As the Saints prepare for the Super Bowl, there are some songs and videos I have been playing non-stop. I think you should watch them too!

First up: Glory Bound- Theresa Andersson- I could listen to her all day and never get bored. This song embodies the spirit of the city as we approach the big day!!!!

The Soul of New Orleans- beautiful and captures the true essence of New Orleans love for the city and the Saints!!

The Buddy D Parade- ONLY IN NEW ORLEANS! Seriously do you know of ANY other city that has this much fun? 85,000 people turned out for this on only a few days notice!

And yes, I cry EVERY time I watch that ball fly through the uprights! Tears of joy, so very different for the tears I ‘ve cried for New Orleans for the past 4 years! It’s so incredibly beyond words wonderful to have something so exciting to celebrate in New Orleans!

Yin Yang Twins Who Dat!

I Believe Saints Go All The Way

Wow.

“Pigs have flown, hell has frozen over”
THE SAINTS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!

I still can’t believe it, I keep pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. What an exciting time!

I am so glad I impulsively decided to head down to NOLA for the game, there was no better place to be for that game. I could feel the electricity in the air the moment the plane touched down on Friday. The whole weekend was filled with laughter, smiles and yelling “Who Dat”. It was just magical.

I’ve never been much of a football fan. I dont really understand the game. I’m a basketball person. My dad took me to an Eagles game when I was little and the only thing I remember is how cold it was and that I had hot chocolate. I grew up in a house where my dad was an Eagles fan and somehow my brother was a Dolphins fan. The only thing I knew about football then was that I had to make sure that my brothers Dolphins Zubaz (don’t judge, it was the 80’s), Dolphins turtleneck, Dolphins jersey, Dolphins socks and Dolphins sweatshirt were clean by game time.

It wasn’t until I started my love affair with the city of New Orleans that I became a “fan” of the Saints. I say that in quotes because I still didn’t know squat about football. But anyone that loves the city knows the Saints and New Orleans are so intertwined that you really can’t love one without the other. The Saints ARE New Orleans.

I don’t think you can find another city so closely enmeshed with their football team than New Orleans. Any other city you look around and people are fans of any number of teams. You would be hard pressed to find anyone in New Orleans who is not a Saints fan. Except Lil Wayne. But that low life thug is going to jail anyway! Ha! Here in PA I know people who are fans of just about any team in the NFL, there is no loyalty to PA teams. I have never heard of another city being so tied to and so fiercely loyal to its football team, through years of losing and losing badly, the fans never stopped believing. (in the airport talking to some Vikings fans and other Saints fans and one of the Vikings fans said “it’s hard being a Vikings fan” and everyone looked at her and one guys says “really? Did you really just say that” and she got all embarrassed and said “oh I guess you guys win that too”)

So when I decided I wanted to be in the city for the playoff game, it wasn’t so much for the game. I didn’t care that I didn’t have a ticket for the actual game, it wasn’t about that. It was about BEING THERE, being in New Orleans for this historical moment, to be part of it. To see it with my own eyes, and have an experience that i will always remember. Sitting home watching it on tv wasn’t enough, I just had such a strong desire to be in the middle of it all, to run down the street with thousands of other fans high fiving and hugging and crying and rejoicing. I had to “be in that number” as they say. I can’t explain it. To the city of New Orleans…it’s more than just a game, it’s redemption, its rebirth, its the whole city coming together with a renewed sense of pride, respect, rejuvenation. It’s validation that the city will be ok. The win was not just for the men on the field but for the city, and all its’ people, those who are living, those who have passed on before they could see this moment. Those who were lost in the Federal Flood, those who are still fighting to get home. This win gave everyone a glimpse of hope in a better future.

