I woke up to a foggy morning in Maricopa County. We’ve been here three years, two weeks and it’s my first time to see fog.
My husband caught the nasty bug I had from before Christmas until New Year’s. Now it’s his turn. The problem? Today we’re supposed to have surprise guests from Santa Barbara, friends of more than 30 years, arriving for the weekend to celebrate his birthday.
Then, because our friends are coming, I planned a small birthday party to share cake that our friend is baking. She’s owned several bakeries in the past and her cakes are amazing. I thought it was a perfect time to invite some neighbors and friends over.
But yesterday, although my husband was out of bed for awhile, I thought about how I’d feel. Would I like guests for an entire weekend while I was getting better? Would I want a houseful of people over to celebrate, when I didn’t feel 100%?
Enough with the surprise. I asked him. He was relieved I let him know and said to cancel everything. He was in no mood to be around people and wanted to rest through the weekend. I’m pretty sure he was touched with the surprises I had planned, but no thank you!
Not only will we rest up and feel better, we won’t be spreading our nasty germs.
NCAA Football Champs:
If you didn’t know, I’m a college football fan. I don’t watch NFL (except for the Eagles because of Britain Covey. He played for the Utah Utes. He’s 26 years old, only 5’8″ tall, but quick. He’s a punt returner and had a record 54-yard return against the Giants on Christmas. His grandfather is Stephen Covey of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” fame and Franklin Day Timers.
Anyway, through my daughter’s college years as a student athlete at Utah, I became a huge fan of their football and gymnastics teams (and swim team, of course.) I have a ton of red and black gear that my daughter gave me, because every meet for four years they loaded her down with sweats, jackets, t-shirts, etc. I also bought my fair share. I wear my Utah gear on football game days.
I think what I enjoy most about football is the people. It’s not the game, because I honestly don’t know that much about it. It’s knowing people who play the game. Or liking their life stories.
Now, we’re down to the season’s final game. My alma mater University of Washington Huskies is in the national championships against Michigan. I’ve returned to my roots and ordered a t-shirt several weeks ago. GO DAWGS!
I’m also a fan of Husky QB Michael Penix, Jr. He should have won the Heisman because he’s the best quarterback people have seen in years. Plus, the lining of his suit coat for the Heisman awards night had every teammate and coaches name on it. The guy who won the Heisman over Penix had a suit coat lining of photos of himself in the Heisman pose.
Are you a college or NFL fan? What other sports do you enjoy — or any?
What teams do you cheer for?
How would you feel about having guests when you didn’t feel 100%?
So sorry illness has altered plans…it all sounded so festive…hope your hubby is feeling better soon! 🥰
Thank you. I’m glad I let him know in advance and he wasn’t forced into it. He’s feeling a little better, but only out of bed for an hour or two before having to return.
Seems like a good decision all around…and maybe he’ll enjoy some TV/football time with you! 🥰
Yes! I can plan on having a belated party for him in a few weeks. Our friends from Santa Barbara said they are planning on visiting when we are both better.
Perfect — sometimes belated birthday fun is the best! 🥰
I agree 😊
My husband is for some reason an Alabama football fan. Two of my daughter’s friends went to Michigan. Somyhusband owes my daughter a sushi dinner…otherwise only sport I sort of watch is baseball/mets and Georgetown or Villanova basketball… as tovisitors when I’m sick…it depends on if it’s two people and we’re ordering in or a group…and how sick I am. We were supposed to have Friendsgiving at our house and I told them to do it somewhere else
Did you have the Alabama Michigan game on in your house? Of two of the couples I invited and cancelled, one went and met at Michigan, the other couple Alabama. Good for you to have Friendsgiving at someone else’s house when you were sick.
My husband went to his buddy’s house for the game and my daughter went to a Michigan bar with her friends….sort of a tale of two cities …😆
That’s funny. Easier! My good friends from Palm Springs who moved near us are the MI couple. We usually watch big games together, but not Monday’s! I can’t do it 😂
My daughter is going to same bar. My husband will be home crying…
Haha! I do like Alabama now because of our Alabama neighbors. I was rooting for them.
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I appreciate your insight about how you don’t really understand football, but like the people. When my sister moved to Kasas, my parents (who had never watched a football game, ever!) became obsessed with the KC Chiefs. When I asked why, it was because “Patrick Mahomes seems like such a good person”. I never understood, but I’m guessing they must talk about more than just sports during the broadcast.
Yes, they do show human interest stories or talk about the players’ life stories. For example, this season the star QB at Utah was injured and the back up came from a pig farm in a town of a few hundred people. He has worked through college at Home Depot, because he didn’t have a football scholarship. There was a big segment recorded with him and his parents on the farm and his work ethic.
I’m sorry your hubby didn’t recover in time. It sounds like you made a good call to tell him about the surprise and let him choose.
I’m partial to the Miami Dolphins because of Tua. The Tagovailoas lived near us in Hawaii and my kids played ball with them when they were little. I’m like you- I follow people more than teams. Before Tua made the NFL, I was a Bama fan, because that was where he played college. As a kid, I adored Joe Montana, so I grew up a Niner fan. My Sunday school teacher was the center for the Rams, so I also liked them. That Sunday School teacher introduced me to a friend, QB for the jets (he didn’t live in NY off season) and I ended up babysitting for his family, so I liked the jets too, unless they were playing the Niners or the Rams. 😅. Now, it’s pretty much just the Dolphins.
I love all your stories about Tua and the other football people in your life. It’s amazing you have so many personal connections with players and follow their careers. I’m the same way with the Olympics and swimming with my kids swimming from kindergarten. What’s funny is some of the girls my daughter competed with are still making the Olympic team and considered the “old ones” at 25 and 26. Yes, I think I made the right choice with my husband.
