Meeting Bama at the airport

After just a couple hours of sleep, the Cardoza’s departed for the airport for the 7th annual Miami trek.  We departed from Providence on Friday, December 4th  and enjoyed a bumpy but uneventful flight. When we arrived, we hooked up with Bama, secured the car and stopped off for provisions at the local Publix. After enjoying a delicious and much needed lunch buffet, Big Al assisted Louie and MJ with obtaining their car.

Much of the afternoon was spent in the lounge and outside enjoying the balmy South Florida air while waiting for our room to be ready. The boys smoked many a cigar and shared more than a few laughs. Once check in was complete, I set my sights on securing tickets for Louie, MJ and their kids for Sunday’s game. Thankfully, I grabbed four on Ticketmaster thus removing the stress of having to worry about getting tickets  and freeing them up to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Louie's Muffler-sized Calzone!

After getting our full of Italian take out and killing a couple of bottles of wine, Steve and I plugged in the laptops and surfed a bit, looking for the latest Patriots info. We all goofed on Louie’s muffler sized calzone and the stranger in the lobby that offered to take a few pieces off his hands to help him eat it! We shared some laughs, some stories of old and looked forward to this year’s edition of Pats/Dolphins.

We rose early and got our workout in,  then had a nice buffet breakfast. Later, Big Al, Steve, and I went for our pedicures. The two boys loved the experience and Steve was so enamored he proposed! Looks like it may be an annual experience from here on out!  We headed back to the hotel for a quiet afternoon while Louie and MJ and crew headed down to Aruba for lunch. We awaited the team’s arrival in the lobby and took in the sights. And man, there certainly were some!  I held my breath and couldn’t look

Vacation Couple!

when one woman was so tipsy she almost knocked over the Christmas tree and a couple of girls with very short dresses caused more whiplash than I’ve seen in a long time.

Once again, we hung in the lobby while the team came in then sent for takeout while sipping some wine.  As always, we chatted with B-Lowe and David Silverman then Stacey James came by to say hi. Various players headed out to meet with family and friends and even BB headed out in his Hawaiian shirt and flip flops. A few guys came and went and Jarvis Green spotted us and came by to say hi.  MJ and Louie were psyched to take a picture with him and we all wished him well. Steve’s earlier proposal was soon forgotten when he met his dream girl, Lindsay

Game day dawned overcast like the rest of the weekend then started to clear a bit. We ran the path once again, showered then headed down for the breakfast buffet while the team and staff headed out to the buses. Once the boys

MJ and Louie with Jarvis Green

pulled away we got ready to go and the whole crew headed out.  We had to take the turnpike due to 95 being closed for a Bike Run and Big Al was glued to a tailgate bus in front of us. The thing was so big that he couldn’t read the signs at the tolls and followed it into the Sunpass lane.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have a Sunpass and couldn’t back up because of the cars behind us so he went through. Hopefully his 75 cent toll doesn’t end up rolling into a  $100 ticket!

The weather was decent during the game, partly cloudy and comfortable.. The Pats started off strong but unfortunately didn’t play a full 60 minutes and ended up losing by a single point. 22-21.    What a bummer!   After sitting in traffic for awhile, we got on the road, headed home and then went out for a nice dinner at the Bonefish Grill. Afterwards, MJ and I finished the bottle of wine and relaxed in the lobby while the boys smoked,  then we sat around rehashing the game and talking about the weekend. We said our goodbyes to MJ and Louie and called it an early night.

Monday dawned bright and sunny and looked to be a beach day but alas, we had an early flight to catch. We said goodbye to Steve, headed to the airport with Bama and parted ways. During our first flight, we sat next to a real bizarre character who was frantically writing down everything the stewardesses and captain said and was taking pictures of the seatback pocket literature  throughout the flight. He practically filled up a notebook by the time we landed in Baltimore and I was quite relieved when he deplaned and didn’t continue on to Providence!  We got home and was hit with the winter cold, but there’s no place like home.  Despite the not so great weather and the Pats loss, it was still great to get away and spend a nice weekend with friends. Go Pats!!

Check out the full album here.

