Bowl for Kids Sake

Amazing Racers,

The Local Drafts are committing to keep our team together to participate in the Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser in March 2009. We want to thank Nathan Larrison for recruiting these beautiful children to share this picture with us.

Look for an email challenging the rest of the Amazing Race Teams to join us in the Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser. We talked with Laura Moses, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters director and she is hoping to see a lot of YPs showing off their bowling skills in 2009.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

3 Men and an Engine

Amazing Racers,

In the foreground are the Local Drafts. In the background, there is a Cummins engine suspended part by part from the ceiling. It is very sophisticated. We none really understand it.

We do understand that the CB's Diesel Oil Stout is a great local microbrew.

We are sad that Patrick couldn't join us for the end of the Amazing Race. We look forward to reuniting at the Halloween Party.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

History Majors Unite

Amazing Racers,

Eric, the history major, finally found his calling when he volunteered the Local Drafts to sell Historical Homes tour tickets at the Ethnic Expo. Unfortunately, the Local Drafts did not have much success in sellling tickets. However, we did hand out a number of brochures and judging by the large number of tickets sold, we would like to take credit for some moral support.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Taste of India

Racers,

As we volunteered selling tickets for the Historical Homes Tour, we stopped for a "non-vegetarian" lunch at the India booth. Our friend Raj took our orders as we stood in a long line. The wait was well worth it as we enjoyed curry and rice and samosas. We also were able to say hi to Sabby Sabapathy, the president of the India Association.

If you haven't tried the Taste of India restaraunt near Starbucks on National Rd., we strongly suggest you try the lunch buffet.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Jon Myers Places 2nd at CYP Golf Tourney

Amazing Racers,

Although none of the Local Drafts were able to muster a single hole-in-one, Jon Myers through consistent play was able to get into a one hole playoff with four others. Jon pulled off another 2 and was able to take the silver trophy. Cheers to Justice League for the banner and taking the gold trophy! We look forward to a competitive final leg as the Local Drafts play for a bronze. Best wishes to Justice League and the Tri-Tans as they battle for the grand prize on Oct. 30th.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

The Audacity of Hope Heritage Days

Amazing Racers,

After our volunteer effort for the Mayors Walk and our tour of the Driftwood Valley Music Festival, we drove out to Hope for a quick run around. We were impressed by the amount of booths and activity going on in the square. Cheers to Mr. Dillman, who was honored this year for his many years of dedication to Bartholomew County and specifically Hope. We couldn't stay long because our next event was the Obama-McCain debate. Although it wasn't an official Amazing Race event, we joined with other CYPers to do our civic duty of educating ourselves on issues. The Local Drafts voted 2-1 in favor of Obama.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Iron, the other expensive metal

CYP,

I want to take a moment to point out Ben Stilson on the right of the picture. He is not actually wearing the shirt, he is laying it on top of his outfit. It's uncanny how much it looks like he's wearing the shirt. I hope this moment of honesty doesn't deduct any points.

The lady in the middle of the picture is Kathryn Burris, who is the member of the Arts Council who puts together the Iron Pour. We were very impressed by the art on exhibit as well as the live demonstrations. However, we had no idea iron artwork can cost!

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Preparing for Mayor's Walk

CYP,

In all honesty, what you see here is an effort to finish tying down one of the tents that would be used the following morning for the Mayor's Walk. Eric had contacted the folks responsible for putting up the tents and they told us to arrive at 5:30 pm on Friday. We arrived to find the tents already up. What are the local drafts to do? We tightened the tents in case of high winds and then made our way across the lawn to the Iron Pour.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Three Cheers for Freedom Field

CYP,

If you haven't made it to Freedom Field, you are missing out. Even if you don't have kids, it is quite the spectacle. We will warn you that there are no trees around and lots of white playground equipment; therefore, on a sunny day it is very bright and very hot!

From the playground,

The Local Drafts

Cheers from Columbus

Dear Columbus citizens,

The Local Drafts enjoyed holding our mugs to the sky and greeting folks into Columbus. We all agree that our welcome was "unexpected and unforgettable." We also thought that the greeting was "different by design." We also proposed a new slogan for our town, "Meet me at Columbus.....Bar."

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Where's Isaac?

CYP,

See if you can spot Isaac Rippy Riddle in the Great Gatsby photo. What a kid!

