Perfect Iowa nice weekend

My new self has learned to enjoy the little things. That's what this weekend was about.

We started with sticker shock on Friday afternoon - we met with a remodeling company who presented us with our dream master bath remodel. The price was nearly as much as our first house! Gulp. I think we'll need to take a piecemeal approach. To the contractor's credit, he did give us everything we'd mentioned and built in a bunch of extra $ for top of the line. We told him we'd talk it over...and we needed a drink.

Good thing I'd made plans for us to meet with my longtime pal Jane and her friends Barb and Julie right down the street from our remodeler at Irena's, a Russian joint. We caught up with Jane who is moving - how exciting, and a bit scary. She's lived in her present home for many years, raising her 4 great kids there. Paul and I can understand her mixed emotions about leaving the place behind.

We felt the same way both times we moved from homes we lived in when raising kids. Our first Creston house will always be dear in my heart. We bought it when we moved to town and Amy was only one. Then Jud and Patrick were born while we lived there.

Our second home was my dream house - a perfect location and neighborhood with great neighbors who we are still friends with today. It was hard to move away - not only from the house, but from the 'hood! When Jane leaves her house, it will actually go a step further. The building will be demolished to make way for more progress in the Waukee area. Man how that town has grown in the past ten years.

I'm happy for Jane! Though I miss my former homes, I love my new home and way of life. I think she will too.

From near the Iowa State Capitol Building #gladididnthavetocarrythepies

Saturday was a day the where the weather gods smiled on Iowa. I wanted to get some steps in for Live Healthy Iowa - so we parked a little farther away from downtown for the Farmer's Market. Later, Paul headed south to put up tree stands. Guess what time of year it is? I headed to the Urbandale Library - where I discovered this hidden gem of a park.

It was so beautiful - a fountain, sculptures and a creek

Later that afternoon, we took off for a farm north of Panora, owned by Kevin one of Paul's friends from work. He'd invited us to a cookout. I was glad we had those yummy Amish pies to share because there was a lot of other delish food to go with the gorgeous autumn rural Iowa scenery.

There was a live band later that night - the son of a guy Paul worked with in Creston many years ago. We watched as the nearly full moon rose over the wetland. It was a great night.

the trail was wooded

Sunday was biker chick day. Instead of north, we went south - to the Great Western Trail. We parked in Orilla, Iowa. Where, you ask. That's because Orilla is but a dot on the road with two bike bars! He biked down to Cumming and back, arriving in time to get a nice Pork Tenderloin at the Rusty Spoke.

On Sunday night Paul and I kept running out on the deck to check out the moon - first the eclipse and then the reddish color. What a wonderful end to a perfect Iowa weekend.

Namaste

It's a yoga term that means: "The Spirit within me salutes the Spirit in you"

 

When I was a teen, my friend Mona Jones took me to the old rock quarry outside of Atlantic to swim. It was a deep clear pond that had a diving board. Yep a real board someone had rigged - way up high. And it didn't stick out far enough so you could just drop off it into the water. You had to run and leap.

 

I stood on that board a long time. And then I made my approach several times before I finally leaped. And I screamed. But I finally did it! Man that water was cold. And deep thank God. I took the plunge.

 

I approach many things in life like that diving board. I'm not a quick jumper and find many excuses not to jump. I might hit the dirt! The water will be cold. I think I hear my mom calling...

 

But when it comes down to it, life is meant to be lived. I don't want to spend my life sitting in the chair blogging about nothing. I want to regain my physical strength so I've been eyeing classes in various local publications to see what might help me do that besides the biking and walking I do on my own.

 

So I took a big leap and signed up for Gentle Flow Yoga. When I put my credit card number in and paid the fee I knew I was locked in. I'm too cheap to chicken out altogether. I was nervous all day yesterday - the first class was at 6:15 p.m. What if the new yoga mat I'd purchased wasn't cool? What should I wear? I knew where the school was but didn't know my way around it. Ugh. I asked Paul to reassure me and he said something like "suck it up buttercup".

 

I got there fairly early (thanks Dave B.) and staked out a spot. My outfit and mat were fine. I even broke out of my introverted self and introduced myself to Justine and Barb (so proud - I made a special effort to remember their names as I usually suck at that).

 

Gayle Vattese is the instructor for the class of about 20 women. We plunged right in and I just watched and imitated others to know what to do as Gayle coached and instructed. We concentrated on breathing - filling our lungs more fully than perhaps we'd done all day, and were thankful for it. It was quite spiritual - yet Gayle through in some smartass humor too. My kind of gal! She'd say something like, "press your ten fingers into the mat...eleven if you're lucky."

