DIS Dads Rust Belt Road Trip (2 UPDATES--1/18)

[Cinderella's Fella]

Wait, I can't replace our 27" analog standard-definition TV but strangers reading this TR get free cheesesteaks??

I suppose, like the Louisville Slugger Factory, there's no choice in the matter. Come visit us! Have a cheesesteak! We'll take you to our favorite place.

Mark, I can be there in about an hour.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

What was on the other side? A gasoline and match factory?

I don't remember, but I don't think it was anything nearly that exciting.

Did they have George Brett's famous "pine tar" bat?

I don't recall seeing it there. They had a lot of bats stored in drawers that you opened up without knowing whose was stored in there. It's possible I missed it.

Speaking of historic baseball bats, I thought this recent story was interesting.

Cool story! Thanks!

Nuts. If only herve villechaize had had a bat.

They did have Dustin Pedroia's, and he's close to the same size.

Careful....you'll tear your achilles.

Are you mocking me, Mr. Gambini?

Another FANTASTIC family photo.....you got a lot of them on this trip!

I like this one a lot!

Every one else has already thumped your skull pretty good, so I’ll just hit a couple of highlights this time.

"Don't make me come down there, I'll thump your skull for ya!" Movie?

If I recall correctly, this is the second time on this trip where the young’ens were given access to blunt instruments (it’s just the first time they got to keep some of them afterwards).

This is correct! And I was the only one wielding it in a threatening fashion that time.

The mark of a great road trip (or maybe a life time spent on the lamb).

I was running away from work. Does that count?

Really?

Barry seemed to like it.

I don’t really have a favorite team so I generally pull for the underdog. But… I must question a large percentage of the Yankee’s fans. It’s not that the team doesn’t have a great history. It’s just that they win so often (and have enough money to ensure that this continues) that being a fan doesn’t really require any effort or investment. Most of them are just sitting on the bandwagon and claiming all the credit

I don't care for bandwagon fans, either. We have a ton of Dallas Cowboys fans in our area who drive me nuts. My rule is that in order to be a fan of a particular team, you either have to have a geographical connection to them, or your father has to be a die-hard fan who taught you before you had a choice. I'm pretty sure most of the Cowboys fans in our area aren't from Dallas.

I like to tease them about being front-runners from the 90's. They protest and say they liked the Cowboys ever since they were kids. Of course, that just means they were frontrunners when they were kids.

This will have to be added to my list of places to see. History, heritage, museums, playground and a billy-club for your own personal enjoyment… Hard to beat.

It's everything a growing boy needs! I have the feeling Louisville would be your kinda place, Rob. We'll get into it more, but it's a really neat city.

To paraphrase... "She chose wisely"

Sadly, yes.

Which leads me too…





Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(I’m surprised someone didn’t beat me to that one)

+1 Me too! That one was just sitting there.

"I ran out of gas. I... I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!"

Blues Brothers!

Another great picture and an excellent closer for this most excellent post

Hmmm... learn something new every day. I always thought it meant they were corked.

I guess they were, back in the day! Now it's psychologically corked.

Great... another punny Disdad.

Man, you don't let anything slip past you.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Mark, I can be there in about an hour.

I can't, I'm at work.

But I'm sure we can arrange something on the calendar...

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

"Don't make me come down there, I'll thump your skull for ya!" Movie?

That would be the line I was adapting…
Shawshank Redemption of course

you get your +1 back

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

That would be the line I was adapting…
Shawshank Redemption of course

you get your +1 back

Nice! I wasn't sure if you were quoting that line or not.

 

[MEK]

Wow - First of all, how did I miss this update?

Second - that place looks pretty darn cool. I love the pictures of the kids with their favorite bats. Excellent shots. They even have batting cages. Cool!

I am going to put this place on MY bucket list

 

[FreezinRafiki]

You get to hit a ball as hard as you can right at a wall. What's not to like?

Thus Evan's fascination with racquetball. That, and he gets to use me as a target.

You know exactly where we went. Seriously, is there an easy way to describe it?

Distinctively Uniquedividual

Exactly. I guess she could have gotten her own with some smart-alecky message printed on it.

I wonder if they can do backwards printing? If so, you can get it to say "Because I Said So!", then when she, um, administers it, you'll have a nice imprinted reminder.

I love watching the American League pitchers in interleague games when they're forced to bat. Standing 8 feet off the plate with a "Please don't kill me!" look on their faces.

Kind of like John Kruk facing Randy Johnson in the '93 All Star Game?

