Marrying Into "The Pack"

This Thursday night marks the beginning of a new season in our household - Football Season.

In my childhood home of St. Paul, Minnesota, the prevailing attitude towards football was always one of apathy, occasionally interrupted by periods of deep depression. It was a rare year when the University of Minnesota Gophers made a decent bowl game. Our lousy high school football team was very unpopular, and fell into the shadow of the dominant powerhouse ice hockey team. The pro team, the Minnesota Vikings, were the poster children for eternal disappointment. Every time it seemed like they were making a run at the NFL playoffs, they found inventive and cruel ways to spontaneously combust and let us down. I was not a fan of the sport as I entered college in 2003. Little did I know that three years later, I would be able to say differently.

In the fall of 2006, I accompanied my then-boyfriend (and a Wisconsin native) of nine months to his parents' home in the western suburbs one Sunday. It was then I discovered their family's not-so-secret obsession - the NFL, and more specifically, the Green Bay Packers. We were led down into their basement where two TVs were set up side-by-side, so that two games could be viewed at all times. A variety of snacks were laid out lovingly on the coffee table. A pot of chili warmed on the stove, a perfect meal for our northern climate, which was growing frigid rapidly. The whole family was wearing green and yellow, a bold color combination in my opinion. We piled onto comfy couches to watch the first games of the day, and did not move. For the next 8 hours. And this was not a casual, have the game on in the background and engage in idle chatter type of viewing. Their eyes were glued, their muscles were tensed, and screams of horror and triumph echoed through the household every few plays. I, who did not know quarterback from cornerback, felt like I was on Mars.

But over the next few years (and many marathon Sundays), football began to grow on me. Before I knew what was happening to me, I could rattle off the names of all the quarterbacks in the league, found myself uttering profanities about Troy Aikman's lack of play-by-play capabilities, shrieked with delight whenever Clay Matthews was about to make a big sack, and had a startlingly large collection of the afore-mentioned green and yellow clothing. A few weeks after our wedding, we traveled to Green Bay on Thanksgiving Day weekend to see the Packers take on the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. The stadium there had an aged and mystical quality to it, like if you leaned in close enough you could hear the voices and stories of all the players and championships that had come before. At game time the temperature was somewhere around 25 degrees, and by halftime it began to snow. I wore bulky snowpants with longjohns underneath, a definite fashion milestone for me. Weather like that hardly seems like it would evoke a party atmosphere, but the Green Bay fans were loyal, loud, and jovial (in most cases aided by alcoholic beverages). It was a really fun experience, and they didn't even win the game.

Now every autumn, no matter where the military takes us, DirecTV provides us the NFL package so that we never miss a Green Bay game, or any other game for that matter. Football Sundays are tradition. My husband awakes early in the morning to listen to the Packer Preview (on Minnesota sports radio) which is now on at 6am in our Pacific time zone, making it even more impressive. Usually we start prepping a delicious meal in the crockpot in the late morning, so it will be ready to eat by game time. The puppies don their Pack Attack bandanas, and we pull on our jerseys. The games begin, and we are riveted. Last year was a roller coaster (and Buster spent most of it hiding behind the couch, afraid of all the yelling), ending with an exciting win for the Packers in the Super Bowl. It will be challenging for them to top last year, to say the least. But I will hope for another Lombardi Trophy in 2012, because I am now admittedly, a devoted member of "The Pack."

At The Movies

Top 10 Chick Flicks of All Time

Attention fellow movie lovers - in this post is a list of my favorite chick flicks. This is not a short post, I could go on forever about this stuff, so read it in installments if you must. I am a notorious sucker for the entire chick flick genre, and am ashamed to say I have wasted many a day away on horribly cheesy TV movies with pathetic dialogue by z-list actors on Hallmark Channel or ABC Family. In my opinion, the keys to a good romantic film are, in no particular order: quality laughs, a moving and sentimental script, and really really ridiculously good looking people with great chemistry. Below I list the best of the best. If you see some movies on the list that you haven't seen, come on over and watch them with me someday! I own them all. And bring the following: sweatpants (stretch waistband is a must), Doritos and chocolate (for our nutritional needs), and Kleenex (for tears of sadness or hilarity).

#1 While You Were Sleeping (1995)
This is the reigning rom-com queen Sandra Bullock's first of two appearances on this list. Bullock plays Lucy, a lonely train station worker who pretends to be the fiance of a comatose man named Peter (Peter Gallagher and his prominent eyebrows), after rescuing him when he took a fall on the train tracks. Things get complicated when she tries to keep up the charade while growing close to Peter's family, the Callaghan's, and eventually falling in love with his handsome younger brother Jack (Bill Pullman). The Callaghan's (including patriarch Peter Boyle, the hilarious dad from "Everyone Loves Raymond") steal the show with their incessant bickering, inappropriate behavior in places of religious worship, and enduring love and devotion to one another. Also notable is Lucy's stalker next door, Joe Jr. (Michael Rispoli), whose love for Ice Capades and trying on women's shoes never ceases to make me giggle. A favorite scene of mine is when Jack comes to the hospital to play a rather one-sided game of cards with his still comatose brother, Peter. Reflecting on his developing feelings for Lucy as he deals the cards, Jack tells Peter, "I was never really jealous of anything you had. Until now." It always gives me the chills. The film takes place at Christmastime, so if you love the holidays, and would enjoy a story about the importance of family and finding someone who inspires you to fulfill your dreams, this is a must-see.

