The time the Seahawks won the Super Bowl (yes, seriously)

Feburary 2, 2014

Everyone was screaming their faces off, both Seahawks and Broncos fans, as Steven Hauschka kicked off to Trindon Holliday.  Super Bowl XLVIII (that's 48 for any non-Romans) was under way.

And that was the last time Broncos fans had anything to cheer about.

Seriously.  From the very first play, when the Broncos couldn't even execute a basic snap and the ball went out of the end zone for a safety, everything went the Seahawks way...all the way to a 43-8 victory.  The Broncos only score came when it was 36-0, so even then there was nothing for them to cheer about.  I could write a billion words about the game and the experience of being AT the Super Bowl to see my Seahawks win their first Championship ever, but I will spare you.  In the end, we paid a lot of money to see one of the most lop-sided Super Bowls in history, and until next season kicks off, I will be replaying each score, each big play, each high-five with my friends, and forgetting all the painful losses and seasons since I was a baby.  This was really the best day ever (except if you're a Broncos fan, or a neutral fan who paid a lot of money to watch a "good" football game, which it wasn't).  I'm trying my best not to sound like I am rubbing it in the faces of any Broncos fans, because really I'm not.  But I can't promise I will be successful.

Seriously, I'm not trying to rub it in

Has your team ever won a sports championship?  Whether it be the NBA Finals, World Cup, or College Football championship, I had never cheered for a team that won a National (or "World", as we sometimes like to call it) Championship game.  Teams have gotten close in my time ('96 Sonics and '05 Seahawks both lost in the finals), our WNBA team has won (but I didn't follow them, except that I used to have a crush on Sue Bird), and the Huskies shared the title in 1991 (but there was no satisfaction of winning the Championship game).  When the Sonics (RIP) won the title in 1979, I wasn't old enough to know what was going on.  The Mariners haven't even come close.  So I didn't know what it's like to support a Champion. And I'm tired of my teams not winning. We sit through every season wishing and hoping, watching a lot of mediocrity, just putting up with it, because that's what we Seattle fans know.  Just once I'd like to say that my team won. And of course, it would literally be a once in a lifetime opportunity to be there when it happens.  And it finally did.  Now I'm greedy, and now we need to win EVERYTHING.

When I was planning my trip to Hawaii, I wanted to stop by Seattle and NYC on the way back to Poland, and luckily the flight prices to do this were not very expensive.  In September 2013 (the beginning of football season), there was some talk that the Seahawks were Super Bowl contenders (but when does that ever mean anything?).  The Super Bowl was going to be in NYC for the first time ever, and JUST IN CASE, I planned the trip to be in NYC during the big game.  Just.  In.  Case.  And it turned into an great decision (and not a jinx).

After we won the NFC Championship (which we watched in Hawaii and I made Igors learn all the rules), the excitement grew as we knew we'd be in NYC to watch the Hawks play.  Even though I am a big fan who has watched (at least on TV) pretty much every game since I was born, I actually didn't immediately buy tickets to the attend live in NYC.  It took a combination of many things before I woke up one day and said "Yes, I'm going".  The night before I decided to get a ticket, I actually went to bed thinking "I have better things to spend $2,000 on, I'll just watch it on TV at Mike and Patty's".  Then I had some crazy dreams, and woke up convinced I needed to go to the game.  It was something like in Back to the Future, when George McFly is visited (by Darth Vader from the plant Vulcan) in the middle of the night, convincing him to ask Lorraine to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, or else he'd melt his brain.  BJ, Byron, Kevin, and a bunch of others convinced me to go with them, since they all bought flights to meet up in NYC.  We were able to get tickets for less than I thought, thanks to a friend (originally tickets were in the $2000-3000 range, which we avoided).  But with a face value of $1,000, it was still quite expensive (we paid more than face).  And for that much money, we were going to enjoy every single minute of it.

Hawks in NYC

Some adopted Hawks in NYC (we don't even know the guy on the left)

When Percy Harvin took the second half kickoff for a touchdown, making the score 29-0, victory was firmly in hand and I realized "yea this is worth it".

12 must have been a magic number, as during the Super Bowl, we scored points exactly 12 seconds into both the first and second halves, which never happened before (and is extremely difficult considering the rules of who gets the ball to start each half). And obviously, the number 12 represents us, the fans of the Seahawks.

12s before going in the stadium

Here we go 12s!

