We arrived in Oakland after sunset.
My first time here. Been to San Francisco, but never Oakland.

First impressions...
Until a couple of days ago, I didn't know Oakland had its own airport. But now that I've seen said airport, I can see why Oakland might try to keep it a secret.

Drove by the arena where the Zags will play Thursday. Looks big.

On our way downtown, I saw the Tribune Tower. I've seen many pictures of it over the years. And, as someone fortunate enough to work in a cool newspaper building, I feel qualified to say it definitely has class.

Of course, I know nothing about the newspaper itself or if it even occupies the tower building these days.

I still have images from Salt Lake City swimming around in my head. I've been trying to remember if CBS begins game coverage in time to include the introduction of the starting lineups.

Maybe I'm just a ridiculous softie. But hearing two of the GU starters identified as "from Spokane, Washington" sends a jolt through me.

One reason John and Steve enjoy traveling with Brian is the way he gets annoyed whenever airline gate agents let TV crews have special-favor early boarding. He can't stand it and makes his feelings known.

Speaking of Brian, he told me a charming story about his day. On the way to the airport, he had stopped at a mall to buy some shoes. He went into a restroom and saw a uniformed food court employee on his hands and knees in a stall, throwing up with gusto.

The guy then got up and left the restroom without washing his hands.

What's that got to do with the Zags? Nothing, I suppose. But shouldn't we all be concerned about the sad state of food-service hygiene?

For the second Tuesday in a row, as I was getting ready to hit the road, the neighbor's cat snuck into my house. She's not unreasonable. She can be coaxed back out with a treat. But I'm thinking maybe I ought to consider writing an inspirational book called "Tuesdays With Furry."

At the Oakland airport, a tall guy from KREM got on the shuttle to the car rental area. And a woman shouted "Sten!"

She said she was from Coeur d'Alene and watched him all the time. He was pretty nice to her.

When we were checking into the downtown Marriott, a woman came up behind me and started talking to herself. I gingerly tried engaging her, but she didn't have time to be conversing with someone here on Earth.

Steve was standing in front of me and did a fine impression of John Belushi's "Animal House" trick of saying something disguised as a cough.

"Blogit," he coughed.

But my impression of Oakland shot up not long ago when the hotel's building engineer helped me with a computer connection issue. His name is E.J. and he refused a tip.

I have a plan for some reporting I want to do tomorrow for a column I'll write for Thursday's paper. Wish me luck.

When I was a little kid in the '60s, I had a short period of being a big fan of the Dayton (Ohio) Flyers basketball team. I watched their games on TV. A guy named Don May was the star forward.

Well, one of those years, they upset North Carolina in a semi-final game and made it to the NCAA championship game. They lost to UCLA.

But there was a big difference between that long-ago UCLA team and the admittedly tough Bruins squad the Zags will face. That '60s team had a guy named Lew Alcindor.

Seven years of sportswriting down the drain.

Paul, you are at the top of the pledge class!