It’s laundry day – how’s that for excitement! Yesterday, I did get out the apartment for some wine tasting at L’ Angolo and Eminent Domain. It was good to spend some time with two lifelong friends – our first get together since November. In the meantime, it’s been Zoom calls, phone, and text, as we suffered through the downfall of I.U. basketball.  The time together gave us a chance to discuss the upcoming NCAA tournament action and the uncertain fate of our Hoosiers as fellow alumni. There was little else to talk about.  I will miss them both when we move from Oregon to Florida in less than three weeks. 

The stress is building, as we continue to work on closing, packing, and traveling. I’m taking a break this weekend for some basketball games in Indianapolis, once I make my picks. A former business acquaintance in Austin lets me participate in her family pool. I’m sure they’re glad to take my money every year, so it’s become a tradition. With the cancellation of last year’s event, it was the first time I at least broke even. I’m inclined to pick the nine BIG teams to go as far as possible, but I’ll we’ve been able to see is them beat up each other down the stretch. There’s no means of comparing how they stack up to the other conferences, and frankly all I’m familiar with in making my selections. 

I leave Thursday night for my flight to Indianapolis, and will wait until then to fill out my brackets. Covid could become an even bigger factor in determining who will be able to play. For the first time in history, there are also stand-by teams in case any of the 68 invitees can’t participate. It’s been an unusual year in college basketball, culminating with the firing of both the Indiana and Minnesota coaches – more conference fall-out from the teams that failed to punch their tickets to the Big Dance.