First Hotel Stay

Our little princess had her first overnight stay in a hotel. Her daddy didn't pick out a La Quinta Inn or even a Hampton Inn (OK, no pets at the Hampton Inn) but he picked the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. We found a pretty useful website for those of you that might travel with pets www.bringfido.com. This one had good reviews so we decided to shell out the extra $$ for a good night sleep in a king sized bed! Trice has met several new friends - human and other 4 legged ones. She even met a family from Columbia. We got to Nashville about 6:30pm, checked into the hotel and walked down West End to find something for dinner. DJ was happy to see a Five Guys and I opted for Jason's Deli, favorite we don't have in Columbia. We plan to hit the road at a decent hour but not 6am like this morning. There's a chance of rain all over the southeast tomorrow so we're planning to head straight east toward Knoxville, then south. We hope to be home by mid-afternoon!

Happy Birthday Dad!

This year my dad's birthday happens to fall on Thanksgiving. Nothing like having duck for your birthday dinner!

Trice's Namesake

Jack Trice, Iowa State’s first black athlete, was also the first athlete to die for Iowa State. On the night of his first football game, October 5, 1923, Jack wrote in a letter on some hotel stationery, “My thoughts just before the first real college game of my life: The honor of my race, family & self is at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will. My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped, I will be trying to do more than my part. On all defensive plays I must break thru the opponents' line and stop the play in their territory. Beware of mass interference. Fight low, with your eyes open and toward the play. Watch out for crossbucks and reverse end runs. Be on your toes every minute if you expect to make good.” During the first half of the game he had so anticipated, Trice suffered a broken collarbone. He continued to play during the third quarter, until he was thrown on his back and trampled by three Minnesota players. He died three days later. Four thousand students and faculty members attended his funeral service on central campus.

This is from a recent ESPN article about ISU only I-A school to honor African-American in stadium name.

7 States, 1200 Miles and about 19 hours later...

We're in Ames and there is a dusting of snow on the ground!

New Friends, and Old Ones Too

We stayed with our friends in Murray, Kentucky last night, it was our half way point. Trice joined us on our road trip to Iowa and made a new friend, Miss E. It was good to see Ryan, Crystal and Simmons again. It was hard for us all believe it was 10 years ago that I did my internship at Murray State University. It was such a great experience for me and I made great friends! Thanks for letting us visit and your hospitality Ryan and Crystal!!

Happy Birthday Little Sis!

The blog birthday wishes are a little late, but we definitely have a good reason - nine hours in the car! We are glad you had a good birthday celebrating with some of your friends. Enjoy the last year of your 20's!!

Bad Dog, Bad Bad Dog!

We both left work today right at 5 so we could take Trice on a walk before it was pitch black outside, because that is what good parents do. This is what we found when we got home. Some time between lunch (because we also come home for lunch almost everyday to let her out) and shortly after 5 Trice decided to destroy my US Weekly magazine I was saving for our road trip. Bad dog...

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Well not exactly the night before Christmas...but we are traveling to Iowa for Thanksgiving and are taking our Christmas presents with us so they don't have to be shipped back to Iowa. We have a couple more presents to buy and then we'll be finished. If I can finish this

weekend this might be the first time I've ever finished Christmas shopping before December 1st! The second photo is from my favorite art shop in Ames, IA. The lucky recipient already has an item or two from the Octagon Center for the Arts. I always visit the shop when we are back in Ames, and usually find a little something for myself too.

We will keep you updated on our travels...we are driving and taking Trice!

Florida Bound

DJ's brother flew down from the Twin Cities Wednesday. We went to Charlotte to pick him up and had to make a quick detour to Nordstrom on the way home. It's the closest store to Columbia and they carry shoes big enough for DJ to actually try on. (They carry up to size a 20!) He found two pair - one will be a Christmas present and he's already worn the other. The boys headed to Gainesville Friday for the USC vs Florida football game on Saturday. They are staying at the same hotel as the Gator football team. DJ got to see and speak to Coach McCarney Saturday morning as they were leaving the hotel. We try to keep up with former coaches and players we've worked with and always hope they do well...but today we're cheering for the Gamecocks!

Happy 2nd Birthday Trice!