Camera after $20 margarita...

I'm sure this is how South Beach looked to most people down there.  We busted out of there early to catch the bus back to old people suburbia resort area, the Bonaventure in Weston.  We did have to walk 1.5 miles to get to the bus and part of that was through areas so sketchy (we got off the official route I suspect) that I didn't take photos for fear of offending people there.  Oh the liquor store featuring all the fortified wines in the window, the many many hookah shops, tattoo parlors and strip clubs... not totally our kind of scene.

Oh, here's another reason we didn't drive down there ourselves.  What's that, they just took the normal parking prices and multiplied it by 5?  Nice.  Everybody wants their cut of the money pot.

Here is another example of course.  This was the Bud Light fan zone party at the stadium.  Apparently tickets were $30 to get into the area, ours came with our package so we checked it out before the stadium opened.  Can't believe people paid $30 so they could go buy a $9 Bud Light.  That's right, buddy, open that wallet and empty it out.  I can see paying those prices in the stadium but I found this event baffling.  Of course we had just come from a much, much better Notre Dame event that had everything included in your ticket price.  That is a whole other post though.  Oh this event also had live music but it was country music.  Hmm, which team demographic were they targeting there?

This is why we were late to the pep rally

Everyone we talked to told us we had to go to Joe's Stone Crab, not to be confused with Joe's Crab Shack which is a chain restaurant everywhere, so we hit that the first night with our friends Chris and Kay.  This was one of the highlights of the trip for sure.  Just nice to sit and talk for real and have some good food.  I will do a whole post of food photos, warning or teaser, you decide.

After the pep rally we went with them to a bar on the strip there and Chris, the cheapest man in Milwaukee and perhaps the world, unknowingly ordered a $20 margarita.  Worth every syrupy sip.  Or maybe just made for some good photos while he watched the Packers game.  I am stuck in a pinot grigio rut, mostly because Bold Rock is only served in Virginia and my house.

Pep rally day

Since we were on the Anthony Travel bowl tour we had buses to take us everywhere which was fantastic because driving in that traffic was not what we had in mind.  On our first day they took us down to South Beach for the pep rally and they had a police escort to get all the buses down there.  The people behind us had to call everyone on their contact list to tell them this as we waited for the other buses to show up so it could begin.  I merely took a photo so I would remember how much people were mislead when they saw our buses.  Not, no one important, just some tourists...

 Here we are outside the pep rally.  This is part of the crowd that didn't make it in the gates.  Only planned for 40,000 people, I'm sure another 10,000 were surrounding it.  You could still hear everything and kind of see the stage.  Can't imagine what the crowd would have been like if they had more than 10,000 tickets in the alumni and student lottery.  Only 5% of the applicants won and most of our friends had planned to go until they heard the ticket prices on stub hub, which rarely dropped below $1000 each.  Must have been extra painful for those in the lower level who paid around $5000 for each seat... AND then so many left the game early.

Anyway, this AWESOME shot is Lou Holtz at the pep rally.  You can see his glowing profile.  We were really far away in the dark and the camera is not magical.  He was hilarious as always.  Favorite line was when he said, "I told Mark May, Jesus loves you, but everyone else thinks you're an a**hole."  He also did the whole bit about how if you do such and such you will be happy for a day, do something else and happy for a week, etc.  He mentions going on a cruise and how long that makes you happy but then he points out that he thinks a cruise is like prison except you might drown.  Yep, that sums up how Sean feels too.  A cruise is not on Sean's vacation list for sure.  I think he is finally over these trips that can end in such a bad mood though.  No more sporting events.  Except himself golfing of course...

It's a Christmas Mystery!

Okay, who sent us a box of baking mixes from Utah?  No paperwork at all in the big box and the few people I've asked have denied it.  I'm making these right now and I'm hoping they cure the awful moods of the children who are no doubt hungry because I slept in while they enjoyed their sweet, sweet  netflix via apple TV.  A far cheaper alternative to cable TV but you can't watch live sports which isn't a problem for us but my Dad couldn't see the game on Monday night.  Actually, that wasn't a problem.  That was a blessing.

What to Wear?

