Friday, January 31, 2014

Trainspotting


I happen to live in the teeniest, tiniest pocket of Alabama that was not touched by the recent Winter storm. No snow for us,  it was just ridiculously cold. Adam finds it hilarious that here in Alabama, they will delay school two hours the night before a day when it is supposed to be "too cold." Sure, he is from Wisconsin where a little cold is no big deal, I GET IT.  But I make equally fun of the way he whines during our HOT, HOT, HOT summers.

It was so disappointing to me that it didn't snow, I really just wanted a snow day! I mean wearing jeans for a week to work is a nice treat, but it is nothing compared to sleeping in and binge watching bad TV. 

Today the temperature finally got up to 40 degrees, which felt down right tropical. So I wanted to spend some time outside. I happened to be in Huntsville this afternoon for an appointment, so I decided to do my walking there today. 

I'm so glad I did, not only is it a million and one times more enjoyable than the dreadmill, I stumbled upon the Huntsville Depot Museum! I've have always wondered about it because I often drive by one of the cabooses,  but I never thought to just stop there. They have so much more than one caboose. They have many other climbable railroad cars and representation of old timey buildings.

It was just so cute & charming. 

I would love to take the kids from work there this summer during our summer program. But every time I think about how fun it would be to take the kiddos there, I start thinking about all the ways they could get themselves in trouble there. It is amazing the creative ways they can come up with to misbehave.

They are like mad geniuses when it comes to things like that, I kind of admire them for that. 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Currently:


Excited About: I'm sooo excited about some upcoming events & trips I have planned in the next couple of months.  I am heading off to a Scentsy convention, doing a few 5ks, going to Jackson for the famous St. Paddy's Day Parade, & most importantly, celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary!

Watching: Right now, I'm watching the Top Chef finale. I'm a long time fan of the show, but I always find it so funny that they base the show in one city (say New Orleans), and they have the finale elsewhere (like Hawaii)! Seems needlessly complicated. I also watched two lifetime movies this weekend, Flowers in the Attic & The Lizzie Borden movie. I was so into Flowers in the Attic, but I was disappointed by Lizzie Borden. I just found it dull, and I usually LOVE true crime stories.  

Listening To: Two of my favorite songs right now are Pompeii by Bastille & Woody Allen by Allo Darlin'. I also bought Passenger's CD, All the Little Lights.  Their songs are just so mellow and nice to listen to when I'm driving home from work.

Reading: I recently finished reading Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly, which was so riveting. I've got a lot of weight loss memoirs on my to read list. So now I am reading Stranger Here: How Weight Loss Surgery Transformed my Body & Messed with my Head by Jen Larsen. I'm also listening to the the audiobook of the memoir Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, & Hard Times by Jennifer Worth (this is the book the PBS show is based on).

Working On: Ummm, I just conquered our cabinet where we store all our plastic bags (we had tons and tons, and it was mess) by folding them into triangles (it was from this tutorial). Adam thought I was nuts for doing this, but cleaning it up made me sooo happy. I'm also going to try to transform some medicine bottles this weekend via this tutorial

Loving: My new work-out app, Runtastic. My lovely Erin Condren Planner. The re-discovery of my love of refried beans (when you are on such a limited diet, it is the little things). My new Vera Bradley phone cover.

Recent Buys:  My new haircut and color was pretty pricey, so I haven't been spending hardly any money this week. But I did buy some Valentines to give to my kiddos at work, a spinning spice rack from Pampered Chef to clean up the pantry, and the movie Fiddler on the Roof.

Thankful For: Casual dress week at work due to the cold weather (yay, jeans). Adam's ability to make the perfect, singular scrambled egg. Getting into a nice, toasty warmed up car before driving anywhere. Hot showers. Long walks. And having lost a total of 41 pounds since my pre-opreative weigh in.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Swan Creek Trail





In the past, Adam and mine's regular Saturday activity involved running whatever errands we needed to run, and then going to pig out at a favorite restaurant. Obviously, right now I can't really do any pigging out, and while I'm in the liquid phase, there isn't anything I can really have at a a restaurant. And who wants to go to a restaurant and watch someone else eat (although I do that on trivia nights!)

