Hey, big spender

On Monday and Tuesday we took yet another two-day field trip - this time, to the Iowa State Fair. We spent a lot of time in the animal barns, which I really enjoyed [for once]. It makes all the difference when you have someone with you who knows a lot about raising farm animals and such. We also trekked through the Ag Building, where I bought some fresh honey lemonade, and the Cultural Center, where my mom always used to visit the person selling rubber stamps and I would gape at the artwork and the tie-dye woman.

Just before we left the fair, we all got a lamb burger [well, B + S each got two]. It was my very first one, and I was excited. They're really good with barbecue sauce. And pickles.

After we escaped the rush hour/fair traffic, we went to my house for dinner, which my mom was sweet enough to make. Fried green beans [Aunt Amy-style], two types of hamburger helper, fruit salad, and lettuce salad with almonds. She's too good to us. I showed them my dad's hosta garden, which I think they appreciated. Afterward I gave a small tour of Winterset, complete with reading graffiti on one of the famous covered bridges and taking pictures by the sign at John Wayne's birthplace.

We spent some time at Timmy's place, hanging out and playing Scattergories, and then we went back to my house and played a bit of Rummikub [or however you spell it], and then crashed.

Yesterday we went to Earlham for a driving tour of T's childhood. A lot changed, and he was quite reminiscent. We then spent a lot of time at DSM's new mall, Jordan Creek Town Center. It was crazy-busy, but not too bad. T bought a lot of shirts, I bought some random items, and B + S got some white chocolate mochas at the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble.

We were finally back on the road at 7.30p after a quick dinner at Fazoli's. We drove for what seems like forever until we finally made it to Decorah. Good times.

Today I got my books for class - all $311.44 of them. I have five or six books for Greek, five for Buddhism, three for Food & the Environment ... yikes.

Oh, and I finally got my cell phone back after a month in the shop.