Final Four

March Madness 2006 has been a very interesting basketball tournament for basketball junkies like me. Granted this year has been a little different from years past -- both with Kentucky getting its lowest seed in nearly two decades and with multi-tasking skills in changing diapers while simultaneously watching the games. Still, the games have been incredible and for the first time in 25+ years there are no #1 seeds in the final four.

In the past the opening Friday of the tournament was marked by a vacation day from work and inviting friends over to watch hoops from noon til midnight. This year we continued the tradition on opening Friday -- albeit without the vacation day -- with our friends Mike & Jean Mankowski and their ten-week old daughter Ella. Mike is a diehard Tar Heel, and Jean is a lifelong Duke fan. If Ella grows up to cheer for NC State, then their family may end up not speaking to each other for the month of March. It was a splendid evening of catching up, both on the changes that have happened to us all in the past year and on watching hoops.

This past weekend Amy & I ventured to Charleston to see Melanie and Roman. Roman was impressed with Glen "Big Baby" Davis, the 310 lb. immovable object for LSU. We got back just in time on Sunday to watch 11th seeded George Mason slide on the Cinderella slipper beating uber-talented yet underachieving top-seeded Connecticut. All in all it has been a tremendous tournament.

One more weekend Amy B -- then you're in the clear until October.



Ella shows off her Tar Heel attire -- shirt and socks -- to the delight of her dad.




Papa Mankowski & baby Ella.




The Mankowski family.