I'm busy doing the last minute shopping, packing and preparations for the trip to RAGBRAI's start. I've got to stare at the suggested "what to bring items" list again to make sure the family has what we need and not what we don't need for the week. Like IowaParamedic, I had to choose a room for packing and collecting everything. Went with the dining room....

I'm looking forward to saying hello in person at Emerson around high noon on Sunday. Bill, I'm counting on you to point us in the direction of finding our first great piece of authentic Iowa pie. By the way, my wife and children just drove through Nebraska this past weekend (driving a U-Haul from San Francisco to Des Moines) and stopped at a store in Sidney that really impressed them. The name escapes me at the moment, but it was a big store with hunting supplies, clothing, sporting goods, etc... . Caba____ - something or other. Lots of stuffed game and sights for the kids to see that they kept going on and on about.

BB