Football. We look forward to it every year... wishing, hoping, knowing that this season, the Buffalo Bills will turn it around.
As I mentioned in my last post, the weather this past weekend was really crappy. We ventured out for a few errands on Saturday and Sunday, but mostly, we were stuck in the house. At times, it was challenging to keep Nora entertained. Who knew that babies could suffer from cabin fever at such a young age? We're in for a long winter. Ugh.
Yesterday, Michael went to meet a friend who was visiting from out of town. He was only gone for a couple of hours, but it was a good chunk of Mommy-Nora time. She seemed to be getting bored with her toys, so I looked around for something interesting for her to play with. My eyes landed on an empty cardboard box that we had FINALLY unpacked in her room the day before.
In the words of Charlie Sheen: WINNING. The kid spent at least 15 minutes amusing herself with the box. And I amused myself by taking pictures.
And yes, she is wearing her Bills jersey AGAIN. We had a lucky streak going there. Unfortunately, that's now over. Can't say she won't still be sporting it every Sunday, though. It's awfully cute. :)
Well, now. The Buffalo Bills are off to a start that is quite different than last season (0-8). I'm not predicting playoffs or anything (their opponents have been the Chiefs and the Raiders, so you have to take it for what it's worth). Still, it has been much more entertaining so far this season (not that I've had time to really watch).
But at least we don't (yet) have to banish the Bills clothing to the back of the closet. Which is good, since Nora was given her very first Bills jersey for Valentine's Day, and is just now starting to actually fit into it--perfect timing, given the start of football season. She has donned it the past two Sundays, and hey--if they keep winning like this, it might just become a lucky ritual.
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| Yesterday. Her pigtails are so long now! |
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| Last Sunday, season opener (also her birthday!). Enjoying her car that was a gift from her grammy. Mess of gifts/toys still in the background from her party (I still need to post pics!). |
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| Go Bills! |
If you had told me a few months ago that I would end up at a Buffalo Bills preseason game at 37 weeks pregnant, I would've laughed at you. First, because there is no way I would've ever paid for tickets. Secondly, because I never would've expected that such an outing would be worth my time, especially when I'm about to pop out a baby.
What's that people always say, though? Expect the unexpected?
A week or so ago, I was suddenly offered the opportunity to sit in the company suite. And well, for as many Bills games as I've been to--in the sweltering heat, the freezing cold, the blinding sun and the blinding rain--I've never been in a suite.
We jumped at the chance for a new experience, and spent a lovely evening with good (free!) food, (free!) drinks (beer for Michael, soda/water for me), and a handful of my coworkers. The funny thing is that the weather was gorgeous, absolutely perfect for a football game, so we sat in the suite with the window wide open. Still, it felt good to be treated as "VIPs." :)
Today is the day. The last day of football until training camp begins again in July. It's always bittersweet--I miss football, but I am always ready for a break.
We are expecting a group over here in a little while for the game. We've hit the gym (gotta counteract those extra calories somehow) and completed errands. We've vacuumed, we've cleaned, we've scrubbed. We've adorned the table with a gold (hint, hint) tablecloth. We've set out serving dishes to prepare for the goodies that are to come.
And now, we just wait. Our guests will be here soon. Surely, there will be way too much food, way too much chaos, but also way too much fun.
It's Ketchup Day: January 2010 Edition. Enjoy!
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Life has been busy and keeping us on our toes. Blogging has been difficult this month, but I'm trying to keep my head above water. I'm happy that January is almost over, because February is a short month (even though it always feels long), and once March hits, it's almost spring.
Every year that I live through winter, I hate it more and more. Don't get me wrong; I like having four seasons. It's just that I wish winter only lasted through Christmas. Really, I'm starting to believe I'm not meant for the cold. I dream of picking up everyone we know and love, and moving (all together!) to a warmer climate. Wouldn't that be nice?
