Spring, Oh My!

When it comes to sports, no contest is more irrelevant than a spring baseball game. And yet, nothing cheers me up quite as much as news of the first walk-off homer of the year. You don't even bother looking at the scores; you just watch the baseballs flying everywhere and look forward to the greening of the hills.

Friday evening running up from Etown, the smell of spring was definitely in the air. I got stuck at work an extra hour, so the sun wasn't far above the horizon, but it was still a lovely day. I was in the mood for early Hendrix - maybe Are You Experienced, or even Smash Hits - so I stopped by a Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy for the ride home. Unfortunately, though they had copies of both, there's no way I'm plunking down 17 bucks for a copy when I know it's available almost anywhere for several dollars less. I would just have to make do with what I had. It was dark before I hit Lolita's off Poplar Level to pick up dinner, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable ride home.

Saturday I decided to grab lunch around the corner in Germantown. I'd never been in to Flabby's before, so I decided to stop in. Nice place, classic neighborhood joint, with bad beer jokes framed on the wall next to St. X state football championship banners. Old men controlled a corner table where they could see SEC basketball on television. A local was bellied up to the bar with his fifteen year old son having burgers, a beer for him, coke for the kid. I went up to the bar to order, only to find out they don't take cards. No problem: there's a Seven Eleven a few blocks down, so I go hit the cash machine, pick up a Courier Journal, and stroll on back to Flabby's. On the short walk, Germantown began to reveal itself to me. Tucked in amongst the close-set houses are barbershops, private clubs, beauty shops, all kinds of interesting little places. I needed to get on with my day, so I couldn't spend as much time looking around as I liked.

Back at Flabby's, I order up at the counter, and go grab the booth by the front window. There's no way to describe just how blissful that window booth can be, tucked away in the U-shaped green vinyl bench, with the late winter sun streaming through the window, lighting up your little corner of heaven on earth with a warmth that seems to come from inside of you. Even the Falls City tasted good - no joke, I commented on it when I went up to the bar, and the bartender agreed and said he even double checked the keg to make sure he hadn't hooked up a premium brew instead of the Falls City.

Back out in the weather, I spent some time replacing bulbs on my car, and just generally putzing around in the sun. After the first true winter we have had around here in years, it really is time for spring.