“Hope springs eternal in the human breast; Man never is, but always to be blest: The soul, uneasy and confin’d from home, Rests and expatiates in a life to come.” – Alexander Pope (1688-1744) I recently had the opportunity to attend the Padres Opening Day at Petco Park. The atmosphere was palpable and there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. Jason Mraz sang the national anthem and former Padres pitching great Trevor Hoffman threw out the first pitch. After the Padres pulled out a 3-1 win over the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants on a beautiful sunny afternoon, I thought to myself, “Does it get any better than this?” Opening Day and the coinciding spring season naturally brings new life and energy to all of us. Fresh flowers start to bloom, the days steadily grow longer and the water temperatures begin to warm for all the surfers around town eager to shed their wetsuits and trunk it. Although the seasons in San Diego are not as distinct as some other places in the country, there is definitely a different feeling in the air. Along the boardwalk, locals giddily discuss the possibilities of an amazing summer (especially after last year’s bummer summer). The once nearly-extinct job market opens up as business owners prepare for the high-volume season. Students are filled with excitement that the long year finally has an end in sight. Yes, life is good and even better by the beach. As the optimism builds to an overflow, the possibilities seem endless. Some Padres fans might even dare to ponder the thought that this could finally be the year. There’s only one more thing to say: “Play ball!”