There was definitely some promise for the Baltimore weekend that lay ahead with some family and friends being in the area. We got started a little late from Charlotte. I don’t think anyone is surprised about that though at this point in the trip. We had to pick up a few people, which actually turned into just one. So we picked up our friend Mary in Richmond and ventured through Washington, DC during rush hour. We made Aaron drive, so Mary would get the full driving experience. You see, he gets a little frustrated, especially in traffic. We had a few good laughs, but it really wasn’t that bad. We rolled into Baltimore and stayed with some family. Another friend of mine came up and we all played a few sets of Rock Band before heading to Federal Hill to meet up with Nolan’s friends. It was a good set with Heidi on the drums, Aaron on the guitar, and me singing my face off. The bars were somewhat quiet for a Friday night, but that didn’t stop us from having fun and enjoying our different levels of bubbles. I was surprised, though, at the end of the night when they called last call, that I couldn’t order a beer, just a shot. Who said shots??

… Continue reading Baltimore, ‘nough said!

We spent a good 35 hours driving from Phoenix to Charlotte this week. It was a long drive but manageable and we made it to Charlotte with time to go to lunch with Nolan’s grandfather before the festivities got under way. We were actually the first RV in the lot so we got dibs on the spot upfront. It took a little while to get the energy to set up, but after Aaron and I threw the football and Nolan took a nap, we started the grill and got the tables set up. We played a few games of water pong and I was on fire. I won five games in a row versus both Aaron and Nolan. I could not be beat. Then our friend Greg popped in and I continued my reign for another five games. At that point, Nolan started his 15 minutes of perfection and beat all of us for several games. So basically, Nolan and I were unstoppable for the evening. Right before I went to the game, Aaron and Greg challenged the dual of Nolan and I, and the outcome was obvious, with Nolan and I taking down the crown!

… Continue reading Downtown, Uptown, Anytown: Charlotte was the Place to be!

What does homecoming mean to you? Seeing people you haven’t seen in a while and enjoying some good conversations with good cold beverages, basically an awesome party! That is what our homecoming lived up to at Westgate Plaza near the University of Phoenix Stadium. We had friends and family and the Vet Tix team all enjoying themselves at the tailgate. Vet Tix pulled through and linked up with Westgate to provide an ideal parking spot for the RV. Plenty of exposure with people walking to the game and the Plaza. Nolan hooked up the grill and started working magic, perfecting the jalapano poppers and putting the finishing touches on my mom’s awesome shrimp poppers. Others enjoyed the cheese dip and my sister’s guacamole. It was a family affair til the end!

I think one of the more important factors of the tailgate was the fact that we made use of the inside of the RV playing water pong and preparing food. It was a first for the RV and it was still quite roomy with all the people and ping pong balls. It brought us more confidence for inclement weather plans. Besides the canopy, we could also have as much fun inside the RV with plenty of people.

… Continue reading Homecoming

We took advantage of meeting my parents in Vegas and enjoyed a cheap night at the Rio. My total rewards are good for something, I suppose. We did some gambling and had some fun before we made the trek west to San Francisco.

Once we past Bakersfield, we were on the same route we traveled when the RV died. It was a little surreal having it back in the same area. We totally expected people to remember us from a month before and give us dirty looks. Fortunately we didn’t get any Prius birdies this time around and we picked up two guests for the San Fran game and journey back to Phoenix. Julie and Kate made it just in time and we picked both of them up at the airport in the RV. It looks a little funny but I think people are excited to get in an RV at the airport. It’s definitely more unique than a limo, especially with our rolling palace.

… Continue reading Going Back to Cali

We spent our last weekend with the suburban in Colorado. In many ways the highway welcome sign accurately describes our experience – Welcome to Colorful Colorado. Beyond the awesome landscape and varying weather, I’m pretty sure our antics had something to do with it. We had two games for the weekend, Army @ Air Force in Colorado Springs and Pittsburgh @ Denver on Monday night.

We arrived in Denver to unseasonably hot weather. In fact it was a record high of 79 degrees. This wasn’t really shocking considering our previous anomalies such as the blizzard like conditions in early October. I’m definitely not complaining since it was excellent weather to get in some training for the marathon.

