Still Champs

Ron has a beard, Steve is on the right with mustache. Nobody has talking to Randy - by Paul, for a while

A couple Tuesdays ago I had occasion to be out of town the night Iowa State had a home men's basketball game. Paul and I have had season tickets for several years - ever since Fred Hoiberg took over the program, so even before we moved to DSM. They're fun tickets to have these days!

Paul had an extra ticket - so he reached out to his Creston buddies. One guy turned into three - and Steve Crittenden, Ron Riley and Jeff McFee (not pictured above as they won the championship during a year when Jeff lived elsewhere) made the road trip to Ames with Paul. The "gang" rode again.

This group makes up Paul's original Creston homies. I worked at First National Bank when we first moved to Creston and Steve was a Loan Officer (now he's in charge of the loan department - our former boss, whom I nicknamed "The Dickster" retired years ago). In 1987 I joined in a women's sorority with Steve's wife Barb and the two guys became friends and discovered their love of hoops. They formed a team and as you can tell - that year they were smart to stack it with youngsters!

I soon found out that "game night" wasn't just about the game. Oh no! The Elms Club followed - and oh the beer they drank. I truly believe it was then that we became Crestonites - learning the lore of the town. Me? I was home raising the children. No ill feelings at all. Right....Okay there was a little angst. But looking back, many good stories have come from those games and nights out.

Like the time Steve's nose was smashed by someone's wayward elbow during a game. Paul says it was flat on his face. He went to the hospital where they gave him some sort of treatment and he came back and played with tape on it. For City League! That's dedication.

Paul really enjoyed his reunion with those fellas. We see Jeff of course, but don't see Steve and rarely Ron. They arrived from Creston that afternoon and decided to go to Brick City Grill in Ames - the place that was voted "Best Burger" in Iowa this year. I had to chuckle when Paul related that Steve and Ron ordered the Farmer Burger:
1/2 pound patty
bacon
1 egg
cheese
and topped with a hashbrown patty
all on a bun!
I wonder if it came with Nitro Glycerin?

Steve always was a big eater...
After the game they stopped at the bar near Kelley (south of Ames) and had Chicken Gizzards. You only live once...and they got a week's work a fat in one day.

In the meantime - at my work trip I went to a restaurant in Davenport where I enjoyed Bison Meatloaf. They meeting I attended went really well and I got to see our former consultant, Laura Fiffick, who is now working for Burlington Northern SF - helping them to install an Environmental Management System at facilities across the county. We toured the Electronic Waste Facility at the Waste Commission of Scott County - where they're now pulling more recycled stuff out to refurbish. Very cool.