High Importance!

Everyone…I have just been handed some urgent news.  This is very important, and I want you all to listen.

 

 

I’M BACKKKKKK!!!!!!  HELLO CINCY!  CAN’T WAIT TO SEE ALL OF YOU!

The DNA of P&G – 8/04/09

This may be my last post, folks.  Our internet was turned off on Friday, I will be in Cincy until Thursday, and then I am back in Cincy for good on Saturday night.  I hope my thoughts and experiences down here have brought you some enjoyment, and I do hope that I gave you a laugh or two.  So, without any further ado, let us get into it!

Last night I played in my final two softball games for the “Hair Force”.  The first game we played was against Unilever, who is one of P&G’s biggest competitors in consumer goods.  Needless to say, we wanted to beat them as badly on the field as we do in the market every day…as Jody (Coach) says, “It is in P&G’s DNA to beat Unilever!”  What made us yearn to beat them even more was that we had them on the ropes last time we played them, but they stole a “W” from us.

The game started off well for us.  Our first two batters reached, and Steve-O Reuter stepped in to the box.  Second pitch he saw…crushed.  The center fielder runs back to the wall, sticks his glove up, the ball lands in his mitt, and then pops out and over the fence.  3-Run Homer!  3-0 P&G!  Let me just say that Reuter had a damn good pair of games.  He probably went 7-for-7 from the plate, and his play at SS was phenomenal…a real upgrade from my 5-error performance last game!  Once, a lining grounder was shot to his right…he dove, gloved it, popped up and tagged the runner going to third and then spun around and fired an absolute laser to first to get the batter.  Note:  Damn good play!  I was saddled up in right field (partially because of the bad game at SS, partially because big Scott was there and he is a slow guy with a great glove, so 2^nd base suits him better than right field).  The sun was setting right over the 3^rd base dugout, which of course was glaring Chad (right-center field) and I right in the eyes…however, I played a pretty good game.  I lost a blooper in the sun as I sprinted up to it, and it jammed me up…I attempted to cradle it against me chest, but it just bounced off.  I did throw the guy out trying to go to 2^ndthough.  I also threw a guy out at home (that was a good one), and turned a double play on a kid who didn’t think I could reach a blooper down the line.  It was slicing towards the foul line, and the guy at first didn’t think that I could get there.  However, I flashed some speed (haha) and snagged it on the run, then fired it to first to double him up.  I went a combined 5-7 from the plate and scored a few runs…I had some real trouble getting under the ball enough to carry it out, but the team had plenty of bombs regardless.

We ended up beating Unilever 16-13, which felt awesome!  It is definitely going in my final presentation tomorrow!  We then won the second game by a count of 15-2 or something of that nature.

A couple of great games, great guys to play with, and a great experience playing with them.  Although I think I have lost some (or lots) of the talent I may have had in high school, it was great to get out there on the diamond and tear it up for another summer.

I leave for Cincy at 4pm today, and tomorrow is the final presentation to the VP Leadership Board.  Not much left to do here (as evidenced by my blogging during work hours).  I am excited to be going home, but at the same time I will miss the environment down here, and especially the people.  It has been an amazing experience and a summer that I will not soon forget.

As I close out, I want to thank all of you for reading my blog this summer.  I know the length of posts was ghastly, the content sometimes dull, and the delivery verrrry A.D.D., but I hope that you have enjoyed reading this stuff as much as I have enjoyed writing it.  Hopefully, maybe in the middle of one of my better posts, you actually felt as if you were with me this summer, because I wish that all of you could have been.  Thanks again for following; I look forward to seeing all of you when I get back!

Signing out for the last time,

CB

A Taste of the U.K. in the A.R.K – 7/30/09

It was 7:30 pm and I was all set for this to be another normal day…nothing blogworthy.  However, during my nightly swim routine, I had a happy encounter.  On about my 4th lap, three kids came running in and jumped into the pool.  Something about the way the little one yelled “YAHOOOO!!” made my ears perk.

Turns out, these bloody blokes were in Arkansas fresh from the United Kingdom!  Brits…in Fayetteville?  Nonetheless, there they were: a young boy of about 11, a young girl of about 15, and a young man of about 17.  During one of my many respites (I am fat and out of shape, you see) the eldest waded over to me and asked “Do you happen to know the proper thing to do with your legs during the backstroke?  I see them do it bloody well on the telly.”  Note:  I am not lying…this just happened like 20 minutes ago, and I was taken aback by just how British these kids were.

