Swimming around Des Moines 2009

Lookin’ for a place to swim? You have lots of choices: indoors; outdoors; chlorinated and not. If you have never heard The Swimming Song, check out this YouTube video with Loudon Wainwright III (who wrote the music and lyrics). My favorite version is the somewhat quicker version by Kate McGarrigle.

Here’s a pretty good list of municipal pools, or in the words of The Swimming Song,

salt my wounds, chlorined my eyes
I’m a self-destructive fool, a self-destructive fool

• Altoona
• Ankeny
• Carlisle
• Clive
• Des Moines (Ashworth Pool, Birdland Pool, Nahas Aquatic Center, Northwest Aquatic Center, Teachout Aquatic Center)
• Indianola
• Urbandale
• Waukee YMCA
• West Des Moines Holiday Park Aquatic Center
• West Des Moines Valley View Aquatic Center and
• White Water University in Pleasant Hill

Maybe you would rather be in some of the natural waters. There are several. You can check the water quality (bacteria) in some through Iowa DNR but not Saylorville. Water quality seems to be better this summer than last.

• Big Creek State Park
• Lake Ahquabi just outside Indianola
• Saylorville Lake

photos by flickr by Northfield.org and peasap

Des Moines and San Francisco: a subjective view

Last month I visited family in the Bay Area of California – plenty of time to see some differences between Polk County in Central Iowa and San Mateo County just south of San Francisco. In the earlier post, more objective, quantifiable data were compared.

While some of the differences can be easily compared, it is harder to quantify other differences, such as

• food, gardening
• travel, commuting
• baseball, activities
• stress

Grocery shopping? California may have a big edge here.

• CA has New Leaf, Whole Foods, and Andronico’s, natural food stores where you can get everything you need; while the prices are a little higher on some items (especially the meat), the produce is ripe and fresh – likely because it doesn’t travel far.
• The only places like that in IA are the farmers’ markets: Des Moines Farmer’s Market, and other local markets; Iowa City’s New Pioneer Food Coop; Ames’ Wheatsfield Grocery. In contrast to CA, Des Moines-based New City Market and Campbell’s Nutrition are quite small by comparison.
• When it comes to the commercial chains (except for the produce) IA’s Hy-Vee and Dahl’s compare favorably with Safeway in CA.

Home gardening? This will get your attention! There is a wait of 4 to 7 years to get a 100 sq ft garden plot in the Fort Mason Community Garden. That is a plot about the size of a very small bedroom. We’ve had picnics at Fort Mason more than once, and it is a beautiful spot as you can see on the right; but it’s easier to find a spot to garden in Iowa.

Food, in general? My impression is that

• Iowa wins on beef and pork
• California wins on fruits and vegetables

Driving? I find it easier to drive in the Bay Area, but enough said about that.

Cars? This is a strange experience. I drove my sister’s hot rod Lincoln for 4 weeks, and you wouldn’t believe what I have seen and have not seen.

• I saw only ten 2009 Chevrolet Impalas in 20 days
• instead? Toyota, Mercedes, Lexus, Hyundai, BMW, Acura, Honda, Volvo and a few Ford cars and Chevy trucks

Public Transit? The Purple Wren and I stayed in a coastal California community about the size of Grinnell, Iowa and took lots of public transit too.

• twice to San Francisco and back (SamTrans bus and CalTrain)
• once to Oakland and part way back (walked a block to SamTrans buses then BART right to the Coliseum)
• around San Francisco (Muni)

Baseball? Definitely a lot of winners here! Whether you live in the Bay Area or Des Moines, you can see good professional baseball: San Francisco Giants; Oakland A’s; Iowa Cubs. I saw the A’s and the Tigers and my favorite Tiger Curtis Granderson (shown left), but the best part was spending the afternoon with my nephew John who rode BART from Berkeley. We had great seats, but you know, it’s hard to beat an afternoon in Principal Park right here in Des Moines!

Activities? There is more to do in both places than I can ever get to.

