LOTO Jammin'

It was the last of my summer excursions - but one I look forward to every year. We got invited once again to Lake of the Ozarks (LOTO). Paul and I feel so fortunate that we have friends in low (on the map) places.

This year we added one more couple to the mix as Bobbie and Jeff purchased a lake place. We looked at this house with them one year ago. Wow. The beautiful lake home we visited this weekend didn't resemble the ramshackle, not updated for years, filled with knickknacks place we saw in 2017. The McFees have put in some work (mostly Bobbie). Walls have been reconfigured so it's pretty much a whole new place inside the shell. It has 3 full baths and 4 bedrooms, with an open kitchen and all new appliances. Okay, all new everything. Plus they replaced the old rickety deck with a new larger one.

Paul and I did get in on the "fix up" fun. Nothing too taxing for me of course. I was on paint patrol - dabbing those darn missed spots one finds after painting. Paul and Jeff installed knobs and a barn door in the master bath (Joanna Gaines has nothing on Bobbie). Joanie McFee, my former roomie, and Jeff's sis was there. Yay!

I miss Joan. She let me live with her for around 4 years Monday through Thursday as I commuted from Creston to my new job in the big city. Her Waukee home housed many roomies through the years. I shared space with Bobbie and Jeff's nieces Kristina and Kim over the years. It was fun getting to know them better (as adults, not as tiny playmates for our kids). Now that I don't see Joan weekly, I miss her!

At the new lake place, Joan was in charge of painting around the deck door while Bobbie cleaned up the downstairs living room. Bobbie and Jeff are considering renting the place once it's ready for prime time. Check out the view.

view at Bobbie and Jeff's

 On Friday when we arrived at LOTO, we had a great lunch complete with sweet corn. Then we hung out on the boat dock until the McKim party (Don, Diana, and their college pal Wally) picked us up in the party pontoon. I always love cruising on this big lake where you can go for so many miles checking out the beautiful homes and boats. Until you stop at a bar.

We went to Fish and Company first. It was a lovely day to hang out with friends with beverages at a bar on the lake. We listened to Dale Blue a solo performer who is part owner of the joint. He's great at involving the crowd. That afternoon, there was a big group of young women dancing and joining him on stage.

love the photo bombers

Then, at one point they cleared out. He looked at me and said, "Hey visor girl, bring your friends up here on the stage." It was Sweet Home Alabama. I started with a tambourine - but after glancing at the chick to my right with the fake guitar, I knew I had to take action. She didn't know how to fake play it AT ALL. I gave her "the look" and she turned it over to me. She wasn't guitar material. I rocked it! My first and last guitar gig.

Later, we danced. "Survey said, drinks up!" We always have fun at LOTO bars.

At our next stop, we were joined by more buddies. Sharon and Al along with Rita and Jim (more McKim college pals). The gang was here! We got some snacks and drinks and caught up with each other. I miss these people! We got to ride back to Bobbie and Jeff's in a boat in the dark. Cap'n Al at the wheel. So cool.

Saturday we sat on that nice new deck for coffee and breakfast. Then we did that bit of work for our keep. The rest of the afternoon involved hanging out on the dock.

Birthday boy - second from left with his lovely wife and college pals

That night was the big birthday party for Jim at McKims. The same cast of characters plus Lucy Eckhoff. and Bob Snodgrass. Cake and balloons were delivered at 6:30 p.m. Jim was surprised and delighted (I think). Even more than the cake, the birthday boy liked the electric bug zapper on the deck. We all have sore ribs today from laughing at Wally's comedic gigs involving a possum and a trash can and swimming noodles. The guy should quit his day job and do stand-up. We sat on McKim's deck until midnight. Another great day with friends - in the books.

view from McKim's deck at night

Today we drove home fairly early. Joan rode with us. The trip takes just over 5 hours with few stops - so we took advantage by catching up even more on Crestonites and her fam and friends. Weekends like this one - priceless!





 







 

Celebrating 35 Years,

This guy

Who could have known? I was such a young thing when I got married. Now here I am, nearly 60 - comfortable, spending time with this fella that worked his way into my life all those years ago. I'm the lucky one. We've woven our lives together so tightly. I can't imagine what life would be like without him.

