Lets Go Kiddo

I went to my first Brewers game in 1983.   It was a summer day and it was against the California Angels.   Yes, that CA Angels, not the Disneyheim Angels of Anaheim.   My dad won tickets, or was given them at work, or something like that.   I was 5. I remember the day.   The big blue sky and the white puffy clouds.   The grass looked so green I thought it was made of emerald and the dirt was a perfect diamond of dirt and chalked lines.   The bases seemed to gleam like they had stolen from the clouds in the sky; perfect pillows of white on the dirt diamond.   I was hooked.   The players… They were like Roman Gods to me.   Names like Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, and Tommy John.   On the other side, the Brewers, you had Ted Simmons, Cecil Cooper, Jim Gantner, Robin Yount (still at SS), Paul Molitor, Ben Olgilviem Charlie Moore, and let us not forget Rollie Fingers and his mustache.   Ned Yost, who would go on to manage the Brewers (...

I landed a day before B arrived and got settled and situated in the place we were staying.   After that, I set out to find a 7-11 and get the needed provisions for the place; water, snacks, and beer in the fridge.   Then I bumped around, explored my little part of the world, got to Om’s for a pint, and generally just had a night.   Nothing special or amazing; just a bachelor type night of food, drinks, and playing my Switch… Which was nice, because I hooked it up to the TV at the place and could just chill and game. Waking the next day, it was B-Day and we messaged and coordinated so I could meet him at the airport.   He was quick thru immigration and luggage and was awaiting me approximately 15 min before I even arrived.   The fact that BKK was getting storms and rain unlike anything previously in their history, it made for slow going.   Once I arrived, I found B and we headed off to get a Grab back to the city.   It was nice to see him and just talk ...

Can I even begin to wrap my head around the last two weeks as I sit along in an airport in Vietnam and look back at it all? Honestly, I can not.   Part of that was the drunken reverie of it, part of it is the lack of sleep as we just kept going, and part of it is that I miss my friend.   It will all come back, as I get rest, get distance, and get to debrief and talk with J; of that I’m not worried.   It has, however, been about 5.5 hours of sleep per night for 2 weeks, coupled with napping here and there, so it’s still a whirlwind of food, drinks, activities, life, friendship, camaraderie, and two guys who are 30ish years into friendship who haven’t seen each other in long years finally getting back together to explore and enjoy each other’s company and the enjoyment and never stopping energy that is Bangkok and Saigon.   I will say to BSchmittah, since I’m writing, I kind of hate you for the ink.   Not in an angry way, but in a; Damned it, I want that too- kind...