As advertised I slept in, until 8:30. And then I hit the snooze. Pure decadence, that.

Got up, cleaned out the car, decided to put off the other little tasks I considered completing. Watched exactly seven minutes of ESPN's Gameday. That's the first of the show I've watched this season, and it should be enough to get me through the rest of the year. I caught the very end, which was good, because I got to see Corso put the Buckeye's helmet on his head. All things are the same, even in entersportstainment. There's something comforting in that one supposes.

Brian got to the house about that time and before long we were all on the interstate and headed to Auburn. We took the new car, The Yankee brought her Sirius radio, I had the XM, Brian had his sports spreadsheet keeping track of all of the games, all we needed was someone from the Elias Sports Bureau riding shotgun, nodding his head at our plugged-in-edness of it all.

About half an hour out I got a text message from my old radio mentor, Chadd Scott. He was buying my extra ticket and we were to meet up for a few minutes before the game. His text message was basically, "Have arrived, am very disillusioned."

I had an idea what that was about, but had to find out the details in person. We got off the interstate, hit the slightest bit of traffic, parked in my top secret spot and started walking. It is so top secret that I can't even tell you. Brian had to take a blood oath to see the place and if I see any of you there next week we'll have words. Parking is finite.

So we found Chadd at this new little breakfast and bar place. Apparently there were only eggs on the menu, and the floor was designed with the 'hose it down and push it out' style of cleaning in mind. His disillusionment was with how things have changed. No one can disagree. We lamented some of the things that had closed, I didn't have the heart to mention The Grille, but did get to share the news that Momma Goldberg's is still alive and well.

Chadd was a year or two ahead of me in school and was catching up with his roommate, so we could all commiserate. Like me and everyone else beyond a certain age, they're stunned when I explain that the downtown Auburn we recall more resembles the Auburn of the 1950s than of the early 21st Century.

And the condos. Ye. Gods.

We walked by several of those developments on the way to Momma G's, where the line was out the door. The Yankee stole us a table, Brian and I patiently waited for our turn to order.

Maybe I've never explained Momma G's. There are four registers inside, each taking deli orders for a menu reduced for game day. The people are still waiting in the parking lot and almost into the road. The place is in high demand. The Yankee said a man offered her $20 for her outside table. She should have taken it.

Inside the place hasn't changed in decades, one of the few pieces of Auburn that can make that claim. In fact, a few years ago at a spring game a group of us stopped by Momma's and when I walked in the things I noticed were what hadn't changed since I'd tried it as a freshman. Same wall decorations, same slanted floor and busted up pool table. The same Dave Matthews song. That made a lot of sense in 1995, apparently the last time the jukebox was changed.

They also have nice televisions now, though no one complains about that on game day, as we watched bits of the Mississippi State, Kentucky game.

A girl standing in line in front of me was lamenting the eventual day the places closes. A sad day indeed. She said she ate here every day one year of college. I thought she was still a student. Actually, she said, she ate here every day one year, and every day at another place the next year and still another place every day in another year.

I don't know where two of those places are, so they post-date my time on the Plains. And, while I'm no old timer, her nostalgia seems a bit too early.

How she kept her figure eating at those places is also a mystery.

We decided to walk back through a few of the bookstores after lunch while The Yankee continued her search for the 87,451 friends shirt in the correct color and sleeve length. On this, her third attempt I think, she found it. Outside on the sales rack I found an awesome old faded orange hoodie for two-thirds off. That's also where we met this little cutie. While I was trying to decide whether or not to buy it the sales guy is just giving us things that he says won't sale. Now I feel as if I must buy the shirt.

I feel as if I owe him something. Despite the untold thousands of dollars I spent here buying textbooks.

So I buy the shirt. We have two bulging bags of things we don't want to carry the rest of the day. I take them back to the car. It was a good thing to do, for convenience sake. Brian and The Yankee said they'd go back to the car too, but there was no point. I know shortcuts and can be faster on my own. Time was now of the essence so we could get into the stadium and see the eagle fly. They went ahead to the stadium, I backtracked to the secret parking spot. My feet now regret the extra exercise. More on that later.

But I made it from the store, to the car and back to Jordan-Hare. Made it with 10 minutes to spare. Here's to five years of learning short cuts, just another one of those many things that you never forget. Except for when they put fences in places they clearly don't belong.

