After returning from Portland last week on Wednesday, I went to Minute Clinic in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. I had what I thought was a severe hives outbreak, but it turns out it was a case of scabies. Gross!!! The outbreak had started the first morning I woke up in San Diego (after Independence Day) and continually had become worse. Even with the best of hygiene, one can get scabies, I learned. Those who travel are more prone to scabies, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. I guess I got lucky! Thank goodness for nationwide insurance and doc-in-the-boxes!
As a result, I have learned while traveling that prescription or over-the-counter medications do not have to be included in the one-Ziplock bag with the rest of your toiletries while going through security at airports. Furthermore, a doctor’s note is not necessarily needed either (though I had the clinic visit summary, just in case). Medications do not have to comply with the three-ounce rule, as the both the scabies cream and calamine lotion are over three ounces. These are things to know while traveling, as you never know what kind of situation you may have. Luckily I brought an extra box of Ziplock bags (great cell phone covers when it rains), although a number of airports will provide them (especially the smaller airports).
So, in a nutshell, that’s why I currently look like I have leprosy, but the outbreak has subsided as of two days ago, thank goodness. Now I’m in the process of healing the wounds. A nightly bath with epsom salt is helpful, although if you happen to travel with four pounds (that’s all Ralph’s had in San Diego), TSA will search your luggage. They most likely think it’s fertilizer or some kind of bomb contribution.
On Thursday in San Diego, we went to the zoo. I have never wanted to go to another city’s zoo, except San Diego. I now know why it’s the best in the USA. Not only is there a lot of research, but the layout is vibrant compared to Houston’s zoo. There are lots of steep trails, so get ready for some walking and light hiking! Our $44 ticket also included unlimited bus and aerial cable car rides. It was definitely worth the money!
Friday early morning, we departed for Salt Lake City on Southwest Airlines (SAN-PHX-SLC for $140 one-way). We were a bit early arriving (around noon), and the hotel wouldn’t have a room for us until 1:30PM. This is something to keep in mind when scheduling flights. Hotels, especially on weekends, may not be able to accommodate very early check-ins. Nevertheless, we went grocery shopping and had lunch at a wonderful place called Tony Caputo’s. It’s an intimate, non-corporate (important to me while traveling!) deli. They serve entrees, salads, soups, etc. (all made freshly) and also sell meats and cheeses. I had linguini with clam sauce (came with a salad and bread roll) for less than $10. Most impressive of all, a signed Beckerman USMNT jersey is used as decoration. It’s a welcome sight for those of us who are traveling for the team! Next door is a small bakery, and the bite-size fruit tart did not make it past the cash register because I ate it all. :-)
We checked into the hotel, Homewood Suites downtown. I used points, so it was only $40/night. Homewood Suites isn’t a well-known hotel because there’s typically only one location in a city, if that. They’re one step above Hampton Inns on the Hilton totem pole because you get an entire suite - kitchen, living room, dining area, bedroom, and bathroom. They’re kind of like Marriott’s Residence Inns, but cheaper. Homewood Suites provides free wifi, free breakfast daily, usually free parking, a light free dinner Monday-Thursday evenings, and if state law allows, free beer or wine in the evenings as well. In Memphis, they put out a tub of ice and Budweiser/Bud Light cans, and you just drink whatever you want. In Jacksonville, they put out 3-4 bottles of wine, and you just pour and help yourself. Works for me!
I should note we rented a car from Hertz. I used points so the base price was free, but the taxes and surcharges were about $60 for about three days. That’s not bad! I was upgraded to a Ford Edge (SUV), which I really liked. The vehicle came with all the bells and whistles (completely touch-screen). In fact, there was no auxillary hole, so I had to use Bluetooth the entire time. The only downside is that the average miles per gallon is less than 22. I get 35 MPG on average in my Toyota Corolla.
The night before party was at Bourbon House, a familiar bar since we were in Salt Lake City last month for the world cup qualifier. I have to admit it was pretty dull for a Friday night. There were only about two tables of the American Outlaws (AOs) Salt Lake City chapter, and I think we were the only two out-of-towners (aside from two people from AO national). I introduced myself to Grant Wahl, as I have been tweeting him quite a bit, and he’s a really nice, down-to-earth guy. He’s very easy to talk to, and we found out Salt Lake was his 88th cap. He also has a sister-in-law from Houston, so we found some common ground. We left after the Gold Cup game ended.
Saturday morning we woke up to go to the tailgate, which began around 10:30AM. It’s probably the best morning tailgate I’ve ever attended. There was a full roasted pig, breakfast tacos, a hash brown kind of casserole made with cream of chicken soup (must find recipe!), mimosas, and much more! There weren’t many people, but still had a good time.
We went into the section when the gates opened for section set up. It should be noted for Gold Cup, CONCACAF really makes things difficult for us by not noting general admission on the ticket. So, everyone had to be in their assigned seats. As a result, this also meant we didn’t have a dedicated section of American Outlaws and were mixed in with normal people. We were all in the endline sections, but the bottom three sections maybe had 1-3 rows of AOs each. My tickets, along with some others, were in the upper center section behind the goal, which was a great view! We could really see the field!
