The Who Dat Nation

I am officially a Saints fan. I'm still a Bears fan but unless they are playing each other I will root for the Saints. What an incredible experience to be in New Orleans for the Saints big win in Super Bowl XLIV. The city was out of control, in a good way. We watched the game at Marc's house and dined on craw fish bread and shrimp soup courtesy of Chef Marc. Delish! When we headed back downtown we couldn't get within 7 blocks of the hotel by car. We were staying about 3 blocks from the French Quarter in the Central Business District. Well, let me tell you, the entire downtown area, the Quarter, the CBD, the Warehouse District, was wall to wall cars and people. All celebrating the time of their lives. Eventually we ditched the taxi and walked the remaining 7 blocks. Never once did we see or hear of anything bad happening. No burning garbage cans, no gunfire, no overturned cars. Just a joyful crowd of New Orleanians. What a sensational thing to happen for such a terrific city. New Orleans needed that victory and they deserved it too. Good for them.

Aside from the Super Bowl, we also took in some local parades that lead up to Mardi Gras. I was all consumed with the parades. They throw you free shit! And lots of it. Yeah, most of it is crap but it sure is fun vying for the treasures with fellow parade goers. Marc warned me that my competitive spirit would take over when the beads started flying. I landed lots and lots of beads (in spite of popular belief, you do not have to show anything to get beads!), including some glass beads which apparently is a good haul. I will actually wear those beads. I also got a stuffed purple monkey, a Krewe of Carrollton go cup (which I left at Marc's, damn!) and some black and gold beads with a fleur-de-lis pendant. According to Marc and Ashley we did well our first time out.

And the food.......the best there is. Had to eat at Drago TWICE. Dined at Mr. B.'s Bistro with Mashley and took in the famous Brennan's for breakfast one morning. We did lots of gambling at the conveniently located Harrah's. No, we didn't win but we had a helluva good time and scored a couple of "free" t-shirts!

Our last night was the Super Bowl Victory Parade. Right in front of our hotel. The parade began at 5 but we were far down the parade route and knew it would be quite awhile before they reached us. So I stood on the street starting at 4:45 while Rick gambled away more money at the casino. Rick showed up around 6 as did Mashley. Although Mashley was just across the street from us there were so many people and barricades that we couldn't actually meet up and watch the parade together. Rick and I had a front row seat, or maybe it's a stand. Hmmm. The parade got to us finally around 8 and I was so cold! But when those floats were rounding the corner toward us and the crowd began to whoop and holler it didn't matter. My biggest score from all the parades was catching a strand of beads from Drew Brees himself. Followed by a great picture of Drew proving what a great spot we had on the route. Check out all our NOLA pics.

Super Bowl in NOLA 2-2010

And a few pics of Midwestern Sectionals.

IllinoiSkating Mids Cedar Rapids 1-2010

Geaux Saints!

Off to New Orleans this weekend to visit Marc. And watch the Super Bowl with all those crazy cajuns. And eat lots of grilled oysters and Beignets from Cafe Du Monde. New Orleans is absolutely the craziest place I have ever been. I can't imagine what it will be like this time with it being Mardi Gras and the Saints in the Super Bowl. Win or lose there will be a parade for the Saints on Tuesday at 5 and apparently our hotel is one block off the parade route. Totally pumped. I went to the parade in '86 when the Bears won the Super Bowl and it was insane. It was about 20 below, if I remember right, and our boss let Nancy and I leave work to go to the parade. Hell, we were 20, we didn't give a damn about the cold! And on our way back to the office that day we bought some $10 Super Bowl XX t-shirts from a vendor on the street. I was so pumped because I bargained with the man enough that he finally gave in and gave us two shirts for $8! See, I've always been like this. I hate paying full price for anything. Back to New Orleans...Very excited to see Marc and Ashley, even more excited to spend 5 days with my honey. Did I mention we were staying across the street from the casino? BONUS! We are gamblers at heart, can't even help it. Finally, possibly in the plans are Dragos and Brennan's and Mr. B's Bistro.

