Isabella and I were playing “volleyvall” and she threw the ball at me and said, “Yeah baby!”
A Win is a Win…or how I nearly froze my toes off
It’s no secret that I love the Pittsburgh Steelers. So any opportunity to see them play live, I’m going to jump on.
When the 2011-2012 schedule was released, and I saw the Steelers were playing the Chiefs in Kansas City, I made up my mind to get down there to the game. KC is only 3 shorts hours away from Omaha. How could I not go?
The first mission was to convince CJ. That wasn’t hard. He heard the words “football” and “game” in the same sentence and was sold.
Next up – find another couple to go with us. This wasn’t a requirement as we certainly could have gone alone, but it’s way more fun with friends! Turns out I know someone who might love the Steelers just a bit more than me, if that’s possible, and that’s Courtney from Team Trader. She said “yes” without hesitation and we were off to the races!
Now for finding CHEAP tickets. Yes I love the Steelers. No I’m not willing to pay hundreds of dollars for tickets . I was able to find some for $40 each. I knew they would be in the nosebleed section but that was ok. The important thing was to be there, not to be close enough to get flicked with sweat flying off Troy’s hair.
Or was it?
Anyway, Courtney was responsible for getting us hotel rooms. We wanted a hotel close to the stadium but they got booked up fast. She asked me if we wanted something in the $40, $80 or $180 a night range. We both agreed on $80. Well turns out we weren’t able to get those so we ended up in the $180 a night rooms, at the Holiday Inn.
Now I had the go ahead from my hubbie, a couple to go with, tickets and hotel rooms. We were all set!
Let the games begin!
The game was Sunday night at 7:20 (i.e. the NBC Sunday Night Football game of the week). The plan was to leave town around noon and therefore get to KC about 3pm. We’d check in at the hotel, unload our gear and then head over for some tailgating before the game itself.
But first we had to drop Isabella and Samson off at my parent’s house.
Don’t we all look cute in our Steeler gear? Too bad Samson doesn’t have a Steeler collar or something…we’ll have to work on that!
We got to Chris and Courtney’s around 12:30 and hit the road. It was a smooth drive and we got in right at 3:30. Turns out our hotel was literally across the street from the stadium! This was the view from our room on the 14th floor.
That’s Arrowhead football stadium on the left and the KC Royals baseball stadium on the right. All that separated us was the highway!
Here’s a close up of Arrowhead.
Because our hotel was so close, it was packed with other Steeler fans (and a few Chiefs fans too, though most of them already live in town). They were having a tailgating party, face painting and even a shuttle ride over to the game. All cool but we were on a mission to get there fast.
First we had to unload in the rooms.
We had adjoining rooms. That’s my reflection in Chris and Courtney’s mirror, through the connecting door between our rooms. Dork with a capital D.
One thing to note is that it was very cold that day. Like in the 30’s during the day and dropping in to the night. I thought I was prepared for that.
I so was not.
See, I’m not an outdoorsy type of person. I hate camping. I can’t stand bugs. I don’t like any type of outdoor winter activity. Therefore I don’t have any of the gear one might have for those situations. I don’t own snow boots or snow pants. I don’t have a face mask. My hats/scarves are more for fashion than warmth. And I don’t own any long underwear.
I was screwed.
Here’s what I did wear: jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt, short sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, scarf, hat, gloves, socks and regular boots (and of course my Terrible Towel which actually became a good blanket later on).
CJ had about the same plus long underwear.
Chris and Courtney added to that snow pants and overalls.
We walked over to the stadium because we didn’t want to wait for the shuttle.
The plan was to meet up with Chris’ cousins who were tailgating. They told us they were in section A3. We walked and walked around A3 and couldn’t find them anywhere. We did see a lot of Troy look alikes (aka dudes in wigs) and one guy who actually did look like Hines Ward.
And oh the smells. In one step you’d catch a whiff of burgers on the grill and in the next it’d be hot dogs. Further down was the aroma of steak or grilled veggies. There were bonfires, games being played, music blasting and plenty of tents and heaters. Very cool atmosphere.
Yet we couldn’t find OUR tailgate! They finally found us after about 30 min. and we claimed our spot at their truck.
