Beyonce Bowl

I'm not a football fan.  Never have been.  I want to be because all of America is so obsessed with it and I tried but I just can't really get into it.  Five years ago I had no clue what a down was or what the hell they were throwing the ball and tumbling all over each other for.   I made it a point to figure it out so I could at least follow along.  It was that year the Patriots won like every game except the super bowl and because Tom Brady kept throwing the ball from down to down it finally clicked for me what was supposed to be happening.  For me Super Bowl Sunday is less about the game and more about watching the commercials, what gathering I'm going to and what food will be there.  Mj and I got invited to my girl friend's house where she had a nice spread of junky party food for me to stuff my face with.  There was that awesome zero calorie margarita mix that I mixed with Tequila.  Yes, zero calorie!  But I ate so many chips that even that couldn't save me.  I'll be paying for it at the gym tonight.  I sat there and watched the whole first half of the game but after that I got distracted.

[Pic Source:  via google images Getty Images/Christopher Polk]

I loved Jennifer Hudson's performance of America the Beautiful and Alicia Keys and her piano definitely did the National Anthem justice.  Beyonce's performance was AMAZING.  I wish I could move like her but all I got is the two step.  She dances and tosses that big hair around like no other.  The way she struts, that fierce look in her eye, that big voice and the way she rocks a leather leotard is mesmerizing.  She is so pretty and so talented that when I'm watching her I kinda wish I could be her for just a second to see what that feels like.  She puts her whole heart into a performance.  I've seem her perform live once and she's incredible.  I thought it was cool that she had Kelly and Michelle perform with her because I'm guessing she really didn't have to share the spotlight with them.  I loved hearing those old Destiny's Child songs and then she did Halo which is one of my all time fav love songs.  All those women stole the show. 

Then the power went out.  After this a lot of the girls at the party checked out.  My friend is totally obsessed with Beyonce.  The only reason she wanted a super bowl party in the first place was so she could watch the half time show with her friends so girls outnumbered the guys.  She made up all these Beyonce themed challenges so we could compete against each other for Mardi Gras beads.  The guys were like, WTF is going on, but I thought it was fun.  We were having a good old time chatting and carrying on for most of the 2nd half.  I understand that the 49ers did a good job of coming back and that it turned out to be a pretty exciting game.  Not that I saw a lot of it.  I was rooting for the Ravens to win because I wanted Ray Lewis to go out with a ring.  It doesn't bother me that he cries a lot before and after the game.  I think it's sexy that a big strong football player isn't afraid to show his emotions like that.  I'm glad they won but what I'll remember most about this superbowl is the awesomeness that is Beyonce and how bizarre it was that the power went out.

Ready For Some Football

I always thought football was boring and watching it was mostly a confusing experience that I only went along with because everyone else was so annoyingly captivated.  About three years ago I figured if you can't beat 'em join 'em and put my mind to it to discover the magic and joy of football. Ok, so I wouldn't go that far but I started watching it with people who know football which is mostly everyone and asking questions until I finally got the gist of what the heck was going on enough to enjoy it. I may have been a cheerleader in high school, but up to that point the only thing I knew was that a touchdown was worth 6 points and that they usually kick the ball for a field goal after scoring one.  Now I can partake in all the fun social gatherings surrounding this popular game with actual interest in what's going on.  When people stand up and cheer or boo I know why whereas before I was always a few seconds late and cheered just because everyone else was.  I am not a fanatic.  I find myself spending many a lazy Sunday's alternately watching and falling asleep to whatever football game is on, but now that I have a clue as to what the heck is going on it is fun to watch.

Pre game.   "Foreigner" sang the national anthem

 

Thursday night I went to my first NFL game ever.  It was so cool seeing the ABC booth where Deon Sanders and company provide live commentary for TV.  Being December there was a really fun holiday vibe going on.  The Charger girls were decked out in blue Sexy Mrs. Claus outfits and they had Santa Claus as their cameraman. It was comical and slightly odd watching them gyrate their booties suggestively to "Santa Baby."  I saw something I have never before seen in my entire life.  A line for the men's bathroom.  I looked back and forth between the entrance to the men's bathroom and the trail of men curving around the corner several times in disbelief before I believed it to be true.   That's what they get for drinking all that beer!  I only had about three ladies in front of me in our line.

It was cold.  So cold that I could not drink a beer even though I wanted one and I didn't bat an eye at spending $5 on hot chocolate.  It actually saved me money because the beers were $10 and it was well worth it for the rush of warmth it sent through my body, if only temporary.  Being at the game was fun and exciting.  The stands were packed, the crowd was pumped, and the home team beat the 49ers 34 to 7.  It can be hit and miss with the Chargers, so I'm really glad we picked a game where they blew the other team out of the water and got to experience a winning game.  These games are loud and you get to yell and scream as much as you want without anyone looking at you sideways...as long as it's for the home team.

