I could do a respectable rant about how corporations have corrupted sports so a family can no longer afford to go baseball game. Or complain bitterly how I had to pay $180 for a $60 seat on StubHub to go to a rugby game.
The really sad part to me is that in Soldiers Field yesterday there were so many empty seats. Sure it was technically “sold out”. With so many tickets purchased by speculators hoping to make money on their tickets there were rugby fans who did not get to see the game because it is absurd to pay so much to watch a game.
You can make the argument that this is the “free market”. I have the feeling the game is rigged. I got on the website to buy tickets just as the tickets went on sale and the only tickets I could get were on StubHub.
So my question is “What is a sports fan to do?” Participate in the rigged, f**ked up system or what? Is there a secret code like in video games that is a work around? I do not want to become a grumpy old man about sports. So help me out here if you have a good idea.
The spotlight is for the television crew who is filming Nik Wallenda’s tightrope walk tomorrow at 6 p.m.
I am staying in the spire of Club Quarters on the river and so there are only about 3 rooms on the floor. (The rooms are shaped funny too.) This morning I walked out at the exact same time as my neighbors and they were also on their way to the rugby game. It was the first of many fun, short conversations with other fans.
I walked a half block to the Corner Bakery and ordered breakfast. I start walking towards an open table when I realize I am walking by Richie McCaw. Only my mind processed it as “Oh my gosh, that is RICHIE MCCAW!!! I am walking past RICHIE MCCAW!!!” He is the captain of the All Blacks most games and he is one of the best players in the world. Oh, he is also gorgeous. I was so excited I was shaking and if you asked me my name right then I would have been stumped.
I barely had my coat, scarf and gloves off when Richie McCaw walks past me as he exits the restaurant. No one seems to even notice him. Maybe they are all giving him his space. I smile at him with a big stupid grin and cannot even muster a “hi”. I had to say something to someone so I walked over to the people who were sitting just across from them. They had New Zealand Rugby shirts on, so I blurted, “Can you believe it? That was Richie McCaw!”
The man says “I thought it was him,” and his wife turns to him and says, “Why didn’t you say something?!”
It is hard to eat breakfast after seeing one of your heroes. I texted lots of people to share. I figured today is going to be a great rugby day.
And it was.
All Blacks fan grimaces at Rookie Eagle (USA mascot)
The long walk to Soldier Field was in the company of many rugby fans. I stopped at the Chicago Bean to take photos and the Art Institute and the Field Museum for the haka exhibit. (Future posts). It is a long way round Soldiers Field. Ultimately I found the Fan Zone party. Met some more great rugby fans and saw lots of craziness.
The weather today was better than yesterday when it was snowing. It was still cold walking to the stadium. When I got to my seat the sun was beaming down and suddenly I had to strip off my coat, scarf and gloves. I actually got a sunburn!
I made sure I got to my seat in plenty of time to see the All Blacks do the haka. First the national anthems were performed. The USA anthem was tough to hear over the fireworks and people cheering. Then more cheering for the USA when photos of the flag appeared on the various screens. Finally the moment I have been anticipating for months: the ABs get in formation for the haka. And then the big doofuses behind me start chanting “USA, USA”. I did not have a hard time finding my voice in this moment. I turned around and said, “Stop being disrespectful” They actually stopped. Then they said, “It’s not disrespectful. USA, USA” and the guys on my right said, “Yes, it is!” really forcefully. And they stopped. Unfortunately, the haka was almost over.
National Anthems in Soldiers Field
There were a few more USA chants but soon the ABs shut them up with their play. I just do not think most of the American fans had any idea what the best in the world rugby looks like. And this was the All Blacks’ B team.
My tweets tell the story. After the third AB try in less than 20 minutes I stopped reporting the score. The final score was 74 to 6 New Zealand.
People around me found the USA’s performance really unsettling. They said goofy things like “New Zealand is so good in rugby because it is the only sport they play.” The guy next to me was really upset by the lopsided score, “This will set rugby back in the US for years.” I asked him why and he did not answer my question.
