Twit on a Road Trip [Part 7 : Day 11 and part of 12]

Have you read the previous posts? You should... they're moderately entertaining...

Day 11 - also known as Monday, July 2nd - started off with something I've never done on any vacation or road trip I've ever been on. I had to get my oil changed. It seems that I had been on the road so long that it became necessary to get some maintenance done. So, I changed my car's oil and transmission fluid in Buffalo, NY. While I waited, I walked across the street and got a haircut.

This was apparently a looooong road trip.

Thankfully, I had a short drive on the 2nd, so I took my time getting out of Buffalo. It was nearly noon before I got back in my car, and I still had a quick stop at Home Depot to buy bricks and duct tape. Ordinarily, a statement like that will get me put on some predator website, but I had an reason for such a strange purchase: I was going to Washington, DC the next day to carry bricks around the city, following a Force Recon Marine for my third GORUCK Challenge.

Ok, so maybe the 'predator list' thing is less strange.

Since I was driving into DC and several of my fellow participants were flying, I volunteered to supply the bricks. Thankfully, I didn't have to explain my purchase to the HD employees, as they are used to seeing people buy bricks. Still, the image of me pulling the little red basket behind me through the store drew some fascinated looks.

Get in the trunk, and no one gets hurt!

Who cares if they suck?
Awesome stadium.

Eventually, my car loaded down in the back end, I jumped on the toll roads (are you freaking kidding me?) and headed southwest and back the way I'd come. This time, though, my destination was Cleveland. I took my time as I skirted Lake Erie and arrived at the city around 4PM. I had several hours of free time, so I wandered the downtown area, snapping pictures and eating at PotBelly Sandwich Works. Tasty. With my free time, I braved the scalding temperatures to walk out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (this brings the HoF number to 3 on the trip) and past Cleveland Browns Stadium. I loved the waterfront area, and the city's passion for sports is impressive. This is especially true given their teams' less-than-stellar success in recent years. Still, they are behind them. I decided then and there that I could easily make the city my home. I was warned about cold temperatures... Yankee, please! I lived in the north until I was 10. Back the truck up.

I ended my wanderings back at Progressive Field. Not being a huge Indians fan, I hadn't realized that the name had changed from Jacobs Field in 2008 and was slightly miffed. This corporate sponsorship crap is really getting out of hand. Admittedly, "Progressive Field" isn't too bad a name, but c'mon. At least choose something related to sports. "Coca-Cola Field" was ok. "Miller Park" is great. "US Cellular Field Home of the Chicago White Sox" is unacceptable.

Let's see this fixed, people.

And, while I'm on it, can we get away from these ankle-length baseball pants? You look like a moron. Baseball is meant to be played in 3/4 pants that stop at the calf so that you can flash those bad-ass stirrups. It's in the Bible. I read it. You can't tell me Jesus would approve of full-length baseball pants. Similarly, he would denounce the Designated Hitter Rule as idolatry and/or totally lame as Hell.

"If thou desireth to pitch, thou must wield thine own mace and striketh true."

The "Jake": Most impressive

What the hell was I talking about? Oh, the Indians. So, this team royally sucks. It's true. But, I love a loser and found myself really getting behind them. Listening to Cleveland sports talk that night and the next day, I came to sympathize with the wait-till-next-year love for the team. And, the stadium is really, REALLY nice. It's top 5 for me.. possible top 3. Great atmosphere and fans. They were promoting a 4-miler race that started at the football stadium, ran through the Cavaliers' arena, and finished on the track at the Jake (Progressive Field? Bah!). I wish I lived in a city that did this kind of stuff.

Alas, I jumped in my car and drove down to Akron in an attempt to get a clean start on the next day's drive, a long one that took me through the Pennsylvania woods and past Pittsburgh. Fortunately, it was all on toll roads. (We wouldn't want to break tradition and drive on roads my tax dollars are already charging me for, would we?)

The 12th day went by in a blur as I hauled literal and metaphorical ass to DC so that I could meet up with my buddies at the hotel. As this entry is already getting long, I'll hold off till the next for GORUCK DC. Be warned, the next one will be long, strongly censored, and make liberal use of my keyboard's characters to intimate the naughty words.

