Carry On Camping

Do you remember the movie, "Carry On Camping"? 

The movie originally came out in 1969 when I was only 12, and it looks like it was a bit risque. I remember going with Chris Deardorff, but we must have gone when it came around again...can't imagine Pat B and Ginger Deardorff sending us off to a sexy movie at age 12. Since then, besides my Girl Scout day camp years, anytime I've gone camping that film title pops into my head. Not the risque part - just the humorous part. So much can't be controlled! You're at the mercy of nature, neighbors, and bad planning.

Summer vaca in Florida visiting my grandparents - no camping

Growing up, my family was NOT a camping family. Exhibit A - my dad, Dave Bullock. Evidently, his years in the army cured him of any idea that living "rough" was fun. Our vacations involved hotel rooms or at the least, cabins. My sisters and I were in Girl Scouts and attended summer camp, so we got a taste of camping then. I have fond memories of Camp Cheley in Estes Park, CO - an overnight hike and campout. It was quite an adventure.  

My next camping experience was quite memorable - except for the fogginess due to the liquor involved. It happened while I was studying ever so hard at Iowa State University one VEISHEA weekend. Iowans will remember VEISHEA - that wonderful student-run celebration on campus that was parade/party/ showcase. It was doomed because of riots in later years. They couldn't figure out how to party without being overly destructive - grrr. 

That weekend, early in May, a group that included my roomies, Jane and Vicki, and our pal, ISU volleyballer Kelly, rented a tent from campus recreation. We decided to camp at The Ledges, a beautiful state park near Boone - just west of Ames. We took the essentials - beer, chips, cookies, and marshmallows. 

By afternoon we were already feeling the alcohol glow when our guy pals from Stevenson House, including Moose and friends, Shit for Brains, and others with nicknames I don't recall, were canoeing the Des Moines River. I don't know if we coordinated the meeting, but sure wish I had a video of the event.  Picture - Girls: cheering drunkenly on the shore of the Des Moines River as it passes through the Ledges. Boys: drunkenly see us and stand up in the canoe to wave - tipping over into the chilly water. Slow-motion would be great.  

The whole group ended up sitting around our campsite fire ring. Thank God we had Moose the Boy Scout to build the fire. As night fell, it got chilly and seven or eight of us piled into the tent. The guys hadn't planned to stay but driving didn't seem to be a good idea. I remember being damp and chilled to the bone. Wet drunk boys stink. It was epic!

I didn't camp again until the year I graduated from college - when we started our much blogged about trips to Ridgeland, Wisconsin to tube the Apple River. We stayed in a huge tent owned by the Huston family - again, many stinky people. 

That year I graduated and moved to Sioux Falls, SD where I had my first real job. Paul Goldsmith, bless his heart, made the drive there several times. It was then, without the trappings of college, we really got to know each other and learned how much we enjoyed each other's company. And we went camping. 

Does it look like 2 people will fit in that tent? Especially with that hair!

Paul had a pup tent - a tiny thing. We planned a trip to SE MN, a place some of my SD co-workers had told me about. I believe it was this place - Blue Mounds. I remember seeing the Bison. And how tiny and claustrophobic Paul's tiny tent was - the canvass was mere inches from my face.  

Since then, through the years, we camped a few times. I've written before about our Memorial Day camping experiences - 45 degrees and rainy at Jester Park and Pine Lake with our college friends. What is it about sitting around a campfire with friends? Good times! 

During our Creston years, after the kids were a little older, we camped a few times with our friends who rolled a little nicer than tent camping. Higgins had "the Big Unit", a pull-behind camper, Crittendens had a camper, and Bobbie and Jeff had a pop-up camper. We invested in a new tent that fit four people and a dog. I remember fun trips to NE Iowa near Waukon and Saylorville. We biked and canoed and the kids had a ball. It's always good to go with people who know what they're doing and have the right equipment. And attitudes! 

Since then, Paul upgraded the pup tent for a nicer one for hunting trips to Colorado. He's got some more outdoors equipment too. I haven't camped in 20 years! So imagine my surprise when Paul and I were discussing potential Labor Day weekend plans and I suggested tent camping! I know. But consider this: we need to be away from people as we're on "Baby Watch", and we don't just want to sit here. Jud and Kara's baby girl is due 9/12. We're getting antsy! The words came out of my mouth "what about camping?" I was as shocked as he was. 

So that's the plan. He found a remote camping spot in a state forest. Forty years after the first time we camped together we will Carry on Camping. Maybe we'll make this an every 40 year thing! 

Alaska Spendor

We took a long talked about a trip to Alaska in June. Ten fabulous days with four of our best friends. And we're all still friends after the trip (I think). I've known Vicki since one of my first days as a college co-ed and she walked in my room and asked me if I wanted to walk with her to get our ISU season football tickets. A lifelong friendship was born! Next, sophomore year I met Moose (Steve) who was lined up to be one of the football coaches for the Schilling House flag football team. I met Paul (my beloved) and Kay later - junior and senior years. Kay even knew Paul before I did, as their dorm floors had interacted.

First Alaska meal - on a lake with planes landing

So this group has lots of history. When we graduated, we kept getting together. Is that "failure to launch" when it comes to new friends? We did ski trips, annual 4th of July trips, and raised our children like cousins - at least until we all bought houses and our kids got busy in school. It isn't easy to stay in touch, especially through those busy kid years - but they are the friends who even if you don't see them, you pick up like no time has passed.

