Lakers, Pox and Bagels

Every now and usually again, like this morning my breakfast snack consisted of two lightly toasted halves of a blueberry bagel topped off with a sixteenth of an inch spread of creamy peanut butter, and a chaser bottle of apple juice. Bon appétit! There can be no substitute for the apple juice. When I heard the news about Lakers reserve guard Steve Blake having the chicken pox, I 'bout shared my bagel with a porcelain god that is the true American Idol.

It's not good when grown men are exposed to chicken pox. Shingles lurk. Didn't President Nixon have a bout with the shingles? He wasn't so tricky after all that Nixon. Now there are no minced words here. I loves me some peanut butter and my Lakers, but chicken pox in the locker room days before the start of the NBA playoffs? I took one look at my wonderfully garnished bagel and pondered, "Hmmm...maybe Steve Blake likes peanut butter as much as I do, and if he ate from a bad batch a peanut virus could have lowered his immune system that couldn't fight off that terrible pox virus." Long shot notion, but since Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Ron-Ron (Artest) never had chicken pox that could be a disaster and ruin our playoff run for sure.

Get well soon Steve Blake. We will certainly miss you and need you.

Speaking of ruining the playoffs and if downtown LA traffic weren't bad enough already, there will likely be protests outside of Staples Center and in half of the court side seats for the Lakers' first playoff game this weekend. During last night's game against the San Antonio Spurs, it seems that an upset Kobe after being hit with a technical foul, mouthed off a slur at a referee that didn't go over so well with the press, the NBA front office and gay rights activists. I won't repeat it, but it rhymes with 'bucking maggot.' He has since apologized, but I betcha he won't be having dinner at any of the trendy West Hollywood restaurants anytime soon. Upon arrival his reservation will be changed to takeout and he and Vanessa will be sent on their way with dinner served in a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) bag.

Until the Lakers play their final playoff game this season, perhaps I will have honey with my bagel. The apple juice stays!