This is the first weekend I felt really ready to get out and do something. Adam and I decided to walk a local trail yesterday, we have been talking about walking for a few months. The trail, called Swan Creek Trail, is 2.6 miles round trip. This is longer than I've walked in a while, I've been tapping out at about 1.5 miles since surgery. So of course, I was uber nervous that I wouldn't be able to finish.

The trail is really beautiful. It winds around a local creek, and we even saw some gorgeous cardinals. Surprisingly, the trail ends at my old high school, I had no idea! Part of the trail is where my old photography teacher would send us out to take pictures. Now that part has been replaced by an archery field. I guess because of all the Hunger Games hoopla.

At first, I thought it was an outside rifle range. I was in JROTC when I was in high school (even color guard commander HOLLA),  and we had an indoor rifle range we would practice on. Adam always finds this astonishing that we kept guns in the school and fired them on a routine basis. Surly, this isn't just a Southern thing? I never thought anything about it. 

I was so glad to get out on the trail Saturday. I can't help but think about how much better it would be during the fall and spring. And I would love to have a picnic down there. Who knows, maybe exploring all the trails around here could be Adam and mine's new weekend activity?


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Short Hair, Don't Care

I took a selfie today. I only mention this because I rarely take selfies. I'll take them occasionally, but as a rule I'm not a fan. I just don't have the patience that most people seem to have for taking those suckers.  The first one you take is usually atrocious, your smile is wonky, it goes up your nose,  or your eyes are closed. Ain't nobody got time for that (except all my friends on facebook & instagram  apparently).

Sometimes selfies just happen. Like when you are having a happy day, and you just want to document it, and you are certain your husband will roll his eyes & complain if you ask him to stop working to take your picture. You know since he is the only person in the household bringing home any bacon this week. But I got this shot on the first try (winner, winner, chicken dinner). Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Today was a good day because I did my weekly weigh in, and I've lost 5 more pounds, bringing my total up to 31! 31 pounds in two weeks is mind blowing. And the fact that I have not felt hungry at all in those weeks is even better. For years and years, I had a grave fear of being hungry, as if I would starve, as if I would never be able to eat again. But I guess that is all a part of food addiction.

I'm still on that boring liquid diet, but I've spent a lot of time this week on pinterest gathering healthy recipes that are low carb, high protein, healthy, and don't look too bland. I'm looking forward to trying out new recipes, packing my lunch daily, cooking fresh dinners, and just approaching food in a totally different way going forward with my life. I have even started looking at paleo recipes, and I'm telling you, I'm going to be a bariatric foodie who will rock the gastric sleeve!

Today was also a good day because I lopped off my hair, going short, for the first time in many years. Getting a short hair cut, always takes a huge act of courage for me. When I was 5 years old, my mom decided to cut my hair short. She loved it and I hated it. I looked like a boy.  A cute little boy, but a boy never the less. And as proof of the tragedy of it all, a little after that haircut I was standing in a line at Six Flags, when I overheard two teenage boys wondering out loud if I was a boy or girl! Mortifying!

I didn't take any length off my hair again untill I went to college. 

Let's face it, most women place a lot of importance on their hair.  Many times I have told people, "it's just hair, it will grow back," and later went on to cry about a haircut I hated. Guilty as charged.

But today I just thought I'm going through a transformation, and I want something new & fresh. Everything is changing around me, and I just want to roll with it.  So short hair and highlights were the way to go, and so far I don't feel crying in my protein power packed glass of skim milk. 

So that's a good sign.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Love Book


The lady who took these photos of her baby's nap time "adventures" really makes me want to have a baby, just to have some fun photo ops like these!

I love this photo essay that chronicles George Bush, Bill Clinton, & Barack Obama's time together during their trip to South Africa for Nelson Mandela's funeral.

I couldn't help myself. I love these 14 heartwarming and cheesetastic quotes from Winne the Pooh.

Heartbreaking. One man documents his wife's battle with cancer.

16 books to read before they are released on the big screen this year! I am so excited for The Giver and The Fault in Our Stars!!

I just caught the movie, Clueless, this weekend (I hadn't seen it in years and years), so this article on the 33 references in Clueless you missed as a kid was a good read.

Hilarious. British people are asked to label a map of the United States. But I think Americans do a worse job when asked to label a map of Europe!

This parody of Lorde's Royals about being in your 30's is classic. "And Everybody's got kids, a mortgage, real responsibility, neck pain, diets, hot chicks born after me, it's so unfair, getting carded is getting rare."

