Back to the Rose Bowl

It'll be a short one tonight, folks; I'm pretty tuckered out from a day of screaming for the Bruins. But we won!!! That's two in a row, and it always feels good to win the home opener, especially against a ranked team!

Now that football season has officially kicked off, I can expect some busy Saturdays. Today, we didn't tailgate, but we were still out of the house from noon until now (11 pm), because we met up with these crazy kids for lunch to celebrate Katie's birthday before the game.

By the time we finished lunch, it was already time to head to the Rose Bowl, and we had to park SUPER far from the stadium. The walk would normally be no problem, but Terry's poor foot came this close to forcing Corey and Ed to carry him. Terry has a doctor appointment on Monday, so at least we hope to get some news about it. My money is on a stress fracture.

Still, the game was a terrific one. We scored first and really played well throughout the game. Our rare mistakes will be an easy fix, I hope. To be fair, Nebraska didn't play their best, I don't think, but they were still a tough team.

Gorgeous day at the Rose Bowl

Happy campers, sun and all

Sportin' our UCLA shoes and socks!

Umm...it's not basketball season, buddy.

Tied at halftime

Fireworks after the game!

It really was a great day. And winning (36-30) made for a great start to the season. I'm even more thrilled that Terry won't be traveling for work this fall, because he loves UCLA football even more than I do. I have so much fun cheering with him, tailgating with our friends, and celebrating victories. It's one of my favorite things about fall!

Other favorite fall things:

• Dreaming up fun Halloween costumes, despite the fact that we haven't actually dressed up in years.
• Pumpkins. So many pumpkins. 

• All the pretty decorations in mall windows (and next weekend I'm taking a decorating class at Pottery Barn with Heidi and Katie so I can learn how to do it!).
• Carving jack-o-lanterns and visiting the pumpkin patch.

Mine's on the left. Terry's awesome "Jack"-o-lantern is on the right. 

• Cooler weather and layered clothing.
• Boots.
• Rainy days. I love sunny days of course, but rainy days give me a great excuse to curl up at home and not feel like I have to go anywhere.
• The leaves changing. Folks complain that "California doesn't get seasons," but we really do! We may not have as many trees that change colors, and it doesn't snow in very many places, but there's one street near our apartment lined with deciduous trees. It's simply stunning in the fall! And the Bay Area actually experiences a decent change in seasons, so the fall is also really gorgeous. But I'll admit, I haven't seen anything quite as beautiful as the changing colors when I visited Terry in Buffalo, New York, a few years ago while he was there for work. The reds, yellows, and oranges were breathtaking.

Photo at my uncle's house in Northern California in Fall 2009

Niagara Falls, 2009

What's your favorite thing about fall?