So it was an amazing Saint’s filled weekend. Met up with some other out of town Saints fans, we ate, drank, enjoyed the music of the city and waited in nervous, excited anticipation for Sunday. We decided to tailgate at the Dome, and that alone was just incredible. The Boogie Men and Rockin’ Dopise whipped the crowd into such a frenzy! The sun as shining on the Dome, the air was warm, the beer was plentiful. There was singing and dancing and making new friends. We decided to leave and find a place to watch the game and as we were trying to fight through the mobs and mobs of people still walking to the Dome, it was such an incredible feeling! Traffic cops yelling Who Dat before letting people cross, bands playing on the sidewalks, trucks filled with people throwing beads!

We ended up at a bar not far from the Dome that had a giant projection screen, settled in with some food and drinks and got ready. In the 3rd quarter Mike texted me to tell me our satellite went out and he could not get the game! He asked me what was going on. Um, yeah. My text back went something like this “one of the V guys dropped the ball and a bunch of guys were running after it and one of the S’s almost had it but he didnt and then another S guy jumped on it”. He didn’t ask me anymore and decided to just call one of his friends,lol! We were pretty much deaf when we left the Dome, but the noise level in this small bar finished up the job by the time the game was over. The emotional roller coaster was almost too much to bear. When the game went into OT I about nearly threw up. Then when the Saints won the coin toss I nearly cried. When Garret Hartley kicked that field goal I did cry! Everyone in the room did! It was shock and amazement…it was true. The Saints were going to the Superbowl!

We left to join the party on the streets and what a party it was! NO CITY CELEBRATES LIKE NEW ORLEANS!!! The party spilled from bars and homes into the streets, brass bands played and parades started. The streets become parking lots of horn honking and people yelling “Who Dat”! Mardi Gras does not even compare to the party in the French Quarter that night!

And to further show how much this city loves its Saints, when those boys return from Miami, with or without that trophy, they will be heralded as royalty. Drew Brees will reign over Bacchus, Sean Payton is one of the monarchs with Orpheus and Tom Benson is Grand Marshall of Endymion. He will be joined by some of the Saints players. The city will honor and celebrate the team no matter what the outcome of the Superbowl. Who Dat!

I have never ever been prouder of my beloved city than I was this weekend. Every Vikings fan I talked to commented on how well received they were by everyone in New Orleans and how they enjoyed themselves. Once couple I spoke to in the airport told me they travel around to Vikings games, that’s what they love to do and how they get to visit different cities. They said they have never ever ever been welcomed as warmly as they were in NOLA. Every person they came in contact with was friendly and gracious and wanted to make sure they were having a good time. They said they will be back for a longer visit for sure, they just loved the city! Love to hear that! Another group had a chance to take a Katrina tour and they said they were shocked by the extent of the damage and how much work there is still to be done. They said they don’t get that kind of information where they live, they had no idea it was still so bad in some areas.

Now I only wish I could go back to NOLA for the Superbowl. The hell with Miami, the real party will be in New Orleans, where lots of men will be walking down the street wearing a dress! A lot more than usual anyway!

GEAUX SAINTS!

I am in the processing our first vacation of the year. Usually the first vacation is to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. But this year we are doing something different. We are going to L.A. to visit Jimmy! I am really really excited about this as I have have never been to the West Coast and I can not wait to see Jimmy! We aren’t going until March but that will be here so quickly! There is a piece of me that is sad that we are not going to Mardi Gras. I will miss it, but having L.A. to look forward to makes it easier.

It’s a bit harder planning this trip. Going to New Orleans is like going to our second home. There is really no planning necessary. We have our favorite hotels and restaurants and shoppes. We have seen and done so much that we basically just go and wing it. There is really nothing pressing that we have to see or do, its just time to relax and enjoy being “home”.

Going to CA is a different story. There is so much planning to be done! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE it! I love doing the research on hotels and locations and flights and organizing and making all the arrangements. I am never happier than when I am planning a trip somewhere!

