Minnesota "Nice", Down and Dirty

Who's Your Susie?

I got this from my friend, Stacy.  No, she's not my Susie.  But, she's a good friend! 

WET PANTS

Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened.  It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'
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Okay, the only reason I posted this was to tell you about my own pants-wetting experience.  I mean, with all this political and financial junk going on, we need a little comic-relief, right?  Some of you have heard this many times before.  It's a great story.

Late Spring. 1980. 2nd grade. Norwalk, Iowa:

Little Susie (that would be me), was on a little outing with her Brownie troop.  They went to the *very famous* (at least for that age bracket, and in that region) after-school TV show, "The Floppy Show" at WHO-TV 13 in Des Moines.  Downtown Des Moines is only about a 20 minute drive from Norwalk, so it was a pretty easy commute.  Imagine 7 or 8, 7-and 8-year-old girls sitting in the bed of a pick-up truck in their poop brown Brownie costumes, singing "There's something in my pocket that belongs across my face" for the entire 20-minute drive there.  Something like that, anyway!

We were SO excited, and had no idea what was in store for us!  We only knew that we MUST have a joke prepared to tell Floppy, if indeed we had the guts to go up in front of the camera (and inevitably all school-aged children in the WORLD--we thought) and tell said joke to Floppy.  I don't think everyone had the guts from my Brownie troop, but I did (surprise, surprise).  In fact, I could barely sleep the night before, in the anticipation of being SO dynamic in my joke-telling, that I would soon be discovered and have my own show!  And, I didn't even do the ever-popular "Why did the man put the car in the oven" joke.  I asked my (very mature) older brother for joke advice.  "Why did the old man drink Coke? Because 'Coke adds life!'"  Bwah-hahaha!  Okay, you don't remember that slogan from 1980?  That's your problem then. It was a damn good joke.  My dreams of becoming famous after that momentous occasion was not realized, however, but there is still time for me.

Anyhoo, I digress. After the (amazing, spectacular, life-altering) show, we were afforded a bevy of treats!  I don't remember exactly what we got, other than the bottle of Mountain Dew.  Remember, back in "the day" when soda was packaged in those tall, glass bottles?  Yep, we each got one of those.  We were so cool. Soon after guzzling down my entire bottle of 'Dew, we were shuffled back to the truck, and herded into the back like cattle, once again.  I think everyone else still had their bottle of Dew, at least partially full, but hey. I was thirsty.  Mine was waaay gone by then. 

Our troop leader was Mrs. O'Donnell, who was not only our last pick as Brownie leader (nobody else's  mom wanted the glorious job, I guess?), but also very obese and very selfish in her obesity.  About 10 minutes into the 20 minute ride home, she decided that she (yes, only SHE) needed something from DQ.  At that moment, I realized that if I insisted on downing the entire bottle of Dew, that I probably should have visited the 'little girl's room' before hopping into the truck.  Of course, I probably didn't have time, as Mrs. O. was likely already on a DQ mission and forcing us into the back of the truck with a cattle prod. 

That being said, I knew I could make it home...but, alas!  I could just go in at the DQ!  As we sit in the (very long, very slow) line, I knocked at the back window.  Ignore.  I knocked at it again...I *really* had to go.  Finally, Mrs. O. slid open the window angrily (she must have been desperate for that Peanut Buster Parfait, and she's had to wait SO long!), and snipped at me to stop knocking.  I said, "Can I please hop out of the truck and use the bathroom?  I REALLY have to go!".  "No. We'll be back soon. You can wait!".

I crossed my legs.  I stuck my foot into my crotch to keep the pee in.  I squirmed.  And finally...I couldn't wait any longer.  During our little Brownie conversation (thankfully NOT about how much I had to pee), I had to just let it go.  And go.  And go.  Just then, the truck started back towards Norwalk.  When we turned corners, pee went to the side of the truck, eliciting squeals of "Ewwww!!!", and again when we'd go uphill.  Or downhill. Then, my "Susie", my bff Kim, said, "Sue, didn't you just spill your Mountain Dew?", trying to save my *ss from ridicule. It was so sweet of her!

