The plan is to leave sometime on Friday morning and drive to Gainesville. It is our first boys trip together, and it is going to be a blast. We'll stop along the way, for some greasy roadside food, maybe even pick-up some boiled peanuts from a roadside stand somewhere in rural Georgia. We'll talk, laugh and think about how much fun we're going to have. That night he and I will go to the O'Dome where he'll see his first Gator basketball game ever. He'll thrill at the site of the Rowdy Reptiles, and probably even emulate them throughout the game, likely to the chagrin of some sitting next to us. I'll buy him some cotton candy or a pretzel, but definitely not a Pepsi. Then when the game ends, he and I will have the boys slumber party at the hotel that he has told all of his friends about for the past month, and dream about the game the next day.

On Saturday morning we'll wake up and meet my parents for breakfast before the game. He'll have some quality time with his grandma and papa. Just him, not having to share their love or attention with anyone. From there we'll head to campus for the band warm-up, the Gator Walk and finally, the game. We'll cheer wildly for each senior as he is introduced on senior day, and scream until our throats hurt throughout the game, no matter how it goes. At the end of the third quarter we'll link arms and sing a reminder of why it is so great to be a Florida Gator. When the game ends, win or lose, we'll cheer our Gators off the field, and sing our alma mater, taking in the scene at the Swamp one more time before it closes for the season.

The drive home after the game will be long, regardless of the result. I'll be tired, and I'm sure GC Jr. will fall asleep at some point on the journey. Win or lose it won't matter because I know his dreams will be filled with thoughts of all the fun we had. Years from now when he and I reminisce about this weekend we'll probably remember who won, and even if it isn't the Gators we won't care. We'll think about the memory of our first boys trip together and all the fun we had.