Growing Up at 44

Sunday, Nov 16

I actually should start with Saturday, November 15. I had a really good day trip with the new girl, we went to Wilmington for the afternoon and evening, and that's about 4 hours of driving. Good company, aside from me finding out she loved Carrie f'ing Underwood. And I thought it was bad enough that she was a Cubs fan. But for real, it feels like it could be the beginning of something that might actually last a while.

So after church, I'm doing a few deliveries and while I was out my 2017 Hyundai Elantra stopped on me twice while I was driving it. Just went right out, stopped moving. I would have to turn the car off and start it back up. The car had no issues starting up, it was stopping randomly when I was driving slowly and making turns.

Wednesday, Nov 19

Fast forward a few days. I had planned to take this day off for a while. Mom had an appointment at the UNC Medical Center to find out about her blood. I had been to an appointment with her before, but this one was following a few MRI's and more in depth examining. 

On the way into the parking lot of her apartment complex, my car stopped again. This was the third time. And later, on my way home, same thing. But in between, the doctor told us she has a blood disorder or mutation. Essentially, the platelets are too high and need to be monitored. Baby aspirin helps, there are some medications that can help as well. Unfortunately, some of them are not good for people dealing with cancer and she's dealt with skin cancer for the last 15 years. There is another medication that is incredibly expensive. Translation, if it doesn't get covered by insurance, we cannot afford it. The way the doctor described it was you'd have to be Elon Musk to afford it.

Thursday, Nov 20

The day began like any other. Wake up, leave for work around 7:50 and get to work around 8. Around 2:30, my boss called me on the hone. Unusual, considering his office is next to mine. He asked me to come to his boss' office. I knew it wasn't for a promotion. I paced the floor in the waiting area for nearly 10 minutes. I was called in. It was my boss, his boss, and HR. And they told me I was out. My boss didn't want to do it, I know he didn't. It was a couple of idiots concerned about image management because I engaged in a political debate on social media. I wonder if I had made a liberal argument if I would have gotten in trouble... 

So I left in disgust and disgrace, of course with security watching me. Left behind my laptop, my keys, my ID badge. Such a dehumanizing experience, to say the least. I felt completely abandoned by a school I worked for, I volunteered for, had moved to a different fucking state for. None of it mattered. All that mattered was their image. I managed to get my clunker of a car home.

I called mom, she came over right away. The sick part was we planned to take Friday off and go car shopping. Now I was doing it without a job. We still went to Carmax and searched for an hour or so, though my headspace was all over the place. I don't remember much except there was a 2025 Corolla with 2,000 miles on it for about $24,000. Seemed to good be true, but there was no way I was going to make a purchase that evening.

I spoke with several people (Alexis, Kristal, Ryan, etc) and they were all very supportive and they prayed for me. It mattered because in that moment, I needed every bit of support and positive energy and spiritual strength I could cling to.

Friday, Nov 21

So I stayed at mom's over night so we could get an early start on the car shopping. And deep down I really did not want to spend that night in my apartment by myself. We drove south to the Cary Automall on the Apex and Cary border. We started with Honda, since I've driven a lot of those before and I know they are a reliable ride. Nothing really got to me, it was just a couple of ok cars. 

Then we drive down the street Johnson Subaru, which is where Mom got her most recent vehicle, a green Forrester. Her sales rep, Godfrey, was available and he did a great job working with me on my parameters, what I wanted to have, and what I didn't care about in a car. After about 30 minutes, I chose a premium 2022 white Subaru Crosstrek. Premium because it had a roof rack and heated seats. 39,000 miles was more than reasonable. Four hours later, I traded in my disaster of a Hyundai and drove off the lot in my new car. Ok, my new certified used car!

From there, we went to McGregor's Ale House down the street from the Automall. I was surprised that the bar was quite crowded on a Friday afternoon around 3 pm. Sure I was pleased with the vehicle, but considering I had dropped a lot of money and wasn't in the best frame of mind, I hadn't eaten anything except a handful of peanuts at the dealership. So I guess I needed some depression food. Enter the Big Ben burger. Three beef patties covered with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions & pickles all inside toasted brioche. It came served high on a layer of fries, only to be topped in front of me with a pour of bacon queso. Not a bad buy for 20 bucks. The burger patties themselves were pretty ordinary, nothing special. The bacon queso on the fries was really heavy, but when it's one of those tough periods, you don't really mind! I don't recall anything else the rest of the day, except I probably went home and collapsed on the couch.

Saturday, Nov 22

In the morning, I headed to Eno River in Durham to meet with my hiking group from church. I had communicated in the group app that I was dealing with some things over the week. One guy from the group let me borrow an extra laptop and he said he would have it ready by Sunday. That was a great piece of help. From there, I donated plasma, since I can still make that money and I believe I did a couple of grocery deliveries.

Sunday, Nov 23

At NewHope Church, I got the laptop from Matt. It's very heavy, but at least the thing works. It's certainly functional, but there was one major issue. MS Office wasn't on it. I could view Word documents (resume, cover letter, references, etc), but I could not create or edit. And to install it, I would have had to pay an annual subscription of at least $100. So to create or edit a Word document, which is necessary for resumes, cover letters, etc, I would still have to drive to my mother's apartment or to the library. 

I put the computer in the backseat of my Crosstrek, and headed back inside, and got a cup of hot cider. It's one of those ciders that stays lava hot for 15 minutes and somehow turns lukewarm within a minute. 

I took my seat in the front row, right in front of the drums. I wanted my head to be rocked, nothing less. I wanted the spirit to shake me. And by the third song, I broke down crying. I don't even remember what song it was and I don't know if I need to. But I had not cried in church in at least a decade. The young adults pastor spoke about forgiveness. And I realized that I had a mixture of gratitude and resentment towards my previous employer. And I realized over the next days that forgiving their betrayal would take time.

There was no desire for me to go out and watch the Jets game that afternoon. Restaurants just didn't seem to make sense in that moment. 

Monday, Nov 24

It was a new week and it was time to get aggressive. I knew I had to go to my office and clean it out at 12:30. But before that, I had a Zoom meeting with Mike, who is the groups pastor and also counsels men. We spoke for about an hour, I asked for some resources, some Scripture, some direction in my prayer life. I am not the best at saying I will go read the Bible and pray for a while. I need a plan, I like having a little bit of structure. He did email me that day.

So then it was the 5 minute drive to what felt like a funeral. I wore all black on purpose. I saw my boss' boss walking one level up from where I was sitting and I refused to acknowledge her. Especially as much as I had supported her becoming a full time hire. So I went in, the disgrace of a HR head and my boss were there. I packed up my office and left. But before I did, I quietly asked my boss if I could give him a call. And he said that would be fine. In my soul, I know he did not want me to go. His hands were tied. He even got my drinks out of the fridge and put my documents on a flash drive for me to take with me. I guess it was his way of showing support.

I headed straight to the Cary Regional Library. In my 19 months of living in North Carolina, I had not set foot inside a library. But I was not going to let evil win. I was not going to be beaten. I know that in order to recover, I must take action. I parked, walked right up to the circulation desk, and got my card. And between that afternoon and Tuesday, I applied for over a dozen jobs.

Wednesday, Nov 26

This was a scheduled off day from work anyway. The plan was to go to Charlotte and I wasn't going to change that. My destination was the Billy Graham Library, about 2 hours west. I had planned to visit several times in the last few years, but I believe this was the time God wanted me to first encounter it. Previously, I wanted to visit. Now, I needed to visit. 

Before I went inside though, I actually ate a turkey sandwich from home, just trying to eat out as little as possible. The staff was incredibly friendly, as one would expect. After I finished my tour of the exhibits, which began with Bessie the talking cow, two people prayed for me, including the chaplain of the Library. The outside grounds are nicely kept and I like that the library/museum has the farmhouse feel to it. It feels very homey and cozy. Great bookstore, there is a lot of good merch for sale. Although $30 for a coffee mug was a little too over the top for me.

Let us always remember the legacy of the Grahams and may we always be aware of God's divine and loving presence.

I skipped the Library's Dairy Bar. So now I was ready for lunch. I hadn't been to a Bobby Flay's burgers in maybe 10 years, and that was at Mohegan Sun. I placed my order at the counter and took a seat in one of the booths. First of all, major props for having the Coke freestyle machine, plus brewed sweet and unsweet tea. The pistachio shake arrived first, I like that pistachios are mixed in and they are also sprinkled on top of the whipped cream. I saved it for the end, but that shake was remarkably good. The crunch of the nuts balanced the ice cream beautifully. I ordered the classic palace burger, medium. It was cooked as requested, and I would say the burger was ok, similar to a Shake Shack level. I would have liked an additional patty option to make it a double. But oh my, those buttermilk onion rings. Super thick, full of seasoning, a great crunch on that batter. Plus, the horseradish honey mustard is such a great dipping sauce for them. Yes the restaurant is pricey, the costs make Five Guys look like McDonald's. But it is high quality. And the staff was friendly, they were there to clean my table before I could toss anything out.

But the food wasn't the most significant thing that happened while I was in the restaurant. While the shake rested on the table, I got a phone call from my previous employer in Virginia, but the Raleigh branch. I never expected an employer to call me on Thanksgiving Eve, but it happened. And we arranged an interview for the following Tuesday.

Oh and I was feeling so much better, I did have one beer at 4001 Yancey before boarding the train to go downtown. And the Knicks trounced the Hornets, which was to be expected! I did have a 2 hour drive back to Cary, but I didn't mind it all. I'm glad I had a peanut butter sandwich for the ride back. Never made a stop, not even for a Celsius.

Thursday, Nov 27

Thanksgiving was nowhere near the same as the usual. We did do Meals on Wheels where we delivered holiday meals into the hood of east Durham. We waited 90 minutes to get the meals put in our car and then it only took a mere 40 minutes to complete our deliveries and we went home. I watched a lot of football that afternoon. The meal was Japanese food from a take and bake catering service. Sorry to day, but it wasn't all that great. The meat was dry, the veggies wouldn't get warm. Not that great. But I did make spiced pumpkin cookies with dried cranberries and they were a fantastic dessert. Truth be told, I think I like them better out of the freezer than the oven!

Friday, Nov 28

All I can say about this Black Friday is I did 19 deliveries and made over $320. That's almost one week of unemployment!

