Category Archives: Friends

Fisher of Men: Boone Field Work

Today is Andy’s birthday so I have to wish him a happy birthday!


Day 194 - July 13, 2022
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY!

I hope your day is filled with 17 hour old tenderloins!

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It is Lent! During Lent I like to hit a Fish Fry here and there. Which gives me the added benefit of hitting some Catholic churches and checking out what is usually some pretty creepy Catholic art!

On the first Friday of Lent Jay, Jesse, and I hit Sacred Heart in Boone to check out their fish and their creepy art:


Sacred Heart Fish Fry
Every single one of these dudes looks like a serial killer. Especially the guy in the upper left.

Sacred Heart Fish Fry
Is this a serious question? Is Geraldine a super outlandish horse name? Also, nice use of the term “Indians”. Racism isn’t dead.

Sacred Heart Fish Fry
If this kid didn’t die when he was 15 he would have put up H.H. Holmes type numbers.

Sacred Heart Fish Fry
I kind of like this one. Like the world’s largest shrinky dink.

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry
No pictures of them standing on the corner of Story & US-30 shaking down people for donations.

Sacred Heart Fish Fry
Fish, baked potato, cole slaw, green beans, and a roll. They also offered mac & cheese, but I was able to cut them off before they put that pile of bland on my plate.

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry
Gave a kid a $5 donation for this brownie. It was worth it.

Sacred Heart Fish Fry
We closed that Fish Fry down. Which is cooler than closing down the bar in my book.

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

Sacred Heart Fish Fry

The verdict? It was a darn good fish fry. I would definitely hit it on the regular if I wasn’t trying to hit all different fish fries this Lent.

Here is the update on my efforting to live a healthier lifestyle. I guess the big development is that I have joined a gym. I joined Planet Fitness in Ames. Although with my membership I can go to any Planet Fitness in the world. I am a little leery of joining a gym in a different town, but I don’t really like either gym in Boone and my tentative gym plan isn’t super ambitious. I mostly want to hit it twice a week. Once after working in Ames and then once again on weekends. I mostly plan to use it to do some HIIT workouts. Maybe some weightlifting. It seems like a good fit cause Brandon goes there and I think I got a deal by being referred by Elizabeth. Or she got a deal. Somebody got a deal and that is all that matters. Now I’m thirsty for some Deal’s Orchard apple cider! Adding the fitness watch and the gym membership are really the 2 big changes. I don’t know of any else that I’m planning to add in the future. Okay, I’m considering buying a smart scale. But we will see.

I have taken to posting some highlights from my daily walks on Snapchat. I really only send those to my Top 8 Snapchat Friends. That is currently Elizabeth, Fran, Brandon, Logan, Sabas, Alexis, Nathanial, and Micky. I have substantial Streaks with 7 of them. I mean maybe they don’t want to get them, but that is the burden of being one of my Top 8 Snapchat friends.

But if you are feeling left out and want to get Snaps from the thrilling world of me walking, let me know and I can send them to you as well. Maybe someday you will be able to squeeze into my Top 8 friends as dictated by the Snapchat algorithm.

I don’t have really any interesting statistics from Noom this week. I was going to try to dig up the statistic on how eating eggs for breakfast increases weight loss, but that was a couple weeks back and suddenly seems like a lot of work. So just take my word for it. Eating eggs for breakfast helps with increased weight loss because they can boost metabolic activity and increase satiety.

This week’s Noom lessons were mostly about how exercise doesn’t really help you lose weight. Mostly cause people overestimate how many calories exercise burns and then justify overeating because they think they burned more calories than they did. While exercise might not help you lose weight, it does help you maintain weight and exercise definitely makes you healthier. And your ultimate goal shouldn’t be to lose weight, exactly. It should be to be healthier and exercise is a big part of the healthier lifestyle.

That being said, I did lose some weight this week. I am down another 2.3 pounds. 14.7 pounds since I started Noom about 5 weeks ago. 51 pounds since January 1 of 2023.

But weight isn’t the only way to measure improvement. It is just the easiest way to measure cause you can stand on a scale every morning. So a couple less directly measurable results are that I’ve been going through my closet to downsize my extensive clothing collection. I definitely fit into some shirts better that I haven’t worn in a long time. While I am a well documented fashionista and twice recognized as the best dressed man at the Computer Mine (in my head at least) the one result that I have found most meaningful to me is my photo backpack. When I first purchased it the bottom strap, the strap that goes around my waist, it would buckle, but it definitely didn’t like it. I didn’t like it. People that saw me probably didn’t like it. It definitely dug into my sides. Now I can cinch it up. Maybe not a lot. Maybe an inch. Maybe two. Maybe just several millimeters. But it is definitely an improvement.

Next Sunday’s food adventure will involve a local barbecue joint. I swear it this time!

WPC – WEEK 441 – LEADING LINES

Today is Micky’s birthday so I have to wish him a happy birthday:


June 22
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKY!

I hope your birthday is filled with all the outdoorsman adventures you can handle!

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It is the last Monday of the month and on the last Monday of the month I like to revisit our Frequently Asked Questions. Who asks these questions? I mostly ask them of myself. But that isn’t a Frequently Asked Question. These are:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE

What skill level photographer can participate?

THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is open to photographers of all skill levels. From award winning photographers to professionals to the highly ranked amateurs to those that are just beginning to those who don’t even know how to focus a camera. All skill levels are encouraged and welcome. You can’t be too bad and you can’t be too good! Everyone has room to learn and be challenged!

Award winning photographers? Really?

Yes. I can think of at least 10 photographers that participate regularly that have won a photography award of some kind.

Is this a competition?
NO. It is a challenge. There are no winners and losers. Well the people that don’t participate are losers.

Is there a limit to the number of submissions I can have each week?

Yes. That limit is 2. If you send me more than 2, I will post the first 2 that you send. I’m not trying to harsh your photography buzz, but any more than that starts to overwhelm the other submissions and it takes me about 5 minutes to take a picture from my inbox to code it on the website. So I have to manage my workload.

If you are going to submit more than one picture, I strongly urge you to choose completely different subjects for each submission. If you are submitting multiple pictures of the same subject, make sure that each picture is saying something unique.

If I start to average like 45 participants a week, I will lower the limit to 1.

Can I send you several pictures and have you pick the best one?

No! No! NO! If those words come out of your mouth or your keyboard, I consider that to be a non-submission.

Do you ever question whether somebody’s submission fits the theme?

Meh. Only if I think somebody is clearly confusing this week’s theme with last week or next week’s theme. Otherwise, if the submission makes sense in your head, that is good enough for me. However, I would urge you to not try to fit your favorite subject into the theme every week. This isn’t a challenge to share a picture every week of your kid or your business or your pet. It is a challenge to take pictures of different things every week. Which isn’t to say subjects can’t be repeated, but you shouldn’t become reliant on the same ones.

Why can’t I submit after 11 AM on Mondays if the post doesn’t publish until 12:01 PM?

