superbowl ramblings.

Before college, I never paid attention to the actual game during the Superbowl. I was more interested in the silly commercials and pigging out on onion dip and chips. Because of the massive junk food consumption and resulting bellyache, I often thought that there should be an official school holiday the day after the game.

In my freshman year at college, I spent the evening with my three best friends at the time. We muted the game itself and tried to pay enough attention to turn the sound back on to watch the commercials. Then when the game was over, we ran to the convenience store on campus and back in record time to grab snacks before the newest episode of Grey's Anatomy (when it was still good...).

In sophomore year, my friends and I were the fresh new executive board for the Residence Hall Association. Our idea was a good one - serve free pizza and hot wings while showing the game on two projector screens and a big-screen television - but whichever teams were playing that year, there was little interest. Well, other than in the food. People lined up to get their pizza and went back up to their rooms. That's what you get when you hold it in the main lounge of the freshman dorms.

Junior year was the best Superbowl experience I've had to date. The Giants were playing and I was decked out in a bright blue shirt with curling ribbon in my hair (the dance team-er in me never died). We had learned from the prior year's mistakes and had ordered triple the amounts of pizza and hot wings, making sure to stow a pie or two away so we actually had something to eat. All day, we made sure the projectors worked and the sound was set up correctly. We duct-taped all the wires to the floor and set up the dingy tables, sofas and chairs. The room filled quickly with people, who promptly lined up to get their food. They were so ravenous by halftime that they were watching when exactly we left the room to pick up the second batch of pizzas. And although I paid literally no attention to the football season preceding the big game, I was giddy with excitement as (mostly) everyone cheered on the Giants. It was an incredibly exciting game, due mostly to the spirit of everyone in the room. Hands down, it was one of my favorite college experiences.

Since then, my Superbowl festivities have been rather calm. Last year I was sick in bed, not making it back to school in time for The Boy's party (for which I had actually made Superbowl-themed cupcakes). And today? I'm relaxing with my family, eating onion dip and chips again. Except this time I also have a Smirnoff Ice in hand. Which makes it infinitely more awesome than five years ago.