Game Girl

OK, so the Redskins won yesterday. Hooray! I am thrilled about the win, and excited about their surprising record at 4-3. At this point, they have as many wins under their belt as they did ALL of last season, which is pretty amazing (and a testament to how truly awful they were last year!)

But I can't break down the game today, or discuss the 4 interceptions by DeAngelo Hall, or laugh about what a terrible quarterback Jay Cutler is. Nope, I've got nothing today. Why?

Because I faced a serious mommy/fan dilemma yesterday, and I know many of you can relate. Here goes: as I have stated repeatedly, I am a ridiculous fan of this team. So ridiculous that I never, EVER leave the house on game-day, or if I have to leave, I make sure there is a TV wherever I'm going so I can watch the game (or listen to it on the radio, at the very least). In any event, you get the point. Game day is MY day. I'm off-duty as a mom for the 4 hours or so the game is being played. I don't make lunches, do laundry, open the mail, or even answer the phone. My kids, who are 4 and 8, know about my obsession with the Skins and frankly, they tend to steer clear of me on game days, which is unfortunate as I wish my little guy, at least, would watch with me and catch some of my Skins fanaticism. But I digress.

Let's just say I schedule my Sundays around the Redskins, and I don't feel the least bit guilty about it. As I have also repeatedly said, some women talk on the phone, some women shop or work out...I watch the Redskins. It's my thing. It's what I do. As my husband often says, there are worse hobbies I could take up.

So, how, you ask, did I find myself at a 5-year-old's birthday party in the middle of the second quarter of the Bear's game yesterday? It's a sad tale of woe, and one I'm not eager to repeat. My husband had to go to a funeral yesterday unexpectedly (so that gets HIM off the hook), which left me to shuttle my four-year-old to his little pal's birthday party. "No sweat," I'm thinking, "I'll just drop him off and listen to the game in the car, then pick him up and get home in time to see the fourth quarter."

Good plan, until...OH, the horror! It was NOT a drop-and-go kind of party. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the backyard, saw the moonbounce and the party favors, and ALL the other moms standing around chatting about pre-school, potty training, and all sorts of other unimportant mommy-based issues. Catch me on a Monday and I'll chat with you all you want about potty training. Talk to me during the Redskins game about potty training and I might try to hit you in the mouth.

So, there I was, trapped...standing in a strangers' backyard, nodding my head amidst all the mommy chatter and frantically thinking, "What's the score? Why, oh why, didn't I set the DVR before I left the house? I only set it for the Comcast postgame show. Didn't think I'd NEED to set it for the game..." And on and on and on.

So, for the first time in I don't know how long, I missed the game. Simply MISSED it. Yes, I was able to excuse myself every now and then to fire up the radio in my car and check the score, and I watched the box score on my iphone, but it wasn't the same. I missed the game. I missed the nuances that make up those 3 1/2 hours on game day. I have to be content with highlights, post-game analysis, and the re-telling of stories from others.

But it won't be the same. And why? Because I faced a serious mommy-dilemma. Did I mention there wasn't a man in sight at that birthday party yesterday? Nope, they were all home watching the game.

UGH!