Kia Ora-

So...did Hell freeze over or what?

What a weekend.

First, the phrase I can't even get used to saying--THE BUCCANEERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!! Fuck yeah! Great job and congrats guys! In retrospect, I am glad that the Steelers didn't make it to face the Bucs because I hate having split loyalties and I really want to root for the Bucs. Now, let me make it clear--the Steelers are my heart, but I have a lot of love for the Bucs (and for the Raiders too, but this time around I'm pulling for the home team). Win or lose the big game, I think that the Eagles/Bucs game was bigger. It shattered a lot of myths about their abilities and taboos. Anyway, good luck guys! We got back from Orlando in time for the last few minutes of the actual game, left for New Port Richey (Tampa was going APESHIT) and then back at around 1:00am, just as the Bucs were coming back to the stadium. For those of you who don't know, V lives about 4 blocks east of the stadium, so we even hear the regular games on game day. They say there were 40,000 people out there waiting, though probably more like 20,000. (My mom went to see them off on Friday and got to meet Derrick Brooks, the Glazers, Brad Johnson, and more and she said they reportedly had 10,000 then though she estimated only about 1,500.) The stadium was lit up and there was media all over--quite a sight!

Then there was The Weekend.

After our original plans were changed we luckily fell into an invitation for a sort of couples weekend in a condo in Orlando. Here's a brief...

Friday: Left work early, picked up V around 3:00pm and drove to Orlando. We got up there early and played some minature golf at this Bonanza place that I've always wanted to go to as the temperature dropped (it remained fairly cold all weekend--50s for highs, high 20s for lows, and totally trenchcoat weather). Then a brief walk around Old Town when Rubis called and said the condo was ready. We met met Matt and Rubis at the condo then headed to dinner at Pachino's. Ate, shopped for some essentials, and then headed back to the condo to meet everyone else. Stayed up late, socialized, some alcohol, and then to bed.

Saturday: Woke fairly early and got ready for a typical Orlando day. Shopped, ate, shopped, ate, shopped. Cooked dinner in the condo then played games.

Then came the alcohol.

I can't tell you how much I consumed, or exactly what it all was, I can confirm that between 11:00pm and 1:00am I personally consumed

Sunday: A triage morning, everyone feeling a bit rough. Memory was hazy...er, I mean for whoever got that sick. (One bit of advice--never admit on video tape that you have never gotten sick while drinking. That will bite you in the ass.) But some of us rebounded faster than others. We planned on leaving fairly early, but someone lacked the motivation that we didn't leave until after the first half of the Bucs/Eagles game. Drove home listening to the game on the radio and got back with about 3 minutes left in the game...but you know all that. We watched the WWE's Royal Rumble at the Hynes', which is always a good time. Great chili, great friends, and then back to Tampa (which, as you read, was still insane).

Sunday: More heading to V's while 6 helicopters and 2 planes circled overhead--or rather, over the stadium. Met the Hynes' at Westshore to see A Guy Thing, which was brilliant! More shopping and then Mexican food at Tia's (and picking up a thank you gift for Mr. Matt for saving...someone's stupid drunken ass this weekend). And that was basically it.

I'm still kind of incoherent and I realize that this post is a bit choppy and probably very misspelled in places, but I'm not in writing mode really yet but I wanted to give everyone the unreal impression of this weekend. Perhaps I'll refine some of the points of interest later. For now, I should sleep.

Heart,

-N.