A real life Mowgli! This girl had the life! Who wouldn't want to have grown up with playmates like elephants and tigers.

Pictures of modern tourists in Paris have been combined with images from the same locations during WWII. Haunting.

The Weekend Report

Some people would say this is a 3 day weekend, and I should wait and include the ongoings of Monday with this post.  But I call shenanigans. My job doesn't give us MLK JR day off. Is it OK to be bitter about that even if I'm not actually going back till Thursday?  

I have finally been able to get out the the house a little this weekend. Which is good, because I was starting to get bored, and I don't think it is good for any couple to be together 24/7.  Not that we are arguing, but we are just two people who value our alone time, as much as our together time. 

The best thing has been getting out and taking walks, I am still moving sooo slowly, but it feels good to use my legs. I like to go in the evenings. It is cold, but it is the kind of cold that feels clean and reinvigorating. I'm up to walking about 30 minutes and 1.5 miles. My first 5k is scheduled for May this year, so hopefully I'll be in good jogging shape by then.  

Adam and I also broke out some of his Lego Christmas sets he had not built yet today. We really enjoy taking turns and building these together, while catching up on some of our favorite shows.  It is not the most exciting activity, but it just feels so homey and comforting to me. Plus, isn't that little airport control tower totally adorable (I was going to write totes adorbs just now, but I was too worried people would think I actually talked like that, and then would want to murder me. That phrase should only be used in a ironic way, don't you think)?

Last but not least, we are pet sitting my mom's dog, Carlee, this week. She is such good company and a sweetheart (if not totally, hopelessly spoiled). All I have to say about her picture above is, "What does the fox say?"

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Post Operative Appointment


Today I had my post operative appointment with my surgeon to talk about how I'm recovering. I purposely have stayed away from the scale all week because I don't want to get obsessed with the number, good or bad. But I was pleased as punch to discover I have already lost 26 pounds! I had decided I'd be happy if I shed ten. That is crazy for a week! In fact, when I first told Adam he said, "Is that safe?" Safer than being at my starting weight I know!

My surgeon also has a medical intern with him every time I go to see him. The intern was there when my doctor came to check on me the day after surgery, and he was with him again today. He seemed stunned that I had lost so much weight in a week, that felt good. 

Besides my weight loss, my surgeon said I'm doing well, my incisions are healing, and that he wouldn't have to see me again until April. Thank Goodness because self-paying for Doctor's appointments is a drag.  But so far, worth it. I just have to work on getting more protein in which is hard.

Can we just talk about protein powder for a minute? First, I think it is so weird that I have to have protein powder. I understand the logic and need for it, but I have never known anyone to use it but body builders and the kids from Jersey Shore. But I bought some unjury protein powder from the doctor, and I don't know if I like it or not yet.

I tried putting the unflavored kind in a cup of milk first. It really didn't taste like anything, but it gave the milk a different texture.  Next, I tried the strawberry sorbet in a glass of water, it wasn't exactly gross, but it kind of weirded me out anyway. But today I tried the Vanilla in a glass of milk and that tasted like a Carnation breakfast drink. I consider that a win.  I want to try a few of the other flavors, such as chocolate. They even have a cheese sauce that you can use to make mac n' cheese, that is high in protein. That is awesome! I hope it is good, I would love that.

I also talked to him about how I can't keep pureed chicken down. Twice when I have had it, I threw up after five minutes. It sucks to go from hardly ever throwing up, to having thrown up three times in one week! But the doctor said the chicken is probably too dry, and I might have to wait on that. I feel like it has become my personal mission in life to keep down the chicken!

But in good news, Adam is still the best person to have on hand when you get sick. Before I ate the chicken, I had put away the bowl I had been toting around all week just in case. I was trying to will myself not to throw up with the power of positive thinking! But it failed, and yet again I yelled, "bowl!"  He was so on it. Bless his heart.

When we were dating, Adam used to brag that he hadn't thrown up since he was 8 years old. He was so proud of that fact. He said because the last time he got sick, he was home alone with his dad, and his Dad didn't know what to do about it. So he tried to clean up with the vacuum. With the vacuum, people. Apparently, this was totally traumatizing to my poor husband, who vowed never to be sick again. Although, I don't think it totally works that way.  But Adam broke that record a few years ago, after too much cheese dip at our Super Bowl party. I wanted to be mean and taunt him about it, but he was just oh so miserable.

