Another Season Over

Had a great night at the Chiefs game with Tom, Laura, Jim and Theresa. We tried to make a new friend, but he didn't stick around the entire game... just an inning or two, perched on the railing. Corn chips weren't his thing, but apparently staring at Jim was.Signs of a good game other than a Chiefs win. A sore throat from cheering too much, occasional tears running down your cheeks at the game, a couple giveaways (see Rosco below), a foul ball to the group, and free baseball, loved the extra inning win!
A great way to end the start of a stressful work week. I have tomorrow off and it should be fun because I get to spend most of the day with Matt. Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Most of the Rest

I wasn't very trigger happy during this trip. Probably because taking pictures seemed like too much effort in the 90+ heat. I really wonder what the heat index was. With highs of 92, did we have a heat index of 100?

Anyway, here are some additional photos from the trip. Don't worry, I'll fill you in on a couple things I didn't take photos of.

Prior to the Iowa Cubs game Sunday afternoon, Mom wanted to view the sculpture park that was located in the downtown Des Moines area. Here she is with one of her favorite pieces. It was a bunch of metal letters welded and hinged together.
After the sculpture park, we headed to Principal Park where the Iowa Cubs played. Gates opened 90 minutes before the game and my plan was to get some autographs, so we were there before the gates opened. It wasn't setup quite like I anticipated, nor was I at the beginning of the line. So, I opted to just "settle" for getting Sandberg's autograph. I just couldn't pass up th Hall of Famer, especially when I already have a good portion of the teams signatures from the Chiefs or Cubs Caravan.

I had a Midwest League ball I was going to get signed, but Mom bought a program and that looked so much cooler, so I went for that. The other reason why I passed up on stalking the players was because it was mystery ball giveaway day. We each got to pick a wrapped autograph ball. It was like Christmas, not knowing what signature you would get. I originally got Jeff Stevens and Sam Fuld, but traded Fuld for a Brian Schlitter.
Here's a shot from where are seats were supposed to be for the LBT/Sugarland concert. This was the longest grandstand I could have imaged, with non-proportional sized stage!
Let's see, what's next. This is one of the Sky Tracks or Sky Trams they had. Mom and I rode one that went across a different section of the fair. It was neat to see everything from that perspective, but slightly nerve-wracking for me. I took this photo on Saturday, and this area was one of the least crowded I saw.
I regret to inform you or maybe I'm proud to say that I didn't eat anything fried on a stick. Now, I did have one of the best cookie monsters ever. Then again, any ice cream treat tastes like the worlds best when you've been melting for hours.

Also, I'm sad to say that I did not investigate what a Twinkie Log is.
I don't remember exactly what I said to get a reaction like this out of Mom... possible something about the Twinkie Log? And this wasn't even the day that I was all sugared up. If you have x-ray vision, you can see the Cubs fanny-pack she was sporting under her shirt. ;)
What else can I report on this evening. As I've mentioned to a few, Iowa does not have Bob Evans. Most, if not all of the Iowa rest areas we saw had wireless internet. Iowa Farm and Fleets and Family Dollars are quite similar to ours in Peoria. Shopping at outlet malls isn't a bad experience when you actually find good deals on things you need. Iowa cheese is just as good as Wisconsin cheese, well at least from Maytag Dairy Farms. Sleep is good, but hijacking Mom for a concert road trip is beyond better.

Concerts Galore

I had a great time with Mom over the weekend at the Iowa State Fair. I'm a bit tired right now due to too much rockin', tons of fun, lots of driving and a lack of sleep. I'll share some photos of the concert tonight and fill in more tomorrow with a recap of the Fair experience and the other things we did.

Mom and I are both a part of the Little Big Town fan club and were fortunate to get a meet and greet with them before the concert. If you study the photo close enough, you will notice the bulge at Mom's waste, which is actually a fanny pack! It was good thinking on her part and was sported by many at the Fair. From L to R, Phillip, Kimberly, Mom, Me, Jimi, and Karen. They were awesome to us!
Here's a pic of the group from the top of the grandstand. The sound mix was right on this time and they played a stupendous show.
Here's a pic of Jennifer and Kristian during another energized Sugarland performance.
Sunday was Sheryl Crow's turn to take the stage. I didn't have much of a chance to take in her newly released album, so I wasn't completely sure what I was in for. I was just as happy, if not happier than the first time I saw her live. She just about brought the house down! So Good!
I wish I was that close to her, but this is a photo off of the big screen.

What am I doing?

I ran Sparky around the backyard quite a but this evening. Then I did my best to get some things done around the house. Yet again, the organization fairy did not make an appearance at my house during the day. Jinkies tried to do his part by hiding his foam golfballs in my shoes. At least it wasn't something that used to be alive. Time to try to get my mind to unwind.

Bumming Around for the Evening

I didn't have much motivation this evening. Besides getting some laundry done, I've tormented the pets the right amount to keep them awake long enough for them to be resting already. Did that make any sense? So, I tired them out. Want some proof?
Not too much to report this evening. Today I found out Mom and I both got a meet and greet for Little Big Town. Now I just have to decide what shirt to wear for the photo. I can't wait!Anyone up for some hot dogs tomorrow night. Wednesday is the second to last hot dog night down at the Chiefs game. Should be a beautiful night too!

Dog Days of Summer

Is this what they call the Dog Days of Summer? I'm not so sure the name fits all that well. Sparky doesn't seem to be such a big fan of hanging around outside in this weather. Can't say I blame him, when I break a sweat going to the mailbox. I should mention the mailbox is attached to my house. ;-)

I'm missing our walks through Springdale, but have substituted with Dance-Dance Revolution for me and playing fetch for him. Biggest downside to that is waiting for the weather to get "cooler" in the evening and then getting eaten up by the mosquitoes. But I can't resist getting out there for the happiest dog on earth.
I used the word "yarp" the other day when talking with Tom and Laura. By the context of the conversation they knew I meant barf, but asked where I came up with that word. I asked my coworkers if they had heard of "yarp" and I got a bunch of nopes. So, "yarp" is yet another word unique to my vocabulary. Although it can be found in the urban dictionary with other definitions.

That's the scoop from hear and what's floating around in my head.

An "Accoustical" Evening with Toby Lightman

Saturday I headed to Chicago with Aunt Cheryl to hear one of my favorite artists in concert, Toby Lightman. I've followed her since her first album came out in 2004. She has a great voice and interacted with us at the performance. It was neat to hear the stories behind some of the songs she has written.

Definitely a performance I won't be forgetting anytime soon. I hope I'll get the chance to see her live again some day. Here's a photo from last night.


Below is a neat Youtube video I found of her giving a little tour of her neighborhood in NYC. I enjoy the sense of humor and the down-to-earthness.

It was a really fun time going up to Chicago for the show and Aunt Cheryl was quite entertaining as usual. For my first time driving in Chicago, I don't think I could have asked it to go any better.

Oh and did I mention, I did get her to sign one of her album covers, and I stole the promo poster from the front bar window. I didn't have enough guts to go back inside and ask her to sign that.

"Sneaky Little Devils"

I regret not taking a photo of Jinkies this morning when I found him hovering over a ripped open bag of cat food that was stored in the second bedroom. He beat down the door when I was in the shower this morning, so at least he didn't eat the whole bag. I wish the doors in my house would actually latch properly.

Here's the little stinker that I did take a pic of. Somehow he wiggled his way up on the couch while I was working on balancing my checkbook. I'll say that he does make a pretty good arm rest, but he is a bit to warm for this time of the year.