Stop #14: Marion, IN (#290)

NOTE: Apologies for the absence these past couple weeks and the delay in getting these posted. I have no good excuse except that I've been recovering from the heartbreak that was the night of April 4. After the end of last year's national championship game, where Butler lost to Duke by just two points (see Brownsburg post), I didn't think it could be any more heartbreaking. That team went so far and did so well and held in there throughout the entire game against Duke. Even Coach K has said in interviews that he momentarily thought Hayward's Last Shot was going to go in and Butler would win, just 'cause it would have been a perfect ending for our "Cinderella Story" season. And still, Butler lost. When the time ran out, Duke was up, and Duke won, fair-and-square, and Butler, despite an amazing season, is forever the 2010 championship runner-up. What could be more heartbreaking than that? Nothing, I thought, after last year's season was over.

And now, the 2011 tournament teaches me differently. What could be more heartbreaking than that? Watching a team that you know has the talent and skill, just blow it. Watching a whole game, where your team just seems to struggle the entire time to get anything accomplished. Watching them get nothing but rim, while the opposing team gets only slightly less of the nothing but rim. Watching your team lose that way, that is far more heartbreaking. I'm only now really recovering from such heartbreak.

And now, to continue the quest ... with a post started some time ago, and not finished until now.

Stop #14: Marion, IN (#290)

Stop #14 happened on April Fool's Day, but was no joke. Why? Because April 1, 2011, was also Fear the Glasses Friday, in honor of Coach Brad Stevens and his ability to wear glasses and make the Butler basketball team do awesome things.

And Stop #14 took us to Marion, Indiana, which is also no joke because ... actually, I can't think of a reason. I really don't know Marion that well. Maybe it is a joke. I'll probably never know, as I'll probably never go back. After all, they've only got one Steak 'n' Shake up there.


Which brings us back to the most important part of the story, which is that we (me, Kathy, Rachel, and Jen) went to the Marion SnS for stop #14 in the quest. With Jen working in Marion and Rachel living there, that left only me and Kathy to make the trip up.

We, of course, got lost, and ended up here instead.


So we detoured for a bit to check it out. Kathy likes old things, a lot. And this is actually on the historic registry, apparently.


Which was also motivation to check it out. Besides, who knew Marion had anything so interesting? Maybe I will have to go back there sometime in the future.

Us getting lost wasn't too terrible, though, because Rachel and Jen were also a bit late in meeting up with us. Kathy and I were still the first ones there.

So we got started on some artwork, to cheer on our bulldogs in their next NCAA game against VCU.


Kathy decided to go with a basic and all-purpose "Go Dawgs!" sign. I approved.


I went with a more artistic sign, specific for Saturday's game. It's difficult to see here, 'cause VCU's colors include yellow, meaning my artistic rendition of them was essentially yellow stick people. Butler was, of course, in blue. And there was a basketball. Which actually probably looked more like a volleyball than a basketball, 'cause that's just the type of artist I am. It was captioned, "See Butler," above the blue stick people, "See VCU," above the yellow stick people, and "See Butler beat VCU. Go, Dawgs, Go!" underneath it all.

I know you can't see any of it, but trust me, its there. And you really can trust me, 'cause I've just described how entirely awful my artistic abilities are. Now, what would my motivation be for lying about being a crappy artist?

Yeah, I thought so.

Jen and Rachel also showed up eventually, and Rachel decided to join in on the signage fun.


Rachel decided to incorporate the back of the Steak 'n' Shake placemat in her "Go Dawgs!" sign, highlighting the eggs they use to promote their breakfast menu and writing a cheer of "Crack 'em Dawgs!"

I think Rachel earns the creativity points for this trip.

And as much as I love Jen, the Dynamic to my Duo, she loses on this trip in the participation category for not making a sign at all. However, she wins points for joining me in ordering the fish, as it was, after all, a Friday in Lent. We'll call those "Kudos to Catholics!" points, and this is likely the only time I'll ever award them because, a) Lent is nearly over, and b) I'm about 50 percent sure I'll never award points in this Steak 'n' Shake quest ever again, though even if I do, it's going to be one of those super inconsistent things. (Like my recent ability to post! ha!)

While we ate (as mentioned above, fish for me, plus fries and a salad, and a "very berry" strawberry milkshake, which was actually incredibly tasty), we discussed our excellent basketball team.

And, of course, Brad Stevens and his glasses. And "Fear the Glasses Friday."

Kathy and I even decided to do our best "Fear the Glasses" Stevens pose.


Unfortunately, between my prescription not having been updated since probably at least as many years as Stevens has been coach before Stevens became head coach (ha! I dare you to figure out when my prescription was last updated.) and the fact that Kathy was wearing glasses that she did not, in fact, need (thanks Rachel!), I don't think either of us had any even remote ability to see how well we were doing in our poses. For all I know, I'm actually pointing at Kathy, and she me.

Note to self: Get new glasses sometime before you die.

And so, Stop #14 in our grand quest concluded. We decided to do our group shot outside for once, which was probably one of the stupidest ideas ever, 'cause it was windy (see papers) and cold (see hoodies/coats/huddled masses) and drizzly (see lack of umbrellas 'cause apparently we didn't really deserve our Butler degrees).