30 days before September....

These last 30 days have been almost as interesting as the 30 days in June. Getting stuck on a lake and pulling a jet ski to shore, starting the basics of a book and still trying to find a job.

What have I learned? Any trip you take is a memory. Which is why a camera should be a must everywhere you go. I’ve learned that picking June was the right month. Imagine trying to get tickets for $15 a piece now that the Pirates are surging ahead.

It was amazing to see the money I spent, the miles I traveled and the games I was apart of. I witnessed Dodger phenom Yasiel Puig become the only player in team history to have a multi-homer game in one of his first two games. I witnessed fog delaying a game at Comiskey Park in Chicago for the first time in years and I paid my respects to one of the best third basemen ever in Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves.

I’m proud to say that I no longer fear an overdose of hot dogs. On July 15^th, I got back on the wagon at Portillo’s, eating only one hot dog with minimal side effects.

I have been humbled by the response of several teams, organizations and individual fans.

Now that I look back at the journey I can finally pat myself on the back. I think it finally hit me as I was flying home from Texas and had a chance to scroll through all my photos. I admit I got a little teary eyed as I saw shots like this.

I had traveled over 20,000 miles, spent over 70 hours in a plane, train or automobile getting to my destination and slept in 21 different hotel beds.

I honestly don’t know how to get a book started. What I can tell you is I am writing every story and looking at every photo to make sure the best make it into your home.

Just because the journey is through, doesn’t mean I won’t have gorgeous photos or insightful stats. You will see those continue to be posted on he official 30with30 Facebook page. And you can still tweet me @tweet30with30 or #30with30.

30with30 confidential

This trip was uniquely one of a kind. It can't be replicated or duplicated, just imitated. Now that the adrenaline rush is over, my body is signaling it time to get back to reality.

I have taken a nap every day this week, while sleeping at least 10 hours every night. Quantifying jet lag is tough, But to put in perspective, over 30 days, imaging traveling to Australia, 4 times in a month. Or, being in the air for 2 hours every day, EVERY SINGLE DAY. And don't forget to account for being on public transportation for two hours every day. 

My body was subjected to a lot. Towards the beginning of the trip, in Anaheim, food poisoning crept in. Trying to sit through a 3 hour game, 1 hour subway ride or 45 minute bus ride in Pittsburgh was pure HELL. It literally took all my intestinal fortitude to stay strong. 10 days and it hurt.

Seeing Joey Chestnut down 69 hot dogs was enough to make me puke. I swore off hot dogs, after having at least 15 on the trip. Good bless the good hot dog folks, but nobody should consume that many in a month, let alone 69 in one day.

As the trip went on, I gained a lot of respect for for flight attendants, pilots and those in the military. Having your body adjust to a new timezone, new bed and surroundings for 30 straight days was.....well....you can fill in the blank here.

Being off the trip, I can only compare it to the emotional high of training and then completing a marathon or winning the Stanley Cup. Every single moment it requires your mind, body and soul and once it's over......now what?

I've had to ask myself that question over and over again over the past week, trying to determine what's next. I've toyed around with studying for grad school and of course getting back into the job market..but what kind of job?

I would hope that my hard work would take notice from some in the PR field, or the travel industry. I learned the inns the outs and in betweens of navigating the 30 largest cities in America. For those who didn't know, I was in the radio industry doing news and sports. My dream was always to get on TV, and to a certain extent, still is. What I have learned and taught myself has been invaluable these last 30 days. What I have experienced will always be with me.

I am looking forward to continue to make blog entries to inform and entertain. I think my next one, will be my 5 favorite photos.

P.S. As a sidenote, I would like to put my two cents in for those who are returned military. They have faithfully served their country, often in the most extreme of circumstances. They are men and women of discipline, repetition and are critical thinkers. For those who read this, I would ask you that you pass it along and please take the time to hire those who have returned from active duty. They will be well worth the investment.

I've got the anwers to your questions!

Jerrad Anderson

The best food-

Every ballpark had its unique food, something to help it identify with the city’s heritage, residents and team. But when looking back on all 30 teams and their ballparks, a couple stand out.

Seattle-they had a variety of foods including BBQ brisket sandwich, street style tacos and for you beer drinkers(I am not one)a variety of beers on tap and local microbrewery options.

Pittsburgh-If I could say one thing about Pittsburgh, it’s get yourself a Primanti Brothers sandwich at the game. Roast Beef, fries coleslaw, such a welcome change from a hot dog.

Baltimore-Camden Yards has smartly incorporated outside office space and restaurants into the ballpark. I love the BBQ sandwich and they have a gluten free option and plenty of horseradish sauce. There is also seafood, which I love.

