Hide Yo Wife, Hide Yo Kids

Coach Hullabaloo belly laughing this morning that he's gonna bid on the Helluva Hullabaloo Auction for the two week internship opportunity in the Athletic Department. Y'all - I'd get TWO WEEKS! For me to whip them up into shape. Talk about Extreme Home Makeover y'all. (TPTB if you are reading this: WE ARE KIDDING!)

No, for real: TULANE IS BRINGING THE WOOD! The Wave has won. Again! That's two wins in one season!

Above is Peggy fr-eaking out like she was during the game.

Bless her heart, she forsake us for the SMU game and so now she couldn't believe her eyes. Because after the SMU game, those of us actually in the stands were all commenting where this imposter team had come from.

Booty's explanation during the SMU game was that we simply had to be dressing up Saints players in olive and blue on the sly. Mickey Loomis was on the sidelines yesterday, so ya know...it's plausible. (but for real, props where props are due: to the entire team for not giving up! Mrs. Hullabaloo very proud of y'all!).

Anyways, I listened to the postgame press conference with absolute delight. I relished our win! They interviewed Darion Monroe about his monster punt return (picture by Chris Granger, Times Pickasheet).

Lawd have mercy: when's the last time we've taken a punt return to the house? Or House Adjacent since he was called out at the 1. And I got to witness it y'all! We actually almost got to return a second one to the house, but our punt returner tripped up by himself. boo his! (<-look at me being all kinds of sassy about our extreme makeover on special teams)

Anyways, Darion Monroe's comments towards the end of the post game made me chuckle, because at the end of the clip Monroe was commending Ryan Griffin on managing the offense (did you know Ryan Griffin is running the clock down to zero on purpose?! Except for an occasional delay of game penalty, I'm not sure if I'm digging this approach). Darion capped off his comments by saying that he took his "top off to him."

I AGREE! If we keep this up through the end of the season I urge all of us to take our tops off too. A veritable "wave" of topless fans, waving our tops in the air! #TulaneTradition

Speaking of traditions, our tailgating. Ta Da!

So we moved the festivities down to the Parking Cave, because with our country beset by Hurricane, Cold Front, Tremors and Tsunami on Saturday it was some kind of cold and windy up on the Parking Lot Penthouse atop Garage 5. And cute tablescaping won out over real estate.

I just loved my tablescaping. I used stencils to paint the staggered mason jars, hung precariously here with TU colored gingham ribbon.

I repurposed some of the burlap from our Texas inspired tailgate and added a ruffle on it to go atop my vinyl gingham tablecloths.

Ruffle detail shown here with honeydew and blueberries (as I explained to Coach Hullabaloo who dared to ask why: because it is green and blue! mmkay!) and green bean, onion and walnut salad.

I project runway'd the ruffled burlap while Coach Hullabaloo made our cheddar cornbread in this adorable fleur de lis muffin pan. How cute are these....

Bond Girl brought Nutter Butter Banana Pudding, and y'all...as an earthly being, I could not possibly conceive that Banana Pudding could be freestyled so heavenly! I garnished the top with some dried banana chips and caught a quick snapshot before it disappeared.

I managed to grab a dollop of it after Bond Girl lovingly deposited the naner pudding on the table. I turned around for a second and the naner pudding was gone. Like a vacuum had come by and sucked it all up. To all Banana Pudding aficionados out there in the Greenie Dat Nation or amongst the visitors to my shtetl: Nutter Butter Banana Pudding!

The pumpkins I picked up at Michael's and sliced the stump off the top, added some TU decals and voila, cuteness ensues.

Speaking of cuteness, my homecoming theme, my homecoming theme. It's gonna knock your socks off.....Hide yo wives, Hide yo kids!

So onwards to Homecoming Y'all!

Meanwhile Back at The Hullabaloo Ranch

These pictures have absolutely nothing to do with my discussion below, other than double dipping this post as a tutorial on the making of homecoming mums.

Sad weekend for Mrs. Hullabaloo. Try as I might, we could not make a trip to El Paso happen. I am torturing Coach Hullabaloo about it, because I would have loved to have been there.

Although I did have quite a productive weekend. Mrs. Hullabaloo found Pintrest (follow me). and now I have all kinds of cute ideas to set my tailgating ablaze!

I also singlehandedly got us into the SEC. Well, an SEC tailgating blog roll anyways. Hoo-ray for Gameday Belles!

So two things about our game v. UTEP, well, three.

Yes, it was a good game. Coach Hullabaloo made us Frito Pie, another Texas Treat, in honor of playing the miners. Which - y'all - this meal is soooo not recommended for nail biter games, y'all. I literally wanted to just have a heart attack already and be done with it. But overall, I just have to say: it is quite a quandry which is better: getting a complete shellacking and digesting a proper meal, or outright dropping a winnable game and feeling ill.

