Northwest Philadelphia is still quiet just after 6 Christmas Eve morning. As the car crosses Lincoln Drive and begins to climb Wayne Avenue, the bright, round moon outshines the street lights. A jogger crosses McCallum Street Bridge, over the Wissahickon Creek. He is a lone figure moving across my car headlights. Parking is plentiful along Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill, and only three people stand in line at the local Starbucks, known for elbow to elbow lines early on weekday mornings and later on weekends.
Fueled by coffee, I drive on up Germantown Avenue, then pass through the wooded valley of the Wissahickon along Bells Mill Road. Still quiet, still dark but for street lights and that lovely moon. No traffic stacks up along Ridge Avenue on the other end of Bells Mill and I turn right on red, slowly, sipping my coffee. As I cross the invisible line into Montgomery County, the Masonic home on Ridge Pike stands silently. I leave the pike to follow the bends of Barren Hill Road, turning to slip down a narrow rowhouse street in Conshohocken. Often cars stack up in both directions on the Fayette Street Bridge, but today, just after 6:30 a.m., I move easily across the span, then follow three cars onto the westbound Schuylkill. The sky is lightening, the traffic picking up as I accelerate toward King of Prussia.
Inquirer reporter Mike Jensen is the college basketball columnist for the Inquirer. Each year, he gives a special insight into the tournament.
Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane is the beat writer for Temple. He will pick the tournament.
Inquirer reporter Tom Fitzgerald will blog about Hillary Clinton's Pa. visits March 10 &11.
Inquirer reporter Larry Eichel will post updates on Bill Clinton's March 7 visit to Media.
Inquirer reporter Tim Panaccio will write about National Hockey League trade talk. 
Inquirer reporter David Aldridge will live-blog the week before the NBA's trade deadline. 
Peter Mucha began this blog, before moving on to other writing duties.
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