Last weekend we were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the 2010 Midwestern and Pacific Synchronized Team Skating Sectional Championships with my mom. There was a terrible flood there in 2008. Much like the situation in New Orleans with Katrina, the levees on the river broke and entire neighborhoods flooded. When we drove through the lower lying areas it reminded us so much of New Orleans with the boarded up houses and the spray paint on the outside of the houses indicating if the house had been inspected. Block after block there would be one to two houses on each block that were inhabited. Everything else was boarded up and mostly for sale. Locals told us of many families that just moved clean out of town after the flood. Very sad. But on a brighter note, University of Illinois took 4th and therefore qualified for Nationals in March. While their competition was tough, they had an outstanding skate. They scored 2 points higher than they did at Nationals last year. I know 2 points doesn't seem like much to the average Joe but in skating it's HUGE.

In closing I will simply say "Who dat?"

Like No Other

That's all I can say about New Orleans. What an interesting place. We had a spectacular time this past weekend. Lots of fun on Bourbon Street, lots of yummy food including char grilled oysters and the best beignets ever. One thing I learned for certain is Lauren is never going to New Orleans without me. It is no place for a cute young blond. And it's a good thing it took me until this point in my life to make it to New Orleans. I think if I was young like Lauren I may not have come home.

We arrived in NOLA late Friday night and immediately upon checking in our hotel we headed straight across the street to Chuck's Bar and the party began. We only stayed out until 4 that night. Saturday was graduation day. I cannot begin to express the pride we felt for Marc. He has worked so hard for the last 7 years. First undergrad at UCLA then off to Tulane for law school less that a year after hurricane Katrina when no sane person wanted to live in such a devastated city. No sane person but Marc. Here we are 3 years later and he has a Juris Doctor degree and a place he finally calls home. That's right. He and Ashley are staying in New Orleans, they love it there and Marc has a job. Something that many of his fellow graduates do not have. We enjoyed a fantastic celebratory dinner at Desire Oyster Bar with the entire family including all both of Ashley's parents and their spouses, Marc's mom, J&J and Audrey. Rick made a lovely toast to the newest lawyer in the family that brought tears to my eyes and his. He is so proud of his son. But I have to tell you Lauren and I were done with all the lawyer talk between Marc and Rick this weekend! Then it was time to experience Bourbon Street. I am speechless when it comes to Bourbon Street. It is like no other place in the world. Nowhere else in the world can you get a "Huge Ass Beer" to go. Bar after bar after bar, most with live music and all with crazy drunk ass people (not us of course). Ashley told us of a game that her and Marc frequently play when they're on Bourbon Street. It's called "Costume or Not." I have to say that most times it's not!

On Sunday we enjoyed a lovely brunch at Lil' Dizzy's. $20 all you can eat and all the mimosas and champagne you can drink. My kind of place but it would have been better had we all not stayed out so late the night before! Then it was off to a traditional New Orleans craw fish boil that was hosted by a friend and fellow Tulane Law graduate of Marc's. Marc described their craw fish boils as being akin to out bonfires. Nothing but a keg of beer and all the craw fish you can eat. No napkins, just a hose. Very interesting to experience the local culture on this level. After a brief rest we were off to dinner, again with the whole gang, at Acme Oyster House and then on to Bourbon Street again. After three consecutive nights of partying til the wee hours we decided on Monday night that none of us, including Lauren (go figure that we could have worn out the college kid) needed another night on Bourbon Street. There was a point on Sunday night that Lauren and I were in a bar and Rick was waiting outside for Marc to show up. Lauren had a clear view of Rick outside and leaned over to me and said, "I don't know what's going on out there but Dad has a bunch of beads!" Turns out he was being pelted by some drunks up in a balcony! Time to move on before somebody gets hurt! Another fun filled day on Monday including lunch with J&J&A, a cocktail at the Carousel Lounge (The bar actually rotates like a carousel. Lauren and I agreed that we were only good for one drink at this place! I'm not good with the round and round thing. When I would watch Lauren practice her spins for skating, sometimes I had to leave because just watching would make me dizzy.) and finally some shopping for all that touristy stuff. Dinner Monday night at Drago in the Hilton. Probably one of the best lobsters I've ever had. Not to mention the shrimp fondue and more char grilled oysters. You can't go too far in NOLA without having char grilled oysters. Tuesday was time for a muffletta. Not any muffletta, the original muffletta from the Central Grocery. Turns out the Central Grocery and the muffletta are both Italian. Who knew? After stuffing ourselves once again Marc and Ash took us for a scenic (I say this sarcastically) drive of the ravaged lower 9th ward. Absolutely devastating to see the damage from hurricane Katrina even four years later. My prayers go out to those people. And yours should too. Then it was off to the airport and home to the HG. Our time with the kids is always too short but 4 days in NOLA is about all I could handle without going to rehab!

