The Arrival

THE ARRIVAL

Day 1

Friday, April 1, 2016

Yes it is April Fools’ Day, but we are no fools for travelling today, it is the beginning of another Final Four journey.  This year’s event is in Houston Texas, as with me (Pepster) are Sinickal, Tony and Corey (eventually).  No Hopps, Racecar or Allison this year.  They will be missed, except for Hopps.  This is not a slight on him; we just think somehow he will show up in some form or another during the trip.  Houston is also the home to Sinickal’s old college roommate Pam, so Pam and her cohorts will be making periodic appearances.

Here we go.  (All times are listed in the time zone in which the event took place).

19:56 (March 31) – Sinickal wheels up to Houston (from Salt Lake City).

0:05 – Sinickal lands in Houston.  Rental car counter closed at midnight.  We will have to pick up our rental car tomorrow.  For now, cab.

0:27 – Sinickal gets into a fight with the cab driver, for the exact same reason he almost exclusively uses Uber.  Sinickal had to tell him to exit from the interstate, and then the driver chastised Sinickal for not providing him with the proper directions.  Sinickal responds, “I live in D.C., and you live here, and you drive a cab!”  No more taxis for us this weekend.

9:35 – Tony wheels up to Houston (from New York).  Tony notes that the plane was full of Syracuse gear, which makes sense.

10:43 – Pepster sees some commotion through security at the Fort Lauderdale airport.  Not enough to think it was a problem, but enough to catch his attention.  Dude just picked up a wrestling championship belt from the conveyor belt.

11:45 – Pepster wheels up to Houston (from Fort Lauderdale).  Pepster notes that his plane is also full of Syracuse gear, which does not make as much sense.

13:09 – Tony lands in Houston.

13:53 – Pepster lands in Houston.

14:51:  Pick up keys to the townhouse rented through VRBO in EADO neighborhood of Houston.  Gentrification is in full effect.  Homeowners left us 2 six-packs of different local beers as a welcome gift.

14:54 – Open up the 8^th Wonder Some Faux’n Throwback Cream Ale. NICE.

14:57 – Throw a toast up to Hopps.  Decide that, due to his propensity to just say anything at any time, whether appropriate or not, Hopps will now only be referred to as “D’Angelo Russell”.

15:12 – Head out to Main Street area, an easy walk from the townhouse.  Pass a coffee shop which will be utilized in the mornings (without walking).  First bar we come across – Lucky’s – is the Syracuse host bar for the weekend, but, they are closed for a private party.  I assume we will be back this weekend, if Sinickal has anything to say about it.  Long time readers of WeMakeItRain know that Sinickal is an overly proud Syracuse alumnus.

15:17 – We enter Little Woodrow’s Eado.  Festivities officially commence with an 11 Below 7 Iron Blonde (for Pepster), a Brooklyn Lager (for Tony), and a Bud Light (for Sinickal).

15:39 – Pepster orders a second round for the group.  Bartender, who clearly was not mentally prepared for NCAA weekend commencing and the Astros final preseason game ending at the same time, asks Pepster to remind her what he was drinking.  He responds, “7 Mary 3”.  Bartender stares blankly and says, “I don’t think that is right.  Wasn’t that a band or something?”

15:51 – Pam and Whitney make their first appearance at Little Woodrow’s.  These longtime Houston residents are absolutely amazed at how the Eado portion of Downtown Houston has developed.  Apparently all of this is new within the last couple of years.  Gentrification, ladies and gentlemen.

17:02 – Pam and Whitney jointly telling a story about Easter.  Pam’s parents told her to expect a surprise present to be delivered a 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.  They are lying around after a late night on Friday when they hear a knock on their door.  Pam turned to Whitney and said, “Maybe it’s lobsters”.  At this point it doesn’t even matter what the delivery is, but we ask.  Turns out, it was Pam’s father.

17:12 – Pam and Sinickal are comparing schedules to see if they can meet up later in the year when Pam is travelling east.  Sinickal says he is unavailable that particular weekend to which Pam replies, “You know your specific schedule that late in the year?”  Sinickal answers with “I have committed dates well into 2018 right now”.  Pepster chimes in, “I don’t even know what bar we are committed to going to next.

17:28 – Try to enter March Madness Musical Festival in Discovery Park where games, concerts, a Ferris wheel and supposedly fun is supposed to be happening.  We can’t get in because Whitney’s purse is “bigger than her hand”.  Security guard does not think it is funny when we give the purse to Tony, because it is not bigger than his hand.  We do not go in, but mentally note the concert lineup for Sunday.

17:32 – Enter the Phoenician, a combination market, deli, bar, restaurant specializing in local beers and Mediterranean cuisine (or apparently Phoenician cuisine, if the Phoenicians still existed).