The trolley line

On our walk back to the trolley my toes were actually numb.  I know that Cali weather's got nothin' on all the madness that's going on in the Midwest but so what.  I'm a Cali girl and I was freezing.  We packed ourselves into the trolley like sardines in a can for the ride back to our cars.  It smelled like stale beer and I almost fell over a couple times, but at least it was warm.

It sure is different watching the game live.  At first I felt a lost without the running expert commentary and bright blue line showing me where the next down is, but my efforts have paid off.  I am a football fan now.  Kind of.  I know enough to follow along, MJ filled in the blanks, and fun was had by all.

Tuesday Night Ball Game

Perfect View

We went to the ball game last night.  On a Tuesday night of all nights.  If Mj gets the tickets for free from work then we go and if it just so happens to be on a Tuesday at 7:00 pm then so be it.  This is our 3rd game this season.  We went in April to see his Braves and in June with my parents.  Aside from the fact that the trolley ride back to our cars took way longer then usual I enjoyed this one more then the others for the following reasons:

1. I wasn't freezing my butt off.  It's really hard to focus on the sometimes anti climatic game of baseball when your nose feels like an ice block and the breeze feels like it's biting through your clothes.  I am always amazed when I see people wearing tanks and shorts and trying to look all cute while I am wearing gloves and a double layer of shirts. I get cold easy and being cold sucks. It's a form of torture for me and if I am being tortured I am likely to care more about how soon I can leave then what is actually going on in the game. 
2. Our seats were awesome.  Our April seats were close but these were close, at the perfect height and right beside home plate.  We had a nice view of the entire stadium and the field.  The guys didn't look like tiny little figurines that I should just ignore and I felt so close to the action that I really wanted to become interested in what was going on and follow the game. I even learned a little bit more about some of the rules.
3. The game was actually exciting!  Someone got out while trying to steal a base and the home team scored two home runs.  One of which I missed while in the restroom changing into a warmer top.  The chronically cold have to be prepared.  The score actually got up to five which means there were five times in the game that there was some real action going on which is not often the case with baseball where it can go on and on forever and finish 1 to 0 with not much in between.

You will never catch me watching baseball on TV.  It's just way too boring for me.   But I really enjoy the experience of going to a live game.  You get to watch people make a fool of themselves on the jumbo tron and at this game they even had a croquet demonstration before the game started.  You can actually order food right from your seats in this section but we chose to use our own legs instead to save us the 15% service charge.  The food is already expensive enough.  I didn't get my usual beer and a giant over sized hot dog this time.  I enjoyed my $8.00 turkey wrap while Mj ate his $6.00 hot dogs and we shared his his $4.00 water. 

Good thing the tickets were free.

Ladies Only Monday Night Football

Last night a girlfriend and I got together for Monday night football and homemade pizza night. Her husband is gone a lot for work and my man is out of the country so we end up watching football alone the majority of the time (among other things). She is such the creative Susie home maker type. She is my idol!! When I got there she already had the dough made. Whole wheat made from scratch no less. Our primary topping was chicken that she cooked and seasoned herself. Not the Tyson pre-cooked kind that I wanted to bring. Our other toppings included olives, onions, tomatoes, feta cheese and basil. She didn't have a roller so the crust puffed up quite a bit, but I liked it that way. It was like deep dish style and I love me some bread. We had Budweiser Select 55. Two each thank you very much. It's like how low can you go when it comes to light beers. They have one upped Miller 64 and seeing as how I can't tell the difference I'll go for the lower calorie count brand every time.

This particular game wasn't all that exciting so we were chatting through most of it. It was a really fun time. It's nice to have great girlfriends to hang with and while I don't have a lot I really appreciate the ones I do have. There was a time when I really didn't have any friends at all and so I realize the importance of having these wonderful women in my life. There was also a time just two years ago when I didn't understand football at all. It seemed so complicated and confusing for some reason so I usually just tuned it out and wrote it off as something I just didn't get. But I finally said, if you can't beat 'em join em and I starting asking questions and really paying attention when football was on TV. Now I can really enjoy watching it along with everyone else. I'm not just cheering because everyone else is...I actually know what's going on.

To me watching a football game is a little mini social event and the whole experience is enhanced by having food AND friends. At home or at a bar, it's so much better shared then watched alone. Monday night football was a blast. Just the girls.