Wow, I learned a lot about southern style football fans when we were down in Miami.  First and foremost, I didn't realize it was a semi-formal affair for many women.  Alabama may have won the game but someone who has to walk all night on concrete in ridiculous heels is clearly the loser.  ND women show up ready to cheer, it's kind of a workout and we dress appropriately.  It's no wonder that the only cheer the Alabama women participated in was when the whole group of them drawled "rollll tiiiiide", which I never need to hear again.  Seriously, you could hear their southern accent collectively in the stadium.  But let me say this, not a very gracious crowd.  If we were looking to win for the third time in four years, I would be kinder to the opposing team and at least joke about sharing the joy because we've had it so frequently.  Nope, just heard lots of "polite" roll tide everywhere we went, starting with the airport in Dallas.  Let me be clear, it's the fake polite voice that they're using with their fake smile.  Later in the evening when they're really drunk is when you hear that same drawl spewing phrases like "my debutante dress that my daddy paid $5,000 for".  Trust me, I'm not impressed that her daddy spent that much on a dress she later barfed on.  Stay classy.

I'm also wondering how their ticket lottery worked because I'm thinking there may have been a pageant involved.  The majority were thin and beautiful and as I mentioned, dressed up.  And this is where you begin to understand the academic side to Notre Dame.  I can say this since I lived this, there is just a lot of studying and eating going on in South Bend.  Junk in the trunk is not unusual and what northerner wants to put on a bathing suit in January?  Surprise, 6 months early!  Or maybe this is the Kim Kardashian factor?  Junk in trunk, good?  If so, advantage Notre Dame.  Don't despair students, you'll lose weight when you have to live on your own and cook.  And then wait until you have babies and no time to eat!  Has this been a tangent?  On to the photos.

 I'd like you all to notice the shoes too.  If you can stop looking at the suit.

 This woman is probably normal size but that print isn't doing anyone any favors.  We saw it everywhere in every possible way.

 Wow.  What else can you say?

I will say the fans enjoyed getting photos with the opposing fans.  I didn't bother, I just snapped photos from behind.  And clearly, this outfit is best from behind.

Okay, I snuck this one while waiting for a table at Joe's Stone Crab and we found it especially amusing.  May have been the wine.  Anyway, I was a bit confused, this was before I learned what that houndstooth print meant.  I just saw this lady with her fancy purse and Tory Burch flip flops and I couldn't figure out what was up with this horrid dress.  I thought it must be a designer one based on her accessories so I kept wondering what frenemy convinced her to buy it.  And now I realize she probably made it herself so props to her.  And she was so proud because it was all Alabama...  By the way, this is how a typical family showed up to the game, not just out to eat at a nice restaurant.  Yes, the children in dresses which is more than I can usually get my kids to wear to church.

Anyway, we didn't see anything but respect between the fans.  Clearly, the mockery comes out later in blogs that no one reads.

Many, many years...

It has obviously been many years since Notre Dame went to the National Championship game and it seems that there will be an even longer stretch between actually winning the National Championships now.  Maybe infinity?  But first let's talk about how Megan is eleven today and thus, that means it has been eleven years since we've spent more than one night together away from the kids.  So do you think we felt a wee bit guilty when we saw this at the highlight of our trip?

That's right, kids, it's a free candy buffet!  Okay, everyone go brush your teeth and then check back later for the real posts.  I promise a full report on the Alabama fans, complete with photos.

Smoked butt

Since I knew I'd be home all day I figured it was a good day to try smoking a pork butt on the Big Green Egg.  I'd done so well keeping the temperature steady doing the turkey last week that I figured it would be no problem.  Mistake #1 is getting over confident.  The fire went out at least once, maybe twice.  Sean got the leaf blower out to get it going again one time and blew a big ash cloud out the top... and all over the butt.  No worries, he then blew the ash off that, just a little flavoring there.  He wouldn't let me contact my Big Green Egg hotline, Timer, so we muddled through.  After seven hours on the grill the meat was still only 70 degrees.  I was a bit concerned, thought perhaps the fire going out a couple times slowed it down.  Or maybe I had the thermometer on Celsius?  Bingo.  Dinner was ready.  Timer would have been so proud of my smoke ring on that baby but I was too hungry to take a photo.

I did manage to take down Christmas today except the bare trees are still up because they need to go outside and around to the big door to the basement.  We'll wait for the snow to melt, maybe by April?  Of course I will keep finding bits and pieces of Christmas for months anyway, it tends to creep around to all corners of the house.  Emily is confused by all this change.  Does this mean no more presents?  I'm ready to box up all the old toys and hide them well.  Maybe those will seem like new toys by Easter then...