Festive Fall Fun: HSC-RMC Tailgate

We've had such a fun fall, filled with the sorts of activities that make for good movies: a rainy wine tasting weekend, super fun Halloween and a great cocktail party at our house. In fact, we've been so busy for the past couple of months that I haven't actually blogged about any of it at all - until today.

This first "festive fall fun" post is all about the trip we took to Richmond two weeks ago. Here's some background: my brother went to Hampden-Sydney, a tiny college in southwestern Virginia (it's also one of the only all-guys colleges left in the country). Cooper went to Randolph Macon, which is just outside of Richmond and which also happens to be Hampden-Sydney's biggest rival.

Every year, the HSC-RMC football game is a big deal. Not so much for the game itself as for the tailgate. Both schools breed a certain sort of student: the kind that is great at tailgating.

So that's how we found ourselves driving to Richmond on an early, but bright and sunny, morning two weeks ago, with a car packed full of food and tailgating gear. And here's what happened:

Dixon played football with anyone who would entertain him - mostly Cooper and my brother (that's Tom in the picture).

Cooper spent a good $75 at the RMC bookstore, on things like a lovely camo RMC hat for himself and a way-too-big shirt for Dixon. Also, a giant yellow foam finger with "Go Jackets!" written all over it. It's hot.



The food! Between me, Cail and two of Tom's college friends and their wives, we had enough to feed an army. White chicken chili, little Cubans, shrimp sandwiches, and pimiento cheese sandwiches, cheese and crackers, sweet potato salsa, deviled eggs - and cupcakes. Oh yeah, and fried chicken. Lots of fried chicken. And bacon vodka bloody marys to wash it all down. The food was amazing...so good that we actually saw someone steal some from us! And not just a college kid, either - it was a woman in her thirties!



It was breezy and our tent might have broken a few times. But it was worth it to watch my brother apply his lawyer skills to a mechanical problem.

 After the game, we went back to Tom and Cail's, where the festivities continued:

There were guns...

And glowsticks.

Actually, guns and glowsticks is probably a pretty good description of how things often shake out at a Waskom-Pollard party.

Besides the toys, there was more great food at Tom and Cails, including endive cups with bleu cheese, walnuts and grapes, duck proscuitto (so rich! so good!) and foie gras, sauteed and sprinkled with truffle salt.

And yes, that was as good as it sounds.

Oh - and that game? This year, Randolph Macon won, but it didn't totally matter, since HSC had already won the conference. We didn't make it to the game itself, anyway. Too busy socializing and, of course, eating.

UPDATE: I can't believe I forgot to mention this: all of these pictures were taken by Cail. Since I didn't even bring my camera!