515,004 vs. 107,678

Curse or no curse, this past weekend brought about the start of one of my favorite sports. The first full weekend of college football ranks pretty high on my list of anticipated season starts. Opening day in baseball is probably at the top, but then college football is tied with a host of other season openings (hockey, college basketball, NFL, and I still really enjoy the Tour even if everyone in the field cheats). But this particular weekend was probably the best college football opening I have ever had.

First of all, the Cowboys put the hammer to Virginia and avenged the heartbreaking loss of a year ago. And even better, I was able to watch about 2/3 of the game, as it was on Versus. One of the pros of having a few roommates is that we can afford digital cable. This really makes me look forward to the start of hockey. But anyways, the Pokes looked pretty good to me. The Virginia offense could not get anything going. GO POKES!

Then tiny Appalachian State goes in to the Big House (biggest stadium in the country) and stuns the world. Watching the previews of that tiny little quarterback running all over the field was pretty cool. And I loved knowing that all my friends who are Michigan fans were hiding in shame from that loss.

But the biggest shock to my college football system came from attending the Penn State v. Florida International game on Saturday. Now, State was favored by almost 40, so it seemed the only question to be answered was: Will there be a fight? FIU is infamously known for their brawl with the Hurricanes last year. But there was none of that to be had, as I believe the final score was 59-0.



I still don't think I've come to terms with the size of Beaver Stadium. Let me put it in perspective. The "official capacity" of Beaver Stadium is 107,282; the 6th largest stadium in the WORLD. The announced attendance for the game I attended was 107,678. The estimated 2006 population of the State of Wyoming was 515,004. First in our hearts, but last of the 50 States in terms of population. The two largest cities in Wyoming are Cheyenne (55,314) and Casper (52,089). The combined total of those cities is 107,403. There were 275 more people at the Penn State game Saturday than in the two largest cities in Wyoming, combined.



It was intense. And with Notre Dame coming - and tickets going for upwards of $500 - next weekend promises to be just as intense.

Here is the curse update: my computer is now up and running - with a lot of stuff yet to be replaced; my car is scheduled to go in tomorrow (I think it is the trunk cable); I got some new sunglasses; but my TV is breaking. I guess that is what I get for buying the display model. We're not out of this yet!

The Top 5

Now things really get hard. Number 5 was really a part of many other moments on the list, but he deserves his own spot.

#5 - Glacier the Dog



Glacier and I first became friends on the drive from Denver to Steamboat over Christmas break last year. He was just a young pup back then and decided to cuddle up for the majority of the trip. We've been friends ever since. This particular pic was on my first day in Steamboat at the river behind Maggie's house. I miss having Glacier bring me something to show off every morning.

#4 - Beer Tasting Party



We obviously like to start 'em young in Meeteetse, and the first Gary Brew Tasting Party was no exception. This idea came together at the last minute, and it was a great success. The food was great, the tasting glasses were awesome, and the beer was INCREDIBLE.

And the night was capped off with a Warner sibling trip down to the Cowboy Bar. Well, our original destination was the Elkhorn, but they were closed by 9:30 on Friday night. Taking over the bar is just how we roll...



#3 - Rockies Game



I love Coors Field, so was thrilled to be able to attend a Rockies game while I was back. The only down side was that Maggie couldn't go; and our seats were horrible. But it was still a lot of fun. The Rockies made a furious late rally - thanks to 2 8th inning home runs - which meant that my original plans to drive back to Laramie were replaced by staying in Denver and drinking heavily.

And what trip to Denver would be complete without a stop at Flying Dog Brewery? I'd been looking forward to a stop by there since Dad and I went to the Avs game over Christmas. And we had a great crew for the brewery and the game.



#2 - The Glacier Party



I had meant to take a bunch of pictures at the Glacier Party, but for some reason never got around to it. Oh wait, I know why...it probably had something to do with the 16 gallons of Glacier Beer that consumed my attention. So a picture of the party mascot will do here. The party was awesome. I felt like someone needed to be graduating for such a great party. Can't wait till next year!

And finally......

#1 - Gilpin Lake



I guess that only Maggie will know why this is #1 on the list. But when you stand at the crystal clear and calm Gilpin Lake you know why it tops the list. She had told me about this hike a few weeks before I went out there and I was really excited about it. There are a ton of pics on picasa of this hike. I can't really describe how cool it is up there. But even on top of that, I can't describe how proud I was of Maggie for dominating the last uphill portion of the hike! I can't wait to get back out there and hike the longer loop, which promised to hold even more spectacular views.

Well there it is. It was pretty hard to pick just 10 things from the trip to put in a Top 10. There are plenty of things that got left out, and many more that probably aren't blog appropriate. I miss everyone and can't wait till Christmas!

Everything you need to know...

I was browsing through the Internet today and came across a site that gives "Statistics, Articles and Analysis for U.S. Cities and Towns,"

So naturally, I had to look up Meeteetse. Check it out:

http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/wyoming/meeteetse

It is a little dated, but my favorite part is the projected growth/decline for 2000-2005. The estimated decline for Meeteetse for those 5 years was 4 people.

Awesome...