It's official... Spring Training is right around the corner!

At around 10 a.m. this morning, the Red Sox' truck left Yawkey Way headed for Fort Myers, Florida.

Nearly 100 people turned out for the event, fervently cheering at the glimpse of bags, gear and... mouthwash!?

"All the uniforms, mouthwash, everything for the bathrooms, exercise equipment, lots of luggage," said Hartz [the truck driver].

The crowd wasn't just excited to see mouthwash and toilet paper.  On a chilly morning, just the glimpse of palm trees, even a picture painted on the side of a trailer, was worth braving the weather.

"Why the heck not?" [said] Red Sox super fan Kelly O'Connor of Arlington, Mass., when asked why she came out with her camera on a chilly morning. "Have a nice day, stand here in the cold and look at palm trees on the truck and think, 'I can't wait till this starts, I can't wait till this starts.'"

 The Boston Globe's site has a photo essay detailing the day's events here.

So, for right now, let's forget about the Patriots, put this whole Schilling Soap Opera behind us and get excited because the World Champion Boston Red Sox bats and barbells are on their way to Florida!

My favorite part of this video is found on it's youtube page.  The first commenter wrote, "Can this be re done without Gagne?"  The sweet ain't as sweet without the bitter, my friend.