Obviously the game itself was awesome, and it was so great to share it with so many friends from Seattle. They thought it would be super cold and snowy, but actually it was so nice that I didn't even wear a jacket.  We lost our voices (for days), and our hands hurt from so much high-fiving.  For days after the game, I watched highlights, replays, and analysis on TV, the victory parade (and I might have shed a tear when Russell Wilson carried in the Lombardi trophy after the team introductions).  Doug Baldwin and Kam Chancellor were my favorites, but Percy Harvin,  Golden Tate, Russell, Richard Sherman (Igors bought his t-shirt), Bobby Wagner, Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett, and others....there are so many good players, and of course Malcom Smith winning MVP. Maxwell will be good too. It was really nice to see Broncos so gracious after the game - Knowshon Moreno came up to Sherman to congratulate him - I liked him after that. Sherman didn't say anything rude, unlike the 49er game, and paid tribute to all his teammates.  Oh, and I'm never washing my Russell Wilson jersey.

Winners!!

On such a high, even still!

Besides the game, it was great to see my NYC friends (Mike and Patty were great hosts as always, this time in Long Island City), and amazing that so many Seattle friends came out to the game.  We ran into a lot of friends at the game that we didn't even know would be there, including my old work softball team buddies sitting behind us in the stadium, and I saw a friend from high school on the bus home from the game that I hadn't seen in years.  He told me he reads this blog in between flying F-18s fighter jets (seriously that's what he does), so what's up Poth!.  By the way, paying $50 for the exclusive bus to and from the game, was another wise idea, rather than taking public transportation (which supposedly took hours).

Ran into Blair, whose dad is CFO of the Broncos (sorry guys)

The game was so great that everything else afterwards seemed kind of blah.  After the game we tried to go to a Seahawks bar to celebrate (Central Bar), but we were so tired from cheering our faces off, and the bar wasn't letting people in, so we just went to a quiet place down the street.  After a couple celebratory drinks, we all went home early.  The high didn't wear off though (it still hasn't) as we kept reminding ourselves of the victory.  The next night a few of us went to the Nets basketball game, which seemed super boring compared to winning the Super Bowl.  I especially didn't want to be too happy about the game since Joey (a Broncos fan) also came with us.  Sorry Joey.  But it was still good to see him.

Schwartz and her friend Jami came out to NYC from Houston as well, and we hung out around the city. Their last night they took us to a gay bar where the patrons sing Broadway tunes all night.  It was pretty fun and interesting, except for when some guy's crotch "accidentally" kept rubbing up against my legs. Yikes.

I also got to see a lot of my old PwC training crew for happy hour.  George, Saj, Dan, Justin, Annie D and a bunch of others met up near the office after work, just like the good old days.  It didn't end up at Karaoke and Chicken and Rice at 4am like it used to, but considering half of the crew has kids at home now, it's understandable.

Happy hour, just like 7 years ago (except we go home early now)

I think Igors enjoyed his first time in NYC, getting in a lot of sightseeing, and a lot of Asian food (it was my big craving so I dragged him all over Chinatown and Korea town).  He got sick of it eventually, as you can imagine.

More than 2 months after the game, it's still awesome to think about it.  The Seahawks are a victim of their own success, since many of their free agents have scored big contracts with other teams.  But it's nice to see the true fans wishing the players well, thanking them for being sports heroes to us, rather than criticizing them for leaving.  We understand this is part of the game, and we believe in our team management to keep re-stocking the cupboard.  Now that our expectations are so high, and we know that it's possible, I just hope we aren't disappointed if we don't win Super Bowls every year.  Or we could just go ahead and win the Super Bowl every year.

Check back next year to find out. 

How do you pack for Hawaii, Seattle and Quebec on the same trip in February?

Jan 16 - Feb 8, 2014

(This post is ridiculously late, but we'll survive).

"Oh, you're bringing a guy?"

I could almost hear the disappointment in my parent's email, after I told them that Igors was coming with me to visit the US.  When said I would bring a friend, they were hoping I'd bring a hot and heavy girlfriend (which means the sooner they get grandkids), instead of a Latvian dude, especially after bringing Asia last year.  Most parents with hopes that their straight, 30-something son will get married soon, would consider "Latvian guy" as a downgrade from "Polish girl" when it comes to who he is bringing on vacation (sorry, no offense to any Latvian guys).

After only a 27 hour door-to-door journey from Warsaw, the days on Maui were filled with sun, pool, beach workouts in front of other tourists, lots of food, going to Costco (for some reason I bought 2.5 pounds of Lawry's seasoning salt), and seeing family, just like my normal trips.  Cousin Scott's daughters are getting bigger every year (funny how that works).  Kayce is 6 or 7 now, but still as silly as ever, while Tori just turned 2.  And as usual, they had toys that I wish I had myself.  When I say that, I mean I want them right now, not back when I was a kid.  They had stuffed animal husky dogs that make noises when you read a book to them.  Seriously, they are trained to bark or whine or pant or whatever, when you say certain phrases from the book.  It kept me busy for a good 30 minutes (get it at Hallmark!).  I was especially excited because one of the dogs didn't "speak" when others read to it, but it was perfectly obedient for me.  You could say we were a perfect pair (plus duh, they're Huskies).