If US fans want to know what it takes to be number one in the world, they only had to stick around after the game ended. The “A” group of players who sat out the game began a work out on the field that was impressive.
A rugby club captures the moment on film
Walking back to the hotel was crowded and many of the rugby clubs were still enjoying their big day out. And a lot less beer is available in Chicago tonight.
Don Miller hosts the Storylines Conference, a “pay-as-much-as-you-can-afford” event.
I love Chicago, so when the Storyline Conference and the NZ All Blacks vs US Eagles rugby game landed on the same weekend, I jumped onto Southwest Airlines and bought my tickets. They are quite disparate events. One the one hand the conference is a Christian gathering presenting coaching, leadership and writing inspiration in the premier American megachurch. Then there is international test rugby–a thuggish game played by gentleman (?).
Chicagoland is sooo much bigger than I ever imagined. In my previous visits I have flown into Midway Airport and taken the train to downtown. I have contained my experiences to inside the Loop with a few exceptions (Cubs game, White Sox game, Wheaton College visit with Sarah). I never rented a car in Chicago before.
Since the Storylines Conference is at the gargantuan church, Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, I decided to rent a car for my first 2 days. It was an hour from Midway Airport by car even in midday. As a daughter of the West, I do not like toll roads on principle. I especially do not like rental car clerks who do not explain if I have an electronic pass in the car or the etiquette of toll roads. (Come to think of it, she also did not offer a map and there was not one on the counter?!) After scrambling to find 60 cents in coins for the first toll I was thankful the second toll was manned and I could hand over dollar bills and get change. Eventually I arrived, picked up my nametag and slipped into the auditorium for the general session.
Author and speaker Shauna Niequest is the emcee for this edition of Storyline Conference. She is delightful. There was one break out session before the end of the day. I dropped in on Don Miller’s presentation on StoryBrand–a process for using story to define your company’s brand. We wrapped up with a special event–Asleep at Last played a short set of beautiful songs, and Don read from his to-be-released-book (Feb 3), Scary Close. Beforehand we ate deep dish pizza and shared stories from our workshops. Lots of writers are here and it is fun to share blog sites and experiences. I still had a long drive to my downtown hotel so I passed on the Christian rock concert.
This is the last conference for a while–they are not hosting a conference in 2015. So this one is jam-packed with a film festival, concert, and writers conference on Saturday. I will make the most of day 2 before I return the car and take the train back to downtown and shift to full time rugby fan.
I first reconnected with the Pieper cousins in June in California, and when I shared that I was a cyclist and going to the Tour de France, they told me about the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). I was intrigued. Then on my Trek Tour, Sandy from Ohio told me more about it and several other people in our group had done it too. They all recommended I give it a go.
I went to Iowa with the resolution of learning as much as I could about RAGBRAI so I could ride it July 2015. If you are not familiar with RAGBRAI (rag- bri), it is the oldest multi-day ride in America. About 10,000 riders cycle from the Missouri River on one side of Iowa, clear across the state to the Mississippi River in 7 days. Everyone describes it as a moving party.
The route changes every year and it is announced on January 24. The registration is only $160 for the week, and competitive to get a slot. I will increase my chances of getting in if I ride with a team.
When I was in Decorah, Darrel and Betty shared their stories from 13 years of riding RAGBRAI. They have learned over the years to take a motor home. They ride with the Decorah Trolls. They encouraged me to form a team and rent a motor home and ride. I want my kids to come with me and I have a couple of friends who might be interested so that is a possibility.
Then I met my cousin John and he invited me to join Team Larry. They rent a trailer for their gear and bikes and stay at people’s houses and in tents along the way. This is very appealing to get the full experience. (Although my kids are probably snickering at the idea of me sleeping in a tent.) An air mattress will be a must.
Apparently there are also trucks that you can rent for showers and others with bunks. It sounds like the entrepreneurial spirit is inspired during RAGBRAI.
I am already training for my 4 day December ride in New Zealand. I will just keep pedaling so I can ride across Iowa in July.
