The Streak Ends

Hubby and I have gone to a decent number of sporting events over the past 7 years. We've seen three Packers games at Lambeau. We've seen 2 or 3 Admirals games and LOTS of Brewers games here in Milwaukee. In Madison, we've been to a UW men's basketball game and a hockey game, as well as a Mallards game or two. We've been to UW-Whitewater (Hubby's alma mater) football games, too! And every game we've been to, the home team won...

Until last night.

The Brewers gave a valiant effort to rally at last night's game against the Cardinals, but they fell short in the end. 

We thought our streak was going to end with an Admirals game a few months ago. Ads were down by two goals with less than 2 minutes on the clock. But then they managed to tie it up and win in OT. That gave me hope last night when the Crew got within a run of the Cards. Maybe they could win this thing! But, alas, it was not to be.

I think it's good that our streak has ended, as a few good things have come of it:

1) I can talk about it now. Yes, I'm one of those silly superstitious sports fans, and talking about the stream out loud was forbidden. Now I can tell you all how amazing it was to be at all those victories! We watched the Crew's only win during the post-season in 2008, and we watched them clinch the division in 2011! We've seen crazy comebacks and absolute waffle-stompings, both equally exciting in their own ways. It's been a great run!

2) I know that a loss isn't the end of the world. I mean, I've seen PLENTY on TV, but this was the first (in a long time, anyway) that I'd seen in person. And you know what? We still had fun! We cheered on our team and played along with the games in between innings, just like we would during a win. The only thing that was really different was the lack of energy from the crowd, and even that picked back up when we got close! 

3) No more pressure. It sounds silly, but I felt this sort of pressure when I went to games, like it depended on us being there. (It's not just me; check out this Cracked.com article... We love to think we have a hand in the outcome of a game!) Now I can go and whatever happens just happens. 

So it was definitely a bummer to lose last night. But as we walked out, they reminded us not to worry, "Cause every little thing gonna be alright..." There's still a lot of baseball left this season... Let's go, Crew!

Football, Friends and Food

Nov. 18 - On Sunday, I was thankful for...

(Packers) Football season.

Since Hubby was gone hunting this weekend, it was just me and the puppers in the house. Once I got done with homework, there were few options for things to do. I took a nap. I played on the PS3. I read. I played with my puzzle. 

I got bored.

And then it was time for football. Hallelujah! 

Football season doesn't just get me through the day when Hubby's gone; it's a family affair at our house when he's home. The three of us (yes, that includes Maxine) wear our jerseys, grab some snacks, and curl up on the couch to cheer on the Packers whenever they play. It's one of my favorite family activities, and it even comes with its own traditions (like double high fives for touch downs, a tradition I learned from my parents). A win means a good week ahead; a loss means grumbling, outrage, and moments of panic (unless we're already doing terribly, in which case, not really any need for panic). I always hope that we'll make it to the post-season, not just for the glory, but also because it means a longer football season! :)

As long the Packers are playing, I am thankful for football season. When they aren't playing... well, there's only so many months until spring training for baseball! ;)

Nov. 19 - Yesterday, I was thankful for...

My friends.

Normally I would write a long, gushy post about how much my friends mean to me and how they're always around when I need them, blah blah blah. But instead, I'm going to keep this shorter and more to the point.

I'm thankful that my friends understand what I brat I can be, and don't hold it against me that I don't make phone calls and prefer to talk online or in person. I'm thankful that my friends make me laugh and let me cry. I'm thankful that they're as weird as I am and don't get scared off when I say something crazy. I'm thankful that my friends are all different and that I can learn so many things from each of them. 

Mostly, though, I'm thankful for who they are and how they make me feel like a better person, just by having them in my life. Thanks to you all. <3

Nov. 20 - Today I am thankful for...

Food.

If you know me, you know I love food. (You don't get this physique from not loving food.) And what's not to love? It keeps us alive, happy and (somewhat) healthy. And not everyone has access to it like I'm fortunate enough to. Too frequently I take for granted that I don't have to worry about where my next meal will come from or when I'll be able to get food again. 

