Ball State (64) vs. Campbell University (69) 12/14/2025

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Game #149 of 364 41% complete

The nickname of Campbell’s sports programs is the “Fighting Camels.” While camels are often thought of as peace-loving animals, the school’s founder, Dr. J. A. Campbell, admired them for their endurance and toughness in thriving under harsh desert conditions. In the 1920s, he felt these traits symbolized the resilience of the school’s athletes, which led to the adoption of the name.

I missed the opening tap while watching a couple of recruits being led to their seats. Although this may be common at Bible Belt schools, it was the first time I had heard a prayer offered before the national anthem. As a note of trivia, the famous baseball stars and brothers, Gaylord and Jim Perry, both graduated from Campbell.

Dovydas Butka led the way for the Fighting Camels with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The 6’9″ forward from Lithuania continued the trend of overseas players making significant contributions to their team’s success. It raises the question of how recent, more restrictive immigration policies may affect these athletes in the future.

I now present you with more camel pictures.

I read that the university is quite proud of its unique mascot—and rightfully so.

I was very impressed with Campbell’s point guard, DJ Smith. With the score tied at halftime, Smith poured in 17 points in the second half to break the game open. The 5’1″, 155-pound guard played for three teams—Little Rock, Robert Morris, and Bowling Green—while searching for a home before finally settling at Campbell.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus also stopped by for a visit. I was tempted to sit on their lap and wish for a warm North Carolina day.

Campbell remained unbeaten at home, pulling away from the Ball State Cardinals in the final minutes of the game.

I committed heresy for a UConn fan by eating lunch at the Duke University Golf Club and enjoying a fine steak. I wanted to take a picture of Cameron Indoor Stadium, but parking was a long walk away, and it was simply too cold to make the effort worthwhile.

That evening, I visited Durham Bulls Athletic Park for a Christmas light show. While I was disappointed with the food options, the entire stadium was beautifully adorned with lights. Had it not been for the 15-degree weather and gusty winds, I would have stayed longer than my brief 20-minute visit.

Back to snowbound Connecticut. Happy holidays to all my college basketball junkies—see you in January!

Northern Illinois (79) vs. Elon University (85) 12/13/2025

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Game #148 of 364 41% complete

I needed to use my Breeze Airline credit before the end of the year, so I started searching for a destination they fly to from Hartford. My criteria were simple: I needed to find a place where at least two teams were playing on both Saturday and Sunday. After some searching, the only option that fit was a flight to Raleigh/Durham to watch the Elon and Campbell. I even tried hard to find a third game in North Carolina, but unfortunately, nothing else matched up.

Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte recently announced plans to merge, with a target completion date of August 2026. Naturally, my first question was whether this merger would impact their Division I basketball programs. The answer, for now, is no—unless the NCAA intervenes with a disqualifying rule.

My last visit to Elon was about 20 years ago, when I came with my daughter during a southern college tour. The weather was unusually cold, almost identical to the chill I experienced in Detroit last month. The highways of North Carolina never seem to change—always lined with towering pine trees. As I drove in, I asked the parking attendant where the free parking was. He chuckled and said, “Go straight, and you’ll find all the parking you need.”

In 1999, the Board of Trustees at Elon College voted unanimously to adopt a new identity for the school’s athletics program, retiring the “Fightin’ Christians” moniker and mascot in favor of one more fitting for Elon’s growing national profile and its transition to NCAA Division I. The “Fightin’ Christians”? Is that essentially the same as being called the Crusaders? Today, they’re known as the Phoenix.

Like many mid-major schools, Northern Illinois relies heavily on international players and transfers. Makhai Valentine, a transfer from Missouri State, and Gustav Winther from Denmark led the Huskies with 17 and 15 points, respectively. However, NIU couldn’t hold on to an 11-point lead in the second half and ultimately fell to the Phoenix. Elon scored the last 11 points of the game to seal the victory. Kacper Klaczek, from Poland, led Elon with a game-high 23 points and 8 rebounds.

I sat behind the NIU bench, and the energy from Husky Jao Ituka was hard to miss. Wearing number 10, he was the first to jump off the bench to greet his teammates as they came off the court, and he took on the role of lead cheerleader throughout the game.

Two kids held up a brick every time NIU took a free throw. It was a clever cheer I’d never seen before in all my travels.

