Easter Boredom

Day 6 in Las Vegas
Starbucks, somewhere west of town

Can someone tell me why Starbucks must keep it so cold? I know it'll be handy when it's 113 outside, but today was very nice. I walked around The Trails Park in Summerlin and enjoyed watching some fathers teach their kids the finer points of baseball. But now I'm freezing to death in a Starbucks walk-in meat locker and wishing I had stayed and had coffee at the park.

Back to baseball. I noticed the Rangers are up to their old tricks. They start off winning the first three games at home then lose the first two on the road. The Rangers have to be the worst road team in the majors.

And speaking of majors...where was Tiger at the Masters this weekend? Golf is boring to watch unless Tiger is in the final pairing. I suppose his knee is still bothering him. He's no good coming from behind in major tournaments, so I knew he was done when he double bogied the first hole, third round.

And speaking of round...the Jr. Whopper is the best hamburger in town that cost only a dollar. Wendy's would probably be a close second.

And speaking of Wendy's...I almost lost my car in the wind storm the other night. Or at least I thought it might be blown to bits while I was walking around the Red Rock Casino. Some of the highest winds I've ever seen...er...heard (winds can't be seen I guess) made it hard to walk through the parking lot.

And speaking of parking lot...what's up with all the signs in the shopping centers that say "2 Hours Only...or You'll Be Subject to the Big Tow Truck." I saw a McDonald's employee park and walk into work. Unless he works less than two hours, something tells me they don't enforce the parking regulations. So if you don't enforce the rule, why have the rule? Just to make people nervous? Another silly example of code violations posted on real property to make people behave a certain way only to see people doing what they want to do anyway.

And speaking of silly...I plugged in my iPod for a recharge and I thought the entire thing was going to blow up. A spark or something caused the screen to flash, then go blank. I was really ticked until I shut it off and prayed over it. Then I let it cool off...which wasn't hard since I was in Starbucks. Finally I hit the reset button and all was well. Take away my iPod and I'm toast...even in Starbucks.

The Rangers Last Game, Garagiola, Mountains, Prescott

Day 227 on the road.

The Rangers and MLB ended Spring Training this week, officially on Thursday. A new record attendance of 1.3 million fans made it to the Cactus League this year. The reason: severe winter weather in the north and east made it easy for many to head south for some baseball this year. An estimated 60 percent of the fans are from out of state.

I attended the last two Rangers home games, one was a night game on Tuesday night. The weather was perfect. The last game was yesterday. It began at Noon so the players could get out of town early.

Joe Garagiola was at the game autographing his new book, "Just Play Ball."

Below is a video clip from yesterday's last game of the 2008 season.

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I met a Rangers Bat Boy at a game when he took the seat next to mine while his mother remained on the lawn in the outfield. I was shooting a video clip when he convinced a player to toss him a ball. I promised him I would post the clip of him on YouTube, so here it is. He was back to work on the bench yesterday with the Rangers, shagging balls and bats.




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After the game I drove through the mountains to Prescott, Arizona. I'm there now. I'm posting this update from a Starbucks north of downtown. What a beautiful town, sitting on the slopes of the mountains and in the Prescott National Forest.


The trip from Surprise was easy enough. I just took Hwy. 69 north to a little town called Wickenburg. From there I took Hwy. 89 north which takes you directly through a mountain range.
Be prepared to take your time if you drive this scenic route to Prescott. The roads curve severely and you must reduce your speed in most cases to 20-25 miles an hour. But the views are breathtaking.











Once you arrive in Prescott, you find a nice sized town built among the slopes of the mountains that surround the town. I've not seen one street that isn't sloped or elevated. The new mall is built in what looks like a hill that was cut out for that purpose.

Downtown has a monumental country courthouse and plaza that is heavily treed and beautiful. I read that this historic town was the first capital of the new Arizona territory under President Lincoln.

Westgate, Baseball, Fountain Hills, Art, and the Mountains

It's Easter Sunday and all is well. Another Holiday spent on the road. Starbucks is open, and quiet. I've set up my "office" to get caught up on a few things.

