Tag Archives: Bloomington

Breaking Away…

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Yes everyone…it’s that time again…IU’s Little 500 is this weekend!  An event that sparked a hollywood movie and a legacy for Dave Blase…the most famous IU Little 500 rider who almost didn’t race!  Click here to read the Indy Star article about his story.

From the Indiana University Student Foundation page:

The Little 500 is the largest collegiate bike race in the United States. Modeled after the Indianapolis 500, riders compete in four-person teams around a quarter-mile cinder track at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The men’s race is 200 laps — 50 miles — and the women’s race is 100.

More than 25,000 fans flock to the campus in Bloomington, Indiana, each April to be a part of IU’s storied tradition. And who can blame them? The excitement, the competition, the pageantry — Little 500 is an experience like no other.

The race began in 1951 as a way to raise scholarship money for students working their way through college. Since that first race, IUSF has given away over $1 million to deserving undergrads.

Now about that Hollywood movie…do you remember it?  Dennis Christopher played Dave and Dennis Quaid, Jackie Earl Haley and Daniel Stern rounded out the 4 man team.  The synopsis is quite simple, Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his 3 friends, the comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys racing bikes and hopes to race the Italians one day, and even takes up the Italian culture, much to his friends and parents annoyance. Meanwhile, the 4 friends try to break away from their townie, Indiana reputation while fighting with nearby college snobs.

I just love movies set in Indiana and about Indiana events…how about you?

breaking away

Vicki Reed

 

What do you do for fun in the Winter?

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The major winter holidays are behind us…what do we do for the rest of the winter???  Besides my job as a Realtor (yes, I consider it a lot of fun…even in winter!) my favorite pastime is watching Men’s College Basketball!  The problem is that Indy isn’t hosting a major men’s college basketball event until the Midwest Regional of the Men’s Basketball 2013 NCAA Tournament the last weekend in March!

Okay, so we have Butler Basketball here in the city, always a great time and if you can get tickets, Bloomington isn’t that far away to see my FAV and …okay, we also have…well…Purdue.

So what else is there to do, and if you are like me, not spend a lot of money!  Indianapolis is such a great city with tons of things to do ALL seasons, but for Winter, how about…

Ice Skating – My youngest nieces (ages 10 and 11) love to go ice skating!  When they visit we go to the Indiana/World Skating Academy at the Pan Am Plaza – for under $15, they can skate for 2 hours and have a great time.  I generally follow that up with a treat like Chocolate Nachos at Cheeseburger in Paradise – great way to spend an afternoon.

Museums – One of my favorite things is to simply visit and enjoy the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  It is $5 to park and unless you are going to a special exhibit, it’s free to walk through and enjoy.  I spend a lot of time in the textile exhibits, right now they have An American Legacy: Norell, Blass, Halston & Sprouse spanning more than 50 years of fashion history, the exhibition presents the work of four innovative designers, their individual styles and lasting influence on American fashion.  We also have the world class Indianapolis Children’s Museum, The Indiana State Museum and the Eitlejorg, all a great adventure and all priced well for a great, relaxed visit.

Check back next week for more ideas!  While you are waiting…click here to sign up on my website for all the Indianapolis Real Estate Market News!

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Vicki Reed

Wish # 11

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My eleventh wish is that we allow ourselves more spontaneity in our lives and be more lighthearted, it is important to see the joy in your life.  What was the last thing you did on the spur of the moment?  Sometimes, I will go to a movie in the middle of the day…just because I can!  As a Realtor, I work a lot of crazy hours so when I find myself with a couple of unscheduled hours in the middle of the day, I might stop by and catch a flick!

A couple of years ago, a friend and I went to the IU vs. OSU game in Bloomington, IN on New Years Eve.  We had decided on the way down where we wanted to have dinner after the game and made reservations…but as we neared Assembly Hall, we saw signs for the French Lick Casino and I jokingly said since we were already half way there, we should go.  When the game was over, we decided “what the heck”, cancelled our reservations, hit White Castle for dinner and a couple of ATM‘s for cash and headed South instead of North to Indy!

We had a blast, we got home at 6 a.m. after gambling all night (coming out winners – my friend $90 and me $120 – what do you expect, we play the Penny slots!) and stopping for breakfast at a roadside dinner (now that was an interesting experience!).  It was one of my most memorable New Years, it’s fun to be spontaneous!

Have fun, be open to new experiences and be willing to go with the flow…you’ll be amazed at the joy you will find in your life.

NYEheaderVicki Reed