Could It Really Be...Summer?!

I'm well aware that summer doesn't "officially" start until June 20th, and I certainly don't want to jinx anything, but all the signs are telling me that the worst is finally behind us.  I haven't worn a jacket outside in a few weeks, I haven't closed my patio door in ages, and nature's predominant color has transformed from dark gray/brown death to bright green, vibrant life.

Honestly, the transformation has been nothing short of remarkable.  Remember early March?

What a difference two months makes...below is the same place, virtually unrecognizable just two months after I took the first picture.  This is nature's version of the absurd, blatantly photo-shopped before-and-after infomercial diet photo.  Above you have the equivalent of the middle-aged, fat, bald, frowning, pot-bellied, pale guy, and below is the twenty-five year-old, tan, six-packed, smiling, muscular, lush-haired Adonis.  But the best part is that this is no photo-shop job--this attractive man is my new reality (that sounds creepy when I say it that way...but you know what I mean):

I played outdoor tennis last Saturday, and instead of battling both numbness in my fingers and lingering concerns about about hypothermia and windburn like the last time I tried that, my only concern this time out was avoiding a sunburn.  This was the first legitimately good weather weekend of the year!  And, best of all, the season's old pattern is officially broken--unlike the pockets of warm weather earlier this spring that were immediately followed by plunges back into the bitter cold, the weekend perfection has carried forward into the work week.  Staying inside the cubicle on Monday was no easy task as I stared at the temperature on my phone:

Then Tuesday night softball arrived, and things continued to look good--much better than last week's cloudy, rainy mess of an opener:

And finally, with the work week winding down, the crown jewel of perfect weather showed up in the forecast. As of this morning, the forecast for Friday and Saturday calls for temperatures in the low 90s!  It'll be time to open the windows, lay on the floor sweating, and bask in the glory of summer weather.

Like I said before, I don't want to jinx it, but I'll risk it anyway and say that the cold, sleet, snow, and frost are gone for good.  Well, at least for a few months.  For the sake of my own sanity, I'm going to block the depressing thought out of my mind that's reminding me that in about a month, the days start to get shorter.  And that other nagging thought telling me that just as quickly as the world bursts to life, it dies a fast and colorful death in a few short months.  For now, I'm putting away the pants, the sweatshirts, the gloves, the stocking caps, and the ice scraper, and I'm focusing on the spectacular heat.  Up yours, winter!