A weird dream

Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, I tried to sleep well, but to no avail. I was dreaming that I was applying for a reporter job in Sacramento, California. In the dream, I had a weird way of replying to the job offer by slamming a toy octopus to an e-mail message on my computer screen.

Later on in the dream, I magically appeared in Sacramento and I was already Northbound on I-5 with my buddies Gary and Phil. I guess they were showing me around town. I guess we were headed to a basketball game up at Arco Arena.

The dream gets hazy where I don't remember anything going on while I was up in Sacramento. I guess I made it as a reporter for KCRA-TV. After that, I really don't remember anything. Nothing at all.

Merry Christmas.

Scary super bowl dream

It was around Christmas Eve and I was fast asleep. I dreamed that I missed the super bowl this year. Worse, I dreamed that the NFL snuck the super bowl past me on a Wednesday Night.

I dreamed that the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers played each other in the Super Bowl again, this time in Miami, and on CBS Sports. I caught the game late, and I could do nothing to root on the Cardinals to victory since the score in my dream was Pittsburgh 33, Arizona 20 late in the game and in my dream.

Thankfully I woke up and I know that the super bowl (Super Bowl 44) will be played in Miami, and on CBS, and on a SUNDAY NIGHT again.

My dream super bowl: Chargers/Cardinals.

Wanting to fly again

I'm waiting for the official word at work whether or not I get November 23rd off so I can use that as my travel day to fly back from Oklahoma after seeing my family.

My girlfriend and I are planning to take a trip back to Tulsa and Locust Grove, Oklahoma to see my mom, my stepdad, my brother, 2 sisters, and nephews and nieces.

I went to Oklahoma for the first time in 17 years on Labor Day Weekend and saw my mom for the first time since I was a baby. It was a neat experience for me, mom, and Kelly. There were tears of joy all around and Kelly was in the right place at the right time to capture the precious moments on camera.

I can't wait to fly again, and this time I aim to fly to Tulsa to see my family again for the first time in over 2 months. I miss them all already.

Hacksaw back on the radio

Yesterday while I was at work, I got to listen to somebody who I admired as a listener over the years. He is none other than Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton. I listened to him on and off for about 15 years.

I've listened to him back when he was on XTRA SPORTS 690 when I could pick up the signal in my Mesa, Arizona home. I heard him thanks to NFL FILMS and ESPN 2 while they replayed the 1994 San Diego Chargers Highlight reel. That was their only season they reached the Super Bowl.

I've also listened to him online when I could get the Xtra Sports 690 webpage and listen live feature. He has the great radio voice and that was someone I looked up to as far as news, knowledge, and energy about sports.

I'll be thankful to get to listen to him a few more times this month and next on XX Sports Radio (online).

Dreaming of Michigan???

This was definitelly a weird dream. I was headed SOUTHBOUND on I-75 towards Detroit. First of all, I have NO desire to see Detroit. I think of Detroit as a city of decay, a city with a lousy NFL team (the Lions), and a Very successful NHL team (the Red Wings).

Also, when I think of Detroit, I want to think Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Ted Nugent, and Motown.

I don't want to sound like somebody who is dogging Detroit. That's not my thing. Detroit has held some major sporting events over the last few years. Events such as Super Bowl 40 in 2006 and the NCAA Final Four in 2009 (Both held at FORD FIELD) have put the city back on the map.

I dreamed I was going to Memphis

It was a weird dream this past weekend. For some reason unknown to me, I was on the way to Memphis to see a movie. In the dream, I met up with Actor Ed Helms. He's becoming one of my favorite actors. He was in the movie "The Hangover" and he'll be in the new movie "The Goods."

Along the way, I went to a sports bar and I was looking for some free weekly magazines to pick up. In the dream, I was holding up the magazine "Memphis CityBeat". Later on when I woke up, I found that there is no such magazine. There is a weekly magazine called "Memphis Flyer."

On Labor Day, I will have a 33 minute layover in Memphis after coming home from Oklahoma to see my mother. I'm looking forward to the trip and I'm more eager to take Kelly to Graceland for a great vacatoin.

