On Super Bowl Sunday, listening to N&O readers before the football and feasting begin

Sunday on a Super Bowl weekend should start with a hearty breakfast, mid-morning doughnuts, “CBS News Sunday Morning” (for culture), mid-morning nap, optional walk, nachos or ramen for lunch, early afternoon nap, walk from car to store for sour cream, pregame snack and finger foods from 5 p.m. and beyond.

I shared the above plan with editors because daily (thinking about) exercise is important.

Managing Editor Thad Ogburn saw my plan another way.

“Sounds like you have your Sunday column written!” he wrote.

Among the 46,844 items on Thad’s to-do list is “Make Sure Bill Doesn’t Wander From His Computer And Gets His Column Done So I Can Edit It And Go Home.”

News & Observer editor Jessaca Giglio believes the Monday after a Super Bowl should be a national holiday. She also thought I should include chili in my Super Bowl plan — although chili dipped with a tortilla chip constitutes a de facto finger food by extension of the said walk from car to store to get sour cream.

Both Thad and Jessaca got me thinking.

No one cares what I’m writing about this weekend.

And if the Monday after a Super Bowl doesn’t become a holiday, why not make it a holiday … from me.

In the spirit of waiting all weekend in anticipation of watching Budweiser and Bud Light commercials, this column’s for you.

Mea culpa

To Victor of Durham, who caught a major error in my recent column about the Triangle’s growth spots.

I erred by writing “Raleigh Triangle Park” instead of “Research Triangle Park.” Victor wrote:

I realize that you’re not a long-time resident of the area, but I believe you’ve been here long enough to know better. Especially since newspaper journalists work to get it right. … The Triangle area, as I’m sure you know, consists of more than just Raleigh, although I know plenty of “Raleighites” who don’t seem to know (or admit) that either.”

(I appreciate the civil tone and subtle humor, Victor. A mea culpa for all.)

To Ellie, a prolific contributor to The N&O, who shared thoughts on UNC-Chapel Hill’s proposed School of Civic Life and Leadership, and asked a question that made me chuckle slightly.

Ellie shared an anecdote about her late husband, whom she described as “a great champion of civil liberties.” Her husband refused to sign a loyalty oath to accept a job at UNC-Chapel Hill. He still got hired. Ellie concluded: “Subsequently, later the oath was repealed. Let’s not have a repeat of those dark times.”

Ellie then added a P.S. “How much of your paper will now be written by hatbot (sp)?”

(Thanks, Ellie, for being attuned to the news. We have some stories that scrape public data, but we indicate when those stories appear. All our staff stories are written by breathing people. That’s not going to change.)

A challenge to make a difference

To Erik, a subscriber since 1988, who had an assortment of ideas that challenged The N&O to make a difference. Erik’s key points in edited form:

1) Expose key issues in society and start guilting our government into doing something.

2) Perhaps acknowledge and start working data and info on how dangerous handhelds and social media are for society.

3) Probably my biggest request. Be a facilitator of bringing our society back together. The “all about me” world we live in drives polarization.

Erik finished the email this way: “I suspect this email will not amount to much, but I have to try ... thanks in advance for your time.”

(Erik, we’re not into guilting anyone, but I appreciate the ambition of your requests. We’ll work on it.)

Thoughtful, civil feedback from three different subscribers.

That is super food for the soul.

Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer. He ignores the food label on instant ramen packages.