Back On Track

As I mentioned in the last post, Chrysa and I have hit our stride, and things are back on track. A little update for ya’ll, I am working again. I have jumped into familiar waters and taken a job at Hy-Vee (the local grocery store) in the meat department. I am really thrilled to have gotten this position. It’s a job I am familiar with (I was able to jump right in), the hours are great, and I am working with food again! My El Rancho skills are really paying off. I forgot how fun and fulfilling it was talking to people about food and giving cooking tips. I have worked there a handful of days and I can already tell this is going to be a good position for me.

Because those pesky details like… having jobs… and making money are out of the way, Chrysa and I can get back to doing what we do best… exploring our surroundings. We managed to check out a few things on our last break together. Let’s start with a good old fashioned salute to consumerism, The Mall of America.

As mentioned before, Minneapolis is only a couple hours north of us. Chrysa and I really wanted to check out the city, but it was just too hot on the day we chose to walk around comfortably. The solution was simple…hang out in the AC and get our bearings for a more in depth exploration later on. With the problem solved we hit the road and got to the MOA around lunch time.

The Mall of America is as gigantic as you imagine it would be. It is set up as a square with stores on the outside and an amusement park in the center. Every store you can think of is represented (sometimes 2 or even 3 times) and the mall has everything you could ever need. You could easily spend the whole day there. We know… because we did! After a nice lunch we started on the ground floor and circled the building and hit all 3 levels. As good as the shopping was, the people watching was even better. Along the way we saw people waiting to see a YouTube star, people frantically playing Pokemon Go in the amusement park, and a general assortment of fun and interesting folks going along their business. We did have a nice time at the MOA but we eventually needed to get back to Mason City. The dog would probably want to go out and we had dinner plans.

 

Mason City was hosting a BBQ festival the weekend we went to the MOA. The festival was being held in East Park, so after we took the dog out, we headed next door to the park to get some grub. The actual competition food was being judged and served the following day but a few stands were open when we went. In addition they had a nice cover band playing. I ended up getting a rack of ribs that were really good, although the baked beans were the best part, and Chrysa got a pulled pork sandwich that she loved. It was a nice ending to a fun day.

After our hike at the MOA, Chrysa and I opted to do some more traditional hiking, of the outdoors variety, a few days later. We decided to head over to Pilot Knob State Park. Billed as the “second highest point in Iowa”, it’s a whopping 1450 feet above sea level. While not the rolling, hilly terrain we were hoping for, the park is lovely, and very worth the drive. Chrysa and I had a great time hiking the trails, exploring Dead Man’s Lake, and taking pics from the observation tower. In fact, the view from the tower made the trip for me. I just loved the interplay between the dark clouds and the vibrant green fields.

I am just thrilled by how Iowa is working out so far. It feels great getting our groove back. I can’t wait to explore another part of the state. I hear Riverside Iowa has a James T. Kirk birthplace marker and nerdatorium. Might have to check it out… we both have some days off soon.

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