Chi-town weeekend with CI: Part 1

Thursday
Workout
Haircut
Library
Graham’s
Rest stop
Seven laps around the terminal
Took her 40 minutes from landing to getting to the curb
Parking space
Portillo’s
Big Beef
Hot dogs
Chocolate cake shake
Drove up Lake Shore Drive
Check in
Exchanged gifts
First kiss of the trip
Played CD and yada yada
Napped
DMK Burger Bar
Patty melt
Old school bookstore
Comedysportz
We sat front row center
Had a great time
Jokes about men’s studies for college majors and Number 5 for Chinese entrees
Red line back to hotel
Picked Nicole up
Dublin’s
Bass Ale
Took off around midnight

Friday
8:25 train, got me in around 9:30
I knew the girls had gone to the United Center.
I stepped outside, as I planned to take the green line from Clinton to State/Lake, then transfer to the red line and take that north towards the Magnificent Mile. And it was about 30 degrees, a little bit of wind, but it didn’t feel too bad. So I decided to man up and walk.
I met them at State/Chicago and we headed over towards the Hyatt where I had just been sitting.
But they also head about the Peninsula, which we passed by and they got the news that the Rangers were indeed staying at that hotel.
Bellhop douchebag wouldn’t let me stand under heat lamp so I stood outside
Freezing
Saw Boyle, Hagelin, Prust. I heard Richards and someone else was in the mix too.
They stayed there for three hours
After about 90 minutes, I’d had enough
Starbucks
Apple store
We met back up around 2:30 pm and headed back to the room.
While Nicole got ready, I massaged Catherine for maybe 45 minutes.
Gino’s East
Half cheese/half spinach
The girls had one slice each, Q and I each scarfed down 3!
Q drove recklessly, but got us to the building around 5:55, just before the doors opened.
Warmups, ran to bench
Hot girl from Indiana named Jessica
Blackhawk t-shirt, Blackhawk earrings, Blackhawk shoes, and a white Michael Del Zotto jersey
To minutes before warmups were going to start, I got kicked out when the asshole whose seat I was standing at showed up.
Q followed me like he was my freaking babysitter all the way up to my seat
No Del Zotto and no Dubinsky
Met Chris Frenzel during the first intermission
Prust scores, it’s 2-1 with eight minutes left.
Three fucking goals in six minutes
Richards finally scores with 40 seconds left, which meant nothing
Third straight loss
Fucking disaster
10:40 express train
Brooklyn Pilsner and John Daly at home at went to bed around 2 am.

The most disappointing Friday ever

I just don't know what to say anymore. After such a good Thursday, I did not see such a slow, frustrating day coming. I'll recap, just to let out my aggravation, but I am under the influence of Brooklyn Pilsner and a bit of Firefly. So this will include random ramblings.

I woke up at 6:30 and left 8 to catch the train to West Chicago. That's about all that went smoothly. I was going to take the green line from Clinton to State/Lake and then take the red line north. But, feeling a little too macho, I decided to walk it. It took an hour. The girls were already stalking Hawks at the United Center. And they walked all the way down Madison which was just dumb. I had to guide them to get on the subway at Washington/Wells to State/Lake to Lake to Chicago at the red line. For a while, I was just hanging at the Park Hyatt because I heard a rumor the Rangers were staying there. They weren't, but at least I got to charge my phone.

So I met up with the ladies and we wound up standing in front of some hotel for three hours waiting for the players to show up. And indeed, a few of them did. But my idea of fun is not standing outside in 25 degree weather and heavy wind in the shade and not moving waiting to have cards signed by hockey players. So I took off and went into the Starbucks about 3 blocks away. I wanted to get away and warm up! I ordered a caramel apple cider with extra cinnamon and killed about 90 minutes. I may as well have been sitting in there for the entire weekend. I also ventured inside the Apple store and pretended to look like I knew what their different gadgets actually did.

Finally, we met back up and headed back to the room. Must have been 3 pm already. I gave Catherine a long back massage, maybe 30 minutes or so. Then we headed to Gino's East and Q met us there. We enjoyed a large half cheese/half spinach deep dish pizza although the ladies could only handle one slice each. Catherine was feeling really cold, I tried to warm her up by holding her, but...well, I tried.

