It's the best day of the year!

New England at Tennessee 1:00pm

xo kate

He lost his wife in those Bourne movies, but I don't even feel bad for him.

I mean, come on wildcats, there was no way we weren't going to post Tom Brady's new Funny or Die video.  It's not even that funny, but he's Tom fucking Brady.  Enjoy the video here.

72 days until Patriots preseason...

xo kate

It's like when I found out Emily and Daniel from Revenge were dating.

Oh, don't worry Gisele, I still hate you.

I kind of love that Kevin Youkilis is marrying Tom Brady's sister.  It like that delighted feeling you get when two actors from the same TV show or movie make it official in real life.  Generally it's difficult for me to get behind couples who have wildly unbalanced levels of attractiveness (this is just one of the many problems I have with the Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen pairing) but there's something so appealing about Youk.  I guess it's sort of like my oldest sister's weird attraction to Tom Petty -- you know he's ugly, but you just can't seem to shake it.  Also, Julie Brady is a teacher!  I'm a teacher!  I love teachers!  (Have you ever noticed how when writers are trying to endear you to teachers they refer to them as schoolteachers? I'm going to start introducing myself as a schoolteacher in order to come off as just slightly more precious.) Moreover, reading all these articles about what incredibly nice and humble people the Brady's are is just beginning to melt my icy heart toward Tom.

Oh, and by the way, I totally don't watch Revenge. That stuff is trash.  (Except that I totally do, and it's e-mazing.  You should watch too.)

xo kate

“Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”

So, my team lost the Superbowl.  To New York.  To a Manning. (And you know how I feel about that family.) Again.

Currently I'm about 22 hours into my self-allowed one week of misery after every tough loss.  In other words, I'm in the thick of it and my students can tell you, it isn't pretty.  Also, I slept for about an hour and a half last night and had to teach second grade for nine hours today.  So, it was not. a. good. day.

This afternoon, though, it got a little bit better when I saw this photo.  These are the crowds of people standing in the cold at Gillette to welcome the team home from the Superbowl today.  I'm proud to be part of a fan base that welcomes their team home, win or lose.  No matter how far away I live, I'll always be a New England girl.

xo kate

afc champs.

xo kate

Things I've missed since I've been gone...

I've been gone from W&W for so long that there are a lot of things that I've missed that I would normally have commented on.  So, rather than leave a gaping hole in your internet lives, I'll just go back through and give you a summary of September 2011.

September 11.
I got a free ipad, moved into a new apartment and spent a lot of time in urgent care for this gross eye problem I'm having.  (That's as far as I'll go.)  It's wasn't exactly a day of remembrance for me.  But I did listen to Acoustic Sunrise and they had a 9/11 tribute that was fan-tastic.  I heart acoustic music.  Also, this is what my closet looks like in my new apartment:

Okay, that's a lie.  But it's almost that good.

September 12.

My Pats started the season on Monday Night Football in Miami.  And won. 

September 18.

My man Kyle Chandler final got the recognition he deserved at the Emmy awards.  If you have any doubt in your mind that Friday Night Lights was the best show on television over the past few years (and one of the only good things Direct TV ever did), just watch this.  Tell me you're not moved.  Just try.

Man, I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

Also, people wore dresses.  Here's what I thought of them.

The good:

Click for larger image.

Jane Plimpton, aka the mom from Raising Hope, look totally -- and completely surprisingly -- smoking.  Maria Bello doesn't get older, she gets better.  Count me amongst the biggest John Krasinski and Emily Blunt fans and this dress is super pretty.  It's been a long time since Julia Stiles has looked this good.  Julia Stiles has never looked this good before.  Jurnee Smollett is so cute and this dress is e-mazing.  I really miss FNL.  You know, in case that wasn't clear from the rest of the post.

The bad:

Click for larger image.

