After checking and double checking my list of things not to forget I left Saturday 2/4 at 8:00 am.  At 8:15 I realized there was an important thing that did not make my list, the directions to the hotel and from the hotel to Detroit.  Called home and Stephanie suggested that when I stop for lunch I call her and she would read the directions to me and I could write them down.  

 

Get to Pittsburgh in great time.  Stop in New Stanton for lunch (Micky Dees) and I pick up a case of IC for the weekend.  Get back on the road and drive into a steady down pour of rain.  As I approach the PA-Ohio border road construction sign are flashing 'GO STEELERS' and 'The Drive for Five'.  It is enough of a reminder to get my heart pumping and make me even more excited about the upcoming game.  The rain changed over into snow about half way to Toledo, I pulled off the Ohio turnpike and notice the Ohio turnpike stops are much nicer then PA's.  They are clean and have better much food options.  

 

Back on the road and the snow storm has basically made the highway a sheet of slush.  I past 4 or 5 cars that have spun out and are facing the wrong way and one completely off the on the turnpike, I'm traveling at a steady 50 mph.  Very stressful drive I was anxious to get off the road.  At about 5:30 I make it to the hotel, which is in the middle of nowhere.   I was hoping to drive into Detroit Saturday night, but because of the snow, Derrick and I decided to skip that just hang out around the hotel.  There was an AppleBee's in the parking lot, so that is where we stopped in for dinner.  The restaurant was taken over by Steeler fans (a recurring theme for the weekend).  You could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air.  Looking around the restaurant we noticed they had a wall detected to Browns and Lions.  We instantly began to feel sorry of the poor people who have to live in this area.  Can you imagine of a worse place for a football fan to be, half way between Cleveland and Detroit.  It was almost too sad to be funny, almost.  

 

After dinner we returned to the hotel and watched the continuous stream of pre-game predictions and season recaps from the NFL Network.  All of this football put me in a state of circular excitement.  First I was jacked that the Steelers were in the Super Bowl and I couldn't wait for kickoff, then I would remember I was going to be there and I would get even more excited.  At times I was so pumped up we had to switch to watch the TV version of the Silence of the Lambs just to take our minds of the Super Bowl.  Eventually we attempted to go to sleep I think Derrick crashed out about 9:45 and I managed to stay up until 10:30.  As I drifted off to sleep all I could think about was I was going to the Super Bowl tomorrow.  Neither one of us got much sleep Saturday night, thoughts of what the game was going to be like and wether Pittsburgh would focus on running or passing the ball consumed me.  After literally hours of internal debate, I decided pittsburgh would continue to pass the ball and Roethlisberger would have a HUGE day.  (oops what do i know?)  I think I got a solid 5 or 6 hours of sleep, and I was up and out of bed at about 7 am.