There are some newly learned lessons now that I've taken my first road trip to KC. The KC turnpike costs $6 going towards KC and $6 returning, which isn't bad (was led to believe it's double the amount each way). The turnpike accepts both credit card and cash. In addition, in a Ford Escape (a SUV), it roughly takes about 3 tanks of gas each way to get to KC; you should also add another tank while you're driving in the city, just in case.
I have also learned who I can travel with and who I cannot travel with. I cannot travel with people who decide to have a bad attitude the entire trip. My roommate either had a bad attitude or bitched the entire time. As a result, I barely talked to her and really didn't wish to be around her, even though things had been find on previous trips (although previous trips went smoothly without any hiccups). My goal for a vacation (no pun intended) is to visit the city, hang out at good bars and restaurants, see a great game (hopefully win), and most of all, have fun.
My roommate had decided to ride home in another vehicle because she didn't want to ride "cheek to cheek" in ours. [We were offering a ride to someone in ours.] She then proceeded to be pissy and resentful the entire weekend due to shuffling vehicles, but I cannot feel sorry for people who make their own choices. The person who had an empty backseat wasn't offering to help the people whose vehicle broke down (same guy who got mad at OK Joe's); I don't think I am that kind of person.
I drove my roommate at 7AM on 08-Jul-2012 to the other driver (since he was staying near the stadium), and the car ride was completely silent. I said, "I may need your help with the GPS." <silence> I worked the GPS myself, and even though I swerved a couple of times, she did not bother to help me drive HER to HER destination (which by the way, I figured out what hotel to bring her to - she had no idea). When we arrived at the hotel, she did nothing but grumble and then slammed the door shut. I was going to text a passenger in the vehicle to let them know she was in the lobby, but I decided to refrain. I refuse to aid ungrateful people. Later she apologized via text for being upset, but given that she was livid while with me to the point of putting us in jeopardy (even though I did nothing), I will not travel with her again.
Furthermore, it is my opinion the owner of the vehicle decides who rides in the car and who doesn't. Thus again, I could not feel sorry for my roommate, especially when she wasn't offering to help drive in the first place. At least the passenger from the broken vehicle drove most of the way home.
In addition, I found out at breakfast (after dropping off my roommate) that there was some drama the previous night. We took care of one of the passengers from the broken vehicle. The other three passengers went with a friend of theirs. As a result, there was an empty double bed in one of the rooms. MF told a couple, who initially was going to sleep on the floor in her room, to take the empty bed in another room. The couple felt as if they were being kicked out and were quite offended for some reason. This couple failed to bring bedding, pillows, sleeping bags, etc. so I am not sure why they became so irate. In conversation, they had made some sort of reference to the slight when I was talking about my roommate. The couple said, "Well she's not the only one that's mad." I had no clue about the drama until MF explained later.
Traveling with people is a tricky business because you are always then tied to them in a certain way, especially when going together as a group. It's a fine line. You don't want to be away from the group too much, but you also don't want to be a part of the group too much. Hopefully when I get my promotion at work soon (will be traveling 4-5 days/week), I will be able to stay in hotels, rent cars, and book flights for free!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Kansas City Part II
After a night out, I definitely slept until there was pounding at my door around noon. Sigh. A third vehicle of friends had arrived. We had booked rooms with a middle door in between us; it was nice of the hotel to be so accommodating. MF had booked one room where at one point as many as 6 people were going to cram into the room. I booked a room for just me and the fourth passenger in our vehicle because I didn't want to be so cramped in one room (which means there would have been 8 total in a room).
I woke up and we went to Oklahoma Joe's BBQ. The line was out the door as usual, but the food was cheap and good. The guy from the previous night who drove out to Ottowa, KS arrived just as we were finished eating. He was then upset we didn't stay and hang around to watch him eat. For those who have never been to OK Joe's, it is so packed that the line always wraps around the building. Due to the small number of tables and chairs, this is not a place to lollygag. You sit, eat, make small talk while eating, wipe your mouth, and leave.
I should note this same guy decided to stay near the stadium instead of where everyone else in Texian Army was staying (about 20 minutes away). For a minimum of four games, even before I decided to go on this trip, I told him not to stay near the stadium due to lack of a nightlife. I strongly encouraged him to stay where everyone else was staying and to move hotels, especially since he didn't pay for his room up front. I cannot feel sorry for people when they are upset because the rest of the group has an agenda (and they chose not to be part of the group).
