We all have our bucket lists, and ours includes attending The Final Four! I love everything about March Madness, and we thoroughly enjoy the tournament every year. Tim Riegle has been twice, and we decided many months ago to put our names in the lottery to get tickets to Indianapolis. I was excited that it was to be held in Indiana, a favorite stomping ground of my father’s in yesteryear. The added benefit is the wonderful opportunity to visit with Jay & Judy Buffington in Matthews, Indiana. Tim and Julie loaded up the truck and headed west with Ranger riding shotgun.
Stacey and I don’t like long drives much, mostly cuz we ain’t from Texas. So, we are flying to Indiana. Another bonus of meeting them there is that we loaded stuff in their truck and only have our carry-ons. TREAT! With all the TSA concern, we arrived earlier than usual, only to find absolutely no line whatsoever.
Today at least, you were more at risk for missing your flight standing in the Starbucks line than the TSA line! Love it. ☕️
We arrived ontime in Indianapolis and found that they are pretty fired up for the Final Four. Signs and cool memorabilia could be found all over the terminals. They get you excited right off the bat!
It was just a short drive from the airport to Matthews where Jay and Judy Buffington live in their lovely home. Timing worked well, and we arrived only about ten minutes before Tim and Julie pulled in behind us. After a quick tour of the yard and a look at Jay’s brand new lawn mower, we settled in for some good storytelling. Time spent swapping memories with Nana and Papaw is some of the very best. It was enhanced tremendously by a special gift presented by Julie, but that really came from a long and happy life of love and joy. Julie gifted her Dad with a special book that he had written and she had edited with amazing pictures from the sweet and wholesome life of Jay Buffington, over 60 years of which have been spent married to the lovely Judy.
I was fortunate to have read this book cover to cover earlier this week. What an incredibly wholesome, honest, good man. It brought tears of joy and sentiment to my eyes many times. Jay is such a truly, truly fine gentlemen who was so lucky to find the perfect woman in Judy to raise a beautiful family with. They are special people, and we were blessed to be able to share an afternoon reminiscing what remains a fascinating life with them. As we laughed and talked, the story of their first date had us smiling the most. Judy said she could remember and still had the sweater she wore on that date. I asked her if she knew where it was and she said “of course!”
True to her word, she found it and showed it to us. Jay hadn’t told her they would be bowling, so she had also worn a “lovely” skirt. She didn’t have the skirt to show us, but Jay was adamant that it too was definitely very lovely!
I requested a signed copy of Jay’s incredible life story for myself, and he humbly agreed. I’ll leave it with him and pick it up on Easter Sunday.
As dinner time approached, we headed out to a local favorite, Payne’s. This was my personal third trip to this fantastic restaurant, and I think each trip has been slightly better than the last. Perhaps it is because of the anticipation, now knowing full well that the meal will be so good, shared with these two great Americans from INDIANA! The first stop when arriving at Payne’s is the obligatory selfie by the Garfield out front before settling in with a plate of their famous and AMAZING fish and chips!
Thank you SO much Nana and Papaw for a lovely visit and the delicious dinner. We love seeing you so much, and were touched to hear some of the stories you two have created while raising your precious family. We will see you again tomorrow! ❤️🇺🇸❤️
We arrived to a very nice little home Julie found as our rental for the duration in nearby Muncie. It was nice to change into soft pants and relax before bed. The four of us have had so many great trips together including Nashville right before the COVID shutdown. Stacey got very sick the day we got home, and we are now convinced she had COVID before the world knew what it was. We went to celebrate her 50th birthday in 2020!
So we are quite comfortable traveling together, and are thrilled to spend time in Indiana checking off another bucket list item with the very best of friends.
I awoke first and found a lovely spot in the back yard overlooking a duck pond to enjoy my coffee. The birds were chirping as the sun rose on a lovely day.
Ranger is about the most chill dog you’ve ever met. After joining me in the yard, we retired inside for another cup of joe, and he found a spot to relax.
When on a vacation of any sort, you really have to put the guilt aside and order the dessert. Tim went out to Concannon’s Pastry Shop ( YUM )and bought some special donuts that are famous around these parts. Take a look at these beauties!
In that same spirit of enjoying the local fare, we venture to a popular spot that I have been to before with other family members that have had the pleasure of seeing the home stomps of Jay Buffington. Cammack Station is legendary around these parts. You can’t even imagine how many old signs and other cool things you’ll find on the walls both inside and out. Of course, they make a pretty darned good pork tenderloin, and it turns out that the fried pickle spears are mouthwatering as well!
