Sunday

Yeah, the weekend has been vapor.  Really not looking forward all that much to the next eight days.  September 15th is the extended due date for 2013 entity returns (corporations, partnerships, and trusts).  I have way too many to get out the door.

The MCSC was a big hit on Friday night.  I had declined an invitation to meet friends at Bass Steet in Moline (1/2 price wine there on Friday nights), but offered up that the MCSC might still be open if they wanted to check in on their way home.  Well, they did, and came over, and brought another couple (who I also know well).  So we ended up doing some damage to the Total Wine inventory.  Really a fun night.  (Those un-planned parties often are the best.)

The primary reason that I wasn't all that excited about a Friday evening "out", was that I knew I was scheduled for a road trip on Saturday evening.  My pal Roy had invited me to join a small group he had organized to go over to Des Moines for dinner.  Roy's wife Pat's daughter Emily and her husband are involved with an Italian place called the Cosi Cucina in West Des Moines.  The restaurant had closed last spring and this was a Grand Re-Opening of a sort.  So Roy being Roy, he wanted to show familial support.  Ergo, Road Trip!!

Of course, this would be a road trip by air.  Bring on the King Air 350.  It comfortably seats eight adults, along with spots for two pilots (we had one).  Four of us boarded at the Davenport airport where the plane is stationed, and then it was a short 12 minute flight down to Muscatine to pick up Roy and Pat and another couple.  Flight time to Des Moines was 35 minutes.  Roy had arranged for a limo-mini-bus (seating for 12) for the 15-20 minute ride from DSM to the restaurant.

Dinner was a hoot.  Food was above-average to very good.  The wine list wasn't bad...and we had brought in several bottles from Roy's cellar to boot.  The trip home was an exact inverse of the trip over.  Back on Maplecrest by 10:30.  Not quite the opera in San Fran a la Pretty Woman, but not bad for Iowa. 

One task the my pal Ron and I had to take care of this morning before heading down to Muskie for golf was rescuing his mother-in-law's car from the towing impound lot.  He and wife Jane and others had attended the QC Symphony concert in the park last night.  He had bragged on Friday night how he had the "perfect" parking spot for the concert...it is an annual event that attracts thousands each year and he had been using this one spot for the last several years.  Ron was almost giddy with his little secret spot.  But Murphy lives.  Last night when they returned after the concert...no car!!

Car Dead Call Fred has the city's towing contract, so that's where we had to go this AM.  They wouldn't take a check, debit card or credit card.  Cash only.  $202.  We had to pool our resources to get the car.  Ron is still grousing over the whole deal.  I'm betting that he'll remember this year's concert for a long time, and it will have nothing to do with the music.

Moving on...

I admit to what many of you may have suspected...I miss having 2 and The Winniferous around.  Its a little odd not having them stop over for some wine on the driveway or a little BBQ. 

Glad that the Hawks pulled out a win yesterday.  Not much of a statement day for the Big 10.  With Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State all losing (as well as Northwestern and Purdue...both to Directional U's), a spot in the 4-team NCAA play-off doesn't seem likely.

Finally, did you see where the NCAA considered Geno Auriemma committed a recruiting violation when he made the congratulatory phone call to the 13-year old girl pitcher (Mo'ne Davis who also made the cover of SI)  in the Little League World Series?  How absurd can the NCAA make itself?  And how deep does the dislike for Geno and UConn go among the competition?  I'm betting that the school who filed the complaint won't be raising their hand to take credit any time soon.

And relatedly, the SI Cover Curse has legs.

OK.  All for tonight.  Hope everyone has a good week.

BCOT