Sunday, Nov 30

After hitting the gym, I headed to church. Same seat as last week, front row, right in front of the drums. I did not cry during worship this time though! Nick was speaking and the title of the message was Worth the Wait/Weight. And I know a lot about that concept right now. I'm waiting for a new job and I'm dealing with the weight of these challenges. But the main point that I took was a quote from an author that he did not credit, he left it anonymous. And the quote goes like this.

Who you become while you're waiting is as important as what you're waiting for

I knew I had heard something like that concept. And so I researched it and realized my old Teaching Pastor from Willow Creek, John Ortberg, wrote it in one of his books. And it's so true. I've prayed it before during my worst times. God, I'm not asking you to change my circumstances until you change me through my circumstances. Pastor Mike gave me the book he had promised, and it was Soul Keeping by...John Ortberg. Another crazy instance of timing. Not coincidence, I don't believe it exists.

That day, I also talked with some different people. By meeting Ryan, it's allowing me to meet other people. For instance, I met Courtney, who volunteers in Guest Services and we talked for about ten And I even saw Reggie, who had done one hike in our group. He had lost his FIL, so we prayed for each other. And I spoke with Abby, who had given the message the prior week. I thought it would take 2-3 minutes. We wound up talking about forgiveness for maybe 10 minutes. I did go watch the Jets game at Rallypoint with the NC Jets group afterwards, I just made sure to only get an iced tea.

Monday, Dec 1

I checked my mailbox. And an envelope was their from the NC Department of Labor. My unemployment got approved. I thought it did not make a huge difference whether I got approved or denied, because if I got denied, I could just do deliveries and it could make as much, if not more money, if I hustled. That said, getting approved gives me more time and I don't have to put as many miles on my car. So it's $350 a week for 3 months. Not a lot, but it's enough to cover rent and a few utilities. I can also make up to 20 percent of my weekly wage without any deductions. So I could make $70 in deliveries per week. The point of this is I have a lot of time to rest, to reflect, to be still. And that is not something I've ever been especially good at.

Tuesday, Dec 2

The day of my first interview, the one with my former employer. And because I do not know who is reading this and I've learned to not trust social media, I'm leaving off the employer names. And it took an hour. I thought it went well, and I was qualified for the job, let's put it that way. 

That night, came an email from a local community college. It was for a technical assistant position and we arranged a phone screening for the next day.

Thursday, Dec 4

I had my 15 minute screening call in the afternoon. Again, I thought it went well. I know they had quite a few applicants for it though. So it's just a matter of waiting.

Fri, Dec 5

I didn't have anything planned on Friday. I spent 2.5 hours watching the World Cup draw, and that whole event could have been done in 20 minutes. After that ended, it was off to the library in Cameron Village for an hour to get some work done. Since again, I can't edit Word documents on the borrowed laptop. 

From there, I went to Postino, which is in the adjacent parking lot. I had a Yelp event, where I could get a free glass of wine and a free order of donut holes with dipping glazes. Who's going to turn that one down? And I'd been to Postino once before, also for a Yelp event. Waiting on a girl friend (space is there on purpose) and her friend and they left me waiting for an hour and 15 minutes. The staff felt so bad for me, they brought me a free order of meatballs. This time, I sat at the L-shaped bar and there was no one to wait on, thankfully. I started with a chicken mozz panini and cup of Chicken Florentine soup, I hadn't ordered any food out since I lost my job, and I wanted more than just a dessert. Both tasted really good, but there was a little bit of chicken bone in my soup. I told the staff, they comp'd my meal, and even gave me a free glass of Brut champagne after I'd already had my glass of pinot noir. They also asked if I had any food allergies, and I told them chocolate. I'm not really allergic, I just don't like it and I didn't want it with my donuts. So I got caramel and two vanilla glazes. 5 hot ricotta donuts holes, a little powdered sugar, just fantastic.

So it was about 4:45, I'd just finished my food and was just kind of relaxing for a bit after my drinks before heading back into the wintry mix outside. All of sudden, my phone rang and I saw the call was from a small town in North Carolina. And I only knew the name of the town because I had applied for a job there. First of all, calling me at the end of the work day on a Friday seemed kind of strange. But the guy on the phone told me they weren't hiring one job, they were hiring three jobs, including two director roles! We arranged for an interview on Tuesday but he would reach out over the weekend and finalize the details. I was stunned, I had applied there to do what I'd always done, but now I had multiple opportunities. I went from two irons in the fire to five irons in the fire. It was a good feeling. I went home and started prepping.

Saturday, Dec 6

I had one last hike with my guys, sadly it was only 4 of us. Crazy to think we'd had as many as 12 people one one hike and now it was only 4. Umstead Park, 4 miles, good times. After donating plasma, I headed to Mom's. We were going to the Chris Tomlin Christmas concert in Greensboro and it was my first time driving anyone else in my Crosstrek. 

We arrived at the church and I stood in the lobby while Mom waited on a long line to use the restroom. While I was there, a guy walked by wearing a sweatshirt of the school that had called me on Friday. Now think about this. He could have been anywhere, wearing any shirt, been in any other part of the building. But he passed by me. I had to stop him and talk to him for a minute. He told me he was an alumnus from about 30 years before. I told him I had an interview tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. At that point, his wife came up and when I told them it was in financial aid, her eyebrows went up. She said her dad worked in that department back in the 1980s. Just crazy.

That aside, it was a really good concert, and I posted the setlist in a separate post. On the 75-minute drive back to Raleigh, I enjoyed my Starbucks iced gingerbread oat chai.

Sunday, Dec 7

After the gym, it was back to church. I got there a little late and I spoke with Tino for a minute before Mike tracked me down. He said he had something else for me and I was figuring it was another book, which I was all in favor of. He took me back to his office, which was a little different, but I thought ok, seems strange for a book. He reached on his shelf for a rectangular-shaped, kind of flat, cardboard box. I couldn't believe it. The church gifted me a brand new Dell laptop. I almost fell down. Didn't cry, but got emotional for sure. I did briefly chat with Abby and Ryan before going to watch the Jets lose again.

The rest of the day was me watching football and getting the laptop set up. It's a great computer, the only things I do miss having are a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint sensor. Outside of that, it's awesome. Great webcam, good memory, fast processing. I'm so friggin' thankful. God has been providing in ways I never expected.

Monday, Dec 8

The once thing that didn't sit well with me was the college never emailed me to set up the interview. Early Monday morning though, they did call and we arranged for a Tuesday morning interview. The strange dynamic is I was interviewing for 3 jobs at the same time. So I wasn't quite sure how to approach the interview. I figured just represent myself well and get to know the interviewers.

Tuesday, Dec 9

I certified unemployment in the morning, and drove 50 minutes south for the interview. It's not my dream to drive that long to work but the opportunity to work 3 remote days every 2 weeks certainly helps. I arrived a little early and I spent about 20 minutes in the chapel praying. Crazy enough, the chapel was conveniently located right next to the building where I was being interviewed. I felt pretty ready.

We had the interview; it was myself, the director, and two others (one in FA, one in accounting). And they grilled me for a good 45-50 minutes. Supervisory questions, software questions, scenario questions. It was not easy and I have to admit there were a couple of questions where I didn't really have answers. I just made sure to put over my desire to learn, my experience, my communication skills, my organization ability, and all the things I thought would make me an asset. But I admit I left the campus not feeling great. I was thinking I might get the counselor role, but I wasn't sure. 

That night was the Yelpie Awards in Downtown Chapel Hill. I've been Yelp Elite for 14 years, but have never been to one of these events before. It was held at the Ground Espresso bar and they specialize in making different kinds of espresso martinis. I have to admit they taste pretty good! Carolina Brewery and Mediterranean Deli catered so we had a lot of couscous, tzatziki, etc. I did actually try falafel for the first time and it wasn't too bad. Can't say it'll be a go to for me though.

There was a board posted with Yelpers who had written 50+ reviews, 75+, and 100+. And I was on the 75+. So I've set a goal. In 2026, I will write at least 100 reviews.

There were about 10 awards or so given out. And much to my amazement, I won Yelp Event Superstar of the Year! Got a trophy and everything. Super cool feeling, one of the best awards I've ever received. I chatted with the staff of the bar afterwards and they were super cool. We are all New Jersey natives, so that was a good starting point. We talked about drinks, work, social media, all kinds of things. Just a good night. 

Wednesday, Dec 10

Early in the morning, I got a phone call from the school I interviewed with the day prior. And they made me a tentative offer for one of the assistant director roles. It's tentative only because HR has to approve the hire on Monday. And...they have to be on board with the salary. It does not look like I will get I want or even what I think I'm worthy of. But the number he's submitting to HR is right around what I made at my last job. And if that gets approved, I will accept it.

So now it's another 6 day waiting period. Think about it. It was 6 days from the time I lost my job to setting up my first interview. Then it was 6 days from that day until I had the interview. Now I'm waiting 6 more days until Tuesday when I should hear back about the final offer.

It feels so strange to pray for money. It feels selfish to an extent. But it feels like this the last obstacle. I'm feeling led to be at this school. I took a pay cut to move to Raleigh. I don't want to take another one if I have to commute ten times as long also. But the chance to work with student athletes and the NCAA...very intriguing.

Now I wait for Tuesday...

Sunday, December 14

7 Ways to Wait Well. So fitting a sermon for this point in my walk. Adam was talking about growing through waiting, worshipping through waiting, maintaining a holy attitude through the waiting season. And I remember that he said if you don't grow through the waiting season, all you did was wait and what was the purpose of the wait. Gos it hit me hard. I did get to see Courtney again for a few minutes, which was great. She even sat next to me ( with an empty set in the middle) during the service. I might have asked for her number but she had to leave to go volunteer. Not the right time I guess, but I'll see her again.

Monday, December 15

I did apply for 2 other jobs, since I have to do 3 my work search activities. One was for my prior employer in Virginia, same position, but in a remote capacity. They've been trying to fill the position since July. I mean if I'm not qualified for that, I may as well never work again. 

For the afternoon, I went to mom's to help with some packing. Also she had the remote followup with the doctor, and it seemed to go ok. It was not about diagnosing, it was more about figuring a medication situation, reducing the platelet count, and keeping the risk of clotting as low as possible, especially when she starts touring again in March. I know she wanted me to be there, but she would never demand I be there. But really, where else would be a more appropriate place for me to be in that moment?

