Excitement in St. Paul

by Cherie

On Wednesday, June 24, Curt, Charli and I loaded up the ION and drove to St. Paul. Ike had an open enough schedule we figured we could work in a visit before his longer work day on Saturday. Then on the way home, we could catch our friend, Wendy Hill, at the Des Moines Arts Festival.

The main goal was to get Ike a bike for commuting to and from his third job as an Omni theater host at the St. Paul science museum. He’d been borrowing bikes from his frat brothers, which wasn’t the best solution for his 6’2” frame.

So after our initial evening of a family dinner and hanging out, we set out Thursday morning to find a bike shop close to Hamline University and scope out bikes while Ike completed his scheduled campus tour. Curt selected a new Schwinn single-speed bike. It’s no nonsense for a former BMXer like Ike. The price was also right. With a bike helmet and a U-lock, he’d be set.

Shortly after 11 a.m., we picked up Ike and returned to the bike shop. Ike tried everything out, we paid the bill, and he set out on the bike for the Theta Chi house. Meanwhile, we took off to go to Rainbow Foods for our second goal – a gift card for groceries. After going through that process and working our way back onto Snelling, St. Paul’s main drag and the street on which the fraternity is located, we passed a tall blonde kid walking a mangled bike.

You guessed it. As realization set in and we saw each other, Curt shook his head and I took rubbernecking to a new level. In fact, Ike’s imitation of me later as he related the story to his brothers was spot on.

About two blocks from the frat house as Ike was trying to get off Snelling and out of traffic, he took to a sidewalk near an alley. Unfortunately, a car came out of the alley around a blind corner and collided with him. Ike went through the air, the bike suspended over him and the front tire mangled. His right elbow and shoulders took the brunt of the force, leaving him with a swollen and bruised spot near the elbow and road rash on his shoulders.

We met him in the Theta Chi parking lot, and Curt immediately got to work on the bike. Ike brought him tools, then got ice for his elbow. After taking off the front tire and stashing it in the trunk, Curt stowed the bike in the back seat of the ION and back to the bike store he and Ike went. When they entered the store with the mangled bike, the staff said, “That’s a record!” And once repaired, they told Ike to avoid Snelling Avenue like the plague, helping him chart a different route back. On the second trip, he made it.

I don’t think I have to worry about him leaving home without his helmet now.

In the meantime, Ike’s roommate, Matthew Chartrand, took Charli and me down the street to Black Sea, the local Turkish restaurant. We drank Turkish lemonade and had an appetizer while we waited for Curt and Ike to return. I was incredibly relieved when they walked in about 45 minutes later.

After that, the rest of our trip was relatively uneventful. We spent Thursday afternoon at Como Park visiting the zoo and Como Town, a small amusement park. One of Ike’s friend’s, Rose, painted Charli’s face like a tiger. And Charli and Curt got their fill of park rides. We ate dinner at a local pizza place and had ice cream at the Grand Ole Creamery, a St. Paul institution. Again, Ike knew one of the staff, Earl. He knows everybody! He ought to be in public relations.

Friday we were all tired, and took it slow. After lunch, we wandered around the Minneapolis Institute of Art, which has a wonderful collection. We’ll go back there again. And for dinner that night, we picked up subs and took them to Como Park, where we sat on the grass and watched people come out for the evening. St. Paul really is a great place.

Saturday after a big breakfast at the Perkins near Hamline, we hit the road and Ike prepared for work. As planned, we hit the Arts Festival in Des Moines and met our friend Wendy. It gave us a chance to add to our Marvin Hill collection.

We finally hit home about 6:30 p.m. Saturday. What a relief!