Daily Dose of Crazy

It was a weird morning.

Before I headed out to the game, I took Barney for a walk to the dog park. I wanted to make sure he got plenty of exercise because he was going to be inside most of the day while we were at the stadium. There were about 20 other dogs and owners when we got there. Barney is a bit of a baby sometimes when it comes to new situations so it took him a while to make new friends. He kind of looked like the new kid on the first day of school.

I am minding my own business, petting the dogs that come up to me and watching Barney play. This woman wanders over and asks where I got my sunglasses. I honestly didn't know where they are from because I stole them from my mom when we moved. So I told her they were from Target, which is where I buy everything else I own. The rest of the conversation goes something like this:

Crazy lady: "Those are my glasses!"

Me: "Umm...what?"

Crazy lady: "Did you find those glasses on the trail? I lost mine last week. Those are mine. I have to wear polarized sunglasses or else I squint." (as she squints her eyes at me)

Me: "No, sorry. These are mine."

Crazy lady: "Yes they are, let me see them!" (As she comes next to me to get a closer look)

Me: "No, I got these in Phoenix and I wouldn't wear something I found on the trail."

Crazy lady: (after close scrutiny) "Oh now I know they are yours because mine were missing a crystal on the side."

Me: "Umm...yea. I need to go get my dog now. Its time to leave."

Just when I thought I was done dealing with weirdos, I came across a man on the nature trail. The nature trail looks just like it sounds. It is a path through the woods, with thousands of trees all around. You would think that, if you happened to need to use the bathroom while on the trail, there would be plenty of options in the woods that offer privacy and convenience. But, no. As I turn a corner I notice a man with his back to me and a small dog at his feet. With all the trees available, this man has chosen to pee on the trail marker sign right next to the path. Awesome. Either he finished or heard us coming, but he zipped up and turned around right as we were trying to scoot past him. Of course Barney decides he needs to say hi to the little dog and tries to pull me in the direction. As I'm struggling with the leash, this man tries to strike up a conversation with me about how big Barney is. Seriously buddy?! Who would want to talk to you after you got done peeing on the trail?! Gross. I quickly moved past them and headed home.

Who would have thought that such a beautiful Sunday morning would bring out the crazies? I guess all the normal people were in church...

Halloween: Part 1

Our Halloween celebrations started off with a bang. On Friday night we went to a costume party hosted by one of the Panthers video guys and his wife. The party was at an awesome 80's bar called The Breakfast Club and both the music and decor were authentic.

As for costumes...JJ went as Dwight Schrute from the NBC show The Office. For anyone who watches the show, you will appreciate how funny this is. Originally I was going to go as Angela, Dwight's on again off again girlfriend, but had a last minute change of heart while shopping at TJ Maxx for the costumes. I found my inspiration in a synthetic fabric, low cut, leopard print dress. The second I saw it I knew I had to use it. The cougar costume was born. For those who don't know, a cougar is an older woman (typically a divorcee), who dresses up to the nines to go clubbing with the intent of landing a younger man.

I think my favorite part of the night was JJ introducing me to all of the guys who work for the Panthers. He introduced me as, "This is my wife, Laura. She's a cougar." I explained to him that no one else was introducing their date by their costumes, so maybe he should stop so people don't get the wrong idea about me.

I think I will retire the leopard dress for now.

Return of the Barnacle

Finally! We have our puppy in Charlotte with us!

Rick and JJ's aunt Kathy drove him out and arrived on Tuesday. Barney is now a very well traveled pup. After leaving Phoenix with Rick, they stopped in Santa Fe, NM to pick up Kathy and then headed to Amarillo, TX. They also made stops in Little Rock, AR and Nashville, TN before arriving at our house in Charrlotte. Quite a road trip for the little guy! I hope he gets used to it because we might be doing that same cross country drive twice a year for the next few years.

We told Rick to let Barney go straight to the back yard when they arrived, knowing that he often pees out of excitement. Well, unfortunately that plan failed and he ended up rolling over onto his back and peeing all over JJ. Luckily for me, I was a few seconds behind JJ and missed Barney's house warming gift.

