June 30 - I decided to stay an extra day in Concord and
drive to the stadium in Pittsburgh. (I found out later that this was
a miscalculation). I went to Walden Pond, which is quite near
Richard's house. I finally met Richard's wife, Kathleen, when she got
home from work. She brought home a man I hadn't seen in 15 years,
Jack Sieber. Jack, Richard and I all went to junior high together,
and we are all now programmers. Jack looks quite a bit different; he
used to look like a red-headed Roy Orbison, now he just looks like
another tall, long-haired programmer-type. We all had good pizza for
dinner, and talked until fairly late.
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Monday, June 29, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 37 - June 29, 1994
June 29 - Got up and talked with Leslie some more until it
was time to leave. Drove to the Alewife T station in Concord and took
the T to Fenway Park. I like Fenway. It's nice and cozy, and the
seats all face home. It's kind of strangely shaped, but that is a
characteristic of these old places. The 37' wall in left is really
cool. It was raining all of the way to the T station, but it had
stopped for the game, and everything started on time. Leslie and
Chuck met me at the game.
The Yankees beat Boston 4-3 in ten innings with home runs by Danny Tartabull and Jim Leyritz of NY. After the game, Leslie, Chuck and I were walking out of the stadium and were passed by Jim Kaat and Sean McDonough (I believe that is his name) of ESPN (in their snappy blue TV jackets) and one of the guys that does SportsCenter. Ooh, ahh. My brush with fame for the trip.
Leslie, Chuck and I said our goodbyes at the Park St. Station, and I drove to Richard Wells' house. Richard and I talked to very late. He and I went to junior high together, and we both went to Rice. We talked and talked about what each other was doing and about the huge number of people that we both knew in school.
The Yankees beat Boston 4-3 in ten innings with home runs by Danny Tartabull and Jim Leyritz of NY. After the game, Leslie, Chuck and I were walking out of the stadium and were passed by Jim Kaat and Sean McDonough (I believe that is his name) of ESPN (in their snappy blue TV jackets) and one of the guys that does SportsCenter. Ooh, ahh. My brush with fame for the trip.
Leslie, Chuck and I said our goodbyes at the Park St. Station, and I drove to Richard Wells' house. Richard and I talked to very late. He and I went to junior high together, and we both went to Rice. We talked and talked about what each other was doing and about the huge number of people that we both knew in school.
Route to Concord from Providence - I-95 North to Massachusetts 128.
Massachusetts 128 to Massachusetts 2. Massachusetts 2 to Concord.
Game log: https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1994/B06290BOS1994.htm
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 36 - June 28, 1994
June 28 - Got up at 5 to take Anna to the airport, and got
on the road. The Customs guy for the US didn't even ask me my name.
After about two hours on the road, I realized that I still hadn't
really caught up on sleep, so I pulled over in a rest area and slept
for a couple of hours.
Got into Providence about 4 and went to Leslie Baker's house. We talked for a while, and then Margo Ballou showed up, and soon after, Leslie's husband, Chuck Halfen got home. Leslie cooked some spaghetti, and we ate, and talked to all hours of the morning.
Got into Providence about 4 and went to Leslie Baker's house. We talked for a while, and then Margo Ballou showed up, and soon after, Leslie's husband, Chuck Halfen got home. Leslie cooked some spaghetti, and we ate, and talked to all hours of the morning.
Route - Quebec 133 South to Vermont. Quebec 133 becomes I-89. I-89
South to I-93. I-93 South to I-495 around Boston. I-495 South to
I-95. I-95 South to I-195. I-195 East to city streets.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 35 - June 27, 1994
June 27 - Had a wonderful day. We got up and took the Metro
to the Botanical Gardens and Insectarium. We went through Insectarium
quite thoroughly. Neat place. Started by this famous Quebecois
entomologist whose name escapes me now. After that, we walked through
some of the botanical gardens, but it was raining, so we skipped out
before we got through all of it.
We then went to Basilique Notre-Dame, the oldest cathedral in Montreal. Anna wasn't used to seeing snow scenes or teepees in the stained glass. The alter has what looks like a miniature cathedral standing on it with statues of Christ and various saints. Like a lot of the rest of the artwork, it was very three dimensional. There was a smaller chapel behind the alter with a really cool cruxifiction scene on it. I can't really describe it very well though.
As we were leaving we noticed that there were lots of people milling around the alter, and crews were setting up TV cameras. Then a person with a string bass started warming up. It seems that the OrchestreSymphonique de Montréal was going to have a rehearsal for its summer festival. We stayed and listened to them rehearse Listz's Les Preludes. It was wonderful!
We left and walked back to the hotel through Old Montreal, a section of town that is very much like waterfront towns in Europe. Lots of closer together brick buildings on brick streets.
After gathering strength and food, we went to the game. Le Stade Olympique is a silly place. They build this place with a retractable roof. However, the way it retracts is almost unbelievable. The roof is a large tarp with cables connected to several points. There is a tower where the cables are connected to a winch, and they retract the roof by pulling it up to the tower. They had the 76 Olympics here, but the retractable roof wasn't ready until 1985. What a hack.The stadium also has many seats which don't face the field at all.
Another bizarre place.
The game was great. Atlanta and Montreal were playing, and Atlanta came into the game with a 2.5 game lead on Montreal. 45000 people showed up. It was the largest crowd in six years. Ken Hill faced Greg Maddux, and the pitching matchup lived up to its billing. It was 2-2 until the eighth, when Montreal scored 5 runs, including a big, three-rum home run by Cliff Floyd. (Note for baseball fans: this was Greg Maddux' last loss on the road until early in the 1996 season).
We then went to Basilique Notre-Dame, the oldest cathedral in Montreal. Anna wasn't used to seeing snow scenes or teepees in the stained glass. The alter has what looks like a miniature cathedral standing on it with statues of Christ and various saints. Like a lot of the rest of the artwork, it was very three dimensional. There was a smaller chapel behind the alter with a really cool cruxifiction scene on it. I can't really describe it very well though.
As we were leaving we noticed that there were lots of people milling around the alter, and crews were setting up TV cameras. Then a person with a string bass started warming up. It seems that the OrchestreSymphonique de Montréal was going to have a rehearsal for its summer festival. We stayed and listened to them rehearse Listz's Les Preludes. It was wonderful!
We left and walked back to the hotel through Old Montreal, a section of town that is very much like waterfront towns in Europe. Lots of closer together brick buildings on brick streets.
After gathering strength and food, we went to the game. Le Stade Olympique is a silly place. They build this place with a retractable roof. However, the way it retracts is almost unbelievable. The roof is a large tarp with cables connected to several points. There is a tower where the cables are connected to a winch, and they retract the roof by pulling it up to the tower. They had the 76 Olympics here, but the retractable roof wasn't ready until 1985. What a hack.The stadium also has many seats which don't face the field at all.
Another bizarre place.
The game was great. Atlanta and Montreal were playing, and Atlanta came into the game with a 2.5 game lead on Montreal. 45000 people showed up. It was the largest crowd in six years. Ken Hill faced Greg Maddux, and the pitching matchup lived up to its billing. It was 2-2 until the eighth, when Montreal scored 5 runs, including a big, three-rum home run by Cliff Floyd. (Note for baseball fans: this was Greg Maddux' last loss on the road until early in the 1996 season).