But, alas, I was too honest, and MAD, that I said, "NO, I PEED, BECAUSE STUPID MRS O'DONNELL WOULDN'T LET ME USE THE BATHROOM AT DQ!!".  Nobody ever made fun of me, and nobody ever forgave Mrs. O.  It could have been any one of us, we knew that. We were 7 or 8, and not too far away from having been potty-trained.  Mrs. O. hadn't seen the last of us!

Needless to say, I easily recovered from the incident, and even laugh about it, mostly because of the pee sliding all over the back of the pickup truck!  That was pretty funny.  And, seriously...Mrs. O. never "led" our troop again, after that year.  All our moms were so mad at her, that it was over for Mrs. O., the queen-sized Dairy Queen lover. 

I kinda hope she choked on a ham sandwich.

Big Time Political Video. Must View.

No matter who you plan to vote for, this is GREAT!

And, snaps to my hubby for showing me so I could enlighten you all! Kevin is a TRUE hockey guy.  He'd never leave the juice for someone else to carry.

Dumb Quiz, That We All Love to Read, but Not Do

My 1st baby:

A different kind of survey for a change - it's all about you and your first baby.

1. Were you married at the time?  Yes

2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant?  A bit shocked.  I was way young, and newly married...and on the pill (for the most part, but I'd forgotten a few, I guess!).

3. How old were you?   24

4. How did you find out you were pregnant? Went to the doctor, because I wasn't feeling well...for a few weeks.  Thought I had a stomach bug.

5. Who did you tell first? Tim (my hubby at the time) I didn't tell anyone else til I was so sick that I had to take off work.

6. Did you want to find out the sex?  yes

7. Due date?  August 5th

8. Did you deliver early or late?   Early...she was born June 20 (6 1/2 wks early)

9. Did you have morning sickness  Horrible all-day...was on IVs and had a pump in my leg for anti-nausea meds.  Awful, awful, awful.  Lost 25 pounds in the first 10 weeks.

10. What did you crave?  Not puking is what I craved!  Then, once I could eat, it was marshmallow Peeps!

11. Who irritated you the most?  Nobody, really. Maybe my MIL and SIL at the time, because of their unsolicited advice

12. What was your first child's Sex?  Girl

13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy?  Zero, but I gained most of that lost 25 pounds back by the time I had her

14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? .Yep, hyperemesis gravidarum (AKA constant puking, til it nearly kills you), and then had major bleeding mid-way through (some kind of hemotoma...benign), and finally pre-term labor.

15. Where did you give birth?  Fairview Southdale (Edina, MN)

16. How many hours were you in labor? Do you count the pre-term part?  If so, 3 weeks.  If not, 4 hours

17. Who drove you to the hospital?  My dad dropped Tim and I off.  They happened to be up celebrating Father's Day and my birthday (which was in a few days), so it worked out great!

18. Who watched?  Tim, and the medical staff

19. Was it natural or c-section? Natural (and you know the real question is "vaginal"

20. Did you take medicine to ease the pain?  I didn't want to, but they made me, JUST before Sam was born, because her heart rate had risen pretty high.  50/50 hindsight, I should have refused it, because she would have been fine. Argh.

21. How much did your child weigh?  5 pounds 14 oz

22. What did you name him/her? Samantha Kimberly

23. How old is your first born today? 11!

My New Cooking Tradition

So, pretty much every Sunday is now deemed "Cooking Sunday".  Not only do I really like cooking, but now, with my new awesome kitchen, I LOVE cooking!  Plus, how our house is laid out, I can be working away in the kitchen, and still involved in our family life AND watch football on the big screen.  Since I'm in a fantasy league again this year, it's nice to be able to keep up.