During the second half, an AO Salt Lake City member came over to us to accuse us of not supporting the single row of AOs in one of the lower sections. I should note at this point, the two AO national leaders had moved to the front row to join us, and they unfortunately were the victims of her wrath. They were at the end of the row, and I was in the middle. I could hear her bitching from the center of the row, and she continued to bitch for about 10 minutes, which was highly unattractive and detracted from the game.
There is absolutely nothing we can do when we can’t hear the lower sections, and we’re all split amongst newbies. There is absolutely nothing we can do when the chapter doesn’t have a drum or capos. There is absolutely nothing we can do when chant sheets aren’t passed out or taped to the chairs to incorporate the normal US fans. I tweeted last week and asked AO Salt Lake City if they had a spare bass drum/mallets I could use, and there was no response. It was the same scenario as the world cup qualifier, so I don’t understand why this female was throwing a hissy fit. If the chapter chooses or doesn’t have the resources to provide a drum/capo, then so be it, but don’t bitch about it to AO national. There’s nothing that can be done about it during the game.
Anyway, after winning the game against Cuba, we went back to Bourbon House to meet Chris and Dale. It finally felt like a proper AO event. Chris the previous night had spent decided to spend the night in the mountains, and Dale flew in on game day. Both are AO NYC chapter members, but it should be noted Chris is from Alaska, and Dale is from Phoenix (switched chapter memberships this month due to moving). Along with David (AO San Diego president), we’re the only four American Outlaws to attend ALL USMNT Gold Cup games, which is quite a feat! Somehow someone came up with the idea of us being the four horsemen, and so each one of us is Conquest, Death, Famine, and War. We had a great time, lured some strangers onto the couches with us, and cheered on Real Salt Lake (RSL), as they were playing Dallas (yay for beating Dallas!). It was a fun time, and there were quite a bit of lively RSL supporters and fans there as well. What a change from the previous night!
Yesterday we decided to visit Temple Square. We quickly learned almost everything closes on Sundays, including the Salt Lake Temple in the square (was surprised!). Macy’s, Ann Taylor, H&M, etc. were all closed! Since I had never been, we went to the Great Salt Lake. It was QUITE smelly at the marina, and I don’t know why people would even want to swim there. However, we did find an off-road (thanks to seeing another car drive), and we decided to follow. Thank goodness I had a SUV! It was worth it though, as the off-roading part of the lake was not as smelly, prettier, and the waves were calmer. The lake’s a great place to surf kayak, if you have your own kayak.
It’s interesting how there is nothing built around the lake (at least, the portion where we were), and we learned why. We stopped at a souvenir store, and the shopkeeper gave us a quick history of the lake. There used to be a MASSIVE complex next to the lake before it burned in 1925. Later, it was re-built, abandoned, squatted, and then burned down in the 1960s. Since then, nothing has been successful, e.g. a go-cart facility. There’s a myth that there’s a Salt Lake curse, so businesses are unwilling to build. Right now the biggest thing is the Saltair Pavillion, where weekly concerts are held. When I saw the huge room and stage, I immediately thought of dubstepping (my favorite kind of clubbing music). The shopkeeper confirmed big named artists, such as DeadMau5, have performed there, which is awesome. [Disclaimer: This history bit is from memory; go Wiki it if you really want. =P]
Last night we went to Chanon Thai, which was pretty good and family-owned. Grandma was taking a break and walking the baby when we left, so you know the food is legit. You’ll need to drive there from downtown (bit of a far walk, for me at least, lol), but at least it’s open on Sunday nights. We had tom yum soup (one of my favorites), egg rolls, chicken pad Thai, and green beef curry. For those unfamiliar with Thai food, the last two items are hallmarks of the cuisine. If the pad Thai or the green curry is not good, then it is not a good Thai place.
I should note of all cities, Salt Lake City has had the most amount of commoners (as I call them lol) discuss soccer with us. We went to dinner at a Belgian place on Friday night that serves lamb sausage and the best french fries in Utah (Bruges Waffles & Frites). The guy at first thought we were representing Chicago Fire and said he “would’ve thrown you out” (LOL!!!), but on second thought realized RSL didn’t have a game that night. We had a lively 20-minute discussion, and it was good. On Saturday, during our walk to Bourbon House, we were stopped by a police officer who also wished to discuss soccer. We learned the SLC police were at the Cuban hotel babysitting, in case a Cuban defected. I am not sure what the legalities are (because if you’re asking for asylum, don’t Americans have to oblige?), but it was interesting. We probably talked for about 20-30 minutes. It’s nice to visit a city who is educated about soccer.
This morning David and I split because Southwest Airlines was cheaper for him from Salt Lake City to Hartfort, CT (connect through Baltimore-BWI) versus United. I used 25,000 miles today to fly into BDL, which was nice. One of the perks of traveling SO MUCH for work is keeping all my car rental points, hotel rewards, and airline miles.
So, I am off to join AO Hartford at their night before party. I am really looking forward to it, as the chapter as done an EXCELLENT job of tweeting/Facebooking information and (most important) replying! Ciao for now!
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