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Miami Trek 2009

Ernie being Ernie picked us up at the SD Airport and unlike last time, wasn’t in “the bus”, instead opting for truck actually from this era!  Despite numerous trips up and down towards the beach in Del Ray we finally got it right and spotted the entrance to our hotel. (It would help if the driver actually wore his glasses so he could actually see where he was going!)  As usual, Bama was awaiting our arrival and was camped outside having a stogie having checked in earlier.   After grabbing a bite in the hotel lounge and hanging there for a little bit, I headed upstairs with the kids and while Al and Bama had their final smoke of the night.

I woke up at 2:00AM on Friday morning since my body clock was still on East Coast time and was set for my usual wake up call but I managed to toss and turn for a couple of hours before getting up and doing some yoga stretching and waiting for Al to get up and the gym to open at 6:00. We headed down and put in a good workout then hung with Bama a bit before  getting ready and heading out to breakfast and to the San Diego Zoo.  Big ups to the suggestion to try the Broken Yolk Cafe where we all had quite huge breakfasts with bottomless cups of coffee.

The Zoo was incredible and despite the fact that none of us are children, we all LOVED it!  We took the skytram across to begin and worked our way out towards the exit and covered the entire park. Talk about a workout!  I was very hilly and although the air was in 60′s it was hot in the sun after all of that walking. Kelsea took some great photos and  we actually picked a good day to go as we were told that it’s wall to wall people on the weekends and we likely wouldn’t have gotten that close. By far, the Cardozas are partial to the primates as we all got a kick out of watching various family units interacting that day.

Fellow mini-trekker, Steve arrived while we were out and then we all headed out to Trophies with Ernie and Kelly for dinner and to watch the Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 2-0 in game one of the ALCS.  It was a wise choice and once we finally got on the road (Ernie being Ernie!) we were all starving and were there right through the end of the game.  We headed back to the hotel and I headed up to bed to read, Al hung out with the boys and the kids hit the pool and spa, but I don’t even remember my head hitting the pillow and never heard anyone come in to go to bed.

We woke up early again on Saturday and once again hit the gym and made plans to go with Bama and Steve to the Broken Yoke so they could check it out as well. We had a bit of a wait (and went round and round looking for parking) so we knew it was much more crowded since it was the weekend. They loved it as much as we did and we hurried back to the hotel to await Ernie and Kelly’s 11:00 arrival to pick us up to visit a winery. Since Ernie was on Ernie time, (12:20) I managed to read quite a few chapters in the sun.

We headed out to Rancho Bernardo and visited Bernardo Winery. It was a beautiful early fall day and we looked in the little shops, did our wine tasting then bought a couple of bottles of merlot and drank one outside while munching on grapes, cheese and crackers. It was a beautiful, relaxing day and was just perfect. On the way there I remarked and marvelled more than once about how accommodating San Diego is to cyclists with bike lanes on most roads and even a special area along side the freeway separated by a fence for bikers to use to allow them a safe commute. I wish we had such amenities here… although I do realize that our climate isn’t as mild and that our infrastructure has been around for many more years. (At least we do have the Blackstone River Bikeway and East Bay Bikepath so we are ahead of many places, but it must be nice to be in a place that values cycling so much!) While we were out, the kids spent 3 1/2  hours hiking Torrey Hills State Reserve and raved about its beauty.

We expected the arrival of the Paxtons in the early afternoon but they changed their plans in order to time it closer to the team’s arrival time so we just hung out  and relaxed. I jumped online to check on public transportation and such, then  gave up the laptop to the kids while I read my book and grabbed a light dinner downstairs with Al, Steve and Bama.  Karyn and Lonie arrived late afternoon, followed shortly by the team. Tedy spotted Al, then me and said hello on his way to sit with family for a bit. We once again hung with our friends re-creating the infamous “Paxton Parlor” (a phrase coined during our jaunt to Jax for SB39) and broke out the second bottle of Merlot to share.  Tedy actually popped over to chat a bit on his way downstairs and I got a hug and wished him well. I don’t think he’d seen my kids since they were little and was probably amazed at how much they’ve grown!

Of course, I usually chat with the Pats media folks whenever I see them and ran into Fred Kirsch, Bryan Lowe and photographer David Silverman this time around. Jarvis Green stopped over to say hello and Bama was thrilled to see him as well as his ‘bama boy, Wesley Britt. Quite a few players signed for the ebay sharks holed up in a roped off section of the lobby on their way cutting through to grab a bite. Mr. Kraft came by with Al Michaels and he called him over to hear me repeat my comments about my feelings about The Hall at Patriot Place. Kelly got some signatures on her mini-helmet which made her night.

When the guys retired for their meetings and curfews, we continued to hang out in the lobby, chatting, and trying to determine the game plan for the following day then headed up. On Sunday morning, we hit the gym for the final time then Al, Jake and I headed over to the nature preserve so we could get a hike in before leaving. It was beautiful and I know I would have regretted it if I came home without doing it. We then ate at the hotel breakfast buffet, got ready to go and decided on taking the Green Line from Old Town. It turned out to be a great decision as it went off without a hitch and we hooked up with Barry and Denice and the PatsTG group just as they were setting up.

The tailgate was perfect, with plenty of good food, laughs, Patriotic comradary and fans from far and near. Al directed the infamous crew from Lincoln to our spot and they made the rounds in the lot riling folks up left and right. The Paxton’s extended crew joined us and arrived at just about the same time as Ernie and Kelly. I’m sure that the fans loved seeing and trying on Lonie’s superbowl rings, the most photographed rings on the team I’m sure!  I was great to see some west coast folks who we’ve hosted at the Razor’s Edge in the past as well! After exchanging numerous texts Kat and I finally hooked up and met in person after all these years!  It would have been nice to spend more time together but hopefully our first meeting won’t be our last. After taking a group photo, we headed into the stadium and took our seats. Bama and Jake sat together, Ernie, Kelly, Al and I sat together and Steve went solo. The boys took the field and unfortunately, it went downhill from there.   We suffered a horrible 30-10 loss but it’s only one game and we need to move on.

After the game, we waited for the crowds to thin out, grabbed one of the last trains out and only encountered one obnoxious (DRUNK) jerk enroute. Thankfully, Steve refrained from popping the idiot who picked the wrong Pats fan to harass!  We made it back to the hotel, sat by the fire for a little bit, then said our goodbyes and thank yous to Ernie, Kelly, and early departing Bama then headed up to bed.

We checked out on Monday morning, headed to the airport with Steve, took a shuttle ride with the kookiest driver known to man and got off at the wrong terminal. After lugging our baggage to the right one, we checked at USAir and realized that we had to pay $15 for each checked bag… (GRRRR!) then got on our flight and found out that we had to pay $2 for soda (GRRRR!).  What a contrast from the royalty treatment on Delta on the way down! Needless to say, USAir will not be getting my business in the future; not that I can’t afford to pay those charges but it’s just the point!  The only plus about the flight happened to be my seatmate, who ironically, grew up here and recognized my RI accent right off the bat. We spent the entire flight chatting about people and places that we know which made the cross country trek fly by.

All in all, it was a GREAT mini vacation and it was nice to actually do something besides just go to a game. The Zoo, Nature Reserve, Winery, spending time with family and old friends, and meeting new ones made it one to remember.

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San Diego Trek

After a couple of delays we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale and were met by the Ambassador himself, Bama, who was quick to issue my first Bamagram of the weekend. We checked into the hotel, dropped the stuff off in the room, then hit the lounge to catch the Red Sox game in hopes (mine anyway!) that they would pull off a win and keep the series alive. Edwin was quick to greet us as were other staff members who recognized us from years past.

Friday morning found me on the walking trails at the crack of dawn enjoying a muggy couple of miles then a nice breakfast buffet. Later that morning, Kelsea and I headed out for manicures and pedicures while the boys went out for hand rolled cigars. (It’s questionable whether or not Steve would have preferred to join the ladies that morning as a.) he doesn’t smoke cigars and b.) he loves a good pedicure!) For the record, there was a man there with us, although he wasn’t coveting my pink Pats purse, unlike aforementioned Steve.

