Of all the days out of the year for my cousin from Greece to visit her cousins in New York, why did it have to be Super Bowl Sunday?

Such is the lot I’ve drawn today. I really don’t feel like leaving the house; even if it weren’t for the big game, it’s bitterly cold outside. And besides, there’s a peach of an NHL game between the Penguins and Capitals this afternoon to serve as sports-Sunday preliminary. All this is, of course, lost on my relatives, who aren’t aware of the secular-holiday nature of the day.

So, off I go in a little bit. I’m hoping to be back by the evening so that I can catch the bulk of the Saints and Colts. Not that I’m severely fired up for Super Bowl Ex-Ell-Eye-Vee (aka No. 44) — I don’t care much about either team, and indications are it’ll be the type of high-scoring shootout that I generally don’t care for in NFL contests. And screw the ads, frankly. But an event is an event, and I’ll be damned if I miss out on it completely.