Special WVU Big East Champions Edition

Last night, we imbibed our dinner at JP Looney's Sports Bar while watching those Mountaineers win their first Big East basketball championship. In the true form of this year's team, keeping fans in suspense right until the very end, Mr. Butler cleaned up the Hoyas as time expired.

During the game, we sampled a few different vodka spirits that the Big Dog recommended. Not bad. We sampled a bit of the old Jagermeister. Not bad. We sampled a few ounces of that old standby, Miller Lite. All was well right until it was time for me to leave, when I was struck suddenly by the hiccups. You see, I rarely participate in the consumption of liquor, but as last night was a special one, I threw away my cares for a while with a few of my fellow Mountaineers. Then there was something about a left sweat sock, and when two o'clock suddenly became three o'clock, I fell asleep to the sounds of ESPN announcers talking about basketball and me dreaming of the chirp chirp of sneakers on wood.

So I spent the first part of my day in a kind of hungover fog, the type that is best navigated on the couch asleep. I can appreciate the occasional hangover, and I did not feel nearly as bad as I could have this morning despite my older age and lessened abilities. But after getting some Biscuitville in my belly, I was downright jolly. Biscuitville is a place that I only visit rarely these days, but their biscuit sandwiches are the best around, particularly the fried chicken biscuit. I ended my bread and pasta fast on Friday for a few days, by the way. I intend to resume tomorrow.

So this evening I missed the first quarter of the Bobcats game, their sixth victory in a row and a franchise record, since I wanted to make a bowl of pasta and tomatoes. In my pan I diced half of an onion fairly small and sauted that with olive oil and two cloves of garlic. I had a can of whole plum tomatoes, so I added that after my onions sauted awhile. I squished the tomatoes with my wooden spoon, added Salt and Pepper and Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle, and cooked that mix just until it began boiling. I used the very last of my Pasta Sprinkle today, so I will be placing a Penzey's order this week sometime, which is kind of exciting. By now, I was hungry and anxious to watch the game, so I bowled my spaghetti (I had not eaten pasta for two weeks), and it was as good, no it was mo' betta, than I remembered spaghetti being. With a nice and simple sauce, the pasta dish was an excellent addition to watching the rest of the game.

I also fried a burger. Keep in mind that I am still not feeling 100 percent yet (as if I ever am) from last night, so a burger is always a good food choice in these situations. I cooked it in my little skillet with Salt and Pepper, and when it was done, I threw a piece of cheese on it, the kind you have to unwrap, which is my favorite for cheeseburgers, covered it and steamed it until the cheese was luscious, as my wife might say.

A bit of Duke's, a small amount of yellow mustard, a little sliced dill pickle, and some lettuce, and I was pretty satisfied with my cheeseburger. I am back to healthier eating tomorrow, though, or at least back to keeping a good adherence to the Golden Mean.