The Roseman Bridge starred in the movie Bridges of Madison County.
Truth be told, I never read the book or saw the movie, Bridges of Madison County. Auntie J saw the movie and she was keen to see the covered bridge featured in the film. The Roseman bridge outside Winterset was only about 30 minutes from Stuart.
One of three bridges we visited in Madison County.
After breakfast we drove over to Winterset and with some difficulty, we found the Roseman covered bridge. It looks like a covered bridge. The gift shop opened while we were there and we had another lovely, warm conversation with the Iowa man running the shop.
He told us we could find an authentic Mexican place in town on the square, and Northside Café (featured in the film). He also gave us good advice on getting to Waukee and getting around the washed out part of the Highway 169.
This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime. –Robert (Clint Eastwood)
We finished our walk around the square. There was an intriguing textile store that sold yarn but everything was closed up tight on Sunday.
We drove into Winterset and parked on the square to walk around. We decided since we were going to eat a big dinner and we ate a late breakfast we would just try a piece of pie at the Northside Café. The town boasts a pie festival so we thought the café might offer pie. We both tried the peach pie and it was the worst pie we have eaten, ever. Mushy crust and canned peaches. It did not have any flavor. Not sure if the peanut butter or cherry pie might have been better. My bad for ordering peach pie when the leaves are turning on the trees.
Don’t order the pie at Northside Cafe.
On the way out of town we drove across the Cedar bridge and looked at the Hogback bridge. I am glad they have kept them in good repair, although they are more the focal point for local parks than for transportation.
We drove on to Waukee for our last big feast with the cousins. Cousin Annette’s house is a very cool old Victorian style house in “town”. The men watched football, the women fixed food and visited, and the children tried to catch wild kittens.
Cousin Annette’s home
At the end of the evening we all gathered around the dining room table telling stories and the din of multiple stories and laughter was quite intense. Jeanette and I laughed when we compared it to our quiet gatherings in Petaluma, California. We loved it.
Cousin David graciously drove us back to our Hampton Inn in West Des Moines as our adventure was drawing to a close.
Oldest to youngest Pieper Cousins (of those present)
This was formerly a bank robbed by Bonnie and Clyde.
In my mind Stuart, Iowa is mecca for #Pieperfest14. Our cousins live in West Des Moines, Pella, Waukee and Decorah; however, Great-Grandma Pieper lived in Stuart (technically Dexter) so it is where all roads lead. Just off of Interstate 80, it is easy to reach.
Cousins Leo and Geri bought Grandma’s place and remodeled it. We can still find many traces of Grandma’s simple life in the pitch of a roof, or the lilac bushes in the yard. It is not hard to find, yet our gracious cousins met us at the Americinn where we dropped our bags and had us follow them out there. We enjoyed a big steak feed, toured the old home place and looked at Geri’s homemade quilts.
I love the bumblebee fabric!
The next day we had our first relaxed morning and went into Stuart to take pictures of the former bank where Bonnie and Clyde robbed the bank. Later at Marty and Sandy’s lunch, Cousin Bob told me how late Uncle Marvin unknowingly pulled Bonnie and Clyde’s car out of a ditch, and where in Dexter many of the gang were killed in a shootout. Jesse James’ gang also raised a ruckus in these parts.
We had a great time catching up with various cousins including Mary who always was so sweet to me when I was little. Jeanette and some others went to the cemetery in Anita.
The Catholic church burned and was restored and made into a community center. Isn’t it pretty?
We all ended the day around the fire in the fireplace at Marty and Sandy’s. Everyone was just enjoying one another’s company and no one was in a hurry to go home.
We continued our tour of cousins and drove from Des Moines to Decorah—after a stop in Bondurant to find Auntie J’s old home place, then north on I-35 and then across the state to the northeast corner in driving rain. We arrived later than we expected and a little emotionally wrung out from navigating in the rain and on unfamiliar roads. We checked into the historic hotel right on main street and then met our cousins and their friends for happy hour.