It was epic. Illegally... Amorally... Alcoholically... EPIC. I hate that word. It's overused. But, oh so true.
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Twit on a Road Trip [Part 5 : Day 8 and 9]

First, I apologize for my slacking. I was a few days behind, and then my laptop died on me. I had fully expected to get behind in my blog once I hit Washington, DC solely based on the fact that I would be exhausted and/or drunk with my GORUCK family. But, the loss of my laptop was unexpected.

Mea Culpa.

Anywho... I left Akron with the goal of Buffalo. I knew I was going to be spending a few days in the city, but organizing the to-do list while there was a bit overwhelming. This all revolved around a half marathon *supposedly* scheduled for Saturday, June 30th (Day 9 of the trip). But, the organizers of said race, Rapid Running (Don't EVER run one of their races), had their heads so far up their backsides that they couldn't organize a trip to the grocer. The day before I left on my trip, they canceled the half marathon. Knowing I was screwed, I still sent them an email asking for a refund. The 'we had too many people sign up for the race' excuse seemed flimsy to me, but getting my $85 appeared to be a longshot. So, I planned on not racing and planned my trip around a Blue Jays game. Well, visitbuffaloniagara.com realized that this would piss off people visiting the city, and they pulled together a race in EIGHT DAYS. It wasn't great, but I give them credit. More on that on my upcoming race report, here (I'll post link when it's done).

American Falls from the overlook

I drove up to Buffalo (short trip from Ohio) across the unnecessarily-expensive toll roads and arrived around 2PM... plenty of time to head up to the falls and see Niagara. They were most impressive. I went out on the overlook and even rode the Maid of the Mist into the falls themselves. It was amazing. I also came to understand that the Canadians have a much better view than we Americans do. They've capitalized in this by allowing what amounts to the combined efforts of DisneyWorld-wannabes throw up on their side of the bridge. It's quite the display. The American side? Parks and preserves.... I know, right?!

Horseshoe Falls from Canada

I took some pictures from 'our' side and then walked over to Canada. It was my first time in the country, though I doubt those 1000 yards of Canada should really count. It was mostly Americans and Swedes. Beautiful views, though. I ate an early dinner there and then returned to the States. I would imagine my 'singles' trip to Niagara puts me in the minority, as I wasn't on a honeymoon or couple's retreat.

I left there in a hurry, though, anxious to make the Buffalo Bisons AAA game that night. I had been to MANY games on my trip and thought I might pass on the Bisons. But, I drove near the stadium on the way to the Falls and couldn't pass up a game. Right downtown, Coca-Cola Field is a great place to watch a game. I made it to my hotel late and hit the bed hard. But, I had a long day ahead of me on Day 9, as I headed back into Canada.. this time by car....

Oh, but first I ran a half marathon. A PR in 1:54:11. But, check the race report for that. And, CHECK it. The finish was amazing... even if the organization (understandably) left something to be desired.

The end was worth the rest of the headache

So, I pulled out my passport and headed to Canada. The border crossing was s-l-o-w. The fact that my Florida plates drew interest and that Canadian customs seemed perplexed by the fact that I "drove all the way from Florida for a Blue Jays game, eh?" didn't slow me down. They didn't seem to understand I was doing a dozen other things on this trip... but whatever. I crossed into traffic-filled Canada, armed with photos of my route on the iMaps application to limit my data needs on my phone. Though I extended some coverage to Canada, why take the chance?

Getting used to kilometers took a second, as the 'Toronto 130' sign threw me for a loop. WTF? That's two hours! Oh, wait... kilometers. Silly Canadians. It should be noted that I accepted kms by the end of the day and wondered why Americans didn't just stop being obnoxious and embraced what the rest of the world already has.

Traffic made me late for the Blue Jays - Angels game, but I parked and walked the downtown area for a bit. CN Tower. The Rogers Centre (yea... that 're' at the end of 'centre'? I don't get that either. Silly Canadians). Oh, and the people? Yea, I wasn't impressed. Canadians are NOT friendly in their native habitat. The nice ones? They were all AMERICANS. So, turns out Canadians are only polite when they travel to foreign countries. Yea, you read that here first.

