Not Usually a Fan

I am not usually a fan of baseball.  It is just too slow of a game to keep my attention...especially on TV.  I am sure it has its nuances and fine/subtle aspects that I am not picking up - I'm not arguing that.  I'm sure people that love baseball can see all these things in it that I don't, I'm just saying that it is usually not a sport for me.  Games are better live than on TV.  When I go to a game, I do try to follow the game but I don't go often enough to really get into the sport of the individual members of the team.  So I cheer for the home team but don't get too invested into the whole thing.

Every once in a while, when I do get to take in an Iowa Cubs game, I always enjoy it.  However, baseball is only a minor part of the experience for me.  I like getting out with friends, enjoying a nice day or evening, watching people fight over blasted t-shirts or hot dogs and eating an awesomely grilled hot dog and some peanuts.  While this is happening, baseball is being played in the background.

Silky O'Sullivans on Beale Street

I hadn't had an opportunity to take in a I-Cubs game this summer.  So last week when I was in Memphis and the I-Cubs happened to be playing the Memphis Redbirds a couple blocks from my hotel, I decided to head down and check it out.  I had already walked around downtown Memphis quite a bit and my feet were getting tired and I just wasn't in the mood to hang out watching blues bands all night.

Photo courtesy of Hillary Stein @ flickr

However, it seemed like a waste to be in Memphis and just get a ballpark dog, so I headed to Silky O'Sullivan's where I had early been tempted by the Silky Dog sign.  I wasn't sure what a Silky Dog was, but figured that at least I would be trying something culturally new.  The menu described it as "scored and char-grilled with Silky's Special Slaw on the side."  I wasn't sure what that all meant but baseball puts me in the mood for a good dog, so I was willing to give it a shot.  It ended up being a hot dog that was slit halfway through every quarter inch or so...it was like an accordion almost...then grilled so that it had some slight char.  I like char so wish it had been grilled a little longer but it was pretty darn tasty.  I might experiment with this technique at home as it did offer an interesting texture and I think if you threw in some spices it might be excellent.  It will probably deep fry really good too...mmm, things to try.  I am excited for all the HD possibilities. The slaw was slaw.  I didn't see much special about it - it was good, maybe a touch vinegary but good.

After my Silky Dog and some piano at Silky's I headed over to the stadium.  I was late.  It was the bottom of the first inning.  I was shocked that there was still a line of about 10 people waiting to buy tickets.  It was HOT out  112 degree heat index.  I didn't really expect a big crowd.  Oh wait, there is only one person working the ticket booth (and that person didn't seem too competent).  So I look around and find some guy scalping tickets.  I don't usually buy from scalpers (in fact this is only the second time) because I believe in the money going to the people that put on the show, but I was looking at standing in line for another 20 minutes to get to the front of the ticket booth.  So I hit up cracky across the street.

"How about you give me $10 for this ticket right here...that's a good price"
"$10? That's face value - it says so right there...I can walk across the street and get the seat next to this for $10.  I'll give you $5."
"I don't think I can do $5...How about $8 but that's robbing food from my family."
"I need to eat too...and there is no one else buying tickets...I"ll give you $7."
"Deal."

I head into the park and was right...there is a tiny crowd.  They announce paid attendance at 4,800 but there probably wasn't more than 400 people there.  It was sparse.  The park was really nice but had a completely different feel than the hometown stadium.  The Redbirds' stadium, AutoZone Park is about 3000 seats larger than the I-Cubs' Principal Park, but the Principal Park feels much more airy and open.  The Memphis stadium is surrounded by office buildings...it just doesn't have the blue sky openness that Principal Park has.

I grabbed an ice cream and headed to my seat.  I was pleasantly surprised to see the I-Cubs were winning 1-0.  I know it is probably not a fair representation since I maybe go to one or two games a year, but when I do the I-Cubs always lose are have really low scores (except for that one time and the Rally-Yak.  I'm still not sure what that was all about but I like the Rally Yak).  The I-Cubs continued to score and play well - shutting down the Redbirds like it was easy.  The fans were turning a little ugly...instead of cheering their team, they were booing the I-Cubs.  With the exception of a home run in the 2nd, the Redbirds were not able to score while Iowa scored at least once each inning...until the sixth.

Top of the 6th and the score is 7-1, I-Cubs are dominating every part of the game and are just coming off a nice homer in the 5th.  I figured that the I-Cubs would come in fired up, but they were not able to handle the replacement Redbird pitcher.  The I-Cubs get a single and three pop flys outs.  It is the first inning that they didn't score.  Memphis comes back with a homer.  The seventh inning is scoreless for both but the Redbirds rule the eighth inning with 2 runs.

The I-Cubs got into the ninth with a score 7-3, and they start out strong with a double.  The runner advances to third on a ground out but is tagged out at home on the next play.  With a runner on both first and second, the Cubs end a scoreless on a strikeout.  Still they are up by 4 runs...and the most runs that Memphis has been able to get in an inning is two.  Many of the fans have left at this time, it should be no problem for Iowa to finish off the Redbirds right?  Not quite.  Memphis singles, then Iowa walks the batter.  With runners on first and second, Iowa gains a strikeout and then a pop out.  Two runners, two outs...and we walk another batter.  Bases are now loaded....and Memphis hits a Grand Slam Home Run to win the game.  Really?  A grand slam to win it?  It was the most exciting baseball game that I had ever seen.  The Memphis fans loved it of course.  Good game Memphis, way to hang in there.  If baseball was more interesting like this more often, I would probably be a bigger fan.

