We Are Back In Time For The Blizzard

It was warm (30s and 40s) and snow-free in Chicago, and good to see family and friends, even if the occasion (an uncle's death) was sad. It was not all that good for the blood pressure to take the opportunity to attend our niece's 5th grade basketball team's season ending tournament. True, they lost Game One to arch-rival, St. Cyril's. But the Celtics of St. Al's and Pat's soundly defeated St. Joe's in Game Two and finally defeated District 52 (with three girls over 5'5") in a hair-raising overtime nail biter in the third and concluding game of the tournament. We note that our niece's free throw basket in the final minute of regular time was crucial to the victory. We are happy to report that scoring in all three games reached double digits. The final game, indeed, was a slugfest, ending 21-20.

5th grade basketball is far harder on the nerves of the audience than most other iterations of the game, in which the observer is assured with reasonably certainty that a ball released from a player's hands for a shot or a pass will travel somewhat close to the basket or to another member of the team. 5th graders, operating without a net, play with no such certainty.

In our absence, the 10,000th visitor came to Pudentilla's page. She is deeply grateful.