The best fans 

That’s a tough one. I would describe the best fans as ones who actually care about the players and their team, care about the game and still manage to be kind to those who are at the ballpark for the first time.

Philadelphia gets high marks for the knowledge of the game, and for abililty to stick around in the extra innings.

St. Louis-They love their baseball and nobody turns out more on a Friday night then Cardinals fans. They remember Bob Gibson, Stan Musial all the way to Ozzie Smith and Adam Wainwright.
Atlanta-This scale may be tilted but the fact that this stadium was the only one that pulled off wave gets high marks in my book. And the fact that a sellout came to pay tribute to Chipper Jones, says a lot about how much the Braves fans miss the glory days of the 90’s.

Tyler Goodpaster

Which was your favorite park to visit?

Favorite park to visit definitely goes to Fenway Park. Growing up in Chicago, as a Cubs fan, I was always accustomed to Wrigley Field being one of the true gems in baseball for its history. Going to Fenway Park reignited that historic spirit with childlike enthusiasm and giddiness once entering it’s walls. It is such an intimate place to watch a game. It is much smaller in real life. The fans are passionate and love their baseball. I love the green monster and I love how they, unlike the Cubs, have updated Fenway to improve the fan experience and generate more revenue. What really made it cool is when I told one of the information desk attendants that it was my first time at the park, she gave me a Red Sox Nation wristband and a button.

Renee Lewis Flask

What's one piece of advice you'd give to anyone considering their own 30with30?

 One piece of advice? I could give lots, but being the absolute best shape that you can be to handle the long nights, early morning, food changes, time changes, jet lag is super important. Don’t forget to bring every kind of medicine you can for any kind of illness so that you are prepared. Renee, it’s hard to give ONE great piece of advice, I’ll have to give several in my book. :)

Cassie Maddox

Would you do it again if given the chance?

Cassie, boy that is a tough one. It’s such a once-in-a-lifetime experience, that I don’t know if it deserves to be repeated in my lifetime. I would have to say no, not because I didn’t love it, but because trying to replicate it just wouldn’t be as much fun.There were so many experiences that can't be replicated, I say just let the memories stand alone.

Mandy Seeley

How do we achieve world peace?

Mandy, in order to achieve world peace we must first…….you know what…..this is a baseball blog…please forward your questions to the Dhali Lama

Kyle McCright

Any suggestions or advice for me since you have seen them all? Also what was your top 5 favorite stadiums?

First the top five stadiums in order go like this. 

1. Fenway Park in Boston 

2. PNC Park in Pittsburgh 

3. Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City 

4. Angels Stadium in Anaheim 

5. Miller Park in Milwaukee.

In regards to any suggestions that I could make, just plan ahead. make sure that if you get in early to the city, you get a nap in. Also make sure that if you are trying to save money, buy snacks and food outside the park, they are always cheaper. A long list of suggestions, will have to be in my book.

Jon McBride

1.    How the heck did you pay for all of this?
This is a long and well thought out question so I will answer it with a long thought out answer. First off, I have always tried to live frugally and was fortunate and blessed enough to have the funds available to go on this trip. Funny enough Jon McBride, I paid for this trip by myself. Looking back maybe I should have monetized it more or asked for sponsors. It no doubt was a costly but fun, exciting and once-in-a-lifetime endeavor. Before I even purchased tickets, I put together a draft schedule and flight schedule to see how much it would cost, and made projections from there. To make sure that my budget didn’t get too out of hand, I tried to set an ideal baseline number and then a drop dead figure that if I went over, would require me to stop the trip. Thankfully, I hit right on the drop dead number at the end of the trip. I would like to say that I was truly blessed with the generosity of strangers, allowing me to stay at their home, use their transportation and, in rare circumstances, eat their food.

2. Ballpark ... how much did it actually cost?
Well as far as ballparks, the cost of tickets for two can range wildly depending on the day, crowd, and team. I found that the most effective and cheapest way to purchase tickets was through StubHub. 9 times out of 10 the tickets were at or below face value, with the price of handling fees and taxes included in the price of the ticket. Now, that is not to say that scalpers weren't around. A ticket could usually be purchased well below face value after the start of a game. For two tickets to all 30 ballparks, I paid just over $1100.

3. What things were most surprising that you didn't anticipate?
The most surprising thing was the amount of time it takes to ride public transportation in large cities, especially the subway. What appears to be a 30 minute ride will turn into an hour because of all the stops. My advice to be safe, is calculate how long it would take to get to your destination by car, and then add another half an hour. Of course, there are always the train or bus schedules.  