We did play a little bit of Skip-Bo, which I had just bought the week prior for us. 6 bucks at Target, not bad buy at all. It was a good distraction.

Tuesday, December 16

After a very uneven night of attempting to sleep, I got up at 8 and refused to leave my apartment, not even for the gym. It was all about getting this phone call. I had to be ready and fully available for it. I waited all morning...no phone calls. I have to admit, the feeling is incredibly unsettling. Each time this director has, it has either come very early or very late. I was expecting something early in the morning, but it has not happened as of noon.

Update. 4:20 PM. I did get a chest and back workout in. Spoke to my father for a half hour on the phone. Showered. Ate half a chicken. Tried to donate plasma and was denied because my protein isn't high enough. Guess I'm taking this week off from it. I did sit outside on my balcony with a beer and spent some time going through a Bible plan about fear and anxiety. Went through all 7 days in about 20 minutes. Hey, they were short devotionals.

Tom Petty was no theologian, but he was correct when he said the waiting is the hardest part.

Still no phone call...

I'm trying to stay grounded, but the restlessness permeates my soul.

Wednesday, December 17

I decided to get an early start on the day by doing a delivery or two, so I went to the Target in Northwest Raleigh to get a double order done and make some money. I had just finished the orders and I had loaded my car, ready to pull out and all of a sudden, my phone rang.

Sure enough, it was the director from the organization where I am trying to get the job. And he explained HR needed more documentation, they needed this they needed that. Nothing that I needed to provide though. 

But the really strange part was while I'm sitting in the parking lot and on the phone,  my passenger rear door opened and there was a 60 or 65 year old woman trying to get into my car. Apparently she thought that it was her car. There I am, on the phone with the guy, and suddenly, I think I'm in the middle of a break-in. Wouldn't that have just been fitted considering how the last month is gone?

But the most important part was he emphasized that he wanted me there and I emphasized that I wanted to be there too. I just hate that this has to happen during the holidays when everybody is either sick or out using up their remaining vacation days.

Thursday, December 18

I do give myself credit because I've been in the gym five or six straight days. I've even read the Bible every day for the last 2 weeks. And I did get some grocery shopping done. 

I even went over to Mom's and made my Italian turkey meatballs. But I have to be honest, I am right now mentally drained from all the shit I've gone through the last month. 

I'm trying to learn patience, I'm trying to learn trust, I'm trying to learn that God is in control. But there are moments when it is incredibly difficult and my goodness,  I really want this to come through before Christmas. It would probably be the most meaningful Christmas present of my entire life.

So tonight, I'm over at Ruckus, using the $10 gift card that I got from volunteering at the SAS Championship back in October. And basically I'm spending all of it on Coors light.

Friday, December 19

I waited so anxiously for that next phone call. Since this was the last day the staff was in the office, I knew I'd I didn't hear back today, it would not bode well.

After hitting the gym, I knew I had to check the mailbox. I hadn't heard from the just lovely people at unemployment. And the expectation was a response in 3-5 days. So I went into their website and did my next weekly certification. But when I looked at my status, I saw I had been denied. It was infuriating that my previous employer said that I could apply for it, yet it was always going to be denied because I had the nerve to be honest about my political opinions. 

I believe I got angry at the world and Good for an hour or so. But i thought more about it and I realized I didn't need unemployment. I have my delivery job and during the holiday season, I can make way, way more in a week than unemployment would pay. As I think about it, I realize I could have been doing deliveries starting the day after I got fired and I could regret not getting more aggressive. But maybe I needed that slow down, that time of stillness to reevaluate myself and how I would handle this time. 

Right around 2 pm, I got the call from the school. And it wasn't good news or bad news. More approvals were needed to verify my hiring. So I was resigned that I would not hear back from them till at least the first full week of January, about 3 weeks away. 

Funny how over the next few days, i heard more stories about camels. On the Boomer and Gio show, they referenced the camel kicking a woman at a church in Houston during a live nativity scene. TBH, I hope it was Joel Osteen's church. 

Saturday, December 20

Nothing but deliveries baby. Made almost as much money in one day as I would have for a week of unemployment. If I'm being real, it was kind of my middle finger to the unemployment office and my previous employer. 

Sunday, December 21

Not my favorite church service ever. The youth 

Monday, December 22

8 more hours of deliveries. Got 3 bonuses,  $122 total. That was just the bonuses before base pay and tips. 

Tuesday, December 23 

Here we go, it's Christmas Adam. Since Adam came before Eve...

I started with 5 hours of deliveries. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, 16 prefers equals $104 bonus. It's time to get busy. 

I completed 10 orders with just enough time to go home, eat a quarter chicken, and change clothes before heading to mom's for church. We also picked up one of her friends, who's enjoying going back to church. 

 

We went to the 3 pm service, though we arrived about 10 minutes late. Of course, during the sermon, Pastor Adam referenced a camel. It was basically saying Mary could have rode a donkey or camel. Another connection to my possible future employer. So crazy, isn't it? 

So I had my phone set on do not disturb because I didn't want to get bothered during the service. So towards the end, we sang Silent Night with candles lit. Of course, mom felt the need to rub my back during the song and I was so startled that my candle went out. I mean, those moments are personal; I would never want to disrupt someone in that moment. It's them and God.

Anyway, the song ends and we blew out the candles. I checked my phone and saw that during the last song, I received a phone call from a certain area code. I knew who it was. I excused myself and called the number back. 

Sure enough...they offered me the job. The job I wanted. Not the salary I dreamed of but better than my last job. I wanted to celebrate so much with someone but the two or three people I recognized were busy. I walked out of the church pumping my fist 2 or 3 times and I'm sure a few people wondered what in the world I was doing. 

The three of us then went to Ted's Montana Grill. When we arrived, only one other person was sitting in the dining room. I didn't share the news with my mother. It felt awkward, it was just not the right time. Suffice to say, I have this vibe about her where I want to have a deep conversation or I would prefer complete silence. I'd have opted for the latter on this day. Anyway, I took down my bison burger with joy. 

I don't know my start date just yet. And I know this period lasted 1 month and 3 days, which is not that long. For some people, it's far worse. I can't imagine what folks go through who have been out of with for 3 months, 6 months, a year, or more than that. I lift those people up for guidance and endurance. 

For me, I pray I am a better man now than I was one month ago. Because I cannot be the same person tomorrow that I was when my job was taken from me in late November. 

I can never be perfect. I can't imagine being sinless ever, not even in the next life. But gosh, all of this adversity I faced was such an opportunity to grow and learn. And I don't intend to waste it. 

Chris Tomlin setlist

Westover Church

Carol of the Bells instrumental

Angels We Have Heard On High

Christmas Day

Emmanuel, God With Us

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Joy to the World

The Christmas Song

It's Christmas Medley

What a Wonderful World

Noel

The First Noel

Break

O Christmas Tree instrumental

He Shall Reign Forevermore

Our God

O Holy Night

Holy Forever

How Great Is Our God

Good Good Father

O Come All Ye Faithful

Silent Night

John Fogerty setlist

Venue: DPAC

Start time: 8:40

End time: 10:05

Bad Moon Rising
Up Around the Bend
Green River
Born On the Bayou

Who'll Stop the Rain
Lookin' Out My Back Door
Rock and Roll Girls

Run Through the Jungle

Joy of My Life

Fight Fire

It Came Out of the Sky

Keep On Chooglin'

Have You Ever Seen the Rain

Centerfield

Down On the Corner

The Old Man Down the Road

Fortunate Son

Encore:

Travelin' Band

Proud Mary

Deep Down

1. I know I'm not good enough for Alexis.

2. I know none of my teams will ever win a championship while I'm alive.

3. I know my relationship with my father will never get past where it is. And that's on him.

4. I know no one will know me as good as my mother, even though she is infuriating at times.

5. I know this world is full of self-centered people who would quickly destroy others if they had to.

6. I know I have a career that I never really wanted. But it pays the bills and I don't loathe it, so it's ok.

7. I know my unique and dislikes make me a pariah. If people truly knew me, they would never accept me.

8. I know I could become an alcoholic. I just dread becoming certain relatives.

9. I know I will always be battling for acceptance from others, from God, and from myself.

10. I know my story somehow isn't over yet. I don't know why though.

NYC Pilgrimage

I woke up at 4:05 am on a Saturday. And it wasn't easy to do coming off a mere 4 hours of sleep. Then I picked up mom at 5 and we drove to the Triad airport outside Greensboro, as opposed to the nearby one Raleigh. The nonstop to LGA was just looking to be far more open. It took an hour and 20 minutes to get to the airport. I had to drop mom off at the terminal with her two large bags, since she was beginning 30 days on the road leading tours throughout New England. 

I chose to park in the Central garage. All along, I planned to park in Economy, but for 2 bucks more a day, why not? Plus I didn't want to wait on a bus to get me to the terminal either. 

So GSO is not the most efficient airport in existence. The ticket counter line was moving brutally slow line. The usually efficient bag drop line was more of a bag drop/rebooking line. We did get through and actually got the last two seats. Terry standby passengers didn't make it on. One thing's for sure, I don't miss flying regularly on the smaller American Eagle planes.

Flight was smooth, luggage no issue. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Astoria. Thankfully, they do offer a free shuttle from the airport. Unfortunately, our room was not ready at 10:30 am. So after an hour of sitting around waiting for word that it would be ready, we left our luggage at the front desk and headed towards the One Bite Pizza Festival on Randall's Island.

We had to take the M60 bus west into Harlem and then connect to another bus back east to get to the island, which is located between Manhattan and Queens. It was supposed to be the X80 express bus, except it never showed up. So instead, we and about 40 other people took the M35 bus, which still got us to the festival. 

Now there were about 40 pizzerias in attendance, from New Haven, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York City, New Jersey, Chicago, Michigan, even Hot Springs, Arkansas and Garland, Texas. All the Pepsi was free, and I got through 1.5 cherry Pepsis before I was dying for a sip of water. Unfortunately, each 16 oz bottle was 4 bucks; I do think a filling station would've made sense. They also had a few other food samples like sausage and nearly raw green pepper on a stick, pesto pasta, and a mozzarella stick with marinara. Oh and I also scored two free containers of Italian seasoning and green Chile flakes!

