Heroes

I found out on Wednesday at about 7:00 that is was my roommate Samuel's birthday. Let me tell you, when you live with somebody and don't even realize that it's their birthday, and somebody else has to tell you that it is, you feel a bit like a schmuck. Not that anybody was holding it over my head, but I made up for it today and took him out for a real honest to God, down-home cooking, American style feast......ok so I took him to Red Robin, but that's good American food in my book. There were six of us that went, and we had a pretty good time. I ordered him a true American classic, the bacon cheeseburger with the Red Robin bottomless french fries, which I had as well. I think he was confused when I asked the waitress if it mattered if his birthday was a couple days ago not knowing what I had in store for him, but he said he was honored when the wait staff presented him with a free sundae and sang him happy birthday for his 21st birthday. He was a little confused with that though when he had just told them he was 36. It's been a lot of fun introducing him to cooking, american style football, and beer. Oops did I say that?
I've also discovered a pretty cool place to go hike here in Dubuque. I went the other night with a friend on campus to a place called the Mines of Spain. I saw the sign driving in but just figured that it was a cheesy tourist trap type place. Turns out that it's a great big park on the river with some great hiking trails in the hills, and some pretty cool benches that overlook the river. It's a great view of the city and river in the evening too. I miss the mountains to walk in greatly, but it's nice to find a new hidey hole here that I can escape to on occasion and get away.
I never have gotten the chance to describe my trip to Port Author this summer, and I don't have enough time to go into great detail anymore, but I wanted to share one photo I took of some of our kids in action. I was told that it makes them look like heroes, and in my book they really are.