Pete's Log: IU
Entry #1182, (Travel)(posted when I was 23 years old.)
This past weekend found me in Bloomington, IN, hanging with some of the ex-LSC crew. It was a fun trip, very spontaneous in many ways. The quick summary: I had fun, ate good food, saw some movies, shopped a bit, and hung out with some cool guys. The long version follows:
So this weekend Katie was making one of her regular IU trips, and this time I decided to tag along, since it sounded much more fun than staying in South Bend and I had nothing to do here. So Friday we drove south. We got to Brian, Jeremy, and Ron's place around 17:00. Brian was not there yet, as he was still on his way back home from Oak Ridge National Labs. So I went to dinner at Upland Brew Co (a place I'd heard many good things about) with Ron, Jeremy, Katie, and Todd. Todd's another member of their lab. I'd heard stories about him. He seems like a cool guy.
After dinner I went ice skating with Katie, Jeremy, and Todd. It was fun, though I ended up with blisters on both feet. Brian got back about the same time we got back from skating. So Brian, Jeremy, Katie and I went to see Ocean's 11. It was an entertaining film, very funny and it actually managed to surprise me a few times.
Saturday I got to see the lab that the ex-LSC guys work in. Saw a little of the IU campus as well. Had lunch at a good sandwich place near campus. Brian and I then wandered around town some and hit a few shops. At one store I bought two shirts and 20 sticks of incense for $8. I also bought three cheapish CDs. I love college towns, and from the looks of it, Bloomington's not a bad one.
After that we went by Todd's place where Jeremy and Katie were helping Todd make a gingerbread house. We hung out there a while. Todd made us Blueberry tea, which is very good and has no blueberries in it. Brian and I then went to an Indian restaurant (it had Bombay in its name) which was excellent. Then a few movies at Brian's place: Requiem to a Dream (or something like that), which was depressing but interesting, followed by Tomb Raider. Brian and I had picked Tomb Raider, Ron and his girlfriend had picked the other one.
Sunday was a lazy day. We watched Godzilla versus Monster Zero on AMC. Yay! Then Brian and I hit the Siam House for lunch. I got a really good vegetable curry with tofu for only $5. We then hit the IU student union so I could see more of campus (and the Apple ipods for sale there). Then we went to Todd's again to watch more gingerbread house making. I got to have more blueberry tea. We actually got to assist when the house began experiencing structural instability. Dinner at Upland again. Upland has some good beer. I was impressed. Jeremy, Katie, and I returned to Todd's for a little while, then around 21:00 Katie and I hit the road and got back to South Bend shortly before 1.
It was a fun trip. Bloomington's a neat town. I'll have to return. I still need to try more Upland beer, and there's some more neat restaurants I want to visit. Hanging with the ex-LSC crew was a bunch of fun. They're good guys.
I should now tend to all the email I've neglected these past few days.