Day 3: Jacksonville to Rockledge

Went for a quick run to kick off the morning and I can tell that New York's cool weather hasn't done me any favors in terms of prepping me for running in the humidity. I haven't sweat like this in a long time.

I was tipped off by one of my former colleagues, the Buckeye State's #1 Gator fan Jill Bohn, about the fact that I was barely an hour from Gainesville, home of my main man Tim Tebow.

Taking a quick look on mapquest showed that Gainesville was kind of on the way to St. Pete, so I had to go. Note: I was looking for the football stadium by typing "The Swamp, Gainesville" into Google. My search yielded a dive bar that Skynyrd probably played in '73 to tune up for Quadrophenia. The Swamp's actual name is Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.



On my drive down, I realized that Florida is the Dodge Challenger capital of America. I've seen five of them on the highway since getting down here. The UF campus is exactly what I expected, and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was easily accessible. I found the words of Tebow's "Pledge" immortalized on the wall (covered on morganobrien.com earlier this year) and took a picture in front of it. After the picture, I patted it. At that very moment, my doctor called and said that the cancer is in remission. Also, I heard that Kim Jong-Il is planning on stepping down and surrendering all his nuclear ambitions. I'm beginning to think that Tim Tebow's powers are on par with the three wolf moon t-shirt.

Fun Fact: The Swamp also happens to be a magnet for hot coeds who like to run stairs.



After Gainesville, I headed to St. Pete, where I was poised to see your defending American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays square off against the Minnesota Twins. On the way there, I saw a sign for "George M. Steinbrenner Field" and had to make the detour to see the Yanks' Southern Command. It was pretty sharp, and some of the Tampa Yanks were practicing. Nothing much more to report.



Tropicana Field was disarming in that I was expecting it to be hokey, but the place actually had a nice buzz and was fun. Isn't that what baseball should be? The fan base is still working out some kinks (the place felt packed), and they're still learning how to root for a team. The cowbell gimmick they've developed is a lot of fun, and must be f'ing annoying for opposing teams.

The simple fact is that it's tough to sit and watch a ballgame under a dome on a 90-degree/sunny day, and I'll never get over the artificiality that comes with an indoor baseball game.

While we're on the topic of baseball, I've been meaning to mention a couple things about the Yanks trip to Cleveland this weekend. Things kicked off with a bunch of the Yanks taking in Thursday night's Cavs-Magic game. One thing I learned as a coach was that team trips are an awesome opportunity to build camaraderie, and I like that the fellas decided to catch the game together. And don't tell me that the attitude these guys have brought in the past four weeks or so isn't tied at least in some small way to the fact that they're really enjoying playing together.



The NY-Cleveland connection is pretty cool. Little known fact: George Steinbrenner is from Cleveland. Lebron James: Yankee fan. I also always enjoy seeing Mariano in the same arena as other great athletes--seeing Tiger Woods at the Stadium a few years ago when Mo came out of the bullpen was a cool moment.



One more quick note--I have XM, so I can listen to the home feed of ballgames. As the Yanks are in Cleveland, I can listen to the Indians announcers (who have an unhealthy fixation on the Yanks payroll, fwiw). I accidentally hit 880 on my dial and lo and behold, John Sterling's pompous pipes suddenly began filling my ears. I was getting the WCBS signal all the way in Jacksonville. How 'bout that?





The Rays have a tank with stingrays. I pet one (see photos above). It felt like a fish. RIP Crocodile Hunter.

After the Trop, I was off to see my Godmother in Rockledge, outside of Orlando. Made the trip in a little over two hours, and am bedding down for the night. Look forward to heading South tomorrow.

Day 2 (Part I): Chapel Hill to Jacksonville

I left Chapel Hill after my run this morning and headed to Ft. Bragg. As I've said a million times, I'm so happy to be done with my service, but so freaking proud that I can say I served. There's something comforting about going back on a military installation and knowing that I can identify with the folks in uniform. At the same time, I have mixed feelings about not having to shoulder the same responsibilities (the weight of the world) as those men and women.

I was also struck by how young the jr. enlisted folks are beginning to look. And I've noticed more than a few gray hairs sprouting around my temples. Great.