As much as I'm bitching about the cold, we really had a nice weekend. Yesterday was sunny and relatively warm, so we took Tessa for a really long walk. Today wasn't as nice (it rained), but the temperatures were in the 40s so it is hard to complain. Although I always appreciate the warm days that are a reprieve, I'm always a little bit bitter about them because I know they're just a tease. This week, we're back into the 20s and snow, snow, snow. BLAH BLAH BLAH.
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Remember the heart-wrenching story about little Maddie? Her mommy, Heather, had a new baby on Friday. I couldn't be happier for an internet stranger. The child she lost cannot, of course, ever be replaced, but I feel like love is so tremendously healing, and that darling little Annabel is the best thing that could have happened for her parents.
Ironically, someone else had a baby this weekend, too. Jenny, who I've written about before because her blog was the first I ever saw and read, welcomed her third daughter on Saturday. Like Heather, Jenny lost her first daughter much too soon. Allie died of leukemia in 2004 at just 9 months of age. Today, her second daughter, Maggie, is 4 years old, and the family is now complete with the addition of little Katie.
Happiness all around!
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A few of you have asked (in the comments of other posts) about our upcoming vacation plans. Well, the truth is that we don't have any. Yet. But we're working on it.
We have several ideas, but we have quite a few balls up in the air right now and we need to get everything straightened out before we start making decisions about any vacations. We're hoping that our next trip will happen around the end of April, but we'll see. I'll be sure to keep you all posted about where we're going next! :)
I think that by the time our next one rolls around, this will have been the longest stretch we've gone between vacations since before we were married... so I'm sure I'm going to be really ready!
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I've made quite a bit of progress on my 101 in 1001 list lately! I went in on Friday and crossed off and updated a bunch of things. Woohoo! Check it out, if you want.
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We've been watching football all day. Earlier, we went to Champps for the Jets vs. Colts game. I didn't really know who to root for, as I hate Peyton Manning, and I couldn't in good conscience root for the Jets (they are division rivals for the Bills). By the end, however, I realized that I would have preferred the Jets. I think. I guess I'll never really know. But I found myself scowling when I realized that Peyton and the Colts would be going to the Super Bowl again!
The second game, Vikings vs. Saints, is still going on now, and it's a pretty interesting game so far. I'd really like to see the Saints pull this one out! I like Drew Brees, and let's face it--I've made no secret of how I feel about Brett Favre. We'll see what happens. No matter the outcome, we'll be gathering a small group at our house for the Super Bowl again this year. I always look forward to that!
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And with that, another weekend comes to a close. I am not looking forward to going back to work this week. It seems like the work weeks are continuously getting longer, while the weekends are getting shorter. *sigh*
I haven't talked about the Buffalo Bills much this season. Truth is, there hasn't been all that much to talk about. Nothing positive, anyway.
Until today.
We received word this afternoon that our head coach, Dick Jauron, has been fired.
This brings me great joy. In fact, excuse me while I go and do a happy dance.
.....
*AHEM* Sorry. I'm back now.
You see, this is great news. I don't pretend that this will fix the season. But the Bills need a fresh start, and it's about damn time they get rid of Jauron. Most Bills fans were calling for this to happen WEEKS ago.
And now I don't ever have to see him and his "stone face" ever again..jpg)
This is what he looks like. ALL. THE. TIME. Seriously. This is his only facial expression.
Trent Edwards throws an interception that is returned for a touchdown?
STONE FACE.
The Bills score a touchdown to win the game?
STONE FACE. Except in this situation, he might mix it up by throwing in a slow clap instead of the crossed arms.
I hate it. I want to see emotion. I want to see passion. I want to see excitement. I want to see ANGER.
When the offense earns nine false start penalties in a single game? I want to see someone throwing shit on the sidelines. I want to see a headset being ripped off and thrown on the ground. I want to read lips that might say something along the lines of, "WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Because at home, these are the things even the fans are all doing.
When a player repeatedly makes mistakes that significantly contribute to the team losing games? I want a coach who will grab that player's face mask and scream in his face. There needs to be fear.
Or something.