It was about 4:30 by now and we had close to 3 hours to kill before the game. Most of that time was spent drinking and shooting the breeze. Then more drinking and storytelling. Followed by still more drinking and even more crass story telling. For most I think the alcohol kept them warm. I only had 2 beers so it didn’t give me extra heat. At one point I had to go sit in the cab of the truck with the heater on to thaw out.
Because Chris had so many layers on, and is more warm-blooded than me, he actually took off his outer coat and gave it to me! I was very grateful. My middle (shoulders down to butt) was warm but my face/nose and legs/feet were FREEZING! Mostly my feet. At one point I seriously thought that my toes would literally freeze right off!
On a side note – it is quite a challenge to pee in a port-a-potty when you have umpteen layers on AND it’s night so you can’t see what the hell you’re doing.
Finally it was time to head in to the stadium! We climbed up and up and up to our seats that were almost to the very top.
But we could see the whole field and everything going on so I was good.
Funny story: our tickets were for section 305, row 36, seats 7-10. After having been seated for 10 minutes or so in what we thought were those seats, 3 guys came up and said we were in their seats. We checked and sure enough, we had sat in row 35 instead of 36. So we moved up one and all was well. Until 30 minutes later when CJ and Chris went down for more beverages and got lost. When they made it back we found out that we were actually sitting in the wrong section too! We were in 306 – one over from where we were supposed to be! And those 3 guys in front of us? They were also in the wrong section! They were supposed to be in 305 as well. AND they are season ticket holders! We all laughed about it and decided to just stay where we were since no one else was claiming those seats.
Soon the action started. The teams came out on to the field.
Martina McBride sang the National Anthem.
And some Air Force jets did a fly over.
(Bad picture, I know, but I wasn’t prepared for that and had a cheap camera with me)
Then they did the coin toss.
The dude in the #7 jersey is Big Ben and #99 is Brett Keisel (The Beard).
The game itself was stressful because Pitt didn’t play as well as they should have. Let’s face it – everyone was expecting them to roll over the Chiefs. Even the 3 dudes in front of us, who are Chiefs fans, were like, “Wow, you guys must be upset that you’re not winning by more.” Um, yeah we were. I don’t know what it is about KC but whenever the Steelers come there, they choke. When CJ and I saw them there 2 years ago, same thing happened only they actually lost that game.
The Steelers win games and championships but they don’t make it look pretty.
As the night went on it really got cold. The guys even broke out their face masks.
Serial killer #1.
And his friend Hannibal Lector.
Us girls didn’t need no stinkin’ face masks. We were basking in the glow of Steeler Nation!
And beer.
By the time all was said and done, it was 11:30 when we got back to the hotel. I jumped into a hot shower and just stood under the steaming water for a good 5 minutes before I started to feel warm again. Stayed in for 15 more minutes to let the heat soak in to my bones. That’s not typical of me. I’m usually and in and out kind of gal when it comes to showering. But not that night. I needed the heat baby!
I got dressed again and we went downstairs for a cocktail celebration. We were dragging though. We took one look at the crowded bar and went back up to our room and crashed in bed. Slept in on Monday until 8:15 which is a BIG luxury for me (especially when I’m used to getting up at 4:30 am for Kosama).
Then it was back home.
The trip was a blast and Chris and Courtney are super fun. Couldn’t have gone with a better couple. Next time, I’ll go more prepared for the cold.
Here we go Steelers, here we go!
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And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care…
…and for the first time, we have an actual chimney to hang them on!
But before I get in to all that, let’s review how Thanksgiving went.
It was great. Lots of family time. Did some shopping. End of story.
No really. I was going to dedicate a whole post to it but there really isn’t all that much to talk about. Turkey Day itself went per usual with awesome food, my sister and I combing through the Black Friday ads, kids playing games while the guys napped, and then stuffing our faces once again. Pumpkin pie = awesome!
One twist was that the sis and I headed out for Black Friday shopping to hit the midnight sales instead of at 4am the next day. I’m not sure I liked the change. There weren’t enough deals to make it worth our while. We were both ho-hum about the whole thing. Not sure if I’ll even do it next year. They’ll have to have some pretty freakin’ sweet steals to get me out again in the middle of the night.
Now on to the fun stuff!
Christmas decorating was great this year because we are in a new house and have new possibilities. PLUS, Isabella is old enough to not only really get in to it but she can also help!
This weekend has been a blast putting it all together. And we’re finally done (well, at least with the inside)!
