The only reason I know the Super Bowl is today is that I did something I very rarely do: I watched the evening news on local TV last Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to find out whether my school would have any Snow Days to start the second semester. We did: three in a row, which helped a lot in finishing up grading for the first semester, though it left students even mores disgruntled than usual when they finally returned for a 'late opening' on Thursday. In chatting about the weather, the newsdrones mentioned Super Bowl hoopla several times.

And the only reason I know the Super Bowl is being played in Houston (this year? every year? I certainly don't care) is that I was thinking of going to see Don Carlo at the Philadelphia Opera this afternoon, and realized on Thursday or so that I'd better make sure the big game is not in either Philadelphia or Baltimore, since I wouldn't want to have to drive anywhere within 20 miles of the stadium anywhere near game time. As it turns out, today would have been an excellent day for an opera trip, since the roads should be very empty this afternoon. Too bad I don't have the energy after all that grading. I'll probably do some hassle-free shopping instead.

Finally, I wonder whether I could have gotten a better seat for today than for the next Sunday matinee of Don Carlo two weeks from now. It all depends on whether any significant number of opera fans are also football fans, so I'm guessing the answer is 'no'. Then again, perhaps I'm stuck in Frasier-and-Niles cultural stereotyping.