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Smith's Row Thank You

CYP,

We meandered down 4th St. to our friends at Smith's Row were we presented a handwritten note of thanks to the manager. We all agree that this is further evidence that the downtown restaraunts are all cooperating to make for a friendly, cooperative atmosphere.

There are sustainable food menu items at both Smith's Row and the Columbus Bar. Come downtown and enjoy the great night life that the Local Drafts have come to appreciate over the last two months.

Cheers,

Eric Riddle

Flowers replace mop job

Flood Survivors,

Through his work at the Long Term Flood Recovery Team, Eric thought he had lined up work for the Local Drafts. Unfortunately, his client was not home on the night that Eric had told the homewoner we would arrive. We had planned to mop the muddy remnant from her basement floor and put together a couple of book shelves. Instead, we performed our "random act of kindness" by buying flowers from Marsh and leaving them at the foot of her door.

While we were at the flower store, Ben and Jon went ahead and bought flowers for their wives. We all agreed that they are amazing men.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Paying Tribute to Old Elvis

CYP,

Patrick decided to join us in between his trips to Colorado, the Adirondacks, England, Japan, and Fort Wayne. We were on a tight schedule so we regrettably did not stay for a piece of Apple Pie at Sadie's.

Elvis really was a hunk of burning love.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

We the People

Fellow Citizens,

Before Tuesday's city council meeting, the Local Drafts met with Mrs. Scalf, Myers, and DeVore, and Mr. Armstrong. After a bang of a gavel and a prayer, we heard a lengthy discussion about whether to take an agenda item off of the agenda, tabling the agenda item, or voting on the agenda item in agreement with the way the Planning Commission voted on the agenda item. We never quite understand what they were voting on, but in the end, they voted to reject the agenda item.

After that, we heard Jeff Bergman on the Planning Dept. discuss turning a bit of property to the NW of Cummins plant one into a parking lot.

Also, the council decided to not increase the salaries of city employees in 2009. However, councilperson Joe Richardson did confirm that council could still vote to increase salaries by bringing the salary ordinance back to the council before Dec. 31, 2008.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

A story from Asbury United Methodist dinner

CYP,

Ben, Jon, and I went to our home church of Asbury UMC were were we helped pass out dinner trays and fill up water, coffee, and milk. At the dinner, a deaf man (pictured) from North Vernon asked us if we could assist him with his truck. Through a series of writings, he told us that he could smell when his truck was out of gas. Even though his meter showed that he had a quarter of a tank left, we decided that his olfactory sense rings true and we led him to the Chevron on 25th St. He made it all the way there until he officially ran out of gas as he crossed the threshold into the gas station. We pushed his truck the rest of the way to the pump and gave him $10 worth of gas.

Sincerely,

The Local Drafts

Mickey Mouse greets us on the way to the toilet

CYP,

The Patriotic Mickey Mouse was actually outside Montage, whose furniture is going for reasonable prices as they decide to depart from their downtown location. He got us excited as we made our way for the toilet.

Ben and Eric were so impressed by the KidsCommons that we picked up some brochures on birthday parties. Our sons, Cavan and Isaac, are only 2 days apart in age and will be turning 3 in February.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

If it's not Scottish, it is crap

CYPers,

The Bruce Clan taught us that all Scottish are Brits, but not all Brits are Scottish. The Welsh, English and Irish are all Brits to. The Scottish Flag has a big red dragon on it. It's really cool looking.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

River Rats

CYPers,

In the month's following the flood, there has been word on the street that the river rats are an actual creature that find their way on the banks of the local waters as winter approaches and the poor things get cold.

In the case of the social organization, the River Rats, there is a memorial at the entrance of Mill Race Park thanking the River Rats for helping develop the park into the lovely space that it is today.

We all agree that it would be a curious occassion to see a river rat crawling from the Driftwood River upon the shores of Mill Race Park.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Buy Low, Sell High

For those 30 or more years away from retirement,

Ben and I were particularly interested in the idea of purchasing index stock any day that the market drops 8% or more. This is not an event that happens often, although it did happen yesterday. Unfortunately, none of us had a significant amount of money to invest today.

