This time he's in Green Bay with our son Judson. They have started a "thing" where they attend an NFL game each year. Jud is a Cowboys fan (did we fail here? or just let him be his little self at age 4?), and Paul is a Packers fan. Last year they were in Dallas for a Cowboys/Packers game. Paul had never been there before - Packers pulled out a win at the end of the game.
This year it's a Packers vs. Buffalo game at Lambeau Field. Paul took his Rodgers jersey for Jud to wear. A full one half of Paul's wardrobe is either Cyclone or Packers - so he's covered. The beautiful part of these trips is that Jud figures out all the logistics for his dad. We're hard to buy gifts for - so this is such a gift. They flew into Green Bay and had a room at an Air B & B very near the stadium. They will fly home right after the game.
Next year they plan to go to a Cowboys "away" game - visiting more venues around this country. I love this tradition - even though I'm not part of it. Hmmm, what can Amy and I do? Bonding - adult children are wonderful.
 |
| I love dive bars |
 |
| Lunch at Hickory Park - Sunday |
Last weekend Paul and I enjoyed another tradition that has become an annual thing - Cyclone Football with college pals. Steve (Moose) and Kay came from Gurnee (north side of Chicago) along with their children from the Twin Cities. Vicki and Fred came from Northfield, MN. My college roomie Jane and a couple of her kids came too. Others stopped by our tailgate too. I can't say enough about our host and hostess Kevin and Kari - so thoughtful and generous setting up the tents and chairs, sharing their spread.
The weather gods blessed us on gameday. It was a perfect early fall day. The Cyclones beat Akron. We went to the classic dive bar the Tip Top before retiring to our hotel in Ames for the evening. When we walked in the door, a guy was standing on a table trying to put his foot behind his head. It must have been a bet. Or the beer talking!
It's such fun catching up with our friends. And we are starting to plan an Alaska trip for next summer. No college friend weekend is complete without a Sunday morning lunch at Hickory Park. We all know what we're going to order before we see the menu: smoked turkey on an onion bun with mashed potatoes & gravy. Paul and I shared a delicious hot fudge sundae. I had to rest on Sunday - having fun is hard work!
This weekend is a quiet one. I went to the Farmer's Market Saturday morning where I found the jigsaw puzzle for this Christmas in Vail, and a baby gift for my new grandniece Lily Lopez. (Leslie's daughter). I love sending those Cali kids Iowa gifts.
On Saturday night, college roomie Jane and I watched the ISU game at the Angry Goat. I've known Jane since I was 18 years old. Lots of history! Of course, the game didn't come out like we wanted it too. The Cyclones hung in there but didn't have enough offense in the end. I trust our coach to keep these guys on the right track.
Funny: at work, the State of Iowa switched our operating system to Google a year ago. Last week my Gmail updated to a new version that anticipates what word I'm going to type. I can hit tab to accept the word/phrase or just keep typing.
I started an email to my co-worker Becky to ask her to update my program webpage with a new document. When I send emails like that I sometimes just sign with an L instead of typing my whole name. Gmail tried to fill in
Love you,
Good thing I caught it! I actually laughed out loud. And didn't hit tab to accept. But I wondered - what if we all expressed our love and appreciation to each other more often? I've worked with Becky for 10 years now. I told Becky the story - what I nearly sent. And I shared with her that I have grown quite fond of her.
Thanks, Google, for reminding me that I should appreciate all of my relationships more. Please don't let me start emailing stakeholders - citizens of Iowa and landfill operators signing "Love you". That would be weird!
No comments:
Post a Comment