I informed him that I unfortunately was a novice swimmer at best and that I did not know the proper form.  However, this go us talking.  His name was Peter and they were in Fayetteville for 3 weeks.  His dad is a Chemistry lecturer and he was doing some work at the U of A.  They had just come from El Paso, Texas and before that Austin, Texas.  Before that, they were in Colorado!  This was their first time in America, and I was pleased when the asked me (with a hint of doubt preceding the question) whether I had ever been to the UK.  I smiled and said, “Yea, once.  I lived in London for a little over a month.  Best experience of my life!”  He smiled, pleasantly surprised.

We talked about random things, his plans for school (not coming to America, it is “Too bloody expensive”) and he thinks he wants to be a Chemist like his dad.  Then, joining their three children, the mum and dad come out for a nip in the pool!  It was like I was in London again!!  Iasked Peter what his favorite thing about America is, and he replied, “I would have to say the pleasant weather in the South…and the standard of living.  Americans live well, and bloody eat a lot!”  Note:  Again, he used the word “bloody” a lot, which made me very happy.

He and his sister also told me how, while driving in their 2.7 Liter V-6 Red Dodge Charger ( I do think he likes car) rental, his mum turned the onto the wrong side of the street, panicked, and almost hit a phone post.  They clearly had enjoyed her moment of terror, because they were giggling.  Admittedly, the first time I drove in a car with big Kieran in London, turns scared the hell out of me because I kept thinking we were turning into oncoming traffic.

Nevertheless, the time came for them to go enjoy the hot tub, and for me to get out and go grab a shower.  I wished them the best of luck in Fayetteville and told them to enjoy America, and they waved as they got into the hot tub.

Realistically, in the armada that is “Tales of Thursday Nights”, this one falls into the not-so-crazy-and-interesting category, but it was still very funny to meet a family of Brits meandering their way through the heavy South.

Snatching up some Bangers and Mash and then off for a Kip,

CB

A little game of Walleyball – 7/24/09

So, Friday marked the end of our 9th week here in The Ark (which means two to go) and to celebrate we got together for a little Walleyball game….Interns vs. Intern Managers!  Explanation:  For those who don’t know (like I didn’t) Walleyball is essentially Volleyball,  but played in a racquetball court.  The walls are legal, and everything else is Volleyball rules, except that it is a softer ball, because as I found out, that ball caroms off the wall pretty damn hard.

Coming in, we heard that last year’s intern class lost to the managers; we were determined for this not to happen.  We have a pretty athletic group, including a track-runner, a college football player, a road-biker, a soccer player, and a tennis player.   Needless to say, we were confident.  We started playing a best-0f-3 series with games to 11…the first game we jumped ahead 5-1.  However, terrible communication by us and some great tactics from Team Manager led to an 11-8 defeat.  Team Intern was determined not to let this fluke occur once again.  The next game, we jumped out to a 7-1 lead, and we were very confident that we would even up the series.  However, the managers scored 7 straight points, and we eventually found the match tied at 10.  The managers managed to snatch up the next two points, thus winning the series.  The memory of their triumph echoing in that enclosed racquetball court will haunt my dreams forever.

Needless to recount, they kicked dirt in our faces.  I am quite sure that this loss will go on our final evaluation, possibly keeping us all out of the company.  After the game, I had made a reservation for 16 at a local Mexican place called Jose’s, where we all went to enjoy some good ole’ Mexi food after a hard-fought and disappointing outcome for the interns.  I ordered the half-plate of Nachos Especial (which the waiter guaranteed would fill me up) and was shocked, as were the others, when they brought out only five, although large, tortilla chips covered in all the fixins.  This did not fill me up.  This was not a good Mexican restaurant.  The biggest advertisement they had in their menu was that they boasted the “Best Burgers on Dickson Street”.  Not promising for a Mexi place to put emphasis on burgers.

The ribbing came occasionallyfrom the managers until we all decided it was time to leave.  I came back, showered, and then Eric and I went to see Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.  Note:  I am a big fan of both.  Nota Bene:  I did not enjoy the movie as much as I had hoped.  It was, I thought, a great portrayal of the rampid crime that embodied the depression-wrought years of the 3o’s, but it just wasn’t that good of a movie.  Should have seen Up in 3-D I guess.  That was our Friday, I am about to go ball for the first time in like 3 weeks.