Of local interest, we suggest investing in Irwin Union Bank stock. The IFC stock is currently trading at $4.22 off of a 52 week high of about $12. After a big of reorganzing, we feel like this Columbus banking institution will bounce back strong in the long term.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Outnumbered

Dear orange and blue,

I must say I enjoyed attending the Colts/Bills opener with Ben a bit more than sitting in the East stands as my alma mater North High was crushed. This pic was the highlight of the game, getting to hang with the super fans of East. After this, it was five touchdowns to a field goal. I had to go back to the CB with Jon and Ben after this one.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Back at the Bar with B.A.S.H. and Obama Girl

Dear CYPers,

The Local Drafts and B.A.S.H. paired up at the Columbus Bar for the Thursday Meet and Greet. Also pictured is Liane Pierce, the local Obama Campaign organizer. Although we missed the earlier beer tasting contest, we were happy to share a beer with those who stayed past 8:30. The Local Drafts propose meeting and greeting later in the night in the future.

Mr. Jon Myers let us know that a sampler of 3 10 oz. beer only costs $7.00 at the bar.

Cheers,

Eric Riddle

Bad Hare Day

CYP Universe,

The Tri-tans and Local Drafts paired up together once again, but this time on the downtown scene as part of "Bad Hair Day." I was really impressed by Jon Myers headpiece, "Bad Hare Day." He is essentially wearing a mullet with a rabbit on top. The rabbit, because of his "badness" as Jon proclaims, is smoking a cig. If Jon would have had the time to participate in the parade, I am certain he would have taken the care for his originality.

We thank the Tans for their participation and look forward to joining them in future events.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

The Ember Radiates Within our Hearts

Hello,

Pictured are Team Abner, the QMIX-A-Lots, and The Local Drafts. After a brief stretch exercise, we sat at the edge of our seats and were led through a spoken "Meta Meditation." The meditation as well as the pineapple/rasberry cups and sangria were all very much appreciated by the Local Drafts.

Sincerely,

The Local Drafts

A Picnic and the Garden

Fellow Racers,

We partnered again with Dizzy and the Foreigners with a casual Saturday afternoon at the Irwin Gardens and Mill Race Park. For the Local Drafts, it was our first time to tour the beautiful gardens. On top of the tower, we enjoyed a light meal of Papa's Deli sandwiches, fig newtons, peanut butter crackers, and apples. After a nice meal, we're ready to meditate...

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Unique Biscuit

To all:

Pictured are The Local Drafts with Katelin Nading from Fair on the Square. Not pictured, but essential to the story of the unique biscuit, is Michael Spencer of Dizzy and the Foreigners. It was 11am and Michael was hungry. He saw the biscuit at Katelin's booth and asked if he could purchase a biscuit. Katelin denied Michael, saying the biscuits were not for sale, they would be put in the freezer, and would be available at next week's Fair on the Square. We were blown away.

Although the unique "Summer Sauce 2008" at another vendor's stand was a candidate for most unique item, we decided to go with the unsold biscuit. We'll have to go back to the market next week and perhaps arrive a bit earlier.

Cheers,

The Local Drafts

Freedom

Fun Lovers of the World,

There is nothing like slipping down a triple slide with a fake beer in your hand and giving a cheers to the good people of Freedom Field.

Thank you,

The Local Drafts

Good Times

CYP folks,

What a day! The weather was beautiful for the 13th annual FFY Triathlon. Eric accomplished his two goals: survival and not finishing last. The Local Drafts were happy to share a moment with the Tri-tans. Patrick was unavailable because he was busy climbing the peaks of the Adirondacks.

Cheers,

Eric Riddle

First Lit Croquet Course

Fellow CYP members,

In the spirit of competition, we will not reveal the location of this incredible croquet course.

Best of luck in your adventures,

The Local Drafts

Dr. Webb's Office

A

B

A or B...........A or B............A or B?????

Cheers from the reserved parking spot of Dr. Webb's optomerty office,

The Local Drafts

Good People of Blogger Land,

We stand as proud Columbus citizens. Welcome to our fine town.

Cheers!