A Loss is A Loss says I. and while the team is losing better, I want a WIN dernit. TPTB better not be thinking we can just hang our hat on a couple of wins and some moral victories to placate us. My tailgating parties deserve it afterall! I take no prisoners in crafting our weekly tailgating parties and show no mercy to Coach Hullabaloo's bank account.

My other two points I wanted to make was, What in Tarnation are We Gonna Do When Ryan Griffin Graduates? Jesus, Joseph and Mary, pray for us.

and lastly: why was Erleens Darka not given the ball to help us pound into the endzone or give us a first down after that 4th Q fumble recovery?

alas...UAB is up next and we are doing a BBQ theme tailgate. Dreaming of Mason Jars, Gingham and Burlap...it's gonna be some kind of awesome, I guarantee!

The Hip Replacement

Our last game against The Ponies, just like our last game against the Horned Toads....A WIN! It's our signature way to bid adieu: "Au Revoir! Have Fun in Your New Conference! Remember Us!"

While I did a major booty shake and I plan to put my new cute Roll Wave pin on my pyjamas for sweet dreams, TPTB better not be thinking that this now excuses them from continuing to mail it in. Although Rick Dickson is probably currently on his knees doing a Tim Tebow at Marie Laveau's tomb in complete relief that his Dreidel Talk on the 16th will be slightly less contentious.

Anyways, another complete winner today was our tailgate which was awesome.

I simply cannot take complete credit for such cuteness. I got inspiration from Oh My Goodness Gracious. and Coach Hullabaloo slaved over my new fleur de lis waffle maker while I fussed at him that we were running late. (so thank you Coach Hullabaloo for putting up with my obsessions)

The drink comes from Helen Gurley Brown! Yes! Im reading the book that launched her to fame and it was her signature brunch beverage. Take 6 coffee cups and boil down to one cup, then mix with a quart of vanilla ice cream and half to full fifth (depending on your tolerance!) of liquor of your choice. I used Bourbon. Sprinkle the top of each drink with ground nutmeg. And then warn your guests, girl!

One of the funniest things from the game was that when we had a clear lead, I was sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Circe and I started calling the plays. It was quelle hilarious. SMU was fixin to kick another Field Goal and I started cheering "Block That Kick! Block That Kick!" and then we did! And so our next posession I swept my arm up and over and pointed to our endzone and yelled "Go Long!" and then we did! One of our neighbors in the section asked me what the powerball numbers were going to be tonight. I'm so sure! ha ha!

With these play predictions, I joked with Circe that next game I would make myself a witch's hat and a Greenwave colored broom (Wilson Center would so love that, you know, that I actually do have a witch's broom).

So anyways, your happy final

Last of the Mohicans

We were having fun doing some cheers at the game yesterday.

"I screen, YOU screen, We ALL scream for NO SCREEN!" (because, lawd, if Up The Middle weren't enough)

And then we actually had some witty cheers going for our 11 first downs. Preacherman came up with this "Tulane, four lanes, six lanes a highway! Drive! Drive! Drive!"

So funny!

Although the fans around me were ready to burst into flames if they saw another screen pass play. Which was either dropped for an incomplete pass or intercepted for a touchdown.

I think the fans that are left and haven't been chased off just yet (because despite the prayer chain at Wilson Center, I am not going away) should fly airplane banners around the Superdome for Homecoming. Lighten up the mood a little, "PLEASE PLAY 11 MEN EVERY DOWN" "WE WILL NOT GO ACROSS THE STREET"

or something to this effect. Funny? No? okay, just an idea. I don't say that all my ideas are good.

Anyways, I finally debriefed Caoch Hullabaloo over Jewish Coonasses at Brunch this morning about his evening of sideline reporting for Hullabaloo Huddle. In an un-official, unpaid, capacity of course. The jury is still out if he has the fortitude to be extended an internship opportunity here.

When I finally got into the stadium yesterday, I decided I would watch the game from the stands. We had sideline passes, but the stupid student section was all riled up, we were in unforgiving path of the afternoon sun, and there was nowhere to manuever down there. So I let Coach Hullabaloo play on the sidelines without me so I could sit and chat with friends in the stands.

Coach Hullabaloo feels that all is not lost - we needn't slit our wrists just yet. There are indeed players who are playing their hearts out and he sees a glimmer of hope for improvement.

We were both in agreement about the disarray of play calling, players clearly unsure about their assignments, our aggravating stack of delay of game penalties (to the point that the fans in the stands started shouting vocal countdowns 10! 9! 8! 7 6! ..etc), and this business of 10 men on the field for 7 friggin' plays. None of us at Tulane were expecting a coaching staff that needed on the job training, and so these elements of sloppy skippering have us most disconcerted.

But what had me literally rolling in laughter today was Coach Hullabaloo who did a live reenactment of Justin Shackleford catching the long bomb for our touch down drive.

For that particular drive, Coach Hullabaloo happened to move to the other side of the benches anticipating that we would finally, thankfully, GO LONG. and Miracle of miracles, we did. So Coach Hullabaloo was actually facing #80 when the ball came sailing into his bucket.

pictures from Parker Waters are here. They are really good. He's an awesome photog.

