For the benefit of new readers, I’m reposting my annual March Madness message.

Please tell me I’m not the only person in the world who thought March Madness was about special annual retail sales like Black Friday or Boxing Day. For weeks leading up to the big event and for the duration, I’ve been waiting for the flyers from my favourite retailers to arrive in my inbox.

With visions of bargain-priced sugar plums dancing in my head, I couldn’t wait to hit the mall to stock up on my favourite brand of shoes on sale, and my favourite jeans and tops. Surely all the big cosmetics companies would be having extra-special promotions with yummy new shades of lipstick and other goodies in their give-aways, our own personal after-the-fact Christmas stocking.

Excitement turned to disappointment, however, when my husband sat me down and gently explained that the “real meaning” of March Madness was about “sports,” specifically, the narrowing down of basketball teams competing for ranking in their respective cups—as in athletic. Yes, Lynda. There is a Santa Claus, but not in March.