Ramada Des Moines

Day 15<br>10/22/2009<br>Witchita, Kansas to Des Moines, Iowa<br>Huh, yeah, reality is coming back slow but sure and that should just about say it all. It was insanely cold this morning, 40 degrees. Ok, so a week ago I was sweating bullets in the 90 degree weather on the first full day of vacation that we did not have any rain, and now 40 degrees and rain with predictions of heavy wet snow and I 70 is closed to the west ...

... and Amanda popped up and it was hugs all round before we headed on a tour of the shopping centre. Eventually Mark lead us into a sports bar-style restaurant where all the staff were wearing Hawkeyes jerseys (they played tonight) and college football was playing on every TV. The menu looked good and I ordered what appered to be a really nice burger. Once we got it the burger tasted really good but I hit a lump of cheese and was almost sick. I was still battling illness and didn't ...

... inside Simpson College) as well as the motel... and some stop signs! <br><br>Alicia was guiding me through the streets so when I looked comfortable Alicia being Alicia started talking a bunch and then yelled out "STOP SIGN" so I slammed on the brakes. This 'T' intersection would have been a through road for me with a stop sign for the side road in Australia so I wasn't really used to it. Alicia began chatting again and the very next intersection I ran the stop sign. She asked if I had to ...

... my rhythm against Alicia.<br><br>After the games it was time to head home but not before a trip to Hyvee; basically a large scale version of Coles/Woolworths mixed with Chemist and Liquor store but with way more things and much cooler and cheaper. Mark found the liquor aisle and dragged me down it and we were amazed at the prices. So so cheap! Mark took some photos for proof but the big one came in the form of beer. $6 for a six-pack! Ridiculous.<br><br>Soon it was off ...

So we left Chicago and was stuck in traffic for a little while longer and then finally started heading west. We made it about 100 miles outside of Des Moines before we stopped to sleep. We found some random campground right off of the interstate and slept there. I have never seen a place with as much dew as that place. One good thing was it was so dark and the sky was clear, so we could see alot of stars. And they were so bright! Once we woke up, we ran for the first time in a while. It was ...

... Who would have thought that Iowa would have the worlds best rest stops? Amazing.<br><br> So we headed south into Iowa and down to Des Moines, the state capital. The capital used to be Iowa City but for some reason it was abandoned and now the honour belongs to Des Moines. We visited the capitol building, with its lovely gardens, and the nearby war and peace memorials ...

... pens, etc. Here is the best part; not only were the people in period dress&#8230;they were working! Turns out, this farm/museum is so popular because you literally get to see these people working the way they did in that time period. They have no modern tools, no electricity. If they want to cook chicken for the night&#8230;they have to get a chicken raised on their farm and butcher it. They want corn with that chicken? They have to go to the fields and harvest corn they themselves ...

An unseasonably warm winter afternoon coaxed my son and I out of the house and to our local Barnes &amp; Noble store (to read up on blogging, yikes, the 11-year-old wants his own blog like mom!). While he's in the teen section to find some info geared for his age I, of course, head straight to the travel section. I'm incredibly disappointed with what's available for my upcoming trip but then remind myself that I'm going to Orlando to relax, soak up some ...

... une marche de santé. Lundi 17 septembre était la journée prévue pour la visite de Des Moines. Une belle journée ensoleillée et chaude s'annonce et on part avec notre provision d'eau et notre sac à dos pour le centre-ville de Des Moines. Des Moines est la capitale de L'Iowa, donc une ville de fonctionnaires qui occupent tous les stationnements, pas le fonctionnaire mais leur auto ; Yves est obligé d'enlever son antenne de CB pour entrer dans un stationnement public couvert ...

... 4:30pm (Seoul time) the day before I have to start orientation. No worries...I'll only have just flown 14 hours in a tin can, across god knows how many time zones, so I'm sure there'll be no problem "hitting the ground running" as my welcome email so perkily put it. *******s. Anyway, this last weekend was a great time, getting to go out for a few drinks with friends. Friday night at my dad's bar for karaoke, and Saturday night at Tanner's for...karaoke. OK, that last one was ...