Nine and a half hours later, I am still at the bar at Buffalo Wild Wings Zona Rosa. I’m starting to feel like yawning, but I’m not leaving just yet. 

It has been crazy in here since 5:30, when fans started to arrive en masse for tonight’s Kansas-Baylor Big 12 Conference tournament semifinal. The Jayahwks just wrapped up a 62-52 victory, so the Crimson and Blue clad fans are exiting, replaced by large numbers wearing the Cardinal ang Gold of Iowa State. The game is 11 minutes old, and Oklahoma leads the Cyclones 21-12. 

I got here a few minutes after opening at 11 a.m. since Lisa was bartening at the open. It was a fun first two hours with Larry playing me in trivia. I won four rounds and he won two, and in one of them, I helped save him from losing by giving him the right answer in time to change it. We also had very good discussions with Lisa about sports. I love that guy. 

For most of the afternoon, I had some challengers in trivia. Of course, I beat them back each and every time. I sat out one round to let them go against one another. 

I had to eat shrimp today since it’s a Lenten Friday. Not that I’m complaining. I wish I were back in Louisiana eating oysters, either fried or charbroiled. I’m not big on raw oysters, although I am willing to try, because I am so desperate to eat them. When I was in Baton Rouge in 2010, I ordered the oyster po-boy at Ivar’s FOUR times. I almost never ordered it when I lived there. 

Catholic churches all across south Louisiana hold fish fries every Lenten Friday. And there are also crawfish boils galore. I yearn fo

When Vince Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers, his church, St. Willebrod, had a fish fry every Friday except on holidays. And Lombardi, wife Marie, son Vincent and daughter Susan regularly attended. 

Before 1966, Catholics were asked to abstain from meat every Friday, not just Lenten Fridays. The Catholic churches in England and Wales reinstated the every Friday absiinance rules in 2005, although the United States probably will never go back to those days, just like Mass will never be in Latin again, except for those few churches which hold special Latin masses. 

Alexandra was bartending with Lisa until 9 p.m., when Lisa finally got off. Having those two tonight has been a real treat. Liz is here too, and I got to see Morgan Gilliland for the frst time since her disgustingly cute baby girl, Faith, was born Dec. 21. 

I can’t wait until tomorrow to come back to Buffalo Wild Wings and get the New Yorker, a pastrami sandwich on a pretzel. I had it in Salina last month, and it was to die for. I love pastrami. It’s my favorite cold cut. 

I’m getting out of here shortly. It’s been a long day, but a very, very good one. Again.