Terbium

I never went to a high school with a football team. Though many people tried to get a team, the school was just too tiny and could never have filled a roster. In college, no football team again. The lack of football was due to the school's past as an all girls college - so yeah, no football. The Midwest - football country. Don't be fooled - Texas isn't the only state that loves football. Here is what I've learned from U of M's football game today (just to be clear, I didn't go - I'm still a hockey girl):

1) It's MAIZE and BLUE. Not yellow, not gold, maize.

2) People will pay ridiculous prices for parking. If you live a block away from the stadium, you can get $40 to $50 a space. Me? Saved an extra space in my parking lot for a cohort member for free. (You owe me Nick).

3) There is no reason why tailgating should not begin at 9 in the morning. When the marching band starts playing, you start drinking.

4) NEVER leave your home without wearing Michigan apparel. Despite wearing a Michigan shirt, "M" earrings, and a maize headband, I was underdressed.

5) As a fan, pull out the stops. That means decorating your car, your home, etc. That also means having a satellite dish at your tailgate, a giant 10 foot tall wolverine, and at least 5 Michigan flags.

6) If people ask you if you are going to the football game, lie and say yes. You are safe however in a jewelry store or a running store to say no.

7) Running errands in town on football days is ideal. I got a necklace fixed in under an hour because the jewelry store was quiet. I also had a rousing chat with the girls at the running shoe store. And of course, the farmer's market...where you are safe without a Michigan tee.

8) When they say you will be disrupted by living so close to the Stadium, that's a bunch of lies. You only get disrupted when somebody scores.

9) Hail to the Victors.

10) GO BLUE!


Fun Fact: Terfenol, an alloy of terbium, will change shape when placed in a magnetic field. This is useful for turning a solid surface into a loudspeaker (read: you can crank up the volume of your dining room table!).