We do more than eat. I promise.

Last weekend, Wheat and I traveled to Columbus for a housewarming party of sorts for our dear friends, TJ and Tasha. Eric and CJ also made the trip down from northern Ohio, so it felt like a mini-college reunion, albeit with some of our favorite people missing. Friday was spent checking out their incredible new house (I'm seriously so happy for them!), catching up with each other, and taking turns stomaching Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Unfortunately, this Muggle was on the receiving end of soap, black pepper, earthworm, grass, and rotten egg, the latter of which nearly made me vomit (which ironically is also a flavor of Bertie Bott's Beans).

Saturday, we woke up bright and early in order to eat what everyone wants for breakfast - massive burgers. I've been pining after Thurman's Cafe, a popular bar and restaurant in the German Village, ever since I saw it on Man vs. Food years ago. However, every time I've tried to eat there, the wait time has been over two hours. The weekend of our visit happened to coincide with the Arnold Classic, so I was a little worried that the bodybuilders and gorilla juice heads would pack the place, making it impossible yet again. So, we showed up 15 minutes before the doors opened, stood in line with the rest of the crazies (yes, there was already a decent-sized line), and got seated right away.

Although I desperately wanted to order the $22 Thurmanator (for blogging purposes, of course), I opted with the Western Burger, which was still entirely too big to finish in one sitting. The Thurmanator, which consists of 24 ounces of beef, bacon, ham, and more, was actually named in honor of the annual Arnold Classic held in Columbus, so it was a fitting time to visit. I was worried that I'd find the place to be overrated after all the hype over the years, but I can honestly say it was awesome. Something about the meat, the barbecue sauce, the cramped, divey interior, and the company made it the perfect first stop to our busy day.

After lunch, we headed to The Book Loft, the dreamiest bookstore in history. I could have easily spent all afternoon there, meandering through the narrow aisles and crowded rooms, but fortunately, I was pried away with only a few books in tow. From there, we walked to Pistacia Vera for a dozen macarons. I still can't get over the unbearable cuteness of the Buckeye one.

Next up was a stop at Brothers Drake, a craft meadery and hipster haven where my friends imbibed the sampler. They kindly let me taste the Apple Pie flavor, which left me wondering why all alcoholic beverages aren't made from honey and apple cider. Yum. On our way back to home base, we decided to stop at Ohio Stadium (the Shoe) in hopes of getting in for a picture of the football field. We were in luck because the OSU women's lacrosse team happened to be playing, so we ventured in and took our pictures while I dreamed it was actually a football game going on behind me.

The next few hours were spent at TJ and Tasha's, playing Catchphrase, eating charcuterie, and relaxing before dinner. We opted for Irish food, so we drove to Dublin (sadly not the one in Ireland) for some shepherd's pie and reubens at the Dublin Village Tavern. The best part? Chasing it with some delicious ice cream from Jeni's. There's just something about that brambleberry crisp and black & white cookies.

The next morning, Tasha did what she does best: hostess the crap out of us. She made us a veritable breakfast feast complete with pancakes, cinnamon rolls, macarons, bacon, eggs, and orange juice. Then, before we knew it, it was time for our goodbyes. This time, however, we already have set plans to see each other again, so that makes it a little easier. But only a little...

O-H! I-U!

Somehow, it's already Thursday and I'm just now getting around to blogging about my weekend. Oops.

Wheat left for Minnesota on Saturday morning to cover the WNBA finals (go Fever!), so my mom agreed to visit and keep me company. I say she 'agreed to visit' because I practically begged her to come. In many ways, I'm like a puppy that needs constant attention...except I'm way worse because I can actually complain when I don't get it. We filled our time with lots of wedding discussion, boneless chicken wings from BW3's that we consumed while watching the Bengals beat the Chiefs, and the season finale of Fear the Walking Dead.

As soon as she arrived on Saturday, we hopped back in the car and headed to Bloomington for the Ohio State-IU game. It was unseasonably chilly and drizzling that day, so we bundled up and wore bright orange Bengals ponchos, which I'm sure looked super cool. We parked in a remote lot and rode a shuttle to the game, which I highly recommend to anyone else with a debilitating fear of traffic and parking nightmares. Upon arrival, we loaded up on concession food, including a massive IU bucket of popcorn, and hunkered down in our seats, which were situated twenty rows up in the end zone.