Preparing food can be a lot of fun, and so can shopping for it (I always grocery shop with Hubby, and we make it fun). Going out to eat, ordering in, carrying out, or making it yourself all have different benefits and are all different ways to experience food. We have it at celebrations, we have it when mourning. It can calm our stomachs, or make us think we'll never eat again (you know, when you feel like Violet from Willy Wonka and someone damn near has to roll you out of the room). We have favorites, and we have things we won't touch with a 10-foot pole. The options are seemingly endless, and finding a perfect pairing or an unexpected new favorite makes our mouths, minds, and stomachs happy campers.

So, for all that (and more reasons, I'm sure), I am thankful for food. Om nom nom!

The Holidays are Over; Bring on Reality!

I guess I went AWOL for a bit there, hey?  Sorry about that.  Things have been busy.

Christmas was good to us, I will admit.  Christmas Eve Day I got to exchange presents with K at Ella's Deli (yes, we exchange Christmas gifts at a Jewish deli).  That crafty lady made me lip balm!  Seriously; she MADE it.  How cool is that, right?  Anywhoozles, that afternoon I decorated sugar cookies while Hubby napped.  Maxine, in her Christmas sweater, napped along with him for most of the afternoon, and I spent some good time with my parents.

Christmas Eve dinner was, of course, fantastic.  Mom made the best Yorkshire pudding ever, and when I found they were out of hot cocoa mix, Dad made me some from "scratch" by heating up some pieces of Dove chocolate and mixing with milk.  I have to say that my family is pretty great, and that helps make my holidays so wonderful.  Would've enjoyed some snow, but, it was still lovely.

My parents got me a 3,000-piece puzzle (which is HUGE, btw) and a Jambox (which will come in really handy for school).  They got Hubby a Gentleman Jack giftbox (so, basically, good booze and two glasses).  They got Miss Maxine a bunch of toys and treats.  Oh, and best of all, they got us a new water heater!  (Apparently I was thisclose to getting an iPad, but they decided to get us something practical instead.  Ah, the joys of being a homeowner!)

Hubby surprised me by getting us a bunch of stuff we can enjoy together, including a remote control for our PS3 (so we can watch blu rays without fumbling over the controller), season 2 of "Big Bang Theory" and season 1 of "Raising Hope," and new controllers for the Wii.  He also got me a gorilla pod (that I picked out myself) and a monopod (that was a complete surprise)!  Yes, it was a successful Christmas indeed.  :)

Christmas Day was spent with my mom's side of the family, and then watching the Packers beat the Bears before heading back home.  The day after was Christmas with Hubby's family, which, while a bit chaotic at times, was nice.  I got to spend a lot of time hanging out with my nephew and taking pictures of him (he's so freakin' cute!!), but after being exhausted from all the running around that weekend (and feeling like I was starting to come down with something), I wound up sleeping in the recliner for an hour or two toward the end of our visit.  In my family, it's not Christmas until someone falls asleep in the midst of the festivities, so I guess I was just carrying over the tradition.

You'd think a 4-day work week would go quickly, but it didn't.  It dragged.  A lot.  And while I looked forward to our weekend plans, part of me would've been content just sleeping through the whole thing.  Alas, after a bit of a struggle, we made our way to Madison for S's graduation gathering.  We spent the night at my parents' and the next day had lunch plans with a friend of mine and his wife.  I hadn't seen Mr. P since his wedding, which was in November of 2009 (they moved to Georgia the previous year), so this lunch was LONG overdue.  We actually made plans to stop in on our drive down to Disney in March, so it won't be nearly as long before we see them next!  Color me pleased. 

