It’s been an amazing season for the Packers.  What a feeling it is to have your team back on top – like it was back in ’96 and ’97.  Can you believe that was 10 years ago?  Growing up in Wisconsin, the Packers weren’t that great in the ’80s and ’90s.  But I was always a fan and very mindful of the rich tradition the team holds.  A group of guys got together in a grungy old editorial room at the Green Bay Gazette to organize a football team – they became the Green Bay Packers.  

A few months ago, I wrote about how I was raking my leaves one day, and the next day the rake was 6 inches deep in snow. Remember? Well I’m NOT happy to report that the reverse has happened – the snow has disappeared as quickly as it arrived.
Here’s the picture from December 3, followed by today, January 9.

I have a confession: I often see international news through the lenses of an ignorant American. If I take the thought a little further, I’d have to admit that I have learned that the chaos that happens over there… “that’s just what happens over there.” And I’m immune to any sympathetic emotions I may have for the people in these countries where danger and poverty are common.

Until now.

Katie and I support a pastor in Kenya, who Katie met while she was in Bible school in Germany. Geoffrey works with a Children’s Project where they school many students, some of which have lost their parents.

If you haven’t heard, Kenya’s elections created chaos in the country. To learn more, you can read this article from the New York Times:
Kenya, Known for it’s Stability, Topples Into Post-Election Chaos.

When we heard from Geoffrey, he said that he and his family are trapped in their house, and media had been shut off (but he was able to email). His mother-in-law and her children were forced to flee to the forest as their home was burned to the ground – they slept in the forest.

Such news has never reached my ears until I heard it first-person from Kenya. And now (thankfully) I will never be the same.

It’s not over. Here’s the latest communication from Geoffrey:

Dear Hans,
Thank you dear friends for your committiment in prayer for us.
Yesterday there was much fear in our Village that a group of people was coming armed to kill people.We did not sleep but kept on our watch over the whole night.Indeed they came, but praise be to God that their was an heavy prense of the police around.Food and other comodities have become very expensive.Very few people do gaher in the Church since their is no
security enough.A Church in Eldoret was burnt down with a bout 50 people inside who had ran their for their safety.
Today morning,most of the Cities had problems as demonistrators went to the streets.All shops in the Cities and some parts in the villages are closed down.Houses have been burnt and as hundreds of people loosing their lives.
Fear has gone deep into our hearts.Pray for us and our Country and may God save Kenya.
Geoffrey and family.+

Last winter Katie and I got out on the frozen Lake Mendota and got to cross-country ski. We absolutely loved it! We decided that this year we wanted to save for our own set of skis. Friday after work, Katie found a pair at Play-it-Again Sports – a “vintage” pair that are just perfect for her. The next morning I was able to find what I was looking for at REI. That afternoon, we hit the trails for the first time on our own skis. What a joy to begin this outdoor winter activity. Sunday, I explored the UW Arboretum, and Monday I took Katie there for her first time on the trails.

I never like this meal growing up, but my mom and her parents ate it growing up on the farm and I always new it was a classic: Campbell’s tomato soup and grilled cheese.

I got home from a day in which we probably shouldn’t have gone out. The snow flakes were huge and eventually very wet when you’re working in it. I couldn’t wait to get home and clean up, knowing the delicious meal ahead of me.

And I must say, our house truly comes into character on these winter days and nights. The old cottage reminds me so much of my grandparents’ house. And tomato soup with grilled cheese is just the meal my grandpa would have eaten after coming in from his chores.

I’ve faced reality – not many men I hang out with appreciate style like I do. Now I’m not saying that I’m the most stylish man I know… but wait, I am the most stylish man I know. Let’s give credit where credit is due – Katie has contributed a significant edge to my wardrobe over the last three years. But I’ve always had an appreciation for stylish clothes and creating a “look” of my own.

For a couple years now, I’ve been looking for the perfect dress shirt. It’s a staple of the man’s wardrobe. At first glance it’s a necessity for black tie affairs (weddings and funerals), but more and more it can be worn with jeans with or without a tie. During these winter months I love a collar under a nice wool sweater. My search for the perfect white dress shirt was a joy to research. I’ll spare you the ones that didn’t make the cut. Every man should know that Brooks Brothers makes the perfect All-American dress shirt.

It was named best dress shirt by the New York Times Magazine. It’s a classic. I know most people I run with don’t read the magazines I read, so I’m here to tell you (and you should tell your friends) that it is widely assumed that Brooks Brothers has perfected the classic dress shirt.