Thanks Delta - It's a Start

Last week, I was in Memphis, TN on business.  I hadn't had a chance to fly for a about a year so I was pretty happy to get to travel a little (I love to fly, and it shows).  However, upon arrive at my gate I was disappointed to see all the HUGE carry-on bags that most travelers were toting.  I try to travel light and only had one small duffel bag and my kindle.

Your bag should fit here...and not
look like an overstuffed
sausage.

Some travelers had bags that were the pretty darn close to the text fixture...but were just over by an inch because of the handle or the wheels or whatever.  These people don't bother me.  The people that annoy me are the ones who's bag may have fit in the check fixture at one time, but with the 3 various expansion zippers unfurled and packed to near bursting levels - this bag is now twice as wide as it is supposed to be and there is no way that it will fit in the regulations.  Come on, your bag looks like a fat lady in spandex...it shouldn't bulge like that and I think any second that zipper could blow.   But at least their bag started at the right size...or nearly.  There were also several people who are packing a near full-size suitcase and trying to insist it is a carry-on.  I am not sure how some of these bags made it through security because it had to be a tight squeeze to  fit through the x-ray scanner.  Many were also toting more than one of these monstrous bags.  Which seemed like a lot more trouble that what it cost to check a bag.

I know that the fee for checking bags sucks, but I am sick of not having storage room for my small bag because your big ass bags are taking up way more space that they are supposed to.  Most airlines have nearly identical rules:

• One carry-on bag that measures 22"x14"x9" or smaller and 
• One smaller personal item like a laptop or a purse.  

Easy right? I am following the rules, so why should I always have to fight for space?  Yes, my bag is probably small enough that I could probably fit it under the seat in front of me, but why should I have to sacrifice my legroom for your bags?  My ticket cost the same as yours.  Pay the $25 and check your suitcase.

I applaud the Delta Airlines employees who were automatically making the customer gate-check the grossly over-sized bags and the double bags that people were carrying.  It was a very good start to help the situation and a change that is much welcomed by me.  I had the easiest time finding overhead storage that I have had in years.  Good job Delta.  I think you should go further (Baby steps, Bob) and make everyone use the check fixture and if it doesn't fit, it gets checked because these people just slow everyone down wasting 10 minutes trying to stuff their bag into a space that wasn't designed to take it.  Just like the OJ trial - if it doesn't fit, you must check it.  Thank you Delta, it was a small change made the flying experience so much better better (which I haven't been able to say in quite a while).

Holiday Road Part 5 - the Conclusion

Sunrise over the Canyon
Photo by Jessica
click to embiggen

Jessica wanted to wake up early and see the sunrise over the Grand Canyon.  I did too, but I also knew that I would need more sleep to make the final part of the drive...I was still exhausted from staying up all night packing and then driving to Colorado 5 days ago.  I was torn at first, get up and experience the Grand Canyon or sleep...the deciding factor happened to be Sam.  If we both got up to see the sunrise, we would also have to wake up Sam and take him too.  I was not in the mood to deal with him yet, so I decided that I would go back to sleep after waking Jessica.  I woke Jessica at 5:30am giving her plenty of time to find a spot to take sunrise pictures at 6:30am...or so I thought.  Did you know that Arizona doesn't believe in daylight savings time?  I didn't, so it was actually 4:30am local time.  It was surprisingly bright for 4:30am, but it all worked out since the sunrise actually takes place around 5:30am.  You would think I would notice the difference between 4:30 and 5:30am but with the full moon, it was still plenty bright out for early morning.  Anyhow, it wasn't until we went to checkout of the campground that we noticed our clocks did not match that we realized that there was no Daylight Savings Time in AZ.  The nice thing was that for once, we were up and about earlier than the time we had to leave.

Hanging Out off the Grand View Trail
Photo by Jessica
click to embiggen

We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon going to various viewing spots on the Grand Canyon and taking pictures and just enjoying the beauty of the place.  Sam and I decided to do a little hiking on the Grandview Trail.  Although I would have loved to hike to the Horseshoe Mesa...we were not properly equipped.  No packs, no water besides the single small bottle that I brought along.  We went about a mile (it is about 8 miles to the mesa) before turning around, it was getting much steeper and the temperature was rising.  It was supposed to get 120 degrees in the canyon today.  My favorite quote was from the little park guide about hiking and said something like this "Remember that temperatures of 110+ degrees in the shade are common inside the Canyon...and you will not be hiking in the shade."  Jessica didn't join us as she was even less equipped...she was wearing flip-flops.  She did meet us a small way down the trail as we were climbing up, but I made her turn around because it was about to get pretty rocky...but I was proud that she at least tried it.

Toward the Horseshoe Mesa
Photo by Jessica
click to embiggen

Showdown

We then headed back to the Watchtower because although Jessica and Sam had spent 40+ minutes there the day before when it was raining, somehow they didn't make it out of the gift shop and up into the tower itself.  While they checked out another gift shop, I decided to climb up to the tower's patio and enjoy the view and wait for them.  While waiting (much longer than I thought I would have to), I noticed this large bug flying around...and he also noticed me.  It was about the size of my thumb, black & white and had huge antennae.  Sort of like the Asian Longhorn Beetle pictured here but with more white...plus I didn't think the Asian Longhorn had made it this far West.  Maybe it was a Giant Mesquite Bug or a Leaf-Footed Beetle...I am not sure even though I got a pretty close look at it.  You see this bug was not happy with me, actually I am pretty sure that he was not happy with my Speed McQueen t-shirt.  This particular t-shirt was black with a with a white Speed McQueen logo.  I think the beetle saw it as a rival or a threat.  He flew and landed in the middle of my chest looking up at the logo.  I tried to gently brush him off...he gripped tighter, he reared up on his back legs, and basically started hissing or buzzing.  I tried to grab his antennae and pull him off, but he was gripping really well and now bobbing up and down.  Finally, I decided that I good solid flick was probably in order.  It sent him on his way but he flew around and landed close by...still glaring at me menacingly.  I decided it was time to go find my fellow travelers.

