I know the first thing you will think is: “Jeff, don’t spend your per diem money at LAX. Stop spending $42 on a pizza and figure out how to save a buck there.”
Good thinking. The pizza thing was a one-off adventure.
I’m still spending some of that per diem at the airport, but that comes later.
The smarter part comes in saving some steps.
This weekend makes eight straight weekend trips to Los Angeles for spring football. Two left, plus a playoff game at some other city, to go.
I have started to find some regularity to how the airlines move some planes and flights around at certain times.
You recall a few weeks back how I trekked about 100 gates across LAX to then get sent back close to my original starting spot and sometimes moved again. Well, that same gate-switch happened another time.
I learned from lesson one, and only walked about halfway across the airport. I stopped at a central place that had some seating and pulled up a chair. American eventually changed my flight back to that same gate that I had used a couple other Sundays.
A pattern!
So, the last two Sundays, I have gone through TSA and headed straight to the gate that I had flown out of the couple Sundays before, and hey-hey, it was within one gate. For two decades of travel, I have always accused the airlines of being the most disorganized bunch around, and when you go to a different city every week, at different times, all those gate changes and other changes look chaotic.
But, even I have to admit that these same airlines have a lot of moving parts. Weather everywhere in the nation affects planes everywhere else. A plane breaks down, a pilot calls in sick — makes for a lot of on-the-fly changes.
But, for a couple of weekends, I managed to figure them out, and saved thousands of steps.
Now, this weekend, it’s different, because my Sunday game is really early, so instead of sitting at LAX for hours (spending my per diem), I’m making a quick dash from Fox to the airport to catch the last direct flight back to Indy on Sunday night!
That will be unique — no stopping through Dallas on the way home.
But it does mean some other gate, so I’m sure there will be steps involved.
A quick aside. I was at a libation station spending that per diem a couple weeks ago, and a lady came up to me. I was wearing one of my South Dakota State golf shirts that happens to mention their two national football championships.
Well, this lady, traveling with her daughter, mentioned that said daughter was a grad of James Madison, who just happened to lose to my Jackrabbits in the playoffs both years of the national titles. She was complimentary, but the daughter did mention how cold it was in Brookings, South Dakota for that game.
They were headed to Hawaii, so they were doing fine.
A couple minutes later, a guy walks up and sits down, starting to chat. He asked where I was heading and I said Indiana. He said that he was also, but in a couple days. He was going to Florida first for business and then to Indiana. His daughter is a senior at St. Mary of the Woods in Terre Haute, and went there on a sports scholarship. You never know who you might run into.
I have to finish this week with message of condolence to the family of Gene Brewer, who passed away recently.
Gene was a good friend, and a huge part of our softball family at Elston for many years. He played, coached, sponsored teams and gave umpires a bad time. He was always a great outlet for ideas, because if he didn’t like it, he would tell you. He was a truly a good guy, and everyone involved in softball over the years appreciated his work and energy. Thoughts and prayers for him and his family.
Spring football has taken me away from the track the last few years, and with qualifications today and tomorrow, know that I will keep track of things as best I can. Fast Friday was always a highlight of the month, and qualification weekend was always the best. Let’s hope they run fast and safely.
Safe travels.
Jeff Nelson is a frequent contributor to the Journal Review and works professionally for Fox Sports working with the Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts and many more professional teams.
