Labor Day Weekend In Iowa

This past Labor Day Weekend, I was invited by my Steve to accompany him to Holstein, Iowa. Labor Day marks the last big weekend of fun for me before returning to my high school classroom, where cheery, frightening and just too darn cute freshman await for new experiences, fresh starts and new crushes!

Iowa in Steve's home state, and the last time we were there together it was to attend Nate and Shelly's Wedding (October 2008). That trip involved a lot of running around, and was more Wedding focused. This trip however, gave me the opportunity to really spend more time with the Albers and some of Steve's close and dear friends.


The trip started with Steve and I arriving in Omaha, NE around 1130pm. We rented a snazzy Black Chevy Cobalt and rode through an amazing thunderstorm, while dodging pheasants, deers and frogs! It was the best way to start my Iowa trip...Steve looked at me and shook his head.

Arriving into Holstein around 2 am. Kaye and Wayne were up waiting, they were expecting us of course! We shared our perishables from Long Beach, which included dolmas from a Greek Deli, Rossmoor pasteries, Greek olives and figs. The pasteries, which once were just too good looking to eat, had exploded with the flight pressure! Regardless, Wayne and Kaye, along with Steve and I didn't mind having a taste!

The next day we got to visit Josh Newhouse and Laura at their new home in Storm Lake. What a great little college town! Located next to Buena Vista University, this little lakeside town is too cute. They have even built an amazing water park and resort, King's Pointe, where we had dinner. Brewster's was to follow, a local bar that Steve and friends have spent many a nights at. Also, Steve won $31 playing Pull-Tab...very cool!


Friday morning we heading back in to Holstein, where I got to spend some time with Wayne, Kaye and not to mention Jenny, Steve's sister and her 2 boys, Jack and Quinn. What a delight it was to see the boys almost a year later and to see how much they had grown! Such polite and sweet boys! We all enjoyed a game of soccer and baseball in the Albers' huge backyard! Gotta love that Kentucky Blue Grass!



That evening, we planned to visit Grandma and Grandpa Goodwin (Kaye's parents) and then continue up to Sioux City to meet Aunts, Uncles, Nate and Shelly @ the World Famous Miles. A Miles you have no choice but to order there famous "Charile Boy". What this is, is a sandwich or taverna, packed with peppered ground beef, topped with cheese, onion and a pickle. Sandwiched between a soft burger bun, for only $2.75 you can't go wrong. Pair it with a cold schooner of Blue Moon and you're set!


Following Miles, we headed downtown to Buffalo Alice's where we met up with Scott and Ashley Albers, along with Ashley's parents and her brother, Justin and his wife, Heidi. This restaurant/bar was so Long Beach! Eclectic, artsy, good pizza and drinks...not to mention the drinks, anywhere in Iowa, are so cheap! They have a outdoor patio area and a garage like space where there is another bar along with a space for live music. Soon calling it a night in Sioux City, with Wayne as our DD, we headed out. Not even close to leaving the city, Steve, Wayne and I had a near death experience as we turned on a curved road amd all of a sudden heard a train blow it's horn. We had no idea where it was coming from , but it sounded close! We were a little shook up, but laughed about it after wards...it had been a long day for us all.

Saturday was Hawkeye day! Iowa vs UNI. After and quick stop at the Hy-Vee (local supermarket), Steve, Jenny and I whipped up some finger foods and not to mention some Hummus, c/o Mariam, for the game. The rest of the Saturday would be spent in Holstein @ the house. We grilled later that night, inviting many of Steve and Jenny's friends over, along with having Scott and Ashely with us (which threw me off, because I only hung out with them in Long Beach). Following dinner we had plans to hit the local bar, however, there was no one there! There was a class of '99 reunion going on at the Golf Course, and that's where the party and people were at. Plan B went into affect. Here we mixed and mingled, hung out on the patio, overlooking a quiet green, a pond and a bright full moon. It was perfect. A great way to end the last night in Holstein.

Sunday came to soon, and at about 1030am, Steve and I said our goodbyes and thank yous. I wouldn't have wanted to spend time in Iowa any other way. I got to know the family better, I met new faces and I really got a sense of who Iowans are and what they stand for.

I know that many of you may think that it must have been a culture shock, but it wasn't. The wide open spaces and big blue skys are things that we just don't know about living in Los Angeles. The beauty of only needing a 2 lane Highway to get anywhere may be unheard of for many Angelinos. The fields of corn, with their sun kissed tops reaching to the sky, the soybeans and sprouts, the "dirty beans" I learned about (Thanks Steve) and not to mention Tiefenthaler World Famous skinless brats and amazing beef burgers http://www.tqmeats.com/.

