Landslide

Lindsay Buckingham

The year was 1976 - the summer after high school graduation. Paula, Chris and I decided to go to Iowa Jam concert, because we loved music. I don't think they rode with us in Paula's brother Kirk's blue VW bug, but Jeff Weppler and Craig Both were there too. I took a bottle of Tequila Sunrise along for this all day event - but I found out I couldn't take it in the gate, so I spent some time trying to chug it...the weather? Very Iowa hot and humid.

I can't find a listing of who was there - but 2 bands I remember: Kansas and somebody I hadn't heard much from before - Fleetwood Mac.

Kansas of course was a fave of mine, thanks to the Scott Deardorff connection. I love their old stuff - more instrumental. "Bringing it Back from Mexico" and "Can I Tell You Something". That was the stuff they were playing that day. Yes! And one of the band dudes said, "It's hotter than pig fu#* out here." He was right!

We decided to head out before the last band played. It was Fleetwood Mac. They came on just as we were walking out of the gate - and started singing "When the Loving Starts". Even though we were leaving - that song stuck with me and I was an FM fan forever more.

Flash forward 37 years - I finally get to see the band for their full gig! My only sorrow is that Christine McVie doesn't travel with them anymore so I couldn't hear that song - plus all the others that she was lead on. But Stevie Nicks is really my fave - love that gypsy voice. When Paul and I heard the band was coming to town, we asked around to see who else might want to go - and our friends the Crittendens spoke up. Steve got us great tickets in the 38th row on the floor.

Barb is a Creston class of '76 grad

Steve and Barb got here at 5 p.m. that night and we took them to The Standard for a drink and a sandwich before the show. There was no warm up band - and FM was a little late, it seems their plane broke down. I loved the floor seats! It was great to be able to dance around a bit and good photo opportunities.

Buddies - Steve and Paul. They used to rule the bball court

The set was very cool

Mick Fleetwood



Stevie on the big screen
 

They sang Amy's favorite song "Gypsy" and mine - that she doesn't like their version of - "Landslide", plus "Sarah - you're the poet in my heart" the song that always reminds me of a drive to Breckenridge in Fred's Dad's giant car.

It was great to see Steve and Barb - we don't get together with them nearly often enough. Paul misses his pals, so visits from Jeff and Steve in one week have made him really happy. And each time we see a live show, I'm reminded how much events such as movies and concerts fill me with joy - especially when combined with visits from friends.  

West End Blarney

Homegirl Bobbie Mac texted Friday night that she was heading to the big city from Crestonia on Saturday. Yay! It had been quite a while since I'd seen that girl. She arrived promptly at 10 a.m., just before her sis-in-law, my former roomie Joanie Mac B. Paul enjoyed chatting and catching up with the two. But then it was time to head downtown to check out West End Salvage - of HGTV fame.

The show premiered about a month ago on Thursday night. I actually visited the store 10 years ago - when it was a small corner store. Today it's 4 floors of junk, um stuff plus a coffee shop. And T-shirts (I liked the "cute shoes discount shirt). One could spend hours there. The place was packed on a cold rainy Saturday. Don and Hal - the shows "stars" were in the house.

Bobbie and Hal's back...

Don is on the phone

Joan secretly wants that rocking chair...no not really - she already has one!

Hal and Elk friend. I didn't get a price...I wonder if they'd like a couple deer heads?

 

Bobbie's daughter, Kimmy joined us after she got off her shift at Mercy Medical Center. Then we headed to Noodle Zoo for lunch as Zombie Burger looked too crowded. Love those noodles! A quick stop at Sticks to see all the art/furniture I can't afford.

Then we decided to head across the river to my fave bar The Standard to await Bobbie's daughter Kristina and her husband Caleb. They were doing a pub crawl/run benefiting the Amanda the Panda grief support center. The race had a St. Patrick's theme.

As we stepped in the door at the bar, the guy looked at us funny like we were out of place. Well...we WERE the only ones not in green running clothes/costumes. I tried to huff and puff to pretend I'd been running, but didn't pull it off. We rounded up the last table for 4 and ordered up beautiful dessert martinis (except Joan, our Designated Driver). Not being in costume, and the fact that 3/4 of us were 50+ made us approachable for some reason. Lots of people stopped to talk to us. They liked our martinis - conversation starters.