What a great day!
Friday, June 26, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 34 - June 26, 1994
June 26 - To paraphrase a friend of mine:
"ONTARIO - LAND-D-D OF-F-F DARKNESS-S-S!!!" (Note the echoes)
Seems he has never driven across Oklahoma in the daylight, and there is nothing to see there at night. Ontario is real dull at night also. They were having fireworks in Sudbury, which was cool. All I remember about Ottawa was that the freeway was built into a trench that ran the length of the city, and as a result, nothing in Ottawa was visible from the freeway. The freeway starts in Ottawa; before that the road is just a two-lane highway with a 90 km/h speed limit. After years cursing US Interstates because they are so incredibly dull, I found myself wishing for one that crossed Ontario. It would have helped had it not been raining through most of this drive.
The sun started glowing on the horizon through the clouds about three. It finally came up about 4:45. I crossed into Quebec about 5:00, and reached Dorval airport about 6. I bought a book and read it to stay awake until Anna arrived.
Anna's plane was on time, and I met her outside the customs gate. We found our hotel, and checked in. The Queen Elizabeth was great; we got really good rates for a first-class hotel. We slept most of the day. We got out that evening, and went walking around. We decided to go see The Lion King, and then went back and ordered room service. Good food, not expensive. Did I mention that I liked this hotel?
"ONTARIO - LAND-D-D OF-F-F DARKNESS-S-S!!!" (Note the echoes)
Seems he has never driven across Oklahoma in the daylight, and there is nothing to see there at night. Ontario is real dull at night also. They were having fireworks in Sudbury, which was cool. All I remember about Ottawa was that the freeway was built into a trench that ran the length of the city, and as a result, nothing in Ottawa was visible from the freeway. The freeway starts in Ottawa; before that the road is just a two-lane highway with a 90 km/h speed limit. After years cursing US Interstates because they are so incredibly dull, I found myself wishing for one that crossed Ontario. It would have helped had it not been raining through most of this drive.
The sun started glowing on the horizon through the clouds about three. It finally came up about 4:45. I crossed into Quebec about 5:00, and reached Dorval airport about 6. I bought a book and read it to stay awake until Anna arrived.
Anna's plane was on time, and I met her outside the customs gate. We found our hotel, and checked in. The Queen Elizabeth was great; we got really good rates for a first-class hotel. We slept most of the day. We got out that evening, and went walking around. We decided to go see The Lion King, and then went back and ordered room service. Good food, not expensive. Did I mention that I liked this hotel?
Route - I-35W North to I-35. I-35 North to US 8. US 8 East to US 2.
US 2 East to Michigan 77. Michigan 77 North to Michigan 28. Michigan
28 East to I-75. I-75 North to Sault-Ste. Marie. Ontario 17 East to
Ontario 417. Ontario 417 becomes Quebec 40. Quebec 40 East to
Montreal.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 33 - June 25, 1994
June 25 - Now it was time for the worst drive. When I
originally planned this trip, I allowed two days to get between
Minneapolis and Montreal, which is reasonable. However, my wife and I
decided that she would meet me in Montreal, and the only way we could
schedule it had her arriving at Dorval airport at 9 AM on June 26.
This meant I had about 25 hours to drive 20. I left St. Paul
about 9 AM. I reached Sault Ste-Marie about 7. Canadian Customs went
through my car completely, and it took forever. They opened every bag
and asked me about 50 questions before they let me through. I got
back on the road to cross Ontario.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 32 - June 24, 1994
June 24 - Got up and wrote status reports while watching
World Cup on TV. Decided to get some Canadian money before the game.
Tried to find the American Express office in downtown St. Paul, but
it was gone, and the phone had been disconnected. Got money from a
bank.
Made my way to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. I call it the Metrobubble, since the roof is inflatable and held up by air pressure.
HHH has no parking to itself, so when you park, you get reamed by the local parking lots. The stadium is an extremely bizarre place. I grew up with indoor baseball and turf, so that did not bother me. The stadium is just strange. It's basically a square, and on three sides, they have normal seats, but in right field, they have retractable folding layers of football seats, and they cover a lot of them with this large plastic tarp, what is commonly known as the Hefty bag. Balls that hit this thing die and fall straight down to the turf.
Video clips:
Made my way to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. I call it the Metrobubble, since the roof is inflatable and held up by air pressure.
HHH has no parking to itself, so when you park, you get reamed by the local parking lots. The stadium is an extremely bizarre place. I grew up with indoor baseball and turf, so that did not bother me. The stadium is just strange. It's basically a square, and on three sides, they have normal seats, but in right field, they have retractable folding layers of football seats, and they cover a lot of them with this large plastic tarp, what is commonly known as the Hefty bag. Balls that hit this thing die and fall straight down to the turf.
In addition to the stadium weirdness, it was Minnesota Dairy Night,
and they gave us cheese graters as promotional items. They had Miss
Minnesota Dairy, and all during the game, they were putting factoids
about the Minnesota Dairy industry up on the scoreboard. Sigh.
Minnesota won 4-1 on a well-pitched game by everybody's favorite
retread, Jim Deshaies.
It's the Minnesota Twins cheese grater:
 |
| It's really cheesy. |
And the scoresheets:
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 31 - June 23, 1994
June 23 - Drove to St. Paul from Cincinnati. There is no
good way through or around Chicago right now. I 90-94 through
downtown is being rebuilt, and is a mess. They are working on the
Illinois Tollway (I-294) a lot. So this was kind of aggravating. It
also rained most of the day. While in Ohio and Indiana, I didn't
care, since there is nothing to see anyway, but I like Northern
Illinois and Wisconsin, so I was glad when the rain finally went
away. I also should have checked the map; I could have saved an hour
or two by going up I-90 from Chicago instead of I-94. Oh, well.
Got here about 9.
Got here about 9.
Route - I-74 West to I-465 in Indianapolis. I-465 North-West to I-65.
I-65 North to I-80-94. I-94 West to I-294. I-294 North to I-94 in
Wisconsin. I-94 West to St. Paul.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 30 - June 22, 1994
June 22 - I got up and drove to Cincinnati. You know, I am
tired of the O. J. Simpson story. I normally enjoy sports talk radio
shows, but that's all they ever talk about. Sigh.
The place I stayed was nice enough, but I don't know about the neighborhood. I really don't like Cincinnati much. I almost went here for college, but I'm glad I didn't.
I got to the stadium. This, along with Oakland-Alameda, Veteran's, Three Rivers, Busch and the Astrodome, is one of the cookie-cutter circular multi-purpose stadiums built in the sixties or early seventies. It's better than Milwaukee. However, it's kind of dull. Both the Bengals and the Reds want a new place to play, but how is this small place going to pay for it?
However, this place is baseball happy. Lots and lots and lots of red baseball caps everywhere. Cincinnati is the team to beat currently in the NL Central, since Houston is doing the usual and getting pummeled by Colorado. Sigh.
During the game, USA beat Columbia in the World Cup prelims. Unbelievable. The Rockets played Game 7 tonight, and they were leading when the game was over.