So thank you Albers family for making me feel welcome...it's like I've been there more than only just twice! I look forward to future trips, maybe even one involving a little snow?!

And to Steve's friends, you are all so lucky to have each other, regardless how near or far, good friends are friends forever.

Oh yeah...I moved out.

As some may or may not know already, after 29 glorious years of dependability, I moved out of my parents home! In June, Steve accompanied me on my first apartment hunt. After viewing roughly 4-5 locations, I decided on property I found on Craigslist.


Under given conditions, I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing...but after the fact, I was happy with my decision. I moved roughly 1.5miles away from Downtown Long Beach. I'm 4 blocks from the Ocean and within access of local public transit and I can even ride my bike to work now!


With a little paint(yes, they let me do it!) and some personal touches, my 1st apt. isn't too shabby! I live in a 4-plex which was built in the 1920s and has an open floor plan, lots of windows (very Craftsman in style) and lots of cool built-ins.

Follow Edwin's Journey with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma

http://itsnotatuma-cancerboy82.blogspot.com/

Just wanted to share my brother's journey with everyone. As some know and do not know, Edwin is living and fighting Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a blood cancer. He is scheduled to have his biopsy today. Yesterday, Mom, Dad, Steve and I attended the Dodgers/Cubs game, which just wasn't the same without him, his crass remarks to the outfielder, his Dawson jersey and his big smile!

More info on Non Hodgkin Lymphoma
http://www.lymphoma.org/site/pp.asp?c=chKOI6PEImE&b=1573333


Thinking of you always Ed!

Love you!

Dad's in Town!

Great news! Dad has finally arrived back from serving overseas in Iraq for a year. Sad to say that he will be returning for another 6 months Sept 6th,but he's happier and healthier than ever and not to our surprise, has made lots of friends and earned a lot of admiration and respect from his peers. We threw a little dinner for him last Saturday, it was supposedly a surprise, but we all knew he knew!

It's been awhile...

So, I have been through a few ups and downs lately. My birthday and Mother's day came and went, I moved into my first apartment, I finished my 5th year teaching at the high school downtown and my 2nd year of my Master's program at Cal State Long Beach. Dad's still overseas and will be arriving for a month long vacation August 12th, I can't wait to see him! Unfortunately, he will be returning for another leg of work overseas. The 4th of July came and went. Definitely different this year, than ever. Celebrated know Steve's friends Christie and Landon Ludvigson for exactly 1 year! We recently attended their wedding Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas! We had a great time.

For now, I'm trying best to enjoy my summer. Picked up a job work with a organization called "Century Lift". They are a part of Century Housing, and group that provides housing for low-income families and transitional homeless families in the LA County area. I have the opportunity to teach Art 6 hrs a week to a group of kids in the Cabrillo Housing community. I've been enjoying teaching the younger ones. Teaching teens for 9 months, the 7 yr olds are imaginative, willing to give it a shot and are just so darn cute!

Fall semester will start early September @ LB State and teaching will begin up around the same time. So I'm getting in all the summer I can get!

Enjoy the mix of pictures for my latest adventures!

My Baseball Birthday BBQ

This April 21st, I turned 29! Yeah, I know...that's one year shy of 30! Big deal, I'm over it! So my thematic party was inspired by America's favorite pastime...BASEBALL!

Steve brought over his fantastic Iowa burger patties, along with some chicken dogs and brats. Not to mention baseball NACHOS! Steve used his mom's secret recipe for nacho cheese and lemme tell you, everyone was a fan! (It was alright, even though he cooked it in a Green Bay Packers Crock-pot...Booo!)

Along with baseball food, we managed to carpool over to the local park to play a few innings of wiffle ball! Yes, I brought it back and everyone had a blast! Scott (Steve's brother) and I were team capt. since it was our birthday month...We played up an appetite, got baseball dirt in our shoes and hair and hollered, "hey batter, batter" and "let's go knuckles, let's go!" Maverick, my dog came along as team mascot and managed to chew his way threw his leash, he just wanted to get on the field we the rest of us!

Following the bbq, we downed a few more beverages, which by the way, were held by a super awesome inflatable "baseball" cooler! And cut the cake (Baseball Nut Ice Cream Cake - 31 Flavors) and opened my gifts! I got some awesome stuff! Thanks everyone!

Temecula Wineries

My mother and I have been fond of wine for awhile now, her much longer than I, of course ; ). She had a great idea to celebrate the three of our birthdays (Ed's, hers' and mine) by going on a 2 night/3day vacation to Temecula! Yes, those of you that just replied, "what, why Temecula?" I'll tell you why, it's only an 1.5 or so away, there are hot air balloons, wineries and great places to eat and you feel that you aren't in LA! And that last one is the one of the best parts, especially when you want to get away!