On the flip side, the burning atmosphere at roughly 170 degrees Celsius (I'm not converting, but I'm pretty sure that's accurate) couldn't deny that the Blue Jays have a nice set-up. The roof was open and CN tower loomed over the field... a sickly, AstroTurf concoction that looked like Green Giant vomited on Canadian top soil. But, it was nice nonetheless.

I watched the game and ducked back on the Queen's Expressway to return to America. Traffic was grande (note the 'e' at the end). I crossed back at Niagara ("Wait, you drove up from Florida for a Blue Jays game?!" in an American accent this time...) and plunged into my bed at midnight.

It was a great day that saw me straddling two countries and sharing with our neighbors to the north. I understand my experience is somewhat unique in that it was scalding hot in Canada. But, that just means I need to get up there again. Vancouver next time, though. I hear good things...

But, Day 10... day 10 was to be a great one...
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Twit on a Road Trip [Part 4 : Day 6 and 7]

Day 6 (Wednesday, June 27th) started as a bit of a blur. The day before was a long drive that ended with copious amounts of alcohol. Even the craft beers of the Cheese Belt hurt the next day. Still, I wanted to see as much of Madison as I could before I had to get on the road.

The library mall at UW

I returned to State Street and walked much the same route as the night before. This time, though, I walked through the UW campus. It's well laid out and has an abundance of green spaces. I found myself trying to picture what the area looked like in the middle of January and had little success. Still, in the bright sunshine of summer, it was a beautiful campus. I walked through much of it and made sure to make my way over to Camp Randall Stadium to see where the Badger football team plays. The stadium and surrounding land gets its name from the camp that was located on the spot where Union troops met and trained during the Civil War, so it really struck my 'military history' leanings. Even walking through this small section of Madison, I passed dozens of runners carving up the pavement around the city. It was clear that Madison was a very healthy, outdoors-focused city.

Following my trip through the campus, I made my way to the Capitol building at the far end of State Street. The noon sun was beating down on the asphalt by this point (the entire region was experiencing near-record highs), but it made for a nice walk. I ducked into college stores to grab a shirt and grabbed a quick bite.

I eventually pulled out of the city but faced my first real decision. I had toyed with the idea of driving northward a couple hours and watching a minor league baseball game with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers followed by a look at Lambeau Field. Instead, I cut south and aimed toward Chicago. The Windy City wasn't my final destination, though, so I steered clear of the downtown area. Still, the 3PM traffic stretched to the outer rings of the bypass. As such, it took significantly longer to get around the city than I would have liked. Then, the very Yankee practice of treating the interstates as toll roads began irritating me. But, I digress...

Coveleski Stadium: Home of the MidWest League's Silver Hawks

I made my way across Illinois and into northern Indiana. As a Florida State fan... and a normal person... I despise Notre Dame. Still, I respect what the program has done for sports - and college football in particular. I had hoped to get some evening shots from around campus, but the Chicago traffic forced me to put that off to the following day. Instead, I hit up a single-A minor league game with the South Bend Silver Hawks hosting the (Dodgers affiliate) Great Lake Loons. The stadium was small and attendance was thin. It made for a great atmosphere, and I've come to realize that this is the way to see a baseball game. It reminded me of my own games where few spectators showed up and the food/services for fans was slim. It was great. I watched the game, toured the shop, and returned to my hotel for a long day the next morning.

Touchdown Jesus

With a lot planned for Thursday (my birthday, by the way), I awoke early to go jog around Notre Dame's campus. Instead, I chose to delay my run until that night. I packed up the car and hit campus. The layout is amazing and the land very inviting (I still found myself wondering what it was like in the frozen dead of winter, though). I made my way to Notre Dame stadium and grabbed some pictures of the mammoth structure. The buildings around Notre Dame - including the football stadium - were actually rather bland. I'd suspect that comes from its rather austere beginnings as a strict Catholic school. In truth, it has more the look of a monastery than a college. Still, the history is palpable around South Bend, and the city's growth and even presence owes much to the school.

Having experienced Notre Dame, I jumped on the interstate (more tolls!) and made my way to Akron and then Canton, OH. My goal was the Professional Football Hall of Fame, and it was truly a memorable experience. It's clear that designers had much respect for the game and their subject, but there isn't actually much at the HoF. The first atrium with a history of the game is interesting (and has several Redskins highlights), but the room of HoF busts is the real tour stop. The scope of what you're seeing as you turn the corner into the room is breath-taking, but I can only imagine how bored you'll be if you're a Jags or Seahawks fan. There aren't a lot of things to get excited about with respect to those two teams. Fortunately, the Redskins have years of history and were one of the original 6 teams to be developed for the NFL. The back room exhibits on modern interests are good, and the Super Bowl recaps are nice.