I had a blast! And probably 1 too many martinis, especially considering it was like 3 in the afternoon. Runners, mostly 20 somethings, were dressed in various costumes. But there were people our age-ish. I think I'd like to do this race next year. I hope the weather is better. The cause is something dear to my heart - as someone who has experienced loss of a loved one. And dealing with children who have lost a sibling. Plus it looked like lots of fun. Check it out.

How would you like to run in that hat?

Talked this poor chap into a photo, and then got photo bombed by the guy behind us, who we'd been talking to earlier

There was a girl in a slinky nightie (with running gear under it) that told me it came from the Ottumwa Wal-Mart. Another fella who talked to us had on Michelangelo's David boxers over his running tights. And they were complete with anatomically correct drawings. Very funny! I need to start looking now for next year's costume!

Needless to say I was quite worthless the rest of the evening, after Joan dropped me off. It was worth it!

Debbie Does Des Moines

And it wasn't nearly as excting as when Debbie did Dallas...
But we did have fun! My best bud Deb was in town for some work training early this week. By Tuesday night she'd had enough time bonding with her Planned Parenthood workmates and she texted me. I was on my way home from my exciting trip to Kellerton and Coin...and my phone starting twitching in that very special way...

Yes. It was a text from Deb. She asked if I wanted to get together and we quickly arranged a meeting at Paul and my fave spot - The Standard, a martini bar just off Court Avenue on 3rd Street. Then, since my roomie Joan doesn't have texting on her phone, I switched into email mode and sent her a message (all from the back seat of a state van - isn't technology amazing folks?). Joan agreed to join us downtown too!

Later, when I parked on Court and rounded the corner, Deb was sitting on a bench waiting for me. She had walked down from her hotel. It was a lovely late afternoon - about 5:30 p.m. one day before this dreadful heat took ahold. We sat and talked, waiting for Joan to arrive from her job as dispatcher at FedEx on SW 9th. When she trotted around the corner, we headed into the cool coolness of The Standard and each selected a lovely $5 martini. My fave bartender Jeff was not on duty, but a young women did a nice job standing in for him.

My lemondrop surveys my friends and likes what it sees!

Joan and Deb know each other, but not all that well. I was so happy to get two of my fave peeps together in my fave bar! We sipped and chatted. It made me miss my time living there with Pablo when we did this every night!

Deb with my in my DNR shirt

Then we ordered sannies - Joan got fish tacos. We were having such fun, we decided to have a beer at Court Avenue Brewing (CAB) on their sidewalk cafe. Joan had some type of bubbly raspberry beer. Deb and I had blue moon type pale ales.

Then Deb and I walked up the east side of the river to the ped bridge and back down to Court before I took off for parts west and she to her hotel. I love those girls!

Look at the pretty flowers Norman Borlaug presides over at the World Food Prize building - as seen on our walk

I love evenings out like that - and love having a chance to hang with my friends!


The next day the heat hit - here is what my car looked like at nearly 7 p.m.

Back to the Standard

It's been a long time. In fact I hadn't been to our fave DSM bar, The Standard, since Pablo headed for the hills. Creston that is - in the hills of Southern Iowa, when Paul's temp job in in the big city was completed in April. Today that changed.

the floor is beautiful inlaid tile

Today I had an Environmental Management System workshop at the Ola Babcock Miller State Library Building near the Iowa State Capitol. I love that place - so full of artsy touches. And there's something about working where there's a cannon in the yard...

After the workshop, I took our consultants - two visitors from Ohio to The Standard. Both Cory and Tom seemed to enjoy the place just as much as I do. They tried local brews from Newton.

Cory at left, just became engaged to be married in September. Jeff is the bartender. Tom on right is building a new home in Ohio.

Jeff the bartender remembered me, after I ordered my signature lemondrop (only 1...I was driving). There was a musician that started at 5 p.m. - we quite enjoyed his tunes. Cory and I ordered the fish tacos and they were yummy! It was nice to be back, but I missed having my honey by my side...

Quick Hits Thursday

• I saw this cool bubble wrap dress on my way back to work today after my lunchtime walk to the the loft. It was in the window of a store on Grand, done for a charity function. 
• It's such an early spring - it's not just the tulips that are up! Are those daffodils?
• Tonight we went to Redrosa on University in West Des Moines - West of I-35 tonight for supper. They serve fire-grilled pizza. As their sign says "wood-fired pizza, charred and blistered to perfection. Not as good as Fongs, but good. 3.5 Moki Heads. Though we didn't have one tonight, their salads are good too.

