May 4, 2008 (Day 99) - Hotels and Road Trips

I am currently sitting in a La Quinta hotel in Huntsville, AL.  Its funny to think of the hundreds of hotels in hundreds of cities that I've stayed in since the beginning of my freshmen year of college. That was six years ago now and it feels like it was yesterday.  I would have to say that 90% of them are identical.  Their only differences coming in small variations in room design and whether or not they offer continental breakfast.  They are all "OK" for a day or two but get very old after a long road trip.  We are smack in the middle of a 10 day haul, having completed a series win in Birmingham earlier today.  The La Quinta we are staying probably falls in the middle of that 90% of mediocrity.  Plenty of places to eat around (which is huge) but not much for a morning breakfast and our room kinda smells like urine.  It always bothers me a bit when I get used to the smell.  I don't think urine is a smell I want to get used to.  

Incidentally, the other 10% of hotels are like a treat and can make any road trip a little more bearable.  There are always one or two a year that are awesome.  The Sheridan in Norfolk, VA, Fun City in Burlington, Iowa, The Pruneyard in San Jose, CA are all top notch.  We've yet to visit an upper echelon (sp?) hotel this year, but the older guys say there are a few places which are great.  I am looking forward to those.  

The team is still trying to find its groove.  We play really well (pitching, hitting, and defense) for a game or two but then can't seem to put a team away.  As I said, we won our last series 3 games to 2 which is definitely a plus.  However, we were up 2 games to none and then didn't win again until the end of the series.  As soon as we start putting a few games together where we score early and maintain solid pitching and defense, we will be very tough to beat.  I've thrown once this trip so far.  Didn't give up any of my own runs, but gave up a foul ball that the ump called fair that scored 3 of my starters runs.  As a reliever, I take pride in maintaining the score when I get in the game.  I couldn't do much about the bum call by the ump, but its frustrating none the less.  I will likely throw tomorrow or the next day in this series.  

Other than baseball, I am looking forward to seeing my parents in June when they come to Tennessee (Knoxville) to see me play and to seeing my girlfriend when she comes to visit over Memorial Day.  The distance is wearing on us both some this year.  I am not sure if its because the honeymoon is over or because we both are tired of being apart, but its been tougher this year on both of us.  I've come to understand that times like these are trying and its getting through these things that make you stronger as a couple.  I also feel it necessary to deal with these things now instead of trying to avoid them and sugar coat them.  Again, I think it will benefit us both in the long run.  Either way, Memorial Day can't come soon enough.  

Until Next Time.