Coach Hullabaloo recounted how the ball actually traveled down to about Shackleford's waist before he pulled it back up again towards his chest and that the look on his face at the precise instant of contact with the ball was a mixture of shock, surprise and panic. As if saying "OMG, Tulane has completed a Pass! There's Nothing But Green Space in front of US. and We're not fixing to get buried in a gang tackle!"

Coach Hullabaloo wishes he had commandered Parker's camera for that one, because he said it was such a funny reaction that he'll never forget it in his life. It lasted all of about a second, because then Shackleford turned on his jets and headed for the pylon. Hoo-ray!

So how cute is this dress?

Too cute right? The lady who made it does not have an etsy store, or a website, but she does have an email and phone, so if you wish to get her contact info, drop me a line below.

One of my better memories form yesterday was enjoying having the band at the away game so that we could have some for real college football team moments like singing the fight song and then swaying to the alma mater after the game.

So now my chickens, I'm all just about Over It. Given myself a good 24 hours to decompress. I gotta drag Coach Hullabaloo out to get me a Fleur de Lis Waffle Maker for tailgating next week. Although Booty made me laugh this morning that I should update my centerpiece for SMU to include 50 one dollar bills (with a thong - that was my idea). Who knew?! Methodist Football Players are into stiffing hookers. Ha Ha!

Onwards to SMU!

Bataan Rouge Death March

Good gravy. Mrs. Hullabaloo kept an exasperated Coach Hullabaloo up until almost midnite making costume decisions for our first away trip of the season.

Who knew one of the perils of having a closet bursting with gameday options would lead to indecisions of this magnitude! and Coach Hullabaloo being ever more aggravating by responding noncomittaly "yeah...that one is cute too, can we go to sleep now." Lollipops have mercy, which one is cute-est?! Because it is e-ssential that at least I look the part of a spirited fan. While being lead to slaughter and humiliation.

Much like Marie Antoinette packing before headed to the guillotine.

Although pictured, out are the boots, which I love so. It's going to be high 80's in Lafayette. Better to debut them at the SMU game next weekend in the Superdome. The sandals, I explained to Coach Hullabaloo, are a gameday decision. No, I don't necessarily need 3 pairs of shoes for 2 days. But better to have options than to be sorry. If Tulane can't manage the logistics of bringing Riptide to home games or much less to games within 2 hours driving distance, then I'll make up for it by having cute shoes.

Anyways, as you can see, Coach and Mrs. Hullabaloo are completely in the throes of packing. Last week we were advised that the trip (we are traveling with the team for this one, can you believe they are letting me?) would be making a layover in Bataan Rouge for the night and then continue on to Lafayette the day of the game. I was tempted to stay home.

Who wants to go to Bataan Rouge? So the team shall be staying in the outhouse prior to our lynching appointment in Lafayette. Yes.

Waveprofessora mentioned that they, too, were gluttons for punishment and going to watch the Cajuns slay the Wave. She added that Tulane would need a miracle. I'll say. Last week on ULM's opening drive, the wide receiver dropped a perfect pass and Peggy joked that Jesus was our 12th Man. Ha! This weekend we need a raging outbreak of scabies to befall the first through third string of the Cajuns' roster. In addition to a locust pestilence to swarm Lafayette rendering the city uninhabitable between the hours of 4pm and midnite. Forcing the reschedule of the game for a later date to conveniently fall under the regime of a new and improved Athletic Director Administration.

Anyways, one of my favorite things about using Tulane Away Games as an excuse to travel (since I haven't figured out how to pack Riptide myself since it's such a hassle for the Athletic Departmen to do so) is compiling a personal list of dining, shopping and sightseeing recommendations. I love, love, love Suzy Gershman's books, but until Tulane follows Notre Dame's lead of commiting to funding and running a team that attracts the loyal support of our national alumni base, I don't see us successfully booking games in exciting locations like Ireland or whatnot where Suzy's guides would come in handy. Although Coach Hullabaloo and I would love to schedule another round of Humiliation in Hawaii if TPTB finds it in their hearts to throw Tulane fans a bone and at least give us pleasant surroundings for our weekly ass-kickings.

So anyways, I've been compiling suggestions on my own to endure our dreary travel to the remote and barren locations of our bottom ranked conference. Oh, Tulsa? Ok, you must go to El Elote or the Polo Grill. El Paso? The Greenery. Birmingham? Jim N Nicks!

These tips have come in quite handy. If you are stuck in say, Hot Springs, Arkansas like Mr. and Mrs. Preacherman were, and I was able to guide them to Central Park Fusion. Which has been a recommendation they have graciously thanked me for on multiple occassions since their trip.

Anyways, so for Bataan Rouge, we have reservations at Maison Lacour, which is alleged to be a very good authentic French Bistro. And let me tell you: quelle relief that I found it! Did you really think that Coach and Mrs. Hullabaloo would go to TJ Ribs to admire the pawned Heisman?