Happy BOILER New Year!

It's the first day of 2013 and I'm writing this from a hotel in Dallas, Texas.  Sam and I are down here to take in the Boilermakers bowl game on New Year's Day.  It's called the Heart of Dallas Bowl, and it's played at the Cotton Bowl Stadium...but it's not the Cotton Bowl.  Glad we're clear.  

Tonight was definitely one for the books.  Had no idea how to really spend it since I have no idea who's here from Purdue.  Anyways the Alumni Assoc. was sponsoring a New Year's Eve reception for all Boiler fans, and so Sam and I rode the train downtown to join it at the Hyatt.  Didn't know if it would turn out to be a dud, so had residual plans for a massive outdoor celebration called NYE D.  

When we got to the hotel, I asked someone at a desk about the "Purdue reception" and immediately we are put on this elevator with its own door person.  That should have been the first tip.  When we got up to the reception, we found ourselves at the top of Reunion Tower - 54 stories above Dallas.  The folks were dressed really nice, and Sam and I were in our jeans and sweats.  We sheepishly made our way thru the small crowd, and said this was certainly a dud party.

So as we tried to leave and were ready to call the elevator, this very nice and elegant woman named Lisa moves over to us to ask where we were going.  We explained that we were under-dressed and probably in the wrong place.  She told us that was nonsense and asked us to join us, and said that there would be "sliders" for Sam to eat. Then Lisa gets me a beer, and asks about our plans for the game.  I said we hope to get tickets at the door, and which Lisa states that she "would take care of us."  Mind you, we only have know this Lisa for 10 minutes...tops.  This guy then comes over and says he would work to get those tickets, and sure enough put me in touch with a guy who later delivered not two...but FOUR freebies for the game.  

This is the classic definition of serendipity if there ever was one.  We thanked Lisa profusely for her extreme kindness, at which point she leaned over and said that the party we attended was for "million-dollar donors." Gulp.  She said it was fine and the party we were looking for was on the second floor.  To say the least I was so very thankful for the chance encounters, and also to God Himself for not only showing up for us...but showing off :)

After our "million dollar encounter" it was time to join the real plebes at the Alumni party.  We found this woman and her Purdue-aged son and pretty much hung with them all night. Traded lots of stories while Sam worked the room talking to players and coaches.  Midnight finally rolled around with us now in plastic hats and horns.  Sam was a pig in mud.  After we made our way to the train, and beat the hordes leaving the massive Dallas celebration.  Probably one of the best New  Year's I have ever spent...and all thanks to a mistake :)

Hittin' the Mitten - Days 6 & 7

Yea...out of Detroit!  Very happy to escape...but first a well-deserved visit to IHOP and a delicious Belgian waffle!  Sam complained a little bit, but boy needs to learn that I'M on this trip too :)

Off we went to Fort Wayne, and arrived at my friend Dawn's house just before dinner.  Dawn and I have been friends for quite some time - she is the Greenways Director for the City of Fort Wayne...so we've crossed paths several times before.  Like me she's single at my age.  Never married though.  Yes...we DID date when we first met, but no dice.  She was my first rejection after my divorce, and put me on the road towards understanding that you can be friends with women without having to date them.  Took me a while to learn however.

Okay, enough of that.  We had some Chinese dinner, then off to a Tin Caps game downtown.  We did this last year, but returned since we had a lot of fun.  This year she invited her co-worker Amy, her partner Maureen, and Lori, who ditched us for a Zumba dancer.  That's fine...would have been great to see her.  Amy and Maureen were waiting for us at the park, and we all went to get tickets, only to find out that standing room was all that was left.  We snapped up the cheapies and went in.

We made our way to the lawn seats, and proceeded to have a great time watching the game...even in the grass.  I was also able to keep score of the game along the way...but it wasn't easy.  The beer and conversation was great as well.  During the game an opposing batter struck out, and everyone in the park got free bowling passes.  After the game ended we watched a decent fireworks show and headed back.

It was at this point that Sam asked to use the bowling passes right away.  Dawn was actually up for it too, so we headed to the lanes.  The place was, as Sam put it, awesome.  Not only bowling lanes, but laser tag, and arcade, food courts, and other crazy stuff.  The place was called Crazy Pinz, and sure was.  The bowling was also glow-in-the-dark as well.  Nice!  Dawn won the first game, and I won the second.  Just missed 100 by one pin.  Sam came in second in the 2nd game and left happy.  We got back to Dawn's house about 1, and watched some TV, then hit the sack.

