Well, here I am in Iowa...

[pasnat54]

And it's been a great trip so far.

We came for my sister's graduation. She decided to go for it a couple years ago, and finally got it at age 51. Her degree is in marketing and public relations. So after years of selling your kids Power Rangers, Tamagochis and Dance Dance Revolutions (she was a marketing manager for a couple of Japanese firms), she's now got her degree.

A couple days before we left, I found out the commencement speaker was Bill Walton! I thought she might have known and was saving it for a surprise... but that wasn't the case. I grabbed a couple of old Sports Illustrated mags from his glory days at UCLA and packed them. (I have SIs from most of UCLA's basketball championships.)

He came walking in with the graduates, and I was already poised to take pictures of my sister. When he walked by, I said, "Hey Bill" and showed him my cell phone with the UCLA cover. He stopped and posed for me.

He did a good job on the speech. After the ceremony, he sat around (he can't stand too long because of his 36 orthopedic operations) and signed autographs. My family and I got a picture with him, and he autographed the mags for me. Saved me $39 each; that's how much it will cost to get his autograph when he appears at a weekly convention back in LA next month. I had planned to go and get the books signed there.

Then we went to Dyersville where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed. The field is still there, and you can wonder around on it free. Someone had left a plastic bat and ball by the backstop, so my sister, niece and I took turns batting. I hit a few solid line drives and figured I should quit while I was ahead, before I strained something.

I'm headed for Chicago today, will leave Tuesday evening. Maybe I'll post a couple pictures when I get back.

[Capitalrecoveryman]

Can't wait for the pics, either here or facebook. Kudos to your sister. That's awsome. How did she pick Iowa?

A funny thing for this old toy car collector. I believe Dyersville is the home of Ertl Toys.

[toz1960]

Sounds like you had a great trip pas.Would love to visit that field.That is one of my favorite movies ever.

[marvelguy]

Sounds like you had fun there. Post some pics as well. Chicago is a great city, or so my wife says.

[kenmacny]

Whew... I thought you were sent to a federal prison... no other reason to go to Iowa that I could think of...

[Capitalrecoveryman]

Don't tell malaprop that. He may administer a beat down to you.

[kenmacny]

Don't tell malaprop that. He may administer a beat down to you.

Is he in a federal facility?

[spacecitycomics]

Not since the "escape".

[malaprop]

Federal facility??? Moi??? don't be ridiculous. Now Maricopa County as a guest of Sheriff Joe, that's another matter.

My daughter goes to Iowa, for Speech Pathology. She lives in a tiny one room apartment, but it's easy walking distance from Kinnick Stadium. Plus, she has a parking spot. Very useful on Saturdays in the fall.

Pas, were you in Iowa City or in Ames?

[pasnat54]

Kinnick Stadium? Named after this guy?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/ComicCorral/DSC_0405.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/ComicCorral/DSC_0410.jpg

Yep, I was in Iowa City. I drove all around the campus. Wow; it must be about 90% devoted to medical schools. I remember passing by the Speech Pathology building. It's close — I could punt a football from there into the stadium!

I tried to find the bookstore so I could get a Hawkeye t-shirt, but couldn't find it. Kinnick Stadium is very cool and modern looking. It's great when the stadium is right on campus — which may not be unusual for the rest of the country, but it's not the norm in LA. USC' plays at the LA Memorial Coliseum, which in near the campus but separated by county-operated museums... and UCLA's home, the Rose Bowl, is about 30 miles from campus! (But close to me, which is great.)

I'll be back with other pictures shortly.

[Capitalrecoveryman]

William's Brice Stadium is also not on campus, pas. It's a couple miles away.

[pasnat54]

Here's my niece, mother and sister with Bill Walton; no, he's not the guy in the UCLA sweatshirt. That's me; Bill is sitting down.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/ComicCorral/DSC_0498-1.jpg

I learned a couple of things at the ceremony. His son Luke, a Laker backup, was named after Maurice Lucas, a great player and even greater enforcer with the Trailblazers.

