Apparently, Basketball is My Game. Too Bad I Hate it.

I told you a few weeks ago about my efforts in coercing Ali to make a Basketball Bracket. I entered hers and my brackets into two pools – Chris’ office pool and Boomama‘s online pool.

Of course, it was very quickly apparent that Ali was going to be dead last in both groups.

However, in an extremely odd twist of fate, MY bracket was holding up pretty well.

So well, in fact, that my impressed yet skeptical husband (whose bracket was taking a sound beating from mine) asked what expert’s brackets I had used to make mine.

(For the record, he wasn’t implying that I was cheating. In fact, a lot of guys in his office use professional brackets for their entries. It is standard operating procedures.)

However, I was so happy that I was able to proclaim to my husband that I hadn’t used ANYONE’S brackets – I made them all by myself.

So he asked, “How did you choose? By team colors? By mascots?”

(For the record, he wasn’t being demeaning here. I know NOTHING about basketball, and in fact I pretty much loathe the sport.)

“No, dear. I just chose them based on what little I knew about them, remembering what teams I had heard had been good in previous years, and taking their seeded positions into account.”

“Wow.”

(For the (third) record, I swear I am not bragging here. It was complete and utter beginner’s luck. Next year I’ll be down in the bottom with Ali, I’m sure.)

So, here’s how it went down. I won Chris’ office pool over a week before the Tournament was over. I was so far ahead that it was numerically impossible to lose. Yup, I even beat those guys that used the “expert’s” brackets.

And on Boomama’s brackets? Well, I stayed in the top 10 or so the whole tournament, and I had my 18 hours of fame when I was #1 (out of 187 people) a couple of weeks ago:
Of course, at the same time and very ironically, Ali was #187 out of 187.

However, my chosen winning team (UCONN, in honor of my friend and alumni Christie) lost in the final four, so I got soundly knocked out of the top 10 at the very end.

But that’s okay. Because Boomama’s prize was somewhat nebulous (a vague promise of “CD’s and stuff”), but Chris’ office pool was $100!!

So, little ole’ me who has never won anything in their office pools, finally won!

What did I buy with my winnings, you ask?

Why, thanks for asking!

For my exact winnings plus 9 cents of my own hard-earned money, I bought this:
(Which was 30% off)

So that I could turn this:
(my homemade juice – isn’t that one especially lovely? Strawberries and Kiwi. . .)

Into this:
(smoothies)

anytime, and not just on vacation.

AND, maybe if I get industrious, make a better verson of my homemade Tomatillo Salsa with the food processor part.

And, I’m taking pre-orders for my professional picks of next year’s March Madness starting now.