4. What was the coolest city that you didn't expect to be cool?
Quite frankly one of the coolest cities that I didn’t expect to be cool would have to be New York. I had no desire to be in New York, partly because of bias for Chicago but also the potential chaos it could create getting across the urban jungle. New York has its own mentality, like being in it's own country. I love the fact that on almost every corner you can usually grab something to eat. Getting through the subway is always interesting because street performers take their act right inside the car. But, I thought it was cool that just about anywhere you wanted to go, New York had the transportation to get you there.

5. How many second dates did you get out of this?
As far as second dates, I’m sure if you surveyed the women, almost every one of them would say yes, or I at least would like to think that. LOL….It’s tough when I’m traveling around the country to make it around for second dates.

Terri Reddout

1.    Did each ballpark have it's own "personality"?
Terri-many of the ballparks were similar in taste and measurement but not much else. Obviously an example that comes to mind is Fenway Park and the ability to keep the green monster in left field while totally refurbishing the entire facility. The new Yankee Stadium and a museum inside the stadium, which is an excellent idea. There are a lot of cool things inside.

Having said that, many of the parks are new, so I think they are still trying to find their identity and personality. A lot of the personality though for new ballparks seems to surround having a giant video scoreboard in the outfield somewhere. As a side note, the video scoreboard crew almost without exception, would never replay a controversial play on the scoreboard. Maybe an agreement between MLB and its umpires to cut back on fan critcism.

2. Were there any interesting customs at any of the ballparks?
Many, soo many…Boston Red Sox fans always sang Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond after the 7^th inning stretch, which you can see in the movie “Fever Pitch” with Drew Berrymore and Jimmy Fallon.  In Yankee Stadium, the right field bleachers before the game, have a roll call announcing a players name till the Yankee player recognizes the crowd or tips his cap. And of course in Wrigley
Field in Chicago, it’s the 7^th inning stretch, sung by a celebrity announcer. I think one of the coolest customs is the hot dog shoot at PNC Park in Pittsburgh where the mascot takes an air cannon and shots wrapped hot dogs into the stands. CLASSIC

3. Were your dates baseball fans or just looking for a way to get notoriety?
Ha ha I think the dates were just looking for a good time. I don’t think notoriety ever played into their equation. Heck I don’t think it even played into my equation. I also remember two prominent men in the LDS church having a conversation. The much more learned and experienced leader said to the younger “you will have a lot of great things said about you, don’t believe any of them.” I tried to just be low key and not toot my own horn too much, and just try and be a gentleman and be myself.

4. What was the strangest thing you saw inside a ballpark?

The strangest thing I saw inside the ballpark??…I think it would be probably be the bathrooms at Wrigley Field, if you are a male. Using the facilities to “relieve” yourself could be the most akward 30 seconds of your life. The men’s bathrooms consistent of a communal, urinal trough. Men while going to the bathroom must look upward at the ceiling to avoid the gaze of another man doing the exact same thing across the trough. That, is the strangest and most uncomfortable thing I have ever been a part of.

5. How many dates worked hard to get your face and t-shirt up on the scoreboard?

Terri, sadly you were the only one who worked O.T. to get my shirt up on the scoreboard for thousands to see in Seattle. But, I did almost catch a home run ball and made it on T.V.

Gratitude, a virtue never forgotten

This blog entry won't be sexy with great stories or photos, but just as important. But, there will be other awesome blog entries.

When I took on this challenge, talking about it with a good friend months ago, I was oddly confident that everything would fall into place.  Making the decision took a lot of faith, not knowing the weather, the costs and delays. But thanks to some miracles great and small, I stood outside the Ballpark at Arlington on day 30, accomplishing the task and challenge.

Those miracles seemed to happen on a daily basis. From the Canadian pilot who gave me a $20 C bill, to the rain that somehow either held off until after the game or stopped just before the game started.

I better just go down and say thank you to everyone...Thank you to..

