While I was away...

Alright I wasn't really away - I just don't have my Dell. Anyhoo, this week I got together with Robbie Dob. She was in DSM after a visit with her mommy and step pop in Atown. We got together for lunch Tuesday near her motel. Of course it wasn't really a long enough time to talk!

You may recall Robbie Dob is a childhood friend - we're talking the Wayback Machine (remember that on the Bullwinkle show?). We've known each other for some 48 years or so. Gosh that sounds downright elderly! Oh well we wear it well!

Robyn spent a few days with her mom and Tom, who are getting on in years. Jeez they're some of the few parents left of the 'ol gang. They've been married so long I don't always remember that their marriage caused somewhat of a scandal as two marriages broke up back when few people divorced.

The divorce was very hard on Robyn who was around 13 at the time and Karla who is 4 years older. It must have sucked to be dragged from the home they grew up in to live an apartment with their mom and Tom. Their dad got his own place and never remarried.

The divorce caused lots of hard feelings with our parents (the Atlantic peeps) who all took sides. I don't think my mom spoke to Jody for years. This turned out to be convenient when I was in high school, as I could tell Mom and Dad I was staying all night with Robyn when I really meant Sally's BF Robin (along with Sal and my BF Mike). I knew Mom wasn't calling Robyn's house to check up on me if it meant perhaps speaking to Jody!

The marriage between Jody and Tom really seemed to work though. And after years went by, people forgave and forgot. They were again accepted by everyone at "the Club". I think if that had all happened today, people would have gotten over it much more quickly.

Even so, Robyn did well to adjust to her new life. She split time between her mom's fab homes in rural Atown, and her dad's upstairs apartment (he had Playboy - we peeked). Her dad had the life he wanted I think - girlfriends but no wife. Stepdad Tom had his own fam - who moved away to the East Coast when their mother remarried, but one daughter came back to Atown during high school. Rob is close to them all today.

Tom was one of my Dad's oldest friends. He called dad "Bullock". They went fishing nearly every year - even when they turned into the "Grumpiest Old Men". Tom was a pilot and the last time they went to Canada he didn't file a flight plan and security rushed out the greet the plane - but it was just a few old guys and they let 'em go!

So Rob and I had lunch and a couple hugs - it will need to be enough to tide me over. Remind me to tell you about her Match.com experience - it's a hoot! I value her friendship a great deal. I'm a lucky gal!

purloined 'puter

I'm sneaking my roomie and landlady Joan's lovely HP 15" computer to write this. Don't tell my Dell! Joan took it to work today to ship it via FedEx (where she works) back to the Dell Baby Factory for "some work". Dell can't come home fast enough for me!

But the Dell story reminds me of just one of the little mind-games my dad used to play on us. Yes, I've mentioned before that he was a bit of a sadist. Pretending the car was out of gas by lurching on the gas-pedal, sending 4 little girls into spasms of fear. He called that game "bump the peg", after the way the gas gauge looks when it's nearly empty and the indicator is resting on the E. My mother spent a lot of time chastising him "Oh Dave, cut it out!" she'd yell.

The Baby Factory game was when he would not like our behavior, and would swing by the old Cass County Hospital where we were born (thus Baby Factory) and threaten to leave us there. It was a scary looking place, 3 stories brick and very forboding. I once had my stomach pumped there after drinking lighter fluid - New Years Eve when I was 3 or so. My sis Susi recalls one time, Dad went so far as to take her inside the old place while they were remodeling and there were plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling. So it was scarier than usual! Scared Straight anyone?

Another little thing Dad liked to do was to try to freak us out about supper. Betsy would notice that we were grilling (that was the only time Dad was on food duty back then) and ask "what's for supper tonight Daddy?" and he'd say something like "Dead Chicken". Just because he knew that would gross us out. Back then they would buy whole chickens to grill - the grill had a rotisserie, and they'd even cook the hearts. They were quite crunchy and satisfying. Kinda reminds me of the 'ol Bill Cosby Turtle Heads routine.

