Fall, Fires and Football: Those three ideas go hand in hand for me. I love fall. It is one of the most wonderful times of the year. I love being outside in the cool, crisp air. One of my favorite rites of passage is the first weekend of football. I often try to get tickets to opening day somewhere. I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. This year I was able to get tickets to see my beloved Steelers when they opened the season in Cleveland, Ohio. I found myself at the very top of the stadium....the very top row. The view was awesome. I could see every play and enjoy every touchdown of the Steelers' victory......in the midst of Steelers fans. Yes, Steelers fans in Pittsburgh. It felt like a home game for me. For just over three hours I could sit and forget the cares and pulls of my "real" life. During that time I could smell the amazing food smells, feel the chill of fall air on my face, and express the wide range of emotions that come from being totally sold out for a time. I could cheer after Roethlisberer threw touchdown passes to Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, and Miller. I could enjoy the athleticism of the amazing runs, tackles that comes between those scores. After 41 (Steelers 31, Browns 7) points and a down poor I could smile as I walked out of the stadium to my car, knowing that I my escape from the "real" world.