Barney is settling in nicely to his new environment, and enjoying the neighborhoods trails with me. Today on our walk I discovered Barney is terrified of upsidedown wheel barrows, fake tombstone Halloween decorations, and lawn mowers. OK, so maybe he isn't totally comfortable with his new surroundings, but at least he looks happy in the picture!

In addition to walks, Barney has enjoyed several naps. JJ has also decided to join in on some of these naps.

Barney made friends with the dog across the street. She is a a little Puganese (Pug mixed with a Pekingese) who thinks that Barney is the best thing ever. She originally ran over to check out Barney and they raced back forth on opposite side of the fence and then her owner asked if we could put her in the yard with Barney. It is hilarious to see them play because she is no more than 12 pounds and Barney is about 80. He could eat her for a snack, but he just loves her and is so gentle playing with her. Precious!

I am so happy to have both of my boys here!

The Sign of True Friendship

Obviously since we are new in town and new to the team, one of our first goals was to make new friends. We have been so lucky in all the other places we have lived to make lifelong friends, and hope that it is no different here.

Sunday night after leaving a post game party at a new friends' house, we had an interesting conversation. We were talking about how you know when you cross the line of being acquaintances to being friends. JJ and I have different ways to measure the levels of friendship.

JJ bases his level of friendship on whether or not you are comfortable helping yourself to their refrigerator. Check! It all comes down to food and beer.

Apparently, I judge the friendship by whether or not I am comfortable enough to nap on your couch after an evening of celebrating. Check! Keep in mind I said nap, not pass out. That is a whole different ball game.

I know these are reliable measuring sticks because they have been proven in the past, most recently Green Bay. We knew we were friends with the Crosbys after the first episode of a group nap took place. We all fell asleep on the couches after a prime time tv marathon one night. The best part was, we were all comfortable enough to continue this tradition on several different occasions. And, I think JJ was helping himself to their fridge after the second or third time he visited.

So here's to new friends in Charlotte, yay!

Taste of the Panthers

Last night we were lucky enough to be part of the Taste of the Panthers event benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank. There were about 15 different restaurants who brought their signature dishes for everyone to sample along with wine to pair with the dish. All the food was amazing, and the wine was plentiful.

There were current and former Panthers players at each booth to mix and mingle with the guests, sign autographs and take pictures. I still get a kick out of people wanting JJ's autograph so I spent the evening taking pictures of him with the fans. I think I was creeping out the chef at JJ's booth with my obsessive picture taking until JJ introduced me as his wife. No sir, I swear I'm not just a deranged fan obsessed with the long snapper.

They also had a silent auction which was way more fun than I thought it would be. We ended up winning two golf packages and a yoga package for super cheap. The first thing JJ said after I told him we won..."Awesome, we can write this off as a charitable contribution!" Ah, still an accountant at heart.

Funny story, before all of the guys were assigned to their booth they were walking around and talking to each other and the VIP guests who paid extra to get there early. All the guests brought footballs and jerseys to get signed and take pictures. The players weren't wearing anything special to let people know who they were, but for the most part you could tell. Most people figured out JJ was a player, but there was one woman who I saw multiple time throughout the night who just couldn't decide. Instead of just coming up and asking, she would study him from afar and flip through the program trying to figure it out. Then she would disappear for a bit and return only to continue the awkward game of "who's who". You could tell she was trying hard not to miss a single player, but I just had to laugh.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of JJ and his fans from the evening!

Other highlights were meeting people in the organization that I hear about all the time. It's nice to put a face to the names I hear JJ talking about. I also got to meet the new team president, who was the athletic director at TCU while I was there. So glad we got to be part of this, and can't wait to do it again next year!

The Main Attraction

Day 2 of our Asheville getaway was visiting The Biltmore Estate, I felt like we were in a different world. The house was unreal, the property was gorgeous, the leaves were changing and the weather was perfect.

We toured the house and surrounding gardens, drove out to the farm and played at the petting zoo, visited the winery for a tasting, and then finished up the day having a fabulous meal made from food grown on the estate. I don't think I can do it justice by describing how beautiful it was so I will just share a few of the MANY pictures we took while there.

