100th Running of the Indy 500

"Start your engines!" was heard for the 100th time for the Indy 500 yesterday. And I can say I was there... which I was. But I can't say I saw much of the race. More on that shortly.

But first, let's talk about this historic race. 100 years of anything is kind of a big deal. So often, things just don't pan out for that long of a period of time. There's an entire history that I won't go into about this race, but I will say a lot has changed over the years. And they promoted the hell out of this running, so much that they actually sold out for the first time in decades! Even general admission. Kind of crazy when you think about how big this track is, and how many people it can hold (300,000-ish with general admission).

So how was my experience? Let's start with the fact that Eric and I decided to ride our bikes to the track - we really didn't want to deal with the traffic. Honestly, I've yet to go to any event in Indy that has good traffic control. They suck at it here, quite frankly. But I digress. The end of May can have unpredictable weather, and it can be cold and rainy, or hot and sweltering. This year, it was the later of the two. Which made for a steamy ride to the track, even if it was at 9am. But we got there, and tried to cool down as best as we could.

Now as to the reason why we didn't see much of the race... well, we were in the Snake Pit, not the stands. Which essentially meant we went to an EDM concert that happened to be going on in the middle of IMS during the race. Which is what we chose to do. Eric love EDM, and can't site still, anyway, so it made no sense for us to pay a premium for seats we wouldn't be able to sit in too long before he got antsy. This allowed us to wander, and see some big name EDM DJs. Win Win. They did broadcast the pre-race festivities and the first few laps on our big screens over the stage... but then it was all EDM music. Which was fine by us.

And then we have a very sweltering bike ride back home. But that was okay, because we were going home. First thing I did was jump in the shower! Reflecting back, though, I'm glad we went. We can say we were there, and being part of the Snake Pit was a pretty cool experience on its own, that 250k+ people didn't get to know.

Cubs Game #3 ?!?

So this was unexpected... a third Cubs game! And Eric DIDN'T have to go to this one... this was actually a one-off work event. What's that, you ask? It's what happens when you have awesome consultants based out of Chicago!

So we received a very unexpected invite for our department to join them (our awesome consultant) for a Cubs game verses the Cardinals. And with the Cubs still doing so awesome, and the Cards being on top of our division, it was sure to be a good game (and probably a hard ticket to come by!). So after some going back and forth, and after realizing that we couldn't all go (so our side of the office wouldn't be left empty), we got the okay to go, with only about 6 of us being able to commit. Was supposed to be more, but two backed out at the last minute (boo!), but we still had a bunch from our consultant's side to fill out the group for an afternoon of fun!

We started at Murphy's Bleachers for some pre-game festivities. After some drinks and a bunch of tater tots (they tasted really good, for some reason), we headed into the game. We were in the stands out by left field - an area I've never sat before, so it was a completely different experience for me! It's a weird combo of die-hard season ticket holder (like really old guys that you can tell have had tickets for ever) and groups that wanted to be in the bleacher (young people drinking a lot). We fell somewhere comfortably in the middle. And the Cubs beat the Cardinals! Pretty good, too, 8-3!!

The whole trip was fun for those of us that drove up. A lot of bonding. Which was cool, because it was across teams and even had a new person for us all to get to know. We got home late, though... midnight, for me, by the time I dropped both the people and the car off (I had the easy access to a rental since I flew back to the airport the night before). I really work with some cool people, bit in my company and as consultants. I really love my job!

Cubs Game #2

You knew another one was coming since I had a 'Cubs Game #1' post earlier in the year. Ha

The good news is that we didn't get rained out this weekend! Yay! Yesterday's game wasn't a night game, but it was, at least, a later afternoon game, so we weren't rushed to leave yesterday morning. Though maybe we should've been. Thanks to INDOT for closing a 50 mile stretch of I-65 northbound (when only about 5 miles needed to be closed), causing a chaotic detour did cause us to be later than I had wanted (I had wanted to get there early, for once). When we saw the delay from the detour wouldn't get us there early, we decided to check in to the hotel and take the red Line to Wrigley - only missed part of the first inning by doing this.

It was actually a pretty good game against the Giants, too, with the Cubs coming away with a win, 8-6! This is a nice change of pace because usually after the All-Star break is when the Cubs go into Decline. Maybe this really is their year! I guess there's still a long way to go, though...

After the game, we went back to hotel to freshen up. It was still early enough that we could actually go somewhere for dinner... and we decided to go to Eataly. I love that place! Always good food, and you can turn around and buy what you ate on your way out. Which, we did go back there before leaving town this morning... not to buy what we ate last night, but to buy other goodies. Starting to become our routine when we go to Chicago.

No Ikea this trip, if you can believe it. Just didn't have a reason this time. But we did do Fair Oaks Farm's new restaurant. We were actually a little disappointed... maybe they're still working through some kinks? Willing to try it again, but I think I'd rather do the grilled cheese at their deli-style shop across the parking lot any day!

Cubs Game #1

So I think I'm driving Eric nuts with my annual Cubs games. He grew up a White Sox fan, and calls Wrigley a Museum. I've told him if he wants to do White Sox games, I'm open for them. But if I didn't book what I do, we'd never get out of town!