So peaceful
Photo by Jessica
click to embiggen

After looking at crap in the gift shop for way too long, Jessica and Sam finally headed to the Watchtower.  I decided to wander a little ways off the beaten path and just relax.  I went and sat of the edge of the Canyon and watched the ravens and swallows dive for flying bugs in the canyon and the geckos scamper around the rocks.  It was late afternoon, the sun was shining, there was a light breeze, and it was silent...it was so peaceful and the ravens were so graceful in flight that it ended up being my favorite part of the Grand Canyon.  Surrounded by beauty and nature.

Eventually it was time to leave and head South to our final destination.  I was sad to leave the Grand Canyon as there was still so much that I wanted to do, but I was also excited to get this trip over with...this move had taken up way too much of my life the past couple months.  I may have reminisced how it was lucky we didn't arrive at the Grand Canyon 4 days earlier because there probably would have been two more 'accidents' to be added to Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon.

If we'd arrived a few days earlier, this would need updated.

Most of the drive from the Grand Canyon was uneventful and Jessica and Sam slept 90% of the time.  It was an easy but fun drive...mostly downhill with lots of twists and turns and good speed limit....there was one point where the road straightened out and the speed limit dropped (which made no sense) and I was getting pretty drowsy during that stretch but it turned curvy and picked up pace again.

We finally made it to Phoenix (and no armadillo sightings...sadness) and my god is it a jumbled mess or interstates and highways.  Luckily, Shelia was there to pull us through.  When we first arrived at Jessica's new house I thought Shelia had made a mistake.  It felt like Boyz N the Hood (or maybe Friday?) - little stucco style houses, metal security gates on the front doors, and not so much upkeep going on, everything looked a little ragged.  I was expecting see Doughboy and some low-riders and hear AKs in the background.  It did not look like a house that five people would all now be living.  Once we got inside, I (and almost certainly Jessica) was pleasantly surprised.  The house was twice as big as it looked from outside and everything was pretty nice.  It could be a nice home.  We arrived on Saturday night but I didn't fly out till Monday morning...I honestly didn't think the family truckster would make it without any problems, so I built in an extra day into the schedule.  The family truckster performed admirably (despite the first day and the blown fuse).  It was nice to actually have a day that we didn't have to do anything or be anywhere.  I took Jessica out to eat one last time.  We went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and had a great meal.  Hopefully that helped make up for me having her take me to Mortons Steakhouse in St Louis for my birthday a few years ago (the original holiday road).

Jessica I wish you the best of luck in life.

Day 5: ~250 miles, ~4 hours drive time, 

0 armadillos seen (mission failure), 

0 people killed on the trip (mission success) 

Holiday Road Part 4

When last we left our daring band of travelers, they had escaped from the dangers of Colorado into the unknown perils of Utah...

During the stay at the motor inn, I sort of felt like I was in a horror movie...it just seemed like the type of place where you would be killed by crazed hotel workers or guests.  It felt very Vacancy, but luckily I am awesome like Luke Wilson.  In actuality,  it ended up being a nice enough stay...even if the HBO was fuzzy and I couldn't deal with the thought of a freezing cold shower in the morning.

No such luck...

Getting into desert country, my goal was to see a wild armadillo in the next couple days...armadillos are sweet.  The driving was pretty boring - desert on both sides with an occasional view of mesas and canyons...there were a few interesting things.  Like free range cattle...it is weird driving at 70mph and having cows laying and standing next to the road.  I was a little tense at first getting ready to stomp on the brakes in case one wandered onto the road, but none ever did and I eventually realized that seeing loose cows on the shoulders of the road was new to me, but seeing speeding cars was not new to them.  I also found it strange that there would be a sign that would say "Deer Crossing, Next 5 Miles" and then two miles down the road there would be a sign that read "Deer Crossing, Next 11 Miles" and then a couple miles later "Deer Crossing, Next 3 Miles."  This continued for the next 30+ miles....lots of deer crossing signs but the mileage listed didn't make sense.  Like the signs were out of order or they were just randomly posted to remind you...I did see a couple deer (looked like mule deer) off in the distance, but luckily they were outnumbered by deer crossing signs 5 to 1.  No armadillos though.  I was also happy when I saw my first saguaro cactus of the trip.  It really made it seem like the desert then.

Although very frustrating at times and despite the lack of armadillos, I was having some fun on the trip.  It was a part of the country that I had not really gotten a chance to see.  I had been to Colorado for a family vacation when I was younger and have been to Las Vegas...but never really had a chance to explore much.  I can't say that Utah is the most interesting place in the world, but it was neat seeing the huge expanses of nothingness.  Plus with the scenery and the iconic catcus image,  it all almost seems fake.  You almost expected to see the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote run past.  I may have silently said "meep, meep" to myself every time I passed another car.

Of course once we entered the Navajo Nation, we had to stop at a couple crap stands* - you know, the stands that sell handmade jewelry and pottery and the like.  I did want to stop at one, just to see what it was like but Jessica wanted to stop at everyone that we passed...luckily I was able to keep focussed and we only stopped at two.  One was by Tuba City, AZ by the Elephant's Feet monuments.  Mainly because I would have something to look at while Jessica shopped for whatever crap jewelry she was looking for.  Elephant's Feet was very aptly named.