Some highlights from our Cajun adventure:

Audrey-she is the best travelling baby EVER! Never heard her cry all weekend and we put her through the wringer.
HUGE ASS BEERS to go-no explanation needed.
The trail of powdered sugar from the beignets that went from our elevator straight to our hotel room door. Not to hard to figure out who made the mess in the hotel hallway!
The drag queens on the seedy party of Bourbon Street, now there's a sight!
The guy in Chuck's bar with the fake mustache that at one point in the night was actually on the guys cheek.
The old broad on Bourbon Street who showed her "stuff" and scarred us all for life!
The craw fish boil-gotta love an afternoon of cold beer and head sucking!
Riding the streetcar-a first for me and Lauren.
And last but certainly not least-seeing Marc get his diploma. A proud, proud moment.

Deck update:
While in NOLA work continued until the building inspector showed up and shut us down. No more work until I go to the Health Department and get them to "sign off" on our septic system. That's on my list first thing today. My builder said there are all old men at the health department so I'm going to wear something a little low cut and smile pretty and hope for the best this morning. If all goes well the earliest they will be back at work will be next Thursday. What a pain in my ass. What really makes it a pain is the fact that the building inspector showed up because a neighbor called in to complain. Complain about what? That my deck will be better than yours? Get a life and mind your own fucking business.

Heading to Cadiz later today for a sun filled weekend on the boat. We are missing a celebration at my brother Ken's house this weekend for my niece Allison's college graduation. She graduated from University of Missouri in just three years and is moving to Denver with the BF in 2 weeks. We are so proud of her too, and since we love Denver I know it won't be long until we visit. I know I'm getting old when the nieces and nephews start graduating from college!

To view pics from our trip click here.

The first two pics are of the bullfrog that is living on the edge of Karla's pond. They got mixed in with the grad pics. The bullfrog is probably about 6" round. He (or she) is HUGE!

Illinoiskating Takes Silver at Nationals!

That's right.........Silver medal at Nationals! That would be 2nd in the country!!!! (I really hate when exclamation points are overused but I can't help myself in this situation!) Nobody expected it. Except, maybe, just maybe, the girls. They work so hard all year long to travel all over the country to prove themselves in a four minute skate. Four minutes. That's it. Not 9 innings, not a half, not 3 periods, not 4 quarters, not 18, 36 or 72 holes. 4 minutes. There is no coming back in the second half. It's now or never. You have to be on and they were in every sense. The Collegiate division is changing. Here comes University of Illinois Illinoiskating! It was such a close competition. Close between second and fourth place. Miami Ohio took first, they always do. Hard to compete with the Redhawks. But this is the first time ever the University of Illinois has medaled at Nationals and the first time they have ever beaten Michigan State and Delaware, both skating powerhouses. The Illini's skating program has only been around since 2001 and is already making the skating community take notice. They certainly did this weekend. Illinoiskating was the talk of Collegiate division. This victory may even help Illinoiskating's argument for Varsity status. Let's cross our fingers. That's Lauren, front row, second from right.