Looking for a good movie suggestion since HP6 has already been seen,

CB

Update on The ARK – 7/22/09

So, my most sincere apologies go out for not posting anything exciting over the past week or so; work has gotten pretty busy as crunch time seems to be upon us.  However, I did go home this past weekend!

Friday, Adrian and I were to fly out of NWA Airport at 4pm and arrive in Cincy around 6:51.  The YP who gave us a ride to the “port” was PJ, and in his 2008 Infiniti G36 with Manual Transmission we arrived wayyyy early.  Nothing to do in NWA Airport, other than hit O’Loughlin’s Pub and play some Golden Tee!  I spent about 15 bucks in that damn place (6 on the Dos Equis Amber, the rest on Golden Tee) and Adrian and I played 27 holes…it was a hard fought battle, blood and tears alike were shed, but in the end I barely came out on top thanks in large part to his score of 10 on the final hole.  Note:  To be fair, he was handling me the whole time, but the last hole he had a few unlucky rolls into water hazards that put it out of reach.

Nonetheless, a great way to kill some time and have fun at an airport.  The flight was fine (I read about 100 pages of HP7, which I couldn’t not read after reading and watching the 6th installment).  Once in Cincy, my parents and sister picked me up and we immediately went to get some delicious Larosa’s!  I got a Ham & Pineapple pizza, and it was everything I could have ever hoped for in life.  Before going home, we swung by Graeters for what will now be referred to as “Must Have” Number 2.  That night I watched a little TV with the parents, talked some about the job, and played with the pups!!  Sidenote: Charlie is getting fatter, Lucy seems to be getting skinnier, yet she still battles him with all her might!

Saturday, I met up with a Joe and Kathryn at Chipotle (Must Have Number 3) and talked about our summer.  Then I went to Joe’s and played a few games of FIFA, because down here video games are not allowed.  Sidenote:  Not really, but our TV doesn’t even get any channels, so how could you expect me to have a system on which to play games, or really have any time to play them during.  That night, Joe and I decided on a whim to go to the Red’s game, which turned out to be quite the experience.

The first two innings we sat in our seats in section 515.  Then we decided (despite the sellout crowd of over 40,000 there for Edinson Volquez bobble head night) to go sit in left field…we got seats about 7 rows back.  This was cool, until about the 7th when storm clouds rolled in and it started to rain.  Sidenote:  It is no joke like 98 in Fayetteville, every day.  Coming to Cincy where the high hit 77, the combo of 65 and rain froze my cheeks to the seat.  Even with a long sleever on me.  We sat there until the end of the 7th, then decided to go for shelter.  The game got delayed, Reds down 4-1, and us tired from sitting (and maybe the two MLs we had each had).  I got a Brat (so good, although probably not $5.50 good) and we sat it out.

After about an hour, we walked to the Reds dugout and decided that’s where we were going to sit when play resumed.  We started chatting with two girls who had very unique hair (looked like a leopard cub was asleep on each of their heads) and found out that they were hair stylists from Dayton.  Cool stuff.  One of them guaranteed Joe and I that the rain would stop and they would start moving the tarp within 15 minutes (it was 11pm) and that the game would get under way.  Something about their leopard-look made me trust them.  We waited, and sure enough the rain stopped and they pulled the tarp of at 11:15…weird…call it feline intuition.  Anywho, the game started up again at 11:35, and that is where the excitement stops.  Other than the Brewers fans out-chanting the remaining Reds fans as the Crew finished up our boys 5-1, nothing exciting.  We had planned on Mt. Adams after, but midnight convinced us otherwise.

Sunday, I went to Skyline (Must Have Number 4; this fulfills the necessities of Cincy food) with Joe and scarfed down my usual 3 coneys, no onions, just mustard, with extra crackers and water in a to-go cup…predictable, but nonetheless tasty!

That afternoon, my parents and I talked a little bit more about the job, and my future, and all that fun stuff…I feel as if I am getting old; I did laundry when I got back, and all it consisted of was white undershirts, boxers, and dress socks…no hoodies, no jeans, no gym shorts…depressing, a little.  At about 4ish, my dad took me back to CVG and I did the airport thing.  As I entered the plane, bearing my HP7 copy from the children’s fiction section in the Fayetteville Public Library, the stewardess stopped me, took the book out of my hands, and asked me “Did you see the movie?”  Now, I wanted very much to be polite, but their was a group of people waiting to board the plane behind me, and in fear of angry mob-like encounters, I retrieved the book and told her that “Yes, I saw it” and “Yes, I loved it”.  She smiled, and let me pass.  After everyone was settled, she replaced the safety instructions with something new.

