Spring Training Begins!

Major League Baseball spring training begins this week in Florida and Arizona.  Pitchers and catchers for the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs report today, and on Wednesday for my south side heros, the Chicago White Sox.  When my mother Mary was alive and living down in Stuart, Florida, I would often go down to visit and attend some of the exhibition games near there.  That is where I took the above photograph in March of 1996 at what is now called First Data Field in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  If I recall correctly, it was cold as hell that day, and therefore I was able to get a good seat right behind home plate. And will I attend any games this year?  Unfortunately, my sister Susan and I are renting the condo in Stuart out to help pay expenses, and I doubt our tenants would be happy if I showed up on their doorstep with a suitcase.  Of course, my cousin John and his wife recently purchased a home in Tuscon, not too far from the Phoenix area, where the White Sox, Cubs, and  Rockies all train, but I am not sure they would be overjoyed to see me show up on their doorstep, either - especially if I told them I would be staying 6 weeks. However, the old expression "fish and visitors stink after 6 weeks" shows that my doing so would certainly not be out of line.