Overlooking the house, ready to begin our adventure

The Biltmore House

The Italian Gardens, just off the house

Fall colors in the gardens

The farm

The petting zoo and JJ's new bff

Classy grey t-shirt at the wine tasting

Sipping our new favorite bubbly, the Biltmore Blanc de Noir

Fall colors on the estate

Views from the estate

View from the balcony of house

We had so much fun that we ended up buying the yearlong pass so we can go back and see it during different seasons. I can't wait for my family to come visit so I can take them out there to enjoy all the decorations at Christmas time!

Southern Living

I bought my first issue of Southern Living on Saturday night. I saw it while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store (yes, I spent Saturday night at the grocery store). I figured it would be another great way to embrace my surroundings and pick up some fun new ideas about living in the South.

One full page ad caught my attention: The Biltmore, America's Largest Home. I had heard about the estate from my mom and sister, who are architecture/interior design experts and was already planning on going closer to Christmas when they came to visit. But, apparently I am a sucker for good advertising and got online right away. I was blown away by the pictures on the website and all of the information about visiting in the fall to see the leaves change color. It made me want to visit immediately.

Well, that was Saturday night at 11pm and by Sunday evening after the game, I had convinced JJ to take advantage of their "Victory Monday" (thank you God for a victory finally!) schedule and take me to Asheville which is about 2 hours from Charlotte, up in the mountains. They always have Tuesdays off, but the low-stress schedule for Monday allowed us to leave early.

So we hit the road, with little to planning. I mean, we didn't even have a hotel booked. This is a big deal for us (mainly me), we (again, me) are definitely not the most spontaneous. I am the type that researches vacations months in advance. I want to maximize our time in new places because in my mind, we may never again get to come back! I think of it as being efficient and economical, JJ thinks of it as me being a bit of a control freak. Maybe its a little of both?

Anyway, we got to Asheville despite a consistent downpour and enjoyed the beautiful fall colors and mountain scenery on the drive. The mountains here are very different from the mountains I am used to in Colorado, but beautiful regardless. We easily found a hotel for the night and then headed downtown to explore.

I love mountain towns and the laid back, hippie-ish attitude of the locals. We wandered around downtown, enjoying the typical boutique stores you would expect and found an amazing tapas and wine bar called Zambra. It featured lots of local ingredients, really great Spanish wine and a fantastic atmosphere due to the interior design. We had local trout, seared NC scallops, a Spanish cheese plate, smoked lamb tacos, and a Spanish sausage chimi. Yummm!

Next, at the suggestion of our waitress, we wandered over to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, and yes, it was as good as it sounds. Their signature item is a liquid truffle and it was as rich as some of JJ's teammates. We got the Buddha, which is a bittersweet chocolate and coconut milk mixture and also got a lavender chocolate truffle.

Tomorrow we are spending the day at the Biltmore, enjoying a tour of the house, gardens, winery and farm. I am charging the camera in anticipation of BEAUTIFUL pictures to share.

Double Digits

Today I ran 10 miles. 10 miles!

Holy cow that is a lot of miles. The whole time I was running I just kept thinking about the totally awesome blog post I could write after such an accomplishment.

Not to take away from this personal achievement, but I have to share an interesting story from my run. I was coming up on the 9.5 mile marker and only had .5 left. I knew I could choose to turn right in a bit and go down onto the nature trail or I could stay on the path and keep running straight. There are really no advantages to either one, but I decided I would rather just keep running straight. About the same time I made this decision I looked up and noticed a small obstacle between me and finishing my 10 mile goal. A young buck. No, not a strong young man. A male deer. With antlers. Standing in the middle of the path.

I have seen plenty of deer on my runs before, but always the females and they always run away the second they see me. OK, well I guess this guy is a little bolder than the others I have seen before. So I decided to wave my arms and make noise with my water bottle while I kept running to get him to move. No such luck. I was still about 150 yards away from this guy and he isn't budging after all of my efforts. I didn't want to stop running so close to my goal so I kept going, hoping he would move as I got closer. Well, the good news is he did move. The bad news is, he was moving towards me. Uhhhhh...this can't be good.

