Rodeway Inn 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 ...

... stayed for only one quarter which was probably good as Simpson College got belted in that quarter but were still up (they wound up winning 30-28). Back to the motel to get changed.<br><br>After beautifying ourselves we headed back to the chapel for the wedding proper. The groomsmen (and woman - Stephanie was Nate's 'Best Woman' as she is Nate's best friend as well as sister) looked great and then the bridal procession came down. The grandparents from both sides entered, the Nate ...

... re her stories and I know how much she loves stories :p After the introductions a couple of people popped over and had a chat to us which was great as we were meeting people in small doses; far easier to remember names :)<br><br>Dinner came to an end and everyone went there separate ways and we had decided on a big night on the town. I went home and slept for a bit so that was the end of that! Kym woke me up just in time for the highlight of the week (OK, maybe not), the AFL Grand Final ...

... got up and jumped on the computer so he avoided slacker status. The plan for the day was to do the grand Des Moines tour so we got our stuff together, bode farewell to Nate (he had to work) and headed off.<br><br>So there we were, myself, Alicia, Mark and Kym... and whoever was on the other end of Alicia's phone at the time (she was ringing ALL day much to her annoyance). The first stop was the Des Moines Capitol building (which works cos Des Moines is the capital ...

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 ...

Isn't it amazing the things that amaze you?! Rest stops, of all things, rest stops become a source of joy and amazement on a road trip. Heading from Minnesota (a beloved state) to Iowa which happens to have the best rest stops we have ever seen in our lives. Beautiful architecture, clean, organised and useful facilities, free wifi and overnight parking is safe and ...

... feed! It&#8217;s grown for plastics, clothing, and ethanol. That&#8217;s right, you can buy t-shirts, cars, toys, and fuel all made out of corn. Turns out to be a pretty amazing crop.<br><br>We then walked through the 1875 town which boasted a broom maker, blacksmith, cabinet maker, etc. That was really neat. It even had a shop that made hats and dresses for women and a general store. ALL of these places were functioning. The brooms were made in the town and used in the shops. The ...

Aww, my dear, dear girl pulled through, booked her flight and will be joining me in Orlando! It was a very happy day for this lady. She'll be coming from Denver so I do still get the small adventure of getting to Florida on my own and of course, my first girls getaway. I know for some of you seasoned ...

... et tant qu'à y être, pourquoi pas une photo du groupe devant le foyer en marbre de Monsieur (photo annexée). On visite la bibliothèque du Capitole ; elle enlève le cordon rouge pour une meilleure visite des lieux et de meilleurs angles de photos (à voir). On visite la chambre des représentants ; elle enlève le cordon rouge pour nous permettre de nous asseoir à un siège de représentant pendant qu'elle nous donne un cours sur le fonctionnement politique des USA. On a aussi visité la ...

Two weeks have slipped by, and finally my last day of work is upon me. I'm actually writing this at work because we're so slow today. (Even writing this sentence of course guarantees that we will be swamped the rest of the day, but I don't give a damn at this point!) To be honest, I cannot believe that I even lasted 9 months at this job because of the fiery hatred I have for cubicles and the sheep-like thinking they promote....however, I must say that it really is a tribute to the cool ...