On the Day after Christmas

It is 1030 on Boxing Day, and my stomach is growling, a tribute I think to the distended condition in which it found itself upon retiring on Christmas night. One of the kittens is awake, as is the Kitten, and as far as I know, no one has any real goals for the day except to respire and to eat.

Christmas was a wonderful mix of family, gluttony, and conspicuous consumption. Everyone seemed happy with their treasure, and I was able to provide "the woman who has it all" with a few surprises that seemed to delight her. Of note--I received a "Merry Christmas" text message from the Hammer--which I did not read until late in the day and which I have yet to acknowledge and return--and so I take on that job with this note. Merry Christmas, Hammer.

My beloved Virginia Cavaliers take on the evil, hated Midshippuppies of the Naval Academy in a Bowl Game Thursday, the formal name of which escapes me. There has been some confusion as to which team would have my loyalties, and so I'll 'splain it. The Naval Academy is a vocational/technical school whose sole function is the production of naval officers to the USN and USMC. The fortunes of this VoTech's sports teams are of no interest to me, save for one day a year in which they take the field against another VoTech's team in a purely symbolic contest. That's it. There is no affection, no loyalty, no support for the Naval Academy flowing from my service to the nation in the ACTUAL Navy. All of my collegiate loyalties are to the University of Virginia, and if God came down and said to me, "Bryan, I have to wipe your mind of all memories except one set--choose", the one I would wish to retain is of the four years I spent in Charlottesville and the friends I made (and retain) from those days. I hope there will be no further question about where my loyalties reside.

The forecast for the game Thursday is bone-chilling--the high for the day is projected to be 27 degrees -- colder even than the Packers game I attended in November.

I have to admit...the day after Christmas is a bit of a letdown. After nearly eight weeks of buildup, the thought of ten months without Christmas is a bit of a downer. I am buoyed at the prospect of reclining on my fat ass on New Year's day and gorging on football -- like the old days. The moving of the two college playoff games to New Year's Day is a wrong righted.

Be well.