This trip might of gotten him to warm up to Wrigley a bit more, at least. Phase one of the renovation happened in the off season, and this first phase included two big screens in the outfield. (And these will come into play later.) He said the men's bathroom was better, too (I know the women's was upgraded!). So it wasn't much, but he wasn't complaining about the deteriorating stadium the whole time. In my opinion, the upgrades so far look like they are going well. They seem to be following the Fenway model pretty well - keeping the history and making the 'new' blend in as well as one can (rather than detracting from it - like Soldier Field did so many years ago). They even try to 'blend' the large LED screens by using 'historic' coloring.

We knew the weather was going to be iffy for the game. This was a night game, too, so we knew that time was limited t how long we could be there. We got there, and play was able to get underway on time. The Cubs even managed to pull into the lead over the Reds before a rain delay was called. It just seemed like it was going to go one for awhile. But, something they could never do before was able to entertain the crowd - they pulled up the Blackhawks playoff game on the big screens! So we had a spontaneous Blackhawks watch party, which for this crowd, was perfect! They probably kept a lot more people around when the game resumed much later, thanks to that.

We, however, were not two of them. We stuck it out through the end of the 2nd Period of the Blackhawks game before deciding to dodge the raindrops back to the car. But we were okay with that. We just went to the hotel and crashed - it was after 10pm by the time we go there.

This morning, we decided to go by Eataly for breakfast (Italian pastries and coffee), since they were open early enough (and the weather was still miserable and rainy). The weather didn't bode well for any other exploration of the City - just too nasty. After a quick breakfast, we wandered through Eataly and picked up a few items to cook up an awesome belated anniversary dinner tonight. Nothing like a little authentic Italian food to make for a mouth watering dinner, no matter the occasion. This, alone, almost made the trip completely worth it!

And we did go by Ikea before leaving town - I didn't think that was on the table this trip, but Eric wanted to grab a few items. And I can always do Ikea. But we still got home with plenty of time to cook up an amazing dinner, as planned! It turned out to be quite nice trip, for as short as it was. Always good to get away, even if it is quick.

An Unconventional Valentine's Day

After last year's near fiasco (if you don't remember, go look it up), I really was big on doing a big date night. I still wanted to do something, and while I would've been just happy cooking a nice meal at home (like we've done in the past), I still did a little searching for something fun to do. And then it came to me... a hockey game.

I know... hockey on Valentine's Day?? And no, this didn't mean a trip to Chicago. We have a new hockey team in Indy this year, the Fuel, that is actually a feeder team to the Blackhawks. Not the only question was, do they have a game on Valentine's Day?

Indeed there was a game. So a week out from Valentine's Day, we were buying tickets for a Valentine's Night Hockey Date. Sounds fun, right?? I even had guys at work jealous - kind of funny, actually.

So the game... we had talked about checking out a Fuel game when they first announced the season last year. The Blackhawks game we went to over a year ago was a great time, but pricey! So these would be cheaper in what I like to call a more 'intimate' atmosphere... only around 5,000 or so seats verses 20,000 or so in the United Center. We really weren't sure which level to buy - we figured they were all good seats. But we chose to go low because we knew we'd never get low for an NHL game. Not right on the glass, but just a few rows up.

It was a fun atmosphere, too! Not quite as electric as a Blackhawks game... but then, you only have a quarter of the fans yelling and screaming. But fun, none the less. They even had a surprise It's one of the few losses they've had in the past month or so. So that was a bit of a bummer. But they DID get a goal while we were there and, since they're a Blackhawks affiliate, it was the same horn and song to follow. Loved it!

So yeah... a little unconventional for Valentine's Day, but it was a lot of fun. And since it was so cold, it was nice to be able to just bundle up and not worry about being all dressed up in the cold. That was last year, and it sucked. I'll take my jeans and comfy layers any day.

Deflategate

I am so sick of hearing about 'Deflategate' already. Not that saying 'already' means anything, considering it was a bunch of crap to begin with. Part of me thinks it was just a bunch of hype to begin with - we can't honestly have a slow news week for the NFL, which last week would've been without this going on.

So here's the thing. Living in Indy, I'm hearing about it even more. Cause, of course, everyone here thinks the Colts got the shaft. The fans here seem to completely ignore the fact that the under-inflated balls were discovered in the first half, corrected at halftime, and the Patriots still scored an additional 28 points to completely blow away the Colts. Go figure.

Everyone is so quick to want to see the Patriots punished for cheating. But yet, there's no proof they cheated. There's no evidence to support that this was done on purpose, or done by someone as part of an intricate plan. Who's to say there wasn't some rogue person that just thought it would help the Patriots... or in hopes the Patriots would get accused of cheating?

I'll be one of the first to say that the NFL has become to big for their own good. They need to fall, at this point - no organization should have that much control over the media, merchandising, and everything related to football, in general. Maybe this little incident will help in that. Though I doubt it. But maybe. In my eyes, the NFL has become about as evil and the ENRON corporation... and every giant seems to eventually fall. Maybe Deflategate was just a way someone decided to make to dominoes start to fall.

