Every major stop ✋ on our trek brought us back to our past. Vancouver BC, San Juan Islands 🏝 and St. George, Utah each fit like a glove. Paradise Island, Bahamas 🇧🇸 just doesn’t.
But its the Final of 41 Bowl 🥣 games and we will do our best to suck it up until next Wednesday. My analogy will show just how old I am – opening scene in the Steve Martin classic, The Jerk. There’s a sign in the window of the Gas ⛽ station that reads – If you have to ask, you can’t afford it
Liberty University versus Buffalo here at 11, Carroll County vs Cave Spring at 1 – weather permitting. Kris Richardson is playing the role of our Weather Man 👨in regards to the Hoops.
Every now and then something happens and you get the feeling that you have been somewhere before. I am living that right now.
Let’s see 👀 if there’s enough similar things to create a Top Ten List… because its always fun to do..
Both days had me waiting hours for a Flight ✈️ out of Miami International Airport (MIA).
Both times the game was played on the 2nd day of the moth which they took place.
Both times it was a College Football game involving my beloved Duke University Blue Devils.
Both times we were major underdogs against a nationally ranked Football team.
Both times I was in company of Top Shelf people for the game.
Both games were played inside of National Football League Stadium 🏟s.
Both games started with the Blue Devils 😈 quickly falling behind 14-0.
Both times I went into the game telling myself to remember to take the time to enjoy the moment. Not everyone gets to watch their All-Time favorite team play on a regular basis.
Both times the post game Airport meal took place at the Villa Pizza 🍕 place in the D gates.
Finally, both times a more talented Football team went out a hung half a Hundred on us.
The big difference between the games on 11/2 and 1/2 was during the middle of the Miami game we outscored the #5 Hurricane 🌀 31-3….31-3….31-3.
Last night 🌙 was an absolute blast. We were in the suites that the Jacksonville Jaguars fan base use. It was Fancy Pants 👖living, something that Lin and I call things that are above our normal life style.
Maybe it was 10 degrees cooler than I would have liked but otherwise it was a great evening spent with the Love 💘 of my life.
Now I’m forced to leave the Country and head to the Bahamas 🇧🇸. But, no, not really. I can say that I just received an email 📧 from the Electric company back home saying that the pending Snow ❄ storm might cause a loss of power tomorrow. So, thoughts and prayers 🙏 for everyone who is reading this.
We will wrap this up by saying GO HOKIES ! The ACC needs you as we are now 2-10 in the post season and sadly the Mean people are all laughing at us.
Big difference between 3-10 and 2-11, right ? Now that I’ve typed it out…
The S.E.C. as a whole and both Alabama and Ole Miss in particular were rather upset that SMU stole one of their precious bids to the Field of 12. Ole Miss took advantage of the opportunity to punk an ACC team and did just that last night 🌙.
Wish the had maybe taken the Alabama approach by mailing in their Bowl 🥣 Game but Duke was not so fortunate.
The reality is that ACC Football is in trouble when you compare it to the rest of the Country. Chris Graham writes ✍ about how the $30 Million ➕ extra the other Power Four schools 🏫 get and its showing.
Final thought about last night 🌙- kudos to the Rebel players celebrating Big Plays by dunking on a Toy basketball hoop with a Duke logo on it. Kinda clever…
To call today a travel day would qualify as an understatement !
But there’s always time for Kindness here in the World 🌎 of Kindness !!
Wake ⏰ up at 3am in Houston, Texas and have taken the Shuttle from the Hotel 🏨 to the Airport known as IAH, named in honor of President Bush.
Now its a Non-stop ✋ Flight ✈️ back to Charlotte on American Airlines. Enjoying having status with an Airline for the first time in my life.
Have never paid to fly First Class so its way cool when its provided for FREE. Quite the upgrade after flying out here on Frontier Airlines.
After getting to Charlotte, Linda will hang around CLT for a couple of hours and then fly onto Jacksonville, Florida. I envy her and her direct flight ✈️.
The next 14 hours for me will be a bit more complicated. First, its drive the Truck up to Greensboro Airport (GSO) and park it so that its waiting when we return from the Bahamas 🇧🇸 next Wednesday night.
Five hours until my Delta flight ✈️ heads out for Atlanta (ATL) and then four hours until the connection down to JAX. 20 hours start to finish and 14 without my Booogz.
If there is a Bright Side its the potential for a Mega Step 🚶♂️ Day. There was to be 30,000+ steps to be found, if no other reason than to cancel out the poor Food choices…..
Thank You Mama Smoot for the assistance in wishing ❤ everyone a Happy New Years !!!
The Photo 📷 of the Fit Bit belongs to Lin as she chased me around the first of four Airports. 💘
I miss her already and she’s just now leaving…. sad 😥
If this was a Basketball 🏀 game it would be referred to as Padding Ones Stats. In the chase to 1 Million Steps 🚶♂️ one side Challenge is how many different Countries and 🇺🇲 States can be squeezed in.
The I-77 South Carolina border is just six miles in the wrong direction so it was a No Brainer to add it to the total !!
The World’s most expensive Storage Shed shares the parking lot. When the Houston Asterdome was built it was called the Eighth Wonder of the World 🌎.
The Astros moved on years ago but some influential people got together and prevented the destruction of the facility. Now what’s remaining is being used to store things…. not sure why this makes me smile but it does.
This week will conclude a five year journey that will become my next chase in regards to a book 📖. College Football 🏈🏈🏈 has changed a great deal over the past five years and there’s zero chance that its going back to what I like to call the Grand era of NCAAF.
On Saturday morning 🌄. I will (God Willing) enter the Stadium 🏟 in the Bahamas 🇧🇸 to conclude the journey to the 41 current Bowl 🥣 sites when the Chase began.
In between Houston and Nassau there will be a stopover in Jacksonville for Duke’s appearance in the Gator Bowl. That is a different Chase that I hope will last the duration of my time here on Earth. My beloved Blue Devils have only qualified for a Bowl 🥣 game 11 times now in my 61 years.
Back to today, LSU is playing like their lives depend upon winning. They are currently leading Baylor 28-7, mid second quarter.
NRG Stadium 🏟 is home to the NFL Houston Texans and is full of bells 🔔 and whistles. Six levels in all with a capacity that flexs between 71,000 & 80,000 depending on the event. The largest crowd in the 20 year history of the building involved a George Strait concert and a Rodeo event.
Down the road in El Paso, Louisville and the University of Washington are knotted up at 21-21 at the half. Our ACC is currently 1-9 with three left to play. I don’t like Duke’s chances with Ole Miss so its up to the Cards and the Hokies to save face 😐 for the league now.
The countdown to 2025 is officially underway so I will end this Post by saying Happy New Year to All…
Emotional moment as the entire LSU squad came off the bench to comfort a teammate after a serious leg issue.
A.S.P.N on The Hill 