 

Man did we stretch! My stiff body didn't appreciate it, but it will learn. I tried not to let my mind race ahead to other topics, as it tends to. "What should I eat when I get home?" "Oh, I need to remember my laptop in the morning" Stuff like that. But I wasn't all that successful. I will work to do better.  OOOhhhmmm. Downward dog baby. I can't wait for next week.

 

Paul and I peddled into the High Trestle Bridge from Madrid last Sunday - a gorgeous Iowa fall day! My shoulder is feeling good and the beer was cold after our ride.

 

 



Peddling for beer in Des Moines - a small city

Early in the week Paul texted me to see if I was up for a social event. A group from his work was organizing to rent on of those beer peddling carts downtown. They needed at least twelve people. Were we in? The weather didn't look promising as I scanned the Internet, but what the heck. It sounded like fun! We were in.

On Friday night we met the group at the High Life Lounge. It had rained most of the afternoon and we drove downtown in torrential rain. But things were looking up - it was only sprinkling as we walked into the retro bar decorated with old beer signs reminiscent of the White Rose in Atlantic. Some of the people with us drank PBR, but I couldn't bring myself to step back into the world of bad beer. I went with a wheat ale. Snobby, no?

The USDA State Conservationist for Iowa retired a few months ago, so they've had a fellow here "acting" for a few months until they hire a permanent replacement. Rick is from New Hampshire where he is the State Con. The Iowa staff is determined to show him "Iowa nice". He's getting the full Iowa in my opinion - having experienced the ISU vs. Iowa game last weekend including the Tip Top bar in Ames.

We were surprised at the bar by running in to several people we knew. I know - it's Des Moines. We should expect to see people we know. First were John and Jacque Coen - a couple we've known for 10+ years when we worked with them prior to their marriage at Holy Spirit in Creston. We watched John as a young kid growing up too - St. Malachy student leading the way for Amy and Jud. They too were taking a beer bike thingy with their friends.

Then we saw Amy's college roomies Rachelle and Jenna. It's always fun to run into them and say hi and talk about our mutual loved one, our daughter Amy. I'd just spoken to her before heading into the bar - she was awaiting a flight back to Atlanta from Denver where she mixed work and fun. Rachelle and Jenna are great friends and I'm glad they've stayed in contact.

At 7 pm were were off and peddling with DJ (or BJ - he mumbled) our driver. Five people on each side peddle, a few just sit there and the driver steers and brakes for traffic. It was still misting so I was glad I had on my visor and jacket to start! We didn't go far, but it was quite enough peddling - especially when we went up hills and were chasing the unit the Coens were in. #oldstersnearlycaughtthem

view from non-peddling end seat

There were shots at a couple of the stops. Monster and cinnamon whiskey. Probably why we are starting a bit slow today. I finally got to hit AJ's on Court - where they were doing karaoke. I missed Diana McKim as I'm always her backup singer. We did catch up with Coens at our last stop, Hessen Haus, before returning the bike thingy to the garage. At that stop, Rick drank a boot of beer with the help of his friends.

Outside my sister Cindy's fave bar Locust Tap

outside of Hessen Haus with John and Jacque Coen

I enjoyed talking to Paul's co-workers and spouses about things other than work! This a lot of fun and believe I'd like to do it again sometime. Unlike other states, Iowa open container laws don't allow drinking on board the bus, but the stops were frequent enough that we didn't really miss it. I starting drinking water during the last part of the evening so that I could be the driver for the trip back to West DM and we arrived safely. On to the rest of the weekend!

Perfect tailgate

Mother nature dialed up a perfect day for the Iowa State vs. Iowa football game yesterday. It didn't have the ending Cyclone fans wanted, but supplied everything else. I must be mellowing because for some reason the loss didn't hurt quite as much as usual. I'm not totally reformed...I still woke up dreading the newspaper headlines this morning.

After last year's illness and frozen shoulder - which all hit about now in 2014, I'm really enjoying tailgating this year. Especially since our friends Kevin and Kari sharing their trailer for games and we have a home back in D3 - the RV section. We aren't eating out of a trunk of a car like we had been the past couple years -  since our pals the McKims traded up - from tailgating RV to lake home at the Ozarks. Woohoo!



First bloody mary of the season - Paul and Kevin

Don and Diana met Kevin and Kari during their RV - D3 years and we got to know them through the tailgating neighborhood. Kevin works for John Deere and back when we first met them they lived in the Quad Cities - deep in the heart of Hawkeye country. Nowadays, Kevin lives in Ames during the week - not far from Jack Trice stadium, working for John Deere in Ankeny, while Kari holds down the fort back east. They have basketball tickets so we got together with them for several games during the season.