The game was great. Cincinnati scored once in the first. San Fransisco answered with a run in the top of the second, but Cincy scored another in the bottom of the second. Barry Bonds led of the fourth with a solo home run, and the game was tied. The Reds scored a run in the bottom of the eight, and brought on the closer, Jeff Brantley. Matt Williams blasted a home run in the top of the ninth to tie it again. The bottom of the ninth went like this:
Monteleone pitching. Boone fouled to catcher. Dorsett doubled to left. Walton ran for Dorsett Howard announced as pinch-hitter for Brantley. Hickerson came in to pitch. Brumfield hit for Howard. Brumfield walked. Sanders hit a fly ball to center; Walton went to third. Beck came in to pitch. Larkin hit a single to right, Walton scored. Reds won 4-3.
The Rockets weren't on the radio in the car. Grr. Got back to the room. The local NBC affiliate decided not to broadcast the NBA finals. Unbelievable. So I found a station on the radio through the static, and listened to the last minute.
ROCKETS WIN!
Now, you must understand. The concept of a championship to a sport fan who grew up in Houston is foreign. The Oilers have been to the playoffs thirteen times, but they have only two very early AFL championships from 1960 and 1961 to show for it. The Astros have been to the NLCS twice and played very well, but lost. The Rockets lost twice to Larry Byrd and the Celtics in the NBA Finals. UH went to the Final Four and lost. I was honestly expecting the Knicks to open up a thirty point lead and coast to the win.
But the Rockets won.
WE WIN! WE WIN!
The place I stayed was nice enough, but I don't know about the neighborhood. I really don't like Cincinnati much. I almost went here for college, but I'm glad I didn't.
I got to the stadium. This, along with Oakland-Alameda, Veteran's, Three Rivers, Busch and the Astrodome, is one of the cookie-cutter circular multi-purpose stadiums built in the sixties or early seventies. It's better than Milwaukee. However, it's kind of dull. Both the Bengals and the Reds want a new place to play, but how is this small place going to pay for it?
However, this place is baseball happy. Lots and lots and lots of red baseball caps everywhere. Cincinnati is the team to beat currently in the NL Central, since Houston is doing the usual and getting pummeled by Colorado. Sigh.
During the game, USA beat Columbia in the World Cup prelims. Unbelievable. The Rockets played Game 7 tonight, and they were leading when the game was over.
The game was great. Cincinnati scored once in the first. San Fransisco answered with a run in the top of the second, but Cincy scored another in the bottom of the second. Barry Bonds led of the fourth with a solo home run, and the game was tied. The Reds scored a run in the bottom of the eight, and brought on the closer, Jeff Brantley. Matt Williams blasted a home run in the top of the ninth to tie it again. The bottom of the ninth went like this:
Monteleone pitching. Boone fouled to catcher. Dorsett doubled to left. Walton ran for Dorsett Howard announced as pinch-hitter for Brantley. Hickerson came in to pitch. Brumfield hit for Howard. Brumfield walked. Sanders hit a fly ball to center; Walton went to third. Beck came in to pitch. Larkin hit a single to right, Walton scored. Reds won 4-3.
The Rockets weren't on the radio in the car. Grr. Got back to the room. The local NBC affiliate decided not to broadcast the NBA finals. Unbelievable. So I found a station on the radio through the static, and listened to the last minute.
ROCKETS WIN!
Now, you must understand. The concept of a championship to a sport fan who grew up in Houston is foreign. The Oilers have been to the playoffs thirteen times, but they have only two very early AFL championships from 1960 and 1961 to show for it. The Astros have been to the NLCS twice and played very well, but lost. The Rockets lost twice to Larry Byrd and the Celtics in the NBA Finals. UH went to the Final Four and lost. I was honestly expecting the Knicks to open up a thirty point lead and coast to the win.
But the Rockets won.
WE WIN! WE WIN!
You will have to forgive me.
Route - Michigan 20 East to I-75. I-75 South to Cincinnati.
Game Log - https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1994/B06220CIN1994.htm
I actually have some video clips from the game. They let me take in the camera, and I managed to get this tape digitized.
And the scoresheets:
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 29 - June 21, 1994
June 21 - I decided to stay another day here and drive to
Cincinnati and only stay one night. So today, I played clarinet and
bass clarinet with Kennen. It was a struggle to play Kennen's bass
clarinet. He uses much harder reeds, and some of the keys are in
weird places. Still we had a good time. After we got tired, we talked
some more.
Kennen is trying to get a position at a college, so he was extremely interested in my clarinet choir tapes, as he might have to do one. We listened to most of them over the time of my visit.
That evening we went to a picnic concert at CMU. The group wasn't that good, but we had a good time anyway. Kaylee loved it. There was grass and there were dogs and there were people. It was the solstice, so the sun was still up when we left at 9. We went back and talked some more. We then remembered that Kennen had wanted to install ClarisWorks on his SE, but he only has low density disks. After working around that problem, we realized that he has System 6.0.1, and of course, ClarisWorks requires 6.0.4. Sigh. In addition, FileMaker's About Box crashes. Sigh. Oh, well.
Kennen is trying to get a position at a college, so he was extremely interested in my clarinet choir tapes, as he might have to do one. We listened to most of them over the time of my visit.
That evening we went to a picnic concert at CMU. The group wasn't that good, but we had a good time anyway. Kaylee loved it. There was grass and there were dogs and there were people. It was the solstice, so the sun was still up when we left at 9. We went back and talked some more. We then remembered that Kennen had wanted to install ClarisWorks on his SE, but he only has low density disks. After working around that problem, we realized that he has System 6.0.1, and of course, ClarisWorks requires 6.0.4. Sigh. In addition, FileMaker's About Box crashes. Sigh. Oh, well.
I got to bed quite late.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 28 - June 20, 1994
June 20 - Joanna works as a professor of flute at Central
Michigan University. She took me to her studio, loaned me flute and
gave me some pointers. I think she really helped. She gave me some
embouchure pointers, and helped me with some articulation problems I
am having. This was great.
We went back, and I took a nap. We went out for Chinese food, and went back to the apartment. Kennen and Joanna wanted some video footage of Kaylee, so we took some. We talked a while and went to bed.
We went back, and I took a nap. We went out for Chinese food, and went back to the apartment. Kennen and Joanna wanted some video footage of Kaylee, so we took some. We talked a while and went to bed.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 27 - June 19, 1994
June 19 - I got up early and cleared out so that I could
get to Tiger Stadium, a nice three hour drive. Tiger Stadium is the
oldest stadium in baseball right now. I don't remember the year it
opened, but I think it was 1911. Anyway, as a result, parking is a
nightmare. It is better than Candlestick, but not by much. I parked
in this church lot down the street from the stadium.
And they don't let video into the stadium. Sigh.
This is a strange place. The upper deck hangs over the lower deck almost completely, and there are pillars everywhere. About one sixth of the seats have an obstructed view of the plate. Where I was sitting, I could only see the ball when it was pitched, right when it left the bat and when it was fielded. As a result of all of the obstructed views, they show the game on monitors while it is going on. So you too can pay $12 to watch the Tigers on TV with no sound. Anyway, after all of this, it would be a shame for them to replace this place. Ty Cobb played here. With all of its quirks, this place is right out of history. All this game needs is 28 Camden Yards.
The Tigers won 3-1, and everybody was surprised at the pitcher's duel. Rookie pitcher Gohr pitched a whale of a game, pitching seven and two-thirds innings, giving up six hits, one run, walking two and striking out seven. Detroit won 3-1.
