Thanks, #DRBigGame, You Made this Football Fan Very Happy!

Truth in journalism...I'm a come-lately football fan. I've been a baseball fan for just about as long as I can remember, but my affection for football developed somewhere in the last decade. That said, I'm a devoted New York Giants fan. I never dreamed I'd meet the players, but #DRBigGame and #CollectiveBias made my dreams come true, not once, but twice. A few weeks ago I had the fun of meeting Rueben Randle and last week I got to meet defensive end, Justin Tuck. Short of the Giants going to the Big Game, it doesn't get much better for this Giants fan.

What a thrill! Justin Tuck was the nicest guy and I'm as happy as I look. It's a football fan dream come true.

The line was long, but for football fans, it was well worth the wait. 

I also got to do a little shopping while I was at Duane Reade. I'd already stocked up on my chips and candy, but there are some basics we all need and happily my favorites were at the store.

I made sure to pick up my favorite, Tide.

I got a chuckle at the names of the Old Spice deodorants...Pure Sport and Playmaker. They were perfect for a Big Game weekend. 

What a weekend and what memories! Though the game itself was highly one-sided -- definitely would have liked more excitement and back and forth throughout the game -- Seattle was terrific. I am treasuring the memories of meeting two great football players, the fun and excitement on the Boulevard and yes, Puppy Bowl. I've been enjoying visiting the #DRBigGame website, and looking at all of the fun pictures from the Big Game.

Today's a stay inside and keep cozy day. We've got my least favorite weather, sleet and freezing rain. I do have a physical therapy appointment a little later, but otherwise, it's reading, blogging and cooking.

As always, thanks so much for visiting and take good care. 

Big Game Sunlit Sunday

In just a few hours the Big Game will have come and gone and we'll know the winner of XLVIII. Infinite quantities of chips and wings will have been eaten and it will be all over, except for this year's statistics. I'm cheering for the Broncos. It's not with the same enthusiasm it would be if my beloved Giants were playing. But if Eli Manning isn't playing, I'm rooting for his brother and the team from Denver. The Big Game brought a lot of sunshine into my life this week and I'm happy to share photos from Super Bowl Boulevard with my friends at Sunlit Sunday. 

Broadway and West 42nd St. All roads lead to Super Bowl Blvd. I understand that David Beckham was in New York, but the billboard in the background was the closest I got to meeting him. The daughter of my blog buddy, Wandering Wren, got to meet him during her visit to New York. 

This was my next stop walking uptown from 42nd Street.

 This is as close as I got to the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is given to the winner of the Big Game. The trophy was on display and you could have your picture taken with it. But the line was long -- really, really long -- and the day was really cold and I opted for a picture of the building. 

This is a section of the line for photos with the trophy. The trophy is top and center in the picture.   

I was all set to continue walking the seven more blocks until the end of Super Bowl Boulevard, but this was the moment I met the sweet young woman who suggested I visit Puppy Bowl and I was off to see the puppies. I still have one more enormous treat to share from this week, thanks to #DRBigGame, but that will be a post for later this week. The only hint I'll give is that it made me a very happy Giants fan. 

It's time for me to settle in with my chips and salsa and have a football evening. As ever thanks for visiting and take good care. 

I Had a Seat on the Forty Yard Line for the Puppy Bowl...

...And it was as much fun as you might expect!

This year is the tenth Puppy Bowl, which takes place on Animal Planet at 3:00 P.M. this coming Sunday. There's enough time to watch Puppy Bowl and the Big Game. There will be adorable puppies aplenty, but there will also be lots of information about finding forever homes for these cuties and other waiting dogs.

Buttercup meets Mo and I am in love!

One of the best parts of my visit was the opportunity to meet the wonderful Mo, the Mascot of Mohawk Flooring, which has made a commitment to the PetFinder Foundation. Mo was friendly and beautiful and I had a great visit with him. 

 Mo looking especially handsome with the I Love New York rug. Don't they coordinate perfectly?

I needed to run a quick errand near Super Bowl Boulevard and zipped in to Duane Reade. I had the good fortune to meet Chester Cheetah -- didn't know the Cheeto's Cheetah name before today -- and now we're friends, too. Big Game excitement everywhere!

I love the Big Game, but it's not the only bowl in town. I know my puppy-adoring friends would have had so much fun at Puppy Bowl and I wish you all could have been there with me.   

It's been a full and very fun few days. The temperature is supposed to climb to forty tomorrow -- hurray! --and I'm planning to catch up on errands I've delayed while I was out enjoying Big Game and Puppy Bowl excitement. I was also out last night for a trivia night with friends and tonight we had a great book club meeting. I may stay in the next few nights just to rest up. 

As always I'm so glad you stopped by and especially glad you were able to share my visit to Puppy Bowl and meet Mo. Take good care and have a fabulous Friday.

It's Not Every Day the Big Game Comes to New York City...

...Actually it's the first time ever that the Big Game -- football's enormous game -- has come to New York/New Jersey and we are so excited.

Thanks to my good friends at Duane Reade and #Collective Bias I had the opportunity to have two extraordinary Big Game experiences. I thought that January was going to be a quiet month, but it was anything but.

There weren't many things that could have gotten me out of my warm house last Wednesday, but the invitation to be part of the Big Game festivities just a few subway stops away at Times Square got me bundled up and out the door. I had the opportunity to meet Rueben Randle of my beloved NY Giants. No, the Giants aren't in the Big Game this year, but I have every faith that next year beckons.

Rueben Randle, wide receiver for the NY Giants, ready to sign autographs. I've got my signed photo right next to my computer.

I was as happy as I look and Rueben Randle could not have been nicer. 

While I was at the beautiful store I spent some time picking snacks for the Big Game day. It was not an easy choice, there were so many goodies to choose from. 

My eye went to the candy, but the view of Times Square in the background was fabulous, too!

Mars is one of the sponsors of the Big Game and Snickers is one of my all-time favorite candy bars. My big problem was choosing which one to have on hand for snacking on Sunday -- classic, almond or dark chocolate. Yes, you know the answer to that problem. I chose all three kinds of delicious Snickers. Can't have too many snacks -- or too many Snickers! --for the Big Game.

We've really got Big Game excitement in New York City and I am so happy to be part of the football fun. Can't thank my Duane Reade friends enough for this opportunity. One way to share in the fun is to go to the #DRBigGame website for great pictures of all of the excitement. I'll be posting more of my pictures there in the next few days. It's a terrific way to be part of the experience. There's even more excitement to come, but that's a post for another day.

As always, thanks for visiting. Take good care and keep warm!