Hello everyone,
I apologize for the lengthy gap in between posts.
Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I will no longer be updating the blog for the road trip. But please stay tuned for a BIGGER, BETTER version of chrisjung.com coming very soon!
I appreciate all of your support.
Until next time,
Chris
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Nice Change Of Pace
Park visited: Schaefer Athletic Complex
City: Denver, CO
Food of the day: Sirloin and Loaded Baker @ Champps Americana
iPhone song of the day: "Forever" by Walter Meego
Miles traveled: 40
Hot chocolate during the ride to the park? Jackets and windbreakers while we are unloading the trailer!? This was reality this morning as we awoke to the very chilly Colorado air...but we certainly were NOT complaining. Being used to heat and sweat and more sweat during traditional set up, we welcomed the uncharacteristically cool Summer weather, and it really seemed to make the day go fast.
Today we worked a tournament at the Schaefer Athletic Complex further into Denver. The view was breathtaking on the way there, as the mountainous areas were woven with countless bike trails and parks. The baseball facility even had a pretty good-sized mountain range in the background, which also made for an enjoyable time all morning and afternoon.
When we pulled into the gates of Schaefer, we drove past a guy who looked familiar to me. "I think that's Vinny Castilla," I told the guys. I didn't really think about it again until we were putting up a tent, and I overheard some of the players talking about how Castilla was indeed at the park, as the former Colorado Rockies' third baseman acts as a coach for his son's little league team.
Sure enough, I walked over to his field later in the afternoon, and not only was it really him, but he was hitting infield, giving hitting tips and even coached first base! It was really neat to see such a well known MLB star just hanging out on the little league diamond, and I literally did not see him turn down one autograph or photo request, even while he was standing on the other side of the fence during parts of the game. He seems like a genuine good guy, and it was a cool experience for me.
As the afternoon wore on and the heat finally showed up, we called it a day. Taking down and cleaning up went a tad faster today with Candra and Erica's help. It's nice to have some estrogen around, considering that four guys (three of whom have been in a car together since May) are with each other virtually every second of the day. So needless to say, having the girls around was definitely a breath of fresh air.
After we left the park, we headed back to the hotel where I was able to catch a VERY quick catnap. We got cleaned up and went to dinner at Champps Americana. I had never been to one of these, but basically it is a classy sports bar, with a menu that is certainly not your average bar food. We absolutely feasted and I can say without hesitation that the sin of gluttony was taken to a new level at our table. The food was fantastic and it was really a nice reward after a hearty day of work. We also found out that Champps does Texas Hold 'Em poker with free buy-ins on Wednesday night, so I have a feeling we may be returning fairly soon.
After dinner, we caught the late showing of Pixar's newest gem, WALL-E. Without going into great detail, this movie was AMAZING. Even though I have come to expect magical things from the Disney-Pixar relationship, I was blown away by the thoroughness of the film's structure and couldn't help but have a few childlike reactions at several points throughout the two hours. It was also incredible to me that such a story could be told with basically zero character dialogue. It really takes a super talented writer to pull off such a feat, and I am in awe of the abilities of the people who brought this together. SO, needless to say, go check this movie out ASAP....you won't be disappointed.
I guess that's all for now. We have the day off tomorrow, and I am looking forward to a little relaxing Colorado style. I appreciate your readership, and look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow. I hope you continue to enjoy following our journey and am glad that so many people are able to come along for the ride with us!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Until next time,
Chris
City: Denver, CO
Food of the day: Sirloin and Loaded Baker @ Champps Americana
iPhone song of the day: "Forever" by Walter Meego
Miles traveled: 40
Hot chocolate during the ride to the park? Jackets and windbreakers while we are unloading the trailer!? This was reality this morning as we awoke to the very chilly Colorado air...but we certainly were NOT complaining. Being used to heat and sweat and more sweat during traditional set up, we welcomed the uncharacteristically cool Summer weather, and it really seemed to make the day go fast.
Today we worked a tournament at the Schaefer Athletic Complex further into Denver. The view was breathtaking on the way there, as the mountainous areas were woven with countless bike trails and parks. The baseball facility even had a pretty good-sized mountain range in the background, which also made for an enjoyable time all morning and afternoon.
When we pulled into the gates of Schaefer, we drove past a guy who looked familiar to me. "I think that's Vinny Castilla," I told the guys. I didn't really think about it again until we were putting up a tent, and I overheard some of the players talking about how Castilla was indeed at the park, as the former Colorado Rockies' third baseman acts as a coach for his son's little league team.
Sure enough, I walked over to his field later in the afternoon, and not only was it really him, but he was hitting infield, giving hitting tips and even coached first base! It was really neat to see such a well known MLB star just hanging out on the little league diamond, and I literally did not see him turn down one autograph or photo request, even while he was standing on the other side of the fence during parts of the game. He seems like a genuine good guy, and it was a cool experience for me.
As the afternoon wore on and the heat finally showed up, we called it a day. Taking down and cleaning up went a tad faster today with Candra and Erica's help. It's nice to have some estrogen around, considering that four guys (three of whom have been in a car together since May) are with each other virtually every second of the day. So needless to say, having the girls around was definitely a breath of fresh air.
After we left the park, we headed back to the hotel where I was able to catch a VERY quick catnap. We got cleaned up and went to dinner at Champps Americana. I had never been to one of these, but basically it is a classy sports bar, with a menu that is certainly not your average bar food. We absolutely feasted and I can say without hesitation that the sin of gluttony was taken to a new level at our table. The food was fantastic and it was really a nice reward after a hearty day of work. We also found out that Champps does Texas Hold 'Em poker with free buy-ins on Wednesday night, so I have a feeling we may be returning fairly soon.
After dinner, we caught the late showing of Pixar's newest gem, WALL-E. Without going into great detail, this movie was AMAZING. Even though I have come to expect magical things from the Disney-Pixar relationship, I was blown away by the thoroughness of the film's structure and couldn't help but have a few childlike reactions at several points throughout the two hours. It was also incredible to me that such a story could be told with basically zero character dialogue. It really takes a super talented writer to pull off such a feat, and I am in awe of the abilities of the people who brought this together. SO, needless to say, go check this movie out ASAP....you won't be disappointed.
I guess that's all for now. We have the day off tomorrow, and I am looking forward to a little relaxing Colorado style. I appreciate your readership, and look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow. I hope you continue to enjoy following our journey and am glad that so many people are able to come along for the ride with us!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Until next time,
Chris
Saturday, June 28, 2008
It's Simple: We Love Colorado
Park visited: Columbine Sports Park
City: Littleton, CO
Food of the day: Chang's Spicy Chicken @ P.F. Chang's
iPhone song of the day: "A Few Short Years" by Ty Herndon
Miles traveled: 25
Between the sunsets, the endless mountain ranges acting as a backdrop and the thin air creating extremely comfortable working conditions, it's easy to say that we are big fans of Colorado. Even our hotel is great, and in my opinion it ranks right up there with the best we've stayed in since Holiday Inn in Orlando. The Internet connection is fast (and actually accessible IN the rooms), the shower has great pressure, the pool/hot tub is functional and they let us stay in it late, free breakfast includes a waffle iron and they actually leave FOUR towels in the bathroom when they tidy up the room. I really think it's the first time (since Matt's arrival) that a hotel hasn't left a mere three towels. Oh how the little things are so significant.
After a twilight dip in the pool on Thursday night, we woke up refreshed and ready for action on Friday, as we made our way to Littleton for the South Jeffco Liberty Blast youth tournament. From the start, the kids were excited for our arrival, as an announcement of our stop was advertised on the tournament's web site during the registration process for all teams involved. There was even one coach who admitted that the sole reason for signing his team up for this particular tournament was due to the presence of the Baseball Youth Road Trip. Good stuff.
The work portion of the day wasn't bad, but we were a man short during the taking down of our area, since Kohrs had to drive to the Denver airport to pick up his lady friend. Despite his crappy Avis GPS device, they made it back safely, and brought an unexpected visitor. Clink's girlfriend Erica decided to surprise him and flew in to spend the weekend in Colorado....awwwww. He seemed heavily (yet very pleasantly) stunned.
Following our day at the fields, we went for a nice dinner at P.F. Chang's. Now THIS place knows how to do it right. The six of us enjoyed a nice meal and conversation, including my "bowl" of soup, which literally looked as if they had simply lifted the pot off the stove and brought it to the table. It even had a ladle in it!! Luckily we were able to get some smaller bowls and divide it out. But of course, I still got made fun of.
Tonight, I am once again enjoying a whole bed to myself, a privilege I have apparently taken WAY too much for granted during my years. And now, after a little Baseball Tonight and more feverish music downloading and adding on to my iTunes, I am off to sleep so that I can be ready for an early day tomorrow.
Oh, and Happy 50th Anniversary to my grandparents (Nonny & Poppy)! Thank you for continuing to shine as exemplary models of marriage and for always continuing to teach us all how to forever unconditionally love.
Tap the Rockies,
CMJ
City: Littleton, CO
Food of the day: Chang's Spicy Chicken @ P.F. Chang's
iPhone song of the day: "A Few Short Years" by Ty Herndon
Miles traveled: 25
Between the sunsets, the endless mountain ranges acting as a backdrop and the thin air creating extremely comfortable working conditions, it's easy to say that we are big fans of Colorado. Even our hotel is great, and in my opinion it ranks right up there with the best we've stayed in since Holiday Inn in Orlando. The Internet connection is fast (and actually accessible IN the rooms), the shower has great pressure, the pool/hot tub is functional and they let us stay in it late, free breakfast includes a waffle iron and they actually leave FOUR towels in the bathroom when they tidy up the room. I really think it's the first time (since Matt's arrival) that a hotel hasn't left a mere three towels. Oh how the little things are so significant.
After a twilight dip in the pool on Thursday night, we woke up refreshed and ready for action on Friday, as we made our way to Littleton for the South Jeffco Liberty Blast youth tournament. From the start, the kids were excited for our arrival, as an announcement of our stop was advertised on the tournament's web site during the registration process for all teams involved. There was even one coach who admitted that the sole reason for signing his team up for this particular tournament was due to the presence of the Baseball Youth Road Trip. Good stuff.
The work portion of the day wasn't bad, but we were a man short during the taking down of our area, since Kohrs had to drive to the Denver airport to pick up his lady friend. Despite his crappy Avis GPS device, they made it back safely, and brought an unexpected visitor. Clink's girlfriend Erica decided to surprise him and flew in to spend the weekend in Colorado....awwwww. He seemed heavily (yet very pleasantly) stunned.
Following our day at the fields, we went for a nice dinner at P.F. Chang's. Now THIS place knows how to do it right. The six of us enjoyed a nice meal and conversation, including my "bowl" of soup, which literally looked as if they had simply lifted the pot off the stove and brought it to the table. It even had a ladle in it!! Luckily we were able to get some smaller bowls and divide it out. But of course, I still got made fun of.
Tonight, I am once again enjoying a whole bed to myself, a privilege I have apparently taken WAY too much for granted during my years. And now, after a little Baseball Tonight and more feverish music downloading and adding on to my iTunes, I am off to sleep so that I can be ready for an early day tomorrow.
Oh, and Happy 50th Anniversary to my grandparents (Nonny & Poppy)! Thank you for continuing to shine as exemplary models of marriage and for always continuing to teach us all how to forever unconditionally love.
Tap the Rockies,
CMJ
Friday, June 27, 2008
Rocky Roads
Park visited: none
City: Highlands Ranch, CO
Food of the day: Meat Me Individual Pizza @ Old Chicago
iPhone song of the day: "Cumbersome" by Seven Mary Three
Miles traveled: 566
The Road Trip eclipsed the 4,000-mile and 100-hour marks for the trip today, as we made the 566-mile trek from Omaha to Highlands Ranch, Colorado. During our trip, we met up with Matt's uncle for lunch at Old Chicago (amazing place) in Kearney, Nebraska. Get to one of these places if you have the chance. They have 110 different types of beer available and the food is incredible.
A little later on, we stopped for gas in North Platte, NE, which is the home of Fort Cody and Buffalo Bill. Kohrs and I decided to venture over to the trading post/museum that honors these two relatively well known entities while Clink gassed up the beast....and what a site we stumbled upon.
This place was full of the most random artifacts and touristy items that one could ever encounter. Our favorites included a bookshelf full of "Oregon Trail" materials and a rack of "Redneck Briefcases," which were actually large pairs of tighty whitey underwear with a wooden handle attached. We also visited the outdoor area full of stereotypical western landmarks and structures. I even managed to squeeze my face through a Native American stand-up with the head cut out. It was quite humorous, which you will see from the picture below.
During the remainder of our trip, Kohrs and I watched some episodes of The Office and Family Guy in the backseat, and also managed to catch a little shuteye with my newly purchased Louisville College World Series hat (that I bought for $2) pulled over my eyes and my "sleep" playlist blaring in my ear with my iPhone.
With the switch to "mountain time," we gained an hour and arrived in Highlands Ranch (near Denver) around 8:45 p.m. We are staying at a pretty nice Fairfield Inn with plenty of nice eating options close by, so hopefully our lunch/dinner decision making will go better than Omaha. We even managed to catch a late night meal at Chik-Fil-A....my favorite. God bless Polynesian Sauce.
Tomorrow we have our first Colorado tournament at 3 p.m. and will also be welcoming Candra (Kohrs' girlfriend) in for the weekend. We are thoroughly excited about this stop in the Centennial State and will certainly have plenty of great stories and pictures for you over the next week and a half or so. Thanks as always for reading and have a wonderful Friday (and that means 7:30 to 5, Dolan).
Until next time,
Chris
City: Highlands Ranch, CO
Food of the day: Meat Me Individual Pizza @ Old Chicago
iPhone song of the day: "Cumbersome" by Seven Mary Three
Miles traveled: 566
The Road Trip eclipsed the 4,000-mile and 100-hour marks for the trip today, as we made the 566-mile trek from Omaha to Highlands Ranch, Colorado. During our trip, we met up with Matt's uncle for lunch at Old Chicago (amazing place) in Kearney, Nebraska. Get to one of these places if you have the chance. They have 110 different types of beer available and the food is incredible.