Grand Canyon Watch Tower
Photo by Jessica - click to embiggen

After an argument over evolution (one of us looking at and understanding scientific evidence, one not so much) we make to the Grand Canyon.  Just as we arrive at the Desert View Watchtower it starts to sprinkle. I think it feels great after being cooped up in the hot family truckster, so when it starts to rain a little harder I offer to go back to the truckster and get umbrellas for Jessica and Sam.  On the way back, it doesn't just rain...it pours and HAILS.  Sure it was nothing major, pea and small marble sized hail...but it was odd.  I never expected to be walking through a hail storm at the Grand Canyon...I expected hot and dry.  Instead, I am walking through streams of water that quickly turn orange and blood red due to the soil.  A consequence of having fun and splashing through the red puddles were that my toenails were dyed a nice light orange-pink for the following week.  The storm was bad enough that power throughout the park was temporarily out.

Rain over the Grand Canyon
Picture by Jessica - click to embiggen

It stormed off and on for the next hour...and Oh My God, the Grand Canyon!  Usually I am disappointed in tourist destinations: Hoover Dam - meh, Mt Rushmore - boring, London Bridge - OK, Las Vegas as a whole - shiny.  But the Grand Canyon?  Breathtaking.  TV and pictures just don't do it justice.  It is incredibly huge and beautiful.  I know I had seen pictures in the past and was like "That looks really big..." but you have no idea until you actually see it in person.  I am sure I wouldn't have appreciated it as a little kid but now I was definitely able to appreciate the wonderment.  The Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains are two of the most spiritually satisfying places that I have ever been.  The Grand Canyon is seriously worth the trip.  If you are going to embiggen any photo today, this is probably the one you want.

Dusk over the Grand Canyon
Picture by Jessica - Click to embiggen

After the rain, we decided that it is late enough that we should probably find our campsite and start setting up the tents.  While I was setting up the tents, Jessica went to get supplies - firewood, hot dogs, more blankets.  It is probably a good thing she left because just as I finished setting up the tents, I look over and see a tarantula and a foot and a half from our tent.  It is a pretty large one too...a little smaller than my fist.  Jessica is terrified of spiders (and bugs in general) so of course I look for some sort of container to place him in...but no luck.  I'd just like to say that it was weird seeing a tarantula just sitting there...I've see tarantulas before in people's aquariums, but just to see one right by where you are going to sleep was a little disconcerting.  Jessica did leave her camera at the campsite for me to take a picture.  I was a little afraid that Sam would kill the tarantula to 'save' his mom, so I suggested we take a small hike while awaiting Jessica to get back.  It was a completely different environment from Rocky Mountain National Park.  It's not that it was filthy - it wasn't, but there was enough small pieces of trash lying around that it was obvious that you were surrounded by humans and not out in the wild.  Plastic bottle caps, small pieces of paper, broken glass...again not a lot but just enough to kind of ruin feel of nature.  Also, it was much noisier.  In RMNP campground it seemed like everyone was really appreciative to been in a natural setting, in the Grand Canyon you could hear people yelling at each other, radios, and just general noises of civilization.  Sam and I walked back to camp and Jessica arrived a short time after.  Our spider friend had moved on by this time, so I showed Jessica the picture and told her that we saw it on our hike.  I knew if I told her that it was 18 inches from our tent that I would get no sleep that night.

Campsite Visitor
Photo by me - click to embiggen

Elk - no goring this night
Photo by Jessica - click to embiggen

It was a full moon (or would be in a day), so although it was evening there was still plenty of light.  We decided to drive around and see what we could see.  We saw a small group of elk along the road.  Many people (including us) stopped to take photos and some people approached on foot.  It was obvious that the elk were pretty used to people and mostly ignored them, continuing to graze.  However, one guy kept getting closer and closer.  Even though they are used to humans, these are not tame animals.  The buck started to take a little bit of offense and I thought I might get to see someone trampled and gored.  Unfortunately, the guy finally came to his senses and stepped back a ways.  We then drove to one of the view points.

Sitting on the edge.
Click to embiggen

What I really like and was pleasantly surprised about the Grand Canyon was that it wasn't fenced off or have safety barriers all over the places.  There were a few, but for the most part you were free to walk where you wanted and fall into the canyon if you wanted.  I wanted...well not to fall, but to be on the edge.  To feel that adrenaline rush when I know that if I slipped or lost my balance or if a rock shifted underfoot that I would probably die.  That's not to say that I acted crazily or stupidly.  I was safe...but I was on the edge.  I wish these pictures had come out better.  My stomach was a little queasy sitting here...it was literally about an 800 foot drop and then I would bounce 600 or so feet before reaching a stopping point.  It was FAR.  I sat on several other rocks and hung my feet over edge, but none of them was as scary as this.  This type of activity totally freaked Jessica out, so she stopped taking photographs and wouldn't even look at me when I was near the edge.

Moon over the Grand Canyon
Photo by Jessica - click to embiggen

Day 4: ~280 miles, ~4:45 driving time, 0 Armadillos seen

*by crap, I mean tourist trap stuff.  Much of the stuff seemed to be well made and they had a nice assortment...but there was a little too much Kokopelli for me to take it serious.

Holiday Road Part 1

This past week, I was on a cross country trip to help ex-GF-Unit Jessica move to Arizona.  I am still not sure of all my reasons why I agreed to do this.  Part of it has to do with me liking her as a friend and wanting to help her be happy, part has to do with wanting her far away so we can go get on with our lives, part of it has to do with wanting to see the Grand Canyon, part of has to do with her families horrible sense of direction, and partly because I am stupid...and a bunch of other reasons too.

