Brewers Spring Training 2014

I landed in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport around 10:30am local time, which gave me plenty of time to pick up my suitcase, the Purple Driz, which I checked it for free because the flight was full, and pick up my rental car. I had turned in my credit card points for the car so that's another thing that was practically free on this trip. So fat everything was working out in my favor and this was turning out to be one for the ages.

I've only taken my Sombrero on a plane once before (when I flew to Bemidji, MN in 2010) and when I did that I brought it with me as a carry-on. This time I packed it in my bag and when I got to Phoenix it was all messed up. Way to treat your most famous possession with care pal. But I would worry about that later because right now I had to pick a rental car (I chose a Dodge Avenger). It was time to go watch some baseball.

I'm a Milwaukee Brewers fan. Let's get that out of the way first. I love watching this team play baseball. When I had the chance to go down to Arizona to watch Spring Training I took it. That was in 2009 and I've been itching to go back ever since. Another opportunity presented itself this year because my Aunt Linda moved down to Scottsdale, AZ as my cousin Tyler enrolled at the University of Arizona. So I have family to stay with down there. When I went to Las Vegas in March 2013 I got bumped from my flight, so I had a $600 travel credit to use on Delta, so my flight was paid for. I had enough vacation time at work. All of these pieces came together so beautifully that I had to take advantage of this situation. After a brutal Wisconsin winter, I was ready for warm weather and baseball.

My flight was leaving Milwaukee at 7am, so I chose to be at the airport at around 6am. I asked Jenny Reck to take me to the airport so I was at her house around 5am. I don't know how I managed to be awake at that ungodly hour but you make sacrifices if the reward is great enough. I was leaving Korben Dallas in the care of my Mother and my downstairs neighbors, so he would be OK. That didn't stop me from being worried about the little fella and giving him a big ol hug goodbye. He didn't appreciate it. Thanks a million pal.

I've left Korben Dallas alone several times now, but I still feel bad for doing it. This cat loves me and even though he gets on my nerves sometimes, I can't help but love him back. Just look at the little bastard! Try and hate on that. You can't. The night before I left he sensed that something was up (pets have a way of doing that) and he was being extra needy, crying from his bed and sitting up on my desk.

Every time that I take off work for more than a day I leave an away notice up on my desk in case people come looking for me. I started doing this years ago when I went up to Afterglow and for whatever reason I wrote "Gone Fishin'". When I left for Afterglow it made sense because there is a lake up there that is stocked with aquatic creatures that you could catch with bait on the end of a pole. But there are very few lakes in Arizona, so I modified the sign to say I'd be flyball fishin' in the leftfield sea. How appropriate.

They book every seat on every flight these days so a big guy like me doesn't have any room to spread out. I kind of feel bad for whoever has to ride "bitch" (middle seat) but that's not my problem. I paid for a window seat so booyah guy next to me.

I changed planes in Minneapolis and had to go halfway across the airport to grab a 9:10am flight to Phoenix. I don't even remember the last time I had a non-stop flight. Do they even have those anymore? That must be something that rich people do. Not me.

The last time I flew on a giant plane I had one of these screens in the seat in front of me. I had so much fun with it I hoped I would have it again. My dreams came true on my flight from MSP to PHX, so I goofed around with this while we were in travel.

I like the window seat so I can look outside. I'm fascinated by air travel and how the World looks when you are above it all. I don't care how many times I've been in an airplane - this view is still cool. The little kid in me marvels at the very wonder of it all.