I drove to Iowa City today for homecoming, and made it just in time for the history department reception being held in the downtown area inside the building once known as 'Old Capitol Mall'. I was given a choice of shirts, I chose the black and gold one over black and white. It said 'Iowa history', and 016 in the middle. Had to remind myself how this is our department number. I got a photo holding up the shirt.
I went to McDonald's this morning for a breakfast sandwich and got four Monopoly game pieces. Hard to say how many more times I will go there during this 'Event', which is through the end of the month. I know this is a popular idea for this fast-food chain, pretty much annual now.
Near the end of the day, I started writing about my day in my hotel room in Walcott, IA, about 40 miles east of Iowa City. But I was tired and laying down, also drinking a beer I got at a nearby gas station, so eventually I fell asleep and didn't get as far as I wanted to on the writing. I said it had already been a busy day for me, and I was watching a baseball playoff game, Royals-Orioles. The beer was a 16-ounce Bud Light in a bottle-style can, and I ate some peanuts as well. I also said I am in Walcott as my college roommate said he would be out of town, normally this is somebody I can stay with as he lives in Coralville, adjacent to Iowa City. I think the Pilot gas station I went to for the beer and nuts looked familiar, just hadn't seen it in a while. When I lived in suburban Chicago I sometimes stopped there, going to of from Iowa City or places west of it. I say it because of seeing a Cobra CB/electronics shop across the road. Another was the CDs and movies inside the gas station, and I bought two comedy CDs tonight- Bill Cosby, and Sam Kinison. In one of those earlier visits I saw the original 'Thomas Crown Affair' movie for sale there. I still have going over to the truck stop on my list, it is nearby, on the other side of I-80. The day began fairly early, turning off my alarm clock at 8:30am. I was busy with getting ready to leave, be it packing my bag or going online to do a last check of email. Then just after 10am, I walked up to the bus stop to get to the airport. It was fairly routine on getting the car there, though I had to say no to the first offering. I wanted a CD player in order to listen to some comedy CDs done by my friends. I got a little Ford. Oh, and somebody from Enterprise happened to recognize me. I was told it was from my rental last weekend, when I went to Oktoberfest in New Ulm. This was where my writing ended for the night.
I liked how I didn't need to make many stops along the way. I stopped in Clear Lake, IA, for a lunch at the Casey's gas station. But then I missed my turn onto the 'Avenue of the Saints' just south of there, so I decided to take the first exit going east, a county road. Eventually I made it over to the Avenue, going through Clarksville near the end. It wasn't too much out of my way. I stopped again in Cedar Falls, also at a Casey's. When I got to Iowa City I parked in a ramp near the student union, and got annoyed with somebody who talked down to me. I was asking about getting to the history event, and mention was made by them of the Old Capitol, but not the mall of the same name. I said I actually went to this university. After the event I took a look around the Old Capitol grounds, where a stage was set up for the Wallflowers free concert after the parade. I also liked looking around the mall, and finding some postcards. It included some doing a NYC/Paris comparison, and had Lady Gaga on it. And we already knew I like postcards. After the parade I ate at Panchero's nearby. No surprise how there was a line, it is a popular place. And I walked around the downtown area some more. When I was at the US Bank ATM I had already experienced somebody telling me they liked my Minnesota Wild winter hat as they were from Minnesota. I saw some of the opening act at the concert, Duncan Sheik if I am not mistaken, but didn't stay for the headliner.
I went to McDonald's this morning for a breakfast sandwich and got four Monopoly game pieces. Hard to say how many more times I will go there during this 'Event', which is through the end of the month. I know this is a popular idea for this fast-food chain, pretty much annual now.
Near the end of the day, I started writing about my day in my hotel room in Walcott, IA, about 40 miles east of Iowa City. But I was tired and laying down, also drinking a beer I got at a nearby gas station, so eventually I fell asleep and didn't get as far as I wanted to on the writing. I said it had already been a busy day for me, and I was watching a baseball playoff game, Royals-Orioles. The beer was a 16-ounce Bud Light in a bottle-style can, and I ate some peanuts as well. I also said I am in Walcott as my college roommate said he would be out of town, normally this is somebody I can stay with as he lives in Coralville, adjacent to Iowa City. I think the Pilot gas station I went to for the beer and nuts looked familiar, just hadn't seen it in a while. When I lived in suburban Chicago I sometimes stopped there, going to of from Iowa City or places west of it. I say it because of seeing a Cobra CB/electronics shop across the road. Another was the CDs and movies inside the gas station, and I bought two comedy CDs tonight- Bill Cosby, and Sam Kinison. In one of those earlier visits I saw the original 'Thomas Crown Affair' movie for sale there. I still have going over to the truck stop on my list, it is nearby, on the other side of I-80. The day began fairly early, turning off my alarm clock at 8:30am. I was busy with getting ready to leave, be it packing my bag or going online to do a last check of email. Then just after 10am, I walked up to the bus stop to get to the airport. It was fairly routine on getting the car there, though I had to say no to the first offering. I wanted a CD player in order to listen to some comedy CDs done by my friends. I got a little Ford. Oh, and somebody from Enterprise happened to recognize me. I was told it was from my rental last weekend, when I went to Oktoberfest in New Ulm. This was where my writing ended for the night.
I liked how I didn't need to make many stops along the way. I stopped in Clear Lake, IA, for a lunch at the Casey's gas station. But then I missed my turn onto the 'Avenue of the Saints' just south of there, so I decided to take the first exit going east, a county road. Eventually I made it over to the Avenue, going through Clarksville near the end. It wasn't too much out of my way. I stopped again in Cedar Falls, also at a Casey's. When I got to Iowa City I parked in a ramp near the student union, and got annoyed with somebody who talked down to me. I was asking about getting to the history event, and mention was made by them of the Old Capitol, but not the mall of the same name. I said I actually went to this university. After the event I took a look around the Old Capitol grounds, where a stage was set up for the Wallflowers free concert after the parade. I also liked looking around the mall, and finding some postcards. It included some doing a NYC/Paris comparison, and had Lady Gaga on it. And we already knew I like postcards. After the parade I ate at Panchero's nearby. No surprise how there was a line, it is a popular place. And I walked around the downtown area some more. When I was at the US Bank ATM I had already experienced somebody telling me they liked my Minnesota Wild winter hat as they were from Minnesota. I saw some of the opening act at the concert, Duncan Sheik if I am not mistaken, but didn't stay for the headliner.
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