Mission Impossible? I think not.

Team Spade has decided to get our rears in gear. Today we met up and knocked out several of the downtown tasks. With school starting next week, that means that two of the members will be kind of busy with back-to-school activities; therefore, we gotta get a move on. Where did the summer go?? Anyway, moving on...

The first thing we completed on the list was to eat at an independently owned downtown restaurant and get our picture taken with Chef Matt Davis at Tre Bicchieri. The Italian food there is quite delicious! From there, we set off on foot to the library. Once we finished our books on the steps of the library, we continued the journey down 5th Street and stopped at the Cummins Corporate Headquarters Museum and marveled at the exploded engine. Then, we took the sculpture tour and decided that we all liked the angel sculpture at 5th and Lindsey. Boy, did we get some awesome stares by people waiting in line to turn. The imitation was not too far-fetched because all members of Team Spade are angels :o)

After the sculpture tour, we took a trip to Mill Race and climbed to the VERY top of the Observation Tower. We think that we picked the wrong day to do this as it was one of the hottest days of the year...if not THE hottest. Plus, the elevator was "closed for repairs"...not that we would have taken it anyway. There's just something about taking an elevator to the top of a tower on a hot day that didn't sit right with us. Then, we moved a little farther into Mill Race, which used to be called "Death Valley" to get our picture taken in front of a tree by the river.

By this time, we were extremely hot and sweaty, not to mention getting some strange looks for appearing a little scraggly. We got into the air conditioned Commons Mall and had a Kodak moment with Chaos I. After the heat and all the walking, we needed a break...so we stopped in at the Columbus Bar, which just happens to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce. We did not find the plaque hanging on the walls, so we got our picture taken with one of the owners. Man, he's tall! To gain strength to carry on in our journey, we ordered tasty beverages. Someone smart once told Emily not to "fruit your beer." She didn't listen, so this is what happens...she gets orange squirted in her eye.

Pushing on, we decided to visit the Philharmonic next and borrow a trumpet. Beth was the lucky one who got to play on the corner of 3rd and Franklin Streets. It was only befitting because she used to be in her high school band. Lucky for her, 3rd Street wasn't that busy at the time...but, Emily and Kelly did their fair share of laughing WITH Beth, not at her. Right, Beth?

Along the way, we also stopped at City Hall to pose with the Yellowwood Coral sculpture, which was part of the 2006 Sculpture Invitational. We decided that we thought this particular sculpture, which is made of old bike frames, looks a lot cooler farther away than up close. We also stopped at the Senior Citizens Center. While there, we sat and had another Kodak moment with the plaque that honors the founder and namesake of the county, Tipton and Bartholomew.

To round out the day, we were getting hungry again, so we ventured to the Fair Oaks Mall to eat Riviera Maya, a non-chain ethnic restaurant. We ate so much that we felt sick afterwards. Full as ticks!

Today's missions were accomplished and we had fun doing them...even if we were soaked in sweat by the end!

Check back this weekend for more updates!