We knew having the Super Bowl in Houston would be a big deal, but I thought it would be mainly tourists, souvenirs and media. As the date got closer, there were signs everywhere, even in the ice at the Galleria rink. We weren't ready for the enormous hoopla that surrounds this event, though.

It started the weekend before with the blimps. Every day there would be blimps over downtown, or buzzing by my building. Twice I stepped outside late at night to check the temperature and there was a dark blimp hovering overhead. Creepy!

By the Wednesday before, everyone was celebrity mad. JLo and Cameron Diaz were over at the mall, Madonna was a Starbuck's, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt at Pappa's Steakhouse, Hugh Hefner at the Hotel Derek across the street from my office. I didn't see any celebrities, but for a week the people walking around the Galleria were completely different looking than people I was used to seeing. They looked like celebrities.

On Friday we headed downtown to the Main Event, a huge party with bands. The atmosphere was great; it didn't seem like Houston. It felt like Mardi Gras. Beer was allowed in the streets, which were closed to traffic and trains. I worried a bit about the new landscaping in the train corridor with all the people.

The next night we went downtown again. This time it was more crowded: 150,000 people! Ed pointed to the train corridor and commented that it was a good thing they hadn't put any landscaping in yet. I looked closely and could barely make out the remains of it.

A good time, and even though I thought it would all hype, now I hope we have it here again.