I went back to Mount Pleasant, and Kennen and Joanna made yummy food for dinner. Kaylee is really adorable, and she is fun just to watch.
And they don't let video into the stadium. Sigh.
This is a strange place. The upper deck hangs over the lower deck almost completely, and there are pillars everywhere. About one sixth of the seats have an obstructed view of the plate. Where I was sitting, I could only see the ball when it was pitched, right when it left the bat and when it was fielded. As a result of all of the obstructed views, they show the game on monitors while it is going on. So you too can pay $12 to watch the Tigers on TV with no sound. Anyway, after all of this, it would be a shame for them to replace this place. Ty Cobb played here. With all of its quirks, this place is right out of history. All this game needs is 28 Camden Yards.
The Tigers won 3-1, and everybody was surprised at the pitcher's duel. Rookie pitcher Gohr pitched a whale of a game, pitching seven and two-thirds innings, giving up six hits, one run, walking two and striking out seven. Detroit won 3-1.
I went back to Mount Pleasant, and Kennen and Joanna made yummy food for dinner. Kaylee is really adorable, and she is fun just to watch.
Route - US 27 South to I-96. I-96 East to Detroit. Reverse for trip
back.
 |
| A precious child |
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 26 - June 18, 1994
June 18 - I drove to Mt. Pleasant from Washington. Mt.
Pleasant is three hours north of Detroit. I forgot to account for
this, so this turned out to be a thirteen hour drive. Sigh. Not much
to say here, just a long day of driving.
I got to my cousin's house about 1 AM. My cousin, Kennen White, and his wife, Joanna Cowan White, have a baby who is about 11 months old. I think her name is spelled Kaylee. Kennen was still up, and we talked a little bit before I went to bed.
I got to my cousin's house about 1 AM. My cousin, Kennen White, and his wife, Joanna Cowan White, have a baby who is about 11 months old. I think her name is spelled Kaylee. Kennen was still up, and we talked a little bit before I went to bed.
Route - I-495 to I-270. I-270 West to I-70. I-70 West to I-76. I-76
West to I-80-90. I-80-90 West to Intestate 475 in Toledo. I-475 North
to US 23. US 23 North to I-96. I-96 West to US 27. US 27 North to Mt.
Pleasant.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 25 - June 17, 1994
June 17 - Becky took me to work in the morning. I met
Senator Bingaman; he is a nice, middle-aged guy. Seems to be a
perfect Western politician; he looks like he has spent a lot of time
with horses out on the range. Becky then took me about the Capitol
building, and got me in to see the Senate and House chambers,
including going onto the Senate floor. I had a good time doing this;
I could see myself in politics.
After Becky really had to go to work for real, I went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I really liked it, but I hope that they update some of the displays soon. There was some out of date info, and some of the text was worn away. Nothing like places like this to remind one of the seventies.
There is a relatively new display about computers and space with some truly amazing old computers. Scary stuff. They also have a couple of films about computers that are truly, truly awful and seem to me to only be vehicles for the computer companies that sponsor them to show their insignia. Sigh.
I didn't get through this place, but I don't think I missed *too* much. Sigh.
I then drove to Baltimore and Camden Yards. It's really easy to get to, which was a welcome relief from DC. Camden Yards is a neat place; they have closed off Eutaw Street and made it part of the stadium. They have stocked it with food places, souvenir stands, and bars. They don't let you in to the actual stadium until about an hour and a half before the game. Until then, you can hang over the walls and watch batting practice. Actually, the bleachers are open, so fans can watch batting practice from their seats. The walls, however, are five feet high or so, so you have to be fairly tall to see, and they don't let kids sit on top, so their were a lot of fathers with kids on their shoulders.
They let us in, and I found my seat. The seats down the line are my only real complaint about this place; they face the area between second base and center field. It's amazing that this happened in a stadium so young. This is a nice place, but I prefer Jacobs Field.
The O's fans have their idiosyncrasies. They say "O" real loud when "Oh, say does that star-spangled" line comes around, and they don't sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" when the seventh inning stretch comes around. Instead, they play "Thank God I'm a Country Boy". Gack.
And frankly, I am tired of seeing the Orioles. I keep running in to them; they were in Oakland, and Kansas City, and now here, and I think I have another game with them later.
I was sitting, watching the game and listening on the radio, as I normally do when I go to the game alone, when the O. J. Simpson chase came on the radio. So while they were playing the game on the field, I was relaying what was going on to the people around me. A very surreal experience. The Orioles beat the Twins, 9-2. Stars of the game included Chris Sabo, who went 3 for 4 with one walk, one double, 2 RBI's and one run scored; and Leo Gomez, who went 3 for 4 with a double, home run, walk, 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
I got completely lost in Washington again trying to get back to the apartment. I hate driving in this city. Just when you find a street on the map that you think will work, it gets blocked by a monument, and the continuation has no sigh. After an hour and a half in the city, I found the apartment again. By this time it was 12:30, and OJ had given himself up. I went to bed.
After Becky really had to go to work for real, I went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I really liked it, but I hope that they update some of the displays soon. There was some out of date info, and some of the text was worn away. Nothing like places like this to remind one of the seventies.
There is a relatively new display about computers and space with some truly amazing old computers. Scary stuff. They also have a couple of films about computers that are truly, truly awful and seem to me to only be vehicles for the computer companies that sponsor them to show their insignia. Sigh.
I didn't get through this place, but I don't think I missed *too* much. Sigh.
I then drove to Baltimore and Camden Yards. It's really easy to get to, which was a welcome relief from DC. Camden Yards is a neat place; they have closed off Eutaw Street and made it part of the stadium. They have stocked it with food places, souvenir stands, and bars. They don't let you in to the actual stadium until about an hour and a half before the game. Until then, you can hang over the walls and watch batting practice. Actually, the bleachers are open, so fans can watch batting practice from their seats. The walls, however, are five feet high or so, so you have to be fairly tall to see, and they don't let kids sit on top, so their were a lot of fathers with kids on their shoulders.
They let us in, and I found my seat. The seats down the line are my only real complaint about this place; they face the area between second base and center field. It's amazing that this happened in a stadium so young. This is a nice place, but I prefer Jacobs Field.
The O's fans have their idiosyncrasies. They say "O" real loud when "Oh, say does that star-spangled" line comes around, and they don't sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" when the seventh inning stretch comes around. Instead, they play "Thank God I'm a Country Boy". Gack.
And frankly, I am tired of seeing the Orioles. I keep running in to them; they were in Oakland, and Kansas City, and now here, and I think I have another game with them later.
I was sitting, watching the game and listening on the radio, as I normally do when I go to the game alone, when the O. J. Simpson chase came on the radio. So while they were playing the game on the field, I was relaying what was going on to the people around me. A very surreal experience. The Orioles beat the Twins, 9-2. Stars of the game included Chris Sabo, who went 3 for 4 with one walk, one double, 2 RBI's and one run scored; and Leo Gomez, who went 3 for 4 with a double, home run, walk, 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
I got completely lost in Washington again trying to get back to the apartment. I hate driving in this city. Just when you find a street on the map that you think will work, it gets blocked by a monument, and the continuation has no sigh. After an hour and a half in the city, I found the apartment again. By this time it was 12:30, and OJ had given himself up. I went to bed.