There's something about Heidi Klum's dress that reminds me of the circus.  That's not a complement.  I feel like this dress is ugly and makes Gwyneth look like she isn't the skinniest person ever.  That's tough to do.  Dianna Agron is apparently done with   school roles.  So she's dressing like she 50 and trying to win a walk-on part on Dynasty.  If you're as cute and funny as Ellie Kemper, why not wear a dress and hairstyle that does absolutely nothing for you.  Speaking of bad hair, Zoe Barlet, what are you thinking? Oh, Brittany, I love you so.  But I do not like this.  It makes me dizzy to look at.  Julianna Margulies, you are so beautiful, why would you make yourself look so bad?  Olivia Munn has definitely had better days.  Not exactly showing Justin what he's missing.

September 25.
My Pats collapsed against the Bills.  It was upsetting, horrifying, stupefying, ugh.

September 26.
I discover that new Rihanna song and my walk to work got so. much. better.

Other than that, I just taught and planned, planned and taught, taught and planned, and had daily mini-breakdowns about why I ever took this job.

xo katei

happy football!

There will be football this year.  Thank heavens.

xo kate

He doesn't look a thing like Jesus, but he talks like a gentleman...

If Jesus could wear a suit like that,
I might go to church more.

Here at Wildcats and Wolfpacks, we are big Pats fans.  We were (and still are) pretty shattered by the end of a fun, surprising, should-have-been-ring-number-4-(or-5) season last month. As such, we have not been overly excited for this year's Superbowl, featuring Pittsburgh and Green Bay.  It's tough to choose between a storied franchise that has inexplicably chosen to keep a thrice accused rapist employed at QB, and the team that broke our pre-teen hearts back in '97.  (For the record, we're rooting for the Packers.)   Suffices to say that we've mostly been excited to see how my low-fat pigs in a blanket turn out.

Luckily, football redeemed some of it's magic for us today, when our very own Tom Brady was unanimously named NFL MVP.  Despite a disappointing ending, Tom had a hell of a season (14-2, 36 TD, 4 INT, 3,900 YRD, 111.0 QB Rating) with a young, inexperienced team.  He's the first player ever to be unanimously voted MVP and we couldn't be prouder of his performance this season, both on and off the field.  (We think he should have won the award for not popping off douchebag-of-the-year Antonio Cromartie alone.)

Congratulations, Tom.  We love you.  Now it's time to cut your hair.

xo kate

A History Lesson

Today has not been a good day. It's February (worst month ever). It's Tuesday (worst day of the week ever). It's the 1st of the month (worst day of the month ever - mostly because I have to pay my rent). And we are about one-fifth of the way through what seems like our 700th blizzard this winter (meaning the worst is still to come).

Also, I've had kind of a rough morning.  The outfit that I picked out in my head did not look as good on as it did in my imagination (isn't that always the way?).  I'm out of bananas (my breakfast of choice) and forgot to get them last night at the grocery store, which means I'll have to go back mid-blizzard tonight. My hat-and-hood combination totally flattened my bangs, and the snow flakes hitting me in the face smudged my eye makeup.   I nearly fell down about a dozen times walking to the T because it's so slippery.  And I dropped an earring (it had been in my bag and fell out when I grabbed my wallet) behind the self check-out machine at CVS while I was paying for my Diet Coke. Me, ass-up on the floor of a CVS first thing in the morning is not a pretty picture.

But there are some reasons that February first is fantastic, and rather than dwell on the negative, I think it's worth taking a minute to think about a couple reasons today has been great throughout history. (Presented in chronological order.)

February 1, 1986
Lauren Conrad is born!  I have a huge girl crush on LC -- she's a charter member of my wolfpack.  I totally love her.  Her hair, her make up, the fact that she chose her boyfriend (now starring on Celebrity Rehab) over the trip to Paris (you know we've all made bad decisions for boys), the pining for Ste-Phen on Laguna, the clothes, and the years of drunken eyeliner tears on The Hills.



LC taught us how to cry on TV. 
Go big or go home, birthday girl.

