1:15 PM - Well, so far this hasn't been all that bad. Got from Bridgewater to Newark and Newark to NYC without any issues. Walked down to 8th ave and 41st St. to get to the Port Authority. The first thing on the left was the Greyhound ticket office. The ticket to Nashville set me back $195. Rather blows, but it's better than walking. So far, I've eaten half my sandwich, which I did right before I started writing in this book. It was delicious. I bought a USA Today, Sports Illustrated and a Hockey News to read on the way. Kind of tempting to read one now, but I won't have anything to do on the bus other than observe all of the "interesting" people I'm sure to encounter.
2:30 PM - The big hand needs to hit the seven. This lady and her kid are behind me in the bus terminal, and if I hear her tell the little bastard one more time that they're leaving "when the big hand hits the seven" I'll get up and move the clock to 2:35 myself. Not to mention the kid wondering "what the spanish guy says" after the english. I read most of my Sports Illustrated and am now reading my Hockey News. Knew I wouldn't last.
2:45 PM - As I deal with the guy who sounds like Yankees/Giants PA Announcer Bob Shepard calling out gate numbers and asking for "Prentice" I'm starting to think about what players I want to see tomorrow, about 25 hours from now. Uggh! 25 hours! Rather obviously, I'd put Steve Yzerman at #1 on my list, but I won't have a clue if he'll even dress until I get there. The Wings play tonight vs. Chicago, so maybe there will be something in the paper or on my phone about his status. I'd like to see Hasek play, but I don't see that happening, so either CuJo or Legace will be fine. As for the Preds, Hartnell was a scratch last game and that need not be the case on Saturday. And Vokoun needs to be in net. Chris Mason? Hell no. I like goals, but I don't want a blowout. Other things of note are the Favre Falcons throwback I saw and getting a Mountain Dew out of a soda machine when I hit the 7Up button. Crap. Also, there's a guy singing and playing guitar roughly 12 feet away from me. In a friggin Greyhound bus terminal?!?! Come on, hit the street, man. He is decent, though.
3:30 PM - "Some guy" carrying an animal in a cage stormed out of the gate in front of me using all sorts of foul language directed at an older man in a Greyhound uniform. Definitely looked like the guy was either going to get arrested or get in a fight. He informed the other guy that he would "shut his mouth for him" and then used words that start with m and end with ucker and also improperly used the word "count" leaving the "o" silent. Odd. I personally don't think the animal shouldn't have been subjected to that kind of language and can only hope it wasn't a parrot.
Roughly 4:30 PM - The real journey has begun. I'm on the bus, about midway in the bus as far as seats go. Yes mom, an aisle seat. About 20 people are on, they all seem as normal as can be expected. Looking at my itinerary, I've got quite a few stops ahead of me. Washington, DC will be the first. I doubt I get any sleep before then. Holy crap, I'd love a seatbelt right now, feels like I'm one gigawatt away from starring in Back to the Future 4.
5 PM or so - Nope, wait. The guy behind me (naturally) is pretty spotty.
9:15 PM - Stopped in Aberdeen, former home of the Arsenal, then in Baltimore, where I am now. Roughly 45 minutes out of DC. Getting pretty tired, have thought "what am I doing?" about 25 times by now. Sandwich is gone, one drink gone. Plenty of food left. Wheeee...same time tomorrow, I'm watching puck.?
11:15 PM - This sucks, I want to go home. I'm stuck in Washington, DC since the f-----g bus is late, could be 2 hours late, was supposed to be here at 11. Such crap. Want to go home. Very tired.
Probably 11:45 PM or so - I've been up for a good 18 hours now. First my news reporting final and now this. And I still have almost 48 hours until I get home. Wow. But, I'm on the bus, just went past some of the sights in DC and am on my way to see the Preds and Wings. Got pretty annoying in there, friggin can't speak english people jumping in line and not knowing what to do, etc. Sitting by myself is so key, though. Asian cell phone guy and bumble bee man 14 have been interesting.
December 20, 2003
12:18 AM - Steve Yzerman is back. Awesome. I read on my phone that he and Ray Whitney came back in today's game. Legace started in place of CuJo, who had the flu, so maybe I'll see him too. Awesome, that worked out great. Shanahan, Hull, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg...I get to see so many great players today, at least 4 hall of famers. Sweet!
