After the pictures, we headed out of the building. Christian wanted to show Bob and Sharyn the gardens he had worked on while at BYU-Idaho. We decided to let him take Bob and Sharyn to the gardens in his car, and Dorey and I would walk across campus together to the gardens.
Easier said than done. The BYU-Idaho campus, like every college campus in America, is under a constant state of building and re-building. It looked like a battle zone. Sidewalks were blocked. Detour signs made no sense. We had to cross through the bookstore, only to find that we were right where we started. Dorey, I could tell, was getting a little peeved at me for taking her on this walk. She was after all walking in uncomfortable shoes. Finally, we crossed the de-militized zone, and were able to get to the gardens.
Strangely, despite it taking about 30 minutes for us to find the gardens, Bob and Sharyn were not there. Finally, they showed up. Apparently, while waiting for us to show up, Christian had taken them through the gardens, and then had taken them to other spots on the campus.
During Christian’s time at the school, he had made several contributions to the campus gardens. He walked us through the gardens still wearing his graduation robe. Why not! In the garden, Christian could point to several trees he planted, and planter boxes he had helped other student construct. As Bob pointed out, most of leave a school not making any marks. Christian had tangible evidence of his work.
We left the Gardens at about 1:00 p.m. and we were starving. Gnaw your hand starving. Christian went back to get his car to check out of his apartment and truly be through with school, and we walked down to our car with Sharyn and Bob’s. Kate, who had been running errands with Jacob that morning, gave us a call. She, too, was hungry. And she had no where to live, as she had to be out of her apartment by noon that day. We agreed to pick her up at her place.
We wandered through the science building trying to figure out where Bob had parked the car. We had exited the wrong door out of the science building, and so had to make a turn out of the building to locate the car. But Bob decided to turn the other way. As we did so, our hunger increased. We were reaching the nadir of the trip. Bob snapped at Sharyn. Sharyn snapped at Bob. I snapped at the world at large. Dorey grumbled. If we were wandering the desert with Moses, he would have killed us.
At last, we reached the promised car, and called Kate so she could guide us to where she wanted us to pick her up. We then were so hungry that we just went to Wendys for lunch. Well, in Rexburg, Wendys is fine dining. It is a real pit.
Kate traveled down to Idaho Falls with us after lunch, and Christian met us at the Fairfield Inn. We had a few hours to kill before dinner. Dorey, Kate, Bob and Sharyn went to the mall so Dorey and Kate could get pedicures and Bob could buy a tie. Christian and I walked the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn parking lot so I could finish my 10,000 steps for the day. Just as it was embarrassing the day before to walk patrol outside the Wingers, it was embarrassing to patrol the Idaho Falls Fairfield Inn parking lot.
We had dinner reservations at Rutabagas to celebrate Christian’s graduation. I wore jeans and dress shoes to the dinner. Kate was mortified with my dress. But winning Kate’s approval on dress matters has never been my goal. It would be an impossible standard. In any event, Kate was only wearing jeans and bumble bee tennis shoes.
I was worried that no where in eastern Idaho would be able to pull off a celebratory meal. Certainly there is no place in Rexburg--did I mention Rexburg is a culinary pit. I found this place on trip advisor.
Rutabagas surpassed by wildest dreams. It was wonderful. I had the rack of lamb that was succulent. Dorey and I split the caramel chocolate turtle cheese cake. Great. As we were walking out, we told them that we would be seeing them next year for Kate’ graduation.
Today’s stats: On Friday, I walked 11,711 steps. On Saturday, I walked 12,026 steps. Overall, as of this moment, 2:38 on Sunday, August 2, 2009, I have walked 456,557 steps in 38 days.
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