' legendary tailgates, hands down some of my most favorite college memories, and a reason in itself to end up back in Austin. Sigh. Now I'm looking at old pictures to torture myself.

Unfortunately this does not even come close to doing the tailgate justice.

And reading gchat and Facebook status updates about the OU game in Dallas this coming weekend isn't making it any better. Luckily the distraction of my house guests will keep my game-watching-depression at bay, but it doesn't make my State Fair corn dog craving any less severe.

Thanks for indulging this trip down memory lane. Hook 'em.