Route - Washington 295 to I-495. I-495 North to I-95. I-95 North to
Baltimore. Reverse route back to Washington.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 24 - June 16, 1994
June 16 - Don't ever drive in this place.
I really think that Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina are the best places to live in this country. The drive was nice. The area has just enough mountains not to be flat, has tolerable summers and winters if you like snow, and is pretty with lots of trees and streams. Really cool area.
Washington, however, is pretty ratty. Once you get past the nice monuments, buildings and museums, the city is a dump, ill-maintained with a discontented population. It also has the most screwed up street systems. I got completely lost trying to get to Mike and Becky Lepalla's house.
I finally got there. Mike works as a legal lackey in the Department of Labor, Becky works for Senator Mike Bingaman. They had a friend visiting whose name escapes me. She is in seminary, and reminds me of Shannon Kimball-Auth. Becky and Mike's apartment is rather small, but given housing costs in Washington and what they are probably making, I don't feel that this is unusual. They have a cat and a dog and I had a good time playing with them. Mike and I had to go get a visitor's parking permit for my car, and the police station was decidedly unimpressive. It seems that the weird bureaucracy of Washington makes it impossible to do city services right.
After catching up on gossip, we all went to bed.
I really think that Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina are the best places to live in this country. The drive was nice. The area has just enough mountains not to be flat, has tolerable summers and winters if you like snow, and is pretty with lots of trees and streams. Really cool area.
Washington, however, is pretty ratty. Once you get past the nice monuments, buildings and museums, the city is a dump, ill-maintained with a discontented population. It also has the most screwed up street systems. I got completely lost trying to get to Mike and Becky Lepalla's house.
I finally got there. Mike works as a legal lackey in the Department of Labor, Becky works for Senator Mike Bingaman. They had a friend visiting whose name escapes me. She is in seminary, and reminds me of Shannon Kimball-Auth. Becky and Mike's apartment is rather small, but given housing costs in Washington and what they are probably making, I don't feel that this is unusual. They have a cat and a dog and I had a good time playing with them. Mike and I had to go get a visitor's parking permit for my car, and the police station was decidedly unimpressive. It seems that the weird bureaucracy of Washington makes it impossible to do city services right.
After catching up on gossip, we all went to bed.
Route - Ohio 14 South to Pennsylvania. Ohio 14 changes to
Pennsylvania 51. Pennsylvania 51 East until merge with Pennsylvania
65. Pennsylvania 65 to I-79. I-79 South to US 40. US 40 East to
Intestate 68. I-68 East to I-70. I-70 East to I-270. I-270 East to
Intestate 495. I-495 South to George Washington Parkway. George
Washington Parkway to I-395. I-395 to city streets.
Monday, June 15, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 23 - June 15, 1994
June 15 - What a wonderful baseball park.
I got into Cleveland about noon, and found a place to stay. Turns out there is a metro line right by this motel, so I did not drive to the game. I took the train, and when you get out of the train, you walk through a mall. The fountain in the mall is really cool. It has ropes of water leaping out and falling in a hole a little away randomly, so you have these random arcs that look like they are alive jumping around.
The stadium is beautiful. Cleveland is an extremely industrial city, so the stadium was designed to match the buildings and bridges. The outfield looks up into the skyline. It's great. It has a little over 42000 seats, and they come close to selling out every game. The field has reasonable dimensions, unlike the Ballpark at Arlington. The scoreboard is nice; I don't know; it seems basically perfect for Cleveland. The game was great too. The Indians were behind 3-0 in the bottom of the eighth and tied it, then Jim Thome hit a homer in the 13th to the picnic area in center field. The place is baseball happy right now.
Had no trouble getting back to the motel. All in all a good day.
I got into Cleveland about noon, and found a place to stay. Turns out there is a metro line right by this motel, so I did not drive to the game. I took the train, and when you get out of the train, you walk through a mall. The fountain in the mall is really cool. It has ropes of water leaping out and falling in a hole a little away randomly, so you have these random arcs that look like they are alive jumping around.
The stadium is beautiful. Cleveland is an extremely industrial city, so the stadium was designed to match the buildings and bridges. The outfield looks up into the skyline. It's great. It has a little over 42000 seats, and they come close to selling out every game. The field has reasonable dimensions, unlike the Ballpark at Arlington. The scoreboard is nice; I don't know; it seems basically perfect for Cleveland. The game was great too. The Indians were behind 3-0 in the bottom of the eighth and tied it, then Jim Thome hit a homer in the 13th to the picnic area in center field. The place is baseball happy right now.
Had no trouble getting back to the motel. All in all a good day.
Route - I-71 North to Cleveland.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 22 - June 14, 1994
June 14 - I left David and Valerie's about 10 o'clock. Got
to South Bend, Indiana around 3 and spent forever finding the
Woodwind and Brasswind. Finally found it, and bought a clarinet
mouthpiece, and tried out the three top-of-the-line bari saxes. The
Selmer is great. It's the only model that is better than mine.
I then set out for Columbus. US 33 goes through a very, very long urban stretch through South Bend, Elkhart and Goshen, IN. Took about an hour and a half to get through all of it.
Got into Columbus about 9:30 EDT. Turns out that I have met Margaret, Gail and Jeff before. Jeff even remembered me. Had a good time figuring out whom we all knew at Rice. Anna would have hated it, as she gets tired of Rice gatherings. Then everybody had to go to bed.
It is very hot this summer in the Midwest, and nobody has AC. Ah, well. Lot's of nights sleeping in sweat. Just like old times.
I then set out for Columbus. US 33 goes through a very, very long urban stretch through South Bend, Elkhart and Goshen, IN. Took about an hour and a half to get through all of it.
Got into Columbus about 9:30 EDT. Turns out that I have met Margaret, Gail and Jeff before. Jeff even remembered me. Had a good time figuring out whom we all knew at Rice. Anna would have hated it, as she gets tired of Rice gatherings. Then everybody had to go to bed.
It is very hot this summer in the Midwest, and nobody has AC. Ah, well. Lot's of nights sleeping in sweat. Just like old times.
Route - US 41 South to I-80-90. I-80-90 East to US 33. US 33 East to
Columbus.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 21 - June 13, 1994
June 13 - Got up and felt good. David and Valerie went to
work about 10. David left me directions to get to Jiffy Lube so I
could change the oil again. Got that done, and then found the
Saxophone Store in Evanston. Borrowed an alto and tried out
mouthpieces and bought one, a hard rubber Yanagasawa. The Lawton was
just a little better, but it was twice as expensive, and for my
fourth saxophone, I decided that it wasn't worth it. Had lunch. Got
back and made some house-related phone calls. David and Valerie got
back, and we got on the train for Commiskey Park.
Comiskey is relatively nice. It's very clean, quite roomy, and there don't appear to be any bad seats, but it's kind of sterile. The game was great, if you like baseball. The Sox won 1-0. Jason Bere pitched eight innings, giving up no runs, two hits, and striking out 14. Roberto
Hernandez pitched the ninth for the save. Bobby Witt pitched a good game for Oakland, but, well, it is Oakland after all. Then we took the train home.
David is a very nice guy, and Valerie is very bubbly. They are both extremely sharp. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay with them.
