WARNING! YOU ARE ENTERING THE DOG DAYS OF WINTER

I know Summer has its dog days. But so does Winter. With the NFL having crowned their champions and baseball two weeks away from Spring Training pitchers and catchers reporting, before actual Spring Training games, before the NCAA Basketball Tourney, before The Masters Golf Championship, well there's not much left.

So rather than channel surfing for a meaningless college basketball game, or worse, a meaningless pro basketball game, I offer these suggestions.

1. Prepare for your fantasy or rotisserie baseball season. It's a lot harder this year with so many free agents (was there ever a bigger misnomer?). If you're not in a league, get started. Since 1988, I believe, I've been in four different ones. I've only won three titles, so that shows you don't have to win to enjoy. It's great camaraderie, it's a time consuming diversion, plus it makes every game meaningful.

2. Do something for someone else. Any time you get feeling like there isn't anything to do, then shift the focus and ask what you can do to brighten another's life. Then do it. You'll feel better about yourself.

3. Organize. A closet, a garage, some drawers. You'll find stuff you didn't remember you had. You'll have more room to add more stuff that doesn't mean much anyway.

That's it. Only 3 things to do until MLB and NCAA finals and The Master's Golf Tourney. Notice I skipped the Spring Training games. They're meaningless, too, unless you're an astute rotisserie league player. Unfortunately, unless you're a fan of the deep pocket teams, I'm afraid MLB has also become meaningless. And, if that's the case, I need to come up with more than 3 things to do. Or I'll be incredibly organized.