I Live For This

Today was probably the best day I have had since moving to Alaska almost a year and a half ago. There has been nothing overly spectacular about today, however, I have felt downright giddy at times. After a bit of contemplation and a little time spent on the treadmill, I now know why today is so great...the sun is shining brightly, it is 40 degrees outside for the first time in I don't know how many months, I went shopping at our brand spankin' new (one and only) Kohls today, and the baseball season is officially under way! I ask you, what's not to love about a day like today?

As you could have guesssed, the highlight of my day was exploring our brand new Kohls store. It opened April 1, but I wasn't crazy enough to venture over to it until yesterday. I had Eric and the kids in tow, so I knew that if I really wanted to look around and appreciate all that is Kohls, I would have to go back on my own, today. It is in the same shopping center as Target, so it's a little haul from here, but so worth it. We have so few shopping options that any new chain store is a welcome sight. Our Kohls is like any other Kohls you might find in the Lower 48, but I think it may be just a tad bigger. Although I would love to have the store a little closer to our house, the good news is that a little distance keeps the spending under control.

The second best thing about today was the weather. Although we do have a slight chance of snow/rain showers in the forecast over the next few days, dare I say, Spring is finally here! We may even see 45 degrees by Wednesday. I am so excited by the notion of sunshine and a little warmth that I can hardly contain myself! I have come to believe that you can't really appreciate 70, 80, and 90 degree temperatures until you have experienced months of temperatures in the 30s and below. I do have to admit though, that I don't think I'll ever appreciate temperatures in the 100s. Once is gets above 90, it's just too hot for me! I suppose I won't have to worry about that, as long as we are living in Alaska. For now, I'll continue to pray for temperatures in the 70s.

The final highlight of my day was the opening of the 2009 baseball season. I was especially happy because the Yankees were losing to the Orioles while I was watching the game at the gym. I love baseball, especially the Angels. For the record, I am not a "bandwagoner" either. I grew up down the street from Anaheim stadium and have been a fan since I was young. As a matter of fact, one of the first places I remember being able to go without a parent chaperone was to the ballpark. My friend's parents had season tickets and many summer afternoons our parents would drop up us before and pick us up after the games. That was back in the days of Reggie Jackson, Brian Downing, and Bobby Grich. WOW! Later, after I had children, I spent 7 baseball seasons working almost every home game that was played at the stadium, waitressing in the seats for the season ticket holders. What a crazy, but fun and lucrative experience. Thanks to that job, I scored some the of the best seats in the house (while working, of course) to every play-off and World Series game the Angels played during those years. I will never forget the sounds of the ballpark when the Angels won the World Series. GO HALOS!!!!!!!

What a day...I live for this!