I've always been one to bristle when people would suggest someones' husband was "their better half". How sexist, I'd think. Each woman should be her own person. Now here I am, not half a person, but interdependent with this dude I've been spending time with for the past 35 years.

These people....heart. 

We spent our anniversary weekend at LOTO (Lake of the Ozarks) with good friends McKims, Higgins, and McFees. It was Shootout Weekend - so the "Go Fast Boats" were going fast all weekend. Capn' Don motored the pontoon into prime race viewing position and we watched the races while floating on noodles. Our friends' lake homes have evolved from works-in-progress to places worthy of Chip and Joanna. Besides hanging out with our friends, my favorite part of the weekend was sitting on the deck in the morning, drinking coffee. That view!

This view

My friend Sandy (a friend from my hometown Atlantic) arranged for us to participate in the annual Meals From the Heartland event at Wells Fargo Arena on Wednesday. Our Team Name is ForTH - For The Hungry. Perfect. We worked together with another group (Waukee cheerleaders in the next pod) to package 40 boxes of meals. Woohoo. That day over 1 million meals were packaged to be shipped anywhere in the world.

This team

After two hours standing on concrete, a stop at Malo for Mexican Food and a beer was in order. It was nice to get to know our teammates a bit better. Sandy and Steve's daughter Lauren and her husband Adam are super nice. And the others are too. Fun night!

This group of Paul's co-workers - toasting a friend battling cancer

Next up - we were ready for some football! Our beloved Cyclones vs. the UNI Panthers - always a worthy first game opponent. Game time, 7 p.m. It was a perfect day - we enjoyed it immensely, especially the big W this year. Our friends Kevin and Kari are again providing a trailer/tent rig in D2 for tailgating. Perfect for our little group. We grilled brats and hoisted a couple beers. It was fun to see our tailgating "neighbors" and to walk the parking lot, visiting other groups.

This VARSITY marching band

At game time, we walked in with the band. That's living vicariously! The pregame was super. Oh, how I love the pageantry. Soon the moon was shining over the stadium and after a slow start, our team was heading to a victory.

This game day experience

Post game, we allowed the parking lot traffic jam to clear out and took town the tents. Kari and Keven have the real work today - reorganizing that jumble of a trailer. OCD Kevin will need to put it all in order! Then we had a beer by the fire pit telling, telling stories and talking football. Not much overconfidence about next week's game against in-state rivals, the Hawkeyes. But today, we're 1-0!

This hero - Jack Trice 

A Dot on the Ocean er Lake

Riding on a boat on a big lake at night one begins to feel small. It's such a large lake, and the dark blue sky above goes on forever. The Big Dipper and the moon shone down, along with all the other sparkling stars. In the scheme of things we're all small. But I wasn't alone on the boat in the lake. I was feeling happy and pondering how fortunate I was to be sharing that time with good friends on a warm summer evening.

Paul's smile says it all

It was a weekend of fun with friends at LOTO (Lake of the Ozarks). Paul and I arrived at Al and Sharon's "Lake Place" Thursday afternoon and Bobbie and Jeff joined us soon after. We spent some time sitting on the deck enjoying the lake on a hot humid afternoon, while catching up with pals. Later, Paul and Lucy came to pick us up in their boat to go to Paradise for drinks and food. Don and Diana joined us later after they arrived in town. It was the first time we'd seen this group for a while.

Friday we woke up to a dreary day and decided the catch of the day was big breakfast at Stewart's - #massivecinnamonroll. Then the guys split off and the gals did the shopping thing - Outlet Mall. When we got back, we got some dock time in - then the rain came off and on.

McKim's place - Diana is juggling 

We went to McKim's place Friday evening for drinks and dinner (Jeff McFee's yummy homegrown beef). Donnie and Diana have continued to work on their "fixer upper" and have added a kitchen since I was here last. Very nice. They had college friends visit, including Jim with his bride Rita. Most of us had met Jim's first wife Patti - lost to devastating breast cancer. $&#* cancer. We miss you Patti.

We're so happy for Jim and enjoyed meeting Rita, who is of Armenian heritage. Her accent is so sexy. #whymespeaksoplain? Their other friend Wally is somewhat of a nut who once dug sunglasses out of a port-o-potty. That night it rained off and on, but talk and laughter poured out too!