She got on the mic and said “Today’s Jeopardy answer:  She enjoyed playing witches and wizards with her friends Ian and Vicky Potter when she was a child.”  She looked around, and far too many eyes fell on me as she did so.  Apparently, reading a book makes you an expert on all things about it, at least to people anxious to get into the air.  She walked up and down the aisle, continually asking if anyone knew…I understood what was next.  When no one knew the answer, she sought me.  I almost felt the scar burning on my forehead.  She finally found me, and asked with a smile, “Surely you must know the answer?”  I replied, “I am very sorry, but I don’t know this one.  Neither Ian nor Vicky Potter rings a bell from the books.  She grins, reaches for my book (unmarked page and all) closes it, and holds the thing high above her head.  She points to the bottom of the cover, where J.K. Rowling’s name glistens.  “J.K. Rowling!” she bursts out in excitement.  “How could you not have known that?”  She returned the book with a good-natured grin, and I continue to read.  However, throughout the flight she stops by my seat and speaks to me about all things Harry Potter…from the books to the movies, from Horcruxes to Gnargles, from London to Albania.  Finally, as I am exiting the plane in NWA, she stops me yet again and points to a silver emblem pinned to her outfit.  It reads “I am a believer, in The Half-Blood Prince!”  I smile and move on, maybe never to see her again.  Despite all her eccentricities, she made the flight much more entertaining, and I appreciated that, as did surprisingly many others whom I heard stop on their way out and thank her or chat briefly about HP.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

“And now let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure!” – APWBD

CB

Legally Blonde: The Musical – 7/11/09

Tonight, Eric and I went to Legally Blonde: The Musical at the Walton Arts Center on Dickson.  As you all know, I love musicals; I was told that this was similar to Hairspray, which I of course loved, so I had to go.  We got the P&G discount and got very good seats, and the show started at 8pm.

Now, I think I have seen the movie once, and probably not in its entirety.  However, the musical was outstanding.  Never mind the fact that Eric and I stuck out worse than a wide kid in the ghetto, or that I was clearly a fashion faux paux in a black polo whilst everyone else was rockin’ pink!  The crowd was decidedly female, and I think many of the ladies walking past and sitting near us got the wrong impression, but hey, gotta keep ‘em guessing!

The show was very good, and so of course I have already downloaded all of the songs from Limewire and am sitting at my computer listening to “Chip on my Shoulder” while typing.  It was no Wicked, but it was very entertaining and the songs were catchy.  If you enjoy musicals at all, or you want to actually try livinglife by stepping out of your normal boundaries, see this show if you get the chance; it has been given the Cweeze stamp of approval (very highly regarded amongst Broadway enthusiasts and pulchritudinous individuals alike).

This is probably the shortest post I have made yet, but I really enjoyed this show and thought it best to share while it is fresh in my mind.  Tomorrow the plan is golf and prep for my big presentation on Tuesday…until then, get out and see this; as they say in the show, along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

Looking for people down for a road trip to Cleveland to see Wicked in September,

CB

NW Arkansas Naturals – 7/10/09

So, after a long week of work we were all in need to blow off some steam.  What better way than for P&G to rent out the party deck at a Double-A baseball game with free food and drinks?

Well, having your roommatethrow out the ceremonial first pitch might add a little spark to the night!  Out of 100 P&G guests, only 6 signed up to throw and the first pitch…Grant and I signed up, and Grant was fortunate enough that he was chosen out of a hat.  Not only that, but he gave a pretty darn good effort as well, as you can see at the top.

The night was hot…about 93 and humid.  Needless to say, it was pretty sticky.  The game (and the food) was great though, and after nine innings (and about 3 hot dogs, two pieces of pizza, a cookie, and three Buds) the Naturals of Northwest Arkansas pulled out the victory, 5-3.

After the game, it was fireworks night.  If you are thinking to yourself, “Double-A fireworks…might as well go to the nearest stand and light off a Roman Candle,” I was with you.  However, foolish.  These fireworks were not only awesomely unique, but they were frickin’ close!  That may have to do with the “Double-A baseball” part and not being entirely safe (some of the lower fireworks were definitely hitting tops of trees, and even getting to the parking lots) but they were still awesome.  A few of my favorites are included.