Since I am becoming more and more familiar with Kansas City, we stopped at Fairway Liquors, which is in the adjacent parking lot. I remembered stopping here in November during the Eastern Conference Final trip. The prices are decent, and it's convenient after eating at OK Joe's. I say "adjacent parking lot" according to my standards. The reality is, if you don't look for the minuscule strip of asphalt, you will easily miss the fact the parking lots are connected.
After the liquor store, we went to Jiffy Lube because MF's "check engine" light came on during the previous night. We were worried, especially after what happened to the other vehicle. Thankfully there were minor problems, and surprisingly the Jiffy Lube guy did not try to tell us to get the oil changed. He assured us we'd make it back to Houston safely; later on the way to the stadium, the light turned off.
We regrouped at the hotel, shuffled people, drums, and coolers around because we had about 15 people needing to fit in two vehicles. We received an invitation from the KC Cauldron (supporters group for Sporting KC), and we decided to take the invitation, though with caution. I drove us to the stadium, and it was hot. It was 107 degrees, and we parked near the speedway. The parking lot had no shade and black asphalt. A parking attendant in a truck took pity on us, so we loaded the drums and coolers into the bed; he then headed to the Cauldron's tailgate with our stuff.
Thank God for KC Cauldron. We would have roasted. They had lots of canopies, welcomed us with open arms, provided water bottles, and a girl had pudding shots. It was funny how there was barely any trash talking, and we all found common ground by talking about other MLS teams. This was the first time I've actually tailgated with the opposing supporters group, and I was pleasantly surprised that there were no altercations. I am so used to Dallas that it was a positive change. I am not saying I would do this with every supporters group, but KC definitely has changed my mindset. It also was a lovely 180 degree contrast to the bottle-throwing, fist-punching, let's-flash-passport-cards regular KC fans experienced during the Eastern Conference Final last year.
We marched into the stadium with no trouble. I drummed the whole game, and I should note I've now established myself as a drummer for Texian Army, since I've been drumming the last six games now. It was odd being the only bass drummer (another drummer had a snare), but it was still fun. I hardly see any of the game while drumming. Sometimes I get to see the highlights, but only if I really pay attention. My support for the team comes in a different format, I suppose. I know we tied 0-0, which made me feel better about accepting the Cauldron's invitation to the Members Bar.
This was my third time at the Members Bar. I have to admit, when people ask, "How's the new Houston Dynamo stadium?" I always say, "I wish we had a Members Bar like Kansas City." No joke. The setup is incredible. Their drummers were jamming inside, and the Cauldron started motioning and waving their hands for us to join. They demanded a Dynamo chant, we jammed, and when everyone started joining arms to sing, "When the Saints Go Marching In," I thought it was beautiful. Cauldron people were joining arms with Texian Army, and it was wonderful. Somewhere I hope there's footage, but a search of YouTube failed to show results.
After the Members Bar, we went back to the hotel. I called it a night. The drive the next day was mundane as well. CS and I drove most of the way back home to Houston, and we made it in 12 hours. My next post will be lessons learned and about other things that happened during the trip, but for now, I bid adieu. Have a good day!
I woke up and we went to Oklahoma Joe's BBQ. The line was out the door as usual, but the food was cheap and good. The guy from the previous night who drove out to Ottowa, KS arrived just as we were finished eating. He was then upset we didn't stay and hang around to watch him eat. For those who have never been to OK Joe's, it is so packed that the line always wraps around the building. Due to the small number of tables and chairs, this is not a place to lollygag. You sit, eat, make small talk while eating, wipe your mouth, and leave.
I should note this same guy decided to stay near the stadium instead of where everyone else in Texian Army was staying (about 20 minutes away). For a minimum of four games, even before I decided to go on this trip, I told him not to stay near the stadium due to lack of a nightlife. I strongly encouraged him to stay where everyone else was staying and to move hotels, especially since he didn't pay for his room up front. I cannot feel sorry for people when they are upset because the rest of the group has an agenda (and they chose not to be part of the group).
Since I am becoming more and more familiar with Kansas City, we stopped at Fairway Liquors, which is in the adjacent parking lot. I remembered stopping here in November during the Eastern Conference Final trip. The prices are decent, and it's convenient after eating at OK Joe's. I say "adjacent parking lot" according to my standards. The reality is, if you don't look for the minuscule strip of asphalt, you will easily miss the fact the parking lots are connected.