The plan was to leave at 6am on Tuesday morning.  That way we could get to our first stopping point, Estes Park CO, in plenty of time and enjoy the some of the sights like Big Thompson Canyon.  I stopping in at Jessica's on my lunch hour on Monday to see how packing was finishing up.  It wasn't.  To my frustration, she wasn't nearly as packed as she could have been.  You would think for knowing about a cross country trip for about 10 months that you would have time to prepare.  But this has always been one of the reasons that we weren't compatible.  I would think  I would be used to it and not surprised...but I still was.  I went back to work, finished up what I could and then headed over to help pack.

The family truckster may have once looked
like this...now it was a little rusty, covered
in dings, dents and scratches.
Our family truckster started out looking as
bad as the Griswold's looked at the
end of the movie.

We packed from 4pm to 5:30am.  I was very angry and just wanted to get on the road...but Jessica had to pick up some items from family so we missed our original start time.  With the family truckster (2002 Kia Sedona - You think you hate it now, but wait till you drive it) finally loaded we ended up leaving about 9am.  It felt good to finally be on our way, but it didn't last long.  We made it almost a whole 10 minutes on the road before our first problem - many electronics including the radio, the clock, the temperature gauge, etc... were not working.  Although it was going to be a long trip, I was prepared to go without, just to get going.  I happened to check the windshield wipers and they were also not working.  This was not good news as several storms systems were scheduled to cross our path.  We pulled off the first exit into the old downtown area of Waukee to get it fixed.  Luckily it was just a blown fuse from someone trying to charge their cell phone with a cord that did not go with the cell phone.  Being very frustrated after being awake over 24 hours and with an 11 hour drive ahead of us, I made Jessica drop me off in the old town square/park or Waukee while the car was getting fixed.  It didn't take too long, but with the detour and the fixing it added a little over an hour to the trip already.  Jessica has no idea how close I was to just walking off and saying "Well....see ya" at this point.  I was SO close...if the repairs had taken much longer, I probably would have been gone.  Everything was pointing to this being a horrible trip, and often times when stuff continually goes wrong, I take it as god telling me not do this...I sort of had the feeling that I would be eaten by a bear.

It looked nice from the road but was abandoned
photo courtesy of wikimedia commons

I stayed with it, and finally, a little bit after 4 hours behind schedule, we were back on the road...again.  The next 12 hours involved, driving for a couple hours while Jessica rested before switching places.  It was a long day...mostly driving and not much happening.  One of the strangest things to happen was stopping in Sedgwick, CO.  Sam (Jess' son) needed to go to the bathroom and this was the nearest stop.  I was a little scared because the sign said "Population: 191" but it also said there was a gas station.  We didn't need gas at the moment but would need to stop in the near future so we thought we might as well fill up while we are here.  There was a nice looking gas station right off the ramp...but unfortunately it was closed and abandoned.  There was a smaller, older gas station just down the block.  It was pretty bizarre...out of 8 pumps, one pump worked...the others were missing hoses, missing nozzles, or taped down with "out of order" and "not working" signs on them.  You might say "Well they just don't get that much business to need all those pumps."  Which might be true, but the 20 minutes that I was there there were 3 other cars waiting to use this pump...so another might have been nice.  It has been a long time since I have used one of the vintage 1970's gas pumps with the rolling slot machine style numbers and had the clerk come out and check the pump for the dollar amount.  Other great things about this gas station - door knobs on bathrooms did not work, had to use a sliding bolt lock to keep door shut, and they "just got a machine to run the credit cards a couple weeks ago."  It was pretty obvious that no money had been put into this place in 30 years.  It is not the most hilly billy place I have ever been but it is probably in the top ten.  Sorry I don't have a photo...but I would suggest trying to avoid Sedgwick if possible.

Seeing the mountains come into view was like a godsend.
Sunset on the Mountains...Picture by Jessica.

We finally made it to Estes Park and our hotel around 10:30pm.  You have no idea how happy I was when the mountains finally came into view...it gave me my 28th wind of the day(s).  It did make me laugh at the "stupid" GPS when we only had 32 miles left and it was still saying about an hour and a half drive time.  The GPS was right...the canyon curved around so much that it did take much longer than I would have guessed...when you plot out an 11+ hour trip...it looks much straighter than it actually ends up being. Hadn't really eaten much all day and every place was done delivering...but sleep was much more important than food, so I flopped on the bed and was asleep within a couple minutes.  I was disappointed that we didn't have more time to enjoy Big Thompson Canyon...it was dark when we drove through and the driving is a little tense.  Mostly the entire day sucked but it felt good to sleep after being awake 40+ hours and on the road for about 12 hours.

Day 1: ~700 miles, ~12 hours drive time

To be continued....

