Couch Season Tailgate Party

The pool company was slated to start digging almost a month ago, but like most things this year, they have been delayed by COVID-19. I realize a setback in the ground-breaking for a backyard pool is not a real, actual problem, but it is another frustration in a line of frustrations. When we found out it would be November before anyone was ready to begin working on our concrete pond, Clint (brilliantly) suggested we dust off all of our tailgate gear and have a backyard football party. We figured that since we can't be in Clemson this season for any of our usual game day fun, we might as well get out the tent and just recreate a game day right here at home. Sounds like a plan, right?

Some of you already know that we have a minor history with hurricanes. Hurricane Irma crashed our Bahamas vacation in 2017 and forced us onto the last emergency evacuation flight out of Nassau. The very next year, Florence caused just enough rain in the Charlotte area to create widespread power outages, cancelling Clint's birthday dinner and melting his ice cream cake as it languished in our freezer. This time, it was Hurricane Delta who found us too irresistible to pass by. If I had a nickel for every time I checked the weather last week, I probably could have bribed old Delta to find herself another party to attend. I think you see where this is headed. Let me just say we fought a good fight.

When we initially planned our backyard Clemson tailgate party, the weather forecast called for a mostly sunny, gorgeous fall day. Clemson kickoff time wasn't until 7:30 p.m., but we invited our friends and neighbors to stop by any time that afternoon for appetizers and cocktails to watch the other college football games being played at earlier times. We set up card tables and decorated the yard and patio with inflatables, pennants, and every Clemson-related piece of paraphernalia I could find. Clint hooked up two TVs outside for the ultimate viewing party. The forecast turned ominous. We set up the tailgate tent. We fretted. We bought two more inexpensive tents in the camping section at our local Walmart. The forecast got worse. Then it got better. Then, on Saturday morning, it started sprinkling rain. Our little tent city looked as if it might hold. In an effort to provide maximum comfort, Clint ran to Home Depot and bought a large swath of turf and put it down over the increasingly muddy ground in the yard. Game on.

A friend asked, "Is your patio covered?" I replied, "It is now."
Welcome to Tailgate Tent City.

Around 3:30, we began taking all of the game day goodies I had made for us to munch on outside to set up the buffet. The weather app on my phone declared an afternoon of "drizzly rain" and we thought that, while it wasn't ideal, it would still work. Believe me when I tell you that as soon as we set the very last platter of food on the table and arranged the last bottle on the drink table, the drizzle turned to downpour. We huddled under the safety of those highly-rated Walmart tents, which lasted for about four minutes before they began to leak. The puppy made eye contact with me, threw a longing glance at the rain coming down in sideways sheets, and dashed out into the storm to run around in the wet yard.

This was a fun minute or two, I have to say.

Our food buffet, which apparently served as a very effective rain dance.

The bar setup, with apple cider Fireball sangria and just a hint of tropical storm.

Sometimes, you have no choice but to admit that your best laid plans have failed. Our friends, who had just arrived, kindly helped grab all the goodies and rush them inside. We were drenched but not defeated. I rearranged all the snacks and libations, we toweled ourselves off, and we continued that tailgate party from the dry security of the great indoors. 

Well, at least one of our decorations survived the weather.

"Tiger Rag" is Clemson's fight song. I had these hand towels made for the powder room.
They were great for mopping up after getting caught in a torrential downpour.

Charlie in his Clemson jersey is always a good pick-me-up.

Around kickoff, we set up a build-your-own nachos bar. Clemson won against (ironically enough) the Miami Hurricanes 42-17, and even though the party didn't quite go as planned, I have to say a good time was still had by all. I'm still recovering from the exhaustion of setting up not one, but two parties--one outdoor and another indoors--but several of our friends have already said it was so much fun we should do it again. I told them just to let me know when we need more rain and we will plan the next party!