Sup-ah!

This time of year- everything is about the super bowl.  Living in a city that is hosting said bowl?  It's like 3000X worse.  Times 10.  Plus 7.

I thought that you just won a ring and the title- but apparently the winning team also gets the JW Marriott.  Which is impressive considering it's like brand new.

 I wanted NOTHING to do with going downtown.  Capital N to the OTHING.  But Dan kept on with his 'once in a lifetime', 'cool experience for the kids', 'will never happen again in 100,000 years' prodding and we ended up going down there into all that hoopla.

 I've not been happier in a long time.

 It was so cool.  So well organized.  So neatly laid out.  So well thought out.  So upscale.  So not carnivally.  Sooooo muuuuuuuch fuuuuuun.

 And because typically it would be freezing here- there were warming stations, warming domes and overhead heaters everywhere to help keep fans warm.  But since we're being totally robbed of our regular winterness, we all just wore jackets and the kids only visited the fire stations because they were amazing.  Rather than a necessity.

 Everyone on facebook has a picture of themselves in front of the big XLVI on the monument.  Here is mine.  Of course, it's not me.  Nor can you really see the whole thing.  But it was hard to get this picture while driving so this is the best I can do.  And it works for me.

 There are multiple stages set up everywhere with all kinds of performances going on all the time.  This was my favorite.  Fire dancing people.  We were glued to them like..........well, like something that is really stuck to something else (it's early and that's the best I can do).

 We walked up to see what they were setting up for and this nice gentleman looked up and began explaining what time the show was and what they were going to be doing and....

 then he looked over at my husband and said "Well Hey Dan!".  Turns out my husband has fire dancing friends and he didn't even know it.

 This lady was also a belly dancer.  She kept coming close to Sam and talking to him while shaking her coin things on her hips and swinging around that fire- and Sam was about to die of embarrassment.  Isn't it funny that he is already like that around ladies?  He would look away and to the ground and pierce his little lips together. 

 It was so much fun.  And so worth the $20 they were charging to park.  From what I hear, that rate is going up each day that the superbowl gets closer.  Can you imagine?  Our little baby city- we'll never be the same!

Here's our brush with fame.  While driving through the city we saw a huge crowd of people with cameras and flashes and such gathered around a big escalade kind of car and someone got out and was rushed in and it was exhilarating.  Of course, we didn't have the camera out.  But then we were on guard.  While heading home, a police escort brought up another big shiny SUV and we were ready.  Out jumped two secret servicey body guard kind of people who were scanning the crowds and I knew it was someone important.  And then she jumped out.  See the lady all the way to the left with the gray sweater and the black purse and blond hair?  THAT is who they were shuffling in. 

Yeah- I didn't know who she was either.