Going to one more OU game with my Dad...

[ouwasp]

I don't want to think "one last OU game", but realistically it is. He's in his 80s and not the best of health. I figured our last OU game was the 2007 Mizzou game; since then he's had many heart and other issues. He can't handle long drives anymore.

Dad took me to my first Sooner game in '78 against West Virginia. For 30 yrs we made at least one game a season, 'til 2007. Lot of great fall afternoons, always driving through his boyhood town of Shawnee on the way to Norman. Many elements of life were discussed on those drives. From teenage issues, career choices, college, marriage, kids, middle age, faith, politics, cars, mortgages, Sooner Football...I always looked forward to those days with my Dad.

A month ago I purchased three OU-Tulsa tickets. For me...my Dad...and my son. Wasn't really sure how he would react, because I know he really doesn't care to be out in the heat these past few years. He lit up like Christmas! We've talked about the game a great deal this past week.

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to Saturday. I hope the weather is not too rainy, but at least the heat won't bother us. I won't enjoy it when the clock hits 00:00

My eyes are watering as I type this. I'm one of the most blessed guys I know.

[8timechamps]

That's awesome wasp.

My dad wasn't around when I fell in love with OU, and growing up I always said I'd make a tradition of taking my boys back to Norman. I did just that about 6 years ago. My oldest is in college and the youngest in high school, so it's become something that I think I look forward to more than they do (getting to spend a full weekend together doing something we all love isn't so easy as they get older).

We have a 9-10 hour car trip, and I love every minute of it...and as you said, it's just a great time to connect and talk about everything from teenage issues to religion.

I hope some day they will bring their kids into the mix, just like you have done.

My only advice is to enjoy every minute of it (I'm sure you will). Don't think about the future, just enjoy the time you have now.

Thanks for sharing!

[soonergirlNeugene]

Sounds like a great night.

[olevetonahill]

Time Marches on Bro
Both Yall enjoy

[vtsooner21]

Good on you, wasp. I had hoped that the game last week would be a memorable game for soonersweetie & her dad who was ill. Now, I'm wanting this game to be a great one for you & your dad. Let your memories last forever..God Bless & Boomer!

[bluedogok]

I know what you are going through. My father gave up his season tickets a couple of years ago, after a couple of knee replacements, two back surgeries and some hip work he just can't handle getting up/down to his seats and how cramped the seats are for a 77 year old is too much for him. He took me to my first game in 1971 (I was 7) and continued to go together until I moved to Austin in 2003. It's just hard to see him able to do less and less of the things we grew up doing. I brought my motorcycle up a couple of times and I could see him wishing he could take it out for a ride one last time.

Enjoy the time you have with him, we just watch the games and talk about them now.

[KantoSooner]

Enjoy Wasp!
I had my last game with the man who taught me to love OU football two years ago (TCU game). My grandfather was 100 years old and a life long Sooner fan.
He enjoyed a martini, the game, then went back to his bedroom. He lasted another two weeks, but never got up again.
Adult sports fandom is pretty silly, in the grander scheme of things; but I know I got one last afternoon to share something we both enjoyed.
Take in every minute.

[cherokeebrewer]

That's a bitter sweet story. The hardest thing we face in life is losing the ones we love. Hopefully your Dad can holdup physically and enjoy the game. Shawnee is my hometown too...blessings

[dwarthog]

Enjoy that game with your Dad!

[badger]

If it's rainy it'll be cooler at least. It's an 11 a.m. kickoff, but that just means it'll be less hot and miserable than a 2:30 one... and maybe the people in the seats around you won't be awake yet so you'll get extra leg room.

Enjoy the game and Tulsa!

[KantoSooner]

Don't know where you're from, but if you're looking for a place to eat afterwards, you could do worse than putzing around Cherry Street. At least once in your life you deserve to get the Bacon Jam at 'Smoke' alongside a Marshall IPA.

[ouwasp]

Thanks for all the kind thoughts and comments. Some of you will recall it was this time last year when my wife and I lost her father Leo to lung cancer. In fact, the Tulsa game was on the TV when the ambulance came to load him up on what proved to be his last trip to the hospital. Yes, time waits for no man. it marches on very steadily.

I just hope I can prove to be as good a man as my Dad and father-in-law Leo have been. Great examples for me. Oh, btw, my Dad is an Oklahoma A&M grad, but has been a lifelong Sooner fan!

Kanto, thanks for the suggestion. That does sound good, we'll see how adventurous my Dad feels. Since I bought the tickets, he says he's buying lunch!