Comiskey is relatively nice. It's very clean, quite roomy, and there don't appear to be any bad seats, but it's kind of sterile. The game was great, if you like baseball. The Sox won 1-0. Jason Bere pitched eight innings, giving up no runs, two hits, and striking out 14. Roberto
Hernandez pitched the ninth for the save. Bobby Witt pitched a good game for Oakland, but, well, it is Oakland after all. Then we took the train home.
David is a very nice guy, and Valerie is very bubbly. They are both extremely sharp. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay with them.
Friday, June 12, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 20 - June 12, 1994
June 12 - I got up and felt much, much better. The sinus headache was gone, and
most of the other symptoms were too. I was still a little stuffy, however. Got
on the road about 10. Took highway 45 down here. Wisconsin is absolutely
beautiful. Lots of green with little rolling hills and trees and pretty
farmhouses. Lots of Victorian era barns. Good stuff. Got to David and Valerie's
place about noon. They are very nice people; they cooked two delicious meals for
me and would not let me help clean up. He is from Guilford, south of London, and
she is from Montreal. They are both grad students at Northwestern. They just
graduated. Valerie is taking a job at UT Austin, and David will be doing postdoc
work in Tallahassee. Their apartment is a carved-up Victorian in a neighborhood
with a lot more of them. Wilmette is a northern suburb of Chicago on the shores
of Lake Michigan. Seems like a nice place. A couple of their friends, John and
Marty, came over for dinner. They are nice people. Marty is quite a bit older
than me, in her fifties, and John is about my age, so they make an interesting
couple, if indeed they are one. They are, however, buying a house together, so
we had things we could talk about. All in all, a pleasant day. I really like the
meeting-people part of this trip. Route - US 45 South to Lake Blvd. in Skokie.
Lake Blvd. to Wilmette
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 19 - June 11, 1994
June 11 - Started off feeling ok, I guess. So I went to
the Milwaukee Art Museum. Right by it, they were having a big
festival. A couple of thousand people with music and barbecue. It
dawned on me watching people come and go that it was a gay and
lesbian thing, and the museum ticket teller confirmed it.
Looked at art for about three hours. They neglected to tell me their video policy at the entrance, so I got scolded. Seems you can scan the art and use it as backgrounds, whatever that means, but you can't just stand there and film it. So I stopped. But I am not erasing what I got before that. Reasonable museum. The modern American collection is particularly impressive, and they had a glass collection which was amazing.
About 4, I developed a sinus headache, so I went back to my room and doped up and went to sleep, hoping not to miss the game.
Got up in time for game, and felt better. Not great, was still really tired and stopped up, but went to the game anyway.
Milwaukee County Stadium is very bland. They don't have DiamondVision, which is ok, but they play video with the light-bulb scoreboard. Uggh. Looks like an Apple II screen. Bob Eucker is good on the radio, though, and the sausages are quite yummy. Cleveland won, 5-2.
Looked at art for about three hours. They neglected to tell me their video policy at the entrance, so I got scolded. Seems you can scan the art and use it as backgrounds, whatever that means, but you can't just stand there and film it. So I stopped. But I am not erasing what I got before that. Reasonable museum. The modern American collection is particularly impressive, and they had a glass collection which was amazing.
About 4, I developed a sinus headache, so I went back to my room and doped up and went to sleep, hoping not to miss the game.
Got up in time for game, and felt better. Not great, was still really tired and stopped up, but went to the game anyway.
Milwaukee County Stadium is very bland. They don't have DiamondVision, which is ok, but they play video with the light-bulb scoreboard. Uggh. Looks like an Apple II screen. Bob Eucker is good on the radio, though, and the sausages are quite yummy. Cleveland won, 5-2.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 18 - June 10, 1994
June 10 - Got back on the road. Got to Chicago just in
time for rush hour. Not only that, but they are rebuilding the
Kennedy freeway, which is the busiest in the city. Traffic was
horrible. Once I got through that, Northern Illinois and Wisconsin
are very nice. Got into Milwaukee about 8. Had real trouble finding a
place to stay. It's a nice town; lots and lots of brick buildings,
parks, breweries, and Lutheran churches. But not many motels. Finally
found one on west side of town. By this point, I really felt
terrible; I was stopped up and had a touch of fever.
Route: I-57 North to I-90-94 (Kennedy Expressway). I-90-94 West (North) to I-94. I-94 North to US 41. US 41 North to I-94 (avoids toll in Illinois). I-94 West to Milwaukee.
Route: I-57 North to I-90-94 (Kennedy Expressway). I-90-94 West (North) to I-94. I-94 North to US 41. US 41 North to I-94 (avoids toll in Illinois). I-94 West to Milwaukee.
Tuesday, June 09, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 17 - June 9, 1994
June 9 - Left Dallas for Milwaukee. Drove a lot. At one
point, in rural Arkansas, I was trying to take a shortcut from I-40
to I-55. Didn't work out, there was a sign missing and I ended up on
a dirt road with very poor, very black people living in shanties
looking at me like I was crazy. Other than that, the trip was long. I
was starting to get stuffy now. Sigh. Stopped in Cairo, IL, just
across the border from Missouri on I-57. Just in case you were
wondering, that's pronounced "Carrow". The motel was a dive, but it
was clean. I went to the truck stop to get a newspaper, but all they
had was bad pornography and cigarette smoke. Truckers are depressing.
And to think I really wanted to be one for a while when I was growing
up.
Route - Texas 183 East to I-35E. I-35E South to I-30. I-30 East to I-440 (Little Rock, AR). I-440 East and North to I-40. I-40 East to Arkansas 218. Arkansas 218 North (East) to I-55. I-55 North to I-57. I-57 North to Cairo.
Route - Texas 183 East to I-35E. I-35E South to I-30. I-30 East to I-440 (Little Rock, AR). I-440 East and North to I-40. I-40 East to Arkansas 218. Arkansas 218 North (East) to I-55. I-55 North to I-57. I-57 North to Cairo.
Monday, June 08, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 16 - June 8, 1994
June 8 - Had lunch with Laura Heisz (editor's note: Now Laura Hornung). She is now a lawyer
working in a trucking law firm. She has had a relationship from hell
that has been over for several months but she is still reeling from.
Other than that she is doing fine. She is doing some community
theater, for instance.
Went back to my uncle's house. You know, I just hate Dallas. It's zoned way too much, the buildings are really ugly, the people aren't very nice, and there seem to be topless bars everywhere.
Went to the Ballpark in Arlington, about a ten minute drive from my uncle's house. The game had a 6:05 start time so the Yankees could try to get to Toronto and still get some sleep. As a result, I was the first one of the group of six to get there, and they all missed the first inning. They eventually got there. There were Laura, Andrew Tucker, Laurence Herrera and his wife, and Laura's sister Deborah. Drew and I caught up; Amy, his wife, did not want to go see baseball, so she didn't come. They are busy working; he has to travel a lot, and it seems that he is always too busy. I didn't know Laurence at Rice very well, and we didn't talk much. Deborah is a real baseball fan, so we had a good time. The Rangers won over New York, 6-5. The Ballpark is brand new. It's kind of neat, but is really a kitchen sink. It has Detroit's home run porch, Comiskey's Sky Box row, Baltimore's warehouse look, etc. Plus the outfield is entirely too large, esp. in left. But it is an interesting place. Left, got home, went to bed.
