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My long run on Sunday was 23 miles, so any excuse to smile is a welcome distraction.  I headed down Mass Ave through Cambridge and decided to run to Symphony Hall then turn around.  On the way in, I was on the side of the bridge that has Smoot marks.  An MIT fraternity used a pledge named Oliver R. Smoot to measure the bridge from the Boston side to the Cambridge side, arriving at a final measurement of 364.4 Smoots (it IS an MIT frat, you KNOW they're going to be precise).  The thought of these guys using a pledge to measure a very long bridge is damned funny on its own, the fact that it lives on as an important piece of Bostonia is at least as funny.

There is a Wikipedia page dedicated to Smoot with some fun Smoot facts, it's worth a look.

Meteorologists generally define the beginning of spring as March 1 in the Northern Hemisphere and September 1 in the Southern Hemisphere. According to the Celtic tradition which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun spring begins in early February (near Imbolc or Candlemas) and continues until early May (Beltane).

But there are more important and reliable indicators that Spring is upon us.  On Friday, 89-year-old Johnny Pesky climbed into a moving truck filled with equipment and turned on the engine in ceremonious fashion to "start" the 2009 season.  The Red Sox equipment truck then left Fenway for Florida with a banner that says "59 days to opening day", and pitchers and catchers will be reporting soon.  Always a good sign.

The countdown is on	Even Big Papi's gear bag gets celebrity coverage	A long climb before the long haul	check out that RING!

And perhaps the most important and reliable indicator, I went for a run in shorts.  Gawd that felt good. 

I can be easily amused.  After eating breakfast and making my lunch, I was about to put Chui's leash on for our morning walk.  It was chilly in the kitchen, and I knew the forecast was for a bitterly cold morning.  I glanced at the digital weather station, and noticed that the outdoor sensor was reporting 4.8 degrees.  I had to laugh to myself, is there really any difference between 4 degrees and 4.8 degrees?  Is that level of accuracy really necessary?

On the bright side, I was heading down Mass Ave when I noticed the sky was absolutely beautiful.  It really has to be for me to notice through half-open eyes.  When I turned the corner by the Meadow Glen Mall, the view of they sky behind downtown Boston's buildings was great.


Thank it's Friday, I'm beat.

Tried blogger.com VERY briefly, and didn't really like the format.  I like the variety of simple tools available for use by simple tools like me, so I'm going to give google sites a shot.  Maybe I'll even manage more than one post a week.  Only time will tell.