Jenny Winston diary: The thrill of victory

Eric and Jenny Winston pose for a photo after the win over San Francisco.

EDITOR'S NOTE: HoustonTexans.com is pleased to introduce fans to Jenny Winston, the wife of starting right tackle Eric Winston. She provides periodic diary entries on a range of topics to give fans a woman's perspective on the NFL and life off the field.

Winning isn't everything, but it sure does make life a heck of a lot easier at the Winston household. With the amount of time the Texans players (and coaches) put in at the office all week to prepare for a game -both mentally and physically - a win on Sunday is the greatest reward imaginable.

On the other hand, in football as in life, you win some and you lose some. Losing a tough game can be difficult to overcome for some players that are doing everything they can to win. Can you imagine what it must feel like to come up short in front of more than 70,000 people in person and countless others on TV? When I blow out the candles on my birthday cake each year, I wish for the Texans to have more wins than losses. =)

You see, after a win, the same teriyaki chicken that I grill once a week transforms into an extremely tasty gourmet meal. It's amazing how funny my jokes are, too. It seems like anything that comes out of my mouth might as well have been approved by Conan O'Brien. That lingering sore feeling that Eric's body usually encounters after a game seems to fade away much faster. Life is good.

Even around town, the positive reaction is unmistakably apparent. I can definitely get used to the free smoothies that we get after a win from the owner of our favorite little lunch spot. It's also great to see new neighbors out and about giving us big smiles and endless "thumbs up." Suddenly, when I tell Eric I'm going to go to the Galleria to window shop (do we ever window shop, ladies?), his response is, "OK, have a great time."

The season, and this league in general, is filled with such extremes. Unfortunately, all of the great things that I mentioned before don't happen every week. Giving their best effort on the field and coming up a little short can have a lasting negative effect on the players (and their families) long after the game on Sunday has ended.

In our case, poor Eric has lost his appetite. My jokes are still funny to me (LOL), but wounded *Eric becomes hard of hearing. Worst of all, *achy Eric calls for delivery service because he is too exhausted to walk the length of a first down from the couch to the kitchen. Naturally, we spend more time indoors in these instances.

As an NFL wife, I am determined to help alleviate any stress by hiding every newspaper, pretending that the computer is broken and changing all of the radio stations in the cars. =)

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my diary! Please e-mail any questions or comments! Until next time, GO TEXANS!!! =)

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