Went back to my uncle's house. You know, I just hate Dallas. It's zoned way too much, the buildings are really ugly, the people aren't very nice, and there seem to be topless bars everywhere.
Went to the Ballpark in Arlington, about a ten minute drive from my uncle's house. The game had a 6:05 start time so the Yankees could try to get to Toronto and still get some sleep. As a result, I was the first one of the group of six to get there, and they all missed the first inning. They eventually got there. There were Laura, Andrew Tucker, Laurence Herrera and his wife, and Laura's sister Deborah. Drew and I caught up; Amy, his wife, did not want to go see baseball, so she didn't come. They are busy working; he has to travel a lot, and it seems that he is always too busy. I didn't know Laurence at Rice very well, and we didn't talk much. Deborah is a real baseball fan, so we had a good time. The Rangers won over New York, 6-5. The Ballpark is brand new. It's kind of neat, but is really a kitchen sink. It has Detroit's home run porch, Comiskey's Sky Box row, Baltimore's warehouse look, etc. Plus the outfield is entirely too large, esp. in left. But it is an interesting place. Left, got home, went to bed.
Sunday, June 07, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 15 - June 7, 1994
June 7 - Woke up and back of palette in mouth felt
scratchy. Sigh. Knew I was going to get another episode of the sinus
infection that would not die. Took massive amounts of drugs.
Got on the road for Dallas. Left just in time, as really bad hailstorms were trying to cut me off. As I would leave a county, it would fall under a tornado watch. Really glad I don't live on the Great Plains anymore.
Went through Oklahoma City about 5. It's been 19 years since I have been through this place; I hope it's at least 19 more. It's ugly, dirty and has really bad weather. The Arbuckle Mountains south of there are really pretty, but I have trouble using the term "Mountains" to describe them.
Got to my uncle's house in Euless about 8:30. Euless is between Dallas and Fort Worth, just southeast of DFW Airport and north of Arlington, where the Rangers play. My family used to get so lost trying to find this place; I just drove to it. I don't understand.
Got caught up with my uncle, Herschel White. He is an old mainframe programmer and systems analyst from IBM who accepted IBM's recent early retirement package. He is now consulting and is having an interesting time adjusting to life away from Big Blue. My aunt had to visit her mother, who was having cataract surgery, so she couldn't make it to see me this time.
Route: I-35 South to I-35W. I-35W to I-820. I-820 East to Texas 121. Texas 121 to FM 157 in Euless.
Got on the road for Dallas. Left just in time, as really bad hailstorms were trying to cut me off. As I would leave a county, it would fall under a tornado watch. Really glad I don't live on the Great Plains anymore.
Went through Oklahoma City about 5. It's been 19 years since I have been through this place; I hope it's at least 19 more. It's ugly, dirty and has really bad weather. The Arbuckle Mountains south of there are really pretty, but I have trouble using the term "Mountains" to describe them.
Got to my uncle's house in Euless about 8:30. Euless is between Dallas and Fort Worth, just southeast of DFW Airport and north of Arlington, where the Rangers play. My family used to get so lost trying to find this place; I just drove to it. I don't understand.
Got caught up with my uncle, Herschel White. He is an old mainframe programmer and systems analyst from IBM who accepted IBM's recent early retirement package. He is now consulting and is having an interesting time adjusting to life away from Big Blue. My aunt had to visit her mother, who was having cataract surgery, so she couldn't make it to see me this time.
Route: I-35 South to I-35W. I-35W to I-820. I-820 East to Texas 121. Texas 121 to FM 157 in Euless.
Saturday, June 06, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 14 - June 6, 1994
June 6 - Got out of Topeka about 11. Got to Kansas City
about 12:30 and found a place to stay. Dialed in, took care of random
misc. stuff, and took a nap. Also called Kansas City Star. One of the
columnists liked my trip, so he mentioned it in the 6/7 issue in his
column. Went to the stadium, but got lost on the way. There are only
about five freeways in KC, but there are about 25 highway numbers,
and it is a total maze. Ended up in Kansas City, KS, and had to turn
around, but the exit I took had a mile of no U-turn signs, and I had
no idea what the side streets would do.
Anyway, got to Kaufman Stadium. This place is great. From the outside, it looks like the half-completed Death Star from Return of The Jedi. There are no seats in left, center or right fields; they start just inside the foul poles, and taper into two decks behind home plate. Instead of bleachers, they have fountains in the outfield. Between innings, they change between several patterns, but when the hitters are up, they just run. In between the fountains, there are several patches of grass, including one in center for the hitters' background. The only thing against this place is the turf isn't real, but they are putting in grass next year. Baltimore won, 4-2.
Route: I-70 East to Kansas City.
Anyway, got to Kaufman Stadium. This place is great. From the outside, it looks like the half-completed Death Star from Return of The Jedi. There are no seats in left, center or right fields; they start just inside the foul poles, and taper into two decks behind home plate. Instead of bleachers, they have fountains in the outfield. Between innings, they change between several patterns, but when the hitters are up, they just run. In between the fountains, there are several patches of grass, including one in center for the hitters' background. The only thing against this place is the turf isn't real, but they are putting in grass next year. Baltimore won, 4-2.
Route: I-70 East to Kansas City.
Friday, June 05, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 13 - June 5, 2020
June 5 - An exciting day. Got up about 10 and hit the road
for Kansas City. Western Kansas is the second most boring scenery so
far. Bleah. Did chase a big thunderstorm, and almost caught it about
9 PM, but stopped and ate, and by the time I got back on the road, it
had moved south. About 10:30, got real tired of driving, so I stopped
in Topeka and bedded down for the night.
Route: I-70 East to Topeka.
Route: I-70 East to Topeka.
Thursday, June 04, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 12 - June 4, 1994
June 4 - Got up about 11. Ate lunch. Got queasy. Really
felt miserable. Decided to skip the Colorado Railroad Museum and go
back to Tibor's. Pete had gone to work. Tibor and Bec had gone to the
all-day concert. I slept.
About 4:30, I woke up feeling much better. Galynn Gaddy showed up about 5. She was staying with Tibor for a few days so that she could find a place to live and a part time job since she will be moving to Denver to go to graduate school. I had only met her once before, so we got reacquainted. We decided to go to a movie.
We saw Maverick, a fun movie, even if it is 20 minutes too long. She was getting over a cold, so we went back, and she went to bed. After messing around with the computer, I decided to go to bed also.
Before I got to sleep (I had had a nap, remember), Pete came home. He proceeded to open some chips and dip. A little later, Bec and Tibor got home. This got everybody up again, as Tibor and Bec had never met Galynn. So everybody got to know each other, and Bec got to tell her story about knowing Gordon from the Violent Femmes again and got to add this day's concert to it.
Seems she saw him at a concert one time and just introduced herself. She didn't act like all of the teenybopper groupies, so he actually talked to her. She then started going to as many of their concerts as she could, including one in Australia. She tries to gets tickets on her own, but Gordon now usually puts her on the guest list. Gordon found her today, and Tibor got to meet him. They had a good time.
After all of this, Galynn and I went back to bed. Tibor, Bec and Pete started playing cards again, and since I was just tired not sleepy, I got up and joined them. We played until 4. Sigh.