After the game, P.J., who is one of the young professionals, letme drive his 2008 Infinite Coupe with manualtransmission down to Dickson Street.  Wheewthis thing had some git-up-n-go!  Not only do I have love sticks (manualtransmissions) but I love fast cars…this was both.  After flying down to Dickson, I dropped him off and came back to the Cliffs for a quick shower (yes, still in his car…I am trustworthy y’all).  Crisp and clean in my white tee, Shobha and I raced back down to Dickson for a night on the town; what a night is was!

We started at Nate’s house (another young professional) and then moved to Z330’s.  One thing about Z’s is that it is fickle and inconsistent.  You may go there to a packed house and great music, or you may go there to an old man who smells like urine and a pissed off bartender.  This night was the latter.  After a 24 oz Coors Lite, we all bounced for Fix, one of the hot night clubs in Fayetteville (oxymoron, maybe…still fun, definitely).  Good choices.  PJ paid my cover becausehe is a good guy, and it was packed.  Background:  Fix is attached to Willy D’s.  Willy D’s is AKA the Piano Bar because two pianists sit there and battle against each other withpopular songs…it is really very cool.  Through the other room is the dance club, with DJ, lights, smoke machines, et al.  Friday night it was on…it was on and poppin’!

One side story I think definitely worth mentioning follows.  As Jake, Adrian, and I were walking up Dickson Street, a random girl wearing a veil (sp?) and wang-shaped bunny ears (I know, can’t make this stuff up) walks up to me and asks if I have a condom.  Assuming that this is some feeble attempt at seduction, I tell her that I do not.  Jake, however, being the socialalbatross that he is steps right in witha wide grin and says, “Why indeed I do!”  This girl freaked out!  She hit the sidewalk on her knees and fell to Jake’s feet…I assumed again that she was really in a certain mood.  Turns out she was getting married and this was a scavenger hunt for her bachelorette party.  One of the tasks was to geta picture with a guy willing to give her a condom…classy.  So they snap the pic, and as the girl hands it back to Jake, she catches sight of the expiration date.  She shrieks, “This bitch expired in 2007!  How many have you used?  Some girls are out there prego!”  We all die laughing and wish her the best on her ridiculous quest as well as her scavenger hunt (just kidding, I love marriage) and we enter Fix.  Only in Arkansas.  We danced until they kicked everyone out at 1:45, at which point we decided the night should be concluded on a high note.

Saturday morning I slept until 11:30 (felt awesome) and then went golfing with a few of the guys from the office.  They introduced me to a new way to play golf, and ironically it became a new way for me to lose money as well!  The game is called Wolf.  I will do my best to explain it.  Four golfers, “Wolf” designation changes each hole.  The Wolf tees off last, and his goalis to make a choice.  After each other golfer hits, the Wolf must either choose to pick him as a partner for the hole, or pass and wait for the next golfer.  If the Wolf does not call the player as his partner before the next person hits, the opportunity is lost.  Also, the Wolf can choose to go with no partner, subsequently playing the hole solo.  The Wolf’s team (whether it be him and one other, or just him) attempts to beat the other players at lowest score on that hole.  If they succeed, the Wolf and his partner get one “point” and the other two players each lose one “point”.  Conversely, if the Wolf and his partner lose, they each lose a “point” and the other two players gain a “point”.  If the Wolf chose to play alone, he is now risking 3 “points”.  If he wins, he gets three.  If he loses, he loses 3 “points” and the other 3 golfers each get one “point”.  At the end of 18 holes, you tally up the points, and the people in the negatives put however many they are in the hole in dollars on the table.  The positive golfers pick up the money and divide it as required by their point standing.

I lost the most money at three dollars.  PJ lost one, Bryan gained one, and Ken gained three.  However, it should be noted that this is deceiving, and the point I am about to make renders this game even more fun.  I shot the best score at 84.  PJ and Bryan each shot a 91, and Ken shot the worst at 103.  Hmmm.  It all has to do with risk and reward.  In my times as Wolf, I either picked the wrong person to be on my team and we lost, or I tried to go solo and lost 3 points.  Through 3 holes I was plus-2 in points, and clearly I got overly confident.  Nonetheless, it was a fun round.  For those of you who know me, this should not surprise you as a whole, but the parts may.  I shot an 84 with 34 (wow, I need to hit the greens) putts.  The front nine I had 20 putts, but still shot a 41.  The back nine I had only 14 putts, but shot a 43.  Another hmmmm.  What that means is that on the front, my putting cost me a really good round.  On the back, my chipping saved me from having a very bad round…I chipped two putts in, thus leaving those holes with “0″ putts and bringing the average down.  Fun stuff though.