Stress? I am not sure that stress is the right word – intensity might be better. The pace is faster, and the crowd is larger in CA. It is a line-up kind of place, and longer lines – at the movies, banks, grocery stores, restaurants, traffic, bus/CalTrain/BART stops. It’s all exciting and intense, but it creates a little more stress. When the Purple Wren and I moved back after a year in CA 10 years ago, I said, “I could live in CA, but I wouldn’t live as long.” I’ll stand by that.

Well, you win some, you lose some, and sometimes you tie. I’m happy to be here; I was happy to be there.

Free yoga at Gray’s Lake

What could be better?

• yoga
• free
• Gray’s Lake (north side, park by the beach)
• Saturday mornings from 9 am to 10 am
• 17 weeks beginning June 6 and running through September 26
• a variety of instructors

Sponsored by Des Moines Parks and Recreation the sessions are said to be beginner’s classes (lucky for me). If you want to try it, wear loose fitting clothes and bring a mat, rug, or towel along with some water. You’ll stand; you’ll sit; you’ll stretch and bend. It is not a competitive sport so you won’t have to do anything and you don’t have to do it perfectly (very lucky for me).

You don’t have to sign up, and you don’t have to stay so try it once; you might like it.

One of the better sites for medical information is WebMD and they list many benefits of yoga including

• flexibility
• posture
• stress reduction
• breathing

I remember my first yoga class. I went only to humor the Purple Wren while we were living in California 10 years ago. Much to my surprise I liked it and it made me feel better – more flexible, more relaxed, and breathing better. I’ve been to classes quite a few times since, always like it, always feel better, but I never go on a regular basis. (How smart is that?)

There are many styles of yoga and many studios in Des Moines. But don’t be intimidated; I’m sure that the summer program at Gray’s Lake will keep it simple.

Here is the June/July schedule. I’ll update it later. If it rains, it’s canceled.

• June 6 with Lily Hou of Green Yoga House
• June 13 with Brette Scott and Paula De Matties of Shakti Yoga
• June 20 with Jen Kees of Kees Camp
  June 27 with Roxianne Classen of Firehouse Yoga
• July 4 with Roxianne Classen of Firehouse Yoga
• July 11 with of Robin Bourjaily of Liz Taylor Yoga
• July 18 with of Robin Bourjaily of Liz Taylor Yoga
• July 25 with Jen Kees of Kees Camp

Try it once.

photos by flickr by DonnaGrayson and A-Wix

Iowa Cubs home opener 2009

Everything is right for the Iowa Cubs home opener.

• Friday, April 17, 7:05 pm
• Round Rock Express is coming
• Principal Park where the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers meet; it’s a great ballpark!
• check the seating and prices then buy your tickets on-line
• pretty nice weather (It looks like 65 at game time with only a 10% chance of showers and 58 at 10 o’clock.)
• here’s the schedule
• and the 2009 roster

Just remember who you got to see last year, and don’t forget who has played in Des Moines in the past few years: Geovany Soto, the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year; Ryan Theriot; Micah Hoffpauir; Koyie Hill; Felix Pie; Eric Patterson. The Des Moines Register reports 15 returning starters from last season. It looks like we will be seeing Jason DuBois and Jeff Samardzija in Des Moines, at least for a while this year.

If you like baseball, it’s the place to be this weekend!

photos by flickr by Justin Brockie and Tim Patterson

Billie Jean King, a Champion still championing great cause

Where do you start with a champion like Billie Jean King? Her incredible tennis career? Her decades of fighting for social change and equality?

Billie Jean King’s legendary career in sports does seem to be eclipsed only by her endless efforts on behalf of the rights and dignity of people across the globe. The American icon spoke Tuesday night as part of the Smart Talk series at the Civic Center of Des Moines. She continued to champion a commitment to worthy causes.

King retired from competitive tennis 19 years ago, but it’s hard not to highlight some accomplishments on the court: 39 Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon. Starting as a 15-year-old in 1959 in her debut at the U.S. Championships, King gained international recognition just two years by winning the women’s doubles title at Wimbledon. Things just got better: for one 10-year period from 1966 through 1975, King won

• 12 Grand Slam singles titles
• 9 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, and
• 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

On March 24, 2009 at the Civic Center of Des Moines, Billie Jean King paid little homage to these statistics, instead focused on lessons learned in her extraordinary life.

