Musings at Altitude

Today’s Schedule:

7:00     Wake up and be reminded that the Avs play today

8:00     Eat breakfast and talk Avs

9:00     Talk more Avs

10:00   Talk more Avs

11:00   Leave for the Avs game and talk Avs all the way up

12:00   Arrive at Avs game

1:00     Avs Play

3:30     Avs game over

4:00     Leave Avs game

5:00     Talk more Avs

At breakfast this morning, the fanaticism already started as my daughter chastised me for not being a true fan.  She already had her jersey on.  My wife had her Avs shirt on.  I had my Avs long sleeve t-shirt on, but it was hidden by an otherwise mundane, non-show-of-spirit sweatshirt.  While I ate my loaded eggs, my 14 year old ate her turkey and chipotle cheddar cheese omelet, and my wife ate her yogurt, my daughter forced my wife to go to the Avalanche web site to take the virtual tour of the arena so she could see the view from where we’d be sitting.  Disappointment set in when she realized we’d be on the opposite side and opposite end of her favorite player (or as she says, “he’s so hot”) who wasn’t scheduled to be playing today.  She built off that disappointment to tell me that I needed to quit printing the tickets at home because if we pick them up at “will call”, then she gets real tickets for her scrap book.  She then reminded us of exactly when we needed to leave, asked my wife if we could use her camera to get pictures of her favorite player at the game, and talked about several other things about the Avs that I just can’t remember now.

I quickly finished my eggs and scurried to my office because this banter about the Avs will escalate now until it reaches a phenomenally loud and screeching level when the Avs take the ice – and that’s just for the warm ups!  Her fanaticism will crescendo when it’s over and they announce the stars of the game.  Win or lose, she’ll still be screaming for her Avs.

Last year we had season tickets and this pattern of behavior and fanaticism was exercised sometimes 3 or 4 times a week.  This year, we pick and choose which games we go to, and as a result, the fanaticism has days or sometimes weeks to build up.  OH MY GOSH!  I can’t imagine the fanaticism being any more extreme by the time the day of the game arrives!

So today, my goal is to survive.  My goal is to protect my ear drums.  My goal is to feed the beast of 14 year old fanaticism without succumbing to the fanaticism myself.  Ok…I admit…it would really be cool if the Avs win.  But while the 14 year old jumps and down and screams in victory, I’ll just smile in knowing that a good team played a great game and gave her another thrill of a lifetime.