Paul and I arrived in Ames around 8:30 a.m. yesterday as we wanted to beat the crowd. Too late! We had a chance to chat with Kevin and Kari before the others arrived. This week we did a better job of organizing our food flow. Burgers were on the menu. Our setup was right by the road and it made for great people watching - groups hiked in from other parking spots, wandering by to find their tailgating sites. It was amazing how many of the groups were mixed - black, red, gold - it was all there.

Buddies have shots before the game - Don misses having young women to pour them for...

Now that all three Nielson kids are attending ISU, and this was the big state game. Our tailgating site was Creston central and I loved it! After Todd and Beth arrived, so did a group of about 15 kids. Along with some other parents like another former neighbor Kit Mostek. Their daughter Natalie is attending DMCC in Boone, playing softball. Twin Maria is at NWMSU running cross country. They made it to the game to see their pals. Several people from Paul's work stopped by - some had been to the Tip Top (dive bar that opens in the morning) to start the day, so they were feeling no pain. Conovers and McKims worked the room, I mean area.

Hosts Kevin and Kari's kids arrived - they are around Jud and Amy's ages. I hope they got some food - we ran out at one point and had to grill more! Then K&K were off to Davenport for a wedding reception. They didn't even get to attend the game. Now that's determination to tailgate!

You may not know this but I am a bit of an introvert. I can be outgoing when I know people, but really prefer talking one to one. I enjoyed a nice conversation with Katie McKim's former roomie Jordan. She dogsat Odie before - when they all lived near us and we got to know her then. What a great young lady - she's an actuary who helps coach in her hometown of Guthrie Center. I also liked catching up with Kit Mostek and Sherry Walters, talking mostly about their kids and ours.

Then it was gametime. Oh the pageantry! Our stadium upgrade is fab by the way - the south end zone has been filled in with a fancy club area up above and seating below. We love the new Jumbotron above. Both marching bands were there (ours was best if I do say so myself). The game was ever so close until the last few minutes when the Hawkeyes pulled away. Somewhere my Mom and Dad were cheering, along with my grandparents. ISU couldn't muster any offense in the second half and the better team won.

After the game, we gathered back in D3, but Cyclones fans weren't in a real party mood. There was packing up to do and our engineer friend Kevin had left a photo of just how to fit all the gear into the trailer. It was a slow drive home - that was a lot of cars heading out of town.

Don't let them fool you - Diana and I helped load this sucker too!

I had texted Amy and Jud the night before the game - wishing they were going to be there with us. That would have been the icing on cake. And a win of course. Next year, baby!

Chopsticks

We saw a sign on the corner of 50th and Ashworth on our way home from work today - "Learn to Play Piano". Paul told me it would be a good way for me to earn money too - to teach kids to play piano. That would be swell if they only wanted to know how to play part of "Skip To My Lou". I don't think their parents would spring for the big bucks for that.

It is pretty impressive that Mary Lou Sandhorst taught me that song long ago and I still know how to play (part) of it. Three whole years of tickling the ivory keys. I know I didn't practice much - despite Mom's harping. Each week I'd ride my bike to the Sandhorst home, just a few blocks from ours - where I'd assault the ears of the Sandhorst family. Our wiener dog Jud would follow me over and hang around in the neighborhood while I had my lesson.

When I hit sixth grade, Mom gave up and I finally was able to quit piano lessons. We were all relieved - Mom, Mrs. S and me. A few of my friends kept playing and later I found that I was a bit jealous of them - their skill. Good job Candice and Chris and all you others who stuck with it.

Fast forward years later. I'm a parent. Daughter Amy decided piano might be nice to play. She started on a keyboard - fed by several sized D batteries. That worked for a bit - but it didn't cut it once she got a little more sophisticated. Hmmm. We needed a real piano - but how? That's where Creston Radio's Trading Post came to the rescue. Someone had a FREE piano down by Diagonal - it just had to be collected.

Not our "barn" piano - but similar, except these ivories are better

Paul, Steve and Jeff were on it. It was in the barn - complete with bird poop. Not every key had ivory and grime abounded. We did our best to clean it up and it cost $60 to get the thing tuned. Then I had the bright idea to sponge paint it - that was big then. Cream for the base - with dusty rose and a country blue. How very 90's! Still, it did look cheery. And oh how she played it! "I'll Be There For You" the Friends theme was a fave.

Maybe someday Amy can give piano lessons - teaching kids that song. haha

Good discussion

I finally broke through and attended a Reading Discussion Group last week. My first since my Creston days, though I've missed this activity a great deal. Especially when I talk to others who are in groups - hearing about the books they are reading. Comments like, "Nope, I can't make it that night, I have book club and we're taking treats and drinking wine!" Jealousy is my name when I hear that.