So we'll see what happens. I wish our owner would fork over the money to bring in someone good, but it's looking like our defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell, is likely to get promoted to the position. And if that's the case, well, let's see what he can do. The defense is probably the best element of our team. Sure, they often allow big plays in the fourth quarter that end up losing us games. But that's because they're exhausted from being on the field so damn much. (Since our offense blows.)
The Bills have a long way to go until they'll ever be good again.
But this feels like a step in the right direction. Finally.
I'm generally not a big fan of Halloween. Mostly because I hate the pressure to come up with a costume idea. But we were invited to my brother's place for a party, and I didn't want to be the person who shows up without a costume.
On Friday afternoon, as I sat at work, an idea came to me and I decided to run with it.
I have a Trent Edwards jersey, and I figured I could put it to good use by going as Trent Edwards. But that alone would be sort of boring. So, considering Edwards is currently out because of a concussion he suffered a few weeks back, I decided to go as Trent Edwards... with a concussion. :)
Today, we went to the Buffalo Bills game. I usually have the opportunity to get free tickets to one game a year, and this was it. We were cautiously excited about the game, since the Bills have been absolute crap so far this season. But we were playing the Cleveland Browns, so we figured there was at least reason to hope.
We met up with our friends Rich and Katie to tailgate.
My Buffalo Bills. Oh, how they break my heart.
I've been dreading the season opener ever since I found out it was going to be Monday Night Football, against the New England Patriots, at Foxboro. All of these things added up to a trifecta of SUCK for the Buffalo Bills.
I actually missed most of the first quarter because I was at my aerobics class. (That should say a lot right there. Under any other circumstances, I would have totally skipped my aerobics class for football.) But imagine my surprise when I got into my car and, on the way home, listened to the Bills score a touchdown to take the lead over New England, 7-0. The rest of the game went surprisingly well. I was afraid to really BILLieve it, but it looked like they were actually going to pull off a win.
Over the New England Patriots (and Golden Boy Tom Brady).
At Foxboro.
On Monday Night Football.
But alas, it wasn't meant to be. As Bills fans, we do not know the elation of winning a big game, because it just never happens for us.
For whatever reason, when there were less than two minutes left in the game (and ALL they had to do was hold.onto.the.damn.ball), Leodis McKelvin received the kickoff and decided to take it out of the endzone. Then, as he was being tackled, for whatever reason, he tried to fight for another measly half a yard (which didn't even matter!), and in doing so, the ball popped out. Fumble. New England recovers, and three plays later, scores their game-winning touchdown.
I'm not going to lie; I want to give McKelvin a good kick to the face.
But what can you do?
I want to be proud of them for not embarrassing themselves, when everybody thought they were surely going to embarrass themselves. (I was actually predicting a 52-0 loss after the pathetic showing they put on during the preseason.) But I just can't shake off the overwhelming disappointment. As Bills fans, it feels like we've already been beaten to a pulp, and we just keep getting kicked while we're down. It just feels like we will NEVER be good. I'm honestly having a hard time keeping myself "into" it, and you know me... I'd consider myself die-hard.
I've been following them religiously for eight seasons, and they've never given me a reason to keep doing so. In these eight years, I've never seen them make the playoffs. They disappoint more often than they thrill. Watching the games feels like such a waste of time. Why do I want to spend three hours watching if I'm just going to walk away upset? Something's gotta change.
*sigh*
Still, I find myself looking at the positives. New England is one of the best teams, and the Bills were only beaten by 1 point. Our struggling quarterback actually looked decent. Backup running back Fred Jackson looked awesome. So is there still reason to hope? Do I dare let myself do so?
We'll see.
Right now, I'm just concentrating on picking myself up and dusting myself off for Week 2 versus Tampa Bay...
OH, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY.
I cannot believe I am talking about this guy. Again.
OK, so obviously, my "Mystery Man" was Terrell Owens.
As all of the news media and posters and hoopla around town continue to remind me: He's heeeeeere. Training camp has started and he has officially begun his time as a Buffalo Bill.