1. Thank you to my mom and dad, you two have been a great support and were watching out for me.
2. The Canadian WestJet pilot who gave me a $20 c bill to help me get to Canada without having to change currency, allowing me to take the subway, grab a hot dog and still have a looney and a tooney left over.
3. Thanks to Al and Faith Harris, Steve Core and Erick Pauley for inviting me to come of KUGR 1490 and 104.9fm and KFRZ 92.1 The Freeze to talk about my adventure.
4. Thank you to my sister Andrea for taking me to the airport to start the adventure.
5. Thank you to my sister Susan and her family for allowing me to decompress in Texas after the journey was over.
6. Thank you to Renee Lewis Flask, Adriana Michaud Eldred, Lauren Wilkins, Kelly Miller, Becky Ortwein, Terri Reddout, Mariela Salido, Kirby Ann Misurelli, Jackie Hales, Sarah Volk, Kaye Richardson, Shannon Johnson, Courtney Leal, Carl Volk, Michelle Healy, Veronica Bradford, Diana Camargo, Elisabeth Beardall, Jessica Oliver, Tami Lee, Rachel Harris and Angie Webb for being my wonderful dates, so accommodating and beautiful.
7. Thank you to Courtney Schilling of the Cleveland Indians for being so kind to invite me to the social suite at Progressive Field.
8. Thank you to Debbie Gallas of the Oakland A's for making accommodations for my date and me.
9. Thank Jeffrey Lantz of the Orioles for also making accommodations for my date and me.
10. Thank you to Marty Maloney of the Chicago White Sox for being so kind at the last minute and making accommodations for me.
11. Thank you to the countless cities that had public transportation to make the ride easier for me to get from ballpark to ballpark.
12. Thank you to the blonde girl on the flight from Orange County to San Francisco for moving over to the middle seat so I could get the Aisle seat.
13. Thank you to my great Bishop, Bishop Denton Haight for supporting me and looking out for me and helping me progress
14. Thanks to my great home teacher Nick for dinner and support...
15. Thanks to the numerous people on planes who helped me with my luggage.
16. Thanks to the numerous ushers at baseball games who were kind enough to take pictures for me while the game was going on or trying to direct fans.
17. Thank you to Martha from Southwest Airlines who somehow made it possible for me to catch my flight from BWI to ATL with just 30 min left.
18. Thank you to New York for not eating me alive and having a solid transportation system to get me around.
19. Thank you to the countless wake up calls that helped me get to the airport on time.
20. Thanks to Apple for the invention of the Ipad that directed me in traffic, help me look up phone numbers, take photos and never need papers to carry around.
21. Thank you to the great friends I made in Cleveland who could have not been more hospitable, kind, generous, talented and fun to be around.
22. Thank you to Jay Heater of The Republic newspaper for taking the time to write an article about my journey.
23. Thank you to Mark Pillar of Columbus Rotary for allowing me to come to meetings and be a part of Rotary.
24. Thanks to Southwest Airlines for NEVER losing my bags. That has to be some kind of record.
25. Thanks to Ben, Marge and Rachel Harris for housing me in Houston and treating me to dinner...what great hospitality!!!!
26. Thanks to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Bryan White for allowing me to step onto the field and take photos.
27. Thanks to the hotels who managed to get me into a room well before Check-in time so I could get a nap.
28. Thanks to Sexton and Associates in Seymour for not only making great business cards and shirts at a reasonable price, but for also getting the order done so quickly!!!!!
29. Thank you to the people who didn't lie and told the truth.
30. And most importantly, Thank you to a kind and loving Heavenly Father. I have been truly blessed. From the rain that somehow avoided the games, to the beautiful sunsets, to the miracles of making my flight with only 30 minutes left...the list goes on and on..on how I know that angels were watching over me and that He was aware of me and knew who I was.

Thank you to everyone, I'm sure I'll have a part two of thank you's. But a unique, magical, fun and once-in-a-lifetime journey. MORE to come..even bigger and better blog entries!!!

Jon Schade

Sweet Caroline....Bop Bop Bop!!!!!

06/19/13 5:45 a.m.

Last night in Boston will go down in history….This entry you are about to read is very factual and matter of fact…the events being retold were not embellished because they could not be on a first date. It was if the gates of hell were conspiring to prevent me from getting to Fenway Park.

Tuesday morning, I arrived in Boston on time from Jet Blue airways. Heading towards baggage claim, I stopped at the bathroom. Upon making it out of the bathroom and security and to the baggage carousel, I noticed MY bag in the possession of  middle-aged woman, who was running out the terminal door. “Miss, are you sure that is your bag,” I screamed.

No harm, no foul.

Sunny skies in Boston quickly turned to downpours with a flash flood warning while approaching my hotel in Framingham. Being exhausted from leaving Toronto around 5 a.m., I quickly went to my room and crashed around 3:30 p.m.

Waking up around 5:00 p.m. and is often the case with most everybody, I did not get up with one fail swoop…I fell back asleep till 6 p.m., When my phone woke me up to the sound of my date calling….wondering if I was alive.

I ran out the door, telling her I would pick her up, and started the car….except it DIDN’T start…NOOOOOOO!!!!!! Michelle, instead of my passenger, became my chauffeur, driving over to meet me at the hotel.

