Football. Great.

The following information may come as a shock and surprise to most of you: David is a big Dallas Cowboys fan. I know right? I bet none of you saw that coming. He mostly keeps it to himself, so I can see how people wouldn't know about it. Its not like all of his clothes and hats have Cowboys logos on them. And its not like our son is named after the Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. And its not like every Sunday for 4 months out of the year is centered around watching the Cowboys. Sometimes they play on Mondays. 

Since David is just a little bit into the Cowboys, by default so are our children. They've all worn the same onesie/jersey when they were one, and now its made its way down to Witten. I think we got our money's worth out of it.

I for one am just so happy that football season is here. My inherent love of chicken wings and sitting on the couch serve me well when its time to watch football the whole day, and I can thank DirecTV for that. I'm so glad we get every. single. game. Now if you'll all excuse me, I'm gonna go watch the highlights from Sunday's game and think about football some more.

Great, It's Football Season

I'm just so excited for football season. If I could type in sarcasm I would. Italics will have to do. All of the games. And we have NFL Sunday Ticket so we get every. Single. Game. Sundays are the best!

And the constant discussion of What should we eat when there's football on? It must be wings or something equally labor intensive and manly! And the men don't do the cooking. Cause they have important couch holding down duties to attend to. Gotta get your money's worth out of the expensive football TV subscription.

Every fall Sunday is a day to watch football, even if the Cowboys aren't playing. Other days are for football too. Even if its college football on Saturday. Or two crappy teams on Monday night. Or Thursday night football. Is no day sacred NFL? Give me a day off!

My children are Cowboys fans from birth, whether they like it or not. They've been wearing silver & blue stars since before they could walk. Even Witten is sporting a Cowboys onesie.

David's devotion is without question. Win or lose, he loves the Cowboys. He will never say a word against them. He owns a Tony Romo for President t-shirt. Every year he anxiously awaits the start of football. The Superbowl is bittersweet to him. One, because the Cowboys haven't been in it for awhile. Two, because that's the end of football season. I do a secret victory dance that it's over for awhile, but there's always other sports to watch, and when that fails there are plenty of pawn shop TV shows for him to watch instead.

David is hyped, since the Cowboys won their first game. The only thing that I'm sure of is that it's gonna be a long football filled fall. Hopefully my husband won't be depressed at the end of half of the Sundays like last year.

In Hindsight This Post is Depressing

The day before we went to Disneyland was one of big plans for me and David. A much anticipated event, for David, was scheduled for that day. Cowboys vs. Cardinals. Here in AZ. And we had tickets. Expensive 4th row tickets. It was set up to be a fun day.

Except that they kept the stadium roof open, so I was freezing the whole time. There was also this creepy fog for at least the first 100 miles, so we had to drive really slow, and you couldn't even see the mountains, which was disorienting. And the lens guidelines online were wrong so I didn't bring a zoom lens, which would've been awesome given our 4th row seats. And then there was the end of the game. The loss in overtime, which was disappointing to say the least. In our pictures we look all happy, because it was before the game. But afterward, my poor husband was mad. That was the second time in a row that has happened. We go all the way to Phoenix to watch his beloved Cowboys, then they lose at the last second. Crap.

The loss was one thing, but then we had to go get on the shuttle back to the parking lot 3 miles away, and the line is long and filled with hecklers. After every game there is a winner and a loser, and the thing about rooting for the team that lost is that all of the fair weather fans come out to talk crap about the Cowboys. Pissed off Cowboys fans outnumbered the Cardinals fans, even though it was in Arizona, but that doesn't stop dumb drunk fans of a team that has never won a Super Bowl from talking crap.

After our long trip back to our car, then the wait to battle traffic to get out of the parking lot, we missed the turn cause we couldn't get over and had to make an illegal u-turn in a random parking lot. Then cause everyone wants back on the freeway it takes about 30 minutes to get 5 miles on the highway. So we could drive 150 miles back home, so we could drive back in that direction the next day to go to Disneyland. Would've been easier to bear if there had been a Cowboys victory, but fate was not on David's side this year. His football season is over and he has to wait till next year. That won't stop him from wearing Cowboys stuff though, that never changes.

