16 inches of snow in DC. I'm starving after watching the late games...

nearly all the restaurants in my ’hood are closed. When I take the dog out for a quick wiz, I notice the Kosher place is open. So I take Katie back inside, and go over to the restaurant for some overpriced overgreased oversanctified food. Wearing my Steeler hoodie and earmuffs. I order Matzo ball soup and  potato pancakes with applesauce to go.

Sitting at the bar, I notice on the TV on the right that Fox has switched to the Steeler game. Last 30 seconds. I move next to that TV and next to a big table with eight college students. The four boys were wearing yarmulkes. They weren’t paying much attention – if any – to the game. Nor were the four girls. The sound on the televisions was turned completely down.

When Ben threw the pass and Wallace came down with it and the ref called it a touchdown, my jaw dropped and I involuntarily said – slowly and accenting every word – Oh — my – God!

Heads turned in my general direction, for I had just kinda violated the Third Commandment in a strictly Kosher restaurant…. Lord's name in vain, and all that. The whole restaurant turned quiet. Oops.

One girl at the table saw the hypocycloids on the front of my hoodie, looked up at the screen, and said the word, "Roethlisberger." They were showing the replay on the teevee, and everybody looked up. There was a wow or two, and somebody looked at me and said "mazel tov" but it seemed more sarcastic than genuine.

Finally, my matzo ball soup came, along with the three potato pancakes. The waiter mentioned that they had no applesauce, because they had a run on the stuff last week – with Hannukah and all that. So I’d have to settle for sour cream on the potato latkes. (I am NOT making this stuff up!)

I took the food home, and the soup and potato pancakes weren’t half bad. Of course, it was also the taste of victory.

Anyway, it’s high noon on Monday now, and DC is still half-buried in snow, but I’m gonna trudge over to Mickey D’s for an Angus Bacon Cheeseburger. I’m still in shock over last night’s finish.

I don’t know if Santa came early, or Hannukah Harry waited till the end to drop the big package on us…..but that was one helluva holiday gift that Ben and Wallace left.

Merry Christmas to one and all. Good tidings. Peace on earth, good will to men, and good health and joy to all of us here at BTSC. There is hope in the world, in our lives, and for the Steelers.