Before I Sucked - Classic #2

I wrote this on myspace before I had an actual blog. Links and pictures added for your convenience.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Burn Vegas Burn (attempt 2) Current mood:Fired Up! So you want to go to Vegas for a week in January? This is how my trip got started in mid-December. I didn't hesitate long to answer as I knew Vegas would be much warmer than Iowa. It was a little bitter-sweet as it I was also offered to have my girlfriend fly out for a nice vacation...unfortunately it was the same day that I realized that it must be over with the girl that I had been seeing. Oh well, it is still a free trip to Vegas. I knew this wasn't going to be the whirlwind, busy all the time trip that the last one was. Cinnabon should be outlawed. Okay Cinnabon is delicious, everyone knows this...unfortunately everytime I am in an airport with a Cinnabon I only have 15 minutes to my next flight and the line is all the way down the hall. It has been years since I have enjoyed the yummy goodness of a Cinnabon but that smell tortures me every time I fly. I therefore propose a ban on all Cinnabons. If I can't have one, you shouldn't be able to either. Welcome to warmth (or freezing cold if you live there). We arrive in Vegas with few difficulties (besides lack of Cinnabon) and it was 55 degrees. It was -4 degrees when I left Iowa. It felt so good. We check into our hotel and there's the local Vegas weathermen complaining about these "below average temperatures." I couldn't help but laugh. It was also supposed to rain all week starting Tuesday...and it did sprinkle one day at 4am and then rained the day we left (as Vegas mourning our leaving is my guess) but other than that it was brilliant blue skies and mid-fifties all week. The locals didn't like it though - they were all bundled up in big down coats and gloves. I even saw a ski mask one day. Meanwhile I was wearing short sleeves but usually had a jacket in case it got windy...and even then I was sweating sometimes (hopefully because my body wasn't used to this warm weather and not because I am fat). No Lenny for you. Vegas is kind of dead in January, not much in way of concerts and events (I guess Miss America was there and I met a few contestants...but I couldn't really care less about it as an event)...but Lenny Kravitz was playing the night we arrived. Unfortunately by the time we got there, got checked in, got set up for the trade show (World of Concrete? Exciting!), and grabbed a quick bite to eat...the concert would have been nearly over and I am not paying $70 for 15-20 minutes. I was sad to have missed it. Hooker Trading Cards. Since there wasn't a whole lot to do, I ended up walking the strip some. I started a new collection of Hooker Trading Cards, since I gave them all away from last time. I was pretty surprised when 90% of the ones I collected were different from last time. I figured they used the same cards for years. I was impressed with their initiative for variety. You wouldn't want the hooker trading card business to stagnate. Todd Goldman Sucks. We stopped at an art gallery featuring Todd Goldman. I can't tell you how much he pisses me off, he doesn't have an original thought in his head. EVERYTHING is stolen from someone else. I knew I had seen a few ideas that he ripped off before but as I looked at all his prints, posters, and originals...almost every one I could place elsewhere. Like the one showing a lady smoking and it says "Smoking Kills...but at least you look cool." That T-shirt has been around for years and was not designed by Todd...just because he painted/copied it (exactly) but made the teeth yellow, does not constitute an original work in my mind. Especially one selling for $8500. Todd Goldman, you are not Andy Warhol. You are a talentless vampire feeding off lesser known artists. Rum Jungle Picture Source Mmmm Food. What I really love about Vegas is all the different and interesting restaurants. I am pretty sure you could eat at a different, cool, kick-ass restaurant every day of the year without repeating (well you could if you could afford it). Since I wasn't paying, I was more than happy to go out to a bunch of fancy restaurants but the guys I was with weren't always up for it (wusses) but I had to eat with them since I don't have a company credit card and they do. We did go to a couple good places. Rum Jungle - this is a restaurant/club in Mandalay Bay. We got their early (for Vegas) around 8:30pm so the place was completely dead and they didn't have the dancers in the cages yet. Oh well, it was still a cool place...and the food was awesome. We got the Fire Pit. Which is a bunch of different meats cooked on skewers over an open flame and then the come and slice you off a big chunk to try and you can have as much as you like. Stuff like Jamaican BBQ brisket, Jalapeno & mango chicken, Salmon with mango salsa, Italian sausage, chicken wrapped in apple bacon, etc... It was all fantastic. But my favorite ended up being the pineapple rice and caramelized plantains that they brought us to start. I could have just eaten that all day long. It ended up being like a 7 course meal and I was stuffed by the time we left. Highly recommended. Other places we tried: Bahama Breeze - it is a restaurant close to the convention center where the show was. I ordered a filet mignon and although there was nothing super fancy about it, it was cooked perfect and delicious. It came with garlic mashed potatoes and a single onion ring...of course this onion ring was about 7 inches in diameter. No idea where you get an onion like that but it was very tasty. Recommended. Hard Rock Cafe - I'd eaten here before but everyone else wanted to stop. I was hungry for a burger, so that's what I ordered. It was horrible...it was one of the worst burgers I have ever had (until Friday night). It was dry and tasteless and even the bun and topping seemed limp and boring. I've had better burger at Wild Dingos here in Des Moines just a week prior. NOT recommended. Jack-in-the-Box - we stopped at one of these late Friday night about 2:30am...just for a quick bite. Not being that hungry, I wanted just a small hamburger but to make it easy I just ordered a number 1 combo. I figured number 1 must be their best and most popular. It was a huge black angus burger...way more than I wanted which would have been fine if it tasted okay. It didn't. I didn't like it at all...and the fries were gross. NOT recommended. Nora's Italian Restaurant - this is a place way out of the way in Vegas...more of a local eatery than a tourist trap restaurant. It was good, it's Italian so I always find that hard to mess up. Their fried calamari appetizer was pretty good (although dipping sauce was a little weak). Recommended if you want to get away from the strip. The Burger Bar - a place specializing in burgers where you can choose from like 80+ different toppings. You can also get a burger with white truffles and