Your dog ran over my karma.

I'm pretty sure I must have been a megalomaniacal tyrant in a past life, because how else could 2006 have been so insanely...insane?

This year has been one of numerous surprises, both good and bad.

Let's start with the minus column (in varying levels from minor irritant to devastation):
-Finding out that my boyfriend of 3 years is living with/engaged to another woman, and is juggling the two of us
-Getting mugged on Bourbon St. in my beloved New Orleans by a short man named Fernando, and setting a stiletto sprint record down Bienville St. into a dimly lit parking garage to recover my Burberry purse
-That pesky near-rape experience in downtown Ft. Lauderdale
-The Psycho Bride incident
-Mom's coma in August
-The death of my uncle yesterday from an aneurysm
-A Florida vs. Ohio State matchup in the BCS
-Fisher DeBerry retiring from his head coaching job at Air Force
-And easily the worst thing that has EVER happened in my 27 years on this planet, the untimely passing of my wonderful dad 15 days ago

But there have been definite highlights in 2007, such as:
-Spending a wonderful long weekend in Colorado with Dad 3 weeks before he passed, including our stint heckling evil Notre Dame fans at the Air Force-Notre Dame game
-My job - stressful as corporate PR is, I enjoy the chase
-Moving away from the soul-sucking environs of Boca into the far less wrinkle-inducing Broward County area
-Meeting Paula Deen's lust-worthy sons, Jamie and Bobby
-Adopting the wonder collie, Jake
-Meeting the most wonderful Big 12 fan - tall, funny, and incredibly sweet (y'know, the type of guy who picks up and flies to his girlfriend's dad's funeral, enduring The Meeting of the Family all at once) - and falling madly in love like I've never been before
-Jeff Bowden's resignation from FSU (sweet mercy, it took him long enough!)
-The Saints showing that NOLA is a place of resiliency and grace
-Oh, and then there's my tattoo.

I have to figure that 2007 will be amazing - hopefully, it'll see me helping my mom get back on her feet. Maybe my brother will finally find happiness. Maybe I'll leave south Florida - whether for New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago or Colorado Springs/Denver. Who knows?

The important thing - the thing that has gotten me through this year - is faith. Faith begets tremendous, almost tangible grace and strength. I should be a broken woman - but while I'm incredibly devastated about losing the most important person in my life, I know that life will go on and that while there will always be a little sadness surrounding me, I'll have a long and happy life wherein I can share my father's amazing legacy with my children someday.

So that's my roundabout explanation for why I haven't posted in a while. Sorry 'bout that, but I'm sure y'all understand that my family comes first.

So...yeah. Tell us your thoughts on the upcoming bowl season, NFL playoff hopes, and your own year in review. Inquiring Nole bloggers want to know...

...and the winner is...

Can anybody tell me a really good reason for major college football's not having a playoff? I mean, the "we've always done it this way" stuff doesn't fly with me. You want your barely 0.500 team to go play in their crappy bowl that nobody cares about? Fine. You can still have your crap bowls and a playoff too.

Back in the era of unlimited scholarships, there were the select teams that loaded up on area talent. Those teams always seemed to be at the top. There was a fairly consistent list of teams that would be in the top 15 or so. Usually, among those teams, there was a fairly clear cut best 2.

Now, fast forward a little. The NCAA has regulated that football teams now have fewer scholarships to throw around. You know what....that means parity. The talent pool is spread across the country more than ever. True, you still have your stable of winning teams, but could you have imagined just a few years ago that Rutgers and Louisville would be getting ready for bowls, much less in the top 25? Point is, the talent level on teams is more even than ever. There seems to be more upsets, and more 1 and 2 loss teams than ever. I can hear the naysayers now.... but you may leave a good team out of the playoffs too. Alright, good point, but would you rather worry about who is the #16 spot, or who should be #2?

Also, why do we rely on a bunch of writers (many of whom probably never touched a college field), and coaches determine who plays for a national championship? Why do computers get a say in the BCS Championship? Because you have a bunch of good old boys wanting to hold onto an antiquated system.

You don't think it's rediculous? Look at the past few pro sports champions. If it were up to voters, the Cardinals may not have played the World Series, much less won. If it were up to voters, the Colts would have played the Super Bowl, not the Steelers.

The path to the "National Championship" should be played on the field, not determined by votes, and not run through a computer.