The we left for the game. At warm-ups, I saw Kristen and gave her a huge hug. I also met this gorgeous girl from Indiana named Jessica who is a Hawks fan, but likes the Rangers. She had on Blackhawk shoes, Blackhawk earrings, a Blackhawk t-shirt, and a Rangers Michael Del Zotto jersey. I'm convinced she's Catherine's distant cousin! Damn, she was soooo cute. And i was getting excited about watching warmups from such a good viewpoint. I was so ready to see up close the Rangers players walk through the tunnel and step onto the ice. Then, the guy whose seat I was standing in front of showed up and I had to go. Literally two minutes before the start of warmups. And my ass gets tossed out. Just me, nobody else. I was so freaking pissed off. And, in truth, I still am. I feel like such an outcast.

I could not shake my anger and disgust. I didn't even applaud or make noise for Jim Cornelison's anthem. I never thought that day would ever come. And then the Rangers take two 1-goal leads, including 1 with 8 minutes left and of course, Chicago scores three straight after that. 4-3 final, after a meaningless Richards goal. I took off at 3-2, I couldn't bear to see the f'n Blackhawks celebrate. So the Rangers have lost three straight game now. Pittsburgh can't lose, and I'm convinced this team is going to lose in the first round of the playoffs.

I did get to meet Chris Frenzel, who is a very cool dude and i got to see Kristen Frendak again, which was great. Thought I saw Jackie "The Traitor " Lomba. Wanted to yell at her, but not worth it. Not worth my time, my voice, or my energy.

Took an express train home. Got in around midnight. Drank some Firefly sweet tea vodka and lemonade to end a sad day. I did chat with Katie a little. She really seems like a smart girl. I think she and I can be solid friends. The vodka is really kicking in now...

Damn these Rangers! I hate how they keep letting me down! Same with all these teams. And I will say it again, no matter what. Any idiot who uses the phrase "It's just a game" falls into one of two categories. Either they have no team that they invest their heart, their soul, and their emotions into or they have seen their teams win on a regular basis. I would like to meet one diehard Cleveland sports fan who truly in his heart believes that "it's just a game." Because one like that simply does not exist.

I'm not saying it's right or it's rational, it just is what it is.

Want to believe it'll last

1) The standard for men vs women is so comical. I like one photo of Brooke Adams on Facebook and I get hell for it. Meanwhile, she posts photos of Dubinsky, Del Zotto, and that bastard Victor Cruz as her profile photo and I'm supposed to be okay with it. I just don't think it's going to last, as much as I want it to.

2) I'm very happy that the Rangers have John Scott. For a 5th round pick, he will add the size and enforcer mentality than Prust and Rupp can only do so much of. A lot of my friends who are Blackhawks friends are split down the middle. Some of them love the trade and some are beside themselves. My opinion: the only way this trade is a bad one is if he takes stupid penalties that cost them a game.

3) Whether it's the leaf or the juice, kale tastes horrible.

4) Francesca's tonight. 20th anniversary pre-fixe menu, I am super excited. And right after that, I'm heading to the Warrior Dome for some Wheaton Academy vs St. Francis playoff basketball!

5) I really need to get back into a small group. I mean if my most regular social network is Rangers fans on facebook, that's a problem.

Mid-week break

1) So this is my second Wednesday without Feasting and Fellowship. One on hand, it's much more relaxing now that I can arrive home as soon as 5:30 as opposed to 10 pm. That said, I do miss seeing the guys every week. Burns should still owe us a round at Portillo's. Beef and sausage combo with hot peppers for me please.

2) Changes coming at work. The advisors will soon outnumber the processors 2-1. And this advisor position is essentially no better than working in a call center. 7-4 shifts are gone and 12-9 will be in. Then good news is there will still be PDC processors. I may have to be on the phone a little bit, I guess I can deal with it. But if they ever try to shoft me into an advisor role, I am leaving.

3) The Anna Maria's episode of Restuarant Impossible is one of the best ever. And that was literally the most disgusting kitchen I have ever seen.

4) Brought a 2 pound container of whey protein powder at Wal-Mart. Mixed it with water and it tastes disgusting. That may be the cheap way to consume it, but I need to come up with a way to actually make it drinkable.

