Brewers Spring Training 2014

My original plan today was to leave at like 6am so I could get to Las Vegas by noon and go to the New York Mets vs. Chicago Cubs at Cashman Field (home of the Las Vegas 51s, AAA team of the New York Mets). But tickets were pretty expensive (another $30+ that I didn't have) and I decided that I had seen enough baseball on this trip. So I slept in and decided to take my time driving up North to the City of Sin. I said goodbye to Tyler (Aunt Linda was already at work and Troy was sleeping) and drove back over to Scottsdale Stadium, where we were yesterday for the Giants/A's game. I forgot to record a video for my "25 Brewers in 25 Days" blog series, so I took this opportunity to talk about 3rd Base and the veteran Aramis Ramirez. Better late than never I guess. I forget things when I'm drunk.

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I really needed this vacation. I was in a pretty dark place and I hated everything. My life was spiraling out of control and I was angry all the time. I needed to get away and clear my head. A couple days away from the real World was just what I needed. But what I needed more was this drive through the desert. It was just me, some music and the open road. And just like that I was free of my problems.

I don't think a lot of people like being alone. Now I don't like it, but at this point in my life I'm used to it. But I'm never really alone because I have my shadow, my camera, Twitter and a story to tell. Eventually they come together and I'm not alone.

I wish that I could say that I liked cacti as much as the next man, but I'm sure that the next man would say that he doesn't really even like them, which makes me the weirdo because I'm all in love with them and shit. Why don't you marry them pal? So I have a borderline sexual desire to see a cactus. Big deal pal. You've got some skeletons in the closet too. But I didn't see any really good ones on my drive. They probably weren't mature yet and still in Cactus Ranch Nursery. I considered stopping over there for a moment with a six pack of beer and seeing what was going on in that nursery. But I thought twice because I didn't want to end up on the Cacti Offender list. They'd never let me back in Arizona with that smear on my legal record. I'm not as sick as you all think. I too have morals and standards.

After I slept in and decided to forgo the Mets/Cubs game in Vegas, I planned out a scenic route that would take me through the desert. This was more of a highway and there was cross traffic and plenty of roads to nowhere. I had the windows down and the music turned way up. It was amazing to breathe in the desert air and I felt so far removed from the "real" World. Nothing else mattered at this moment. This is my happy place. This is where I get centered. It's just too bad that I had to travel 1,800 miles from home to get there.

My favorite part about the drive is that I decided to spend as much or as little time as I needed to get from Phoenix to Las Vegas. There was a point where I decided to pull off of the main highway and stand out in the desert for a while. It was nice to get out of the car and stretch but then I decided that as long as I was out here, I might as well record another video. So I stood out in the middle of the desert and spoke on Ryan Braun for "25 Brewers in 25 Days" and how he can't hide in the shadows anymore. Braun has been exposed as a cheater and he had a lot to prove in 2014. I try not to let the anger get a hold of me and do my best to approach this with a sound mind.

If you don't understand what a long drive can do, then I can't explain it to you. You either get it or you don't. This was absolutely perfect. I had a great time in Phoenix with baseball and my family. I knew that I was going to have a drunken great time in Las Vegas. But for my money this would be the best part of my entire trip. I knew that then and I know it now. I love the drive.

One of the beautiful things about taking your time during the drive is that you can stop and "smell the roses". As I was approaching the Arizona/Nevada border (and The Hoover Dam) there was a pull-off ramp that said scenic viewing area or something like that. It was enough to pique my interest so I pulled off the road. And this is what I saw up there when I was high above it all.

I never grow weary of this scenery. Some people may call it lifeless and desolate, but I see it as the opposite of where I come from. Up in Wisconsin we have lush, tree filled landscapes and everything is either green (Summer) or white (Winter).