In my mind, I went to Carolina

I picked up some workout clothes (Army PT gear) at Bragg and headed back down 95. I made the requisite pit stop at South of the Border (see photo), did not pick up fireworks, and quickly returned to the highway.



Next stop was Savannah. When I rolled into town, I decided I needed a picture and the first thought that popped into my mind was the cover photo from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. So I Googled the name of the statue, and was directed to Bonaventure Cemetery in neighboring Thunderbolt, Georgia. I punched in the directions into my GPS, saw I was only 5 miles away, and headed over to the graveyard.


Not there anymore

I got there at 8pm to find a bunch of locked gates and the cemetery closes at 5. Do you think that stopped me? I jumped the fence and started looking...and looking...and looking. I couldn't find the dang statue. After a while, I wasn't even sure what it looked like. As the day grew shorter and shorter on light, I decided to cut my losses.

Wouldn't you know, the cemetery is huge! All of a sudden, I was lost in a place I shouldn't be, running out of daylight...and did I mention that this was a creepy graveyard with Spanish Moss and freaky statues? And there was a ton of lightning in the sky.

As much as I wanted to, I didn't panic and found the fence and just followed it around until I could find my car just as the last vespers of daylight shone on this Georgia sunset. Disaster/weird cult sacrifice averted.

As I write this from Denny's, I also learned the following tidbit, which might have been of some use a couple hours ago:

The Bird Girl
The cover photograph of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, taken by Jack Leigh, featured an evocative sculpture of a young girl that had been in the cemetery, essentially unnoticed for over 50 years. The sculpture, which has come to be known as the "Bird Girl", stood on the family plot of Lucy Boyd Trosdal. After the publication of the book, the sculpture was donated to Savannah's Telfair Museum of Art to avoid disturbances by visitors to the cemetery.

Wow. Nice attention to detail. For the record, I did not break into the Telfair Museum of Art tonight.

Got Yanks and Indians on satellite for the ride down to J'ville (there was an hour-plus rain delay tonight), so it should be a smooth trip.

Road Trip Day One: Strong Island to Chapel Hill

I commenced my road trip around noon Thursday departing rainy, 60 degree weather in hopes of finding bluer skies on the South side of the Mason-Dixie. Sure enough things heated up the further South I traveled, and soon I was stuck in the middle of DC rush hour traffic.

Luckily, I have family in the area, so to kill some time and catch up I looked up my brother, Officer O'Brien and we decided to do dinner (at Macaroni Grill). I totally forgot that Officer O'B had recently welcomed a new addition to the family, but was reminded soon after I entered his apartment.


Meeting my Nephew

That's me and my nephew, Barnabas "Barney" Hasinger-O'Brien. I still love Homer, but Barney's pretty cool.



After dinner, I continued my trek, ending up in Chapel Hill, N.C., home of my alma mater and generally considered the Southern part of Heaven. I checked in to a Courtyard by Marriott, which is also hosting members of the Kansas and Dartmouth baseball teams, who are both here for the Super-Regionals of the College World Series. The Road to Omaha starts here!

A fire alarm roused my awake at about 7:55, so I decided to run up to campus. Of course, I forgot to pack workout clothes, so I had the pleasure of running in cotton in 90% humidity. Ah, the days before moisture wicking, how I don't miss thee.

There's a ton of construction going on up on the campus, but I also noticed that a lot of the guys here bear a striking resemblance to Kenneth from 30 Rock. Just saying.

I'm going to keep heading South, looking to end up in Tampa. I don't think I'll make it in time for tonight's game, but should be able to catch Tropicana Field on Saturday morning and add it to my list of ballparks visited.

Some thoughts on Star Trek

Last week, in an attempt to check off one of my goals for my month of freedom, I thoroughly enjoyed watching JJ Abrams' reimagination of the Star Trek franchise (I watched it in Times Square, what a trip). While most people might place Star Trek in the sci-fi genre, I walked away thinking of it as a futuristic war film encapsulating both the cadet and operational experience.

Beginning with James Tiberius Kirk's days at Starfleet Academy, we're deprived of an Iceman-Maverick type pissing contest, but the interplay between Kirk and Spock provided a more cerebral battle of alpha dogs. The storyline regarding the Kobayashi Maru presented an awesome ethical challenge, one which still makes me unsure of how I feel.