… Continue reading Colorful Colorado

A live interview with CNN was quite impressive for our cause. We got the message the week before about a possible interview and didn’t really want to tell anyone because we’ve had things fall through with other publicity offers. But this one actually happened, and it was a bit different from our previous interviews. First, we went to a studio to do the interview instead of them coming to our tailgate. Second, I was talking to a camera and not a reporter (it was a little weird listening to Heidi Collins in my ear and then talking to the camera). Third, I didn’t know what to do with my eyes, and looked around a little too much. But some good learning points and it was a great chance to get our story out to quite an extensive crowd. We have gotten some positivie feedback and some great messages from the interview. I just hope that it will help increase exposure and donations for the Joe Lusk Foundation.

Now for some news on the RV. It is RUNNING again and we plan on picking it up after the Colorado weekend. Logistics are fun with a 8-ton beast and hundreds of miles to figure out. But, nonetheless, we want to ask for some suggestions on naming her since we didn’t name her properly prior to the complications. We were thinking something along the lines of the Phoenix (rising again). But regardless, send some suggestions and we will choose a name next week when we re-embark her. Thanks!

The streets of Rochester, NY were as colorful as the people all three nights we went out on the town. You see, Halloween was this weekend and people took advantage of the great night by dressing up Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. We were out at the local establishment when we started noticing scantly-clad women walk to another nearby bar. Nurses, maids, playboy bunnies, and school teachers were all braving the cold and heading to the already packed club. We didn’t dress up that first night, frankly, because we didn’t realize there would be a packed house. But, nonetheless, we followed our eyes and they led us to that same club all the beautiful babies were at now. There were some good costumes, but none of them really stood out that first night. We did the normal thing and stayed in one corner drinking by ourselves and staring at all the girls that weren’t talking to us. Pretty typical! Sean expected great things from us for inviting additional girls to his Friday night Halloween party after he left us early. But we didn’t come through and invited no one from that bar.

… Continue reading Fright Night in Rochester

Driving the Suburban, or as I call it  “The Tank,” definitely has its ups and downs so far as the Rolling Palace decided it didn’t want to continue the trip with us.   The Tank is nice that it doesn’t cost as much to fill up as the RV; can go over 75 mph; gets double to triple the gas milage; and smaller so we can actually park in lots that aren’t designated for oversize vehicles.  On the contrary, the Rolling Palace has places of slumber, a full bathroom, kitchen, and lots of storage area; as the Tank has none of this, often having to stop for food and bathroom breaks.  It doesn’t take us nearly as long to get from city to city driving in a vehicle designed for the battlefield.  I call it the Tank because if an accident occurs, it’s the other person’s car that gets damage and not ours, as I have gotten into a few accidents with it, definitely not my fault though (at least none involving insurance claims)!

… Continue reading The Warbirds Take Flight

Before the tour started, we were pretty excited to spend time with friends and family and visit the nation. Unfortunately, some RV troubles have limited the time we could do these things. Don’t get me wrong, we have had a blast and been moving at a fast pace, but we want to slow the good times down a few notches and enjoy life. Last Saturday was pretty frustrating, embarrassing, and depressing, seeing all the white smoke from the exhaust cake San Francisco and Los Angeles in smog and having the RV’s transmission not catch. But, after seeing a man, blue in the face, being carted from Oakland Coliseum, and realizing how lucky I am do be in this situation, I am putting the frustrations behind me. It is time to stop and enjoy what we are doing to the fullest.

A lot of people have been very interested in what is going on with the RV and our trip. First, let me say thanks for all the support and help in getting this situation fixed. The RV’s engine and transmission need replacements and my father is in contact with a few mechanics / salvage yards to do this at a reasonable price. We just hope that, once fixed, it will finish the trip. So, in the meantime, Nolan, Aaron, and I stole my parent’s suburban, and are continuing the great adventure for a few weeks. We hope that the RV will be finished by the Colorado weekend (Nov. 7 – 9) and we will trade vehicles at that point and finish with the RV. So our tailgates will be lacking the visibility and some amenities of the RV and the wrap, but we will still be set up around the suburban.

… Continue reading Renewed Passion

She didn’t even have a name and now she’s gone. What looked like a small forest fire in the California Redwoods was actually our RV coughing up a lung. We were told that we’d at least be able to get it to Phoenix, but we found ourselves unable to make it past Los Angeles. The stats so far: 12,000 miles, 15 games and 1 engine.

Nate and Aaron’s father made big moves and met us where we were stuck, bringing a car so that we can continue on to this weekends games. We’re not exactly sure what’s next, but at least the goal of 31 stadiums is still on track.