I prayed to Joe Boo to help me hit the curveball. If you no help me hit the curveball...I say @#$% you, Joe Boo. I do it myself!

You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?

That's on my list of places to visit in Iowa!

(Mostly because I'm not sure what else there is in Iowa)

Corn. And a bridge to Wisconsin.

 

[glennbo123]

Are you mocking me, Mr. Gambini?

My Cousin Vinnny.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I don't care for bandwagon fans, either. We have a ton of Dallas Cowboys fans in our area who drive me nuts. My rule is that in order to be a fan of a particular team, you either have to have a geographical connection to them, or your father has to be a die-hard fan who taught you before you had a choice. I'm pretty sure most of the Cowboys fans in our area aren't from Dallas.

I like to tease them about being front-runners from the 90's. They protest and say they liked the Cowboys ever since they were kids. Of course, that just means they were frontrunners when they were kids.

Got to agree on the Dallas front… Once any organization makes the supremely arrogant leap of claiming to be “America’s *anything*”, it deserves nothing from that point forward but contempt (and you both ensure and justify the fact that you will be kicked savagely when you're down).

I discovered football when we lived in Miami (I was about 7 at the time). It’s been a long time since my adopted team has seen anything but lean years. I also live in the Carolinas, so the local squad (which is v-e-r-y inconsistent) ensures that I spend a lot of time hearing about other folks favorite teams doing well in the post season.

Man, you don't let anything slip past you.

No he doesn’t, does he? And truth be told… that one was purely accidental.

 

[jason4024]

Great update. I would love to do that tour. Awesome pics.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wow - First of all, how did I miss this update?

Second - that place looks pretty darn cool. I love the pictures of the kids with their favorite bats. Excellent shots. They even have batting cages. Cool!

I am going to put this place on MY bucket list

It was a great museum! Well worth the time. And I definitely want another crack at the batting cages.

Thus Evan's fascination with racquetball. That, and he gets to use me as a target.

You know, it sounds like a lot of fun when you put it that way.

Distinctively Uniquedividual

That about covers it.

I wonder if they can do backwards printing? If so, you can get it to say "Because I Said So!", then when she, um, administers it, you'll have a nice imprinted reminder.

I thought about having my full name printed on there. When Mom uses your full name, you know you're in trouble.

Kind of like John Kruk facing Randy Johnson in the '93 All Star Game?

Perfect analogy!

You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?

You know, that ball wouldn't have been out of a lot of parks.

Corn. And a bridge to Wisconsin.

Our family drove across Iowa once when I was a kid. All I remember is 4 hours of corn.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

You know, that ball wouldn't have been out of a lot of parks.

Name one.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

My Cousin Vinnny.

+1

Got to agree on the Dallas front… Once any organization makes the supremely arrogant leap of claiming to be “America’s *anything*”, it deserves nothing from that point forward but contempt (and you both ensure and justify the fact that you will be kicked savagely when you're down).

I discovered football when we lived in Miami (I was about 7 at the time). It’s been a long time since my adopted team has seen anything but lean years. I also live in the Carolinas, so the local squad (which is v-e-r-y inconsistent) ensures that I spend a lot of time hearing about other folks favorite teams doing well in the post season.

My friend, a Bears fan, was celebrating the other night because they beat the Eagles, and he gets so "tired of having to deal with all these Eagles fans." Really? You live in the Philly area and you're surprised there are Eagles fans?

Great update. I would love to do that tour. Awesome pics.

Thanks! I know you'd like that tour, Jason.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Name one.

Yellowstone.

 

[marvali]

OMG Mark, I was so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so very far behind on your TR! It is really embarrassing to be perfectly honest. I searched for my last post and it was the day before my birthday.....way back in August.

Anyway, somehow I am all caught up now. Well ALL is relative. I am caught up on ALL of the updates, but only SOME of the banter. I really didn't have two free days to read it all so I had to FF somewhere.

A lot of really great updates but way too much to comment on. Some of the highlights were the meal at Mike's (can you remember that far back?) with all the signage and rules (my sides still hurt from laughing), the science museum and the U-boat story (so cool since my Dad is a Navy Veteran of WWII, even though in the Pacific facing kamikaze pilots instead of German U-boats), your escapades with FreezinRafiki (awesome pictures of the lights coming on in Chicago) including the American Girl shop, but not so much the tour of Wrigley Field. Oh wait, I got that backwards! We actually did a tour of the Rangers stadium in Arlington, TX a few years ago when we drove to the Grand Canyon.

