Something strange has happened. Before Christmas I was a huge football fan. I didn't just watch games, I actively helped my chosen team win. My wife and kids would listen patiently as I called out plays or shouted screen. I've even tried to recover the occasional fumble much to my kids delight and my wifes amazement.

Yesterday was the beginning of the NFL playoffs. I found as usual I could hardly wait for the games. But this time as I tuned in the game, I also clamped a hook into the jaws of my vise. Instead of chips and dip, I had chenille and hackle. At halftime my wife asked "hows the game"; I wasn't even sure who was winning. What I did know, was I had enjoyed every minute of it. I did fumble the occasional tungsten bead, I had one clipping penalty and I had a few injury timeouts (those hooks are sharp), but I tied through the pain and at the end of the game I realized that I had definetly been the winner.