Exce11ence: Or, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

WOOOOOO!!!

Around here, there's a very special event that marks the beginning of the Christmas season.  It is perhaps more important than Santa's arrival at Harold Square (Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, for those unfamiliar).  For my family, this event takes the place of the common Christmas party.  It is an event steeped in tradition, with ups and downs and lots of yelling, singing, nail-biting, and beer consumption.  It is... the Army-Navy football game.

Yes, folks, we are a Navy family.  My dad went to the Naval Academy and was a P-3 pilot and flight instructor.  Most of our family friends are Navy folks, too, and we're very close.  So every year, my parents host a small get-together with what I call my "Navy family" to watch the year's most important football game.  There's always lots of food, lots of noise, and LOTS of blue and gold :)

The friend in the blue chair is wearing his bathrobe from the Academy - it has faded from navy blue to purple.  That's my dad and Mr. Pocket on the couch.

 

Proudly sporting my Navy jersey - not as spiff as the game jerseys they had on today though.

 

Like I said - FOOD!

I made mulled white wine this year.  Yum!

 



 

It was a close game, and one that meant a lot.  Army-Navy always means a lot, being a sort of brotherly rivalry, and one that's really important to the cadets and the midshipmen.  This year, the mids were trying to keep up their winning streak to make this their 11th straight win against Army - coining the tagline "Exce11ence."  Army was fighting to get their first win against Navy since 2001.  And for both teams, winning meant taking home the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, awarded each year to whichever service academy defeats both of the others in football - and both Army and Navy defeated Air Force this season (yay!).  In the end, Navy squeaked out a win, taking home the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy and their 11th win.  And for me and my family, the Christmas season can now begin in earnest, and it begins with the gift of Exce11ence :)