Basketball Games So Late That the Next Morning Is Foggy

It’s funny how I notice things that once went unnoticed as I advance in age. Last night I watched the NCAA Men’s basketball finals that didn’t start until 9 pm. We had been invited by a couple we like to come have dinner at their house and watch the game. Later on when our two spouses were confirming the plan, one of them realized that the game didn’t START until 9 pm. Too late.

So we dropped the plan to go to dinner in Greenfield and instead I made dinner here and hung around the house until the appointed hour. Basketball, I thought as I waited, has taken up a very large chunk of my life over the years. Every Friday between November and June during the ’90s we used to watch the Celtics and other teams play and there have been countless college games and various championships I’ve sat through. In looking back, I am glad that now I only watch the championship games, no longer any of the regular season matches.

But what I noticed was that this morning I was much more tired than I usually am. I had a hard time getting up and getting going. I think it’s because a nine pm tip-off means a midnight bedtime. I need my sleep, and I prefer to wake up feeling refreshed, and ready to go, not logy and tired out and feeling like I want to crawl back under the covers. I’ve also got to remember that more than two beers adds to my next-day fatigue.

So it’s a good lesson–earlier to bed, and wake up feeling better. I’ll have to try that.