After the liquor store, we went to Jiffy Lube because MF's "check engine" light came on during the previous night. We were worried, especially after what happened to the other vehicle. Thankfully there were minor problems, and surprisingly the Jiffy Lube guy did not try to tell us to get the oil changed. He assured us we'd make it back to Houston safely; later on the way to the stadium, the light turned off.
We regrouped at the hotel, shuffled people, drums, and coolers around because we had about 15 people needing to fit in two vehicles. We received an invitation from the KC Cauldron (supporters group for Sporting KC), and we decided to take the invitation, though with caution. I drove us to the stadium, and it was hot. It was 107 degrees, and we parked near the speedway. The parking lot had no shade and black asphalt. A parking attendant in a truck took pity on us, so we loaded the drums and coolers into the bed; he then headed to the Cauldron's tailgate with our stuff.
Thank God for KC Cauldron. We would have roasted. They had lots of canopies, welcomed us with open arms, provided water bottles, and a girl had pudding shots. It was funny how there was barely any trash talking, and we all found common ground by talking about other MLS teams. This was the first time I've actually tailgated with the opposing supporters group, and I was pleasantly surprised that there were no altercations. I am so used to Dallas that it was a positive change. I am not saying I would do this with every supporters group, but KC definitely has changed my mindset. It also was a lovely 180 degree contrast to the bottle-throwing, fist-punching, let's-flash-passport-cards regular KC fans experienced during the Eastern Conference Final last year.
We marched into the stadium with no trouble. I drummed the whole game, and I should note I've now established myself as a drummer for Texian Army, since I've been drumming the last six games now. It was odd being the only bass drummer (another drummer had a snare), but it was still fun. I hardly see any of the game while drumming. Sometimes I get to see the highlights, but only if I really pay attention. My support for the team comes in a different format, I suppose. I know we tied 0-0, which made me feel better about accepting the Cauldron's invitation to the Members Bar.
This was my third time at the Members Bar. I have to admit, when people ask, "How's the new Houston Dynamo stadium?" I always say, "I wish we had a Members Bar like Kansas City." No joke. The setup is incredible. Their drummers were jamming inside, and the Cauldron started motioning and waving their hands for us to join. They demanded a Dynamo chant, we jammed, and when everyone started joining arms to sing, "When the Saints Go Marching In," I thought it was beautiful. Cauldron people were joining arms with Texian Army, and it was wonderful. Somewhere I hope there's footage, but a search of YouTube failed to show results.
After the Members Bar, we went back to the hotel. I called it a night. The drive the next day was mundane as well. CS and I drove most of the way back home to Houston, and we made it in 12 hours. My next post will be lessons learned and about other things that happened during the trip, but for now, I bid adieu. Have a good day!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Kansas City Part I
I've been so busy or exhausted with soccer that I have neglected this blog. On July 6, 2012, I left my friend's apartment at 7AM for Kansas City. In the car was MF, her brother (who happens to have the same initials), and me. We stopped along the way to pick up a friend as well and then met another vehicle at the Bucee's in Madisonville.
The plan was to caravan with the other vehicle, but no one seemed to discuss the route upon leaving Madisonville. In Dallas (about 4hrs later), my GPS said to take 75N and merge with 69N. So, this is the route we decided to follow. Starting in Van Alstyne (a little north of Dallas), we noticed the other vehicle wasn't behind us anymore. Phone calls and text messages ensued. The other vehicle was taking 35N the entire way. As a result, we decided to meet a little north of Denton, TX so we took 75N to 82W (went through Sherman, home of my alma mater - great memories!) to 35N. After meeting with the other vehicle at a gas station, we were well on our way.
Even though I only lived about 15 minutes south of the Texoma border while at Austin College, I never had a desire to enter Oklahoma. With that said, it is a surprisingly beautiful drive. OK is full of hills (unlike TX) and lots of limestone. There were lots of trees, beautiful scenery, and some controlled burns along the way. In contrast, Kansas is pretty boring, although this is due partly to the turnpike. Since you're on the turnpike, there's really very little branching off, in terms of small towns, due to the limited number of exits.
The drive itself was pretty mundane until we were about 20 miles outside of Ottowa, KS when the other vehicle broke down. For some reason, when JH (driving at the time) pushed the accelerator, the car slowed down. It was very strange because I was driving at the time. At one point JH was nearly 2 miles ahead of me, and all of a sudden, he was behind me. We stopped on the side of the road. The guys attempted to figure out what was wrong with the vehicle while MF called AAA. Thankfully they didn't take too long, considering that they were totally swamped. In the meantime, we were trying to figure out logistics - people's stuff, who would ride with whom (no one could fit in the tow truck itself), etc.