Crappy loss aside, there were a handful of fun moments that day that made it bearable. We got there way before the shuttles were running, and its a long walk to the stadium, so we took a pedicab. That was fun, but that poor guy had to be tired at the end of the day from pulling people behind his bike who didn't want to walk. We had a delicious bag of peanuts, which we made a huge mess with. David make have even accidentally spit some into a person's hair in front of us, but no one can prove anything. We also had some pizza, which was nice and warm and actually kept me warm for awhile. And David had fun. Up until the end.

The Cowboys don't come to AZ next year, so he has a year to recover from the heartbreak. Until then, we'll watch the games on TV, where the only hecklers are all of his friends texting him and talking crap.

He still looks happy and excited. This is before the game.

Various Cowboys players. I wish I'd had my zoom lens, we were so close.

Also before the game, when we were blissfully unaware of the outcome.

So close to the field. There are my stupid football earrings too.



Just a small portion of the giant mess we made with peanut shells. I kicked most of them under other people's seats, but I was left with a few cause we ate so many.



A Finish and a Start

Today I finished my last assignment for my summer classes! Yay! Five week classes go by super fast, before you know it you're writing six pages about high fructose corn syrup and whether or not its unhealthy. And citing references, cause plagiarism is bad people.

I got two As, thanks for asking. Actually, I'm just assuming they're both As since I got an A on every single assignment and test and discussion. When the final tally is in and those slow grading teachers finally give me something official, I'm sure it will be an A. Seriously though, if I got something lower than an A in a writing class I would start to question my identity.

Next semester my strategy is to take two classes, but they're both 8 weeks, at opposite ends of the semester. First up is Anatomy and Physiology. Yikes. Gonna have to do some studying for that one. None of this stuff where I just wing it like with writing. Then after that is over I'm taking my second writing class. Back to winging it.

Today also marks the start of preseason football. That one gets a sarcastic Yay! David just watched some highlights and was yelling at the TV. That's what the next few months will be like for me. Listening to someone yell at the TV, then ask me what I'm typing about. Not you. Yet.

Football season this year better go better for David and the Cowboys, cause we have tickets to see the Cowboys play the Cardinals in December. I made have made a deal to wear football earrings to that event, which I am now regretting. I'm gonna look dumb, but probably not as dumb as the rest of the football fans wearing ridiculous outfits.

With the end of one semester and the next one just two weeks away, I'm ready to spend some time watching Wubbzy with my almost two year old. I'm sad that she'll be two on Sunday. She just turned one! She is growing up too fast. I think she has grown faster than Alana. I couldn't wait for Alana to turn two. Now she's almost five and I miss the two year old version of her. Two is such a fun age, they can do so much stuff. But one is still a baby. I can't let go of one just yet. I'm hanging on to these last two days with a one year old. Now I have to go squeeze my squishy little baby, before she grows up anymore.

There's No I in Team

There was a point in my life when I was naive about sports. I didn't know what a triple-double was. I thought a grand slam was a meal at Denny's. I didn't know what a first down was, or that its the same thing as first and ten. I never watched football at Thanksgiving, instead opting for the parade or whatever Christmas movie was being played prematurely.

Once I met David my view of sports changed. As in, my non-existent viewing of sports increased drastically. I found my Thanksgiving planned around when the Cowboys play, because they play every Thanksgiving. And I'm now more fluent in sports talk. The words special teams, flea-flicker, and blitz all have a different meaning to me now.

Out of all of the things that were foreign to me about sports, the most mysterious was We. I was completely unaware that every sports team actually has millions and millions, or just a few if you're the Cardinals, of members. Every Sunday when the Cowboys play, its not just them playing the game. We are right there with them. We watch every play. We cringe when Romo gets hurt. We get depressed when they lose again. We never turn our backs on the team, even though they're one and six. We get extra depressed when we go all the way to Phoenix to see them on our birthday, then they lose. (We doesn't necessarily include me, but it always includes David).