A little later on, we stopped for gas in North Platte, NE, which is the home of Fort Cody and Buffalo Bill. Kohrs and I decided to venture over to the trading post/museum that honors these two relatively well known entities while Clink gassed up the beast....and what a site we stumbled upon.
This place was full of the most random artifacts and touristy items that one could ever encounter. Our favorites included a bookshelf full of "Oregon Trail" materials and a rack of "Redneck Briefcases," which were actually large pairs of tighty whitey underwear with a wooden handle attached. We also visited the outdoor area full of stereotypical western landmarks and structures. I even managed to squeeze my face through a Native American stand-up with the head cut out. It was quite humorous, which you will see from the picture below.
During the remainder of our trip, Kohrs and I watched some episodes of The Office and Family Guy in the backseat, and also managed to catch a little shuteye with my newly purchased Louisville College World Series hat (that I bought for $2) pulled over my eyes and my "sleep" playlist blaring in my ear with my iPhone.
With the switch to "mountain time," we gained an hour and arrived in Highlands Ranch (near Denver) around 8:45 p.m. We are staying at a pretty nice Fairfield Inn with plenty of nice eating options close by, so hopefully our lunch/dinner decision making will go better than Omaha. We even managed to catch a late night meal at Chik-Fil-A....my favorite. God bless Polynesian Sauce.
Tomorrow we have our first Colorado tournament at 3 p.m. and will also be welcoming Candra (Kohrs' girlfriend) in for the weekend. We are thoroughly excited about this stop in the Centennial State and will certainly have plenty of great stories and pictures for you over the next week and a half or so. Thanks as always for reading and have a wonderful Friday (and that means 7:30 to 5, Dolan).
Until next time,
Chris
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
CWS Final Caps Memorable Stay In Omaha
Park visited: Rosenblatt Stadium
City: Omaha, NE
Food of the day: Original Cheese Runza Sandwich @ Runza
iPhone song of the day: "This Town" by O.A.R.
Miles traveled: 20
There are only a handful of events and venues that can truly quench the thirst of a cottonmouthed baseball fan, and as the Road Trip prepares to depart from Omaha, Nebraska first thing tomorrow morning, I feel fortunate that I was able to experience one of the purest baseball moments a person can partake in: witnessing the culmination of a college baseball season and a spirited celebration by the biggest underdog to ever capture an NCAA championship.
Wednesday night was one of those that the grandkids will hear about in full detail. Despite the overwhelming beat down from a glowing sun in a cloudless sky, there couldn't have been a better setting for Game 3 of the College World Series than Rosenblatt Stadium. I am thrilled that I was able to be a part of such a historical game and feat by Fresno State, as the Bulldogs beat the other Bulldogs from Georgia 6-1, becoming the lowest seed to ever win the CWS.
Over the past few days, we were able to watch the majority of the games leading up to Wednesday's championship, which also allowed us the opportunity to experience Rosenblatt's half pound hot dog (pictured below). This bohemith comes with a bun that is just as big, and is almost inappropriate during the act of eating it, as you will see from our test subject below.
The first pitch for Tuesday's Game 2 was delayed due to more rain. We braved the conditions to keep our great seats and got soaked during the near 45-minute hold up. The crowd exploded once the grounds crew began to pull back the tarp....then the respective offenses for Fresno and Georgia exploded too. We saw over 30 combined hits and 29 combined runs, as FSU overcame an early 5-0 deficit to win 19-10, avoiding elimination and forcing their eventual championship-clinching Game 3. This drew lots of barks from Clink and myself, who became bandwagon Fresno fans during the CWS.
We've still had difficulty choosing eateries to fill ourselves at, but did manage to find a couple of suitable establishments over the first half of this week. We stopped by Jason's Deli on Monday to help celebrate their grand opening. It was a little pricy, but the food is great. I recommend the Smokey Jack panini sandwich and chicken & sausage gumbo. Today we took in a Nebraska chain called Runza. It was kind of like a combination of Jack in the Box, Culver's and White Castle. Pretty unique place.
As I mentioned, our stay in the Cornhusker State has come to an end, and Fresno's big win was the perfect way to cap off our two-week stay in Nebraska. But while we enjoyed the CWS experience and all of our opening ceremony events and Omaha youth tournaments, it will be nice for a change of pace and in scenery. Next up for us is Colorado, which will include stops in Denver, Littleton, Colorado Springs and Breckenridge.
Thanks for reading and we'll see you in the Rockies!
Chris
City: Omaha, NE
Food of the day: Original Cheese Runza Sandwich @ Runza
iPhone song of the day: "This Town" by O.A.R.
Miles traveled: 20
There are only a handful of events and venues that can truly quench the thirst of a cottonmouthed baseball fan, and as the Road Trip prepares to depart from Omaha, Nebraska first thing tomorrow morning, I feel fortunate that I was able to experience one of the purest baseball moments a person can partake in: witnessing the culmination of a college baseball season and a spirited celebration by the biggest underdog to ever capture an NCAA championship.
Wednesday night was one of those that the grandkids will hear about in full detail. Despite the overwhelming beat down from a glowing sun in a cloudless sky, there couldn't have been a better setting for Game 3 of the College World Series than Rosenblatt Stadium. I am thrilled that I was able to be a part of such a historical game and feat by Fresno State, as the Bulldogs beat the other Bulldogs from Georgia 6-1, becoming the lowest seed to ever win the CWS.
Over the past few days, we were able to watch the majority of the games leading up to Wednesday's championship, which also allowed us the opportunity to experience Rosenblatt's half pound hot dog (pictured below). This bohemith comes with a bun that is just as big, and is almost inappropriate during the act of eating it, as you will see from our test subject below.
The first pitch for Tuesday's Game 2 was delayed due to more rain. We braved the conditions to keep our great seats and got soaked during the near 45-minute hold up. The crowd exploded once the grounds crew began to pull back the tarp....then the respective offenses for Fresno and Georgia exploded too. We saw over 30 combined hits and 29 combined runs, as FSU overcame an early 5-0 deficit to win 19-10, avoiding elimination and forcing their eventual championship-clinching Game 3. This drew lots of barks from Clink and myself, who became bandwagon Fresno fans during the CWS.
We've still had difficulty choosing eateries to fill ourselves at, but did manage to find a couple of suitable establishments over the first half of this week. We stopped by Jason's Deli on Monday to help celebrate their grand opening. It was a little pricy, but the food is great. I recommend the Smokey Jack panini sandwich and chicken & sausage gumbo. Today we took in a Nebraska chain called Runza. It was kind of like a combination of Jack in the Box, Culver's and White Castle. Pretty unique place.
As I mentioned, our stay in the Cornhusker State has come to an end, and Fresno's big win was the perfect way to cap off our two-week stay in Nebraska. But while we enjoyed the CWS experience and all of our opening ceremony events and Omaha youth tournaments, it will be nice for a change of pace and in scenery. Next up for us is Colorado, which will include stops in Denver, Littleton, Colorado Springs and Breckenridge.
Thanks for reading and we'll see you in the Rockies!
Chris
Monday, June 23, 2008
Long Week Comes To An End
Park visited: La Vista Sports Complex
City: La Vista, NE
Food of the day: Steak Fajita Ranchera Burrito (w/ cookie) @ Qdoba
iPhone song of the day: "Some Say" by Rascal Flatts
Miles traveled: 20
This week has been a long one for the crew. And following a late dinner and some recent early mornings, I must bow out early tonight.
Check back tomorrow for some more extensive updates, stories, etc. Thank you for your patience and for stopping by to read. Hope you had a great weekend and that your Monday is even better.
Sweet dreams,
Chris
City: La Vista, NE
Food of the day: Steak Fajita Ranchera Burrito (w/ cookie) @ Qdoba
iPhone song of the day: "Some Say" by Rascal Flatts
Miles traveled: 20
This week has been a long one for the crew. And following a late dinner and some recent early mornings, I must bow out early tonight.
Check back tomorrow for some more extensive updates, stories, etc. Thank you for your patience and for stopping by to read. Hope you had a great weekend and that your Monday is even better.
Sweet dreams,
Chris
Friday, June 20, 2008
Road Trip Goes Prime Time
Thursday (06/19)
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
City: Council Bluffs, IA
Food of the day: Sweet & Sour Chicken @ Panda House
iPhone song of the day: "The Little Things" by Colbie Caillat
Miles traveled: 30
After being spoiled by back-to-back days off, the harsh reality of 6 a.m. reared its head WAY too early Thursday morning, as the Road Trip returned to the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex for "The Road to Rosenblatt" youth tournament. Luckily the Clarino in Omaha offers one of the best complimentary breakfasts I've ever had (minus the strange orange juice that is about four shades too orange), which was essential in helping the "wake up" process.
The fields featured some of the calmer crowds we've seen during our journey, but certainly did not cheat us in terms of numbers. And as the day went on, more and more players were drawn to our booths like magnets....much to the aggravation of some of their coaches, who preferred they warm up instead of trying to win free Airheads. We're such bad influences.
The Baseball Youth Road Trip did get a little recognition, as WOWT (the local NBC Omaha affiliate) interviewed Clink and shot footage of our "village" for the six o'clock news. The kids really took to the cameras as they got up close and personal as they waited in lines, tested bats and hit in the inflatable tunnel. Even Kohrs seemed to enjoy the camera time in the background....I'm pretty sure I saw him checking his hair in the reflection from the metal water fountain. See the news coverage screen shot below.
A few hours later, we called it a day and packed up the trailer....which led to a difficult situation that has become more and more of an issue during our trip: choosing where to eat. You would think four guys who were hungry enough to eat an aluminum bat would be able to make some kind of decision in a short amount of time. Much the opposite, however, we drove around for about 30 minutes, some moments in silence, as we stared at all the great options along the road. Eventually we decided that food quantity was our common denominator, so we stopped at Sizzler. Much to our disappointment though, we discovered that Sizzler no longer offers any kind of buffet. Plus the place was com-PLETELY empty, which drew some concerned looks from each of us. We decided to go elsewhere.
Back in the car, we were desperate for some final decisions, as the Sizzler fiasco had really thrown our lunch destination deliberation back into disarray. So finally, we did what any normal "family" does when making such a decision: we flipped a coin. Heads, I pick where we eat; tails, Kohrs picks. He won and decided on Chinese at Panda House. Whew. Thank God. This restaurant was ALSO empty, but the food was good and hit the spot.
We had originally planned on going to the North Carolina-LSU game at Rosenblatt, but we had spent so much time on the lunch process and all were vocal in the fact that a nap sounded really nice, so we took a detour back to the hotel where we all quickly crashed. It ended up being an excellent decision - we woke up to some pretty heavy rain outside, which we found out led to a LONG rain delay at the stadium, and eventually the postponement of the game.
Before we finally headed back to bed, we were treated to a nice care package that my parents had sent us to the hotel. Along with some DVDs and books for the trip, they also included various snacks and some homemade brownies (courtesy of Mom) that we really enjoyed. Thanks guys!!
Friday
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
City: Council Bluffs, IA
Food of the day: Pepperoni and Double Cheese Pizza (yes, pizza) @ Schlotzsky's Deli
iPhone song of the day: "Good" by Better Than Ezra
Miles traveled: 30
With rain coming down late into the night, the starting times for the tournament back in Council Bluffs were delayed on Friday. To pass some time, we hit up Walgreens so that I could find a replacement pair of sunglasses (success!) and so that we could pick up a few more necessities. Eventually we made our way back to the park for what felt like a pretty short day at the fields.
Later on the afternoon, we made took a shuttle from the hotel to our new home away from home, Rosenblatt Stadium, in hopes of watching the remainder of the UNC-LSU game that was postponed after Thursday night rain. Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones interested in checking out this game....as we approached the right side of the facility, the general admission line was ridiculously long and some people were already being turned away.
Not wanting to go home just yet, we scanned the streets looking for an establishment where we could stop off and watch a few innings of the game. We eventually stopped at an old church that had been converted into a temporary Famous Dave's Restaurant & Bar, complete with stained glass windows upstairs on the dance floor. After settling in, more rain showed up outside, thus bringing the game to yet another halt. We looked like geniuses. But after about 45 minutes or so of hanging out, the live "entertainment" hit the stage, and it was time for us to go.
Now, we're back in our hotel room trying to figure out a way to rent Guitar Hero, but the chances of that happening are beginning to look grim. Tomorrow we have the opening ceremonies for yet another session of the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament....this time at the La Vista Complex actually located in Omaha. We're hoping to get back to a few more games before the week is up, so I will be sure to keep you updated on those.
A couple of "shout outs" are in order: first, Happy Anniversary to Kohrs and his girlfriend Candra. Also, to the boys in Louisville that are out for Tooth's bachelor party, have fun, be safe and call me if you need an attorney. That's all for now. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!
Until next time,
Chris
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
City: Council Bluffs, IA
Food of the day: Sweet & Sour Chicken @ Panda House
iPhone song of the day: "The Little Things" by Colbie Caillat
Miles traveled: 30
After being spoiled by back-to-back days off, the harsh reality of 6 a.m. reared its head WAY too early Thursday morning, as the Road Trip returned to the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex for "The Road to Rosenblatt" youth tournament. Luckily the Clarino in Omaha offers one of the best complimentary breakfasts I've ever had (minus the strange orange juice that is about four shades too orange), which was essential in helping the "wake up" process.
The fields featured some of the calmer crowds we've seen during our journey, but certainly did not cheat us in terms of numbers. And as the day went on, more and more players were drawn to our booths like magnets....much to the aggravation of some of their coaches, who preferred they warm up instead of trying to win free Airheads. We're such bad influences.
The Baseball Youth Road Trip did get a little recognition, as WOWT (the local NBC Omaha affiliate) interviewed Clink and shot footage of our "village" for the six o'clock news. The kids really took to the cameras as they got up close and personal as they waited in lines, tested bats and hit in the inflatable tunnel. Even Kohrs seemed to enjoy the camera time in the background....I'm pretty sure I saw him checking his hair in the reflection from the metal water fountain. See the news coverage screen shot below.
