Unexpected End to My Vacation

This past week, I got to take a vacation to watch the Brewers play baseball in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. It was an awesome experience with a great friend, but what might stick with me the most is what happened at the airport as I was waiting to head back to Milwaukee.

As I was sitting in the terminal at Reagan International, a plane landed and men in green polo shirts began to wheel men in yellow jackets up the ramp. It quickly became clear to me and the other people in the terminal that these were veterans, judging from the hats that some of them wore and the verbiage on their clothing. I remember hearing about Freedom Honor Flights, and knew this had to be something similar. One by one, these veterans emerged into the terminal either in a wheelchair or with the aid of a walker. One by one, each veteran got a standing ovation from the other civilians waiting to board their planes.

I was extremely close to the doorway that the veterans were emerging from so I got an excellent view of the emotion that overwhelmed these gentlemen as they were greeted with an applause unexpected to them. Some came out beaming with smiles, some began to well up, while others remained stoic and filled with pride. But you can tell that each of the veterans were appreciative of the appreciation they were being shown.

This went on for the better part of a quarter hour, as 15 to 20 veterans were brought out. They were met with handshakes and proud looks and a chorus of thank yous, and it made me proud to be an American. And this was just at the terminal! I can't even begin to imagine what being with these veterans would be like as they head to the World War II memorial, much less what they'd be feeling when they see the monument erected in their honor.

I didn't take any pictures or get to talk to any of the veterans personally, but these men had an aura of well-deserved respect about them. I was welling up myself, seeing the veterans that were missing limbs or the ones overcome with emotion. It was truly a humbling experience and one I will not soon forget. It reminds me that we need to thank those that have defended, are defending, and will continue to defend this great country each and every day. Thank you veterans.

You eat these things.

Unless food is prepared in Walter White's 99.1% pure meth superlab (Breaking Bad reference, anyone? Ok, I'll continue.), there is a good chance some contaminants are going to be in them. I'm of the mindset that if I turn the other way and pretend they're not there, I won't notice. Noticing would be the worst. Ugh. But apparently the US Food and Drug Administration deems these to be acceptable. I can see how they could get in there, BUT WHY PUBLICIZE IT! LET US BE NAIVE AND NOT KNOW WE'RE EATING UP TO 19 MAGGOTS PER 100 GRAMS OF CANNED MUSHROOMS! But seriously, gross.

BREWERS

The Brewers took two of three from the Mets over the weekend, and they are playing surprisingly well without the likes of Corey Hart. It certainly helps that Ryan Braun has been on an absolute tear, hitting two home runs on Sunday to not only put him at 40 for the season but 200 for his career. He belongs either at or near the top of the MVP discussion, but there's still time left in the season. If he can help bring the Brewers back from the dead and help them clinch a playoff spot, hands down he has to be the MVP. I could not be more excited for the four games I am heading to this week. Pittsburgh Wednesday and Thursday, DC on Friday and Saturday. Who knew that when I booked the trip over the summer that there would be so much on the line? I. AM. JACKED!!!

Baseball?

Don't look now, but the Milwaukee Brewers have won 8 of their past 10 games. Seriously, don't

look. They seem to be thriving off the fact that really no one in the state of Wisconsin is paying attention to them. As of Wednesday morning, the Brew Crew sits 7.5 games out of the wild card with 27 games to play. The Brewers are essentially sixth in the playoff standings, and would need to move up to second to earn the a wild card berth. Possible? Yes. Likely? No. Over the last 27 games, Milwaukee would need to go something like 23-4, while the other teams went 15-12 to clinch a spot. Is that possible? Sure, especially given the fact that the Brewers still have a handful of games left against the Pirates (including two in Pittsburgh that I'll be at!). The Packers start up this weekend, but the recent successes of the Brewers mean that I can't check out from baseball just yet.

Trivia

One of my favorite things in the world is trivia. I know enough random crap from surfing the internet to stop a train. Combine that with a few pitcher of beers, and now you're really talking. Last night, for the first time (surprisingly) I played DJ Trivia at a local establishment, and truth be told, I'm pretty spectacular. From knowing that Teddy Roosevelt was president at the turn of the 20th century to knowing (and being the only person in the bar to know) that the ancient city of Macchu Picchu was located in Peru, it's safe to say my team dominated. I was absolutely not modest about any of it either, celebrating in a hybrid Tiger Woods fist pump/Usain Bolt lightning pose after most questions. My team walked away with that $30 gift card, and we were damn proud of it too. If you happened to be there, sorry that I'm not sorry for my actions. I love winning.

Midnight Madden-ness

I was one of the people at Wal-Mart at midnight last night to buy Madden 13. Call me crazy, but I like it. The game is relatively similar to the previous models, but the intrigue of buying the new version is the new players, and players on new teams (still have to trade T-Jax to the Bills though). I'm not a great video game player, but I enjoy Madden because of the strategy involved. Calling and running plays, and being allowed to see the game much like an NFL QB would (at least as close as a common man can) is very interesting to me the sports fan. Plus, Madden is always released when the interest in football is at the peak, right before the regular season starts. It's almost like they plan it that way.

Restaurant Conundrum

So last night I was eating dinner with some of my friends. We'll call them Phil and Stacy, because I like making up names for people. They probably won't be mentioned for the rest of the story, but I just want you to know that I don't eat alone. Moving forward, I wasn't too hungry, so I simply ordered a root beer float for dinner. It was delicious. It was 1919 Root Beer, which is pretty spectacular. I guzzled down the root beer before I could eat all the ice cream, and I was presented with a dilemma. Do I ask the waitress to top off my glass with root beer, at the risk of incurring an extra expense? Do I simple eat the rest of the ice cream and keep my mouth shut? Or do I order a second root beer float?

Is a refill of rootbeer included with the purchase of a root beer float? It's more expensive than a regular root beer drink, so I'd argue it should be. Yes, I know the cost of ice cream is factored in, but still. I ended up just eating the rest of the ice cream and not causing a scene. But it's been bugging me, not knowing whether or not I missed out on some potentially free root beer. I don't know the protocol, and whether it varies by restaurant, or even if there is a protocol. It's pretty weird to think, so I'm gonna say no.

Unrelated: I could totally go for another root beer float.