Nikki Post: GOOD NEEEWWWWWS, Everyone!

Oh, what's that? Someone's got tickets to see the RUMBLE OF THE SEASON ON THANKSGIVING DAY??!?!? While other suckers will be eating turkey and watching the Cowboys and Lions lose on Thanksgiving, husband (yay! I'm married now!) Steve and I are going to the game! My daddy has been working for MONTHS to get these tickets. When he finally did, I made the mistake of asking him how he got them. Daddy reminded me that I shouldn't ask questions about such things. It's the number one rule for Italian men: don't ask questions if you're not willing to perjure yourself about the answers.

This is the best wedding present EVER.

The Most Important Purple Friday of Them All

This is it. The final Purple Friday of the season. Two more sleeps (as T-Sizzle says) until the big game. Two more sleeps until the Ravens fans take over Choppers Sports Bar in Denver and make the walls shake with our cheers. And how are we celebrating? With the best damn Purple Friday around!

First up, my parents:

Here's Mom, rocking her traditional Purple Friday/Game Day outfit.

She's even got her nails all Raven'd up

My daddy just had a full hip replacement and was in the hospital today. Doesn't mean that Mom and I would let him get away with not rockin' the purple! <3

My first office job in Baltimore was at a spring factory in the county. Here are my former coworkers, rockin' the purple! (Front row: Darrell and Steve; from L to R: Tracey, Kelle, Wendy, Kim, Linda, Maria, Mary Ann, and Bonnie)

My co-hostess with the co-mostess for Sunday, Caroline, caw-cawing it up at her office in Denver

College friend Andrew has gone crazy and dyed his hair purple. (The "fu manchu" is left over from last year's playoffs.) He's in enemy territory - SAN FRANCISCO - so he obviously needs to show his pride!

Gordon in Scotland is ready for the big game on Sunday! CAW CAW

I went to get a burrito today from Big City Burrito on campus, and the cashier was a Ravens fan! Stoked I'm not the only one at Anschutz to rock the Ravens!

I posted this at the beginning of the play-offs, before we stomped all over the two best quarterbacks in the league. Looks like MY hope for 2013 came true! (Other hopes: sleep, a clue, money, an early spring, more jigsaw puzzles for the office.)

Should anyone else reading this want to get in on the Purple Friday love, just email me your picture, and I'll add it here. :D

My Mom is Adorable

You all may recall that my mom is a big Ravens fan. She works for a health care billing company, and to boost company morale, they always have special events like picnics, costume contests for Halloween, and Purple Fridays and Mondays during football season.

For the days leading up to the Ravens-Patriots game, her office decorated their cubicle areas by department and had a "contest" of sorts as to who had the best decorations. Here is the winning department, and some pictures of my mom and her friends.

How awesome is this?! Not pictured: a chunk of turf, like Ray picks up during his entrance out of the tunnel

"Me and my Twin" (Mom and her work friend Terri)

Mom, I don't think you're fully prepared to block for Joe Flacco in that position!

View from my mom's cubicle

The Madness of a Mother-Daughter Duo

As my Christmas present, my mom and dad bought two tickets to see the Ravens take on the Giants at M&T Bank Stadium. Steve was not invited. It was a "girls day" that Mom and I cherished.

We started the day by pregaming at Mother's Purple Patio in Federal Hill, an historic neighborhood a couple of blocks away from the stadium. The place was jam-packed with drunks and Ravens fans of all ages (21+ anyway), and the DJ was playing Baltimore remixes of classic tunes like "Baba O'Reilly" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" (the definitive Christmas song, in my opinion). We were able to meet up with Steve, who'd spent the night at a mutual friend's house, and Bill, a guy from our Ravens group who coincidentally was on the same flight back to Baltimore as I was. Fun times.

(L to R) Steve, me, Bill

My adorable mother, cheesin' in front of Ray-Ray's lucky number

I'm told that there's something of a family resemblance between us. Can you see it? ;)

Mom and I went to our AWESOME seats and immediately started hootin' and hollerin'. This was something of a challenge for me, as there was a little kid (8ish) in front of me, but I think I only cursed twice, and only one of those was an F-bomb. REALLY great for a person with a dirty mouth.

In the throes of Purple Passion

The game ended with a spectacular Ravens victory, a Steelers loss, and a Cowboys victory, thus allowing the home team to secure its second AFC North championship title in a row. As you can imagine, there was a great deal of pandemonium.

Not drunk, just elated and VERY, VERY COLD

I had an awesome time with my mom and enjoyed the tingling anticipation of being able to make fun of Shawn when we had both returned from our respective holiday breaks. Ray is already talking smack on Shawn's door, ready for his and Troy's response on Wednesday.

Happy SAFE New Year everyone!!!

Vacation

The blog has been quiet this last week only because I've been back in Baltimore for Christmas and haven't had time to update. My mom and I went to the AWESOME Ravens-Giants game and lost our minds with glee. When I'm back in Denver, I'll update with pictures of our joy and at least one picture of Shawn looking sad. After all, the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs last week (thanks to the Cowboys, of all teams), so Ben gets to spend the post-season cuddling his wife and son. Happy New Year, Ben. :)

GO RAVENS! PURPLE POWER!

These are the seats where my mom & I are sitting for the game. It's cold. It's loud. AND IT'S AWESOME!

Madden Mania

Poor Troy. All he wanted to do was play a friendly game of Madden against Ray Lewis and his boys. After all, if Ray can play against movie star heart throb Paul Rudd, then surely he'd play with his good buddy Troy! Unfortunately, Ray is too into himself and his "starring" role in the game to have time to actually PLAY it with anyone other than a paid celebrity. Pity. I bet the Lewises and the Palomalus would have a great time.

What's in A Name?

Would Troy Palomalu, by any other name, still be as sweet? ...maybe not...

Yes, you read that correctly: Troy Hatebreed Devilfood. Shawn is special.

Father's Day

*CAMEO: Antonio Cromartie Joke*

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lewis!

Ray tells Troy how he usually celebrates his birthday.

*CAMEO: Me*