A Lovely Long Weekend With a Less Than Lovely Ending

Because the Chicago Bears blowing it on Monday Night Football never makes for a wonderful end to the long weekend. I was ecstatic that due to the Bears being division champs last year that they have far more than usual nationally televised games. But I am less interested in seeing them lose every one of them.

So, Chicago now has a 2-3 record, and tonight's game was a huge letdown. Cutler performed marvellously, but it would have nice if he got a bit more support from his offensive line. It also wasn't a horrible night for Forte, but it's becoming more apparent the Bears rely far too much on him offensively. And it seems like someone in the Bears made a bet on how many flags they can get thrown tonight, because the offsides got a little ridiculous as time went on. It definitely wasn't a stellar showing by my boys, but they kept it close until the last few minute. But a 28-13 loss isn't one you'll be bragging about at the water cooler.

But how about the rest of my weekend?

Fabulous.

We went baby supply hunting, which is far better than baby hunting. I hear parents really frown upon you chasing their newborn with a shotgun. We ended up making several rather key purchases for furniture and accessories that we plan the baby to get lots of use out of. It was the big items like cribs, stroller, car seat and such, so it is nice to finally have that stuff out of the way. It is purchases like this that constantly remind me that I am going to be a father. Well, that and Emily's growing belly (and the high fives that come from this belly).

Then Sunday I tackled the bathroom with cleaning supplies and vanquished floor dirt with a vacuum. Because apparently, it is nice to have a clean house when you're hosting a Thanksgiving feast. And that is exactly what we did on Sunday. It was a lovely time, and I ate enough to enter into a turkey coma. For the record, you didn't do Thanksgiving properly unless you've fallen into a turkey coma (I'm sorry vegetarians, you just don't do it right).

Then I capped off my long weekend by doing lots of gardening work, and making sure I felt all the different muscles and joints in my body. Which may not sound like the most splendid way to spend a holiday Monday, but it was satisfying to know we finally finished some nagging chores and goals.

Then I saw my team end their 6 game streak of beating the Detroit Lions. Because who cares about that kind of stuff anyway.

Though before my team's loss, I did catch the end of the rather exciting game 2 American League Championship. The Texas Rangers have gone up 2 games, after one of the more thrilling finales, with Nelson Cruz belting a grand slam to win it 7-3 in the 11th inning. I just love how passionate all the Rangers seem about winning and it then trickles down to a really hot crowd. I like the Rangers because they seem like a bunch of guys that just love the game and really want to win this thing. It makes for exciting ball, and it made for a dramatic final few innings.

I probably shouldn't end a recap of the weekend without mentioning that Al Davis passed away on Saturday. Al Davis was best known for the being the controversial and combative coach/owner of the Oakland Raiders, and played a huge part in turning that franchise into a bona fide powerhouse for a time. He also played a huge part in unifying the AFL with the NFL, and creating the sports juggernaut known as the Super Bowl. He has left quite a massive legacy and is one of the more influential people in NFL history. He also had a great long life at 82 years. If you’re not a huge football fan then his name won't mean much, but it was a sad day for many who realized his importance. As always, I pass on my condolences to those who actually knew and loved him.

So, that pretty much wraps up my long weekend. How was everything with you?