Fortunately, we were surrounded almost entirely by Ohio State fans, so we didn't feel threatened while cheering for the visitors. The crowd was probably 60-40 in favor of IU, but it was tough to distinguish specific fans with everyone dressed in red. However, we did witness several OSU fans get ejected for starting fights with nearby Hoosier fans. Surprise! Memorial Stadium was impressive and the enormous flag behind the opposite end zone was entrancing. The game, which featured three Buckeye turnovers and several back-breaking penalties, was far too close for comfort. The Hoosiers had a chance to tie the game with seconds remaining (causing Mommles to close her eyes for the final minute), but were unable score on fourth down. In the end, running back and Heisman candidate Ezekiel Elliott's three touchdowns were enough to secure the 34-27 victory and lift my beloved Buckeyes to 5-0.

Ultimately, the game was great, but having my mom there to enjoy it with me was even better...and I'm not just saying that because she stocked us up on groceries, hung a chalkboard on the wall, and dealt with the maintenance man when the refrigerator stopped working at midnight. Anyone else think she's a saint?

Here's what you missed on Brittany...

Obviously I've gotten really bad at blogging. It took me weeks to finish my Texas vacation recap, then it took me weeks to write two posts on one of the best days of my life. I'm not going to feed you excuses. I'm just busy and lazy and exhausted and overwhelmed and all those other happy things. So, if you're even remotely interested, allow me to catch you up on all things Brittany:

- I got a new job. Sorta. It's actually the same job at the same place, but I went from working 29 hours to working 40 hours. Hence, the exhaustion. I also have benefits now and my bi-weekly paycheck doubled, so that's been a positive change around here.

- I'm getting married really soon and we might even have a wedding planned for the occasion. I mean, I still don't have a florist or transportation for pictures. I still haven't done a hair trial or picked up the rings or the dress. I did send out invitations this week, though. So hopefully someone else will be there to witness it.

- Football season is in full swing and I'm over-the-moon excited. We did a live fantasy draft a couple weeks ago and it was a blast. Any excuse to talk about football and stuff my face with food, right? We even followed the draft with some euchre, so I was in my hometown happy place. On top of that, the Bengals, the Packers, the Buckeyes, and my fantasy team (Watt Me Whip, Watt Me JJ) are undefeated.

- This probably doesn't deserve its own bullet point, but Wheat, LP, and I each received a free large one-topping pizza from Pizza Hut because apparently no one else watches College GameDay. On the opening day of college football, they announced before a commercial break that Pizza Hut was giving away 10,000 free pizzas with a special promo code. We assumed that by the time we ordered, the pizzas would be gone, but we each got one. We felt a little bad when we showed up together to pick them up, but FREE STUFF IS EVERYTHING.

- The past few weekends have consisted of: trips to Ohio for wedding planning, a full round of golf (where I didn't play, but drove the golf cart), a Bengals preseason win at Lucas Oil Stadium (which was technically on a Thursday), pumpkin pie blizzards from Dairy Queen, Fear the Walking Dead, a free root beer float from the Boy Scouts of America, a quick trip to Iron's Fruit Farm for apple cider and cinnamon-cider donuts, a stroll through IMA's incredible art park, and lots of quality time with my family. It's been really nice.

I also feel obligated to point out that fall is coming and I can feel it in the air. I can also taste it in my mouth because I'm currently devouring everything pumpkin-flavored within a 30-foot radius. I'm anxiously awaiting the first day where I can finally switch from looking like an overheated summer mess to looking like a presentable girl with a cardigan, boots, and scarf. It's coming, friends.

Tailgate Tuesday!

I'm not going to lie to you. When I first heard that Erin at Love, Fun, and Football was doing a football linkup today, I wanted to write something original - make predictions for the upcoming season, create a list of my favorite fantasy team names, do a countdown of my favorite players of all time. Then, as it always does, time got away from me. So, instead of something new, a weekend recap, or even a general life update (and trust me - plenty is going on around here), you get a post that I wrote exactly four years ago today. Such is life.

While many things have changed since then, I'm happy to report that I still feel exactly this way about football.

Originally posted on August 11, 2011

Are YOU Ready?

We are quickly approaching the most wonderful time of the year.

After the lockout chaos and free agency frenzy*, after the makeshift player-organized workouts and last-minute training camps, preseason games have finally arrived for the NFL. Summer lifting and conditioning has transitioned into intense football camp for college teams. High school teams are preparing for their first games in a couple weeks. I have survived yet another offseason. It’s finally here.

It’s time for another glorious football season.

