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Picture on right: Mark and Mom on football day
University of Texas vs Kansas State

Update on Mark - On Sat. (9-29) Mark and Mom were given tickets to the University of Texas football game by generous neighbors, Laurie and Ben and what a time we had. It was great fun, but a test of our survival skills. The sun was very hot, then it rained at half time and soaked us. There were long lines for food and drink. In the second half the sun came out, then our team lost, and we got soaked by heavy rain on the way to the car.We had fun reminiscing about our lives when we lived close to the University and were students. A famous band called the Butt Hole Surfers practiced in a house across the street. Some of the neighbors looked like they were out of the film "Slackers" which is a film about hippies and other characters in Austin in the '90s and others were characters in their own right.
We paid ten dollars to the Rotary Club (and glad to do it) to park during the game just a half a block from where we used to live .

Our seats were wonderful, They had backs and were 10 rows up from the playing field. The cost of tickets has escalated incredibly and the crowd has changed since the 1980's when Mark, his sister Stephanie and Mom were all students in college at the same time ( Mark and Mom graduated in Dec. 85 and Steph in Spring of 86) . We lived close to the football stadium and every student could afford to go to the game and could get tickets. Poor people could go to the grocery store and get an end zone ticket for $6. Not anymore. Sports is big business. Our newspaper is full of information on how much money football at UT brings in, what they spend it on, and how unlike some other big schools, so far UT has not contributed any of it to the education side of the university.

Mark has been in bed resting through the nights and much of the day since we returned from the football game. Mom has not had to stay up at night in philosophical discussions with Mark this week. Yesterday (Thurs) he said: I am better now and on the right path. His thinking is positive and he is watching what he eats and drinks and does. Maybe football helped him get on the right path?

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