Their wood is stacked right inside the door

We got a sausage pizza with artichokes and mushrooms

Instead of dessert, we decided to walk up to our fave joint - The Standard for a nightcap. The bar hosted live music tonight. A couple guys who were very good musicians. At least for the half hour we got to hear them. They did several Santana songs and a Steven Bishop song. It was really enjoyable listening. They quit at 8 PM. They're old like we are!

Paul and I are going to make terrible elderly companions. Or hilarious ones...last night, whilst writing this blog, I couldn't remember the word "dumpling". Yes, dementia has already begun to set in. I thought he might help me. So I asked him, "what's that word that starts with D - a flour blob that you put in soup?" He said, "Daisys?"  GEEEZ. He was thinking flower, I figured out later, but at the time I was really confused.

You'd think he'd be more intuitive about how my mind works after 30+ years! I keep chuckling about it. I eventually came up with the word dumpling myself, thank you very little.

A well-rounded day

Today was a well-rounded day - for me and the weather. I started out by working from 6:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. I got quite a bit done. It was a busy week at work - and I feel like I'm treading water - doing a lot, but not getting ahead! New things keep popping up on my plate. I was ready to take off when the clock hit the 11:30 though - had my 40+ hours in.

The weather started out foggy and overcast, but was clearing by the time I got back to the loft. I took Odie out for her restroom break and to stretch her short puppy dog legs. Who came walking up right on time? Pablo the Poolboy, home from the office!

We had made a date to head east to Williamsburg to the Outlet Mall to shop. I was Jonesin' for the Eddie Bauer store there. The regular store just doesn't cut it - prices are too high. Had some luck there, Vanity Fair (my undies store, post Dave Bullock) and Jockey - where I get bras and jammies. Paul got some shorts at EB. Ran into the Brad Baker fam from Creston at the Outlet Mall. Small world indeed.

They add the wheels later...

Then it was back to the Big City - by around 5 p.m. Paul worked out in the exercise room and I went for a walk. This time I headed east on Court, south on 4th. I discovered where the City of DSM trash and recycling toters are born and a salvage biz.

No radioactive stuff - kinda scary that they'd even need to make a sign like that!

Then I headed east on Martin Luther King Drive. It had turned into a gorgeous evening! The light was fab and this was an angle I hadn't seen of the city before. I crossed the river and headed north to take the footbridge, passing some interesting buildings along Raccoon Street along the river.

A different angle of the big city

River was smooth as glass

This says Brown Camp Hardware

The painting on this property intrigues me

I wonder what Strong Island means?

This guy waves at me each time I walk by

Shrimp made my lips burn!

Paul and I headed back to the Standard - the martini bar, for a drink and a shrimp tapas plate - Cajun style. They had NCAA hoops on the flat screen. It's nice to be able to walk everywhere. It was a perfect spring night. And I didn't get thrown in the slammer - just walked on by on our way back to the loft.  

The Standard

We checked out a brand new place tonight. It is a martini bar called "The Standard". We give it 4 Moki Heads! Paul sucked down a couple Stella Artois, and I had a Lemondrop - which had a thick sugar rim, though the drink itself was not very sweet. (Thus no 5th Moki head).

We began texting friends to make them jealous. It worked swimmingly! I laughed hysterically at some of the funny gyrations my Swype came up with!

Here is what I sent to my friend Robbie Dob in Orlando:

She replied to my photo with martini: You made my day - you're glowing!!! Miss ya, Happy vaca!

So I thought I'd set her straight that we really weren't on vacation yet. My text:
"I'm not even on vaca until april 7. (that part went well)
Here's where swype went downhill:
Just living with my ...liver in downtown dsm and loblong it! (at that point I was howling with laughter and sent it anyway) Meant to say living with my lover and loving it.

Bartender pours my lemondrop martini

The food was quite good and prices were reasonable. Paul had a steak sandwich - it came served with a fried egg on top. Our waiter explained that the egg yolk brings out the flavor in the steak. The fries were very good, according to the expert, Pablo the Poolboy Goldsmith.

I'm happy - thinking of Marco Island...3 weeks away

I had a Turkey Breast sandwich with bacon and avocado on a wonderful bun. As a side I selected a delightful cornbeef and cabbage soup. Delish!

I can't wait to have my leftover half sannie tomorrow for lunch.

After work photos:

I walked after work - before it started raining. Took a couple photos.

Crab apple trees are blooming already in Iowa

Our future home - East Village old folks apartments...