Collage kreated at KardKorner Headquarters by Suzanne
There's a lot of hustle and bustle in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Metroplex this week and next. Both cities are scrambling and preparing for the piece de resistance-SUPERBOWL 45! Some of the streets around Dallas Cowboy stadium are already being blocked off and closed in order to control traffic and expand the security zone. The Green Bay Packers will be staying at the Omni Madalay Hotel in Las Colinas-Irving, Texas. And the Pittsburgh Steelers will be staying at the Omni Fort Worth in Downtown Fort Worth, Texas. I work downtown Fort Worth, and the city has been preparing for this event all week. ESPN has already set up their tent to start broadcasting at 5:00 am Monday morning near Sundance Square downtown around 3rd street at Houston and Main-I work at 3rd and Commerce, just a block away.
The "Cradle of Champions" sculpture was installed at Sundance Square in Fort Worth on January 25, 2011 (just the other day). It houses an excess of 2,000 NFL players names who played football at Texas high schools. And Fort Worth's mayor Mike Moncrief declares "Fort Worth is Ready!"
I can't find any information on where the Green Bay Packers will practice for the game once they are in Dallas. It is said that the Pittsburgh Steelers will practice at the TCU indoor facility in Fort Worth, and practices will be closed to the public. I'm sure SOMEONE will try to sneak thru to get a glimpse or a picture-NOT ME! I'm staying put on my side of downtown.
Here are some of the stats and predictions being tossed around town:
1) It is expected that 105,000 people will be in attendance for the Superbowl
2) The temperatures are expected to be mild in the 50's
3) Some parking spots will be going for $500.00+
4) Wingstop predicts that at least 5,000,000 wings will be sold
5) It's an "All Call" for planes, buses, cabs and limos
6) People are offering up their homes for rent to out-of-towners to the tune of
$500.00-$18,000.00
7) The average cost of a ticket to the Superbowl is $3,600.00
8) Motel rooms are going for a minimum rate of $699.00 per night
9) Hotel security will definitely be upgraded
10) This event is expected to be the BIGGEST tourism weekend that North Texas has
EVER SEEN!
This is truly exciting, and Dallas isn't even playing in the Superbowl. There will be tons of money coming into our area and businesses will be booming. In our building at 3rd and Commerce Street we have already been advised that once we get parked into our garage for work next week, we need to stay put and not drive out anywhere for lunch. Chances are that if you leave the garage during the day, you will not find a parking place upon your return. There are some reserved spots (expensive), but it's first come-first serve. There will be security posted at the garage entrances. I usually enter the garage at 7:40 am, so I should be ok, and I don't leave the area for lunch. I would like to walk around downtown a little tho, and see if I can snap some good photos. We'll see-wish me luck!
So see you Sunday, February 6, 2011, at 6:30 pm (Texas time) for the big game!
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Grandson Shawn at the Park-photo taken by "Awmaw" (me)
We had our grandson Shawn, aka Scooter, Scootie, and Sweetie for the past week. He doesn't allow me to blog-he wants to blog. So, I got behind on my writing. He does enjoy the pictures on my blog except for some of the ugly witches on my sidebar, and does his own scrolling to view the photos! The photo above is his "bad boy" look on his Hot Wheels trike. When he's on that trike, he's in his own world and you have to pick the trike up with him still on it to get him back to the car and home! The child does not let go! We had a lot of fun with him, tho, and he loves coming to Grandma and Grandpa's house-cookies and other good stuff to eat. By the way, he's wearing the very jacket his 31 year old dad wore at the age of 2.
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photos by Suzanne 01/23/2011
Little Fossil park is less than a mile from our house. It is currently being updated with new sidewalks, trails and picnic areas. There were a lot of trees and most of them had clumps of mistletoe. Well, they looked rather wilted and trees were otherwise bare. But I got a few photos of them just the same.
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Many thanks to the following resources:
Yahoo Images
NBC 5 News
KLUV Radio
ocregister.com
Fort Worth Star Telegram
and photography by Suzanne's KardKorner!
Thank you for stopping by...I'll catch up to you again soon.
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"Weekends don't pay as well as weekdays, but at least there's football".
~S.A. Sachs
