Wallet Card Wednesday - 12 (Arizona trip)

I missed last week's wallet card post but all of this week's post is from my trip to Arizona. They aren't all wallet card shots, and I'll have to do a separate post later on the Musical Instrument Museum. Sadly, I missed the baseball card exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum since I didn't remember that it wasn't open on Monday or Tuesday. I left it too late.

We'll start off with a nice stop at the Philadelphia airport.

I really seem to only get Pinkberry when I go to San Diego each year for Comic-Con. Seeing it at the Philadelphia airport, I had to get some.

I actually flew to Phoenix out of Albany (we'll get to that later), having to scrape the ice off of my windows before making the five hour drive. Do you know what was really nice about my trip?

View from backyard patio on my first morning in Arizona

Oh, yeah! This is much nicer than having to scrape the car off. Oh, warmth, how I enjoyed you. (I type as I look out the window at the snow falling today in Ottawa. Ugh.)

I don't really talk too much about basketball but part of the reason that I visited my mom that late in March was so that I could go see the Celtics play the Suns. I enjoyed the game. At the half they honored the 1976 Sunderella Suns.

Most of the players from the team were there. Sorry the picture isn't as clear as it could be. I don't think that I get the most out of the camera on my Blackberry.

Here is a free throw shot, and the final score. There were a lot of Celtic fans, and empty seats in the arena.

I enjoyed the game, and received a nice surprise when I left the arena.




From the back of the box, the 1976 Phoenix Suns team consisted of:

Alvan Adams
Dennis Awtrey
Mike Bantom
Keith Erickson
Nate Hawthorne
Gar Heard
Phil Lumpkin
Curtis Perry
Pat Riley
Fred Saunders
John Shumate
Ricky Sobers
Dick Van Arsdale
Paul Westphal
John Wetzel

To me, Pat Riley was notable in his absence. It was fun to hear the other players interviewed at half-time. Gar Heard was great.

Shortly after meeting Corky from Pack War, I went to see a Cactus League ballgame.

After watching the White Sox at the Rockies, I have now seen eight different teams play at four different stadiums in my four March visits to Phoenix to see my mom.

You can't make it out, but John Danks is pitching

Again, the highlight to me was the weather, but in the bottom of the third, the Rockies went back-to-back-to-back off of Danks. (Blackmon, Story and Gonzalez hitting the dingers.)

Final score

As you can see, the three dingers didn't hold up. I think there were seven HRs for the game. The ball was flying!

Now the reason that I flew from Albany was so that I could go to a concert on the way home. I try to see Straight No Chaser every good chance I get. I love their music, and they are great guys. They were playing in Albany on Wednesday, March 30.

Checking out the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY

I spent a few hours walking around Albany, going over a pedestrian bridge down to a view of the Hudson River.

In walking around downtown, I thought this building was pretty interesting.

The "John Eagan, Blacksmith" was what caught my eye. Looking for some history of the building, I found out that it was built in 1849, and the R.B. Wing building was built in 1914. It is nice to come across stuff like that while taking a walk.

I had a great time at the concert, saying hi to the guys after the show at their customary autograph signing as I usually do. I highly recommend their shows if you get a chance to see them, and stick around and say hi to them, they're great guys!

One of these things is not like the other...

After posing for this photo, I hopped in the car for the ride home, arriving around 3:30 am. It was a long day, but a great way to finish a trip.