I've decided that every Sunday I will be posting the recipes of the day.  So, here they are!

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First, the main dish:  Slow cooker stroganoff meal

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound stew meat
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the cubed venison with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook the venison in the hot oil until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Once browned, remove from the skillet and place into a slow cooker, leaving the remaining oil in the skillet.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir the flour into the remaining olive oil. Cook and stir until the flour has turned golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and bring to a simmer, then pour into the slow cooker along with the cream of mushroom soup. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 hours, or until the venison is tender.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Spoon the Stroganoff over the egg noodles to serve.

**Of course, I had to double it, to make sure we had enough for all 6 of us!

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Side dish: Buttermilk basil garlic mashed potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, cut in half
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Place cottage cheese and buttermilk in a blender and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

Place potatoes, salt, sweet onion, celery, and garlic in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Fish out the celery and discard. Drain remaining vegetables well. Add cottage cheese and buttermilk mixture, basil, salt, and pepper to the remaining potatoes, onion, and garlic. Mash by hand until well-mixed. (Small lumps are fine.)

(This is 8 servings)

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Finally (though we're also doing veggies): Dessert! Black & White Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 ounces) package vanilla cake mix with real vanilla beans
• 1-1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk (see Note)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup white chocolate chips, divided use
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided use

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil or grease with butter liberally.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, buttermilk, softened butter, and eggs. Beat on low speed only until combined. Some small lumps may remain. Pour half of cake batter into a separate bowl and set aside.

To one half of the cake batter, fold in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup for later use.

To the other half of the cake batter, add the cocoa powder, mixing until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1 cup for later use.

Pour the dark chocolate batter into the prepared pan and smooth to even it out.

Carefully spoon the vanilla cake batter on top of the dark chocolate layer. Gently spread to an even layer without disturbing bottom layer.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spread reserved 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of warm cake. Wait 5 minutes, then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate on the top as a frosting. Let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup white chocolate chips on top of chocolate frosting and gently press into the frosting.

Cut and serve at room temperature.

Notes:
If you don't have buttermilk or sour milk on hand, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1-1/4 cups whole milk. Let rest 10 minutes to thicken before using.

The cake may also be made in a bundt pan or traditional round layers. Adjust the baking time up to about 50 minutes for a bundt cake and down to about 25 minutes for round layers. Test for doneness.

Yield: 24 to 36 servings, depending on cut size

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Yup, Tavaris is getting some cake when he gets home from sitting on the bench at the game today!

How I Jinxed the Vikings

My darling other half, Kevin, is not a Vikings fan (he bleeds green for the Packers, being from Waaauuusaauuu and all). However, Kevin DOES like to boast to all his friends and colleagues who *are* Vikings fans that we live a couple doors down from Tavaris Jackson, QB of the Vikings.  Well, sort of QB for the Vikings after this week.  And, here's where my story starts.

Kevin promised a client of his that he would ask Tavaris for his autograph and has been toting a Vikings football around (much to his dismay--HA!) for the last 3 months. Maybe 4.  I could tell his courage of just going over to Tavi's house to get said autograph was waning as time ticked on, mostly because he asked me to go with him.  Then, he asked me to maybe do it for him one day.  I'm fine with that, except it wasn't me who promised it!  "But you're the Vikings fan, not me!".  "Well, you're the one who promised Blake you'd get it...not ME!". 

And, so it went. 

Finally 2 weeks ago, I said that I would bake a batch of warm, gooey cookies for Kevin to take over ("Sure, I'll go with you"), as a peace offering so as to break the ice with Tavi, before going in for the kill and asking for said autograph.  Kevin had to apparently print up some pictures first, and procrastinated on that, so by the time he was ready, Tavi was gone...already on his way to Green Bay for that Monday night's game. We gave the cookies away to everyone we saw, so as not to waste (or gain 50 pounds).

