I am still in shock - the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl! The Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, at Super Bowl XLV in Miami. I have been a Saints fan for 30 years and never dreamed I'd see this day. After 30 years and so many bad seasons, it still doesn't correlate: That the Saints were even in the Super Bowl and then for them to win it all!

I became a Saints fan when our family moved to Shreveport, La., after my father was transferred to their new General Motors plant. My baby brother Patrick was attending Captain Shreve High School, and we went to a McDonald's near campus. We couldn't believe it was decorated in Dallas Cowboys paraphernalia! Didn't these people know they had their own team in-state? It was then that Patrick and I became die-hard Saints fans. (And die-hard is the operative term here).

On Sunday, Tom and I hosted our annual Super Bowl party, and Patrick and his wife Stacy came out to celebrate the Saints' first appearance in the big game with us. We had about 50 people turn out - old friends like my One Day at a Time co-star Mackenzie Phillips, and new friends like my fellow Jenny Craig spokeswoman Sara Rue. My friend Amy Brown made charm bracelets and necklaces with symbols for each team - and suffice it to say, demand for the fleur de lys charms way outweighed the horseshoes. But there were a few brave Indianapolis fans, including my personal trainer Christopher Ross Lane, his partner Colin, and their friend Angie who flew out from Indiana. They were all decked out in Colts' blue - and even had their own Colts Snuggie! (Come to think of it, I've got to get a Saints Snuggie for next season!)

The game was a nail-biter for me: It was so remarkable to win against an amazing team like the Indianapolis Colts, especially against a great sportsman in Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. On top of that, it was a great game: It wasn't a blowout. It came down to a ballsy move by Saints coach Sean Payton to have an on-sides kick to start the second half. That really shifted the momentum, and it was pure Coach Payton. 

I'm so glad I TiVO'd the game because I'm going to watch it again and see all the parts I felt like I missed because I was so wrapped up in the emotion of the game. It was surreal to be watching the Saints in the Super Bowl - but I hope it's a feeling I can get used to! Geaux Saints!