From the 19th green, where practice is a hopeless endeavor,

CB

On the Road Again – 7/5/09

“Short post!” he declares, as the eyes of his readers widen with anticipation…they are doubtful however.  His posts can start short, and end as long as the Nile.  I wonder why?

Sunday was a chill day.  We woke up around 10:3 (felt good) and decided to go to the best Texan BBQ House that the concierge could offer.  His suggestions was phenomenal!  We went to Sonny’s Barbecue, which has been around since 1910, and man was it good!  We ate a lot, and we were all three very satisfied as we hopped into the car to head to the Galleria.

Dallas’ shopping center is quite impressive.  Coming from the Kenwood Towne Center this is saying a lot, because as I (who never goes to malls) like to brag, it is one of the top malls in the nation.  Dallas has a good one too.  We shopped for about 2.5 hours and I got a hat from Lids (it is badass, just wait people) and a Peanut-Butter Oreo smoothie from the local smoothie shop…wow it was good.

After, we hopped in the car and started our journey home.  On the way to Dallas, Jake drove the whole time and he flew.  On the way back, he flew, got a ticket, and handed the wheel to Eric.  From that point on (aside from being verbally accosted by a man at a gas station about locked keys in bathrooms) it was a bland trip.  I read more Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (it is getting good, even the 4th time around) and drove the final hour leg.

When we got back, I unpacked, did some laundry, at some fantastic Totino’s pizza rolls (for Scrubs fans, I did have a Turk moment with regards to the heat of those bad boys…Haas I’m talkin’ to you!) and went to bed.

Grant’s madre and grand-madre (I took Latin, not Spanish) are here for the week and they have decided to take it upon themselves to feed us well for a week…not complaining, in the least.

Also, quickly (I promise) we had two softball games on Monday night…I did not play well in the field at Shortstop the first game (like 5 damn errors; Coach K is pissed right now) but I played better in the 2nd game at 3rd base and went 3-7 or 4-8 from the plate.  We lost both games though.  In the second game, I hit a triple and as I was coming into 3rd base, our 3B coach told me to slide (good call, the throw was on target).  However, I am wearing shorts and gym shoes, not baseball pants and cleats, so I tear up my leg.  Last night I woke up and the bed was wet by my leg…I have never had this happen, but this bad boy is pussing like crazy.  Today at work I had to tape napkins all around my leg because it was actually soaking through my nice dress pants.  No worries, I went to the store like a big boy and bought gauze, neosporin, athletic tape, and Hydrogen Peroxide.  The latter felt like I had a porcupine attempting to escape his fleshy prison inside my knee.

Anywho, this week is a big one as I prepare for a bunch of presentations, and next week is obviously big because of the actual presentations.  Then (now keep this a secret!) I get to come home for a few days on the 17th!  I am so excite!  Very nice!

Until the weekend where plans are big and bold,

CB

Hurrican Harbor, Mexi, and Fireworks! – 7/4/09

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, weather forecast for Saturday was a high of 102…good thing we chose the water-park instead of the theme park!

We get up at about 9:30 and decide to go to IHOP before our big day.  However, it was packed…both of them that were on the way!  In the South, apparently they love their flapjacks!!  So we decide instead to go t Jack-in-the-Box for breakfast.  I have never had it, but I must admit that it was pretty good.  Made me feel like death, but I think that is synonymous with good when speaking of fast food breakfasts.

Anywho, we get to Six Flags: Hurricane Harbor and walk in…looks good, but it is packed!  Keeping it brief, we rode as many slides and rides as possible, with my favorites being: 1) It dropped you fifty feet straight down a slide, then twenty feet into 6 ft deep water; Jake and I did time trials, so we attempted to launch ourselves as fast as possible.  I went pretty fast; Jake is the hulk.  He rocketed himself so hard that he didn’t even touch the slide until about twenty feet down.  His face was priceless though.  2) The river canyon.  Imagine that ride at every theme park where you sit in the giant tube-boat thing and you slosh down a river and you get water shot/dumped on you.  Now put yourself in a one-person inner-tube and do it…lots of fun!  3)  The boogie-board machine.  This machine was sooo cool!  It is the same concept as one of those tiny pools that blows water at you so that you can just swim in place,  but way cooler.  This thing shot water out so fast that you could actually surf on it.  Some of the kids there were reallly good.  I was not.  The first time I dove out, the speed of the water took the board right out from under me and I face-planted.  Still fun.  After about 20 more times, we were much better, but still had trouble not getting pushed back to the edge by the current.  The good guys could just sit there and do tricks as if they were in the middle of the ocean on an endless wave.

