What an end to day 1!

The game was fabulous! Weather was perfect…not just “late July and coulda been worse” perfect, but actually perfect.

I got to see Frank & Carmen & share a beer with them.

And the home town Royals won 6-5 after leading 6-2 going into the 9th. They allowed the bases loaded with the winning run on first before the last out. We saw a fire works display Jim Burnet woulda been proud of and we escaped any major traffic getting out of the ballpark. My plan was to drive a few hours, get out of the city & closer to Chicago with minimal traffic.

All smooth right….? Not on this father/son trip!

To fully grasp the problems that ensued I must first explain my duties as a husband. I am great (in my mind anyway) at several things. I do the laundry, I sew buttons, I’m not opposed to washing dishes, I make the bed. I’m what I’d call non-traditional…I’m sure my friends will now call me some other names, but I also dispatch spiders & open tight jars like other real men. What I DO NOT do is order things online. Hate it. In our separation of powers this is and always has been Jessica’s job. I don’t order pizza, Jimmy Johns, airplanes or unfortunately for Russ & I…hotel rooms.

For this trip we were doing very little by pre-ordering. I’d heard we will get much better prices if we wait to purchase tickets & for the most part, we have little idea where we’ll choose to rest our heads each night. I’ve put my 18 year old, honors graduate in charge of navigating & ordering tickets. He led us expertly to KC & the tickets he picked out 3 hours before game time for $22 each were perfect. So when I just said “get us to Chicago” I had no reason to second guess him. I did find it strange when we left the interstate, but the highway was still nice and it did lead to Chicago so that’s ok, but our real trouble started when I told him to find a room.

In an effort to help, Jessica had downloaded onto my phone several of her favorite hotel apps. All the major ones were represented — the gnome, Captain Kirk – only the best. Russell’s major obstacle was, by the time I said we should stop driving, we were in the middle of No Where, Missouri…Population 17. Interstate hotels, and actual road signs, woulda been a welcome sight. So he’s looking an hour away & trying to find the best deal. I hate spending money to sleep. If I’m gonna be there for a week I want nice, but if I’m just sleeping & leaving, I want clean. He found something he said was an hour away in a town called Kirksville with 2 beds (his big rule…the sissy)

What he didn’t realize was that Kirksville wasn’t just 60 miles away; it was 60 miles away off the already deserted highway through rolling hills with steep blind turns. It’s 1 am, very dark, deer & raccoons are around every turn. We can only go 45 mph. It takes a lifetime….and Russell & I can’t quit laughing. One of the best 60 miles of my life.

What a great trip this has been already.