Surviving I-16

I commend Kelly for doing that drive that stretches from the beginning at MLK Drive in Savannah to the end at I-75 in Macon. I was tired that I fell asleep in the car for a while. I hope my sleeping on the road when I am not driving is not an indication that a freeway is boring. However, I would like to see a Best buy on the side of the freeway just to have something to look at.

The only things that stand out on I-16 are a Cracker Barrel and a Longhorn Steakhouse in Dublin, Georgia. There are a few gas stations off the road on I-16. We hit one of them to refuel on Saturday.

I've been on I-16 from Start to Finish 3 times in my life.

Back in my homestate of Arizona, I've been on I-17 from Start to Finish and back (Phoenix to Flagstaff to Phoenix again) at least 6 times.

Another boring stretch of freeway I've been on is I-5 from Oceanside, CA to San Onofre, CA. Camp Pendleton owns the land in Northern San Diego County...hence, not much development there.

Happy driving to all of you and I'll be back on the road for work later today.

After all these years, I finally talked to my mother

Saturday, June 27, 2009, I said the one word I never thought I would say: "mom". It was a huge surprise and a great relief to hear her voice for the first time. I didn't know how to react at first because it was so new to me. I'm still getting used to saying "mom" and will later figure out what to call her current husband. Like I said I'm working out the conventions on that one.

We told our life stories to each other as quickly and clearly as we could. She lives in Oklahoma while I live in Georgia. Life is good for the both of us. We each have our roots firmly planted in our respective places of residence today.

I've got 3 siblings and countless relatives that I never thought I had. I have a nephew that is looking to play college baseball sometime next year and I have 2 nieces that are models. I look forward to meeting more of my family in the coming months.

I thank my best friend in the world, my girlfriend, Kelly Sanders, for making this reunion happy and possible.

I've sent her pictures of myself and my girlfriend. I look forward to seeing what she looks like. I'm just so happy that I'm going to see my mom really soon. I don't remember seeing her when I was a baby.

I'm nervous about what may come

I've been telling people for years that my mother died when I was 3 months old for many years. My dad told me that story after I asked him about where she was. It didn't occur to me until I was 9 years old that my mom was not with us. I mean, she was not with us at home or any of our road trips, or the times we've moved.

My girlfriend is making one of the biggest phone calls of my life on my behalf to see if my mom is still alive. How I found out about that is another blog posting for another day.

They'll get you on the drinks

Three places that I've found myself paying alot for something to drink recently: Monti's la casa vieja in Tempe, Arizona, Turner Field in Atlanta, and the Tabernacle in Atlanta.

At dinner at Monti's in May, I had a Bud Light and a Pepsi for my Filet Mignon dinner. Both were good drinks and they tasted good. When I looked at my final bill, I paid $3 for a beer and $2.59 for a coke. I got hosed on the Pepsi. My friend Dan pointed out to me that for another 41 cents, I could have had another beer. I should have gotten that beer. I could have gone to QT to get a big 32 ounce pepsi for 59 cents. By the way, I like beer and pepsi because they taste good.

At the Braves/Pirates game on June 10th, I got them on drinks for a while. I bought a two-ticket, two drink per person package for this one. I got a free Bud and Bud Light before the start of the game. Anytime you can get a free anything at the ballpark, it is always a bonus. This is where the ballpark got me on the drinks: I bought two 32-ounce cokes for $5 a piece with our meals. That's jacked up. For $.49, I could have gotten a 32 ounce coke over at the QT in Atlanta.

Last year, Kelly and I went to a free concert (Filter) over at the tabernacle and had a great time. The price was right!!! Here's where they got me on the drinks: beer costs $6.50 a piece and I bought one for me and one for Kelly. Beer is expensive anytime you're at a concert or a game. Beer can cost as much as one of the tickets depending on what show you go see.