Quite some time ago, someone left a comment on one of my blog posts asking what I thought about T.O. becoming a Buffalo Bill. At the time, I planned on posting about it at some point, so I didn't answer the question. And then time got away from me and now that football season is upon us, I realized I still needed to address this!
If you've been reading here for a while, you'll know I'm passionate about my football.
I ruffled feathers when I criticized Brett Favre for playing the retirement/comeback game (AND HE'S STILL DOING IT, ohmygodseriouslyjustretirealready).
I inadvertently started an all-out war when I had the audacity to joke about Tom Brady's season-ending knee injury (and look at that, he's coming back this season. All healed and whole. What do you know... my evil voodoo didn't work. Damn).
So anyway, it probably won't come as a surprise to you that I remember the day I found out Terrell Owens was to be a Buffalo Bill in the same way I remember the day the O.J. Simpson verdict was handed down. In other words, I remember it VERY well. Let's back up, shall we?
It was March 6th. Michael, Cristina, and I were driving the 2.5 hours home after meeting our 4-day-old nephew for the first time. We were cruising along when Michael got a text message from the Buffalo Bills.
Michael is signed up to receive text updates from the team. During the season, these texts include news about injuries, game scores and stats, etc. The text messages are far less frequent in the off-season.
Anyway, the message was pretty vague. It said something to the effect of, "The Buffalo Bills have scheduled a press conference for 6 p.m. at 1 Bills Drive." I'm going to be honest--we sort of started to freak out. We frantically began to speculate about what the news could be.
1. This was sudden.
2. It was the off-season.
3. It was a Saturday. Knowing what I know from working in marketing, it's sort of rare to announce big news on weekends. Especially at 6:00 p.m.! Typically, if it can wait until Monday, it waits until Monday.
We knew that this story had to be big. Which, at that moment, meant one of two things to us: we convinced ourselves that Ralph Wilson (the owner) had died, or that the team was officially moving to Toronto (a topic of major speculation the last few years).
I began to search the radio for a station that might be broadcasting sports news, or even better, the actual press conference. Given that we were outside of Buffalo's radio range, however, I found nothing. Plus, we still had some time before 6:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Michael had texted and left voicemails with a few friends and fellow fans to see if anyone had any idea what this announcement could be about.
Imagine our surprise when Michael got another text message, this time from his friend, Dave. It said, quite simply, "T.O. was in Buffalo today."
The reaction from the three of us in the car changed from minute to minute.
Shock. Disbelief. Nervous laughter. Ohhhh, how we laughed.
Seriously, we told ourselves (and each other). No. That couldn't be it. There's no way the Bills would ever sign T.O. There's no way T.O. would ever agree to play for the Bills. It has to be something else. But... what if it's true?
And then it was true.
My first reaction was, "What the hell are they thinking?! This guy is a CANCER. He has somehow managed to destroy every team he's been on."
But Michael was behind the decision from the very beginning. We were still all in shock about it, but the more and more we talked about it, the more it made sense.
You see, we have nothing to lose. There is virtually NO. WAY. that Terrell Owens can make the Bills any worse than they already are. We haven't made the playoffs in TEN YEARS, for crying out loud.
There is nothing to destroy.
We don't know if he'll make us better. But he could. Our best receiver, Lee Evans, constantly struggles with being double covered, as all defenses know he is a frequent target. Having Owens on the other side takes some attention away from Evans. Hopefully they'll make for quite a dynamic receiving duo. Also, I don't know if you've seen Owens lately, but he is in STELLAR shape. He is a tremendous athlete, despite being 36 years old (pretty old for the NFL). Strictly speaking about his work on the field, we can't complain about his addition to the team roster.
Here's what we do know: No matter what happens, it'll certainly be entertaining. And that's more than we can say for the past many, many seasons.
And quite frankly, I find his antics hilarious. I've been laughing at him for years.
While with the 49ers... who can forget his touchdown celebrations? Stealing the cheerleader's pom-poms? Taking the Sharpie out of his shoe? I'm one of the people who wishes the NFL wouldn't fine for this stuff. I love it.
