Ken Fee on the 2008 USAM North

What an adventure! Our two teams suffered. One member had a heart attack (I am serious), another member had the flu, and one member quit chess. All occurred before we left on the 500 plus mile trip from Kansas City to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the United States Amateur Team Championship North that took place February 16th-17th, 2008. Twenty teams participated in the open section. Both chess club teams limped into action ready to fight even though we were missing key players.

The Chess Club sponsored both teams by paying for entry fees, hotels, and team shirts. Our two teams had the following members: Spencer Conklin, Fred Smith, Tony Dutiel, Jonht Bechthold, Ken Fee, Frank Smith, Byron Williamson, and Conrado Salazar. Click here for the team, board, and individual standings.

Our A team had chances. In the last round we were playing for the U1900 title. Tony Dutiel's last round game is even the topic of Ivan Wijetunge�s Blog.

Positives about the trip:

1. We played walkie-talkie chess between both cars on the road.
2. We had some great food in Milwaukee including Barbeque.
3. We played higher rated players and borrowed a few points.
4. Team A was one game away from the U1900 Championship.
5. Tony and Frank had fun playing bughouse between rounds.

Negatives about the trip:

1. It was cold and wet. One day cold, the next day wet. Cars were snowed in and Byron (our web guru) fell on the ice a few times. Once he fell in an ice puddle, and his jeans were soaked. The chess gods helped, however; Team B had a bye the next round, and Byron was able to return to the hotel to change.
2. Parking was terrible at the hotel. Since the hotel was next to the airport, people used the lot for short and long-term airport parking.
3. he playing hall had a few lighting problems. I felt like I was playing in the shade.
4. My room was 80 plus degrees with no climate control. The hotel simply tried to help by opening one of my windows. That is the last time I stay at a 4 Star Hotel again! J The excuse was that my room was located above the hotel laundry. This is how they treat Priceline Customers.
5. My last round opponent smelled like defecation. The smell was so bad that the board two players moved to another table. The TDs would do nothing, but if a cell phone went off, you were docked 45 minutes from your clock. I played with my shirt over my nose.

After the tournament, we traveled 14 hours in two cars to get home. The wind-chill factor was almost 20 below. I let Byron pump the gas! I-80 in Iowa was almost shut down. We counted around 50-60 cars, trucks, and U-hauls in the ditch. We traveled around 10 MPH for hours slipping from one side to another.

The Des Moines Register described the situation in the following words!

"Travel is not advised on Interstate Highway 80 in eastern Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Towing services also are blocked from exit 182 to exit 254.Travel also is not recommended in several other areas, including Interstate Highway 380 from I-80 to exit 43; U.S. Highway 6 from I-80 to I-380; U.S."

Register sportswriter Randy Peterson reported Monday night that it took him 3 hours to travel 31 miles on Interstate 80 westbound, between Iowa City and Ladora, tonight. Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Bob Cox was watching a truck driver struggling to drive up a hill not far from a Coralville exit of Interstate Highway 80 in eastern Iowa shortly after 11 a.m. today."The tires are spinning and smoking and I think if we can get a wrecker to him we will just tow him into the median," said Cox. "He's blocking a lot of traffic."By one estimate there were some 150 vehicles in the ditches along Interstate Highway 80 between Davenport and Des Moines on Sunday night. "It's worse now," Cox said on Monday morning. "I've probably seen 100 off the road in just a 40-mile stretch today. It's these hills over here by Iowa City."Traffic is completely blocked on the left-hand side of the westbound lanes. Semis can't get up these hills and we're having trouble getting sand trucks to them," Cox said. Drivers were traveling about 5 mph in spots."It's hard-packed ice. It's thick, two or three inches of it. It's almost like driving on a frozen gravel road. I've only seen it like this two or three times in my 28 years out here."

Lesson: Byron and I should have checked the road conditions. We could have traveled using the St. Louis route. Byron, what were we thinking?

Every few miles, there were numerous cars off the road. Picture[s] does not do justice to what we saw!

After arriving at home on Monday night and sleeping four hours, my wife notified me that we needed to go to the hospital. The next morning, February 19 ,2008 at 9:32AM, my son, Kalen Eugene Fee was born. He weighed 7lbs. and 7 ounces.

Games coming soon!