2023 Army/Navy Game - Day #1

For the fourth time in the last five years, I am heading to the Army/Navy football game [2022, 2021, 2019]. We had tickets in 2020 until the game was moved to West Point in response to the COVID pandemic.

Up at 3 am, I headed to the airport at 4:15 am. If I am not checking a bag, my rule of thumb is to leave for the airport about one hour and forty-five minutes ahead of the flight. Larkin and I had a 6 am American Airlines flight from Sacramento to Phoenix.

As an aside, I decided this year to pack very light; I have a small stuff bag, rather than a carry-on roller. In past years, I have thrown in my running shoes and some workout clothes. I have never used them. It is just not realistic.

I also made a decision to upgrade the first leg to first class. I was hoping for some breakfast, but only got a couple of snacks.

Interestingly, the layover in Phoenix was scheduled at only forty minutes. Our flight was on the ground about fifteen minutes early. Although we had to jump from the end of the A concourse to the B concourse, we made it in plenty of time. They were loading the American flight to Boston when we walked up to the gate. The flight took off on time at 9:30 am.

I had a exit row window seat on the flight to Boston. The internet was not working. As a result, I am behind on a couple of blog entries.

We were on the ground in Boston just after 4 pm. With Wallen and Vic about 40 minutes behind us, we decided to wait for them. Connecting with Wallen and Vic, the four of us got starters and beers at Not Your Average Joe's in the airport. We decided to wait for Tomasin.

After Tomasin landed, we jammed the five of us in an Uber. We are staying three nights at The Boxer hotel. We connected with Max, Nooter and Wallen's brother Jim.

With Vic leading the way, we wandered dowh the street. I was surprised to find the TD Garden, the Boston Celtics arena only about two blocks aways. Earlier in the week, Larkin had suggested that we might want to go to the game on Friday night. Walking pass the arena started a longer discussion with the group about going to the game.

We ended up having dinner at Tavern in the Square. I ended up having a salmon bowl. After dinner, the group made one stop at an Irish pub. Larkin and I wandered back to the hotel and crashed about 11:30 pm.

2021 Army/Navy Game - Day #4

For the second day in a row, I set an alarm for 750 am. Although I spent some time searching for other options, we ended up having breakfast at the hotel [french toast]. After a leisurely breakfast with the group, we packed up the room and moved our bags to Tomasin and Snipes' room.

We spent the late morning hanging out in the lobby/bar of the hotel with a great view of New York City. Eventually, we checked our bags with the bellman and moved next door to The Highwood. It had a nice set up for watching football.

About 345 pm, Tomasin, Snipes, Larkin and I caught an Uber to Newark Liberty International Airport; it took 40 minutes. The airport was busy. I used CLEAR, but the group beat me through the TSA Pre line. We sat and had dinner at the Vanguard Kitchen near the gate [burgers].

Boarding about ten minutes late, the four of us caught a nonstop United flight to Sacramento. Unfortunately, after we boarded, the plane sat at the gate for about an hour. Scheduled to leave at 6:55 pm, the flight didn't take off until 7:53 pm.

At just over six hours, it was a long flight. Although I had a nice exit row aisle, I got restless.

On the ground in Sacramento about 1110 pm, Jack picked me up at the curb. I was home and in bed just after midnight.

It was a great trip. I enjoy the group's company immensely. Two observations.

First, as we visited in Nooter's room early friday morning, Nooter and Larkin spent a couple of hours talking about music and playing a number of old songs on the bluetooth speaker. I told the two of them later in the weekend that I found that very interesting to watch. Larkin and I have been hanging out for forty years, but we never really talk about music; it is not one of the ways that he and I connect.

Second, while I love these guys, I would rather travel with Sharon. I enjoy seeing the world and exploring. Sharon and I have very similar aggressive rhythms.

2021 Army/Navy Game - Day #3

I actually set an alarm for 750 am. Getting up and showered, Larkin and I met the group in the lobby of the hotel for breakfast.

The plan was to head to Metlife Stadium early. Larkin, Nooter, Snipes and I caught an Uber in front of the hotel at 10:55 am. It was about a twenty minute ride. Walking up to the gate, we ran into Max's group.

After some wandering around, we found a defensible space on the first level. We spent a couple of hours there gathering the group and visiting. Getting to our seats, I was surprised to find that Jim and Joy Page were joining us.

It was an enjoyable game. Navy beat Army by the score of 17 to 14. Throwing only six passes, the Navy quarterback rushed for two touchdowns.

Two years ago, it was a mess leaving the game. We ended up walking a long way from the stadium to catch an Uber. Over the course of the day, I looked at the train connections. With Nate leading the way, we fell into a herd of people heading towards the trains. We caught an event train to Secaucus Junction Station. From there, we took a New Jersey Transit train to Penn Central.