A few hours later, we called it a day and packed up the trailer....which led to a difficult situation that has become more and more of an issue during our trip: choosing where to eat. You would think four guys who were hungry enough to eat an aluminum bat would be able to make some kind of decision in a short amount of time. Much the opposite, however, we drove around for about 30 minutes, some moments in silence, as we stared at all the great options along the road. Eventually we decided that food quantity was our common denominator, so we stopped at Sizzler. Much to our disappointment though, we discovered that Sizzler no longer offers any kind of buffet. Plus the place was com-PLETELY empty, which drew some concerned looks from each of us. We decided to go elsewhere.
Back in the car, we were desperate for some final decisions, as the Sizzler fiasco had really thrown our lunch destination deliberation back into disarray. So finally, we did what any normal "family" does when making such a decision: we flipped a coin. Heads, I pick where we eat; tails, Kohrs picks. He won and decided on Chinese at Panda House. Whew. Thank God. This restaurant was ALSO empty, but the food was good and hit the spot.
We had originally planned on going to the North Carolina-LSU game at Rosenblatt, but we had spent so much time on the lunch process and all were vocal in the fact that a nap sounded really nice, so we took a detour back to the hotel where we all quickly crashed. It ended up being an excellent decision - we woke up to some pretty heavy rain outside, which we found out led to a LONG rain delay at the stadium, and eventually the postponement of the game.
Before we finally headed back to bed, we were treated to a nice care package that my parents had sent us to the hotel. Along with some DVDs and books for the trip, they also included various snacks and some homemade brownies (courtesy of Mom) that we really enjoyed. Thanks guys!!
Friday
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
City: Council Bluffs, IA
Food of the day: Pepperoni and Double Cheese Pizza (yes, pizza) @ Schlotzsky's Deli
iPhone song of the day: "Good" by Better Than Ezra
Miles traveled: 30
With rain coming down late into the night, the starting times for the tournament back in Council Bluffs were delayed on Friday. To pass some time, we hit up Walgreens so that I could find a replacement pair of sunglasses (success!) and so that we could pick up a few more necessities. Eventually we made our way back to the park for what felt like a pretty short day at the fields.
Later on the afternoon, we made took a shuttle from the hotel to our new home away from home, Rosenblatt Stadium, in hopes of watching the remainder of the UNC-LSU game that was postponed after Thursday night rain. Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones interested in checking out this game....as we approached the right side of the facility, the general admission line was ridiculously long and some people were already being turned away.
Not wanting to go home just yet, we scanned the streets looking for an establishment where we could stop off and watch a few innings of the game. We eventually stopped at an old church that had been converted into a temporary Famous Dave's Restaurant & Bar, complete with stained glass windows upstairs on the dance floor. After settling in, more rain showed up outside, thus bringing the game to yet another halt. We looked like geniuses. But after about 45 minutes or so of hanging out, the live "entertainment" hit the stage, and it was time for us to go.
Now, we're back in our hotel room trying to figure out a way to rent Guitar Hero, but the chances of that happening are beginning to look grim. Tomorrow we have the opening ceremonies for yet another session of the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament....this time at the La Vista Complex actually located in Omaha. We're hoping to get back to a few more games before the week is up, so I will be sure to keep you updated on those.
A couple of "shout outs" are in order: first, Happy Anniversary to Kohrs and his girlfriend Candra. Also, to the boys in Louisville that are out for Tooth's bachelor party, have fun, be safe and call me if you need an attorney. That's all for now. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!
Until next time,
Chris
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Taking In The Series
Park visited: Rosenblatt Stadium
City: Omaha, NE
Food of the day: Chicken Fajita Burrito @ Chipotle
iPhone song of the day: "Come Down To Me" by Saving Jane
Miles traveled: 15
We have a ridiculously early morning ahead of us, so this post is going to be short and sweet. Minus Kohrs, who was under the weather, the Road Trip crew paid another visit to Rosenblatt on Wednesday night and witnessed the No. 1 team in college baseball (Miami) have its season ended at the hands of the Stanford Cardinal.
We arrived in plenty of time to watch both squads take batting practice, and got insanely close to a few balls that found the bleachers. The park packed 22,000 more people inside tonight, bringing the total attendance thus far in the tournament to over 185,000. That's amazing.
Despite the fact that they boast so many first-round draft picks from the most recent Major League Baseball Draft, I was completely unimpressed with the Hurricanes. They had no emotion or focus during warm-ups. They were lethargic and nonchalant during the game. And when they finally decided to turn on the jets late in the contest, their time had already run out. Kudos to Stanford for taking advantage of such cockiness by Miami and for advancing as another underdog. As it progresses, the World Series is shaping up to be an interesting list of rare teams having success down the stretch.
On another note, my sunglasses broke today. If you have a suggestion on where or what kind I can get (relatively cheap for the time being) that might last a couple more months, I would welcome and appreciate the suggestions.
We are back at it first thing Thursday morning, picking up with Session #2 of the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament. We're planning on taking yet another trip to Rosenblatt tomorrow night for the elimination game between North Carolina and LSU.
Thanks for reading and goodnight (or good morning/afternoon, depending on when you read this). Talk to you soon.
Until next time,
Minute Maid Strawb
erry Frozen Le
monade's #1 Fan
City: Omaha, NE
Food of the day: Chicken Fajita Burrito @ Chipotle
iPhone song of the day: "Come Down To Me" by Saving Jane
Miles traveled: 15
We have a ridiculously early morning ahead of us, so this post is going to be short and sweet. Minus Kohrs, who was under the weather, the Road Trip crew paid another visit to Rosenblatt on Wednesday night and witnessed the No. 1 team in college baseball (Miami) have its season ended at the hands of the Stanford Cardinal.
We arrived in plenty of time to watch both squads take batting practice, and got insanely close to a few balls that found the bleachers. The park packed 22,000 more people inside tonight, bringing the total attendance thus far in the tournament to over 185,000. That's amazing.
Despite the fact that they boast so many first-round draft picks from the most recent Major League Baseball Draft, I was completely unimpressed with the Hurricanes. They had no emotion or focus during warm-ups. They were lethargic and nonchalant during the game. And when they finally decided to turn on the jets late in the contest, their time had already run out. Kudos to Stanford for taking advantage of such cockiness by Miami and for advancing as another underdog. As it progresses, the World Series is shaping up to be an interesting list of rare teams having success down the stretch.
On another note, my sunglasses broke today. If you have a suggestion on where or what kind I can get (relatively cheap for the time being) that might last a couple more months, I would welcome and appreciate the suggestions.
We are back at it first thing Thursday morning, picking up with Session #2 of the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament. We're planning on taking yet another trip to Rosenblatt tomorrow night for the elimination game between North Carolina and LSU.
Thanks for reading and goodnight (or good morning/afternoon, depending on when you read this). Talk to you soon.
Until next time,
Minute Maid Strawb
erry Frozen Le
monade's #1 Fan
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
God Bless Baseball
Here's another multi-day recap....enjoy:
Monday
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
City: Council Bluffs, IA
Food of the day: Loaded Potato Bites @ Arby's
iPhone song of the day: "I'm Alright" by Terri Clark
Miles traveled: 20
Monday featured some ideal timing and good fortune for Matt and I. Due to the fact that our job responsibilities were not until the evening and the Nates were not getting back to Omaha until later in the afternoon, we were able to watch the historic U.S. Open playoff between Tiger "14 going on 19" Woods and Rocco Mediate in its entirety....and what an event it was.
Not to focus on golf too much, but Tiger is on a level that none have us have ever seen. He will without a doubt pass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 career major tournament wins, and probably every other significant golf milestone that exists. It's so much fun watching history in front of our eyes, knowing that we will be able to give first-hand accounts of a person who is rewriting the books to our grandkids. On the flip side, it was a true pleasure to see someone like Mediate get a shot at the spotlight. The guy is as down to Earth as you can be in professional sports, and I am happy that he will finally get some strong recognition from the public.
Once we finally got our fill of golf and Nate Squared rolled back into town, we prepared to return to action. There was a little bit of a mix-up in terms of which park we were actually supposed to be at, but we finally righted our ship and made it to the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex. I don't think I've actually explained this very well, but this specific facility is actually located across the Iowa state line. So even though we're technically in Omaha for about two weeks, we are also working an Iowa park.
On this night, the Council Bluffs Park & Recreation was celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their park, as well as the opening ceremonies for Session #2 of the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament. The evening was similar to the La Vista Complex from last week, with a bunch of different vendors and exhibits, including GameSports who had a couple of interactive video games set up on a pair of plasma TVs. There was also some live music on a pretty big stage, courtesy of "The Sound Effects." It was definitely nice having some background "noise" while we unloaded, etc. The kids and families were extremely lively, which made the night very enjoyable and go by quickly.
We stopped at a local gas station/truck stop that also housed an Arby's for some late night feasting. It was nice having all four of us back together, and what better way to reunite than over some roast beef sandwiches.
Tuesday
Park visited: Rosenblatt Stadium
City: Omaha, Nebraksa
Food of the day: Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade @ Rosenblatt
iPhone song of the day: "I Wanna Grow Old With You" by Westlife
Miles traveled: 15
Following a late night in Council Bluffs, Tuesday was an off day for the Road Trip, and we took advantage of the free time to catch up on our news, fantasy teams and video games (well, Kohrs did anyway). Heck, even Clink took the time to find out that Tim Russert had died....four days ago. The surprise in his voice when he read the headline reminded me of when Jim Carrey gets excited in "Dumb & Dumber" over the United States space race..."We landed on the MOON!!"
During the afternoon, we drove around for an hour attempting to find two local Golden Corral restaurants. Upon arrival to both, however, we discovered that not only were they closed, but they were not even functional. Quite disappointing. We settled for a Valentino's (local pizza/pasta joint) buffet, and it was equally disappointing. Maybe we'll have better luck with lunch tomorrow.
Tonight, we caught the shuttle from our hotel to Rosenblatt Stadium to catch the Fresno State vs. North Carolina winner's bracket game. It was an exceptional game that the Bulldogs eventually won 5-3 (sorry Pat), and the atmosphere was spectacular. The announced attendance of over 23,000 made the experience extremely memorable, and I think we all look forward to the remainder of the tournament. I actually will be doing a "fan experience" piece on the College World Series for "Baseball Youth" magazine, so I won't say too much here and will be sure to share my article(s) with you once they are complete.
I suppose that's about all for now. We continue to have a good time meeting new people and adding more experiences not only to this trip, but to our life list as well. Thank you for taking the time to follow our progress....I hope you are enjoying the ride! Talk to you soon.
Until next time,
Chris
Monday
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
City: Council Bluffs, IA
Food of the day: Loaded Potato Bites @ Arby's
iPhone song of the day: "I'm Alright" by Terri Clark
Miles traveled: 20
Monday featured some ideal timing and good fortune for Matt and I. Due to the fact that our job responsibilities were not until the evening and the Nates were not getting back to Omaha until later in the afternoon, we were able to watch the historic U.S. Open playoff between Tiger "14 going on 19" Woods and Rocco Mediate in its entirety....and what an event it was.
Not to focus on golf too much, but Tiger is on a level that none have us have ever seen. He will without a doubt pass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 career major tournament wins, and probably every other significant golf milestone that exists. It's so much fun watching history in front of our eyes, knowing that we will be able to give first-hand accounts of a person who is rewriting the books to our grandkids. On the flip side, it was a true pleasure to see someone like Mediate get a shot at the spotlight. The guy is as down to Earth as you can be in professional sports, and I am happy that he will finally get some strong recognition from the public.
Once we finally got our fill of golf and Nate Squared rolled back into town, we prepared to return to action. There was a little bit of a mix-up in terms of which park we were actually supposed to be at, but we finally righted our ship and made it to the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex. I don't think I've actually explained this very well, but this specific facility is actually located across the Iowa state line. So even though we're technically in Omaha for about two weeks, we are also working an Iowa park.
On this night, the Council Bluffs Park & Recreation was celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their park, as well as the opening ceremonies for Session #2 of the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament. The evening was similar to the La Vista Complex from last week, with a bunch of different vendors and exhibits, including GameSports who had a couple of interactive video games set up on a pair of plasma TVs. There was also some live music on a pretty big stage, courtesy of "The Sound Effects." It was definitely nice having some background "noise" while we unloaded, etc. The kids and families were extremely lively, which made the night very enjoyable and go by quickly.
We stopped at a local gas station/truck stop that also housed an Arby's for some late night feasting. It was nice having all four of us back together, and what better way to reunite than over some roast beef sandwiches.
Tuesday
Park visited: Rosenblatt Stadium
City: Omaha, Nebraksa
Food of the day: Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade @ Rosenblatt
iPhone song of the day: "I Wanna Grow Old With You" by Westlife
Miles traveled: 15
Following a late night in Council Bluffs, Tuesday was an off day for the Road Trip, and we took advantage of the free time to catch up on our news, fantasy teams and video games (well, Kohrs did anyway). Heck, even Clink took the time to find out that Tim Russert had died....four days ago. The surprise in his voice when he read the headline reminded me of when Jim Carrey gets excited in "Dumb & Dumber" over the United States space race..."We landed on the MOON!!"
During the afternoon, we drove around for an hour attempting to find two local Golden Corral restaurants. Upon arrival to both, however, we discovered that not only were they closed, but they were not even functional. Quite disappointing. We settled for a Valentino's (local pizza/pasta joint) buffet, and it was equally disappointing. Maybe we'll have better luck with lunch tomorrow.
Tonight, we caught the shuttle from our hotel to Rosenblatt Stadium to catch the Fresno State vs. North Carolina winner's bracket game. It was an exceptional game that the Bulldogs eventually won 5-3 (sorry Pat), and the atmosphere was spectacular. The announced attendance of over 23,000 made the experience extremely memorable, and I think we all look forward to the remainder of the tournament. I actually will be doing a "fan experience" piece on the College World Series for "Baseball Youth" magazine, so I won't say too much here and will be sure to share my article(s) with you once they are complete.
I suppose that's about all for now. We continue to have a good time meeting new people and adding more experiences not only to this trip, but to our life list as well. Thank you for taking the time to follow our progress....I hope you are enjoying the ride! Talk to you soon.
Until next time,
Chris
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Father's Day On The Road
Park visited: Henry Doorly Omaha Zoo
City: Omaha, Nebraksa
Food of the day: Half Pound Fire Grill Burger @ Stokes Grill & Bar
iPhone song of the day: "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw
Miles traveled: 20
There are certain days of the year that are tougher to be away from home than others, and today definitely falls into that category. Today the nation celebrated Father's Day, a chance for sons and daughters to pay tribute to the men who played such a significant role in their lives as a mentor, role model, wrestling partner and friend.