I even have a dress from her first fashion line.  Nope, not the one from Kohl's.  The expensive one.  I wear it in Vegas. And sometimes in Boston too. I love it.  Please stop judging me.  I'm counting the days til her new show premieres.  Unfortunately, I just have to keep counting because MTV hasn't released the date yet.

February 1, 1992

Oh yeah, the Cold War ended.  So you know, that was pretty great.

February 1, 2004

My Pats won their second Superbowl, and the world was introduced to the term wardrobe malfunction. Relive whichever of these events you think is more historic.



February 1, 2011

If you aren't playing Kay Con today,
you aren't playing.

My friend Kenny (Kay Con) is released his first mixtape today.  Kenny is a sophomore at Syracuse and an utter delight.   His mixtape samples Jay-Z, Al Green, The Righteous Brothers, Alliyah and Taylor Swift.  I mean, how could you not love him?  Although he didn't include my favorite Kay Con original, The Inappropriate Song, it does feature Evan Vogel on So Fictictious and Jason Edwards (Brother Spanky) on The Pessimist.  Jason and Evan are also friends and also wonderful.  Jason captured my heart and admiration when he played Total Eclipse of the Heart on the piano by ear as accompaniment to my performance in the talent show.  You know you want to come to camp with us all in the summer -- it's a real musical experience. Until then, you can enjoy their musical talents by downloading Invisible Bricks here.

The moral of this story is: maybe February 1st isn't so bad.

Keep your chin up, wildcats.

xo kate

Heartbreak...and Recovery

In light of Danielle's inspiring message about turning sadness into awesomeness, I've decided to pick myself up off my living room floor, dry my tears, clean up all the things I broke in a rage last night and concentrate on all the things that make life just a little more awesome.  Here's a few...

On Fridays, when Us Weekly comes and I get to learn all the reasons stars are just like us (Their dogs go poo!  They eat food!), and decide for myself who wore it best.

The new Britney song, which I'm proud to love.  Don't hold it against me.

Vacation planning.  I'm currently planning my annual spring weekend with my BFF.  So many choices, so much fun.

Those three-pairs for $4.99 earrings at Target, they are totally made for someone like me who loses earrings constantly.

Chuck Bass is a real lady killer.

Jalapeño infused tequila.  I had it for the first time on Saturday night, and it was a spicy delight.  Much like me.  Wink.

My fish, Chuck Bass.  Much like the warm-blooded Chuck Bass, the aquatic version is flashy, aloof and a big snob.  He also has a flair for the dramatic. He can hold REALLY still. For a REALLY long time.  I'm not going to lie to you, it can be pretty disconcerting at times.  But it makes especially awesome when he starts swimming around again.

Hats.  I love them, and despite having an unusually large head, I can mostly pull them off.  Assuming I can find ones that can fit on my huge noggin.

Those alcohol wipes at the gym.  So much better than that towels and spray bottles.

Shows that you can watch over and over and never get sick of.  I think there's a comfort in knowing exactly what is going to happen, but still enjoying watching the stories unfold.  For me, it's Friends and The West Wing.  In the words of Depeche Mode, I just can't get enough.

People who get things done.  You know those kinds of people who are smart, competent, efficient and self-directed and just get it done?  I want to be just like them when I grow up.

Awards season has officially begun -- which means lots and lots of vapid judging and fashion spreads.

Good looking guys, great looking city.

Movies that feature Boston.  My favorites are Good Will Hunting and The Departed, but I'll pretty much watch anything set in my favorite city.  Sometimes I even watch the fifth and sixth seasons of Dawson's Creek for the aerial panoramas and Boston-based exterior shots.  And definitely not for the plots or because I love Pacey or anything.  Cuz that would be weird...  Anyway, I especially love when non-Bostonian actors can do great non-rhotic Boston accents.  Jeremy Renner in The Town and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed are great examples.  Martin Sheen in The Departed is not a great example.

These are just a few of the things that are making life awesome now, instead of tragic.

xo kate

"When I get sad, I stop being sad, and be awesome instead...True story." ~Barney Stinson

No, I don't want to talk about it.