Three themes framed her message -

• Accept and cherish the relationships in your life.
• DON’T make assumptions. About yourself, or others.
• Accept pressure as a privilege.

King, (named “one of the 100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by Life Magazine in 1990), emphasized the work that still needs to be done to achieve equality in all facets of our culture. The crusader for women’s sports, told of her passion for empowering others with “micro financing”, where small loans to entrepreneurs in poor countries can “change generations” of poverty. Of course, King has been helping people stand on their own two feet for decades – whether fighting for Title 9, or for equal rights for the Gay and Lesbian (GLBT) community.

Crowd favorite’s on Tuesday night included her illustrious victory over Bobby Riggs in 1973, dubbed the “Battle of the Sexes”, and how at the last minute she decided not to just crush opponent Riggs, but to run him all over the court. And of course her 37 year relationship with Sir Elton John, and how the #1 hit and homage to King, Philadelphia Freedom, came to be. The song was played at her entrance and exit from the Civic Center stage.

Following up in the “Meet and Greet” after the show, Billie Jean was generous and attentive to her fans, talking freely about family, human rights, her favorite tennis moment, and expressing a love for Bigelow Tea. Once she signed everything, from her latest book Pressure is a Privilege to several tennis racquets, it was clear that her championship ways included the message from her presentation, that the most important relationship is being comfortable with yourself.

Photo by flickr by The Heart Truth

Article written by David Borzo

Iowa Barnstormers, Kurt Warner, Hips

It’s feeling more like spring than winter. Aren’t we all waiting for the crack of the bat? Well, in Des Moines we’re going to hear the crack of the helmets and pads first. It’s time for the Iowa Barnstormers and its league af2 (not to be confused with Des Moines’ earlier league affiliation Arena Football).

Iowa Barnstormers

• first game on March 27, 2009 in Milwaukee against the Milwaukee Iron (Too bad Newton doesn’t have a team; they could be the Newton Washers.)
• first home game on Saturday April 4 2009 against the Tulsa Talons, Wells Fargo Arena.
• tickets are listed as $12, $15, $19, $26, $42, and $58
• As of 3/19/2009 the prices are listed but the seating chart is not available, but I am sure they will post that information soon. Wouldn’t ya’ think?

I went to a Barnstormers game a few years ago. It’s quite entertaining. It’s rough like college and professional football, but it is faster paced, smaller field, closer (hence more personal), higher scoring, and – the out of bounds? – well, as you can see out of bounds is the wall.

There are a few regional names on the roster

• Tim Dodge (Rockwell City and Iowa)
• Jason Ripke (Newell and Simpson)
• DeAndre Jackson (ISU)
• Pete Traynor (Iowa)
• Donva Louder (Graceland)
• Mike Matthes (Williamsburg and UNI)
• Joe Brannen (Colo and Coe)
• Dusty Cain (Prairie City and Simpson)
• Tanner Varner (Ottumwa and UNI)
• J. J. Payne (Davenport)
• Eric Rothwell (Iowa)
• Charles Johnson (Cedar Falls and UNI)

Of course the Iowa Barnstormer and local boy we most like to remember is Kurt Warner (CR Regis and UNI) who went from Hy-Vee sacker to DE sackee in just a few short years. In case you missed it, Warner is making a few million dollars along the way (quite a few actually). He has won several MVP awards in the NFL and one in the Super Bowl. Kurt Warner had some surgery on his hip yesterday; it’s officially reported as hip labrum arthroscopic surgery. Want a nice description of what causes a hip labrum tear and how it gets fixed? The surgeon (who also repaired a damaged Alex Rodriguez), reported that he removed a few loose fragments from Warner’s hip.

Loose fragments happen.

According to the Arizona Cardinal site, Warner was up and on a stationary bike within hours but will miss the minicamp.

At any rate you’ll be able to see the Iowa Barnstormers in action soon. They play at Wells Fargo Arena.

photo by flickr by brood_wich

Iowa Boys Basketball State Tournament 2009

It begins with a youngster and a basketball and it ends with the state tournament.

