September 20, 2025

Oxford, Mississippi

Harry V’s 21st Birthday

It is game day here at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Old Miss will face off with Tulane this afternoon at 14:30. There is a festive party atmosphere even early in the morning. The day started later than normal, probably due to the midnight champagne party when Harry V arrived from Wisconsin after a harrowing day of travel.

It had not quite gone 08:00 when I walk though the door at Starbucks. There was a long line of cars at the drive-up window, even longer than yesterday, and the store itself was fairly well packed with people dressed in red and khaki, the dress colors for today’s game. It took quite a while to get my cappuccino and egg bites, due to the activity in the store. They were already out of the Bacon and Gyurére egg bites, so it was a choice between the pepper and egg, and Italian Sausage and Egg. Well by the time I decided they were out of the pepper and egg egg bites.

The cappuccino managed to arrive long before the bacon and Gyurére egg bites. Fortunately I wasn’t in a hurry. Many of patrons seems a little annoyed at how long it was taking to fill their order, and the fact they were out of so many things.  

After breakfast it was back to the hotel to get the rest of the group going. The traffic on Jackson was already fairly heavy and there were a lot of people already walking towards the grove, where the tailgates parties are. The temperature outside at 09:00 was already over 70. There was no way I was going to be able to stand at a tailgate for 3 or 4 hours, then walk to the stadium, and then sit in the stadium for a four hour football game. So I volunteered to opt out of the tailgate and game and let Grace take my seat with her mother, nonna and brother. Besides they like this sort of stuff.

It had just gone 10 when I drove Nonna, Rochelle and Harry to the grove. Traffic wasn’t as bad as it seemed, but people were crossing the street, even sometimes at the corner, which held up or at least slowed down traffic. I was able to get reasonably close to the grove for them. Then I went off to the square in the center of town, near Tico’s Steakhouse, the restaurant we were having dinner at, to find a parking space.

It was apparently my lucky day. On my first trip around the square looking for a parking spot I found one near the corner of University Ave and S. Lamar Blvd. It is a metered spot but for less than $10 eight hours could be purchased. The more fortunate aspect is that I noticed just out of the corner of my eye the guy shift his car into reverse to back out of the space. Just very auspicious timing.

Another good thing is that the cigar shop, Spring Street Cigars, is just three-quarters of a block down S. Lamar. This is where I would be spending the day. Indoors, in a comfortable chair, in an air conditioned and air filtered lounge, watching the game on the TV, enjoying a cigar. It was about 11 when I walked into the shop. There were a few people there already, so I took a seat in the front lounge and made myself comfortable, after all I would be here for the next five or six hours. Dinner isn’t until 17:45.

Old Miss whooped the tar out of Tulane. By 16:00 it was already 38 to 3. The family was leaving the stadium and heading for the square even before it has gone 17:00. It was nearly 90 outside. I left the cigar shop and headed in the general direction of the restaurant, when they were catching the shuttle to the square at 16:48.

The number of people in square was unbelievable. It was simply packed with people dressed in Red and Khaki. From my perspective most of them looked liked they were 12 or 13, except the “parents” all of whom looked 50, but everyone assured me that those looking like high school students were really college students.

I beat everyone to the restaurant, so I went inside thinking there was maybe a bar or someplace to sit while I waited for them. The restaurant itself was empty, the small bar just off the restaurant was almost full. There was a seat just at the end of the bar so I sat down and ordered a Diet Coke. It was nice to be back indoors in an air-conditioned room.

It had just gone 17:30 when the rest of them showed up. We took our seats at the table in the restaurant, when we did so we were the only patrons. Appetizers were ordered. Shrimp cocktails, friend pickles, and crab cakes. Of course, as you know various drinks were ordered as well.

This was Nonna and mine first experience with fried pickles. It has never sounded like something we would order or even enjoy. We were mistaken the friend pickles were actually very good. The shrimp, which were actually large prawns, were getting on the old side, but still ok. The crab cakes were very good.

Everyone loved “Tico’s Oxford is not responsible for steaks cooked over Medium Well,“ printed at the bottom of the menu. There was a salmon special which Grace ordered, the rest of us ordered steak. I was the only one who order a salad; a blue cheese wedge. Harry V ordered a bottle of Caymus 50th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon 2022.

The steaks were all good. Harry and I shared a side dish of potatoes at gratin.

Mary and Rochelle each ordered a baked potato, although we could have slit one three or four ways and still had more than enough for everyone. They were at least one pounders, and loaded with butter, sour cream, bacon and who knows what else. Everything was shared and tasted by all. The dinning room slowly began to fill up as we had dinner.

The restaurant gave V a piece of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream for his birthday. The waitress even brought it out with a small sparkler candle. We all took a bite of the birthday boy’s cake. It was actually very good, but a little to dense and sweet to each have one.

With the bill paid and bellies full, we headed back to the car parked a near three blocks away. V and I broke off from the group and headed to the cigar shop. I bought him an assortment of sticks, a new cutter, lighter and portable humidor for his birthday. Then we walked back up to the square and ladies. We drove back to Grace’s Dorm so V could see it. Now there is a sign on the front door of the dorm, a coed dorm, which was advertising “Condoments for your wiener.” Stating that free condoms will be handed out between 2 and 4 pm on a certain date and in a certain place. Things have changed since 1970.

We drove back to the hotel. Then Grace and V took an Uber downtown for a drink. Exactly what else happened I don’t know, as it was definitely my bed time.

Buonanotte e ciao,

Enrico e Maria