Now, every fall, Paul tries to round everyone up to attend an ISU football game. A couple falls ago we started talking about places we wanted to travel to. Alaska! But not a cruise. Vicki had lived in Alaska as a very young child. Her father worked for GE Corporation. Tragically her dad drowned while fishing and Vicki and her mom moved back to Iowa after that. She had cousins in Alaska so she also spent more time there as a kid. The allure was there for her to go back and see the state as an adult. The rest of us were interested in seeing a beautiful new state - for Moose (state #50).

We arrived in Anchorage on 6/12, rented a Chevy Suburban. Headed to Denali - just outside the National Park - 3 nights, Fairbanks, a mystery location (Majestic Valley Wilderness Lodge) south of Fairbanks, Whittier, Seward - 3 nights, Anchorage.

Flying into Anchorage seemed a lot like Des Moines - except for the mountains and all those float planes. The weather was fabulous (at least that's what they all kept telling us) while we were there. We had a great first lunch and checked out a free museum and the Ulu Factory Store. After a night there we took off north to the beautiful federal park - and the great mountain loomed largely - formerly known as Mt. McKinley, returned to a native name, Denali. We stopped at a pull off for photos. It is awesome and I was in its spell the whole time I was in its presence!

Rivers from glacier runoff are gray with silt

Awesome first view of Mt. Denali

You know it's not the same traveling with people at age 60+ as it was at age 20. Our accommodations were "interesting". For example, the place we stayed for three night at the Denali Grizzly Bear Resort was likely described as a quaint cabin. It was a creeky old place that reminded me of summer camp as a kid. When we first toured through the joint, Kay sat down and laughed maniacally. She volunteered for the top bunk with the painful ladder steps. The back deck view was the best part of the place. The one potty for six people kept busy!

That back deck at the Grizzly Mountain Lodge

It doesn't look bad from the outside...

The sights and activities at Denali made it all worthwhile! Our Back Country Adventures bus excursion (bus driver Steve was great and we were in the front of the bus) lasted about twelve hours on Day 1 in Denali. It was awesome. We saw glaciers, moose, caribou, fox, and bears. It was a long day but totally worth it.

We watched this moose for several minutes - plunge her head under water! 

The next day we stopped at the visitor's center and took a hike down to Horseshoe Lake. We saw a moose grazing in the lake - very cool! My investment in Merrell hiking shoes was well worth it! That night we ate at the Salmon Bake in a building that was crooked from frost heaved ground. The staff made a point of telling us the place was cleared by the health department. A tamed squirrel trotted through as Paul went to the restroom. We weren't in Iowa anymore!

Vistas were spectacular

Such beauty!

On Sunday, we headed north to visit the area of Vicki's early childhood - Nenana and Fairbanks. We stopped off in Talkeetna along the way for lunch. I think it was the "cutest" Alaskan village we visited. And it had a brewpub with a sunny deck and several stores and vendors.

Vic with bartender - who lived in Nenana when she did

The next stop was Nenana, a tiny village with that came up with a great gig - selling lottery tickets on when the ice goes out on the river each year. It's a huge money-maker. The general store was closed but the tavern was open. Yay. We got to meet several locals, including the bartender - a woman the same age as we are, who would have been living in Nenana when Vicki was living there. She was able to tell us many things about the time Vicki and her folks lived there. We met the pub owner and a brother and sister who enjoyed talking to aging Iowans about their lives in Alaska. When the woman hit for $300 on a scratch ticket, she bought a round for the house! This was one of my favorite stops - hanging with the locals. Or...it's just that I like dive bars - no matter where they are!

Fairbanks was fine (can you tell - not our fave place). Our hotel there was nice and clean and we all had our own rooms! It was on a popular river that people tubed kayaked and boated on. That was exciting. It's a blue-collar town. We drove around, got lunch and toured a small city park and had a nice meal at another brewery. Vicki had spent time with her cousins at age ten here and we tracked down their home. My how things look different fifty years later!

The next morning we headed south - stopping of course at the North Pole! Who can resist Santa's place? I was sad that Buddy the Elf wasn't there...

North Pole

Our next stop was a gem as we ended up getting "upgraded" to the big house. The Majestic Valley Wilderness Lodge is a helicopter ski resort in the winter - and is right next to the landing pad/airport. It was lovely and they treated us right.

Our hike at Majestic

We took a hike and had a lovely salmon meal followed by a dip in the hot tub. It was super. All of the places we stopped for gas and snacks each had their own stories - no Casey's General Stores out there in the wild. People were very friendly.

That night we were in for another interesting lodging night! After a stop by Girdwood, Alaska's ski resort to ride the tram to the top. This was our only somewhat rainy day. Everyone kept telling us how lucky we were. On to Whittier - where a one-way tunnel opens up hourly in an alternating fashion. It was a loooong tunnel! The town could be its own reality TV show as everyone lives in the same building. And guess where we were staying? In that very same building. On the front - it didn't look bad - 15-floor high rise. We drove around to the back to figure out where to check in. Ugh - the paint job hadn't extended to this portion of the building yet!

The town of Whittier lives here! We think the bus could be great for tailgating...

