I will be MIA...

 

Yes. That's right. I will be missing in action until further notice...starting today.

Well aren't you going to ask me WHY?

Okay, now since you asked...

I'm gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday.

I know, I know. Most of you "girls" are not interested in football, much less the Saints nor the Colts...BUT I AM.

It is possible (and legal) for a girl to love art, jewelry, lace, velvet and football. Yes ma'am, it is so just please bear with me until Monday and I promise we'll get back to "pretty" things again, okay?

Just to let you know in case you think I fell off the face of the earth, I will not be blog hopping, answering the phone, checking emails, and I won't be texting on Sunday.

I will be focused on THE game.

Focused on my team...we can talk and celebrate afterwards ;)

I will not be greedy for a win as I am so happy that the Saints made it to the Super Bowl. This is grand in itself.

However a win would be the icing on the cake, the cherry on top, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...well, you get the idea, right?

There have been so many fun jokes, photos, stories, etc. making their way through blog land, emails, you tube and such.

I thought I would share this one with you before I disappear into black and gold oblivion. It was sent to me from my hometown friend Mona, who never fails to keep me on top and  "in the know" of all things going on.

It's a little long, but very funny and even more so, very TRUE. If you have some time on your hands, I suggest you read it. You may just feel a little of the heart and soul that we share here in the Bayou State...

*****

Dear Miami,

The Saints are coming. And so are we...their loyal, long-suffering and slightly discombobulated Super Bowl-bound fans.

While there's still time to prepare -- although a few hard-core Who Dats will begin trickling in Monday, most of us won't arrive until Thursday or Friday -- we thought we'd give you a heads-up about what you should expect.

First things first: You need more beer.
Yeah, we know. You ordered extra.. You think you have more than any group of humans could possibly consume in one week. Trust us. You don't.
New Orleans was a drinking town long before the Saints drove us to drink. But it turns out beer tastes better when you're winning. (Who knew?) So let's just say we're thirsty for more than a championship; adjust your stockpiles accordingly.
And look. When we ask you for a go-cup, be nice to us. We don't even know what "open container law" means. Is that anything like "last call"?

It's Carnival season in New Orleans (that's Mardi Gras to you), and we'll be taking the celebration on the road. So don't be startled if you walk past us and we throw stuff at you; that's just our way of saying hello.
Oh, and sorry in advance about those beads we leave dangling from your palm trees. We just can't help ourselves.

February is also crawfish season, and you can be sure that more than one enterprising tailgater will figure out a way to transport a couple sacks of live mud bugs and a boiling pot to Miami.
When the dude in the 'Who Dat' t-shirt asks if you want to "suck da head and pinch da tail", resist the urge to punch him. He's not propositioning you. He's inviting you to dinner.
And if you see a big Cajun guy who looks exactly like an old Saints quarterback walking around town in a dress ... don't ask. It's a long story.

We know that crowd control is a major concern for any Super Bowl host city. Our advice? Put away the riot gear.
Reason No. 1: Indianapolis is going to lose, and their fans are way too dull to start a riot.
Reason No. 2: New Orleans showed the world on Sunday that we know how to throw a victory party. We don't burn cars. We dance on them.
Reason No. 3: Even if we did lose, which we won't, leaving the stadium would be like leaving a funeral, and our typical response to that is to have a parade.
Speaking of which: If you happen to see a brass band roll by, followed by a line of folks waving their handkerchiefs, you're not supposed to just stand there and watch. As our own Irma Thomas would say, get your backfield in motion.

And hey, Mister DJ! Yes, we know you've already played that stupid Ying Yang Twins song 10 times tonight, but indulge us just one more time
To us, "This is the way we live" isn't just a song; it's 576 points of good memories. It's the sound of a Drew Brees touchdown pass to Devery Henderson, a Pierre Thomas dive for first down on 4th-and-1, a Garrett Hartley field goal sailing through the uprights in overtime.
It's what a championship sounds like. You may get sick of hearing it. We won't. Encore, dammit.

Inside Sun Life Stadium, you may find your ears ringing more than usual. We're louder than other fans.. Seven thousand of ours sound like 70,000 of theirs.
Don't believe us? Ask the 12th man in the Vikings huddle.
Some people think it's just the Dome that heightens our volume. But you're about to discover a little secret: We can scream loud enough to make your head explode, indoors or out.
It's not the roof. It's the heart.
Well, OK, and the beer.

Don't be surprised if there are more Saints fans outside the stadium than inside. A lot of us are coming just to say we were part of history, even if we can't witness it up close. The Saints are family to us, and you know how it is with family: We want to be there for them, whether they really need us or not. Because we know our presence will mean something to them, whether they can see us or not.
Come to think of it, seeing as how you're taking us in for the week, we pretty much regard you as family, too. So we're warning you now: If you're within hugging distance, you're fair game.
Hugging strangers is a proud Who Dat tradition, right up there with crying when we win.
Most sports fans cry when their teams lose. Not us. We've been losing gracefully and with good humor for 43 years. Tragedy and disappointment don't faze us. It's success that makes us go to pieces.

Hurricane Katrina? We got that under control.. The Saints in the Super Bowl? SOMEBODY CALL A PARAMEDIC!!!
So anyway, don't let the tears of joy freak you out. We're just ... disoriented.

OK. Let's review:
Order more beer. Throw me something, mister. Suck da heads. Wear da dress. Stand up. Hug it out. Protect your eardrums. Pass the Kleenex. Hoist the trophy.
See you at the victory party.
Faithfully yours,
The Who Dat Nation

~printed in the Times-Picayune~

*****

This is how we are here in Louisiana.

We are...The Who Dat Nation and even the NFL can't take it out of our soul!!!

~It's so much more than just football...win or loose~

 

 GEAUX SAINTS!!!