Here are the fruits of our labors!
The family room complete with Christmas tree and dancing Santa Elmo!
Some of the very most important ornaments go front and center – like the Isabella one from last year and the Steelers football guy!
Close-up of the fireplace. We have the nativity in the middle, a decorative tree on one end and our Angel memorial on the end.
The Angel memorial is to honor the babies we have lost. The little one we got after my first miscarriage in 2008. The large one was a gift after the latest miscarriage in September. And the little silver heart box in front (which you can’t see real well) holds the ashes of that last baby. Even though we took down the normal everyday décor to make room for holiday stuff, we had to leave our angels there on the hearth. They’re a part of the family.
And in case you were wondering why there are 5 stockings hung from the mantel, with 2 that overlap, it’s because Isabella insisted we put up both her “Baby’s 1st Christmas” stocking and her new one.
This is a plain old hurricane lamp with colored Christmas bulbs in it. Super simple yet looks really elegant.
Dicken’s village on the dining room table. It looks really plain here and when I took a look at last year’s photos, I can see why. I forgot to cover the table with fake snow. Must do that tomorrow!
The snowmen atop the dining room buffet.
A new addition to our repertoire this year – Isabella’s purple tree! We have it in her playroom and she loves it! It’s bright; it’s fun; and it’s shiny! What more could a kid want?
Speaking of kids….
Look who had gotten a hold of Isabella’s naughty/nice Santa hat. And wouldn’t you know…
…he got caught red-handed on the naughty side!
Well that does it for what we have out so far. I’m sure we’ll add more things here and there as the big day approaches. One room I didn’t show was Isabella’s bedroom, where she has her own nativity scene and another little tree.
Now I’m off to pack our bags – tomorrow CJ and I are headed to Kansas City for the Steelers/Chiefs game! Bring it!
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Potato Pizza
Today I discovered a travesty that had befallen our nation. Namely, not enough people know about Potato Pizza. I was telling my dear friend Rhonda that I was making it for dinner and she said, “Hmmm that sounds weird.”
I admit that it might seem peculiar but, once you go spud, you’ll never say dud.
Ok that was lame.
Anyway, my family has been making Potato Pizza for generations. My mom taught it to me. Her mom taught it to her and so on. Not sure how far back it goes but every time you ask my mom she’ll tell you something different. At this point I think the family lore dates back to Abraham Lincoln.
This is how my mom passed it down to me. Handwritten on a doggie themed recipe card. There wasn’t even any detail on how much of each ingredient to use. I had to figure that out and write it in the margins! How friggin’ awesome is that?
(By the way, my mom has total teacher handwriting don’t you think?)
It easy. It’s yummy. And it’s total comfort food. What’s not to like about bread, hamburger, potatoes and cheese all mixed up together? If that’s wrong then I don’t want to be right.
So, in order to right the wrongs of our society, I have decided to share this ancient family recipe with you (that goes as far back as George Washington).
Bear in mind that I’m not a cook and have never claimed to be one. But if I can make this, so can you. And I’ll even tell you the right amount for each ingredient because I’m nice like that. Nothing but love, people.
Step 1. Throw 1 TBSP of butter in a frying pan and melt it.
Step 2. Peel 2 large potatoes, slice them thinly and throw in with the melted butter.
OK so maybe you should peel and slice the potatoes before you melt the butter. Details, details.
Step 3. Cook the potatoes until tender but not brown. They should turn from opaque to transparent and get kind of shiny.
Note that this step is very important! When my parents were newlyweds, my mom made this for my dad to try and impress him with her mad cooking skills. However, she neglected to cook the potatoes. The resulting pizza was less than stellar.
Step 4. Set aside the potatoes and brown 1 lb. of hamburger, along with some chopped onions, salt and pepper to taste.
Quick aside: that funny looking tool I’m using to cook the ground beef is the Mix n’Chop from Pampered Chef. I LOVE it! You use it to mix up and chop the beef (hence the name) and it gets it to those nice small crumbles. Perfect. Best $10 I ever spent in the kitchen.
Step 5. Drain the grease and then add the potatoes back in, along with 1 – 16 oz. can of tomato sauce and some parmesan cheese to taste.
Beautiful, ain’t it?