Our apartment was on the 15th floor - with a great view. We were able to do some laundry, people were friendly. Everywhere we went in town - they all lived there. The next day we took a half day Phillips Glacier Tour in Prince William Sound with super seats inside and a lovely seafood chowder lunch. Two forest service rangers narrated the tour and were super.

The blue color of the glaciers is a trick of the light

We left that night for Seward, which involved a trip back through Anchorage south to the Kenai Peninsula and the Gulf of Alaska.

Lodging just outside of Seward was the quaint Abode Well King Cabins - 3 darling tiny cabins, very clean with kingsize beds. The town itself was darling too. There were the marina and downtown. Their first night we hit - you guessed it - the brewery.

On Thursday we did an all-day glacier tour. I must admit I wasn't that excited about more glaciers after the previous day, but it turned out to be even better than the day before! We were in a smaller boat and we were able to see lots of wildlife - sea lions, whales, puffins. I gotta admit, the whale tail was pretty impressive! I don't have the camera to get good wildlife shots. Maybe after retirement...

The most moving thing was the Northwestern Glacier. It was named after the university. We got so close to it, the captain turned off the motor and we and experienced it calving - actually breaking down. The sound was like thunder and a jet flyover. Each glacier has its own personality, I'm sad glaciers are losing ground. This is our world - we need to care for it by reducing our human impacts. 

Our home for three nights - cozy! 

On day 2, Paul and Fred went Halibut fishing for 12 hours and Moose continued to drive the daisies (Kay, Vic and me) around. We had a fab breakfast and then did the tourist shopping thing downtown.  Later we hiked up to the Exit Glacier - you just can't get enough ice, ice baby! We stopped at a local bar and chatted up the bartender and her friend. I like doing that - a trick I learned from my brother-in-law, Bolder. She said she lived in Denali for 3 months and didn't see the mountain like we did. We feel so fortunate.

Exit Glacier

We spent a lot of time awaiting the great outdoorsmen to return from their fishing trip. They arrived an hour after the appointed time - Paul had a 60 lb Halibut in tow. We brought it home - fileted in a foam cooler - nom nom!

Halibut!

This is a big-eyed goldfish. No, not really! Yellow Eye Rockfish. They released it back y lowering it into the depths

On Saturday we trekked back to Anchorage with a stop at Cooper Landing on the way - to see the fly fishers in the river. They were nearly shoulder to shoulder! We had a nice lunch back in Girdwood before we arrived in Anchorage for our last night - celebrating Summer Solstice. Downtown was hopping and we checked out a couple breweries that were packed full. We got a spot on a rooftop for one and then ate at Humpies Great Alaskan Ale House. Our waitress was a young Bosnian native who shared her story with us - fascinating, as were all the nice people we spoke with.

Last night - water was as popular as the drinks!

Sorry if this rambled - it's one of the best trips I've ever been on. Great friends, beautiful scenery, wildlife, and wonderful people. Life is good!

View near our Seward cabin. I miss those mountains! 

Paul Left Again...

Man, I really got you readers with my last headline about Paul leaving me. Yes, I baited you and it worked. I can see how many readers there are for each blog - it really jumped on that one. Sorry to disappoint. He's stuck with me. We do joke that someday he'll ask me to dress up in a brown outfit with an antler hood and I'll be walking in the woods - oops! Hit by an arrow. No officer - I thought it was a deer. Okay - that's creepy, but it makes us laugh.

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!

Snot Gloves

As I headed into the REI Store today my nose dripped. I was tempted to wipe it with my nice soft gloves. Turning them into - snot gloves. That phrase always brings back memories of college.

Wind up the way back machine - I'm off!

College is about many things. I'm sure that online are very valuable and can lead to very rewarding careers. And commuting to and from college to get one's degree is perfectly acceptable and in many cases necessary.

Call me old fashioned - I think if one can attend college and live there, right on campus, that's the way to go. In my opinion the college experience and the lifestyle are essential aspects of higher education. They certainly were for me.

I grew up in a household of all girls. Though we had bodily functions at our house, let's just say my Mom kept a pretty tight lid on things. My god she had made up names (from her side of the fam?) for all of the "unmentionable" body parts. Skows, pudgy, tinkler and fanny. I think you can figure it out.

So it took going to college for me to actually get to know guys as close friends - in all their male grossness. The two fellas I got to know the best were Steve Hauser and Steve (Moose) Wilt. Those two taught me the term snot glove - a phrase that would have never been bantered about in the early upbringing days of the Bullock girls. Oh, our woolen mittens had lots of snot on them - we just didn't talk about it.

Of course not too long after I learned about snot gloves, while on a ski trip Paul Goldsmith showed me the not-so-delightful farmer's "nose-blow right onto the ground". OMG! (at that point I didn't know I'd marry the guy someday). My father sold lingerie and was never caught without a handkerchief! Paul's family farmed. Digging for a hankie with dirty, greasy hands wasn't an option.

Can one learn all of these delightful bodily fluid related things outside of a four year institution of higher learner. Hell yes! Lots of places. There were many other things about college life that were part of my education - sharing my life 24/7 with others gaining their degrees.

Just a short story with an opinion - helping explain the somewhat warped, sarcastic and goofy person I am today.

More characters

I considered writing about many of the wonderful...and some not so great teachers in the Atlantic School System. There were some of the good ones were - Lowell Clausen, Richard (Senor) Seufort, Jeanne Howarth, Thane Hascall, Larry Lyons. Others...I could go on.