Dad couldn't get to Cindy though. If we were having steak he might say we were having snake, and she'd say "yum!" That Cindy liked (and still likes) everything. Or he'd say "We're having Frog Legs" and she'd ask, "Are they green?" When she was around 12, the whole fam was in a New Orleans restaurant and Mom was busy with Betso and me, who were only 9 and 5 years old. So Mom didn't notice what Cindy ordered until they brought out a whole horse shoe crab for her enjoyment! I think I got spaghetti and meatballs - I'm much saner (read boring) than Cindo when it comes to food!

Dad and Cindy made life interesting! Cindy and I are built like our mother - very sturdy thighs and legs. I sent her a copy of an article I read in the New York Times saying a new study shows that women with larger thighs have fewer heart problems. So we've got that going for us!

Dude my Dell is gone

I said goodbye to my Dell today as he goes in for repairs. So my posts will be sparse as I beg borrow and steal computer time from others. As Arnold would say though - "I'll be back!"

fam

Above my Aunt and Uncle and below - Gsmiths and spouses after Saturday's wedding.

Family is what it's all about. In our regular work-a-day world, I sometimes forget how much family means to me. I'm all about getting it done - the work, I mean, both at my job and at home.

It can sometimes feel like a chore to make the effort to see family - especially at a holiday weekend wedding where we have to drive 5 hours each day for an overnight (or even same-day) stay. But when we finally get a chance to be with them - whether it be the Gsmiths or the Bullocks, I am reminded how much I love these people!

Friday night, tired from our late night at the ISU game, we prepared for our quick trip to Illinois for nephew Kurt's wedding and did a grocery shopping date to get ready for my aunt and uncle's visit Sunday. Thank goodness we had cleaned the weekend before and I got new sheets and a quilt for the guest room.

Early Saturday we took off for Ottuwa, Illinois for Erin and Kurt's wedding. Kurt is Paul's bro Larry's boy - one of "the country cousins", five brothers who grew up on the fam farm where Pablo the Poolboy grew up. Kurt is a year older than Amy, and their mom Regina loves kids so ours spent a great deal of time at their house when we'd visit Paul's folks George and Laura at their home in town. We'd drag along the kids' sleeping bags and park them at the farm where they could play Ninja Turtles and board games galore. I'm glad our kids got to experience a little bit of what it was like for Paul growing up on the farm.

Now four of the brothers are married - Chad and wife Michele have a baby and Brad and wife Jen are expecting anytime. Karl is teaching at Valley HS in DM while his wife finishes grad school at ISU. Craig is the only bachelor of the group now. The brothers served as groomsmen of course. The bride is a triplet! Both sets of parents are still married. So pretty unusual families in today's world.

Pablo himself comes from a fam with nine kids - he's the baby. Alas we lost Connie two years ago to breast cancer. The remaining eight were all at the wedding, at least for the day. It's nice to see everyone at a happy occasion. I felt so loved and such love for them sitting there awaiting the reception. It's fun to catch up with them on their lives and what the kids (23), spouses and grandkids are up to. Our nephew Joe, just 30 years old was in a terrible accident in March and is still recovering from head injuries. Tom and wife are adopting twin boys and Peg and partner Brooke have twins.

It was a pretty early night - we were beat - and we took off early yesterday to come home. Jud was here holding down the fort and caring for the pets. He even helped mow and got his laundry done. We got home and got organized for the next fam event - a visit from my relatives - Aunt Jeanie and Uncle Bruce from just south of Tuscan, AZ. The were back attending Jean's AHS class reunion.

The arrive around 4 PM and we visited non-stop the whole time they were here. Jean is my dad's youngest sis, 6 years younger than he was. They are very interesting folks and love to hear our stories too. We prepared our fave meal for out of state folks - Festival of Meat. A variety of Fareway meats grilled to perfection by Chef Paul. I made cheesy potatoes and a rather soggy spinach salad and steak bread. They did seem to like it all!

This a.m. they enjoyed a big breakfast and some more chatting before taking off for the next leg of their trip - Knoxville to the sprint car museum. Bruce is into racin'. After heading to Poplar Bluff, AR and Branson they'll go to Denver where I hope they get to see Amy, and then through the mountains enroute to Cindo and Suso's places.

We'll see the Goldschmidts again in November and Raders again next July at niece Leslie's wedding in LA. Cuz the only bad part about seeing fam is saying goodbye!

The Clones

The Clones won last night - their first game in 10 that they've come out with a W. And the fan base heaved out a collective sigh of relief.