I had no interest in taking on those antlers so I quickly made the decision to turn around and head back to the nature trail to finish up. Not without glancing behind me a few time just to be sure my new friend wasn't following me. The rest of the run was uneventful and I finished feeling so proud of myself and so excited about what I had just done.

I have just under a month left until my first ever half marathon. The excitment is building!

Pimp My Stadium

I didn’t fully understand the merit of all the hype until I saw IT. IT is the stadium of all stadiums, Cowboys Stadium. I hear you can see it from space. Unfortunately, we failed to see it from our parking pace a mile away. In the midst of our wandering we stumbled upon the recently opened Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in Arlington (we had one near TCU and I ate there more often than I care to admit publicly). So, instead of deal with the stress of locating the stadium immediately, we stopped in for a beer and some fish tacos (best I’ve ever had). The beer gods were shining down on us as the Coors Light Girls spotted us and rewarded us for choosing Blue Moon (a Coors product) with a free round. What a great start to the evening.

Next, we started out on our one mile journey towards the stadium (Brian led the way, because I still couldn’t see it). But once we turned the corner, there it was in all its glory. It is tall enough to fit the Statue of Liberty and the exterior looks like it belongs in the movie Independence Day, slightly spaceship-esque. It was a bit of a walk, but worth it to avoid the $75 parking fee.

We got there with 15 minutes till kick off and we still had to pick up our post-game passes to see JJ at will call. Too bad for me, we were at the South Side will call, and needed to be at the North Side will call. I sent everyone else in to enjoy kick off and Stosh and I ran off to to get the passes. It was a frantic few minutes to say the least. After, lots of bad directions, huge crowds and long lines we got the passes and ran to find our seats. In all the confusion, we failed to notice the escalators to the top of the stadium. Instead, we took the stairs. I lost count after the 8th flight of stairs. I just want to point out that we were in the second to last row at the top of the stadium. Just a reminder, this is the same stadium that is tall enough to fit the Statue of Liberty inside. Needless to say, I was glowing (aka dripping with sweat) by the time we found our seats. But, the good news is we made just in time for kick off! Good thing they were running late.

Now that we were in our seats I had a chance to look around and admire the House that Jerry Built. The video screen at the top (well, from where we were sitting it seemed to be at eye level) was the biggest thing I have ever seen. It is 160 feet long and the world's largest HD video display. The next thing to catch my eye was the section behind the end zone specifically set up for caged pole dancers. Sweet. Talk about necessary entertainment at a pro-football game.

The game didn't go as I had hoped, but I still had a blast watching the fans around us. We almost witnessed a brawl between two really scary Panthers fans and a group of drunk frat boy Cowboy fans (who were later escorted out for their comments to surrounding Panthers fans). I tried to make friends with the scariest Panther fan, because obviously, if things went down I would want him on my team. I think it worked. Maybe we can be pen pals when he undoubtedly ends up in prison.

We were all able to meet up with JJ after the game in what was basically a holding pen. We were supposed to stay inside the pen and the players were allowed to come up and talk to us. It felt a bit like a petting zoo so JJ snuck over to our side. Unfortunately, he has a hard time convincing security that he was a player when he tried to get out to go to the buses later.

I am looking forward to the next away game trip, which will be back to Phoenix Oct. 28. Until then, I am relaxing in Charlotte getting ready for more visitors.

God Bless Texas

I love going back to Texas, it just has so many good memories and so many good friends (and Central Market). This past weekend I was able to catch up Carolyn, Katie and Brian, Geoff and Bobby, Stosh and lots of sorority sisters at a wedding.

I will start with my sister. This was a combination bonding/birthday/football weekend for us and we took advantage of every possible opportunity for fun. We went shopping, celebrated her 21-ness at a tapas/sangria bar, toured SMU and the Kappa house, and just enjoyed being in the same state again. There is never a dull moment with Carolyn and she manages to make new friends everywhere we go. Especially male friends, who like to buy her drinks, and then take her on dates. I am always amazed and impressed. So glad I was able to witness it first hand, haha!