The next day started late...REAL late.  I forgot to set the alarm on my phone, and sure enough slept late...REAL late.  I mean nearly 2pm late.  About 10 hours total.  That's about the latest I have dozed in many a moon, and I felt it all day.  Sam seemed OK with it...as you'd expect.  Dawn joined us for lunch at Olive Garden, then we made our way home.  We stopped at a local high school to play some catch, and then off to Crown Point.

Before we got home we did make a visit to my ailing mother at her nursing home.  She was extremely happy to see us, and we wheeled her outside to take in the fresh air.  It was a wonderful day and she enjoyed it very much.  Off to home from there, with another zillion memories for us to enjoy :)

Hittin' the Mitten - Days 4 & 5

As we awoke at the crack of noon, Sam and I had a nice lunch, the proceeded to the Bay City Recreation Area, directly on Saginaw Bay.  Wow...what a difference from Traverse Bay.  First, there were ZERO people on the beach...okay, maybe a few with their kiddies...but certainly nobody near the beach.  This was for good reason - there was no water.  The tide was quite a ways out, and on top of that it was drizzling rain.  It looked like an apocalyptic scene.  We saw buoys laying on the sandbars, as well as boats.  Sam wondered if there was an oil spill.  Anyways we made our way to the nicely done visitors center, where an even nicer park ranger told us the history of the bay.  There is a very large marshy area around it, hence why it looks deserted.  Also, the tides are affected by the wind.  All made sense, but still creepy. 

From there we headed down to Lansing for our next game.  This would be the Lugnuts, and their downtown stadium was really nice.  Quite sizable too.  They dug it WAY into the ground, and there were high walls on both sides of the field.  Felt like we were in a pit.  The game went well, but about the 7th inning the skies opened up, and we left.  First rainout we had experienced, so there's a first.  From there we made it back to the hotel (a HoJo invaded by dozens of Chinese students...I guess), and eventually to bed.

The next morning was just as unproductive as the last...just the way we like it :)  Sam had been asking to go to an Olive Garden for the entire trip...so that's where we ended up.  A bit frustrating that it was located by a mall, but all was well.  Afterwards we went back to Lansing to visit the Michigan Statehouse for spell, then off to a movie.  We saw The Candidate, which was quite vulgar.  Humorous too...but lots of rough language and cgi-enhanced humor (like a baby getting hit, etc.).

From Lansing we made our way to Detroit for the most challenging part of our trip.  Always an adventure entering a big city.  In our previous trips, this always proved the case.  We visited Detroit to see Purdue play in the Pizza Bowl last December, and that was no fun getting to.  At all.  This was a little bit better, but GEEZ, they really stuck this park in a road maze! 

We parked in an adjacent underground lot, and went into Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.  I will admit this is a VERY nice park.  It looks much more imposing on TV, but like any other park, gets a lot smaller in person.  Same applies here.  I was taken with the engaging scoreboard and wonderful view of downtown Detroit.  NEVER thought I'd say that.  Detroit is still a very rough city, but this part of it has done well with the Tigers and Lions playing next door.  Of course I represented my White Sox proudly by wearing the appropriate shirt and hat.  Only a couple of folks had an issue with it, although Sam almost picked a fight.  Atta boy.  The Tigers did end up winning the game, with Prince Fielder hitting not one but two, two-run homers.  The last was an epic blast.  Rats.  That makes three Tigers games we caught this year counting spring training...and hopefully no more!

Can't say I'm impressed with the Motor City.  At all.  The streets are a mess, the people drive like they are all high on crack, and did I mention the streets?  There is just something raw and rude about the whole area, which flies in the face of the whole "Michigan Nice" we had experienced up until today.  Can't wait to get out of here.

Hittin' the Mitten - Day 3

Decided to skip the free breakfast this morning in lieu of sleep.  Good choice.  Both Sam and I snoozed nearly to 11...then hustled to get out of our hotel by noon.  Had some yummie Pizza Hut for lunch.  I really like Pizza Hut.

After we were done, Sam had mentioned swimming again in Traverse Bay - like yesterday.  As I was watching him, I felt bad that I couldn't join him, but now I could with the new trunks.  We went to Meijer (eventually...almost didn't...Sam couldn't make up his mind) for towels, and hit the beach again.  Found a great parking space and there was a bathroom for changing...SCORE!  We both waded in the water for a good two hours, then headed south to our next stop in Bay City.