There is a common misconception (held by most people I know) that I love football because I love the players. I will not lie to you – I do love the players. I often entertain brief fantasies where I am a professional stay-at-home mom (and blogger, of course), married to an NFLer, driving our kids to football camp in a black Range Rover.** I would marry Brian Urlacher with absolutely no hesitation. I swoon over Mark Sanchez, own a Chris Cooley jersey, and defend the attractive merits of AJ Hawk to naysayers. I have Chris Long desktop backgrounds, try to suppress my crushes on Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Hillis,*** and I cannot even start with Tim Tebow.

So, in a way, you’re right. I do love the players. However, all of this pales in comparison to my love for the game itself.

I love football - everything about it. Over the last ten years, my football fanaticism has become a defining characteristic of my personality. Between the months of August and January, it dictates my weekend plans (and Monday…and Thursday…), occupies my every thought, and determines most of my wardrobe. It alienates me from loved ones who refuse to watch games with me, it gets me in trouble for yelling and cussing too much, and it sends my heart rate through the roof. Every fall, it becomes part of who I am and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

To claim that my love of football is based solely on the players is simply false – erroneous on all counts. My love of the game is nearly religious, something that evades accurate explanation.

It’s the linebacker who perfectly reads the offense and comes up with a huge tackle for a loss. It’s seeing the offensive line’s breath on a chilly afternoon as they position themselves on the line of scrimmage. It’s a quarterback’s audibles, somehow rising above the raucous cheering of the crowd. It’s going for it on 4th and inches. It’s the successful completion of an onside kick. It’s pregame motivational speeches in the tunnel and the excitement and intensity of players before a big game. It’s handshakes at midfield before the coin toss. It’s the rewarding feeling of points scored by the defense – safety or interception. It’s the tell-tale Gatorade dumping at the end of a long, successful season. It’s “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones and it’s Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.”

It’s jumping into Mirror Lake, chirping Michigan fans, “Hang on Sloopy,” and dotting the I. It’s beautiful long passes being knocked down by perfect, close coverage by the secondary. It’s yelling “Who-Dey?!” with pride, even though you know the answer is everyone.**** It’s a military plane fly-by before kickoff. It’s the crunch of autumn leaves in the parking lot while walking to the front gate. It’s the sound of helmets clashing on the field. It’s clumps of turf stuck in a helmet and shoulder pads popping out. It’s the comforting feeling you get from pulling on an old jersey. It’s the smell of hot dogs cooking on the grill in the parking lot. It’s two-point conversions and hilarious touchdown celebrations. It’s screaming at refs for unrealistic ‘Roughing the Passer’ calls and horrible spots. It’s wearing a cheesehead and stomping on Terrible Towels. It’s holding hand-warmers in your pockets during December games and never once regretting the trip. It’s intense rivalries, group chants, and those Friday night lights. It’s primal screaming and veins bulging after a critical sack. It’s breaking a tackle for 30+ yards. It’s taking the field to the booming of fireworks. It’s student sections, personalized t-shirts, and hugs and tears after a tough loss.

It’s a game-changing interception returned for a touchdown by a player who needs an oxygen mask afterward. It’s changing your starters at the last minute for fantasy football. It’s holding hands with loved ones and closing your eyes because you can’t bear to watch the play. It’s that one miserable Sunday when your favorite team has a bye week. It’s Tom Hedden’s “A New Game” and the Monday Night Football theme song. It’s an announcer unable to contain his excitement and yelling his encouragement to a player. It’s post-game interviews and switching to SportsCenter for even more coverage. It’s breaking records, going undefeated, huge upset wins, and battling until the end. It’s local stores closing early to attend the game. It’s a quarterback and his receiver on the same page. It’s conversations at the store because of the jersey you’re wearing. It’s coaches and teammates consoling a player after a fumble or a dropped pass. It’s high-fiving strangers and singing post-touchdown songs. It’s tears of defeat, tears of victory, and feeling like a part of something bigger than yourself.

Ultimately, that’s why I love football. It connects you with others in a way few other things can. Over the course of the season, you debate, cry, hug, pray, celebrate, and spend countless hours with friends, family, and even complete strangers. You’re never alone – you’re together in defeat and you’re together in victory. Football is all about the collective – the brotherhood of the team and the dedication of the fans.