#2 The Cutting Edge (1992)
I have loved this movie since childhood. This takes us back to the days of the Babysitters Club, pogs, and Lisa Frank trapper keepers. Before Redbox/Netflix overtook Blockbuster, and before Blockbuster overtook everything, there was the old Polar Video on 7th Street in North St. Paul, where our family rented videotapes on many a cold winter's night. One fateful night, we rented this movie. In "The Cutting Edge," two unlikely athletes are thrown together to form a pairs figure skating duo for the upcoming Olympic Games. Kate (Moira Kelly) is an uptight veteran figure skater haunted by failure, while Doug (D.B. Sweeney) is a cocky professional hockey player sidelined by injury. They clash in a major way, but predictably their initial disdain for each other transforms first into a professional partnership, and finally a romance. The endless witty banter between Kate and Doug makes the movie. Here's an excerpt of the two discussing life after hockey for Doug:
Kate: What where you planning to do when your gladitoring days were over?
Doug: You can bet your tights I never thought I'd be working a freak show like this.
Kate: I'm surprised you don't chuck it all and start your own think tank.
This movie is a lot of fun, and will always hold a sentimental place in my heart. Doug is also revealed to be a fellow Minnesota native, which further endears the film to me. Their run at the gold medal makes me cheer, and the bad early 90s soundtrack is only a minor distraction. This is a lighthearted sports romance that will teach you the importance of the "toepick."

#3 Sabrina (1954)
Hepburn. Bogart. Holden. The holy trinity of famous Hollywood actors of the 1950s. I rest my case. This classic explores the love triangle of a chauffeur's daughter named Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) caught between two wealthy brothers, David (William Holden) and Linus (Humphrey Bogart). From the very beginning, I found myself rooting for the stern and serious workaholic Linus, whose gruff nature is in stark contrast to Sabrina's sunny and vivacious demeanor. As the story progresses, Sabrina discovers that sometimes your true love is not the perfect man of your daydreams, but the flawed man right in front of you. Paris serves as the setting of several pivotal scenes in the film. The sense of magic and romance it evokes on a black and white screen is enough to make me book plane fare to France while simultaneously stuffing myself with truffles and crepes. There is also a 1995 remake of this film starring Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford, and Greg Kinnear - but I'd skip it. Ormond comes off so whiny and fragile that I could break her in half with my index finger, and Greg Kinnear is eternally smarmy. How Harrison Ford didn't kill himself on that set I will never know. The 1954 version is far superior, and marks my favorite film by the acclaimed director Billy Wilder.

#4 She's The Man (2006)
You may find this to be an out of the box choice, and you would be correct. I don't know why I love this movie. I am ashamed I do and I wish I didn't, but we can't pick who we love - and I will always love "She's The Man." In this modern (and loose) adaptation of Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night," Viola (Amanda Bynes) joins the boys' soccer team posing as her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk). She does so in order to pursue her dreams of obtaining a soccer scholarship after her school cuts the girls' soccer team. Things get complicated when she falls for teammate Duke (Channing Tatum and his impressive abs), and Duke's crush Olivia (Laura Ramsey) falls for Sebastian-Viola. Just a few things I love about this movie are: the husky Southern accent Viola uses when posing as Sebastian, the principal (David Cross) who gives Sebastian-Viola a speech about embracing male pattern baldness, and the scene where Sebastian-Viola tries to explain away her tampons to her male soccer teammates by demonstrating their usage in stopping nosebleeds as endorsed by David Beckham, apparently. There is no deep meaning or life-changing material in this film, just good cheesy fun. See it at your own risk, it is ridiculously quotable. "Word, g-money."

#5 Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Note: I am a Jane Austen whore. I love all her books, her movies, if it is anything remotely related to Jane Austen I am probably obsessed with it. My favorite of her works is "Pride & Prejudice." Sometimes when you really love a book, you end up hating the film. That is not the case here. I thought the movie truly brought the book to life. A lot of people rave about the 1995 BBC miniseries version of "Pride and Prejudice" starring Colin Firth. I am not among those people. I found it to be really long-winded and dry. This more recent adaptation injects a much needed vitality and sense of humor into the story that is sorely lacking in the BBC miniseries. "Pride and Prejudice" follows the love lives of a family of five sisters seeking advantageous marriages. Headstrong Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) will only marry for love, and meets her match in the stubborn and tall/dark/handsome Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen). It isn't love at first sight - more like hate, and sparks soon fly. There is a romantically charged scene of Elizabeth and Darcy arguing outside in the rain while simultaneously almost making out that will make you sigh with contentment. Comic relief is provided by Elizabeth's cousin Mr. Collins (Tom Hollander), a monotone minister who fancies himself quite a hit with the ladies. Also I am an admitted daddy's girl, so I loved the heartfelt scenes featuring Elizabeth and her doting father Mr. Bennett (the adorable Donald Sutherland). I have watched this film more times than I can count, and I find something new to love about it every time I watch it.

