This is What a Happy 8th Grader Looks Like

Late this afternoon, my awesome friend Catherine surprised me with an offer for two tickets for me to take E to see the UT Vols play Ole Miss at home tonight… The seats were something special too: skybox!

I’ve actually never been to a UT basketball game before (I know… I know… ), but E loves going to games whenever he gets the chance. I had stayed home from work sick today but was feeling significantly better by this point in the day, and this special offer obviously required me to rally for the cause. So after making E pinky promise me he’d get his homework done BEFORE game time, I gratefully accepted Catherine’s offer for E and his mama.

And we had SUCH a great time! The skybox game-watching experience has certainly now spoiled me for any future trips to Thompson Boling Arena, and E also managed to connect during the game with a friend of his from school who has a stepbrother who is a current member of the team, and who has some other pretty neat ties to UT’s basketball program (hint: his last name rhymes with “Lummit”).

This friend meet-up meant that right after the game – which UT won – E got to go back to the press area just outside the Vols’ locker room, and meet several of the players. It was very cool of them to let my basketball-obsessed boy have that terrific experience tonight. He was really honored to get to meet the guys like that, and they were all so friendly and encouraging to him, too.

Thanks SO MUCH, Catherine for the great evening!

And thanks also to Coach Cuonzo Martin, not only for the win tonight, but for running the kind of college basketball program that I am proud to see my 14 year old idolize and aspire to.

E, outside Thompson Boling Arena tonight.

In the amazing skybox during the game.