5) As far as the Rangers go...they have the best record in the Eastern Conference. But I have no confidence that this team as constituted can win a Stanley Cup this season. They simply do not have the goal scoring, especailly on the power play. Now this is a young team, for the most part, so I'm not saying I would make drastic changes. But if they can acquire Rick Nash by trading Brandon Dubsinky AND without surrendering Chris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh, or Derek Stepan, they have to do it. Would have liked them to acquire Tuomo Rutuu, but he just signed an extension in Carolina.

6) I think I like the Willow Creek group. I am starting to realize that once I do get comfortable with a group, I am totally in. It usually doesn't take long to happen. And I think I am getting there with them. It's just a lot of people and I'm seeing them once every two weeks or so and sometimes that's just for a few minutes. I am waiting for Christ Community to get back to me about joining a small group...

7) That blue and orange Mets batting practice jersey looks great. $120 though...

8) Speaking of the gym, where the hell is the second 30-pound dumbbell?

9) I think I'm getting used to losing my goatee. I'm not happy about it, but I feel okay about it.

10) Fifteen days till I see my girl again!

Where's this going to go?

So I've known her for 10 months now. I love her, I'm pretty sure of that. It feels so ominous though. And I don't kn ow if my feeling are legit or just my own fears. I know once we break up that she will have a boyfriend within a week at the most. Whereas I will still be alone, just like usual. It doesn't even feel real sometimes, that's probably because of the distance though. I'm probably going to ride this out as long as I can, but I really don't know if this going to last.

So it's all over

I mentioned in my last post about the end of Feasting and Fellowship. It was a good run that lasted nearly 2 and a half years. I didn't think it was going to end for a long time. But as life goes, when one thing goes bad, everything else goes bad right along with it. I need to get a few things off my chest.

1) Many guys moved away. Fish to Florida, Nathan to Switzerland, Chuck to downtown Chicago.

2) Some guys got married or hooked up. Daniel, Means, Burns, Court. And if that's not enough, Dave's schedule has changed and he's dropping from an occasional attender to a non-attender.

3) There's no way I want to go on with just me, Keith, and Dec. Yeah, we good have good conversations. But that's just so limited.

4) Timothys, Titus, Hebrews, Revelation, Chan, Nee. I think that's it.

5) Boot drinking, ice cream, Nerf guns, frozen grapes, playing goalie during the Stanley Cup Finals, combines nights at Dec' place and Steph's place. We had some good moments.

Lonely Sunday

1) That was the worst football season ever. I can't remember the last Sunday when I didn't shower, change clothes, or go anywhere. The wings weren't that great. I watched 2 Super Bowl plays and dealt with the rude, disrespectful Giants fans all week. And I thought it was over. I thought I was over it. I thought I was content with seeing Tom Brady and Bill Belichick lose again. Schmiedeberg's Wal-Mart photo today showed that wasn't the case.

2) Living room stickball. 33 innings. Playing till 1 AM. With 3 guys. All younger. All over 300 pounds. What a life...

3) I am officially a fan of Burt's pizza. It was a total dive and Mom and I drive an hour through the snow during Friday's rush hour traffic to get there. It's just one tiny room with lots of old clocks and radios for decorations. We were seated by the door and I saw the staff turn away at least five parties because they hadn't called ahead to place their order. I thank them for serving Scrimshaw beer. I'd never had it before, but I made sure to pick up a 6-pack at Binny's the next day. Great California Pilsner. Our salad was pretty basic, came with a zesty vinigarette.

4) I'll save a separate number just for the pizza. As promised to me, it came out in the pan promptly at 6:30. 18 inches with homemade sausage, mixed bell peppers, mushrooms, and chopped onions. The tomato sauce tasted very bold. There was not much mozzarella cheese on this one, I didn't really mind though. And the pizza came nicely seasoned with parmesan and oregano. So the veggies tasted very fresh and I like the large chunks of Italian sausage too. I would definitely return.

5) And the extra bonus was it turns out the owner also worked at The Inferno in Evanston. And that's where mom used to eat pizza every single week while she was in college. And although we've been living in Chicago since 1997, this was the first time she got to experience that taste again. I think that's just really cool for her.

6) Catherine goes to two straight Rangers games, including another one in Philly, and both were wins. I love her, but I feel I'm missing her life. I just don't know how to think about it all.