I'm going to get myself a drink right now. Have fun everybody

Dream about my Padres

I had a dream that the San Diego Padres were about to lose another Sunday day game. In reality, the Padres have been losing alot more than I would have liked them to this season. Even with the 9-7 victory over Seattle last night, the Padres are 31-38, good for 4th place in the 5-team National League West (one game out of LAST PLACE).

More about my dream. Some fan in the seats near home plate said that the Padres were losing due to the pathetic managing by Bud Black. In my dream, I said here here. I agreed with the assessment. In reality, I think the Padres need to give Bud Black up until 2011 to turn this team around with the young talent being brought up in the minors.

One thing the Padres need to do: Cut ties with Brian Giles. Giles has been one of my favorite Padres in recent years, but his skills are rapidly diminishing. He's not even hitting .200 at this time. With the youth movement going on and the team not being in contention right now, it makes sense to send Giles to a contender.

In the year 2010, I look forward to taking Kelly to a Padres game over at Petco Park in San Diego. I intend to see 2 of the 3 Braves/Padres game here at Turner Field in August.

See you at the ballpark soon.

I dreamed I was back in Phoenix

I had this dream on Wednesday that I was covering a LIVE news story in Phoenix. I was at the I-10/I-17 Stack interchange at the scene of a car fire. I was looking up from I-17 to I-10 looking up at the sign that read I-17 SOUTH to the LEFT. The left diagonal arrow pointed up at the I-17 Southbound Transition from the I-10 Westbound direction.

I intend to return to Phoenix next year. I would love for Kelly to come along with me on the journey again. I love you Kelly Sanders.

The May 2009 Phoenix Trip

I was in Phoenix for a weekend getaway with Kelly in Late May. Friday was a travel day from Hartsfield Airport to Sky Harbor Airport. After we got on the road in our Toyota Yaris, We traveled down I-10 Eastbound to 40th street and took Kelly to Whataburger. I wanted us to experience Whataburger for all its glory, and we did. It was yummy. All this was done on May 29, 2009.

Saturday, May 30, 2009, we ventured into downtown Phoenix for our first trip to Chase Field (better known to me as the "BOB" or Bank One Ballpark). It was my first trip there in nearly 10 years, and the visit didn't disappoint. There was alot more Sedona Red inside the stadium. The Seats were still forest green. The roof was closed for the game, and sadly, the Braves lost 3-2 in 11 innings. After the game, we got ready for dinner at historic Monti's La Casa Vieja near Downtown Tempe, Arizona. It was my first visit there in nearly 2 years, and it was probably my 10th overall. I met an old friend from High School, Dan Karnes, and his girlfriend for a lovely dinner. For another blog post soon, I'll write about how they get me on the drinks.

Sunday, May 31, 2009 was outdoor day at the Desert Botannical Gardens. Before that we experienced yet another culinary delight, Jack in the Box. I had my usual 2 tacos plus a sourdough burger and Kelly had a Chicken Cibata Sandwich. Kelly tried one of the tacos, and I'll never forget her asessment of it. She said it was "pretty good, kind of nasty." Looking back on it now, how did I ever eat them in the first place? They tasted good to me then, but I'm not so sure now.

At the Desert Botannical Gardens, we checked out the blooming flowers, the cacti, and the glass exhibit throughout the garden. Alot of cool glass was firmly planted into the ground to make such beautiful art on a hot desert day.

Traveling to Atlanta from Phoenix while taking the red eye is a gamble. First of all, nothing is ever open at the terminal past 9pm over at Sky Harbor Airport. It is rough waiting 3 hours for a flight without proper food and entertainment. Luckily, we bought snacks and Kelly had her iPod with the best of the Daily Show from 2008. On my flight back to Atlanta, I got 2 hours of sleep on the plane. It is always tough to get a good night sleep on a plane.

I love you kelly and we will have fun on vacation again, this time to Chicago.

From Here to Savannah

In Early March, me and Kelly took our first trip to Savannah. We took I-75 Southbound from our home, through Downtown Atlanta, and into Macon. Once I-16 hit, we took the fork in the road towards Savannah.

