After the Glass Slipper

I broke down a few weeks ago and started watching the Packers on TV rather than listening on the radio. Last night's game against the Cowboys was a wild ride. At first Mia wanted to cheer for the Cowboys because she like their uniforms better, but I threatened to call Bumpa (her grandpa) and tell him that she was against the Packers, so she quickly changed her tune. Watching the Packers in our home involves a great deal of yelling and sound effects (from me, Jesse doesn't watch football). Mia got caught up in the spirit of the game and was soon booing the Cowboys and giving raspberries to the referees (who definitely deserved them last night). She'll make a great Packer fan someday. Midway through the first quarter I was forced to do something I've never done before: I muted the TV and listened to the play by play on the radio. The CBS announcers were awful! Do you think they deliberately set out to find two smug, condescending announcers? It was an absolute sin that the NFL limited viewing of the game to about 10% of the country, and then to add insult to injury, they put on Greg Gumbel who makes my hackles rise. And the coverage by the cameramen verged on offensive. I've never watched a game where they nearly follow the team into the locker room and peek in until someone closes the door in their face. They followed Favre after his injury up and down the tunnel. It felt like the players were being stalked by paparazzi. Overall, CBS failed to provide good commentary with enjoyable coverage. I'll avoid them for future games.

Although the Pack lost last night, I'm proud (for the most part) of how they played. It was almost a blessing when Favre went out in the first half. Every time he aired out that ball, my heart caught in my throat, and I knew it was going to end badly. Aaron Rodgers acquitted himself well, earning us two touchdowns including his first ever NFL touchdown pass. There was a poignant moment when the camera focused on Favre shortly after when you could see in his eyes that the torch was being passed. I wonder if Don Majkowski had that look in his eyes 15 years ago.

After the Glass Slipper by Jon & Beverly Meyerson is a marriage guide cleverly disguised as a sequel to Cinderella. The Meyersons, who have years of marriage counseling experience, have written what happened after Cinderella and her Prince were married. During their honeymoon, they fell even more in love with each other, but when they returned home to their castle, they quickly discover that living with another person can be difficult at times. In the midst of each struggle, either the Fairy Godmother of Caring Godfather arrives with good advice hidden in a poem that teaches the couple how to have a happier marriage. The advice is excellent: compliment each other, accept each other's feelings, support each other's interests, etc. Yes, the advice is for the most part common sense, but it's written in a way that's enjoyable to read. Because the book is written as fiction, it's likely to reach a wider audience than it might as simply a self-help book. It's a great book for newly weds (and those of us who aren't!).

Molly's big choir concert is tomorrow, and of course we're supposed to get 8-12 inches of snow, maybe even thundersnow! Thank goodness they've postponed the night concert until Sunday. Praise God!

Today is your last chance to sign up to win one of two copies of For Parents Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa A. Rice. Just drop an email to clockstein@centurytel.net to enter by midnight tonight! The winners will be announced Monday.