Even though it was quick, it was FILLED with fun, and fabulousness!!! I arrived on Tuesday (after a three hour "wait" at the mechanic's to get a coil replaced...ugh!), just in time to meet with my friend Sarah, who's a lawyer. Due to recent events in Duane's and my lives, I've realized the importance of a will...and a health directive...in case something happens to either of us. Since, as a couple, we legally have NO RIGHTS AT ALL, these things are important to have in place. So...I spent about an hour chatting and "legalizing", then headed to Tena's.
We didn't spend long at her house, because we had SERIOUS eating to do at Vivo (which used to be Regina's)...one of my FAVORITE restaurants in town. I had the chicken over penne in a chipotle cream sauce. Tena had the sun-dried tomato pesto and chicken over fetuccini...DIVINE!!! I hadn't really eaten anything that day, so we were there REAAAAAAALY early, and, basically, had the place to ourselves...AWESOME!!!
After dinner, we went to Hy-Vee to pick up a few things, then headed back to Tena's to catch up. Avery, Tena's dog, is one of the, APPROXIMATELY, FIVE dogs in the world that I actually like, so I spent awhile throwing toys across the room for him, and we spent a lovely, low key evening in Tena's delightfully cool basement!!!!
On Wednesday, we slept in, got around, then headed to Revelations for coffee, and shopped the Fairfield square. BLESS TENA'S HEART...I have a set "routine" EVERY TIME I come to town, and she accomodates it. We start at Revelations (for coffee), then go to the kitchen store, Thymely Solutions, the Maharishi Ayurveda store (if I need to stock up on Pitta tea), then head to the MUM campus bookstore. We then go BACK to Revelations for wood fired pizza (where I had the great pleasure of running into some dear old friends!!!), and hit Wal-Mart, or Goodwill, and again go back to Hy-Vee to browse!
The "Fairfield Puzzle" mural on the side of the Sondheim Center!!!
The air conditioning was NOT very effective during lunch!!!!
After shopping, we went back to the house after lunch. Tena had book club at 2:00, so she went to Batavia, and I went out to do some more "catching up". I stopped at the library (where I worked as the children's librarian for nine years) to see my friend Claudette (who's the only remaining staff member from my time there), but, ALAS, it was her day off...EPIC FAIL!!! I also had the "priviledge" of talking to a current employeee who was as PRICKLY and UNHELPFUL as is humanly possible. That place has sure changed since I worked there...sigh...(you'll be HAPPY to know that I didn't pull a "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM??!!!" diva thing...!).
After the library, I wandered around Everybody's (where I got a "Cookies from the Heart" peanut butter chunk chocolate cookie made my my friend Deb H.!!!!), drove around Chautauqua Park, drove by the house in which I grew up (LOVE 801 E. Adams!!!), and then went back to Tena's to hang out for a little while before heading to my friend Carol's to hang out. While waiting for Tena to get home, I got the GREATEST photo of Avery...EVER...
HONESTLY, I'm NOT a "dog person", but this one has me COMPLETELY wrapped around his little paw...!!!!
Tena got home about 45 minutes before I had to leave, so, again, we sat in the cool basement, and "chilled!!!
I then went to Carol's to see her "new" furniture (which I helped her pick out...TWO YEARS AGO!), the "paint job" in the dining room (replacing the HIDEOUS flower/striped blue/gray wall paper that was there), and we then headed to the Top of the Rock Grille downtown. I had a DELIGHTFUL strip steak, and we had a FABULOUS time catching up (AGAIN the air conditioning was NOT at peak...ugh!!!!)!!!
After dinner, and a little more "chatting time", I headed back to Tena's. Andrew joined us, and we made Pimm's Punch, and had a GREAT time hanging out. Here's Tena preparing the "fruits and veggies"...
Thursday, we slept in, got around, then headed to Revelations for another coffee, and stopped to see Andrew at work before heading out of town.
Tena was heading to Pella to pick up Emma, our friend Jason and Suzanne's daughter, for a sleepover, so we decided to "head north" together, so we could have lunch at Fiesta Cantina in Ottumwa, and then meet Suzanne, Jack, and Emma at Jaarsma Bakery in Pella (as a surprise).
I have no words for Fiesta Cantina. Everyone Tena and I know DESPISES this place (Duane says they put the CAN in "cantina"...), but it was our FIRST exposure to Mexican food, and we go there SOLELY for the nostalgia factor (in fact, Tena's first words when we got there were "TASTE this salsa, and tell me it doesn't take you back"...which it did...metal-ly, "fake", and UTTERLY composed of hot sauce and ketchup!!!). I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!
We COMPLETELY feel sorry for people who think this IS, actually, Mexican food, but we SOOOOOOO love it!!!!
As we were leaving the restaurant, my car had it's FIRST "rough idle", and the "service engine soon" light flashed briefly, but I turned the car off...started it again (while pulsing the gas peddle), and it was fine...
We then drove to Pella. I LOVE Pella! Such a cool little town! We started at the "tourist information" windmill...
then shopped the square for a bit, and hit some really cool stores (and found this GREAT alley for a photo op!!!)...
I WAS able to surprise Suzanne at Jaarsma Bakery. I told her on Facebook that I was heading home the day before, but didn't :-)
It was SOOOOO good to see her! She and Jason moved to the Des Moines area a few years ago, and I MISS having the opportunity to see them, now that they are not in Fairfield any more!!!!
I left them all enjoying their pastries, then headed north to the cities. UNFORTUNATELY, I stopped in Story City at the antique mall, because, when I came out and started my car, it APPARENTLY hadn't had enough of a rest, and the "service engine soon" light came on AND STAYED ON FOR THE REMAINING 200+ MILES OF THE TRIP HOME...!!! I was a little worried that the car was going to catch on fire or BLOW UP, but I kept an eye on the temperature gauge, turned on the heater every once in awhile to blow the heat off the engine, and made it back in one piece.
I took the car to the mechanic's AGAIN last night, but today when he started it up, the "service engine soon" light did not come on. They still have the car, trying to figure it out...sigh. I'm afraid it's time to start doing a little car shopping...ugh!!!!!!!
A GREAT trip, getting together with GREAT friends, and a really GREAT adventure!
Here's hoping YOU were able to reconnect with some of your favorite things/people recently TOO!!!!
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