But back to the pizza. I'm pretty sure I tried 20 pizzas. After about pizza number 9, they start to blend together. But my 3 faves were Frank Pepe from New Haven, Prince St from NYC, and Lupo from Pittsburgh. I was incredibly let down by Modern Apizza from New Haven though. I'd heard a lot about it, but it didn't come close to Frank's. 

I did grab a free cherry Italian ice and Ferrara's cannoli on my way out too. The challenge was getting back to the hotel. First, it was hard enough finding the Uber spot. We did not want to take the bus back into Harlem just to take another one in the opposite direction to Queens. Besides, our hotel was only three miles away from the festival site. How hard could that be? 

Here's how hard. 4 Uber drivers canceled on us and we canceled on one other because he took at least 6 wrong turns in 20 minutes. With each cancel, my answer was rising and rising. Finally one guy picked us up and took us back to the hotel. I was just drained. I was so happy to get in the hotel and just take my shoes off. 

After an hour so of rest in the room, we headed for dinner.  We chose a Greek restaurant that mom found called Lokoumi Tavern. We got a table near the street, to paraphrase Billy Joel. A basket of fresh pita bread with some oil and vinegar for dipping. I came to realize that these restaurants give out the pita bread so you'll order a dip for it like tzatziki, or hummus, or eggplant.

We ordered the chargrilled octopus. I liked the smokiness, but it was a touch dry. I used some of the provided lemon wedges and that did help. But octopus is hard to cook just right, where it's tender. We never have found octopus on the level of Costa Rica. The Greek salad was very refreshing; I needed some veg after all that pizza! Tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, black olives, triangular pieces of feta cheese over some shredded greens. Good stuff. I still don't know if our waiter was a man or woman. The voice was deep, the haircut was masculine, the name was Jeannie...I have no clue. And the other thing, why is the BO so pronounced? I'm sorry, but it's really a thing!

And so came Saturday. I got a quick lift done in the gym. Allie, one of the hotel clerks, was so cute. And she's from Greensboro. She's planning to be an actress. all the best, because she was a sweetheart.

Anyway, for breakfast, Mom and I wanted some real NY bagels. So I found Brooklyn Bagels on Ditmars Blvd and they have several locations throughout the city. I took 15 minutes to walk there and another 15 to walk back. Much to my disappointment, they got both our sandwiches wrong. They left the American cheese off one sandwich. On the other sandwich, I got an everything bagel when I wanted a poppy bagel. The sandwiches still tasted wonderful, but despite me ordering online, they still weren't made as we requested. 

We streamed church from the hotel room. I then left and took the Q19 to Citifield for Mets vs Rangers. Unfortunately, Mom stayed in the room to work on tour prep. I think I left in the seventh inning, once the bullpen started to give the game away. Thankfully, the Mets did win in extra innings. Foodwise, I loved the pastrami sandwich; I never go to the stadium without getting one. The Nathan's hot dog with mustard was just right. And I took down 2 huge spiked Arnold Palmer cans.

For dinner, we went to another Greek restaurant, this one was Telly's Taverna. We had a table on the street, just just near the street. We split the whole red snapper, which they served with a bottle of lemon infused olive oil. And that was really it. A little overly crusty bread, but that was good. Sure I could've eaten more, but I felt content. Until they brought out the eight free donuts drizzled with honey and cinnamon, or loukoumades. Yes I said free. I think I took 6 of them down by myself. We also split a carafe of Greek red blend wine. So it was fish, wine, bread, and donuts. Very Biblical meal.

Mom had to leave early on Monday to catch her plane to Boston. So once she left, and I had everything to myself, I used the elliptical for about 3 miles. I'm not even sure why, considering how much walking I knew I'd be doing that day. No, I knew I could use a little cardio after all I'd been eating. And my right Achilles is still tighter than I would like, so I don't plan to run again for a couple of weeks. 

After breakfast and a shower, I took the W line to the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan. If the weather is good, I always ride the Staten Island Ferry. Two free rides, about 25 minutes each. It's an easy hour to kill with plenty of great photo opps. Bridges, the Statue of Liberty, the NY skyline. And more than that, after spending two days in such crowded congested neighborhoods, the feeling of traveling in the water was so freeing.

I then took the W line back to Canal St to the Feast of San Gennaro. I started with a chargrilled Italian sausage and peppers sammich from Lucy's. About a footlong too! This is pretty much a rite of passage at this festival. Not getting an S&P is like going to New England and not getting seafood. I also got a bowl of meatballs with a little bread for $10. They were good, but really, they needed some extra grated cheese, and maybe a little fresh basil. I also took down a fresh Arnold Palmer for ten bucks. I really only spent a little over an hour at the festival. Once I was done, I was gone. My issues were there were very few places to sit and eat and I also could not locate a single restroom. And I had a good 32 oz of Arnold Palmer in me. So when I did eventually get to a men's room in Bryant Park, let's just say I was very relieved. 

Then came trips to the NHL store, NBA store, and MLB store. And I wound up buying nothing at any of the stores. After getting a new hat at the Mets game the previous day, I decided I'd made enough 40 dollar purchases. I did see a nice Rangers 3/4 zip pullover, but no way was I spending 120 dollars for it.

As I referred to earlier, I always enjoy stopping by Bryant Park, sitting down, and doing some people watching. I took a seat in front of the fountain and just took it all in while playing some music. 

With all the crazy going on in the city, meaning the car horns, the random yelling, etc, I felt a need for a little quiet so I walked into St Patrick's Cathedral and spent some time in a pew in prayer. I may not be Catholic, but I'm thankful to be able to go into a church like this and refocus and recalibrate. 

Before exiting Manhattan, I had to stop by Junior's in Times Square to have the best cheesecake on earth. I sat at the bar and opted for the apple crumb cheesecake. Just remarkable, especially with those cinnamon streusel crumbs on top. I also ordered a turkey and pastrami sandwich for the road. I didn't think about it at the time, but I should have asked for Swiss cheese on it too. And sadly, no pickles in my order. But the man working the bar was super cool, he gave me some good recommendations, he kept my beverage glasses full. 

Then came 30 minutes back to Astoria and a 15 minute walk back to the hotel. Sadly, Ally was not there. So I took the shuttle early and got to the airport much sooner than I needed to. I think I was through security around 4:45, so I had about 3 hours to kill before boarding. And I swear I wanted a drink to help my relax and to help pass the time. Maybe it's a good thing I'm tight with my money because I can't justify spending 14 bucks for a Coors light. 

Thankfully I got a first class seat on the plane and had a nice Woodford bourbon and ginger ale. As I type, I'm waiting for the gruff flight attendant to ask me if I want a second round. 

Update: I did get a second round, but it happened right before we began the landing process. I think I managed to get half of it down.

10 mile race

As I sit here in my car in a Virginia Beach parking lot at 7:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, I'm exactly 12 hours from beginning the most difficult race of my life. 10 miles on the Virginia Beach oceanfront. It's crazy to think that I'm trying this. I didn't start running until I was in my early 30s and that's about the time a lot of people are quitting. The reasons are vast but other things come up. Maybe that's why in my mid-40s I'm still able to go, it's that I didn't get a very early start.

I've actually tracked the 12 weeks of training and how far I've run and if I leave out elliptical runs as well, I would still have over 192 miles of training over the last 12 weeks. If I added other types of walks and elliptical runs you could add another 30 miles on to it. 

And I'm starting to think why am I doing all this. Everybody does this thing for different reasons whether it's to get in better physical condition, whether it's to set a new PR, whether it's to prove something to themselves, whether it's to challenge what they are capable of, hey, maybe some people just do it on a dare. And I think for me, a part of it is proving that I am capable of accomplishing new things. There are some battles I have conquered and there are a lot of battles that I continue to struggle with every single day. But for right now, as long as God lets me, running is something I can control. I can tune out all the distractions, all the noises, all the critics, all the bad influences in the world, and it's just me and my music. Nobody is going to get in my way. 

Maybe solitude has a little something to do with why I run. Maybe it's an intense form of meditation or prayer, and that might even sound like an oxymoron but the more I think about it, the more it seems to make sense. So from the beginning my goal was under 90 minutes. I have not run 10 miles at a given time at any point in my training but I have hit 9 Mi twice. And each time I've completed that in about an hour and 16 minutes which would have me on that pace. 

But now I head into the outdoors, I head into the wind. There will be a lot more obstacles but I do believe the hardest obstacle I will have to overcome is my own doubts. 

So maybe what it comes down to is I want to prove to myself that I can accomplish things I didn't know that I could. I don't know if I have another 10-miler in me after this, it may be a one and done? I really don't know. But at least I can say to myself that I did it. 

And it's not about bragging to other people, I know I'm not doing it for anybody else's approval. And that's important because you cannot win the approval of everybody. 

The older I get the more fickle I realize people can be. Yes people can have the best intentions in the world but they have the wrong lives they have their own priorities and you can't do it for outside glory. Peace with myself to be the best version of myself. And I hope I'm getting closer to that as time goes on. I know this, I have new reasons to be a better version of me. I don't think I'm ready to go into detail on it just yet though.

So I look forward to around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday when I cross that finish line, well, actually it'll be a finish bump since the tape will already be gone. And I guess the most important thing is not a specific time, it's the hope that I found my pace, kept it, and finished. I would be satisfied with that.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Midwest-Day 3

I woke up at 5 am for what was supposed to be a 9 mile run. Well I knocked out 8 miles, so now this coming week, I need to get 9 to get ready for the 10 miler at the end of the month. That Rocky music really does help. 

Sweating profusely and breathing heavier than Yokozuna I cleaned up and checked out and had breakfast at Corner Bakery Cafe. The Sonesta had a grab and go with apples, milk, maybe a breakfast bar. Truthfully, there was nothing at all that I wanted. At CBC, I had the Anaheim scrambler and yogurt and berry parfait, the latter of which I took for the road. I knew it wasn't the best idea to stick it in a hot car for a few hours, but it was the risk I took.

I started with a drive to Fond du Lac, where I walked on the southern shore of Lake Winnebago. I think the main reason I wanted to visit FDL is because it's mentioned in the song "I've Been Everywhere." Then I proceeded a half hour north up route 45 into OshKosh and then up to Appleton. 

