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.

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.

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.

So the dreaded 24-hour road trip for Skinny Son and Mouse (I was dreading it, they were delightedly looking forward to it), didn't happen after all.

The plan was to drive to Denver late Saturday once the state champion Fillies returned from a gymnastics meet in Gillette, and return late tonight; both legs of travel in complete darkness.

A national group had invited Mouse and two others from NC to a cheer tryout that started at 9 A.M. TODAY.

With just a week to get things arranged, it was a bit chaotic.

Then Ma Nature stepped in with the several inches of snow here and all along the I-25 corridor and fierce winds in the Cheyenne area, and blessedly, the trip was called off.

I cannot express how relieved I was -- yes, Skinny Son is a very good driver; but even very good drivers have trouble on highways turned to ice skating rinks.

Just now, apparently, the ridiculous winds in the Casper area are causing I-25 here to be treacherous.

So how 'bout those Rainbows, huh? Remember when they were in our conference? Good thing we didn't have to play them this year.

June Jones and Colt Brennan and their fans are now my collegiate favorites -- and they're going to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1.

Some 40 years ago -- exactly -- a renegade band of some 10,000 Cowboy fans were in New Orleans, drinking Bourbon Street out of booze on New Year's Eve.

Now it's the 'Bows turn and hopefully thousands of their tea-leaf wavin' fans will follow along.

Here's to you, Warriors! Here's to you!

So I am humbled nearly to tears which doesn't take much these days.

I was "published" today on a blog written by the Packersnews.com guys on the Green Bay Press-Gazette's Web site.

Jeff Ash and I have been e-mailing because I thought he might want to know about the Packers' -- and Brett's -- generosity in sending shoes, a football and a note to Dan Creger in Casper this summer.

Apparently, Jeff had already found my Thanksgiving -- Packers -- cranberries references all by himself and so the correspondence began.

I still don't know which key to hit when I try to blog. I still get more frustrated than I knew possible.

But when folks are able to read what I write anywhere and I'm able to read what they write anywhere. then that's beyond amazing, don't you think?

Cranberry cocktails go good with football

Just finished Sunday's column and now I'm all weepy. I wrote about reasons I'm thankful and at first it's funny and then it got unfunny by the end.

I'm just so lucky and sometimes it just sort of overwhelms me.

Tonight is Super 25 and I figured out what I'm wearing a couple of hours ago. I always dress up because I want the people who are there to know what a big deal we think it is.

Will always remember a family arriving in jeans and knee-high snow boots during a blizzard. A couple of minutes later, they emerged from the hotel's restrooms, all dressed up and ready to roll.

Have a great weekend.

So last night was Mouse the Daughter's first formal dance of her senior year. She looked amazing. Her escort said she was "gorgeous."
She wore high, high heels with her hair piled on top of her head and finally had an escort who was close in height.
But even when she's towered over guys in her high, high heels, she absolutely does not care. She has that amazing confidence that just absolutely engulfs her wherever she is.
And she was right on time for curfew, a blessing for her always-nervous mom.
And then today, how 'bout those Packers????
Blast emails and letters will begin in earnest tomorrow.  The second they scored to go 27-0, our fabulous Fox affiliate switched to the Eagles-Redskins.
Thank the Packer-lovin' lord for Sirius radio. I switched Wayne and Larry on in the garage and didn't miss a play, but that's so not the point!!!
Go Pack Go! and the Broncos won one and so the friend's even happy. 2 for 2 and all is well -- and happy.