I love March Madness. Adore it. I used to live for it. Completely... I mean, it was like a very unhealthy relationship with one overly needy participant. 
For the past few years, though, I have been married, and the great games of spring have begun to hold less meaning, or have at least taken up much less time at my house. I haven't really made time for basketball, I have watched it when it was on and I had time, but there was no carving out time to make it happen.
I look back at the days that I used to follow the tournament with such fervor and I wonder if those days were better - wasting countless hours and afternoons with the early games, inventing excuses to miss social outings in order to stay in and watch the games with other like-minded friends, or staying past closing at the local bar to catch the end of a Thursday night nail-biter.
While those were great times in their own right, I wonder if maybe I could have chosen more wisely and spent my time doing something more rewarding. Maybe the Madness has crept out of my life - maybe I need to spend more of my time enjoying family and friends, and not worrying about what happens in College Basketball.
That could be the ticket. That's the grown-up thing to do.
I didn't watch any early games yesterday, and I didn't even make it home until halftime of the ETSU-UK game to see my beloved Cats blow out our very own hometown heroes (What a horrible situation for a UK fan living in the Tri-Cities...), and I wasn't exactly rushing to get home for that. No joy in seeing either team lose.
But I did make it home by eight or so, and the games were on. And then I started watching. Watching good, exciting, March basketball. That's when it all came flowing back.
Montana put forth a good effort, Tennessee was lucky to survive, and the Georgetown game was amazing - I mean, who in the world picked Ohio, outside of Ohio alums? Great basketball all night long, one of the best first-day runs I have seen. 
Around 1 a.m., Wake Forest was driving a final nail in the up-and-down season of the Texas Longhorns, a team I have never cared for. I had not moved far from the couch in hours. I was happy about basketball, just like the old days.
It seems like the Madness may be creeping back in.
| Kingsport Christmas Tree Lighting | |
| Held on Saturday, December 4, 2010. The Sevier Middle School orchestra played in the progress building at 6:00. The gingerbread house exhibit was held at the Regions bank. Music, reading of the Christmas Story, hot chocolate, hot apple cider and cookies, sing-a-long where held at Church Circle. |