New Year's Eve was spent with my second family.  K, S and J (my "sisters") had all gotten new toys (iPhones, Kindle, etc) and much of the evening was spent in the same room, but each of us on our respective electronic.  K's dad and his new wife stayed around for dinner, but left around 10 or so.  See, the new wife has a rescue dog named Princess (a bichon, for those interested).  Since she can get along with Eva (J's dog), we tried bringing Maxine into the mix.  Bad idea.  Bad.  Those two were at each other's throats like you wouldn't believe!  My best guess is Maxi made an inappropriate "Yo Mama" joke and Princess was having none of it.  I'm probably wrong, but it works in my head.  So anywhoozles, they ended up crating Princess upstairs in the "other" condo, since the two couldn't play nicely, and so they left early to make sure Princess didn't spend the whole evening alone.  

We had a great time anyway.  K always makes my second favorite meal of the year for New Year's Eve: shrimp and potatoes.  Between that and all the snack foods available, I was stuffed silly.  We played some Apples to Apples and drank to ring in the new year.  Then we crashed at the condo (me on the couch, Hubby on the recliner/floor, Maxi on another chair).  New Year's Day we headed home to drop off the puppers and headed back to see part of Hubby's family for the Packers game (go Matt Flynn!).  Thankfully, we had nothing to do the next day, and we spent it like a couple of lazy bums.  It was lovely.

This week has been... interesting.  But this post is long enough, so I'll save that for another time.

Epic Win(s).

Just a quick note to share how very excited and proud I am of all the great Wisconsin sports teams that played this weekend.  Two wins for the Brewers, a slaughter for the Badgers, and a 4-0 record for the Packers.  Wisconsin may never see such an epic sports weekend again, and I just had to make note of it.

Sconnie pride!!  <3

Anniversaries Abound

Five years ago today, Hubby and I decided to make things official and begin dating.  It's amazing to me that it was so long ago, but also that it has only been five years.  Boggles the mind, kids...  

As if that weren't enough, on Sunday, Hubby and I had our first wedding anniversary.  Yay!!  :)  It was a pretty awesome weekend, if I do say so myself.  Allow me to recap:

Friday night - Drove into Madison to my parents' house.  Zach went out to see a friend; I did homework. (OK, so that sounds lame, but it gets better.)

Saturday morning - Headed downtown to the Farmer's Market!  We bought honey straws (they actually had real bees at the tent!), cheese curds, a block of 6-year cheddar (that's Hubby's), a container of raspberries, a small thing of apple cider and some hot and spicy cheese bread rolls.  Everything was delicious!!  The square was PACKED, but it was still a lot of fun.  When we finished, we headed across the street to Tabby & Jack's, since Hubby hadn't been before (and I'd only been to the other location).  We got Maxi a shirt that says, "Wicked Cute" and has a little witch's hat on it.  And we got a cool collapsible bowl to keep in the car in case Maxi needs water while we're out and about. :)

Saturday afternoon - After a quick trip up and down State Street, we decided to head to lunch at my favorite place in Madison, Ella's Deli.  For those who haven't been, Ella's is like ADD Heaven.  There are things moving and spinning and singing and clicking all over the restaurant.  I know some people aren't big fans, but I've been going to Ella's since I can remember.  I love it so much that I had my 16th birthday party there AND had lunch there for my 21st birthday.  The best part about Ella's, though, is the carousel.  And yes, Hubby and I rode it on Saturday.  And yes, it was awesome.  Sure, I don't fit into the stirrups as well as I used to, but whatever.  Once we were done, we headed back to my parents' to check on the puppers and then we headed to the hotel to check in.  We stayed at the same hotel where we spent our wedding night.  Nothing too fancy, but definitely nice enough.  Once checked in, we promptly took a nap.  Yeah.  We're exciting.