So that was really fun.  After that park, I was given some advice to go to a Mexican place called Joe T Garcia’s in Fort Worth, which is like 45 mins from Dallas, but only 20 from the waterpark.  We had planned to go straight there, and so we did.  Eric manned up and changed in the back of the car, but considering that Jake and I had to also slip on some undies (and I was driving) we thought it would be better for everyoneconcerned that we wait.  So, we park and I am gonna go inside to change in the bathroom…Jake says he will just change in the car.  Just as he says that, a cop walks past.  Jake changed in the bathroom.  As I was changing in the bathroom (mind you, the door was so small that my head and shoulders stood over the top of the stall) a guy came in and told me that I should have left my bathing suit on because they have a pool.  Creepy.  Nevertheless, he gave us the inside scoop.  Two choices (Fajitas or Enchiladas) served family style with beans, Mexi rice, tortillas, tacos, guac, chips, and salsa.  He also informed us that they only took cash, which was good insight.

We all got enchiladas, and YES, it was the best Mexi I have ever had…soo good!  After dinner we went outside to see what looked like the jungle.  The outside dining part was literally 100 yards long by about 25 yards wide…huge!!!  And, most of it was full!! In 95 degree heat, nonetheless!  It was beautiful, and I can see why this place commanded the following that it did.  I have added a pic or two here, but the majority are on my Facebook, so if you are so inclined, feel free to peruse.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel and readied ourselves for fireworks at Fairpark.  Finding parking was a bitch; at one point, I backed Jake’s Nissan Sentra into a tiny little spot, and I barely tapped the phone pole that sat behind us.  Note: Before you scoff, those of you who know me can attest that I am a very good parker, and an even better backer-upper.  Eric, bless your heart buddy, was guiding me.  First law of the spotter/driver relationship is trust your spotter.  He told me to keep coming slow, and it wasn’t until I actually bumped into the pole that he threw up his hands to stop me.  Not a big deal though because we were inching; no harm done.  However, upon realizing that this was a permit-only lot, we had to leave.  We all thought it would be best to turn right out of the spot and get onto the street so as to park in the lot across the street.  As I pulled out, we sank out of the drive and scraped the bottom of the car on the curb!  What the hell we thought?  How did we bottom out of the exit drive?  However, upon further investigation, Jake found that we had not exited via a driveway; we had, in fact, gone right off the curb…again, to be fair, we all thought it was an exit and it had been the same side that we entered on, just a different location laterally.  Maybe harm done…oops!

So we walk to Fairpark, which happened to be at the Cotton Bowl, and watched the awe-ispiring yet only 17-minute fireworks display.  Here comes the fun part.

So we walk back (through a giant crowd) to our car to find that our parking lot was packed with cars all trying to get out of one exit onto a street that was very busy and equally as packed.  Twenty minutes later, we hadn’t even gotten out of the parking spot.  Jake decided that he would walk to the gas station to get some refreshments, and I decided to weave in and out of cars in search of an alternative.  Upon driving to the opposite side of the lot, I found a line right up front of only 5 cars (much fewer than the 30 or so line we had just left) and I parked it.  The scramble was on.  About 20 mins later we got to the exit and I bullied my way out (hey, it was Jake’s car, no risk right?).  Just as we were leaving, we saw that right where we had been parked they had opened up another exit.  Sweet.

We picked Jake up, went back to the hotel, and watched Mr. Deeds while sipping a few cold ones…then passed out.

Sidenote:  Jake went out with Neelam (because they both have limitless amounts of energy) to a “Gentleman’s Club”…upon his return, Jake opted to take a mineral salt bath with a few beers and my Harry Potter book…at 2 in the morning.  This is why I love that kid!

