you can tell she ain't from around here.....

If you're a University of Tennessee football fan, there are certain dates you just don't mess with. Even if you're not a diehard UT fan, you know about these dates and you steer other events clear of these dates. And even if you're just a resident of the state of Tennessee and not a fan at all, you should know better than to plan any type of event on any Saturday from September through the first of December. One would think this is just common knowledge.

We got an invitation to a wedding a few weeks ago. A teacher-friend of the bride's is getting married. The bride wanted to make sure I was going to be in town on this date. The conversation went a little like this:

the bride - "So you're going to be in town on the 15th, right?"

me - "Yeah, I've got an in-town conference Wednesday through Friday that week, but I should be free."

the bride - "Good, 'cause Courtney's wedding is at 5:00 that day."

me - "5:00? Oooh, gee, uh...."

the bride - "What's wrong?"

me - "I'm sorry, I hope you don't mind going to this wedding alone."

the bride - "Um, what do you mean?"

me - "Sweetie, honey, love of my life - that's the UT/Florida game. Kickoff is at 2:30 and it won't be over until around 6:00. Maybe I could meet you at the reception. How's that, hmm?"

The bride didn't like it, but I had to put my foot down. So "we" decided that I could watch the first half and then go to the wedding. I'd call it a compromise but it's not really. It's more like the older I get the less I enjoy sleeping on the couch.

I guess if I'm being fair, the lady getting married and her groom are both Oklahoma State graduates. So maybe they didn't get the memo about Tennessee fans and how they hold Saturdays in the fall to be sacred. Plus, this lady's like 6'4". The first time I met her I felt like I was one of her preschool students.

I may have to give Verizon a call and see about getting the game on my phone that day.....