We arrived to our hotel in time to shower, and then head back out to Midland for a Great Lakes Loons game.  They are the single-A affiliate of the Dodgers.  Great stadium, and a fantastic crowd...about 3,400 folks.  We scored FREE tickets before the game, and Sam got a home run ball.  Nice!  While playing catch in the outfield berm, Sam missed a ground ball and it bounced into the field.  NOT nice.  Thankfully a nice groundskeeper retrieved it and threw it back to Sam.  We shopped a little bit, and headed back to the hotel.  I think we'll make tomorrow a movie day - not much to do out here.

Hittin' the Mitten - Day 2

A MUCH better day - definitely helps that the sun came out!  After grabbing some breakfast (Sam slept through it), we skedaddled out of GR towards our next stop - Traverse City.  Along the way we stopped for lunch in Big Rapids...which is home to Ferris State.  We saw them play back in the Frozen Four, and at least I was curious about the campus.  Turns out to be quite the sizable facility - easily larger than Valpo, and probably as spread out as any campus gets.  Who knew?

From there we made it to our next destination in Traverse City, and took a quick trip to the beach downtown.  Sam really wanted to swim, and so he did.  I realized that I forgot my swim trunks in GR...so I had to watch him from the shoreline - taking several pictures.  It was quite the scene - the bay is beautiful, and thankfully not very populated.  At all. 

After I got Sam out of the water, we made it back to the hotel so he could shower up, then off to our first official baseball game of the trip - the Traverse City Beach Bums.  Probably the best moniker for a team I've come across, and the stadium they play in does a great job in carrying forward that beach theme.  The architecture has been designed like any you would find along a coastline - complete with blue and white stripped bar chairs.  Kudos to their marketing team!  The game was a rout - 18-1 Bums.  They collected 20 hits which is a franchise record.  Sam, as usual, made some friends...and also got yelled at from security.  He was also called some names from the visiting ballclub...classy.  Even so it didn't phase him, and afterwards I left with several souvenirs since I'm not sure if I'll ever visit this place again.

After the game Sam and I drove around for a night snack, and ice cream.  We enjoyed it along the darkened lakeshore, and then a trip to Meijer to buy me some swim trunks (oy).  Great day...and hope we can continue the good vibes tomorrow...

HIttin' the Mitten - Day 1

NOW we are back to the present!

Sam and I embarked on yet another big baseball trip - this time to Michigan.  Our goal is to hit six games in six days, but we already goofed...

The day itself started off shaky since it took Sam and I a lot longer to leave home than I thought.  As ususal I "never leave once" and certainly didn't this time.  I think I returned to the house 3 or 4 times before I left.  Even so we still had to go to my job and get my raincoat and then visit my mum who is in the nursing home.  We get there and, or course, she's not in the room - but out at dialysis. 

It gets better.  As we are finally on our way up to our first stop in Grand Rapids for a West Michigan Whitecaps game, Sam noticed that the game started at NOON.  It was about 2pm eastern when he told me.  It was raining so I thought the game would be delayed, then the next big goof took place...I forgot my son's medications.  ALL of them.  I pulled over on the side of the expressway to verify, and yep, left them at home.  Oh yeah, we were about a half hour out of Grand Rapids.

At this point I seriously thought of driving all the way back, but Sam's mom did give me the idea of going to Walgreens to take care of it.  So we pulled over in South Haven, and sure enough they did.  Sam and waited by taking a nice walk in downtown South Haven to the beach, and then we were off to GR.  We got the hotel - an OK Travelodge - and then BW3's in downtown GR.  I did get a nice dip in the pool as well.  So...for such a bad start, all turns out well...sort of.  Here's to a sunny day in Traverse City tomorrow...Lord willing.

Run to the Sun - Day 9

Okay, if you're looking at the date...you're right...I'm late.  Just want to finish this up real quick.  We left Chattanooga for home that Easter Sunday.  Along the way we met up with my good friend Shaunna and her boyfriend Mark.  We all went to a local eatery for our own Easter dinner, shared a few laughs, and hit the road.  That was that.

Run to the Sun - Days 7 & 8

Up on a Friday morning, and off again to Mickey D's. This time however they stopped serving breakfast 5 minutes early (grrr), so off we went in search of food. Lucky for us Sonic served breakfast all day...score!

This was a real laid back day. In the early afternoon, after dealing with a pouty Sam, I went to the clubhouse pool, and did some relaxing. The weather was simply divine. When I came back, Laurie had worked her magic on Sam and now he was agreeable to anything I wanted. However I really wanted him to enjoy the pool so back we went. We took a quick dip, then I layed out again (ahhhh), and returned back in time for dinner.

