Photoessay #314 - Renegade to Caterer

For my readers "fair and few", you may remember the softball tailgates in Eugene from last spring. Dennis and I, along with a number of other parents put together some renegade tailgates out on University Avenue outside of the softball field. We didn't ask permission, we just set up in the city street. Another parent, Grant, has a great tailgate setup and the food to match. When official folks came out to see what the heck we were doing, we would buy them off with food. Soon, we were an INNNNNNStitution with the players and coaches participating.

So this year, (remember I'm supposed to be GONE but Susanna is still part of the team as the student assistant coach)....anyway, the very first softball coach at UO and still very active with the program and the parents decided to put on a softball reunion inviting all of the former players for a weekend. This weekend. Dinner, go to the games, some other things. And she wanted one of those tailgate things.

From the official schedule:
Parents and Team Tailgate
Howe Field
10:00 am
Join the parents of today’s athletes and your former teammates in this tailgate featuring a continental breakfast. This event is included in the registration fee, however an RSVP is required to attend.

Instead of being the outlaw skirting the rules, Grant had the athletic department activities people call him up and request that he set up a tailgate out there on University Avenue. With a budget of $500. How about that?

But as we faced each other at a team event the other day, he said
"um, I think we have to plan for 100 people. There's over 50 alumni RSVPs. Add everybody else and..."
"Gosh, what are we gonna DO?"
"I'm thinking french toast and ham, Pam's going to make cinnamon rolls"
"Fruit, we're going to have fruit, right?...I guess I'm doing the fruit"
"Right"

From "We're have a tailgate, everybody bring stuff" to event planning. We have become caterers. And I'm likely to be operating out of a hotel room with a mini-fridge. We're serving on the street.

So, I bought the fruit today because I'm not hitting Eugene until mid-day. Add in the game and the banquet and, well, better have the stuff already. I bought 30 lbs of strawberries, watermelon, grapes and fresh pineapple. Which sounds like a lot but most of it is shown in the picture. It will most all fit in the cooler.

Be careful what you ask for.....