Go Pack!

 VS   

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, the Packers are going to the Super Bowl!  We watched the game too, but actually ended up watching it twice!  Well, sort of.....

It is no secret that me and Brian are not huge sports fans.  We do enjoy the Packers (I mean, we do live in Wisconsin after all.  It's a law!) and the Badgers, but for the most part we don't follow the footsketball stuff.  But again, since we are from Wisconsin it was impossible to not know that the Packers were going to play the Bears and the winner would go to the Super Bowl.  While I was in Wisconsin recently, we were talking about the game at work during lunch.  I swear I thought they told me that the game was on Saturday at 3:00 PM.

So, I get back to Florida and Saturday comes and we decided to watch the game.  I thought the game would be on FOX sports but we didn't find it there.  Since there are like 27 different ESPN channels on our cable system here (seriously, does the world need that may sports channels?) I started flipping through them and there ya go!  Packers and Bears on the TV!

We settled in to watch the game.  It had not been on very long and we both started to question it.  Things  seemed to moving very fast -- one play would be over and in an instant they would be showing the next play.  Brian figured that the game was on some sort of delay.  This didn't make sense to me, since it was a playoff game.  I wondered out load, why wouldn't they want to drag this out as long as they could to get as many commercials in as they could?  

We continued to watch and get frustrated by the amount of penalties the Packers were racking up.  They started out strong and then had a penalty on almost every play and it ended up with the Bears winning 20 to 17.  Needless to say were were disappointed.  Not only did the Packers deserve to loose that game (I mean, the penalties were ridiculous) but now our plans for a Super Bowl Party were down the drain.

A little depressed, we resigned ourselves to it, but were still wondering....  Brian couldn't figure out why the Bears didn't seem to be more excited about winning and going to the Super Bowl.  It dawned on me that they (the players and fans) didn't seem to be very cold.  It was supposed to be really cold in Illinois this weekend.  

But life goes on.  Brian had written to his sister telling her that we had just finished watching the game and that it looked like no Super Bowl for the Packers.  I was going to write to some of my family about the game too, but for whatever reason, I never did.

Sunday morning comes and Brian, as usual, checked his email and there was a note from his sister saying that the game was today!  (Sunday)  We both looked at each other and the silence was thick.  I don't think either of us could believe that we would have been that......  stupid?!

I went to the TV and checked the listing for the day and sure enough, Packers vs Bears, Play-off game, 3:00 PM!  We had watched a rerun of an earlier game!  After the shock wore off we had a very good laugh about it and Brian sent a few more notes back and forth to his sister.  She thought it was "priceless".  Then we called my sister and I think we gave her the best laugh she has had in a while.  

Still feeling silly, we went to lunch and Wal-Mart and then came home and watched the real game.  Thankfully, this game turned out much better and the Packers are going to the Super Bowl!  It was a tense, but enjoyable game.

Unlike most Packer fans who only got to watch one game, me and Brian got to enjoy two!  And I know there will be lots of good natured teasing we will have to endure.  Brian's sister and half of my family have already started!  

GO PACKERS!

The latest project.....

We've completed our latest project.  It took two days and having to replace a bent drill bit, but we got it done.  The window next to the front door didn't have shutters on it although the two windows on the garage did.

In a side note, we ended up replacing ALL the shutters because of a color mix up.  We thought the shutters that were already on the garage windows were black, so we bought a new pair of black shutters for the window by the front door.  When they arrived and we unpacked them and held them up to old ones.....  wouldn't you know, the old ones were dark blue!  So, rather than try to find a pair that would match the old ones, we decided to order up two more pair and replace them all.  

One set down...  two to go.

Only got one pair up that first day.  I must have hit something awfully hard because it bent my only 1/4 inch drill bit pretty badly and I didn't want to risk drilling 'crooked' holes for the other set.

All done!  And they match too!

Next up - new window for the entry door.  Stay tuned....

Max

Max, in his golden years, has adapted to Florida very well.  He has also picked his spot on the new couch.  We are so happy that he was able to make this trip with us, for as a lot of you already know, he wasn't doing so well just before Christmas.  But he seems to have rebounded and although his hearing isn't what it used to be, or his sight for that matter, he is doing pretty well!  

And this is the look you get when you try to wake him up in the morning!

Projects, projects...

With the holidays over it was back to more little projects around the house.  Brian, as most of you know, is a big music fan and so we decided to add some speakers to the bath so he can rock out on his iPod while he is getting cleaned up.  We had brought an amplifier with us from Wisconsin and got some speakers at Home Depot.

It all seemed simple enough.  Crawl up in the attic space, punch a few holes in the ceiling and bing, bam, boom - Barbra in the Bath!  Like most simple plans we hit a few glitches.....