The next week, I did the same thing.  Baked TWO batches of gooey cookies (two different kinds, for variety...plus it was raining out and I was bored), and wanted to get them to Tavi before Sunday's home game.  Again, had to get photos printed, and again he procrastinated (I tell ya, he is chicken!!), and the cookies sat for 2 days.  Finally, I'd had enough!! (!!)  Kevin was gone to a client event, so he couldn't go with me, but I was damned if I was going to eat 3 dozen cookies and still have to make yet another (probably eaten by me AGAIN) batch of cookies the following weekend.

So...I took them over myself.  Sans Kevin.  I don't know why it was so hard for me once I got there, being fairly friendly and all, but I made a bloody fool of myself!  He's really quiet and kinda hard to talk to, probably because I seemed like a crazy, sick lunatic who brought arsenic-laced chocolate chippers to the house of the QB who had just blown the Vikings' first two games.  But, I TOLD him that they were...ahem...*MAGIC* cookies!  I promised him that they would turn his game around!  He would kick ASS this week.  He said, "Great, I sure hope so!". He promised to sign Kevin's stuff when (IF) he brought them over, so that was nice too.   And, after leaving (completely winded, mind you, since I talked a mile a minute, in my frantic, crazy neighbor-lady way), I felt like, "Hey, we could be buds!  If he isn't scared by me, which he probably should be".

There was a lot more dialogue than that, and you actually might be totally amused by it ("We have a keg on tap ALL the time!  Bring your football buddies and come have a beer and play shuffleboard with us!" As if he EVER would), but that's not what this is about.

Kevin still hasn't taken stuff over to be signed.

And Tavi...was replaced by Gus Frerotte.  The very next day.

Cookies: Not. So. Magic.  We're expecting our house to be egged any minute now.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 35W BRIDGE!!!

Welcome to the world, 35W bridge!  Today marks the first day cars finally could drive on you, after that devastating collapse a mere 13 months ago.  Awwww...so cute!  Just a wee little newborn baby bridge!  As if.  You're a monster, 35W bridge!!  Your mother is a) sore and b) very proud right now. (TERRIBLE analogy, I know...)

Today also marks the first day in 13 months that commuters have a bit of traffic relief.  But, more importantly, today marks the day that honors those who had NO reason to die that day.  Well, maybe the memorial does that a little more. 

But, when you think about it, isn't it just crazy that we all just drive over bridges absolutely trusting that they will be stable and won't send you furling wildly into the traffic, river, ocean, cornfield or whatever lies below?  I never once thought about it, at least in downtown or urban areas.  I DO think about it all the time when it's over a large body of water (like Albert Lea, as that stretch on 35 always freaks me right out!), but not when I'm in a major metropolitan area.  And, seriously, I probably never will think about it much again.  Unless I'm on that particular bridge, anyway.  But, I do just trust that they will work, since 999,999 out of 1,000,000 times all will be well. 

That being said, I'm really glad they got the bridge up and running so quickly.  I think it was a horrible thing to have happen, but I'm glad that today is a new beginning for commuters and grievers alike. 

Ike Update! (I got harrassed)

Okay, so I finally got a hold of my buddy (and your buddy) Rebecca yesterday.  They were without power until the day prior, but apparently her brother brought out a small generator, so they at least kept one light and their fridge going. 

The good news is that they are all fine!!  They had a bit of a leak from one of their windows where they had boarded it up with a somewhat defective board.  And, their 20-year-old fence got knocked down by the wind.  There were tornadoes a block away, which wiped out some trees, but no houses!  A couple of the trees from the tornadoes damaged a porch and a garage, but that was thankfully it in their neck of the woods! 

Rebz dad's house, which was way up on a hill and is 3 stories tall (the one on the water) amazingly had very little damage, considering.  The water went up to the house and filled the lower level (which is really a glorified basement) with only about 5 inches of water.  A few trees were wiped out, but otherwise they are unscathed.  Unbelievable!  They will be without power for an undetermined amount of time, but I think they are just happy that their house is still standing, and not completely torn apart or filled with snakes or something.  They have a generator now too, so they're good. 

