Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. I hope all of you had a nice holiday and enjoyed the company of your family once again. And hopefully you spent time doing what you love to do.

For me … seriously if you don’t know where this is going, you haven’t read the column before have you?

As I type this, I am sitting in my Saints pajama bottoms and wrapped in a Saints blanket with a Saints background on my computer.

If you want to go ahead and call me a freak, go for it, but I’m happy. Actually, no. I’m not happy.

I’m beyond happy.

I’m in a stratosphere completely over the realm of happiness. I have officially left happiness on Earth and am traveling the galaxy looking for other ways of expressing my emotions.

Not only are my Saints in the playoffs; not only did my Saints win the NFC South; and not only are my Saints in the divisional round of the playoffs via a first round bye, but this team has a legitimate chance to win the …

Okay. I can’t say it. It’s like a jinx.

Like the Madden jinx. (By the way, this is the beginning of my official campaign of asking the good folks at EA Sports to not put any Saint on the cover of Madden ’08. No Drew Brees. No Reggie Bush. No one.) Every time I hear someone mention the Saints and that game that will be played in Miami on Feb. 4, I hush them because I don’t want them tojinx anything.

I mean, I want to take this in for all it’s worth.

Analysts across the country are giving the Saints, a 3-13 homeless team a year ago, a legitimate shot at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. That’s the trophy the team that wins the game played at the end of the season with the funny commercials gets.

I don’t want anyone to get upset with me and think that I don’t want them to get there. I just don’t want to talk about it. Don’t want to ruin a good thing. In fact, I think if the Saints do get to the game with the “ultra-spectacular” halftime show that once had Justin Timberlake reveal Janet Jackson, then I may just trek out to Miami to see it.

Seriously, how awesome would it be for the Saints to play the Chargers, Brees’ old team, or the Colts and hometown hero Peyton Manning in the game that will be played for the 41st time to decide the champion of the league?

But for now, all I can do is sit back and relax. I’ll be in the stands for the playoff game. I’ll be watching on TV if they have to travel to Chicago for the NFC Championship.

I know it’ll be worth it.

I may have to order some food, though. Like a big bag of chips.

I may need a big bowl for that, though.

Like one of those super bowls or something.