Into Each Life

Finally, a home game day without rain...unless you count the OSU Cowboys raining long-distance scoring plays on our beloved Cyclones. It was brisk though. I'm not ready to bundle up this soon in the season. Guess what day it was? Octoberfest, y'all! 

Our "block" in tailgate land is similar to a neighborhood. Several of those who are here every home game "group up" to party together. Some knew each other before, but some just met through the grace of being Cyclone fans who tailgate. It's a beautiful thing! Sometimes we borrow a "cuppa sugar" from each other. Watch each others' TVs or just hang out. 

Bill lines up a tap to "schlag"

The Brockmann group goes big on Octoberfest, organizing teams and games. Some of the clan has young kids - enjoy seeing them grow up - "the Cyclone way". We got in on some of the fun - a competition with rules, a judge and everything. Hammerschlagen is a German game reportedly dating from 1940,] in which several contestants try to hammer a nail into a stump using the wrong end of the hammerhead. Our friend Kari ended up 2nd in the competition! I ditched my nail after many rounds of overshooting and undershooting. I blamed my eye doc - who was hammering just to my right. 

Bobbi holds her stein

Conovers stopped over. I finally got to meet baby Hank - son Phil's little guy. I talked Marilyn into posing with me in this photo. Sheryl & Bob Young stopped by with son Jubal - so great to see them. I hadn't seen Sheryl since she retired from being my ARNP caregiver (and friend) for many years. Gee, I miss her! Donnie's college pal Wally was in town - fun guy to chat with. And Kevin's bro Ralph. Our little group always enjoys our time together - we find things to laugh about no matter what.   

Me with Marilyn

Diana and Kari digging the tunes - Juicy Wiggle? 

Paul grilled thin ribeyes for sandwiches - they were delish! We had our traditional shots before the game. Too bad they didn't bring good luck this time. We got to the game with plenty of time for the flyover. So cool! The Cyclones never played up to their potential the whole game. Disappointing. A damper on a day that was an A+ otherwise. 

It was dark by the time the traffic cleared out and we decided to head home. Paul has a date with deer today. We were both exhausted. There is something about spending the whole day outside that makes you tired - in a good way. My cheeks were chapped. I'm glad I have Sunday to recuperate. 

The weeks are sailing by - my time working at DNR is ticking away. Of course, retirement is a topic of conversation wherever I go. Word has spread! It's amazing how many people, no matter what age they are, say they are pining for retirement. Paul retired last January - so it has been on my mind as he thought about it and planned it. But prior to that, we didn't think about it much. I started working at DNR at age 51, so I had that new job feeling for a long time, and I still enjoy my job. I hope everyone does! Of course, there are parts that are a drag - every job has those. 

Land Quality Bureau Retreat this week - packed Meals from the Heartland for 2 hours with workmates. 

Books and Tailgating

My book club assignment this month is "The Library Book", by Susan Orlean. It's not my fave book ever, but I did find some parts I enjoyed and learned from. So - a win.  I like it when I'm forced to read outside my genre. I don't make myself do it otherwise. I'm a suspense reader - mindless relaxation.

"The Library Book" is by a New Yorker reporter. She investigates the devastating 1986 fire that burned the  Los Angeles Public Library fire - all while weaving in the story of her love affair with books and libraries. The style is hard for me to get into, but I pulled out some gems that I loved.

Like this. All through time bad people have been trying to squelch information and books by burning them. Think of the Nazis. They hurt the Jewish people to the core by burning their beloved sacred books in public bonfires. Also - several months ago a religious activist burned LGBTQ books at the Orange City, Iowa library. He paid a fine.

As you can tell, written words are important to me. That's why I have such a love/hate relationship with social media where anyone can write anything. Anonymously or not. Like this blog. For now, I'll continue. Tomorrow I'll attend book club - so I'd better finish that book! I enjoy meeting with this group.

Football pageantry fan

It's not all about the game. My first tailgating memory is from Iowa City. That's irony for ya! Okay, I was raised a little Hawk fan - all those 60-3 drubbings we attended with the Pellets and other Atlantic fans in the 1960s and early 1970s. We cheered on our hometown hero Ed Podolak.

When I chose Iowa State for college, we didn't tailgate. We simply lugged our booze right into the stadium. Our cars - parked all week in the football field parking lot, overflow for our RCA (Maple Hall) dormitory and later our apartment parking. Come game day, we had to remove cars from stadium parking by Friday night. My roomie Jane found out the hard way (twice) what happens when you forget. Lucky the towed car lot was near our apartment.