I miss the Book Chicks - the club I was once a part of in Creston. Many years ago my pal Deb and I decided we needed to start a club - so I stuck a sign up at Matilda Gibson Public Library asking people to email me if they were interested. I had picked a book, and one of the potential participants offered to host! That was the start of our little group.

Thea's House in Creston - many stories told here

The group ebbed and flowed through the years, but it was anchored by Deb, me and Thea - the eternal hostess who lived in a fabulous brick home on the north side of town with a pool in the back. Thea had a couple "girls", her dogs who would greet us at the door. Peaches was huge, but very friendly. I met so many awesome women during that time - some that had lived in Creston for a long time and others who were new to town. Some of them stayed in the group for many years and others found that it didn't fit their schedules or they couldn't keep up with the reading. Or they didn't like us! haha

Deb with Thea

We met monthly. I sure looked forward to those meetings - even when I didn't really like the month's book. Every member could suggest titles, and Sue, the librarian would obtain copies of the books for all of us through Inter-library loan at a fee of $1. It was a great system.

The discussion/therapy sessions were classic. Some meetings left me chuckling for nights afterward. Most books came with prepared discussion questions and I tried to make sure everyone had a chance to share her (we never did attract any guys) thoughts and opinions. We often veered off the trail and into more personal topics/politics and our work and everyday lives. I really got to know these women and remain friends and Facebook friends with many of them today.

It was a sad day when lovely Thea let us know that she was ill with cancer. I blogged about her before - as she became such a good friend through our mutual love of books. Thea passed away in 2012 and I sure miss her and think about her often.

Our book club tried to carry on during Thea's illness and after her death - but we lost our steam. I was commuting back and forth and getting ready to move to DSM in 2012. The Book Chicks stopped meeting and I was without a club in a new city.

I kind of went into mourning - like when your dog dies. I wasn't ready to adopt a new one. It took a long time. Oh I'd listen to others talk about theirs. Then I'd look at books clubs were reading. I was getting ready. Finally, last month I noticed that the West Des Moines Library offered a title and a September 1st meeting date for their discussion group. I decided to go.

I had to laugh when the date came around and I noticed that on my work calendar it popped up as "Adult Book Discussion Group". I must have typed in like that because the library also has Kids groups. Yet it did make it sound a bit spicier than the book - "A Land More Kind Than Home"
which I purchased and read on my Nook. The book was not my usual genre and it was depressing - but I slogged my way through it. So I could discuss it with the adults!

I arrived at the WDM Library last Tuesday at the appointed time - joined by around 18 other women (most guys aren't into book club evidently). A librarian was in charge. Most of the women were longtime attendees and were exchanging pleasantries before the meetings. I was the new kid.

To discuss the book, we went around the table - the meeting was in a small room on the second floor - introducing ourselves and stating if we liked the book and why/not. As about the 12th speaker, I didn't have a lot new to add. Once we made it through everyone there was more wide open discussion. The differing opinions on the book amazed me. One person found humor in it. What? It was about death and destruction - an evil pastor who killed people in the name of God. But I enjoyed the discussion and just having an outlet like that again - though I couldn't let swear words slip out and there was no liquor involved...it'll do. One gal did bring chocolate!

The librarian (I'm terrible with names) gave us next month's book. I will be glad to go. Here's to you Thea, and other friends from Book Chicks! I miss you all.

Another season

It's another year of following Iowa State University football - always an adventure. Usually not a winning one, yet we continue on the path.

My first experience attending a Cyclone game was with the Rodgers family. Wayne and Anna Day took me along with their daughter Sally for the homecoming game. Sal's sister Cindy was an ISU student so it must have been around 1970 and it was Clyde Williams Field (later Amy lived in a dormitory built on/near that site). Prior to that game, my only college football experience was of the Hawkeye nature - wearing black and gold, watching the Hawks getting pounded by Purdue 60-3.

I can't say I fell in love with Cyclone football that day, but it began a long relationship that I doubt ever ends. I'm a Clone through thick and thin. Yes, we've had a lot of thin - yet from the sellout crowd lined up to attend today, you'd never know it. Cyclone fans are the best damn fans in the country if I do say so myself. Sure we complain, are filled with angst over the state of the programs at times - yet, build it and we will come.

One of my fave football pics

At least at the beginning of the year when tailgating is good. The truth is, we like each other! We like the traditions of the game, arriving at our tailgating spots to meet others from around the state - they may be relatives, college friends of long ago or co-workers. Some people park by the same groups year after year. We spent game week planning the menu and stocking the bar. It's a little like camping!