The Pro Football HoF members... in bust form

The Super Bowl film struck a chord with me, because it reminded me that I didn't even watch the game last year. Yea... that's right. I went for a run.

I enjoyed my birthday at Canton, spending three hours touring the Hall, and then drove up to Akron for the night. I was still able to fit in an Akron Aero's AA minor league game, however. I am really ticking off the ball parks.
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Twit on a Road Trip [Part 3 : Day 5]

Yes, I'm behind. Far, far behind. Good intentions to update my blog with progress have been met repeatedly with the need for rest. It's often been physical exhaustion and the need for a nap, but Day 5 (Tuesday the 26th) ended up being just as mentally tiring.

The night before, I had posted a picture of me at the ballpark in Minneapolis, and one of the many GORUCK Toughs around the country shot me a message that he was right up the road. Did I want to meet up the next morning for lunch? I had a full day ahead of me, but I couldn't pass on meeting up with a GRT.. especially not when it's Justin Grimm.

I've bled and sweat for patches.
This means more.

I had never met Justin, but every GRT knows him and his daughter. Charlotte was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia two years ago and went through some extremely arduous chemo treatments. But, the GRT family is just that, and numerous 'mini-rucks' have been staged all around the country to raise funds for awareness of the disease. Meeting Justin was a tremendous honor, and he's a great guy. Hearing that Charlotte is doing much better and finished with her treatments was such a blessing and a great way to start the day. Justin and I met up for lunch at Mall of America (across from my hotel) and spent the morning talking GORUCK and the future. Hearing him in good spirits was excellent. Promising to give out a NASA to coin to any GRT I met along my trip, I was honored to receive a Brave Charlotte patch from Justin in return. It's going in a place of honor on my ruck but won't be put through the dirt of a mudrun or GRC.

Following that rather powerful meeting, I jumped into the car. I still had two stops to make in Minneapolis. My mother was born and raised in the city, so I tracked down the hospital she was born in and the house where she lived. The house was in great shape, I took some great pictures. I'm a fan of history, so understanding that this place had special meaning for her meant that it had special meaning for me, too. Pretty cool.



Then, I jumped on the road and drove Wisconsin Rt 35 through the small towns along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. Along Lake Pepin, the road was gorgeous. I pulled into Gelly's Pub and grabbed some food. I was on a bit of a time-crunch, but I couldn't avoid stopping in the picturesque little town.

Stockholm, WI.
A perfect dot on the map.

Leaving there, I continued down the road to La Crosse, Wisconsin, a nice town on the border... and my birth place. I haven't been back in 33 yrs, 363 days, so it was quite interesting walking into the doors of Gundersen Lutheran Hospital. I asked around for some history on the hospital, but it was hard to come by. Still, it was an electric feeling to be walking the same halls as those my parents walked nearly 35 years earlier. I actually had trouble dragging myself free of the quaint little hospital, but I eventually made my way back to I-90 and east.

My home for 18 months

After another 30-minute drive, I pulled off into Tomah, Wisconsin, my hometown until I was a year and a half old. I have vague memories of returning to Tomah about 15 (20?) years ago for the Cranberry Festival (a BIG deal), but I was 'in-tow' with my parents. So, I wasn't driving or paying much attention to what was going on around me. I had no reference points as I drove into town. Thanks to my parents, I found our old house and knocked on the neighbor's door in the hopes that the old family friend would be home. She wasn't, but my mother gave me a couple places she might be... it's a small town. Though, I didn't remember the house, I recognized its place in my family's and my history. I snapped a few pictures and drove over to the Tee Pee Supper Club and asked the hostess if Jane was there.

Of course she was.

I had to introduce myself given that she hadn't seen me since I was about 15, but we had a nice chat about my parents and a general 'catch-up' discussion. It was a funny talk given that I caught her off-gaurd, but I had to pass on her offer of a drink. I still had to get to Madison. But, on the way out, I grabbed a brick off the crumbling back of the Tee Pee. That brick will make its way around Washington, DC, with me on my July 4th GORUCK Challenge. Um... don't tell anyone.

