1. Ed and I met at The Lounge soon after it opened this afternoon. I enjoyed a couple of the Champagne of Bottled Beers and yakked with Ed, Cas, John Seavy, Debbie F., and Bucky. The Moores arrived and I shook hands with Butch and Brian and shared warm greetings. Ed and I stuck with our plan to have a couple of beers and then head out. Jake was coming in as we left. Byrdman and Lloyd B. arrived later. I was sorry I missed them.
BUT
2. Back home, Sue D. had arrived to knit with Debbie. She brought a six pack of Red Stripe Jamaican Lager with her. I love that beer. It had been a long time since I'd had one, but the second I tasted it I was transported back to Arlington Heights, IL and that moment in August, 1998 when I met Debbie's brother, David (RIP), for the first time and he wedged a Red Stripe's bottle cap between his wedding ring and ring finger, popped open the beer, and our friendship got off to a terrific start as we enjoyed a Red Stripe together.
3. Having watched Villanova close out close wins two nights in a row against, first, St. John's and, tonight, against UConn, I thought for the first time this entire season that because of experienced players like Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, and Justin Moore and because of the ever improving play of Brandon Slater and Eric Dixon, Villanova might have a better shot at winning the NCAA national title than I thought they would when this season began. Having Jay Wright as their coach might, in the end, be the most positive contributing factor. What difference does experience make? It's intangible, but experienced players like Villanova's know how to win, a quality that is difficult to describe, but I've seen it in Villanova late in the season and, now, two nights in a row in the Big East tournament.
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