During my college years I met some interesting folks too - there was that gal from our dorm floor who picked her nose in the TV room. She was in vet school - I'll bet she fit right in with the animals.

A rare shot of Hauser and Moose washing dishes...

I know this breaks my vow to not talk about people I still hang out with...but this is about them long ago - so it's like other people right? We first met our friends Moose and Steve Hauser when they volunteered to coach our dorm floor in flag football. They were (are?) quite the characters too. Moose would punch Hauser in the arm and Hauser would yell, "You clipped me Moose at the top of his lungs." We loved hanging out on their dorm floor, Stevenson House in Birch with their friends Pig Farmer, Yellow Fever, Dirger and Dairy Cow and Shit for Brains. They had a broomball team and Vicki and I were their groupies. When we moved to our apartment at 230 Campus Avenue, those two would always flip the circuit breaker when they'd visit - turning out all the lights. Talk about a dramatic entrance!

My first job after earning that college degree was in Sioux Falls, S.D. Just where all the cool kids want to go! I worked for a grocery wholesaler as the office manager. I know - I was just happy as a clam to have a job making a whopping $12,500. Plus I didn't have to go home and live with my parents.

The manager of the Sioux Falls branch of Gamble Robinson was Kermet Torgersen - a good name for Norwegian guy from South Dakota. He seemed pretty old to someone right out of college. He was a WWII vet, and was probably in his early 60's at the time. (yeah, pretty young really!)

Through out my working career, several of my supervisors must have attended the same business school. The one where they teach you to leave the employee alone to self-train for long periods. Then, when an ego boost is needed, call the new employee in to "show 'em your stuff" - how adept you are at a skill, or how much "juice" you have with the company.

Kermet was that kind of boss. I was all of 22 and hadn't had many bosses at that point...but I was learning "on the job".  I knew, when he called out "Leslie" clean through the Assistant Manager's office, through two doors and a glass panel that I was to jump up and run in for a "lesson". Kermet loved to pontificate and I was the sponge to soak up his knowledge. I was a greenhorn when it came to buying and selling produce. But Kermet was teaching a PhD level of fruits and veggies.

But in my view the old boy was in the process of losing his marbles. It many ways, it was good for the company! He took his own "Kermet" discounts for was he perceived as bad fruit. As Office Manager, I reconciled the invoices with receipt tickets and wrote huge checks for loads of oranges. And sometimes we did have shipments arrive with a great deal of spoilage. In that case we would have to document what was not sellable.

Both he and I had to sign checks. (He'd sign with a flourish - using the cursive method taught back in the day that was so beautiful compared to my crappy post college crimped note taking writing) One load of oranges could cost $40,000 - and Kermet would out of the blue just cross off the amount on the invoice and deduct, say $5,000 for "bad fruit". He'd say - "some of that one was not good." And he got away with it! They might call and complain when they got the check.

In South Dakota there is a sect of German Americans similar to the Amish called Hutterites. The ones that came into Gamble Robinson could drive trucks - but only black ones. The Hutterites sold truckloads of sweet corn and tomatoes to our company. Kermet liked to get those 'ol boys in his office and put them through their paces too. We usually paid them right when they delivered their product to us.

One time when I was popping into Kermet's office for a signature, he whipped a huge pistol out of his desk drawer, showing it off to the Hutterite guy who must have drawn the short straw and got stuck taking the corn to market in Kermetland. Kermet said "This is what one of your German cousins shot at me with"! I didn't stick around to see if it was loaded or not.

It was shortly after that, Kermet was put out to pasture. I never heard what happened to the guy, since I soon transferred to the Omaha, NE branch of the business. Next time I'll fill you in on the character I met at the Omaha Gamble Robinson. The produce biz is chock full of nuts.

Football memories

An aerial photo of the 1976 Iowa State vs. Nebraska football game was published on Twitter recently. I was at that game.
Video Link - 6 minutes



That's me in the student section - lower level, upper right (that's the NE side) this photo is from the ISU archives

 Check out what is now know as Jack Trice Stadium - it was just a baby then. It was born a year earlier in 1975. I was oblivious to all of this, of course. I was a college freshman - the world was my oyster. They built the place for me!

I attended one game at the old Clyde Williams Field, located on the west side of Iowa State University's beautiful campus. I was with the Rodgers family and was about 12 years old. My friend Sally's older sis Cindy attended ISU, so Wayne and Anna Day (2 of my very favorite people in the whole world) - Sally's folks, took me along to the school several times as a distraction for their youngest daughter. That's when I fell in love with the school - without even realizing it! The old stadium didn't seem much bigger than the Valley High School stadium!

I've said before how one of the first things I did when I started school was meet a new lifelong friend, Vicki Gernand (now Behr) and walk to the new football stadium while sharing life stories to buy a ticket. That year they were General Admission (like they are again now) for students. That meant for big games, some students camped out all night in order to be first in line for the best spots.

You may be able to see in the photo that the stadium was surrounded by a mere chain link fence. I must have gotten up darn early that day. I'm sure it was Vic that insisted we do so. The years we lived in the dorms in Shilling House, we variously attended games with our dorm group matched up with a guys' dorm house and just on our own. I remember that game was over the top! I got a "Huck the Fuskers" sticker to commemorate the occasion. Recall I'm from Atlantic, where Husker fans have tormented ISU fans from the beginning of time.

