Saturday Slight

We have a day off today from our Gonzaga grind. Actually, it's hardly been a grind; it's been great. Once again, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are providing their fans throughout the Northwest one of the simple pleasures of winter.

"Our" team is looking better than ever this year, and the players, coaches and staff are providing much-appreciated bright moments to the gloomy days that often drag us down during our winter months. After yesterday's enjoyable victory over Maryland in the Old Spice Tournament, our ZAGS stand 4-0 for the season.

They have their work cut out for them tomorrow when they play Tennessee for the tournament championship, but they've got a kennel full of talent this year, which could get the job done. We'll just have to wait and see. And, we'll love them, regardless of the outcome because they provide so many people so much joy and anticipation over the long winter.

Our Thanksgiving weekend has been filled with simple pleasures----the best being that nobody's mad at anybody. It's been fun, fattening and refreshingly low key, so far.

In fact, the closest I've come to conflict in the past three days spent with my immediate family and with my extended family was the gentle, gentle hint from my sister Laurie yesterday when I grabbed the remote and switched the channel from the ZAGS to the Boise State Broncos-Fresno State football game.

"Okay, they're tied; this is just a time-out," Laurie said to me with a hintful smile.

Laurie likes her ZAGS as much as any of us; she's pretty intense. And, because she's an Idaho Vandal with no direct affiliation to Boise State, which was at the time fully engaged in its last game of a perfect 12-0 season, Laurie gave her priority to the ZAGS.

I understood and quickly punched the button back to the basketball game. We were happy anyway cuz the Broncos still had two quarters to play when the ZAGS wrapped up their game.

And, what a victory the Boiseans enjoyed: 61-10!

Of course, like everyone who follows the Broncos, I can't, for the life of me, figure out why they can rank 9th in the nation with one of the few perfect records and the highest scoring percentage of any team in the NCAA---and they can't be considered for a BSC berth.

It would be different if they had never proved themselves against the big boys, but they have. I'm sure there are few fans alive who cannot remember what's been termed one of the most exciting NCAA football games ever two years ago when Boise State knocked off mighty Oklahoma (aren't they No. 2 this year?) in the Fiesta Bowl.

Mr. Obama, where are you? If you want to raise that Democratic percentage among Idaho voters in the next Presidential go-round, you could make a statement to the BCS about our Broncos and how they deserve more respect!

Okay, enough of that. I'm getting a bit worked up, but my intensity doesn't hold a candle to the lunacy that went on yesterday on what, somebody somewhere sometime when we weren't looking or listening, coined "Black Friday." And, a black one it was!

There is something wrong with the whole concept of Christmas when people get crushed to death because of ghoulish greed and insensitivity. Are those $8 jeans on the Wal-Mart shelves really worth killing an innocent soul who was apparently at the wrong place at the wrong time, simply doing his job?

I cannot believe the desperation, on the part of insane shoppers and the negligence on the part of store managers to allow such horrific behavior. And, when I read further in the story and learned that many of the maniacal throng who pushed their way through the doors in that New York store refused to quit shopping when asked to leave the scene.

I read about other awful situations at other stores on "Black Friday," and, again, I thought the day deserved its name----even though my perspective on its meaning may differ drastically from store owners and shoppers.

Back to simple gifts. No $8 jeans or $3 pair of shoes could ever make up for the gifts of human decency, thoughtfulness, respect, appreciation, kindness, generosity and the joy of living and loving. If we're looking for real deals, we can find them on any day by calmly embracing opportunities involving any of the above.

This has been a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and I am very thankful to have stayed away from the insanity of the outside world and to have found more than my share of simple gifts, which are available 365 days a year, usually for free, if we can be so lucky.

And, speaking of the simple pleasures, today is the day to bake the Amish friendship bread, so, look out, Cis, I may be coming your way with a gift of dough. Please don't hide!

Happy Saturday to all.