7) Jeremy Lin. Amazing. I love this guy. Just an amazing story. And the fact that he is an Asian-American Christian just makes it even better.

8) I rented two books on sports psychology. I was hoping it would talk about the careers. But at first glance, it looks this is targeted to athletes. If it is, I'll send copies to Mike Pelfrey and Mark Sanchez.

9) I feel so alone at times.

10) Mom's gone Friday-Tuesday to Washington DC. And then she's home for three days before leaving on a week-long tour to Destin, FL.

11) Feasting and Fellowship: September 2009-February 2012. Rest in Peace.

Song pick: "The Window Up Above" George Jones

Super Agony

1) So 21 hours from now, either the Giants or Patriots will win another Super Bowl. Moving on...

2) Bacon BBQ rub on chicken wings...

3) Found some old cassettes when I was cleaning the basement today. They had some old sports reports I did from when I was in college. I can't believe I did my own voice-overs. Cringe-worthy.

4) Trimming gray hairs is so depressing.

5) Being ignored is just too much to take sometimes.

Song pick: "Livin' For the Night" George Strait

Something about a Saturday

I don't know why, but whenever I don't have anything to do on a Saturday night, I feel compelled to blog. It's been watching the NHL All-Star skills competition and then Miracle and listening to the Express game against Cincinnati.


1) I am never playing any more of my music for my mother ever again.


2) Albert Nobbs is one horrible movie. Glenn Close is a great actress, but her performance was like the shining diamond in a filed of cow dung.


3) Brought Firefly sweet tea vodka instead of the Jeremiah Weed. We'll see how they compare...


4) Royal Rumble is Sunday night. If I had to pick my top 5, I go Chris Jericho, Wade Barrett, Undertaker (in a surprise return), Randy Orton, and Sheamus. This is assuming no one competing in another match (ie Cena) are in the Rumble as well.


5) In other matches, I pick Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, and a no-contest between Kane and Cena.

6) The cranberry orange walnut bread from Breadsmith is simply one of the best sweets I have ever tasted. The crunch of the nut, the tanginess of the orange, the sweetness of the cranberries. Just great.


7) I wish I could have my goatee back! Maybe there's a way, I don't know.


8) Guess CI and I have taken this thing public!

9) It's a little scary how the years are going past. I'm thinking more of my parents here.

10) One week till hell...

Song pick: "Colder Weather" Zac Brown Band

It's set

Giants vs Patriots in the Super Bowl. FML.

Utterly miserable

1) I would bet everything in my possession that the Patriots will win the Super Bowl over the Giants. I am so friggin' upset right now.

2) I officially HATE Big Blue.

3) What happens to the Rangers every time they play in Montreal? It's like Alabama playing a high school team in Tuscaloosa.

4) I never signed up for this. No one makes a conscious, logical, reasonable choice to become a devoted, loyal fan of certain teams because it will lead to a happy life. For the most part, it has led to misery, frustration, and aggravation. Yet, it is like cancer, I cannot get it out of me.

5) I am more and more convinced I will never see any of my teams win a title again and the teams I hate the most (Braves, Phillies, Cubs, Yankees, Giants, Cowboys, Patriots, Bulls, Devils, Flyers) will win at the least every four years. Let's look at the numbers since 1986, shall we.


Exhibit A

Finals/WS/SB tally in my active life time

Hated teams: 30

My teams: 4

Exhibit B

Title tally in my active lifetime

Hated teams: 22

My teams: 1

More travel? Here we go...NOLA! Part 3

So at 6 AM, we had to wake up. I wanted to stay laying in bed, but those planes don't really wait around. So I packed up most of my stuff, while Nicole and Catherine packed up all of theirs. At 7:30, the cab arrived to take them to the airport. Catherine and I shared a quick goodbye kiss, she got in the car, and I watched it slowly roll down Esplanade St and out of sight.

I headed back upstairs to the tiniest exercise room I've ever seen. I did 10 minutes on both the treadmill and the bike. I had to use the bathroom and it ws at this point I realized there was no toilet paper in the room. I mean, when a maid is cleaning the room, I would think restocking toilet paper should be somewhere on the checklist. I did get some delivered, thankfully! I then showered with my music blasting and the bathroom door wide open. I proceeded to eat the first quarter of the muffuletta and I actually enjoyed it, in spite of the olives.

