65. First Rounds

Ok, let's be honest. The first thing a lot of people did this morning was not check the weather, or take the dog out, or brush your teeth - well maybe that's pushing it. What most of us did was check the scores from last night's basketball games. The first round of the NCAA is over.

I am in two pots and naturally have a few picks where one is different from the other. I got 24/32 on the first and 23/32 on the second. On Bracket #1, I lost Arizona, Old Dominion, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Villanova (don't tell anyone), Holy Cross, Gonzaga, and Brigham Young. On Bracket #2, I lost Old Dominion again, Notre Dame again, Illinois, Duke, Marquette (I miss Al McGuire), Arkansas, George Washington, and Creighton.

In today's games, I have Maryland, Pittsburgh, UCLA, Louisville, Ohio State, North Carolina, Georgetown, and Memphis winning on Bracket #1. On Bracket #2, Maryland, Duke (there's a loser), UCLA, Texas A&M (they have to beat Louisville, I have them winning it all on this bracket), Ohio State, North Carolina, Georgetown, and Memphis. Let's hope I can improve here, and even moreso with tomorrow's games.

Last night I watched the Virginia Tech and Kentucky games with a friend at Carly Rae's, an new restaurant and bar at 1st and Oak streets in Old Louisville, enjoying a bottle of cheap red wine as the night progressed. I haven't yet made plans for tonight, but I know I won't be up as late, given that I am a lector at the 8:30 am Mass tomorrow morning.

I'm off to Frankfort today for a meeting at which will be discussed how the Kentucky Democratic Party will ensure minority representation in our delegation to next summer's Democratic National Convention. The process is long and the purposes are valid. Today, like Thursday and Friday's basketball game, is sort of the first round of the process.

I'll probably have to do some explaining, as well, on the other political blogs in the state as to the appearance of my name in a story concerning Steve Henry in this morning's Courier-Journal. Suffice it to say here that I was a supporter of Steve's until one of his opponents chose Irv Maze as his running mate. At that point I switched. Steve and I discussed it at length and remain friends. But, as is indicated on the several blogs, many think this is just the first round of this matter for Steve.

In any event, we'll all be working hard, given that it is unlikely anyone will make the 40% mark in the Primary. That makes the Primary a first round as well. Primary Election Day, at least Round One, is about two months off. The real day of reckoning comes this fall when Kentucky's first Republican governor in 32 years is defeated in his bid for reelection, assuming he wins his Primary, which I believe is a safe assumption.

Redemption draweth nigh.