Our flights and hotels are the first priority and I took care of that today. We are flying out of JFK on VIrgin American which is pretty exciting itself. Looks like a really nice airline! I have been going crazy looking for hotels. We decided we wanted to stay close to Jimmy since the main purpose of the trip is to see him. So I centered my search around Santa Monica. I used Kayak to get a first listing of hotels in the area along with the Fodors Guide to LA. Made a list and started a spreadsheet so I could compare hotels based on location, price, type of room, pool, breakfast, parking. It was easy to eliminate anything out of our price range. Then I went to Yelp and Trip Advisor to get some reviews and ratings of the hotels left on my list. Got a few more crossed off based on multiple, consistent bad reviews. I was finally down to two. THe first one was a block from the beach, free parking, pool, no breakfast with an apartment type room. Separate bedroom, Living room, dining room, full kitchen. The other was a typical hotel, one room, two beds, free parking, no pool, IHOP on site, 16 blocks from the beach with a free shuttle to and from beach/Pier. The deciding factor was the price. The one farther from the beach is about $700 cheaper for the week. Although we would have more space with the apt., we really don’t plan on spending that much time in our hotel. We have so much we want to do! So I booked the hotel today. Best thing, no payment up front!

My next dilemma was figuring out how to get to and from JFK with the least hassle. Our flight leaves at 11:30 am so we thought it would be best to go to NY the night before rather than stress about driving in early that morning and face traffic, construction, and who knows what else. At first I thought we would just get a room near the airport and drive right there. But I just wasn’t comfortable with that. Driving to JFK does not appeal to either Mike or I and our cars are fine for driving to and from work, but a drive like that, I would worry about. Plus paying for parking for the week we are gone, then driving home from JFK after travelling all day. It was making me tired and stressed just thinking about it. So after consulting with my NYC expert, I decided a better option for us would be to take the bus into NYC and stay in the city for the night. Then we can catch the Shuttle to JFK in the morning and not have to worry about parking or driving.

To top it off we also just found out that American Idiot will be in previews on Broadway that week! I will try my best to get tickets for that night that we will be in the city! That would be such an awesome way to start off our vacation!

So my To Do list still has a lot on it:

• Make bus reservation to NYC
• Reserve hotel in NYC
• figure out transportation to JFK (shuttle schedule vs. cab
• figure out transportation from LAX to hotel
• Arrange for car rental pick up in Santa Monica
• Plan itinerary including purchasing tickets for Disneyland and Universal Studios
• Arrange for transportation back to LAX
• Shuttle schedule from JFK to Port Authority
• Bus schedule from Port Authority back home

I have a HUGE list of all the things we want to do in L.A. I don’t know if we will get to it all, but we will put forth a good effort! Some things for sure are: all the touristy Hollywood stuff, Universal Studios, Disneyland, tour of Jim Morrison haunts, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, various beaches. I haven’t even started looking at restaurant options! We are getting In & Out burgers for sure. And Mike wants to go to Barney’s Beanery. After that we are open to suggestions, especially for someplace to have a nice brunch on Easter Sunday.

I’m open to any and all suggestions……what are your favorite things to do or eat in L.A?

I know, I’m a day late but yesterday was crazy and we were gone from the house from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm! Last day of visiting with family and eating a huge meal and too many cookies.

Today is a fresh start. No real resolutions as I never follow through with them. I’m on a constant struggle to lose weight so I don’t even want to set that goal for myself as I always end up disappointed and usually 5 lbs heavier!

But this year there are 2 things that I make to make a concerted effort to achieve,

1. Use my reusable shopping bags ALL the time. I have a million of them as they seem to be the chachke du jour for every company at ever job fair I went to. I have no excuse not to use them except that we really like the disposable plastic bags for cleaning out the litter boxes. I’ll have to come up with something else to use for that once we run out.

2. Take more pictures. Honestly I don’t know what is wrong with me. I take my camera with me everywhere but always forget to take it out of the bag and take pictures. I know that if I am having a really good time sometimes I just want to enjoy the moment and dragging out the camera and taking pics tend to take me out of the moment, but I always seem to walk away wishing I had photographic memories…

I think those two things can be achieved and if I happen to lose weight in the process then that is just bonus!

