Sunday, February 6, 2011

Super Bowl Reflections

Hollis and I just finished watching the Super Bowl.  I was pulling for the Packers and they won - I like it.  I am pretty much the only sports fan in my family.  I know - right?  One husband, 4 sons and I'm the sports fan.  I have fellow sports fan females at work and compared to Susan, I'm just barely a sports fan but in my family, I'm it.  I centered Sunday family dinner around the game tonight.  3 of the boys spent the weekend in Houston but all 4 of them, Des and the grandparents managed to find our place for dinner tonight.  The game was on, plenty loud, and I remember hearing at least once while I was putting the food on the table, all 4 boys and Hollis laughing out loud at one commercial.  I cooked 2 chickens in the crock pot all day with some sliced sausage and carrots (pretty good stuff) and made mashed potatoes.  We all sat down to eat and get this - all of the boys and Des left before half time!  The grands stayed until the beginning of the 3rd quarter and then Hollis and I were on our own to watch the rest of the game.  I think it's kinda weird. . .

Then there's last year's Super Bowl.  I really wanted New Orleans to win and they did.  The circumstances around the watching of the game were pretty surreal.  My dad had died 2 days before.  Morgan, Curtis and I had gone to Houston on Saturday and Harris flew into Houston from Georgia on Sunday morning.  We were lovingly housed by my sister-in-law Bonny and nephew Tom.  That Sunday evening, Bonny, my brother Currie and I all watched the game at Bonny's house while we compiled the music that would play at my dad's funeral.  I searched the internet high and low for Willie Nelson's song Turn Out the Lights because it was one of the requests Daddy had made and we planned to play it at the end of the service.  Couldn't find it anywhere.  None of the albums I searched on line had it.  iTunes didn't have it.  It was weird for sure.  Then we made the discovery and I don't remember who made it.  The title of the song is "The Party's Over."  It was right in front of me/us and I wasn't seeing it.  Strange what you remember in situations like that.  I spent an hour or two listening to air checks of my dad so that I could pick good ones to play as well.  Daddy was a pretty good football fan.  He would have been glued to that game.  It was kind of comforting to have it on the TV while we all worked on the CD we were making.  He mostly loved NASCAR though.  I don't think I would have enjoyed having a race playing in the background - not at all.  It was a really good Super Bowl and one I will always remember.  

I don't think tonight's game has that kind of staying power.  I really look forward to discussing it with Susan tomorrow (she calls the Steelers QB Ben Worthless-berger so I know she's thrilled with tonights outcome) but in a few weeks it will fade from my memory as have all the other Super Bowls I've watched over the years.  I don't really want to forget last years game though.  It was a tough time but I was surrounded by people who loved my dad and I was working on my contribution to his memorial service.  It's okay with me that those memories are tied to a football game - especially since the Saints won and I found the song we needed.  Remember, it's called "The Party's Over."