I go to lunch at 11 AM. I leave my office. I’m not near a computer. At 11 AM I hit “Schedule” and then I go throw food down my throat. 167 hours is more than enough time to send a submission. Okay, 166 hours and 59 minutes. You got me.

Do I have to wait until Monday morning to submit?

Absolutely not! In fact (AND CAN’T EMPATHIZE THIS ENOUGH) I appreciate the submissions that make it to me by Sunday evening. Makes the job of putting this together on Monday morning much easier!

Are there resolution requirements for submissions?

I won’t turn down submissions that are too small. I will probably ask you for a picture of greater resolution if it is really small. The typical 4 x 6 image posted to my website has a resolution of 1280 pixels x 853 pixels. While a 400 x 300 image might look okay on your phone, it looks like trash on a computer monitor. I prefer images that are at least 1000 pixels at their widest point, but don’t ban smaller pictures at this point. But don’t tempt me!

What format should my submission be?

.JPG but .PNG also works.

If I write a description of my image will you include that in your post?

No. Photography is art that should stand on its own. Only exception is the SLICE OF LIFE theme. But if you let me know where the picture was taken, I will include that. In fact, I appreciate you letting me know where a picture was taken. If you don’t let me know, I will assume the picture was taken in the state you live in.

When will you start accepting suggestions for next year’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE themes?

I will take suggestions only and ONLY in the comments sections of the THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE posts the last week of October and the 1st week of November.

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LEADING LINES! They lead somewhere, but did they lead to being a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, February 19, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Mary Green – 1 week
2-Susanna Funk – 1 week
3-Stehanie Kim – 1 week
4-Becky Parmelee – 1 week (2)
5-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 2 weeks (2)
6-Deanna McClain – 2 weeks
7-Willy McAlpine – 3 weeks (2)
8-Sara Lockner – 5 weeks
9-Monica Jennings – 5 weeks
10-Suzie Brannen – 7 weeks (2)
11-Lowell Davis – 7 weeks
12-Michelle Haupt – 7 weeks
13-Alexis Stensland – 7 weeks (2)
14-Brandon Kahler – 8 weeks
15-Scott Degeneffe – 26 weeks (2)
16-Sabas Hernandez – 27 weeks
17-Mike Vest – 32 weeks
18-Sheri Fakhouri – 36 weeks
19-Logan Kahler – 37 weeks
20-Nathanial Brown – 38 weeks
21-Jesse Howard – 38 weeks (2)
22-Tamara Peterson – 41 weeks
23-Mindi Terrell – 53 weeks (2)
24-Linda Bennett – 82 weeks (2)
25-Sarah Toot – 83 weeks (2)
26-Angie DeWaard – 87 weeks
27-Dawn Krause – 91 weeks (2)
28-Kim Barker – 97 weeks
29-Joe Duff – 98 weeks (2)
30-Teresa Kahler – 109 weeks (2)
31-Carla Stensland – 109 weeks
32-Micky Augustin – 111 weeks
33-Andy Sharp – 112 weeks
34-Bill Wentworth – 113 weeks
35-Cathie Morton – 117 weeks
36-Elizabeth Nordeen – 118 weeks
37-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 120 weeks
38-Kio Dettman – 122 weeks (2)

Reminder. Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:


1. The picture must be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.
3. Sometimes, for special people, for special circumstances, we can negotiate something.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks or the rules of the challenge or how to submit. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:


WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 123 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Summerset Trail – North of Indianola, Iowa) – 121 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 119 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 118 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 114 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 113 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Beardshear Hall – Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa) – 112 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Brookside Park – Ames, Iowa) – 110 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Lagomarcino Hall – Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa) – 110 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (Houston, Texas) – 99 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 98 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 92 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Bandorama – Boone High School – Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 88 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (Ludlow, Vermont) – 84 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 83 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Terra Park – Johnston, Iowa) – 54 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Terra Park – Johnston, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Mayo Clinic – Rochester, Minnesota) – 42 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) – 39 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (The Waterfront – Ankeny, Iowa) – 39 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 38 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 37 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 33 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 28 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 27 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Iowa) – 9 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 8 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - LOWELL DAVIS
Lowell Davis (Bandorama – Boone High School – Boone, Iowa) – 8 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa) – 8 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Boone County, Iowa) – 8 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Des Moines, Iowa) – 6 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 6 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Ledges State Park – Boone County, Iowa) – 4 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Michigan) – 2 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Michigan)

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - STEPANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim (Downtown Brooklyn – New York City, New York) – 2 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Arkansas) – 2 weeks

WPC - WEEK 441 - LEADING LINES - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (McHose Park – Boone, Iowa)

36 participants! That is a slight dip from the previous weeks, but still a pretty great week!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Michigan
+ Nebraska
+ New York
+ South Dakota
+ Texas
+ Vermont

Thanks to the travels of Sarah, we added Vermont to the list!

Here is the Year 11 list of states where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each state):

+ Arkansas (3)
+ California (1)
+ Colorado (2)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Iowa (307)
+ Kansas (12)
+ Michigan (4)
+ Minnesota (1)
+ Missouri (1)
+ Nebraska (10)
+ New York (5)
+ Pennsylvania (6)
+ South Dakota (2)
+ Texas (15)
+ Vermont (1)

15 states so far! No bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple states:

+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX)
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT)
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO)
+ Mary Green (MI, IA)
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN)
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD)

Sarah has trimmed Jen’s lead down to 1 state to be crowned the Queen of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Travel! I’ll keep workshopping that name.

There were no major milestones this week, but there are some big ones coming up!

There were some sad times though. Susanna couldn’t build on last week’s submission and her streak is over before it began. Jen and Deanna’s streaks both ended at 2.

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 442 - ROAD TRIP
ROAD TRIP

ROAD TRIP! What a great them for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE! One of my favorite themes every year. Since I’m pretty sure several of you are shut-ins, I like to see some of you actually leave the house now and again. Although I’ve mentally prepared myself for pictures of toy cars.

I look forward to your interpretation!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of ROAD TRIP in this place in this place that is at least a trip on its best days next Monday.

Super Bowl Spreads

On Super Bowl Sunday I got invited to 2 Super Bowl parties. Which is strange, cause it isn’t all that common for me to get invited to adult parties. I’m big time on the toddler party circuit, but other than that, my party dance card is pretty much empty.

So when I got invited to not ONE, but TWO parties on the same night, I had to cash in!

If we’re being honest, I wasn’t that emotionally invested in the outcome of the game. I wanted the 49ers to win because I wanted Brock Purdy to win, but I had no expectation they would win. The 49ers have a trash offensive line and their defense was also trash down the stretch. If the game was close, it was only going to be because the Chiefs also have a trash offensive line. In fact, it is amazing that two teams with such trash offensive lines made it so far in the playoffs.

But, despite my having a rooting interest for Brock Purdy, I wasn’t going to lose any sleep no matter the result. It is only his 2nd year in the league, he will have more chances.

But I might never have a chance to graze at 2 different Super Bowl parties.

