The Luck of the Irish --- Happy St. Paddy's, I think!

Well, it looks like on this St. Paddy's Day that there be a need for a little good luck here and there. Gosh, I don't even want to look at what's happening in our U.S. financial markets. Ouch!

And, when they talk about the "luck o' the Irish," I don't think we want to wish that on anyone trying to make a buck these days----especially when those bucks aren't worth much anymore. Maybe that's why it's taking five of them in some places to buy one gallon of stinky gasoline.

Lattes are a better deal. They smell better, taste better and probably keep us moving longer than that gas does.

Seems like expensive gas, gold-plated sex, worthless money and gotcha politics---in no particular order are eating away at our personal fortunes and monopolizing the news ----almost as much as snow does in the Selle Valley. By the way, we had a new coating this morning--about an inch here at the Lovestead.

There is bright news today, however. March Madness has begun. "Dancing with the Stars" is returning tonight. "American Idol" is well on its way to a talent-filled season, and "The Office" is coming back this week. Doesn't get any better than that.

So, this St. Paddy's Day bodes some good times ahead for those of us natives who, like Marie Antoinette so wisely suggested, have to have some cake (and ice cream) to take our minds off all that hifalutin dirt which makes us really mad!

I'm almost gleeful today to know that three teams, which mean something to the family and to me, are playing in the dance: of course, Gonzaga, happily, the Cougs, and surprisingly, Boise State.

I hadn't really kept track of the Broncos this season until I read last week that they had a chance to make it to the tournament for the first time in 14 years. Bill and I watched their game against New Mexico Saturday night and were pretty impressed. After three overtimes, they pulled out a 107-102 win, and that was with their stars sitting on the bench. Maybe we've got Fiesta Bowl ala basketball in store for us. They'll need some luck of some kind to knock off LOOOOville in Birmingham this Friday.

The Cougs are traveling to Denver to play Winthrop. They seem pretty happy, and the Zags have a challenge in store as they play the hottest team in the nation Davidson, down in the Carolinas this Friday. Seems like I've read they have a 22-game winning streak. Well, the Zags may have to change that.

I'm pretty well prepared for these games, except for the Cougs. Have Broncos and Zags sweatshirts but no Cougs. Maybe I'll have to go down there to Centerfield sports in the mall and get the rest of the uniform so I'll be a proper fan for all three teams. Whatever the case: Go Zags, Go Cougs and Go Broncos!

As far as those other TV programs, both Bill and I will be happy to see them. Bill likes "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars" cuz he knows that gives him a free pass to come up here and sit on this computer surfing the net for as long as he likes cuz I'll be downstairs glued to my shows.

A man doesn't want to admit that he likes those girlie girlie shows; nonetheless, Bill sure seems to know all the time who's doing well and who's not. I think a lot of other men are the same, especially since those big macho guys like Emmett Smith do so well on the dancing show. Whoever came up with the concept for "Dancing with the Stars" was brilliant because it appeals to just about everyone of all ages.

And, "The Office." Bill has gone through withdrawal ever since the writers quit writing new scripts. He keeps close track of Thursday nights at whatever time NBC decides to air the show just as faithfully as he does on those Thursday nights when the Schwan's Man is supposed to appear at the door. Well, Bill has been suffering in both categories. About the time we watched the last "Office" show, the Schwan's man/or men quit coming.

Seems that these Selle Valley back roads in the winter are too daunting for drivers as they try to keep those big yellow trucks, filled with ice cream, frozen cod and shrimp popcorn, between the snowbanks.

I think we've had three Schwan's men this winter and NO Schwan's men for the past six weeks. Bill faithfully fills out his orders on designated Thursday mornings, and on those evenings, we wait and wait and wait. By 9:30, we figure whoever the new driver is has decided not to come.

Now, this has been especially rough on me because Bill eats up all my Meadow Gold French vanilla ice cream cuz he has no Schwan's products of his own. That's a double whammy because Yoke's puts my favorite brand on sale only every six weeks or so. That's when I buy at least six boxes to build up my supply, but when a Schwan's man doesn't show up for six weeks, my efforts to hoard my French vanilla don't mean a thing.

Well, maybe this Thursday, if we have the luck of the Irish or, better yet, good fortune like those people on the billboards who win the big $78,000 pots at the casinos, and if the Schwan's man will get back in concert with "The Office," and if it will stop snowing, and if Yoke's has Meadow Gold on special, and if the Cougs, Zags and Broncos win and if the stock market will go back up and stay there for two hours, and if the Presidential candidates stop taking advantage of gotchas on the other candidate's seedy associates, maybe just maybe we'll can all stop being mad in March.

Erin go Bragh!