The MLB Schedule is out

As always my Baseball Schmatza is on high alert for the new schedule to be released. (insert joke about release and schmatza here) Back to being 33, the baseball schedule was released yesterday and I have taken a look at the schedule to find all the possible weekends that we could go to Florida and see two games. I will list them now:

April 25-29 2012, Fly to Florida on Wednesday 25 and Fly home on Sunday 29th.
Pros: it is the soonest we could go. School has not been let out and Spring Break will be over. This is important for cheaper airfares and cheaper rental car rates. It is around Tom's and Travis' birthday so that is neat. It won't be terribly hot (weather) but I'm sure Tom will want to spend some time on the beach in Miami looking at other things that might be hot, like rocks, and black rubber electrical covers or whatever he is interested in....toolbelts, 80 year old drunk chicks. You know the usual. This is a random weekend with no holdays, Rich and Jason might be able to get these days off. See the Pros list in September. Empasis on the more time we will get to hang out in Florida.

Cons: Aaron will have finals right around here, and may not be able to come. Which only means there will be one less really bad poker player to steal money from. Also, we will avoid the awkward conversation about how he thinks that Disturbed is the greatest band since Metallica. I really am not sure why I included this in the Cons section. Another Con, is that the Marlins are opening a new stadium beginning 2012. I am sure Tickets will be a little bit more pricey because of this. However, it is the Marlins they will probably be like 10 games out of first by then and people in Miami will be preparing for the Dolphins to crush their hopes and dreams already.  Basketball will be locked out still so we can't rely on the Heat to throw the locals into clinical depression.

Memorial Day Weekend: May 25-29. Fly to Florida on Friday 25th and Fly home Tuesday 29th
Pros: Not many to list here. Aaron might be able to come if we go on this date. I have this weekend off.

Cons: Holiday weekends are busier and more expensive for flights and cars. The weather would be a factor. Both Day games mean no batting practice. We know how Travis needs to feel special by stealing baseballs from little kids and girls with better looking boobs than his. I don't think Rich or Jason would be able to get this weekend off due to their "lets make it fair" time off request style at work. I hate a lot of people sweating around me, it is likely I will not be able to have the personal space that I need. Chris agrees with this, he needs space, let's give him some space people.

June 28-July 1 Fly out Thursday the 28th and Fly home Sunday 1
Pros:  A good time of the year to go, easy to get cheaper game tickets.  Once again this is a random weekend, and might provide a good time for Jason and Rich to come.

Cons:  There are almost to many cons to list here. First and foremost. The Perry Fourth of July Tournament might start on Saturday. Travis will be on his 45 day menstrual cycle. I have to work and would have to use PTO to come. It will be hotter than Hell from here on out in Florida. The weekend before the 4th of July is when Jason and Marianne usually have there family pictures in there matching Old Navy America shirts.  We wouldn't want to interrupt that. Tom might bring his straw hat that he was inspired to buy after watching Brokeback Mountain a record 179 times. I can't make up any more but sufficeth to say I vote no. And I'm the one writing this damn post so you'll read it and like it Marianne.

July 12-15th  flight thursday game friday and saturday fly home Sunday
Pros:  Again the random weekend helps Jason and Rich.

Cons:  See the list above and Jason and Marianne's family pictures replaced by Travis, who usually has a training thingy during the third week in July. So, that would interrupt with his "other baseball vacation" and we wouldn't want to do that.

Sept. 5-9th  Flight Wednesday game thursday and Saturday fly home Wednesday
Pros:  This is exactly like the first weekend listed. We get the most time in Florida to do other things besides baseball. It would give us the time to watch Chris shop at the H&M, I could go to the Thomas Edison museum in Tampa. Tom could go to the movies and watch Brokeback Mountain II. Two goats are better than one.  Travis could meet more random homeless people than ever before. Of course all these things could be done in April as well.

Cons: It is a long wait for Travis. I don't like to wait that long either. It also could be Hurricane season. I'm just saying, this year it missed and we might not get so lucky next year. This is kind of a big deal. Aaron will have probably changed his major and will be back in school by this time. Also, it is Peach Days, we can't miss that.

So there you have it. My vote is for the first Weekend. I hope everyone is well and as excited as I am for the release of the schedule.

Please respond soon, Rich and Jason need to put in for time off request before October. And we also want to start looking for hotel prices and flight prices.

-Ben-

New Plans

Because of things beyond the control of some of the posse members, we may need to change the dates of the Texas trip. So I have researched some other dates. Please respond, or Travis will call you, or don't respond and Travis will call you anyway. Either way, he'll call.

Option 1:
Thursday - May 26 - Fly to Dallas (DFW or Dallas Lovefield) in the evening.
May 27 - Hang in Dallas; Rangers Game.
May 28 - Drive to Houston or Fly for 49 per person (might save on a rental car); Astros Game
Sunday - May 29 - Fly Home

Pros: maybe Southwest has a sale. Cons: No day in between to see Austin. It is Memorial Day Weekend

Option 2 is exactly the same as option 1, except for different dates.
Thursday Aug 4 through Sunday Aug 7th

Option 3 is my favorite option besides in April.
Wednesday Aug 31 Fly in to Dallas after work
Thursday Sept 1 Hang in Dallas and see the Rangers game.
Friday Sept 2 is a free day for travel and maybe end up in Austin to hang
Saturday Sept 3 Hang in Houston and see the Astros game.
Sunday Sept 4 Fly home
BTW Monday Sept 5th is Labor day so you will have time to catch up.

