Homecoming and autumn leaves

Homecoming was this weekend, and continued our pattern this football season of intense trashtalking followed by intense losing. The only reason we were even playing Wyoming is that it was supposed to be a nice, easy win for Homecoming, and instead we got to continue what is shaping up to be our worst season ever. We already lost our shot at a bowl game for the year, so all we can hope for is a lucky win as the season limps to a close.

Leading up to yesterday's tragic disaster, my boss and I went out for breakfast yesterday morning and stopped to see the Homecoming banners on the side of the stadium:



There were so many banners this year that they had to have a second area:



Also, I felt really good when I saw that the Lambda Student Union had a banner this year:



A lot of people have been talking about increasing the visibility of gay people on our campus, and stuff like this helps.

Friday afternoon we had the parade, which was almost rained out and was definitely shorter this year.

First came the colorguard:



Baton twirlers:



And then the band itself:



This was followed by cheerleaders (on a firetruck!):



Olympic athletes:



And then a succession of floats involving Smokey kicking a cowboy mascot to death:





Eventually, Smokey tired of kicking, and went for full-out gangland execution:



Sadly, it wasn't enough. I don't have to work any more games this season, though, so I'll wave goodbye to football for another year, even as campus waves goodbye to our coach, who stepped down on Monday:



At least fall has been pretty: