SAFE AND SOUND
A little more than 33 hours and 1,450 miles ago, I was having lunch in Milwaukee and watching the snow begin to fall. Now, I am safe and sound in Albuquerque and ready to get to work. Tomorrow will be spent unloading the car into my new apartment, followed by a trip to New Mexico Sports and Wellness to apply for membership. I have one month to work off the damage from my two-day drive-thru diet to make sure my suits still fit for the start of the Open Championships, where we like to "dress for success."
While the trip was relatively uneventful, I was amazed by what a huge role technology plays during travel these days. With all of the gadgets and chargers, my car was like Best Buy on wheels. The best feature of the trip had to be the device that connects to the power source and allows the iPod to play through the radio. What brilliant way to bring 548 songs along and keep things moving with offerings from Hip Hop to Honky Tonk, Air Supply to Xzibit.
I also was able to keep in touch with USBC Headquarters in Milwaukee thanks to my Bluetooth headset. I was able to make sure the USBC/Storm Bowlers Journal Championships page is up and running, finalize the details for Open Championships Tournament Director Brian Lewis to appear on Phantom Radio (an Internet radio show accessible through bowlersjournal.com) at the end of the month and answer some questions about the tournament program and participation displays. Add in the e-mail capable phone, and I could technically work out of my car for the next six months without missing a beat.
At one point this morning, I also got a call from Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. Even though it was just to discuss a project we are working on, how cool is it to talk/work so closely with someone you've looked up to and watched on TV for so many years? Getting to meet and work with so many great bowlers definitely is one of the perks of this job.
On any given day at the Open Championships, it is possible to run into a hall of famer, a tournament champion or record holder or one of the sport's biggest stars. But at the same time, I get to hear and share the stories of so many other bowlers and tournament regulars, which is rewarding in itself. Any person I meet or write about could be the next big star or the future tournament pinfall leader. Every day is an adventure. Every day is a reward.
Now that I'm here, I won't waste any time getting to work. There's already a function scheduled for Thursday. ...