Yeah it was only against a 1AA Team North Dakota State University. And the Cyclones didn't really blow the Bison out. It was close all throughout the game until the last quarter. But Iowa State is a team that lost to UNI and other somewhat less than stellar teams during the last 3 years.

A huge crowd of some 45,000 fellow masochistic fans were at the game. We all pay for the privilege of cheering for the Cyclones, heartbreaking as it can be. But that just makes the victories that much sweeter.

No matter what the score, we always have a good time tailgating. Last night I rode up to the game from DM in the RV with Dee, Don and Todd, our walking wounded who had spent the morning visiting an orthropod. So by 2 PM we were sitting in the parking lot in the sunshine, having a beverage. Pablo the Poolboy and Jeff caught up with us a bit later after delivering furniture to Kimmy.

Later, others began to trickle in - our neighbor Marilyn with Philsy and his gf. Sharon and Al showed up with brownies to go along with HyVee chicken, potato salad & deviled eggs (Dee) and I served up the usual cookies.

Our bouncing baby boy appeared with 8 or so friends, ready for the Coors Light we'd packed. And they did like the food. Jud introduced me to several of his buddies - some were even girls. I noticed his hair was now styled - with the gel we picked up last time he was home. It looked good. He looked good.

It was a fun night. Until the drive home - which was torture thanks to the DOT's decision to work on I-80/35 that night - narrowing 3 lanes to 1 and making 8 miles take 45 extra minutes. I was glad to get home at 1:30 a.m. My bed, my pets and my snoring spousal unit next to me.

Tailgaitin'

Tailgating in Vegas - above

Tailgating is a little like skiing. There is a lot of work before you get to the fun stuff! Last weekend we began preparing for tomorrow night's ISU game. A Thursday night game is especially hard!

We purchased booze at Wal-Mart and I got beer at Fareway. Our baby boy ordered Coors Lite. Then there's the food. There are several couples that tailgate together and we must coordinate. This week, I guess I'm in charge of chicken from HyVee. And figuring out how many pieces to order. I made cookies and snack mix last weekend.

And there is transportation. Pablo is riding up with Jeff, along with a couch and a chair. No room for mwa. So I dialed Dee to see if there is RV room for me. She and Don are coming up earlier in the day to see the orthropod about their decrepit bodies. Sucks to grow old!

Once I'm there though, and hear that band and see the people standing around chatting and partaking in a beverage or two, it will all be worth it, just like that first trip down the mountain after toting one's skis and poles walking in those stiff and hard to walk in ski boots. Shuss!

I hope the game is over by halftime and we know for sure that we have a new coach that football players will run through brick walls for. ISU will never have the most talent, so we have to try harder. No matter how the team does, our tailgating is always a winner!

Meat + Sugar what could be better?

That was what my beloved Pablo the PB (Poolboy) said about the hamloaf I prepared for our Sunday dinner. Hmm doesn't that line make me sound like a real southern Ioway hick? Hamloaf is made with mix of pork and ham plus cracker crumbs, egg, milk, mustard and pepper. After you cook it for an hour, it's topped with a glaze of vinegar, brown sugar and more mustard. Thus meat and sugar. Yum.

Several years ago, when we got a couple new priests in our town (after the best priest ever, Fr. Howard was transferred to Dunlap), I decided to take them a meal of hamloaf. Fr. Acrea and Fr. Kenkel admitted they loved it when people made them home cooked meals. So I whipped up a hamloaf and dropped it off along with a note that said when to add the glaze that I had delivered on the side. But I must have forgotten to identify what the meal was. So a few days later Fr. K sent a note thanking us for the "lovely meat mixture."

Fr. Kenkel is probably the best thanker I've ever know. He always sent thank you notes for everything imaginable. He thanked Paul and me for our years of service helping with the marriage ministry by giving us a neat framed picture. He also often thanked me in person after weekly mass - like for showing up. But the best was when I attended communal confession (I know they call it reconciliation now, but it still feels like confession to me...guess that's why I haven't been for so long). Anyway, I spilled my guts to Fr. K and I'll be darned (notice I didn't swear) if he didn't thank me for all the good things I do. Like he was trying to cheer me up - you're not a bad person even though you gossip and cuss Les, you teach people to recycle!