Of course UW news is the only thing anyone is talking about here. I remember as a kid my dad always had to watch college football (he was not a DAWG or any other college alum) so I got exposed to football a lot, plus the NFL. I would watch it with him, just to be with him, and of course I did the whole thing with high school sports pep and cheer. As an adult I finally admitted I really don’t care much at all and let the whole thing go.
I think it’s great that UW is in this position after 30+ years. I won’t be watching, but likely will be checking scores periodically, although everyone in the neighborhood will be launching fireworks if they win 🙂
I can imagine how everyone is hyped up for Monday’s game. Snohomish was a big football team while I was in high school. I had friends from high school who went on to play for the Huskies and then Seahawks and Raiders. Friday nights the whole town was at the games, standing room only — even in the rain. Isn’t it funny (or sad) how our relationships with our dads were trying to fit into what they did?
There is irony for me with dad. Much of it for him was a way to escape his own issues with mom, thus being with him watching sports meant I was away from and safer from mom’s wrath a lot of the time. In hindsight I think my choices added to her dislike of both of us, added to her comparisons of me as being “just like him” but as a kid it was a refuge for me so the football watching will always be a good memory. I also learned quite a bit about football- not that I really cared or ever needed it 😉
That’s an interesting dynamic with your father and you escaping your mom. She must have felt threatened or defensive. I’m glad it’s a good memory for you. My dad spent all the time with my brother, hunting, fishing, playing basketball and watching sports. I had very little interaction with him.
I saw similar with my ex-husband and our kids. It often seemed like he had no idea how to connect on any level with them. Our youngest was the only one who played various sports for any length of time and he seemed to connect more with her for awhile because of that. He missed out on, I think, on so much with all of them.
Yes, that’s exactly how I felt growing up. I remember once my mom telling him to take me to buy new shoes at Northgate. I overheard her say, “You never spend anytime together. This will give you something to do with her.”
I don’t really have a team but my husband likes Virginia Tech, his college. I do love to watch college basketball! You look so thin, E.A. Wickham!
It’s fun to cheer on your college. I’ve maintained my weight since after having kids except during COVID shutdowns. I put on about 10 pounds. This fall I cut out sodium from my diet, which meant I quit eating processed and fast food, plus Cheetos and Top Ramen. I lost that 10 pounds by cooking everything we eat and checking sodium content on any packaging like canned tomatoes for sauces, etc.
Love this. Go Huskies. I’m rooting for them. Go Eagles! Lately Britain Covey has been one of the big positives on an Eagles team that has had a tough go of it the past couple of weeks. I saw yesterday that several of the players were upset yesterday that Covey didn’t make the NFL’s Pro Bowl roster even though he leads the NFL in punt return yards this season.
Yay! Go Huskies! What a shame Britain didn’t make the Pro Bowl roster. That sounds unfair. Maybe prejudice against his size? I enjoyed watching him so much while my daughter was in college. We were able to attend some games because we’d be up there for her swim meets at the same time.
You did the right thing, telling your husband and letting him call the play (pun intended). I’m sure when he is well he’ll appreciate all you did to celebrate his birthday! We always cheer for the Utes because my son-in-law went there and he never misses a game. We’ve sort of joined him in his passion for Utes football. I’m going to go out on a limb and say 2024 is your year because you had to make a lot of sacrifices in 2023! Cheers my friend, hugs, C
I’m so excited to hear you’re also a Ute fan! I feel more connection to them than my UW Huskies. I love Coach Wittingham and how he is all about the team and developing responsible human beings, not just football players. I’m with you on 2024! Go UTES!
Oh, I’m sorry your husband is sick and that you had to cancel. That is so hard to do but I love how gracefully you handled it.
And the Huskies and Penix. YAY!! You know where my loyalties lie!! Go Dawgs!! <3
Penix is amazing! Not only talented beyond belief, but he seems so sincere and humble. Go DAWGS 😊
Agreed on all accounts!! Go DAWGS!
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Bummer about hubby getting sick and having to cancel el (or postpone) the festivities. I would not have wanted people around if I was sick for every reason.
No sports following for us! My brother and father do some. My uncle and some cousins, too. Not me or my hubby, though!
It was a bummer but I’m glad we made the right decision to cancel. It’s a huge relief to have another weekend to rest and get better — for both of us.
I don’t like having house guests when one of us is sickly. The last time it happened Z-D had food poisoning and was a strange shade of green, and there I was trying to be a good hostess making food and drinks for our guests. The experience was unbalanced to say the least.
That sounds so miserable. I’m so thankful that we didn’t have house guests beginning on Friday, and the party was to be this afternoon. I’m still in my bathrobe sipping coffee a 9:30 a.m. A true luxury with my husband coughing away in the other room.
Always a downer when illness has one down. Hope your husband is feeling better. Britain has become a big fan favorite here in Eagles country. He’s worked hard to perfect his craft. I noticed him at Utah and thought he’d have a career at the next level. I was happy to hear Cam Rising is coming back to QB the Utes next season. It is ironic the Pac-12 is fading away…but their champion might just win the national championship!
Thank you. I loved watching Britain at the Utes. He was such an uplifting player and amazing leader on the team. I didn’t think he’d make it to the NFL because of his size! I’m sad about the PAC -12 as third generation Husky and my daughter a Ute. I hope the Husky’s win the national title on the last year of PAC 12. I’m excited to watch the Utes next year though.
I’m sorry you had to cancel the surprise birthday party but I think it was a good decision. Be well my friend