So I walked down to the river and sat on the bench for maybe an hour while playing music and reading some of Mr. Nee. I then went into the St. Louis Cathedral. Though I'm not Catholic, I was very impressed with the paining on the ceiling as well as the statues. They also display flags of every country that Louisiana has ever been governed by. I said a quick prayer in the prayer room and headed next door to the Cabildo museum. This is basically the building that displays the history of Louisiana. I snuck into the back of a group of high school students and walked through a few rooms with them. I think the highlight for me was the Sala Capitular. This room, which is maybe the size of an average living room, has Napoleon's death mask and is also the site where President Jefferson signed the Louisiana Purchase and where the Louisana Supreme Court met for 50 years. I also checked out some war memorabilia and a rock 'n roll exhibit.

Right outside in Jackson Square, was a 9-piece band playing some R&B. I sat down at a nearby bench and just enjoyed it for a while. I was getting pretty hungry by now, so I headed back towards the river to the Dumaine St streetcar stop (#3 of 9 stops). I waited no less than 20 minutes. And the annoying part was after 5 minutes, a train passed me going in the opposite direction. So I knew it had two stops to go before it would turn around, pick me up, and take me to the CBD. Yet, the car just wasn't moving. It got so ridiculous, I called the RTA and asked what was going on. Eventually, the car came and I walked into Emeril's at the corner of Julia and Tchoupitoulas just after 12 pm.

It wasn’t very crowded, though I wouldn’t expect that for a weekday lunch. The hostess asked my last name and I told her. That led to both my waiters (although I could have called one “the apprentice”, he looked like he had skipped middle school for the day) calling me Mr. Bartolo. Can’t say I minded that.

They served me two different types of rolls, one at a time. I believe one was made with corn flour and one with sweet potato flour, thought I didn’t hear the waiter very clearly. Both tasted hot and fresh. I knew my appetizer would be BBQ shrimp. For $10, I got five shrimp in a classic brown gravy sprinkled with green onions, accompanied by a petite rosemary biscuit. Great flavor on the shrimp. My only complaint was I didn’t have more biscuits to soak up that sauce. I wasn’t as sure about choosing my entrée. I thought about the chicken and waffles, or just a Creole burger with remoulade and homemade pickles. In the end, I took my waiter’s tip and went with the Andouille crusted drum. Now when I first saw it on the menu, I figured it was a chicken drumstick. So I figured how is a drumstick ever going to fill me? Turns out a drum is actually a redfish. It came on a bed of shoestring potatoes with a Meuniere sauce (Brown butter with lemon and herbs) and summer squash. It was certainly a different lunch for me, but I really enjoyed the crispiness of the potatoes to go with the flaky fish. It was a pretty small portion, but I enjoyed it. I suppose I would order it again. But it was dessert that I came for. For the first time since I visited Vegas with my parents, I got to enjoy a piece of banana cream pie and this piece was all mine! The graham cracker crust, three layers of sliced bananas mixed in pudding, fresh whipped cream, caramel sauce, crisp chocolate shavings, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Eight dollars for a taste of pure heaven.

A happy man, I skipped the streetcar and walked back up Tchoupitoulas and then through Decatur St back to the hotel. This was a street I hadn’t traveled down before and I saw some interesting things. I passed the Jean Lafitte site as well a statue dedicated to the founder of New Orleans. I also saw Tipitina’s, which I hear is a very cool jazz club. Right after I crossed Canal St, I got a text from Catherine. Even though they had checked out earlier and explained to the clerk that I would be leaving later, he did not relay that message on to the women working the following shift. And so they called Catherine’s house thinking she and Nicole didn’t check out because my stuff was still in the room. So I hurried back through the French Market and I made it to the hotel in about 15 minutes. I walked in, turned right to the front desk, and the ladies see me coming, and go “Room Three-Twelve?!” Thankfully, I was able to explain the situation and I left the room for good around 2.