The Iowa Boys Basketball State Tournament is being held March 9-14, 2009 at Wells Fargo Arena (directions). There’s a great week of games coming up. Don’t miss it!

The schedule and brackets

The results

photo by flickr by flasporty

Climb Iowa 2009

Climb Iowa at 801 Grand is coming up! Good choice of words, eh? It’s also called 801 Grand Power Climb if you are a little more macho. In either case it is your big chance to

• climb the 41 floors/85 flights/nearly 1000 steps of Des Moines’ tallest building – 801 Grand
• Sunday, February 22, 2009 but you must
• register by Monday February 16, 2009.

It’s a fundraiser for the American Lung Association. You can be part of one of many teams or participate as an individual. There are other ways to take part than climbing the stairs. Check the links.

photo by flickr by mdrewe

Hoops 4 Hope, the Des Moines connection

Lately, we’re seeing a lot about Hoops 4 Hope, a loose consortium of activities raising money for cancer prevention, detection, and cure. Depending on who’s sponsoring it, each Hoops for Hope activity has a slightly different spin. The original Hoops 4 Hope game was in 2006 at North Carolina State University as a tribute to legendary women’s basketball coach Kay Yow while she was still alive. Kay Yow died on January 24, 2009 after a 21 year fight with breast cancer.

And here is the Des Moines connection:

Kay’s sister is Susan Yow, Drake women’s basketball coach from 1986-90. Susan Yow was NC State’s first All-American while playing for her older sister. Susan Yow is currently head coach at Belmont Abbey College in NC and coached her team on the day of her big sister’s death. The coach of her opponent that day was a Kay Yow protégé. If you knew Susan at Drake, you will recognize her in the photo at Kay’s funeral in Cary, NC.

One of Susan Yow’s players at Drake was All-American Jan Jensen, now associate head coach at the University of Iowa.

Beneficiaries of Hoops for Hope games have been:

• The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
• Kay Yow/WBCA with lots of names you will recognize
• American Cancer Society
• and many other organizations

Speaking of cancer prevention, I read an interesting print article on cancer in Wired last week. You can read it too. It’s available on-line – seven, informative pages. Their primary point is that as a society we should focus on early detection. Cure rates of cancers are high when they are detected early (They say 90%); in contrast, cure rates are abyssmal when they are detected late (They say 10%.). The Drake women’s Hoops 4 Hope game on 2/14/2009 included a half-time speaker (a physician) who echoed the need for regular testing for early detection, especially prostate tests for men and breast exams for women. Whatever reason you might have for not following up, your reason is not good enough. Do it. I’m up-to-date. Why am I up-to-date, you ask? The Purple Wren harasses me when I’m not.

photo by flickr by ncsunewsdept

One Hundred Wins

A great coach, a hot team, and 100 wins for Drake women’s basketball coach Amy Stephens.

The Bulldogs are playing well. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 games with a hard-nosed defense, a balanced offense (with a lot of players who can score quickly), and a roster full of players who love the game. There were many highlights in the afternoon game on February 14:

• hot pink jerseys as part of Drake’s support of Hoops 4 Hope
• solid contributions by every member of their balanced 8 player rotation
• a defense that made me happy to be in the stands and not on the floor
• free pink Hoops 4 Hope t-shirts to all the fans

and best of all

• Coach Stephens won her 100th game at Drake.

I’m sure there is bark and bite in practice and the locker room, but judging by the player reaction at the end of the game, this team loves its coach. In the photo to the left you can see Coach Stephens acknowledging the crowd of 3900 while assistant Todd Voss holds the 100th win game ball and the team looks on.

Looking on besides Monique’ Jones (#45) of Lee’s Summitt, MO and Amber Wollschlager (#34) of Milbank, SD, there is local celebrity Kristin Turk (#23) of Des Moines Lincoln.

This is a Drake team with at least 10 stars and potentially more. The only reason they use an 8 player rotation is a couple of injuries. They are worth watching and you’ve got two more chances to see them here in town – Thursday March 5 at 7:05pm against Illinois State and Saturday March 7 at 2:05 pm against Indiana State.

photos by James G. Lindberg

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