About 4:30, I woke up feeling much better. Galynn Gaddy showed up about 5. She was staying with Tibor for a few days so that she could find a place to live and a part time job since she will be moving to Denver to go to graduate school. I had only met her once before, so we got reacquainted. We decided to go to a movie.
We saw Maverick, a fun movie, even if it is 20 minutes too long. She was getting over a cold, so we went back, and she went to bed. After messing around with the computer, I decided to go to bed also.
Before I got to sleep (I had had a nap, remember), Pete came home. He proceeded to open some chips and dip. A little later, Bec and Tibor got home. This got everybody up again, as Tibor and Bec had never met Galynn. So everybody got to know each other, and Bec got to tell her story about knowing Gordon from the Violent Femmes again and got to add this day's concert to it.
Seems she saw him at a concert one time and just introduced herself. She didn't act like all of the teenybopper groupies, so he actually talked to her. She then started going to as many of their concerts as she could, including one in Australia. She tries to gets tickets on her own, but Gordon now usually puts her on the guest list. Gordon found her today, and Tibor got to meet him. They had a good time.
After all of this, Galynn and I went back to bed. Tibor, Bec and Pete started playing cards again, and since I was just tired not sleepy, I got up and joined them. We played until 4. Sigh.
Wednesday, June 03, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 11 - June 3, 1994
June 3 - Tibor's Denver Hilton continued welcoming guests
as another person flew in.
But first, I took my computer to a shop to have the system reinstalled, got the light fixed in my sun visor (it was hanging down in my field of vision) and had lunch. I then made my way to the airport to pick Tibor's friend Bec up.
Of course, there was a real bad accident on I-25, and they closed all lanes, and I had to find my way around this on city streets. Fortunately, Denver is a grid.
Got there about 10 minutes late. Bec came out from Baltimore to see this concert that had the Violent Femmes and to interview for a job. Bec and I dropped her stuff back at the apartment, and tried to go to the US Mint, but it was closed. We did however, see the World's Ugliest Building. This amorphous looking dark grey brick thing had windows seemingly in random places and of random shapes.
I took her back and got my computer. Got back, and Tibor, Bec, Pete and I went to this excellent Italian restaurant and ate. We then went to the Rockies game.
Mile High is a football stadium. Still, it wasn't that bad. I could see Pike's Peak from my seat. We moved to other seats because of railings in our way. Colorado won 6-4, over Pittsburg, but the ninth inning was tense, as Pittsburg had men on. Best game so far.
We went back and played cards and drank alchohol until 2 AM, and went to bed.
But first, I took my computer to a shop to have the system reinstalled, got the light fixed in my sun visor (it was hanging down in my field of vision) and had lunch. I then made my way to the airport to pick Tibor's friend Bec up.
Of course, there was a real bad accident on I-25, and they closed all lanes, and I had to find my way around this on city streets. Fortunately, Denver is a grid.
Got there about 10 minutes late. Bec came out from Baltimore to see this concert that had the Violent Femmes and to interview for a job. Bec and I dropped her stuff back at the apartment, and tried to go to the US Mint, but it was closed. We did however, see the World's Ugliest Building. This amorphous looking dark grey brick thing had windows seemingly in random places and of random shapes.
I took her back and got my computer. Got back, and Tibor, Bec, Pete and I went to this excellent Italian restaurant and ate. We then went to the Rockies game.
Mile High is a football stadium. Still, it wasn't that bad. I could see Pike's Peak from my seat. We moved to other seats because of railings in our way. Colorado won 6-4, over Pittsburg, but the ninth inning was tense, as Pittsburg had men on. Best game so far.
We went back and played cards and drank alchohol until 2 AM, and went to bed.
Tuesday, June 02, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 10 - June 2, 1994
June 2 - Tibor and Pete went to work; I slept. Got up and
got my oil changed. Dialed into work, but when I went to shut down my
computer, the system got corrupted, and the machine wouldn't boot
(flashing disk question mark icon). Sigh. Spent the rest of the
afternoon reading, and enjoying the thunderstorm. I hadn't seen a
good one for a while.
That evening, Pete had to work very late. Tibor and I went to dinner (you guessed it, Mexican). We went CD shopping, came back, played cards, played pool, and went to bed.
Tibor has a "luxury condominium" right next to where he works in an eighteen story buiding. He is on the fifth floor. In the basement, there is a ping-pong table (no ball) and a pool table. Nice place.
That evening, Pete had to work very late. Tibor and I went to dinner (you guessed it, Mexican). We went CD shopping, came back, played cards, played pool, and went to bed.
Tibor has a "luxury condominium" right next to where he works in an eighteen story buiding. He is on the fifth floor. In the basement, there is a ping-pong table (no ball) and a pool table. Nice place.
I can't believe I did this trip without a good point-and-shoot camera. This "picture" was taken of the view outside of Tibor's window. I have no business with a fully manual camera.
Monday, June 01, 2020
Baseball Trip Replay - Day 9 - June 1, 1994
June 1 - Set out for Denver. The drive was about an hour
too long. Most of the flat-for-as-far-as-the-eye-can-see part of the
trip, I was watching the big storm move east of me before I got to
it, so I missed it.
Stopped at the Cadillac Ranch just outside of Amarillo. This is a patch of farmland off of I-40 that a guy took ten 40-60's vintage Caddilacs and stuck them nose-first into the ground. The fins stick up out of the ground. He spray painted them blue and took out all of the glass. There is lots of really cool graffiti, and they are fun to climb on. Art. Serious Art.
Went through the prettiest small town I have ever seen, Rocky Ford, CO. Just a gorgeous, quaint little town.
As the sun was going down over the Rockies, I had to sit on Highway 50 and wait for the construction trucks to pack up and go home.
Got to Pueblo right about sunset. The combination of the sunset, the darker rain clouds and Pike's Peak made a great view.
I finally got to Denver about 10 PM, and got to Tibor Roberts' place. This place is kind of hopping this weekend; I am here for my trip, and one of Tibor's friends from grad school is working out here for a week and staying with Tibor.
Stopped at the Cadillac Ranch just outside of Amarillo. This is a patch of farmland off of I-40 that a guy took ten 40-60's vintage Caddilacs and stuck them nose-first into the ground. The fins stick up out of the ground. He spray painted them blue and took out all of the glass. There is lots of really cool graffiti, and they are fun to climb on. Art. Serious Art.
Went through the prettiest small town I have ever seen, Rocky Ford, CO. Just a gorgeous, quaint little town.
As the sun was going down over the Rockies, I had to sit on Highway 50 and wait for the construction trucks to pack up and go home.
Got to Pueblo right about sunset. The combination of the sunset, the darker rain clouds and Pike's Peak made a great view.
I finally got to Denver about 10 PM, and got to Tibor Roberts' place. This place is kind of hopping this weekend; I am here for my trip, and one of Tibor's friends from grad school is working out here for a week and staying with Tibor.
Route: I-27 North to I-40 (Amarillo). I-40 West to US-385. US-385
North to US 287 (Boise City, OK). US-287 West to US-50 (Lamar, CO).
US-50 West to I-25 (Pueblo). I-25 North to Denver.
Saying goodbye to Grandmother and Roy. He died 4 years later; this is last time I saw him.
Grandmother took this. It's one of only two picture I have of this car.
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