May 7, 2012

So how did a person born on the southwest coast of England end up living in Des Moines, IA? Well that story is a bit long and complicated. Here’s the short version (I promise). My parents immigrated to Canada when I was a little girl. I spent a good number of years growing up in the “Maritimes” (yep, I started school in New found land of all places). We...

Jan 31, 2012

Jet Set Studio recently announced that the largest video game tournament in Iowa will be hosted in downtown Des Moines on March 17-18, 2012. The Iowa Pro Gaming Challenge (#TIPGC on Twitter) is a regional video game event.  It has been established as an annual destination for gamers all around the country.  For the third annual event this year, TIPGC 2012 will...

Dec 20, 2011

By now many of you have read or heard about Stephen Bloom’s article in the Atlantic, “Observations From 20 Years of Iowa Life,” in which Bloom paints an ugly picture of rural Iowa. And you’ve likely seen the many responses, both well-reasoned and shouting-mad. But as a recently-returned Iowan, I’d like to add my voice to the conversation. For those of...

Nov 9, 2011

When someone asks me what my favorite Des Moines restaurants are, Trostel’s Dish always makes it in the top few.  You have a huge variety of delicious small plates to choose from to eat, their martinis are seriously good, and they are one of the few non chain restaurants in West Des Moines/Clive.  For dining there so often in the evening, it’s...

Nov 1, 2011

When I left Des Moines for the San Francisco Bay Area 14 years ago, I wouldn’t have guessed I would come back. In fact I was pretty sure I would only visit, that my home would forever be someplace else. But last May, a moving truck packed up most of our belongings, I got in the car with my dog, cat, and nephew, Joe (to help with the driving), my wife,...