Luckily the sun popped out Saturday morning. Bobbie, Jeff, Paul and I took a 3+ mile walk in the hills around Higgin's place. We were rewarded with a big breakfast served on a table designed and built by Al. It is built with repurposed wood from their own porch, a windmill and other odds and ends. The bench is from Alan's family farm. Sharon picked out the cool chairs. Face it they are Creston's own version of HGTV's Chip and Joanna Gaines.

We parked the boat in a cove and floated on noodles in water that was the perfect temperature. When McKims arrived, Don rolled out the "lillypad", a large foam raft. It was good to have for when the fish were biting. They didn't actually bite me...but I heard rumors and Jeff helped my get my large fanny up on top of that thing until the fish got bored. A couple pairs a glasses bit the water (not dust), including Bobbie's prescription sunglasses. Eye doc Donnie just smiled.

That boat photobombed us...

We hit a couple joints on our way back - ordering appetizers and even dancing a bit. Too bad there wasn't any karaoke! I'm sure we would have killed it. It's funny, we didn't stay out late any night. #notcrazypartiers  Yet, we still had a crazy good time.

Bobbie & Jeff "huddle Up"

Al and Sharon

On Sunday we boated to our fave place, Miller's Landing, for breakfast. One last fun ride on a fairly quiet lake before we had to head home. It's fun to see the other boats and look at the beautiful homes on the lake. Many thanks to our friends who host us and let us share their toys. #feelingthelove

LOTO 2014

Pablo and I didn't understand the acronym at first when Donnie McKim emailed with the heading LOTO. Lots of terrible offers? Leap Off To Order?

I even googled it. Nothing. Then it hit me. Lake of the Ozarks. Yay - we love going to LOTO! We are friends with people who own property there. (and yes...we'd like 'em anyway without all their cool homes and stuff).

McKims purchased a place two years ago and Sharon and Allan Higgins are working on their third home there. I don't think you can call it "flipping" when you own each place that long. Both fams are turning diamonds (okay maybe they were rhinestones) in the rough into beautiful lake homes.

To save vacation time, I put a whole week of work hours in Monday through Wednesday. Working at the Iowa State Fair helped. I enjoy talking to people about all things environmental. And choosing what to eat during my break. #corndog, #pulledturkey, #lemonade.

On the McKim deck - flying the colors!
 

We took off for LOTO early Thursday. McKims, McFees and Higgins had all arrived prior. The guys got their handyman fix that afternoon - around the McKim place. We girls did some deck time. Later we headed out on the McKim 'toon (that's pontoon for you landlubbers) for wings and brews.

McKims' daughter Katie was there with her nifty doggy Lena - who loves to swim and ride in the boat. She's a golden doodle and the calmest pup ever - except when she sees ducks.

Sharon with Katie and Lena

On Friday, Katie headed out for home - we missed her and Lena. We headed out on the boat towards the dam - to meet our little buddy Judson. He'd never been to this lake. As a Missouri resident for 3+ years now it was about time. He drove down from St. Louis. Nice of Don and Dee to allow us to invite him along. GF Kara was working in Alabama - jealous girl! We met him at a bar and off we went to Coconuts!

We didn't actually stop at the Hillbilly Yacht Club - but the pic is effective

Coconuts - meat market! Fun to watch the activities

We didn't stay for "foam" and the band at 9:30 p.m. at Shady Gators...

Saturday started out a bit rainy. We ate breakfast in town and the boys did "errands". They did stop at a number of manly places like Mennards but I think some beer was involved. The girls went to the outlet mall. By late morning the clouds had mostly parted - it was boatin' time!

We proceeded to Snake Cove (named because of its snakey shape) to show Jud what "floating" is all about. Lake + noodles or some other flotation device and a beverage. We passed a group of dads and sons (ages 8-11ish) with a pontoon that had a diving platform roof. Some boys were doing flips. We applauded and egged them on. This is livin' ya'll.