A tow truck arrived, along with the AAA supervisor in his own vehicle. JH determined the closest Nissan dealer is in Lawrence, KS, about 40 miles away from Kansas City. Luckily AAA only charged $150 to tow it there; technically they should have charged $4/extra mile over a certain amount. The AAA supervisor graciously took 3 people in his car to a gas station in Ottowa, KS while I followed; we took 1 passenger from the vehicle. We waited for about 1.5 hours for another Texian Army member (who had already arrived in Kansas City) to come pick up the other 3 people. We did not want to leave anyone stranded.
I will say a situation like this gives great insight as to how people react to curve balls. One of the people in our vehicle became visibly upset, yelling, "I just want out of here!" She could not understand why we stopped to help people in need. Neither MF nor I had the heart to leave people stranded. In addition, I kept thinking, "What if we had been in that situation?" I would have hoped friends would have helped. Besides, it isn't like we are all strangers. Being part of a supporters group is like being with a family. I am with these people constantly, and I've known the people in the other vehicle since 2007.
One of the people who drove from Kansas City to the gas station in Ottowa, KS later revealed to someone, "That put me in a compromising situation." I am not sure how this was warranted. He was already in KC, and according to another person, wasn't going to go out anyway because he was too tired. I really don't understand people like this. But nevertheless we made it to our hotel, Best Western - Kansas City Inn, around 10PM. The drive, which should've taken 12 hours, ended up taking 15, but the important thing is that we were safe.
Of course, we did not stay in the hotel that night. After a couple arrived at the hotel from the airport, the hotel graciously shuttled us (with the exception of the friend who was upset by the whole car situation) to dinner at Gates BBQ. We then returned to the hotel for a brief stop, and the shuttle again took us to KC Live, a place in the Power and Light District. I like KC Live because there's a perimeter of bars around an outdoor courtyard. You can move from bar to bar with your open container, listen to live music in the middle, etc. Johnny's Tavern is adjacent to KC Live, home of the KC Cauldron and American Outlaws KC chapter (was there in March & April). There's also Pizza Bar where you can buy a big slice of pizza for only $3.50. My only criticism of KC Live is that the bars close at 3AM, but the bathrooms close at 2AM. Due to lack of bathrooms, we left around 2:30AM, headed back to the hotel, and I called it a night.
Another blog post will follow. Have a good evening!
The plan was to caravan with the other vehicle, but no one seemed to discuss the route upon leaving Madisonville. In Dallas (about 4hrs later), my GPS said to take 75N and merge with 69N. So, this is the route we decided to follow. Starting in Van Alstyne (a little north of Dallas), we noticed the other vehicle wasn't behind us anymore. Phone calls and text messages ensued. The other vehicle was taking 35N the entire way. As a result, we decided to meet a little north of Denton, TX so we took 75N to 82W (went through Sherman, home of my alma mater - great memories!) to 35N. After meeting with the other vehicle at a gas station, we were well on our way.
Even though I only lived about 15 minutes south of the Texoma border while at Austin College, I never had a desire to enter Oklahoma. With that said, it is a surprisingly beautiful drive. OK is full of hills (unlike TX) and lots of limestone. There were lots of trees, beautiful scenery, and some controlled burns along the way. In contrast, Kansas is pretty boring, although this is due partly to the turnpike. Since you're on the turnpike, there's really very little branching off, in terms of small towns, due to the limited number of exits.
The drive itself was pretty mundane until we were about 20 miles outside of Ottowa, KS when the other vehicle broke down. For some reason, when JH (driving at the time) pushed the accelerator, the car slowed down. It was very strange because I was driving at the time. At one point JH was nearly 2 miles ahead of me, and all of a sudden, he was behind me. We stopped on the side of the road. The guys attempted to figure out what was wrong with the vehicle while MF called AAA. Thankfully they didn't take too long, considering that they were totally swamped. In the meantime, we were trying to figure out logistics - people's stuff, who would ride with whom (no one could fit in the tow truck itself), etc.
A tow truck arrived, along with the AAA supervisor in his own vehicle. JH determined the closest Nissan dealer is in Lawrence, KS, about 40 miles away from Kansas City. Luckily AAA only charged $150 to tow it there; technically they should have charged $4/extra mile over a certain amount. The AAA supervisor graciously took 3 people in his car to a gas station in Ottowa, KS while I followed; we took 1 passenger from the vehicle. We waited for about 1.5 hours for another Texian Army member (who had already arrived in Kansas City) to come pick up the other 3 people. We did not want to leave anyone stranded.