In actuality, I "blame" my Dad for me being on this trip. Since my conception, he has raised me as an avid sports fan....especially when it comes to the wonderful game of baseball. But that's not the only thing he's taught me during my 25-plus years. My Dad has set the ideal example for me on both a personal and professional level, always asking me for my best, not allowing me to make excuses or to form regrets and driving home the fact that first impressions are crucial, that articulating and speaking crisply and firmly is essential and that even though the initial pain might sting, you'll always get over a girl.
I honestly do consider myself to be the luckiest son in the world to have a father (and a mother) who is also my best friend. The laughs and memories that we've shared during our time together would undoubtedly equate to multiple lifetimes of a common father-son relationship. Because he supports me unconditionally, I know he'll be reading this at some point, so Dad....Happy Father's Day and thanks for everything. I love you.
As for the daily happenings in the world of the Road Trip, Sunday was an off day for us, which allowed me the opportunity to meet up with and spend the day with a friend with whom I have a very unique and special relationship with. Sara Bailey and I clicked as buddies during our time at Murray State, and I have always appreciated her loyalty as a friend and dedication to keeping in touch and her sincere concern for my well-being and success.
Since she lives in Lincoln, Nebraska (about an hour from Omaha), she made the drive down this morning so that we could visit and catch up. Luckily the expected storms in the area occurred and passed through in the morning, since our main plan included the Omaha Zoo. By the time we made our way down Highway 80 around noon, the weather was perfect and allowed us to follow through with our trip. The zoo is located directly across the street from Rosenblatt Stadium, so imagine the chaos on those side streets with thousands of people packing the streets for the World Series games, and hundreds of families lining up to enter the zoo on Father's Day.
We eventually made our way inside after getting an amazing parking spot, which I'm convinced we could have sold for about $50. Sara and I started off our visit by catching the IMAX film "Wild Ocean 3D" on the giant screen (not as big as the St. Louis IMAX, as Sara pointed out) inside a relatively empty theatre. The movie was actually very good, even though we had to wear these exaggeratedly oversized 3D glasses that made us look like the love children of Orville Redenbacher and that old dancing guy from the Six Flags commercials.
Following the flick, we began our trek around the giant zoo grounds, and proceeded to visit every exhibit and to see every animal possible during our near four and a half hour stay. Sara was not a big fans of the insects or the sharks, but did enjoy the penguins and the monkeys (see a video below of some of the monkeys in action). Some of the highlights included an elephant that had fallen asleep standing up while leaning against a huge row of wooden posts, me holding and feeding various birds on my fingers, a trip through the "Desert Dome," which is the large structure that is visible behind the right field wall of Rosenblatt during games on ESPN, Sara mistaking African Hunting Dogs for Hyenas and the lions.
After the two of us had successfully walked about five miles of steep upward hills and sweat ourselves into states of uncomfortableness, we decided that we had conquered the Omaha Zoo. Seriously though, this was one of the best I've ever been to. They feature every animal imaginable and every internal structure included layouts and artificial habitats that were very, very impressive.
Hungry and looking to cool off, we drove downtown to the Old Market area, a neat part of Omaha that has cobblestone roadways, shops and an array of interesting restaurants and cafes. We chose Stokes Grill & Bar and it really hit the spot. I don't know what it is about fountain cherry cokes, but I am sucker for them. After initially ordering a water, I saw a "Black Cherry Cola" drink listed, and I couldn't contain myself from getting one. I'm pretty sure it was on the kid's portion of the menu, but I don't care. I proceeded to down it in about four solid drinks and resisted from an ordering another one when our half surprised, half disgusted waitress returned to find that it was already gone.
Following a fulfilling meal and some good conversation, Sara brought me back to the hotel so that she could get back home. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and was happy that my travels allowed me to be so close to a friend who is normally so far away! Tonight I watched Tiger do his thing at the U.S. Open (didn't I mention yesterday that he's pretty good?) and actually was able to access the Internet from my room for about two hours until the network decided to take long nap yet again. *Sigh*
Tomorrow the "Nate Squared" duo rejoins the team after their weekend excursion to Kentucky, and hopefully our plans will include watching the 18-hole playoff between Tiger and Rocco Mediate for the U.S. Open Championship. Until then, I am going to enjoy my last night of going solo in my own bed and look forward to reporting back to you again tomorrow.
Have a great Monday folks. And if you didn't do it today, please take a moment now to call your parents and thank them for everything they've done for you.
Holler if you hear me (that's for you Belmonte),
Christopher
City: Omaha, Nebraksa
Food of the day: Half Pound Fire Grill Burger @ Stokes Grill & Bar
iPhone song of the day: "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw
Miles traveled: 20
There are certain days of the year that are tougher to be away from home than others, and today definitely falls into that category. Today the nation celebrated Father's Day, a chance for sons and daughters to pay tribute to the men who played such a significant role in their lives as a mentor, role model, wrestling partner and friend.
In actuality, I "blame" my Dad for me being on this trip. Since my conception, he has raised me as an avid sports fan....especially when it comes to the wonderful game of baseball. But that's not the only thing he's taught me during my 25-plus years. My Dad has set the ideal example for me on both a personal and professional level, always asking me for my best, not allowing me to make excuses or to form regrets and driving home the fact that first impressions are crucial, that articulating and speaking crisply and firmly is essential and that even though the initial pain might sting, you'll always get over a girl.
I honestly do consider myself to be the luckiest son in the world to have a father (and a mother) who is also my best friend. The laughs and memories that we've shared during our time together would undoubtedly equate to multiple lifetimes of a common father-son relationship. Because he supports me unconditionally, I know he'll be reading this at some point, so Dad....Happy Father's Day and thanks for everything. I love you.
As for the daily happenings in the world of the Road Trip, Sunday was an off day for us, which allowed me the opportunity to meet up with and spend the day with a friend with whom I have a very unique and special relationship with. Sara Bailey and I clicked as buddies during our time at Murray State, and I have always appreciated her loyalty as a friend and dedication to keeping in touch and her sincere concern for my well-being and success.
Since she lives in Lincoln, Nebraska (about an hour from Omaha), she made the drive down this morning so that we could visit and catch up. Luckily the expected storms in the area occurred and passed through in the morning, since our main plan included the Omaha Zoo. By the time we made our way down Highway 80 around noon, the weather was perfect and allowed us to follow through with our trip. The zoo is located directly across the street from Rosenblatt Stadium, so imagine the chaos on those side streets with thousands of people packing the streets for the World Series games, and hundreds of families lining up to enter the zoo on Father's Day.
We eventually made our way inside after getting an amazing parking spot, which I'm convinced we could have sold for about $50. Sara and I started off our visit by catching the IMAX film "Wild Ocean 3D" on the giant screen (not as big as the St. Louis IMAX, as Sara pointed out) inside a relatively empty theatre. The movie was actually very good, even though we had to wear these exaggeratedly oversized 3D glasses that made us look like the love children of Orville Redenbacher and that old dancing guy from the Six Flags commercials.
Following the flick, we began our trek around the giant zoo grounds, and proceeded to visit every exhibit and to see every animal possible during our near four and a half hour stay. Sara was not a big fans of the insects or the sharks, but did enjoy the penguins and the monkeys (see a video below of some of the monkeys in action). Some of the highlights included an elephant that had fallen asleep standing up while leaning against a huge row of wooden posts, me holding and feeding various birds on my fingers, a trip through the "Desert Dome," which is the large structure that is visible behind the right field wall of Rosenblatt during games on ESPN, Sara mistaking African Hunting Dogs for Hyenas and the lions.
After the two of us had successfully walked about five miles of steep upward hills and sweat ourselves into states of uncomfortableness, we decided that we had conquered the Omaha Zoo. Seriously though, this was one of the best I've ever been to. They feature every animal imaginable and every internal structure included layouts and artificial habitats that were very, very impressive.
Hungry and looking to cool off, we drove downtown to the Old Market area, a neat part of Omaha that has cobblestone roadways, shops and an array of interesting restaurants and cafes. We chose Stokes Grill & Bar and it really hit the spot. I don't know what it is about fountain cherry cokes, but I am sucker for them. After initially ordering a water, I saw a "Black Cherry Cola" drink listed, and I couldn't contain myself from getting one. I'm pretty sure it was on the kid's portion of the menu, but I don't care. I proceeded to down it in about four solid drinks and resisted from an ordering another one when our half surprised, half disgusted waitress returned to find that it was already gone.
Following a fulfilling meal and some good conversation, Sara brought me back to the hotel so that she could get back home. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and was happy that my travels allowed me to be so close to a friend who is normally so far away! Tonight I watched Tiger do his thing at the U.S. Open (didn't I mention yesterday that he's pretty good?) and actually was able to access the Internet from my room for about two hours until the network decided to take long nap yet again. *Sigh*
Tomorrow the "Nate Squared" duo rejoins the team after their weekend excursion to Kentucky, and hopefully our plans will include watching the 18-hole playoff between Tiger and Rocco Mediate for the U.S. Open Championship. Until then, I am going to enjoy my last night of going solo in my own bed and look forward to reporting back to you again tomorrow.
Have a great Monday folks. And if you didn't do it today, please take a moment now to call your parents and thank them for everything they've done for you.
Holler if you hear me (that's for you Belmonte),
Christopher
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Whirlwind Nebraska Tour
This entry comes to you live from the lobby of the Clarino (formerly Clarion) hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. Despite the fact that WiFi and Internet are supposed to be accessible from all rooms, I was told by the front desk earlier that my room was too far from the network. What? Too far away? Then either extend the radius of the wireless capability or close the rooms that are "too far." And either way, PLEASE don't advertise free WiFi in "every" room if that is indeed not really the case.
On top of that, the hotel pool is closed for the next two weeks. The TV set in the room continues to mysteriously shut off every 45 minutes or so. And I will apparently have to sit on a rock hard couch for the next 10 days if I want to update this blog. Ugh. Oh well....these are simply some of the bad beats that you run the risk of incurring during such a lengthy trip on the road.
These past few days have been absolutely crazy, so let's get you updated...
Thursday
Park visited: La Vista Sports Complex
City: Omaha, Nebraksa
Food of the day: Chicken Finger Basket @ Dairy Queen
iPhone song of the day: "Silver Thunderbird" by Jo Dee Messina
Miles traveled: 177
Thursday was arguably the longest day of the trip work-wise since we set forth on our journey in May. After packing up and saying adieu to the windy surroundings of Kansas City, the Road Trip set its sight on the Cornhusker State - Nebraska. With no time to spare, we drove straight to the La Vista Sports Complex for the opening ceremonies of the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament.
It was quite obvious after being in town for just a brief time that Omaha loves it baseball, as we were definitely not alone at this particular facility. Other vendors from various baseball equipment and memorabilia companies were setting up shop, along with concession stands, Hawaiian Shaved Ice carts and professional picture booths where baseball cards, license plates and throw blankets were all being made on site.
The tournament itself drew roughly 90 teams, which in turn attracted the cameras of YSPN and other regional web sites and production trucks who were shooting all the action for steaming feeds, etc. It is very apparent that with the success of the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, that the surrounding cities and counties have worked hard to extend the baseball community, in essence developing the town into a true baseball mecca.
We worked the Slumpbuster at La Vista from about noon until 11 p.m. on Thursday night. During our long day, we literally handed out thousands of baseball cards and pieces of Airheads candy, and I probably assisted in the testing of Louisville Slugger's 2009 line of bats for easily 300 kids. Later in the evening, we met a lovely lady named Ellen who happened to be running the shaved ice stand. She was nice enough to share the leftovers of her product with us, and was so thrilled to hear about the trip we were in the middle of. During our discussion, I also learned that her son plays for the Columbus Crew soccer team in Ohio, and that their last name is "Junge." She couldn't believe that my last name was so close. It was a neat conversation to say the least, and it's obvious that there are many like Ellen in this city who have much pride for their town.
After packing up and nearly 11 hours of being on our feet under the blazing sun, our night really began. Scott was flying into town that evening to assist in tournaments during the weekend, so we drove to the Omaha airport to pick him up. From there, we drove just over an hour to Lincoln, where Clink & Kohrs would be flying out of at 6:20 a.m. the next morning, so that they could attend the wedding of a close friend. By the time we reached our hotel in Lincoln, we didn't get to sleep until close to 2 a.m.
Friday
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
City: Council Bluffs, Iowa
Food of the day: Hot Dog from Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
iPhone song of the day: "Still Fighting It" by Ben Folds
Miles traveled: 90
After only about four and a half hours of quick sleep, Matt, Scott and I got up around 6:30 a.m. and drove back to Omaha to pick up some packages from our new hotel and headed straight for Council Bluffs, Iowa (located pretty close to the Nebraska state line) for the Road to Omaha Tournament at the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex. And just as La Vista had done, this place was equally decked out and ready for some awesome baseball action.
We couldn't get set up fast enough, as players and coaches were swarming to rent out the new bats, and the players' siblings, some of whom had already seen us at previous tournaments, were already abuzz about the booths they knew we were in the process of setting up.
Despite being two men down, the three of us were extremely efficient and had the tents up and running in no time. We were also joined by several Louisville Slugger representatives who set up their own booth next door. Their presence was helpful in assisting coaches and parents who had more specific and detailed questions pertaining to the bats, gloves and other gear we had laid out for display.
I got my first crack at driving the SUV/trailer combination (much to the delight of my always-concerned mother while any of her children are on the road when I told her later on) by driving to Wal-Mart to pick up some additional extension cords and drinks for our cooler. And of course my first route with 40 feet of vehicle included the narrowest lanes I've ever seen even for a normal car, as local construction was going on seemingly at every exit ramp and intersection. I eventually did find my way and made it back (myself and the Armada/trailer) all in one piece.
