Ben and me - a self portrait before I turned him lose with the cameraI've been very good since GBP season has ended. Ok, kinda good. Well, maybe not the best but starting today (Tuesday after Super Bowl), I'm going to put my best foot forward in 2010 (well at least until September - you can't have it all, right?).
This past Saturday was the outdoor hockey game at Camp Randall in Madison against the Michigan Wolverines. It was on the agenda for a few months now but we hadn't secured tickets until Friday - seriously, who in their right minds wants to sit outside on a February night on metal bleachers and watch hockey? I'll tell you...who 55,000 crazy *ss fans, that's who!! And, just a reminder, no alcohol is served in Camp Randall so yes, these are crazy fans...or fans who get pickled to an acceptable level prior to the puck drop. To give kudos, UW did the right thing and scheduled the women's hockey game at 2 pm; men's hockey at 5 pm. Very PC! Unfortunately, when we flipped a coin to decide if we should go watch hockey at 2 pm or tailgate, you kinda know what won out, don't you? Party on, Garth!
Kevin and I attended this with Barb and Marc - Marge held down the fort in Madison with Ben and Madeline and Sadie and Sophie. Good trade off - we got to to go and drink and freeze and the 'cousins' got to spend quality time with G-Ma. Everybody wins.
This is a picture of Grandma Marge...by Ben.
....another picture of Grandma Marge...
....another picture of Grandma Marge. Ok, cut the kid some slack - he's 2 1/2 years old and his aim isn't spot on (but he's a guy so I'm pretty sure he'll never grow out of that).
While Ben was practicing his photography skills, Madeline took Sadie for a walk around the hood. Now Barb was the one who suggested we depart for the campus at 2 pm. Being the lemmings we are, the rest of us followed her lead. We had rock star parking, thanks to friends of Barb and Marc, so we were basically cracking open a cold one by 2:20...with puck drop not for another 2 1/2 hours. Definitely on the same timeline as every GBP game this year. In hindsight, probably not good. Again. (How many times have I said that in this blog since I started it in September? Seriously?)
Kevin in his 80s sweater; MixMaster Marc with his 'hammer pants' and Barb enjoying the pre-game festivities. Yes, those are tree stumps in the background. What the?Here's the thing when you start drinking outside in 20 degree temps...you know you're not gonna last long without a porty potty close by. Unfortunately, the lot we were in did NOT have such a luxury. So, after an hour or so, we decided it was time to beat cheeks and find a bar.
I now know why Marc wasn't b-otching about having to use the rest room - he finally wore that ASTRONAUT diaper that he's been talking about for how many tailgates now. That is some diaper. Impressive.Unfortunately, the other 54,996 people there for hockey had the same idea. AAARRRGGG!! Long lines - no outdoor beer gardens (Madison city rules - booooo) - and Kevin with his little lady bladder. Thank goodness for the teeny, tiniest Thai restaurant on Regent Street - Vientiane Palace. Lao/Thai food and cold beer...and a warm bathroom. Yeehaaaa!! Did it matter that every beer was $5 per bottle - hell no! Did it matter that you got to hear every guy's bathroom story and the woes with his marriage - again, no! All that mattered is that we were warm; there was a one-holer; we had a place to stand and, we had beer. That is, until the beer ran out. NO??? YES!! They had to make an emergency run to Woodman's (not once, but I think twice) for whatever beer they could get their hands on - in fact, I really have no idea what I was drinking. I know it was Thai or Indian - maybe Elephant? I know I had at least one Singha. Again, does it matter?
As much as they wanted to cook and serve food, their business was all BAR today. And then when the beer ran out, people switched to wine. There was NO way I was going down that path. That truly is the path to destruction and I think you all would agree with that.
Now, when we entered the restaurant, we made a bee line for the rest room. And then we kinda hunkered down there.
No, that's not steam from the 'workout' that restroom was getting, it's my camera lens fogging up from being in the frigid temps. Really, it is.Well, more people came in and were kinda milling around and then Barb looked at these two Michigan fans and said 'hey, $5 to use the bathroom.' Nope, they weren't buying. About 10 minutes later, the one kid said 'man, what I wouldn't do for a urinal right now.' Ok, right there, we realized that there was some confusion in the restaurant - all these guys that had come in and were 'milling' around thought we were in line for the restroom. HAHAHA!! In hindsight, we should have let it go, but we didn't. Barb then asked Mr. Michigan again 'do you have to go?' "YES!! Isn't this the line?" Ahhh, that would be a negative.
This is what two Wolverine fans look like when they need to go..really, really bad! Menacing! So then it was a stampede for the rest room and it was funny! I started kinda monitoring the 'urgency' and tried to jockey dudes in position. How nice was that? And we even let the two Wolverine boys in and didn't make them pay. Mighty white, I know.
This is what two Wolverine fans look like 'after the rapture.' See the difference? Not so frightening now, huh?Well, after this craziness is when the beer ran out so we were in hold mode. Barb and I decided to go pick on the Michigan boys because, well, that is what we do. Badger (get it) the opposition. They were wonderful kids and took the ribbing (is Ann Arbor really a wh*re?) all in stride.