After a delicious lunch, we went back to Matthews to drop Ranger off for a sleepover before heading to Indianapolis. We had time for another visit, and Nana B broke out some wedding paraphernalia for her and Julie to model. Good times!
Next stop – Indianapolis for some hoops! As we noted earlier, basketball is different here in INDIANA. We found parking close to the stadium and walked a few blocks to the Convention Center where FanFest could be found. This was our introduction to the ratio of team loyalties, and we found there to be far more Illinois fans than probably all other teams combined. Michigan was a distant second place, followed by Arizona with UCONN bringing up the rear. I might be exaggerating a little bit, but I would estimate that there were approximately 4.3 Million people in the Convention Center. There were plenty of games and giveaways, and it was fun to just people watch. We decided that the LEGEND in the background of this selfie is definitely in the running for best dressed. Zoom in for a chuckle.
We shot some hoops, and I got crushed by Tim. After that competition, it was time for the traditional handshake. But, because Tim had crushed me so badly, I decided to give him what should now be called the “Geno”!
Waivers were signed so that if you were injured playing any of the games, you couldn’t sue anyone for damages or hurt feelings or any of that nonsense. Tim was extremely excited to enter the slam dunk area. Check out the pure joy expressed as he exited!
We had a great time and the stage was set for us to get through the rain to don our game attire and head into the stadium.
We were thankful to find an oxygen station for a brief respite as we made our way to the top of Lucas Oil stadium. It was a pleasant surprise to realize that we were not, in fact, located in the very last row. Our view was much better than those poor souls’.
I found myself paying a bit closer attention to the game, as you had to concentrate a bit to follow the action from that distance. I only watched the video screens during free throws! There were maybe three or four times during the game that I thought the ball had or had not gone in and was wrong. UCONN lead for most of the game, though Illinois made it pretty interesting in the second half. Happily, we left the stadium feeling pretty good about the Huskies, but concerned after Michigan thumped Arizona. We shall see on Monday – that’s why they play the games!
Easter morning, we returned to Matthews to join Judy and Jay for worship services at the church around the corner from their home. Jay is in charge of ringing the bell to let folks know to come in and find their seats, and he does an amazing job!
It was a beautiful church full of friendly folks that were happy to have us join them to celebrate the resurrection. Thank you Nana and Papaw for welcoming us for this lovely service.
The walk home from church couldn’t have been more than a few hundred yards, and it felt great to stretch the legs and breathe the fresh air. Tim, Jay and I sat on our butts while the women started preparing what promised to be a delicious Easter meal. Jay spent some time trying to convince Tim to play golf in the cold on Tuesday, but the temperatures combined with the wind chill forecast makes it unlikely we will find ourselves on the links. There is always next time!
There was some napping and golf watching after a truly superb dinner…
Monday morning, we had plans to meet Jay and his two buddies for coffee in Fairmount where Jay grew up. After breakfast we would go to the James Dean Museum across the street. The two friends were Gordon Gough and Marcus Winslow, and Jay has know them since childhood. Every Monday, they meet at The Branch in downtown Fairmount. We gave them the first half hour to themselves so they could talk about us before we arrived, and then we joined them.
Marcus “Markie” Winslow is at the head of the table to Jay’s right. James Dean was his cousin, and Markie has done a tremendous job carrying on the Dean legacy, including helping establish and furnish the museum across the street. After thoroughly enjoying some camaraderie and the quite tasty Homestead Burrito, we ventured across the street to enjoy the museum ( link here ). The place was truly fascinating! Markie was there and we were even treated to a photo with him in front of an old soapbox derby car that he and Jay used to tow each other in behind a car through the farm fields as kids. Jay has assured me that this one is definitely a replica, as he knows first hand that they destroyed the original over years of rough play!
Dorothy runs the museum and joined us to talk about many of the incredible things on display. What a treat it was to spend time there with them in the heart of our great country. 🇺🇸
Markie spun a few tales with Tim and Julie, and had Julie giggling that famous Julie giggle in no time at all!
A couple of years ago, Jay was riding along with his son Jason in Texas when they saw a great mural of James Dean on the side of a building. They went back and found that the artist had his name and website down at the bottom of the mural (link here). That table at The Ranch pictured above is where “three ol’ guys” concocted a plan to get that mural painted on the side of the museum. Jay contacted the artist and convinced him that he should come to Fairmount to paint a similar mural on the side of the museum. Adam Davenport agreed, and was commissioned to paint this incredible mural!
It is a fantastic tribute with a famous scene from the movie Giant. AWESOME JOB Adam!
