I spent three hours Sunday with the dog watching Super Bowl XXXI on the NFL Network. I had never seen an entire replay of the whole thing.

My immediate impression was how young John Madden and Brett looked. Amazing what 11 years does to people.

It had been on less than 15 minutes when John Madden referred to Fritz Shurmur the first time. When Doug Evans grabbed the first interception of the game, they showed Fritz hugging him on the sidelines.

So I guess that's when the tears started. And three hours later, I just kind of felt empty.

I guess maybe subconsciously that's why I haven't watched it before (aside from the fact that I don't have a complete copy).

It's really hard to watch that and not be able to talk to Fritz about the game.

I remember so much from that day so crystal clearly. But I had no idea that John Madden mentioned him as often as he did. Truly humbling.

And when I told Mouse Sunday night that I had watched it, she sweetly said, "I wish you would have taped it. I'd like to see it."

That's the game family lore  recounts -- and photos show -- her sleeping curled up in her seat like a pretzel, for most of the game. Just too much French Quarter partying for a 6-year-old from Wyoming.

We gave her tons of grief for sleeping during the game, but Gramma said she was just getting her beauty sleep for the big Packer family party that night.

But as that party stretched way past midnight, there she was in her velvet dress, sound asleep again in a chair at the banquet table. We have photos of that as well.

Fritz and Reggie White and Wayne Simmons are all gone. The Packers won't be playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl this Sunday.

But those memories of that day 11 years ago we'll cherish forever.

Spent a delightful three hours in Glenrock last evening at the Painted Past Productions dinner theatre performance of the murder mystery, "Death by Chocolate."

It was a fundraiser for the historical theater troupe's third visit to the troops in Europe set for fall 2008.

Dinner choices for the event at the Paisley Shawl were roasted sirloin, chicken marsala or fried shrimp.

The cast of four performed for just an hour, but didn't start until nearly an hour and a half after the dinner seating. There was no beverage service during the performance and the restrooms were also not accessible as the dining room entrance was used as part of the stage.

Neither of those was a major drawback, just things I noticed.

By the time a heavenly chocolate creation was served for dessert, it made for a 3-hour evening, long for a weeknight.

Other performances are set for the next two Tuesdays, Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, also at the Paisley Shawl.

Reservations are necessary. Call for pricing and reservations: 436-9212.

Top 10 Highlights:

10. 101 hours away, 36 in the car

9. Peggy Jane the Mom finally getting to say, "the champagne is on ice" as we walk ,soaked, into the house

8. A real Friday fish fry -- in a bar of course

7. Nephew Sam, 6, tells the friend, "you look like Mike Holmgren."

6. Clerk at the Amish Market in St. Charles, Minn., sees the friend's Green Bay jacket and baseball cap and asks, "You headed to the game?"

5. Drive nearly 1,000 miles before the friend sees the ginormous "G" decal on the tailgate

4. Peggy Jane the Mom pampers and fusses and plans to perfection.

3. Forecaster says just a small chance of flurries late in the game

2. Woman in seat in front of me turns, awestruck, and says "72,000 people just said 'oh my god' at exactly the same time"

1. Brett chooses right in front of my nose  to roll out, stumble, trip, stumble, trip, stumble, trip, and then underhand lob to Donald Lee on 3rd and 11.

Life is beautiful.

At least they can't say they weren't warned --

Monday, January 7, 2008

If the rest of 2008 is remotely as thrilling as the last 24 hours have been, it's going to be an absolutely fabulous year.

We're going to Green Bay for the divisional playoff game on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Lambeau Field.

During the Bears game on Dec. 23, Peggy Jane the Mom said her playoff tickets were in her drawer.

When asked who was going to use them, she said, "I don't know. Whoever tells me first."

So I asked her to keep 2 until she heard from us.

The game on Saturday instead of Sunday was a tad complicated and so was the friend's work schedule, so it was yesterday before we realized that we really could go.

And then we had to decide whether to fly or drive, but a check of flight prices and availability made that decision really quickly for us.

So now I'm checking the forecasts and making plans for the Mouse and the dog to be safe, and we'll be off.

And somehow, it's like someone knowing that they want to cram as much into a few months as they can.

To have the chance to see Brett one more time in his green jersey in Lambeau Field is a chance we're not going to pass up. He may play more years than this, but the guarantee is that he'll be there next Saturday.

And so will we.

I-90, here we come.

Sorry I haven't written for so long, but the home computer is broken and it's been tough to find the time to write at work.

Spent a wonderful New Year's Eve evening at the Paisley Shawl in Glenrock, where the friend and I enjoyed our SEVENTH consecutive New Year's Eve.

The menu was superb, as usual, and the ambience was perfect.  That ambience, of course, included plenty of Glenrockers in their jeans and boots, but they did take their baseball caps off for dinner.

And one made his attire particularly festive by crafting a bra made of two shells that were used to serve Escargot, as well as the Mardi Gras beads that were part of the party favors.

Of course, there were those in dressy clothes too, and of course, I was in that category.

Peggy Jane the Mom Christmas-gifted me with beads and sequins this year and I looked pretty good for an old woman.

It was so cold the friend chose a V-neck sweater -- the Packer one I bought him several years ago for Christmas -- and that earned him some undeserved grief from his buddies at the bar.

But as he said, they're still playing and his team's not.

Time for a nap.

Be safe and be happy.