The road is long and I-16 is even longer. I-16 is sadly one of the more boring freeways you'll ever drive. I used to think the stretch of I-5 through Camp Pendelton, CA was the most boring. Not anymore.

If you can endure 2.5 hours of I-16 without seeing much of anything other than interstate, you deserve all the sights and sounds of Savannah. Going Eastbound on I-16, I wish there was a Best Buy Shopping Center along the Westbound side of the Freeway so that I could have something to look at.

I love you Kelly Sanders.

From San Diego to Atlanta (Oct 30 & Oct 31)

My day with Kelly started from the Hotel going down I-8 West to Hwy 163 South (or was it I-5 South). I forget. Anyway we spend most of the day at the San Diego Zoo. My favorite exhibits where the cute koala bears, the polar bears, and the flamingos. I have a ton of pictures to prove it.

My lasting experience of the zoo was riding the scary high gondola across the zoo just to get from the polar bear exhibit to the exit to our car.

From the zoo, we took I-5 South to the Coronado Bridge (Hwy 75). I've not been to Coronado since 1996 and I was due for a trip on the bridge onto the island. After a few lost turns, I accidently end up near North Island Naval Air Station. I best be moving further South on How 75 towards the Silver Strand and Imperial Beach.

Before I get back on the road, Kelly and I had to set foot on the Pacific Ocean together. I've done it before, but it was Kelly's first footprint onto the beaches of the West Coast. The cool sight was the jet planes and Helicopters flying in and out of North Island NAS.

Imperial Beach got there faster than i thought it would for me. Heading down Hwy 75 lead me on my way to Palm Avenue. I get even more adventurous by landing on Seacoast Drive and seeing where one of my dad's old friends used to live and where I used to visit. It was nice beachfront property.

As I was driving down the street, I get a text message "Welcoming me to Mexico". Gee, I don't remember crossing the border. I thought it was funny that I was 'welcomed to Mexico'. I needed a cerveza after that.

After we stopped for a bite to eat, we got back on the road up I-5 North to Hawthorn Street to the rental car place to dump my car off.

Then it was a bus shuttle ride to San Diego Airport/Lindberg Field to hop onto a red eye flight aboard Delta to get back to Atlanta on Halloween in time for both of us to get back to work.

TOUCHDOWN!!!! We are home.

From Yuma to San Diego

For October 29, 2008

Kelly and I started the day in Yuma, Arizona. I was recovered from a blazin' hot wing from Buffalo Wild Wings. My face turned coke can red for a short time, but I'm doing well. Kelly and I started the day at the Cracker Barrel off of 16th st. & I-8. Cracker Barrel rules!!!

From the Cracker Barrel we moved Southbound on U.S. 95 (16th st) and then the hwy took a 90 degree turn to really go due South towards the Mexican Border. I passed through towns I've never crossed in the short time I lived in Yuma in 1987. I passed through Somerton, Gadsden, and then San Luis, Arizona. Me and Kelly got ever so close to the border before we crossed. As a matter of fact, we didn't cross and we took a right (paralell to the border fence). I was in Awe of what was on the other side of the border (a Circle K and a Pemex gas station). It made me want to cross into Mexico at that point.

We stayed in Yuma to go to the Yuma Territorial Prison (a tourist attraction today, a hellhole in the early 20th century). I'll visit there again someday. I could see I-8, the Colorado River, and the State of California. I stayed in Yuma some more for some beef tacos over at Las Palapas. I recommend that place for great tacos anytime.

After our stay in Yuma ended, we headed West on I-8, straight to San Diego.

On Interstate 8, it was a 2 lane freeway from Yuma to El Cajon, California. Kelly and I took a brief detour on a road that led to some sand dunes in Imperial County, California. I told Kelly that parts of "Spaceballs" was filmed in those parts of sand. Now we were on our way to San Diego.

