Let the Madness Begin

I have my blue pen and my red pen.

I have the teams that I picked out of the hat (And I did very well this year - the Grape Apes are gonna' be paying me).

I have my brackets filled out and I faxed them in.

The only problem that I truly have is that it is going to be difficult to watch the games on the first two days.

Stupid work is in the way.

And I say all of this because my resident gambler, somehow, was able to get a day off of school tomorrow for the first set of games.

Sam has been talking about the tournament non-stop since last year's tourney ended. He has studied the teams and knows who is good at home, who plays well on the road, who the best player in the nation is and who's gonna' be in trouble when the 3-shot is defended.

He's an awful lot like his Uncle Jeff in that regard. Jeff thoroughly enjoyed the tournament, the betting, the lifting names out of the hat, and chirping loudly when the bracket got busted.

As I picked the names Tuesday night I thought of all that, and the little chirping bird in the room, in the form of my son, kept the memories real alive.

"Who do you think is going to take it all?" Sam asked as I tried to lie down last night.

"I don't know."

"Everyone keeps saying Indiana or Louisville, but anything can happen. It's March Madness."

I didn't want to break it to him that if they held a gun to my head I couldn't name more than 5 players on any team.

But you know what?

I'll be in full-geek form by Friday night at ten o'clock as we count how many wins we have out of the first 32.

I'd like to do well.

I have a ton of dollars invested.

I'd rather Sam do well this year, though (please don't tell him that)

Because he has his whole heart invested.

And he reminded me of what I've lost.

Just by being a love gained.