I will say a situation like this gives great insight as to how people react to curve balls. One of the people in our vehicle became visibly upset, yelling, "I just want out of here!" She could not understand why we stopped to help people in need. Neither MF nor I had the heart to leave people stranded. In addition, I kept thinking, "What if we had been in that situation?" I would have hoped friends would have helped. Besides, it isn't like we are all strangers. Being part of a supporters group is like being with a family. I am with these people constantly, and I've known the people in the other vehicle since 2007.
One of the people who drove from Kansas City to the gas station in Ottowa, KS later revealed to someone, "That put me in a compromising situation." I am not sure how this was warranted. He was already in KC, and according to another person, wasn't going to go out anyway because he was too tired. I really don't understand people like this. But nevertheless we made it to our hotel, Best Western - Kansas City Inn, around 10PM. The drive, which should've taken 12 hours, ended up taking 15, but the important thing is that we were safe.
Of course, we did not stay in the hotel that night. After a couple arrived at the hotel from the airport, the hotel graciously shuttled us (with the exception of the friend who was upset by the whole car situation) to dinner at Gates BBQ. We then returned to the hotel for a brief stop, and the shuttle again took us to KC Live, a place in the Power and Light District. I like KC Live because there's a perimeter of bars around an outdoor courtyard. You can move from bar to bar with your open container, listen to live music in the middle, etc. Johnny's Tavern is adjacent to KC Live, home of the KC Cauldron and American Outlaws KC chapter (was there in March & April). There's also Pizza Bar where you can buy a big slice of pizza for only $3.50. My only criticism of KC Live is that the bars close at 3AM, but the bathrooms close at 2AM. Due to lack of bathrooms, we left around 2:30AM, headed back to the hotel, and I called it a night.
Another blog post will follow. Have a good evening!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Dynamo & USMNT Travel Plans
I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've written on here, but I've been so busy. I also still have a lingering cough since Tampa. I went to a doc-in-the-box last weekend, but since my lungs are clear, it seems I just have an annoying cough. I've had walking pneumonia before, so I guess that's good news.
Since my last post, I have:
Since my last post, I have:
- Reserved the AO Columbus hotel for the Jamaican game in Sept. $129/night is a reasonable rate.
- Found a rental car rate in Columbus for $10 cheaper a day after initially booking. Originally I had booked the rental car through United a month ago for $46/day, and now it's $36/day (also through United). I guess I'll need to keep checking periodically regarding rates (sigh).
- Booked a one-way flight to Kansas City in Oct. for the Guatemalan game. A return flight is pending work, although I'm not sure how much longer I should wait. The one-way, nonstop flight was only 10K reward miles on United (as opposed to the usual 25K miles). Return flights (with one stop) are still 10K miles.
- Reserved the AO KC hotel. $114/night is a reasonable rate. I still need to work on a rental car because KC's airport and stadium are far from each other, with no public transportation.
- Secured a place to stay in downtown Denver for the Houston Dynamo game in Oct. A co-worker has an apartment, and his complex rents a studio apartment to its tenants for guest use. It's $40 the first night and $20 each subsequent night. So far, there's 3 of us (KH, MF, and I), and we'll need to budget $60 total for "hotel" while there - awesome!
- The Denver rental car I reserved is $45/day through Hertz.
- The Denver flight was $268 round trip on United (no stops).
- Received approval for vacation time Nov. 13-15, 2012. Nov. 14th is an international FIFA date, so it's better to be safer than sorry when it comes to reserving days off. The rumor at the AO Tampa tailgate is that we'll play Russia in LA, although this is pure rumor.
In addition, I've decided to go to Kansas City this upcoming weekend for the Dynamo game. Two weeks ago, the cards all fell into the right place, and the MLS Gods gave signs I should go. A spot opened in MF's SUV, and she also didn't need a game ticket (although was on the list to pay). So, due to her encouraging words, I've decided to take the 12-hour road trip (one way). This will be my first time going to Kansas City by car, and we're staying at a Best Western with shuttle service to the Power and Light District ($207 total for two nights). Texian Army is bringing about 50 people.
I think that's it travel-wise for now. I'll probably be blogging on the road tomorrow. Safe travels!
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