I’ve been in Columbia, Mo. (not to be confused with Columbia, South Carolina, which can happen since Missouri and South Carolina are both in the SEC) for a little over 11 hours. Haven’t had time to do much except sleep, shower and watch a little TV.

I didn’t leave Kansas City until 8:45, the time it took me to leave Buffalo Wild Wings and finally work through traffic onto I-435. I stopped in Blue Springs to get some Chick-Fil-A, which I can’t do in Hays or Salina–forget Russell–and it took a little more than an hour to get from there to the US 63 exit in Columbia. Another 10 minutes south and I was at the hotel.

All of the hotels in Columbia this weekend are either sold out or the rates are sky high. I booked my reservation at the Courtyard last September, when LSU released its baseball schedule. I thought about staying in Kansas City yesterday and driving in this morning, but if I would have changed my reservation, I would have ended up paying more for three nights than for four under my early reservation. Therefore, I’m here now through Monday morning, when I go back to Kansas City.

The first game of the LSU-Missouri series is at 6. I like the earlier start time. Most of the game will be played in daylight, and there will still be time to go get something decent to eat after the game. I’m craving Zaxby’s chicken fingers for some reason. I want to go to Raising Cane’s really badly, but don’t want to drive into Nebraska or Oklahoma. That changes May 3 when the Lawrence location opens. Zaxby’s is in Columbia, so that’s a good alternative. I’m thinking Buffalo Wild Wings might wait until tomorrow after the game if I go here. I’m going to have to be in the room Sunday night working so I can have everything wrapped up before I leave for KC Monday.

LSU hasn’t lost to Missouri since it joined the SEC in 2003. The Bayou Bengals swept in Columbia in 2013 and Baton Rouge last year. Mizzou currently sits last in the SEC, and the bottom two teams don’t make the league tournament at Birmingham. LSU is not in any danger of missing the SEC tournament, but it needs to start winning consistently in order to host a regional. Getting two-hit in a 7-0 loss to McNeese State Tuesday won’t help.

The only bad thing about a baseball series is there is a lot of sitting around. It’s not like in Kansas City, where I can go to Buffalo Wild Wings from 8-12 hours a day and not have to be somewhere. You have to be there for the game at a certain time, and then the game takes three hours give or take (unless there’s extra innings). Then again, a little down time isn’t the worst thing.

The only bad thing is won’t get to see Caitlyn compete in her next three meets since I’ll be out of town. She and Peggy understand I have a life of my own. They were certainly glad I came to Norton and Smith Center. I promised them I would drive the 147 miles to Oberlin May 3.

It’s a beautiful day outside. And I’m in a hotel room right now. But I’ll be out soon enough. After my iPhone updates…