As much as I despise winter and the snow, I was really hoping for a snow day today. Some ares of the country are buried under several feet of snow while here in NE PA we got…slop. I know some people are excited by the 2 hour delay/compressed schedules, but that messes up my day. I needed a full day at home!We have been so busy and I have so much to do. It seems we have somethign going on just about every night!

Last week we had the debacle with Dixie to deal with, we had work Christmas party and basketball on the weekend. Monday night was planning on coloring my hair (ack I see gray hair) but Connor wanted to go watch the 8th grade girls b-ball game so we ended up there-which turned out to be a fun time as all our friends went too. By the time I got home, fed the animals, cleaned litter boxes, watered trees and ironed clothes for Tuesday it was almost 11:00!

Yesterday I raced home to pack up Jimmy’s coats (which he refused to take with him) as it is now 32 degrees in L.A. and the boy has no winter clothes! Wanted to get them to the post office before it closed so he would have them by the weekend (Express mail don’t fail me!!!). Then had to run to the grocery store as we had NO food. Came home, put it all away and ran right out again to take my Dad to dinner for his birthday. Then Connor had basketball practice. I did all the “evening chores” (what are we Little House on the Prairie?) and played with Dixie for a bit, then crashed into bed.

Tonight is another girls b-ball game, tomorrow Connor has a game. Saturday party.(need to make some appetizers for this party-Pioneer Woman to the rescue) Sunday b-ball game and I have a meeting at work.

I was really really hoping for a snow day today so I could finish decorating the tree and finally put away all the Rubbermaid containers that are all over the house and clean the floors really good-dog blowing coat, pie needles, mud from rain=nasty floors!
And I wanted to get Jimmy’s Christmas presents wrapped and start packing them up as I would like to mail them by Tuesday at the latest.

And I have to do Christmas cards at some point. I bought them, need to address and mail them!

Then I need to finish my shopping (hello, entire rest of my family, this year you get to make a donation to the Animal Emergency Hospital in our name!), and I want to bake cookies and send some to Jimmy.

I should take off all of next week but my boss beat me to it! Is it really only 16 days until Christmas?

I know a lot of dog people who don’ particularly like cats. They say they aren’t as friendly or as smart as dogs. Actually, I think cat’s are smarter than dogs. While you an train your dog to respond to signals and commands, I think the cats train us!

Smitty is probably one of the smartest cats I’ve ever encountered. He is so smart you can see him analyzing situations, thinking. We have a balcony over our living room and Jax will jump down from the balcony any time he gets a chance. We used to have a treadmill in the LR and he would climb up to the top of it and leap up into the balcony,it was unbelievable! Since we got rid of the treadmill he just looks up longingly but it’s too far of a jump for him now. We recently bought our Christmas tree and Mike brought a ladder up from the cellar so I could decorate it. The tree is right in the space between the outside windows and the balcony. We set the ladder up and Smitty ran over, climbed up the stairs to the top and sat there looking at the balcony. Next thing you know, he was up there! He used the ladder to get to a high enough to be able to jump up to the balcony.

One time Jax was on top of the refrigerator where we keep one of the cat food bowls (we have to keep them up high so the dog doesn’t eat it all. Apparently it was empty and he kept meowing at us to get our attention but I was busy doing something and couldn’t get to it immediately. The next thin you know he pushed the dish off the refrigerator onto the floor! Connor and I were laughing hysterically! He figured out how to get our attention for sure.

Just this morning Jax proved to me that he is pretty smart too. I was playing with Dixie, with one of those feathers on the end of a string, conncected to a pole…I was waving the feather around and she was chasing it. Jax was sitting watching and I was waiting for him to pounce on her or the feather. I saw him look at the feather and follow the string up to the top where it attached at the pole. Then he jumped up on the table and reached out to grab the string, He proceeded to pull the string around making the feather move and watched Dixie chase it. It was amazing…He would grab the feather, watch her chase it, let her grab it and let go of the string. He kept doing it for a good 10 minutes. Amazing.

So what about you? Tell me a story about your smart cat!