Purdue Trip 2006

10/21/2006

First Night in Chicago

Well we've officially started a tradition! Our third year on our Purdue trip! And... it's starts out suspiciously like last year:

2005

We figure don't fix what ain't broken. Harry Caray's is a sure winner and we're still on the Ditka high from two years ago.

We end up hanging in Wrigleyville for the night.

Flashback: Oke and I at the exact same place the night that I took the picture of him at Harry Carey's on my trip around the country, now 3 1/2 years ago.

Hanging at a bar. The four of us plus one of Bob's friends from college who now lives in Chicago.

There was a mini-bar incident at our hotel room that night. There were Pringles and Peanut M&Ms involved. Other details are sketchy.

Upon our arrival at Purdue, Bob re-enacts the tree bogging incident from 2005. This is the exact tree which he propelled himself on to from the overpass above.

This is how Bob landed then proclaiming "I broke a rib. I'm concussed." This was met with laughter as we all know Bobby Blaze is indestructible. Note the damage to the tree from Bob's "bog" the year before.

First Night at Purdue... in Harry's.

Goose makes an appearance! Goose is not drinking this year.

Typical Harry's crowd.

Flashback: Bob and I pose in Harry's gear at the Cliffs of Mohr in Ireland. Harry's hangs pictures of people in exotic places wearing Harry's gear. I intended on sending this pic in, but I forgot.

Typical feelings in Harry's include nausea & dismay.

Whoa! Matt Byrne (aka Big Cat) makes his appearance. Matt is the guy I was bummed out about not showing up either of the past two years. He was also one of Goose, Oke and my roommates. Remember? I scrawled his effigy in to a napkin and made him pose with Oke about this time on the 2004 Purdue trip:

2004

Every year we hit Triple XXX at least once for a late night Purvis Burger which combines a decent burger with decent peanut butter to make a delicious delicacy. This is about 2:30am

Somehow the Purvis wasn't enough, so Bob orders biscuits and gravy to go.

...And Terry somehow earned a frisbee at Triple XXX.

Game Day!

2006 saw a drastic improvement with the turnout of my college friends. Here at Russ's tailgate for the 3rd year in a row... Oke, Terry, Russ, Bob, Me, Nate, Goose. Matt and Dustin were currently at another tailgate.

We actually made it in to the game this year! Well for the first half.

Urinal etiquette: Notice the one urinal buffer. Also, very different styles with Bob with no hands, Terry with two.

We were getting bored. Purdue was getting killed so we abandoned the game.

We landed at Hale's tailgate where I had even more friends hanging out who I hadn't seen yet. That's Dustin to the far left and of course the resurgence of Matt "Big Cat" on the far right. They had a bean-bag game set up where you lob your beanbags in to the hole on the other side. You're diagonal from your partner. I'll spare you the scoring details.

Clearly another unbelievable day for weather... Bob and Terry take a much needed communications break.

After playing the beanbag game with Terry Bob decides to play. I don't know the guy in the hat but Terry and I weren't sure he liked playing against Bob.

Dustin, Goose and Oke discussing something. Oke and I haven't seen Dustin since graduating from College.

Game Day is over.... time to head home. An argument ensues as to how far Bob could throw a football.

Maybe it's not quite time to head home...

After discretely re-entering the stadium, Bob locates a tennis ball, ironically from the security guards just trying to appease us so we'll leave. Bob's claim was that he could throw a football 50 yards. He threw the tennis ball to the 27 yard line. Between his position on the field and the lack of proper equipment the jury is still out on the 50 yard claim.

Impatient security guards look on as Bob and Terry pose for a picture before we go.

Here Bob finds leftover french fries and begins to snack on them.

Oh, and then humps the leg of Purdue Pete.

Aaron's wife, Michelle, is happy to see all of us show up to drop Aaron off and visit with the family briefly.

Aaron has gone several years without a "license". This is his "ride".

Bob tries to get a ride on the scooter but Aaron won't give in. His son looks on unamuzed.

Fun with sidewalk chalk. I traced Aaron's body on the ground but it ended up being some sort of an upright whale with heels.

Game Day Night.

Once again, per tradition, the last night ends up ending strangely and a bit confusing after 3 long days.

But once again in Harry's.

On the way to the airport the next day we stop for gas at a gas station.

This is also the World Headquarters for "Steel Rod's CB Shop". Open till midnight Monday-Friday.