The Local Drafts

First Date

From left: Ingrid Jung, Michael Spencer, Patrick Fosdick, Eric Riddle, Amy Reese, Jon Myers

Friends,

The Local Drafts and the Foreigners (Dizzy was not available) met at noon on Friday, July 25 at The Columbus Bar. Despite the lack of black bean burgers, we all enjoyed our leisurely lunch. As requested, we got to know each other over our meal. Ingrid Jung is self-described as being "pretty awesome." Ingrid works for Jeff Finke realty and recently got back from a 2 week trip in Germany. Michael Spencer works for Cummins as a warranty guy. Michael recently went to a Foo Fighters concert which he thorougly enjoyed. He also has a nice apartment that he shares with a roommate. Amy Reece went out for a beer with members of The High Strung, the rock band that played at the Bartholomew County Library on 7/14. Amy loves photography and she enjoys beer cheese. We missed our teammates Ben Stilson and Craig "Dizzy" Dismore.

We look forward to a future rendevous. Perhaps a trip to the Irwin Gardens followed by a picnic at Mill Race?

End of Leg 1

Friends,

The dark horse four freshman local drafts finish leg 1 on top of the world. Despite Ben's RV travels to New Hampshire, we are able to rally to finish with a third event completion.

We're excited to already have a date set with Diz and the Foreigners to do lunch on the first day of leg 2. Perhaps we can figure out where that croquet court is located in this eclectic town...

The Four Freshman

(From left: Ben Stilson, Patrick Fosdick, Eric Riddle and Jon Myers)

Q: Who are Ross and Don Barbour?

A: One of the most influential vocal groups of the 1950s, The Four Freshmen pioneered a revolutionary new style of close-harmony vocals that set the stage for bands like the Beach Boys, Spanky & Our Gang, the Hi-Lo's, the Manhattan Transfer and countless others. In 1948, brothers Ross and Don Barbour formed a barbershop quartet called Hal's Harmonizers at Butler University's Arthur Jordan Conservatory in Indiana. The band also featured Marvin Pruitt and Hal Kratzch. Later that year the group switched to a more jazz-oriented repertoire, and the quartet was renamed the Toppers. Pruitt soon left the group and was replaced with Ross and Don's cousin Bob Flanigan.

The group remained popular throughout the 50s and early 60s, releasing a wide array of successful albums, movie and television appearances and performing countless sold-out concerts. The band eventually lost mainstream attention with the emergence of the British pop bands of the 60s. Though, they managed to stay together even after the retirement of final original member Bob Flanigan in 1992. New lineups of the Four Freshmen have continued the legendary vocal tradition of the original band, while adding new touches. In 2000 the group won Downbeat Magazine's reader's poll award for Vocal Group of the Year, proving the quartet's timeless appeal and securing their role as one of the most important vocal groups in jazz history.

Ross and Dan Barbour are originally from Columbus, IN.

White and Nerdy

To our blog friends,

We are not sure why Eric is smiling, because this was indeed a dirty job. What is difficult to convey in the picture is just how bad that trash smelled. We were happy to get our first Leg 1 challenge in before the impending Thursday deadline. At this point, we want to claim the title of dark horse of the competition. Watch your backs, we know how to get dirty!

Steppin' it up

Alas, The Local Drafts have begun participating in the Amazing Race. It's a short walk from Columbus Bar to our first destination, the Eos sculpture. A friendly neighborhood skateboarder was kind enough to take our picture in front of this magnificent PG-13 statue. Our journey has begun.


We walked down 5th St. to the observation tower of Mill Race Park. After taking 131 steps to the top of the tower, the mother of young Jorge Rodriguez was kind enough to take our picture from the highest point in Mill Race Park. We were happy to hang with the family of Mr. Rodriguez. I think Jorge was happy to hang with us. Cheers.

Introduction

Ladies and Gentleman,

We have arrived. We would like to introduce ourselves. First, Mr. Patrick Fosdick is a recent Purdue graduate who moved to Columbus in June 2006. Patrick currently works at Cummins. Second, Mr. Jon Myers is from Columbus, a Ball State graduate, and the husband of the beautiful Robin. Jon is also the keeper of the beer. Third, Mr. Eric Riddle is the proud father of Isaac and Nela. He works for Columbus Regional Hosptial and enjoys lending a hand in flood relief. Fourth, Mr. Ben Stilson works for Hanover College and is a proud father of a 2 year old son, Cavan.

When asked how we know each other at the Amazing Race kick-off, Ben stated, "We are just four guys who have an affinity for fine (local) brews."