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Wednesday Review (one day late!)

Our family has always loved to try small ethnic restaurants. We have a rule when traveling – No Franchise. We try to do business with local “mom & pop” businesses whenever possible – and eating out is no  exception. There has been a Mexican restaurant at 1704 E. Grand for as long as I can remember. We have eaten there often. Although the location stays the same – the owner, decor and menu may change. Right now it is the location of Taqueria Jalisco. It has a simple decor and  menu – walk up to the counter and order. They have photos of the food if you’re not adept at Spanish. I recommend the Burrito with Asada. It’s big enough to split!  It comes with sliced radish, a wedge of lime and a grilled jalapeno. Give it a try – and while you’re at it, have a glass of cold horchata or rice milk. The phone number is  262-0102. And while we’re on Mexican food – this weekend  is the Latino Festival. It’s downtown on the bridges. Sure to be some new foods to try there.

Or if you prefer to buy a house this weekend – call the Eisenlauer Team.

Bill 770-2455    Bob 979-2883

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Wednesday Review

                    Comfort Cuisine – just the title makes you want to pull up a chair and dine with Uncle Mike. Located in a remodeled building on 6th Ave, Uncle Mike’s serves a simple, delicious and home-made menu of Bar-B-Que items. We had a Crush sandwich – Beef brisket and pulled pork on an open-face bun. For a side I chose – potato salad. It was creamy and a bit on the bland side for me. The sandwich – delicious and enough for two meals. Bill had a Southerner – a pulled pork with bar-b-cue sauce on open-face bun topped with cole-slaw, side of greens – all excellent. The decor is simple and clean, the staff friendly and courteous. If you like sweet potato pie and peach cobbler – I’ve been told they’re the best!  We’ll be back. Address: 1610 6th Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50314 Phone: (515) 244-6553 Hours: 11AM-8PM Mon-Sat; Closed Sun For opinions on food – we’re willing, but far from experts. For advice on real estate – We’re experienced and  professional and willing to be your Realtor. Give us a call.

Bill 770-2455  Bob 979-2883

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Hy-Vee Triathalon & Historic East Village – the place to be this weekend

            Hy-Vee sponsors one of the biggest triathlons in the country – right here in Des Moines.  According the the race officials, 20-30,o00 people are expected to pass through the East Village this Sunday. Wow !  We went down to the East Village last year during the Triathlon – it was humming with activity. There were a lot of vendors with energy drinks and athletic products they were promoting. This year, there will be a jumbo-tron screen in the East Village to watch the swimming that will take place at Grays’ Lake.  Course maps and complete info is available here. The Triathlon kick-off begins with a free concert at City Hall, Friday Aut 31st with an opening act at 7:00 pm and the band Soul Asylum at 8:15. If that’s not enough to draw you to the East Village this weekend, Sunday Bazaar season starts Sept 2. This week only, it begins at 10:00 AM. The usual time will be Sunday afternoons from noon-4:00, through October on East 5th St. It’s a great event to enjoy free music and peruse the artisitic wares of local vendors
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State Fair People and the rest

Having lived on the east side of Des Moines for the past 30+ years, I’ve come to realize there are 2 types of people. State Fair goers and everybody else. There are just a certain per-cent of the population that attend the fair – at least once- if not more times every year. Only a cataclysmic event would keep them from attending. And this is not just “east-siders”, its across the state. There are sub-cultures at the fair. The carnies – the traveling guys who put up those rides and hawk their wares and try the darndest to get you to part with your money.  Successful Email Marketing Boot Camp Then there is another level of people trying to take your money – the guys doing cooking demos, the Vita-Mixer guy, the salsa maker guy, the massage chair, the freezie maker – etc.  There are the 4-H kids in the barns that wash and dry the animals, put fans on them, spray their hooves – treat them royally. These kids love to play tricks on the “city-slickers”, catch them off-guard by dropping a rubber spider from the rafters and watch our reaction! The campers – a city onto itself. Wow – have you driven through there?  Or take the big John Deere wagon up for a look-see. People pass their camping sites down through generations, a 10 yr. waiting list!  They decorate, construct decks, the appear to defy gravity stuck on the side of the hill and still level. Outside there are the car-parking-hawkers. They wave canes, wave flags, wear costumes, lure you in with the promise of a shuttle to and from, sell refreshments, offer to tatoo you and your kids for a nominal fee. Front and back yards are plotted out with precision to get the most revenue from the window of time available. My family are fair-goers.  You either love it or you don’t. Comment about your favorite sub-culture.  
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Iowa State Fair – Anticipation

Just like the Carly Simon song – Anticipation… Keeping Me Waiting… These are the Good Ole Days! The Iowa State Fair starts Thur. I cut through the fairgrounds all the time, avoiding traffic, driving through my own oasis of fond memories on my way home to Pleasant Hill. This time of year, it’s fun to watch the activity increase, the familiar stands appear, people already enjoying corndogs, the campers arrive – it all leads to the anticipation of the once a year event.