It was November 13th. We lined up on the east side of the stadium, not far back from the front of the line - perhaps 6 deep. There were no security guards back then - so we carried in anything we wanted to. Most of us had pints of some type of liquor. I think it was some type of vodka for me...this leopard don't change her spots. As the gatekeepers began to approach to unlock the gates, the crowd began to surge, pushing those in front against the fence.

I saw people begin to get crushed - it was scary! A girl got some of her long hair pulled out and began to scream and cry. Paul told me he heard someone lost a finger (the lore!). The gates opened and people ran willy nilly (you can't tell that from the video linked) up the stairs. I saw someone drop their fifth of vodka. Tragic! We ran up the steps and found decent seats with our group.

My Junior year, ISU decided general seating was too dangerous - after several incidents like those described above. Everyone purchasing tickets got their group together and went into a lottery for ticketing location - kind of like how the adults do it. We (my roomies Jane, Sal, Vic and I) bought our tickets with Moose and Steve. We were assigned Section R. That's bad - nosebleed. Steve even came up with a cheer.

We like our Cyclone Football
We like it near not far
So F#*$ the damn computer
That stuck us here in R

I'm surprised computers had been invented! haha. We did that cheer every game. After a few years, I think the administration gave up on assigned seats. I still look at section R to see who is sitting there.

Rocking the big glasses and ISU cowboy hats and button down shirts - Hauser is in front of us - with hair!

Do I remember much about the game? Sadly not really. I have a blended memory of many games. We had those big plastic cups with soda pop and ice - perfect as mixers with liquor. We usually drank many! Those cups stacked nicely and were reused in dorms rooms and homes for years. There were not enough restrooms at the stadium then. During team warmups, the cheerleaders had big speakers on the field - no Jumbotron, sound system or fancy scoreboard. We listened to Rubberband Man and Shake Your Booty.

The Cyclones forced several turnovers and Luther Blue ran a kickoff back. Dexter Green was great and Mike Stensrud was a stud on D.

Final Score - ISU 37 - Nebraska 28. We students rushed the field. It was crazy and a bit scary. I'll never forget seeing the goalposts heading down Lincoln Way after the game - traffic parted! My freshman year was a good football year, and I didn't even realize it! I was busy getting acclimated to college. Such a long time ago. Football and I have changed a lot. We're both a bit more jaded now! I miss playing Nebraska in football - such a natural rivalry. Ah well - things change.

I can't wait to watch next week's games.

Steps to success

My alma mater has some great marketing talent. Recently they purchased the stairs at Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, near where we live. I've noticed that in the past five years since the mall has been here, Iowa State University has put quite a bit of $ and effort into attracting potential students shopping here.

But stairs - that's pretty clever! Other schools have mere banners.

 I'm not sure how these phrases hit high school seniors, but the statements on the steps pretty much summed up my college experience. I met several BFFs - Sal, Vic, Jane. Plus my guy friends (see below, under broomball). And my very best BFF - Paul.

I'm not sure I really had one aha moment, but my time at ISU certainly was a growth experience.

I did do a lot of doodling on my notes I took during all those lectures I attended. They really were just doodles. We attended a few late night broomball games at Hilton to watch our friends Moose and Steve play with their Stevenson House team. Until ISU I'd never heard of the sport, played like hockey, wearing shoes and using special brooms and a little ball. Then I actually had a chance to play the game myself - not in a cushy indoor stadium, but out in the cold, behind Beyer Hall with several softball players on a team my Atlantic pal Marci Merrick set up. Fun game - and I bundled up for the chill and for falls on the ice! No helmets back then though.

 The view toward the top of the stairs.

The bottom step here says "Hard work that doesn't seem like work". I believe that in retrospect. But at the time, it felt damn hard! Later, when I was juggling a job and a family, college seemed like it must have been a breeze.

Wearing cardinal and gold has become a bigger part of our lives post college. During school we took it for granted! Our basketball team wasn't very good back then so I only went to one or two men's games the whole time I was in school - and no women's games. We attended football - mostly for the party! We didn't have to worry about where to tailgate because we could take liquor right into games back then - nobody checked us.

Through the years I've gotten pretty fierce about my school pride. We enjoy going to football and basketball games and are boosters and financial supporters of the school athletic programs. As my blood donor shirt says - I bleed cardinal and gold.

Students can have a successful experience at any college they go to. But I wouldn't trade my experience for anything! I think Paul, Amy and Jud would tell you the same thing. Iowa State University certainly has been a part of the steps to success of our lives.   

Today's Homily

That's sermon for you non-Catholics.
And one of the readings was this one - a favorite of mine, often used for weddings, but it can apply to any type of relationship in your life.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

This morning I heard each of those lines and reflected on how I treat people, and know how rude and irritable I can be. I chuckle over things that go wrong for others that I don't like (yep, that would be the Hawkeyes...). Geez - I've got a lot of work to do!

I sure was in a reflective mood this morning!

I really like the priest at our new church, St. Francis of Assisi. His name is Father Hoefler. He's probably in his mid 60's and he's recovering from prostate cancer surgery - a second recurrence of the damn stuff. Since it's a huge parish and we're new, I haven't met him in person, but his sermons are good. He knows when to stop - ending on just the right note.

