I have left work every day this week dragging, just as tired as can be. The only desire I had was to come home, crawl into bed, and nap. Tonight instead of lounging a while I forced myself to go out and take advantage of the reasonable temperatures by doing some raking in the front yard. Despite having leaves cleaned up in the fall, the winter has left a nice pile of leaves deposited about and there is always that brownish blah that just needs raked away to give way to the green grass and blooming flowers.

I will be quite sore tomorrow, I can feel it already (good God I am out of shape, eh?) but I feel good. It woke me back up, it even cleared my head some (which was quite plugged). I wasn't expecting the later result as leaves and grass usually makes me plug up thanks to my wacky allergies. I hooked Vixen out front and she watched me work for a little while before I sat down on the stoop to chat with her. Quality time I guess a good parent would call it. Back in the house and I was just in time to watch a lovely sunset far out over the back deck and through the trees. It was all pink, purple, and blue. Just lovely - a true sign that spring is most definitely on the way. I bet one more dusting of snow, and we're done (slurps coke as is customary after the "and we're done" phrase).

Twisted how some good old hard manual labor can revive, invigorate, and uplift. Remind me I said that when my shoulders, lower back, and hands ache beyond compare in the morning. Nothing a nice steamy shower couldn't stave off until then. Now be nice and don't point out how much effort the back yard shall require.

Unfortunately the Chiefs weren't feeling as chipper this evening. They did sound like they played a good game, which is truly all that matters, but Trenton tied it 6 seconds before the end of the game, which has been spelling sorrow for us all season. Things went to the shoot out and in the end we lost 4-3.