For lunch, I had the best little league concession stand hot dog that I have EVER consumed. They definitely do it right and I would recommend you going by there some time just to pick up a dog for lunch. Well done, Council Bluffs. The late afternoon was upsetting after I got the news from my Mom that Tim Russert had died. As a somewhat experienced and always aspiring journalist, I have always viewed Russert as a true mentor and role model. His wholesome demeanor and common "Joe" approach to the usual doubleheaded monster of politics and media was overwhelmingly refreshing during his days on NBC, and I can't imagine watching the next five months or so of election coverage without hearing his comforting voice or seeing his contagious grin as he discusses a topic he knew so well and loved so much. My condolences and prayers go out to his family, who MUST be devastated this Father's Day weekend.
We finally hit the proverbial wall late in the afternoon, and finally decided to call it a day around 6 p.m. or so. By the time we got back to the hotel, I think the combination of no sleep, crappy diet and consecutive hours in the sun decided to take their toll all at once, as I was overcome by what we like to refer to in my family as "don't feel good." I sent Matt and Scott off to dinner without me and immediately went into my Rem cycle as soon as my head hit all three pillows on the bed. It's amazing how much you take for granted having a bed all to yourself. Try sleeping next to someone else who isn't your spouse or significant other every night for a month, and you'll quickly know what I mean.
I woke up to Matt knocking/calling from the hallway, as his room key had malfunctioned. The guys were nice enough to bring me some food back from Charley's Restaurant, and the combination of it and the rest I had just taken advantage of helped me to feel MUCH better. But after eating and drinking some ice cold bathroom sink water (and one more botched attempt to access the Clarino Internet), I was right back to sleep ;)
Saturday
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex/Rosenblatt Stadium
City: Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraksa
Food of the day: Sausage Pizza @ Valentino's
iPhone song of the day: "The Distance" by Evan & Jaron
Miles traveled: 25
After the most sleep I've gotten since we began this trip, I woke up refreshed and feeling good on Saturday morning. One of the things I've noticed since we've been gone is that with the weird schedule we keep, I can NEVER remember what day of the week it is....literally. And today certainly did not feel like a Saturday; in fact, I don't even know what it felt like. I really think they are all staring to just run together.
Anyway, after inhaling a McDonald's Southern Style Chicken sandwich on the way back to the park, we arrived for our last day in Council Bluffs. As soon as we turned the corner, parked the trailer and began unloading, there were masses of children running to the spot we had been the previous day, already forming a line before the first table even hit the ground. They didn't seem to mind waiting, and by the time we actually WERE set up and open for "business," we had lines as long as they have been during our trip. We even recruited a couple of regulars to run our Airheads booth. Child labor at its finest.
Because of more heavy winds (I thought we had LEFT Kansas City) and a few moments that involved an unstable tent, we were forced to disassemble our village, much to the disappointment of our young customers. It's funny watching the persistence of kids even when we tell them we are closed and actually begin to put our equipment away. As I stood in the trailer to rearrange some of the boxes, I heard some children on the sidewalk attempting to spin one of the prize wheels that had already been taken apart....free candy, baseball cards and t-shirts make these young'ins crazy!
After our day in Council Bluffs, we made our way out to Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, the home of the NCAA College World Series to try and catch the Georgia-Florida State opening round game. The atmosphere was absolutely electric around the field, and there were many similarities between it and the Kentucky Derby in Louisville. The neighboring area is full of tents and makeshift bars, with games of beer pong taking place right on the sidewalk. The merchandise tents and booths were booming and people were in every direction. Unfortunately with our general admission tickets, we had no luck getting in tonight, but we have plenty of time to see a lot more of the remaining games.
After so many long days, we enjoyed a relaxing night in the hotel with good pizza, some Mountain Dew and some of the greatest PGA major championship putts I've ever seen from Tiger Woods. As Pat said so eloquently during our conversation earlier, "he is the greatest golfer we will ever see." It's fun being so young, yet competent enough to realize that we are witnessing history every time Tiger hits the links, and knowing that as time marches on, he will shatter every golfing record that exists. I'm not sure why people insist on rooting against him. He's not a bad guy. He has overcome a lot with hard work and strong values. And even though he does win almost every time he competes, he does so with such a touch of class and professionalism, that it doesn't become annoying like Duke, the Yankees or Kobayashi. Yes, even professional hot dog eating can cause a man to become arrogant. What a country.
Now, it's time for me to return to the room. I've received a lot of strange looks, the front desk worker continues to flash some creepy eyes at me, and an intoxicated LSU baseball fan just asked if he could come join me for some online poker. I think that's my cue to call it a night.
Before I go, I am curious about your opinion on a topic: instant replay in baseball. Yes or no? I know the stance of one ironing redhead in Palma, and I'm curious to hear what the rest of you think. Love ya, Mrs. Clark ;)
Thanks for reading everybody. Good night and good luck.
Until next time,
The guy in the lobby
On top of that, the hotel pool is closed for the next two weeks. The TV set in the room continues to mysteriously shut off every 45 minutes or so. And I will apparently have to sit on a rock hard couch for the next 10 days if I want to update this blog. Ugh. Oh well....these are simply some of the bad beats that you run the risk of incurring during such a lengthy trip on the road.
These past few days have been absolutely crazy, so let's get you updated...
Thursday
Park visited: La Vista Sports Complex
City: Omaha, Nebraksa
Food of the day: Chicken Finger Basket @ Dairy Queen
iPhone song of the day: "Silver Thunderbird" by Jo Dee Messina
Miles traveled: 177
Thursday was arguably the longest day of the trip work-wise since we set forth on our journey in May. After packing up and saying adieu to the windy surroundings of Kansas City, the Road Trip set its sight on the Cornhusker State - Nebraska. With no time to spare, we drove straight to the La Vista Sports Complex for the opening ceremonies of the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament.
It was quite obvious after being in town for just a brief time that Omaha loves it baseball, as we were definitely not alone at this particular facility. Other vendors from various baseball equipment and memorabilia companies were setting up shop, along with concession stands, Hawaiian Shaved Ice carts and professional picture booths where baseball cards, license plates and throw blankets were all being made on site.
The tournament itself drew roughly 90 teams, which in turn attracted the cameras of YSPN and other regional web sites and production trucks who were shooting all the action for steaming feeds, etc. It is very apparent that with the success of the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, that the surrounding cities and counties have worked hard to extend the baseball community, in essence developing the town into a true baseball mecca.
We worked the Slumpbuster at La Vista from about noon until 11 p.m. on Thursday night. During our long day, we literally handed out thousands of baseball cards and pieces of Airheads candy, and I probably assisted in the testing of Louisville Slugger's 2009 line of bats for easily 300 kids. Later in the evening, we met a lovely lady named Ellen who happened to be running the shaved ice stand. She was nice enough to share the leftovers of her product with us, and was so thrilled to hear about the trip we were in the middle of. During our discussion, I also learned that her son plays for the Columbus Crew soccer team in Ohio, and that their last name is "Junge." She couldn't believe that my last name was so close. It was a neat conversation to say the least, and it's obvious that there are many like Ellen in this city who have much pride for their town.
After packing up and nearly 11 hours of being on our feet under the blazing sun, our night really began. Scott was flying into town that evening to assist in tournaments during the weekend, so we drove to the Omaha airport to pick him up. From there, we drove just over an hour to Lincoln, where Clink & Kohrs would be flying out of at 6:20 a.m. the next morning, so that they could attend the wedding of a close friend. By the time we reached our hotel in Lincoln, we didn't get to sleep until close to 2 a.m.
Friday
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
City: Council Bluffs, Iowa
Food of the day: Hot Dog from Council Bluffs Recreation Complex
iPhone song of the day: "Still Fighting It" by Ben Folds
Miles traveled: 90
After only about four and a half hours of quick sleep, Matt, Scott and I got up around 6:30 a.m. and drove back to Omaha to pick up some packages from our new hotel and headed straight for Council Bluffs, Iowa (located pretty close to the Nebraska state line) for the Road to Omaha Tournament at the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex. And just as La Vista had done, this place was equally decked out and ready for some awesome baseball action.
We couldn't get set up fast enough, as players and coaches were swarming to rent out the new bats, and the players' siblings, some of whom had already seen us at previous tournaments, were already abuzz about the booths they knew we were in the process of setting up.
Despite being two men down, the three of us were extremely efficient and had the tents up and running in no time. We were also joined by several Louisville Slugger representatives who set up their own booth next door. Their presence was helpful in assisting coaches and parents who had more specific and detailed questions pertaining to the bats, gloves and other gear we had laid out for display.
I got my first crack at driving the SUV/trailer combination (much to the delight of my always-concerned mother while any of her children are on the road when I told her later on) by driving to Wal-Mart to pick up some additional extension cords and drinks for our cooler. And of course my first route with 40 feet of vehicle included the narrowest lanes I've ever seen even for a normal car, as local construction was going on seemingly at every exit ramp and intersection. I eventually did find my way and made it back (myself and the Armada/trailer) all in one piece.
For lunch, I had the best little league concession stand hot dog that I have EVER consumed. They definitely do it right and I would recommend you going by there some time just to pick up a dog for lunch. Well done, Council Bluffs. The late afternoon was upsetting after I got the news from my Mom that Tim Russert had died. As a somewhat experienced and always aspiring journalist, I have always viewed Russert as a true mentor and role model. His wholesome demeanor and common "Joe" approach to the usual doubleheaded monster of politics and media was overwhelmingly refreshing during his days on NBC, and I can't imagine watching the next five months or so of election coverage without hearing his comforting voice or seeing his contagious grin as he discusses a topic he knew so well and loved so much. My condolences and prayers go out to his family, who MUST be devastated this Father's Day weekend.
We finally hit the proverbial wall late in the afternoon, and finally decided to call it a day around 6 p.m. or so. By the time we got back to the hotel, I think the combination of no sleep, crappy diet and consecutive hours in the sun decided to take their toll all at once, as I was overcome by what we like to refer to in my family as "don't feel good." I sent Matt and Scott off to dinner without me and immediately went into my Rem cycle as soon as my head hit all three pillows on the bed. It's amazing how much you take for granted having a bed all to yourself. Try sleeping next to someone else who isn't your spouse or significant other every night for a month, and you'll quickly know what I mean.
I woke up to Matt knocking/calling from the hallway, as his room key had malfunctioned. The guys were nice enough to bring me some food back from Charley's Restaurant, and the combination of it and the rest I had just taken advantage of helped me to feel MUCH better. But after eating and drinking some ice cold bathroom sink water (and one more botched attempt to access the Clarino Internet), I was right back to sleep ;)
Saturday
Park visited: Council Bluffs Recreation Complex/Rosenblatt Stadium
City: Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraksa
Food of the day: Sausage Pizza @ Valentino's
iPhone song of the day: "The Distance" by Evan & Jaron
Miles traveled: 25
After the most sleep I've gotten since we began this trip, I woke up refreshed and feeling good on Saturday morning. One of the things I've noticed since we've been gone is that with the weird schedule we keep, I can NEVER remember what day of the week it is....literally. And today certainly did not feel like a Saturday; in fact, I don't even know what it felt like. I really think they are all staring to just run together.
Anyway, after inhaling a McDonald's Southern Style Chicken sandwich on the way back to the park, we arrived for our last day in Council Bluffs. As soon as we turned the corner, parked the trailer and began unloading, there were masses of children running to the spot we had been the previous day, already forming a line before the first table even hit the ground. They didn't seem to mind waiting, and by the time we actually WERE set up and open for "business," we had lines as long as they have been during our trip. We even recruited a couple of regulars to run our Airheads booth. Child labor at its finest.
Because of more heavy winds (I thought we had LEFT Kansas City) and a few moments that involved an unstable tent, we were forced to disassemble our village, much to the disappointment of our young customers. It's funny watching the persistence of kids even when we tell them we are closed and actually begin to put our equipment away. As I stood in the trailer to rearrange some of the boxes, I heard some children on the sidewalk attempting to spin one of the prize wheels that had already been taken apart....free candy, baseball cards and t-shirts make these young'ins crazy!
After our day in Council Bluffs, we made our way out to Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, the home of the NCAA College World Series to try and catch the Georgia-Florida State opening round game. The atmosphere was absolutely electric around the field, and there were many similarities between it and the Kentucky Derby in Louisville. The neighboring area is full of tents and makeshift bars, with games of beer pong taking place right on the sidewalk. The merchandise tents and booths were booming and people were in every direction. Unfortunately with our general admission tickets, we had no luck getting in tonight, but we have plenty of time to see a lot more of the remaining games.
After so many long days, we enjoyed a relaxing night in the hotel with good pizza, some Mountain Dew and some of the greatest PGA major championship putts I've ever seen from Tiger Woods. As Pat said so eloquently during our conversation earlier, "he is the greatest golfer we will ever see." It's fun being so young, yet competent enough to realize that we are witnessing history every time Tiger hits the links, and knowing that as time marches on, he will shatter every golfing record that exists. I'm not sure why people insist on rooting against him. He's not a bad guy. He has overcome a lot with hard work and strong values. And even though he does win almost every time he competes, he does so with such a touch of class and professionalism, that it doesn't become annoying like Duke, the Yankees or Kobayashi. Yes, even professional hot dog eating can cause a man to become arrogant. What a country.
Now, it's time for me to return to the room. I've received a lot of strange looks, the front desk worker continues to flash some creepy eyes at me, and an intoxicated LSU baseball fan just asked if he could come join me for some online poker. I think that's my cue to call it a night.
Before I go, I am curious about your opinion on a topic: instant replay in baseball. Yes or no? I know the stance of one ironing redhead in Palma, and I'm curious to hear what the rest of you think. Love ya, Mrs. Clark ;)
Thanks for reading everybody. Good night and good luck.
Until next time,
The guy in the lobby
Thursday, June 12, 2008
K.C. Yuh
Park visited: Kaufmann Stadium
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: $1 Hot Dog (from Buck Night) @ Kaufmann Stadium
iPhone song of the day: "I Still Believe In Love" by Blessid Union of Souls
Miles traveled: 42
I will listen to and agree with arguments all day long that designate the Cleveland Indians as THE hard luck team of Major League Baseball (besides the Chicago Cubs). But with first-hand observation tonight at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, I must say that I would take 100 Game 7 losses in the World Series before I would EVER consider being a full-time Royals fan. Oh. My. God.