We passed through El Centro and then started our windy jaunts around the mountains of San Diego County on I-8 and encountered elevations as high as 4,000 feet. Kelly was fascinated by the roadside stops where you could get water (that was designed for the summertime heat for cars to survive). Finally in El Cajon, the road would expand to 3 and 4 lanes and we saw civilization. We saw things like gas stations, Denny's, shopping centers, and some traffic. I was so glad to have Kelly with me on our journey to San Diego. I've been to San Diego now 4 years in a row.

Sadly, I got lost in the city I know. I got off the freeway at the Hotel Circle exit because I thought that it would lead me to my hotel destination. Sadly, I landed on a Dead End. Luckily, I remembered that The hotel was on Camino Del Rio South. For some reason, I thought that the 2 differet Camion Del Rios (North and South) were one way streets. I was wrong. I now know that the hotel is on the side where I-8 drivers go Eastbound.

In San Diego, Kelly and I took a drive from the hotel to the Gaslamp District. Driving directions: I-8 West to I-5 South towards Downtown and then I got off the freeway at the Front Street Exit. That would lead me to 2nd avenue towards downtown. A few one way streets later, a parking deck and some dinner in the gaslamp. Cafe Sevilla, here we come.

After dinner at Cafe Sevilla, I convince Kelly to come with me to Gharardelli Ice Cream shop for some dessert. I didn't disappoint (and neither did the ice cream).

Dessert put me over the top. Now, time to call it a night, for there would be a fun day in store in San Diego on Thursday, October 30, 2008.

From the Grand Canyon to Yuma

Me and kelly left the Grand Canyon on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 early in the morning. We drove south on Arizona 64 for about an hour. Then we went West on I-40 for such a short drive. We then took a detour off the freeway for a sense of spirit on Driving the old "Route 66". We got on to Route 66 at Exit 139 and seemed to get off the freeway in the middle of nowhere.

On Route 66, we saw miles of Fields and Fields. We saw a sign for Road Kill Cafe and I got a few decent pictures of it. After lunch we stayed on Route 66 until we hit Kingman, Arizona. We got to a place called "Terribles" and I bought drinks and scratchers tickets before hopping back onto I-40.

The Westbound I-40 took me and Kelly from Kingman, Arizona to just outside Needles, California. It was Kelly's first time in the Golden State.

We got off the freeway on a road that would lead us to U.S. Hwy 95. We would be on U.S. Hwy 95 for about an hour and a half and I was a lucky passenger seeing to my left the beauty of the Colorado River. Kelly did the driving and we encountered some dips on the road along the way. After going south on U.S. 95 for an hour and a half, we hit Blythe, California. It was there that I would make my initial phone call to my friend in Yuma, Arizona, Mike Mogan to make plans for the evening.

It was in Blythe that I got a great idea for another scenic route. Kelly and I would go on I-10 Westbound until we exited onto California Hwy 78 (The Neighbours Blvd Exit) and begin our southern decent into Yuma.

78 would take us South and then West for about an hour. It was getting darker at night and we would have to be alert to see what was going on. It was still daylight outside when we were South on Hwy 78. Going west on 78 would take us from sunlight to darkness. As long as there was daylight, we saw alot of agricultural fields and smelled some of them along the way. There were not many buildings along this road. There were just miles and miles of fields. My eyes were keen on seeing a sign that said Orchid Road. That was our ticket to get to our next spot, Interstate 8.

On Orchid Road, a sign read "16 miles" to Interstate 8. It was very very dark at night and I didn't see anything except what was in front of me. I saw whatever was in front of my headlit vehicle going Southbound until I finally saw the sign for Interstate 8.

I was on the California side of I-8 going Eastbound until I got to Yuma, Arizona. Kelly and I were listening to a radio station that had Mexican speaking DJs while they were playing English playing music. Before crossing the Colorado River into Arizona, we saw signs for Casinos and the bright lights on them were cool. We made our destination, Exit 2 (16th Street) to check into our Days Inn.

Later this night in Yuma, I'd meet my friend Mike Mogan and burn myself with some blazin' hot wings.

I love you Kelly!!!!!