I'm gradually climbing back toward normal. I'm really over it, but I still think about it.

Today was a better day. I didn't exactly hit the ground running, but we had a little gathering in honor of John's upcoming birthday, and there were people there who shared my feelings about the Giants' tragic loss yesterday. They felt it just as strongly as I did, but since they've moved on, I decided I would, too.

It's fun to have so many people sitting around talking about something as inconsequential as sports (although with the recall election coming up in two days, politics also reared its grotesquely ugly head). You can state your case and point out flaws in each other's arguments, and nobody's feelings are hurt because in the end it just doesn't make any difference what side you're on.

I like those kinds of discussions. Maybe that's why I watch sports in the first place, to have something to talk about that's easy and fun and instantly forgettable. An hour later, I've forgotten who it was I agreed with and who was full of baloney (or possibly malarkey; sometimes it's hard to tell the difference). Everybody has an opinion, and none of it matters.

The best part of the whole deal was that John was totally surprised (or a totally convincing facsimile thereof). This party has been in the works for weeks, and somehow Suzanne and her co-conspirators managed to bring in many of his friends, including some old high school buddies, without his suspecting anything. A guy only turns fifty once (I hope), so why not make it fun? This was a day that was a lot of fun, and some of us really needed it.