It must be Autumn because everybody's wearing red.

In Nebraska, this season has a color and that's Husker Red. Game Day is celebrated by the wearing of red, or sometimes "blackshirts" black. It's a statewide phenomenon, fans everywhere wear their team gear in droves. Parking lots and driveways are dotted with tents decorated in red and white. Smoke rising from thousands of grills perfumes the air with the smell of searing meat. Shortly before kick-off, the streets, restaurants and stores empty out. Just about everyone has gone to sports bars and TV rooms to watch the game. Here at Frank & Simon's, we provide a tailgate spot in the parking lot. We grill our Chicago hot dogs and bratwursts for hungry customers and entertain them with games of cornhole, the Husker pre-game show blaring from my 1978 boombox, and door prizes. Go Big Red!

State Fair

I love going to state and county fairs. Last year, the location of Nebraska's state fair was changed from Lincoln to Grand Island. It was controversial, but I understand why it was a good idea. Lincoln's state fair facilities were extremely run-down, and Grand Island is more convenient for most farming families.

This year Scott and I drove an hour and minutes minutes to Grand Island, then spent two more hours in the car creeping along in bumper-to-bumper traffick. At the end of that ordeal, our parking space was a one-mile walk on unpaved roadside from the fairgrounds. It was discouraging, to say the least!

After we finally made it into the fair, we had a nice time. I relished my annual corn dog and lemonade. The 4H project displays are our favorite part, and there was a lot to see from kids all over the state. The animals were beautiful, as were the many quilts. The commercial exhibits were out in force selling everything from vibrating weight-loss machines to waterless cookware. No outdoor concerts, which I missed. We didn't ride or play games, but the midway looked great. We lucked out with spectacular weather, which made all the difference. If I can figure out a better parking plan, I'll go again.

The Most Important Meal?

Frank & Simon's omelette

Because I wait until the last minute to get ready to leave the house, my go-to breakfast has always been a bowl of cold cereal. Better than nothing, but it doesn't give a body much to work with. Eating breakfast has become easier since we started serving it at Frank & Simon's. Fresh eggs, vegetables and fruits are so much better than sugary refined flour!

Drive-by Art

The World is Amazing and Beautiful and So Are You

I've been passing by this art installation in someone's front yard all summer, every time I go home from work. It caught my eye right away and made me smile a bit the first time I saw it, but I didn't have a strong reaction. With repeated viewings, I've become quite attached to it and appreciate the message more than I did at first. I find that I respond to it now, silently nodding and agreeing as I drive by. So yesterday I stopped and took pictures. Isn't it cool that someone took the time to entertain and enlighten passers-by with art?

Men Dressing Badly



Omaha, Nebr. Great looking dog but the guy needs a wardrobe makeover.



Years ago I sold menswear and really enjoyed it. It was fun to help men find clothing that fit well and made them look great. For a long time now, it seems like men's clothing gets worse every year. The low point, in my opinion, was sagging pants. Unfortunately, those are still a common sight in Lincoln. GQ.com published a slide show called "The 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America". Sagging pants aside, most of my personal peeves are represented and some of the writing is clever. I wonder what it would take to get the majority of U.S. men back into clothes with decent tailoring that actually fit. It would be wonderful to see guys looking good again!

Cold Thoughts

We're having extremely hot weather this week, so today I am thinking about cold things. Things like ice cream (actually I did more than think about that one; ate a Dairy Queen banana split-flavored Mini Blizzard). Freezers, doctors' hands, mountain streams, the inside of my car on a winter morning...and snow. I took a few minutes to look at pictures of the awesome Christmas ski vacation our family enjoyed in Breckenridge, Colorado in 2007. Now that's cool!

My obsession with Mid-Century Modern

I have developed a passion for Mid-Century Modern design. Perhaps growing up with the beautiful buildings in Lincoln has something to do with it. One example is this building on South 16th Street. I love the pink granite and window layouts. The building next door to it also has a great modern vibe!