We finally hit good weather in Florida this time around and were able to spend most of the day poolside. I dove into my book (and the pool) and the despite afternoon showers, it was a relaxing way to spend what otherwise would have been a work day. In the evening, cousins Linda and Augie swung by for a visit, lots of laughs, and a couple of drinks. Later, we grabbed dinner in the restaurant, had a few cocktails, Ernie and Jose came by, and the guys smoked and shot the breeze while I started on my second book of the trek. (FYI, the more books I can read on a vacation, the better.)

At the crack of dawn, we hit the gym, ate breakfast and headed out to do some shopping and then went to the beach for a bit. It was a gorgeous day, so we once again sat poolside when we returned to the hotel. Robin arrived in the afternoon having taken a bump and receiving a $400 voucher which she already has earmarked for a Superbowl flight this winter! Barry and Denice from So. Cal came by as well and hung out with us waiting for the team to arrive.

As the afternoon wore on, the hotel began to get more crowded with family and the guests of the wedding taking place in the ballroom. Many of them flew down from New England for the wedding and were thrilled to find out that the team was staying there as well. Once the team arrived and the guys were either holed up in their rooms or meeting with family downstairs, many of the fans took to the lounge area to watch the Sox game. I’m sure that the bride wasn’t too thrilled to be upstaged by the Patriots on “her” day but the bridesmaids were more than happy to take their turns taking pictures with Donte Stallworth towards the end of the night.

Al said hello to Lonie on the way in and Jake took an elevator ride with Tom Brady but I pretty much stayed put in the lobby with fellow trekkers. As always, Bama had quite a few encounters, and despite Al’s poor performance at player identification, shared a few words with many of them. As always, Laurence Maroney‘s mom stopped to chat, having recognized us from past treks. Al gave Pepper a Bruschi Backer hat and spoke quite a bit to some of Jarvis’s friends who were former Rhode Islanders.

We stayed downstairs until after the Sox won and the party goers started to dissipate. Of course, trying to avoid the ones that had too much to drink was the incentive to head upstairs and call it a night.

Game day dawned rainy and muggy and some of the players got caught in a downpour heading to the early bus but the sun came out in time for us to head to the game. Jarvis stopped to talk to the boys and Kelsea got lots of great pics. Once there, it was very hot, and I drank a lot of water. I think, probably a bit too much as I was lightheaded and dizzy until drinking some Gatorade. Our schema for away games is to usually just go to the game and come right home after without tailgating which is different from home but it’s the way we like it on the road. We did, however chat a bit to a nice couple who were parked near us who were down from NE.

During halftime, we met up with Dave and Heather who were also down for the game. The stadium was packed with Pats fans and with the score 42-7 at the half, many had already “moved on” and were chanting “Let’s Go Red Sox” since they were in the do or die Game 7 that night but I would have preferred that they left out that chant until after the game.

Traffic leaving the game was relatively easy since most Dolphans had left well before the end. We got back to the hotel, Robin, Kelsea, and I ordered Chinese, I uploaded some pics and went online until the Sox Game came on then headed up to the room to get comfy and watch the game from bed. Apparently, some players got permission to not take the team plane home as Adalius Thomas came into the hotel and we later saw pictures of Brady in Miami by the pool with Gisele.

We left Monday and made our way through construction as they were beginning to remodel our floor at the hotel and had demolished a slew of rooms while we were at the game. We got to the airport in plenty of time, but had to sit on the runway burning off extra fuel before takeoff so we got off to an hour late start. Luckily, they held the connecting flight for us since we arrived 5 minutes before scheduled departure in Charlotte. In the rush, I left my Pats jacket on the plane but at least we made it on time.

All in all, it was a most excellent mini-trek (as they all are) and we brought home another win. The core group will have to do without us for the remainder of the year as this is our only scheduled away game this season (except for AZ, of course!) We brought home a win, spent time with great company, enjoyed some real Florida weather for a change, and on the Karen scale… it was a 3 book trip so you KNOW it was a good one as far as I’m concerned!

Check out full photo album here!

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Miami Trek 2007: 10/18-10/22

Enjoy!

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