17:34 – Sinickal and Pepster immediately notice that the Phoenician has a pizza named the “Ham Solo”.

17:47 – Pepster orders a “Sister Odell” beer (it is actually just called Odell).  The waitress was too young to have seen The Kings of Comedy, or she just didn’t like the joke.

17:49 – Pam notices that the Phoenician has a pizza named the “Ham Solo” on the menu.

18:03 – Sinickal points out to Pepster that the DJ is playing Nu Shooz’s I Can’t Wait.  Yes, I said DJ, in a Mediterranean deli.

18:11 - Sinickal ordered the Fish-n-Chips.  When it arrives, the chips are large items in the shape of a rectangular prism.  Since they are clearly not french fries, Pepster asks Pam if they are zucchini fries.  She says they are made out of chic peas.  Pepster says they would "probably taste better if they were made out of garbanzo beans".  Sinickal adds, "They would taste better if they were made out of sausage!"

18:22 – Tony, Pam and Whitney are speaking about their travels to Europe in depth, and I mean IN DEPTH.  Tony opens up a map of Munich, Germany to explain to Pam and Whitney where exactly one establishment is located.

18:24 – Sinickal and Pepster just barely stop laughing.

18:36 – Somebody we should know just walked by the window (well, we probably do know him, but only saw him for a quick second).  Whitney asks, “Was that Olajuwon?”  Silas immediately responds, “That can’t be Olajuwon.  That guy wasn’t 6’11”, he was only 6’9”.

18:54 – Uber back to the townhouse simply to put on some length to deal with the weather.  Coordinate a round trip back to the bars with the driver.  We love Uber.

19:01 – At the Flying Saucer.  Finally, a bar that I don’t actually believe in.

19:46 – A group of Villanova guys want to buy Sinickal, decked out in his Syracuse gear, a beer. Sinickal states that he will accept the beer since he is “rooting for an all Big East final tomorrow, so that I can hate you Monday”.

20:08 – We are contemplating moving along, so Sinickal asks the bartender if we can walk with our beers.  As we thought, the answer was “No”.  Sinickal’s response, “So in your state you can open carry guns, but you can’t open carry beer”.

20:59 – Sinickal to Pepster, “Do you ever pee?”

21:18 – Pam and Whitney are explaining the tattoo of a girl they know, a tattoo they have not seen, but have apparently heard all about it.  The tattoo is of Angelina Jolie’s eyes, and is apparently located in the lower pubic area, south of the waist.  Whitney remarks that once it’s been seen, it cannot be unseen.  This girl is apparently fond of showing it off.  Sinickal to Pam and Whitney, “When you do see it, I want you to draw what you saw”.

22:08 – After we move to the establishment next door and post up at the bar, the barback shouts, “Welcome to Hearsay”.  Pepster shouts, “Objection!”

22:19 – An entire conversation about Blue Raiders Nation with Whitney – a Middle Tennessee State alumna – during which the phrase “Nathan Bedford Forrest” occurred way too many times.

22:20 – My notes say “My Little Pony”.  None of us have any idea why that is, or what that was supposed to mean.

22:56 – Sinickal, who was standing next to Whitney, states to Whitney, “Stand next to your woman”.  Whitney responds, “I am”.

23:00 – We say goodbye to Pam and Whitney, hugs all around.  Suddenly, two girls, who turn out to be PR girls for a club that has yet to open, decide they want “free hugs” too.  Random homeless guy sees what is going on, and he tells the PR girls that he wants a “free hug”.

23:02 – PR girls tell us that if we go to their club – named “Reserve” – then they will give us a free drink.  Sinickal, Pepster and Tony proceed to Reserve.  Only 4 other people in the place that is supposed to open, “in a couple of weeks”.  Homeless man tries to order.  Yes, he followed us in, then, he disappeared.  Our “free” drinks cost Tony $26.

23:18 – Leave Reserve for one more nightcap.  Hear good music and noise coming from a place down the street.  Proceed in that direction.  It turns out, we were on the wrong side of the street.  We do not cross the street, go inside to Molly’s Pub instead.

23:48 – Way too heated of a conversation with three people about football and soccer.  Two of the guys peel off from the conversation to just drink with Sinickal and Tony.  Pepster remains arguing with a Mexican girl about the actual word “soccer”.  Why do we say a Mexican girl, because she said that she was Mexican no less than 18 times during the conversation.  Statements like, “I am Mexican, I know futbol”, “Futbol is big in Mexico, and I am Mexican”, and “Don’t insult futbol, I am Mexican”.  The argument was centered on the fact that the word “soccer” is actually a term started in England, not America.  She apparently did not believe it.  This is a good sign that our night is over.