My boys

After I'd floated for like 10 minutes Jud pointed out a snake swimming about 10 yards away from us - headed across the cove. Then it went under the water. Yikes! There was a made scramble as Bobbie got out of the water. Dee never got in. We were OVER Snake Cove - that was apparently not just named after the shape of the cove...


We ended up motoring to a more open area, tying the Lena (I'm trying out names for the McKim boat) up to a boat owned by a group from Cedar Rapids.  They are younger folks, likely in their early 40's, late 30's. They had a great sound system and were fun to talk to. No snakes. I loved floating with Jud and talking about life. #pricelessmoments

Now I see why it rained a bit on us. A bit cloudy!

That night we grilled hamburgers at McKims - excited to make it past 10 p.m. (I rested my eyes a bit earlier). I admit - I'm one of the first to bail out for bed. Sun, fun and liquor tire me out. In a good way!

We headed home early Sunday, a shade darker than lily white, despite application of oodles of sunscreen. The older I get, the more I appreciate good times with fam and friends. #luckygirl.

The boys...Jeff gave Jud valuable coffee drinking advice. Add Bailey's.

On the Pontoooon (in a singing manner)

We got a wee bit 'o work done Saturday morning. Al wanted his Sea-doo out of the water, and Jeff volunteered to ride it around to the nearest dock. What a nice man! Paul and Lucy cooked breakfast (see below). It held us until supper - rib sticking good!

I think she's singing along with her CD...

Bobbie made us each a CD of floating on the boat tunes! We sat on Don and Dee's new (for them) pontoon Saturday listening to it on a quiet cove (not a crazy party cove - yep we're growing up!) on Lake of the Ozarks. It was finally warmer - no sweats and jackets required. The water was chilly though. Ten plus inches of rain the week before dropped the water temp nearly ten degrees!

Jeff acts as first mate

Buddies huddle together for warmth on Thursday

While maybe not as sexy as other types of boats, the pontoon is a great party boat. Especially for old folks! It was quite comfy to get in and out of - no crawling over the side. Two thumbs up from this freeloader. We'll miss the McKim RV tailgating this fall - but the pontoon is a pretty good tradeoff. Donnie was a good captain too - we only got a bit wet from passing cruisers waves. No wall of water!

great pic of our farmer friend

After floating a while (and when we all needed to use the facilities) - we headed to Fish and Company. Dale Blue was the entertainment - and we tried to help! Diana manned the tambourine and I was called "camera girl" by Dale himself. The girls had fun dancing - some Kansas State friends helped too. Fellow Crestonites the Hueys were there with their son - kind of a Brad Pitt look alike. Cute!

Who knew the tambourine had a handle?

Young Mr. Huey talks to Jeff and Paul

The girls drank something blue...they said it was delish

Later we dropped Paul and Lucy off. Then we had another burst of energy. We stopped one more place and Diana sang karaoke! We ate pizza too. It was nearly dark by the time we pulled into the McKim place. 

breakfast at Eckhoffs Saturday a.m. - Paul E. made biscuits and gravy AND with hollandaise - had some great melon with it, so it wasn't all heart attack material

Of course McKims had the flag flying!

It was a long drive home to Iowa yesterday. But we were lucky, and got to hitch a ride down with McKims and a home with McFees. We left our car at WalMart in Osceola and it was still there when we got back. So that was a bonus. Laundry and a wiener dog awaited when we got home. Our dog/house sitter Kimmy McFee is heading back to pick up a second major at ISU. We'll miss you Kim. Odie was always alive when we got home! haha. If anyone knows a dog sitter in the WDM area - let me know.

I got through Monday and I'm still feeling the good vibes from the trip - grateful for our friends. I hope they know they can count on us too - if they need a fab vacation spot in Dez Moinezz. Or any other kind of support. And stuff.

Chillin' at the Lake

And I do mean chillin'. The first couple days...we wore our sweats at night. It was refreshing, really! Much different than two years ago when it was 100+ degrees each day. Life at the lake is like a box of chocolates - ya never know what you're going to get!

We were fortunate to again be invited to join our Creston pals at Lake of the Ozarks. It was a different kind of year - 2013. As we get older - we realize more and more how lucky we are to get to hang out with our longtime friends. They know all our stories and can help us finish them!