If you’re in the mood for a great breakfast, make sure to check out the State Farmers Market in Raleigh. The food is delicious, and the atmosphere really makes you feel like you’re at an authentic farmers market.

Detroit Mercy (83) vs. University of Toledo (90) 11/15/2025

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Game #147 of 364 40% complete

Game #147 of 364 40% complete

My third and final game of my Michigan trip took me across the state line to Toledo, Ohio, about an hour from Detroit. The rocket in the photo above represents the team’s nickname, and seeing an actual rocket on campus was another first for Operation 351. Once again, I was blessed with free parking right across the street from the arena.

During a pre game ceremony, one of the seniors graduating from the Whitewash Blue Crew was unmasked to the delight of the crowd. From the university website, this is a description of the crew:

Blue Crew is a secret society of spirited individuals who represent the pride inside of every Rocket. This crazy 10-member organization consisting of UToledo students is fully dedicated to instituting, reviving, and maintaining The University of Toledo’s Traditions.

Each member is hidden under an assumed identity and name. The members are only revealed at the end of the season of their graduating year or after they have faithfully served in the position for four full semesters.

Blue Crew travels to all home and away football games as well as both men’s and women’s basketball games dressed in blue and yellow Afro wigs, gold masks, painters overalls (decorated individually by each member), and Converse All-Stars shoes.

I present to you the Whitewash Blue Crew.

Freshman point guard Leon Blyden Jr. led the Rockets with 20 points. Blyden, the Michigan Mr. Basketball runner-up, averaged 21.3 points per game as a high school senior — making it all the more surprising that he slipped past the in-state programs.

Also impressive for the Rockets was Austin Parks, who went a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 at the line to finish with 17 points. The Ohio State transfer has clearly found a comfortable home in Toledo’s system.

Toledo has now beaten Detroit Mercy eight years in a row. With Detroit Mercy competing in the Horizon League and Toledo in the Mid-American Conference, it raises a good question: what’s the difference between a league and a conference when it comes to grouping teams? In short, there really isn’t one—both terms refer to collections of schools organized for athletics. Some organizations prefer the word league, others conference, but functionally they serve the same purpose.

If you’re ever in the Detroit area, you must visit the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. Whatever you think belongs in a museum is probably there—planes, trains, automobiles, and exhibits that touch nearly every chapter of American history. Henry Ford established the museum in 1928, and in the lobby you’ll find a stone bearing Ford’s signature and a shovel pressed into the concrete by Thomas Edison.

I could go on for pages about this incredible place, but two cars in particular captivated me. The first was the limousine President Reagan was riding in when he was shot; you can still see a small dent in the door. The second was the actual vehicle in which President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I’ll admit, I stood there for a long moment, staring into the back seat and imagining the history that unfolded there.

Goodbye, Michigan! You weren’t nearly as cold as I imagined. The heavy winter coat, hat, and gloves turned out to be completely unnecessary.

Indiana University at Indianapolis (90) vs. Eastern Michigan (83) 11/14/2025

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Game #146 of 364 40% complete

When a single athlete from a modest university ascends to NBA greatness, the school’s arena transforms into a monument to that one extraordinary legacy. At Eastern Michigan, the “Iceman” is cast in bronze outside the arena, forever enshrined as the defining figure of Eagles basketball.

I was lucky enough to snag a courtside seat—something that would never happen at a Power Five school, where high-dollar donors lock down every spot within arm’s reach of the floor. But at a smaller school like Eastern Michigan, courtside seats occasionally make their way to the general public. For just $53, it was incredible to sit that close to the action.

My only complaint? The referee kept planting himself right in front of me—exactly where he’s supposed to be, of course—but still frustrating. You can’t exactly yell “Down in front!” at an official, so it got a little annoying at times.

The band wasn’t connected to either school, but they definitely knew how to make an entrance. They sounded good, but with that many horns, they were loud. Every time they kicked off a song, I swear I nearly fell out of my chair.

Here are the students pretending to read newspapers while the other team is introduced, acting as if they’re completely uninterested. When the intros are over, the papers get crumpled and tossed like nothing happened.

