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!