It's a New Day . . . .

I HATE those late games.  Can't remember the last time one started at 9 p.m., which, by the way, is 30 minutes past my usual bed time.

So, last night I did everything possible to keep myself busy, active and AWAKE until the ZAGS  9 p.m. tip-off in Paradise, which is three hours behind us on Pacific Standard Time.

In spite of a 20-minute nod-off just prior to the game, I managed to wake up in time to watch the match-up between undefeated Dayton and undefeated Gonzaga from beginning to end----let's see; the last time I looked at the clock, it was 11:10 p.m.  

Sadly,  last night's Maui Wowie turned out to be a Maui Owie for the ZAGS.  

Dayton came back from a 16-point deficit to make the Bulldogs look punch drunk through most of the second half.   And, I think,  toward the end,  a few ZAGS maybe even wanted to punch their opponents.

At one point, I almost took off my ZAGS sweatshirt----not so much out of disgust but to be fully ready to grab some sleep as soon as the final buzzer sounded.  

Loyalty won out. The sweatshirt stayed put until the last sad second. 

I hate the late games because of the inevitable short night to follow---I get up every morning at 4:45. 

 I also hate the late games because I know the night will be even shorter if the ZAGS lose.

So, last night it was a double whammy Maui Owie.  Late, late, late, and ouch, ouch, ouch!  

Whenever I consciously attempt to nod off into a restful sleep much beyond my usual bed time, it just doesn't happen.

A ZAGS loss late at night aggravates that situation big time. 

If they're going to lose, I wish they'd time the losses for earlier in the day or night.  

Earlier in the day or night, we still have time to find distractions to help us forget what we just witnessed. 

The pain of a ZAGS loss has time to subside, and when we go to bed, we can drop off into our usual sleep, rather than tossing, turning and reviving the misery in our minds.

Such was the case last night for me.  My night's rest included semi-slumber for nearly two hours, only to realize several times, "You are still awake, and you need to drive to Spokane tomorrow to pick up Annie and you need to be on your own game for the next three days with Thanksgiving preparations and all, and you are still awake, and now you have only three hours left to fall asleep but you are still awake and in the morning after the sun rises and you drink your latte and you get focused on the events of the day, the Gonzaga loss won't feel quite so bad as it does right now cuz you are still awake and now you need to get up and go to the bathroom because you drank so much water while trying to stay awake for that late game and maybe after you return from the bathroom, you'll fall asleep  but if you don't, there'll be that much less time to lament the loss even more and then try to get to sleep before you look at the clock and realize you have worn the night away and you have worn yourself out, trying to get to sleep . . . ."

Well, I did sleep, maybe about three hours total, and I am awake, and I've read the press and wire reports about the Gonzaga loss----that along with a fine story in the Spokesman about lice busters and how lice know no socio-economic bounds when they decide to inhabit human heads---doesn't matter to them whether the head is dirty or clean.

And, now that I want to scratch my head cuz I've read about lice and the Gonzaga loss, I've taken in enough caffeine to feel like it's a new day and that if Gonzaga loses today, it will be in the afternoon while I'm driving to Spokane to pick up Annie for her Thanksgiving visit. 

Yes, the sun is shining this morning, and there will be plenty of distractions ahead, and I'm betting that tonight I'll sleep tight, whether Gonzaga wins or loses.  

I'm also betting the players feel bad but I'm betting they don't feel nearly as bad as their fans do cuz their loss occurred in Paradise much earlier in the evening, and I'll bet they had a few distractions to forget about their pain before THEY tried to go to sleep. 

GO ZAGS!  Avoid the sting of those Chaminade Silverswords and pull off a Maui Wowie today!  And, then I'll sleep like a baby.