For a while there, it looked like neither team, coaches or players, wanted to win this one. There were plays badly called and badly executed. There were fumbles and dropped passes and missed tackles and costly penaltiees. And that's how the Patriots have done it, winning no matter how they play. Anyone can win when playing well. Great teams can win when playing badly. The Patriots brought a great team to Super Bowl XXXIX.

We can all be grateful that Charlie Daniels didn't have a wardrobe malfuction during his pre-game performance.

My vote for the best ad goes to P. Diddy and the Diet Pepsi truck.

In the meantime, the Red Sox championship trophy will be on display at my old high school. This is part of a victory tour around New England. When the trophy visits the Cape, brother-in-law Scott's company will be a co-sponsor.

A selectman in the town where I grew up observed that, with the influx of new people to the town, causing the population to swell to 7500, residents are now expecting that the roads be plowed, sanded, and salted on a regular basis.

The household is quiet again. It was good to have company, to get to know Russell a bit. He sat on Marian's lap and banged on the piano, playing better than I can.

In addition to the mishegas that is Monday, I get to have another conversation with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. The Commonwealth claims that my mother's estate owes some taxes. There were plenty of times when this could have been addressed three or four years ago, but, we (I) didn't. As executor, I'm responsible. We're not very practiced in these things and rely on professionals for guidance. In the end, though, what the state wants in tax money, the state gets.

Sandra will go with her mother to a doctor's appointment this morning. It could be routine or it could be more.