I'm sure Coach Bluder was just as thrilled to meet a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Her nephew works for KWWL. You do have a bit of a profile yourself, sir.
I know the Iowa City shuffle well. Made many trips there years ago -- including one less-than-amicable encounter on the circle drive with an overly zealous and rather burly parking enforcement officer when I was picking up my dad from cancer therapy. Guess my Black Hawk County plates made me look suspicious. Thought Dad was going to come up out of the wheelchair and deck him.
Glad Coach brightened your trip. I hear she likes the Bluebird Cafe in North Liberty, which I heartily recommend. Hope it all went well. Hang in there, buddy.
Hi Art. The endearing quality you so aptly described in Lisa Bluder, humility, is that quality which would preclude her from being a modern day politician.
"Sometimes, oh sometimes, there shafted a blade of gold, an agate of whirring slate and white, the red speck which was a redbird. That was all Eben could see of gods and goddesses." Andersonville, by MacKinley Kantor
Good on ya Art, hope the plumbing gets the proper rework, and you're in good hands in Iowa City. I love it when a public figure leaves you well; I was standing next to Bobby Knight once in a Texas airport for a few minutes, tried my best to get something out of him, just a random stare and then he looked away. I ran into David Letterman in a HyVee a couple of years ago, mentioned his work on a Warren Zevon album (The Hockey Song-Hit Somebody) where he has the vocals in the background and asked why he stopped singing, would he ever do anything again. He laughed hard, shook my hand, chatted longer than I would have imagined and we parted.
The Midwest has been a breeding ground for respect for one another for as long as I know, genuine concern for each other. Not sure how the crops are going to get planted and picked, homes get built, cleaned and people fed without some immigration involved.
Maybe a fella with time enough on his hands to stand on a roadside with a sign might need a vacation, I hear the Gaza Strip is going to be a beautiful resort area soon!
My theory is that the humility Iowans once had was rooted in farm life. I first witnessed it when I moved here in the 80's. Many Iowans then still had first-hand experience growing up with the constant reminder that the weather - something much more powerful than we are - could make or break a farm family's security and future. Massive, consolidated farm "operations" have reduced that experience for most. These days, having enough money removes the necessity for any humility. Maybe it always did.
We're all pulling for you Art! Sounds like Kieran's in the area, but if anyone needs a place to crash while you're in Iowa City, my husband and I live 25 minutes east on I-80 and can put them up comfortably.
Thank you, Art Cullen, for an uplifting Iowa story among all the scary stuff that’s coming out of Washington. Good luck with your procedure, and thanks again for your great writing.
Heart stuff is scary. It's just another fix needed that requires you to trust in the experts. Confirming much of life and living is out of your control and depending on others is as important as taking care of things yourself. Serenity now! Go to Ames sometime. Find out where Fennelly hangs out. He is an Iowan who has been coaching ISU women's BB since 1995. He doesn't have a real marvelous record (611–313 (.661)) but I would think he may ooze humility. Thanks for your notes,
Art, we love to have you visit our corner of Iowa, but not when your presence indicates illness. Hope everything goes well on the 19th and you're soon back to 100 percent.
I've had a stent shoved into my widowmaker artery--no big deal if you can lie still for a few hours. I had a Watchman intalled a year ago (they go up the femural artery into the right upper chamber, punch a hole to the left upper chamber and then through the wall to install it on the left side). I didn't feel a thing--the CT scans were much more obnoxious, but not very obnoxious.
In both cases, I was unsymptomatic. With the stent, I felt like I needed to burp. I never would have noticed A-fib, if the doctors didn't catch it. I feel so lucky to have such great care--things like this killed one grandfather in 1962 and my other grandfather in 1965.
I'm sure Coach Bluder was just as thrilled to meet a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Her nephew works for KWWL. You do have a bit of a profile yourself, sir.
I know the Iowa City shuffle well. Made many trips there years ago -- including one less-than-amicable encounter on the circle drive with an overly zealous and rather burly parking enforcement officer when I was picking up my dad from cancer therapy. Guess my Black Hawk County plates made me look suspicious. Thought Dad was going to come up out of the wheelchair and deck him.