How's that for a conspiracy theory?

Jags Game (at the Colts)

Since giving up our season tickets a few years ago, Eric and I typically go to one Colts game a year. it was easy, at first... always the Jaguars game. but then they flipped the home/away schedule, and the Jags were always in Indy when we were down in Jacksonville. That sucked. So while we still went to a game, it gave little excitement to either of us.

But then this year, the schedule was adjusted so the Jags were up in Indy earlier than in recent years (but not flipped), and I literally just realized this a couple of weeks ago. So of course, this quickly became our game for the season. Even if my Jags are doing poorly (they are the poster child this year), I still like to see them play. Besides, I wanted to check out the new quarterback in person - he was seemingly pretty good, from things that float around the media.

So the game was this afternoon. Eric was a good sport about humoring me with the 'one game' of the season... he's really just not a big fan of the NFL in general, anymore. And I went to the game with absolutely no expectations, other than just seeing my Jags in person. We managed to snag some great seats... NOT through a broker or reseller, but actually directly from the ticket source (go figure - not a sell out). They were even better than what we used to have for season tickets, so score!

The first half actually gave me some hope. The Jags held the Colts to 6 and they scored a field goal, themselves. Not great, by any means, but defense was earning their pay, at least!

But then came the second half. Despite the defense forcing 6 fumbles throughout the game, the offense could do nothing with it. I'm not sure if it was the Colts defense (I doubt it) or the horrible offense of the Jags, but it was sad to watch. There was a reason I only saw a handful of Jags jerseys in the stadium, when in years past I'd see sections of them. Colts won, 23-3.

Alas, I got to at least see my Jags this year. It's been a couple of years, I think. Here's hoping to better luck next year.

Pacers are Back!

Tonight was the first home game of the Pacer's new season. They had a pretty great season last year, and seem to finally be getting back in fans' good graces. There was definitely a period, there, where they just had a bad reputation. And they weren't playing so hot, either.

This year, they did a mini-season pack called 'Perfect 10' where you could actually pick whatever 10 games you wanted. Eric and I decided to go for it and, so we didn't feel completely obligated or feel guilty if we gave them away, we chose the cheap seat. Yes, semi-nosebleeds. We're less than 10 rows up in the upper deck for any of the games (I think there are as many as 30 rows), so it really isn't as bad as it sounds. Besides, it was more about getting to see the good games (or at least the games we thought would be good).

We did go to tonight's home opener against the 76er's. It was kind of sad to see how many empty seats there were for a home opener, especially as strong as they finished last year, making it to the playoffs and all. Even more so because we know how cheap it really is to go to a game, if you really want to. We spent less for 10 Pacer's games for than what we would've spent for ONE COLT'S GAME if we were still buying those season tickets. Seriously... what do you think the better deal is? If we chose the nosebleeds at Lucus Oil Stadium, we could've squeezed two, maybe three games in for what we paid for 10 Pacer's games. But I digress.

One of the reasons people might be staying away (and I hope this is all it is) is because three starters are injured right now. When you only have 5 guys on the floor, that can make a difference. But I have to say, I was impressed with some of our second stringers, and even third stringers. The Pacers still pulled off a pretty nice win (even if it was against the 76er's). I'm looking forward to our next nine games, scattered throughout the season!

Stormin' the Mike!

So I've talked about the Indy Eleven before... Indianapolis' professional soccer team. This has been their inaugural season, with the fall series wrapping up in a few weeks. They've won a few games... none at home, but there have been a few... and numerous draws (ties). But the home crowd has been aching to see a win at home... hence, the 10,000+ sell-out crowds every home game.

In fact, the 'legend' of our fandom has gotten out. Not too many teams in the NASL can boast a single sell-out crowd, let alone an entire season (if not every game, it's been pretty damn close). Plus, we have the Brickyard Battalion, which sings, cheers, and chants the entire game behind the west goal. It's an absolutely cool atmosphere to be in. It's been fun being a season ticket holder.

So anyway... last night was their second-to-last chance to score a home victory for they fans. They were playing the Minnesota United, though... the top ranked team in the NASL. But the Eleven came out strong, scoring early in the first half in the 8th minute. And the Brickyard Battalion did its thing to celebrate. The remainder of the first half was a lot of hard playing by both teams, but never the less, went into halftime with Indy up by one.

The second half started off with a bang, with the Eleven scoring their second goal in the first minute (or, as soccer enthusiast would recognize, the 46th minute). I think it happened so fast that a lot of people weren't even back in their seats yet! But the cheering commenced, just as loud as usual. The rest of the half was much of the same hard fought battle, with an additional (unheard of) seven minutes being tacked on to the end of the match. But Indy held on, much to their fans delight.

And after the final whistle blew, those fans 'Stormed the Mike' - they ran on the field like it had been their calling all along. The smoke bombs went off, the cheering was more of a roar, and the high fives with the players seemed never ending. It was such an awesome thing to see and be a part of. The historic, first home win in the inaugural year of the Indy Eleven. We believed that they would win... and they did.