Eastern Michigan made headlines this year when three former players — Jalin Billingsley, Da’Sean Nelson, and Jalen Terry — refused to cooperate in an NCAA probe into potential sports-betting violations. Integrity monitoring services flagged suspicious first-half betting on three of their games last season. The NCAA even had their phones imaged, but the players declined interviews and reportedly ordered the data destroyed. While they have no college eligibility left — so they can’t lose games in the NCAA — their lack of cooperation is a Level I violation, the most serious kind. This kind of situation seems almost inevitable: as sports betting grows, the risk to the integrity of games only increases.

Eastern Michigan’s Addison Peterson carried the scoring load, but the offense around him faded late. The Eagles hit just one field goal in the last 6:39, and IU Indy stormed ahead by pouring in 16 of the final 25 points.

U Indy’s freshman standout, Maquire Mitchell, impressed me the most. He led the Jaguars with 19 points and played with confidence in every area of the game. As his coach said afterward, “He didn’t look like a freshman out there.”

Carlos Hart’s basketball journey is anything but ordinary. His path to Eastern Michigan included stops at Miami (Fla.), North Miami, Benedict College, South Georgia State, New Orleans, and Valdosta State. He’s not alone, either—ten players on the Eastern roster came from other programs before landing in Ypsilanti.

Here’s Coach Ben Howlett, fresh off the win, speaking with the local news station

After the game, I stopped by Ford’s Garage, a restaurant that’s basically a time machine to the 1920s. Old cars hang from the ceiling, the door handles are vintage-inspired, and classic cars in front of the building complete the old-school garage feel. It’s the perfect spot for car lovers and foodies alike.

On to Toledo tommorrow!

San Jose State (60) vs. Michigan State (79) 11/13/2025

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Game #145 of 364 40% complete

Welcome back to my 11th season traversing the U.S.A. in search of college basketball games. This is my first trip to Michigan to kick off a three-game series. Flying in the middle of a government shutdown had me worried that I might never see the shores of the Great Lakes. Actually, I was surprised to learn that Detroit does not overlook a Great Lake, but a smaller one called Lake St. Clair. However, it was very cool to look out over the lake and see the Canadian flag flying.

I arrived in the morning in Detroit with time to kill before the night game in East Lansing. I love to walk along scenic areas, so the River Walk on the east shore of Detroit was a must. I was expecting very cold weather, but the temperature was a comfortable 50 degrees.

The trip east to East Lansing took about an hour. Anytime I visit a big campus, finding free parking is always a challenge. I try to do research ahead of time, but most of the time the information is out of date. I’ve learned to simply ask a parking attendant at a paid lot, ‘Where can a guy without a pass park?’ Sometimes there isn’t free parking, but this time I was directed to the free Kellogg parking garage. Did I ever tell you how much I hate parking in a garage for a game? It took me an hour to get out of the garage after the game.

I saw the Michigan State Spartans earlier this year in an exhibition game against UConn. They are very athletic but lack consistent scorers. I was especially impressed with forward Coen Carr, who flew through the air multiple times to throw down some impressive dunks. Coach Izzo may not win the Big Ten title this year, but he will, as always, be a tough out in March

San Jose State gave MSU a surprising battle and actually outscored the Spartans in the second half, 37–33. SJSU was led in scoring by Colby Garland’s 22 points. He was the best player on the floor that night. Although the game was never in doubt, I’m sure Coach Izzo was not happy with the second-half letdown. I love his quote in the postgame presser: ‘We got fat and sassy at halftime.’

Jeremy Fears, the MSU point guard, is on an assist roll and could challenge Purdue’s Braden Smith for the Big Ten lead this season. Fears has 28 assists in three games this year. He is the brother of Jeremiah, who now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans.

This was an arena similar to Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke, where the students occupy much of the courtside-level seating. This setup must be a dilemma for athletic directors: Do you let the high-level donors sit near the court as a reward for their substantial contributions, or do you risk losing their goodwill by giving those seats to students, who provide far more spirit and noise but far less revenue?

Followers of my blog know that I like to point out first occurrences. This was the first game in my travels where both teams had the same nickname—Spartans. I tried to avoid using “Spartans” in the paragraphs above to prevent confusion. Perhaps someday I’ll see the UConn Huskies play the Washington Huskies.