The team is just awful. The atmosphere is worse. And even upon entering the ballpark, the contagious negative vibe just soaks into your skin. It's horrendous. I feel so bad for people who have to suffer through the "New. Blue. Tradition." Apparently, however, they offer "Buck Nights" pretty often, which allows fans to enjoy $1 hot dogs, peanuts and soft drinks....I have to imagine that is a huge draw for people looking for an excuse to come watch a team play who has a lion with a crown growing out of its head as its mascot.
Luckily we were able to take advantage of the cheap dogs Wednesday night (as well as the $7 tickets for college night) during our visit to the Big K. While I do talk poorly about the Royals, at the end of the day it is live baseball at the park, and there is really nothing better.
The Royals' game against the Rangers capped a pretty lazy day in Kansas City, where the most energy of the day was exerted by us driving to find a Chinese restaurant and Nate "Chocolate Thunder/Ft. Thomas Flyer" Kohrs buying us some toothpaste at Wal-Mart since he's been secretly using mine and Clink's since Orlando.
Tonight was our last night in Missouri. Tomorrow we make our way for Omaha, Nebraska, and eventually the NCAA College World Series! I hope you enjoyed tonight's entry, and I encourage you to stop by regularly to follow along with our journey. Thanks for reading and go Royals! (ugh).
Until next time,
CMJ
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: $1 Hot Dog (from Buck Night) @ Kaufmann Stadium
iPhone song of the day: "I Still Believe In Love" by Blessid Union of Souls
Miles traveled: 42
I will listen to and agree with arguments all day long that designate the Cleveland Indians as THE hard luck team of Major League Baseball (besides the Chicago Cubs). But with first-hand observation tonight at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, I must say that I would take 100 Game 7 losses in the World Series before I would EVER consider being a full-time Royals fan. Oh. My. God.
The team is just awful. The atmosphere is worse. And even upon entering the ballpark, the contagious negative vibe just soaks into your skin. It's horrendous. I feel so bad for people who have to suffer through the "New. Blue. Tradition." Apparently, however, they offer "Buck Nights" pretty often, which allows fans to enjoy $1 hot dogs, peanuts and soft drinks....I have to imagine that is a huge draw for people looking for an excuse to come watch a team play who has a lion with a crown growing out of its head as its mascot.
Luckily we were able to take advantage of the cheap dogs Wednesday night (as well as the $7 tickets for college night) during our visit to the Big K. While I do talk poorly about the Royals, at the end of the day it is live baseball at the park, and there is really nothing better.
The Royals' game against the Rangers capped a pretty lazy day in Kansas City, where the most energy of the day was exerted by us driving to find a Chinese restaurant and Nate "Chocolate Thunder/Ft. Thomas Flyer" Kohrs buying us some toothpaste at Wal-Mart since he's been secretly using mine and Clink's since Orlando.
Tonight was our last night in Missouri. Tomorrow we make our way for Omaha, Nebraska, and eventually the NCAA College World Series! I hope you enjoyed tonight's entry, and I encourage you to stop by regularly to follow along with our journey. Thanks for reading and go Royals! (ugh).
Until next time,
CMJ
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Three And Out At Tiffany Hills
Park visited: Tiffany Hills Sports Complex
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: Turkey Carver Sandwich @ Boston Market
iPhone song of the day: "All I Want" by Toad the Wet Sprocket
Miles traveled: 10
I can't really think of a better way to unwind after a long day than with a cool shower and a Route 44 cup full of Sonic ice.
Today began with some laundry at Dugan's Coin Laundromat, and since it was too short notice to fly my parents into Kansas City to do all of our laundry for us again, we had to be big boys and do it on our own. The process wasn't bad, but I never enjoy the folding portion....especially matching the socks. Oh well. It's done now.
We grabbed lunch at Boston Market in the afternoon (even though I thought they had closed all their stores), ran back to the hotel to get our game gear on and headed back to Tiffany Hills for some USSSA league play - our last night at the complex. The evening began as slow as we've experienced thus far on our trip, but business picked up steadily as the night went on.
After we got the trailer packed up, we took advantage of one of the empty fields with some batting practice and infield under the lights. Standing in the outfield grass, ripping grass out of the ground and throwing it in the air, smacking my glove and enjoying the solitude of the empty space with the K.C. wind breezing past my face really made me feel at ease tonight, and taking hacks at the plate under the lights made me wish even more that I could go back and replay my little league career all over again. I have a suspicion that no matter how old somebody gets, the youthful exuberance one feels when they step on a baseball diamond will occur forever.
Now I'm headed to bed and feeling good after C.C. Sabathia's complete game shutout tonight for the Indians....especially considering that he is on my fantasy team and that I'm playing Clink this week. I'm so easily amused.
Goodnight and thanks for reading,
Chris
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: Turkey Carver Sandwich @ Boston Market
iPhone song of the day: "All I Want" by Toad the Wet Sprocket
Miles traveled: 10
I can't really think of a better way to unwind after a long day than with a cool shower and a Route 44 cup full of Sonic ice.
Today began with some laundry at Dugan's Coin Laundromat, and since it was too short notice to fly my parents into Kansas City to do all of our laundry for us again, we had to be big boys and do it on our own. The process wasn't bad, but I never enjoy the folding portion....especially matching the socks. Oh well. It's done now.
We grabbed lunch at Boston Market in the afternoon (even though I thought they had closed all their stores), ran back to the hotel to get our game gear on and headed back to Tiffany Hills for some USSSA league play - our last night at the complex. The evening began as slow as we've experienced thus far on our trip, but business picked up steadily as the night went on.
After we got the trailer packed up, we took advantage of one of the empty fields with some batting practice and infield under the lights. Standing in the outfield grass, ripping grass out of the ground and throwing it in the air, smacking my glove and enjoying the solitude of the empty space with the K.C. wind breezing past my face really made me feel at ease tonight, and taking hacks at the plate under the lights made me wish even more that I could go back and replay my little league career all over again. I have a suspicion that no matter how old somebody gets, the youthful exuberance one feels when they step on a baseball diamond will occur forever.
Now I'm headed to bed and feeling good after C.C. Sabathia's complete game shutout tonight for the Indians....especially considering that he is on my fantasy team and that I'm playing Clink this week. I'm so easily amused.
Goodnight and thanks for reading,
Chris
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Little League Tournaments Require Full Family Committment
Park visited: Tiffany Hills Sports Complex
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: Chocolate Mousse Pothole @ Sheridan's
iPhone song of the day: "The Coast Is Clear" by Scotty Emerick
Miles traveled: 10
It was another early morning in Kansas City with a full slate of tournament semi-final and championship games scheduled at Tiffany Hills. Once again the wind was a ginormous factor and once again slowed down our set-up process. Luckily Frank hooked us up with some cement buckets, which prevented another tent casualty from occurring.
There are usually a couple of moments during the course of our site stops that stand out as memorable or thought provoking. Today I was particularly touched by a girl who came up to the booth with a black t-shirt and in glitter were the words "Baseball Player's Sister." And even though it was a simple few seconds that involved an article of clothing the young girl probably didn't even know she was wearing, I was reminded that a youth baseball player is not the only one who makes a commitment to the crazy schedule of traveling, competitive baseball - it requires an equal amount of dedication and effort from the parents, the grandparents and maybe most significantly, the siblings.
In reality, the (usually) younger brothers and sisters are thrust into this roller coaster of games, practices, traveling, camps and lessons. They are expected to go along for the ride and to be in attendance regardless of whether or not they really want to be there. And despite asking so much of those who are so young, the pride that kids have for their older brothers is incredible to watch on their faces....or on a t-shirt like the one I mentioned before or "Frankie's Little Sister and #1 Fan."
In conclusion, today's "moment," combined with this blog entry reminds me of how thankful I am for all the years that my two younger sisters were so supportive of me during my seemingly never ending years of crazy baseball functions, such as the aforementioned schedule and list of responsibilities that come with the decision to join the little league, an All-Star team or traveling squad. Lindsie and Lauren were always willing to go with the flow, never complained and were constantly proud of their big brother's accomplishments on the field. I am blessed that I had (and continue to have) sisters who are also my friends and who never resented me even if I might have been hogging the weekends on the baseball diamond. If you're reading....thanks girls ;)
Tonight we had dinner at Outback Steakhouse, went to Blockbuster to rent a movie (where Clink and I also played a couple rounds of Rock Band....that game is uh-DICTING!) and got a little dessert at Sheridan's Frozen Custard. As you read above, the Chocolate Mousse Pothole is my "Food of the Day," and I couldn't have a better one. This thing was delicious and I give it my full endorsement.
Tomorrow we have the day off, so we will more than likely get organized and maybe do some laundry before our trip continues on later this week. Have a wonderful start to your week and please feel free to pass on www.chrisjung.com to anyone you think might be interested. Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Chri
s
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: Chocolate Mousse Pothole @ Sheridan's
iPhone song of the day: "The Coast Is Clear" by Scotty Emerick
Miles traveled: 10
It was another early morning in Kansas City with a full slate of tournament semi-final and championship games scheduled at Tiffany Hills. Once again the wind was a ginormous factor and once again slowed down our set-up process. Luckily Frank hooked us up with some cement buckets, which prevented another tent casualty from occurring.
There are usually a couple of moments during the course of our site stops that stand out as memorable or thought provoking. Today I was particularly touched by a girl who came up to the booth with a black t-shirt and in glitter were the words "Baseball Player's Sister." And even though it was a simple few seconds that involved an article of clothing the young girl probably didn't even know she was wearing, I was reminded that a youth baseball player is not the only one who makes a commitment to the crazy schedule of traveling, competitive baseball - it requires an equal amount of dedication and effort from the parents, the grandparents and maybe most significantly, the siblings.
In reality, the (usually) younger brothers and sisters are thrust into this roller coaster of games, practices, traveling, camps and lessons. They are expected to go along for the ride and to be in attendance regardless of whether or not they really want to be there. And despite asking so much of those who are so young, the pride that kids have for their older brothers is incredible to watch on their faces....or on a t-shirt like the one I mentioned before or "Frankie's Little Sister and #1 Fan."
In conclusion, today's "moment," combined with this blog entry reminds me of how thankful I am for all the years that my two younger sisters were so supportive of me during my seemingly never ending years of crazy baseball functions, such as the aforementioned schedule and list of responsibilities that come with the decision to join the little league, an All-Star team or traveling squad. Lindsie and Lauren were always willing to go with the flow, never complained and were constantly proud of their big brother's accomplishments on the field. I am blessed that I had (and continue to have) sisters who are also my friends and who never resented me even if I might have been hogging the weekends on the baseball diamond. If you're reading....thanks girls ;)
Tonight we had dinner at Outback Steakhouse, went to Blockbuster to rent a movie (where Clink and I also played a couple rounds of Rock Band....that game is uh-DICTING!) and got a little dessert at Sheridan's Frozen Custard. As you read above, the Chocolate Mousse Pothole is my "Food of the Day," and I couldn't have a better one. This thing was delicious and I give it my full endorsement.
Tomorrow we have the day off, so we will more than likely get organized and maybe do some laundry before our trip continues on later this week. Have a wonderful start to your week and please feel free to pass on www.chrisjung.com to anyone you think might be interested. Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Chri
s
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Kansas "Windy" City
Park visited: Tiffany Hills Sports Complex
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: KC Bleu Strip at O'Dowd's Irish Pub
iPhone song of the day: "Shimmer" by Fuel
Miles traveled: 10
The Baseball Youth Road Trip wasn't the only thing that blew into town on Saturday....the 35 mph winds were right there with us too. But in the face of dirt storms and flying debris, the JustBats.com tournament went on as scheduled, as did we.
The Tiffany Hills Sports Complex was one of the nicest facilities we've visited thus far in our journey; the fields really had a Disney-esque feel to them in terms of the way they were designed and laid out. Kids and adults alike were chomping at the bit for free t-shirts, and the 2009 Louisville Slugger bats received the most attention we've seen.
Today was also the most impressed I have been with the kids who came by our booths and tents. I was raised to be overly polite to anyone who I come in contact with, so simple "thank you's" go a long way with me....especially when they're coming from young children. And this afternoon, I was extremely satisfied with the wonderful manners of all of our excited baseball players and siblings.
Several hours and one hefty "back of the leg" sun burn later, we returned home in time to watch Big Brown's disappointing Belmont run and caught dinner on the "party deck" of O'Dowd's Irish Pub in an area of town booming with restaurants and stores. In true Kansas City/Irish fashion, I enjoyed a K.C. Bleu Strip steak sandwich, which was complemented by a Black & Bleu (Guinness & Blue Moon) beer.
We're back at it again first thing tomorrow morning, so I'm sure I will have more to report in about 24 hours. Until then, enjoy the remainder of your weekend and thanks as always for stopping by.
Chris
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: KC Bleu Strip at O'Dowd's Irish Pub
iPhone song of the day: "Shimmer" by Fuel
Miles traveled: 10
The Baseball Youth Road Trip wasn't the only thing that blew into town on Saturday....the 35 mph winds were right there with us too. But in the face of dirt storms and flying debris, the JustBats.com tournament went on as scheduled, as did we.
The Tiffany Hills Sports Complex was one of the nicest facilities we've visited thus far in our journey; the fields really had a Disney-esque feel to them in terms of the way they were designed and laid out. Kids and adults alike were chomping at the bit for free t-shirts, and the 2009 Louisville Slugger bats received the most attention we've seen.
Today was also the most impressed I have been with the kids who came by our booths and tents. I was raised to be overly polite to anyone who I come in contact with, so simple "thank you's" go a long way with me....especially when they're coming from young children. And this afternoon, I was extremely satisfied with the wonderful manners of all of our excited baseball players and siblings.
Several hours and one hefty "back of the leg" sun burn later, we returned home in time to watch Big Brown's disappointing Belmont run and caught dinner on the "party deck" of O'Dowd's Irish Pub in an area of town booming with restaurants and stores. In true Kansas City/Irish fashion, I enjoyed a K.C. Bleu Strip steak sandwich, which was complemented by a Black & Bleu (Guinness & Blue Moon) beer.
We're back at it again first thing tomorrow morning, so I'm sure I will have more to report in about 24 hours. Until then, enjoy the remainder of your weekend and thanks as always for stopping by.