With the Eagles... getting into a fight with Andy Reid, refusing to show up at practice, and then making a huge media spectacle out of working out/doing sit-ups in his driveway? You just have to give the guy some credit, because this shit is genius.
And my favorite of all time... the Ray Lewis dance. LOVED. IT. How can you not find this funny, knowing that he took the time to study it, practice it, and then expertly executed it right in front of Ray Lewis's face? And COME ON, it's RAY LEWIS. He murders people!
Yes, we have been watching his reality show. I follow T.O. on Twitter. I read and watch all of his news coverage.
This guy is the best thing to happen to Buffalo in YEARS. I'm loving him, and loving that he's a Bill. And I'll tell you, I'm not the only one. In general, Bills fans are pumped. I'm well aware that my opinion could quickly change, but I suppose we'll see. He only has a one-year contract, so honestly, I'm not all that worried.
At the end of the day, I'm just looking forward to seeing what he does. The anticipation is killing me.
Get your popcorn ready.
OK, so who can tell me who this guy is? :)
Hint: Look at the logo on his hat. I've been tagged by Lynsey over at Foster Following.
The rules of this little photo game:
Open the folder with all of your photos.
Open your 6th photo folder.
Take your 6th photo in that folder and blog it.
Write something about it.
Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same.
This photo is from August 2004. This isn't the greatest photo of the bunch (there were much more exciting ones!), but I had to follow the rules. I guess I was taking pics of the stadium to document the complete view from our seats, because when this pic was taken, the players were at the other end of the field!
Anyway, I had purchased preseason Bills tickets for super cheap on ebay, and Michael and I went out and enjoyed the game (vs. the Denver Broncos) on a warm summer night. It's good we did stuff like this then, because I can't even imagine doing it now. This was almost five years ago, and I still had hope that the Bills would pull themselves out of a funk.
Four crappy seasons later, and I am no longer convinced. There's very little chance in hell that I would ever make the effort to go see one of their preseason games again. We didn't even go to a regular season game this past year, which says a lot (we ALWAYS go to at least one game a season). I'm tired of them losing! Faithful fan, yes. But I still admit that they SUCK.
My husband has informed me that free agency starts at midnight tonight, so maybe we'll actually acquire some players WHO CAN PLAY (that's apparently too much to ask?).
The Bills also released two of their terrible starters today. Here's hoping for CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN. (It worked for Obama. Can't it work for the Bills, too?)
For my six people to tag, I'm going to pick six random followers. Here we go...
1. Katy at Follow Me to I Do
2. Sarah at Life as an Alex
3. Sassy Mrs.
4. Silly Monkey at Random Ramblings
5. Vanessa at Pen, Paper and Cake
6. Gia at A Life in Progress
(That just took me wayyy longer than it should have because of Blogger's genius redesign of the whole "followers" gadget. Blogger, for the record? I hate you right now.)
I'm off to rest my aching bod. My kickboxing instructor gave us a hardcore asskicking tonight. It was ridiculous. Thank god it is almost the weekend!
Everyone at our party was rooting for the Cardinals, except my sister-in-law, Cristina, who decided to go against the grain. I think we all just wanted to see the underdog win, especially since the Cardinals had never won it. Oh well. At least it was a good game (except for that third quarter, and the first half of the fourth, which were pretty damn boring).
We had good food, good drinks, and good company. Can't complain about that.
Here is the whole group, ready for the 3D part of the halftime show:
Obviously, another reason to look forward to the Super Bowl is for the commercials. Overall, however, I didn't think the ads were all that great this year.
I think the group favorite was the Doritos spot with the "crystal ball." We also all got a big kick out of the CareerBuilder commercial with all the signs that you hate your job. (Especially the sign that said "You want to punch small animals." Hilarious.)
Oh! I did also enjoy the Cash4gold.com commercial, but only because I "got it" right away. MC Hammer and Ed McMahon selling off all of their gold belongings? Coming from two celebrities who publicly had to file for bankrupcy, it was funny. HA!
Which ones were your favorites?
A few more pics to end the night... we're heading to bed!
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