Rice (56) vs. University of Texas at San Antonio (84) 03/02/2025

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Game #144 of 364 39% complete

This day was super relaxing compared to the fiasco yesterday. After a morning at the San Antonio zoo (pictures at the end), I headed over to the Convocation Center to watch the final game on my Texas trip. I was greeted by the UTSA band practicing outside. As parents watched them, I was reminded of the days my youngest daughter would participate in high school band competitions practicing for hours under the perfecting eyes of the band director.

The name Primo Spears on the UTSA roster caught my eye. He was a local Connecticut boy who has played for four different schools in his college career (Duquesne, Georgetown, Florida State and UTSA). He has a world of talent and clearly surpassed any other player today in terms of pure basketball skills. I remember him in the Big East on Georgetown playing against UConn. I tried to research the reasons why he transferred so much but came up empty.

Yes, you’re are looking at the UTSA Roadrunner mascot. I think the roadrunner has eaten one too many coyotes.

I saw a uniform on the wall arena honoring a player named “Gervin”. I immediately thought of George Gervin “The Iceman” although I would think a man of his honor would deserve more than a shirt hanging on the wall. Upon researching “Gervins’ who played for UTSA, the honoree is actually Derrick Gervin who was selected in the fourth round by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1985. He is however more famously known as the brother of George.

Promo Spears and Marcus Millender lead UTSA to the victory with 25 points each. Although UTSA only led by 8 points at the end of the first half, they blew Rice out of the gym with a 53 point second half. It was senior night for UTSA with Spears being one of the recipients. I will be curious to see if he gets a shot in the NBA.

I am always eager to point out “firsts” in my Operation 351 travels. This is the first time I have seen a baton twirler at a Division 1 basketball game. She was very talented.

Not much to say about this game other than it was between two teams with sub .500 records who need a win in the league tournament to make the big dance. Yet the crowd was enthusiastic and the players played hard.

Would an Operation 351 trip be complete without a trip to the local zoo?

I finished the night with a walk on the famous Riverwalk saluting the Texas trip with a margarita.

That’s a wrap for season 10 of Operation 351. Cheers to all my Operation 351 followers!

Oklahoma State University (61) vs. Baylor University (71) 03/01/2025

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Game #143 of 364 39% complete

I commented in the last blog (University of Texas at Arlington) how this unplanned game at Baylor ended up on my schedule. That being said, the pain of accidently scheduling the University of Texas at Arlington instead of the University of Texas at Austin was lessened by adding a fourth game here on my Texas trip.

So I ended up at the arena below, ignoring my Google Maps instructions, and pulled into a parking lot full of cars. It just looked like a basketball arena to me!

I parked the car and walked the entire circle of the arena looking for a place to get in. I saw some folks inside but thought it strange that there was no more activity before a major conference game. I saw a guard who let me in. I showed her my ticket but she said that was okay. I heard some cheering inside but strangely every concession stand was closed about 45 minutes before game time. I sensed something was wrong here. So I asked the guard reluctantly if there was a men’s game here tonight? She laughed and said that arena was a mile down the road. But what about the cars in the parking lot? Oh they are here to catch the shuttle down to that arena. I did not even ask what game was going on in this arena. It was minor snafu #2 on this trip. Since I had purchased a parking pass to the garage, I walked back to my car and proceeded to the right arena, pictured below.

I really hate parking in garages next to an arena in a downtown area. Google Maps does not take into account roads closed by police on game day. I eventually weaved my way toward to the garage with 15 minutes to spare before the game. I try to avoid garages because of the nightmare getting out but I did almost sprint after the game and got out very quickly considering I had a 2 1/2 hour ride back to San Antonio.

Baylor is now considered one of the last four into March Madness according to Joe Lunardi. They currently have a 17-13 record so their strength of schedule and the number of quality wins must be very good to warrant a bid with that record. I am sure the Baylor fans are hoping for a very small number of upsets in the league tournaments to avoid being shut out with automatic qualifiers who are less qualified teams than Baylor.

Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe is projected to be drafted number 4 by the Charlotte Hornets. I saw Baylor play UConn earlier this year but V.J. missed the game due to an injury. I don’t judge a player by one game but he was awful in this game. He scored just 8 points and seemed to be forcing many shots. He did score 18 points in his next game against TCU. His 6’5″ frame and playing style reminded me of ex-UConn player Jordan Hawkins.

