While I don't support the message that Michigan State is our reigning national champion in (div 1) college hockey, I will admit to a fist pump due to the demoralizing nature of the game winning goal. Anything that helps tar the folks up the street with the "can't win the big one" brush is OK in my book. Can we talk a little bit more about how they went from 1949 to 2001 without winning one, too? And how their rink has a lousy sound system and ample seating without back rests? I don't know how that's related, but it couldn't hurt to throw that in.

(I know, I said I wasn't going to watch, but between the game, a Sox game that went from uninteresting to laughable way too quickly, and a desire not to embarras myself at spades yet again, I had no choice.)

Easter, for what it's worth, was about as much fun as it can be. We went to the church where we'd gone the last couple of years for Christmas, and it was interesting in that:

1. They get a much bigger crowd for Easter than for Christmas, though there are more options at Christmas. That being said, we somehow got a whole pew to ourselves. Either we were too recognizable as outsiders or we should have sat at an end rather than in the middle.

2. While this church has a regular priest, I don't think we've ever seen him. He has three parishes to tend to, so I think we keep getting a pinch hitter while he's off at one of the other churches. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - we actually had a couple of great subs at one of the Wellesley churches - but this guy was, well, rambling. I am still not sure I understand the theme of the homily, even when he revisited it before the benediction. He also called for a hymn before that that wasn't listed as part of the day's music; given the relative lack of confusion among the musicians, though, I'm assuming it was planned. It certainly made more sense in context than the homily did.

3. Kids at midnight Mass tend to sleep. Kids at Easter Mass have clearly dipped into their Easter baskets. Chocolate before 10 am is problematic in kids under five. Or over five, I suppose.

4. During Communion, one of the servers ran out of wafers. I don't think I've ever seen that. This led to several minutes delay (all while I was trying not to think about how badly padded the kneelers are) while they tried to find some more. In the end, the priest gave the server some out of his bowl, and resorted to snapping the ones he had left in half. A good solution, albeit a little tardy.

Wrapping up Easter and the Lenten season, my attempt to give up swearing was better than the last one, but not particularly successful. Part of it was that while I didn't say as many swears, I thought more of them. Anyone who wants to give a ruling on the spirit versus the letter of the thing is welcome to do so.

I was also marginally more pleased with the recurring personal bit, as there were more interesting stories and less talking about someone who may not have actually existed. Plus, I got to talk about an inappropriately sexy children's TV host and a cadaver that was put on trial, so how bad could have it have been? I just have to find a way to combine the two for next year.