NFC Championship

I knew this weekend was going to be a disaster. But this seems to be a theme in my life- I see the train wreck coming from a mile away, but I do nothing to stop it.

Ryan texted me last Wednesday and said he had a ticket to the Bears game for me if I could get to Chicago. I told him, "Give me 24 hours. I'm a hustler, homey."

I managed to find airfare for $240, which is really cheap, so I knew I had to go. Coming up with the money was really fun. I pawned my Wii and my DS, and the guys at the pawn shop were my BFFs by the time I left. I told them what I was trying to raise money for and apologized that I didn't have some truly sad story, like trying to pay medical bills. They said people lie and make up stuff like that all the time, and that my story was better. After calling around to a few pawn shops, I felt like these guys gave me a fair price, and they were really nice. It was definitely an experience. Then I raced to the Buffalo Exchange, this really great used clothing store, where I sold a bunch of clothes that don't fit me anymore. I sold a few Groupons, returned a top to Kohl's, and borrowed a little money from Nancy, and had enough for the ticket.

Before I booked the flight, I asked Ryan who else was coming and found out Nicole would be there. A few things about Nicole: 1. He's been involved with her for a while now, but always says he's not dating her. 2. I don't like her. I honestly tried to, but there's something about the way she talks about other people that makes me think maybe she's not good people. A few of my friends who met her agreed, but they could've just been saying that to make me happy.

Anyway, I knew that the game may be difficult for me, but I told myself I just needed to have a positive attitude and be nice and just focus on the game.

This plan lasted all of 5 minutes after we picked up Nicole and she was referring to herself as Ryan's girlfriend. She told him she brought extra tissues for his boogery nose (I really hate how she talks to him), and when he mentioned wearing something to the game, she said, "Oh no, honey, that's in the wash." I knew right then this day was going to suck.

Nicole kept buying me beers at the game, which was fine with me because it put me in a better mood, and I needed to not be sober to deal with the situation. I do kind of regret drinking, however, because when you actually go to games, they go by way too quickly, and even faster if you're drinking. I rarely drink at Cubs games anymore because I want to actually pay attention to the game. But that's okay.

The game itself was really fun. We actually weren't that cold; we had on so many layers, and our seats were in the United Club section, so we had indoor access. The seats were really amazing. And it was great to experience the excitement of being at such a big game. There were some Packers fans with cheese on their heads, but the best was a Bears fan with a cheese grater on his head. My voice hurt by the end of the day from screaming so much. And I'd just like to say that I think Chicago is being unfair to Jay Cutler. First of all, part of the reason he's not the best quarterback is because our offensive line needs work. It's not all his fault. And secondly, it's not like he asked to be taken out of the game. But I think Chicago has made up their mind, and I feel really bad for him. Maybe I'll write him a letter.

It makes me sad that you can't tell from this picture how awesome our seats were, but they really were great. If you look across the field, you can see the second section up, underneath the overhang- that's where we were sitting.

So during the game, I managed to have private conversations with both Ryan and Nicole. I asked Ryan why he didn't tell me they were dating, and he insists he did. I told Nicole I hadn't realized they were dating and asked her if she wanted me to find another place to stay that night. I just felt it would be inappropriate for me to stay with Ryan, even though I knew nothing would happen. She assured me that it was fine, she trusted us, and Ryan had told her many times that we were just friends.



As the day progressed, so did my inebriation. Oddly enough, it was Nicole buying most of my drinks. I was trashed and texting everyone about the suckiness of the situation, which was so terrible I had to just laugh and laugh. I guess the good thing that came out of this was being reminded that I have friends who love me, although sometimes I do wonder why they put up with me. Jen said I could come stay with her. Nina attempted to come save me while we were at Joe's Bar watching the Steelers, but Ryan ignored her call. Nancy offered practical advice on how to handle with situation. Jeremiah texted repeatedly to make sure I was okay after my phone died and was sympathetic and made sure I'd be at his place for the Super Bowl. (I'm friends with him and his wife, and I watch a lot of football there.) Jenn called him names. Amanda claims she's never used the word "douchebag" so many times in a conversation. Paula texted with me in the middle of the night. And Jenna said I can come live with her and her husband so I won't die alone.

(Wow, looking back through my texts, I texted a lot of people. I may need to get that under control...)

After watching the Steeler's game at Joe's, Ryan and I headed back to his place, alone. I asked him about how he and Nicole got together, and he said they've been together a few months, but it's not serious. She's just good for right now. Then he started joking about how there were strings attached to those tickets, and then we were wrestling, and all of a sudden we were making out.

So I feel awful about contributing to his cheating. It's so unfair to Nicole. I sent him a message on Facebook yesterday saying that stuff won't happen again because of Nicole, and that he needs to figure out how he feels about. 24 hours later, still no response. And there probably won't be.

I know this post makes him sound like a complete douchebag, but I really don't think he is. I think he was drunk. And immature. And doesn't know what he wants. I'm not ready to give up on our friendship. But the rules can't keep changing; I need to know what to expect. So I canceled Vegas.

Oh wait, I almost forgot the worst part of the night (at least to me). My flight left at 5 a.m. on Monday. I didn't expect him to take me to the airport in the middle of the night, but I at least expected him to show some concern for how I was getting there. He knew I was broke, so my plan was to take the L. Before I left my parents', my dad insisted on giving me emergency cab fare money, which I reluctantly accepted. He insisted that Ryan get me to the L (because it's right by the projects), and I was so sure that Ryan would be fine with that. But when I mentioned to Ryan that I was a little uncomfortable walking to the L by myself at 2:30 a.m. and asked if we would get me there, he was like, "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

That was pretty huge to me. Any of my friends' husbands would NOT have been okay with that. Doesn't matter if you're dating a girl or not; shouldn't you be concerned for her safety? If he didn't feel like getting up in the middle of the night, he could've at least offered me some cab money, right? Later that night, when he could tell I was pissy about it, he said he would drive me to the L. But I said no, the more I thought about it, the more I didn't want to ride the L in the middle of the night, either. I told him I'd use my dad's emergency money, and he was totally okay with this.

So anyway, that was a really detailed version of this crazy weekend, but it needed to be documented. Today I was really glad to be at work and get back in my routine. Faye is coming to visit this weekend, and next weekend Amanda and I are going out to a country bar to make up for the fact that we won't be in Vegas.

And I have no regrets about this weekend. Selling my stuff was hilarious and not even a big deal; kind of like having a garage sale. I got to see my grandma (probably the best part), hang out with my mom, and teach my dad how to use the Netflix subscription I got him for Christmas. I got to go to the freakin NFC Championship (NEVER thought I'd get to go to such a huge game and have such great seats), and I have yet another crazy story to add to my repertoire. So no regrets. My life is crazy, but I'm never bored and always learning.