Final Four Chronicles - The Arrival (Day 1)

As many of you loyal readers already know, the entirety of WeMakeItRain have traveled together to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the Final Four, the first time Hopps, Pepster and Sinickal have been to a Final Four together since Atlanta 2007.  This time we brought reinforcements in the persons of Racecar, Allison, and Tony.  Unlike whatever CBS tells you, it was not a road, per se, as we arrived via air (at least to Cincinnati) then drove in from there.  The adventures started early.

6:08 - Pepster and Racecar are stopped by security so that TSA can check Racecar's carry-on.  The find the contraband - a wine key!  The crazy part of this is that we packed two in our checked luggage!  I guess you cannot have too many wine keys, and this trip is not lacking in the proper preparation.

6:50 - Pepster and Racecar are wheels up to Cincinnati (via Charlotte).

8:22 - Sinickal and Allison are wheels up to Cincinnati.

8:30 - Tony is wheels up to Cincinnati.

10:30 - Tony arrives in Cincinnati, but he cannot have a drink because the airport bars are all closed.

10:30 - Hopps is wheels up to Cincinnati.

11:08 - Sinickal and Allison arrive in Cincinnati, but they cannot have a drink because the airport bars are all closed.

11:17 - Pepster and Racecar arrive in Cincinnati; meet up with the others; decide that Hopps arrives significantly later enough to rent the car and go out of the airport to eat.

11:54 - Arrive and Hebron Brew House, first group beer (minus Hopps).

12:53 - Hopps texts us that he has arrived at the airport.  Sinickal and Pepster decide to give him the address to the restaurant and he can cab it to us.  In the meantime, Sinickal and Tony regale Racecar with stories of times that Hopps has become angry over absolutely nothing before, including the time a Potbelly employee heated his tuna sandwich.

13:12 - We look outside the window of HBH to see Hopps arguing with the cabbie.  

13:18 - AND WE'RE OFF!!!  Hopps tells first joke that is not printable.  It is not quite R. Kelly 2003 bad, but still will not be printed here.  The joke includes death.

13:48 - While talking about things from the 90's, Hopps tells the story of his appearance on the Game Show Studs.  He forgot that he was to go on the dates, took both of the girls out on the last day allowable to appear on the show, and the first one had a broken leg.

14:21 - We see an anti-abortion sign on the sign of the highway, Hopps states that "Nothing takes a kid out of you like abortion".  Not having seen the sign, Racecar asks, "Is that a bumper sticker"?

14:37 - Tony to Hopps, after some interesting, intellectual conversations about the religious significance of this weekend - Hopps has two degrees in religion - sorry to gang up on you Hopps, but we felt we had to crucify someone.

14:40 - Stopped at a rest area, and see a truck stop hooker leave one 18-wheeler and get into another one.

14:44 - While discussing what "groceries" we are going to buy when we get to the house, Hopps exclaims, "Jameson's is f'n CANDY at 7:00 in the morning".

15:00 - Salt-n-Pepa comes on iTunes, and discussion about just how good Spinderella looks followed by Hopps stating, "The others look the back side of a nut sack".  He is definitely on a roll, and we are 15 minutes out from meeting the realtor at our house for the weekend.

15:08 - Realtor calls and thought we said 6:30.  A bit of a setback, but we find close to the house:

15:13 - Murphy's Pub House.

17:50 - Check into house.  It is much, much better than any hotel (and cheaper too!).

18:10 - Grocery run.

18:57 - After bringing in the groceries, Hopps states, "Crack me open a beer; I'll go shut the tailgate".

20:23 - Ubering to downtown sans Allison - let the festivities begin.  Allison's excuse - she is running the Road to the Final Four 5K in the morning.  So is Racecar!

20:35 - We walk into the first bar we see and then promptly leave. $10 cover.  Pepster tells the doorman that he is 41 and doesn't pay cover.  Doorman emphatically states that "Everyone is charging a cover tonight".

20:38 - We walk into Cadillac Ranch - right next door to the previous establishment.  They are not charging a cover.  Wisconsin fans are out in full force.

20:48 - During a random discussion, Tony turns to Hopps to ask, "Who aren't you mad at?"

21:33 - Walking the streets to find another establishment, we come upon Claddagh (on the same block), and enter.  They also do not have a cover.

22:40 - Tilted Kilt!  Pepster observes that almost all of the employees should most definitely NOT be working here.  Wisconsin is REALLY out in full force.

22:43 - Sinickal and Hopps start a Golden Tee competition.

22:57 - Racecar Ubers home.

23:00 - Pepster returns inside the Tilted Kilt and Sinickal and Hopps are STILL playing Golden Tee.

23:39 - Leave Titled Kilt and on the street Tony remarks "All Wisconsin fans are pale".

23:43 - During Pepster's and Sinickal's pilgrimage, we walk into Le Meridian hotel bar and engage in a discussion in which both of us were right and wrong.  Sinickal insists the hotel was the Mike Tyson bar.  Pepster vehemently disagrees.  The magic answer box (smart phone), reminds us that it was the Canterbury hotel.  Pepster is right!!!  Then we leave to look at the address, the Canterbury hotel has become Le Meridian.  It WAS the actual location.  Sinickal was right!!!!

23:58 - Walk next door to St. Elmo to confirm our lunch reservation tomorrow!!!

00:05 - Walk into Champs to find some late night food.  Tony is mesmerized by the skirt of the bartender, or at least how she fills it out.  All the guys finish the evening with a various assortment of food, drink and stories!

 Time unknown - Uber home.  Yes it is still early - we think - but it is only Day 1.