The best day in February comes after the worst day

     Pitchers and catchers report in just 11 days.  That knowledge alone will get me through the elitist holiday that occurs in 10 days. 

     Obviously, I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day.  Far from it, actually. I haven't always been this way.  I loved it in elementary school, when everyone went home with a bag full of candy and cards.  I've come to despise it as I grew older and learned that only special people are showered with love and gifts on that day.  Yeah, I'm bitter because I've never been one of those people.  Maybe someone someday will change my mind about Singles Awareness Day (the acronym is SAD...appropriate, no?), but for now, it's just Pitchers and Catchers Report Eve (PCRE...not as cool).

*****

      I watched the Superbowl on Sunday, but not with a vested interest (other than getting my money back in our office pool).  I didn't really care who won, but I was quite pleased that the underdogs prevailed.  I've always been a fan of the underdogs, which should be evident by my choice of sport allegiances.  I'm actually not sure how I would handle it if one of them suddenly became a powerhouse.  I don't think I'd know what to do. 

*****

      I am saddened that I had to miss the Rangers Sluggers of the West Banquet and Fan Fest for the second straight year.  (If we could only remove Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri...or maybe just rearrange the states, my visits to Rangers Ballpark would be much more frequent).  Both events hold such great memories for me.  I attended the 2006 festivities with my friend, Amy, on a whim.  We both decided about two weeks out that we were going.  So, we splurged with our Christmas bonus funds and went shopping for new digs for the banquet -- we had to look good for our boys, afterall. 

      Josh Lewin was seated at our table, and he remembered Amy and I from our many blonde brownie deliveries the previous season.  Once he realized who we were, he asked us, "which player do you want to meet, I'll go get him for you."  Amy had already met her favorite player that evening -- David Dellucci -- and gotten a photo with him, so she went to bat for me.  A few moments later, Josh pulled Kameron Loe from his salad and brought him over meet us.  I honestly don't know what transpired over the next few moments...they're a blur to me.  If I didn't have a photo (Josh had to take it vertically because Amy and I were considerably shorter than Kam), I'd probably believe none of it happened. 

      For the rest of the evening, Amy and I made conversation with the other people at our table and enjoyed the speeches and Q and A.  After the dinner, we managed to get photos with Thomas Diamond and Gary Matthews Jr. before they left.  All in all, it was a very successful and obviously memorable evening.  I will never forget it.  Of course, part of that is that it was one of the last things I did with Amy before she passed away, which makes me extra glad we spoiled ourselves with those tickets even if they weren't really in our budget.

*****

      As Opening Day draws nearer, I am trying to come up with a way to count down the days.  And post more.  I've thought about doing a post about each player on the 40-man roster once the 40-day mark hits, but that doesn't fire me up.  So, I'll keep thinking and let you know what I've decided.  Feel free to offer suggestions of things you'd like me to write about.