Until I again make the “New Post” Plunge,

CB

Drive to Dallas – 7/3/09

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, we decided that to better optimize our time in Dallas, it would be best to get up early and leave the Ark by 8am.  Well, I woke up at 7:30, we got to Jake’s by 8am, and after we picked up Neelam (young professional along for a free ride haha) we departed around 8:30am.

Jake drove, and when that boy drives, he drives!  Damn near 90 the whole way!  I read Harry Potter.  Needless to say, we made good time.

We get to our hotel at around 1pm and decide that after we all shower, we will go to the 6th Floor Museum (better known as the JFK Museum).  This was an eery experience.  You can actually go up and see the re-creation of the exact spot where Lee Harvey Oswald shot the President, and you can look out of the window right next to where he had aimed from.  Down on the street, there are two Xs: one for each spot where JFK was hit.  As I was looking out, I saw a guy of about 20 strut out into the street, stop at the X, and perform the Captain Morgan stance on top of the X.  I thought only of the immense disrespect of which he was clearly unaware (or uncaring).

After this fantastic exhibit, we decided to go to a revolving restaurant on top of the Hyatt Hotel that offered a fabulous view of downtown Dallas…worth!  My bill was quite expensive, but the food, the atmosphere, the experience, and the view were well worth it.  I tried the Roasted Quail, which is new for me, and it was delicious!  We also had a few delicious appetizers.

After dinner, we sped of to Arlington (20-25 minutes away) for the Texas Rangers game.  When we got there, we were already kind of late, and we had to pay 10 bucks to park a mile away!  By the time I got to the “Will Call” booth, it was the middle of the second.  I swipe my credit card and take the three tickets that come out, and we hurry to the gate.  Jake gets in, Eric gets in, and I get told that I only have a receipt.  Sure enough, I look down and the damn thing had only printed off two tickets and one receipt.  So I had to walk all the way back around to the “Help” booth and get assistance.  I tell the dude my quandary, and he looks at my booking receipt and goes, “Where you from in Cincinnati?”  I look down at my bright yellow Madeira High School Baseball shirt, look at him, look back down, and look at him.  He smiles, still waiting.  I say, “Madeira” and he says “Ohh!  My nephew lives there.  He is on the baseball team for Cincinnati Country Day!”  My mouth just dropped and for a moment I just stared at him…grand coincidence and all, but with the 100 degree sun beating down on my already sweating body, I just wanted to get to the game that I was already three innings late for.  He smiled again and handed me my ticket, wishing me a good evening; I did the same to him.

So, we get to our seats (directly on the left field foul pole) and cop a squat.  It was a very crowded game which made the heat even worse, but it was an awesomely huge stadium compared to the Reds’ stadium.  However, I think that has to do only with the fact that GABP is very open in the outfield, whereas Arlington is almost completely closed off the entire way aroudn the staidum by stands.  Enforcing that belief was that a guy behind me told me that it seated about 42,000, which is roughly what the Reds can get.  The game was a pticher’s duel (which was no fun for us Homerun-ball-hopefuls in the outfield) and the Rangers pulled it out over the Rays, 3-1.  Note: Not only do they sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” but they also sing “Deep In The Heart Of Texas”!

We stayed for the fireworks after the game, and they were quite good, from what I hear.  There was a 15 minute break between game and fireworks, so I thought that I would go check out the souvenir stands.  I saw a good-looking Josh Hamilton jersey-shirt for $24 that I decided to get, so I got in line.  After about 10 minutes, the one person in front of me gets done digging out $14 in change (no lie) and I step up and ask for my shirt.  Well, in the time that it took the very nice lady to walk over, get my shirt, and get back, another man had hopped on the register.  Well, I had $25 in my hand, and the fireworks started going off.  I decided to make her a deal.  I said, “You give me that, I give you this.”  She looks at me as if I were crazy and says, “But then I will still owe you a dollar!”  I don’t know why, but I looked back smiling and advised “Give it to the next person who comes up looking to use change!”  She laughed and nodded her head, and I raced back to our seats.  By the time I got there I only got to see about five minutes, but they did seem good.

As we were leaving, I made the nasty decision to snag one of the Rangers cups out of a random cup-holder as another souvenir…it smelled, and I may have gotten some rare Texan disease, but I have a cup now!

When we got back to the car, I looked at the parking slip we got…lo and behold, there was a coupon on it for 25% off any jersey-shirt at the souvenir stand…damn.

The drive home lacked adventure, and we were all so tired that we just crashed.

Until I hit “Publish” and “New Post”,

CB