That led to maybe an hour of waiting downstairs for the 3 pm Airport Shuttle without a whole lot for me to do. I walked into Fauborg and jumped on the internet, but I rather would have been on my way. The van arrived about 15 minutes late, but I still got to the airport in plenty of time. I took a smooth 2.5 hour flight back to Chicago, during which I finished the last quarter of my muffuleta along with some Sprite. I guess I arrived at 7:45 pm. Thankfully, it was still about 40 degrees, so the climate change wasn’t too shocking on me. Mom picked me up right after she finished work and we got home at 9. I wish I was back in the creepy room.

More travel? Here we go...NOLA! Part 2

Thursday was our one full day together in New Orleans. I was up by 7:45, Nicole woke up maybe an hour later, and we got Catherine out of bed around maybe 9:15. I realize I get ready way too quick and I have to have some patience when waiting for ladies to get ready to go anywhere. We were all out the door by maybe 10:20 a.m. I think in those preceeding 2.5 hours, I did some writing, printed some maps out downstairs, and took a quick walk around the block. Our first stop had to be Cafe Du Monde for some beignets and cafe au lait. I guess that was the one thing I treated for. The donuts themselves tasted amazing. They were soft inside and crispy outside and unlike many donuts and beignets that I've had, they didn't taste very heavy. And with all the powdered sugar, that made them taste even better. As for the cafe au lait (half coffee, half hot milk), well, it was so-so, but still a little too bitter for me. So I took Nicole's advice and threw a bunch of the extra powdered sugar along with some of the granulated sugar right into the cup. I'm sure I used a good half cup of sugar! But that was the only way I was going to drink the thing!

We took the streetcar down to Julia St, thought we had to wait 15 minutes for it to come. And we probably could have walked that distance in not much more than 15 minutes anyway! In any event, we checked out the Central Business District with the Civil War Museum and the Lee Circle with a very tall statue of Robert E. Lee. The museum had a lot of old war artifacts. It was basically one big room, wasn't the best, but it was a decent way to kill an hour.

We walked back up Magazine Street because I heard there was some nice places to shop and possibly eat. Well, apparently we were walking in the wrong section, it was mostly businesses and parking lots. Nicole gave up on it a little bit too early (we should have kept going to Canal St)and we turned east down Podyras Street towards the river. So we went shopping at the Riverwalk Marketplace and it was a cool place. The first thing we found was this memorabilia shop with all kinds of unique merchandise like paintings of Republican presidents shooting pool and paintings of Democrat presidents playing poker. They had the sports heritage banners, statues of animals, personalized photos, newspaper clipping collections on different subjects, etc. It was just a cool place to walk around and explore.

We walked around the mall and got a couple of shrimp po' boys at the food court. They weren't the best, it was a food court after all, but it hit the spot. And thank God they came with tartar sauce and not mayonnaise! We checked out some fine souvenir shops and I have to admit I came close to buying a fedora. But in all fairness, when would I really wear it? The girls stopped for some fudge. Of course, Catherine had a thing for the peanut butter/chocolate fudge, what a shock that was...I stopped into a food store and brought a packet of seasoning for BBQ shrimp. I haven't made it yet, but we'll see how they turn out. Of course, buying shrimp isn't exactly cheap either. We also stopped in this retro shop and it had artifacts from the 1900's. Lots of 60's and 80's music gear, old TV show merchandise, Who's on First posters, Hulkamania t-shirts, a Partridge Family bus. It was like stepping into a time machine.

By the middle of the afternoon, we were starting to feel a little bit tired and we took the streetcar back to the hotel. I headed straight into the creepy room, took of my shoes, laid down on the bed, and turned on my Ipod. Within five minutes, Catherine tells me we're heading back out! So it was more shopping, this time in the French Quarter. We stopped at Central Grocery for some muffuletas that we planned to save for dinner. I think by this point, I was on autopilot. We went to Bourbon St and we each drank a hurricane and Nicole and I "sang" Happy Birthday to Catherine. It was okay, it tasted like a twisted Hawaiian Punch, but I preferred the sweetness of the grenade. Now I figured that was about it for the night. Not quite. We walked back to Jackson Square and into Cafe Beignet for another order of beignets! These were bigger than the ones at Cafe Du Monde too. They tasted good, but I noticed they were heavier than the ones we'd had earlier that morning. But I didn't think too much of it at the time. Plus Catherine was giving way too much love to this cat that was hanging around the Cafe patio...

