...They Will Come (Or at Least I Did)

... So I got to Iowa thinking it was too good to be true that I got there with no problems with the airline. Erin and Abe picked me up when my flight got in about midnight. We chatted for awhile and headed home for bed.

The next morning we got up and headed to the diner in town where all of the political candidates eat when in town. It was great food and a fun little atmosphere. After eating, we headed off to Hawkeye football game. It was a little bit different than BYU football. I'm not exactly used to the "real" tailgating atmosphere. We left about halfway through the third quarter, and apparently I missed the school song of "In Heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here.." My favorite part of the game though, might have been the baton twirler girl. They actually have a girl on full scholarship for baton twirling. It was great; she just wanders around the sidelines in a sparkly bikini doing tricks with her baton. I've decided that's how i'm going to pay for my graduate studies. First, I just have to learn to twirl. Hopefully I'll be able to work up to flaming batons!

That night, Erin and Abe were in charge of a ward party. We headed out to a really pretty area by the reservoir (which was all flooded during the big floods this summer). It was fun to meet a lot of their friends, and their activity was a huge hit with the bishop commenting multiple times, "This is a really great event, one of our best!"

Sunday we had went to church and then headed to Abe's family for dinner and the CES fireside. We also played a few exciting games of Mexican Dominos and Scrabble. We also made some excellent tasting pretzels. What can I say? It was an action packed day! How could i resist not showing this gem? While at Abe's house, his sisters entertained us by making faces such as this one. Erin had to go to school on Monday, so she headed out early to start working on her patient. Abe was kind enough to play chauffeur and drive me around all day. I met Erin a little while later at school, where her classmate made me some bleaching trays for basically nothing. This is my "Do I really want to let my sister stick sharp instruments in my mouth?" face...

Then Abe and I headed over to his lab where I got to meet his mice, fill micro-pipette trays, tour rooms where I wasn't allowed to touch anything or else I would get cancer, and see some mice's hearing get tested. It was pretty cool.

That evening, we had some delicious Chicago-style pizza before my flight. It was a lot of fun to go out and see where my sister has been for the past few years. I was skeptical about Iowa, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed myself and the town. No wonder the Field of Dreams is there!

This post is getting quite long, so the journey home will have to be another continuation. I know everyone is anxiously awaiting...