One Last Baseball Game

So in all my park hopping this summer, I did still manage to make a couple of 'local' games to see our minor league team, the Indianapolis Indians play. I still like to make these games. It's just so easy to go to, especially living downtown the way we do. It seems silly to not make it to some games.

Granted, I waited pretty late in the season to go to any. I think that was partly because of all the other MLB games we were running around to. And other non-sporting travel. My company had our company outing there a few weeks back. Since we're so small, our owner just gets a suite for one of the Wednesday afternoon games. This was the second year he did it and everyone seems to have a good time. We get some food in the suite and both years, we've lucked out with weather, too. It's definitely an easy way to bond with coworkers... it's baseball, after all.

This weekend is the last home stint for the Indians before the season ends, so last night, Eric and I went over for the game. We got tickets online, about an hour before the game - there were still plenty of seats, then, but it did look to be a sellout after we got there. At least pretty close to it. Stands were pretty well packed. We rode the bikeshare, of course... they have a docking station right by the field (smart, huh?). It was a nice way to wind down the week, too. It seemed unusually long. For me, at least. But it was an easy 'date night' to do... very little planning and quite the bargain when you really look at it. Now if only I could keep Eric from checking his emails on his phone...

And now we have football to look forward to. Well, I do, anyway... I love me some Auburn football!

Just Another Cubs Game... Again

You laugh, but I went to another Cubs game this weekend. This time, it was tickets I bout from a friend, that I forgot I requested and never really knew for sure they were mine until right before I won the Red Sox tickets. But what's one more baseball game roadtrip, right??

Instead of boring you with the standard mumbo jumbo about how they lost... again... and how cursed they all to never win another world series, I'm going to tell you about their big celebration going on this year. Wrigley Field turned 100 years old this year. While it's just 2 years younger than Fenway Park, it's showing it's age a little more with the lack of updates. But of course, I still love it.

So this whole season they've been paying tribute to the park, with lots of freebies and throwbacks for each decade it's been around. Here's a little known fact to those outside the Cubs Fans (and even some Cubs fans learned of this for the first time this year)... the Cubs were NOT the first team to play in Wrigley Field... The Chicago Federals were. They were part of a THIRD baseball league that was very short lived. It also was not called Wrigley Field until 1926, twelve years after it opened under the name Weeghman Park, after it's original owner.

There's so much more to that park, but if you really want to learn about, I'll let you go explore. After one last face... before it was a ballpark, it was a seminary! Crazy, huh?? And one last tidbit, maybe related, maybe not... even though the Cubs have won a World Series, they've yet to win one since they've call Wrigley Field home... the last world series won by the Cubs was in 1908, when they were still at West Side Park... so 104 years without a World Series win.

After visiting Fenway last month, I've become a supporter of the renovations they're seeking to do - it's needed. And I think it falls nicely after it's 100yr Anniversary. Of course, this support is only intact if they keep things historic and, as I said before, follow the lead of Fenway for how they did things.

So a new page is turning for Wrigley Field. Hopefully a new era with some more luck in the Cubs favor, including a World Series win. Maybe that, alone, is enough of a reason for some renovations. Regardless, I will love my trips to Wrigley Field and will cherish each one I've had, whether in the bleachers or the stands, in May or September, or any time between... and hope for many more to come.

Just Another Cubs Game

After last weekend, this weekend was going to seem low key, no matter what. Even if we were driving to Chicago.

Mind you, I bought these tickets back in February, WAY before any other plans were in place. THIS was supposed to be my birthday weekend of travel (as I always seem to do). Just a standard weekend in Chicago for a Cubs Game.

Who knew there were Red Sox tickets on the horizon back in February. Not me. Not even a glimmer.

Regardless, I had these tickets in hand, and they were good tickets that I bought outright when they first went on sale. The Cubs verses the Cardinals. Always a good game, even if the Cubs lose... but just because it's the Cardinals. The only problem was that I think Eric and I were still worn out from last weekend, plus playing catch-up at work all week. But I was determined to have a good time.

We left Saturday, late morning. Neither of us was motivated to get up there super early. It was a 3pm (CDT) game, so we had plenty of time. So we thought. We even stopped at Fair Oaks Farm for some grilled cheese sandwiched for lunch. And then the time crunch somehow happened. We ended up driving all the way to Wrigley and parking on Clark instead of going to the hotel, first, and hopping on the Red Line. But it was what it was.

The Cubs... well, they played miserably. Maybe it was the dreary/hazy day in Chicago that killed it for them... or just made it seem worse to us. But they lost pretty bad. And I think there were more Cardinals fans in the stands then there were Cubs fans. Kind of sad... we're barely past the All-Star break... it doesn't get this bad until late August, usually.

Even through it all, though, I still had fun. Got to see some friends (Paula and Eric) and catch up for an inning and had some good noshing food for dinner (wasn't overly hungry, but wanted something). But we still ended up crashing early... we were both still exhausted. Plus, Eric's been killing himself on trying to open a fashion boutique (another blog forthcoming on that). And, par for the course, we went to Ikea on the way home today so he could pick up some items for said store... which stretched the day out a little too long and we got home later than planned... still exhausted.

Here's hoping for a low key week and an even lower key weekend next weekend, where we can both regain our sanity!