Bill said that KC Jones used to draft plays for Robert Parrish before each game; he always wanted Parrish to take the opening shot. With gunners like Larry Bird and Dennis Johnson, Jones figures Robert might never get another shot the whole game. He'd draft elaborate plays, carefully diagramming where everyone was supposed to be, with no one paying attention. During Walton's first game with the Celtics, he poked Parrish and said, "Why aren't you paying attention? This is your play he's talking about." Parrish replied that it didn't matter what coach said, Bird was taking the first shot. And sure enough, after a few minutes, Bird would say, "Cut this )(*&$*(U out. Just pass me the &)(*$# ball and I'll take the first shot and make it." And he usually did.

[malaprop]

How did you manage to get a personal audience at a graduation? That's cool.

[pasnat54]

How did I manage... I'm wearing a UCLA sweatshirt in Clinton, Iowa and you ask how did I manage?

It wasn't that difficult really. When he came marching in behind the graduates, I was by the line. I wanted to get his attention, but I hadn't put on my sweatshirt yet. But I did have one piece of UCLA paraphenalia on me. I said, "Hey Bill!" and showed him my cell phone, which has a UCLA skin on it. He stopped and posed for me while in line.

But the truth is that Bill was very gracious about staying after the ceremony and signing for everyone who wanted his autographed. I got my Sports Illustrateds signed, my family got their programs signed, and after everyone was gone, we took the shot above. I also was drafted to take a group shot of Bill with the university workers who managed the graduation.

[pasnat54]

Here's the Field of Dreams location in Dyersville, Iowa.

The owners have added a retaining wall and picket fence around the house; it wasn't there for the movie, and it probably meant to keep visitors from trying to enter the house. They actually did use the house for some interior shots.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/DSC_0514.jpg




And here's my non-jock niece about to surprise me by teeing off on my slider... which, after nearly 40 years of trying, I still can't make slide.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/DSC_0522.jpg

There is no charge to visit the Field, but they made a killing off me when it came to souvenirs. My niece's father is a huge baseball fan, so he was extremely jealous that she got to visit this hallowed baseball field.

[pasnat54]

I also attended a game at the oldest stadium in the National League (hard to believe that sleek and beautiful Dodger Stadium is the second oldest).

I went to the box office to buy a ticket but all they had was $78 field tickets. I decided to try a scalper. I figured since the game had already started, I had some leverage.

I talked to one who would sell me a $50 ticket for $30. When I began examining it to verify its authenticity (like I could identify a fake), the scalper offered to walk me to the gate and stay until I got in... which he did. When the ticket taker asked if he was coming in, he said no, he was just attending to a customer. It's nice to see a scalper with ethics and a good customer service policy.


Here's the view from my seat, including the famous ivy-covered outfield wall and the bleachers on top of the apartment building across the street.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/ComicCorral/DSC_0597.jpg


The concession area behind the seating is always crowded, but it's great; Dodger Stadium is wide, uncluttered and sterile by comparison, and Angel Stadium lacks the intimacy of Wrigley. Incidentally, the Angels played in Los Angeles' Wrigley Field their first year out here, before moving to Dodger Stadium when it was completed in 1962.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/pasnat54/ComicCorral/DSC_0619.jpg

[Capitalrecoveryman]

Cool pictures!

[Capitalrecoveryman]

Just dropped something in the mail for you, pas. Let me know when you get it.

[capt.steel]

I sent pas a personal message via the Corral not long ago, but he hasn't responded (must be those Mets comments I made!) ;)

I do like when pas goes on a trip because he treats us all to his excellent pictures and it feels like we're right there with him (well, we ARE in spirit)!
Plus it saves me money since I don't have to travel and feel like I've been on a trip by looking at pas' photos and reading his descriptions!

[malaprop]

I don't know exactly why, but I always associate Wrigley Field with drunkenness.

[pasnat54]

Thanks, Capt.

Well, I finally responded. Sorry, but I just never think to check for private messages.

Also, I hang out at eBay's Soapbox. It gets pretty rough there, but it's fun.

[capt.steel]

Yeah, I gotta get over there (to the soapbox).

Any chance of you photographing any more Pixies out there in Iowa? (Those pics are my favorites!)

[pasnat54]

John, it just arrived in today's mail!

Thanks! It is really cool. And really freaky too. He looks like an Old Testament prophet in a Trailblazers uniform.

It's much appreciated, and thanks again!

[Capitalrecoveryman]

You're welcome. A token from my card collecting days...and I owed you one from the San Diego Con materials.

[nocutename]

Great pics! I love trying to go to sporting events when I am away too. Mostly just end up at one of the player owned restaurants though as it is cheaper.