Rant #2,072: Monday, Monday

Yes, it is Monday, January 29, the 29th day of the year.

It is also Monday, so the work week is beginning.

For me, the work week and the job search week begins anew today.

Exciting, I know.

But for many other people--millions of people not just here in the U.S., but around the world--the countdown continues to the Super Bowl, being held this coming Sunday, February 4, in Minnesota, as the New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

I don't know if you noticed this past weekend was a very busy one in retail areas.

I was on Hempstead Turnpike, one of the densest retail areas on Long Island, this past weekend, and let me tell you, it was row to row cars and people on top of people.

I did my family's food shopping on Friday night after work, and I remember thinking to myself that I had never seen so many people in the supermarket on a Friday night.

It extended over to Saturday night, when I went back to Hempstead Turnpike to pick up some food for dinner.

Every place was packed, and one food venue--Boston Market--was absolutely wall to wall people, with a line out the door.

I asked myself why, and my wife came up with a valid answer: "Next week is the Super Bowl, and people are doing their shopping this weekend, because next week, they are going to parties and things like that, so they are getting the shopping out of the way now."

And you know what? I think she was right in her summation of all of this.

People have made the Super Bowl into an unofficial holiday, even thought most people involved in this really aren't football fans.

The Super Bowl signals party time, and who can resist a good party?

In fact, my family is going to a party next weekend, too, on the Saturday just prior to the Super Bowl, but it has nothing to do with the Big Game (as it is widely known because you can't really use the phrase "Super Bowl" without permission of the NFL)--one of our dear friends is celebrating his 60th birthday, and we are going to his party.

Anyway, as you know if you are a regular reader of this blog, I do not like football, don't watch it, and could care less about who wins this contest.

Next weekend will be special to me because of my friend's party, and for no other reason.

I haven't liked football since the early to mid 1970s, when both New York teams--the Jets and the Giants--left New York to play in New Jersey, so while I understand the game, I simply don't pay attention to it anymore.

Actually, to me, this week is even more special because pitchers and catchers report to Florida and Arizona for baseball's spring training.

Now, that is a big deal, to me at least.

The Super Bowl? Nothing but a time for pulchritude, a time for people who have no clue who is even participating the Big Game to all of a sudden become football fans, and a time where I have to look for alternative programming to keep myself occupied.

I know I will "touch down" on something.