Jim Davis created the cartoon character “Garfield” and grew up on a small farm near Fairmount. I shared the selfie of us at Payne’s the other day with Garfield out front. Statues are everywhere, so Tim and I took advantage of another shameless selfie opportunity with the one in front of the museum. Boys will be boys!
Driving out of town, we stopped so I could get a picture of the Hometown Heroes sign honoring Jay Buffington for his over 22 years of service to our nation in the Air Force. The sign lists the end date in error, but I edited it and made it right! THANKS SO MUCH for your service Jay! 🇺🇸
We ventured back to the house for some afternoon resting so we would be well prepared for the late tip of the Championship game. I checked the spread, and found that UCONN was a 6.5 point underdog. Michigan has crushed everyone they have played so far in the Big Dance, so I was a little anxious. Obviously though, the games aren’t played on paper, so we had some hope! Around 4 PM, we left with plans to stop in a pretty legendary store that sells fudge called Uranus. Yep – Uranus. The founder clearly has a sense of humor, with all kinds of silly potty humor jokes about finding the best fudge in Uranus. We decided we had to see it. Yes, it was as touristy and cheesy as it sounds, but worth stopping for a few laughs and good sweets!
Before reaching Indianapolis, we stopped for a delicious dinner at the Ford’s Garage. Total yum!
Once inside the stadium, it was clear that the UCONN fans were outnumbered at least 3 to 1. Michigan fans came to represent, that’s for sure! We had the same seats as Saturday, in the second to last row of what is traditionally a football stadium. Tim had asked us to trust him with regard to “finding better” seats. I knew from years of experience attending sporting events with him that this was definitely a good idea. The key is to follow his lead and pretend you belong wherever you are! We entered at the lower level to check out the view during pre-game warmups, and Tim spotted a good target to our right near the UCONN fan section. As we walked along, Tim casually entered the last row of the 100 level seats around mid-court. We followed and sat in the cushioned seats like we had paid the ridiculous price that they were going for. As you may have guessed, we remained there in those exact seats for the entire game! Whoever owned those seats never showed up. Tim is our SEAT HERO – AGAIN! Everyone knows the outcome of the game, so I won’t belabor it. I was very happy to watch the Huskies keep it close, and after the final horn sounded, we escaped while all the Michigan fans were celebrating, giving us a relatively easy trip back to our beds.
Tuesday was an open day with no real plans except eventually making it to Matthews for more visiting. The girls decided they wanted to shop at Meijer’s, so we boys tagged along and tried to stay out of trouble. I came close, but ultimately was not able to convince Tim to buy this drinking vessel.
Meijer’s is famous for their horse Sandy available to ride at the exit that still only costs a penny! There was even a small bowl of pennies for anyone to use. We decided we were all probably too big to take a spin.
After our shopping spree, we made it over to Matthews for time with Nana and Papaw. The gas station around the corner makes a fantastic pork tenderloin sandwhich and Tim went up and grabbed the last couple ones they had!
Jay asked Tim and I to help make a dump run with some of the old decorations from the cemetery that had been loaded onto a trailer. We agreed happily and set off on a nice country drive to the facility. To say that backing into the indoor space was a comedy of errors does not quite do the event justice. The trailer is low to the ground, so it is very hard to see while backing up. Both Tim and Jay took turns while the employees laughed at us. Jay finally asked if someone would stand in the middle of the trailer to act as a reference point so he could back it in. Tim refused, citing valid safety concerns. I had had enough, so I jumped in and Jay finished the job nicely!
It was a beautiful day for a country drive, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the farms and hearing Jay spin a yarn or two. He graciously agreed to take my by the Cumberland covered bridge where they hold an annual festival that I sure would love to attend some day. Beautiful country!
We returned home to join the girls who were visiting with Auntie Joy, Judy’s sister. There were quite a few funny stories that had us in stitches as we sat and reminisced. The best story came from Julie recalling shooting her daughter Abbie a look in church that meant BEHAVE. Of course, Abbie took a picture as it happened! Nothing beats some good wholesome laughter with family, and Stacey and I are fortunate enough to consider ourselves a part of this extended Indiana family.
For our last supper before heading back to civilization, we chose Amazing Joe’s Grill out by the regional airport. We could literally see small planes taxiing outside the window from our table. The food was delicious, but couldn’t match the quality of the company we were with. It was the perfect ending to a perfect visit to INDIANA. Thank you Tim, Julie, Jay and Judy for a truly wonderful time. We will cherish the memories and look forward to seeing everyone together again soon!