3:30 AM - Roanoke, VA and it's good to see Bubba Sparxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (who would later be the spotlight in a potentially racist situation involving the bus driver) has awakened from his snoring slumber. As for me, I'm getting little bursts of sleep which are proving to be utterly useless. However, once I get off the bus in 12 hours, I won't be able to sleep at all until I get back on...so hopefully I can put together a few solid minutes.
4:30 AM - Still somehow in Roanoke. Pretty amazing that it takes almost an hour to change drivers...perhaps longer. Awesome.
5:15 AM? - Hey, hey! The new driver is here, sounds like she ran here too, holy out of breath.
7:30 AM - Congratulations to Wytheville, VA for being the next in a series of God forsaken hellholes I've ended up in. We're stopping there so everyone can grab some breakfast at el McDonaldo's. McDonald's for our few English speaking travellers. I have chosen not to eat anything and will stick with what is in my bag. I did, however, take a leak there, and it was pretty solid. Possibly the best stop yet, haha.
10 AM or so - I think we just got into Tennessee now. I have to get off at Knoxville and from there go to Nashville. Thoughts of Isles @ Caps tomorrow at 6 are dancing in my head, but I doubt I'd make it and I'm not really sure it's worth it at this point.
10:50 AM -I'm sitting in the Greyhound bus terminal in Knoxville, how the hell we made up an hour or so is beyond me. Anyway, I leave for Nashville at around 12:20, should be there around 3. Sweet.
12:15 PM - On the bus to Nashville. Literally hours of boredom and failed attempts at sleep will finally be rewarded in a few hours, that being the Red Wings-Predators game. Should be fun.
4 PM - Holy crap, I'm here!!! I never thought I'd actually do it. The arena here is absolutely incredible, somewhat reminiscient of the Saddledome, except 25 times nicer and more elaborate, I would assume. I even got to watch the end of the Bucs-Falcons game in their pro shop, where I bought a hat for $8. The people here have been pretty nice so far, can't wait to get in and see the ice in about 2 hours. There's a lot to do here, but I just don't want to leave where I am.
7:27 PM - 6 mins. to go in the 1st. 0-0. 5-4 shots NSH. CuJo, Vokoun. Kinda boring game so far.
8:10 PM - Hit somebody, hit everybody, hit anybody. Oh such fun chants here, but I did like "Nobody wants you Cujo" 0-0 through 30:14, holy watching paint dry.
9:45 PM - My first trip in another time zone proved to be fun, with an exciting first period and a great sequence leading to the only goal of the game, scored by Dan Hamhuis of the Predators in 1-0 shutout by Tomas Vokoun. CuJo got 3rd star, Hamhuis 2nd and Vokoooooooooooooooun 1st. I can't believe Detroit didn't score, with all the talent they had out there. Oh well, off I am on the sure to be poopy trip back.
December 21, 2003
3:05 AM - Sooner or later, and I'm leaning towards sooner, I'm going to collapse. I'm dead tired and I still have about 19 hours or so to go. Granted it was worth it, to me, to go on the trip, but I'm paying much more of a price than is shown in the dollar figure. And may the people ahead of me and behind me on the bus to Knoxvill(e) all get a big fat sausage to choke on for Christmas. All idiots. Driver also spotty and at the very least annoying. Caps game is so doubtful, I really do not want to go anywhere other than home, and I want to go there ASAP.
4AM - Sweet, real Amish people. Why take the buggy when you can leave the driving to us, right? What do you get an Amish person for a Christmas present? A DVD or CD won't work, see: cellphone. I don't even know if they celebrate Christmas, or anything for that matter. Well, maybe they were just people on a fudged up calendar going out for Halloween. Here they are now! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamish!!! Whooooooooo!!
7:30 AM - Wytheville. Crap. They can tell me it's Fort Chiswell all they want, I know where I am.
7:35 AM - While some of the Amish ahead of me are trading fruits and vegetables (I kid you not) a few of the others went and got McDonald's. I am very confused.
11:45 AM - In Greenville, VA. Went to an Arby's. Good stuff. More or less have made Isles @ Caps a healthy scratch, I just want to get home. Only about 10 more hours until I get home. Sweet!
5 PM - On my last leg of the dog. Would have re-thought the Caps games if I had more time. Really looking forward to stepping on familiar ground. Should be home around 10:30 or so.
9:15 PM - Official new funniest thing ever. Guy walks up the down escalator at Newark-Penn, screams "I'm black" and then says "people scared to death of the black man." Awesome.