Umm, I can't believe I just spent a substantial part of this blog talking about puking, I think that means I should wrap this up now and talk about puking never again. Hey at least it isn't as gross of a story as the one Al Roker told about what happened to him at the White House post weight loss surgery!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Give Me Goosebumps

(via)

Adam recently brought home 38 Goosebumps books from his mom's house he had as a child. At first, I was against him bringing them home at all! He always brings back stuff we never use. I'm usually a very less is more person, Adam is not. Adam is a "more is totally awesome" person! 

Before Adam joined me in Alabama two summers ago, I occupied this apartment with next to nothing for a few weeks. I loved it, it was so spacious. So freeing. But when he got here and unloaded all the boxes from the moving van, I just about hyperventilated. I looked around and said, "I wish I could just throw all this stuff away." That comment didn't sit well with Adam at all! I could never understand why it bothered him, I would have thrown away my own stuff too! 

And don't get me started on the arguments we've had about keeping the extra measuring spoons he claims are from his golden, bachelor days (when he doesn't cook), or how I just about never got him to throw out some Cheeto stained dishcloths he got from his Grandma.

I should have known what I was in for it when I first visited Adam's family for Christmas the year we got engaged. One of his Aunts brought over a small bottle of soy sauce, she had acquired from somewhere that she didn't want. No one in his family liked soy sauce or had any use for it. But they still wouldn't get rid of it! And if they are anything like my husband, I bet it is still sitting in their cabinet today! That whole incident made me smile, so no offense to the in-laws!
 
But I relented on the Goosebumps because people tell me that marriage is of course all about compromise, and I didn't want to seem like a bossy mcbosserson in front of all the family. But also because we both loved these books as children. 

Adam loved them so much, that he knows the chronological order of them all by heart! It blows my mind. I may not know the numbers, but I remember the stories. I remember Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes, forever making those little lawn decorations somewhat creepy.  And in one, Night of the Living Dummy,  I have a vivid memory of the scene where the child puts his hand into a ventriloquist dummy, and finds a mildewed sandwich! That scene haunts me still because I'm such a visual person, and it grossed me out so much. Just thinking of it now makes me want to gag. You are welcome!

But my favorite was Night in Terror Tower. It is probably no wonder since I have a real love for English Royal History, and I am such an anglophile. The story takes place in the Tower of London and is loosely based on the twin, royal princes that went missing in the Tower of London in the 1400s.

When we were in Wisconsin, I reread the book. I think it took me an hour (ha). I was surprised to find the story held up. Reading it, it was obvious;y written for a child or tween, but the story still fascinated me, and it was still kind of creepy too. R.L. Stine knows his horror.

In the end, I'm glad we brought the Goosebumps books home. It represents such happy childhood memories for Adam and me. Nothing is more happy than nostalgia. And who knows maybe one day our children will be Goosebumps fans!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Phase III

(Leopard Slipper Boots & Sweatpants My Favorite Recovery Staples)

Today has been officially five days since surgery, and I've been doing a whole lot of nothing. Just sleeping and showering and watching a ton of TV. Yesterday was the first day that I really started to get a little bored and a little stir crazy, probably because I'm napping less and less during the day because I don't always feel the need to.

Sleeping has been somewhat difficult because I am a card carrying member of the side sleeper club. And I'm still pretty sore, so sometimes when I try to sleep on my side it puts too much pressure on my stomach, so it takes a bit of gymnastics to get into a comfortable position, and lord help me when I want to roll over and Adam is already asleep. There is a lot of groaning, half rolls, and psyching myself up before that is accomplished.

Due to this, I usually just nap on the couch. But that to is fraught with its own set of difficulties. Because when I sleep on the couch, for some reason  I'm usually suspended between that weird state where you are half asleep and half awake. The problem is I can hear myself snoring in this state. And is there anything that inspires more self loathing than hearing yourself snore and not being able to do a thing about it? I think not.

I have officially entered into Phase III of eating. This includes really soft foods and pureed meats. My eating day looks something like this: one scrambled egg for breakfast, a glass of skim milk with some protein powder for a snack, yogurt for lunch, possibly a sugar free Popsicle for a snack, and the 3 ounces of pureed beans or chicken for dinner.  But I'm not hungry so far. In a few weeks, I can add solids back into my diet.