We're not getting any younger - or healthier. The knees are going, hips, shoulders - and worse. When I look at the pics of myself, I seem to look more and more like Pat Bullock. Who is that old lady and what happened to 40-year old me? This aging thing is not for the timid! But there's nothing to be done about it. (The alternative sucks worse!)

This I know - we must stick together for support. That was the only thing that got me through losing a son. Women are much better at this then men. Men are good at working on gutters together and talking sports and weather. But not at talking about their real worries. This is one of the reasons I'm glad I'm a girl!

Back to lake talk:

We stayed at the Higgins place - one they bought a different one a couple years ago. Al and Sharon have part of the place looking gorgeous and the rest...is still a work in progress. The location is very nice and the view - ahhh! (see above)

Then McKims got into the act. They purchased a lake place last fall - a real fixer upper. They're in the process of doing just that now, with the help of contractors and through their own blood, sweat and tears. Paul and Jeff got in on some of the fun, fixing gutters, mowing and more. I think Paul would have enjoyed spending the whole weekend there! He channeled his inner HGTV guy. Bobbie and I even helped a bit - touching up some paint. Then the girls tagged along to assist Diana in selecting sample flooring.

 



Al got Sharon this "Love the Lake" fire ring for her bday

One night we sat around a campfire - cooking marshmallows and singing camping songs. No - we didn't really sing - but we did discuss girl and boy scout stories. Bobbie and I recalled making "sit-a-pons" woven matts we tied to our waists, so we'd have an instant clean spot to sit on when camping. Don pointed out that boy scouts just chose not to sit in the dirt...smart ass. Man those Sharon cooked mellows were good!

 


Nothing like a campfire!

Love the way the lights shimmer off the lake

 

More tomorrow - tired...must go to bed 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It pays to live...

Deep in the heart of Iowa. DSM. The Capital City, where people come to shop and work. And visit their children and their boyfriend.

Al and Sharon on a warmer night (San Antonio 2011)

We benefited from all of the above last weekend and Monday! We love it! Friday night I was tired from a long week at work. Paul had gotten home late, and we were just hanging out when I got a call from my friend Sharon Higgins. She and Al were on their way home from daughter Amanda's, and they could stop if we were home. Hell yes!

 

Our place can be a bit confusing to get to - especially in the dark. We saw them drive by once on Cody Drive. Our red rope lights on the deck helped clue them into our location. We enjoyed showing them our new home, then they sat and talked for a bit. We even scored a nice housewarming gift, a nice bottle of wine in a cloth Cyclone bag. It's so nice that people stop to see us.

Saturday we got up early and went to HyVee before the crowds. I enjoy all the choices there - cheeses and organic Stonyfield yogurt. Paul is going to try Chobani yogurt. (I know he's really going out on a limb, huh...) I baked cookies that afternoon while Paul worked on shelves for his hunting closet. The Cyclone Men's basketball team was playing late in the afternoon in Des Moines but we chose not to spend $70 per ticket. It was on TV, but we headed off to Mass at St. Francis at 4:30 PM. Just as I sat down, my old pal (and someone Pablo knew at Beckman HS in Dyersville) Jane Ertl, in town visiting her boyfriend Ken Root, tried to call. I quickly texted her "In Mass".


Ken and Jane on a trip

Turns out they were headed to Mass too - in Norwalk. They came to our place later where we shared a bottle of Kendall Jackson and some cheese. Dang - I should have had some good stuff on hand instead of just plain 'ol Kraft! Jane brought us koozies from her biz in Dyersville (Dville Diecast) and a potholder she knitted herself! Quite impressive.

Then we headed to a Hibachi grill near Costco. We sat in a booth, but could hear the entertainment on the other side of the wall - drums and chanting! We had a nice time chatting and catching up. We really liked meeting Ken who is in radio broadcasting. They seem to have a great time together - enjoying the same activities, biking, kayaking and travel. I'm so glad Jane has met someone like Ken.

Sunday was similar to Saturday - I ran errands and shopped. Don't tell Odie the wonder pooch but she scored a blingy pink collar. I'm saving it for Christmas though. I've been working on the Christmas letter, and then had to get the new printer set up to poop it out! Wireless, yo! I'm so proud of myself. Plus I baked another batch of cookies, as I wasn't sure I liked the new recipe I tried the day before - they had crushed peppermint sticks in them, and turned out kinda dry.


