Tom and Larry's Excellent Adventure or Escape From New York

It all began last Monday, September 25, with a nearly four hour drive down to my brother Anson's house outside Mukwonago, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee. It was the first step on "Tom and Larry's Excellent Adventure", as I had agreed to fly out to New York City and help my good friend Tom Johnson move back to Wisconsin and I needed to be in position for a late morning flight from Mitchell field to LaGuardia. As long as I was "in town", Anson and I decided we should take in a Brewers game as they, at that time, were still in the running for winning the division.
So almost immediately upon arrival in Mukwonago, we packed up the grill and headed for the stadium to tailgate before the game.

We had a great time! It was a beautiful evening, the brats were great, the Leinie's was cold and delicious, and the Brewers pounded the hapless St. Louis Cardinals for a victory highlighted by the most astounding home run I have personally witnessed in Milwaukeee, when Prince Fielder hit one that climbed, climbed, climbed, and upon reaching it's apex, seemed to level out and kick in an after burner until it ricocheted high above the crowd in right center field off the metal scaffolding, which if not present, God knows where the ball would have landed -- probably South Milwaukee or Racine!
Tuesday morning I was up early, anticipating my first go round with the metal detector since the installation of my right knee.

It took a while, but I finally got through inspection and made my flight with plenty of time, changed planes in Atlanta, and arrived in the Big Apple around 6PM.
Wednesday and Thursday were spent packing boxes upon boxes and we had my two sons, Jon and David, join us for my finale of home made pizza in New York , which I prepared in Tom's apartment kitchen -- something I had done many times before on trips to visit my pal. His favorite? (pictured) is what we have designated "The Blinky" (don't ask) with Italian sausage, fresh tomatoes, and jalepeno-stuffed green olives.
We had intended to get a start towards Wisconsin on Saturday, but there were complications, among them a last minute panic when it appeared for a bit that we were not going to be able to find a rental truck that wasn't already rented!

Consequently, we left Manhattan under cover of darkness at 5:30AM on Sunday morning. Country boy that I am, I was astounded at how many wild and drunk people are still wandering the NY streets from Saturday night at that time of morning.
We drove a full 12 hours, finally exiting the tollway only because I spotted a Steak and Shake billboard and I am addicted to steakburgers!

We attempted to watch the Sunday night football game between Philadelphia and the New York Giants, but we both conked out within a matter of minutes -- I still don't know how that game came out, but I CAN tell you how the Packer/Viking game came out as God watched over us and delivered the game to us on radio over Westward One.

We almost left the road when the fumble occured, but the defense rose to the occasion and saved the day -- and an historic day it was with Brett setting the pass completion record! And I was so so very happy -- ecstatic is not too strong a word here -- that Brett did it in front of the Viking unfatihful.

The radio announcers described how the Metrodome began to empty quickly after James Jones' great catch. They are, indeed, the Viking unfaithful -- they have no idea what the word fan means!