Two transfers led the way for the Baylor Bears. Jeremy Roach (Duke) led scorers with 21 points. Norchard Ormier (Florida) had 10 points and 13 rebounds for his 17th double-double this year. Baylor (17-12, 9-9 Big 12) shot just 37% (22 of 59) but had 11 steals and scored 16 points from 18 Oklahoma State turnovers.

Now back to San Antonio arriving approximately at 1AM. I am glad tomorrow will be a slower day than today.

FYI -I keep a map of my Operation 351 trips with a pin representing an visited arena. The colors of the pins are meaningless. The close arenas in the New England area make the accuracy of the locations there in a “Close enough” category.

Here is the updated map after the four Texas games:

There is much work to do west of the Mississippi River!

Abilene Christian (70) vs. University of Texas at Arlington (59) 03/01/2025

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Game #142 of 364 39% complete

On this particular day, I committed the worst gaffe ever in my 10 year travels on the Operation 351 mission. My intention was to base my games around the San Antonio area. The game Friday was at Texas State in San Marcos no more than an hour a way. No problems there! Saturday’s plans included a trip to the San Antonio Zoo in the morning and an afternoon game at the University of Texas at Austin. Before I left for the zoo in the morning, I checked the distance from the zoo to the arena listed on the ticket. I looked in puzzlement when a 4 hour ride was displayed in Google Maps. Oh! I must have clicked on walking by mistake. I did it again with same 4 hour result. I went back to take a closer look at the ticket. I let out an expletive when I saw that I accidently bought a 2PM ticket for a game the University of Texas at Arlington. My first reaction was to bag the game but I knew that I would regret this decision afterwards. So I did a quick calculation and saw that if I left immediately, I would be in Arlington with room to spare. So off I went north through the cities of San Marcos and Waco listening to Sirius, contemplating what an idiot I was.

As I sat there during the first game, I thought that possibly there might be a night game in this area which I obviously did not look at before. My mind thought of the cities I drove through then Waco came to mind. BAYLOR plays in Waco. A quick check saw that they were to play a 7PM game against Oklahoma State at 7PM. Since the game ended around 4:30PM, the one and half hour trip to Waco would get me there in time. A trip to Stub Hub bought me a cheap game ticket and a parking pass. I felt a little better now that this trip would be a four game set instead of a three game set although the 2 1/2 hour trip back to San Antonio after the Baylor game dampened my mood.

I always look for familiar names from the past on the rosters. The name Lance Ware of UTA was a name I heard before. He played for Villanova and against my beloved UConn Huskies. He played for a total of 18 minutes in the 2024 season against UConn scoring 0 points. Not clear on why I would remember that performance but I do remember he was a big recruit coming out of high school. Ware had a great game today scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds but his first half performance was awful. I guess he was pressing because he was part of the senior day ceremony with family looking on.

Both teams are part of the Western Athletic Conference with Utah Canyon and Utah Valley representing the cream of the crop. Teams from this conference over the years have left for more lucrative leagues. The WAC used to have San Diego State, New Mexico State, Boise State and Nevada. Much like players chasing NIL money at more prestigious schools, small leagues like the WAC suffer losing teams to better conferences.

The Wildcats of Abilene Christian held off a furious second half comeback by the UTA Mavericks to hold on for the victory. Clutch shooting by Maverick Bradyn Hubbard in the closing minutes help seal the win.

On to Waco!

James Madison (93) vs. Texas State University (102) 2OT 02/28/2025

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Game #141 of 364 38% complete

This is the first game of a planned three game but eventual four game trip to Texas. More about that change in the next blog!

I was staying near the San Antonio airport enjoying the 75 degree weather after leaving the cold winds of Connecticut. As I drove the interstates overlooking golf courses, the sight of golfers on the still brown fairway grasses stirred up my longing for the golf courses back home.

The amount of roadway constructions in this area was impressive. Pictured below are these newly constructed pylons going for miles after miles in anticipation of an upper highway straddling the present interstate.

The visitor James Madison Dukes occupied first place in the Sun Belt League with Texas State stuck somewhere in the middle of the standings. The Dukes ran out to a 41-33 halftime lead but could not hold Texas State back in the second half. This game has the distinction of being the first double overtime game in Operation 351 history with the Bobcats of Texas State pulling away with the upset win. The Bobcats had been in four overtime games prior to this one, so they were used to the pressure.