Today he spoke on "Me-ism" - a word he made up to denote how so many people today are wrapped up in themselves. They relate to the world merely in how - insert thing - will affect them only. He talked about how babies start out that way - They think, "that's my mom, my food, my toy - wait a minute why are you touching it?" Eventually we're supposed to move beyond Me. If you've been a parent, you know this can take a while. Like 20+ more years.

Father brought up that especially in American we idolize movie and sports stars - often they catered to and sucked up to. Again they become enamored with "Me". Father said someone he knows had lunch with Lance Armstrong. The whole time, Lance never asked once about the other person's life or story. You know people like that too, right? Even if they aren't rock stars they act like one. It's all about Me!

Most people in this world do move beyond the "Me" stage. Father Hoefler said Jesus was the ultimate giver. He said Jesus gave it up for all of us - people he didn't even know. He didn't care who it was - not just the "chosen people" would be saved, and he rubbed that in their faces which ticked them off. They wanted to toss him off a cliff, yet he walked off unharmed. I liked that story.

The sermon today was another reminder to me to volunteer. The thing is, anytime I've ever given of myself, I've received just as much back. Now that Paul and I are settled in West Des Moines I'm looking forward to giving again, beyond financial donations. And once Paul and I get to retirement age I hope we have good enough health to do things like that - Habitat for Humanity, or things like our friend Moose does, helping build stuff in underserved areas.

I complain about our church. But the ceremony, the music and messages are good for me!

A Jud Weekend

Jud arrived right on time, about 6:30 PM Friday evening. Odie was so excited to see him! We were too of course. We didn't have any big gifts for him for his birthday - hope he wasn't disappointed about that. We figured cash is king at his age, so we had sent him a card earlier with a week along with a token or our birthday joy. Plus we had promised him a clothes shopping excursion. GF Kara stayed in KC this trip - she's off to places afar the next couple weeks for work, and decided that a weekend at home sounded like a good idea.

We headed to Jethro's in Waukee for his bday meal - upon his request. I'd texted my former roomie Joan earlier that day about joining us. She was working the late shift at her job as a dispatcher for FedEx, so I knew she'd be getting off about Jethro's time. She called to say she'd be delighted to join us. Yay!

Jud and Paul awaiting a table at Jethro's BBQ

We ordered up 20 wings whilst we awaited Joanie, who was en route from her job on SW 9th. Man I love their wings - so much so that Pablo and I got an order of 10 to go for today's Superbowl - our big party (just me and him...). When Joan arrived we ordered meals and had fun catching up on each other's activities. She and I lived together for nearly 4 years, so we know a lot about each other - fams, friends, work etc.

Paul and I have known Joan since Jud was one year old. We met her, I explained to Jud that night, when we went skiing with a big mixed group in the winter of 1990. Besides Joan the group included her fiance, Albia native Kevin Scieszinski - they lived in Des Moines. Joan's bro Jeff McFee and wife Bobbie introduced us to the couple. Others skiers were Denis and Mendy Ritzman and our college pals Moose and Kay Wilt from Chicago. We stayed in a condo in Silverthorne and skied the whole front range. It was a good time!

Later that year, Kevin, only in his early 30's, had a recurrance of colon cancer - and passed away. So very sad for everyone - especially Joan, his fiance. Joan is still like family to his large family. So long ago now - Jud just turned 24! I told him that he participated in a cancer walk at age 2 (in a stroller most of the time) at Drake Stadium a year after Kevin passed away. Since then Joan moved to Kansas City and back. (Jeff still complains about assisting). And she married Bill Bentley of Diagonal 6? years ago. Joan has watched our kids grow up with her nieces - Jeff and Bobbie's kids, Kimmy and Kristina. So lots of history there!

It was a fun evening. I enjoy hanging with my kids as grown ups. Those of you with young 'ens - look forward to it. It's rewarding. You don't have to wipe their chins...

Saturday we headed across the street to Jordan Creek Mall to clothes shop. Always a challenge with either Amy or Jud - who is especially picky about how pants fit. I know - he doesn't come across as a clothes guy. But I get it - you do want them to feel good and look good. Work pants are hard to find - guys don't have much variation to choose from. Did score a pair of pants, a belt, shoes and some shirts. We had a nice lunch at Cheesecake Factory - no martinis, thank you very much. Love the lettuce wrap chicken Thai Tacos. Oh yea, we did get cheesecake - to go. We stopped by Banana Republic before we left - and ran into Jud's college pal Miranda! She's a school teacher, working part time there. Fun to catch up - she's our neighbor too, as she lives by our fave bar, Maverick's.

Oh...forgot to mention, after 2 visitations, 3rd time was a charm. Bought this baby. The saleslady said (in an Eastern European accent) "You haf been here 3 times -sale iss over soon!" She even knew I had walking clothes on the first visit. It was very cute.

nearly half price with sales - so it was almost like they were paying ME...

That night, it was basketball baby! Jud was anxious to experience Hilton Magic once again. Baylor always has tons of talent, so I was worried. Paul and purchased a ticket so while he stopped by the Will-Call window I took Jud by Johnny's Place.

Hey Coach!
 

I told the guys to sit together in our usual seats - that way they could talk all sports and strategy. I was in Section 215 - not far away. Snapped this photo of them. At halftime Jud got to go to Johnny's with his pal Noelle (former Cy) for a beer.