Don and Diana at last year's bowl game pre-game party

Just when the Packer game was winding down, Paul got a text from Don McKim, who was sitting at Champps sipping a cold one while wife Dianna shopped. So we headed over there to see our buddies. Hugs all around. I've missed those kids! D had texted me a pic of a lemondrop Friday night - she was celebrating after the Panthers knocked off the Harlan Cyclones in Boys hoops. It made me miss living in Crestonia. But here they were and we got all caught up!

Monday nights my bestie Deb Peterson works in Ankeny. After work she needed to do some errands, including a stop at Scheels, near our home. So I met her at the mall - (it was take your dog to see Santa night...lots of yipping!), then we came back to our place for some Pablo chili. Deb's such a wonderful friend and her visit brightened my week. Between all those Creston peeps we're now caught up on the Creston doins!


Deb and me at her son Keith's wedding

So fun to see everyone. Makes moving not quite so lonely. Perhaps we should keep this Christmas shopping pace going all year long. Naw. But we do enjoy the company!

3 a.m. chat and Football

It was a beautiful Friday night for football in Creston - Balloon Days weekend. Always love that.

Balloons over Panther Field

Paul rolled in at 3 a.m. Saturday morning. I thought I'd sleep until he rolled in - it was supposed to be at 2 a.m. But I woke up at 12:30 and thought the clock said 2:30 and thought he was late...so then I started to worry of course! And never really went back to sleep until he showed up. He forgot they had to drop one of the guys off in Fremont County.

Odie and I were so happy to see him! He immediately took a long shower (stinky hunter boy). Then we laid in bed and talked for an hour and a half - catching up on stuff. His trip, my week, the children, the pooch. Moving. Finally, at 4:30 a.m. we gave it up and fell asleep - until 7:15 anyway. Not much sleep for either of us old farts.

But we're Cyclones and it was game day. On the way to Ames, we took a spin through West Des Moines to look at a neighborhood. Then we hit University Bookstore before picking up ice on our way to tailgate in D2. It was perfect gameday weather! Diana had the beans I'd whipped up the day before cooking away. That girl's the bestest. Coach Ryan McKim was there for a few short minutes before he went off to do the coaching thing. Donnie grilled pork loins. Bobbie and Kimmy arrived - no Jeff - he's farming.

Jack in his uni and Olivia at right with Grandma Sharon - left

Every game is a little different. That day, Higgins brought grandkids Jack and Olivia along. Daughter Amanda and her husband Theran and baby boy Cash followed later. Our neighbors Nielsons and Neitzels came by before Luke Neitzel had a visit at ISU - he's being recruited. Good player. I remember when he was about 8 and had a crush and Amy and Stormy...

We walked over for the Spirit Walk again. The players must feel like rock stars during that time. It's fun. On the way back Paul and I stopped at some of his USDA pal's tailgate - they congratulated him, and were very complimentary. Plus we ran into to his new supervisor Larry Beeler during our walk. Lots of Clones in USDA.

Plenty of time to tailgate when the game is at 7 p.m. I didn't even take any liquor into the game. Decided I didn't need to drink after sipping all day. It was family day when kids could go on the field to welcome the team before the game. The crowd was fantastic! Fourth largest ever. Clones with 38 - 3.

Todd's shirt - a bit snarky...

Back in our seats, Todd Stofferahn had on this shirt...a Cyclone fan has to love it! The band marched up the bleachers to play by us.

A 7 p.m. game with wait time for the traffic to clear make for a late night. Especially when you got 3 hours of sleep. I confess I dozed a bit - we took the Ankeny route when I-35 looked blocked. Poor Paul and his coffee got us through. I woke up when we got to I-80 and kept him company the rest of the way. That will be one nice thing about moving - a shorter drive home from games!

Reality is hitting him now that he's back at work. They've scheduled a reception for him October 4th 1-4 p.m. Kinda gives me a nervous pit in my stomach! This is really happening...we're moving. Scary, exciting. Pray for us.

In the meantime...I'll go on vaca with my homegirls!