Glad Coach brightened your trip. I hear she likes the Bluebird Cafe in North Liberty, which I heartily recommend. Hope it all went well. Hang in there, buddy.
Hi Art. The endearing quality you so aptly described in Lisa Bluder, humility, is that quality which would preclude her from being a modern day politician.
"Sometimes, oh sometimes, there shafted a blade of gold, an agate of whirring slate and white, the red speck which was a redbird. That was all Eben could see of gods and goddesses." Andersonville, by MacKinley Kantor
Here's hoping the stent goes as well as the chat with Bluder. Yeah, there's still greatness to be found in Iowa!
Good on ya Art, hope the plumbing gets the proper rework, and you're in good hands in Iowa City. I love it when a public figure leaves you well; I was standing next to Bobby Knight once in a Texas airport for a few minutes, tried my best to get something out of him, just a random stare and then he looked away. I ran into David Letterman in a HyVee a couple of years ago, mentioned his work on a Warren Zevon album (The Hockey Song-Hit Somebody) where he has the vocals in the background and asked why he stopped singing, would he ever do anything again. He laughed hard, shook my hand, chatted longer than I would have imagined and we parted.
The Midwest has been a breeding ground for respect for one another for as long as I know, genuine concern for each other. Not sure how the crops are going to get planted and picked, homes get built, cleaned and people fed without some immigration involved.
Maybe a fella with time enough on his hands to stand on a roadside with a sign might need a vacation, I hear the Gaza Strip is going to be a beautiful resort area soon!
My theory is that the humility Iowans once had was rooted in farm life. I first witnessed it when I moved here in the 80's. Many Iowans then still had first-hand experience growing up with the constant reminder that the weather - something much more powerful than we are - could make or break a farm family's security and future. Massive, consolidated farm "operations" have reduced that experience for most. These days, having enough money removes the necessity for any humility. Maybe it always did.
We're all pulling for you Art! Sounds like Kieran's in the area, but if anyone needs a place to crash while you're in Iowa City, my husband and I live 25 minutes east on I-80 and can put them up comfortably.
Thanks for the offer. Very Iowish.
Thank you, Art Cullen, for an uplifting Iowa story among all the scary stuff that’s coming out of Washington. Good luck with your procedure, and thanks again for your great writing.
Experience… first comes the test, then the lesson. Stents are little miracles. Probably made in Minnesota.
Heart stuff is scary. It's just another fix needed that requires you to trust in the experts. Confirming much of life and living is out of your control and depending on others is as important as taking care of things yourself. Serenity now! Go to Ames sometime. Find out where Fennelly hangs out. He is an Iowan who has been coaching ISU women's BB since 1995. He doesn't have a real marvelous record (611–313 (.661)) but I would think he may ooze humility. Thanks for your notes,
Art, we love to have you visit our corner of Iowa, but not when your presence indicates illness. Hope everything goes well on the 19th and you're soon back to 100 percent.
A hopeful column. You’ve helped me to remember Iowa nice. That was a thing once, and it can be again, I hope.
Good luck with the medical stuff.
I've had a stent shoved into my widowmaker artery--no big deal if you can lie still for a few hours. I had a Watchman intalled a year ago (they go up the femural artery into the right upper chamber, punch a hole to the left upper chamber and then through the wall to install it on the left side). I didn't feel a thing--the CT scans were much more obnoxious, but not very obnoxious.
In both cases, I was unsymptomatic. With the stent, I felt like I needed to burp. I never would have noticed A-fib, if the doctors didn't catch it. I feel so lucky to have such great care--things like this killed one grandfather in 1962 and my other grandfather in 1965.
Smart, funny and thought provoking. #ArtCullen
Never made it to Red's. #BucketList
Holy Herky?
https://magazine.foriowa.org/images/img-number-timeline-1980.jpg
Art, I'm going to be selfish here. Keep up the good work and stay healthily safe. I need you in my life.
Thanks. Pitchers and catchers report soon
Thanks for this reflection about Iowa and Iowans, Art. There is a whole lot of good going on in our state.
Take very good care of yourself. We will be saying a little prayer for you on the 19th.
Another wonderful story from IOWA FOR IOWA! Will vote for Lisa Bluder and you as LtGov! (With Heart for Iowa - fixed) Done deal!