We went snorkeling and whale watching in Molokini, and biking down Haleakala. We didn't get up for the sunrise trip, since we would have had to go up at 3:30 am, and that's normal getting-home-from-the-club-time.  The ride down was mostly downhill (obviously), but we turned around to go up hill a few times to get some exercise and feel a little "prouder" of a 20 mile ride.  We didn't have much time to explore or hike the crater, so that's something for another time.  There was also a nice Mexican restaurant on the way back called Polli's, so if you ever bike down Haleakala, don't forget to stop there.  After busy days, we got sleepy every night at 8pm (so I guess no clubs til 3:30), and sometimes a "nap" on the floor would turn into sleeping til sunrise, while my parents watched TV next to us.  I also had a few evening work calls with my boss, who was in New Zealand, and yes, I did do some work as well (although I was usually falling asleep while working).

Hanging out at Big Beach

Igors using his Go Pro

Beach sunset workout

Going down Haleakala

On Oahu we had a busier schedule, meeting more family and friends, driving around in the tiny Chevy Spark. I forgot my driver's license in Poland, and was worried I wouldn't be able to drive on the trip.  But I was able to apply online to get a replacement from the WA DOL. It allowed me to print a temporary license online without having to go to there, which was super nice.  We hiked Diamond Head with Farrah and Pillboxes with Meagan, checked out my favorite beaches and restaurants, and spent some time shopping at Ala Moana.  Igors did some swim "workouts", but I was still recovering from my boob injury so I couldn't swim much.  We had dinner at cousin Sheri's and all the little kids came too.  They are getting more tiring every year (in a fun way), and it's difficult to buy gifts for them. Kai (8) and Ryan (4) got Legos, while Sera (6) and Emi (7) got Hello Kitty and My Melody stationary/coloring books. I was just lucky that each of the girls happened to prefer the character I gave them.  I don't even know who My Melody is, I just didn't want to get them the same things. Next year I'll have to get them some Seahawks gear, puzzles - or even Legos for the girls (or iPad apps, as they all play with their iPads all day....not to mention all the grandparents have new iPhones and I still have a Blackberry).  They were all playing with these Kendama toys, where they try to make a ball, attached by a string, land on the wooden handle. I used to have one when I was a kid, but I guess they are super popular now in Hawaii, as if it took an entire generation for it to make its way out there.  Kai even had two of them.  This dude is not related to me, but he's pretty good at it.

WITC on Diamond Head

Top of Pillboxes

One of my favorite things to eat in Hawaii is Korean BBQ (Hawaiian style).  When I try to describe Hawaiian BBQ, it's hard to compare it to anything that someone in Poland could understand.  It's just SOOOO GOOD.  BBQ Chicken, short ribs, meat jun, gyoza, and with lots of rice...I couldn't stop. I think Igors got sick of it, because after a while, when we were deciding what to eat, he'd say "NO RICE!".  He also complained about the lack of sparkling water options.

No words necessary

On NFC Championship Sunday, we had breakfast at Cinnamon's (the best on Oahu) with Aunty Margie, Katie and Sean, and other cousin Naomi, who is from Seattle but lives in NYC. After breakfast we had to go back home to watch the Seahawks game, where I taught Igors the rules, and by the end of the game, he finally understood.  I was super nervous, but the Seahawks pulled it out on a great play by Richard Sherman, to send them to the Super Bowl.  A waitress named Kira at Cinnamon's was wearing a 49ers jersey and now she owes me breakfast.  If anyone knows her, tell her to contact me so I can get my pancakes!

After enjoying our last BBQs, meals, shaved ice, and sunny 80 degree days on Maui, we headed to Seattle for a few days of sweaters and drizzle.  The first thing I noticed everywhere was the abundance of green and blue and the number 12 all over the city.  The colors are those of the Seahawks, and 12 is a symbol for their fans.  We are very proud to support the team, especially when they're playing in the Super Bowl.  12 represents the "12th man", a term that comes from the fact that there are 11 players on the field at once, and the fans act like a 12th player, supporting the team and actually making an impact on the game with the noise.  Seattle is known to have the loudest stadium in the NFL, and we even set a world record for noisiest stadium during the season.  The number 12 was on buildings, cars, faces, flags, even on a Boeing jet.  It was great to be home.

