The game: Ravens at Patriots
The beer: Shipyard Double Old Thumper Ale
The result: Win, 23–20
The commentary: It’s not so hard to relate to a billionaire. Robert Kraft is suffering a pain I never want to experience, and the manner in which he continues to carry himself and so publicly express his emotions, affections and spirituality is remarkable. I know what it’s like to marry your best friend, to be blessed together with the most amazing child in the world and to wonder every day if your love for the two qualifies as psychotic. There are many important things in life, things no one can bear to lose. Football is not one of them. I hope Kraft is OK.

Some thoughts on Sunday’s victory:

The picture above was taken after the win. It’s the best we got once we were able to coerce G. into looking at the camera with those beautiful blue eyes and the rosycheeksofloveIwanttoeatthem! I apologize that I’m a little blurry and drowsy-looking, I was pretty buzzed.

Speaking of buzzed, the eleven-percent-alcohol Double Old Thumper was quite delicious and probably would have kicked my ass if it weren’t for some chili con queso and most of a bag of corn chips. I’ve written before that a sample of regular Old Thumper (an English-style pale ale) during a Shipyard brewery tour and a pint of Lost Sailor IPA (also a less-hoppy English style) at a Berkshire beer dinner opened my eyes (mouth?) to how tasty “hoppy” beers can be when ignoring the many American brewers who go batshit with the hops. I am forever grateful.

For maybe the first time this season I watched this game more or less live. As such I had to put up with the regular announcer-generated nonsense like Phil Simms’s repeated assertions that the Ravens need a “drive starter.” “That’s not the drive starter I was looking for.” “See, this is a good drive starter right here.” “Drive starter!” Also, perhaps I missed it but when the hell did Gronkowski return after that injury? Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Phil! [Edit: Apparently his first play back was on Brady’s crazy over-the-top touchdown, which is the first play I noticed him on. I was definitely watching live at that point and neither Simms nor Jim Nantz said “Holy moly, Gronkowski is back! A machine like no other!” Great work.]

G. thrust her arms straight up in the air five seconds before Torrey Smith’s third-quarter touchdown. It was heartbreaking and I had to lock her in the closet for the rest of the quarter.

When Woodhead fumbled during the ensuing third-quarter kick return I said through the closet door “It only took sixteen games but they finally have to pull him off return duty now, right hon?” Wrong. The Human Touchback was out there later on following a Ravens field goal. I know nothing about football.

Tom Brady has never, ever had to quiet the crowd like he did after his initial fourth-quarter touchdown was overturned. The fans brought it for two weeks straight, even if they don’t know when to keep the noise down. I loved it and I hope the bulk of them make the trip to Indy.

All season I’ve done a good job remembering there’s a baby in the house and I should no longer yell and leap from the couch whenever the Pats make a big play. Tell that to Brandon Spikes—I yelled so loud on his interception that G. started bawling and I had to walk her around for a minute before she settled down. I was somehow able to contain myself after sitting back on the couch, resuming the broadcast and witnessing my near-death at the hands of Bernard Pollard, Jimmy Williams and Matthew Slater (!). (Later, G. cried for only a second or two when I yelled “He missed it!” She is my rock.)

This whole controversy with the scoreboard being off by a down (displaying third instead of fourth) is about the best excuse Billy Cundiff could have stumbled into. If this idiot, for whom the offense is trying to improve field position for the game-tying field goal, doesn’t know the down and distance at every second of the drive then it’s his own fault for having to rush through his “process.” Screw him and his wide-left.

I watched the NFC game in the living room while putting together the new full-sized crib. It’s the last time I’ll ever assemble a piece of furniture outside of the room in which it will end up—that thing barely fit through the bedroom door.

Extracurricular observations:

A. and I heard “Thin Line Between Love and Hate” by the Persuaders the other morning in the car. It’s like a parody of an R. Kelly song, thirty years early. “Are you hungry? Did you eat yet?” Lady, it’s 5:00 in the morning and your man’s just getting home! Also, did she poison his meal or something? It’s not clear. Poor narrative structure.

So Pat Sajak drinks between tapings of Wheel of Fortune. Big deal. The only thing that would surprise me less is if he were a functioning illiterate who signs his paychecks with a big X.

Lastly, a big eye-rolling thanks to the MBTA for personally demonstrating to me how they remain in the red year after year. I bought one of those twelve-ride passes because A. and I now drive to and from work every day (I feel bad about that but public transportation is too unreliable to line up with daycare schedules; it’s also fucking expensive), but occasionally I might take a train if I need to go in early, stay late, etc. The pass doesn’t save anything compared to purchasing twelve individual one-way tickets but the convenience is worth the upfront money. Anyway, I now understand that this is the way to go because I’ve had one ride remaining for the last four or five trips, including this morning’s, and it hasn’t cost me a dime—apparently conductors, when they even bother to check at all for tickets during rush hour, don’t want to be the one to void a pass by punching that twelfth ride. And here we go again with the fare hikes.

Up next: It’s a Patriot-free Pro Bowl, which is just the way I like them outside of the Rod Rust era. I will not watch one second of it. Cheers!