So my first tailgating experience was in Iowa City at an ISU vs. Iowa game. We partied with my roomie Vicki's folks and their Hawkeye fan friends. They had an RV and lots of food and liquor! This is the life I thought to myself!

Post-college we met our friends for football games in Ames annually until our own children's' activities tied up weekends. Back then we could pay $15 and get a spot where we park now. Now those same spots require a hefty donation and season ticket purchase. Times change!

We have so many great memories of tailgating during Amy and Jud's college years. Creston friends, Don and Diana McKim upped the game by becoming the owners of a '92 Pace Arrow RV - a fab tailgating unit.

When Amy and Jud were at ISU, our friends' kids were there too. In 2008, Amy (and Kristina McFee and Ryan McKim's) senior year, Don parked the RV in the student section. Jud was a frosh. So many Creston kids and adults stopped by that day and some watched the game on the RV TV. It was "off the hook" (Guy Fieri quote there)

2012

2019

Last weekend our college friends were back - being empty nesters has benefits. They came to our place Friday night - Moose and Kay even brought blow up beds for overflow sleeping! So fun to see everyone. Walking tacos were on the menu - thanks to McKims and Ehreckes for their hospitality (and walking tacos). The weather cleared up and ISU clobbered TCU. What a day! College gave me so much more than an education.

Catching up

This guy and I plan to travel

Okay - it's been a while since I blogged. Blame writer's block. I had no words, no story. Just reporting on our activities seemed shallow. Paul and I had some health issues - the reality of "our 60's" bites. Don't worry - we're not on death's doorstep. Still - the new reality of the passing of our youth sucks. The good news is - it beats the alternative! Dirt nap.

So what's happening now? Retired Paul has been busy working fulltime in a contract job with the City of West Des Moines. He's a forester - trimming trees, spraying weeds, mulching and using software to track the city's trees. It's just what he needed - a job with very little stress. He's paid hourly and can take off whenever he needs to and will take a few month break over hunting season/winter.

Photo from Dubuque - work meeting there this week

I'm in my "senior" year of work. Last semester even! I plan to retire from my present job at the end of the year. I told my supervisor a couple weeks ago. Like Paul, I'll do something part-time in the future because we want to be able to travel and we'd like our funds to last.

We've been talking about our life change (both retirements) a lot! It reminds me of graduating from college - exciting and scary. What will we do? Where will we go? The world is our oyster - how will we crack it open?

Everyone tells me how great retirement will be. Still, it is a bit scary to me. I need structure in my life. I love reading, walking, biking. I plan to go to workouts at my gym - especially aqua. But I need more than that. So pursuing some type of flexible part-time employment will be good for me for the next few years. Flexible so we can travel more!

Wish me luck as I wind down my DNR career. The good news is that my supervisor at DNR (and the program I work with) has encouraged (and required) that I compile procedures for the major things I do. That will help the transition as the state can't hire anyone new until I'm gone. Stay tuned for more on this as I travel this road. It's my dream to do a Dive Bar blog as we travel.

Cleaning

Raise your mouse (or laptop touchpad) if you enjoy cleaning. Some people find great satisfaction in it. Not me! Sure I can do a little bit - the straightening, picking up part. I need a tidy area to help me relax. But deeper cleaning usually makes me mad. Why? It leads me to see things like - the floorboard needs to be painted or argh! There are dead flies behind the shutters and I didn't plan to clean there today. One thing leads to another...black hole.

I was with three friends last weekend when I had a Seinfeld moment. We were at an ISU game watch when the subject turned to cleaning. Paul was out of town that weekend - on a trip to New Orleans with Jud. They do an annual guy-trip to a pro football game for their teams. This year it was Cowboys vs. Saints. When Paul is gone I tend to do deep cleaning projects. I was bragging about how I'd cleaned out the frig that day. (I didn't even get mad). 

My friends started talking about cleaning. It turns out they all have the same magical cleaning lady. We'll call her Jean.  One friend said Jean even wipes out the microwave when she's at her house. The next person said, "Jean wipes down my shutters." "She watches my dogs when I'm gone," said Person 3. Egads! Who is this Jean and how can I be her friend? Alas, she's booked...of course, she is. Jean may hire an associate - but that person will never be "Jean".