During the day, cheer squads wander by to sell T-shirts and calendars. Food is served. It's fun to see what's on the menu across the huge expanse of parking lot. The band marches by. Friends stop by for a beer. We walk to visit other people's tailgates. There are the phone calls, "no - we're under the pirate flag by C-4" - talking them into our site. I'm pleased to report that most of the Port-A-Potties now have hand washing stations - an upgrade in the past year. Kids toss the football and play Cornhole (it's not what you think - it's like bean bag toss).

Right before the game there's the rush to get organized. Where's my ticket? What else am I taking? Do I need a jacket? Hat? Sip that last beer on the way into the game. Then we greet the folks around us in the stadium. We've sat in Section B for many years with a group of friends. (We miss a few who no longer purchase season tickets :>( )The people around us are like neighbors. Some are like irritating neighbors...like the woman who sits behind us and has been known to yell, "Run Forward!" when we have the ball. Jeez. No shit lady.

I thought Dee was going to jack her or her equally dumb spouse, as she has little patience for idiotic comments. The guy the sits by Paul is as intense as Jud can be about sports but now he brings his adorable kids and is trying so hard to be a "good sport."


2014 - wow, my hair actually obeyed

Ooh we love our band and they sit not too far from us in the North end zone. Now ISU has filled in the South End Zone and has placed a huge screen TV screen above. Nice viewing from our end. It's going to be awesome. Let's hope the team is up to their part! I'm full of pre-season optimism. It can't be as bad as last year, right? I am pulling for our coach as I like the guy. I hope we avoid injuries and have some luck to go with better talent on defense. If we lose...on to the next game, right?

Go Cyclones!

Flailing into the future

I moved into a new era of music and reading in 2015. Bluetooth. It's not the same as blue hair - though I'm getting closer to being a bluehair. My pal Sarah Darby at Sahar is helping me hold off the gray.

I was thinking about my music progression from my first little record player until now - a hip (in my own mind - let me pretend) empty nester a little late in adopting Bluetooth technology. Once you cross the line into the new technology, you don't want to go back!

After my little Motorola record player (I think I only had a couple albums including the first Jackson Five), I received a cassette player for Christmas one year. I must have been in sixth or seventh grade. My first cassette was the Grass Roots.

When I graduated from high school, I received my highly prized stereo with cassette and turntable - able to play multiple LP disks. That thing earned its keep during my college years. Man there was some good music put out during the 1970's! Though my college roomie used to force me to listen to Barry Manilow as we drifted off to sleep. I still have nightmares about that.

Later, Paul and I purchased a better stereo with a turntable, receiver and speakers. It played cassettes too and we invested in buying all our former LPs in cassettes - so we could listen to them in car. How modern!

Next thing we knew, Compact Discs were the thing and I joined some club to replace all my cassettes with that format. "Best Of" all of my favorites plus a few new bands I liked on CD. After that, folks were sharing free MP3 songs on the Internet. I have to admit I snared a few. I figured I'd purchased many of those songs 3 times already!

Then I downloaded iTunes. Legit! For the last few years I've managed my music that way. I also checked out CDs from a couple libraries too - for my listening pleasure. Some of that music is now on my hard drive. My music library is a mish-mash of tunes purchased from Wal-Mart, the music club, downloaded from iTunes and from library CDs and who knows where else.

Now, I'm pleased to report some of it is on my iPhone organized in Playlists. It was painful figuring out how to upload the music onto my phone. Because I'm not a whiz kid when it comes to this stuff I flail away. It comes to me in fits and starts and stops. I give up and then try again. I used US Cellular points for wireless earbuds. They're linked to my phone. And I have now linked my phone to my car. The magical technology linking the buds and car to my phone is Bluetooth.

I even download most of my reading material to my iPhone. I listen to Audiobooks downloaded via OverDrive Software from the West Des Moines Library. I can listen to books through the car speakers of our newer Subaru while I commute to work and around town (like the two times I drove to PetCo today when I forgot my wallet in my backpack from yesterday's road work trip and they held Odie for ransom until I paid for her toenail trimming).

Once one adopts new technology it's hard to go back. Like flat screen HD televisions. The old ones make my eyeballs hurt. Sometimes I get disappointed with my trusty old Subaru when I realize it doesn't "have the stuff" to emit my books via Bluetooth. I'm spoiled already.

I'm excited to see what technology I flail into next.

Happy Birthday to my dad, Davey B. He would have been 87 today!

One of those pics where I am happy to realize that I moved on from that look...

Proud pappa