We had a very happy hour trying locally brewed beer and sharing stories with cousins Terri and Chuck and their friends Darrel and Betty. We then got the windshield tour of Decorah including Luther College, where many of the buildings were designed by Uncle Jack Thompson (now deceased).
We went for another big meal at McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita restaurant. Jeanette and I were beginning to feel like pigs being fattened for bacon and chops. I am going to have to figure out how to navigate the caloric landmines before I visit again.
Decorah takes great pride in their Nordic heritage. The high school mascot is the Vikings and the highlight on the summer calendar is Nordic Days. My cousins Terri and Chuck have a gem of a gift shop specializing in Norwegian gifts called Vanberia.
The next morning we met Terri and Chuck for breakfast (more bacon) at the hotel restaurant, Restauration, a spin off the name of the boat that brought the first Norwegian immigrants to America. Jeanette joined them for a quick trip to the cemetery to honor loved ones and I stayed behind to handle some memos and other work.
We met up and went shopping. Jeanette found a dress shop she really liked and I found the Blue Heron Knittery. We each made additional contributions to the local economy.
A wonderful gem of a museum on the Norwegian immigration experience.
We said our goodbyes and then checked out the Norwegian-American museum. Vesterheim is an excellent small museum that focuses on the story of the Norwegian emigration to the USA. I also took a photo of main street (at top of post) as we got ready to leave town because it was heartwarming to see an intact small town not ravaged by edge of town Walmarts or strip malls.
Beautiful ceramic flowers made by artists in Bergen make up the special exhibit on the main floor.
A real whirlwind trip, we then drove back to Des Moines and on to Stuart.
My aunt Jeanette and I are in Iowa to visit the land of our fathers. I have not been to Iowa in over 40 years. And Jeanette has not been back since 1969. The cousins have been out to visit California in between and kept up regular Christmas card correspondence with Auntie.
Pieper gathering in Stuart: Cousins, cousins and more cousins
So we are on a family adventure., hence Pieper-fest. We flew to Des Moines (via Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines). Our itinerary includes Decorah, Bondurant, and Stuart. We are also going to find the Bridges of Madison County.
I am excited to get to know my cousins better and to experience large family gatherings. We are a small nucleus centered in Sonoma County, California. My mom is an only child and much younger than her cousins and my 2 aunties have small families too.
My dad is missing in action. We do not know his whereabouts in heaven or on earth. So going to Iowa also stirs up a lot of other feelings—some are quite stressful. I know his choices have nothing to do with me and yet I do sometimes feel really pissed off at him for cutting us out of his life. I can say “his loss” for missing out on his terrific grandchildren’s lives, still it does not paper over the hurt. My cousin Paul went right to the heart of the subject and I found it easier to talk about than expected.
This trip is about connecting and reclaiming the Positive in Pieper. I met up with Lori, Annette and Kathy in June at Auntie J’s. I am quickly learning that all seven of Marvin and Ailene’s children are jokesters. I have already colluded on pulling legs.
We have eaten more carbs in a few days than we have in a month at home (it is all delicious: cheesy potatoes, corn, macaroni and cheese). We have seen beautiful sunsets, old fashioned windmills, corn and soybeans ready to harvest and more.
The best part of Iowa is the people. My cousins are lovely and funny people. And every stranger we have met so far has been outrageously friendly. We stopped in Bondurant to see Auntie Jeanette’s childhood home and the current occupants were not home. Their beautiful white German shepherd let us leave a note and the homeowners called us later that day. They were excited to talk to Jeanette and learn more about the farm. Auntie J was really moved.
Watch for upcoming posts on Decorah and Stuart. We are having a terrific adventure.