Another highlight of my trip was seeing an old roommate/sorority sister, Katie, and her BF Brian. I hadn’t seen them since the wedding and there was so much going on that weekend, I didn’t get nearly enough time with them. Every time I see Katie, it makes me wish I still lived with her. Don’t get me wrong, I love living with JJ but I sure miss the Family Dinners and Project Runway marathons we had at the “House of Champions”. Plus, Katie is one of the cleanest people I know, and it was wonderful to come home from work every Friday to a spotless house (sorry JJ, I will never live up to that). It was a nice transition from college and could really be called Theta: The Post-College Years. Anyway, it made me immensely happy to sit in her living room, eating cookies and talking all evening.


Geoff and Bobby are two of JJ’s best friends from college and I really have adopted them as my own too. Sometimes I forget I didn’t actually go to school with them. I love being around these two and JJ because the stories that get told are ridiculous, and it just makes me that much more impressed that they all survived college and are now productive members of society (I am specifically referring to the "Drunk Olympics" that involved, among other events, a swim across the pond at the apartment complex).

Fortunately the scheduling worked out well and the Cowboys game coincided with Courtney Casey’s wedding in Dallas. It was really fun to go to a friend’s wedding (even though I had to go solo because JJ was still In Charlotte for practice, rude) so close to ours because I was still totally in wedding mode. I was good to see lots of girls, both younger and older, that I hadn’t seen since graduation.

JJ got into town on Sunday and we were all able to meet up with him for dinner. Well, I don’t know if you can really call it dinner because we got there at 4:30…early bird special. It made me so happy to see all of our friends from different stages of our lives all together having a good time.

The culmination of the trip, the first Monday Night Football game in the new Cowboys Stadium, deserves a post of its own so I will save it for later.

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better trip or better friends. Hopefully JJ continues to play away games in cities that I love.

Happy Trails to You

I am officially one month away from my first half marathon and the training is getting intense. Luckily, I have a beautiful trail system right by our house that makes the long runs go by a little faster. Just thought I would share some of the views from the trails!

Cottonwood Nature Trail

McAlpine Creek Greenway

McAlpine Cross Country Course

Love Thee Notre Dame

The second part of our bye week trip was going to South Bend for the Notre Dame v. Washington game. It had been almost a year since we had been back on the beautiful campus for a game and we were both really looking forward to it.

On the drive from Green Bay the clouds were getting darker and the temperature was dropping. After a quick check of weather.com on my phone, JJ and I realized that neither one of us had packed appropriately for Midwest weather. You would think I would have learned by now after four years of visiting JJ and then living in Green Bay for a bit. But no.

We ran in and scanned the condo for additional layers of clothing before heading to the game. On my treasure hunt I found a green jacket (XL) and an old pair of tennis shoes (2 sizes too small) and a ND hat. So as you can imagine, I looked really put together and fashion forward. Oh well, its just a football game after all.

JJ had talked to the Letterman's Association beforehand and had secured us sideline passes for pre=game warm-ups (it's nice to feel like a high roller, especially when you are dressed like a homeless person). After running around the stadium and trying 3 different entrances, we finally found the media entrance and made our way down to the field. The sun started to peek out and I was feeling pretty good about maybe being able to ditch a few layers. We saw some of JJ's former teammates and enjoyed the pre-game festivities. JJ knew one of the security guards on the field o we walked over to talk to him and see if we could stay on the field for the rest of the game. He didn't seem to mind, and told us to just hang around until someone told us to leave. So we did. About the same time the game started, the clouds came back and the temperature dropped. I was thankful for my extra layers.

We stayed near the ND bench and continued to talk to Brandon Walker and Ryan Burkhart throughout the entire game. They were telling JJ about all the operation times of special teams and pretty much making us feel like part of the coaching staff. Way fun.