Joining us was my friend John Tinker, who I had never met other than phone conversations. Great guy, and a great dinner too. Dessert rocked thanks to Sam picking out the Oreo pie...BIG yum! As the night went on Sam left to play with kids at the clubhouse bball courts, and Jim, Laurie, John and I sat and chatted the night away. Well, as much as Jim could muster. First Laurie retired around 9, then we broke up about 10. So time to pack and get ready for the drive home.

We woke up a bit early on Saturday morning since we were going to visit my high school friend Bob Amar in Ganesville. He's been there for a dozen years, but I never visited him. Last time I saw his wife Shawna was in 2000...with a REALLY small Sam. So we said our goodbyes to Jim and Laurie, and off we went.

About two hours later we arrived in Ganesville, and ready to join the Amar family (with his two small sons Evan and Jacob) for a University of Florida spring football game. So we piled into his minivan and off to the game. After a while we parked and walked to the stadium - which is called "The Swamp" (has an official name...I don't care). We paid the $5 per ticket cost, and went inside. The place was only a quarter filled...thank goodness. Such a huge place - holds up to 90K easily. We didn't stay long - Bob's kids were getting hot, and so was Sam. We left, went back to Bob's house where I wrestled a bit with his boys...then hit the road.

Our next destination was Chattanooga, and we beat feet (or wheels in this case) up there, and arrived at 11pm. Got double beds too...score! Ready for our last day...on Easter no less.

Run to the Sun - Day 6

For the first time in our trip, we had no idea what this day held in store for us. Once again Sam and I awake at the crack of 10am, and head towards Micky D's for b-fast. However, when we get back, we have no plans. Laurie was home and clued us in on some ideas, such as a laser tag place. In the end, I took another look at the Frozen Four tickets, and they had come down to $50 each...so I took 'em.

Now the Frozen Four is the Final Four for NCAA men's hockey. Some genius thought it would be great to have Tampa host an event where the main participants all reside north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Now for the Super Bowl that works...but not so much with college hockey. For 2012, the four teams competing are Union College in NY, Boston College, Ferris St. from MI, and Minnesota. Union and Ferris are quite small, with Union only having an enrollment of just over 2,200. Compare that to Minnesota's hefty 50K student body, and you can understand the charm of this event. This would NEVER happen in college basketball.

So we set out once again for the Tampa Bay Times Forum, where we were on Monday night. Now the place is all decked out in Frozen Four stuff, and Sam being impatient wanted to get in right away. We did - 70 minutes before the first game. LOTS of time on our hands. To my dismay the seats we got were right under the bands...and when they played...WOW! So we moved to a spot near center ice, and caught both games there. Like I said, smart to host this in Tampa - the place was barely 3/4 full. Teams like Ferris and Union don't travel well...if at all.

Sam as usual made friends with those sitting by us, and we saw Ferris St. beat Union in the first game. Pretty sloppy - and definitely not the NHL. Still was entertaining, and nice to see a school never winning having a chance at a title. The second game turned into a rout. Boston College is the number one team in the country - and for a good reason. They good! Although Minnesota was the aggressor - BC was the finisher. We left the Forum when the score was 4-0, and it was 6-1 BC when we finally left downtown. Oy.

That was basically it. Still no real plans for tomorrow afternoon...

Run to the Sun - Day 5

Another day, another breakfast at McDonalds. I could think of whole lot worse things than starting your day on McGriddles...right?

Today's adventure took us to St. Petersburg and Tropicana Field - home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The game was the last exhibition for the team, and they were playing the "Future Rays" - or a bunch of guys from the minors. We got there in plenty of time since Sam wanted to get a good seat, but when we did get there, he found some young kids and hung with them - in the handicapped section in the concourse. Even so he was able to snag as many as 6, SIX, baseballs from batting practice. Not too shabby.

The game itself was a bore, but it was nice to see the starters from the Rays play a few meaningful innings. The dome itself wasn't as bad as I thought - not as sterile. Looking around I know the team did as much as they could to bring character to a facility built quick on the cheap, and really not meant for baseball. The dome itself not only slopes down towards the outfield, but has no less then two levels of catwalks (??) which practically interfere with fly balls. I've been to domes before, and still have no clue why this stadium has so many of these walks. Another weird thing was that only 5,000 showed up - if that - and due to the small crowd, you could practically hear a pin drop between pitches (save for the loudmouth fans that want to hear themselves echo).