Birthday Roadtrip - Part 2

So onto Boston!

We actually got in relatively early... we actually had time to walk around the area we were staying in (Back Bay area), which turned out to be the perfect place to stay with our plans. Boston is a very compact city, and once we parked our car for the two nights, we got everywhere we wanted on either foot or bike. Which we loved. The only bummer was they use a different bike share than Indy, so we actually had to purchase a day pass... but it was no big deal.

So Friday night... walking around Boston and it turned out to be where all the shopping was. It was basically a big outdoor mall, with both major chains and independent local shops. It was pretty cool, actually - could've spent an entire day exploring and shopping the area. If I would've known, I might have made it a point to get into town earlier! But it was still a nice walk around and we found some place to get the obligatory seafood while in Boston.

Saturday was our day to be tourists. We woke up, grabbed a bite to eat at the hotel, then rode over to the Boston Public Garden. It's really quite beautiful... again, compact, but they plant some beautiful flowers, throughout, and the pond in the center is quite an attraction. And right next to it is the Boston Common, which also is a large park, but on a more functional scale. Lots of open green space, ball fields, monuments, a wading pool, playground, etc. And from there, you're right on the Freedom Trail.

This was where we realized how truly compact Boston was. Everything is right there and it truly is walkable. I guess I just never put a scale to the map I was looking at to realize that what looked like 5 miles by my standard map observations was actually only about a mile on this map. Good for us, as we realized we could just dock our bikes and walk around - much easier considering the amount of pedestrians. And we walked just about the entire trail, even across the Boston Harbor to Bunker Hill. Granted, we didn't stop and read every plaque and observe every detail of the historic trail and landmarks along the way... but we still enjoyed it. And some stuff just of the trail, like Mike's Pastry Shop to grab some cannoli... yum! Of course, Eric and I were excited to see the results of The Big Dig, which was much needed to add some more green space to this part of the downtown... we never drove through the finished tunnel, but I'm guessing it was just a modern tunnel (unlike those you see on the PA Turnpike).

We also checked out some other historic spots, like America's Oldest Tavern, The Bell In Hand Tavern. Had to grab a beer there, just to say we did just that. And then there was the Bull and Finch Pub, which is now better known as Cheers, as it was the bar the TV show was based off of and took outside camera views of. This is actually right across from the Public Garden. There were just so many cool places to check out... really wish I had another full day in Boston (though Eric would've been struggling with another day from work).

But alas, it was time to do what we really came to do... the whole reason this trip even happened... it was time for a Boston red Sox game. Remember back in April, when I mentioned I won something at the Make-A-Wish Big Wish Gala? Well, this was it. Tickets to this game. No other travel arrangements... just the tickets. So that is how this vacation came to be. It was a night game, too, which was nice, since it game us the rest of the day in Boston to explore. But I can officially check Fenway off of my travel bucket list. Wrigley Field is my home field, but with Fenway Park being a couple of years older, I've been wanting to go for awhile now. And I gotta say, it's a nice ballpark! I hope Wrigley is taking Fenway as its inspiration as it moves forward with some of the modernizations/renovations they're planning, because Fenway did it right. Still feels like a historic park, as it should. But you have the modern amenities you've come to expect when you're at a large event, such as this. So we walked to Fenway from our hotel and I'm happy to say that I even got to see a win, with them beating the Royals 2-1. Our seats were amazing, as I had hoped they would be (for the pretty penny I paid for them... for charity). They were the 2nd level, right behind home plate. Couldn't have asked for better seats. I'll probably never be able to go back there for a game without being disappointed by my seats! LoL Nah... I'd gladly go back, no matter where the seats are. It was an awesome experience.

As was the entire trip. But this pretty much wrapped up the trip for us. Sunday was a driving day. All. Day. Driving. We left around 6:30am, though we were shooting for a little earlier. But we were counting on about a 14 hour drive, straight though to Indianapolis. With a stop for dinner, it was about a 14.5 hour trip. Not too bad in the big realm of things, but it wore us out, none the less. I, thankfully, took today off... and I could probably take another day off to just sleep. But no... it's back to the real world tomorrow.

If you want to see all the photos I took (there's a lot!), go to my Fotki page to check them out.

A Ball Game and a Wedding

Eric and I got home from an absolutely awesome weekend this afternoon. Yes - it's Monday afternoon. So yes, it included taking a day off work... even if it was for the drive home. But that extra day helped make it perfect.

It started Saturday morning. We didn't actually need to leave until around noon, or so, which allowed us to leisurely get pack and get ready to go. In theory, anyway... still felt a little rushed, but that was just because we were trying to take care of some things before leaving. But we did manage to get Chicago bound right about noon.

After some stops along the way, we got into town and to the theWit a little after 4pm (CDT). Still one of my favorite hotels. And surprisingly, it was the cheapest in town when we booked it just a few weeks ago. But we didn't stay long before jumping on the 'L' to head down to the White Sox game. You read that right... White Sox, not Cubbies. I need to indulge Eric every so often, too. LoL

It ended up being Susan G. Komen night at Comiskey Park. So there was a lot of pre-game activities going on around the stadium. They even gave away a pretty nice pink scarf to ladies, so that was a nifty bonus (even if it does say 'Sox' on it). Eric and I got there before the first pitch, so we had a chance to walk around the stadium before settling into out seats. It was a very slow game to start, so we got up and did a another lap midway through the game. of course, that's when a homerun was hit. Figures. But the White Sox still lost to the Diamondbacks by a run. Regardless, it was a great night to be at a ballgame.