A priority on this trip was to visit the Hearthstone House. Now this is a historical house, built by Henry Rogers, and it's the first house in American to run on water-powered electricity. It uses some of Thomas Edison's system, so factoring in I grew up in Edison NJ and lived on Hearthstone Drive, it had some personal feeling for me. Most of the house was in the style of the 1880s with the decor and furniture. Queen Anne architecture, they said, I can't give specifics on this. But downstairs in the basement is more of the museum with interactive exhibits. There's even a cycle you can pedal to power up the room, it even makes a Thomas Edison figurine start to dance. It's kinda bizarre, but it is fun. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.

I wanted to eat before arriving in Green Bay, so I went to Jersey Mike's for a Cancro Special. I know it's not local, but I used my points and got my sub for free. All I paid for was my black cherry tarragon soda. 

Thirty minutes later, i arrived in Green Bay. It was an ominous trip though. About 10 minutes away from town, I could see lightning bolts in the distance. I'd checked the forecast previously and it called for a brief reprieve of rain before it was to resume around 7 pm, the start time of the football game. 

My friends Tommy and Karen asked me to meet them at Hinterland, a brewery across the street from the stadium. Now it was around 1:30 in the afternoon, more than 5 hours before the start of the game. But certain roads around the stadium were already closed off. I basically circled the wisdom before finding my way into the lot. I did have to explain to the attendant that I would only be there a few minutes and I was driving some friends. He told me to be out by 3. 90 minutes seemed more than fair. I said hi to my friends and enjoyed a Jamaican style beer with some mint and coconut and pineapple. It was excellent, not too sweet or bitter or heavy. Great balance, one of the best beers I tried all weekend. The rain was coming down on and off while we were inside. After about an hour, we left. First, we drove to the original City Stadium on the east side, where the Packers played until 1957. Now it's just a revamped high school field. 

We also went to the Lombardi House at 667 Sunset Circle, where Coach would host parties after games. It's not right on the Fox River, but it can be walked to in a few minutes. Just a simple one story house, very typical of Green Bay. That's the thing with this town. It's just over 100,000 people, but they don't really have a rich section or poor section. It's kept incredibly clean, and it feels so communal. 

After dropping off Tommy and Karen, I checked into the Bay Motel, about a mile and a half northwest of Lambeau. It was well kept up, a small room, but it was clean. And at least I had a fridge and microwave, which I didn't have in my previous hotel in Milwaukee. As I was unpacking, I could hear the rumbling of thunder outside. I spread the shades and the rainstorm was real. Huge puddles were forming outside. I was scheduled to catch a free shuttle from outside the motel that would take me to the stadium. But with the weather issues, it never came. There I was with 10 other folks, standing outside in the misty rain looking at a hill, hoping a bus would come. So instead, I got a Lyft for about 8 bucks. I had Mike, the driver, take me to the Stadium Club, one of the more popular bars in town. It was packed, the music played loud. After a mediocre brat, Wisconsin lager, and a Miler High Life, we headed with Crazy Sam and his girlfriend to another bar I can't recall the name of. At this point the Fireball shots started flowing.

The street we walked down was Armed Forces Road, the direction was west. We went past Ray Nitschke Practice Field. Past the Don Huston Practice Center. Past the Bart Starr statue. Post the Armed Forces tribute monument.

As we walked closer, we could hear the live band playing at the Johnsonville Tailgate area. We made our way into that Tailgate area, which was also slammed. I passed on the food and had a Paloma made with Casamigos Reposado.

The Packers drum line was also playing right outside, it reminded me of a college football atmosphere more than a pro football atmosphere. 

And there it was. Lambeau Field. Dark green paint, classic bricks. It's really a beauty. Just a wee bit nicer than the eyesore my team plays in. 

We entered through the Fleet Farm entrance gate, one of the many that the stadium has. They'll never sell the stadium naming rights, so they have about 9 gates, all with different sponsor names attached. My seat was in the lower bowl in the southeast corner, Section 132, row 46, seat 10.

It was Jets at Packers. Don't tell me that it was just preseason. The principle remains. I never thought I would get to see a game at this historic site. But I got my chance. Unbelievable experience. 

And from the time I got to the first bar, the fans were very cool, a little ridiculous at times, that can certainly happen after 20 Miller Lites. But incredibly friendly. They would come up to me in my Jets jersey and just start a conversation. Now many other cities in America would that happen time after time after time?

The game went great, a 30-10 win for the Jets. And go figure, it never rained after the game started! Afterwards, I went to another bar, and took down some Texas BBQ wings and beers. The wings had a nice space to them, and they were more glazed, I like that they weren't drowning in sauce. The issue is they were overcooked, to the point that the meat basically crumbled in my mouth.

Was going to be a 2 mile walk back to the Motel, but I just happened upon that shuttle that never came pre-game. More conversations, more fun. What a day it was.

Midwest-Day 2

I slept till 7:20 and Oakley and Ranger were ready for me to wake up. I didn't hold Luca, who's under a year old. I just know he's not walking or talking yet. But I'm just not used to babies. that said, there were a number of times he just stared me down wondering what I was. About as much as I did was hold out my index finger and let him just grip it for a few minutes.

On my way I went into the Badger State. And there was only one place to go for breakfast: Frank's Diner in Kenosha. I've probably been there half a dozen times or more. I love their food, but also their snark and their sarcasm. And it's not a building, it's just a little train car with maybe 6 tables and 16 counter stools. Adds to the atmosphere with the tight quarters. I ordered the garbage plate, which includes 5 eggs, potatoes, peppers, and onion, plus I added with bacon, sausage, jalapeños, cheddar and mozzarella cheese. And of course, the homemade toast, made with yogurt, bran, and honey. And if I'm guessing, they only spread about 2 sticks of softened butter on the two slices. It was like getting a bagel  in New York City and they put two inches worth of cream cheese in between. 

Sadly, I skipped Elegant Farmer, I anted to get my apple pie, but there just wasn't enough time and I wasn't exactly ready to eat right away. Instead, I drove 45 minutes north to Milwaukee, stopping at 

South Shore Park for a brief walk. It wasn't incredibly special, but it was a chance to take a few pictures of some fountains and the shoreline.

Next, I went to the National Bobblehead Museum, which I didn't even know existed until the day before. For only 5 bucks, and they have 10,000+ bobbleheads, why not? They had bobbleheads of athletes, Presidents, comedians, actors, mascots, actors, religious figures, and so on. I did a scavenger hunt where I had to find a bobblehead for every letter of the alphabet. for the final two, I managed to use John Quincy Adams to fill in the Q and Xander Bogaerts for the X. and for that, I scored a free sticker. Sadly though, I couldn't find Waldo. Not even after I googled the picture of the Waldo bobblehead. The store is pretty limited on bobbleheads to take home, that's the one thing I wish was different.

At this point, I was ready for more food. And I'm sorry, but in Wisconsin, it's tough to get away with a chopped salad or a kale smoothie. It was Sobelman's for a huge burger. I ordered the Loser with Colby-jack cheese, smoked bacon, and buttery caramelized onions. Except I made it a Triple Loser. So instead of a 1/3 pound patty, I took down a full pound of burger. The bartender couldn't believe I would dare to order something like that, but he agreed. I also asked for extra pickle chips to help change up the flavors in my mouth and he came through, which was really cool of him. The New Glarus Spotted Cow beer tasted great, I hadn't had one in 8 or 9 years. And even though I tried to go easy on the fries during my trip, theirs were excellent, especially dipped in their jalapeno ketchup. Despite being a guy who never uses ketchup except for making a sauce, this is one ketchup I'd buy and keep in my kitchen.

I then went to Third Space Brewing, which I had only visited once, in 2017. I quickly realized it wasn't the same, just too many sexual flags hanging in the brewery. I had one flight and left. I was feeling pretty loaded anyway and my phone was draining so I decided it was time to check into the Sonesta hotel in west Milwaukee. There was a line of 7-8 people waiting to check in. I got Room 317, which was cool, it make me think of the verse in Colossians. I took a much needed shower while the phone charged, changed, drank a bottle of water and then headed to Miller Park for Mets vs Brewers. 

OK it's called American Family Field, but it's a stupid name. Put it this way, it's not distinctly Milwaukee like Miller is. At the ballpark, it was Hispanic night. I saw lowriders in the parking lot, the national anthem was performed Mariachi style. I had just one cocktail with peach and whiskey and that was it. 

As for the game, it was a typical disaster. Of course, the Mets hit 2 solo home runs to start off the game, but the entire time I was just waiting for the collapse to happen. And sure enough, it did. Kodai Senga can't even get out of the 5th inning. And it was a  3-2 loss, as starling Marte got thrown out at home plate to end the game. And the truth is I was out by the fifth inning. Francisco Alvarez grounded into an inning-ending double play and I knew they were going to lose and there was absolutely no point in watching it. Of course there was an incredibly hot blonde next to me but there was an engagement ring and I knew she was seeing me at my worst so I made sure not to have a single conversation.

The Mets went onto lose the next two and get swept, so thank God I was only there for one of the disasters. As good as the trip as, this was far and away the biggest nightmare I dealt with. 10 losses in their last 11 games and barely clinging to a wild card berth.

Midwest-Day 4

And it was Sunday, my last day of the trip. I got up at 6:15 and did a 3 mile run to Lambeau and back to the motel. It was humid, sort of the sticky midwest heat. After a much needed shower, it was breakfast at the motel restaurant. I had the Philly steak skillet with hash browns, sirloin steak, veggies, and pepper jack along with some sourdough toast. It was not garbage plate quality, but it still did the trick. And I was happy to get my 3 bucks off for staying in the motel. 

From there, I picked up Tommy and Karen and we drove to the Packers Hall of Fame, which is inside the atrium at Lambeau Field. It's a very well organized chronicle of the Packers, as one would expect

The best part was the Ice Bowl Theater where they show a film of the famous NFL championship game  between the Packers and Cowboys from 1968, though I think that theater should have been kept colder than the rest of the Hall. Just my humble opinion. They did have figurines of people bundled up with smoke coming out of their mouths. So they tried to create the atmosphere, at least.

All I really needed was about 45 minutes. We then went on the Classic Stadium tour, and there were probably about 50 people there.  The tour lasted about 60 minutes from the atrium to the Suite level and finally, the walk through the players tunnel onto the field. Well not quite the field itself. Just the outside padded area behind the end zone. And the bad part is no video allowed. Apparently the NFL has a rule where you can take video on gamedays, but not non-game days.