Yes I’m using a different stirring utensil with every step. Why? Because I’ve found that the more dishes I dirty, the better the food tastes. It’s scientifically proven.
Step 6. Color with your daughter while you wait for your husband to return from the grocery store with the remaining ingredients. Oops.
Tap your foot impatiently while you answer his myriad of text messages about various items.
Stir the meat mixture.
Do the dishes you’ve dirtied so far.
Stir the meat mixture.
Turn on Curious George.
Stir the meat mixture.
Shout “hurray!” when you hear the garage door open, then accost your husband.
Step 7. Grease a baking sheet and then roll out 1 Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough crust on it.
Make note because this is key: do not try and substitute any other pizza crust for this or I won’t be able to guarantee the results! CJ suggested a pre-made Boboli crust and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. There is no messing with perfection people!
Step 8. Pour meat mixture on to the pizza dough. Spread evenly, leaving room around the edges.
Notice that I did not leave room around the edges and it made things more difficult later. Not impossible, just difficult.
Step 9. Unroll Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough crust #2 on top of the meat mixture. Pinch the edges together to seal it up (hence the reason for leaving the gap on the sides)
Step 10. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Check it at 30 because you don’t want to overcook and dry out the crust.
Clean up the rest of your mess while it bakes and your husband runs to the bank with your daughter.
Ignore the doorbell when it rings because you’re already in your grubbies and don’t want to frighten anyone by answering the door.
Catch up on a DVRed show and feel good for accomplishing something.
Welcome your family back home.
Ding! Timer went off! Time to take this masterpiece out of the oven!
Isn’t she lovely?
Cut and serve. But when serving, do it like this:
Cut a piece and immediately spread butter on the top crust. It will get all melty and slide around everywhere.
Perfect.
Then cut a slice or two of your favorite cheese and slip it under the top crust, setting her down right on the meaty middle. Let it melt before eating.
Mmmm boy. I tell ya what, this is some good stuff. Trust me on this people. I know food and I love food. CJ was weirded out by it when he first heard tale of the recipe handed down from the pilgrims but he was sold after his first bite.
I don’t make this very often and I have no idea why because it’s so easy. Maybe because I never have pizza crusts on hand. Or I’m lazy. Or fail to plan ahead. Whatever the reason, I should dismiss it and get this back in the regular rotation. It makes a lot and tastes amazing leftover too (which must be true if I’m saying it because I hate leftovers).
And there you have it! Potato Pizza from my family to yours.
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Mums the Word
Yesterday we decided to pack up and head downtown (well, to South Omaha) and see the Chrysanthemum exhibit at the Lauritzen Botanical Gardens. It was the last day of the show so we wanted to catch it before it was gone.
Fun fact: Chrysanthemums are the November birth flower, and therefore, my birth flower! They mean compassion, cheerfulness, rest, loveliness, optimism, abundance, wealth, friendship and secret love – all qualities that can also be used to describe me! Except for wealth. And secret love. And rest.
Anywho.
The flower show was lovely and Isabella enjoyed running along the paths and smelling the different types of mums (there are 9 classifications and over 30 types).
We were the only ones there (except for some cute little old man) and it was kind of fun having the place to ourselves.
They also had a koi pond in there with about 6 large koi fish of all colors.
Isabella thought they were really fun and she kept calling them “gooey fish” (from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).
She was in a rather silly mood.
When we were done in there, we headed outside to Kenefick Park, where they have the 2 of the greatest trains built by Union Pacific Railroad. Neither CJ or I had ever been there so it was a fun adventure for all of us.
It was a chilly day so we made Isabella bundle up in her “Murray” coat (everything these days is related somehow to the Wiggles. Murray is the red Wiggle) and put her hood up. She also insisted on wearing her sunglasses.
She looked very “Jackie O”, don’t you think?
Here’s “Big Boy”, the world’s largest steam locomotive (or Wags as Isabella called it):
And here’s Centennial No. 6900 (or the “Sam” train), the largest and most powerful diesel-electric locomotive ever built:
These guys were huge! I really felt small standing next to them. Pretty cool to be so close to something so powerful.
But soon Isabella grew tired and it was time to go. She was also starting to get cold. And was tired of having her picture taken.
She fell asleep in the car on the way home.
It was a fun day and a nice little family outing – something outdoors before the weather turns too much colder!
Happy Fall!
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Team Trader Mom 