In just over 8 days I’ve been on 8 flights and to 8 different airports. While I should have taken pictures at Dulles, Las Vegas, Reno, Oakland, Spokane, Seattle, Portland, and Midway, I did not. I suck. I apologize. But boy is it good to be back home.

Given the light amount of blogging going on here, the least I can do is direct you to Clemson basketball blog The OP, which is doing a pretty bang-up job of keeping tabs on the current season.

Sorry, no picture this time. But I just made it here from Reno, sharing the plane with some guys from the Nevada football team. I think they’re heading to Boise (not sure why they’re going through Oakland because my other choice out of Reno was Boise). But I hope they kick the crap out of Maryland. God I hate Maryland.

Thanks to wonderful weather in the Pacific northwest, I was stuck in Reno for the night, unfortunately without time to take advantage of all that Reno has to offer. (It’s 4:30AM local time, I can’t sleep, and I have to make it back to the airport soon.)

While all that sucks, it was nice to see that Clemson Tiger basketball pretty much destroyed Miami last night. The final score was 91-72 and it was Miami, not Clemson, that was horrible from the charity stripe shooting only 12-27.

UPDATE: It’s now 10:10AM local time and I’m stuck at the airport riding the standby wave. I may easily be here until Wednesday; there’s a strong chance I won’t make it to my destination at all.

On the upside, it looks like Reno is a pretty fun place to be stuck in. And I’d like to add that I’m now a big fan of the Atlantis Hotel/Casino, as I reserved a room for $30 and was upgraded to a two-room suite with LCD screen, bar, and a slightly-sketchy in-bedroom jacuzzi tub. It’s definitely the best $30 hotel room I’ve ever stayed in. I just hope that if I get stuck here for another couple nights that I end up in the same room and that I don’t lose too much money gambling.

It’s signing day and I could approximately not care less. For some reason I just don’t enjoy fawning over the life decisions of 18 year old boys.

In other news, I, like the basketball team, have completely lost focus on the basketball season. I can only agree with DFIG that it has quickly turned into a hard court version of the dreadful football season, choc-full of high hopes and bigger letdowns. So instead of paying attention to what’s going on with the team, I have focused my attention on my coffee mug. It’s metal, shiny, and far more pleasing than a catastrophic conference collapse.

And in a further effort to remove my mind from the basketball season, I’ll be embracing the start of baseball season with a road trip. Since there’s no point in waiting an extra week until Clemson’s baseball season starts, me, my shiny coffee mug, and the little woman are going to Athens primarily to watch the 2006 CWS champion Oregon State Beavers. Yes my friends, it is now the season to hear the ping of the bats and to drink tall, cool Budweisers.

The Gnomes traveled to Death Valley Saturday for the 54-6 shellacking of Florida Atlantic. That’s a lot of points.

A day of sun and tailgating was the perfect remedy for many painful months sans college football.

This gnome, however is still on the road, and the others are planning and executing plans for Labor Day. Look for more discussion and analysis in the upcoming days.

to this guy.

Even if we had the money to travel that far, we’re statues and we can’t dance. Throw in the fact that we’re in the midst of DT and it sounds like a helluva good time for an old fashioned booze fest.