So, all's well that ends well, at least for our Texas friend's saga.  I know there were LOTS of people who did not fare so well.  So, for them, I feel awful.  Not everyone was so lucky.  Even a few friends/coworkers of mine who live in Michigan, St. Louis and Chicago, had the "after effects" of Ike, which included close to 100 mph winds (in Ohio, actually) and over 12 inches of rain which led to several of them having terrible flooding in their own homes.  That would be terrible! 

Again, it makes me not-so-sad with where we live.  People can make fun of the frozen tundra all they want, but we have neither hurricanes, flat land causing flooding (hello, Iowa!), nor earthquakes.  I'll take being cold any day of the week.  The remedy for that is warm clothing and a warm house, not complete rebuilding of towns and homes, sandbagging, evacuation, losing all your prized possessions, family heirlooms, etc.  If it snows too much, we just stay inside our warm house, wearing our warm clothes.  No need to evacuate.  No need to rebuild.  Sure, we'll shovel or snow-blow.  Big deal. The kids can still play outside, they still have their own (warm, cozy) beds, hot cocoa to slurp when they come in from the cold.  So, for now, I'll stick here, thank you very much!  (And, we'll just pretend for now that tornadoes don't exist!)

YIKES! IKE!

Hurricane Ike looks a bit daunting, doesn't it??  I used to live in Houston.  Only for 7 months or so, but still, it was long enough to have visited Galveston several times, and experience it to a great extent.  What a beautiful island!  Such fun I had there!  I heard the stories about the hurricane of 1900, and was in shock.  Ike sounds to be similar, so I'm very scared for the people who are refusing to leave!  Even the guys from the National Weather Service are saying that anyone who stays on the island "will face certain death".  Scary.

That brings me to my friend, Rebzzz, who lives in Houston.  I talked with her this morning, and she is so calm!  They are just boarding up their windows and staying put.  Can you believe it?  I know they aren't in Galveston, but I'm so worried for her!  I hope she, her hubby and their 3 little people stay safe. 

Even more worrisome are her parents!  Her dad and stepmom live very near Galveston, in a gorgeous house on the water.  I was there for Rebzie's wedding back in 2004 (here's a pic of the back yard at the wedding).  Her parents merely boarded up the windows and are staying in a hotel room in *downtown Houston*!!!  Um...that doesn't seem far enough to me!  So, first off, I totally hope they  are okay!  Secondly, their house...I'm quite certain it will be ruined.  I can't imagine!

I just read online, an article about people who are refusing to leave Galveston.  Even though they will die if they stay. I think that they think that it won't happen!  Have you SEEN the news???  It's 15 hours before the storm lands, and there is already mass flooding and devastation to the island!  Um...GO NOW!

It's times like these, that I appreciate where I live, snow and cold be damned! I'll take it any day over "certain death" if I stay in my house for a hurricane!!! (Rebzzz should really move here, don'tcha think??)

I'll keep you posted on my friends, since now they are your friends too. ;-)  Plus, there's no other news going on today, at least according to CNN.  Fox News however, seemed to find great value in the important news story of a bread company in San Francisco that has been in business since 1849. Yeah, that was really important.

Update:  I just heard on CNN.com that 25% of Galveston's 56,000 residents have opted to stay!  That is freaky!!! I would never. Unless I was like 90, and really wanted to see what it was like to be in the eye of a hurricane!

My Throat is Sore: How I Nearly Crashed My Car

So, today I found myself in a bit of a predicament.  I was driving 70 miles per hour down the freeway, talking on the phone (hands-free, mind you) to my buddy Quigs about ideas for Kevin's anniversary gift.  Suddenly, I see a GIANT (well, actually kind of small) black spider on the dash of the car.  Thank the good lord it was on the dash, and not on my lap.  That being said...

