Senior Game and a Retrospective

Our senior game tailgating was a-dorable.

I hope our wave mommas enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

I am really digging this tablecloth, which Booty tried to use as a poncho during our 4th Q early start on post-game tailgating. Ha! But fer reals: it's so easy to get together and it's cheap. And that's key to keeping Coach Hullabaloo from getting exasperated.

So how you make this tablecloth, you take two pieces of felt and then cut trims of fringe all the way around the border a few inches. I'd say about 3-4 inches. And then get busy knotting a single knot tie with all of the fringe pieces.

I think I'm gonna improve upon this and get it embroidered either with a major statement fleur de lis, or with "Roll Wave" in old school cursive. Will see what inspires me. But I very much liked this look.

The banner I loved also, so it won't be the last time you see it.

So this was the last game of Booty as Riptide. So I am sharing some pictures as a retrospective. (disclaimer: if none of my sassy sarcastic commentary makes any sense, disregard: I am being facetious)

Booty gagging from proximity to Mike

Booty modeling a swingline stapler in honor of the daughter of the creator of Office Space who was a member of Shockwave. (this by the way, is factual)

Booty graciously welcoming potential future CUSA members as deck chairs continue to be re-arranged.

Booty photobombed all of Memphis Pouncer's pictures at the Memphis game, but all I captured was her doing the chacha at the pregame pep rally at the Alumni Tent (which was still pretty cute).



Me relieved that Tulane didn't add to our gridiron woes by not having Riptide at the UL game.

MrsHullabaloo and Riptide doing a disco bump pre-game at the Senior Game.

Farewell Booty as Riptide! Thank you for your service!

This is An Outrage

Our Moral Victory was swept out right from under us.

Brent Comardelle WAS inbounds with both feet, Joshua Rounds DID go 25 yards, Robert Kelley DID make the first down.

and the pirates WERE facemasking ALL day.

It was such an outrage, I literally almost ran out onto the field and did something. What I'm not sure yet, but it would have been lights out.

Did you know I have fed some of these idiot zebras' wives this season?! Yes. at my tailgates. And this is the thanks I get.

Anyways, funniest thing all season is realizing two things. The cleverness of our injury time outs (I had an Aha! moment in Memphis. So sneeky!) and how I will always have to giggle after a Zach Davis tackle.

He seems to always do this Kung Fu move at his victim after slaying them.

I feel he must say "Namaste!" to them, or something like that.

Also, one new Tulane Tradition we started: instead of pumping a single fist for The Hullabaloo, we are pumping both arms up in the air in honor of Cairo Santos. You know, like the referee signal for "It's Good!" As in, the field goal was good and through the uprights.

Anyways, coming up later: a retrospective on the season. Hope you come check back tomorrow.

Yulfogelmelvin

It officially happened: We've reached the threshold where the team's given up and it's time to just mail it in. Stick a fork in us, we are done says Mrs. BadFan here.

Alls left is to read Rick Dickson's Dreidel Talk to explain away why the team stayed in a perpetual state of confusion and why it was such a brilliant idea to go UP THE MIDDLE FOUR FRIGGIN TIMES WITHIN THE 5.

Last week the Dreidel Talk was about how this was the greatest week of the history of Tulane Athletics. Two book end losses. Awesome. And some crazy names we gotta pretend to love. Yulfogelmevlin is what I'm christening it.

Losing so sucks! But I'm just terribly impatient here, watching this for 21 years. My fandom is old enough to no longer get carded.

Just to pour salt on the wound and further demoralize us, Memphis replayed highlights of the 1992 game. 62-20. I sat in the Superdome actually witnessesing that with some gorgeous J Crew catalogue models from Memphis State that my roomies and I were entertaining for the weekend. Yes, lucky us! I'd totally post pictures, but then I would digress from my pity party.

Anyways, while on memory lane: 10 years ago we went to a Bowl Game. Remember those? Oh, and UL almost beat Florida yesterday.

p.s. the Tulane Marching Band was awesome and I loved, having them with us here in Memphis. They totally rocked. Thank you TUMB for giving us some for real college moments.

That Gathering Formerly Known As Homecoming

Thank you very much to everybody who organized Champions Square, put up with my flagrant violation of "the rules," tried to iron out some major kinks and not only brought us chairs to replace our confiscated ones, but also offered to bring us tables even though we did successfully manage to get those past the very vigilant guards.

But, here's the deal. The Greenies haven't won a homecoming game in one of my cat's lifetimes. I am therefor o-fficially cancelling "Homecoming." Throwing my lot in with the Greeks and "boycot it" (in air quotes) like they did this year.

I commissioned these candy jars from Coach Hullabaloo. Via my new obsession: pintrest.

Y'all, Tulane enforcing the unbeknowst to everybody "rules" of Papa Benson's Champions Square went over as well as a fart in a synagogue. And add our having to contemplate a moral victory against Rice, just has me out of sorts!

Or at the very least we shall rename this tradition. Nell and I decided we are henceforth calling it: "A Gathering"

Change the name like they changed Airline Highway to Airline Drive.....Everybody knows it's still Airline Highway, but we're giving it a different spin, put our minds off the additional pressure.

Perhaps change the dynamic of the unsavory elements who may sashay in and ruin our gameday. And, hopefully rob Tammy Nunez of the opportunity to pen yet another one of her simply awful articles that she just relishes to write. Cause lawd, she's just awful. and did I mention patronizing (if she has such disdain, why doesn't she go find a more pleasant team to cover?)

Anyways, yes, I was ever proud of the Olive+Blue's effort in the second half, turning it into an exciting and winnable game. But lawd we tried just as hard to give the game away as well. I quit counting how many TD interceptions and fumbles we had that produced points for Rice. So maybe if we enact this name thing, it will take the pressure off.

Le Sigh...
this mascot planter, another pintrest inspiration

Well, one thing I do look forward to as the Coach Curtis Johnson Era continues to unfold is whipping up a Brazilian Themed tailgate for senior day 2013 in honor of Cairo Santos! Caipirinhas and all, y'all.

Cairo is all of 4 inches taller than me, y'all it was so cute and funny to see him tossed in the air like a rag doll in celebration when he kicked that monster field goal just before the half. (picture from Times Pic)

Oh Happy Moment!

Of course, I can't neglect to mention Ryan Travis genius interception giving us our 3rd Q Mo. Cause that was some kind of awesome reminiscent of our Days of Yore at Tad Gormley Homecomings. Oh if only Griff had seen the open lane for him to run in the 2 point conversion on his own. And if only at least a half a dozen other things, like me remembering to take a friggin picture with the Monday Night Football cameraman to have proof of my hospitality in offering him a free plate of food.

Coach Hullabaloo made me these too. Cute serving stands from spray painted terra cotta planters. Love, right? Totally inspired from pintrest.

But yes, Oh for the days of Yore....or days of the future if we manage to get ESPN gameday to The Y in 2014, but that marketing coup might just be too high to aim for our "right for Tulane's situation" mentality that TPTB insists on. I could have used my aforementioned photograph with their MNF camera person as evidence that my tailgates are not to be missed and deserve ESPN Gameday treatment all. on. their. own.

Here a rogue Tulane fan in Baton Rouge. My new favorite person in the universe. He says he is not an LSU Fan. At All. He begrudgingly goes there because it was the cheapest place he could go to school. I knew I'd found a kindred spirit when he tweeted today "LSU fans are a little mad #ha" (genius, a hashtag for "ha" lol).

Anyways, I just LOVE his irreverent humor, especially as it pertains to Red Stick. Follow him for genius commentary.

So bouquet of roses to my new twitter crush Cal for representing at Gameday. And Bouquet of roses to Alabama for silencing Baton Rouge for the weekend. Yes, Indeed. And bouquets of something to them classy tigah fans for their equally classy chant emanating from their student section. For real, it's not an Urban Legend. Because me, in my naive-tay thought, no...this couldn't have possibly! but no - they even have a whole twitter account for it! Oh, dare to dream y'all!

Next Week: Memphis!

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