Boomer......

[Soonerjeepman]

yes, enjoy...my dad is still here and in relatively good health. My Fiance's dad past away 7 yrs ago and she misses him daily. Rough time growing up,hard core discipline farmer but she came to realize he truly loved her and she him.

BOOMER SOONER!!!

[badger]

Since I bought the tickets, he says he's buying lunch!

Boomer......

"Boomer" you say? Well, then you should know there's a half dozen locations of Billy Sims BBQ in Tulsa alone, not to mention the surrounding burbs :D

Link here (http://www.billysimsbbq.com/all-locations/)

Decent BBQ at reasonable price!

[oudanny]

I hope you and your dad have a great time and I hope this won't be his last.

[panhandlesooner]

Have a great time and enjoy! You will have the memories for ever...!

[Tear Down This Wall]

I don't want to think "one last OU game", but realistically it is. He's in his 80s and not the best of health. I figured our last OU game was the 2007 Mizzou game; since then he's had many heart and other issues. He can't handle long drives anymore.

Dad took me to my first Sooner game in '78 against West Virginia. For 30 yrs we made at least one game a season, 'til 2007. Lot of great fall afternoons, always driving through his boyhood town of Shawnee on the way to Norman. Many elements of life were discussed on those drives. From teenage issues, career choices, college, marriage, kids, middle age, faith, politics, cars, mortgages, Sooner Football...I always looked forward to those days with my Dad.

A month ago I purchased three OU-Tulsa tickets. For me...my Dad...and my son. Wasn't really sure how he would react, because I know he really doesn't care to be out in the heat these past few years. He lit up like Christmas! We've talked about the game a great deal this past week.

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to Saturday. I hope the weather is not too rainy, but at least the heat won't bother us. I won't enjoy it when the clock hits 00:00

My eyes are watering as I type this. I'm one of the most blessed guys I know.

In the same situation here. My dad is in his 70s, and the walk up the ramp, then down to our seats is too much for him with the crowd. And, that's just at the stadium. The drive from Dallas, the parking then walking a couple of miles before that.

He took us to our first OU game in 1980. Good memories. Sad that he can't take part anymore. You're lucky to able to get your dad to one more. Wish our dad could do it again; but, we understand why he can't.

[VA Sooner]

ouwasp,

Have a great time with your father at the game and I will have another reason to cheer for the Sooners. I lost my dad two months ago, a die-hard Sooner, and the last game we watched together was the Sugar Bowl in January... what a way to finish.

Boomer.

[ouwasp]

Well, friends, what a great day we had together. It was certainly damp at Chapman Stadium, but not our spirits. We cheered and laughed and clapped like we have for 30+years at Sooner games. My son put a pic of dad and I on his facebook, it quickly got a lot of likes. The Ruf-Neks came up to say hi and pose for a picture at halftime (co-worker has a son in the Ruf-Neks). It was too slippery to get out and pose for a photo, but we shook a lot of hands...thanks for coming up, Adam.

We bailed out in the 3rd qtr after the score reached 45-7 and our water-resistant jackets had surrendered. In the search for comfort food, we went to the Village Inn there on Harvard and watched the end of the game while eating pancakes and talking about OU games from the 80s and 90s. We were there in '96 when Caswell scored from 99 yds out for TU!

It was great just having an hour to drive home after the game, but once again our conversation reminded of how special these times have been over the years. This has been a day to savor. We're looking fwd to watching another orange team go down next week...while sitting in a dry living room!

Have a good evening, friends......Boomer!

[Turd_Ferguson]

Good stuff. Glad to hear and Sooner!

[bluedogok]

Where's the like button.......

Nice to see y'all had a good day.

[soonersweetie]

Glad you got to enjoy the game with your dad. They truly are special times together.

Vtsooner, thanks for the kind words. Dad is getting stronger and we watched the game at his home.

[vtsooner21]

So good to read the posts you folks put up here. My son & I are flying out of Boston Thursday to head to Norman for the Tennessee Game on the 13th. He has never seen the Sooners play at Memorial Stadium, or anywhere live, so this is a "First". Can't wait to see his expression when we see the field and experience it all. Also looking forward to seeing the old farmstead in Webbers Falls/Fort Gibson afterward. All of it is going to be an eye-opener! Yup; we have farms here in Vermont, but nothing to compare to out that way. Can't think of much better than listening to Toby Keith on the i-pod and driving through to see the farm again. Just sharing all of it will be priceless. My best wishes and good health to you all...

Boomer