Hutch is that person to me.
We have been friends since first grade. We have supported each other through the tough times and rejoiced the successes of each other.
I have always been a sports fan. Hutch, not so much. However, Hutch has taken to loving football over the past four years in large part due to the success of the Seattle Seahawks. He invited me over to watch the Seahawks in playoff games that year, but the run that year ended in a disappointing last second loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
The next year, however, the Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl. We decided to hold a Super Bowl party at his house that year. He added a joint birthday party to the festivities because our birthdays are close to each other’s and are also close to Super Bowl Sundays.
Both of our lady friends are named Linda. They both came and prepared some fine fixin’s for us to enjoy. Hutch’s sister, Angie, made a gorgeous birthday cake with a football theme despite that she was unable to attend. Two of his three daughters, Megan and Clarissa (the two beauties in the picture with him), came. My daughter Candace made a brief appearance with Elliana and Gemma decked out in their Seahawks gear.
It was small but festive. My Linda raised her children in Massachusetts, so she and they are Patriots fans. Even she was impressed with the routing the Seahawks laid on the Broncos, and so was her son, Josh, who texted several times during the game.
The second annual "Hutch’s Super Bowl Party" pitted our Seahawks against my Linda’s and Josh’s Patriots. Linda had to work that day, but Hutch’s brother-in-law, Terry, took her place, so the number of people there were the same. Except for the ending, it was a much better game. Again, the party included some really good food, and another wonderful cake from Hutch’s sister.
It is always more exciting when the Super Bowl includes our favorite team, but Super Bowl 50 did not accommodate us in that regard. Still, no self-respecting football fan does not make the Super Bowl an event. Denver and Carolina had the makings for a good game, and the tradition of Hutch’s Super Bowl parties was growing in this, the third year of the event.
Hutch and his Linda would be attending church that morning, so I told him I would prepare things at his house so it would be ready when they got there.
I went to the store to get more food than I knew we would need because, of course, it is better to have too much food than not enough. We had salad, dips, chips, and two large filets of blackened sockeye salmon. My Linda showed up with an artichoke spinach dip she made at home. Hutch stopped by the store on his way home to make sure there were enough beverages of different varieties to accommodate the range of thirsts.
It was all set out and ready to go before kickoff. We were ready for everyone to show up for the big event!
No one else came. It was just the three of us until late in the first quarter when my Linda went home not feeling well.
There we were, Hutch in his recliner and me on the end of a love seat with reclining capabilities. We spent the late second quarter taking turns waking each other up with our snoring.
Our thoughts that people were still coming, but were late, faded as the defensive struggle wound through the third and fourth quarters.
We both enjoyed the game and each other’s company, but we have decided to change the format for Hutch’s fourth annual Super Bowl party next year.
We are getting a couple of pizzas next year. If people show up, we will have some more delivered.