I watched the 1st quarter and the 4th quarter at Logan’s party. I watched the 2nd and 3rd quarter and the halftime show at Scottie D.’s. Although I was attempted to leave immediately when only 2 people there knew who H.E.R. was.

Maybe next year I can get invited to 4 parties and watch each quarter at a different party. #GOALS.

Moving around didn’t really hurt my enjoyment of the game cause it was one of the single worst games I’ve ever watched in my life. The levels of ineptitude shown by the 2 “best” teams in the NFL made me thing that the defending USFL Champs (Birmingham Stallions) might have been the best team in professional football last year. You think the Chiefs defense could shut down Deon Cain? No. No they couldn’t. The 49ers pathetic secondary certainly couldn’t.

What? You thought I was going to talk up the Arlington Renegades. Please! They finished the regular season 4-6. The XFL should be ashamed for letting them be their champs.

And if you want to know who my team is in the UFL? It is the St. Louis Battlehawks!! Why? Cause Anthony Becht is their coach.

Here are some pictures of some of the spread at Logan’s:


Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Logan's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Logan's Party
This isn’t finished, if you are wondering.

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Logan's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Logan's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Logan's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Logan's Party
Some of these have a Dr. Pepper sauce.

Scottie D. had a larger party, so a larger spread:


Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party
Scott is a Chiefs fan, but almost everybody else there was rooting for Brock Purdy.

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party
I bet this was delicious.

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party
I confess, mashed potatoes took me by surprise, but I bet they were delicious.

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party
These were homemade meatballs.

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party
Scott’s very proud of his countertop ice machine. Might like it more than at least one of his children.

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party

Super Bowl Sunday Spread  - Scott's Party
I’m a sucker for little smokies. In fact I bought an 8 pack of them just the other day.

Basically what needs to happen is Logan and Scottie D. need to have their parties again next year. Then 2 more of you need step up and invite me to your parties. I don’t really care about missing much of the game to travel, but all 4 of the parties should be in Boone or close to Boone. As long as I get to see all of the halftime show, I’m good. One of my favorite yearly tradition is watching old people complain about that year’s halftime show. Like clockwork.

If you are wondering what my favorite Super Bowl treat was???

Drumroll please…

This will disappoint Scott and Logan…

It was the sliders Melissa made. I’m a sucker for a good slider.

But also thanks to my cousin Sarah for sending me pictures of her Super Bowl spread. I think hers looked healthier. I swear I saw vegetables and maybe hummus in one of her pictures.

But I promised, you… my accountability buddies, that there would be weekly updates on my attempts to establish healthier habits.

I thought I would sprinkle in a little knowledge on these updates. Here is something I learned from my Noom lessons this past week:

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that when you eat a meal with someone else it increases the number of calories you eat. If you eat with one more person, (this is at the aggregate level) you consume 44% calories. 58% more with 3 people. 69% with 4 people. 96% more calories with 7 people!

So don’t be jealous when you see a skinny person. They are just a loser that nobody wants to eat with.

A for the weight update, I’m down 5.9 pounds this week and 12.4 pounds since starting Noom about 4 weeks ago. Obviously 5.9 pounds in a week isn’t sustainable and is definitely a bit of a fluke and weight fluctuates from day to day due to a large number of factors. I expect that weight to go up a little bit this week. But all in all, a positive trend.

How is the CPAP going? I think I’m starting to get used to it. My FitBit sleep score has been in the 70s this past week. Which puts me in the Fair sleep range. I’ll take it.

I did breakdown and get a fitness watch. I went with the Google Pixel Watch 2. So far I’m really digging it. I am NOT a watch person. I need to pick up a different band though. Apparently people think my baby blue watch band isn’t manly enough. Just kidding, I don’t care what other people think.

At this time, I’m still thinking about joining a gym. Planet Fitness in Ames is the current leading contender. I do worry about joining a gym in a different town, but the price is right and I don’t like either of the gyms in Boone. So stay tuned on that front.

Next Sunday’s food adventure will involve a local barbecue joint that shockingly, I had never eaten at before.

RAGBRAI – Ames

On the first day that I followed RAGBRAI, the final stop was Ames. Ames was an overnight town. I went to downtown Ames to check out their festivities and met up with the Gorshes.

Here are some pictures:


RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

RAGBRAI - Ames - 2023

Honestly, the Ames RAGBRAI experience was a little bit of a disappointment. But on the next day I would follow RAGBRAI to Slater and Madrid, and both of them more than made up for Ames!

WPC – WEEK 440 – ORANGE

ORANGE! The favorite color of some. Some even say it is the new black. Some say that whomever said it was the new pink was seriously deranged. But was all these opinions on ORANGE enough to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out:

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, February 12, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 1 week
2-Jennie Green – 1 week
3-Amy Peterson – 1 week (2)
4-Deanna McClain – 1 week
5-Johnathan Stensland – 1 week
6-Willy McAlpine – 2 weeks
7-Sara Lockner – 4 weeks
8-Monica Jennings – 5 weeks
9-Suzie Brannen – 6 weeks
10-Lowell Davis – 6 weeks
11-Michelle Haupt – 6 weeks
12-Alexis Stensland – 6 weeks
13-Brandon Kahler – 7 weeks
14-Scott Degeneffe – 25 weeks
15-Sabas Hernandez – 26 weeks
16-Mike Vest – 31 weeks
17-Sheri Fakhouri – 35 weeks
18-Logan Kahler – 36 weeks (2)
19-Nathanial Brown – 37 weeks
20-Jesse Howard – 37 weeks
21-Tamara Peterson – 40 weeks
22-Mindi Terrell – 52 weeks (2)
23-Linda Bennett – 81 weeks
24-Sarah Toot – 82 weeks
25-Angie DeWaard – 86 weeks
26-Dawn Krause – 90 weeks (2)
27-Kim Barker – 96 weeks
28-Joe Duff – 97 weeks (2)
29-Teresa Kahler – 108 weeks
30-Carla Stensland – 108 weeks
31-Micky Augustin – 110 weeks
32-Andy Sharp – 111 weeks
33-Bill Wentworth – 112 weeks (2)
34-Cathie Morton – 116 weeks
35-Elizabeth Nordeen – 117 weeks
36-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 119 weeks
37-Kio Dettman – 121 weeks

Heading in to this week’s theme, here is what the 2024 Submission Map looks like:



THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE is starting to spread!

