My Own Spring Training

This season winter seems to have a stronger hold on South Central Kentucky this year than any other since I moved here almost 15 years ago. 

The cold temperatures and continuous pattern of light snow and ice have kept us in Jack Frost's grip. Most years the usually tulips are starting to poke their way through the soil around now.  

But fear not fellow Kentuckians a sure sign of spring, not just for us, but for the entire nation is happening this week. 

Major League Baseball teams open their Spring training camps starting this week. This means that warm nights at the ballpark are on the horizon. Of course this picture of Bowling Green Ballpark (borrowed from the Bowling Green Hot Rods' Facebook page) taken just a few days ago doesn't make that idea very believable. 

Nevertheless, pitchers and catchers reporting to camp marks the start of another MLB season. Each team and organization begin again with hope, optimism and one goal: win the World Series. 

In that same spirit, I'm starting my own "Spring training" with a personal goal I want to reach by the time the World Series trophy is held aloft in the lucky locker room in October. What is that goal?

Last year I finished my collection of MLB t-shirts with one for each of the 30 MLB teams. My goal involves that collection.  

Before I explain this let me show you something I saw the other day that I want to add to my closet next to my t-shirts. 

While watching the Price Is Right the other day, I saw a contestant wearing this shirt. It's a button down with cartoon drawings of MLB baseball team bobbleheads. 

I love love love this shirt. I want one. I have Googled it but can't seem to find any information on it. It will remain on my radar. Hopefully, I will find one someday. 

Now back to the t-shirt collection already I have in my closet. When I finished collecting them last September I had little problem; actually it was a big problem and it was me. 

I had ordered the last six t-shirts in a size extra large but I had let myself go and couldn't fit into them. Knowing that I would need something to motivate me to lose what I'd gained over 2013 I ordered them in that size knowing that initially they wouldn't fit. 

Now that the new year is here and baseball season is starting in a couple of months, I have gotten the shirts that didn't fit last year back out of storage and put them out where I could see them. I took this picture. 

Like the jeans I wrote about in my January 2 post, my goal is to be able to wear all of these by the time the Yankees win the World Series in October. One part of that sentence is wishful thinking and the other part is a goal. Those of you who know me can decide which is which. 

I'm already restricting my daily intake of calories. I try to do some type of exercise 3 or 4 times a week; either at home or at our church gym. 

But as the weather gets warmer  I'm going to start my own "Spring training" by, once again, walking my dog and riding my bicycle on a regular basis. Those are both types of exercise I really enjoy. 

Even though there is still winter, I'm warming up to the idea that some time during the baseball season I'll be able to wear my Padres, Indians, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Rockies, and Twins shirts. 

Then on summer days I'll have a choice of any of 30 MLB team t-shirts to wear. When I reach my goal I  assure you there will be pictures posted here.