Even though he's placed on probation because of his resolution to the Kobayashi Maru, Kirk finds his way into the operational Fleet for a mission against the Romulans. Having been a cadet that trained in skydiving myself, I thought it was awesome that he was able to use his own freefall training during a mission on Vulcan.

Kirk does a great job when placed in the spotlight (facing numerous challenges), and is honored for his valor with a medal and a battlefield promotion that ends up sticking. The realist in me hopes that the military bureaucracy one day becomes a true meritocracy and a cadet can jump to O-6 in one fell swoop. That said, I don't care how logical Spock is, I'd be pissed if some snot-nosed son of a war hero jumped over me for a promotion (no matter how talented he is). But we all know that not all promotions are deserved, ain't that right Voldemort?

Speaking of Spock, I love that he eventually becomes an ambassador after his time in the Fleet. Of course, that might be because I'm partial to guys who become diplomats after their military service. George C. Marshall, Colin Powell, Morgan O'Brien--and the tradition apparently continues on into the future.

Following the diplomatic vein, it is interesting to see how the military efforts of the Starfleet are all intimately tied to diplomacy. Senior leaders within the Starfleet are all well versed in statecraft, and their mission better fits the realm of peacekeeping than that of an offensive force, resorting to engagement only after all other avenues are tried. I don't know what my point is, I guess I just wanted to point that out.

Finally, and with apologies to Gen. Michael Ryan, I wonder why it's Captain Kirk and not Colonel Kirk. I thought America's Air Force was supposed to own space...what gives? Here's hoping that one day we get an explanation. Maybe the Federation saw that supporting the Air Force was a drain on the budget.


Why not Colonel Kirk?

Happy Memorial Day

While the weather leaves much to be desired this weekend, getting three days is always a welcome treat. So in between enjoying your barbecues, parades and time off over the next few days, be sure to remember the reason for the holiday.

As a senior sitting in the Gold Star Mass at Chaminade (my beloved alma mater), I never imagined that we'd ever add another name to the list of alumni killed during their service to our country. The concept seemed so foreign, so impossible. Incredibly, three young men sitting in that very Mass would end up adding their names to that role of honor within the next decade. Simply stunning.

Fast forward a few years when I had the honor of serving alongside a terrific NCO in my public affairs office. This was a guy I went to the field with numerous times and would have gone to war with in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, his life was cut way too short during his service in Iraq, leaving behind two young children.

The realities of war and wearing the uniform provided some eye-opening life lessons for me, lessons I'll never forget. So during my day off Monday, I'll be thinking of the names Frost, Winchester, Regan and LiCalzi and how honored I am to have served alongside these fellas and the nearly 5,000 men and women who have committed the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

------

Ways to contribute:

Wounded Warrior Project
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
VFW
American Legion

For the second consecutive year, Major League Baseball and Welcome Back Veterans are raising money through the sale of Stars and Stripes caps All teams will wear red, white and blue-themed caps on Memorial Day, July 4 and Sept. 11. While the percentage of proceeds that make it to the troops remains a little murky, the spirit of the program is pretty cool.

Last year they were blue and this year they're red. It'll be interesting to see how that color clashes with the pinstripes Monday.

Teen Wolf: Where Amazing Happens

By June 22...

I have five weeks before I move to DC, four of which I'll be on leave. I want this time to be productive, so I figure that I'd maximize my effectiveness by creating a list of things I hope to accomplish during that time. Rest assured, I'll cover my progress on each of these steps on this very page.

- Unpack from Albuquerque
- Pack for DC
- Read Cormac McCarthy's The Road
- Read Alan Barra's The Last Coach
- Compete in two triathlons (non-ironman)
- Visit Citizen's Bank Ballpark, Nationals Stadium, Dolphins Stadium and Tropicana Field
- Hit 179 on the scale at least once
- Experience Star Trek (Done, 18 May, review forthcoming)
- Write an article on pro athletes and depression an submit for publication
- Complete two-a-days between May 23 and June 21
- Visit Key West
- Start learning to play guitar

Be sure to check back for frequent updates and let me know if I'm missing anything.

Movies I want to see: The Hangover

After catching the trailer for The Hangover, I didn't necessarily need to see it considering that my life over the past few months has unfolded like the Vegas-based comedy. It would be too real. However, my mind was changed at the end of the trailer when Mike Tyson shows up. I'm sold. Review coming soon.

