Saturday went so much better than could have been expected. At least, on the field it did.

I had no idea Casey loathed football so much, so I guess that was the last game she'll want to see. As long as she's OK with me going to games every fall, everything will be fine.

But it was great to see old college friends, along with those I've kept in touch with over the years. When we finally parked at the Meadowlands (the parking lot attendants were in pre-preseason form; they'd wave us into a lot, then disappear, offering no guidance on which rows still had spaces, and we drove right out again and got in the queue on the road near the racetrack), we went over to the official ND tailgate party.

Notre Dame's large alumni organization comes out in force to each and every game, no matter where it is played. There are alumni clubs all over the U.S. (New Jersey has at least three: the Jersey Shore, Central/West Jersey, and North Jersey; I imagine there's South Jersey too), so no matter where the Irish play, there's a strong ND contingent there to drink and scream (in that order). So the North Jersey club hosted a tailgate party in Paddock Park at the Meadowlands Racetrack, complete with the cheerleaders, an alumni band (that is, alumni who were band members and are unable to let go of their Band Geek days, as Casey suggested), and Dick Vitale. Casey and I got there and I looked around for Nate while Casey cringed at all the rabid alumni fans. The first people I recognized inside the park were two of my freshman year roommates with whom I have not spoken since sophomore year. So I avoided them.

I became That Guy and called Nate and described my location until he tracked me down. Then we found Mia, who is now the president of the New York City chapter, and also Ken, another Jersey Shore alum who recently moved back from California (and got a job working for MTV at the beach house this summer, I learned). We went back out into the parking lot for just a little of the real tailgating experience and then headed inside for the game. Having obtained the tickets from Mia, Casey and I were sitting with my parents and Mia and a few other classmates in the upper deck, but just the fifth row from the edge. It wasn't a bad view of the field at all. We were even with the 20-yard line on the end of the field where Notre Dame kicker Nicholas Setta missed a 56-yard field goal on ND's first possession, but made a few thereafter.

I held my cheering in check in part, I think, because of Casey and also because it's tough to get into it when those around you aren't. This Saturday's game on campus will be a different story. Even if Heather and I aren't sitting near the students, the stadium will be more than a 50-50 breakdown in favor of the Irish, and there will be plenty of cheering to do. Notre Dame Stadium is more intimate and more conducive to prolonged yelling.

I did react to Notre Dame's big plays -- the three interceptions and Vontez Duff's punt return for a touchdown. My dad and I had the same reaction to Duff's 72-yard scoring run: We paused once he reached the end zone, scanned the field, then turned to one another and shouted, wide-eyed, "NO FLAGS!" in unison.

And I do believe that "Vontez Duff" is the coolest name in college football. Think The Simpsons: "DUFF MAN! OH YEAH!"

After the game, Casey and I drove down to my parents' house and slept in a little Sunday morning. The rain put a damper on the day, but it magically stopped for a few hours so we could barbecue. Nate, Nicole and Ken came down for dinner, and LJ made his way as well. We never found him at the stadium, and he spent the night with some friends in a Secaucus hotel, and then he called from down the street once he reached Little Silver around 1 p.m. Of course, Dave was there too.

After dinner, LJ, Casey, Dave and I went out in Red Bank and Sea Bright and I realized that my weekends can now all be like this. They won't, of course, but just knowing that I'm now off on weekends was uplifting.

And then yesterday was my birthday. Casey indulged my slothful side with DVDs of Rudy and Dude, Where's My Car? and the computer game The Sims. Dave got me two Leonard Maltin movie books and Jess announced she's paying for my ticket to see Bruce Springsteen in Boston in October. Mom and Dad got me the new camera bag I asked for, along with a gift bag of all kinds of candy (as did Uncle Chic), including the new Dark Chocolate Kit-Kat. They also gave me money for whatever, which I then dug into with the purchase of a new royal blue shirt at Structure. It was raining again, so Casey, Dave and I went to the mall after lunch. She found When Harry Met Sally on DVD for $8.50 at The Wiz's going out of business sale, and we enjoyed Auntie Anne's pretzels. Then she and I drove back to Edgewater and made dinner and watched Sunday's Sex and the City.

A good birthday, I must say.

Today, of course, when everyone's back at work, the weather cleared and it was sunny and 80s. Figures. I'm at work, potentially leaving at any time, with just two more days to go. Then a week off before starting the new one.

OH YEAH. DUFF MAN!!!