Reminder. Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:


1. The picture must be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.
3. Sometimes, for special people, for special circumstances, we can negotiate something.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks or the rules of the challenge or how to submit. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:


WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Ames, Iowa) – 111 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 120 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 97 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Photography 139 Studio – Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 82 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa) – 7 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Boone, Iowa) – 38 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - LOWELL DAVIS
Lowell Davis (Boone, Iowa) – 7 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 26 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 122 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa) – 87 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (League City, Texas) – 98 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (League City, Texas)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Missouri Airspace) – 2 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Ensley-Gorshe (Galveston, Texas)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - MARY GREEN
Mary Green (Iowa) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 36 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SUSANNA FUNK
Susanna Funk (Pikes Peak, Colorado) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 7 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 27 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Sacred Heart – Boone, Iowa) – 38 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Y Camp – Boone County, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 6 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 8 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Wal-Mart – Boone, Iowa) – 37 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 109 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Ames, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - STEPHANIE KIM
Stephanie Kim (Bed-Stuy – Brooklyn, New York) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa) – 91 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Granger, Iowa) – 5 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa) – 3 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - DEANNA MCCLAIN
Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 2 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 117 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 118 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - BECKY PARMELEE
Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Perry, Iowa) – 41 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 112 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 7 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Ogden, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa) – 109 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 53 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (New York City, New York) – 83 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (New York City, New York)

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - MIKE VEST
Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 32 weeks

WPC - WEEK 440 - ORANGE - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 113 weeks

39 participants! That is a great week! Breaks the previous record for participants this year, which was 38! Plus the first submissions this year from Stephanie and Becky!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas
+ Colorado
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Missouri
+ Nebraska
+ New York
+ Texas

Thanks to the travels of Jen, we added Missouri to the list. And Becky’s first submissions of 2024 add Arkansas to the list!

Here is the Year 11 list of states where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each state):

+ Arkansas (2)
+ California (1)
+ Colorado (2)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Iowa (272)
+ Kansas (11)
+ Michigan (2)
+ Minnesota (1)
+ Missouri (1)
+ Nebraska (8)
+ New York (4)
+ Pennsylvania (6)
+ South Dakota (2)
+ Texas (13)

12 states so far! No bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple states:

+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX)
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO)
+ Mary Green (MI, IA)
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY)
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN)

Jen has now taken a 2 state lead to be crowned the Queen of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Travel! I’ll keep workshopping that name.

The big milestone this week was Scott joining the Half Year Club! WooHoo!

But it wasn’t all good times! Jennie, Amy, and Johnathan couldn’t build on last week’s submission. Their streaks ended before they began!

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 431 - LEADING LINES
LEADING LINES – IOWA STATE FAIR PHOTOGRAPHY SALON THEME

LEADING LINES! What a great them for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I’m not explaining themes this year, unless it is something technical, but since this is the special theme category for the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon, I thought I would share their explanation for LEADING LINES.



I look forward to your interpretation!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of LEADING LINES in this place in this place that hopefully is leading somewhere positive next Monday.

Colon Scopin’

Not gonna lie. Going to state it right out in the open. This post isn’t for everybody. I was already told once that I overshared about this process, but it was a food adventure of sorts and the information I’m going to share fits into my future food adventures.

I started 2024 without really being to the doctor much over the last few years. If I’m being honest, much in my lifetime. But I’m getting old Auto Focus and the targeted ads when I listen to podcasts or peruse the internet or watching streaming services remind me of this fact every single day.

To start this year, I got a physical and since I haven’t been to the doctor much, he announced that this was the year that we were going to tune me up. So he scheduled me for a sleep study and a colonoscopy.

I was definitely dreading the colonoscopy. I have heard the hype about how awful it is for years. I don’t know what your experience with having something shoved up your butt is, but it was going to be a new experience for me. Not one I was looking forward to, like going to New Orleans for the first time. But when you are old like me, these are the kind of things you have to do.

Today’s food adventure is the prep I went through before my colonoscopy. I had my colonoscopy on Thursday. The prep started on Monday.

Monday Instructions

East absolutely nothing with seeds or corn: NO tomatoes, celery seeds, raspberries, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, popcorn, bread with seeds (whole grain), nuts.

This was particularly challenging for me because I eat a lot of raspberries and I enjoy a variety of nuts on the regular. Almonds. Pistachios. Walnuts. All favorites of mine. And, if you remember, a poppyseed kolache had made its way back for Nebraska with my name on it. Oh kolaches! So goooooooood! The no tomato part was also difficult cause I like a good tomato on my sandwich. Not tenderloins, but other sandwiches. I also have been eating lots of corn lately. I persevered though.

Tuesday Instructions

Milk of Magnesia: Take one ounce of Milk of Magnesia at bedtime. No seeds. No corn.


Colonoscopy Prep

I opted for the wild cherry flavored milk of magnesia. Only 1 ounce. It actually didn’t taste too bad. I don’t hanker for it, but it wasn’t bad.

Wednesday Instructions

Drink only clear liquids for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Solid foods including milk and milk products are NOT allowed. Clear liquids include water, juice, chicken or beef broth, plain Jell-O, Gatorade, popsicles, black coffee, teas, soda. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM RED AND PURPLE LIQUIDS.


Colonoscopy Prep

Member’s Mark Chicken Broth and 7-Up. That is what I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Other than it wasn’t all that filling, it wasn’t too bad. I can recommend this chicken broth. It is pretty dang tasty. I actually like 7-Up. Of the clear citrus sodas, it is my favorite by far. I’ve never liked Sprite much. Sierra Mist was slightly better than Sprite, but not the best. It’s replacement Starry, I can live without.

3:00 PM: Take 4 Dulcolax tablets. Continue clear liquids.


Colonoscopy Prep

There isn’t much to say about these. They are tiny. You can’t taste them. They definitely do the job as a laxative.

5:00 PM Pour 64 oz Gatorade into large pitcher or container. Add 238 gm Miralax into the Gatorade. Mix Well. You will want to drink one 10-12 oz glass every 15-20 minutes until it is gone.


Colonoscopy Prep

I’m not a fan of Gatorade. It is one of those things that if my body needs it (like after a workout) it tastes fantastic. If I’ve been sitting around like a worthless couch potato all day, then it tastes like ass. My body rejects it.

“Dude, you haven’t earned this.”

I hear a lot of people struggle with this, but I was able to knock all this down fairly easily. Probably cause the other diuretics had been doing their work and I was getting pretty hungry. The broth wasn’t exactly filling me up.

NOTHING BY MOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

THURSDAY INSTRUCTIONS

Day of the exam, 3 hours prior (3 AM): Take 10 0z of the Mag Citrate (set your alarm). If you have known kidney disease, please discuss with physician fist. DO NOT drink with water.


Colonoscopy Prep

I opted for the cherry flavored magnesium citrate. It actually went down pretty smooth. The taste wasn’t bad and I was so hungry by this point, 10 more ounce of liquid. If you have constipation, you could do worse. Flavor wise.

I’ve heard stories of people throwing this up, but really, I was so hungry. I downed that bottle like it was an ice cold Pepsi-Cola.

The colonoscopy experience itself was not anywhere near as bad as the hype. Teresa took me to the hospital and drove me home afterwards.

I checked-in. They took me back to the waiting room. I put on a gown that was a million times too short for me. They ran an IV. The first one in my life. That one took a little bit. Apparently my veins are a bit shy. But I’ve know that from every time I’ve ever gotten my blood drawn.

Then we walked back to the operating room. I lied down. The anesthesiologist told me the anesthesia might burn a little bit going in, but I didn’t feel any burn. Next thing I knew, they were waking me up and walking me back to my room.

