READING, Pa. – It’s never a good sign when the guy working the overnight shift at the hotel you’re staying at has no idea if there’s anything open in the area at 2 a.m.
Joe Staszewski and I arrived at the Holiday Inn Express here late Wednesday night after a long drive from Queens. All we wanted to do was kick back and relax with a cold beverage and some snacks. But this is Reading, Pa. There wasn’t seemingly any civilization for miles.
Of course, we trekked out anyway. Down the road, not far from the hotel, was our oasis: Top Star. The Exxon gas station near Route 222 had a 24-hour convenience store – with its own Subway, also open all night.
Clutch.
Staszewski and I made off with $20.38 of goodies and headed back to the hotel. The bad news? Apparently finding beer in Pennsylvania at 2 a.m. is rather difficult.
Once back near the Holiday Inn Express, we sought out a restaurant the clerk had told me about earlier – just to scope it out for potential future patronage. The Malibooz Bar and Grill is apparently buried deep inside the Reading Municipal Airport, which happens to be adjacent to our hotel. Somehow, I almost drove onto a runway trying to find it. That was cause for giving up.
We had more success finding Hooters on Thursday in Wyomissing. No one ever accused of being classy.
Then finally, after the chicken wings were devoured, Staszewski and I made our way to Albright College for Hoop Group Elite Camp Session III. The first person we saw? Bob Mackey. We had no idea that the renowned Christ the King girls basketball coach was involved with the boys camp, even though he did guide a successful Tolentine program way back when. As it turns out, he’s the director of basketball operations at Hoop Group, an organization he has been a part of for 26 years. Whoops.
The basketball action was furious Thursday with players trying out. The best make it to the elite East division, while the rest go to the West. Instruction started early in the morning – at least, that’s what I was told – and scrimmages began at 4:30 p.m.
We’ll do it all again tomorrow, hopefully after a nice little night cap in a local Reading water hole. It can’t be any worse than eating Tostitos with jalapeno cheddar dipping sauce and gulping Mountain Dew at 3 a.m.