I traveled to and from Florida this past week, attending an industry meeting where we worked on strategic planning for an association board I have served on for more than 20 years.
Friends, family members and co-workers think it is a vacation. Hardly. From dawn till dusk, we hammered out ideas to improve our association and our industry in the comfy confines of 60-degree hotel conference rooms. With the temperatures in the 30s and 40s outside, that was OK. Even so, we might as well have been at the Super 8 in Cresco.
My wife, on the other hand, was able to enjoy a few days of tourism stuff, along with our youngest daughter and her boyfriend. They experienced Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Epcot for two days. On Saturday, when our meetings were complete, I joined them at Disney Hollywood Studios. Twelve hours of walking, standing and waiting on concrete was plenty for this 56-year-old. But, through it all, I made some interesting observations.
First, with the chilly weather, sales of Disney sweatshirts had to be at an all-time high. And speaking of the dress code, I calculated that more than 90% of the women were wearing leggings. In fairness, many were likely planning to wear shorts, but the goosebumps encouraged them in another direction. A couple decades ago, most women would have been wearing jeans. A few decades before that, dresses would have been the choice. But, now, it’s leggings. Lots of them. And the sizes or shapes of the people wearing them does not seem to matter.
Second, those of us speaking the English language seemed to be the minority at Disney. Or maybe those speaking foreign languages simply talk much louder. Or, more than likely, both.
In America, we drive our vehicles on the right side of our roads and highways. When walking in groups, we also walk on the right side. It seems to work well, until it doesn’t. Some folks at Disney seem to insist on walking on the left, creating a demolition derby of sorts. The Malachi crunch happened more often than I could have ever imagined. So, what makes some people not understand the need to walk on the right like the bulk of the rest of the people? A state of confusion? A cultural difference? Or are they just plain oblivious to their surroundings?
And, finally, our society seems to have mastered line management better than the cattle producers in Iowa. Or at least Disney has — and the airports, too. Hurry up and wait has never been defined better. I enjoyed the Disney experience, but waiting in lines for two hours to go on a ride for two minutes isn’t good math for me. Even so, waiting another hour in the cattle lines for security check-in at the airport seemed a fitting way to end this trip. I am glad to be back in Iowa. Industry planning completed. Wearing jeans. Speaking English. Walking on the right. And not having to deal with lines.
Have a magnificent Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
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FROM KCCI: Suspect in March 2024 Des Moines shooting returned to Iowa, charged with attempted murder. DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines man suspected in a March 2024 shooting in the East Village that seriously injured two people has been returned to Iowa after being arrested in Illinois last fall. ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Handguns recovered following downtown pursuit, two in custody. DES MOINES, Iowa — Two people are in custody after an overnight police pursuit downtown, according to Des Moines Police. According to police, shortly after midnight, DMPD officers responded to the 200 block of Court Avenue to investigate reports of a male “flashing” a gun at others. ...READ MORE
FROM WOI: Gun 'flashing' sparks chase on Court Avenue; two suspects apprehended. DMPD officers initially responded to Court Avenue shortly after midnight to investigate a report of a person "flashing" a gun. ...READ MORE |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
A chilly start to the week, with a slight snow chance early Tuesday. Warming to end the week.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| Read the latest CITYVIEW | | | CENTER STAGE
New Year, new offerings, new opportunities
By John Busbee
While most performing arts presenters take a well-deserved post-holiday break, there still are some shows beckoning January audiences. This is also a great time to add an enticing resolution to your list: Consider how to become involved in an upcoming stage production. The backbone of central Iowa’s vibrant performing arts scene is its volunteer core, and this is an excellent time to consider how to test such waters. In the Greater Des Moines region, in 2020 (the most recent statistics compiled by Americans for the Arts), 47.1% of Iowans volunteered regularly, ranking Iowa as fourth in the nation for volunteerism. A total of 7,590 volunteers donated a combined 277,644 hours in the Greater Des Moines region. This donated time represents the equivalence of $6.5 million. That has a powerful and positive impact for organizations that need to maximize their resources to continue serving their mission — and their community. | | | READ MORE |
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Hay makers' milestone. Daily consumption of hay in the U.S. hit a million tons per day last year for the first time. Hay is the dried product of many grasses and crops. Iowa is not a top 10 hay state, although neighbors Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas are all top four, with Texas. Alfalfa is the preferred source of hay but not for cattle who consume the most hay. Gilbert, Arizona, used to call itself "The Hay Shipping Capital of the World," but it's outgrown that identity (it's bigger than Des Moines now) and now prefers being "Arizona's foodie capital." (Statista)
Hot Off the Presses, a grilled cheese and panini specialist, is now open Tuesday through Saturday in the former Dino's venue at 5962 Ashworth Road in West Des Moines.