The last couple games we've seen this over the top fan. I believe he made his own hat with lots of superglue. He's got a big necklace too. Pablo in 15 years?

I started up a conversation with the couple from Keota (near Washington, Iowa) sitting next to me. I know - chatting with strangers is somewhat out of my comfort zone! But it went well. Their son is a sophomore at ISU - pre-vet. The guy was a 1987 ISU grad, very nice couple. And the Clones came through with a nice victory over Baylor, so the all 3 of us were pleased. It was a snowy drive back to WDM.

Jud took off early this a.m. - I hated to see him go. I miss the patter of my two guys talking sports 24/7. Okay, I don't miss hearing it 24/7 - but I do enjoy it some of the time. I like talking to Jud about his future (Amy too). They have unlimited options it seems! I feel so smart now to be able to say - You should do this: set your priorities blah, blah, blah. But did I do it myself when I was their age? No. Did my parents try to tell me this stuff? If they did, I don't remember it...

I let life take its course...if I could do it over, I would be more goal driven. But it's turned out pretty well despite my lack of long term goals. And real life does have a way of getting in the way of plans. No matter what life throws at them, Amy and Jud are survivors - they've got the tools to succeed. ;>)

Why didn't Jesus's guys pick beer?

A few brews being consumed at the White Rose in Atlantic...

These are the deep thoughts I have when I get that "I'm solving the world's problems" look on my face. What if the Last Supper had included the hoppy brew instead wine? Would we be sipping Bud Light at communion at St. Francis tonight?

After that brief thought, I started pondering about how much beer has changed since I first started drinking the stuff - when I was 10 years old or so. No, I'm not kidding - and it's my dad's fault. Dad was a Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) or Old Milwaukee (Old Mil) guy back then. When he was home on weekends he'd enjoy a bourbon and water while a beer chilled in the freezer for 45 minutes. He set the oven timer so he didn't forget to take the precious nectar out of the GE.

He called them "beer Popsicles". They came out like slushies when poured into a glass, and they looked so delicious! So he'd let me have a sip. And so I learned to love ice cold beer at an early age. Dad would always say, "You're going to get what I got!" like he had some dreaded disease that I'd get from drinking from his cup. When I'd fall for it and ask, "What?" of course the answer was ice cold beer.

When I got a little older, and my friends and I started drinking alcohol, I didn't drink no stinking Annie Green Springs or Mad Dog 20/20 wine. I drank beer. PBR, Old Mil, Olympia, Hamms, Miller Hilife - I didn't care. We even talked friends into bootlegging Coors for us from Colorado because it wasn't yet available in Iowa. Other people were sipping cherry and lime vodka - I didn't try that hard  stuff until a couple years later.

Then I went to college - and the world of dime draws and $1.50 pitchers opened up! Beer got me a grade point barely over a 2.0 my first quarter of school - thank you very much. I had a hard time saying "no" when people asked me to go to the bars pretty much every night of the week. After that I buckled down, and reduced my nights out and beer intake. I didn't wish to flunk out or get on TE (temporary enrollment).

My sophomore year my friends and I all served on our dorm floor cabinet. I was Vice President - I ran for that position thinking it would be mostly be a figurehead. I don't remember what Sal, Vic and Jane were, but we all ended up helping plan and carry out the dorm floor parties that meant ordering kegs for our quarterly floor parties. I think they cost something like $25 (did we get them at Torks? and yes that was for a full size one in 1977). I don't remember brand we purchased, but we went through several each party, serving cups over the ironing board in our kitchenette. I seem to remember Jane rolling her ankle trying to maneuver one of the big beasts. There is a hilarious story that goes with this regarding me calling Mary Greeley Hospital (we thought her ankle was broken) in a less than sober state - too long to tell here.

That same year, we met Moose and Steve - our pals from Stevenson house. They too had great house parties on their dorm floor. They taught me to like "strip and go nakeds" the delightful concoction of beer with lemonade. Sound familiar? It should - Summer Shandy jumped on that bandwagon recently. Those fellas also treated us to bootlegged Red White and Blue for $2.50 a case from Illinois.

Post college we learned to love squaw piss ( know - politically incorrect, but it was long ago and we were young) - Leinenkugels, when we traveled to Wisconsin to float the Apple River. Since those days beer has gone upscale - even Leinie's. I like it! I especially like reading all the names at the big stores that sell a lot of brands.

So now you know...when I get that serious look - I'm not solving the world's problems. I'm just playing the "what it" game and taking a walk down memory lane. But it was fun - hope it brought back some memories of your favorite beverages too.

Hail, Hail

Some of the gang was all here - in Ames for the ISU vs. Kansas State game. While our beloved Cyclones weren't victorious over #5 KSU (despite some great opportunities), a good time was had, as usual when we get together with these oldie but goodie friends.

First of all, a real Cyclone was forecast weather-wise, at least earlier in the week. I think those weather forecasters are just bored and were excited to get Iowans jacked up about rain and wind. It did end up raining, but the weather gods smiled down as it only misted a bit at the beginning of the game and the sun even tried to pop out a couple times. The wind they forecast didn't really even amount to much.