Sometimes I see a commercial for Pizza Hut or Olive Garden and I think, "oh that looks good." But it is more of a passing interest than something I really want. But I'm not crazy, I know all this is new, and it won't always be that easy. One side effect of weight loss surgery mentioned in my literature is "mourning the loss of food." So I'm sure I have some of that headed my way eventually. 

I've been walking on the treadmill daily, just 15-20 minutes at a really slow pace, just trying to build up my stamina.  And tonight I even went out for a little bit to trivia night with Adam and the family.

I had some concerns about sitting at a table full of my favorite Mexican foods and not being able to eat a thing making me sad. I live for queso dip and chips! My nutritionist had warned me that this is pretty hard for some people. But really, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, the food just didn't interest me. But I did have to move the chip bowl away from me, not because it tempted me, but sometimes I would find myself mindlessly going to eat a chip out of habit!

I was content but overly tired at dinner and pretty much a grump-a-saurus-rex for no reason at all. But it was still good to get out a bit.

I haven't weighed myself, no one has told me not to, but I just want to wait until my post operation appointment with my surgeon, I'm trying not to focus on the weight loss and more on just getting healthier. But I can tell I've dropped some pounds, and everyone that sees me, says I have too.

Today, I noticed my ankles were the skinniest I've ever seen them and I just couldn't stop staring at them! What a silly little change, but a noticeable one for me! I'm so excited to see what I will be noticing in the upcoming weeks and months to come!

P.S-If you noticed things are a little odd over the next few weeks on the blog, don't sweat it! I'm doing a little rebranding and switching things up a bit! Ready for something new! 

Sunday, January 12, 2014

A Sick Day in the Windy City

Adam has always called me a bit of an "opportunist," when it comes to travel. I got this label when I turned the road trip I took when we moved to Alabama, into a full blown vacation, instead of a way to get from point A to point B. But how could I drive cross country and not squeeze in some things I wanted to see? I always say why not with travel. Life is not infinite, and I want to see absolutely everything I can.

So I convinced Adam to let us spend a day & a night in Chicago after Christmas, since we drive through Chicago on our way back from Wisconsin! But unfortunately on Christmas night, I went to bed with a tickle in my throat and the next day I woke up feeling not so hot (I knew I was getting bronchitis). But we headed to Chicago anyway, and got to our beautiful hotel, Mile North Chicago, on the Magnificent Mile that evening.





I felt sooo horrible, but I had to walk around a little bit and see the lights. The Christmas lights were beautiful, and I really enjoyed all the window decorations in the fancy, schmancy stores. We also had a Chicago deep dish pizza delivered to our room, and that thing was no joke! It was sooo tasty. I could only eat about a piece and a half due to the thickness though. 




I had an awful night's sleep, and I woke up feverish. But I was determined to make it through the day and through our tour as planned. It was one of those hop on and hop off affairs. Adam brought me up some cranberry juice, and I was all like this cranberry juice shall cure me and sustain me!

So we started our tour and our first stop was Millennium Park, to see the bean. I don't know what the big deal is about the bean, but I always see it in the montage of pictures whenever a TV show features Chicago. And it is a unique feature, and I love how it reflects the views of the city. And in the picture of us taken by the bean, you can't even tell how much I'm dying of illness!



We also stopped at the Michigan Avenue Bridge and enjoyed some time at the Chicago Riverwalk, which was undoubtedly my favorite part of Chicago. I loved all the beautiful buildings set against the frozen river and the monuments. I want to come back in the summer or spring and take a cruise down the river. 

We learned so many interesting things about Chicago on the tour. Like the name Chicago comes from a word meaning wild onion or wild garlic, because when the city was first founded there was a lot of wild onions and garlic and it was pretty stinky. So this leads me to forever refer to the Chicago Bears, as the "The Stinky Bears." Green Bay Packers for life!




We also enjoyed a little shopping and browsing around on State Street.  We got our souvenirs and of course had to try some famous Garrett's popcorn. It is seriously the best popcorn I've ever had. Which says a lot because I usually avoid popcorn because I hate kernels in my teeth! But that stuff is craveable.


Unfortunately, I just felt worse and worse as the day went on, so we finished the tour, but from the warmth of the trolley, and I didn't feel much like taking pictures (so unlike me). We went by Navy Pier, Soldier field, Lake Michigan, and all those wonderful museums that I would love to get lost in a little next time. 

