Epic Status Photoblog

Took some photos while en route back to Des Moines from Dubuque, IA.

 

 

 

 

Cars, Greatest Hits, Nature, Outdoor, Travel

Shuey needed someone to help him drop his car off at Stew Hansen’s Dodge City to get it looked at for some electrical problems.? While we were there? I was wondering if the Dodge lineup included any good looking cars again.? Hidden behind the repair garages we found a row of obscenely? smashed vehicles.? They must be buying these for nothing from insurance companies, fixing them up, then selling them for major profit.? No warranty on their patchwork, sold as is.?

 

New tires!

 

Fresh paint!

 

Passed our 100? point inspection!

 

? Engine just tuned!

 

Clean interior!

If you recently purchased a car from Stewie, please peel that stupid red and black SH sticker off your tail end.? Normal sized dealer emblems are ugly enough, but these huge stickers are hideous.? Not to mention that they used a non-neutral color instead of having a clear background.? Phase two: placing mural sized ads on the roof of every vehicle for those of multi level buildings to see.

Cars, Night, Outdoor

? Biff was in town again, with his van entitled “Sofa King Loud.”

 

My flash settings were messed up? so I nuked his face to death a few times.

 

He didn’t blink this time.? That’s probably why he could only? see shapes of objects for the next hour.

 

Crushed velvet interior.? Flippin’ sweet!

 

16 Subs is Sofa King Loud.

Cars, Night

Or were they?

 

 

I’m sure there’s many country songs written about this pickup truck.

 

 

 

 

Cars, Holidays, Travel

? Rain sensing wipers, dual massaging front seats, flourescent gages, 60mph reverse gear, 300hp, weather radio, traction control drives both wheels on snow/ice, four heated seats, rear vents with seperate heating/cooling controls, electronic suspension,? limp home mode, genuine? Zebrano wood trim/stearing? wheel/shifter,? and? more.? The pillow stuffed lap of luxery.

 

 

You’ll always be in my heart.

 

Cars

Continued from? PAGE? 1.?

 

We were all surprised to see that Pee Wee made it out.

 

? Your drink is not just a drink, it’s an accessory.

 

Check your phone?

 

? Brad had a birthday too.

 

? Larry Smithson? (owner: Smithson Limousine and many downtown bars) with Colby.? Thanks for the limo’s Larry, we had a great time!

 

? This guy was pole dancing for half the night.? He didn’t realize that everyone was looking at him weird and taking pictures.? Guys just don’t have the style and grace needed to make this look sexy? for the females.? It was reminiscent of an overweight? truck driver salsa dancing.? Trust me, none of the ladies were impressed.

 

Grinding some pole

 

Met? this couple, he works with? MusiCity Productions, a DJ service

 

? Met this couple.? I don’t remember his name but he said he wants to get into photography.? Nice picture, but I had to blur out a special something that was clearly visible.

 

? “I’m a guy that likes to pole dance, so what!”? Later in the night while he was still doing his thing, he started making this angry face at anyone who looked at him.? I don’t think he realized that everyone would stop staring if he stopped drawing attention to himself.

 

You? can swing over everyone’s heads at the bar

 

It’s PBK of Bad Kids, Des Moines.? I’ll soon be featuring some still clips from their video and show you where you can buy it.

 

Excursion Limo by Smithson Limousines

 

 

 

The Excursion limo was our favorite.? It may have had slightly less seats, but it was so much more comfortable and swanky.? On the other hand the Hummer did have much bigger TV’s, and also the seating was directly across so everyone could probably talk slightly easier.? Considering all, the refined styling and comfortable seating? of the Excursion won us over.? If you’re considering a limo, this should be your first choice.

 

Our favorite limo with our favorite driver of the night.? He was? accommodating and personable when we talked to him.? If names didn’t escape me when I drink, I’d recommend him by name.

 

For more information, refer to Smithson Limousine’s website.? Here’s a list where Larry is keeping track of famous people who have been in his limo’s.? We’re waiting for him to update it to include us.

Bars, Cars, Des Moines, Downtown, People

We? celebrated Cherish’s birthday on Friday the 13th.? We tried to plan it less than a week ahead, which caused some availability problems.? We had a turn out of a little more than half the people we expected to come.? Excuses, excuses… we still forgive you though.? Well, give Cherish another week on that just in case.