I attended the Fountain Hills Art and Wine Affaire yesterday. Fountain Hills is a few minutes from Scottsdale as you go east toward the mountains. Fountain Hills is actually on the eastern slope of McDowell Mountain. After the festival I drove further east and north to see the McDowell Regional Park. I took a hike (doing what people usually tell me to do when I'm at Starbucks--"...take a hike, buddy,...I want your table."). The camp was full of RVs and tents for Easter weekend, so I was unable to stay the night.

I made a video and posted it on YouTube, below, of my trip there.

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On Friday, I went back to the site of the Super Bowl in Glendale: Westgate City Center. What a great place to hang out. I had lunch on the patio at the Fox Sports Grill. (See my video clip here.)

Notice the "Before" and "After" photos below. I took the first photo during a Super Bowl party when the plaza was packed with football fans.

"Before" during the Super Bowl:

"After" when I was there Friday:

Westgate City Center, the lower level plaza.

The photo below was taken by a L.A. Angels fan at the Rangers game Friday night.

Fountain Hills Art and Wine Affaire, Fountain Hills, Arizona

McDowell Mountain Regional Park, north of Fountain Hills

Day 220 on the road.

It's getting warmer, today's high to reach the mid-80s. On Easter Sunday the forecast is 89 degrees, sunshine.

I made it to Starbucks this morning and decided to walk to the grocery store for some breakfast food. I was thinking how great the weather was and saw numerous people walking their dogs and enjoying the cool morning. In a few weeks as the heat arrives, these cool days will be gone. I've been told, however, the nights and mornings are still cool during the summer months...even though the afternoon heat will top 100 degrees.

I'll be attending another Rangers game today. It's one of the few night games, so I expect it to be cool...if not downright cold. I'm going to revisit downtown Glendale and the Westgate City Center on my way to Surprise. My first visit to these hotspots was during Super Bowl weekend when thousands of football fans from all over the country were in town. I'm going back today for a quieter and less crowded visit.

I read in this mornings Arizona Republic newspaper about a local business owner from Tempe who donated a few professionally built poker tables to the troops in Iraq. The man owns a company that sells poker and gambling supplies and was approached by the military about donating some new tables. The troops like to play poker to keep their minds active while off duty and enjoy playing poker tournaments during their downtime (poker has always been a popular game among the troops, even during the Civil War when poker was just starting to make the rounds up and down the Mississippi River). Of course, when I play poker, I sometimes feel as if I'm in a battle, fighting my way through a mindfield. Go figure. I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

Rangers Lose (Again) and The District Marketplace

The Texas Rangers once again found themselves behind early after giving up six runs in four innings today. So far the Ranger pitching staff seems to be struggling. But this is nothing new, unfortunately.

It was another beautiful day at Surprise Stadium, with very little wind, 74 degrees, and bright sunny skies. Below are some pictures from today's game.


Ian Kensler, Michael Young, and ? taking a pre-game walk. The Homerun Party Deck behind them is a "bar and buffet" place for postgame tomfoolery. They usually have a live band on hand, plus plenty of suds.

One of the numerous photogs who are here to cover the games. I think he dropped his hotdog or something.

A young Rangers fan trying to ponder the question, "Why can't we ever find some pitching for this team?" Answer: Tom Hicks is a tightwad.

A Hippie and his companion singing the National Anthem. How groovy.

Either the National Anthem is being played...or, they are watching highlights from last year on the Jumbotron.

"Look, Daddy, the Padres just hit another homerun."

The scoreboard says it all. The Rangers scored some runs late (five), but it was too little too late. Kevin Mench's 3-run homer wasn't enough. Final score: Padres 9, Rangers 5.

This guy gets the "Dumbest Hat Award" for 2008 Spring Training. I think he let his love of baseball go to his head.

After the game I drove back east via Loop 101 and stopped off at a nice outdoor shopping mall, The District at Desert Ridge.