May Day!

Ahh, May 1. April in the D is finally over, that annoying catchy jingle will now become a memory of spring 2009. Arguably the best time of the year is here.

Although Michigan has been pounded with rain showers over the past week, it gives hope. The dull winterized grass has returned to its lush green state, with the fresh sounds of lawnmowers humming returning to the air. The weather is perking up, forcing everyone to dig to the back of their drawers in search of lost shorts, flip flops and warm weather attire.

The sports world gives a sense of optimism as well. Although the Pistons have officially wrapped up its season and entered the rebuilding face, the NBA postseason has been nothing short of thrilling. An example: the Boston/Chicago series, which has seen seven overtimes in six games.

Baseball is through its first month of the regular season. The honeymoon phase of the season is now over; instead we are starting to see the standings formulate and dictate where teams stand. So far, it's been a good up-and-down season for the Tigers and I'm expecting a long, interesting summer to follow.

Round two of the Stanley Cup Finals kick off tonight. The Red Wings will face a tough challenge against a bitter rival, the Anaheim Ducks. I'm taking the Wings in six, but this will be both an exciting and physical series. It will be interesting to watch both the injury situation (Draper, Lilja and Rafalski out for Detroit) and the goaltending issue. Anaheim's Jonas Hiller has proved to be a dangerous threat in net, but Detroit's Chris Osgood has come out of his shell and seems to be in playoff form.

Also interesting has been my new addiction to golf. No, I have yet to play yet. But I recently had a set of clubs donated to me, which has given me the itch to play the game. I can count the number of times I've actually hit the links on one hand, but for some reason I desperately want to play. The clubs have been sitting in the garage all week, staring at me. I can't wait to put them in the back of my trunk and begin playing on a whim.

Speaking of my car, it is fresh out of the shop. I recently had my car vandalized twice in the same night (yeah, I know, I don't know how that happens), but with a new windshield and with the dents knocked out, it's good to go.

May is here and so is excitement. I've been in a really good mood today and I hope it continues. The spring/summer adventures should be exciting and I hope to share some more of them here later.

Oh yeah, May 1 is also my parents' anniversary. So cheers to them. Enjoy the evening, y'all.