We headed back to the hotel and had a drink before calling it a night. While Sunday wasn't going to be an early morning, it was going to be a long day... it was The Wedding Day for his cousin, Travis and his Bride, Melissa.

Sunday morning, we got up and walked over to the Panera across from Millennium Park. Chicago has their SGK Race for the Cure on Mother's Day (which was Sunday), so we watched a lot of the participants walking back after the race. It was the perfect morning to be sitting outside, eating breakfast, practically on the park. Even if Eric was on his computer doing work stuff.

We strolled back to the hotel and packed up to head out. We had to drive from Chicago to St. Joseph, MI, and we were hoping to stop at Redamak's along the way. But that was after another stop Eric had in mind, Marquette Beach park in Gary, IN. We learned about a full restoration this park went through recently, including two historic building built back in the boom of the City's growth. Thought it would be worth checking out and it gave us a chance to see the lake, too. I still have a hard time calling it a beach - there's no salty breeze! It turned out to be well worth the stop - it was a beautiful park and the buildings were beautifully restored (and part of one still in progress). It was definitely a gem worth saving is the often crime ridden City. The whole area around it was surprisingly well kept and a bit of a gem of a neighborhood, too. So since we ended up driving around here a little longer than anticipated, we had no time to wait in the big crowd at Redamak's, which was a bummer. Next trip north, I guess.

We finally get to our hotel in St. Joe, only to find out our hotel room wasn't ready. But we had to get ready for the wedding that we had to leave for in a half hour. Thankfully, Eric's parents were able to check in right before us, so we were able to use their room to quickly get ready. Then it was off to the wedding at The Blue Dress Barn.

First off, The Blue Dress Barn is an absolutely awesome venue! I've been to 'barn weddings' before, but this one was truly restored to serve the purpose of an event venue. It had it separate little areas set up for the different pieces of a wedding (or other event, I suppose), it never felt crowded, and you never felt like you were in an old dairy barn (except for some initial unseasonably warm/humid weather we were experiencing that made it a little stuffy for the first part of the reception). What surprised me was how BIG it was! I guess since it was an old dairy barn, it had that larger footprint for all the cattle in the lower level (which we never saw - we were upstairs). Inside, they had it so shabby chic decorated and lit with lanterns and old chandeliers. And again, the space was huge!

So the wedding ceremony, itself, was outside in a little grassy area set up for the ceremony, with a nice path, leading to a staged area between to two old silos. I imagine if it was later in the spring, the area would have a lot of colorful flowers, but even without that, it was a very pretty backdrop. The bride was beautiful! When Travis first saw Melissa come out from the bridal suite with her dad, his expression was priceless - that of a man that truly loved the woman he was about to marry. It was so sweet. They were both so enamored by each other throughout the ceremony... it was, quite simply, perfect.

There were pictures galore - I can only imagine the amount of photos they'll be going through. They had a great photographer who was open to taking pictures at anyone's request, and had pictures of the wedding party taken all over the grounds. We even managed to get all the Strickland Family that was there together for a group photo with the bide and groom. After all of the pictures were taken outside, they finally made their way into the barn, and the full reception began.

I've yet to mention that both the bride and groom are professional chefs, trained at the NYC Culinary Institute of America. So - no pressure - we fully expected this to be a wedding with top notch food. And we all had quite a laugh when the bride and groom were the first to go to the buffet line of roasted pork and chicken (done on premises) and they both just smelled all of the food, first. They were very particular with the caterers, from what I was told. Not that we were surprised by that fact. And the food showed that fact. Yum!

We had a lot of the standard fare of ceremonial traditions post ceremony, from the first dances, to the toasts, to the cutting of the cake. But for us, it was more about the family. Some of Eric's cousins are spread all over, including Travis and Melissa, now, who just moved to CA a month or so ago. We caught up quite a bit with his side of the family that's out in CA, as well as some that were just down the road in Laporte. I love that weddings bring all the family together... just wish it didn't take a wedding to make it happen. But none the less, it's always a good time catching up with everyone.

While we weren't the last ones to head back to the hotel, there weren't too many left outside of our family when we left. So we said our good-byes, hugged everyone one last time before heading out, with promises of trips to see each other. Hopefully, that will happen. After all, I have family in CA, too, so that would make for a fun trip.

Indy Eleven

We have a new pro-sport in town... well, semi-pro, at least. It's not the Majors, but we'll see big stars come through. At least, they're big stars if you follow the sport. What sport, you ask? Soccer.

It still amazes me how popular soccer has become in the US. Not a bad thing, at all... nice to finally have a common sport with the rest of the world be so popular in the US, too. Locally, there was a big push to get a professional team here, even if it wasn't the MLS level. Which they finally did.

