hot rocks, quick hits, fazed cookies, and a veritable cornucopia of whatever I think up

For the first time in over a week, everyone made it out of the lumberyard on their appointed rounds. The wife and youngster got off to work and school this morning, though not without some prying on the youngster's part. Lets hope it stays that way. We have a ton of make-up work to get through in the school department.

I love this time of year in sports talk in J'ville. The radio guys interview the coaches, owner, and various players of the Jaguars and the dance begins. The interviewer finds 50 ways to ask the same question, "who, or what positions, are you targeting in the offseason." The interviewee finds another 50 ways to sidestep that question or in Jack Del Rio's case, flat out tell the guy, "I'm not going to tell you that." Really, lets just lay the whole strategy out on sports talk radio for everyone to hear, so other teams can hurry up and sign who you want and counter what you want to do in the draft. That almost makes sense.

I watched a bit of the figure skating in between freestyle stuff last night. Cohen got the silver slipper and the Slut-something girl fell, leaving the door open for Sushi Hari-Kari to take gold. I had more fun with the names than I did watching it. I do think it's time for Dick Button to retire, but I'm sure NBC isn't interested in my opinion, (even though I'm also sure all the network execs are regular lumberyard readers.) I wanted him to shut his pie hole more than I ever did John Madden, and I find Madden a bit irritating. That freestyle stuff though...damn. Hard to believe that evolved from guys doing helicopters off moguls, but those guys were amazing. Not being sexist. I watched the women do it too and was equally amazed, but those folks are doing all that twisting and somersaulting with skis and ski boots on while falling four or five stories and landing it...on not a whole lot of incline. Let's just say...I'm impressed.

Curling...anyone know where I can get in touch with those people? I need someone to clean my house, and they look uniquely qualified.

The little school from Main Line Philly heads up to UConn Sunday for another match-up with the team they knocked out of #1 position in the College Basketball rankings. I know we're in for a battle. I seem to go into things like this hoping for the best but expecting the worst. I'll be amazed if we walk out of there with a W. It's not that I don't think it's possible. I think it's more that...all this talk about being a possible one seed going into the tournament...it's normal for the UConns and Dukes of the world, but I have never, before this year, heard anyone talking that kind of shit about Villanova. NEVER! Yeah, we get into the tournament our fair share of times, but rarely higher than about a nine seed. Even in '85 when we took the whole thing, I don't remember what we were seeded, but I remember it being an upset that we were even in the final four. I still have the newspaper articles from the day of, and the day after we beat Georgetown that year, in what is still considered one of the greatest upsets ever. In hindsight they are pretty entertaining. I'm enjoying the hell out of this, but I'm waiting for the alarm clock to go off and the dream to come crashing down. Could very well happen Sunday, but I hope not.