Besides being super excited about the game, I was able to see a lot of friends and family in Seattle, including my brother who is sometimes travelling when I go home. I am always thankful that they make time for me when I am back in town.  It's funny how things have changed with my friends since I last lived in Seattle (almost 8 years ago).  Conversations that used to be about sports, girls, clubs, and our futures, have turned into talks about household improvements, babies, day care, and favorite toys.  I also had a sense of nostalgia when walking past Key Arena (where the Sonics used to play) after we visited the Experience Music Project (also very cool for any of you who haven't been).  As we walked past the arena, I got flashbacks of  20 years ago when I used to go to Sonics games.  I could hear the ball bouncing, shoes squeaking on the court, whistles, the buzzer, and even the announcer calling out the names of the players as the fans cheered.  For some reason "Kendallllll Gillllllllll!" kept going through my mind.  I love how a place like that can bring back such vivid memories, and those sounds seemed to real to me, even though the arena was empty, and there was no sound at all.  It makes me sad to think that the Sonics are gone.

Ela, a Polish friend who was traveling in California, visited us for a couple days as well.  We went to the Boeing tour in Everett where they make the 747, 777, and 787 jets (pretty cool!) and they also did the Underground City tour. I got my fix of Red Robin, Pho Cyclo (as usual - we needed reservations for 19 this time with all the kids), Taco Time, and Fish Sandwiches at Pike Place Market.  We also tried Anthony's Bell Street Diner, rather than the fancy Anthony's on the pier next door, and it was definitely "worth" spending less money for similar quality fresh seafood (and they had a nice early bird dinner special for old people like us).  It's actually really fun being a tourist in my own city.

Space Needle at night

12th man piggie at Pike Place Market

After a few days in Seattle, Igors and I headed off to NYC, while Ela returned to Poland.  The NYC trip deserves an entry all to itself, thanks to the Seahawks historic Super Bowl victory, so you'll read about that next.

After the Super Bowl, I took a few days to visit Mike and Pascale (and Amanda, and another baby in the oven) in Quebec City.  In Poland, we didn't really have an intense winter this year, and the only snow happened when I was out of the country.  So you could say that I missed winter.  Well, after going to Quebec in February, you could say that I don't really miss winter.  It was so cold that I couldn't breathe when going outside.  I literally had to put on all of my clothes.  There was so much snow that the snow banks were almost as tall as the houses along the streets.  Blue poles stick out of the ground to identify which houses have contracts for the street cleaners to clear the snow out of.  The cars are so dirty from the snow and sand, you can't see the true color of the cars, the license plates, or even what kind of car it is.  But even with all the snow and bone chilling temperatures, it was still a fun place to visit.

Snow banks taller than me

Mike and I had to both work while there, so we didn't do much day time sightseeing (plus the Olympics were on so we watched some of that).  It was nice to hang out in their house, a 3 story palace, with lots of bedrooms (I had my own entire level with a bedroom, bathroom, living room and play room), nice kitchen and hardwood floors, and a nice yard (when it's not covered in snow).  Pascale was also at work, living the life of a partner in the QC office.  But we did manage to see some of the town.

My hosts with our canned fondue (it was awesome)

Of course I wanted to eat a lot of food there, and funny enough, my first meal included French Onion Soup. I think there's a lot of teasing that goes on between French people and French-Canadians, so I laughed about my French Onion Soup.  When Mike was in Warsaw with me, he tried to pretend he was French, and a French friend could tell he was an imposter after only 1 word out of his mouth.  So even though the language is slightly different, it's still French.  And it's strange to me that there is a place in a country that speaks mostly English where a lot of people don't speak English at all. It made me feel like I was in a different continent, not in Canada.  I mean, they don't say "a-boot" or "ehh" after everything when they speak French.  So they can't be Canadian!  I even noticed mostly Quebec flags all over the city, not any Canadian flags.  Because of this, it has a nice European feeling, including a cute Old Town.  After a while, I got used to it and stopped complaining.

The main attraction for me was the poutine.  The fries, cheese curds and gravy seem unhealthy enough to kill a man in one sitting, but I went ahead and had it twice in the span of 12 hours.  The second time also with a smoked meat sandwich at a restaurant called Brynd (very nice).  It was extremely delicious, but something you have to prepare for (and then go into detox after).  One of the places we ate at was called "Snack Bar" and the phone number for delivery from this bar is posted on the sign outside: 522-GRAS.  If you speak French, you know that "gras" means "fat".  That's all you need to know about that.

Poutine with smoked meat topping - delish

And that's when I decided to go on a diet for the rest of the trip.

Up next, the Seahawks win the Super Bowl.  And I'm there to witness it.