2009 Men's Final Four ~ Detroit, MI ~ April 3-7, 2009

On April 3rd. Steve and I took the 3 hour drive to Detroit, MI to attend our first (and hopefully not our last!) Men’s Final Four. The anticipation was a little overwhelming and we couldn’t wait to see Steve’s beloved UConn Huskies face-off against Michigan State on Saturday night…

Prior to our departure, Paul & Sue stopped by for a few hours on their way to the Women's Final Four in St. Louis, MO (Go Huskies!!). It is because of them that we had this awesome opportunity (and new sweatshirts!), so they took a picture of us with our tickets.

On Saturday morning we headed to downtown Detroit. As usual, I planned a mini pub crawl during our stay...I figure it's a great way to see the city :) Here's Steve with a Bloody Mary at our first stop, The Sweetwater Tavern. It was a very impressive drink with an even more impressive garnish.

I led us around town with my bar/city map. We met some North Carolina fans (Matt & Tony) and they tagged along with us throughout the day. The Hard Rock Cafe was our third stop and our new friends took this picture of us.

We were surrounded by Michigan State fans all day, but as we approached Ford Field it didn't matter. The experience was awesome! Steve and I absolutely LOVE the NCAA Tournament and to be there was surreal.

Here we are inside of Ford Field.

The banners within Ford Field had all 65 teams from the tournament. Coincidently (or alphabetically!) Cleveland State & UConn were next to each other...Clemson too :)

Additional banners for each of the Final Four teams were hung displaying the distance traveled to Detroit. Here are the UConn (746 miles) & MSU (92 miles) banners...I think the mileage differential explains the overwhelming number of Spartan fans :)

The end result of Saturday's game was not what we were hoping for as we saw UConn fall to Michigan State 82-73. In the second game, we watched North Carolina defeat Villanova 83-69.

On Monday we did a lot of the same. We toured the city on our own and visited more bars & restaurants. Our first stop was the Westin to get lunch at Michael Symon's restaurant, Roast. Steve and I are fans of Symon's Cleveland restaurants, Lola & Lolita, so when we were headed to Detroit, I knew we had to make a stop at the Iron Chef's newest establishment. We had an awesome lunch and a Great Lakes Dortmunder...ahhh, just like home.

Here we are at the Detroit Brewing Company with our new friends Tony & Matt. We really had a lot of fun with these guys.

Unbeknownst to us, Michael Jordan was being inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday so he was in attendance for the National Championship game. It looks like we'll have to make another stop in Springfield!!

Monday's championship game had North Carolina facing off against Michigan State. Although the Tar Heels led for the entire game and won 89-72, we had a great time and really enjoyed the entire experience.



One of the many highlights of our trip was on Sunday when we stopped at the Windsor Casino to gamble a few dollars away. I was playing the penny slots and actually hit the jackpot! My $5 bill became $1,200. You really can win that much on the penny slots! We were a little too excited to remember to take a picture when it happened so we returned to the scene on Tuesday to take one of me in front of the winning machine :)

On a final note, "One Shining Moment" is one of the most riveting elements of the NCAA Tournament. This year was particularly special for us both. As if being there to see the Huskies play in the Final Four wasn't enough! Cleveland State also made the tournament for the first time in 23 years and pulled off an upset win against Wake Forest. Also...the Dayton Flyers, my alma mater, made their first NCAA appearance since 2004 and advanced to the Second Round for the first time in 19 years! 2009 is a tournament year that I will never forget. Here it is...One Shining Moment!

Once again, Steve and I traveled and experienced something that we've never done before. We will relish the memories for a lifetime! We truly appreciate every opportunity that we have to experience new places and encounters, while also taking sheer pleasure in visiting the same places over and over again. We always try to remember to enjoy the moment and have a lot of fun while doing it!

Next Stop...Myrtle Beach, SC for my 30th birthday celebration

July 4-12, 2009

SMS 2009 Basketball Tour ~ Indianapolis & Dayton ~ March 2009

Ahhh…Memories. This past weekend, Steve and I went on a mini basketball tour and attended three college basketball games in 24 hours. Our first stop was Indianapolis for the #24 Butler vs. Cleveland State men’s game. The next stop was to my alma mater for the Dayton vs. Temple men’s game and Dayton vs. St. Joe’s women’s game. Unfortunately, CSU was not able to win the well-fought game and lost 56-58, but both Dayton teams won 70-65 and 84-57 respectively.

Historic Hinkle Fieldhouse ~ The movie "Hoosiers" was filmed here

UD Arena ~ We were able to see a sell out crowd for the Dayton/Temple men's game, as well as their 19th straight home win!