Honestly, I don't actually know enough about football to talk about it, even if I wanted to...which I don't.

All I'm going to say is that like all Pats fans right now, I'm sad. And I'm hoping Barney Stinson's motivational words (recently quoted by my sister) are going to be enough to get me through tonight and tomorrow.

Hang in there, New England.

~dfest

PS: Truck day is in less than a month. As is the premeire of Gossip Girl.

PPS: If I was talking about it, which I'm not, I would probably say that Sanchez is ugly.

PPPS: Yes, of course Barney Stinson is in my wolfpack. But that is a post for another day. Get excited if you can stop feeling so sad.

Don't Talk to Me.

I love football.  I love the flow of a game, the sound of the quarterback barking plays over the roar of a crowd, tailgate parties, when the entire stadium is on its feet on third and short, crunching pads, crazy mascots, overpriced paraphernalia, the feeling you get on the brink of a win, and especially, the way a football game can bring two complete strangers, or an entire city, together.

Seriously, who likes these people?

There's one thing that I don't like about football: Mannings.

I can't stand the Manning family.  I hate them all.  Peyton, Eli, Cooper, Archie -- even Olivia.  It's completely inexplicable, but I hate everything about them: the accents, the records, the endorsements (cut that meat, anyone?), the Chargers trade, the way Olivia and Archie refuse to cheer when their sons play each other -- just root for both offenses, how hard is that!?  But most of all, I hate Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.  

All of this begs the question: With 53 seconds on the clock, the Colts losing to the Jets 13-14, why was I suddenly rooting for Indy?  Because I, like every other football fan in America, knew what was going to happen next: Adam Vinatieri was going to kick a field goal.  Perhaps the only thing that that could overcome my hatred of Peyton is my love of Adam.

XXXIX

As a girl born and raised in New England, there's a million reasons to love number 4.  Besides being the all-time leading Patriots scorer, the greatest clutch kicker in history and a guaranteed future Hall of Famer, there's the small matter of this.  And this.  Or maybe this.  And, oh yeah, this too.  Even Adam beating New England with that 52-yarder can't quell my affection for him.  

Although each of these moments is its own reasons that Mr. Clutch deserves a place in my wolfpack, my favorite thing about him, and the reason I'm electing him today, isn't a play, but a speech to the crowd at the Patriots Victory Rally in 2002. (I was a senior in high school and wasn't allowed to drive down from New Hampshire -- but we did have quite a victory party on the Etna green the night of the game.)  But if I, or you, had made it to Boston that day, here is what we would have witnessed.

"I got a little story," Vinatieri said. "In the beginning of the season we started off a little slow. Some of the reporters didn't think we had much of a chance, and we kind of adopted a little motto. And basically the reporters would say something, and if they didn't believe in us, we'd just say, 'Don't talk to me.' "

The laughter in the crowd turned to cheers. "And as the season went along, some of the people said, 'Yeah, they're doing a little bit better, but I don't think they got what it takes,' and all we said is ..."

You never forget your first.

Vinatieri pointed the microphone at the masses.


"Don't ... talk ... to ... me," they screamed.


"That's right," he said. "We kept going, we won more games, the Oakland Raiders came in to us and a lot of people didn't think we could win. But what?"


"Don't talk to me!" thousands roared as one.


"That's right," Vinatieri said. "We got to Pittsburgh, and we were 9 1/2-point underdogs. They were already printing Super Bowl tickets. And what did we say?"


"DON'T TALK TO ME!"


You could feel the force of the words. Vinatieri was screaming: "We go down to New Orleans, and ain't anybody give us a chance? Nobody! And what did we say to them?"


"DON'T TALK TO ME!!!"


"Hey," Vinatieri said. "We're world champions." The choir, thousands upon thousands strong, responded with the force of their approval at the words that still seem hard to believe.
New England's placekicking hero for the ages stopped yelling.


"Don't talk to me," he said.

Adam Vinatieri is in my wolfpack.  Don't talk to me.

xo

kate