The Plan

A little more than a week has passed since I returned from Fan Fest, and I have resumed the hectic schedule of working and City Council matters. I'm currently working seven days a week at my two jobs, so I have been running a little ragged. However, despite all of this, I am constantly looking forward to what I have planned for this season and Baseball Extravaganza 2013. In my excitement of leaving for Fan Fest, I never did write out an outline for this upcoming season.

In a continuation of philosophy for last season, I'm really focusing on broadening out my experiences to encompass many different facets of my destinations outside of just baseball. Sure, baseball is the premise, but the other 21 hours of the day are just as important.

This season, I really want to focus on inter-personal connections. Last year, while fun, Baseball Road Trips became really lonely. I want to change that this year to include more people on the experience. I don't want to limit myself to just meeting friends at the game, but rather having them join me during the travel and down times. Some of my significant memories have been when I have had to improvise during those down times.

Ok, so here is the tentative plan for Baseball Road Trips as of today. In taking about a month off, I'm getting ready for my first Oregon home game on March 5th at PK Park. The Ducks' home opener is about a week before that, but I won't be able to get out to PK Park until the game on the 5th against Cal State Northridge.

Twelve days after that is a once-in-a-lifetime baseball experience that I have been looking forward to for months. The championship round of the World Baseball Classic is in San Francisco from March 17-19. The baseball equivalent of the Olympics is literally an overnight train trip from me. I will definitely be attending and seeing baseball played in a nationalistic sense and, hopefully be rooting for Team USA.

After another month or so off, I plan on taking a long trip on Amtrak. I cashed in my rail points so I could take a free trip from Eugene to Albuquerque, NM to see the Triple-A Isotopes play. The trip will take about two full days, and I will be treating it as a two-day vacation away from the hustle and bustle of my life.

Softball season is slated to begin at the end of May, so the months of June and July will be devoted to that. I may take a trip up to Seattle and Tacoma for my annual Puget Sound excursion, but I haven't quiet decided yet.

Finally, my conclusion trip will be at the end of July and beginning of August as I travel down to Jacksonville, FL to see my brother and take in some games down there. So far, we have planned to see the Double-A Jacksonville Suns, Long Season-A Savannah Sand Gnats, Florida State League Daytona Cubs, and finally the Major League Tampa Bay Rays.

As you can see, the Florida trip is designed to be the big trip. Everything comes down to and revolves around that. Sure, Albuquerque and the WBC are big, but they happen early in the season. Florida will be the money maker for Baseball Extravaganza 2013.

Yes, quite the season planned. I'm hoping that I have made reasonable plans that allow me to complete all of these trips. They will take a lot of money, but I am saving like crazy, and by spacing them out like I have, it should allow my funds to go farther.

For the time being, this blog may be a little quiet. I'll still try to update when I can should there be cause.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)