Once I was situated there, they came in and told me that everything went well. They found one polyp, which is common, but shouldn’t be anything to be worried about. They would send it to get biopsied and then I would hear the results next week.

Then I got dressed and went home.

The following week they called me and told me the polyp was benign and that I wouldn’t have to go through this again for 10 years. Which is exactly what I was hoping to hear.

I’m not going to get on my soapbox and tell you that if you are over 45 years, you should get in and get a colonoscopy. But if you are starting to get an inordinate amount of ads in your feeds for bentcarrot.com, then it is probably time.

If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to me either, so like I said, I won’t preach. Cause you already know and one more person telling you won’t make a difference. But I might be the one person that you hear say, “it isn’t really all that bad”.

So it is like the poster says:



I also said that I was getting a sleep study done. I was lucky enough to get to do an at home sleep study and that was an awful experience. I wore a sensor on a finger and another one on my chest. It doesn’t sound like much, but I had the worst night of sleep ever.

When they rate how you sleep, it is on a scale of 1-35. 35 is the worst. I got a 31. Which is basically, “How are you still alive?”

So starting on Thursday, this is what I look like when I go to bed at night:


Colonoscopy Prep
Sexy Auto Focus

I have slept with it for 3 nights now. The first night was pretty awful. I might have just thrown in the towel, but the insurance company won’t pony up the cash unless I average 4 hours a night with this guy on for 3 months.

However, the 2nd night wasn’t too bad. The 3rd night I would characterize as not bad. I’m hoping in a week or so I can crank that all the way up to good.

The third and final health related thing that came out of my physical is I’m becoming increasingly more active trying to establish healthier habits. That includes both eating and exercise.

Last year I did change many of my eating habits. I wasn’t completely mindful about it, but I established a few guidelines with what I considered to be healthier eating. I won’t going into much detail, but I tried to limit the bad foods I ate. Tried to eat healthier snacks. Tried to stop eating by 8 PM. Tried to be more active. The active part can be hard for me because my job is a TON of sitting down. I try to take some brief walks on my 10 minute breaks.

And I did have some positive results. In fact in 2023 I lost like 30 pounds.

Exactly 1 person noticed.

Thanks Michelle!

From my physical my doctored said I should try Noom. It is that weight loss program that is based in psychology. I wasn’t eager for this, but I decided to give it a shot. As a bonus, I’m pretty sure I can get the Computer Mine to pay for it through our continuing education budget. So at worst case scenario, I shouldn’t be out any money.

The Noom system basically consists of 4 things you do every day:

1. Read lessons on forming good habits and nutrition.
2. Weigh yourself.
3. Track what you eat.
4. Track your exercise.

Which I suppose doesn’t seem like rocket science and I wasn’t looking forward to logging what I eat. But as it turns out, that part has probably been the most helpful part for me. I’ve really learned a ton. There are so many foods I thought were healthy that turns out, ain’t all that healthy. Some food I thought were pretty bad, actually a lot healthier than I expected.

I’ve been working the system for about 3 weeks now. I am down 6.7 pounds. Probably would have been more, but you know Super Bowl Sunday happened in there.

Now weight isn’t the only measure of health and isn’t even the best measure of health, but it is the easiest to measure. So I will continue to share this journey on hear. Congratulations! All of you just became my accountability buddies!

Super Bowl Sunday? Yeah, next Sunday’s food adventure will cover many of the delicious food offerings I experienced on Super Bowl Sunday. I attended 2 parties. That is a lot of food adventuring!

Iowa State Fair – Day 2 – Alpha

I told you I would give you the info on as many local area fish fries as I could, on this the opening day of Catholic Fish Fry season. Here is the list I have compiled:

St. Malachy, Madrid
Feb. 16 & 23 & March 8 & 22
4:30-7
Prices Unknown

Sacred Heart, Boone
Feb. 16 & March 1 & 15
5-7
Prices: Unknown

Saint Cecilia, Ames
Feb 23 & March 1 & 8
5-7 PM
ADULT: $12
CHILD: $5

Saint Thomas Aquinas, Ames
Feb. 16 & March 22
5-7
Adult $10
4-12: $5
Group of 4: $35

Assumption, Granger
Feb. 16 & 23 & March 1,8, 15, 22
5:30-7
Prices: Unknown

Sts. John and Paul Catholic Church, Altoona
Every Friday
4:30-7
Adults $14
Children 6-12 $6
5 and younger – FREE
1401 First Ave. S., Altoona

Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church, Ankeny
Feb. 23, March 8, and March 22
5-7
Free Will Offering
510 E. First St., Ankeny;

St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, Ankeny
Feb. 16, March 1, and March 15
4:30-7
Free Will Donation
1102 NW Weigel Drive, Ankeny

All Saints Catholic Church, Des Moines
Every Friday except Good Friday
5-7
Adults: $11
Children 5-12 $8
Under 5: FREE
650 NE 52nd Ave., Des Moines

Basilica of St. John, Des Moines
Feb. 16 & 23; March 1, 18, 15, & 22
4:45-6:30
Adults: $12
Children 4-10: $5
3 and Under: FREE
Max of $50 for families
1915 University Ave., Des Moines

Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Des Moines
Feb. 16 March 1 & 22
5:30-7
Adults: $12
Kids 5-11: $6
2926 Beaver Ave., Des Moines

St. Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines
Feb. 16 & 23 & March 1, 8, 15, & 22
11:30-1
Flat $8
607 High St., Des Moines

St. Joseph Catholic Church, Des Moines
Feb. 16 – March 22
4:30-7
Adult: $13
Kids: $5
Under 6: FREE
Family Max: $40
3300 Easton Blvd., Des Moines

St. Mary of Nazareth Catholic Church, Des Moines
Feb. 16 & 23 – March 1, 8, & 22
5-6:30
Adult: $13
Couple: $25
5-12 $7
Under 5: FREE
4600 Meredith Drive, Des Moines

St. Theresa Catholic Church, Des Moines
Feb 16 – March 22
5:30 – 7 PM
Free Will Offering
1230 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines

St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, Norwalk
Every Friday during Lent
5:30-7
Adult: $12
5-12: $10
720 Orchard Hills Drive, Norwalk

St. Boniface Catholic Church, Waukee
Every Friday during Lent
5-7
Adult: $12
5-7: $7
4 and under: FREE
1200 S. Warrior Lane, Waukee

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, West Des Moines
Every Friday during Lent
5:30-7
Adult: $14
4-10: $7
Under 4: FREE
Family Max: $45
1627 Grand Ave., West Des Moines

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, West Des Moines
Every Friday During Lent
5:30-7
Adults: $15
6-11: $5
Under 6: FREE
7075 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines

I think I’m going to hit up the fish fry in Boone tonight. FNSC is going high end the following Friday, but then I might be back on the Fish Fry Circuit the following Friday. I definitely want to hit the fry in Granger at some point. Maybe one in Ames. Maybe one down in Des Moines. What can I say? I like fish and some of the ones in the Des Moines area are very intriguing. Some have fish tacos. Who has 2 thumbs and loves fish tacos? You can’t tell but right now I’m pointing back at me with both my thumbs. Take my word for it.

