Random thoughts...Well, that was some, um, performance, by Howard Dean in Iowa Monday! Whatever one thinks of his politics, he did not come off as too Presidential in his post-caucus "speech"- "YEAAAAAAHHHHHH!"...Tedy Bruschi apparently has a strained calf muscle, which, given the two-week layoff, should bode better for his return to the field for Super Bowl XXXVIII (gotta luv those Roman numerals!)...Three more DAE classes, which is good, because I only have about three more classes worth of patience left in me...what I've learned more than anything else via those classes is about people. It astounds me that so many, ostensibly, adults, are so ill-mannered, ill-behaved, talking over one another, carrying on conversations while others are talking, passing judgments on and telling others how they should deal with and live their lives, or simply being loud and obnoxious. This has nothing to do with their levels of education, or childhood trauma, etc...whether a high school drop-out or a Ph.D., from a Beaver Cleaver home or raised by wolves, by the time folks reach their 30's, or 40's, they should know, and should be expected to use, basic manners, basic civility...Speaking of folks reaching their, ahem, 30's, yours truly is a birthday girl today, #XXXVI! (Ugh, I'm gettin' old, waaaaaahhhh!) Maybe I'll raise a toast to it later this evening- responsibly, of course! :)

"...It's only half past twelve, but I don't care/It's five o'clock somewhere."

On to Houston!!! GREAT win by the Patriots yesterday over the Colts! With the exception of ONE play call late in the game (shades of Joe Pisarcik of NY Giants infamy, right D?! :) a masterfully called and executed game-plan by the men from Foxboro against a strong, worthy opponent in the Indianapolis Colts. The Pats defense truly took Peyton Manning out of his game, and put enough pressure on the remaining Indy offense...and the Pats offense was almost flawless, the O-line opening up some holes for Antwoine Smith, and giving Tom Brady ample time to pass...hopefully Tedy Bruschi isn't too banged up...but the Pats have two weeks to heal up and prepare for Super Bowl XXXVIII vs. the Carolina Panthers (a chippy team, BTW, as Donovan McNabb can attest.) As a fan who suffered thru, um, several seasons of Pats' football- some good, some bad, some truly bizarre, to see this team, this organization, at the pinnacle of the NFL, a 2nd Super Bowl appearance in three seasons, is so gratifying...Go Pats!

"If you're ever in Houston, well, you better do right/You better not gamble, and you better not fight..."

BRRRRRRRRRRR!!! Yikes, has it been COLD around here lately! Last week we had a spell of cold, and now this week...tonight and tomorrow are supposed to be the coldest of the stretch. Have I mentioned how much I loath winter in New England? Or more precisely, cold weather- here, or anywhere?! AGH!!! I haven't run since, what, Monday or Tuesday (one of those days) and my running has been way down the last two weeks because of the cold (I usually run early in the morning.) The sunny Southwest- Las Vegas, the desert- or someplace else warm, like Key West, all are looking better and better. Each year, each winter, more and more I wonder "Why do I stay in New England?!" A masochist, I guess! It's supposed to begin to moderate some this weekend, just in time for...Sunday! The AFC Championship, Colts vs. Pats in Foxboro! I have to salute all the folks who sat out in frigid Foxboro last Saturday for the Pats-Titans game...one more W, and the Pats will have been perfect at home this season!

Four more classes of DAE, and I'm done. :)

"Through the coldest winter in almost fourteen years/I couldn't believe you kept a smile..."

Happy 2004! I hope everyone's year has gotten off to a fine start...

Nuthin' earth-shattering...looks like my Patriots will be playing Tennessee next Saturday- go Pats!...Now that the holidays are officially over, I have to hit the gym harder...AND maintain my diet better...I'm a believer in higher-protein/lower carb eating, it works for me, keeps my energy level high, my weight consistent, makes me feel good, and for 11 1/2 months out of the year is pretty easy to do...EXCEPT around the holidays! TOO many goodies are TOO available, ack! So now it's back to good, clean, healthy eating again...

I may have said it once before, but can anyone name me a better pure rock song than the Stones' "Brown Sugar?"...And hey- can I share my 2nd best idea in life? (My best involves an idea I've had since early puberty to make figure skating a little more, um, appealing to the masses :)...you know how cable television has become increasingly "narrow-casted," in the vernacular? "The Weather Channel," "The Golf Channel," a channel solely for old game shows, etc...why has no one (or if they have, why haven't I heard of it yet?) come up with what should be a natural? "Cop Show TV." Think about it- back in the 70's and early 80's, the police drama was one of the biggest genres in television! Just think of all the programs that could potentially be available: all the way back to the original "Dragnet," one of my all-time favs, "Adam-12" (co-starring, yes, Kent McCord; mmmmm! :) "Hawaii Five-O," "SWAT," all of the Quinn Martin shows ("Streets of San Francisco," "Cannon," "Barnaby Jones," more...) "The Rockford Files," (yes, I'd include PI shows!) "Police Woman," "The Rookies," "Kojak," "T.J. Hooker," (w/ a VERY young Heather Locklear, as well as that star of stage and screen, Adrian Zmed!) "CHIPS," "Magnum, PI," Spenser: For Hire," of course, "Cops"...SO much programming! I'd watch!

And from a good idea to a "What where they thinking" thing...two words sure to make any 70's-era Catholic cringe...Folk Mass. Yikes! For those who were spared (I don't believe many parishes run them anymore), basically, it was the local Father Groovy gathering a collection of a given parish's aspiring Bob Dylans and Dylanettes to make a joyful noise- emphasis upon "noise"- unto the Lord. Good intentions perhaps, but not so good on the ears (I imagine most denominations had similar forays into making their services more "contemporary," with similar results!)...(I don't know what made me think of this!)...

Sheryl Crow's version of "The First Cut is the Deepest" is pretty good, but I still think ol' Hot Rod's is a lil better...nice to see Britney Spears married, now contemplating annulment; man...I've started another attempt at another novel, wish me luck! (It takes time- I truly respect those who are not only able to complete a work, but get it published and have it sell)...also been doing a little work on a short story-type collection, a (barely!) fictionalized accounting of a certain class I've been attending weekly since November (and mercifully only have 6 more to go!)...

It is a shame that it often takes so long to discover what one is truly good at doing, and what one truly enjoys doing. Similarly, it's a shame that we cannot go back in time, knowing what we know now, and changing/correcting the mistakes, bad choices, decisions, etc...most of us make. Sometimes I get thinking about time I've wasted, doing things, trying to be someone, etc...that truly, deep down, I'm not. It's a humbling, and more than a little disconcerting, thought to have. I envy those who seem as if they've always had it all figured out, how have always seemed to have had a natural understading and acceptance of who they are, what they want to do, where they're going in life, and so on.

"I said yeah, yeah, yeah- wooooooooo!"