It’s football. It’s not about the players. It’s about the game.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

*I completely forgot about the NFL lockout a few years ago. I guess it was overshadowed by the ACTUAL lockout that Gary Bettman allowed in the 2012-13 NHL season. Ridiculous.
**I'm pleased to point out that I'm feeling perfectly content with the idea of being a stay-at-home mom and wife of a successful sports journalist, instead. Also, we can drive a Ford Fusion. No big deal.
***Big fat yikes. I'm over the Roethlisberger crush. No wonder I tried to keep those a secret.
****Remember when the Bengals used to be really awful and we still suffered through every game? I sure do. Ride or die. WHO-DEY?!

NHL All-Star Weekend in Columbus

If you know me at all, you know about my Canadian-like love for hockey. So, when I first learned that Columbus was hosting the 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend, I made a mental note to attend, at the very least to check out the festivities. Then, quicker than I expected, that very weekend rolled around and we found ourselves in Buckeye-land for some icy celebrations of both the sport and dessert variety.

First things first, we stopped at the Greater Columbus Convention Center for NHL Fan Fair. Despite the long lines for everything, the convention completely exceeded my expectations. With interactive games, autograph and Q&A sessions, and collectibles galore, the event was my personal version of hockey heaven. Although both Crosby and Malkin backed out of the weekend celebrations due to injury, they were all over the fan fair in the form of pictures, statues, and hockey cards. I took copious pictures. Duh.

While Filip Forsberg signed autographs, I tried to force Wheat to flash him the Predators shirt he was wearing underneath his pullover. No such luck. I bought hockey cards, played Puck-O (which was a giant version of Plink-O), won a Rick Nash 5x7 picture, admired the All-Star Draft stage that was used the night before, and ate pizza. I got autographs from two members of the U.S. Women's Olympic Team in Sochi (goalie Brianne McLaughlin and defense(wo)man Gigi Marvin), held their incredibly heavy silver metals (USA! USA!), hung out with the Oscar Mayer wienermobile, admired the Stanley Cup from afar, and compared my hand size to some of the NHL's finest.

Best of all, I forced begged Wheat to indulge my CROSplay fantasy -- see what I did there?! -- and try on full Sidney Crosby gear and pose for a picture kissing me. I asked the unsuspecting stranger behind me to take the picture and explained that I wanted it to look like I was kissing Crosby himself. Like the best friend I never knew he'd be, he responded, "Understandable."

Once we had our fill of hockey, we made our way to TJ and Tasha's apartment where, yet again, Tasha put all other hostesses to shame by popping a bottle of champagne and feeding us s'mores cupcakes in honor of our engagement. Excellent.

After a couple hours of conversation, we decided to head to dinner at The Old Mohawk, where we watched the Skills Competition and I ate a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with mac & cheese and pulled pork. Yep, it was as good as it sounds. We promptly pretended that the cupcakes earlier weren't actually dessert and made our way to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. If you haven't been, go. Run. Don't walk. You can sample as many flavors as you want, but I highly suggest Brambleberry Crisp and Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet.

I know we're getting old because we called it a very early night, but Tasha impressed yet again by treating us to a delicious breakfast and warm, mulled apple cider the next morning. Despite the rain/ice hybrid that was falling, we decided to check out the Winter Park near Nationwide Arena. The park, complete with bonfires, a giant snow slide, an ice skating rink, concessions, a replica Blue Jackets locker room, NHL 2015 on XBox, a live country band, and more Canadian beer than I can name, was absolutely perfect.

We opted with Katzinger's Deli for lunch, where I devoured an authentic reuben, a pickle straight from the barrel, and my very first cheese blintz. We closed the trip with a quick stop at Pistacia Vera, the cutest little pastry kitchen in the German Village. I don't even like the chocolate and peanut butter flavor combo, but I couldn't resist buying a Buckeye macaron. When in Rome, eh?

I didn't want to leave, but heavy snow was threatening. So, we bid our farewells with the knowledge that we'll back in one short month for their Columbus wedding! Hooray!

Fight to the end for O-HI-O.

I've only just now recovered enough to tell you (as if you didn't already know) that my the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks and 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, 42-20, on Monday night, en route to securing the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship title.

Via Cincy Shirts, my favorite local clothing shop

Despite four atrocious turnovers, my boys in scarlet and grey ran all over the Ducks...and I mean that literally. Sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott (and his disturbing half jersey) finished the night with 246 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, and the title of offensive MVP. Third-string quarterback -- yeah, read that again -- Cardale Jones certainly didn't travel to Dallas to "play school" as he filled the cleats of his two Heisman-contending predecessors admirably, recording 242 passing yards and both a passing and rushing touchdown. In other words, the night was glorious.

