1.  I haven’t been a bandwagon kind of girl since rocking my scrunchie collection in middle school. In my old(er) age I took an almost perverse pleasure in telling folks around here, “No, I actually don’t care about basketball. It’s true. Really, not even Duke and Carolina. Just don’t care.” It raised more than a few eyebrows.

2.  But it seems basketball falls under the slow burn category. Like broccoli, steamed carrots, and tofu – three things I never would have touched in my younger years – it seems this sport has burrowed it’s way into my heart. Maybe BrightSide’s relentless enthusiasm finally rubbed off on me or maybe he’s been playing subliminal tapes while I sleep, I don’t know. What I do know is that suddenly I care A GREAT DEAL about these games going on right now. It made me realize a few things.

3.  For years I walked around perplexed by their intensity but there’s no denying I’m one of those obnoxious March Madness people now. I have to own that.

4.  This isn’t really great for your blood pressure. I wonder what the stats are on heart attacks in March/first of April.

5.  In the span of five days both my husband and daughter mocked my bracket. Bear just laughed, not really bothering to explain what was so ridiculous but making it abundantly clear I had no idea what I was doing. BrightSide brushed off my results because – get this – I based it on stats and didn’t pick upsets. You know, because I haven’t watched enough basketball to know this team turns it on in the tournament and that team plays defense like Fort Knox.

6.  But six of my eight picks made it to the Elite Eight. Just sayin.

7.  Of course now that Gonzaga, UNC, and Duke are knocked out the rest of my bracket is a mess. But I’m pretty sure I’ve got a lot of company.

8.  When Virginia made a last minute shot in regulation play on Saturday night I actually screamed when that ball dropped in. Screamed.  Phoebe whipped her head around so fast I thought she channeled her inner owl. GO HOOS!

9.  Gracie sometimes gets so tired she just goes ahead and puts herself to bed in a nice quiet room where nobody’s yelling at the tv.

10.  So is this entire craze peculiar to Americans? If so then I extend deepest apologies to my non-U.S. readers for what was most likely a painfully boring post. Tomorrow should be better since I have no plans to become a sports blogger. But, just for good measure – WAHOOWA!!