I guess loyalty is a quality that isn't lacking in David, because no matter what the Cowboys do, We never stop loving them. Even when they have a bad year, We still want a Dez Bryant jersey for Christmas.

Stepping It Up

Since I'm currently The Girl Buried Under Her Psych Homework David has decided to take on more of the household chores. I didn't ask him to do this, it was his idea. My head's still spinning at the thought of him learning where we keep the broom.

I tried to get him to babysit my blog for me a little bit, so its not so neglected. But he claims my followers don't want to read ten posts about the Cowboys. I say let them decide for themselves.

He has pledged to help out more around the house to possibly lessen the load of work that I have to do. Housework is not something I really spend that much time on, because my house stays pretty clean with minimal effort. As long as everyone who's old enough to know how picks up after themself we manage to keep everything pretty orderly.

Laundry on the other hand, is the mountain I don't want to even attempt to climb. I hate folding laundry. It is my nemesis. No matter how small the amount or how cute the clothes it contains, I loathe it.

The following information is 100% true. Names have not been changed to protect anyone's identity.

David did a load of laundry. It happened. He did it all by himself and even put the clothes in the dryer. But he didn't check the pockets, so I ended up fishing his wallet out mid-cycle. That's not what's important here. He did laundry. He acknowledged that clothes do not magically appear in the closet/dresser clean and folded. He even folded them and put them away.

His game is officially stepped up. He is washing dishes and changing ladies into pajamas left and right. And I do appreciate it. Just not the way he constantly brags about it. Look at that. Steppin' it up. Another instance of steppin' it up. There's Dave again, steppin' it up.

I get it. You did some housework. Go pat yourself on the back somewhere else.

I'm Not Ready for Some Football

Pre-season football has officially started.

As I type the Cowboys are playing the Bengals and David is on the couch, yelling at the TV and wearing a 10 year old Emmitt Smith jersey. He is hyped. He's been waiting all day for Sunday night. He seriously just yelled Yay for football!

Football isn't something that's taken lightly around our house. David is not a fair weather fan. Not even a little. He never misses a game. He is beyond dedicated. The only room in our house without some type of Cowboys paraphernalia is the bathroom. Stupid compromise. Making me have Cowboys salt & pepper shakers.

When the game comes on you can bet he will be watching and wearing something blue in support of the love of his life, the Dallas Cowboys. Even last night, when Emmitt Smith was inducted into the football hall of fame, he tuned in wearing his jersey that he has owned for longer than he has known me. He might've even cried. But you didn't hear that from me.

David immerses himself during football games. He yells at the TV incessantly. How bout them Cowboys? Son of a b*tch Kitna! We got it back! Pick! Jesus Kitna. Roy Williams sucks! Way to go Jason Garrett, call another draw. Come on Columbo!  Boom! TC baby, TC. Nice! He used to lose his voice after every game, but he has learned to yell a little better the past few years. I'm curious to know what his blood pressure is when the game is close. He is literally on the edge of his seat.

He makes deals with the devil just for that victory. And if God forbid they lose, he is depressed the next 24 hours. His loyalty to the Cowboys is so well known at his work that his co-workers and customers all give him crap about last nights loss. His phone will have 20 unread text messages just from people he knows talking crap about football, win or lose.

Thanksgiving is dedicated to football because the Cowboys play every year. Every year for nine years I've been a football widow during that 3 1/2 hours that he spends in the living room at my dad's house yelling at the TV. If we eat dinner during the game he doesn't get his plate until a commercial. We once jokingly told him that he couldn't eat in the living room and he was going to go back to the TV empty handed. He picks football over food.

