I just got back from my annual trip to Mecca (though I am returning next week for the Furman game) and have a few thoughts about the weekend:

-Every year I return to find another establishment that existed during my UF tenure ('86-'88) gone.  This year?  Steamers.  I liked Steamers, but I really miss the following:  The original Porpoise, Shorty's Happy Hour Pool Room downtown, Louies Hamburgers, the lunch counter at Wise's Pharmacy, Skeeters, Joe's Deli, Traders (though the sign still remains), Nell's, Cafe Gardens, and Pic 'n Save (don't ask me why).

-I viewed the parade from the brick wall at the campus entrance at the O'Dome parking lot and University Ave.  It was a great place to see everything.

-The Hare Krishnas pulled some kind of a multi-colored carriage that looked straight out of The Simpsons.

-Despite a lousy football season, when I heard the Pride of the Sunshine kick into "Orange and Blue" I got a lump in my throat.

-I ate steamed oysters at CJ's for the first time in 19 years.  It may be a different location than the original one on Archer Rd, but they've managed to make it smell the same.

-It might've been the coldest game day I can ever remember in Gainesville.  The '89 FSU game was probably colder temperature-wise, but at least for that game I was prepared for the temp (plus I was loaded).  I had to go buy an additional Gator jacket to put over my sweatshirt on Saturday.

-I tailgate at Norman Hall on the north side near the little parking lot.  Every couple of years the university builds little brick fences/walls around this part of the campus.  They look fine enough, but what they really do is prevent cars from getting on to the grass with any ease.  This year they built a curved wall that cut in half the area where I park.  I still managed to get my car in and was ready to go by 8am.  A short while later a nice lady walked by and congratulated me for getting my car into the spot.  She said (totally unprovoked from me) that it is Bernie Machen's sole job in life to make things difficult for tailgaters.  I told her "I'M TALKING ABOUT MACHEN".  She had no idea what I was talking about but she realized I disliked him as much as she did.  In fact, she liked me so much she gave me a "Beat Vandy" sticker.

-After setting up my tailgate gig I took a walk on campus (mainly to go buy a jacket) and was shocked to find it as quiet as it was.  I could've parked almost directly next to Century Tower if I had wanted to.

-One thing that wasn't quiet was downtown G'ville on Friday night.  There were a lot of new bars down there and lots of people in and around them.

-One old bar that still exists is Lillian's Music Shop.  This used to be a cougar hangout long before the name "cougar" was invented.  It's still a cougar hangout.

-The bartender in the Salty Dog on Thursday afternoon called me sir.  Speaking of the Dog, it still looks pretty much the same (many of the old scorecards are still on the ceiling), but the customers sure have changed.  A very young crowd now compared to the old townies that used to frequent it.  Still, $1.75 twenty ounce drafts kept this old-fart coming back.

-What is the deal with the corner of 13th and University?  For years it has been nothing but a huge vacant lot.

-They've opened up an adult sex store next to the head shop on University Ave.  It's called the Boom-Boom Room.

-I saw a guy that worked at the Starbucks in the Reitz Union buy a cup of coffee from the Burger King.

-Speaking of the Burger King... you can still see the tile floor from the old location on University Ave.  It is like some kind of a fast food ruins.

-I bought a huge 2006 National Champs basketball magnet for 50 cents at the souvenir store next to Wal-mart. The thing is almost 2'x3'.  I have no idea where I'm going to put it, but I couldn't pass up that deal.

-I stayed at the same hotel the team stays at and saw all of them walking to their buses Saturday morning (they saw me loading three huge coolers into my car).  The weird thing is they go on a walk with the coaches leading the way (sans Cheeseburger Charlie) and walk past the buses and down to Bivens Arm and then back up before boarding.

-There is a huge CVS at the corner of 16th and 441.  I would prefer that the pool hall return, but a drugstore was really needed down that way.

-I banged on the big Gator drum before the game (legally).

-It was good to be home again.

Stats

"Just sitting here waiting for the Furman game"