We visited 4 wineries: Wilson Creek, Tesoro, Ponte and South Coast and and made some new friends. We also found some time to play the Wheel of Fortune and ebay slots over at Pechanga Casino. Our initial intention was to fly in the balloon, but due to wind gusts our reservations were canceled 2 days in a row! The sweet lady @ Sunrise balloon called me @ 530am, to break the news to me. But no worries, I still have tickets and am looking to take mom back around June 1st for the Balloon and Wine festival!

Is it Baseball Season Yet?

St. Patrick's day isn't just another excuse to drink all day in my family (even though we aren't Irish). It is a day to celebrate an important individual's birth, my brother's, Edwin. Edwin has had a roller-coaster of a 26th year, and to celebrate a new year, I wanted to do something that was not only different, but something I've wanted to do forever...watch the Chicago Cubs play in Arizona for Spring Training!

I spontaneously purchased 4 tickets, after waiting patiently in a cyber-waiting room on the cubs.com site. Next, I needed to surprise my brother and beg him to take a night off of school, which is like asking the Pope if he wants to take shots of whiskey with you, it's never going to happen!

Miraculously, a week before the trip, anxiously awaiting my brother's decision, he decided he was in! "Yes"! Next, we had to find 2 other individuals to come along on a 5hr road trip through the eastern outskirts of California and into Arizona. With the trip starting on a Tuesday morning, around midnight, it was hard to get people to buy in and take the time off of work, except for one guy, Joe Nassetta. Joe is Edwin's partner and he, like Edwin, worked in the fire department, along with being a sheriff and many more things I can't list right now. Joe as we found out, has 2 horses out in Arizona, and has lived out there for a short part of his life, along with many other places like Alabama and Colorado. He's definitely a man's man, drives a Ford F250 Diesel and has a thing for Guns, Coors Original and Cowboy attire, belt buckle and boots included. Who better to take than a guy who knew the terrain!

Loading up in the F250, we headed out east on 91 FWY and through to HWY 10. At 5:30am we found ourselves in the parking lot of an Arizona Crackle Barrel. Half asleep, we decided regardless of the 6am opening hour, we needed to get some settled sleep. At 730am we awoke to sound of Joe's rumbling stomach;It was time to eat. Following a big boy's breakfast and a few rounds of the tee skipping game they leave at the table, we were ready to head towards the hotel in Glendale. After many calls to the hotel hoping for an earlier check-in time, we decided to pass some time at an AMAZING outdoor adventure store, Cabela's!


Wow, I was thrown aback, not only of the size of the store from the outside, but off all the beautiful boats parked out front. I had to jump in to take a picture! Inside, I was greeted by stuffed wild-life, from elephants, lions, and polar bears to a fresh water aquarium housing local fish like the local big-mouth bass, trout and catfish! This place was for outdoor enthusiasts and outdoor enthusiasts alone! Camo gear, hunting gear, fish rods to your heart's desire, guns, gun racks and gun accessories! They had a cafe upstairs, shoes and lake toys for your boat! After drooling, we left to the hotel, which happened to be directly across the street! Joe was a happy dude! Edwin, just shook his head.


Resting up, we then got ready for the game. Cubs vs LA Dodgers at the new Camelback Ranch. An amazing training facility in Glendale for not only the Dodgers but the enemy, the White Sox! You bet your bottom dollar I harassed those Sox as we entered the field area! I have no shame! We all couldn't believe how small the field was, the lawn seats looked fun, our seats, between home and first were amazing! We got there a little early to see the Cubs stretch out (no autographs :( ) The lines to the bathrooms didn't exist, the lines at the concession stands flew by and I could order an extra large LandShark Lager for only $6! Oh boy, I'm so coming back next year!

To make things even better, my team won! 13-2! Lots of Cubs fans, and lots of snow owls, fleeing the cold...even met some folks behind me from New Hampton, Iowa. Had to tell them all about Steve, the conversation actually started all because of a remark I made about Casey Blake (yes, he's from Iowa, as Steve always exclaims) :)

The rest of the late afternoon comprised of a long nap session. Followed by a long shower and getting prepped to go out to the local town center, Westgate! Here they had an AMC, a Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville, a Saddleback Ranch Chophouse and of course it is the home of the NHL team, The Coyotes, who play at the adjacent Jobing.com Arena. We lucked out with free St. Patty's festivities, included an outdoor bar and grill, along with a few bands that preformed and some bagpipers!


Overall a great short trip, definitely needed for a long month without vacation time. Edwin enjoyed the trip, and we all agreed that a whole week of catching baseball and hockey games, along with some outdoor activities would be perfect in the future.If anyone want in next Spring, let me know!