We are so proud of our daughter. Not only this but straight As last semester and on track for more of the same this semester. Lauren works so hard at everything she does and she deserves this so much. What great fun to be a proud parent.



In other news (as if there really is any! Ok, ok, I'll quit with the exclamation points.):

Dad is hanging in there with the chemo, etc. It has been rough recently but I'm hoping we are on a better path now.

Going down to Cadiz soon for a few weeks. Looking forward to spending some time with family and with my honey. We have lots of visitors coming and going so it should be a good time. Rick and I also got a fishing guide for one day. Then we are sure to catch some fishies.

The Girl's are coming in for my bday. Always a crazy ass time with them. On the agenda so far are limos and lobster and champagne, Corona for Col, and Hawthorne. Can't have a Girl's weekend without a little horsey action.

Marc is graduating from Tulane University's School of Law on May 16th. Wow. Three years, gone already. I'm sure Marc would argue the swiftness of those years.

Ozzy survived the lamb chop episode. Darn.

We miss Audrey. Maybe I can sneak over for a visit this week.

Another Glorious Vacation in Cadiz

It seems that's all we did this summer is go to the lake. Actually, that's all I did. My husband, who recently said that he was going to die at his desk, only vacationed twice at the lake this summer. I was fortunate enough to spend a bit more time in Cadiz. This particular trip was a blast. Our good friends and neighbors, Mike and Sue, finally made the trip down. Lots of food, drinks, fishing and boating ensued. And a little Wii action. We also had unexpected visitors. Marc and Ashley drove up from New Orleans along with their two cats and two bunnies. I would like to say they just wanted to spend some quality time with us but unfortunately they were forced out of their home by hurricane Gustav. I can only imagine what it is like to have to evacuate your home and city. They are now back in The Big Easy trying to dodge hurricane Ike.

There are a ton of pictures from this trip as Sue is non-stop with the camera. Thanks Sue. Without Sue's pics there would not be many. You can tell from these pics that Ozzy hates the lake and especially despises fish!



In other HG news: Lauren again made the IllinoiSkating team. She was unable to actually tryout this year due to her recent knee surgery. Since she was not an alternate last year and had a "spot" all year, her coach gave her a pass. While the rehab of her knee is going well, she has had a setback. Her skates were stolen. To come off an injury and have to break in new skates at the same time will be very challenging. For those of you who have never seen a pair of real figure skates, the leather is about an inch thick and it takes several hours of skating (and bad blisters and bleeding ankles) to break them in. If I find the fuckhead who stole her skates, I will beat them in the head with the toe pick of her new skates! Not a threat, more like a warning.

IllinoiSkating was recently featured in a spot on The Big Ten Network.Click here to see all the skaters except Lauren.

So Pretty

I know it has been awhile since my last post so here's a quick update before I head down to Cadiz for a weekend with the girls.

The grad party was a huge success in spite of Rick. He completely redeemed himself the day after the party when Mikey and I just sat around while he cleaned up the entire mess from the party. Times like that I know why I married him.

The cicadas are still out in full force and their noise is deafening at times. We have seen a lot of hawks recently, must be due to the cicadas. Yesterday there were two hawks flying so close to the house, the closest I've seen in 14 years. Of course I did not have my camera handy to capture their unbelievable grace as they swoop into the trees for a cicada snack.

Lauren finally started working for Rick's firm. The job is so cushy and she makes ridiculous money. Good for her. I guess it pays when Dad is a partner! But the bottom line is Dad is the one paying her!

We finally got some much needed rain and my lilies are in full bloom. They are so beautiful right now but don't last very long. They will more than likely be gone when I return from Kentucky on Sunday. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Finally, a happy happy belated birthday to Marc and Ashley!