And they've done it right. All the right publicity and promotion to get people hyped up about it. They sold out their season tickets well before the season (Eric and I even bought some), and their first game (last night) was sold out. And the hype? Even if you don't follow soccer, you can't help but follow it - the excitement is just too real... there's no commercial machine behind it, it's just a pure passion for the game by longtime fans.

So the team? Again, they did it right by having a team name (Indy Eleven) with a history/background to it that made it interesting to everyone... they didn't just throw out some mascot. They strategically drafted and announced everyone one the team, from the coach to the last player, just weeks before the first game. They have a fan club, the Brickyard Battalion, that leads all the chants and songs during the games. It's even very kid/family friendly.

So last night was the first game, and even I was excited about it. And though the match was a draw, it did not disappoint in excitement. I can only imagine it'll get better as the team's chemistry grows. And we have a whole season to watch it unfold!

The Pacers

So as I think most of you know, Eric gave up his Colts season tickets a couple of years ago, after having them for over a decade. Frankly, the Colts organization just didn't treat the fans like you find in some places or in other sports. No recognition for being a long time ticket holder - just annual cost increases with the "give me your money" mailings. It just felt wasteful to keep spending that much money on an organization that didn't give a damn about us or other fans.

So, as a trade off, we decided that with the money that would normally be spent on those tickets, we would go to more games or events outside of the football games. This year, the Pacers had a deal around the holidays to essentially buy a mini game pack of five of the top games. And the price was damn cheap. Granted, it was upper level, but the fact that they were doing this for the good games instead of the games they knew wouldn't sell out made it pretty damn worthwhile, regardless.

So tonight was the last of those five games... it was against the Miami Heat. The Heat have become one of the Pacers biggest rivals and the rivalry has become one of the bigger ones in the NBA this year. They even pushed back the start time so it could be ESPN's primetime game. It was a packed house! And it was a hell of a game, down to the last second attempt by the Heat to pull out a win with a quick basket. But it ended with another Pacers win, keeping them on top of the division.

Most of the games we went to were pretty good. We had a few other games, too, that weren't part of our package deal. for us, this was quite a year of going to Pacers games! It's just so easy for us - just a quick walk from home.

Now I'm trying to talk Eric into going to a playoff game. We'll see.

Iron Bowl Day!

So we have a rare instance of an Iron Bowl really meaning something this year. Not just in the SEC, or even just the SEC west... but for the National Title! If you don't care about football, then you won't care about this blog. These are my pre-game ramblings (as I know I'll be too emotional, one way or another after the game). But I've gotta do it.

Auburn surprised even its own fans this year with an amazing run, to date. When they lost to LSU, I, and many others, figured that was the beginning of our down slope. Until then, we hadn't really played any big teams, and definitely no ranked teams. We had a long road ahead of us that included Texas A&M, Georgia, and, of course, Alabama. Who would've thought that LSU would be out only loss by the time we made it to the Iron Bowl?

But here we are, going into one of the biggest Iron Bowls in history, and generally one of the biggest talked about games in recent college football history. No one could've possibly predicted this at the beginning of the season. And as if these two teams don't already hold one of the biggest grudge matches every year, this year, no matter what conference you typically watch, all eyes will be on Jordan-Hare Stadium at 3:30pm (EST). If you're not watching, you just must not care about college football. But even if you don't, I'm sure you've at least heard about this game.

I'm not one to make predictions. I feel like that jinxes things. Yes... I get superstitious about my team. I love my Auburn Tigers, and after last year's disappointing season, this season has me more hyped than ever. I'm just hoping that, outside of us fans (on either side), things aren't getting OVER-hyped. That tends to happen with these games... the media over-hypes things, and the game, itself, is a let down compared to the hype.

Regardless, I'll be watching with my Auburn Club. We'll be making a ruckus in the restaurant, but we don't care. That'll just be our Auburn Pride coming out.  I so wish I could actually be in Auburn for the game... this'll be a hell of of a game to watch in Jordan-Hare.

War Damn Eagle!!  Beat 'Bama!!!

Advantage to Living Downtown

I don't talk much about living downtown, and some of the advantages of it. Of course, for just about every advantage, I can find a disadvantage. But that 's just me, probably. It's not to say that I don't like living downtown (I do), it's more the fact that I can see the positives of both downtown living and suburb living.

Case in point... Eric and I can decide to go to a game or event at the last minute, and it really doesn't make a big deal, as far as planning goes. Last night, for example, we decided to meet some friends out at the Pacers game and then go for some drinks afterwards. Not a big deal. Ordered some tickets, picked them up at will call on my way home from work, and then we just walked over to the game. We didn't have to worry about what time we were going to leave to have time to park and/or eat dinner. No worries about how much we could drink before going home (not that we drink a lot, anyway). Just throw on a coat, grab a house key, and go. It's really nice to not have to drive.

 Similarly, we went to the Colts game last week after we were given some tickets to us last minute. Hardly a blip from out normal plans. We just walked down to the game, watched Indy completely implode, and left a little early because it was just sad.