Scott, Barb, me and Eric. One big happy, Big 10 family!!We talked hockey (daaaa) and football (double daaaa) and just stupid. Good fun. Eric, my new attorney when I need one and Scott, who can assist with merchandising when this blog takes off, both ventured to Madison just for the game - from Michigan and Minnesota. We also ran into some dude who flew in from Phoenix for this game - he told us this as he was waiting in line for the loo. It's really amazing the things you learn about people while in line for the john?
This is after the beer supply had been replenished. Marc looks like a ravenous vulture, doesn't he?Anyhow, beer arrived - one more and then it was time to hit the stadium. Man, that restaurant was nice - and warm - and it had beer. Camp Randall was cold and damp and dark and it had no beer. But it had hockey and that's why we were there! Awesome crowd. Lots of energy! So fun to be at Camp Randall again - last time I was here it was Halloween and we all know how that weekend went down (see ‘the importance of underwear at a GBP game’ blog from November 2nd).
Ok, see the 88 Richter sign on the upper deck? Go directly up to the second row from the top - yes, WAAAAAAYYY up there. That's where Barb and I sat with Lance and TJ on Halloween. And you wonder why we bailed at halftime... How the heck did we even get up there is a better question?
This is in between periods - what the hell is he cheering for? The Zamboni?Badgers scored - then Michigan scored and then it kind of stood still. Too still.
This shot alarms me. Is that Kevin or Nanook of the North cuddling up to Marc? Yes Kevin, we know you were the warmest at this event with your 650 fill down coat - keep it up! 
Seriously, has Kevin grown his beard around the hood of his jacket? Take a closer look at this? Someone call Guinness!!After the second period, our husbands were no where to be found. When they did surface, they had had it and wanted to leave. Huhhhh? It's like we just got there. Barb and I were pretty content. But since Marc was driving and neither Barb or I had money or phones (I know - what were we thinking), we were forced to leave. Booo! Otherwise, had there been money and phones, we're pretty sure we would have been bugging Eric and Scott, our new Michigan friends, to continue the party while we sent the husbands home. Yeaaaa!!
Ok, I am still laughing about this. Of course it is staged but that's because we watched some drunken threesome 'charter' their way thru the unshoveled bleachers on the other side of the stadium prior to this. It took one of the guys 5 minutes to get up after piling it. And then another near digger. And another. And another. Danger kitty!! Barb and I were laughing like hyenas about this for an eternity. And it's still funny today!!! By then, I was cold. It was like the buzz wore off and it was time to find heat.
Proof that we were indeed at the hockey game. We then ended up at a restaurant with food and martinis and heat and hockey and all was well. And in the end, the Badgers prevailed and sealed the game with seconds left. What a fun thing to be part of!! I hope they decide to do it again at Lambeau like they did how many years ago - it's a good time!
So Sunday morning we hung out with the kids. Madeline and I taught Ben some new 'words' to add to his vocabulary.
#1 - treadmills and kids do NOT go together; #2 - this has trouble written all over it; #3 - note what is going on here - immediately after I took this, Ben piled it and slowly slid off the treadmill like a frozen pizza on a conveyor belt - it was a RIOT! I'm still laughing about that visual. Yes, I am a mean Aunt, but it was funny - those kids would have been laughing at me had I done it. Relax - no blood, no foul - he was fine. Just a little road rash on his cheek that will clear up in a few weeks. haha!These two kids are going to be giants - they are. Madeline is all arms and legs and Ben is just a strong little sh(t. They are so fun to be around! Always lots of laughter with them.
Back to Pickett and then onto Appleton to watch the Super Bowl with Brenda and folks. Don't ask me why, but this game just didn't have the draw or the excitement as every other game this year has had (probably because #12 and #4 were no where to be found to stir up the pot of shenanigans). Kinda anticlimactic, perhaps? Wiseguys was not overly populated but Mike treated everyone GREAT with lots of free food. I went to the bar with the goal of not drinking, but could not resist a bloody mary and a few Bud Lite Limes (I'm telling you, I love those beer - they are just plain good!!).
Patti hates my camera and told me more than a few times were to place it. Huh? 
Here, Lance is dissing my boy, Aaron Rodgers - again! It's like a poke to the eye with a stick- it just gets under my skin. I decide to choke the snot out of him. 
Brenda tries to call her bookie and change her bet. 
Amy and Nate - Amy and I were comparing notes as to the last time we were together at Wiseguys and both agreed that XX amount of shots was just plain wrong!!Let’s face it, it was a defensive game and those are boring – thank goodness for the commercials. But could the game have ended any better? Good for the Saints! And amazingly enough, most everyone won some sort of $$ on pools that they were on. It was a golden day! NFC win – extra money in the pocket – free food – with lots of the same faces from the rest of the football season – it just seemed fitting to be there to say adieu to the 09/10 season. But let’s face it, does football ever really END in WI?
So now it is time to put away the military fatigues and all the Packer/Badger gear – time to think serious training and put away the can cooler and put down the fork. Easier said than done – but I’m going to try.
But wait, the Olympics start on Friday in the homeland to the north - that's a party in and of itself! So crack open a Molson, settle in and enjoy the gorgeous sights of Vancouver/Whistler/Blackcomb, BC - I'll bet $$ you will want to go there after you see what that area has to offer. Ohhhhhh, Ca - na - daaaaaaaaaa!!