+++++++

It feels like a good time to release some of the pictures I took on my trip to the State Fair with the Degeneffes. I went down there with them to help and document Austin competing in the State Fair barbecue contest. We got to the fairgrounds like 4:30 AM. Which seems early, but is a great time to roam the fairgrounds in the dark with virtually nobody there. It is actually kind of amazing, actually.

Here are some pictures:


Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

Iowa State Fair Degeneffes Trip - 2023

I hope somebody I know makes it to the State Fair barbecue contest again next year, so I can wander around the fairgrounds mostly alone again.

Still plenty more pictures to share from this trip to the fair to share!

RAGBRAI – LUTHER

Today is a rare double holiday. It is both Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day. As always, if you are not out romancing it up tonight, I invite you to come to the Boone First United Methodist Church for our Ash Wednesday service. Full disclosure, I won’t be there. I am neither out romancing it up or going to get my ashes on in some stray church. I’ll be in Hilton Coliseum (AKA The Cathedral) watching an Iowa State women’s basketball game with the rest of the real ones.

Since I won’t be getting ashes this year, enjoy this picture of me on Ash Wednesday from a couple of years ago:


Day 61 - March 2, 2022

I always like to share a devotional type thing on these holidays. So today I’m going to share one from Iowa Conference of The United Methodist Church. This one by Reverend Doctor Mary Lautzenhiser Bellon to be exact:

We Are Ashes – Abiding in Hope
by Rev. Dr. Mary Lautzenhiser Bellon (Senior Pastor Collegiate Methodist in Ames)

As we lean into Lent, I wrote this poem for Ash Wednesday. If you are into interactive reading, you can look up the passages in Daniel and John that I reference in the poem. I was working with the idea that ash is a transformed remnant of something: a piece of wood, the remains of a meadow, a life, and in that transformation, it always carries the memory of what it was before, just now it is changed. I apply the idea of God’s unquenchable fire (such as displayed in the burning bush and maybe Biblically remembered in the story of Daniel) that changes and transforms us. As the ashes we use on Ash Wednesday come from the burnt palms of the previous Palm Sunday, that image, too makes its way into the poem.

We Are Ashes

What is born from the flame is ash, life transformed,
black and silvered memories of being held
in fire — maybe like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
who walked in the heat, the flames licking their hands
that were folded in prayer even as they were almost scorched
with a knowledge of God too great for them,
even as they became living ashes:
ones who did not forget but were sent as testimonies,
touched but not burnt, maybe with a sign on their foreheads. [i]

The alchemy of loving means we die and no longer die.
What is here is ash from firelight, also dark and essential,
the ashes we become in grief and in forgiveness and in mercy.

Our pretenses have been burnt away.
We are gathered up in dimly lit certainty,
we are the remnant, you and me
and those who kneel who might be far from us
whose heads are also smudged:
“remember you are dust and to dust you shall return” —
the ash is everywhere – –

hopefully faithful, hopefully able to feel
the webbing root buried in the earth that nurtures us,
and the branch we graft to that stretches
out our lives and then the love,
and then the smoldering embers
of all that is the first and the last;
all that is in each moment.

We are secretly the palms that were spread on the road
where Jesus came to collect us on his way to Jerusalem [ii]
and now we are ashes, smeared
with the oil of His hands,
we are the remnant
from the fire of His resurrection
we are the ashes that mark the way to Him.

Let us be spread again, let us be smudged,
let us be carried from the fire into the world
our bodies some sacred event born in ashes and returned,
the name of love written on our foreheads
the sound of hope sung from our prayers
the burden of care held firmly in our hands
and knowing home in the One who heals us,
in the flame that is never quenched, Alpha and Omega, amen.

[i] Daniel 3: 13-30 (the image I draw is poetic license)

[ii] John 12: 12-17

If you are curious:

Daniel 3: 13-30 – Amplified Version

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a furious rage gave a command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; and these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very good. But if you do not worship, you shall be thrown at once into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you out of my hands?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”

Daniel’s Friends Protected
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and his facial expression changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then he gave a command that the furnace was to be heated seven [a]times hotter than usual. 20 He commanded certain strong men in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 Then these [three] men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their turbans, and their other clothes, and were thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. 22 Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed the men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king [looked and] was astounded, and he jumped up and said to his counselors, “Did we not throw three men who were tied up into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.” 25 He answered, “Look! I see four men untied, walking around in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the appearance of the fourth is like [b]a son of the gods!” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing furnace and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, servants of the Most High God, come out [of there]! Come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire. 27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s counselors gathered around them and saw that in regard to these men the fire had no effect on their bodies—their hair was not singed, their clothes were not scorched or damaged, even the smell of smoke was not on them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants who believed in, trusted in, and relied on Him! They violated the king’s command and surrendered their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be cut into pieces and their houses be made a heap of rubbish, for there is no other god who is able to save in this way!” 30 Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

And John 12:12-17 – Amplified

12 The next day, when the large crowd who had come to the Passover feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took branches of palm trees [in homage to Him as King] and went out to meet Him, and they began shouting and kept shouting “Hosanna! Blessed (celebrated, praised) is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; just as it is written [in Scripture], 15 “Do not fear, Daughter of Zion; Behold, Your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 16 His disciples did not understand [the meaning of] these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified and exalted, they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him. 17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to tell others about Him.

If you are looking for a place to get your ashes, our service is at 6:30.

While Ash Wednesday is meant to remind us of our own mortality, it doesn’t have to be all gloomy because Ash Wednesday also means the Catholics are going to start having Fish Fry Fridays! WooHoo! Bingpot!

I’m going to break down some area fish fries for you, my people, but I will wait until Friday to do that. Don’t worry, I’ll feed you baby birds!

+++++++

It is also Valentine’s Day. So I need to wish you all happy Valentine’s Day in my way:


Happy Valentine's Day - 2024
LOVE STINKS!

So first things first. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Second. You might be wondering why this picture is called “Love Stinks”. This was at the insistence of my photo assistant for this project. She complained that this heart shaped sparkler absolutely wreaked! She backed this up by claiming that the sparkler gave her a sore throat for like 5 days. Because she suffered for my art, I have granted her request that the name of this photo is “Love Stinks”.

On holidays like Valentine’s Day I do like to do power rankings. Last year I did romantic comedy power rankings. However, I know many people who absolutely despise Valentine’s Day. So I thought rather than doing something positive about the concept of love, I would do a power rankings based on the negatives of love. My power rankings this year are the 5 Worst Couples! This is a personal list. No apologies if you think, “wait I’m in that couple or throuple” (no judgment). The couples that personally annoy me. Cause love stinks! It often has lots of sulphur and gives you a sore throat for several days. Metaphorically speaking of course!