I quickly hollered to Quigs that there's "A SPIDER A SPIDER!!", and grabbed a leftover (slightly greasy) napkin from the center console and started frantically trying to smash the gigantic arachnid, whilest continuing to scream, "ACK!!!! STUPID SPIDER!".  He FELL down the face of the stereo, and ultimately (I'm still screaming here, and now dangerously swerving in and out of 4 lanes of--thankfully very light--traffic) ended up BY. MY. FEET. 

So, suddenly, I'm screaming even more, laughing simultaneously, and thankfully had slowed down to a mere 60 mph as I swerved, stomped, threw the napkin and began tucking my pants into my boots.  Then I realized that maybe...actually PROBABLY (still screaming, top of lung...just ask Quigs)...the spider was already IN my pants, and by tucking my pants into my boots, I had just given the spider a free hall pass to begin spinning webs and having babies IN MY PANTS (and probably my boots too).

So, I untucked my pants, and explained to Quigs that I wasn't screaming "FIRE, FIRE", but actually "SPIDER SPIDER", and that he didn't need to dial 911 after all.  I continued to stomp, tuck, and untuck, and glance nervously at my feet (yes, still driving very fast down the freeway, but getting ever closer to my beloved exit!). 

At the top of the exit, as I was about to turn, I yelled at Quigs, "THERE'S THE SPIDER!! ACK ACK!!! CRAP!  THERE HE IS AGAIN!", and I saw him over near the door, on the floor.  WHEW!  At least I knew where the little bugger was.  At the stoplight, I calmly opened the door and Mr. Spidey crawled right out. 

I guess he was smarter than me. My throat hurts from all the screaming, and he escaped unscathed. 

Can you believe I'm not even scared of spiders?  I just really didn't want one on me while I drove.  Isn't that ridiculous??  He's also smarter than me because of that dumb logic! 

GO VIKES!!!

I'm so excited that football season is upon us again!  I was not only invited to participate in a Fantasy Football league with some of the folks in our Chicago Gartner office (yay! we already have over 21 points!), but we are also heading to the season opener tomorrow for the Vikings. Kevin would argue that we're going to the Packers season opener, but that's just a matter of opinion. 

No matter that the game is IN Green Bay, and we own Packers season tickets.  I merely married into that.  But, of course, I do have fun when I go, even when they don't play Minnesota.   I'm contemplating how much I can get away with, in terms of Minnesota gear I can adorn myself with.  If Kevin went all out and wore his Favre jersey (which I think may be banished to the incinerator), painted his hairy chest and wore a wedge of cheddar on his cranium, then I might have to do something obnoxious.  As it is, I might just have to do a temporary tattoo on one of my hands or something equally chill. 

Did I ever mention how much camouflage and hunter orange is worn at Packers games?  It's like the alternate team garb and color scheme.  It's absolutely crackers.  The great thing is, those guys in the hunting gear can pack some serious stuff in those pants.  Usually they aren't getting up to get another beer, if you know what I mean. 

I love going to games at Lambeau, period.  The first time I went, it wasn't very much fun.  I was barely into my 2nd trimester with Tyler, and it was the week before Christmas.  It was BUTT-cold.  I had handwarmers stuffed into my 3 layers socks AND gloves.  I wore 2 sets of long underwear under my jeans (shoulda worn camo hunting pants...those suckers are insulated!).  I wore 2 long underwear shirts, a turtleneck, a sweater and my sub-zero ski jacket.  And, my black Vikings stocking hat (no tuque).  I still froze my butt off, probably because I couldn't drink anything to stay warm!! (P.S. In the pic, can you see any of the plethora of camo or hunter orange??)

Last year, I experienced something completely different.  It was, again, the season opener, but against Dallas this time.  The weather was marvelous, and we partied like rock star wannabes!  It was good times, good times.  I expect it to be even better this year!  I'll post some pics, promise.

GO VIKES!!!