Saturday evening - I finished up some homework while Hubby watched TV.  Once I was done, we decided that dinner sounded good.  We wound up going to Olive Garden.  We hadn't been there in awhile, and it was somewhere we actually went fairly frequently when we were first dating, so it seemed like a decent decision.  I had an awesome Moscato (I love my sweet, white wines) and an awesome dinner, so I really can't complain.  After dinner, we headed back downtown and walked around the square at night.  It was MUCH nicer without the crowds, though my shoes were sadly not made for walking, and I got a couple nice blisters.  Full and happy, we headed back to the hotel, turned on the TV and made a few drinks.  It wasn't long before we gave up and went to sleep.

Sunday morning - Had breakfast at the hotel ($9.50 each for what would normally be "free" at other hotels, but whatever) and then packed up our stuff.  Headed back to Mom and Dad's to catch the Packers game.  As I had told my mom, all I wanted for my anniversary was a Packers win.  I got it.  :)  I also got a Brewers win.  Bonus!!  :)

Sunday afternoon/evening - Lounged at the parents' house until it was time for our dinner reservation at Bellini Italian Restaurant.  We love Bellini not only for their food, but also because it's where we had our wedding ceremony and reception, so coming back for our anniversary was a no-brainer.  Dad drove us there limo-style (he said he wished he had the hat for it) and we were seated right away.  Now, at the end of our wedding night, the staff had told us that if we came back for our anniversary, we would get a free meal.  (This, of course, was merely a bonus for us.)  We made sure to tell the waiter that this was our first anniversary and that we had gotten married there a year ago.  He was very nice and congratulated us, but made no mention of the free meal.  We figured it like this: Worst case scenario, we paid for everything.  That's cool.  It's our anniversary.  We planned to spend money.  Best case scenario, we got free entrees and paid for some drinks and appetizers.  Awesome.  So we decided to go all out:

• I started with a Bellini (a champagne drink with peach nectar) and Hubby had some kind of whiskey drink.
• We shared calamari for an appetizer.  YUM!
• For dinner, Hubby had a nice salmon dish and I had a fantastic rib eye with asparagus and broccolini on the side (and we each got a salad and bread to go with).  
• With dinner, I had a melontini (Midori, Malibu, and some other stuff) and Hubby had a Jim Beam and Coke.
• After dinner, we decided to split a (large) piece of tiramisu (the ONLY coffee-flavored thing I enjoy).  I had a chocolate martini and Hubby had an espressotini (it even had 3 coffee beans floating in it for garnish).

When our waiter came at the end of the meal, we assured him that everything had been phenomenal.  He then said, "I just wanted to congratulate you again on your anniversary.  On behalf of Bellini's, we thank you for having your wedding here and for celebrating your anniversary with us, and so we would like you to have this meal on the house.  Have a great evening."  And then he walked away.  Our jaws dropped.  The WHOLE THING was covered.  Holy.  Shit.  We had NOT expected that!!  Thankful to no end, Hubby dropped a REALLY nice tip and we cabbed it back to Mom and Dad's.  It was another early night for us, but we fell asleep completely content with the way the whole weekend had gone.  

We drove back home on Monday early afternoon (we both took the day off), and that was that.  :)

To extend the festivities, though, part of my gift to Hubby was tickets to the last Brewers game of the season, at Miller Park.  Needless to say, we can't WAIT to go!!  :)  YAY!!!    

So Ready...

For some football!!!

Yes, kids, it's football season.  Just under 7 hours to kickoff and already I can hardly contain myself!  Looking forward to watching the Packers crush the Saints tonight in Green Bay.  Puppers is already wearing her Packers jersey, and Hubby and I will be joining her later.  

What's your favorite part about football season or what are you looking forward to most this season?

Personally, I'd love to see Ryan Grant have an excellent year (after being out most of last season) and I can't wait to see Clay Matthews make his first sack.  And, as always, I look forward to seeing Donald Driver's beautiful smile all season long. :) 

Da-nah, da nah nah nah...  

GO PACK GO!!!

I Can't Help Myself

For the past decade or so, I've admitted to having terrible taste in music (aside from The Beatles...  The Beatles are the best band ever, and if you disagree, you're wrong).  I have a love affair with awful 80s music.  I bounce along to catchy, repetitive pop songs.  I love music that some people wouldn't dare refer to as music even at gunpoint.