I love Southwest Airlines. The staff uses humor exceptionally well. Case in point, on this very flight the steward joked that those of us in “coach” can grab our peanuts from the aisle (as he let them slide down during take-off), only people in first class would have them handed to them—those in the first row where he could reach. Everyone laughed and some people grabbed the peanuts. (Of course they brought everyone peanuts once we leveled off)
Flying through Las Vegas always gives me some trepidation. Once I showed up with an “A” pass (Southwest boards in groups and seating is first come, first serve) on a Sunday morning flying to Washington DC through Vegas. They started pre-boarding and practically everyone in the terminal got on! There was a group of very senior seniors on their way for 24 hours of fun and (rightfully) they got preferential treatment. I ended up in a middle seat!
Flying into Las Vegas is generally better than flying out of Vegas. A plane full of “losers” and people who have too much to drink and no sleep is not much fun. Plus you do get a higher percentage of infrequent flyers on a flight that touches Vegas. (My aunt confesses to white knuckling it.)
You cannot beat the convenience of flying through Las Vegas on Southwest if you are traveling to the Midwest. My Auntie J and I are going to Des Moines, Iowa to visit family.
I know some people thrill at just the name “Las Vegas.” Not me. I have come here many times for work and I do not enjoy gambling. I am less than enthralled that so much of the seating space in the terminal waiting area is given over to slot machines. It makes a good joke photo though, don’t chya think?
Will I be able to drag Auntie J away from the slots when they board our Southwest Flight?
I signed up for Chris Guillebeau’s book event in Santa Cruz, and convinced my friend Connie to go too. This quickly became a girls weekend starting at her home in Half Moon Bay. Getting anywhere in the Bay Area on the weekend is becoming more of a challenge. I avoided the Bay Bridge and SF City traffic by taking Highways 880 and 92. Although as soon as I got past Highway 280 it was bumper to bumper, because lots of people want to go to the coast for lunch, or to catch a last beach day before fall really sets in, or to buy a pumpkin.
Farmer John’s pumpkin patch has a teepee, a tractor and an annual gathering of Burmese Mountain dogs.
There are pumpkin patches all around the town of Half Moon Bay. The places on Highway 92 are competing with gimmicks like pony rides and bounce houses. Or going for the bargain, “All pumpkins $5”. I like the classic Farmer John’s pumpkin patch right on Highway 1.
We caught up as we drove down the beautiful coastline toward Santa Cruz. There is farmland signs pointing to beaches. Everything is gentle compared to the more rugged coastline below Monterey. The road is much straighter and makes for quicker progress than the windier route to Big Sur. We stopped in Davenport for a later lunch.
Whale of a Diner in Davenport
Our motel, the Continental Inn, was a fun redesign of a classic motor hotel. We LOVED the wood floors—brilliant in a coastal hotel where guests are likely to get sandy.
We did a quick walk around the harbor. I have not been to this part of Santa Cruz since Sarah Harriet completed Bike and Build (SC2SC11).
This morning we took our time and enjoyed the lack of agenda. I finished Colum McCann’s Transatlantic—a lyrical book that features Belfast. Then we drove to the main shopping street, Pacific Street. With a lot of time until Chris Guillebeau’s talk and book signing at 7:00 p.m., we fossicked around shopping and looking for a place to eat lunch. We ended up at the excellent Assembly for brunch. We ate amazing fried green tomatoes and enjoyed a very filling and delicious repast.
Fueling station for fossicking around Santa Cruz, CA.How could I not go to Lulu’s coffee shop in Santa Cruz. Lulu the adventure dog would approve: there is outdoor seating.
Now I am getting some work done while Connie finds a salon for a mani/pedi. I ended up at the Octagon in Santa Cruz called LULU’s!!! How could I not try the coffee? This is my first trip away without Lulu and I am like a new parent enjoying my freedom and fretting about her.
Mini Cooper S to be named Ivy.
Finally, Connie helped me decide to name my car Ivy. This was solidified when we went to Dig Gardens in Santa Cruz. What a shop! It is high praise from me to say it compares to the fabulous Flora Grubb in San Francisco. Garden inspiration. Ideas are flowing.
I could do a respectable rant about how corporations have corrupted sports so a family can no longer afford to go baseball game. Or complain bitterly how I had to pay $180 for a $60 seat on StubHub to go to a rugby game.
americanjulie.com 