#6 An American In Paris (1951)
Whenever I watch a Gene Kelly movie, I am painfully reminded of how much I lack any sense of rhythm. He dances so spectacularly, and with such grace. I am always overcome with feelings of jealousy towards his female dance partners. If only I could dance something more advanced than the Macarena, and have been born in the late 1920s. Gene Kelly is a male lead from an era gone by, a time when it was masculine and attractive for a man to waltz and tap and twirl a woman around the room in an exquisite ballet. In this Gershwin musical Kelly plays Jerry, an American World War II veteran living in Paris trying to make his way as a painter. He falls for Lise (Damn you, Leslie Caron you lucky bitch), a French woman who is engaged to a man she does not love. Jerry and Lise realize that they are meant for each other, as they swap serenades and cavort all over Paris. You may recognize such hits as "S Wonderful" and "I Got Rhythm." Put on your dancing shoes and warm up those vocal cords, this musical masterpiece is a must-see.

#7 When Harry Met Sally (1989)
This movie asks the age-old question: Can men and women ever really be just friends? Apparently not, at least in this case. We follow Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) over the course of a decade as they transition from acquaintances to best friends, then to lovers, and after a few bumps in the road, finally becoming husband and wife. I saw a lot of myself in the uptight and anxious Sally. In one scene Harry shares his assessment of Sally, which always makes me laugh.
Harry: There are two kinds of women, high maintenance and low maintenance.
Sally: Which one am I?
Harry: You're the worst kind. You're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance.
I'd be amiss if I neglected to mention the infamous scene where Sally feigns an orgasm in the middle of a crowded deli, in order to prove to Harry how easy it is for a woman to fake a believable orgasm. Fun fact, the woman who post-orgasm says to the waiter "I'll have what she's having," is director Rob Reiner's mother. The dialogue throughout the film is smart, funny, and sweet. In one of the closing scenes Harry gives a speech to Sally listing all the things that he loves about her, half of which could be considered by some to be flaws. Harry loves Sally for who she is, the good and the bad. What high-maintenance woman among us could resist that?

#8 Roman Holiday (1953)
Audrey Hepburn makes the list again, in this 1953 film about runaway princess Anya (Hepburn) who wants to see the sights of Rome while posing as a commoner. She soon encounters an American reporter named Joe (the dapper Gregory Peck) who discovers her identity and wants to use her to get an exclusive story. As Joe tails her and experiences Rome through Anya's sweet and innocent eyes, he begins to fall in love with her. It becomes clear that despite their mutual feelings for each other, their lives are going in different directions. The film concludes with a bittersweet goodbye. I generally really hate sad endings (This means you, Anne Hathaway in "One Day"). They make me want to throw things. However, I love this film despite the fact that Anya and Joe do not end up together, which is a testament to the blockbuster performances by Hepburn and Peck, and a well-written screenplay full of spirit and heart.

#9 The Family Man (2000)
This holiday gem pulls from such classic tales as "A Christmas Carol," and "It's a Wonderful Life." Selfish Wall Street executive Jack (Nicholas Cage, in his last decent film role) finds himself alone on Christmas Eve. He reflects on how life might have been different if he had married his high school sweetheart Kate. When he wakes up Christmas morning, Jack discovers that he is in an alternate universe where he is married to Kate, working as a tire salesman, and is father to two children. Jack is initially disgusted by what he perceives to be a mediocre existence. As he begins to bond with his children and fall in love all over again with Kate, Jack realizes how empty and void of meaning his real life had become. When Jack is returned to his real life, he is inspired to embrace his second chance at life, and change his ways. I watch this film every Christmas, and cry like a baby. It's a movie that reminds us of what is important in life, and to be thankful for our loved ones and friends. Perfect for a cold winter's night with hot chocolate and a cinnamon scented candle.

#10 The Proposal (2009)
Hello again, Sandra Bullock. I love this movie because for once the female lead is older than the male lead. It's about time we realize that a cinematic world where 40 year old men only marry 20 year old women is not very reflective of reality. Book editor Margaret (Bullock) learns she is about to be deported back to her native Canada due to a immigration glitch. Margart schemes up a fake engagement to her unwilling assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). They fly to Alaska in order to convince Andrew's family of their romance, and hijinks ensue. The supporting cast shines in this raucous comedy. Ramon (Oscar Nunez from "The Office") is a local who holds every job in town including waiter, minister, and exotic dancer. Whether he is feeding a nauseous Margaret sushi, performing a striptease, or being interrogated by an immigration agent, he provides endless laughs. There is also a great scene where Margaret gets in touch with her spiritual side by rapping "Get Low" with the immortal Betty White. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds had a surprisingly delightful amount of chemistry, and it is easy to root for their unlikely romance to blossom. By the time the credits roll you'll be sad the fun is over.

Well - there you have it. If you read this whole post, I am impressed. Hope you found a movie you might like to watch. I'd love to hear about your favorites, if you share some of mine or have some picks that I might not have seen. Happy viewing! :)