05:25 PM ET  02.12 | For an inexplicable reason, my school closed early today and I got the chance to come home, load up on cold medicine, and take a nice long nap. There's still not any ice falling from the sky outside, and rather than grade book reports, I've been thinking about baseball. - Trachsel is back? Not a bad pitcher, but holy cow, is he slow. I need a second order of nachos before the 3rd inning with this guy on the mound. - I ordered my Opening Day tickets from my season ticket rep today. I've been going to O's games for decades, but never got to see Opening Day before. This year I decided to, at last, take one of my two "personal days" that I'm allowed at work and enjoy a day at the Yard. I've never missed a day of school before, and was beginning to hope I might be the Ripken of SUS, but my "teacher of the year" snub this year made me care a little bit less about that record. - I was reading an interview with new boy Adam Jones today. Guy seems humble and very likeable. I'm looking forward to hearing more from him, and I'm excited by his enthusiasm for playing in Baltimore. - Melvin Mora sure has changed his tone in recent interviews. Where once he was expressing his distaste for staying with Baltimore during a rebuilding year and said he'd waive his "no trade clause" if sent to NY, now he's quoted in the sun as saying he's ready and willing. Maybe the guy just finally realized he never had a chance of going to NY like he hoped; he's just not good enough. - Gu3 mentioned the beggars in front of Camden Yards in his post and it called to mind my favorite vendor outside the stadium. After games, this guy stands at the Eutaw street entrance right in front of the Babe Ruth statue selling cotton candy. He has the highest voice I have ever heard in my life and he just yells, "Big Bag! Big Bag! Big Bag!" over and over and over again. I want it as my ringtone. - I just found out Jeff Conine owns a bar and grill in Florida simply called "Conine's Bar and Grill." I'm thinking of making a pilgrimage. -B p.s. why does this site take SOOOO long to load on every computer?