The first half was really exciting with lots of lead changes and big plays, and we were right there to see and hear every thing. Half-time rolled around and the skies opened up and poured down rain. We couldn't leave the field to hide out underneath the stadium because we didn't have passes to get back down to the sideline. I was soaked within 5 minutes. Cold and wet are not my favorite combination. I promised JJ I could suck it up for the rest of the game. Well, that attitude lasted for about 10 minutes into the third quarter before I bailed. I told JJ I would meet him back at the condo and promised I would be in a much better mood. On my way out I stopped to get something to eat at the concession stand and JJ walked up about 30 seconds later. He decided that it wouldn't be nearly as much fun without me there. So sweet, right? Well, actually he decided that his wet, long sleeve t-shirt was not going to keep him warm enough for the next 2 hours. We got back to the condo, put our wet clothes in the dryer and enjoyed the rest of the game from the comfort of a warm couch.

After the game, we hosted an impromptu party at the condo. We ordered way too much pizza and Mrs. Walker brought over the rest of their tailgate dishes (including the most amazing cupcakes) and we had a great (warm) time. I think we crammed about 20 people into that condo comfortably. It was so great to see Brandon, Ryan and Haley (Ryan's fiancee) and their families. We had great intentions of going out for a few drinks, but were just too tired. We didn't feel too much like the old married couple because even the young college kids were ready to call it a night.

We enjoyed sleeping in the next morning and then hopped back on the road to get back to Chicago to fly home. Even though our 3 day trip included and additional 10 hours of drive trip in addition to all the flight time, we had a blast and got to see some very important people. A good time was had by all.

After 3 straight weekends of travel, I will be enjoying the next few weekends at home, getting ready for visitors.

Brats, Beers and Cheese Heads

JJ and I took advantage of his 3 days off for the bye week and headed up north. After a minor delay we flew to Chicago and then drove up to Green Bay, getting in around midnight. The Crosby's were nice enough to open up their house for a "big kid sleepover". We knew that Mason had practice early the next morning so we planned on heading straight to bed after giving their black lab a little love. We were quite surprised when a golden little fuzz ball appeared at the top of the stairs to greet us! Little did we know Mason bought Molly a golden retriever puppy two days before we got there. What a great way to start our vacation!

The next morning was rainy and cold so we all (minus Mason) slept in a bit and relaxed in the living room letting the puppy run all over us. She was full of energy and their black lab was just starting to get used to playing with this new toy. It was so cute to watch. Molly made us breakfast and we got caught up on everything that has been going on since we last talked.

After a relaxing morning, Molly and I left JJ behind to puppy-sit and met up With Emily Nelson for lunch at one of my favorite Green Bay lunch places. Last year we lived in historic downtown De Pere and every time we had guests in town, I would walk them down to this adorable bakery/cafe for lunch. What a treat to be "ladies who lunch" with such great friends. It was especially fun to see Emily because I got to see her little baby bump! She is still so tiny and the bump is just adorable.

After lunch we spent time hanging out with the puppies at their house and watch JJ and Mason catch up on making fun of each other. Its almost like watching a sit-com the way they go back and forth. We got ready for the one thing JJ had been looking forward to the most on this trip, dinner at Koko's. Now, JJ and I have both blessed enough to travel quite a bit and enjoy fine dining all over, but we have never had better sushi than Koko's in Green Bay, WI. Who would have thought sushi in Wisconsin?! Maybe its the atmosphere, the fun drink list, the great conversations we shared over numerous dinners there (often multiple times in a week) or maybe the sushi is just that good. Whatever it is, we haven't found better sushi. Needless to say, we were both very excited.

Sushi was followed by another Green Bay tradition, game night! The Nelson's joined up with us back at the house for an evening of Imagine If. The game poses questions like "Imagine if JJ was a tv channel, which one would he be? A. The Food Network, B. Animal Planet, C. ESPN, D. BET E. Comedy Central. Obviously the correct answer was D. BET. The point of the game is to pick the same answer as the majority of the players to get points. It was very funny and very entertaining, especially after all of the beverages off of the fun drink list at Koko's.

We were sad to leave the next morning, but we had to hit the road to get to South Bend in time for the Notre Dame game. Can't wait to see the Crosbys and the Nelsons again soon!