Link: http://hangovermovie.warnerbros.com/

The House that George Built

I hate when people give human qualities to inanimate objects. I think it's a literary crutch. However, after attending my first game at Coors Field East the new Yankee Stadium, I can't help but feel that by building this magnificent structure, my favorite ballclub also sold its soul.

The Stadium is great. Terrific site lines (I mean incredible), wide aisles, cushioned seats, lack of garbage stench, short lines for a wide variety of concessions (Nathans, Brother Jimmy's, and we had some noodle thing...I still miss the chicken fingers from the old ballpark). But I couldn't help but think that the quirks that made the old ballpark almost unbearable for the fans, also provided a distinct advantage for the players on the field.


Not the Same
I recognize that familiarity brings a level of comfort and for my entire baseball viewing life, I've only known the old ballpark. Perhaps for that exact reason, last night's game felt artificial--like some sort of exhibition that one would catch in the Grapefruit League or during a meaningless September game in Seattle.

For most of the game, the ballpark was eerily quiet. I recognize that Tampa's Jason Bartlett lead off with one of those all-too-familiar wind tunnel shots out to right field, but there wasn't much life for the first few innings. Finally, when the Yanks put together a mini rally in the 4th, there was some life amongst the Bronx faithful. However, where the old Stadium used to rock, the buzz just wasn't the same.


We'll hang your banner, O'Neill, but stay away from the clubhouse
Noted acoustics expert Dr. Michael Francesa spoke on his radio program yesterday that the cushioned seats might absorb some of the sound. And considering the fact that there weren't many butts in those cushioned seats on the park's lowest level, I guess this is feasible. But hey, they have waiter service for those seats. The fact of the matter is that either the fans weren't hyped up (entirely possible) or that the Stadium doesn't channel the same juice as the old place.

The field itself definitely evokes the old ballpark, and there's nothing like hearing Bob Sheppard's voice over the public address when leadoff hitter and Yankee captain Derek Jeter steps in the box. The friese/facade is a nice touch. However, as has been well documented elsewhere, the fans don't sit on top of the field as we used to in the old Stadium, and lose a little of that Roman Colosseum

I didn't have a chance to see Monument Park 2.0, I'll have to get there eventually. The retired numbers in left field were kind of tacky, as were the wall listing the 26 world championships garnered throughout the pinstripers storied history. And there is no lacking for advertising plastered all over the fence and scoreboard.

I did sneak a peak at section 103, where we were supposed to be assigned. I have to admit that they were awesome seats, right next to the Yankee bullpen. It would have been a real treat to watch Mo warm up night in and night out. Unfortunately, the seats were a thousand miles from where my old man sat for nearly three decades. And I don't think I mentioned that the Yanks quoted us one price for the seats before coming back with a 25% increase citing an "administrative error". I can sleep easy knowing that we were smart to avoid the $20,000 investment.


Field of Nightmares
Mrs. Morganobrien.com and I headed out in the 5th (it's a long way back to the Island), so I didn't have to suffer the indignity of watching Mariano give up back-to-back dingers in the 9th (something he had never done in 800+ appearances). And that's probably good, as I would have turned into Sam Neill in Event Horizon and cut my eyeballs out.


Liberate tute mae ex inferis
It's going to take a long time, decades even, to regain the home field advantage earned over eighty years at what was once described as "Baseball's Home Office." And that's a shame. I like the new ballpark, but I loved the old place.

Why I'm Rooting for the Rays Tomorrow Night

Tomorrow, I will venture north to the Bronx and visit the imposter Yankee Stadium for the first time. I'm excited and will of course review my experience on this very blog.

While I anxiously anticipate my return to Bronx baseball, I go with some trepidation. I've often lamented the many ways the Yanks have put me into this love-hate tailspin since earlier this year.

And then there's this (from Bob Raismann's column in the Daily News):

The latest episode came during the weekend series with the Angels. Paul O'Neill, a revered former Yankee, now an analyst for the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, was asked by security to leave the indoor batting cages, where he was watching Yankees hit, prior to one of the games.


The Warriors Collide
A security guard told O'Neill, the man George Steinbrenner called "warrior," he could not loiter in the area. O'Neill had another reason to be perturbed. Security would not allow his wife, Nevalee, into the Stadium "wives room." She was told by security it was for "current" wives only.

