The road to the Final Four begins here

The road to Chicago began a little late for my liking. Wildman Nick Nelson and my main man, Justin O'Neal, couldn't hit the road until about 6 p.m. thanks to midterm testing. Come on, it's March, it's almost spring break, it's St. Patty's day in Chicago and you're sticking around Lawrence to take a test? What the hell, you're in college, brother! I guess I just don't see eye to eye with younger classmen.

The highlight of the trip thus far has to be a pit stop we made in Brooklyn. No, not New York. We are talking Brooklyn, Iowa. It was heaven!

While Wildman was taking care of business, I saw "the claw" and knew I could win a stuffed animal. I put a buck in the machine and went to work. First time, no success. The second time, glory! I won this dog that reminds me of Quaildog from the old-school Nickelodeon show "Doug". Doug and his dog, Porkchop, had episodes where they entered Superhero mode and became Quailman and Quaildog. The stuffed animal is identical. Don't believe me, check out the proof to the right.

I took a few minutes to bask in the glory of actually winning a stupid stuffed animal. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I was blown away. I saw a Kermit the Frog stuffed animal and knew I had to make an attempt for him.

He was stuck up on the corner of the machine and there was no clear way to win him. Then, a lightbulb switched on in my brain. (Cue singing) "I can do anything!" Thank you Reading Rainbow for instilling this lasting tune in my brain!

I hope you are picturing the machine in Toy Story, with the aliens, Buzz Lightyear and Woody stuck in it. I threw another bill in the claw machine and went after Kermit. My first attempt: Success! I was ecstatic. Two stuffed animals for two dollars. Unbelievable! At Worlds of Fun, I spend an average of $35 to win a big stuffed animal. Here, I got two medium-sized animals for $2! I love Brooklyn, Iowa!

Wildman won a pink teddy bear, but is claiming it is a bunny. He's just trying to rub it in my face. There was a Bugs Bunny that was impossible to win, so now he won a pink bear and is trying to claim it's a bunny. Give me a break!