Of course I loved your meet in Chicago with my sweetheart DISfriend Kathy. Can't wait to actually meet her in person! The Children's museum in Indy looked cool, and what better way to top off a family trip than to spend time with a bunch of Louisville Sluggers! I still have my Henry Aaron model I used in PONY league, when bats were real and made a wonderful crack when colliding with a baseball!

One piece of banter I did notice is something about a trip to Pawley's Island. I actually grew up in Georgetown, about 11 miles away from Pawley's Island, back when you could actually park along the road and walk out onto the beach! It is about a 4-1/2 hour drive for me from here, but my Dad would love for me to have an excuse to visit him. I think I saw it would be next July, which would probably work well for me to take a trip. I guess I will have to go back and search for details but when it gets closer, make sure I know what your plans are and maybe I can make a run down and meet you!

Good to be caught back up! Maybe I can keep up a little better now. Oh, and cool with the shoutout for the TRs! Thanks!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

OMG Mark, I was so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so very far behind on your TR! It is really embarrassing to be perfectly honest. I searched for my last post and it was the day before my birthday.....way back in August.

No worries, Marv! I know life got crazy for you for a long while there. I'm flattered you came back to catch up! Thanks!

Anyway, somehow I am all caught up now. Well ALL is relative. I am caught up on ALL of the updates, but only SOME of the banter. I really didn't have two free days to read it all so I had to FF somewhere.

I can probably sum it all up for you. I said something dumb or inaccurate in the TR. The others jumped all over me with ridicule. Lather, rinse, repeat.

A lot of really great updates but way too much to comment on. Some of the highlights were the meal at Mike's (can you remember that far back?) with all the signage and rules (my sides still hurt from laughing), the science museum and the U-boat story (so cool since my Dad is a Navy Veteran of WWII, even though in the Pacific facing kamikaze pilots instead of German U-boats), your escapades with FreezinRafiki (awesome pictures of the lights coming on in Chicago) including the American Girl shop, but not so much the tour of Wrigley Field. Oh wait, I got that backwards! We actually did a tour of the Rangers stadium in Arlington, TX a few years ago when we drove to the Grand Canyon.

You drove to the Grand Canyon? Wow, that's a haul! It's worth the trip, though, isnt' it? Julie and I have been twice...once on our honeymoon and then on our 10th anniversary. What an incredible place.

Thanks again for taking the time to catch up! I'm glad you enjoyed it! And if you liked Mike's Place, wait till you see the next chapter.

Of course I loved your meet in Chicago with my sweetheart DISfriend Kathy. Can't wait to actually meet her in person! The Children's museum in Indy looked cool, and what better way to top off a family trip than to spend time with a bunch of Louisville Sluggers! I still have my Henry Aaron model I used in PONY league, when bats were real and made a wonderful crack when colliding with a baseball!

Kathy is a sweetheart. In fact, I haven't met a single person from the DISboards who hasn't been even cooler in person.

One piece of banter I did notice is something about a trip to Pawley's Island. I actually grew up in Georgetown, about 11 miles away from Pawley's Island, back when you could actually park along the road and walk out onto the beach! It is about a 4-1/2 hour drive for me from here, but my Dad would love for me to have an excuse to visit him. I think I saw it would be next July, which would probably work well for me to take a trip. I guess I will have to go back and search for details but when it gets closer, make sure I know what your plans are and maybe I can make a run down and meet you!

Sounds good! I will PM you with the dates. I also heard from fellow DISDad GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes about trying to meet up that week as well. I hope we can work it all out!

Good to be caught back up! Maybe I can keep up a little better now. Oh, and cool with the shoutout for the TRs! Thanks!

Thanks for catching up!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Kathy is a sweetheart. In fact, I haven't met a single person from the DISboards who hasn't been even cooler in person.

Oh come on, I'm sure you can think of one.

 

[KatMark]

Oh come on, I'm sure you can think of one.

Hey, hey, hey! Mark and I stick together (he actually READS my TR too!).

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Oh come on, I'm sure you can think of one.

Hey, hey, hey! Mark and I stick together (he actually READS my TR too!).

Being a public forum, we have to present a modicum of decency and professionalism here.






Sorry, even I don't buy that one. You're all goofs. But lovable ones.

 

[marvali]

Oh come on, I'm sure you can think of one.

Well he hasn't met us all yet either so there's still time to blow that theory ....

Modicum of decency ....