Nobrainer’s Think Tank

Friday afternoon Rachel and I set out from Charlottesville to drive to Athens, GA to watch some college baseball. We made it down and back and Oregon State swept the Dawgs in their own pen. It was an all around success.

Virginia was cold and the ground and mountains were covered in snow. We were glad to leave.

When we stopped for gas, we noticed this seafood restaurant which was decorated like a pirate ship and we knew we had to take a picture.

The back of these redneck’s house was visible from the road by the restaurant.

Here’s the front of their house. Notice their awesome minivan and rebel flag flying.

Since we were heading down I-85, I dictated that we had to stop at my favorite BBQ restaurant, which is in Anderson, SC. The Old Country Smokehouse is absolutely fantastic. I had a huge BBQ sandwich and a mountain of crispy fries and hush puppies. They couldn’t have been better.

After filling up on BBQ, we headed to our hotel and stopping point in Clemson. We went out to Backstreets and had a few drinks before going back to the hotel to rest for the continuation of our trip on Saturday.

(The Comfort Inn in Clemson was clean, but the adjustable shower head was no longer adjustable and was only slightly better than completely horrible. The coffee pot lid was also missing which meant that the coffee maker overflowed. The continental breakfast was OK though.)

We went straight to Athens, found our hotel and quickly moved on the ball park. We picked up our tickets at will call, some bratwurst and peanuts at the concession stand, and found some seats right before the first pitch.

Not the first pitch

The easy out at 3rd.

That’s an RBI.

The Beavers won the game. I had 2 very tasty bratwurst during the game. Afterwards it was back to the hotel for some R&R.

I didn’t mean to walk in on this.

Later Rachel and I went into downtown Athens for dinner. We gambled on a nice looking Indian place. I’ve never had any Indian food before but I am definitely going to have it again. I ordered some kind of filet mignon and shrimp dish and the filet was probably the best I’ve had in the last five years. Good food makes me happy.

Sunday morning we checked out early, which left us some time to tour UGA before the game.

They have a big stadium.

Proof that we were at the stadium, that I was rooting for the Beavers, and that I look damn good in orange.

The sweatshirt is new, and it left some little orange fuzzballs. Some of them ended up on the bedsheets at the hotel and I initially mistook them for blood, leading to the conclusion that I do in fact literally bleed orange.

UGA has a decent little baseball stadium.

We saw the trail left by a plane piloted by a drunk.

Oregon State won the Sunday game, as well. Not that you can tell by looking at the scoreboard.

I had two brats during that game, too. I did not eat any hot dogs the whole weekend, let alone 12. There was also no relish nor Budweisers.

We did, however, drive past a crash on the way home.

Shortly thereafter, we stopped at a Zaxby’s. Rachel had never been to one and I have been hankering for a Kickin’ Chicken sandwich for a long time. It was pretty damn good and every bit as good as I had remembered it.

We ended up getting back to Charlottesville right around midnight last night. It’s still cold here, and there is plenty of snow still around with more on the way. I miss the South. The real South.

PS - Oregon State is now 7-0 and moved from #22 to 12th in the most recent Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll. Clemson is now #1 in that poll despite having not played any games.