I went back to the motel and checked out. But before I left, I finally ate the yogurt and berries I'd saved from Corner Bakery the day before. And so began the 3 hour drive back to Illinois. There was some heavy rain on the trip, and part of the highway was actually flooded. I did get to Costco in Glenview in about 3 hours. And I could not believe that there was no wait for a gas pump in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. I also could not believe that gas was about 50 cents more per gallon in Illinois than Wisconsin. 

Then it was off to Portillo's in Niles, where I met my friends Q and Ryan. They didn't know each other, but I was glad two of my better friends got to meet. and I had the Italian beef sandwich, the big one with sweet peppers, hot peppers, and shredded cheddar. It's the best. 

Getting to O'Hare was brutal with three roads merging into the terminal traffic. Thankfully I was able to get off that road early to return my rental car. I'm glad Budget let me just park the car, leave the keys, and go. I got the the gate around 5:30, more than an hour before I needed to be there. All 14 standby passengers got on. Middle seat, an hour delay, it was fine. I spent most of the flight reading a book about Vince Lombardi's first season coaching Green Bay. It only seemed appropriate.

Mom picked me up and I was home about 11 pm. This laundry pile is going to be freaking huge!

Midwest-Day 1

Up at 5 am to fly from Raleigh to Chicago for my vacation. It's amazing that it was still raining in North Carolina after it rained all of Wednesday. My Uber driver arrived 15 minutes early and I was crestfallen to see the Patriots sticker on his bumper. My first thought was there goes his tip. Anyway, it was pretty easy to get through RDU and I got my seat pretty easily as I figured I would. Last I checked there has been 6 opens eats and  was first on the standby list. 

After landing around 9 am, I rented my car from Budget through Costco. That line was way longer than any of the other rental car lines, they must have some good deals going on. Even Hertz and Avis had maybe 2-3 people on line, Budget was more like 25 people. And one family of 3 stayed at the same counter for 20 minutes, they would not get out. So they held the rest of us up. As for me, I was done in like 6 minutes.

I was given the choice of a few different cars: an SUV, a Prius (which I immediately turned down), but I went with the Silver Honda Civic Sport. I didn't even know until later that it had a Virginia license plate on the back. Pretty ironic. 

The weather was much better in the Midwest than back hone. Now there had been reports during the week about poor air quality due to the latest round of Canadian wildfires and the smoke working its way down into the northern part of our country. But there was nothing noticeable during my time in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Lunch was in Naperville at Crosstown Pub, one of the best wing joints in the country. And the wings are half off on Thursday, so that made it even better. I went with Chili lime dry rub, which is the perfect blend of heat and flavor. A little bleu cheese dip and I'm ready to go. Truth is I should have just gotten those. I also combined the Carolina Q mustard sauce and Mesquite BBQ dry rub. They had ran out of 3 Floyd's Gumballhead, so I went with a Revolution Anti-Hero. Had to go local. Just one beer was enough. The restaurant is a bit dingy, a bit beat up, but the quality of the wings is just so good.

Then I headed a little north to Wheaton, where I walked around Herrick Lake, a spot I walked many many times when I was a teenager. Took Hogan there a lot too. Had we had his ashes, that's probably where we would have sprinkled them. But then again, he didn't exactly love going IN the water. I completed 3.1 miles, which was one lap around the 0.75 mile lake and another 1.25 down one of the trails and then another 1.25 back to the rental car.

From there, it was driving by my old homes. Wheaton, Winfield, St Charles, They all have their memories. I lived in the first for 1 year, the second for 5, and the third for 14. It was a lot of years. I did make a detour to Wheaton Academy. I got to go inside the old alumni chapel which looks as basic and dilapidated as it did 25 years ago. I ran on my old baseball field, though it's not the same from when I was playing on it. Now they have field turf. And I know I do some running, but my legs are not equipped to handle the sudden starts and stops, plus sprints involved in playing baseball.

After a Target stop for water, Prime, baby carrots, etc, I had to get 2 hot dogs from Portillo's. No fries, just the dogs, dragged through the garden. I was acting in a disciplined manner, clearly. Such good dogs. The drive to Antioch took almost an hour and a half up Route 59. It's located on the Illinois and Wisconsin border, and it's where Matt and Mary Beth now live. I rang the doorbell and it took a few minutes for them to come to the door. I guess they had to get their baby Gianluca ready, plus restrain the dogs, Oakley and Ranger. I guess those are the 3rd and 4th dogs I encountered. Matt had told me they would give me a mug filled with baby carrots to feed Oakley and Ranger and that would help endear me to them. That's why I got a bag of carrots at Target, to help replenish the supply.

Well those nutjobs went through the whole mug. Took 15-20 minutes, but all of a sudden they warmed up to me. Oakley shed extensively, and I knew my allergies would set in, but I'd do it all over again. 

For dinner, we drove to Small Cheval in Rosemont. Basically a burger joint. I had the double cheeseburger with Dijonnaise, chopped onion, pickles, lettuce, and tomato. Also drank my can of  Gumballhead beer. We also got a box of half a dozen Stan's donuts (which was right next door), and later that night, I had their cinnamon glazed twist. Fantastic donut. 

Meanwhile, we watched 2 episodes of the documentary about MH370, the flight that went missing in the South China Sea and was never recovered. All the while, I was still petting Oakley and Ranger.

DC-4th of July

On Friday, July 4, I woke up at 3:45 am and took the 6:10 nonstop from Raleigh to DC. I landed at Reagan Airport and for a change, I was carrying luggage on, so I didn't have to worry about baggage claim.

As I recall, this was my first time back in DC in exactly one year. Last time was 4th of July, when the Mets lost to Washington 1-0. Anyway, I hopped on the Yellow line of the Metro since it heads right to the Gallery Place/Chinatown station. I was able to get past the turnstile to get on the train, but when I arrived, I couldn't exit the station. My Metrocard didn't work. What's especially strange is I had added 15 bucks the previous day via online transaction but it wasn't showing up yet. The station manager at Gallery Place told me it could take 1-24 hours to show up. But when he tried to add money to my card, that option wasn't on the machine. My Metrocard was just dead. But then he told me that I could use my debit card instead. and it worked great, but in retrospect, I think I should have used a 3 day pass instead. For 17 bucks, it would have saved me around six bucks .

So my first stop was the Hampton Inn hotel, near the Convention Center and Chinatown. Only 3 blocks from the Metro, the location was excellent. Mom's room was on the 8th floor. She was leading a student tour of DC for the weekend so I had access to the hotel room for free. That's kind of how the whole trip got planned. But since she had her tour duties, I had most of the two days to do as I pleased. 

My first spot was the Navy Yard for Nationals vs Red Sox, an early 11 am start. And since the Mets weren't in town, I felt no nervousness about who was going to win. After getting off the Green line, I walked across the street to the Bullpen, the outdoor bar I always go to before a Washington game. They always have some live music and cornhole going on. I took down two peach vodka lemonades before heading into the stadium. then it was two happy hour Bud cans. And since it was the 4th of July, just like last year, I got a free 25 ounce Bud. That line took me about 3 innings to navigate! Around the 8th inning, with the Red Sox up by 9, I decided it was a reasonable time to leave.

I went over to Swizzler, local burger and chicken sandwich joint. I saw they had a location in the stadium, but I figured I'd wait until after the game. I had the spicy chicken deluxe sandwich with lettuce, tomato, dill pickles, pepper jack cheese and their spicy chicken sauce. and it comes on a Martin's potato roll that's been griddled. 

One of the best chicken sandwiches I've had in some time. Crispy skin, juicy meat, and good level of heat, but not overwhelming. I got the fries with spud sauce. They were nice and thick but they could've been just a little more crisp. Sauce was fine, it was sort of a burger/thousand island sauce. I drank an Arnold Palmer. Sadly, we couldn't get our own refills. On that hot July day, a second one would've been nice. Still an excellent place to go.

So I took the Green line back to the hotel to clean up and charge the phone. I walked south to the west Capitol lawn for the annual 4th of July concert. I'd never been to one but I know it's broadcasted on PBS every year. And it's free. I arrived around 5 pm and sat in the shade on the sticks for 3 hours. Gosh, I wish I could've had a chair. I had no food or drink, I really didn't know what I could or could not bring into the Capitol grounds. I did have my earbuds so I had plenty of music and I followed the end of the Mets' win over the Yankees. 

The elderly guy next to me left for a minute to get. Turns out it was to get some food for him and his wife. Now I did not see any concessions, only a few water fountains. But he brought me two cans of Brisk iced tea and a plain hot dog. As in just the sausage, no bun, no toppings. As hot and tired I was feeling, I can't recall the last time a drink tasted that right in that moment. And I can't recall the last time I drank a Brisk. But I'll remember this one. I don't think he paid for them, but it was still very generous. 

And it wasn't comfortable sitting on that dirt and those sticks. It seemed I was constantly adjusting my body position for hours. But I knew I needed to be out of the sun. Finally, the concert started at 8. And it was a pretty impressive lineup. Alfonso Ribiero hosted. Performers included Lauren Daigle, Temptations, Trombone Shorty, LoCash, Josh Turner, Yolanda Adams, Abi Carter, Beach Boys, and of course a full orchestra. There was even a section where the orchestra played a medley of all 6 armed force branches, even the Space Force. 

Now as for the fireworks, I didn't get a perfect view. I was standing so far over to the side, that part of the fireworks were obscured by the trees. But it was an excellent show as they lit up all around the Washington Monument. Then I walked 30 minutes through a hot summer night back to the hotel
Dinner wasn't even a thought. I just stopped at Walgreens for a cherry freeze Prime, Dasani water, and trail mix. I wanted to make sure I wasn't dehydrated before Saturday.

Then came Saturday. I woke up at 6:15 am. I ran 4 miles in the gym, as I'm still training for that 10 mile run in 8 weeks. A sweaty mess, I headed downstairs to hotel breakfast, which was 2 cheese omelets, a few potatoes, and a banana. I wanted to eat early before the high school kids came downstairs, which I figured would be closer to 9 am. 

So I cleaned up and took the red line to Friendship Heights, right near the DC/Maryland border.  Then I had to walk east on Military for 35 minutes just to get to Rock Creek Park. I had to take a hike before the actual hike! Military Rd is mostly a hilly, tree-lined residential road, so it wasn't too busy and it was shaded. 