While waiting for Michelle, I successfully corraled a jump start kit….but optimism for a charge of the battery was quickly dashed with the sputtering sound of an injured starter.

Michelle arrives, laughing, and understanding. I proceed to call my rental company about my plight, noting that it is a first date and explaining my 30with30 challenge. They are kind enough to send over a replacement car but not for another two hours. We leave the keys at the front desk, around 7:30 p.m.(The Red Sox were supposed to start the second game of their double header at 7:00 p.m.)and head for the commuter rail station in Framingham.

We arrive on time, minutes before the train is SCHEDULED to stop in Framingham. I see the train come around the corner, blow it’s horn and appear to slow down. It does slow down, except it doesn’t stop. I run down the platform with little success. I turn around and see Michelle laughing, which was a common trait of hers. The train disappears and me trying to catch my breath.

At this point, I’ve missed a train, mourned the loss of a rental car, and almost lost my

luggage. I could have given up, but not for Fenway. An Ipad, Google Maps, and an understanding Michelle finally lead us to the “T” and Fenway Park, the Mecca of the East Coast.

What an awesome place and what an awesome way to watch a game, in the right field bleachers and see a walk-off home run by Johnny Gomes in the bottom of the 9^th.

From this story, I have a lot to be grateful for. First off, somehow, someway, I believe divine providence delayed the first game, allowing my car problem not to go against me. Second, I had an extremely understanding date, who laughed off my car problems, locking myself out of my hotel room and just enjoyed the moment. Third, I realized that Fenway Park really is that special and one of a kind. And finally, I am grateful that the rental car company was understanding and easy to work with. 

after all that, I got 3 hours of sleep,  and am now waiting in terminal E of Boston Logan International, waiting to see what the next adventure will be as I head to Philadelphia.

Father's Day Thoughts

06/15 10:11 p.m.

Remember that man who threw the knuckle ball you always tried to emulate on the field but never could? And do you know the man who came home from a long day of work to sit in the backyard and play catch, when he knew he could be doing so many other things? Or what about the man who believed in u enough to support you in your darkest hour or believe in your greatest journey and stood behind you?

That man is my dad.

On the day we celebrate fathers, it is only appropriate to pay tribute to my father while on a journey in baseball, the sport that is synonymous with father and sons.

My dad is quiet, reserved, methodical and thought provoking.  He is a man who taught us to respect our mother, to believe in ourselves and to double check our math.

He rarely turned down a chance for me to play catch and a chance to rack em' up for a game of pool. He is a man who reads three books at once while teaching his children all about prime numbers and what they are. 1, 3,5, 7....etc.(that's as far as I can go)

He values prayer with my mom and takes a deep but reverence sense of pride in his children and what they are accomplishing.

By no means is my father perfect and my mom is not perfect and neither am I. But I do know they(Dad and Mom)are striving for that and looking to be better parents to their kids.

He is an example to me on how I can gain knowledge, listen in quiet moments for answers, and how I can unselfishly serve.

On this Father's Day I wanted to say to my Dad that I love him along with my mom, and brothers and sisters. I say today is a chance to value where we came from and say thank you to where we are going.

SIDENOTE: Next blog will be about baseball.

Groundhog Day....again? Groundhog Day...again?

8:00 p.m. 06/05/13

Wash....rinse and repeat. It seems like I'm beginning to do that repeating thing an awful lot. Mind you it's not washing my hair, but waking up early, jumping on a plane, getting to the stadium.and then going to bed. REMIND you of anyone that I used to know?(me at 3:30 a.m. :)

I came to the realization that I could literally be one of the hardest working men in baseball. Even ball players get days off and a seven game homestand. I on the other hand, will travel every day this month(funding willing) to a new adventure, new woman and new ballpark; knowing it was self-inflicted.

These first five days have been a blur. I find myself forgetting what day Wednesday is, what timezone I am in, where I am staying and who is my date. 

 I have been immensely blessed and lucky with small acts of kindness. I have been blessed with Renee, Adriana, Lauren, Kelly and Becky as my first five dates. All brought their own personality charm and laugh to the games.

Complete strangers are starting to take notice of the shirts, and my amazingly good looks. This morning, I was one of the last to board a Southwest flight from the O.C. to San Fran, when a sweet blonde gave up her aisle seat and sat in the middle. 

Then, as I was boarding the hotel-airport shuttle to catch the BART, a Canadian WestJet pilot noticed the 30with30 shirt, began to ask questions about the journey, and eventually gave me a $20 C note for help when I'm in Toronto. Sadly, he told me it could only buy one (Root)beer, but it's a start.

Time to get a sleep...I will update more with some down time in Seattle. It's time for recovery mode.
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