I haven’t felt too much like blogging recently. Too much going on, too much work to do…hard to justify blogging when things are hectic and busy, you know? Seems like this time of year is always fast and furious as we prep for summer. But I thought I’d submit another of my semi-regular favorites post into the fray with one caveat: I gotta add one thing I’m not loving right now. Be looking for a post in the near future on the pressures of being a hero. But now, on to lighter fare:

Things I’m Loving Right Now:
1. Spring Weather – Short sleeves, sunshine, open windows, walking through the neighborhood with the family…there’s nothing like spring. Everything is coming alive again, leaving behind the dreariness of winter. I know I’ll be dreading it come June, but I’m actually looking forward to mowing the yard. But spring is truly my favorite season. And speaking of seasons…

2. ESPN Classic’s Cheap Seats – This is one of the best kept secrets on TV. If you’ve never watched Jason and Randy (with or without Ron Parker), you’re missing out. You don’t have to be sports fan to watch, although it helps. It’s the Wide, Wide World of Sports meets Mystery Science Theater. My all-time favorite episodes are the ones where they cover the spelling bee championships. Check it out sometime and prepare to laugh out loud.

3. Cardinal baseball on XM – Hands down, the best birthday present ever was my XM Radio (Thanks, Sunny). With the Cards terminating their affiliation with KMOX, I was wondering how I’d be able to keep up with my beloved Redbirds. Enter XM with their exclusive MLB coverage. Now I can listen to any team, any game, all season long. No more waiting until evening for a clear AM signal. Now I can listen to Izzy’s precarious 9th innings any time. Go Cards!

4. Jamie Cullum’s “Twentysomething” album – Cullum’s smooth voice coupled with some slick jazz accompaniment makes for great mood music, equal parts peppy and melancholy. Fans of Michael Buble, check out this superior talent.

5. Fantasy Baseball – Two drafts in four nights has my fantasy juices flowing. In my auction league, I came into draft night with the most coin to blow and I spent early and often, nabbing Vlad and Teixiera for a cool $46…each! Throw in a $37 Carlos Lee, a $31 Jason Schmidt and a $29 Brandon Webb and I was looking quite Steinbrenner-esque to my league mates. But this year’s draft was the most inflation-driven one in recent memory and I ended up with a quality club thanks to some studly keepers (Hafner at a buck, Victor Martinez and Jorge Cantu for $2 apiece, etc.). In my standard draft format, I landed Vlad with the #3 overall pick and still managed to scoop up Ichiro (2nd round), Chris Carpenter (3rd) and Jason Bay (5th round!) among others. I’m feeling pretty good about both my clubs. Check back in September and I’ll let you know.

What I’m Not Loving:
I know some of you will consider this sacrilege, but I’m not digging 24 these days. I knew this would happen someday, but the show’s innovative real-time format has now relegated this once great show to nothing but pure adrenaline. I like a good action flick as much as the next guy, but you remember how you felt by the time Die Hard 3 rolled around? You didn’t know how it was going to happen, but you knew Bruce Willis would eventually get the bad guy, throw out a few wisecracks along the way, and the day would be saved. That’s how I feel about 24. I know I’m supposed to be “shocked” at the recent “twist” and all, but the whole thing’s just becoming tired. I mean, seriously, how many times can one guy save the country? I know how this whole thing is going to play out; the only question is how many rules Jack will have to break to get there. This is what jumping the shark looks like, folks.