First off, there was no way either of us were going to be able to stuff ourselves up into the attic space.  Then, the floor of the attic (ceiling of the bathroom) was covered in about 12 inches of insulation.  So, with some fancy measuring, I decided on the placement of the speakers and started to cut holes in the ceiling.  A very dusty process!  Drywall dust everywhere!  I was covered in it and had it in places I didn't even know I had!

Got past that and the actual installing of the speakers was pretty easy.  Running the speaker wire wasn't as easy.  But Brian got a brilliant idea and off to Home Depot we went to get an electrician's wire snake.  Worked like a charm and now our master bath is wired up to the max.  Crank up Babs or some oldies and you can not only brush your teeth, but feel them vibrating in the process!  :-)

(I'm going to have to try and get some more flattering pictures of me and Brian for the blog.  Seems like we only take pictures when we are hip deep in some project, covered with dust and dirt!)

Happy New Year!

After all the commotion of driving to Florida, getting ready for Christmas, the party and all, we decided to take it easy with ringing in the New Year.

The week between Christmas and New Year's Eve, we went back to working on the house.  I rearranged some shelving in the garage, did some shopping (you can never say me and Brian don't do our best to stimulate the economy!) and worked on the guest room.  Added a few more touches, put up some curtains and spruced up the bath.

For New Year's Eve, we decided to take it easy.  We went up to the town square to listen to the music and have a few cocktails.  Brian is developing quite a taste for 7 & 7s!  The weather was a bit cool which fit the season but the performers.....  well, they were less than thrilling.  Noting wrong with blues and jazz, but New Year's should be a celebration, not a....  does bad elevator music sound like a way to celebrate the New Year?!

So, we listened for a while then went to Johnny Rocket's for a snack and were home to watch the big ball drop in Times Square.  

(Cell phone pics - lighting wasn't great either.  Sorry.)

Christmas in Florida!

We arrived in Florida late the 22nd and started right in getting ready for Christmas.  We were hosting a little dinner party for our friends here and had lots to do.  Like get some food!  We really didn't do much in the way of holiday decorating, but we did want to get our new furniture delivered before the party.  It turned out that the delivery men told us that if we wanted them to haul away the old stuff, they would for free and if no one at the warehouse was interested in it, they would donate it to charity.  Sounded like a good deal to us!  We were planning to have a re-sale place come and get it, but trying to get into the holiday spirit, giving it away just felt right.

So, here is our new furniture!  Soooo much better than what we had before!

And then we had to get the tree ready.....

Once we had the food and booze taken care of, the new furniture delivered and presents under the tree, we figured we were as ready as we were going to get.  It turned out to be a really enjoyable time for all.  Along with our good friends, Frank and Jimm, some new friends, Peter and Ed and their friend Gerry came over too.  Gerry even brought along a standing rib roast to add to the pile of food we already had, so as usual when people visit me and Brian, no one left hungry!  Lots of food, cocktails, laughing and great conversation.  A Merry Christmas for sure!

On the road again....

The drive to Florida was.... well, the drive to Florida.  We have done it so often now that any excitement it might have held is gone.  It is a long and boring ride made even less enjoyable this time by crappy weather.  It was snowing lightly when we left on the 21st of December and by the time we got to southern Illinois, it turned to fog and light rain.  Made driving very tiring and it stayed that way pretty much until we were out of Georgia!  Long ride this time.  But better than the weather that has been pounding the US since we left, so no complaints about our timing.  Max did well, as he always does.  He just curls up and goes to sleep.

This trip was a bit of a new adventure for us.  This is the first year we have been in Florida for Christmas.  We have wanted to do that ever since we started coming to Florida in the winter.  I have to admit that it was a bit strange for me though.  Only my second Christmas that I didn't spend with my family.  The other was the Christmas we spent in the hospital two years ago when Brian had his heart surgery.

Although it has been a bit on the cool side, I have to say that it was odd to see a snowman or Christmas tree or other ornaments sitting on green grass next to a palm tree...  Don't get me wrong!  I don't miss the snow! It just seems a bit odd since for me, Christmas has always been, well, cold!

Back Again!

I must apologize for the big lag in posting.  And it's not because Brian hasn't reminded, believe me!  So, we will have to play catch up a bit......

Before leaving for Florida, we went to the Council for the Performing Arts sponsored show, "Christmas with The Lettermen".  It turned out to be a very popular and enjoyable show.  Once again, I was expecting to enjoy the show, but not expecting to enjoy it as much as we did.  They may not be spring chickens, but they put on a really good show.  Christmas music mixed in with their oldies and even some new music.  They were great with the audience too.  Really getting everyone involved.  It was a nice send off to the long drive to Florida.