I left Tomah much as I left La Crosse... a bit sad and not knowing why. They are cute towns with everything you'd need, but they aren't very big places. They don't have huge malls or airports. Neither has much of a sports scene to talk about (though, I understand that they have a summer collegiate team, the La Crosse Loggers... I WILL get a t-shirt out of them), and they have brutal winters. But, I loved them.

I drove on toward Madison, excited about the destination but somehow upset about what I was leaving. As I pulled into Madison, I wondered what would have happened had I grown up in Tomah instead of leaving before my second birthday. The University of Wisconsin has always had a special place in my heart, and everything you hear about Madison drips in reverence. People love the place. I found out why. It reminded me much of Austin, TX, and that's a compliment. The Capitol building dominates the skyline as you drive in from the north, and the two lakes that the downtown area straddles are pristine. I checked in and headed out for food and drinks. By the time I did, the sun had set and the lights of the downtown area reflecting off Lake Monona were spectacular. Awesome city.

I stopped at State Street Brats (looks like a German brauhaus... awesome) and had some local brews and eats. Though it was a Tuesday night, the place filled up nicely, and they were bringing in the clientele with the genius-level idea of flipping a coin - drinker calls it. Correct call? Drinks are 75% (!) off. Incorrect call? regular price. When the regular price is $3 for a pint, you can't lose... even if you lose. I also ate cheese curds. I'm told they are supposed to squeak when you bite into them, but I didn't notice (that may have been a result of the Sconnie pints and New Glarus IPAs that I was drinking). Either way, it was fried cheese, and that's never bad.

I met some great people at the bar, and it reminded me how much (and why) I love Wisconsin. I picked up some souvenir shirts (Sconnie Nation, baby!) and thanked the Sconnies for the continued deterrence they provided to Canadian invasion.

Still, I had plenty to do the next day - both in Madision and out - so I retired to my hotel ecstatic to have experienced such an emotional day in my birth state and already planning a trip to re-visit (Badgers football along with a Brewers baseball game and Milwaukee beerfest? Yes, please!).
_

Twit on a Road Trip [Part 2 : Day 3 and 4]

My personalized bat

I've officially hit my stride on the road trip. Yesterday morning, I awoke in Nashville feeling much better, though the walls of the hotel were seriously thin. My goal once I hit the road was Louisville. I had visited the city once before but was looking forward to stopping at the Louisville Slugger Museum. They've really put together a nice exhibit there, but the big draw for me was the factory tour. It's not reinventing the wheel, but watching how accurately and quickly a bat can be carved out of a billet was impressive, as was learning how they tailor bats to individual players. Good stuff. I even picked up a personalized bat for my wall and a defect bat chosen specifically for my illustrious protagonist, Shawn Kidd. As a fan of baseball, tradition, and good craftsmanship, it was really a nice couple hours in downtown Louisville. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had a long drive ahead of me.

Jumping back on the road and pointing the car north, I quickly crossed into Indiana. Honestly, I did feel a bit different crossing into the 'North.' The land and people's attitudes changed. I made a note to look up the Civil War history of the area - and Louisville in particular - since it seemed as if it would make for an interesting education given its proximity to the dividing line.

Harry's Chocolate Shop near Purdue

I made it up to Indianapolis, a city that I had never visited but hadn't heard anything that would make me want to, and cut northwest toward Lafayette. I had a specific reason for the rather strange detour, as the city serves as the opening scene for my novel, Number 181. The goal when I pulled off the interstate was to find an internet connection to reserve a hotel room and get a couple pictures. As I drove past Purdue, though, the city came within a sip of beer of convincing me to stay there for the night. I had a long drive the following day; though, and I didn't want to tack on another 2 hours.

But, I was able to grab a couple pictures that my readers might find interesting. The first, a shot of the door to Harry's Chocolate Shop, was a really nice view and just how I pictured it. The second one is a shot of Founder's Park where Bolu is killed.

I wanted to spend more time in the Purdue University area but jumped back in the car for a couple hours and crashed at a hotel in Bloomington, IL.

