It's that time of year again.

Thanksgiving vacation is over in the cruelest way. I had the smallest taste of what a break from school was like, and I want more.

I do not think of today in terms of November 30 or even Wednesday. It is only 20. As in, 20 more days 'til I'm outta here and back home.

We are in the strange vortex known as the Winter Break Stretch Run. Thought becomes warped into gambling's as the only thing that one can focus on is the two-week vacation.

I well now try to shift my attention to the world of sports, but forgive me at I return to dreaming about being home...not having any work...no worries...

* * *

Is it just me, or would Bobby Bowden need to be chased by Colonel Sanders to be any more of a chicken? For anyone that watched Florida State's 31-31 tie with Florida on Saturday, it was a letdown the equal of which I have never seen.

FSU's down, 31-3, But the Seminoles come back, scoring touchdown after touchdown. And finally, with less than two minutes left, State reaches the end zone yet again to make the score 31-30.

"Wonderful!" I thought. "Now Bowden's gonna go for a two point conversion, and it will be really exciting!"

Wrong. The kicker came out and booted a one-point goal. The game.

If a dining hall entree could describe Bowden the best, it would be Turkey a la King. Hmmm. Turkey reminds me of Thanksgiving vacation...

Whoa, sorry there! Had a little bit of a flashback attack, won't happen again.

***

One wonders with the men's hockey team. The Crimson ought to be dogma better, but they aren't.

What can you do? It's not like they've had an unfair amount of bad breaks, so you can argue that they deserve what's happened to them so far.

But at the same time, BU shouldn't be five goals better than Harvard shouldn't. No team goes from NCAA semifinalist to Terrier fodder in one season.

From the outside, it looks like a team that needs to get itself in order psychologically. Unquestionably the team has the potential to do better; hopefully for Crimson faithful it will be realized pretty soon.

***

Hoops are in the air again...

This looks like it's going to be a real important year for the Harvard men's basketball team.

The front court is relatively young, with juniors Mike Gilmore and Darren Ranking, along with sophomore power forward Kyle Snowden. They have the experience of playing with each other last season, and it remains to be seen if they can grow this year.

If they do get better, and if captain lared I eake and the rest of the guards can get the ball to them, Harvard might go places this year.

Probably not to the NCAA tournament, mind you, but at least out of the Ivy cellar.

And if Harvard can finish third or fourth, who knows what could happen in the 1995-96 season. We might even witness the Crimson's first Ivy League title.

This is the year that Harvard has a chance to make a big difference in the long run. The Crimson really must take advantage of it, because windows of opportunity like this one don't happen every other day.

Kinda like winter vacation.

Oh no! Vacation recollections again! I wanna veg' I wanna veg!