Think about it. Here's O'Neill, a guy who bled for the franchise, trying to prepare for a broadcast. Not only is he told to take a hike, so is his wife. O'Neill was not the only broadcaster ejected from a part of the Stadium over the weekend. (link)

You raise my ticket prices and move us to the outfield...fine. You play like an bunch of dogs and get punked by the BoSox...I'll learn to deal. But you screw with my hero and his wife--I've had enough.

When I returned from the war, I gave Pauly my unit coin at a golf outing in Dayton. He said he'd use it as his ballmark. A few years later, my brother-in-law asked Pauly if he still had it and sure enough he remembered me. O'Neill said that people busted his chops about using such a large ballmark though. That's a hero for you.

So there you have it. Let's go Rays! (I'm still going to have to get over how pretentious Joe Maddon is, though)

Day 3: Albuquerque to Salt Lake City

Woke up in Albuquerque and hit Kirtland Air Force Base, my old stomping grounds. I was a shark in the pool and ran another 4.5 for some great cardio. A quick word on exercising out West: the weather's so great, the scenery's so awesome and the pace of life is just right that I find the West the perfect place to get outside and run. New York really doesn't size up on that end (although I still love NY).

At the same time, while I love New York and the pace of life here, I'm truly inspired by the West. Moreso than any other place I lived, New Mexico is my favorite place to press the reset button. More on this when I do my post-trip wrapup.

After leaving base, I met up with some of my old base colleagues and then had lunch with loyal morganobrien.com fanatic, Celena Soto. Man, I worked with some terrific folks.

After lunch, it was time to head back to Salt Lake. The GPS took me on a little different route than I would have figured, I didn't take I-40 but 550. A cool part of that route was that I drove through Bloomfield, which has some tie to the Derby winner. I hear that New Mexico is thrilled about Mine That Bird. From there, it was a scenic drive into Utah.

After driving through Moab, which appears to be an awesome mountain town, I came upon Arches National Park. This time, I got a picture of myself in front of the sign, but I have to admit that I didn't get the shot on my first try:


12th time's the charm!

After Arches, I had a couple hundred miles to Salt Lake...piece of cake, right? It was right up until I was about 150 yards from my exit (about 5 miles from the airport) when the flashing lights appeared in my rearview. Man, I was so close--I'd driven more than 600 miles. I was so close. I was exhausted. I had a little work to do before going to bed. I just wanted to get to my hotel. Alas, it wasn't to be.

I was told I was going 90 in a 65! Damn you, Infiniti FX and your 303 horsepower!!!

The officer was nice, however he brought me back a ticket for 76 in a 65 (which honestly did me a favor, and I appreciate it). But before I signed the ticket, the following exchange occurred:

Me: Would it have helped if I told you my brother was a cop?

Officer: (pulls back the ticket) Where's his jurisdiction?

Me: Fairfax.

Officer: Virginia?

Me: Yes.

Officer: (handing me a the ticket) 90 in a 65, I can't let that go. My wife and kids drive these roads.

END SCENE

Hey, I can't begrudge the guy, that's a fair point. I'm just glad he didn't ask about the contents of the Fiji water bottles on the floor of the passengers side. To tell the truth, didn't even put a dent into my overall awesome time. Just the cost of doing business out West, I guess.

Miles Traveled: 621

Daily wrapup

States visited: 3

Trip Stats

Total Miles Traveled: 1921
Total States Visited: 5
Total National Parks: 2

Day 2: Cheyenne to Albuquerque

Spent the night at the Plains Hotel and woke up to put in a solid hour of roadwork on the streets of downtown Cheyenne. Things are so dead around this city, I could have run in the middle of the street. I felt great exercising at 6,000 feet, which is always reassuring. Too bad I won't be up here for more than a couple days, I love the benefits of legal blood doping.



There's an awesome Union Pacific train depot right across the street that I love to check out.



It's fun to wonder where the tracks and trains are headed:



After that, I hit I-25 and headed on down to Albuquerque. I didn't stop in Denver, Colorado Springs (although I did sneak a peak at USAFA from the road), or Pueblo, which are all great towns. If I had a little more time, I would have stopped in Las Vegas, NM, but really wanted to make it to the Duke City before sundown.