This morning, I woke up early and made it four hours down the road before reaching the first, real destination that I had put down on paper months ago: The farm used in the movie, Field of Dreams. It was... Un. Be. Lievable. I took about a hundred pictures of the field and farmhouse, and I spent an hour sitting on the very bleachers used in the movie and staring out at the field, corn husks pressing their way skyward in the outfield. The movie may be my favorite of all time, and I may be a huge Kevin Costner fan, but only true baseball fans can understand what I felt sitting there. It had very little to do with the movie. It was all about the history of the game and how its tradition brings us all together. All baseball fans are embodied in the film by James Earl Jones character, Terrance Mann... we are rough and distant, but we believe in the spirit of the game and what it means. Everyone that visits that field feels that way, and it was nice to be around people that shared my passions.

"Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa."..... ..... Can't it be both?

The experience made the trip worthwhile, and I'm nowhere near the end of it. Still, I had a place to be for the night. I continued northward through small Iowa towns, and they made for a memorable drive. Corn stretched for miles, and little towns like Postville and Guttenberg marked islands in the green seas. Very cool experience. I made it to Minneapolis in time to get settled at my hotel and slip downtown to Target Field for some Twins-White Sox baseball. (Youkilis' first game in a White Sox uniform!)

Target Field is a great setup with plenty of parking, but its atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. Food choices are slim, and there isn't much community around the stadium. It's all parking garages. And, worst of all, after Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the 7th inning stretch, they play that painful, "Red Solo Cup" song that makes me want to murder my ears. Inexcusable. But, I was able to watch former FSU QB recruit Joe Mauer play some baseball and cross one more stadium off my list. By my count, that leaves only 9 left, and that list will be halved by the end of the year.

Days 3 and 4 went well, and I expect the next three days to be interesting and slower paced as I make my way across the Great Lakes area to the northeast section of the country. MUCH more to come...

Twit on a Road Twip 2012 (Who wants a prize???)

In the fall of 2010, I had one of the best experiences of my life driving from San Francisco to Orlando. I've flown back and forth across our great country numerous times, but you miss out on so much from the air. Not having a wife and kids, I don't know if the 'family roadtrip' is a thing of the past. Do people do those anymore? A little National Lampoon's Vacation? If you don't, then you really should. I drove through some of the most beautiful and bleakest landscapes, and it was amazing. I took several detours and made much of it up as I went along, but I think that's the way it should be.

Now, as the summer of 2012 approaches, I decided that I'd do it again. Instead of west-to-east, though, I'll be going north-south. I was born in Wisconsin, but I haven't really spent much time there since. I've never been to Canada. I've never seen Niagara Falls. There are a few baseball stadiums up there to cross off the list.

So much to see and do.

So, on or about June 23rd, I'll be jumping in the car and pointing it north. I have a rough outline of where I'm going, but I'm not known for planning. I'll figure it out. And, as added fun and enjoyment, I'm going to be blogging and tweeting about it as I go. My goal is to do stupid stuff and try to stay out of jail. Randomness will be encouraged, and hilarity will most assuredly ensue.

What do I have planned? Well... there's... hey, I don't want to give it all away.

Look for #TwitOnARoadTwip2012 hashtags on Twitter and Facebook. The other tags I'll be using are #ToaRT2012 and #TheFrenchAreCheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys (you know... for the short tweets).

In an effort to promote my poor decisions and make it a little bit more fun, I've decided to make a bit of a contest.

What do you win? Your choice of the following:

• A GORUCK hoodie
• Signed copies of both my first book, Number 181 , as well as the untitled sequel that is nearing a first draft completion. You want spelling errors and grammar mistakes? Meet my first draft!
• A NASA package including a t-shirt, patches, stickers, and random awesomeness
• The adoration of your peers [NOTE: I can't actually guarantee this, but we'll just assume it'll happen]

How do you win? Clues will be hidden on any or all of the following sites. Add/Follow/Like to ensure that you'll have the best chance to win.

1. Add me on Facebook and track my updates
2. Follow me (@RussellStoewe) on Twitter
3. 'Like' Number 181 : Centerfield Productions on Facebook
4. Keep up with this blog

Somewhere there will be a question. Somewhere there will be an answer. It won't be obvious, though. If it's too easy, you won't have earned anything...

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