 

? I had lighting problems all night, mainly because I couldn’t use bounce flash in the limo or at Club? Envy due to the black ceiling.? I need to buy or devise a flash bounce diffuser for the next time this happens.

 

Limo is here, everyone out.

 

? Hummer limo, courtesy of Smithson Limousines

 

? Pile in the Hummer limo everyone

 

 

 

 

? Arrival at Club Envy, downtown Des Moines

 

? Yaeger Bombs for everyone

 

Envy has very unique decorating and styling, great efforts were taken to give this place a personality.

 

Cherish’s duece-duece.

 

While playing around, I liked the arctic look and the green accents.

 

Leslie, Sandra, Elaine, Cherish

 

Freak dancing

 

 

? Private dancers

 

 

Elaine, Leslie, Ty, and Joe

 

 

See PAGE 2 for more

Bars, Cars, Des Moines, Downtown, People

My turn

 

Well what is Richard doing here?? No one told me this punk was coming!

 

Richard pulls a prank on Steph

 

Everyone tried to convince Pee-Wee to come out with us.? He ran away screaming “But I don’t wanna!”

 

The usual suspects

 

No way, it’s Dion,? in neon… orange that is.? It’s been some 2 years.

 

Who can? touch their tongue to their nose?? “I can I can, me me me!”

 

? Brad gets Kassie a car for her birthday.

 

? Scare tactics

 

? Pee-Wee smiled once this day, and I caught the moment.

 

 

?

 

 

Cheers to Richard and Heather’s new cocoon and Kassie’s birthday

 

Everyone to the cars, we’re going to 101!

 

 

 

I’ll start with an order of one megaphone please

 

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Primo too.

 

? Naughty Bonnie smokes in front of Josh

 

? My ninja stealth skills need some practice.

Bars, Cars, Des Moines, Night, Parties, People

Continued from Page 1? of St Patrick’s Day Parade 2007, Des Moines IA

 

We only saw one bagpipe.? I was dissapointed.? We missed the very beginning which we heard had more.

 

 

 

? Seeing shamrocks

 

? Pot O Gold

 

? 95 KGGO and guy giving away shirts

 

Melrose IA, Iowa’s Little Ireland, 1937 basketball champs, no snakes!? They also had a ginormous number of people and vehicles in the parade.

 

? Melrose fighting Irish

 

? Melrose Iowa parade unit 3-17.? Law and order runs afoul? while? the police car is out of town in the parade.

 

 

Conway Pallet family

 

?

Pot O’ Gold in a wheel barrel

 

Dogs

 

 

? St. Pat was a Democrat

 

Northern Warren Fire Dept.

 

Hot chicken.? I don’t see the relevancy, but hey it’s entertaining.

 

? Shaw Clan, Faith and? Courage

 

The? Delaney crew

 

Candy was left all over the ground.? Since we were at the very beginning of the parade, candy was being dispersed towards us at colossal rates.? The street was saturated with dirty sand from the winter, used for traction on snow and ice.? This made the candy much less enticing.? Kids went home with black hands.? Would it have been impossible for them to have a street sweeper do a pass the day before?

 

? It’s not fun unless you get to be wild and crazy

 

The chick in the back of the truck gave me what appears to be a Star Trek hand gesture, then she waved and laughed hysterically.? I didn’t start drinking until after the parade, so I was much more confused than humored by her odd antics.

 

Most of the adults in the parade were drinking, some more than others.

 

2007 Irish fashion trends

 

Greyhounds

 

? O’Reelitz

 

 

 

? There were way too many filler entries (blatant advertising with no entertainment value) in the parade.? It would have been much better if they would have weeded these out.? After an hour of watching the parade we had enough.? Everyone else had enough also, the crowd thinned to 1/3 the size an hour through it.? Repetition is good for the brain, not for the eyes.

? I strongly suggest they use an application process where they can filter out entries with little to no entertainment value.? ? Make them compete in front of? a small? panel of judges who could rate the proposed entries and only a given number of? the best would be allowed to proceed.? We want quality, not quantity.