Today was a special pre-game flight because War Eagle VII, Nova, the golden eagle wasn't flying. He was taking the afternoon off because Spirit, the bald eagle was flying as a tribute to the wildlife officers' and Auburn Raptor Center's conservation efforts. The Raptor Center is one of those groups who played a significant role in helping to get the bald eagle removed from the endangered species list earlier this year.

So here's Spirit. Here's a lot of Spirit, actually. It isn't every day you see bald eagles outside of cages and it is a testament to their protectors that they're beginning to thrive again. It is amazing to me that they can get eagles to fly on command while surrounded by so much noise.

Go back and look at that one again. She looks simple majestic, even without all the symbolism.

After a big circle of the stadium she swoops towards her target. I'm probably 150 yards away from her for that photograph, which is also impressive if you think about it. Now she's 20 yards from her target and probably within 100 of our perch. Look at those talons. Such an awesome animal.

After the flight we made our way up to our seats, which seemed extra high this week considering all my extra walking. We got settled in a few minutes before the game started, introducing Brian to the family that sits around us. There's about 16 of them up there, an Auburn family within the Auburn family. Very nice people.

From the opening kickoff Auburn controlled the game. It was obvious early that someone was going to have to do something or Ole Miss' Seth Adams was going to get killed. The referee didn't give him any more help than his offensive line did against an aggressive and stubborn Auburn defense.

Brad Lester had another good day for the Tigers, finishing with 96 yards. I believe he got over 100 for the first time in his career, but had a negative play toward the end of the game. Ben Tate had a solid day gaining 74 yards on 15 carries. Lester scored the game's first points following the lead block of folk hero Carl Stewart.

Brandon Cox had another solid outing, throwing for 189 yards and a score late in the game. Rod Smith (though he turned the ball over on this play) led all receivers with 111 yards on eight catches. This was not one of them.

Quentin Groves had some big plays, but his school record sack alluded him once again. He needs one more for the record, and getting against Mississippi would have probably been a nice touch, given he's a native of the Magnolia State. He didn't get the sack, but Antonio Coleman collected two more, as he continues his team-leading totals for the season. That guy's a monster.

While The Yankee is now a veteran of the hoopla Brian was enjoying his first Auburn game. Our seats give you a great view of the game and part of the campus.

This guy, nine months old, sits behind us and is already brainwashed, a season ticket holder and witness to both good and bad Auburn football. The only thing left is to enroll the kid for classes.

What's he looking at in that picture? Perhaps the rising moon. And why not, look at it.

He was actually watching a cell phone.

Auburn pushed Ole Miss around offensively, but struggled to finish drives. The defense dominated -- the Rebels only crossed midfield three times -- but were kind enough to allow Ole Miss to score three, but were choked off after that as the Tigers wound down the clock to a 17-3 victory.

As we left the stadium the Auburn band struck a note, but Ole Miss' pep band blew From Dixie With Love.

The Auburn band stopped and Ole Miss' proud playing of those sorrowful old notes reached outside of the stadium, stretching out over the Plains, drifting over the fans walking up Thach and Roosevelt and into that storied old Pine Hill Cemetery just as it reached its enthusiastic crescendo. At least they did in our hearts.

There are a few better bands in the conference, but I do love hearing Ole Miss' group play.

On to Toomer's Corner, where Brian and The Yankee took in the scene of a more subdued effort, but littered a bit on their own. Ah, the rolling of Toomer's Corner, the only officially sanctioned littering in the free world. The city of Auburn, in response, is likely the only city with "toilet paper removal" listed in their itemized budget.

I'm bringing my folks down to next week's game and can't wait to do all these things with them.

Except for the walking. But more on that in a moment.

We ate, after a long wait, at Niffers. I asked the waitress if she'd just leave a pitcher of tea, thinking only of her and saving her many needless trips to the table. She couldn't leave a pitcher, but she did bring extra glasses. She said it was her new goal to not let those glasses fall empty. I love that in a waitress. And I tip accordingly, even if it did take about 45 minutes for the food to come out. That wasn't her fault, she was busy hydrating me. After a while she started talking smack about the tea. I was on my sixth glass and staring at a two hour drive. Also the food had just arrived. I'm told the cajun tater tots were excellent.

And then the long, sleepy drive home. And now, rest, after a perfect fall day with dear friends, the passions of thousands and delicious sandwiches.

And after walking, according to Google Maps, more than five miles on the day.