Go Flyers!

My friend Kyle is now an assistant coach for the Dayton women, so she and Dave were our hosts for the weekend. While in Dayton, we visited many of my old stomping grounds and while a lot has changed…some things have not! One of the best things about UD is the student neighborhood (A.K.A “The Ghetto”). Kyle knew some graduate students that still live in the Ghetto, so they welcomed us into their humble home. In typical UD Ghetto fashion, we drank Milwaukee’s Best Light (A.K.A. “Beast Light”) and I had a great time exchanging stories and sharing the splendor in which I lived and partied for much of my time at UD. Good times…

Here is a picture of my old house at 447 Lowes. Although I think all of our parents cried when they realized where they were letting their “little girl” live, we absolutely loved this place…we just didn’t walk around barefoot, because you never knew what was on that carpet.

This is a terrible picture, but we realized as we were leaving that once again, we didn't have any pictures of us :) Anyway, we had a really great time a look forward to our next “tour” to unknown destinations. Memories like these should be shared with people you love, and we did just that!!

Columbia, SC ~ January 2009

On our return to Cleveland, we stopped in Columbia to visit some of Steve's college friends. Greg & Karen Airasian were our gracious hosts, but we were also able to spend time with Steven & Edie Burritt, Brian & Sandra Dietrich and their 10-day-old daughter Samantha Joy!

Here are the boys of USC ~ Brian, Stephen, Greg & Steven

Sandra & Sam

Although our visit was less than 24 hours, we had a great time (as usual)! Thanks to Karen, we had some really fantastic food and were back on the road with full stomachs : ) It was nice to catch up with everyone and are looking forward to our next visit in July.

Myrtle Beach, SC ~ January 2009

In January, Stephen and I had the opportunity to get away for the week and go to our most frequently visited destination...Myrtle Beach, SC.

We walked the beach a few times and as you can see there were very few people...a peaceful experience that we really enjoyed.

Here we are on our walk. Steve and I always complain that we don't have any pictures together and this trip was no different. Every time I set the camera up on a timer, I just don't like the outcome. Oh well, these will just have to do!

Steve by the ocean bubbles. It was the most interesting thing we saw that day so we felt inclined to take a picture :)

I can't believe he agreed to do it, but this is the spot that Steve proposed to me. I probably told him that I'd pose too, but I was the one with the camera :)

During this trip we did something that we've never done before. We visited a new bar/restaurant every day during our stay. Typically we eat and drink at the same places, which is fine, but we wanted to take advantage of the small crowds and low prices. I did some research before we left the frigid cold in Cleveland and found some really great happy hour food and drink specials. We saved some money while also seeing some new places and meeting new people.

Here is the list in order of when we went. Not all of them are new to us, but 9 of the 14 are:

Thirsty Turtle (Karaoke too!) ~ California Dreaming (Still dreaming about it...) ~ LeGrand's (A nice place with $5 martini's & pretty good food) ~ Chuck's Steakhouse ($5 burger & free popcorn, cheese, crackers & nachos!) ~ Overtime Sports Cafe (Went here to watch the Cavs/Lakers game...lots and lots of TV's) ~ Roy & Sid's (Located in Market Commons. A new place with decent food) ~ The Office Italian Workplace for Locals (A long name for a small, but really good place) ~ Longhorn Steakhouse (Their happy hour started at 2pm so we skipped lunch and started there) ~ Greg Norman's Australian Grill (The best food value & great wine for $5) ~ Wild Wing Cafe (Buy One Get One Free Appetizers) ~ Oscar's Sports Bar (The best sports bar. We went here to watch the Cavs game on FSN Ohio) ~ Kracker's (A tiny place inside a gas station. I got a breakfast sandwich for $1) ~ Baron's (The owner is from Youngstown, OH) ~ Malibu Cantina Tex-Mex (Great Mexican food & margaritas)

I know it sounds like a lot (and it is!) but we had a really great time doing it and look forward to visiting some of them again when we return in the summer.

Christmastime in Cleveland

Wow! The Christmas season never seems to stop! Although Stephen had to work for much of the time, we were still able to celebrate with a lot of our family. It seemed like I was cleaning and hosting for 10 days straight, but it was well worth it and a ton of fun. We are both totally exhausted and look forward to bringing in the New Year!

It all started with a Christmas Ale party on December 18th. A few snacks, Christmas Ale, and great friends is always a recipe for fun! A great time was had by all.

