It's never easy to return to work after a vacation, especially an extended one that lasted two and a half weeks. What better way to ease back into the swing of things than with a little blogging?

• I've never been so interested in the annual multitude of insignificant bowl games as I have this season. In past years I never even bothered to look at the results of most of the December bowl games. No doubt my interest has been sparked because this is the first time I've made published predictions on every game. It's been a lot of fun to follow thanks to the Runway Bowl Challenge. It also helped that I picked the first seven games correctly. If only the games themselves were as much fun to watch, but more on that later.

• Of the nine games played so far, only one game has registered a pulse on the excitability scale: the Hawaii Bowl, and even that wound up being a blowout. Quarterback Colt Brennan, who turned down a scholarship offer from UConn while prepping at Worcester (Mass.) Academy, made it interesting by throwing for 559 yards (389 in the second half) and five touchdowns (all in the second half). You have to love those rare kids who put up ridiculous stats. I hope he returns to college simply to see him try and top 6,000 yards and 60 touchdowns next season.

• How dull have the rest of the bowls been? Only one game was decided by less than 10 points, and that was because New Mexico got a touchdown with 30 seconds left to pull within 8 of San Jose State in the New Mexico Bowl. I still like the bowl concept, although the current BCS system needs to be revised into an 8-team national championship tournament.

• Best moment of the bowl games so far -- watching crusty San Jose State coach Dick Tomey whip around and scream at his players after they dumped the Gatorade bucket on him. Absolutely classic. SJSU was up by two touchdowns with about a minute to play when Tomey, one of the few old-school coaches left in the game, got the ceremonial ice water bath. But New Mexico had the ball and was driving, so Tomey hollered at his team because he felt the game wasn't over yet. Guess what? He was right. New Mexico scored a few plays later to pull within 8 points, then recovered the ensuing onsides kick. Luckily for SJSU, an on-sides kick needs to go 10 yards before it's touched by the kicking team and New Mexico's player snagged it at nine yards. At any rate, Tomey is now my favorite coach.

• If there was any question about Matt Grothe's importance to South Florida's success, all you had to do was watch the PapaJohns.com Bowl. The Bulls, behind Grothe's play at quarterback, took a 24-7 lead over East Carolina with 6:31 left in the first half. But Grothe was soon knocked out of the game after fracturing his shin, and South Florida essentially went into the football version of the four corners offense for the final 30 minutes. Final score: 24-7.

• I recently Netflixed Invincible, the movie based on the life of Vince Papale, the 30-year old Philadelphia bartender who made the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976 out of an open tryout. I truly enjoyed it, and thought Marky Mark was believable in his portrayal of Papale. At least, that is, until I watched the DVD's special features documentary about Papale, who seemed like he's nothing like the movie version. The real-life Papale came across as an excitable, intense yet likeable guy with a huge personality. But Marky Mark plays him like a quiet, laid-back guy with zero personality (kind of the way he portrays every character. The lesson: Marky Mark can't act) But the movie well done, the producers took only a few insignificant liberties with the football scenes and story, and the aforementioned DVD special feature was terrific.

• Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Bitchin' Boxing Day. And I hope you didn't bring your child to the Trumbull Mall to see Santa Claus. A Norwalk family claimed Santa appeared sick while speaking with children last week. He then excused himself and vomitted into a nearby garbage can. He apparently had some sort of stomach virus, which he passed along to several kids who sat on his lap. Santa, I want a fire engine, a new football and a side order of your gastroenteritis, please! Happy Holidaze!