thirteen more days of summer

i got a text message this morning from emma: "ahhhh! football weather!" she's right. this morning in dc it was cloudy and about 65 degrees - feels like football weather, at least if you watch football in athens, georgia. usually, i'm counting down the days to the first football saturday of the season - my very favorite time of year. this year, though, i keep forgetting that we have our first football game on saturday. the reason is that i will be out of the country for the next thirteen days.

tomorrow i am flying to rome, and on saturday, my friends and i will drive in rented cars to our villa, which is just north of siena in tuscan wine country. it will be in the 80s and sunny in italy. not football weather. for thirteen luxurious days i will suck one last long sip from summer's fountain, trying to ignore the autumn buzz i've been hearing stateside.

when i get home, i will welcome with open arms the football weather and i will finally read the sports illustrated with the dawgs on the cover (lovingly mailed to me by a friend in georgia because i couldn't get that cover in dc), sign up for satellite radio so i can get the arizona state game while i'm camping in september, set up the tivo, and dust off my sausage cups recipe. but for now, for me, it's still summer. thirteen more sunny poolside days of summer.

this is not to say i won't be wearing my dawgs gear on saturdays while i am in italy. or getting game updates from a little birdie.