I Almost Forgot

The Lukin’s headed back east for Thanksgiving week and in less than 24 hours, I’ve learned a few things. Or should I say, I’ve remembered a few things.

First of all, to borrow from Wedding Crashers lore, Maryland is all about crab(cakes) and football. Upon landing at BWI, Lauryn and I checked crabs off the to do list right away as we picked our way through nearly a dozen jumbos between us. My fingers still sting from the Old Bay and I’ve been thirsty ever since, but man are they good. LA may have a leg up on the Charm City when it comes to spicy tuna and fish tacos, but the crabs here in Bawlmawr are second to none. How could I forget?

Day two had a similar feel to Sunday mornings in Los Angeles, with football scheduled to take up most of the day. But a few differences distinguished the East vs. the West. First, the weather. It was cold, yet seasonably warm. Same temps at The Grove would be considered cold, unseasonably cold. Second, everyone in town is wearing the same jerseys. Back west, it’s a mix of Chargers, Giants, Bears, Pats, Eagles, Raiders, 9ers…I even saw a Jaguars jersey one week at the bar (the Jags could use him in the stands). In any case, everyone in MD was wearing purple and black. And its not just Heaps and 52s any more. Its evolved to include white Rice(s) and Flacco’s in all shapes and sizes.

Of course the time difference was hard to get used to as the early morning wake up was necessary just to make sure we saw kickoff. A venti peppermint mocha took care of that and we were off and running. The game was back and forth and full of field goals – a true flashback to the days when Lauryn and I were running up the sidelines at the big crabcake. Even Matt Stover was there – unfortunately he was wearing a horseshoe on his helmet, how strange. But the game would come down to the end and despite outplaying the undefeated Colts, Indianapolis managed to stay that way with a late interception by Flacco and an unnecessary fumble by Reed. Watching the game from start to finish made the loss sting, even more than the Old Bay. We were once again watching the home team and the heartbreaking finish was just that. How could I forget.