5 WORST COUPLES POWER RANKING

5. EXCESSIVE PUBLIC AFFECTION COUPLE
I don’t run into this couple that much any more. Mostly because I don’t run with a lot of teenagers or college students and most of the couples I know have been married for years, so the concept of public affection went out the door years ago. But you know the couples. They can’t stop touching each other, right in front of you. All you are trying to do is eat a bowl of soup and they are treating you to the opening scene of BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR*. There is also a variant of this couple that wants to go into great details about their sex life. I didn’t sign on for any of this. Put it in your diary. The phrase “get a room” exists for a reason.

A sidenote on this couple. It doesn’t have to be physical. This can also be the couple that has the just too precious nicknames for each other. PUKE! And couples that call each other “mom” and “dad”… GROSS!

4. THE CONSTANTLY BREAKING UP COUPLE

You know this couple. They’ve broken up 7 or 8 or 9 times, at the very least. And every time, you have to hear about it. You listen to all of the terrible things that one of the people in the couple did. You hear about all of their inadequacies and flaws. Then 24 hours later, the same friend that was dumping all of this stuff on you, they are back with this deeply flawed person that does all of the terrible things. In a couple weeks you will be hearing all the same things again and you stopped caring somewhere around the 3rd breakup.

3. THE SIT ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE TABLE WHEN DINING ALONE COUPLE

This couple probably seems harmless to you. Maybe I can’t defend how I feel about this couple, but I find them SUPER creepy. Sit on opposite sides of the table! At least then you can stare into each other’s eyes lovingly, while eating the Super Nachos Deluxe you ordered for an appetizer. It is well documented that nachos are the most romantic appetizer, but that is a power ranking for a future Valentine’s Day.

2. THE PUBLIC FIGHTING COUPLE

All couples fight. Not all couples have to fight in front of you, all the time. They might argue that fighting is just an example of their passion. They might even argue that fighting is their love language. My love language is handing you a card for a therapist. Go to counseling!

1. THE HOSTAGE COUPLE

This couple can’t do anything alone. Donna is going out for margaritas with her high school girlfriends. But Donna insists on bringing Bob along, cause Donna can’t do anything without Bob. Or Donna does finally join her friends without Bob, but the entire time she is having to check in with Bob. And Bob is having to check in with Donna. This same couple probably has shared social media accounts. The worst! If they don’t have a shared social media account, these are the ones that post super flowery tomes about the greatness of the significant other. They have to know that everybody is reading this is thinking, “oh, they about to get divorced.” And I’m not saying I’m rooting for divorce when I stumble across these… but I’m not saying that I’m not NOT rooting for divorce. Even if it is fleeting.

This list is definitive and is beyond contestation. No interviews at this time.

When I decided to do an anti-love post for Valentine’s Day, I checked in with some of the most ardent haters of Valentine’s Day I know. I simply asked them what couples they think are the worst. Almost without exception, I instead got a long diatribe about why they hate Valentine’s Day. Which wasn’t what I asked, but I did find hilarious. I confess I didn’t really read that part of those messages, cause it was a lot of blah, blah, blah, same things I’ve heard for years. I assume.

Interestingly, only Scottie D. asked me what I think about Valentine’s Day. And I might just tell you someday.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all who celebrate! Happy Valentine’s Day to all the people who bah humbug it! Happy Valentine’s Day to all the people who dread it because it makes them feel all alone! I can save all of you a seat at the Iowa State women’s basketball game!

If you don’t do the Juicy Wiggle, was it really even a holiday?

+++++++

After we left Jefferson, Logan and I parted ways. I went home for a bit and then decided to go check out RAGBRAI in Ames. As a lark, I decided to head up to Luther since it was one of the towns that RAGBRAI was passing through. I really thought that by the time I got there, it was going to be too late to see much of anything going on. But Luther was packed! I bet Whatcha Smokin’ made a mint that day!

I was impressed with the job that Luther did with RAGBRAI. I hung around and took a few pictures:


RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023
I’d never heard them before, but they were a pretty solid classic rock cover band.

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023
Oh man, I haven’t had wheat grass since Sara got over it.

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023
I’m not a badmouth the younger generation guy. But in my day, when we climbed on a roof, it wasn’t to stare at our phone. We were probably breaking stuff. Okay, maybe the younger generation is better.

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

RAGBRAI - Luther - 2023

Still one more collection of RAGBRAI pictures from this day to share.

* I actually haven’t seen BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR, so I have no clue what the transpires in its first scene. It could be very boring. I understand the historical and cultural significance of the movie, but pornography just isn’t my bag.

WPC – WEEK 439 – TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES

TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES! A potential Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest class! But was that enough to make it a popular theme? You will have to keep scrolling to find out:

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, February 5, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore the numbers in parentheses):

1-Adam Gordon – 1 week (2)
2-Evie Gorshe – 1 week
3-Willy McAlpine – 1 week
4-Jason Stensland – 1 week (2)
5-Elainie Hernandez – 3 weeks
6-Sara Lockner – 3 weeks
7-Monica Jennings – 4 weeks
8-Suzie Brannen – 5 weeks
9-Lowell Davis – 5 weeks
10-Michelle Haupt – 5 weeks
11-Alexis Stensland – 5 weeks (2)
12-Brandon Kahler – 6 weeks
13-Mary Green – 6 weeks (2)
14-Scott Degeneffe – 24 weeks
15-Sabas Hernandez – 25 weeks
16-Mike Vest – 30 weeks
17-Sheri Fakhouri – 34 weeks
18-Logan Kahler – 35 weeks (2)
19-Nathanial Brown – 36 weeks
20-Jesse Howard – 36 weeks
21-Tamara Peterson – 39 weeks
22-Mindi Terrell – 51 weeks (2)
23-Linda Bennett – 80 weeks
24-Sarah Toot – 81 weeks
25-Angie DeWaard – 85 weeks (2)
26-Dawn Krause – 89 weeks (2)
27-Kim Barker – 95 weeks
28-Joe Duff – 96 weeks (2)
29-Teresa Kahler – 107 weeks (2)
30-Carla Stensland – 107 weeks (2)
31-Micky Augustin – 109 weeks
32-Andy Sharp – 110 weeks
33-Bill Wentworth – 111 weeks
34-Cathie Morton – 115 weeks
35-Elizabeth Nordeen – 116 weeks
36-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 118 weeks
37-Kio Dettman – 120 weeks (2)

Reminder. Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:


1. The picture must be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.
3. Sometimes, for special people, for special circumstances, we can negotiate something.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks or the rules of the challenge or how to submit. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:


WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - ALEXIS STENSLAND
Alexis Stensland (Ames, Iowa) – 6 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Uptown Garage Brewing – Ankeny, Iowa) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - AMY PETERSON
Amy Peterson (Uptown Garage Brewing – Ankeny, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - ANGIE DEWAARD
Angie DeWaard (Kate Mitchell Elementary School – Ames, Iowa) – 86 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp (Ely, Iowa) – 111 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 112 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - BILL WENTWORTH
Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska)