Via Bleacher Report. Yep, that happened. As fans, we must take the good with the bad.

Unfortunately, I live in a land inhabited by Hoosiers, a strange, basketball-obsessed breed that knows nothing of baseball or hockey and blindly worships the Indianapolis Colts. My enthusiasm for the game was met not only with confusion from those around me, but also with indifference. Alas, I wore my Buckeyes shirt, socks, and necklace with pride. Even in the comforts of my own apartment, I was bombarded with Buckeye-fueled vitriol from my SEC-loving fiance. I'm convinced he must be paid on the side for bashing Carlos Hyde, Urban Meyer, and any other Buckeye, past or present, not named Kenny Guiton or Eddie George. Still, I cheered on and was ultimately rewarded with Ohio State's eighth national title in school history.

"Ohio against the world." - Me and LeBron James

I've already popped my Jiffy Pop in anticipation of the tense quarterback drama that awaits us. To all my fellow Buckeye fanatics, the 'I-O'ers to my 'O-H's, the Mirror Lake jumpers, the 'Hang On Sloopy' jammers, the Meatchicken haters, the Big Ten loyalists, and the Best Damn Band in the Land, that was truly something special. Let's do it again next year.

Until next season...Our honor defend. We will fight to the end for O-HI-O!

You're winning, 2015.

Unsurprisingly, this first week of January has been an absolute whirlwind. Between the engagement announcement and the overwhelming flood of supportive phone calls, texts, and emails, we've been drowning in love. I'd liken this type of drowning to the way I'd feel if I suddenly found myself in a vat of guacamole. In other words, pretty darn happy and craving tortilla chips.

The over-the-moon happiness extended into New Year's Day when my beloved Buckeyes beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, 42-35. I told Wheat, a pure SEC elitist at heart, that Ohio State sealed the victory when he proposed to me...and he promptly called off the engagement. I'm kidding, of course, but he might actually consider it when he sees how I behave during the National Championship Game.

On Friday, the girls of Central Perk (minus Cara) had our fifth annual gift exchange, this year at Sarah's place in Dayton. As always, it was glorious to reunite with my lovely friends, eat delicious food, catch up on each others' lives, and trade presents. I ended up with a pretty calendar, a 'God Bless This Home' tea light set, a kitchen towel set printed with asparagus, salt and pepper shakers in the shape of asparagus, and a Chris Long figurine. The best news? I found out my housemate Lindsey also got engaged in December!

Saturday, Mommles made her way to Indianapolis for a visit. We walked down the foggy, frozen canal to try Burgerhaus for the first time and I must say - I regret nothing. I tried the Monaco, a burger with cheddar cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions, avocado, arugula, and wine mayo on a pretzel bun, and the sweet potato fries. It tastes as good as it sounds. We split the parmesan artichoke dip and I single-handedly took down half of it. Oops. The atmosphere was great and I can't wait to go back in the spring.

On a whim, we decided to buy tickets for the Bengals vs. Colts playoff game at Lucas Oil the next day. In a few words, it was rough. The Bengals lost, 26-10, eliminating them in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. We still had a great time repping our Cincinnati gear in our new city. We walked to the game, ate hot dogs, watched a bald eagle fly across the stadium during the national anthem, and sang the Cincinnati fight song after our first and only touchdown of the game. Mike Nugent made a 57-yard field goal. I was surprised how many Bengals fans made the drive, but it was nice to leave in good company. See you next year, fellow masochists. Who-Dey?!

After the game, we hurried back to our apartment so Mommles and I could get to Mimosa and a Masterpiece on time. The studio, which is located on dreamy Mass Ave, was so warm and inviting, but Mommles still wanted some 'liquid courage' before we got to work. We strapped on our aprons, ordered drinks, and followed along stroke-by-stroke as our enthusiastic instructor taught us how to paint the Indianapolis skyline from the canal. Despite a couple minor panic attacks, two tired right arms, 20 paint-spattered fingers, and a stiff neck, our finished products weren't too shabby. It was a fun, laidback atmosphere with great music and lots of help when you needed it. I'll definitely be back, but the verdict is still out on whether or not I can force Wheat to accompany me.

Which one do you like better?

Let's just make it through the work week, so we can wake up on Saturday and pretend it's still holiday break. Sound good? Okay.