other fancy toppings that cost like $269. I'll pass on that one. I got a Classic American Cheeseburger...and it was amazing. I never had a burger be so perfect, between the cooking and the balance of toppings and seasonings...it was just really great and made up for the other two burgers I had. Sexpresso - a coffee shop where all the waitresses are in lingerie. I hate coffee but want to stop for the experience but no one else wanted to take the time. No Fatburger...since I first went to Vegas I have wanted to go to Fatburger but something has always come up to ruin my plans. This trip I had it firmly in my schedule to eat their Saturday night before I went to a concert but with the change of hotels and other confusion going on I ran out of time. Next time Fatburger, I promise! (I will be so happy if they greet me with "Welcome to Fatburger, home of the Fatburger. Can I take your order please?") Cirque du Soleil. I really wanted to see Cirque du Soleil KA which is the one where the stage turns vertical and they are all hanging from ropes while performing. I thought that sounded really cool but it was not to be, KA was not performing all week. So I had to choose another one, the other guys I was with decided they would like to see one too, so we chose Zumanity. It was close to our hotel (or WAS close) and it was the one with boobs. Boobs are good. I am always up for boobs. It was a good show, the girls in the fish bowl were awesome, the hula hoop girl was great, the contortionist guy was cool and creepy...I just wish there was more Cirque du Soleil feats of impossibility rather than joking around with the crowd. I would recommend it because it was really good...I just hoped for a little more. Might have been better with a girlfriend since it was supposed to turn you on. I did manage to entertain others in line waiting to pick up tickets when the lady said "You do realize that this show contains nudity, sexuality, and lewd language?" and my reply was "Of course, that is why we chose this one." FIRE! So why we were at the trade show on Friday, I get a text from my brother telling me that our hotel was one fire...well he didn't know it was our hotel, he was just joking around asking if I lit the Monte Carlo on fire...so it was pretty strange. After I confirmed with him that yes it was on fire, I turned to the other two guys with me and said "oh by the way, our hotel is on fire." They didn't believe me at first but went to look out the convention center windows and yep there was the black smoke. A quick internet check by one of them confirmed it. You could tell one of them started stressing out. I was like "let my stuff burn. I have nothing irreplaceable, plus the hotel will pay me back." But the others were a little more worried. It made the last day of the trade show go really fast and made me sing many songs during the slow times like "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire" and "Burning down the house." I don't think they appreciated my song stylings. Anyhow we quickly made new reservations at the Hilton Vacations which was right by the convention center (this is why Zumanity was no longer close to our hotel...our hotel was on fire). After the show we drove past the hotel and I took a few pictures with my cell phone. I found the whole thing fun and interesting. I had never been involved with a major fire before (and no I didn't start it...well as far as you and the police know, I didn't). Still hours later, the whole place was surrounded by fire trucks and cops...you couldn't get near it. Since we didn't know when we were going to be able to get our stuff, my company was kind enough to buy us some jeans and a shirt for the night (we were going to Zumanity that night)...I ended up getting a pair of jeans at the Marc Ecko Cut & Sew shop. They have a skull on the pocket which I both love and think is a little cheesy. I really like the Cut & Sew line of clothes, which came as a little bit of a surprise since I hate the Ecko Unlimited line. I would suggest them. So anyhow, we went to Zumanity and by the time it was over they were letting people back into their rooms to get their stuff. It was about 2am. So we headed over to the hotel. I was a little surprised because it was only about 14 hours after the fire. I figured in the very least that they would wait 24. The hotel had people all over the place, so you couldn't get into any parts of the hotel that were closed off or damaged. They had people escort you up to your rooms and wait (outside the door) while you packed. Then you had to fill out all this paper work saying that you picked up your stuff and if anything was missing or damaged. All my stuff was there and fine but I wonder how many people tried filing false claims? It definitely made the trip interesting...I think the fire was my favorite part of the trip. Oh and thanks for all the messages asking if I started it! Geez...you start one field on fire when you are young and all of a sudden you are an arsonist! Actually what cracked me up was when the president of our company called and asked if we were dead yet. Ha ha...you can't get rid of me that easy! Social Distortion and a lack of sleep. I went to go see Social Distortion at the House of Blues. Truthfully, I hadn't listened to them in years but I have always enjoyed them. It was a good show. There was a young girl (around 16 or 17 by the looks) who turned to me and said "I can't believe how many old people are here!" I am sure she thought I was younger than I am. I turn to her and say "You think a band that has been playing for 30 years may have picked up a fan or two along the way? Just because you have only been listening to them for a year or two (maybe) doesn't mean everyone else hasn't liked them for a lot longer. I started listening to them in like 1990 or '91 and I felt late to the party then." I felt a little bad because I think I came off kind of harsh...but really did she think the world revolved around her that much? Anyhow, I get out of the show around 1am and there is a message for me. Our flight has been canceled so instead of leaving around 9am, we now leave at 6am and have to leave for the airport at 4am! I still need to pack. I get home around 1:30am and quickly pack and get maybe an hour of sleep before I have to wake up. Normally I wouldn't have tried sleeping at all but with the fire and everything and being up super late that night...I needed at least a little. So our original flight was canceled where we would go from Vegas to Denver to Des Moines...our new earlier route went from Vegas to LA to Denver to Des Moines. Leaving 3 hours earlier and arriving 3 hours later than we were originally supposed to. Suck! It all ended up okay though...but I was exhausted for the next couple days. This isn't as nearly in-depth or funny as the recap I wrote the other day...but stupid myspace server error lost that one. If you have any questions though, feel free to ask. Michael

