Friday - KC Tourists and the Big Game

In Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament, Paul and I played tourist on Friday. First things first - we shopped! We headed to the Legends Outlet Mall after a quick visit to the mecca - Cabelas where we scored a stainless steel tabletop grill for football tailgating. We'd been scoping it out for several months and it was on sale. Score!

Pablo checks out the cannons

Then - lunch at the Yard House. We like that place, and I must admit it. I needed a nice juicy burger to combat a bit of a hangover. I'm no longer built to withstand sipping adult bevvies all day. That hit the spot! Then we headed to the federal World War 1 Museum. What an interesting place. I learned a lot about a devastating war that I must admit I'd forgotten the much of the history of.

Belgian women embroidered flour bags as a way to thank Americans for sending food - so many starved during this war

The museum veranda overlooks the city - on a beautiful spring day - but as you can see from Paul's hair, it was a bit windy

Jud and Kara has to work Friday until mid-afternoon. I arranged to meet my college roomie Jane at Cyclone fave bar Kelly's in Westport to watch the game. We secured seats by 4 p.m. for the 6 p.m. game. The place was filling up fast! Jud and Paul headed to the Power and Light for the pep rally. They parked and chatted with our Athletic Director Jamie Pollard as they walked to the venue. Nice guy.

The game lined up like this - ISU vs. those other hawks - the Kansas Jayhawks. The Sprint Center was filled with a lot of bright blue, but ISU represented well. Plus all those other fans? Cheering for the underdog - the Clones. All day long - around Kansas City (wearing our ISU clothes) people wished our team good luck beating the Jayhawks. Either they like 'em down there...or not really. People like us in KC...they really like us. And our cash.

Jane and Barb (Iowa fan) - and a few of our friends in the background

Kelly's was filled with Cyclone fans. Enjoying beverages. I did a much better job of sipping my beverages - and drinking water alongside that night. I wanted to savor the game with my wits fully about me! There were several TVs visible. And some interesting Clone fans...we had fun bonding with them. There was:

Hauser Clone

• Cute UNI grad Clone fan (I know...and we thought they were all Hawkeye fans...) with his band of merry men that meet every year to watch the game at Kelly's
• Hauser Junior - the guy who was the "action clone" of my college buddy (and present friend) Steve Hauser. The guy even stood like him.
• Brokefoot Girl - she started out okay but got progressively drunker and shrieked. Sometimes for no reason. Irritating.
• High Five chick - I thought she might break my hand at one point. Then I could be Broke Hand girl. But we did have a lot to cheer about!  

The game. ISU started out hot. Then KU made a run and CFH (Coach Fred Hoiberg) received his second technical ever for doing very little. The game was fantastic - a dogfight early, but I was uncharacteristically confident. The crowd at Kelly's cheered wildly at every ISU basket. There were a lot of them. We made free throws down the stretch. One player left bleeding - but fist pumping.

Cute guy - yellow shirt, shrieker - far right

Paul joined us at Kelly's after the game - big hugs were shared. That was damn fun! I was exhausted and we headed back to our hotel by 11 p.m.  #old Winners. I love this team!

Guess who ran into the cheerleaders after the game....#happyboy

Finally a Winner

We got up early Sunday to head back north to Iowa. We were on a mission - to attend the ISU basketball game at 4 p.m. We arrived at home about 1:15 p.m. Odie was happy to see us. Our new pretend dog sitter Jordan did a fine job as she was alive and everything! I say pretend because Jordan refused to accept payment for her services, ruling out a repeat performance. What a nice kid!

We took off about an hour later to head to Hilton Coliseum where Dickie V. (ESPN's Dick Vitale) would be appearing for the very first time to call the a game here. Michigan, ranked number 7 was coming to town. I could feel the excitement as soon as I set foot in the building! We ran into Crestonian Bill Kunert on our way to our seats in section 217. Then we made our way to the cheap seats - but still a pretty good view.

Dick V. made nice with the students - bald guy by the poster

 As an added bonus, the 'ol coach - one of my favorite guys Johnny Orr was in the house. He has history with both these program - as the winningest coach with each program. Johnny is now 86 years old - but he's still got it. The band played "Here's Johnny" the theme from the Tonight Show, just like the did back in the day. His former player - now Coach, Fred Hoiberg got a little teary-eyed they say when both men appeared on the floor together. And then he said we wasn't sure Johnny was ever going to leave. It was a touching moment.

The great Johnny Orr

The game was a back and forth affair with lots of drama. When it was over, the good guys came out on top! Just what the doctor ordered for the win-starved Cyclone fans. The students rushed the floor and soon the joyful sounds of Neil Diamond singing Sweet Caroline rang out over the sound system. Love was in the air. Clone love. We have ourselves a basketball team to watch this winter!

Students rush the court - we did not

Paul and I hustled out the door toward our next appointment. High School friends Robyn and Julia were awaiting at the airport Fairfield Inn, after spending a few days in Iowa with friends and family. Love seeing my gals. Rob made me a nice drink, and then we went out to eat at Johnny's Steakhouse (no relation to Johnny Orr) next door. I was pooped ladies and gents. I could barely keep my itty bitty eyes open. Somehow a lovely birthday cheesecake appeared before me before we said goodbye. Wish I had more time with the girls, but Paul and I had to work Monday. And I'm old. I wish I would have taken a pic of Jules and Rob. Duh.

It was a wonderful way to end a great weekend! I can't stress it enough - we are very blessed.