Although we didn't get to do half the things I had wanted to, we still got a good overview of Chicago, and I really appreciate it as a city. I hope to make it back there some day, and I'm sure I will (the opportunist that I am).

So after the tour, we loaded up our car and drove an hour south to spend the night at a decidedly less luxurious hotel in Lafayette, Indiana.  We drove home the next day, and I was eventually able to get treated for bronchitis and missed a week of work due to illness, before prepping for surgery!

And even with all the sickness, my Chicago adventure was still worth it!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Surgery & Recovery


Wednesday morning, I had my weight loss surgery. I swear the weeks before my surgery were so hectic, I'm surprised it is over! Between being out of town, having bronchitis, a snow day,  and surgery, I feel like I haven't worked in forever! 

I was slightly nervous the night before my surgery, I have never had surgery, so I didn't know what to expect. I struggled to sleep, I told Adam what I wanted to happen if I died, I threw up (although I feel this had more to do with all the medicine I had to take after being on a all liquid diet, all day long).  But by the way, all I had to say was, "BOWL" and Adam was on it. He totally saved the day. 

But the surgery went well, and it all just flew by. I think it only took about 45 minutes. And pretty soon I was in my recovery room. Where the nurses drove me nuts by waking me up every hour, instead of letting me do the only thing I wanted to do: Sleep! But I know that is their job, and I managed to be pleasant anyway. 

One of the things they want you to do after surgery is walk, so I walked several laps around the hospital floor, informing everyone I was going for the Gastric Vertical Sleeve Olympics, trying to qualify for Sochi. 

Luckily, I got to come home yesterday and finally had a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. I feel a little sore and struggle to stay awake for any major length of time. But today I was able to shower solo and hold down one scrambled egg, and I felt uber accomplished. And my husband has been such a major sweetheart, taking care of my every need. I don't know how I would manage without him.

I'm hoping for a smooth recovery, and that this is a tool that is going to get me where I need to be. The weirdest thing about all of this is I'm having to force myself to eat. I think about food but I'm not hungry.

So who knows what the future holds, but I will definitely keep you updated along the way.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Notes from Wisconsin & Pack Attack




Let me say a word about people who live in Wisconsin, they are hardy people.  Because it is cold! Every year around this time, I think the cold won't be that bad. And it is always that bad. That is a cold that slaps you in the face. And can you imagine having to stumble outside in subzero temperatures to shovel your car out from under inches of snow before work? I can barely manage to shower and eat breakfast before work, much less do hard labor. 

But I will say this, Wisconsin has grown on me because it is just so darn pretty covered in all that snow.  It is something akin to living in a snow globe. And when you see people driving their cars on those frozen rivers and lakes it will blow your mind. 

On those holiest of all holidays, Christmas Eve Eve, we spent the majority of the day running last minute errands. This also gave Adam the opportunity to point out city landmarks, like the building where most people jump from when they are committing suicide. I am still unsure why Adam would share this factoid with me? Maybe because a few years ago I made him sit through a documentary about jumpers from the San Francisco bridge?

One of those errands we ran, was to a local pharmacy to print out pictures from the Packers' games to give to Adam's mom. I was going to do this as a last minute stocking stuffer, and I only mention this at all because I had one job, not to tell Adam's mom about it. And you know what I did when Adam's mom asked me later that night if we found a place to print pictures? I froze and could not bear lying to her and totally cracked under pressure. Like what? I am deceitful about gifts all the time, yet I couldn't bring myself to lie to her. Adam found this amusing. 





And you know what else is great about Wisconsin? You are near real life Packers' players!

On Christmas Eve Eve night, we went to Pack Attack! Pack Attack happens every Monday after a game, it is basically just attending a taping for a local newscast. They always have a Packers player there to interview about the game, then the player tries their hand at throwing plastic footballs into a goal, and then he signs some autographs.

This Pack Attack they had Kahlil Bell, who plays on special teams! And my oh my, was he a handsome guy (and super nice too)! I was so excited because after Bell played the little toss game, he threw out some plastic footballs into the crowd, and one was straight to me, and I caught it with SURE hands, that sucker didn't even bounce.  Afterwards, we got to get his autograph and take a picture with him.

I may or may not be contemplating pinching his butt checks in this picture, I'm sure Adam would have approved.