An Annual Tradition
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. Of course, who doesn't? For me, this has been a chance to visit my parents. One of the perks of being a first generation is that we have not been particularly tethered to any specific Thanksgiving tradition - well besides going to my parents' house. We have done more traditional Indian Food, we have tried interpretations of Thanksgiving. Fortunately, my mom is a terrific cook - in almost all forms she chooses to mess around.
I wish I had something profound to say about the annual experience. Frankly it is boring. When you are in a house in the exurbs - or suburbs (if the orienting city is Worcester) - it is just a hassle to drive to anything hopping. But it is hard to sit there in the house mostly focused on what is on television or doomscrolling or board-gaming or whatever people do. We have broken the cycle a couple of times - a trip to Hawaii was most notable - but for the most part, it's family. This year was a particular ordeal, with an ill timed case of the flu popping up and then my car deciding to not work just when I was trying to get an early start.
But I've also been thinking about the boring predictability. Yeah some of these trips feel like something I could sleep through, but at the same time is the boring predictability a bad thing? My parents can drive me crazy but that just makes me like any person who has had parents. It is a version that I have a lot of experience with. So, can I be thankful for it? Heck, even sitting here blogging while watching HBO? When I think about times away, attempting to be a parent, wondering whether I am good at anything - sometimes whether I am worthy of, well, anything, it is nice to just be in a place where I can just have the assurance of not having to BE anything or to prove anything. There is also of course, the joy I see in them to see us, or their grandbabies, and a real sense that these occasions are more finite. This feels like home. You can be at home in more than one place, right.
The Rankings and the Bracket for the Week
Football heads into rivalry week. Alabama's face plan against Oklahoma puts their season into serious peril. First, the 134. The method is here.
Turning the Rankings into Playoffs
Of course the rankings matter to a point. What does that mean bracketwise?
Automatic Bids
Big Ten: Oregon (1)
SEC: Texas (2)
ACC: SMU (4)
Group of Five: Boise State (6)
At Large Bids
Ohio State (3)
Penn State (5)
Indiana (7)
Georgia (8)
BYU (9)
Notre Dame (10)
Miami-FL (11)
First 4 teams out
Alabama (12)
Tennessee (13)
Ole Miss (14)
Clemson (15)
It is weird to consider a 12 team bracket without Alabama, but here we are. Heading into rivalry week, Texas/Texas A&M is the game of the week for a spot in the SEC title game. Texas A&M shocking the world and winning the SEC would move a team off the bubble. In real life, Notre Dame is not on the bubble. It is funny how bad losses can matter less in some cases than other.
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