After rolling into ABQ, I dropped by my old crib and took a picture of the view from our apartment:


Sandia means watermelon

Back in town, I made a few phone calls to some of my old colleagues and made dinner plans (Red Lobster, duh). But before meeting up with my old First Sergeant, I ran around Albuquerque Academy, my favorite old trail. Again, I kicked the trail's butt, at 5,500 feet nonetheless. Yeah, that's two workouts in one day. Nice.

After Red Lobster, I turned in for the evening...La Quinta style.

Miles Traveled: 549 miles

Daily wrapup

States visited: 3

Total Miles Traveled: 1300

Day 1: Salt Lake City to Jackson to Casper to Cheyenne

Temple Square

Leg 1: Salt Lake City to Jackson


Got into Salt Lake City around 10:30 Mountain Time. Slept well over the five-hour flight. Thanks to the LIRR and the Air Train, I literally walked to JFK.

Upon arrival, I picked up my rental car. I like feeling like I'm in the cockpit of a fighter jet when I drive and the good folks at Hertz didn't let me down with an Infiniti FX, which was pretty badass:



There's not much to do in Salt Lake, so I drove to Temple Square and took a couple snaps and decided where to go. Thankfully, my FX was equipped with a GPS and after deliberating between Vegas, Reno, Pocatello and a few more garden spots, I decided to head up to Jackson Hole.

One of the cool towns I drove through was just inside the Wyoming/Idaho border, a town called Afton, Wyoming, the home of Olympic champion Rulon Gardner.


Apparently, not everyone loves Rulon


Those are antlers

There was a ton of snow (I drove through some flurries) en route to Jackson, which is a pretty cool little town with some energy too it. I was reminded of Santa Fe when I was there. Spent a little time walking around, and then decided to head over to Casper next.

Miles Traveled:275.15

Leg 2: Jackson to Casper



En route, I drove through the Grand Tetons, named by some lovelorn French explorers (you don't have to be bilingual to figure out what "grand teton" means in French). Unfortunately, a low cloud ceiling kept the lovely tetons concealed. I took some shots by the sign out front, but my laptop ate my memory card, which sucks.

After plowing through the Tetons, I drove through the town of Dubois, which is the hometown of Chance Phelps, the namesake of HBO's awesome flick, Taking Chance. The town was exactly what I expected, with flags and yellow ribbons everywhere. I would have like to have visited the cemetery to pay my respects, but I couldn't find it and felt weird asking.

From there, I drove to Casper, the hometown of Richard Cheney, our 43rd president. I would have loved to have seen a roadside attraction named "Hell's Half Acre," but it was dark out. And it turns out that it's way more than a half acre.

Upon arriving in Casper, I called 411 and got the address of the local Red Lobster, punched it into my GPS and was soon eating lobster pizza. I like to eat seafood as far inland as possible. If I was more like Christiansingstheblues, I would have taken a photo of my meal, alas I did not.

Miles Traveled: 286.93

Leg 3: Casper to Cheyenne



Got into Cheyenne, one of my favorite cow towns, at around midnight. I checked into the Plains Hotel (pics tomorrow) and headed out to the Crown, a local watering hole.

Unfortunately, I didn't bring my flack vest. That said, I love that Guinness only costs $4 at bars (that's like buy one, get one free).

Some housekeeping:

To the house band, do we really need the 3 minute guitar solos for every song? Sweet Home is a good enough song on its own merits, trust me.

And to the meth addicts (in my opinion) I spoke with at the bar--just keep your heads up, that DUI isn't going to keep you out of work for too long sweetheart. Besides, I'm sure management was restructuring so it was going to happen anyway.

Hitting the sack and turning in. Looks like I'm headed to Albuquerque in the morning.

Miles Traveled: 178.95

Daily wrapup

States visited: 3

Total Miles Traveled: 741

Morganobrien.com Hits the Road

This weekend, I'm packing up my game and gonna head out West. I got a BA Delta Web fare on tix to Salt Lake City and will get to engage in my favorite activity of all time: driving. Unfortunately, New York's roads don't lend themselves to this.

I've got a camera and a laptop and some time, so I plan on reporting from wherever the heck I end up.

Be sure to check back often over the weekend to see what I get myself into.