Now the park, I'm not sure what the big deal was. All the travel people online were bragging that it is twice the size of Central Park. But this is not like Central Park. It's not flat, or open, nothing like that. It's more like the Appalachian Trail. Hilly and woodsy. If I'm going back, I'm wearing my hiking boots!

So I walked down one trail for a half hour to a spot called Peirce Mill, and yes that's spelled accurately. 
From there, I walked back west to the red line, though this was a much shorter walk, maybe 15 minutes. And a good portion of that beginning was way uphill. 

I had built up quite the appetite but an even more powerful thirst. There was only one place to go and it was Bub and Pops, my favorite sandwich spot in DC. And it was the first day of their new location
As I found out, the landlord tried to double their rent and so after nearly a year of issues, they moved out. Their new location further east near Union Station. So I took the Red line to the Noma section of DC. 

And it's a new spot with duckpin bowling, billiard tables, arcade games. And instead of ordering at the counter, they have two kisoks instead. I went with the Hebrew hammer with corned beef, turkey, roast beef, Swiss cheese, spicy mustard, slaw, thousand island, crispy local Italian semolina roll. I added a side of hot cherry peppers for 50 cents. Just a fantastic sammich. The crispiness of the roll was insanely good. crisp veg, hearty sauces, sharp cheese, good quality meats. 

Arlene, the mom of the main cook, chatted work me for maybe 10 minutes about the business. They  even recorded a video of me with my thoughts on the sandwich! 

My issue is some of these prices. I can accept paying 16 to 18 bucks for a big sandwich like I had. But it's everything else that bugged me. $3.50 for a bag of their chips. 3 bucks for a plain cola, plus a dollar for adding a flavor, and no free refills. 5 bucks for a side of pickles. They told me it was a good size portion, but come on, to get a sandwich like that, it's incomplete with no pickle.

Then it was time for my second religious experience. It was the Red line to the Blue to Federal Center and a one block walk to get to Museum of the Bible. 

And thankfully I was able to score a 25 percent discount off my ticket price. It was my third visit to this museum but I feel like it's a way of going to church. The history, the translations, the stories, the impact, the influence. I wish every Christian could go. And every Jewish person, every Muslim, every agnostic, and every atheist too. 

After that run, that walk, and all of it, my feet were just pounding. I needed some time in the hotel to recover before dinner. After taking the Green line, I wound up getting back to the Hampton Inn around 5 pm. Then we took the D80 bus to the Georgetown section to have dinner at Filomena, a legendary Italian restaurant. It felt very much like New York or Boston. I'm talking about the grandmothers making the fresh pasta right there in the window when you walk in. Then you walk down a flight of stairs and it's a step back in time. A very old school feel with dim lights, tuxedoed waiters, all with thick various accents. Aged furniture, the kind I would have seen in my grandparents house. I was looking for the couch covered in plastic. Huge old school cash register on the bar. Enormous dessert case. Sadly 90 percent of the desserts had chocolate in them.

Ok on to the order. We got a basket of thick cut bread, a little focaccia, some Italian, and some wheat. And the Italian bread was warm, thank goodness. It came with a dish of olive oil with parsley and I think they mixed in a little black olive in there, it had that kind of flavor to it. I got a side of two meatballs for myself. Very good meatballs, not overly large, but they were fine. Mom had linguini with shrimp, scallops, and lobster meat. The Sunday sauce was a little bit heavy, but the seafood was excellent quality and cooked perfectly. I had the rigatoni and sausage with vodka sauce. Three huge links of homemade sausage on top. Seriously, I barely finished my meal. It was to the point of deep breathing. Actually, I took one piece of the bread and a meatball back to the room and it was a fine mid day snack on Sunday. Dessert was not even an option. We got back and I just collapsed on the bed.

We were up Sunday at 530, and I was super groggy. I think I was still full from the night before. But we took the Yellow to Reagan Airport and flew to Charlotte. The nonstops to Raleigh were not looking good. Getting to Charlotte was easy. But getting on the flights to Raleigh was going to be much tighter. I wasn't worried since we had 7 flight options to Raleigh over the course of the day. And despite being on the bottom of the 14 person standby list, we still got on the 11 am. 

I'm glad mom's touring season is over for a while. But I'm worried with five doctors appointments coming this week, that things could change going forward 

DMV Debacles

So it's been about one year since I moved from Newport News to Raleigh. I had heard horror stories about the DMV in North Carolina. It's not fun in any state, but in this one, it's a disaster. The state is growing and the staffing just isn't there. 

Well, the time had come to get my new license after a year of living in North Carolina. My Virginia license expires this year, at then end of July, which is my birthday. Now I had been able to set a DMV appointment for August 22. Just one problem. I have travel plans now during the second weekend in August. And as part of that travel, I have to rent a car. And if my driver's license is expired, I can't rent said car. That means I have to do a DMV walk in.

Now there are many DMVs in our fine state. On weekdays, they do appointments only from 7-12 and them walk-ins from 12-5. Then a few select DMVs have walk in hours from 8-12. So since my job let's me work half days on Friday, I thought let me just try this. Let me go over to the DMV right after work. 
5:40 am. Well I stood outside the office in line for 3 damn hours and I never got inside. Complete fail.

So then, I decided to try that coming Saturday. And I decided I would get there super early. Early before the sun even thought about coming up. I woke up at 5 am, had my yogurt and trail mix, and drove the ten minutes east to the Avent Ferry Shopping Center. 

By 5:30 am, the line was already forming. this time, I had a lawn chair, I had two books, a headset, a phone charger. I was ready. Stationary, barely moving for 2 and a half hours. That's just sitting, reading, watching videos, not really doing much of anything. Just wanting to get my damn license. But most of all, you try to not look at the clock. Because that only slows time down. 

Around 7 am, the DMV official guy started counting customers. I was #37. By the time the building opened, there were over 280 customers on line! 

So around 8:10, I got to the door. I had my documents ready in my forest green folder. Virginia driver's license, passport, voter's card, SS card, utility bill, and an insurance document. Everything I needed. Until the good ol' boy official asked for my proof of insurance. All I had was proof of liability insurance which was based in Virginia. Nowhere on the DMV website was it expressed I needed North Carolina car insurance. Not to mention it had to be printed. Couldn't go to a phone app. It had to be printed. 

And the truth is I never changed the insurance from Virginia, which I should have probably done. So what was I going to do? Argue? Yell? Cajole? Cry? Threaten? It wasn't going to make a difference, I left, and drove straight to the plasma bank to donate. Got some deliveries in, I made a little bit of money. But the task remained undone. 

Fast forward two days to Monday, June 9. I realized I had to print my insurance card since State Farm does not mail them automatically anymore. You can print them or request they be mailed. Since I had issues printing them, I called the office in Virginia to ask how I could have proof of coverage. And that's when I found out my insurance had to be based in North Carolina to get the North Carolina driver's license. 

And it was time for another phone call, this time to the State Farm office who handles my renter's insurance. The current plan is in eight days, on Tuesday, I'll speak to the office again and I'll make a payment if needed. I'm not sure if I'll need to because I just paid for my car insurance from May-November in Virginia. So I guess I'm putting their billing department to work. I hope the money I paid can just be applied to North Carolina insurance to save a few steps. And from there, they can send me the cards and statement of declarations. Then on Thursday and Friday, I have my two days off for Juneteenth and I can go to the DMV then for the license. And then from there, it's time to change the license plate, title, and registration. It's like the Holy Trinity of car torture.

So fast forward to Juneteenth. The Thursday I had off. I decided to take a chance and drive to a small town, taking the chance that I would have a shorter line to deal with. An hour north of where I live is Oxford, definitely not a major town. When I arrived at 11 am, there were only about 8 people outside. And with appointments starting at 12 pm and going until 5 pm, I felt pretty optimistic that I might get in. So there I was outside on a little dirt patch in a decent amount of heat, but thankfully, in the shade as well. It took till 1 pm to get inside the building. And we had been told from 1-3, there would be 3 people working, but other than that, it would be 2 people from 11-1 and again from 3-5. 

I remember sitting in that narrow hallway, there were a lot of bugs flying around! And it was also interesting there was a DMV TV station on the monitor, which was he most generic stuff possible. Sports standings for Carolina teams, recipes, weather reports, 30 second cartoons, etc. 

We had to check in when we entered the building. We had to explain why we were there and we were given a number, in my case, it was H264, or something like that. I do remember the H, anyway. So it took 2 hours, but shortly after 3 pm, I got in. I walked to Station #2 and it took about 30 minutes for me to get my stuff done. But I walked out with my 60 day temporary driver's certificate. It was a very relieving feeling. I mean I knew I was going to get it done that weekend, but to know I'd crossed that barrier was a major feeling of relief.

So then it was a waiting game for my license to arrive in the mail. I was told 2 weeks, but 9 days later, it was a Friday, there was the DMV envelope was there in my mailbox. And inside was my long awaited driver's license. Backside of it had my face underneath a horse. Not sure why North Carolina finds that appropriate, but ok. Not only that, but in NC, your hair color is listed on the license. I never had that in Virginia. And they decided to list my hair as black, which it never was. But hey, it's better than "None."

So then I knew I had to update the title, registration, and license plates. And those offices are a much shorter wait, but the hours are more limited. They're never open on Saturday, plus they're only open from 8:30-5. So I would have to go on my work break. So I went the next Tuesday afternoon to the Cary office with my license, title, and insurance. Maybe 7 or 8 people were ahead of me but I got to the booth in about 20 minutes. I couldn't hear everything clearly, there was a lot of noise around, plus the plexiglass shield, muffled the sound up. But apparently, I was going to be charged $4--.67. I couldn't hear the second and third numbers, but I clearly heard the first, followed by the word "hundred." Now for plates, title, and registration, I can understand it costing a little bit, but this much?! And apparently, they charge more if you use a card to pay. I was ready to pay, but they also wanted $8 in cash. Why I had to pay $8 in cash but $400 plus on the card it makes very little sense. But as it turns out, I only had $5 in cash. And I knew I didn't have the time to drive 10 minutes to BOA, get cash, drive back, and go through the process. So I simply said I would come back the next day. But later that night, I hit up my ATM for $500 in cash. I was sure I'd get security alerts that I had withdrawn too much money. 