After the game we headed to downtown Tampa, to a spot called Ybor City, to meet up with Chris Berger, who is the younger brother of my high school bud Brian. He lives in the Tampa area and works in Sarasota. We both arrived a bit late since traffic was nuts. Sam and I got stuck on the bridge crossing over the bay...lovely. Chris was even later. Ybor City is a historic cigar-making district gone nightlife spot with bars everywhere...dotted by tattoo parlors. It's basically a duplicate of the French Quarter in New Orleans...even down to the architecture. We had a nice dinner at a local brewpub, and headed back.

We arrived back at Jim and Laurie's to actually see them before their bedtime. I took a nice walk with Jim around his neighborhood to catch up on some issues. After I returned Sam was itching to play basketball, so we found an old ball outside a daycare nearby, and shot around. Then a bit of tennis afterward, and played until the lights shut down on us. We came back, showered...and off to pillow world.

Run to the Sun - day 4

Today was interesting. At least it started off better at McDonalds, but I think those employees are whacked out. Got my order wrong in the drive thru. Whatev.

Another spring training game, this time at the Blue Jays home in Dunedin...which is very near the Gulf of Mexico. Same teams as yesterday, but this time the Jays pulled it out. Good thing too since Sam bought himself a sharp jersey and hat. Apparently he likes the Jays (?). Like yesterday he made fast friends with whomever he could. Unlike yesterday we were able to get seats in the last row, in the shade, and having the great Gulf winds keep us cool. Ahhhh.

After that we wound our way south to famous Clearwater Beach. Such a nifty place. Not sure how they are able to squeeze so many folks on a tiny, narrow island - but they manage. We snaked our way to a spot by the beach, got changed and headed out. Both of us swam at first, but Sam wasn't happy very shortly after and we had to abort. So we changed back, and headed to Crabby Bill's for dinner. Then we set off on a nice little walk around the beach area, and then headed back south. We found a county park beach, and went there to enjoy the sunset.

From there it was finally back home, but not all was done just yet. Sam wanted to go to WalMart at midnight, and so we went. It's vacation time, ok? I did end up getting some nice stuff, so no loss! Glad we didn't sunburn, so at least we should sleep good.

Run to the Sun 2012...Days 1, 2 & 3

Yes, back on another trip - this time revisiting Florida with Sam. We first came here together back in 2007 for a shuttle launch. This time he "landed" in my lap for spring break, so I thought why not? Besides, my good friends Jim and Laurie have been practically begging us to stay with them near Tampa. I think I only planned this two weeks in advance...I guess I thrive on spontaneity.

I am writing this after our third day, since it's hard to write and drive. Took us two days to get down here. Didn't start really well though. First I heard a funny rattling sound under my drivers wheel, and took it to Honda for a check. An hour later they did say something was wrong, but didn't have the part. Thankfully it wasn't anything serious. Then as we just entered the highway, I remembered that I forgot his Xbox controllers. Yep...drove back. All said and done we finally left by noon...and already had a room waiting north of Atlanta.

With a whole lotta time wasted, I drove like mad. Averaged about 85 all the way down, and predictably arrived in record time - about 9 hours. We tried to go to a Dave and Busters next door, but that was insane. Settled for some cheesy bread at Domino's. The next day we headed down to Florida, and made it in time for dinner. Jim and Laurie took us out for pizza, and afterwards Sam decided to shoot around with some kids at a nearby park. Great weather of course, and before we slept we took a joyride into downtown Tampa. Yippie!

We enjoyed an excellent night of sleep in our room, and after a short chat with Laurie, we headed to Lakeland to take in a Tigers spring training game against the Jays. When we got to the box office, we heard that only standing room was left, but low and behold the ticket agent slipped us two FREE box seats...and we were set. We then sat in the beautiful Florida sun and soaked in a great game - with all the regular players starting since opening day was this week. Although Sam was pulling for the Jays (?), the Tigers took the game (we think...left in the 8th), which was punctuated by a mammoth home run by Prince Fielder (it went as high as it did long...seriously).

To beat the crowds, we headed back and spoke to both Laurie and Jim about our great experience. Not much time since we scored tickets to a Tampa Bay Lightning game. We showered and headed out. Our seats were WAY up on top, but a great view anyhow. The game itself was a treat, with the 'Bolts winning in the last minute...good times. Afterwards we wandered over to a local sports bar to catch the NCAA men's championship game. Sam of course ignored that and started playing with guys in their 20's, and making bets on pop-a-shot. He beat them and won $10. I need to take some lessons from him.