Tylan Pope led the Bobcats with a game-high 23 points, eclipsing the 1,000-career point and 500-season point threshold in the contest. Pope went 7-of-10 shooting, and 9-of-12 from the line, with 11 points coming in overtime.

Texas State actually have won a national championship. Known then as Southwest Texas State, the Bobcats won the 1964 NAIA Division 1 championship defeating Westminster 66-64.

A family of James Madison fans were sitting a couple of rows behind me. A boisterous young man in the family was cheering for his beloved Dukes the whole game. He made hilarious sounds anytime a Texas State player was shooting a foul shot. At the end of the first OT, the family left the game. Perhaps they had a plane to catch. The boy was so angry that he tossed a t-shirt he had caught earlier in the game down a few rows in front of me. No one made a move for the cheap shirt but I held my ground not looking like a jerk for quickly seizing this invaluable item. Eventually, I got the courage up to sneak down a couple of rows to snatch my prize. I always stand up with my arms outstretched anytime the cheerleaders toss a shirt into the stands. I never have caught one so this was secondary satisfaction to say the least.

A trip to San Antonio must include a trip to the Alamo. If you have never been there before, it is smaller than you think and stuck in a busy section of downtown. I have to remember to watch the Alamo movie with John Wayne when I get home. Interesting to note that Phil Collins famous of the musical group Genesis was a big collector of Alamo memorabilia and has donated his collection to the museum here.

One game down, three more to go!

Purdue at Fort Wayne (81) vs. University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (79) 02/02/2025

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Game #140 of 364 38% complete

This is the final game of my three game road trip to the Milwaukee area. Last year, I had a four game set ready to visit all four schools in Wisconsin. A huge blizzard hit which prevented me from flying in. The weather this year has been a pleasant 40 degrees without a snowflake in sight.

The nickname of the Purdue at Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne for short) is the Mastodons. This had to be a scenario where the school founder said “You know let’s pick a name that I know no other school would possibly use”.

Back in 2005, the Panthers of UW Milwaukee made history as a 12 seed by getting to the Sweet 16 upsetting number seed 5 Alabama and number 4 seed Boston College before succumbing to the number 1 seed Illinois. A little known fact is that Bruce Pearl now the coach of Auburn coached that team. This event is a definite cause of celebration considering the fact the the Panthers have only appeared four times in March Madness.

Rasheed Bello on Fort Wayne was on fire hitting key daggers in his 23 points to help the Mastodons to victory. Bello, a 6-foot dynamo from Chicago who played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Division II UW-Parkside, was unstoppable down the stretch notching free throws and three pointers when it looked like the Panthers would be making a comeback. Overall, the Mastodons hit 13 three pointers in the game.

As an added bonus, I watched the Memphis Grizzlies play the Milwaukee Bucks at night. It was cool to see former team mates Andree Jackson (Bucks) and Cam Spencer (Grizzlies) chatting it up before the game.

So now for non basketball stuff. I took a tour of the Pabst Mansion in downtown Milwaukee. Mr. Pabst was a sea captain but married into a family of brewers from Germany. Pabst Brewery was the first brewery in Milwaukee thereby making Mr. Pabst a rich man. To the sadness of many Milwaukeeans, the name Pabst is now owned by Anheuser-Busch from St. Louis a bitter rival for Milwaukee breweries. I was told by the docent not to order any Anheuser-Busch beer in a Milwaukee downtown bar.

Would an Operation 351 trip not be complete without a trip to the local zoo!

Finally, let me talk to you about my new friend Daniel. I went to the Milwaukee Brat house to get some wings talked about in Trip Advisor. I was fortunate to catch the last table opening up. I ordered my wings and a beer. A young man with hair down to his shoulders was looking around for a place to sit and asked if I can share my table. I said of course and we slowly got into a conversation. I am always very curious about strangers I meet on these trips. Daniel was his name and he was 23 years old. He had just drove from Texas to Wisconsin to get a job as a truck driver. He just finished CDL school and was hoping to hook up with a job here. He wanted to bring up his girlfriend and other family members when he got settled. He told me about Texas and actually helped me with some info about my next trip to Texas. It was a great conversation. Despite how we are all divided these days, it was nice to find common ground among two adventurers. As we both left the restaurant and went our separate ways, I gave him my blog card so I hope he is reading this. I wish Daniel the best of luck in his life journey.