Then there's the "we". He considers himself an honorary part of the team. He is included in any statement regarding the Cowboys. We just signed Dez Bryant. We are playing the Saints on Thanksgiving. We need to get a first down right here. We need to cut that guy.

My kids are little fans. From birth they have been dressed in fan apparel. They will like the Cowboys whether they want to or not. Alana repeats everything David yells at the TV. Because of this his language has been significantly cleaned up. Ava just claps along.

Even I'm not immune to the festivities. Through spousal peer pressure I usually end up wearing some type of Cowboys shirt. I'm not happy about it, but I do it. I've attended no less than five professional football games, two of them in Dallas. I can't say they weren't fun or that I didn't want the Cowboys to win. If they lose I have to drive home with a depressed husband and get heckled by fans of the opposing team. Then we hear that Had a bad day song and he gets even more depressed.

Win or lose, you can bet David will always be a Cowboy fan. And the rest of us are just along for the ride.

Texas Stadium - 2005

The obligatory stadium tour. How could he pass up an opportunity to go on the field?

Alana was a Cowboy fan before she even left the hospital.

Alana was less than a week old when she watched her first football game.

Sometimes I'm forced to watch football in public while David yells at the TV.

Alana was ready to cheer on the Cowboys. She looks excited right?

Ava is ready to watch her first football game with us. You can watch football crossed eyed right?

Sometimes I even attend football games with my superfan husband. Just cause its his birthday.

Dealing with disappointment

David was mildly depressed this week. He had NFL based disappointment.

He is a huge Cowboys fan and was looking forward to them coming to AZ this year.

Last year broke his 7-ish year streak of seeing them play every year.

Some games they won, some they lost. But he always had fun. Till the end of the game when they lost and he'd have to walk out in his Cowboys gear and get heckled by fans of the opposing team. He was still a proud Cowboys fan though.

But I think he was mostly lucky when he went. They won more than they lost. And he got to share some camaraderie with fellow Cowboys fans.

So David was anxiously awaiting the Cowboys schedule. He wanted to see when the Cowboys would be playing the Cardinals so he could go see them and talk crap with his friend who is a Cardinals fan.

They play here in AZ, but its at 4:30 pm on Christmas Day. I don't care if he goes, but I'm not going. There's no way I'm leaving my kids on Christmas to watch football. He can, but I'm not going to.

So my poor abused husband probably won't get to see his beloved Cowboys play in person again this year. We'll have to save up and go to the new stadium next year.

Good thing the draft started last night, so he has something to take his mind off of the pain of missing the game.

I'm sure he will mention that the Cowboys are here at least ten times on Christmas.

Not a fair weather fan

Anyone who knows my family knows that David is OBSESSED with the Dallas Cowboys. He has countless Cowboys collectibles, shirts, jerseys, football cards, even a pair of shoes and a lamp. He lives and breathes the Cowboys at this time of year. Every week is spent in anticipation of the next game. He hates to go to work after they lose because so many people know that he likes the Cowboys that he gets heckled for an entire day or two. His phone is constantly buzzing after a game with people telling him their personal opinion about the team: they suck/rock, they're gonna win/lose next week, they need to fire the coach, they need to pay so-and-so more money, etc. He refers to the team as "we" because he almost considers himself to be an honorary member. "We" are going to win this week. "We" need to cut Roy Williams. "We" should've gone for it on 4th and 1. So yesterday the Cowboys played the Vikings in the second round of the playoffs and it wasn't pretty. My poor husband took his jersey off at halftime. (I personally think he is approaching the age when wearing a jersey is kind of dumb, but that's a whole other story!) He claimed he wasn't going to watch the second half. He was going to sell all of his stuff. He was done with football for the rest of the season. But he's not a fair weather fan. He eventually turned it back to the game after halftime, he's keeping his stuff and he will watch all of the other games that come on till football is over. He is a fan for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. He will eventually get over yesterday's loss and find a way to get excited about next season. Hopefully next year will go a little better for him. At least he still has the pro bowl.