Chris
Friday, June 6, 2008
Our Last Stop In Missouri
Park visited: None
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: Buffalo Chicken Tacos at On The Border
iPhone song of the day: "This Side" by Nickel Creek
Miles traveled: 127
Kohrs asked me tonight what state we were in. "Kansas?," he asked.
"No....Missouri," I replied.
"But if we're in Missouri, why is it Kansas City."
I didn't have an answer. Regardless, the Road Trip made its way from Columbia to K.C. as we begin our last week in the Show-Me-State. Tomorrow morning (Saturday) we will be on hand for the JustBats.com Tournament, and we expect it to be a long, but successful day.
During our drive today, I continued reading Tony Dungy's "Quiet Strength." For those of you unaware, Dungy is the head coach of the pro football team Indianapolis Colts, and became the first African-American head football coach to win the Super Bowl a couple seasons ago against the Chicago Bears. His rise through the football ranks and his absolute commitment to his family and his faith is an incredible story, and even though I haven't finished the book yet, I absolutely recommend it to any of you looking for your next great read.
Today was also a monumental day in the life of Mr. Clinkenbeard. The same pair of Asics running shoes that have his supported his feet during thousands of miles and hundreds of races throughout his running career were officially retired, as he picked up a new pair and started a new sneaker era.
Once we reached the Best Western by the airport, we settled in and relaxed this afternoon before enjoying a good dinner at the On The Border. Now we're off to bed in preparation for an early morning and long day at the park. Have a great day!
Until next time,
Chris
City: Kansas City, Missouri
Food of the day: Buffalo Chicken Tacos at On The Border
iPhone song of the day: "This Side" by Nickel Creek
Miles traveled: 127
Kohrs asked me tonight what state we were in. "Kansas?," he asked.
"No....Missouri," I replied.
"But if we're in Missouri, why is it Kansas City."
I didn't have an answer. Regardless, the Road Trip made its way from Columbia to K.C. as we begin our last week in the Show-Me-State. Tomorrow morning (Saturday) we will be on hand for the JustBats.com Tournament, and we expect it to be a long, but successful day.
During our drive today, I continued reading Tony Dungy's "Quiet Strength." For those of you unaware, Dungy is the head coach of the pro football team Indianapolis Colts, and became the first African-American head football coach to win the Super Bowl a couple seasons ago against the Chicago Bears. His rise through the football ranks and his absolute commitment to his family and his faith is an incredible story, and even though I haven't finished the book yet, I absolutely recommend it to any of you looking for your next great read.
Today was also a monumental day in the life of Mr. Clinkenbeard. The same pair of Asics running shoes that have his supported his feet during thousands of miles and hundreds of races throughout his running career were officially retired, as he picked up a new pair and started a new sneaker era.
Once we reached the Best Western by the airport, we settled in and relaxed this afternoon before enjoying a good dinner at the On The Border. Now we're off to bed in preparation for an early morning and long day at the park. Have a great day!
Until next time,
Chris
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A Wrap In Columbia
Park visited: Twin Oak Complex
City: Columbia, Missouri
Food of the day: Jack Daniels Flat Iron at T.G.I. Friday's
iPhone song of the day: "Better With You" by Five Times August
Miles traveled: 55 (including yesterdays' drive from Jefferson City to Columbia)
Thursday the road trippers wrapped up their final day in Columbia, Missouri with a final return to the Twin Oak Complex for the TBN World Qualifier. Our regular load in terms of setting up and stripping down our area was considerably lightened, as we welcomed the fourth and final member of our Road Trip crew, Matt Troy. Matt comes to us from Chicago and will be a strong addition to our group with his knowledge and passion of sports, strong ability to work well with children and his patience for the ridiculous banter that usually is conjured up by myself, Kohrs and Clink.
A specific moment tonight required me to make a phone call to my parents, as I was taken back to my childhood for a second at the sound of a five-year-old waiting in line in an attempt to win a t-shirt. As a kid, my Mom and Dad would always have to strategically keep me away from the grocery store aisle where the Goldfish crackers were located or any product with "fish" in the name, because the only way my unformed vocabulary and mouth could pronounce the word fish was with a curse word that rhymes with lit.
Well tonight, a boy that was no older than six years old, had to be removed from the prize line by his mother because while trying to start a "I want a shirt" chant (in reference to a free t-shirt), the only thing he could muster was "I want a *insert unintentional expletive here*." He was quickly removed from the area much to the embarrassment of the mother, and all I could do was stand back and laugh. Fun moment for me.
Following our final night at Twin Oak, the newly-formed foursome went for a late dinner at the T.G.I. Friday's near our hotel. While going to wash our hands, Matt and I discovered some germophone-inspired technology on the door that I found quite fascinating. In an effort to give people who do not wish to pull the "germ-infested" handle to exit the bathroom, there is now a small plate located at the base of the door called "StepNPull" where you can literally step down and pull the door open with your foot, without ever having to place your hands on the door. Not a believer? Visit their web site at www.stepnpull.com. Pretty good stuff.
Tomorrow we will roll out of the town and head for Kansas City, as we plan to be at the JustBats.com Tournament first thing Saturday morning. As always, I appreciate you stopping by to check on our progress....especially you Alyse Zinzilieta. Our journey continues to feature some fun moments and stories, and I encourage you to stick with us as we travel the country all summer!
Until next time,
Chris
City: Columbia, Missouri
Food of the day: Jack Daniels Flat Iron at T.G.I. Friday's
iPhone song of the day: "Better With You" by Five Times August
Miles traveled: 55 (including yesterdays' drive from Jefferson City to Columbia)
Thursday the road trippers wrapped up their final day in Columbia, Missouri with a final return to the Twin Oak Complex for the TBN World Qualifier. Our regular load in terms of setting up and stripping down our area was considerably lightened, as we welcomed the fourth and final member of our Road Trip crew, Matt Troy. Matt comes to us from Chicago and will be a strong addition to our group with his knowledge and passion of sports, strong ability to work well with children and his patience for the ridiculous banter that usually is conjured up by myself, Kohrs and Clink.
A specific moment tonight required me to make a phone call to my parents, as I was taken back to my childhood for a second at the sound of a five-year-old waiting in line in an attempt to win a t-shirt. As a kid, my Mom and Dad would always have to strategically keep me away from the grocery store aisle where the Goldfish crackers were located or any product with "fish" in the name, because the only way my unformed vocabulary and mouth could pronounce the word fish was with a curse word that rhymes with lit.
Well tonight, a boy that was no older than six years old, had to be removed from the prize line by his mother because while trying to start a "I want a shirt" chant (in reference to a free t-shirt), the only thing he could muster was "I want a *insert unintentional expletive here*." He was quickly removed from the area much to the embarrassment of the mother, and all I could do was stand back and laugh. Fun moment for me.
Following our final night at Twin Oak, the newly-formed foursome went for a late dinner at the T.G.I. Friday's near our hotel. While going to wash our hands, Matt and I discovered some germophone-inspired technology on the door that I found quite fascinating. In an effort to give people who do not wish to pull the "germ-infested" handle to exit the bathroom, there is now a small plate located at the base of the door called "StepNPull" where you can literally step down and pull the door open with your foot, without ever having to place your hands on the door. Not a believer? Visit their web site at www.stepnpull.com. Pretty good stuff.
Tomorrow we will roll out of the town and head for Kansas City, as we plan to be at the JustBats.com Tournament first thing Saturday morning. As always, I appreciate you stopping by to check on our progress....especially you Alyse Zinzilieta. Our journey continues to feature some fun moments and stories, and I encourage you to stick with us as we travel the country all summer!
Until next time,
Chris
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
You Heard It Right....It's All Free
Park visited: Field of Legends
City: Jefferson City, Missouri
Food of the day: Southern Style Chicken sandwich at McDonald's
iPhone song of the day: "Blank Sheet of Paper" by Tim McGraw
Miles traveled: 130
Has our society become so cynical and so negative by nature that the general public has lost its ability to accept things that are pure? It's one thing for us to have to explain to young children multiple times why we are at a certain location and why we are giving out so much free merchandise and so many free prizes. But when parents continuously circle our area with oozing skepticism all over their face and ask what the catch of our visit to their park REALLY is, it's frustrating that we can't convince them that we are truly there to provide a unique experience for all the kids in attendance that day.
But overall, despite several hesitant parents, our trip to the Field of Legends for a random night of league play in Jefferson City was another successful stop on our road trip. I even overheard one Mom attempt to explain to her husband on the phone what our set up consisted of, and she described it as "standing in the middle of a baseball carnival." I think that's pretty accurate.
Our morning started with a relatively quick drive from Kirkwood to a deserted area in Jeff City where the Days Inn we are staying at literally had no one in it at one this afternoon. It's since filled up a little, but we are definitely in the middle of a city that is the opposite of metropolitan.
The baseball complex where we were was something straight out of the movie Field of Dreams, as it was literally placed in the middle of hundreds and hundreds of acres of farm land. The nearest "building" was a run down while building that previously served as a woman's prison. Kohrs was trying to lead a "ghosthunter" trip into the structure, but it never came to fruition. The field did include a pretty cool sun deck on the top of its centrally-located concession stand, and though we didn't partake, they had the largest selection of draft beer I've ever seen for a little league snack stand.
Another interesting aspect of my "job" this summer, are the social scenarios I have a front row seat for. Tonight, I witnessed an exchange between a father and a son that I'm afraid is way too common in the world of little league baseball. The Dad, who was also the son's coach, stood scowling with his arms crossed in the dugout, and told his son (who had been warming up pitching down the left field line) to stop because he had "seen enough and he couldn't stand to watch anymore." The son sulked back to the bench, laid his glove down and innocently asked his Dad/coach, "why did you have to say it like that....why couldn't you just tell me to stop?" The father had no answer, and the son proceeded to stand silently at the other end of the dugout.
I obviously never saw how the rest of the evening unfolded, but how disappointing that a parent acts that way. I have had plenty experience of watching former teammates deal with the awkwardness of having their coach also be their Dad, and while it can indeed be a difficult transition, that double duty includes some fine lines, and it is extremely irresponsible for the parent to forget about the role that MUST come first, and that's being a supportive mentor and role model....not a grumpy monster who thinks he's playing Game 7 of the World Series in the middle of the Jefferson City cornfields wearing a baseball jersey and denim shorts.
Our stay in this town will end quickly tomorrow, as we make our way back to Columbia for the TBN World Qualifier. I'm ending this now as bad storms are on the way and I don't want the power to shut off and delete this very long entry! Thanks for reading folks.
Until next time,
Chris
City: Jefferson City, Missouri
Food of the day: Southern Style Chicken sandwich at McDonald's
iPhone song of the day: "Blank Sheet of Paper" by Tim McGraw
Miles traveled: 130
Has our society become so cynical and so negative by nature that the general public has lost its ability to accept things that are pure? It's one thing for us to have to explain to young children multiple times why we are at a certain location and why we are giving out so much free merchandise and so many free prizes. But when parents continuously circle our area with oozing skepticism all over their face and ask what the catch of our visit to their park REALLY is, it's frustrating that we can't convince them that we are truly there to provide a unique experience for all the kids in attendance that day.
But overall, despite several hesitant parents, our trip to the Field of Legends for a random night of league play in Jefferson City was another successful stop on our road trip. I even overheard one Mom attempt to explain to her husband on the phone what our set up consisted of, and she described it as "standing in the middle of a baseball carnival." I think that's pretty accurate.
Our morning started with a relatively quick drive from Kirkwood to a deserted area in Jeff City where the Days Inn we are staying at literally had no one in it at one this afternoon. It's since filled up a little, but we are definitely in the middle of a city that is the opposite of metropolitan.
The baseball complex where we were was something straight out of the movie Field of Dreams, as it was literally placed in the middle of hundreds and hundreds of acres of farm land. The nearest "building" was a run down while building that previously served as a woman's prison. Kohrs was trying to lead a "ghosthunter" trip into the structure, but it never came to fruition. The field did include a pretty cool sun deck on the top of its centrally-located concession stand, and though we didn't partake, they had the largest selection of draft beer I've ever seen for a little league snack stand.
Another interesting aspect of my "job" this summer, are the social scenarios I have a front row seat for. Tonight, I witnessed an exchange between a father and a son that I'm afraid is way too common in the world of little league baseball. The Dad, who was also the son's coach, stood scowling with his arms crossed in the dugout, and told his son (who had been warming up pitching down the left field line) to stop because he had "seen enough and he couldn't stand to watch anymore." The son sulked back to the bench, laid his glove down and innocently asked his Dad/coach, "why did you have to say it like that....why couldn't you just tell me to stop?" The father had no answer, and the son proceeded to stand silently at the other end of the dugout.
I obviously never saw how the rest of the evening unfolded, but how disappointing that a parent acts that way. I have had plenty experience of watching former teammates deal with the awkwardness of having their coach also be their Dad, and while it can indeed be a difficult transition, that double duty includes some fine lines, and it is extremely irresponsible for the parent to forget about the role that MUST come first, and that's being a supportive mentor and role model....not a grumpy monster who thinks he's playing Game 7 of the World Series in the middle of the Jefferson City cornfields wearing a baseball jersey and denim shorts.
Our stay in this town will end quickly tomorrow, as we make our way back to Columbia for the TBN World Qualifier. I'm ending this now as bad storms are on the way and I don't want the power to shut off and delete this very long entry! Thanks for reading folks.
Until next time,
Chris
Monday, June 2, 2008
Action-Packed Couple Of Days
SUNDAY
Park visited: None
City: Kirkwood, Missouri
Food of the day: Steak & Chicken Fajitas at Union Station Houlihan's
iPhone song of the day: "Swing" by Savage & Akon
Miles traveled: 20
Heavy weekend rains combined with the fact that the Kirkwood fields are basically located under sea level resulted in the complete cancellation of the remainder of the June Baseball Classic on Sunday. My Mom had already offered to do all of the laundry for myself and the Nate's, so I assisted her with in completing this task with my free morning. Before her and my Dad got back on the road for Union, we grabbed lunch at Texas Roadhouse and enjoyed a very nice conversation prior to their departure.
With an unexpected free day placed in our laps, the Road Trip crew descended into downtown St. Louis Sunday afternoon to partake in the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour. The beer journey took us through the 45-degree lager area where the beer barrels are located, onto the bottling/canning area on the factory floor, inside the stable area that houses the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales (which included our favorite "Claire") and eventually the hospitality room where we were allowed to sample two types of Anheuser-Busch's product.
