It was also pretty awesome. I won’t lie.

I didn’t join my buddy at Foxboro Stadium yesterday, and therefore I missed a great football game, won by my beloved Patriots. Since it was Halloween, I sold my season ticket and spent the day at with my family. Late last night, I received a text from my friend:

Dude, it was pretty awesome. I won’t lie.

Yeah, but I already knew it was pretty awesome. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy attending Patriots games. I have a friend who prefers to watch the games at home, and I think he’s absolutely insane. Even my wife, who attends one game a season and does not brave the harsh elements well, acknowledges that watching a game on television pales in comparison to sitting in the stadium. And the NFL season is short. We only get eight opportunities a year to attend a game, so missing even one hurts.

So after receiving my friend’s text message, I sat and reflected on my day:

I opened the day with a much-needed workout at the gym.

I spent much of the morning working on my manuscript, polishing the previous six chapters and nearly finishing a new one.

Around noon, my wife and I brought Clara to her first play, an adaptation of If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, a book that she adores. She loved the show, sitting in rapt attention for the entire time.

I watched the Packers defeat the sports team I despise most in the world, the New York Jets. It was a great game, a 9-0 defeat for Gang Green, and one I would have missed had I been on the road to Foxboro.

I watched the Patriots game, time-shifting the second half in order to go trick-or-treating. And while watching it on television is decidedly less fun, it’s still the NFL and the Patriots.

I took my daughter trick-or-treating for the first time in her life, and she loved it. Listening to her say “Twikootweet” and “Thank you” was simply divine. And for a girl who often is slow to warm up, she loved the whole process, smiling and laughing and nearly running from house to house. Several of our neighbors, knowing that Clara is allergic to nuts, has special treats set aside for her. We brought Elysha’s parents along with us as well, and overall we had a great time.

By the end of the day, I had finished writing my student’s report cards, one full week ahead of schedule.

It was a hell of a day. When my buddy asked if it was worth missing the game, my text answer response was easy:

It was a push.

And that’s saying something.