Last night we to The Rock to see Seton Hall play Syracuse in basketball. The night started well with supper at Bello’s Bar & Grill where we ate various sandwiches and wraps, all delicious. But once the game started, the Syracuse fans were very annoying, making obnoxious comments all night, and we sat in a section surrounded by Orange fans. I do not understand why they need to be so annoying, especially since most of them had no connection to the college, merely picking a winning program to root for, and then acting as if they have a vested interest in the team. That is unlike Jean who not only went there but knew current coach Jim Boeheim when he was assistant coach and she was tutoring basketball players. I just wanted to enjoy the game without constant badgering in surround-sound.

The game was frustrating too. Seton Hall played as well as possible but still fell short of another Big East program filled with high school all-Americans, whose height and depth were ultimately too much for them to handle. The Pirates should leave the Big East and join a conference with programs similar to their own, so they could actually win games rather than be in the lower half of the conference every single year.

Getting out of the parking lot was a nightmare as well, much worse than getting out of the Meadowlands ever was. The last time we went there, Mark drove so we parked in the Prudential private lot across the street since he’s an employee of the company. Last night was horrendous. I could have stayed home and read a book and avoided a lot of aggravation.

Today starts two days of visits from friends, which is typical during Christmas vacation. Our tentative menus are ham quiche and lentil soup with sausage tonight; pea soup for lunch tomorrow; chicken parmigiana tomorrow night for dinner. Afterwards four of us will go to First Night Morris , a traditional New Year’s Eve activity for us. Weather permitting, that should be enjoyable.