Omaha Road Trip: Day I

Okay, so now that I'm back and have had a chance to recover, I'll post about my trip in a few installments. They will be posted on the date closest to where they took place.

It all started back after the Beavers won their Regional in Virginia. After last year, I really wanted to go to Omaha and experience it, even if the Beavers lost. A lot of people were like "why aren't you there??!?" during last year's run so I got thinking the same thing. I should be there. Anyways, I casually mentioned going to my friend Stephen and he seemed up to it if they happened to make it.

So then come the Super Regionals. Beavers win against Michigan at home (I went to the second game) and they're off to Omaha. Their first game is on Saturday. Unfortunately, I have to move on Thursday and Friday so there was no way we make the first game.

After a final on early Thursday morning, Stephen and I got to talking. For a while we thought we'd go only if they made the Championship round. But we figured they wouldn't do that and who knows when they'd get to Omaha again. So we decided to go... assuming they won their first game against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. Otherwise, if they lost and we went, if they lost again we'd only get to see one game of theirs. That would not be worth the trip.

So on Saturday I'm at my cousin Ashley's graduation party and the game is going on. I have no contact with a score. I call Kenny and ask him... he checks out and the Beavers are up 2-1 in the 6th inning. Okay, so now I'm really freaking antsy. Not only are the Beavers in a close game that I care about, I'm also 9 outs way from dropping everything and going to Omaha. Everything hung in the balance.

Anyways, so the party gets over and I head to my car. I early turn on the radio and the first thing I hear is "he hits it high and deeeeeeep... SO LONG! HOMERUN! BEAVERS LEAD IT THREE TO ONE!"

So now I'm officially freaking out. They are so close! And in order to get to Omaha in time, Stephen and I have to leave right after the game and drive through the night (it's like 7:00pm at this point). I drive home on the freeway and the Beavers give up a run its getting tense. I run inside the house to watch the final three outs. The Beavers make it interesting (I'm pacing, yelling, etc.) but win.

I call Stephen. We're going.

An hour later we're on the road headed towards Omaha. His dad let us use his car since neither of us trusted ours to go all the way to Nebraska.

Anyways, we go all the way to Ogallala, Nebraska in our first leg, 20 hours of driving. Leaving at 9:15pm, we didn't stop until about 9pm the next night Omaha time. We stopped in Twin Falls, Idaho for breakfast at IHOP and then at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Subway for lunch/dinner. We just drank lots of caffeine to stave off the tiredness. While I was tired, I never was close to falling asleep at the wheel, I think the excitement of going to Omaha prevented that!

I'll post some pictures below. The next post will be on our first day in Omaha and the Beavers game against Arizona State.

Good rest stop in Idaho. We had stopped at some crappy ones.


Sunrise in Idaho.


We had to figure out how to use a gas station. It isn't so hard.


Wyoming. Don't let the picture fool you, it was a whole lot of nothing.


Ugh, that's still really far.

Google Map of it

We just did that. Just got into the hotel. Kill me now. Tomorrow will rock though.

I've been awake 30 straight hours. I really need to sleep. When its all said and done I will post videos, photos, etc.

I am going to be coming to you live from Nebraska in the next few days. Ugh... yeah, I'm going to Nebraska. In a car. In a day. Should be fun. My friend Stephen and I are following the Beavs to Omaha.

Anyways, I still need to post about moving day and my finals grades. I'll also try and post from Omaha with updates. I'll be brining my laptop so we'll see. Anyways, this is crazy. I didn't know I was going until about an hour ago. Now I'm scrambling to get things ready, Stephen's coming over in 20 minutes.

So yeah, that's where I'll be. Go Beavs!

I just wanted to let you know I hate the Boy Scouts. I just found out they won't let you join if you are an ATHEIST. On top of all their other bigoted ass policies. God damn I hate them.

I thought June was supposed to be a summery, warm month? Guess not. I just got drenched in a torrential downpour outside making my way to the student computer lab.

Oh well, all is well. I got online and listened to the Beavers wrap up a win to win their Regional in Virginia. They once again lost a game and had to battle back... but they won 3 straight elimination games and two against host Virginia. They move onto the Super Regionals and will host Michigan this weekend in Corvallis. Should be fun! What a season... again! Go Beavs!

Okay, so what I am going to describe to you actually took place about a month ago.

It was Mom's Weekend at Oregon State, where your mom comes down for the weekend and there's events and whatnot that the two of you can go to. Last year we really didn't do it up much, my mom came down for the day and took me out to dinner but that was all. Overall it wasn't worth it for her to drive and whatnot so I felt kind of bad.

So this time, I wanted to make it a little more fun. Also, now that I'm living in my apartment and whatnot she could sleep over and not have to get a hotel.

It all started the day before when I spearheaded a major cleaning of the apartment. We normally keep it fairly clean, but nothing like my mom would like to see I'm sure. So anyways... that took a good two hours on Friday. Kenny helped out, which was good... but... let's just say its painfully obvious he's never had to clean anything at his house before. Spraying CONCENTRATED "Simple Green" all over the coffee table and then smearing chemical into the wood with a quick few strokes is NOT cleaning the coffee table. Now it has a greasy slick that smells like chemicals. So yeah, had to clean up after that. Also did a half assed job on the vacuuming and cleaning up the kitchen floor. Anyways, its over, and the apartment was cleaned.

So the next day my mom arrives around noon. She check out the apartment (is impressed) and then we all get ready to go to the softball game. I had a whole day of activities planned out so we would have stuff to do and not be bored this time around. So we headed off to the softball game and watched Oregon State get absolutely clobbered by #1 Arizona.

At the apartment before the game.


Softball game!

So once the softball game was called due to the Mercy Rule, my mom and I toured around campus. I showed her all the exciting Oregon State sites, including in the library where my mom and dad have their names etched in glass displays for contributing money. Anyways, by the time that was over, it was time to eat dinner.

We went out to Thai food. Kenny and his mom joined us. A good time was had for all, everyone seemed to enjoy the restaurant. It's one I've been to many times and usually like it and my mom seemed to really like it too. Plus, its relatively cheap so that didn't hurt at all. I had a delicious Musmun Curry that hit the spot.

Yummy.

After that we went to the Comedy Show starring Caroline Rhea (as seen in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Carolina Rhea Show, and The Biggest Loser). Overall, she wasn't very funny. I though her opening act (David Crowe) was much better and would have rather had him the entire time. She had her moments but overall I think they could have done better. We all seemed to mildly enjoy that.

After the comedy show we went back to the apartment and played some cards. Around midnight Kenny's mom left, just coming up for the day. Seemed like she maybe wanted to stay but Kenny was being selfish (a la Dad's Weekend) and wouldn't give up his bed. So whatever. At least this time I didn't have to go to bed at 10pm like on Dad's Weekend. My mom slept in my bed and I slept in the living room on a pad. I watched a little TV and surfed the net on my laptop but it wasn't long before I fell asleep too.

The next morning we woke up and my mom took us out to breakfast before hitting the road to go back to Tualatin. Overall it was a fun weekend.