Animals, Attractions, Cars, Des Moines, Downtown, Holidays, People, Streets

The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is the second largest parade in the state of Iowa.? A plethora of people come to be in it and watch it.

 

? Plenty of balloons

 

? Ancient Order of the Hibernians in America, Polk County.? Since I was taking pictures instead of watching, I was pelted with candy a few times.? The kid on the left is throwing candy our way at this moment.

 

Saturday night fever pose?? Anything goes on St. Paddys day.

 

The Murphy Clan

 

DMI Dance Force

 

 

 

Friend of Des Moines Girl

 

? Smokey’s

 

This is what they call a “kilt malfunction.”? The front of his kilt stuck to the velcro of his coat.

 

? It’s Bonnie and Josh

 

I wonder what? their lawn looks like at Christmas time?

 

Guys in Kilt’s representing St. Patrick’s day

 

 

? McGinn’s and friends

 

 

? Lepprechaun crossing

 

 

 

? It’s great to be Irish

 

The short bus, 100.3

 

? Georgetown, IA had a huge number of people and vehicles in the parade

 

? Georgetown Iowa, Irish spirit by night… Irish spirit by day

 

? Georgetown church and bar with door between

 

? Throwing beads

 

? Iowa D.O.T. Brotherhood of Islanders

 

Drummer men, 3 generations?

 

Elvis of? Good Vibrations DJ Service.

 

Groovy Girls was the name of this entry.? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

? The Church Ladies?? I’m clueless again.

 

 

See Page 2 for more

Animals, Attractions, Cars, Des Moines, Downtown, Holidays, People, Streets

? Shuey and I first went to Raccoon River Brewing Co.? Good homemade beer.

 

? We met Britt and Cherish at the bar at? the Waterfront seafood joint.? Then we went to 3 bag/3rd base and find that it’s too busy (on a Thurs).? Now we’re at Stix in Windsor Heights.? Stix is a chain of pool bars in the area with 10-15 pool tables.? It’s a nice laid back place to play pool, less gritty and cheaper than Big Dog Billiards.? Instead of renting a table hourly, you feed quarters to the table like at normal bars.? Although they have stools at the bar, I wouldn’t come here just to drink, if you’re not playing you’ll be bored.

 

? Brittany actually came around for once.? We rarely see her now that she doesn’t work in Des Moines.? We’ll see her again… next year maybe.

 

? Rock came out to pound some beers with us.

 

 

“We’re wearing the same exact jeans.”? But I don’t need an excuse to get a good booty shot in.?

 

? Synchronized billiards at Stix.

 

? Decisions

 

? Add some spin

 

It’s only Thursday, we still have to work in the morning.? Luckily Cherish is much better at knowing when it’s time to call it a night than I am.

 

Rock’s got some sick car doors.? They can swing out like regular or lift up.? You wouldn’t believe how useful this is for tight parking spaces.? Rock swears he sits on a phonebook to reach the steering wheel.

Bars, Cars, People

Granted? I realize? that Des Moines is no LA, traffic is still a major headache.? Considering the size of Des Moines, traffic flow is not impressive.? This is compounded by urban sprawl over the last 15 years or so to the West of Des Moines.? Tons of people work downtown but live in the Western suburbs.? Over the last couple years, an effort has been made to revitalize downtown and make it a more attractive place to live, which would reduce the amount of people depending on I- 235 and other main arteries leading toward downtown.? ? Personally my drive time is between 20 and 30 minutes each way to get to work downtown.? It’s not horrible, but it could be much better for a city this size.? This also takes into consideration that many companies start at an offset time so that people are driving in at different times.? For instance, starting work at 8:15am instead of just 8:00am.

 

 

 

 

 

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Cars, Des Moines, Streets

We were hanging out at a bar named West Port on the West end of Des Moines and some people walked up to the building but were staring back at where they came from.? It sounded like they were called by the driver to come help him.? They were hanging out at the bar to avoid the police, as they said there was a large amount of weed in the car.? Going outside, I could see that somehow this car drove straight dead-on into the tree.? Technically he hit the tree after pounding into the bank of packed snow.? The tracks appear to suggest that he was going straight the whole time also, ruling out the possibility that he didn’t? steer sharp enough.?

 

 

Cars, Des Moines, People, Unusual