Thankfully, I got through that without a hitch. I waited about another week since the local office was taking a 4 ay weekend for the 4th of July. I returned on Tuesday; I figured I should wait a day after they opened. Well I showed up on Tuesday afternoon, the line was about 25 people. I got everything taken care of for a mere $458! And then I went online, surrendered my Virginia plates, and that was the end of the saga. 

Why Georgia Why

After my early Saturday morning plasma donation to get another $80, I drove to mom's house so we could begin our drive from Cary, NC to Atlanta, GA. The Google Maps estimate was about a 6.5 hour drive to the Courtyard hotel in East Atlanta.

We started by ordering a giant club supreme sub at Jersey Mike's in Chapel Hill, just so we didn't have to stop at a restaurant along the way. An hour in, we stopped at a rest area to eat. Mom ate a quarter of it and I ate a half. Cape Cod chips and a few bottles of water. On the way down, I played the 1984 country countdown on XM radio and sent the results to Karin. We also played some Dr. Phil, the focus was on the Gabby Petitto murder. And of course I had a few songs that referenced Georgia queued up. Midnight Train to Georgia, Georgia On My Mind, Why Georgia, and Rainy Night In Georgia. 

Our first stop, aside from rest areas, was Alpharetta, which is a very nice suburb northeast of Atlanta.

5 and a half hours to get there. We first stopped at Costco for gas, I think it was $2.62, which was quite the bargain. In downtown Atlanta, it was over $3 bucks in some places. The shopping area we went to was Avalon, a bougie shopping area, similar to Fenton in Cary. They even have Colletta, just like in Fenton; they are the only two locations for this over the top fancy Italian restaurant.

But that's not where we went, instead we visited Branch and Barrel. It was quite crowded, but we nabbed the last two seats at the very end of the bar. I liked the back of the bar with whiskey barrels, it felt like going into an old time pub. A little bit dark, but homey. Bartender was super engaging and friendly. We ordered the B&B cobb salad with grilled steak skewers, jalapeno candied bacon, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, bleu cheese & horseradish ranch. Excellent salad, though it was quite heavy with egg, bacon, bleu, and ranch. 

The brisket poutine was excellent, with braised brisket and hand cut fries topped with bleu cheese, diced tomatoes, and green onions. Fried were fresh and super crispy. Juicy, well seasoned brisket too. For a drink I tried a Tropicalia, an amazing local IPA from Athens, GA. Very well balanced, not too fruity, not too hoppy. Great recommendation from the bar.

Right outside the restaurant was a Five Daughters doughnuts, the legendary donut shop based in Nashville. Now we had tried one in northwest Florida, where they had a food truck. But hey, the $5 donuts are well worth it. I had the Orange Quinnamon, sort of a cronut with cinnamon, sugar, and salt with a heavy drizzle of orange glaze on top. So incredibly moist and flaky. I also got a strawberry glazed for later. I mean if you're going to have a donut, make it a good one.

Finally, around 7 or 8 pm, we got the Courtyard in east Atlanta, near Stone Mountain. This was the worst Marriott property either of us had ever stayed at. I'm just going to get all the hotel stuff out of the way right here. Thankfully the room was clean, parking was free, and the gym was well stocked. That's about all I have for positives. 

The whole place was undergoing renovations, which made things way tougher. There was no elevator, and our room was on the second floor, which meant lugging luggage up the stairs. And with mom's surgically repaired feet, stairs are not exactly welcome.

We were barely even greeted at the front desk. Considering my mother is a lifetime gold member, that's downright wrong. She's supposed to be thanked for her business, they are supposed to see that she requested the first floor, things like that. This front desk guy did nothing of the sort. Oh and I can assure you, based off the number of cars in the parking lot, this hotel was not fully booked.

It gets worse. They have an ice machine...that doesn't work. No free coffee, let alone no free breakfast. But you can get eggs your way at the in-hotel Starbucks for something like $15. And in the public men's room, there was no toilet paper or paper towels.

OK enough of that, let's go to Sunday. We went to Northpoint Church in Alpharetta, it's where Andy Stanley preaches. It's a very large complex, though of course I've seen larger. But they were having a Field Day in the parking lot for the kids, with bouncing castles, face painting, sno-cones, etc. The service was excellent, the music was not too loud and Andy preached a great service. If I had to live in the Atlanta area, I would definitely go back.

Form there, we drove to Buckhead for lunch. And Buckhead is definitely the bougie section of Atlanta. We went to True Food Kitchen, which has a lot more locations than I knew, we even have one in Raleigh. We started with three lemon blueberry muffins. I think we had 1.5 of them and saved the rest for later. I had the Rancher's hash with over easy eggs (I was not doing the recommended sunny side), roasted sweet potatoes, roasted red peppers, lots of grass-fed steak, white cheddar, avocado, cherry tomatoes, charred onions, charred scallion salsa, and sourdough toast. It tasted really sweet to me at first, but then I realized I was having sweet potatoes. No wonder. But really, there was a lot of meat in it and it was cooked to a perfect medium rare. 

And thick sourdough always helps for dipping any remaining sauce at the bottom of the bowl. Mom had the chicken parmesan: air-fried chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, organic DiNapoli tomato sauce over spaghetti squash. That sauce was amazing, light and flavorful. Definite recommend. For a drink, I had one of their refreshers but the beet overwhelmed everything else in it, or maybe I'm just sensitive to beets.

After that, we drove through parts of downtown Atlanta and I made sure to stop by Turner Field, which would have been my torture chamber in the 90s since it was home of the Braves for a long time. Georgia State University uses it now for football. And the area around the stadium feels just dead. I can see why they moved.

We had considered going to Stone Mountain Park, so we drove east towards the town and the park. And my goodness, downtown looked like an abandoned movie set. There were a lot of shuttered storefronts. And the park didn't impress us either. It cost $20 just to enter the park plus another $25 to get to the top of the mountain. And for the two of us, it didn't seem worth it to go in. Plus with the festivals going on in the park, the whole thing wasn't appealing. With some time to kill, we went further east, about 30 minutes to Lawrenceville, a typical small town. Nothing really to report, except a huge ass pothole, that nearly took our front tire off. 

It was time to get some rest, so it was back to the just luxurious hotel. After an hour or two, it was off to

Pappadeaux. Now we had been happy enough to get it in Houston after such a horrible day in March, now we got to have it in Georgia too. Of the 100 or so tables, I think we were one of maybe 4 to have white people. Anyway, it was the tableside Greek salad with a huge plate of garlic bread to start. Waiter should have told us we'd get charge extra for the garlic bread. Oh well. 

I had the Texas Redfish Ponchartrain with grilled shrimp, lump crabmeat, and brown butter sauce with a side of dirty rice. Freaking amazing. Mom had the mixed seafood grill and they gave us an extra skewer of the salmon, scallop, shrimp, pepper, onion, and mushroom. Fantastic. And it's cool she gets the lunch rate all day long, being that she is a senior citizen.

Back to the hotel for NCIS Hawaii. Once mom fell asleep, I walked across the street to Mellow Mushroom for a beer. But it closed at 9 pm, just as I was walking to the door. So I then headed across the main road to Marlow's Tavern, which is next to the Doubletree. I had another Tropicalia and that was really enough for me. There was one drunk couple next to me and one older black woman a few seats down. But I guess I wasn't up for conversation. I had the one beer and left .

Monday morning. The main event. Gym. 15 minutes walking, 30 minutes lifting. Another Five Daughters donut, this time, the strawberry. Then it was time to head down to the taping of Family Feud at the Tyler Perry studios in SW Atlanta. We got there around 9 am, we were supposed to be there by 10:30 am. We were among the first to arrive at the studio, maybe 12 cars arrived ahead of us. So we parked and took a bus from the parking lot to the waiting room. Probably spent two hours in that waiting room, it was like going to the DMV. We were all in this huge empty room, that was actually more like a vacant studio set. We're sitting in rows, waiting to get called up to go where we wanted. Must have been 150 of us in that room too. Thankfully, they had water cause it was getting a little hot in that place.

Around 11:30 we walked over to the studio. And what was so cool is we were sat second row, I was three seats from the center. Maybe the front of the stage was three feet from me; the seats could not have been better. Much to our surprise, we were given 60 seconds to take pictures. We were in the audience for two shows, which was just right because the audience has to give energy throughout. Another audience would come in later for the third and fourth shows of the day. 

One of the best moments was the question "Name a company known for making chocolate." Four answers were on the board and the two families got three of them: Hershey, Nestle, and Ghiradelli. Steve was at a loss what the fourth answer was. 

Quick aside. Now anyone who knows me is aware that I don't eat chocolate. But I know enough about it, mostly from doing grocery deliveries for the last five years. So I screamed Lindt chocolate, which is mom's favorite. And it was the right answer. Steve came right over to us and asked what it was and how we knew it. I'm just glad he didn't ask me what my favorite chocolate is, because he would have stayed on me for a couple of minutes. 

The two shows will air sometime in the fall as part of Season 27. It's Morris vs Young and Young vs Rodriguez.

Around 3:45, we began our trip back to North Carolina. We had not eaten since around 8 am and I ate the last quarter of the Jersey Mike's sandwich. It took about 4 nd a half hours to get to Bucee's in Florence, SC and I give mom credit for driving all the way there in one shot. Anyway, Bucee's is the world's largest convenience store and it was my first time there. I think they have around 30 locations in Texas, and this is currently the only one in the Carolinas. Though that will be changing in 2026.

I had their XXL Brisket sandwich for about 12 bucks, really good sandwich, though the sauce is a little sweet. I think I would have preferred just dry brisket. And I was happy to take my free side of pickle slices. Only thing that would have made the sandwich better was some thin crispy tobacco onions. The diced white raw onions they offered weren't helping. 

Also I got a bag of beaver nuggets. Beaver nuggets, you ask? Now I had seen billboards for these 20 miles before arriving. And just the name alone gets attention. The employee I talked to described them as corn pops on steroids. Now I was never a Pops eater as a kid, so I wasn't sure about that, but I knew corn and sugar would stand out. Well, for me it was like a combo between corn puffs and caramel popcorn. Crunch and sweet overload. And I guess considering the first ingredient was brown sugar, that should have been a clue. I brought them to work and 4 days later, 3/4 of the bag is still full. Took 8 hours to get home. I got in my door just past midnight and was up by 6 to get ready for work. Back to normal life.