Top Row: Alex, Kevin, Stephen, Elizabeth, Derek, Sean; Bottom Row: Mom, Me, Angie

Liberty and I rocked out as we played Rock Band. We have Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao wigs on :)

On Christmas Eve, we hosted some of my family and a few friends over for some lasagna, cocktails and games. It was nice and relaxing, not to mention fun! My nephews Joshua & Daniel had a great time opening their gifts (of course!) We also received a call from my brother (Todd) in New York to tell us that he and his new wife (Erin) are expecting a baby. Another Mott is always exciting news!

Here's Joshua in his new throwback LeBron James jersey

Daniel in his Daniel Gibson jersey. It was only appropriate...they're both so tiny and cute AND named Daniel!

Daniel loved opening his new Bat Cave from Grandma & Grandpa

Top Row: Sean, Alex, Me, Stephen, Joshua, Kevin; Bottom Row: Debbie, Rich, Mom, Tracy, Daniel

Christmas Day took us to my brother Travis' house in the morning. We sipped on mimosas as we watched Otto, Hailey and Kristin open their gifts then headed over to my sister Tracy's house for some more food, family and fun with the rest of the group.

Otto Mott in his new Cavs gear

Hailey Elizabeth in her new bathrobe and slippers from Uncle Todd & Aunt Erin

Kristin Marie posing for the picture with her new stuffed dog : )

Joshua with his new LeBron James Witness shirt and iPod.

Daniel with his new Nintendo DS...he is still wearing his Daniel Gibson jersey...and still just as cute!

On December 26th, I hosted my 15-year elementary school reunion. Through email, facebook, and a little bit of stalking, we were able to track down almost all of the 21 graduates from the St. James class of 1993 - 14 of them showed up for the big party. It was very nostalgic and so much fun. I was so happy that I decided to have it at our house as it allowed for a more intimate setting where we could talk, laugh and look at some old pictures and yearbooks.

Paul and Sue arrived on the 27th and we were able to celebrate Christmas with them. Great food and conversation took up most of our time, but the biggest surprise of the weekend was when we opened our Christmas gift...hotel accommodations and 2 tickets to the 2009 Men's NCAA Final Four in Detroit...something that Stephen and I have had on our "Wish List" for as long as we've known each other (and longer!) We're still in total shock and can't even fathom, shall I say it, if UConn actually makes it this year. More importantly, we're really looking forward to sharing the experience together : )

Finally, on the 28th, Sean, Alex and I took my nephew Joshua to see Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat face off against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. We took him to dinner and then to the game as a gift for his 11th birthday. LeBron and Wade had 33 and 29 points respectively and the Cavs won 93-86 to bring their home record to 16-0 and 26-4 overall. This has been a very exciting year for Cavs fans.

Alex, Shannon, Joshua & Sean pose for the camera before the big game!

Joshua & Sean at the game

A view from our seats. Thanks Steve!

Shannon, Joshua & Sean pose for a picture as we head out. It was a great game!

It has been a very busy few weeks and we are desperately looking forward to ringing in the New Year with a little rest and relaxation.

Thanksgiving Weekend

The long weekend started with a Thanksgiving brunch. Steve and I were joined by Sean, Alex, Mom & Rich. Although we spent the holiday with only a small part of our family, we are very THANKFUL for each and every one of them! This particular day was extremely relaxing. We sipped on mimosas and ate some of my cheesy potatoes & an egg casserole made by Sean & Alex. We continued the day in typical Thanksgiving fashion as we watched a lot of football.

We finished off the evening with a fantastic Thanksgiving meal...Although it was just Steve, myself, Mom & Rich., it was absolutely delicious and we had a great time (as always!)

It wasn't complete without my pumpkin trifle! It was really good with plenty of leftovers.

Steve had to work on Friday night, but we were able to find some time to visit my dad after he spent nearly a week in the hospital. He had his gal bladder removed only a few days prior, so we brought him a few seasons of "The Office" and some Sudoku games...that should keep him entertained for a little while.

Later that night, I went to Players on Madison for happy hour with my mom and Rich to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. Afterwards, we headed down to The Q for the Cavaliers game and watched as they crushed the Warriors 112-97. This may be the year...we hope! Yes, Steve was working but he did make a guest appearance, as promised : )

On Saturday morning, Stephen and I listened to Christmas carols as we put up our Christmas tree. Last year, while Stephen was recovering from his appendectomy, Paul and Sue helped me pick out this amazing pre-lit artificial tree. We bought it at Costco (of course) and I am so pleased with it. This picture attempts to show the view from our couch this weekend...football, fire and festiveness : )

On Saturday evening, we all enjoyed a few pints of Christmas Ale from our kegerator. We played some games and watched as Sean's Alma mater (St. Ignatius) was crowned state football champs. Yes, it was quite a weekend...