Friday Night Lights - Bustle Edition

So, I don't know how you, the Gentle Reader, spend your Friday nights. Most Friday nights find me ensconced in my favorite chair, sipping a cocktail or a Barq's diet root beer, making a list for the weekend, watching TV and generally feeling pleased that I'll be sleeping past 6:00 the next morning.

But not this past Friday. This past Friday night I did something completely different, and I'm going to venture this will be something heretofore unknown to you as well.

Why was this past Friday night different from all other Friday nights?

Because Older texted me in the afternoon:

"There's a Watch party tonight at the Christian's Tailgate. Can I go?"

"By yourself?"

"Unless Dad or Younger would like to go."

"What's a Watch party? What are you Watching?"

"Overwatch. It's the first game of the season for the Houston Outlaws."

Ah. That clears everything up, doesn't it?

No? Quick explanation:

There's a video game called Overwatch. It's the kind you play with other people across the Internet. It's so big that major cities across the world have formed teams that play against each other in televised matches. So picture this: 6 guys who play video games for a living, walk into a crowded stadium, filled with screaming fans. They, the players, are wearing team jerseys, and the crowd is wearing the same colors, wagging giant foam fingers. They sit down in front of computer monitors, and the crowd present in the stadium and tonight at Christian's Tailgate watch a video game on the giant screens. This is what my son wanted to attend.

I called my husband. He sounded...enthused. "Yeah, I'll go with him." Younger overheard the conversation and immediately changed into his Houston Outlaw jersey and started talking trash about the Toronto Defiant, Houston's rival in this season's opening match.

So, now I'm a little intrigued. I'm also hungry. I text my husband that I'm coming along. For the food and the fellowship. Also, I'm bringing a book.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was not seeing what looked like an absolute HORDE in Houston Outlaw Merch filling the sports bar/restaurant to capacity. Every TV screen except for one* was showing previous season highlights, players' best plays (it all looked like video game to my undiscerning eye, but I didn't want to say anything because my boys thought I was super cool taking them to this event). There was a DJ to rile the crowd up even more, and when the match was over there was a costume contest for the COSPLAYERS - that's one word; I looked it up. I had a sudden vision that this was how Older would meet the future Mrs. Older. He would see her at a Watch party, a vision in costume, become instantly smitten and bring her home for Sunday dinner.

Here's what I can tell you for sure: Christian's Tailgate has excellent burgers, fries and salads. I, for sure, understood that part of the evening. And since my sons spent most the night away from the table, watching the game up close with everyone else, I didn't feel bad about reading my new Liane Moriarty book.

* One TV screen, one, was dedicated to a golf match. It was in the corner. No one saw it.