After a few more stops (I can't remember, the hurricane was getting to me a little bit, probably because I drank it so quickly), we got back to room for the Rangers game against Florida. Actually, the hurricane was really getting to Nicole. She said she didn't like it, yet, she kept drinking it too! I would have offered to help. Anyway, we were all on the couch watching the Rangers and I realized about midway through the first period that I was experiencing some bad stomach cramps. During both intermissions, I actually went in my room and laid down, even falling sound asleep during the second break. Eventually, I felt better, but I decided to skip the muffuletta. I felt much better when Gaborik scored in OT to give the Rangers the win. And right after that, we all got to watch the final episode of 24/7. Stellar. I think I shut up the whole time while I listened to the girls gawk over Del Zotto, Lundqvist, and Girardi.

So I really wasn't feeling too great about the whole thing as I went to bed. But for the second straight night, I was blessed with some company in bed. We kissed, went to bed, woke up around 4, and...

More travel? Here we go...NOLA! Part 1

So I was supposed to fly nonstop from Chicago to New Orleans at 2:25 on Wednesday. Accordingly, I checked in for my flight online 24 hours prior and found out that the 7:00 am flight had been cancelled. Even worse, that was the only one of the three flights that was a large plane and not an American Eagle. So all those passengers wound up on my flight. That resulted in my plane being booked at 65/65. After some quick replanning, I decided to change my schedule. First, I took all of Wednesday off from work instead of just half the day. I woke up at 3:30 am and caught a seat on the 6 AM flight. I was a little disconcerted by the 300-pound woman sitting in front of me who saw fit to lean her seat back before we even took off. But anyway. I did see a Jets fan and offered my sympathies. We were ready to leave the gate, but there was a fuel leak and we had to get a new plane. That delayed us maybe an hour and fifteen minutes. So we had to board a new plane. And as I walked through the first class section, there was Jet guy! I figured they upgraded him to first class out of sympathy. Anyway, I got to Dallas and it just served to shorten my layover, so no problem there. I wolfed down a steak taco and a chicken taco at Urban tacos before boarding the 12:05 plane to New Orleans. There were maybe ten open seats, so it wasn't that hard. And considering I was going to take a 2:30 plane out of Chicago initially, I landed about 3 hours sooner that what I had planned.

As I stepped into the terminal, I had to make sure I wasn't in Detroit. There were mobs of people sporting Univ. of Michigan attire. They had just beaten Virginia Tech in a bowl game the night before. I felt some trepidation as I waited for my bag. Since it was taken at the gate and had to connect to a second light, it just didn't sit well with me. Eventually, it arrived and I headed to the Airport shuttle desk. The lady called me "Honey" at least three times and "Darlin'" I think twice. I sat down right behind the driver's seat and noticed a good-looking athletic blonde sitting across from me. I recognized her from the Dallas flight, she was across from me then. We chatted and I found out she was Rebecca Bennett, and she does news report and podcasts for K-Love Radio. So that led to talks about travel, church, and so on.

Now there were 15 people on the bus and we had no idea who was getting dropped off when. When the driver said "De La Monnie" I pumped my fist and couldn't help but laugh with Rebecca and Gene, an older guy from Iowa who sat between us.

So I arrived at the hotel somewhere around 2:15. Catherine came downstairs and we shared a hug before heading upstairs. This is a really old hotel, doesn't have much size, it's more about the location right on the border of the French Quarter and Fauborg while the Riverfront streetcar line begins less than a block away. I gave Nicole a hug when I saw her too and after I unpacked my stuff, we all headed straight to the French Market. There were tons of t-shirts (Mostly Saints and trashy stuff), records, hats, jewelry, and so on. For my first drink, I went with a rum spiced cider for six bucks. It's a good drink to warm up with, but the rum added a sour taste that I wasn't in love with. We continued to stroll down Decatur St and I saw Cafe Du Monde, St. Luois Cathedral, Jackson Square, the Cabildo, the Presbytere, and the Jackson St Brewery. Still saw loads of Va Tech and Michigan gear. We headed back to Room 312 to clean up.

