Congratulations, you did it.
At approximately 1 o'clock this afternoon, we will put the Winter of 2013-14 in the rear-view mirror.
Never have the words, "Welcome Spring" sounded better.
Along the way, we endured bitter cold, an ice storm that paralyzed the region and left many people in the dark without power for almost a week, 67.6 inches of snow, making it the second snowiest winter on record, and skyrocketing home heating bills.
I almost wish I had printed T-shirts proudly declaring: "I survived the Winter of 2013-14." I think I could sell a million of them.
Today, once we burn off some early-morning fog and remnants of a few showers, we'll hit the mid-50s amid some sunshine.
You can find the complete forecast for the first day of spring here.
Last night on the ride home, I got my first taste of spring. Normally, I'm not a big fan of rain.
But as I drove through a downpour last night, I could not resist a smile. I had almost forgot what the soothing sound of a driving rain was like. That and the eternal gratification of knowing it was not once again coating the roads.
Then this morning, I got a reminder that winter has not completely left the scene. I still have a healthy mound of snow piles in my front yard. I wonder if it will survive the weekend. I will not mourn its passing. Now I face the task of raking the thousands of pebbles and cinders dumped on the road that somehow magically managed to make their way onto my front yard.
Today our Winter Weariness is replaced with March Madness. It is the first day of the NCAA men's hoops tournament. From about 4:30 this afternoon, we will have a local rooting interest for approximately the next eight hours. Delaware kicks things off out on the West Coast with a very tough foe in Michigan State. Then at about 7 it will be Saint Joe's clashing with UConn. Finally, Villanova's tilt with Milwaukee will tip off around 9:30.
You can follow our live coverage - and take part in the conversation - as Bob Grotz covers the Hawks and Terry Toohey stays with the Villanova beat. Just use the hashtag #NCAAhoops and you're comments will show up in our live blog. You can follow along here.
And here's one more little side bet to make things interesting. How many times do you think we'll see a shot of Phil Martelli's adorable grandson mimicking 'pop-pop' on TV. I'm setting the line at 20. I'm taking the over.
Spring has sprung. Winter is over. Let Spring Fever erupt.
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