What’s your favoriate activity?  Food?  Free entertainment?  Vendor demonstration? My favorite food is the cappacola sandwich at Crescenti’s. You must try it, it’s the best! Free entertainment – The wandering One Man Band – amazing exhibition of coordination, if not musical ability! Vendor demonstration – two are our faves. Outside the Varied Industries – the Salsa Maker man. Inside the Agriculture building, upper level – the Vita Mixer. We loved the demo so much, we bought one. And yes, after 6 years, we still use it!

Would love to know your favorite sights, smells, sounds –

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Information Highway – Good, Bad and Ugly

Have you looked up instructions for DIY projects on the internet?  Someone recently told me about a great way to cook Iowa corn on the cob in the microwave before husking. She said it cooks beautifully, and the husks and silk wipe clean eliminating the unpopular step of husking. “Just look on You-Tube. There’s a tutorial with an old man who walks you through the process.”  I found a great recipe for meat-stuffed jalapenos, wrapped in bacon and glazed with honey and Bar-b-que. When someone asked me for the recipe – I went to the website, printed the recipe and passed it to her.  I volunteer sorting books at the Hope Ministries Bargain Center. We can’t give a set of encyclopedias away – they go into the re-cycle bin. Who needs a set of books when you can “google” the topic and have the info in nano-seconds. Home-made bombs in mailboxes – now that’s the ugly information available on You Tube.  Infomation on how to hack accounts, how to steal, how to trick Grandma into sending a check to help her favorite grandchild (or so she thinks…) in a precarious predicament. That is the dark side to the infomation highway. The ability to send X-Rated emails to your lover from the work computer and receiving the instant gratification of the illlicit response. Character counts.  And what we do when we think no one is looking reveals our true character.
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Celebrate with us at Pleasant Hill’s Summerfest

The Summerfest celebration begins with a parade at 10:00 AM. The route starts at RE/MAX Real Estate Group’s office and ends at Doan’s Park.  Check out the schedule on the Pleasant Hill Chamber site.  There is a car show at the 5 & Diner starting at 11:00 AM. At 3:00 the festivities continue at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park. Some of the activities that are not listed: Face painting, provided by Courtyard Estates,”Break the Board” provided by Triumph Martial Arts, and we will also be having a Dance Performance at approximately 3:30.  There will also be several food items such as: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Brats, Pizza, Taco’s, Tropical Sno, Ice Cream Sandwiches and much more! Don’t miss out on all there is to do this Saturday.  Admittance is free! Food, Beverages and Inflatables will have a cost.  The cost for an all day inflatables wristband is $5.00 for children over 5, $3.00 for children 5 & under, remember your $1.00 off coupon in order to save!

Don’t Forget

The Eisenlauer Team is

 Easy to Work With …Hard to Beat!

 

Bill 770-2455      Bob 979-2883

  www.EisenlauerTeam.com
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Walnut Street Downtown Scheduled to Re-open

Some things just seem so obvious, you wonder why the Important People in Suits didn’t figure it out.  When they turned Walnut St. downtown into a buses only street, why would you be surprised that business on the street level would be negatively affected? So, the Dart busses will be leaving Walnut and a big effort will begin to bring business and patrons back to the center of downtown. The East Village has seen a boost, the Western Gateway in underway, it’s time to revitalize the heart of downtown.  Watch for new things to be coming in 2013. Read the whole story here.

 
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New Respect for Frank Lloyd Wright

We stayed in Clear Lake for a week – the weather was beautiful. The town does a great job with their image, with activities and attractions.  We were within a stone’s throw of the lake- scenic and relaxing. But the highlight for me was touring two of Frank Lloyd Wrights buildings.

One is the newly renovated Park Hotel. The other was the Stockman House. It is one of FLW’s $5,000 fireproof houses. It was deigned after the Chicago fires with the common man in mind. The Stockman House was built by a Dr., but still a modest home.  Some of the things I learned from our tourguide:
  • Frank Lloyd Wright wanted to create a style of home that was uniquely American.  He didn’t want to build Tudor or Victorian or 4-Square.
  • FLW wanted the homes to be in harmony with the landscape.
  • Amazing attention to detail and balance. Even when they design is asymetrical, it is perfectly balanced. A lot of horizontal lines. Large overhangs incorporated drainage. Wide “baseboard” detail grounded the building with the landscape.
  • He traveled extensively, often to Japan. He loved Japanese art and thought it was best  complemented his buildings.
  • He was the father of 6 kids, but ran off to Japan with another man’s wife.
  • Ribbon windows are a trademark, walls would fit precisely between the windows to maintain balance.
  • Wright designed furniture unique to his homes and expected that their location and function would stay when he had left.
There is a lot of unique and impressive homes within blocks of the Stockman house in Mason City. It is also the home of Meredith Wilson – the author of Music Man.
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Peek-A-Boo – Bad MLS Photo

We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words.  When we list a house to sell, we routinely schedule a professional stager to consult with the seller. After the “to-do” list is complete, we schedule a professional photographer to take pictures.  88% of buyers use the internet to search for homes before contacting a Realtor. Photos are important. So, it’s always a mystery when we see a photo like the one above. What were they thinking????