GO PATRIOTS!!!

Brian and I marked an item off of our bucket list this weekend slipping away to see our first NFL game!  He found a great deal on tickets hours after they announced the game practically in our back yard so he jumped all over the opportunity to support his New England team so close to home.   We haven't done many weekend trips with leaving the girls.  Not that we don't trust leaving them in anyone else's care it's just we really like our children and it's great fun to lug them along on trips.  But this was a needed couples retreat to soak up sporting fun at an event that we knew they'd never appreciate. So we braved it alone leaving them behind and had a wonderful night away in Charlotte.   It was a cooler then an average late summer evening and we got there early enough to take a stroll  to a sports bar for some hard cider and greasy burgers in preparation for the game.   It was such a fun spirit walking through town meeting families as eager as we were for the NFL season to begin.   No one glared at our New England jerseys only poking fun as we all bantered back and forth as to which team was better.    More then once I gave Brian the secret code "triple pat" to his arm to let him know when it was time to walk away,  no agreement could be established with these strangers.  He gets so into it!!   It's one of his more endearing  traits.  :)
  After dinner we killed time sitting on benches and people watching.   One gentleman even took one look at us and expressed how cute and romantic we looked, to which we both responded big toothy grinned thanks.    The game was awesome and our seats couldn't have been better behind the goal post and second row we were practically with the players.    Luckily another group of Patriots fans were seated beside us so we felt the strength in numbers at our section of the Panthers dominated stadium.     We won the game (of course!) and left stuffed and happy in the breezy warm walk back to our hotel.   A random group of musicians played tubas and steel drums as everyone filed out.   It was a fun night for sure and we are officially hooked at the whole NFL experience.  I hope we can do it again soon!!