Most people, I suppose, would call this my guilty pleasure music.  But since I don't deny it or hide it, and in fact am more than willing to share about it, I just refer to it as "my crappy taste in music."

That being said, this week I've decided to share 5 songs from my iTunes list that I thoroughly love listening to, but really shouldn't.  

1) Ke$ha - "Blah Blah Blah"  Yes, I know she can't sing, her songs are full of references to getting naked and alcohol abuse, and no self-respecting person would put up with her grossness...  But dammit, her music is catchy!  And I love dancing around to it.  Never mind that none of it makes sense, as pointed out here.  Sometimes, all you need out of a song is a good time. And a really hot shower to wash the gross off.

2) 3OH!3 - "Don't Trust Me"  I should probably be utterly offended by the line, "Shoosh, girl, hush your lips, do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips," but instead, I just find it hilarious.  I love this song so much, I had it on the must-play list for my wedding.  Not even kidding.

3) Aqua - "Barbie Girl"  Obviously, we already know I'm a fan of Aqua, but this song should probably be banished back to the 90's and never heard from again.  Nonetheless, I will crank this song and dance around without reservation.  "Oh, I love you, Ken!"

4) Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"  Holy good God, this is probably the worst song ever made, but it is the BEST song to sing along to!  Especially when stuck in a car for several hours at night and semi-delirious from lack of scenery...

5) Mr. Mister - "Broken Wings"  Every now and then, you just need to clench your fists, close your eyes, and shout at the top of your lungs, "Taaaaaake, these broken wiiiiings, and learn to fly again, learn to live so freeeee..."  Seriously.  Try it. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!  GO PACK GO!!!

Moronic Monday - StupidBearsfansayswhat?

In the spirit of this past weekend, today's Moronic Monday comes from Bears territory.  (This happened before yesterday's game, so they were still delusional at the time.)

A bit of background on this little gem:  Many Packers fans were "upset" with Brett Favre over his retirement charade ("I'm retired!  No I'm not!  Yes I am!  Gimme my job!") and especially unhappy with his decision to join the enemy (The Vikings).  Check out my "Brett Who?" post for some more info.

Anyway, as a result, a fantastic shirt was made.  The shirt, seen here, now has a bit of a cult following.  The idea of the shirt - We'll Never Forget You Brent - is that we have, of course, already forgotten him.  We know his name isn't Brent.  That's the joke.

And while most people who encounter this shirt realize its true genius, the Bear blogger of this idiot post clearly did NOT understand the concept.  "Wow.  They don’t even know Favre’s first name," he notes.  "...How can you forget someone when you don’t even know their name?"

Many, MANY comments were made with essentially the same message: It's sarcasm; you're an idiot.

Even a (presumably) fellow Bears fan points this out: As much as I’d like to make fun of the company who made this shirt, “Brent” isn’t a typo. They’re poking fun at Brett by saying, “We’ll never forget you”, yet we’re already forgetting how to spell your name...

Just goes to show that not only do the Bears still suck, so do their fans.*

Oh yeah, and for the record...  SUPER BOWL, BABY!!!  HELLS YEAH!!!  :-)

*With a few exceptions, of course.  <3

Wed Nes Day

I've been struck with a bit of mid-week malaise.  I just feel like melting into my chair and waiting for the rest of the week to pass.  Sadly, work keeps interfering with that plan.  Boo.

In happier news...  Um...  I'm...  Not dead?  This is good, right?  I'm not actually trying to be a big, whiny, PITA, I promise.  I'm just struggling to find the positive for today.  It's dreary and trying to snow (again).  I have to work.  I have to do laundry.  I have homework to do.  It's just not an exciting day.

Aha!  Positive!  Packers game is only a few days away.  Huzzah!  Looking forward to watching it at hubby's work with some catered food and fun people.  And finger darts.  Never forget finger darts.