Great first full day in FLA.

Super Bowl Circus

Indianapolis finally got its wish and is hosting the Super Bowl in 2012. I think that's 46...or XLVI...whatever. They just need to call it the Super Bowl and be done with it. Anyways Sam and I took a day off to go down and experience all the happenings surrounding this over-hyped game (on Friday, Feb. 3, 2012). We were definitely not disappointed.

To say that the City of Indianapolis did a good job preparing for this would be an insulting understatement. In fact I can't think of a more well-prepared series of events since, well, my trip to the Women's Final Four last year in Indy. This city just gets it right. For the biggest sporting event in our country, Indy created an extensive "Super Bowl Village" which runs along Georgia St. between the convention center and whatever the new name of where the Pacers play. To say it mildly, this concept has worked TOO well.

Of course it certainly helped that the weather was more in-line with April than February with highs in the 50's (!). This brought 'em out of the woodwork. Even though Georgia St. was totally re-built with heaters suspended above a median pedestrian path...they weren't needed. All of this helped lead to a "perfect storm" which I'll touch on shortly.

As for us we got downtown and found some great parking a few blocks from the Village. From there we went up the Soliders Monument in the Circle and gazed out on a sunny day in Indy. We quickly caught site of many significant landmarks...like the JW Marriott sporting a massive Lombardy Trophy on its front face. Hope hotel guest can see thru that!

We then wandered from the Circle and started to cruise the Village. Crowds were thick, but manageable. After stopping in at a few places, I decided to meet up with some work colleagues at RW Armstrong at old Union Station. We were given a great tour by Kelly Tingle, who also introduced us to an indoor basketball court which we took shots on. Sam wanted to play Horse, I settled for Pig...but still didn't get past P. Oy.

We moved on and walked quite a ways to Victory Field where they turned the entire playing field into a huge sandbox. Um...sure. Nothing to see there so upon a request for Sam we made our way to the Statehouse...where it was simply dead. Nothing going on...and the tour guides looked plenty bored. Thought maybe some folks would have visited...then again the Village was hard to break away from.

We sauntered back there and then to the grand NFL Experience expo which took over the entire Indiana Convention Center. Quite an impressive feat seeing how massive that place is. As we entered the place was packed, and we quickly discovered that we would do nothing that day without a special wristband to get in the front of the lines for kicking, passing...and just about anything else worthwhile. This was a pain, since that wristband line was about a 2-3 hour wait. Oh yeah, it also cost an extra $45! So being me I avoided as long as I could - but Sam was being extra grumpy since he couldn't do anything. I was getting extremely grumpy since I almost got kicked out since the geniuses didn't give me a basic wristband that showed I paid. Yes...I was approaching wit's end.

Thankfully we got lucky and purchased a special wristband for Sam...and then he was able to do about anything he wanted. It was worth it in the end...I just want to avoid looking at my credit card for a while. The set-up was just amazing with interactive everything going on - quite the spectacle. We spent about 4+ hours in there all told. It was nearly 9pm...and my feet were ready to fall off. Sam's too.

We ventured out of the Experience and saw firsthand what happens when you have unseasonably warm weather plus a popular band playing for free...near anarchy. Stepping out of the Convention Center we were met with a sea of humanity that spread out in all directions. The crowd had grown exponentially in the time we were inside. It appeared that far too many folks had descended on the area...and the cops were a bit overwhelmed. Sam and I were able to meet up with an old classmate of mine at an info booth, but Sam wanted to get to the Pacers pro shop at what-ever-they-call-it arena where they play.

Moving thru the Village towards the arena was very problematic by now. You could barely walk...so Sam and I smartly ducked into a parking garage that got us on another street...where we avoided the mass of humanity waiting for some band called LMFAO. Never heard of them...which Sam found fascinating. We made the arena, where I was able to finally sit down in a nice leather chair and drink some iced coffee (the pro-shop has a Dunkin Donuts...score!).

After I pried myself up I got Sam an early birthday gift...and then made our way back to the car. We made on last stop by the giant Roman numerals on Monument Circle...where each numeral had been turned into a video board...nice. We just about limped back to my car from there, and raced out of the city. By the time we did traffic was becoming really bad...and people really drunk. Thankfully nobody was hurt or no riots took place. They were lucky. Our departure time was about 11pm...over 12 hours since we arrived.

All-in-all a most amazing time in Indy for this event. They did it right, with a bundle of things to do right in a great downtown area. Hope it returns again in my lifetime...they deserve it.