But it's not just sporting events (though they are the primary last minute decisions)... we can decide to go out to eat, and not think about where we can park close to the restaurant. Decide we want to visit a museum. Whatever. And, if we choose, we can pretty much walk to where ever downtown from out house. The only sticking point, usually, is the weather. But even then, at least for big events, we'll still choose to walk because parking is such a pain.

So I will say that is definitely an advantage to living downtown. We wouldn't go to half of the events we do if we lived in the suburbs - just too much of a hassle. Now if only I could make the trains go around the City instead of through it.

Blackhawks Game

Eric has talked about going to a Blackhawks game since we got married.  Actually, probably since before we got married!  He grew up a big Blackhawks fan, and they great success in the past few years has only increased his excitement.  The past two year, in particular, the season would start, and he'd say, "We should really go to a Blackhawks game this year."  But the season would progress and his travels kept him overly busy (or just gone).

I, myself, have never been to a true professional hockey game.  I've been to a minor league game, I guess, and an amateur/feeder league... but I heard that nothing compares to a professional hockey game, especially a home Blackhawks game.  Fane get loud and rowdy... but not in an obnoxious way.  Needless to say, I've been intrigued for a few years now.

So with them coming off of their Stanley Cup win last year, the anticipation was, once again, burning inside of at least me.  We watched pre-season hockey start up, and murmurs of going to a game again this year surfaced.  But this time, I decided to take control.  I jumped online and searched out some tickets, myself.  That would be the most perfect thing I could give Eric.  So, I surprised him with them.  And as much as he hates surprises, he liked this one.

So that was what we did last night.  I know... long story to lead up to the actual event. But I felt the back story was important.  It was a primetime game, which made it nice for us, as we didn't have to rush up to Chicago early in the morning.  So we mosey up to Chicago, and actually go to Ikea first.  Eric needed a few things for his office.  But it was a quick stop and then we headed to the hotel, where we had just enough time to check in and freshen up.

We rode the "Blackhawks Express' bus over there, which really turned out to be the way to go.  Pretty much drop you off and pick you up at the front door!  We get inside the United Center and dirst things first, I had to get a jersey!  Sounds weird, but jerseys at a hockey game are a must!  I kid you not, 90% of the people there have a jersey on... all ages!  Of course, it was crazy in there!  But I found an away (white) jersey I liked (Hossa) and we were on our way to our seats.

Now, due to their popularity, tickets aren't the easiest to come by for games.  And what you do find are usually through broker sites, and can get expensive!  but I felt pretty good about the deal I got on some first row, upper deck seats.  So we grabbed some Italian Beef sandwiches and took our seats, just in time for the pre-game stuff to begin.

First thing I noticed about getting loud... they get loud during the National Anthem!  It's a trip!  Not singing the Anthem, but the roar just starts to get going.  And it flows right into player introductions.  You can't help but get hyped up!  This game was against the Minnesota Wild, which is a decent team.  And they showed that.  But just as is the case with most sports, it is WAY better to see hockey live verses watching it on TV.  It's gotta be the atmosphere you're in.  I loved watching the game and getting into the scores and the power plays.  We were sitting next to a family, and I thought it was interesting that the mom was the one explaining everything to the kids.  Quite well, at that - she was definitely a fan.

So the game was a blast, obviously.  I definitely want to go again.  I could do this every year, just like we do Cubs games every year.  Unfortunately, the Blackhawks lost this one, 5-3.  Wish they could have won this first game for me.  But it doesn't detour me from wanting to go back.

That was pretty much the only reason we had to be in Chicago.  The next morning, we got up and found this French Bakery that Eric had read about, La Fournette .  It was REALLY good!  You could easily over indulge here, though... but worth the ride on the CTA to Old Town to check it out, even if the temp was right at freezing outside!  It actually made for a nice, relaxed morning.  Afterwards, we strolled back to the red line station, and headed back to the hotel to check out.  And that was it.  Our trip to Chicago was short and sweet.

War of 1812

So there was a little football game in town last night. But don't say that around here... here in Indy, it was the game of the century. It was being called "The War of 1812" because it was Peyton Manning (#18) versus Andrew Luck (#12).

Did the hype expand out of this City? Can anyone tell me?

Can we say "Over Hyped", regardless if it did or not??

You would of have thought it was the coming of Jesus the way people were acting around here. It was stupid insane. And so not warranted. There was even controversy during the week leading up to it when Jim Irsay made some comments that basically was the equivalent of saying, 'he was happy that they let Peyton go since he wasn't needed at his level of play anymore.' Of course, Peyton being the classy guy he is, just let it go. At least publicly.

Over. Hyped.

Don't get me wrong. It actually turned out to be a good game. Any one of normalcy expected a pretty lopsided game in Denver's favor. But apparently, the hype seeped into the Colts players' blood and they came out pretty amped up. And won, surprisingly. Granted, the Broncos kind of beat themselves with some of the stupid mistakes. But regardless, it made for a better game that I thought it would be.

And I'm sure the greedy NFL ate it all up. I'm sure all the hype left them foaming at the mouth for more. Maybe they'll make everyone buy a cheap windbreaker next year, and not let you wear your own jacket to the stadium. I'm sure they'll figure out another way to make fans spend more money.