Well Saturday night I was in Chicago with Katie and some cousins. We have made it an annual trip to the Windy City for a Christmas festival called Christkindlmarket and we make some time for good shopping. This year I told Katie the only thing I wanted was the Brooks Brothers dress shirt. In true Hans fashion, I let the crowd move on ahead so I could soak in all that is Brooks Brothers (what a great store on Michigan Ave). It was a quick purchase – he sized me up, still 15 1/2 and 34. He got it off the shelf for me, and I was done. Of course I wasn’t done. I had to indulge in everything else Brooks Brothers had to offer, but I had gotten what I came for.

If you blinked, you missed it. I guess that’s not necessarily true because I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of Saturday’s snowfall. It started right when they said it would – 10am. The next thing you know, the ground is covered with a white blanket. Katie and I spent the day getting the house ready to host some friends. The previous week I was working on green grass, but that changed after Saturday’s accumulation. The day before, I was doing one last rake of the yard. I left the rake outside, and this picture kind of tells the story about how fast this year’s first snowfall hit us here in Madison.

Thursday night had many story lines surrounding the Packers-Cowboys game.

• I could talk about Charter Cable and their battle with the NFL Network over including it in their basic package. The two organizations and their greed are hurting the fans they’re trying to serve.
• I could talk about working until 7:00 pm and missing kickoff.
• I could talk about my shock when Aaron Rodgers took the field as Brett Favre was on the sideline getting a forearm massage. I couldn’t lift my jaw off the ground for 2 full minutes as the scene unfolded.
• I could talk about standing for the entire game, by myself. By Myself. My brother had a life group engagement and my other Packer-Fan-Friend is in California (miss you Todd). Actually, I’ll probably talk about this story line later.

But the story line Thursday night was Packer Fan Community. Packer Fan Community was alive at the Great Dane, and probably every other establishment in Madison.

A lot of bad things happen in bars. People drink too much and get in fights. People drink too much and go home with someone they met, creating regrets for the next morning. People drink too much and then can’t afford their bills. People drink too much and don’t spend enough time at home with family. People drink too much, get behind the wheel, and become the most dangerous car on the road. Very bad things start at your local tavern.

But Thursday night at the Great Dane was electric. I got their late because I was working and had to take Katie home from the gym. I was supposed to meet some friends out, but they decided to watch it at the UW Training Rooms with another friend – I needed food and more excitement that 4 people watching the biggest game of the season. So I went to Old Faithful, the Great Dane Fitchburg. Our softball team has been sponsored by the Dane for three seasons now. It’s familiar and fantastic – atmosphere, food, beer. I knew what the scene would be like, but I didn’t care. There’s just something magical to me when perfect strangers gather at a public establishment for a common cause – especially Packers’ Football.

It was standing room only. I was directly under the projection screen, looking straight up for a quarter. Two men abandoned their spot, so I actually ended up with a front row view. To the NFL Network’s credit, their camera crew is fantastic. The game seemed so much faster. And it all came to life when Ryan Grant made a cut off the line and broke free from the Dallas defense. The cheers at the Dane were special. I’m not a writer, so I can’t describe what I felt at that moment, but hopefully you were somewhere that experienced the same excitement. Everyone in the room (and it’s a big room) were as happy as they could be to see their team pull off a great play that went for 6 points. At that moment, life didn’t get any better.

Camaraderie is magical to me. The bar is full of people like me – we want good food, good beer, and we don’t have the freaking NFL Network. We’re all together in the same situation, eyes glued to the same game, experiencing NFL football together. At that moment, we’re all friends even if we don’t know everyone’s name (cue up the Cheers theme song).

The whole game was like that. Brett Favre went out of the game and was replaced with Aaron Rodgers, which didn’t make fans happy, but Rodgers grew on us. The game got extremely exciting until our time ran out as Dallas got a first down with about 2 minutes in the game.

The most exciting Packer game I’ve seen this season was special in so many ways. Sure, I was by myself. Sure, I missed kickoff. Sure, my team couldn’t pull out a win. But Packer Fan Community was alive and strong.

And this year there’s always the Playoffs.

I can’t say that I’m complaining. The soreness that I’m just getting over is 7 days old now. At the annual Robertson family reunion, the guys get together and play some football. I tried to make a quarter of it tackle this year, but that didn’t happen. And as it turned out, I got beat up enough playing two-hand touch.

We played Thanksgiving morning and the day after. I think I’m so sore b/c I didn’t really take any plays off. I’m out there running as fast and as hard as I can. And I really miss (from the high school days) the rough tackling and blocking and diving on the ground. A little hitting before the game, some sliding catches during the game, and hitting Justin off the line makes for some aches and pains afterwards. And Uncle Paul packs more of a punch than I expected (nice blocking).

But what a time to bond with the guys. Throwing a football and playing the greatest game in the world. On the second day, there were huge flakes falling from the sky as we played. Tucked in a little field, it was a picture-perfect setting.

My one regret is that we didn’t take any pictures – my bad.