Holiday Road

Birthday Vacation

People keep joking that “Hey you’re as close to 40 as you are 30!” about my birthday…they think it will bother me or something. It does not, although I prefer to think of it as halfway to 70. I’ve had long standing plans to live to be 2500 (with my brain in a robot body of course until cloned bodies are perfected), so 40 is no big deal to me. For my birthday, GF-Unit planned a surprise trip to St Louis, Mo to see an NHL hockey game and have a mini-vacation.

We loaded up the Family Truckster on Friday and started driving (if only it was the Metallic Pea Wagonqueen Family Truckster). It all went well except for me driving about 40 minutes the wrong way (thanks to confusing directions, bad street signs, forgetting to reset the trip meter, and changing drivers at the exact wrong time…many small errors which by themselves would have been easily avoidable but together made for a poor navigation choice). The rest of the trip went smoothly and we pulled in to the hotel at 1am.

Originally, GF-Unit had reservations in a hotel on the East St Louis side (What’s the difference as long as we get across the river). I assume it was cheap and it was a Holiday Inn Express so you would think it would be decent. She then found several one star reviews (out of five) with titles like “Horrible,” “Roaches and Water Stains”, and the always enticing “Looked like a Murder Scene”…this one is especially entertaining as it involved the hotel manager calling the police on the hotel guests for harassment after they repeatedly ask him to call the police about the scene in the parking lot. I also sent her the crime stats for East St Louis:

Year: 2006 number of crimes per 100,000

So we moved on over to the west side of St Louis and stayed in the suburb of Clayton at the Seven Gables Inn (yes, I counted and there were seven gables…otherwise I would have demanded our money back due to false advertisement). SGI is definitely a different experience than staying as most hotels I have been to lately (like in Vegas). It is an old building (built 1926) so it had a cozy, kind of old world charm…no elevators, you have to take twisty stairs, decent sized rooms and bathrooms but not really “suites” as we know them now a days. I was a little wary when we first checked in, but it grew on me and I liked it quite a bit by the time we left. The hotel was in a really neat location. It was in a fancy business district with lots of restaurants within walking distance. The area was basically deserted on the weekends, so we didn’t have to deal with traffic or crowds and we free to walk leisurely throughout the area. In was very peaceful, relaxing, and beautiful as the beginnings of spring were creeping in. We also had a pretty easy walk to the MetroLink train station, and easy access to the interstates…for when we wanted to travel outside of the area around the hotel.

Saturday we went to see my favorite NHL team the Detroit Red Wings play the St Louis Blues. Although a Red Wing fan, I enjoy all hockey and was looking forward to seeing the Blues play as they have many players that I have seen play in the AHL over the past few years. I was especially looking forward to seeing former Iowa Stars BJ Crombeen playing. It was a good game. I was getting lots of “boos” and “Detroit sucks” because I wore my Detroit jersey (GF-Unit was wearing my Blues jersey), but many of those calmed down after Detroit scored 3 goals within a 46 second time span (ouch). I wished it would have been closer in score. I like tight, exciting games but it was still a lot of fun. I couldn’t bring myself to try one of the St Louis style hot dogs though…which looked like a Chicago Dog with chili on top (I think they made it up). Not just because I don’t usually like chili on hot dogs but also because it was like $10...for a standard (small) hot dog. I couldn’t justify that for something that I might not like and might give me terrible gas. $6 yes, $8 possibly, but $10 is too much...especially since we were going out to eat that night for my birthday.

We decided to go to Morton’s Steakhouse. It was expensive but really good. We ordered the Double Porterhouse…which was 48 ounces and split it between the three of us (me, GF-Unit, and Kinda-Kid). It was an impressive piece of meat…2inches thick and the size of a dinner plate. It was slightly more rare in the middle that I usually like (I am a medium-rare person and this was closer to rare), but it was perfect if you got a piece of the took a small slice with a little bit of the outer edge in each bite. Our waitress was fun, smart, and a little smart-alecky (reminded me of Jeanine Garofalo). She even gave me an extra 48 ounce steak bone when I mentioned that I would like to take mine home for my dogs. I know it really wasn’t a huge deal since they would have to through it away anyhow but it was nice of her anyways. My dogs loved getting bones that were nearly the size of their bodies .

Me, GF-Unit, and Kinda-Kid before the meat overdose

Sunday we went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, which were pretty but would have been spectacular a little later in the spring when everything was green and in bloom. Not only do they have a climate controlled dome, but also 80 acres of gardens, fountains, ponds, etc… It is the perfect place to spend a few hours on a sunny spring Sunday.

GF-Unit and I in the Climatron dome at Missouri Botanical Gardens (I look really fat)

Of course plants and lovely spring weather did not really impress the seven year old Kinda-Kid, so we headed to The Magic House to let him blow off some steam. The Magic House is basically a children’s museum with all these exhibits where a child can explore, experiment, and (hopefully) learn. There were exhibits on construction, fairy tales, government, bubbles, sound, sight, and magnetism among others. I wish we had this type of thing around when I was a kid. It was very cool, although I was a little disappointed that since I had styling putty in my hair that the electro-static generator wouldn’t work on me. We spent a couple hours there but could have spent several more if it was open later than 5:30 pm.

(Left) President Gubby gives state of the union address (Right): Kinda-Kid gets a shocking experience

After the Magic House, we headed to White Castle for some sliders. I love mini-food and have never had a chance to try White Castle…so I was pretty excited (plus no one was up for a big meal after the pound each meat fest of the night before). Although the burgers were good, I did think they were a little tasteless. I could see how they would be really good if drunk or high though. I think the BK Shots from Burger King were much tastier and would highly recommend you pick up a six pack for dinner tonight. Even though they were a little disappointing, I was still very tempted to order the Crave Case so that I could have 30 mini burgers to snack on the following couple days. My diet has been severely lacking mini foods since Billy Joe’s closed a month ago…over a month without mini-corn dogs!

Monday, we did the tourist thing and went to the Gateway Arch. I had been there when I was a child but it is still neat to me still. It is an impressive structure and elegant in its simplicity. What I didn’t like was the post-911 security. It was just like airport, take everything out of your pockets, place everything in a tub (including all electronics, jackets, and belts), and walk through the metal detector. I am surprised they didn’t have everyone take off their shoes and do full body cavity checks. It is so ridiculous. Here is a tip…walk to the south side of the arch and enter there…the security line is about a quarter of the size that it is on the north side.

Thanks GF-Unit for a great birthday.