OK, so this is probably the lamest blog post ever, but, oh well.  Hopefully I'll have something better to say later.  
 

Brett Who?

As I'm sure any true Packers fan will tell you, last night's game was nothing short of fantastic.  Yes, it started poorly, but we came back strong and didn't back down.  It was beautiful.

My favorite part (aside from the fact that we're headed to the NFC Championship game!) was that during the entire course of the game, I didn't hear the name "Brett Favre" once.  Sure, he got a brief mention during the pre-game and another just after the clock ran out at the end, but during the actual game, there was nothing.

Let me clear up my feelings on this:

• I will always look back and think of Brett Favre fondly as a Packer.  He was an amazing player and a huge part of our Super Bowl XXXI glory, and for that I will always be grateful.  
• Once he decided to screw us over by un-retiring and not wanting to give Aaron Rodgers the chance he'd been promised, I started doubting Brett as a person.  I mean, who does that?  When he went to the Jets, I was disappointed in him, but I vowed to move past it.  It was the beginning of Aaron's era.  Still, every Packers game was riddled with commentary about Brett Favre.
• When he decided to un-retire AGAIN, this time going to the Vikings, I lost all faith in Brett.  It's one thing to go play for another team.  It's another to join the enemy.  Unforgivable.  And yet, there continued to be talk of Favre during Packers games.  It was either comparisons of Rodgers and Favre, or talking about Favre's glory days, or mentions of what the Vikings were up to...  Ugh.  Enough, already!

As I said, I will always look back fondly on Brett as a Packer.  Post-Packers, I refuse to give him ANY credit for ANYTHING he did.  The fact is, he screwed up.  He put himself ahead of the team, and that wasn't something I ever thought he would do.  I thought he was a true Packer, and I'm sad to say I was so horribly wrong.  So yes, it gives me GREAT pleasure that he didn't get a single mention during this Packers game.  Because I'm so over him.  

Brett Favre is like your high school sweetheart (with a few exceptions, of course).  You can look back fondly at the time you were together, because he (or she) was the world to you and he could do no wrong.  You had amazing experiences together and you'll never forget that. 

But once he started screwing around after you went away to college, he lost all credibility.  You two were done and it was time to move on.  Only everyone around you kept mentioning him, and in your mind, you were always comparing other guys to him.

Once you found out he ended up with that popular girl from high school (the bitch everyone hated, who thought she was all that, but was just a classless whore), it was SO done.  She can have your sloppy seconds; you've got a new man.  And he's even MORE amazing.

Brett Who?

That's what I thought.   

S A T-U-R D-A-Y Night!

Ok, not quite there yet, but I'm SO excited for the game tonight!

Even if the Packers lose (which I'm not saying is going to happen, but IF it happens), I think it'll be a great game to watch and I'm just pleased that we're this far into the playoffs.  :-)

I spent this afternoon struggling through the reading for my Psych course (intro readings are always the worst), so now I'm looking forward to a bit of a break.  

Hubby's out on a bar crawl (15 on 15 on the 15th - 15 bars on the 15th of the month along bus route 15, I think), so it should be interesting to see him later (it started at noon).  However, it does make the afternoon less exciting.  I can't help but feel so bored when I have the house to myself.  Even with Miss Maxine here!

Maxine, of course, is napping.  Shocking, I know.  Last night after a quick trip to the grocery store, we came home to find she had torn up a few cardboard boxes laying around.  This wouldn't have been SO bad except that one of the boxes was a Kleenex box that still had tissues in it.  Oh, and the fact that she has a bajillion toys laying around that she could have played with, but no.  Had to destroy boxes.  FCOL.

On that note, I'm off to find something fun to do.  Or clean.  But probably something fun to do. 

For The Record...

GO PACK GO!!!

Yes, that's right.  A post just to celebrate this evening's post-season victory.  And it feels oh-so-good.

<3