Once again, I’m lax in posting to the blog. I can’t believe I keep doing this.

There were two important events which have gone on since the last post which caught up everything. Those deserve more detail.

Anyway, here’s what you missed:

Friday, December 5

Didn’t get out of Kansas City until 11 a.m. No big deal, because the varsity girls game at Smith Center wasn’t scheduled to start until after 6 anyway. I was feeling awfully tired only a few miles out of Kansas City, so I stopped at the Love’s Travel Center in St. Joseph to get snacks before heading across the Missouri River back into Kansas.

The drive from St. Joseph to Smith Center and points west (Phillipsburg, Norton) is grueling. Two-lane highway, not much in the way of scenery except the little towns along the route, and heaven help you if you get behind a slow driver in a no-passing area. At least there wasn’t any construction zones along the way this time to bring me to a stop.

I barely made it through Hiawatha. By time I got to Seneca, I was starting to feel the fatigue again. Fortunately, I was able to make it to the Sinclair in Marysville for snacks and a restroom stop. It was worse west of Washington, but again, I had enough to make a run through the drive-thru at the Dairy Queen in Belleville for a Butterfinger blizzard and a chicken strip basket. I was hungry.

Turns out I made it to Smith Center before 4, way too early, but enough time to sneak in a quick catnap before going into the gym. The Lady Red and Redmen hosted Mid-Continent League rival Plainville, which is unusual for a season opener, although with two more teams in the MCL this season, teams have to make room for nine league games. With two tournaments, that doesn’t leave much room, so hence there are league games on opening night.

Smith Center’s girls season hit a roadblock only 89 seconds into the game. The Lady Red’s All-MCL center, Drew Mann, went down with a left knee injury. She was on the court for several minutes before being helped off.

The bad news: Mann is out for four to six weeks. The good news: no ligament damage, just a subluxated (slightly dislocated) kneecap. She’;ll be back in mid to late January.

Smith Center used an 18-1 surge over the game’s final 4:32 to pull away to a 46-31 victory. The Cardinals have not defeated the Lady Red since January 2006.

The boys game was close, if sloppy. Plainville had numerous opportunities to put the game out of reach, but went just 15 of 36 from the foul line. Still, the Cardinals prevailed 68-64.

Got home just after 11, facing a very short turnaround.

Saturday, December 6

Got out of Russell later than I would have liked. Didn’t leave the houe until 8, and then I had to get gas before heading north on US 281 to Osborne for the Bulldogs’ wrestling tournament. This has been the first wrestling tournament I have covered every year since coming to Kansas, and although the number of wrestlers is not as large as some other events, the quality of competition is excellent, especially for the first tournament of the season.

I sepnt three hours at the tournament taking pictures and talking to people I know. I left at 1 so I could get back to Russell in time for the SEC football championship game.

Alabama rolled past Missouri 42-13 to clinch the top seed for the upcoming College Football Playoff. Not surprised.

I was very upset Florida State won the ACC championship game over Georgia Tech, although the Yellow Jackets gave the Seminoles all they could handle and more before falling 37-35.

Sunday, December 7

Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State were selected, in that order, for the first College Football Playoff. I was not happy to see Florida State in there. Not at all. But I guess if Florida State had been excluded despite going 13-0, there would have been a real problem.

The other bowl game matchups were announced Sunday as well. LSU drew Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl. Good matchup, even if Notre Dame collapsed down the stretch. Terrible venue. The field in Nashville stinks, and it probably will be bitterly cold. Problem is, the people in Tennessee can’t handle it.

I tried to avoid watching the Chiefs-Cardinals game, simply because I feared Arizona would lose. My fears were misplaced. Cardinals 17, Chiefs 14. Arizona is 10-3, marking the first time the Cardinals have won 10 games in back-to-back seasons since doing so three straight years from 1974 through 1976, when the Girdbirds were in St. Louis.

Monday, December 8

Could not get going for the life of me. Fortunately, I only had one paper to get done today, and I had my articles and pictures ready for Osborne by 1. I fooled around the rest of the afternoon, waiting to leave for Russell High and the Broncos’ basketball doubleheader vs. Nickerson.

Russell’s girls were not challenged, leading 14-2 at the end of the first quarter and coasting to a 50-19 victory. The boys were not as fortunate, falling 73-58. It was, however, a happy homecoming for former Russell boys basketball coach Pete Herrera, who is now coaching Nickerson. Herrera led Russell to an 11-10 season in 2009-10, one of only two winning seasons in the last 24 for the Broncos. Herrera’s reward? A pink slip. Fired over false accusations.

Tuesday, December 9

Had a lot of work to get done. Somehow I had it all done by 3 p.m. I stayed up through the night to get most of Phillipsburg done early, then knocked out Ellis, Plainville and Smith Center.

Didn’t go out tonight since Russell played last night. Probably a good thing.

Wednesday, December 10

Got most of Russell done pretty early. Fell asleep for awhile in the late morning/early afternoon before finally finishing the last page by 1:15. I dozed off time and again in front of my computer.

Dr. Custer’s office called with the results from my lab work last week. I’m going on insulin to combat my diabetes. My A1C is far too high. I went to get the insulin at Walgreen’s after dinner.

I stopped by the office tonight to see Jack krier, who was playing in the usual Wednesday night poker game with my dad, my grandfather, and several other friends.

Okay, got two more posts coming. They should be far more interesting.