GO IRISH

Notre Dame beat USC tonight for the first time in 9 years. I couldn't be happier. :)

I watched the game at a local Irish pub with Lillian and two very nice guys... Alex, who I met at a Princeton seminar in 2009 and over whom I once swooned in the most silly and unrealistic way possible, but who time has made just an interesting and pleasant friend; and Pat, a new friend from Notre Dame who kindly agreed to drive Lillian, Sam and me back to school tomorrow.

Sam stayed with my family for a night over Thanksgiving break and was a huge hit all around. He laughed at my dad's jokes, wrestled with my little brother Joseph, and played guitar and sang to win my mom's and sisters' hearts. He even impressed my notoriously finicky little old Cuban grandma, because he talked slowly enough that she could actually understand his English. Too bad guys I'm dating don't make such an instant splash! I'm lucky, though, to have such a friendly, big-brotherly best friend.

Anyway, the pub was a lot of fun, complete with raffle prize drawings and a cheesy cover band. We were definitely the youngest people there... by about 20 years. We cheered raucously as the game ended and got quite a few stares. What a great night.