Flights for all the dates are all about the same. Maybe Southwest will have a deal. We could possibly save money by only renting a car in Dallas and Flying to Houston and taking a cab to and from the game/hotel/airport. But it's Texas so it can be quite spread out. This would not work for Option 3.

I would love for everybody to come, because it is hard to only spread the cost of the hotels and car over just 2 or 3 people. With that being said, I am going anyway either in April by myself or one of these dates. Please respond ASAP.

I'm not sure who set up this blog, but I would like to have full power over the dashboard. As of now, I can only post stuff and comment on stuff. Marianne, did you set this blog up? Travis?

Ben

Texas Plans

Hey guys,
I have been checking flights to and from Texas (Wednesday 4/27 - Sunday 5/1) I think it would save money to go round trip from Dallas. It would also save money on the rental car, as one way rentals are more expensive. Also, I don't know what is going to happen with Southwest, but it looks like we should be expecting around $350/person for the flights. Hopefully, Southwest will have a sale in February or March that can knock it down about a hundy. If anyone has any other info than please bring it forward.

Above is us at the best steak house I have ever been to. Pricey but worth it.

Great American Ball Park

Jacobs Field in Cleveland

This was such a trip hope you join us in Texas next year when we try to top it.

Enjoying the game in Cincinatti


Adam Loves the Games

Tom Got showed up be an 11 year old at the batting cages

What you look like after trying to eat 6 lbs of food and come up three bites short of finishing

My Plate


Bens Plate

Road Trip Pics

Here are a few of our 2010 Baseball Road Trip Pics. My favs are of Russ and I trying to eat the 6 lbs Dagwood Sandwich Challange. It was awesome.

Texas Baby

So MLB released it's schedule last week and we have already checked the calendar and have set the dates.
Wednesday April 27th evening or April 28th early morning flight to Dallas
Texas Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington April 28th followed by a tour of all of my favorite mission memories and maybe we'll get shot. I'm kidding.....about the tour, not the getting shot. We could go to JFK (blown away what else do I have to say) Museum right next to two awesome restaurants for dinner or lunch if we went there before the game.
Friday Day is a travel day through Austin for some very good eats and of course a stop at the Texas State Museum for guaranteed hours of entertainment, not really. But Austin is a pretty cool place to hang out and listen to music. Sorry Jason no trombones.
Saturday Night game in Houston at Minute Maid park if it is still called that or if they haven't sold the team to Mexico.

I think we could rent a bigger car and possibly accomodate some tasty steak and non-sandwiches for Tom, we could even get some fish for Chris and some Lobster tail for Jason as well as the token homosexual for him to flirt with but ultimately get rejected at the end of the night. Rich I'm sure he will settle for you.....again. I'm sure I will lose something important and get yelled at by someone then feel bad about it for a couple of hours. Adam will just read some random book, then leave it on a bench somewhere then make us pull over to the nearest Walmart so he can buy the same book just to finish it.

Sunday Morning flight back to Salt Lake, and getting on with our reasonably pathetic lives.

That is the plans so far, I'm sure Travis will fill in all the remaining time with exciting stuff to do, and we will just follow along and pretend like we have good ideas to talk about, but all we are really doing is checking all the girls for fake breastses ( alot of them in Texas, it is bound to be a new record) Chris will just keep chanting, "Gimmie Cancer Now!" While random girls will ask Travis if he is drunk. I can't wait for our good times.

Baseball Road Trip June 10-13

It is that time a year again when we plan our annual Baseball Stadium Road Trip, it has become an official event and as such get its title is in caps.

Tentatively here is the schedule.

Dates:
June 10-13
Stadiums:
Cleveland
Cincinnati
Amazing Restaurants
at least 5

We are flying out Thursday afternoon and flying home Sunday.

BUDGET
Estimated $500-$600 depending on how may steaks you order.

I would like to get a final count on who is coming by February 21st. Tickets will start going on sale and we need to get rooms and cars locked up early.

I hope you all can come this year. These trips have gotten progressively better each year and I hope this will be the best one yet.

Travis Gangly Green

P.S. If you are on the fence about weather to come. H er is the clincher at the Cincinnati game it is Scott Rolen Bobble Head night, those things have got to be worth at least $500.

SUPER BOWL 34

I have called most of you on the phone but here is another reminder.

PARTY!!! at Tom's house.

PLACE:

818 W 885 S
Brigham City
Neighbor hood behind the Hospital and Brigham Clinic.

BRING:

Meat
Drinks
Food to share
Anything you want to FRY! Pickles and Twinkies as always. And we may try some snickers this year.

TIME:
Start 3-4 PM
Kick Off is at 4:30

Hope you can come.

Travis Gangly Green

Jason wont be there, he will be watching the game from work, with his 6 minuets on 54 min break schedule, that our outrages income tax pay for.