Spring Has Sprung?

Well, here we are with the spring equinox upon us and, at present, the temperature outside is 28°C.  Hmmm, that doesn’t seem right – oh, wait!  We’re in New England, where we usually skip the spring weather and go straight to summer around late May.

The basement project is coming along well with 99% of the wallboard in place.  We still need to finish the bathroom but we are waiting for our contractor to mount the basin of what will be our shower stall.  Hopefully that will happen shortly because as soon as we are ready, the mud-and-tape guy should be here to do his work.  We are all anxious to have the work done but, if anything has come out of this project, we have learned that patience pays off in the end.

Tiffany is close to having Lea fully weaned so she should be getting off the diet from hell shortly; five months with no eggs, butter, dairy, chocolate, and a few other things have been a real challenge for her.  Heck, it would be a challenge for just about anyone!  Lea has now switched to a special formula that costs about $40 a can but we managed to get Blue Cross to cover that expense.  Fortunately, she should really need it only for about another six months and then she will hopefully be free of those dietary restrictions as well.

The Red Sox are now just 13 days from Opening Day in Arlington, TX where they will face the Rangers.  Fan favorite Bronson Arroyo was traded yesterday to Cincinnati for utility outfielder Wily Mo Pena.  Arroyo had signed a three-year “discounted” deal worth approximately $12 million a couple of months ago in the hopes of staying in Boston but, with a bulk of starting pitchers at their disposal and the need for a fifth outfielder, the deal makes sense for the Sox.

 As for Pena, he is young (24) and is known for his power numbers (19 home runs in just 99 games last season), but he also lacks plate discipline (128 strikeouts last season).  However, Boston hitting coach Ron “Papa Jack” Jackson has worked wonders with the likes of David Ortiz, who was criticized for similar faults just a few short years ago, and may yet turn Pena into another right-handed threat in the lineup.