Deals today
• Eastside Eddie’s (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) Monday special is a burger with domestic beer, soft drink or well drink for $10. Those are good, generously sized burgers too.
• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.
• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95
• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m.
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays.
• Trostel's Greenbriar (5810 Merle Hay Road, Johnston) offers half-pound steak burgers with fries or salad and a beer for a Monday-only price of $14
• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).
• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.
• Urban Cellars (640 S. 50th St., West Des Moines) offers $60 wine dinners for two on Mondays including two entrees with soup or salad, a dessert and a bottle on wine.
• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road) has a burger basket with fries deal Mondays for $9.
• Westown Tap (3530 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines) has steak night on Mondays.
• Price Chopper delis offer two piece, bone-in fried chicken dinners, with two sides and a roll, for $6 on Mondays.
• Fareway has a deal this week on Michelina's frozen entrees, three for $4, and on USDA Choice beef short ribs $7.99/pound.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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The 2024 results ...
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | Best Ankeny Bar
1. Yankee Clipper
2. Whiskey River
3. Jakes Pub
The 2025 Best Of Des Moines Poll is now closed. Results will be published in the February 2025 issue of CITYVIEW. |
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| Featured home for sale | | |
$435,000 402 S.W. Prairie Trail Parkway Ankeny, IA 50023
Plenty of curb appeal with this well-cared-for two story. Prairie Trail single-owner resale. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, second floor laundry. Walk-in closet, double sink and walk-in shower complete the owner's suite. Walk-in pantry, under-cabinet lighting and center island in kitchen.
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 1432 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR PARKWAY, DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-09-04
SALE PRICE: $120,000
SELLER: WHITFIELD, RANDY
BUYER: NEWTON, JEFFERSON
ACRES: 0.178
SQUARE FEET: 2,509 |
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Featured in the current
issue of Johnston Living magazine | | | An unforgettable ride
Residents share the joy of their first car.
By Ashley Rullestad
What kids, strapped into the backseats of their parents’ cars, gazing through the gaps between the front seats and watching the road ahead, don’t think how great it will be when they are in the driver’s seat? And not just any driver’s seat, but the seat of their very own car. The power of the machine in their control. The freedom to choose the destination. The total control over the stereo. It’s no wonder people’s memories of their first auto stay vivid, and the stories remain a thrill be told.
A teenager’s dream
Though Gavin Boliver’s first car was technically a Honda Accord, it was simply a means of transportation for the year that he was saving up for his first dream car — a 2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost, which he bought in April 2023. | | | READ MORE |
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SUNDAY NFL games: Denver 7 Buffalo 30; Philadelphia 22 Green Bay 10; Washington 23 Tampa Bay 20
FROM ESPN: Pitt, down 32 to SMU, ties largest comeback in NCAA women's hoops history ... READ MORE
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Jordan Spieth Sets Return Date to PGA Tour, Looking to 'Get Back Into a Rhythm' ... READ MORE
FROM Yahoo Sports: Barcelona smash Real Madrid in Supercopa de España thriller ... READ MORE |
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1986: NCAA adopts controversial Proposition 48. On January 13, 1986, NCAA schools vote to adopt Proposition 48, a controversial regulation that mandates minimum high school grades and scores on standardized college entrance exames for student-athletes to participate in sports as freshmen. The proposition, which passes by a large margin, was not implemented until three years later. ...READ MORE
1842: After massacre, sole surviving British soldier escapes Kabul. On January 13, 1842, a British army doctor reaches the British sentry post at Jalalabad, Afghanistan, the lone survivor of a 16,000-strong Anglo-Indian expeditionary force that was massacred in its retreat from Kabul. He told of a terrible massacre in the Khyber Pass, in which the Afghans gave the defeated Anglo-Indian force and their camp followers no quarter. ... READ MORE
1939: Doc Barker is killed by prison guards as he attempts to escape. Arthur “Doc” Barker is killed while trying to escape from Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay. Barker, of the notorious “Bloody Barkers” gang, was spotted on the rock-strewn shore of the island after climbing over the walls. Despite the fact that guards were ordering him to surrender, Barker continued tying pieces of wood together into a makeshift raft. As he waded into the water, the guards shot and killed him. ... READ MORE
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy birthday Al Meyer!
These celebrities were born on this date: Patrick Dempsey, Natalia Dyer, Liam Hemsworth, Orlando Bloom, Connor McDavid, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Trace Adkins, Julian Morris
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to the last riddle: What king of medieval England was famous because he spent so many nights at his Round Table writing books? KING AUTHOR! - Carolyn Rogers, Gail Tomlinson, Lori Bluml
Today's riddle: How did the Vikings send secret messages?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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