Exiting Penn Central, we started looking for an Italian restaurant. Eventually, we stumbled across Trattoria Bianca at the corner of 8th and West 35th streets. I had a Grilled Vegetable Pizza [Mushroom, eggplant, zucchini, onion, chopped tomato, olives, mozzarella cheese and basil] and a Caesar Salad.

After dinner, I dragged Larkin and Vic on a walk about to Times Square. Larkin hadn't been to Times Square since 1968! From there, we wandered back to the ferry. Just missing the 11:10 pm ferry, we ended up on the 11:30 pm ferry back to the hotel. Larkin and I crashed about 12:30 am watching Saturday Night Live.

2021 Army/Navy Game - Day #2

With a group of nine of us for most of the day [Larkin, Tomasin, Snipes, Wallen, Nooter, Jim, Vic, Max and I], it was hard to get everyone moving in the same direction.

Moving slowly after a very late night, Larkin and I joined the bulk of the group for breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards, we caught a ferry from Port Imperial to the Midtown Edgewater Landing at 39th Street. I was interested in walking the High Line and pushed the group in that direction.

We ended up walking the whole trail, about 1 1/2 miles in forty minutes. A map is here. I spent most of the walk talking with Nooter about his new job with the International Biochar Initiative.

With Nooter needing to make a call for work, the group settled into Best Burger on West Little 12th Street in the meat packing district for beers and snacks. Afterwards, we continued south to the 9/11 Memorial. Sharon, Kevin, Donna and I visited the memorial in 2013. Tickets for the 9/11 Museum which wasn't open when I was there before were sold out for the day.

Jumping on the subway, we headed to Times Square. Snipes had scouted a historic dive bar called Rudy's. We hung out there for a while and then started towards an early dinner. Walking with Nooter, we had a meandering talk about life.

We had a very large group for dinner at the Old Homestead Steakhouse. Adding Max's wife, son and his wife, daugther (Tracey) and her husband (Nate) and nephew, I think that group swelled to fifteen for dinner. I had a SHERRY BROTHERS NEW YORK PRIME SIRLOIN.

After dinner, we walked back to the ferry and headed to the hotel. Like the first night, a group ended the night in Nooter's room talking and listening to music. Larkin and I wandered back to our room and crashed about midnight.

2021 Army/Navy Game - Day #1

Two years ago, a group went to the Army/Navy game in Philadephia. We had tickets to go last year before the game was moved to West Point and the crowd was limited due to the pandemic.

We are heading back this year for the game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Sharon dropped me at the airport. Larkin, Tomasin, Snipes and I were scheduled to catch a 9 am United flight from Sacramento to Denver.

Things quickly went wrong. They loaded the plane, but we sat at the gate. Finally, they announced that there was a security issue with a contractor. They had to take all of the luggage off the plane and rescan it. We had to exit the plane. While we were waiting to reboard, United automatically rebooked us on three separate later flights from Denver to Newark. Larkin and I were now scheduled to fly from Denver to Dulles and then on to Newark. We were scheduled to arrive at 11:56 pm rather than our original 7:12 pm arrival.

Eventually, United reboarded us on the plane. We left for Denver at 1130 am, 2 1/2 hours behind schedule.

As we were flying from Sacramento to Denver, I kept an eye on our original flight from Denver to Newark. It was delayed. Its departure time kept getting pushed back farther and farther. When we landed, I realized that the plane was still there and only two gates away. I headed forwards that gate repeatedly trying to call Larkin. Larkin had his phone off...

I was able to get on the plane, a middle seat in an extra leg room row [10B]. I was giddy. I called Snipes, but he said that he couldn't hear me and to call Tomasin. I finally connected with Tomasin and told him that I was getting on the original flight. Boarding the plane, I had to work my way all the way to back to find a spot for my carryon.

Thankfully, Tomasin, Snipes and Larkin made the flight. I would never have heard the end of it if they hadn't. I think that Larkin was the last person to board the plane. We had an uneventful flight to Newark and were on the ground about 8:15 pm, just an hour later than our original arrival time.

By the time, we collected Tomasin and Larkin's luggage, it was almost 9 pm. I was frankly surprised that Tomasin's checked bag made the connection.

The four of us caught a cab to the Envue Hotel at Port Imperial in Weehawken. We are spending three nights there.

Checking in and dropping our luggage in the room, we caught up with Nooter, Wallen, Wallen's brother, Vic, Max and Kathy in the restaurant.

I ended up having a late dinner of FARMERS PASTA [spaghetti, eggplant confit, kale] in the hotel restaurant.

After dinner, several of us retired to Nooter's room. By the time that Larkin and I crawled back to our room, it was after 3 am. In the forty plus years that I have known both Nooter and Larkin, this is the first time that they have met. More on that in a future post...