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - BRANDON KAHLER
Brandon Kahler (I-35 – Story City, Iowa) – 7 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - CARLA STENSLAND
Carla Stensland (Boone, Iowa) – 108 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - CATHIE MORTON
Cathie Morton (Norwalk, Iowa) – 116 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett (Marshalltown, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Les’s Auto – Boone, Iowa) – 90 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - DAWN KRAUSE
Dawn Krause (Les’s Auto – Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - DEANNA MCCLAIN
Deanna McClain (Ames, Iowa) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 117 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - JEN ENSLEY-GORSHE
Jen Enlsey-Gorshe (Colorado Airspace) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - JENNIE GREEN
Jennie Green (California) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - JESSE HOWARD
Jesse Howard (Boone, Iowa) – 37 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES -  JOE DUFF
Joe Duff (League City, Texas) – 97 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES -  JOE DUFF
Joe Duff

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - JOHNATHAN STENSLAND
Johnathan Stensland (Ogden, Iowa) – 1 week

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 96 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - KIO DETTMAN
Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 121 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - LINDA BENNETT
Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 81 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 36 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - LOGAN KAHLER
Logan Kahler (Boone, Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - LOWELL DAVIS
Lowell Davis (Bliss Cancer Center – Ames, Iowa) – 6 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 6 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin (Iowa) – 110 weeks


Mike Vest (Madrid, Iowa) – 31 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 52 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - MINDI TERRELL
Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - MONICA JENNINGS
Monica Jennings (Ames, Iowa) – 5 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - NATHANIAL BROWN
Nathanial Brown (Jefferson, Iowa) – 37 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - SABAS HERNANDEZ
Sabas Hernandez (Ankeny, Iowa) – 26 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES -  SARA LOCKNER
Sara Lockner (Johnston, Iowa) – 4 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES -  SARAH TOOT
Sarah Toot (E. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 82 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - SCOTT DEGENEFFE
Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 25 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 119 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - SHERI FAKHOURI
Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 35 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - SUZIE BRANNEN
Suzie Brannen (Clive, Iowa) – 6 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson (Rochester, Minnesota) – 40 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler (Boone, Iowa) – 108 weeks

WPC - WEEK 439 - TRAINS, PLANES, & AUTOMOBILES - WILLY MCALPINE
Willy McAlpine (Ledges State Park – Boone County, Iowa) – 2 weeks

38 participants! That is a great week! Ties CIRCLE for the most participants in a week this year!

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ California
+ Colorado
+ Iowa
+ Kansas
+ Nebraska
+ Minnesota
+ Pennsylvania
+ Texas

Thanks to Tamara’s trip to Minnesota, Minnesota was added to this year’s map! Thanks to Jen’s work trip, we also added Colorado AND California as well!!

Here is the Year 11 list of states where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each state):

+ California (1)
+ Colorado (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Iowa (231)
+ Kansas (9)
+ Michigan (2)
+ Minnesota (1)
+ Nebraska (8)
+ New York (1)
+ Pennsylvania (6)
+ South Dakota (2)
+ Texas (11)

12 states so far! No bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple states:

+ Mary Green (MI, IA)
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY)
+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO)
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN)

There were a couple of major milestones this week. Sabas joined the Half-Year Club! WooHoo! Then Mindi joined the 1 Year Club! That is a double WooHoo!

Another awesome development. The first ever submission from Deanna McClain. Hopefully the beginning of big things in the future! It was also the first ever submission from Jennie Green! I expect that to be more of a one-off, but you never know. You never know.

But it wasn’t all good news. Quite a few streaks bit the dust! Adam, Evie, and Jason couldn’t build on last week’s submission and their streaks were over before they started. Elainie’s streak is over at 3. Worst of all, Mary’s streak is no more after 6 solid weeks.

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:


WEEK 440 - ORANGE
ORANGE

ORANGE! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I look forward to your interpretation!

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will all be sharing your idea of ORANGE in this place in this place that loves all colors next Monday.

Tenderloining: Boone Food Truck Field Work

Last Sunday I reported that I was out of food adventures to… uhh… report? Then on Saturday one just kind of fell into my lap*. A tenderloin food truck came to Boone. I’m not hitting the tenderloins hard, as they do fly in the face of my eating healthy journey, but I’m budgeting to eat about 1 a month. Since I had zero in January and it had been 2 months since I’ve had a tenderloin, my favorite enabler said I should do it. And I listen to people when they tell me exactly what I want to hear.

On the positive, a tenderloin actually isn’t super unhealthy. It is a healthy cut of meat. The real problem is that it is fried. The bun also doesn’t help much. The fries I ate as a side were way unhealthier than the tenderloin. Probably. I’m not a food scientist. I just play one on the interwebs. But there are no “red foods”. Only “green foods”, “yellow foods”, and “orange foods”.

I met Jay up there after a trip out to Wally World to pick up a new record, some pastel paper, and a Lego set.**

Jay got their pulled pork as he is not a fan of tenderloins.

Here are some pictures:


Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins
I’ve never heard of this brand of condiments.

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins
Assist to Jay for holding the box open in the wind.

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins
Picture by Jay.

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins
Picture by Jay.

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins
Picture by Jay.

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

Tenderloining - Triple B's Tenderloins

On a technical note, these images are the first foodtography images I’ve taken (well for mass public consumption) since I switched from the Pixel 5 to the Pixel Pro 8.

But you probably care more about the food.

The Good for starters:

+ The fries really hit the spot. Maybe it was because they were the first fried food I’ve had since… well it has been a minute. Unless you count air fried foods. Then it hasn’t been all that long. Unless kolaches are fried. If that is the case, the first fried food since I ate a poppyseed kolache 4 hours earlier***.
+ The tenderloin was a good thickness.
+ The bun-meat ratio was right on.

The Bad:

+ The breading on the tenderloining was salty. Not to a point where it was inedible, but definitely to a point where you knew it was there and you didn’t love it.
+ Jay said his pulled pork was also very salty. Still good but too salty.

The Ugly:

+ Scottie D. and his crew went up there shortly after we did. He was not impressed with the food safety of the crew working the joint. He noted a decided lack of gloves. Their tenderloins tasted like plastic. He said they definitely had a decided plastic aftertaste. I definitely didn’t experience that and I’m not sure what would even cause that. I did not observe the cooks at work. Jay did the ordering and I just mostly stood back and waited, wondering why it was so much colder in the Dollar General parking lot than it had been on the High Trestle Trail just a few hours earlier. Jay did note that he saw some plastic gloves blowing around (so they did have them) and it is just speculation that maybe some of those blew into a fryer.

The Final Verdict:

+ I wouldn’t eat there again. I mean I would if I hit a small town festival and they were the only food truck there, I would imbibe, but I definitely would not go out of my way to eat there and if I saw them serving up grub on the side of the road I would just drive by.

I don’t exactly have another food adventure in the hopper, but I have a sorta food adventure that I am considering.

* Teresa gets the finder’s credit for letting me know there was a food truck setting up shop.
** Teresa also gets the finder’s credit for finding this sweet Lego set that you build into a film camera.
*** You want to see a picture of the kolache don’t you? I took one, but it stays between me and my Czech friends. Better luck next kolache.