In recent years, I’ve taken to watching the Super Bowl at home with family. But on Sunday, a last-minute invite saw us head down the street to watch it with friends.
I must say, as comfy as one might be in one’s own chair, the true fun is with buddies, young and old.
Chantal and Pat have been friends pretty much since our kids became pals in Grade 1 (they’re now in Grade 10). These two know how to have fun, and include the family at the same time.
I’ve been to many an adult Super Bowl event in the past, where the beer is overflowing, and Monday is a sluggish struggle at the office. I’ve reached the point where I appreciate the family affair.
That’s not to say the men didn’t curse and joke periodically – we were watching football, after all, and not a guy in the house was cheering for the favoured New England Patriots.
It was a back-and-forth game from start to finish.
All the while, the ladies spent time catching up, and preparing for the halftime show. They flooded into the basement to catch Justin Timberlake’s performance, and then flowed back upstairs shortly afterwards.
As for the children, they flitted about, collectively playing the video game Fortnite – or at least watching en masse as one of them played the single-player game – snacking, playing cards or slipping outdoor for some broomball.
At one moment, the kids were to deliver dessert – a Skor-filled, football-shaped masterpiece that had cookies for dipping.
The dessert got delivered into the room where the game was on the TV, but at that moment, the children turned into a pack of hyenas, and that dessert became a fresh kill on the African plain. It vanished in seconds. I swear I saw bits of dessert flying about, but none hit the floor, as the hyenas were very thorough.
The adults really didn’t need dessert. There was more than enough food to go around. I sampled smoked ribs, a hot chicken dip, and a host of other man-delicacies.
Through it all, we got to observe host Pat, a lifetime Philadelphia Eagles fan, go through a flurry of emotions for this game. His Eagles got out to a lead against the reviled Patriots, only to give it up late in the fourth quarter. They rallied to recapture the lead and then sacked Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, forcing a fumble.
But the game was still not decided until the final incompletion, a desperation Hail Mary.
Pat’s Eagles went from 0-2 in Super Bowl play (one loss coming long ago against my Oakland Raiders) to 1-2, and on top of the football world.
Watching a game like that is fine at home, but special with friends.
When you have the opportunity to gather with friends or loved ones, I urge you to do so. It’s worth it.
Man cold update
OK, I did miss a day of work with this darned cold, but tried to rest for much of the weekend. Ultimately, sleep came hard, as the cold moved into my chest. I’ve got asthma, and it’s never fun when you add chest congestion to the mix.
Let’s just say the weekend involved a lot of phlegm and not a lot of sleep.
As I type this, the cold is still in there. I might have to visit my chiropractor, Snap-Crackle Steve, as he has a deep heat treatment that does a great job in breaking up all that crud in one’s chest.
Up periscope
As I’m fighting this cold, I’m also preparing for a medical procedure people over the age of 50 should have on a regular basis – the colonoscopy.
That’s when a doctor snakes a camera up your personal plumbing to check out your pipes.
As I type this, it is slated to take place Thursday morning.
I’ve had this done once before, but it’s been at least seven years. I wrote about it the last time, and will tell you about it again. Only this time, at the request of several friends, I might sugarcoat it somewhat.
It’s a procedure where they have you take a very strong laxative that cleans you out prior to your inspection. They then pump you full of air to make it easier for the doc to get a good view of the camera that goes up the tailpipe.
This is a health check – specifically for signs of colon cancer or precancerous growths. It’s an important procedure, but might be fearful for some.
I like to think my writing about such things helps people better understand what they may go through. I had positive feedback from my old colonoscopy column, and received more when I detailed the banding process for hemorrhoids recently. The comments came from people who were facing similar procedures and didn’t know what to expect.
Besides, my inner child continues to laugh at toilet humour, and, let’s face it, consuming turbo-charged laxative and getting filled up with air (hmm, how does that leave your system?) is right up my, er, alley.