Our guide Sarah was giving her first tour ever which slowed things down a little, but overall the hour-long walk around the AB grounds was a fantastic experience. I was hoping to try two beers I hadn't tasted before at the tour's conclusion, but the Beach Bum keg ran out just before I reached the counter. I elected for a fresh Budweiser Select and the Belgian brew Shock Top.
Following our brewery excursion, we met up with one of Clink's friends from STL, and headed for Union Station downtown to get a bite to eat. We chose Houlihan's, which turned out not to be anything special, but pretty good nonetheless. The combo (steak and chicken) fajitas did do the job, and a Boulevard draft was a nice complement to the meal.
MONDAY
Park visited: Busch Stadium
City: St. Louis, Missouri
Food of the day: (tie) Raspberry Sprite at Sonic & Chicken Quesedilla at J Buck's.
iPhone song of the day: "Hurt" by Danse Russe
Miles traveled: 20
After a pretty lazy Monday morning, we had a quick lunch at Sonic and made our way to the fields in Kirkwood to straighten up the trailer and pack up the remainder of our supplies from Saturday's events. After we finished, we took a couple hours to hit some balls. Without an actual fence on the field we were using, our Home Run Derby plans were kind of scrapped. We did enjoy the swinging exhibition, despite our extreme amateur pitching abilities and Kohrs' difficultly shagging in the outfield without a left-handed glove.
Back at the hotel, we got cleaned up and made our way back to downtown St. Louis and Busch Stadium for the Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game. Prior to entering the park, we enjoyed some appetizers and pregame beer at J Buck's on Clark Ave. while Clink made some last minute fantasy baseball lineup changes on my iPhone.
In terms of seating at the game, we opted for the $10 "standing room only" spots, which ended up being very enjoyable. Our position along the third base line offered a great view, as Cards dropped a tough one to the Bucs 5-4. Jason Michaels (former Indian) hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the 7th winning that tied the contest at 4-4, and Jason Bay eventually drove in the winning run that spoiled a relatively decent performance from Adam Wainwright.
It was definitely impressive to see 42,000 fans at a Monday game against a pretty crummy team, but simply gave credibility to the theory that St. Louis patrons are some of the most intelligent and loyal fans in baseball. There was one lady, however, who really irked us before the game started. As a local St. Louis high school choir led the park in God Bless American and the Star Spangled Banner, she stood with her back turned the whole time while she laughed and talked with one of the ushers.
This is one area where I have no tolerance for disrespectful people, and her antics were shameful. And then, the fact that she had the gall to turn and give a half clap when she realized it was over was pitiful, and really got under my skin. Why can't people take two minutes out of their way important life to honor THEIR flag and respect a tradition that is much more significant than their petty conversation? This is almost just as bad as men who don't think the "please remove your caps" announcement doesn't apply to them. No one is looking at your hair. No one cares. Take your freakin' hat of and show some respect for 120 seconds.
OK, I'm off my soapbox now. Altogether, these past couple days have been excellent, and it's hard to believe we've already fit so much in to just two weeks of our three-month adventure. We still have a lot left to see, do and experience, and I look forward to sharing it all with YOU.
I do appreciate all of the consistent readers of this blog, including Jason Dolan, Candra Spirtoff, Sara Bailey, Patrick Clark, the Jung family, Elisa Arnold, Megan LaFollette and Brandon Quinlan. If I didn't mention you, please leave a comment so I know you're out there....and either way, thanks so much for keeping up with our Road Trip! For ALL the pictures from our journey cross country, please visit the "Baseball Youth Road Trip Recap" link located on the right side of this page.
Until next time,
Chris
Park visited: None
City: Kirkwood, Missouri
Food of the day: Steak & Chicken Fajitas at Union Station Houlihan's
iPhone song of the day: "Swing" by Savage & Akon
Miles traveled: 20
Heavy weekend rains combined with the fact that the Kirkwood fields are basically located under sea level resulted in the complete cancellation of the remainder of the June Baseball Classic on Sunday. My Mom had already offered to do all of the laundry for myself and the Nate's, so I assisted her with in completing this task with my free morning. Before her and my Dad got back on the road for Union, we grabbed lunch at Texas Roadhouse and enjoyed a very nice conversation prior to their departure.
With an unexpected free day placed in our laps, the Road Trip crew descended into downtown St. Louis Sunday afternoon to partake in the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour. The beer journey took us through the 45-degree lager area where the beer barrels are located, onto the bottling/canning area on the factory floor, inside the stable area that houses the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales (which included our favorite "Claire") and eventually the hospitality room where we were allowed to sample two types of Anheuser-Busch's product.
Our guide Sarah was giving her first tour ever which slowed things down a little, but overall the hour-long walk around the AB grounds was a fantastic experience. I was hoping to try two beers I hadn't tasted before at the tour's conclusion, but the Beach Bum keg ran out just before I reached the counter. I elected for a fresh Budweiser Select and the Belgian brew Shock Top.
Following our brewery excursion, we met up with one of Clink's friends from STL, and headed for Union Station downtown to get a bite to eat. We chose Houlihan's, which turned out not to be anything special, but pretty good nonetheless. The combo (steak and chicken) fajitas did do the job, and a Boulevard draft was a nice complement to the meal.
MONDAY
Park visited: Busch Stadium
City: St. Louis, Missouri
Food of the day: (tie) Raspberry Sprite at Sonic & Chicken Quesedilla at J Buck's.
iPhone song of the day: "Hurt" by Danse Russe
Miles traveled: 20
After a pretty lazy Monday morning, we had a quick lunch at Sonic and made our way to the fields in Kirkwood to straighten up the trailer and pack up the remainder of our supplies from Saturday's events. After we finished, we took a couple hours to hit some balls. Without an actual fence on the field we were using, our Home Run Derby plans were kind of scrapped. We did enjoy the swinging exhibition, despite our extreme amateur pitching abilities and Kohrs' difficultly shagging in the outfield without a left-handed glove.
Back at the hotel, we got cleaned up and made our way back to downtown St. Louis and Busch Stadium for the Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game. Prior to entering the park, we enjoyed some appetizers and pregame beer at J Buck's on Clark Ave. while Clink made some last minute fantasy baseball lineup changes on my iPhone.
In terms of seating at the game, we opted for the $10 "standing room only" spots, which ended up being very enjoyable. Our position along the third base line offered a great view, as Cards dropped a tough one to the Bucs 5-4. Jason Michaels (former Indian) hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the 7th winning that tied the contest at 4-4, and Jason Bay eventually drove in the winning run that spoiled a relatively decent performance from Adam Wainwright.
It was definitely impressive to see 42,000 fans at a Monday game against a pretty crummy team, but simply gave credibility to the theory that St. Louis patrons are some of the most intelligent and loyal fans in baseball. There was one lady, however, who really irked us before the game started. As a local St. Louis high school choir led the park in God Bless American and the Star Spangled Banner, she stood with her back turned the whole time while she laughed and talked with one of the ushers.
This is one area where I have no tolerance for disrespectful people, and her antics were shameful. And then, the fact that she had the gall to turn and give a half clap when she realized it was over was pitiful, and really got under my skin. Why can't people take two minutes out of their way important life to honor THEIR flag and respect a tradition that is much more significant than their petty conversation? This is almost just as bad as men who don't think the "please remove your caps" announcement doesn't apply to them. No one is looking at your hair. No one cares. Take your freakin' hat of and show some respect for 120 seconds.
OK, I'm off my soapbox now. Altogether, these past couple days have been excellent, and it's hard to believe we've already fit so much in to just two weeks of our three-month adventure. We still have a lot left to see, do and experience, and I look forward to sharing it all with YOU.
I do appreciate all of the consistent readers of this blog, including Jason Dolan, Candra Spirtoff, Sara Bailey, Patrick Clark, the Jung family, Elisa Arnold, Megan LaFollette and Brandon Quinlan. If I didn't mention you, please leave a comment so I know you're out there....and either way, thanks so much for keeping up with our Road Trip! For ALL the pictures from our journey cross country, please visit the "Baseball Youth Road Trip Recap" link located on the right side of this page.
Until next time,
Chris
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Kirkwood Loves Their Baseball
Park visited: Kirkwood Fields
City: Kirkwood, Missouri
Food of the day: Chicken O'Tender Trio at O'Charley's (and obviously the rolls)
iPhone song of the day: "Half Alive" by Secondhard Serenade
Miles traveled: 5
What a day.
Our morning began bright and early Saturday, as the Kirkwood Athletic Association was scheduled to start games for the June Classic Tournament at 8 a.m. Following last night's ferocious round of heavy rain and hail, however, these specific fields were ALL underwater upon our arrival to the complex.
Since our location by the main entrance would be on asphalt, we went ahead and set up the base of our area with tents, tables and our inflatable batting cage. We returned back to the hotel to chill in the room for a bit (which was actually a horrible idea, as Kohrs and I got comfortable back on our beds.....yes, we were in separate beds). Eventually we made it back to Kirkwood to find out that the day's schedule had been altered because of fields not quite being ready. I have to give credit to the local grounds maintenance crew; those guys worked to the bone for about seven consecutive hours on a Saturday to try and get the fields playable, and their work was very much appreciated.
As teams and their families slowly streamed back into the park, the Baseball Youth village was rocking once again. Our "pack war" baseball card games seemed to be a big hit, and I'd be willing to bet there there continuously 40-50 kids waiting in line for both the prize wheel and the free Airhead candy hand outs. Saturday was also a special day, as my Dad hung out and assisted our efforts at the park. With the majority of my extended family still living in the St. Louis area, my parents decided to make the drive down this weekend to check out our routine and for a quick visit. I must say that my decision to hit the road all Summer is heavily attested to the amazing support I've received from my Mom and Dad throughout my entire life. Their selflessness always leaves me in awe, and I am a lucky guy to have the backing of such incredible people.
But it was great sharing the day with Dad, and even managed to get a couple of rounds of "catch" in with him. I do think he also has a new found respect for the amount of time and grunt work that goes into not only assembling and disassembling our road trip arrangement, but working and executing it as well. I think he also got a kick out of just watching the reactions of the kids to all of the freebies we offer, and how generally respectful and polite all of them are.
As the 6 p.m. hour drew closer, dark rain clouds once again rolled in, and we decided to call it a night. And just as we were folding up the beast of a batting cage that we have and throwing it in the trailer, the rains came and we made our escape in record time. Despite our disgusting state, we drove straight to O'Charleys near our hotel and met up with my Mom and grandparents for a nice dinner. It was a treat being able to visit with them, and they seemed extremely interested in all the small details of our trip and just exactly what we were up to and where all we were going.
We were scheduled to have another full slate of games again tomorrow (Sunday), but just prior to beginning this entry, Clink received information that indicated that tomorrow's games are already canceled, and I have to imagine that the fields simply cannot take more of a beating tomorrow with all the inclement conditions that have made things difficult the past few days.
Feel free to check out pictures from today's activities below. Because of the timing of tomorrow's cancellation, we now have two straight days off, which means will definitely be seeking out some fun things to do the next couple nights, including the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game at Busch on Monday night.
Until then, take care and thanks for reading!
Chris
City: Kirkwood, Missouri
Food of the day: Chicken O'Tender Trio at O'Charley's (and obviously the rolls)
iPhone song of the day: "Half Alive" by Secondhard Serenade
Miles traveled: 5
What a day.
Our morning began bright and early Saturday, as the Kirkwood Athletic Association was scheduled to start games for the June Classic Tournament at 8 a.m. Following last night's ferocious round of heavy rain and hail, however, these specific fields were ALL underwater upon our arrival to the complex.
Since our location by the main entrance would be on asphalt, we went ahead and set up the base of our area with tents, tables and our inflatable batting cage. We returned back to the hotel to chill in the room for a bit (which was actually a horrible idea, as Kohrs and I got comfortable back on our beds.....yes, we were in separate beds). Eventually we made it back to Kirkwood to find out that the day's schedule had been altered because of fields not quite being ready. I have to give credit to the local grounds maintenance crew; those guys worked to the bone for about seven consecutive hours on a Saturday to try and get the fields playable, and their work was very much appreciated.
As teams and their families slowly streamed back into the park, the Baseball Youth village was rocking once again. Our "pack war" baseball card games seemed to be a big hit, and I'd be willing to bet there there continuously 40-50 kids waiting in line for both the prize wheel and the free Airhead candy hand outs. Saturday was also a special day, as my Dad hung out and assisted our efforts at the park. With the majority of my extended family still living in the St. Louis area, my parents decided to make the drive down this weekend to check out our routine and for a quick visit. I must say that my decision to hit the road all Summer is heavily attested to the amazing support I've received from my Mom and Dad throughout my entire life. Their selflessness always leaves me in awe, and I am a lucky guy to have the backing of such incredible people.
But it was great sharing the day with Dad, and even managed to get a couple of rounds of "catch" in with him. I do think he also has a new found respect for the amount of time and grunt work that goes into not only assembling and disassembling our road trip arrangement, but working and executing it as well. I think he also got a kick out of just watching the reactions of the kids to all of the freebies we offer, and how generally respectful and polite all of them are.
As the 6 p.m. hour drew closer, dark rain clouds once again rolled in, and we decided to call it a night. And just as we were folding up the beast of a batting cage that we have and throwing it in the trailer, the rains came and we made our escape in record time. Despite our disgusting state, we drove straight to O'Charleys near our hotel and met up with my Mom and grandparents for a nice dinner. It was a treat being able to visit with them, and they seemed extremely interested in all the small details of our trip and just exactly what we were up to and where all we were going.
We were scheduled to have another full slate of games again tomorrow (Sunday), but just prior to beginning this entry, Clink received information that indicated that tomorrow's games are already canceled, and I have to imagine that the fields simply cannot take more of a beating tomorrow with all the inclement conditions that have made things difficult the past few days.
Feel free to check out pictures from today's activities below. Because of the timing of tomorrow's cancellation, we now have two straight days off, which means will definitely be seeking out some fun things to do the next couple nights, including the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game at Busch on Monday night.
Until then, take care and thanks for reading!
Chris
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