Tag / beer

by Kelly Mattei

I’m Glad I Went to College in the 1980s

I’m glad I went to college in the 1980s.

Most people my age probably agree with me on this. I have always thought college was great in the 1980s for lots of reasons, and here are a few:

  • No smartphones. Sure, there are advantages to smartphones. You can call for roadside assistance if you need it. However, you can also take videos and photos with smartphones…not always the best thing for college students. I have to always remind my daughter there are cameras everywhere. I’m just thankful that was not the case in the 1980s when I was a student. We all tell stories about what we did, but we don’t need photographic evidence.
  • Our parents were clueless. I know what my daughters major is, but I don’t know what classes she is taking or what classes she needs to take to complete her degree…that makes me more like an 80s parent. Based on the Facebook parents’ pages for her university, parents are making their kids schedules these days, telling them what to take, and monitoring their progress toward graduation! They’re even checking their grades online! Nope. I don’t have access to my daughter’s grades, and I don’t even know what classes she is taking. OK, so I know she is taking a math and an English class this semester (because she mentioned them in passing), but I don’t know her other classes or anything else. I just expect her to handle it. I do, however, see her grades at the end of each semester, because she shows them to me.
  • Information was in an easy-to-read catalogue. We got hardcopy catalogues about majors and graduation requirements. It made it easy to look up what classes we had to take to graduate. It’s just as easy to look online, but apparently, students don’t do that! Well, I think lots of them do, but apparently, some don’t, and as the graduation date nears, they realize they have more classes to take! How does that happen? If they had a hardcopy catalogue on their nightstands, would this happen?
  • A night out was cheap. Seriously, I think I could buy a bottle of beer at my favorite watering hole for $1.50 or $1.75…then leave a dollar tip. I could take $15 and enjoy a night!
  • Transfer portals didn’t exist. Sure, athletes could transfer, but they often had to sit out a year after doing so. Athletes made their decisions and usually stuck to them. There was loyalty. Now the thinking is more like a 1986 Janet Jackson song, “What have you done for me lately?” There are athletes who transfer two and three times during their college careers! It’s insanity! Not only are they not loyal to their teams, they are ruining their own college experience! That’s just my opinion. People can do what they want, but I wouldn’t want mine doing that. Honestly, I think this generation expects immediate gratification in everything. Maybe we learned something from having to send off film from our 110 cameras and wait a week to see the photos! Now they see the photos as soon as they take them…even faster than a Polaroid! And speaking of Janet Jackson…
  • We had the real MTV! Yes, it’s a thing. We had the real MTV that actually showed music videos and featured music-related content. Plus, there was Remote Control, the MTV gameshow! Good times! How many of us can remember rushing home to see the world premier of the videos for Thriller and The Reflex? For me, that was high school, but even in college, we watched a lot of MTV…I can still dance along with Bobby Brown! (If you’d like to purchase an MTV sweatshirt to help you remember the good old days, click here.)
  • We could make prank phone calls. It’s a fact. We loved making prank calls in college. My junior and senior years , we made one prank call Monday nights…sending a college boy on a wild goose chase, and it worked every time. It was so funny that I often laughed until…well, you get the idea. With “caller ID” automatic now, students can’t make those prank calls now. Well, I guess they can, but it’s not the same.

I’m sure there are lots more reasons I love college in the 80s! My own daughter has said many times that she wishes she had been in high school/college in the 80s, and I tell her, “It was a good time to be alive!”

If you have other reasons it was great to be in college in the 1980s, please share!

by Kelly Mattei

College Game Day Essentials

College game day essentials.

It’s finally football season…the most wonderful time of the year! And what’s more fun than spending time with friends and family, pregaming or watching a game together?

Whether you’re hosting friends and family at home or hosting a tailgate, there are some things you’ll need. Check out these suggestions:

  • Tailgate/game day cookbook. I have a favorite, and you can get it from Amazon. It is The Southern Tailgating Cookbook, written by Taylor Mathis, an alumnus of my daughter’s high school. The book contains great recipes the author collected at tailgates across the south. I heard Mr. Mathis speak about the fun he had researching the book, so I had to have it. Get it here.
  • Cheese Board Deck. My friend, Angela, gave me this deck of charcuterie/cheese board ideas, and I love it! Charcuterie boards are an easy, beautiful way to entertain! The deck shows photos and lists ingredients for different types of charcuterie boards, and the price is right at $17.99! Each card in the box tells you exactly what cheeses, fruits, etc. to buy for the corresponding board. Get it here.
  • Football paper plates. If you’re hosting the tailgate or party and don’t want to have dishes to wash later, these cute football paper plates fit right with a game day theme. Get them here.
  • Full set of disposable paper products. Wanna keep it easy and but a full set of football themed disposable paper products? You can do that on Amazon here.
  • Football Serving Trays (3pieces). How about some fun nesting trays that are football themed? If you’re going to be hosting a tailgate or having guests at home, follow through on a football theme with a set of trays that can be used for chips, dips, appetizers or beverages. Get them here.
  • Football cocktail napkins. Maybe you’re just tailgating with cocktails? If so, you’ll need cocktail napkins that are just for tailgating. These are great to have around all the time, in fact. Get them here.
  • Bug fans. If you’re going to have food outside, you will attract flies. How to get rid of them? Keep these small, battery-operated, tabletop fans around your food. They really work, and they’re priced right at about $35 for four. Get them here.
  • Handheld paper fans for guests. Tailgating in the south? You’ll and all your guests will be hot. A great addition to any southern tailgate? Handheld paper fans for all! You can purchase at pack of 20 for about $15 in your team color here.
  • Yeti coolers and cups. You have to keep those drinks cold! Choose from a variety of Yeti coolers and cups for your pregame tailgate or your game day party at the Yeti Amazon store here.
  • Solo Stove. Night game? Need a portable fire pit? Solo Stove makes great ones! We have the Bonfire model, and we love it. Get it at Amazon for about $345 now. Purchase here. You’ll use it for years to come.
  • All-in-One Tailgating Table. I stumbled upon this and thought it was a great thing for tailgates! Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out how to organize a tailgate, but this table can certainly help! Get it here.
  • Football-themed Beer Pong Table. Pong is all the rage, so having a beer pong table is almost a necessity at a tailgate or home football party. There’s a great one at Amazon for $99 here.
  • Cornhole boards. Cornhole brings a group together, for sure! If you want cool regulation sized boards, there are some great ones at Amazon here. You don’t care if it’s not regulations sized? Then you might like a set for about $80 from Amazon here.

  • Folding chairs. If you’re going to need to take a folding chair, you can find lots of them at all price points at Amazon here.
  • JBL speakers. Every tailgate or game day party needs tunes before the game, and with a bluetooth speaker, you can even listen to pregame and game broadcasts! JBL has a great assortment of bluetooth speakers on Amazon here. We have a small JBL speaker, the Charge 5 ($179.95), that puts out great sound. You can see it here. And we have a larger one, the JBL Boombox 2 ($399.95) that puts out bigger sound that you can see here. If you want the newer version, the Boombox 3, it’s great and will set you back $499.95. See it here. (pictured below)

Are you ready for some football?!