I had the opportunity today to accompany Zac's class on a field trip for a tour of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. If you're a fan of your team, getting to visit where they play is cool enough, but the stadium also houses all the coaches offices, strength complex, national championship trophies, Heisman and other award trophies and winners' jerseys, not to mention the indoor practice field and countless other very cool things.
My favorite part of the entire visit was the video of the gameday experience from almost a player perspective, with cameras showing you what it's like to be right in amongst the players. The video room has a partial wraparound screen and mostly lets the video itself tell the story. As a big fan of the Huskers, it gave me goose bumps.
We did see a couple of football players, including Jared Crick, the ridiculously large defensive tackle destined for a great year and future first round NFL draft choice, I think. When he walked past me, I felt like a twig. I mean, I know someone 6'6" and about 300 pounds is a pretty big person, but he's so muscular that he doesn't look that heavy. I seriously felt very, very small as he passed by. It was pretty cool, actually. :)
Zac had a good time on the trip, though I suspect it'll mean more to him after he gets a little bit older and has a chance to go to a game, which we intend to treat him to next year when he's 4. I think he'll be able to handle the noise level a bit better at that time and will have the patience to sit through the game. He certainly enjoyed running around on the field, which is what this video is from, and then of course I have pictures here of us in front of the five national championship trophies and of the indoor practice facility. Look for more pics in the slideshow to the right and a second video on my YouTube channel.
Katy and I took Zac to the Henry Doorly Zoo here in Omaha yesterday on a planned day off. My friend Jeremy and his family couldn't make it from Des Moines as planned, but their suggestion for the trip gave us a welcomed day away from work and we always enjoy the zoo.
Zac decided yesterday he was going to walk as little as possible. We brought his baby stroller, which of course is quite large, so we could pack a lunch in the cooler. The fact the zoo even allows this is beyond incredible. It saves families so much money when they could very easily force everyone to buy water and food inside their walls. And though yesterday turned out to be overcast thanks to some morning rains, it was extremely humid and in the 80s and we were losing plenty of fluids. Having the extra water and the chance to stop and eat lunch there at the zoo was quite a bit of fun. I have a few pics here, but not as many as I'd hoped. I was going to take video of the Lemur Island exhibit, of which I posted a pic or two of the last time we went, but it was closed yesterday. We don't know why, but that was a huge disappointment. We'll have to pick a weekday in the Fall to go back (never a Saturday in the Fall, of course; I am a Husker fan, after all) and see them. I'll try to catch a video then. Zac did enjoy getting to pet the goats, who were all quite friendly yesterday. He even got to pet some sort of chicken. At least I think it was a chicken. You tell me what that thing is.
So, back to lunch. We brought sandwiches and chips and pudding for everyone, and when I was done I needed to clean my hands from the cheese puffs I'd eaten. I headed out from the protective canopy where we'd eaten, to walk the 7 or 8 steps to the restroom, only to immediately become a bird's litter box. Now, I didn't have to tell anyone, let alone Katy. When I returned from the men's room I could have explained away the wet spot on my left shoulder by saying something about the water getting away, perhaps. But I'm an honest fellow, who likes a good laugh as much as the next person, and so I shared. Katy found GREAT joy in this...maybe too much. But, the reason she loved it was the best part. She said that now she wasn't alone in experiencing bird poo up close and personal.
Ummm, what? I mean, this is the second time in my life it's happened to me. The first was when I was riding my dirt bike back when I was 10 or 11 out in the open and somehow a bird spotted me and sent a little poo bomb my way. Katy, apparently, has been hit three times. Let me make it very clear that THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION. I am not intending to win this particular battle. I'll save that for the games we play against each other because, as any good husband, I try to win every one of those. :)
