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Idaho, Part 1: The Drive

Liam-the-thirteen-year-old baseball star and the rest of the West Kootenay All-Star Baseball team just had their last hoorah for 2008 at the Regional Babe Ruth Conference in Twin Falls, Idaho.  There were two Canadian teams and ten American teams.  I'm not sure how well the other Canadian team did but our guys were the best looking and had a fabulous time.  Kind of like the blind date with the really great personality.  So, that's all I have to say about the games.

The drive totally blew!

I made my first stop nearing midnight in Lewiston where my GPS tried to have me killed for the second time.  It directed me to a motel that was listed as being of the Howard Johnson chain; "Mid-price lodging facilities, clean, comfortable, contemporary accommodations worldwide."

This motel was mid-priced, actually low-priced at $46, but nothing else.  I was thankful for the poor lighting (better not to see) and the fact that I still had four tires on my Jeep when I left in the morning.  Next hotel:  really hot shower with antibacterial soap.

To those of you who live in Idaho; I am begging someone, anyone, please open a Starbuck's on Interstate 95.  Anywhere between Lewiston and the end of the earth would do.  The first espresso shop that I found was over two hours into my day and, well, that's just too little too late now isn't it.  Somebody could have died.

I passed through Lapwai - Land of the Butterflies where I saw no butterflies, crossed the 45th parallel which is halfway between the equator and the North Pole, FYI, and Midvale where they are actively recruiting for the National Guard.  Cambridge was to be my next Huge Cafe Latte stop but the drive through line-up had three horses and a quad ahead of me and I really just wasn't sure how long that was going to take.

Driving on Interstate 84 was worse than driving through Saskatchewan.  I had no idea that that was even possible.  Straight, dry, flat, beige.

It was like this:

times a thousand!

I found Liam's game just beginning at the fourth ballpark that I happened upon.  Exhausted, still feeling disgusting from the last hotel and the drive and then falling victim to the wrong side of the camera, now on Facebook; I had arrived.

Shaking My Head

The biggest story in the News this morning was about the investigation into whether or not an athlete has used performance enhancing drugs.

He is defending himself at a Congressional Hearing with the House of Representatives Oversight Committee and everything; all over whether or not an athlete has used steroids.

And, how much is this costing, exactly?

Almost a Goal

Newsflash!

Hockey fans are psychotic.

I snapped this photo at the Belleville Bulls Junior A hockey game against the Peterborough Petes last night.

The referees called this as a "no goal".  I showed the picture to my friend, Cindy, on my two inch camera screen, and said (a little too loud, apparently),

"I'm no expert but that puck looks in to me."

You know how live TV productions have that 10 second or so delay / buffer before they actually go live to air; a little built-in censorship per se.  Well, I need that to be implanted somewhere between my brain and my mouth.

I did a full body startle as no fewer than ten zealots were gathering around me yelling that I needed to immediately take my camera to the ice and show that referee my picture.

Have I mentioned my personal space issues?

Second Newsflash of the day:  the people running the hockey games have better cameras than I have.  For example the one that is mounted directly above the goal net specifically for the purpose of recording whether or not the puck fully crosses the goal line.

On another day, I may have done exactly what the hysterical masses were telling me to do but, yesterday was a good day.  A day wrought with discretion.  A day that my torch and pitchfork would stay in the barn and I would not lynch a referee.

Good choice; wasn't a goal.