Pablo and I got up early - to much-needed rain in Crestonia. We headed north, arriving just before 8 a.m. Diana and I jumped into cooked eggs and heating up sausage for breakfast burritos. Moose and Kay arrived first - they came in from Chicago, but drove over to Cedar Rapids the night before. Mike and Paula Huston arrived from the LaCrosse area next, with Behrs arriving from Northfield (Kelli and Toby from Mpls) right before game time - 11 a.m.

McKims were nice enough to give us their two tickets so Mike and Paula could attend the game - the others had tickets to sit on the grass (which despite the rain, was not soaking wet). So we got to catch up with the Hustons during the first half. Mike was the Best Man at our wedding and he and Paul will go pheasant hunting in SoDak soon.

It was so cute when we arrived later than usual at the game - the guy that sits right by us (I regret I don't know his name...) said, "where have you been? I've been worried about you!" Ahhh we're missed.

Vic - first buddy I met my frosh year!

At halftime, I headed down to sit with the gang. No, I couldn't see the game too well - but that was okay. It was fun chatting. It was Freddie B's Birthday! At one point, Kelli Behr (Vic's daughter, Amy's age who brought her fiance Toby - we finally got to meet him, and yes, he passed the test) said, "Just look at this - how great, how you all have stuck together - college friends." It's true! We are the lucky ones.

One thing that helped is that Mike Huston invited us to camp at his family's farm at Ridgeland, Wisconsin to go tubing on the Apple River. So we took him up on it...for 15 years. Through those years, we got married, became young parents, and bonded for life. Our kids grew up like cousins. So even though we eventually got busy with school activities and didn't see each other quite as often, Amy and Kelli have a "thing" like her mom and I. They can pick up right where they left off, whether it was a month since they talked, or six. And now Amy has the honor of being a bridesmaid in Kelli's wedding next June.

Kel and Amy

The Wilt girls, Jaime and Alyssa are like littler cousins to the Behr girls. They went on vacation together. Our kids don't know them quite as well...but Amy did stay at their place in Chicago once. And Jud...he's a guy so he didn't try as much to bond, you know how that goes.

After the game, Mary Morman and her husband Cary came up to hang out with us. She was Kay's roomie in college. I have hung out with her in DSM. I was sorry Vic and my roomie Jane (lives in Waukee) couldn't make it. And Sal - who lives in Oregon.

But I think it's pretty cool. Aren't friendships grand?

Shout out to my Baby Girl on her Day 'O Birth. Hard to believe it was 27 years ago that she popped out (was pulled out with forceps) but then again seems like she's always been with us. We couldn't ask for a finer daughter.

Love you Amy! And so glad to Jud and Kara were able to be with you on your day.

Skipping ahead

A weekend before I fall back to my class reunion memories. My college homies just left so I gotta write about that while it's fresh. Man...what a stretch we've had! San Antonio with good friends from Creston, Class Reunion and now this - with only one weekend off. I'm exhausted. But I'll rest the next few weekends. I'm not that old...yet.

We finally got the gang to make the trek to Crestonia! (a first for Freddie Carl Behr!) Vicki, Moose, Kay, Jaime and Alyssa. They got here Friday night. Vic and Fred arrived first - the shorter drive. They pulled up when Bobbie and Jeff did for deck time. I promised lemondrops for the girls. I shook some up in short order. Muy Bueno!

We sat on the deck and traded class reunion stories. Jeff, Vic and I all took part in ours 4th of July weekend. (those Class of 76ers rule!) It was a glorious summer night to sit on a deck. Except for that moth that wanted to fly into my drink. We knew Wilts wouldn't arrive until 11ish, so we tried to stretch out our drinks until then.

Bobbie and Jeff had to hang it up about 10:30, and the rest of us headed inside to escape the bugs. Right about 11 PM, headlights hit the picture window - 2 cars as each adult is heading separate ways today. Welcome hugs all around. And fresh drinks! Odie was in doggy heaven - so many peeps to love. The fellas stayed up late, after we girls retired about 12:30 AM.

In the morning (getting up time, not when we went to bed), the guys headed to Corning to play golf (Creston courses were tied up with tourneys) and we chicks drove to DSM to hit the Farmer's Market. Late start of course, so not as much time to look around as we'd have liked. But Kay rang up college buddy Mary Morman-Graham who met us there. I purchased fresh produce such as a collapsible water bottle and a Dutch Letter.

We then went to Dos Rios for lunch - where we snapped some photos. I also got an earlier shot of the Wilt girls in front of the bail bond shop. (ironic-no? they are the cleanest cut kids evah) We also made a stop in West Glenn at Sticks and I swung by Jordan Creek on the way home.

Stopped at HyVee to get Alyssa a bday cake in Creston as her 17th bday is today! Hard to believe. The guys pulled in to our house shortly after we did - they been mega golfing. To the tune of 54 holes! You see in Corning $99 got them 2 carts and all day golfing for 3. They couldn't pass up that bargain. They were still pretty peppy for old guys after all that. We grilled steaks and chicken breasts, and I made cheesy potatoes. It was pretty good - followed by Alyssa's chosen cheesecake bday cake with candles.  Another nice night sitting on the deck - with great friends.

I couldn't help but reflect once again how very blessed I am to have so many fantastic friends. Cool people - who love for who, and despite of who I am. Through thick and thin - through the years these peeps have been there. And they will continue to be - and we'll be there for them. That's what friends are for. Love 'em!