Around 5:45, we left to walk to Irene's, a very popular Italian restaurant near our hotel. Nicole said she knew where she was going, so I left my maps behind. I shouldn't have. We wound up on Bourbon St and when we asked a cop for directions, he pointed us in the wrong direction. So it was a 6 pm reservation and we arrived maybe 20 minutes late. But the maitre'd and the owner all greeted us warmly, asked our names, and shook our hands. Catherine started with some escargot and one glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I knew I was getting an entree and a dessert, so I opted for iced tea. And the complimentary bruschetta was awesome. Melted mozzarella, fresh tomato sauce, soft and crispy bread. That's the way it should be! I ordered a duck with a raspberry and pancetta glaze with glazed nuts along with a mashed sweet potatoes and fresh spinach. I enjoyed the crisp skin and I also liked that the duck wasn't too greasy. The sweet potato had a very nice rich flavor too. Catherine went with the roast chicken and Nicole took some veal marsala. For dessert, Nicole got bread pudding, Catherine got a chocolate truffle, and I went with a Creole cheesecake with a Grand Marnier glaze. I liked mine, but wasn't exactly blown away.

So we asked for the check and I figured I would have to throw in maybe 40-45 bucks. Our waiter, Rob, informed us that the check was already picked up. It turned out Nicole's mom made the reservation and also picked up the bill. I was kicking myself! I wished I had some Pinot Noir or Merlot! No, just boring iced tea. But in truth, it was a great gesture.

From there, we went over to Bourbon St, it must have been 8:30 by now. Our first stop was the Tropical Isle for a grenade. Catherine had warmed me about this drink, about how potent it was. We split a large one on the rocks. It came in a tall light, green glass that looked like an actual grenade. The recipe is kept secret, but I hear it's a blend of melon liquer, gin, rum, vodka, and grain liquor, all served in equal parts. Amazingly, it tasted very sweet. I could have probably drank another with no problem. I did opt for an Abita Amber beer, a local brew that I enjoyed. At one point, I had to use the men's room. On my way over there I passed by this machine on the wall, it looked like a typical gumball machine. Except there wasn't any candy in this particular machine. I looked at the sign and it said "grenade flavored condoms". Moving on...

Bourbon St has its own dangerous charm to it. There are just things there that can't be found anywhere else. Lots of performers standing totally still, painted from head to toe. One of them was colored totally silver, had a really long beard. And he was sitting prone, looking down, kind of sad I thought. Then I looked again, there was a long purple balloon sticking out from where it shouldn't have been. Just another one of those OMG sights. And I also liked that we could walk by the clubs and hear live blands playing everything from classic rock to blues to country. It's a cool area to be in, thought I think I would pass on Mardi Gras and New Year's Eve.

So we got back to the hotel around 10. I knew I was sleeping in the creepy room. There was room for nothing except a bed, a tiny nightstand, and an old TV hanging from the ceiling. There wasn't even enough space on the floor for me to open my suitcase completely, there wasn't even a lock on the door. And the doors fold open, kind of like a bedroom closet. Not the most ideal situation, but hey, there was a bed at least! I was probably in bed by midnight, though I had some company by around 4 AM...

SOJ

8-8 finish. Two three game losing streaks. Ten points to make and I'm done with this team for eight months.

1) Mark Sanchez is Browning Nagle with better pieces around him.

2) Eric Smith, goodbye.

3) Wayne Hunter, see above.

4) Brian Schottenheimer, see above and it goes double for him.

5) Matthew Mulligan is the hands down worst tight end I have ever seen.

6) Free agents: Burress (goodbye), Brunell (goodbye), Folk (goodbye), Leonhard (Would give a cheap 1-year deal), O'Connell (goodbye), Pool (goodbye), Pouha (Would bring him back), Strickland (goodbye), Bryan Thomas (Would bring back for a year), Tomlinson (retiring), Rob Turner (OL depth, must bring back-2 years maybe).

7) How can this defense allow a 21 play, 13 minute drive to a Miami offense without Jake Long and Reggie Bush and had Matt Moore, Daniel Thomas, Davone Bess, and Anthony Fasano?

8) I tried to defend Santonio Holmes all season long. After his teammates said he quit today, he is the biggest disgrace for a captain that I can imagine.

9) 43 years and counting for this franchise. 17 for the Rangers (the only title I can remember), 26 for the Mets, 39 for the Knicks. Plus Greg Norman in golf, I'm not going to even start that list.

10) F U to the Giants fans and double to the Patriots.