spring is here!

I'm sitting in a typical grey office cubicle in Colorado, eating a sandwich at my desk with nothing but the buzz of fluorescent lights, the clicking of fingertips on computer keyboards, and the occasional "blrp!" of the telephone to interrupt the otherwise typical monotony of my work day. It's atypically warm outside, but the mountains are still covered in snow and the north winds are still blowing cold. More snow and blizzards are definitely on the way.

But then I put on my headphones, log in... and suddenly springtime is here! Fluorescent lighting becomes hot sunshine, I've traded my desk for a grandstand seat, keyboard clicking turns to clapping and cheering, and my cheap sandwich is now a wonderfully tasteless, over-priced hot dog.

February may not be over yet, but spring is already here -- spring training, that is!

My winter always ends with the first warm-up toss from the major league mound, the first loud "thwup!" of a baseball in the catcher's massive mitt, the first "Play ball!" enthusiastically hollered from behind home plate. They may only be spring training games right now, but the excitement of watching that first batter digging into the box makes me just as giddy as it will in 38 days when the real Opening Day arrives.

This is the only thing I miss about living in Arizona -- I miss soaking up the warm sunshine from a sticky plastic seat while munching on stale nachos, sipping a warm soda, and taking in all the sights and sounds of a Diamondbacks spring training game.

Thank goodness for MLB.TV!