It all started back on a normal weekend for me. It was fall of 1999 and I was on my drive down to EIU. I had graduated spring of 1998 and trips were quite frequent. It's hard to get away from college life after one graduates, and even many years down the road. I don't remember the exact date, but I remember where I was. I had just entered Ike's on a Friday early evening and was saying hello to all my friends still attending EIU. In the back of the Ike's bar I noticed some of my old fraternity brother's who had been drinking since at least 4pm, and it was around 7 or 8pm. They weren't being too rowdy but I remember looking at Jeff Stewart's head and he was wearing a green hat. One like snoopy used to wear, like a pilot cap. These were called "Bombers." There were about 6-7 guys wearing them including Jeff Stewart, Mark Rimkus, Tom Kens, Matt Konecki and a few others. Immediately when I saw these guys wearing these hats, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. Being alumnae in the fraternity I immediately requested one of these hats, and then it had begun.

After the fun filled weekend, I yearned for another EIU trip after a month or two. I kept in contact with Mark Rimkus and Jeff Stewart when the next "Bomb Squad" outing would take place. After a short time went by Stube (Stewart) phoned me and it was time to go down to EIU again. The Bomb Squad was going out on a bar crawl. This meant I left work early about 1pm, and arrived down right about 4 -415pm. I went right to Stube's house on 4th street where Wes, Stube, Rimkus, Brandon, and Kens all lived. This was to become Bomb Squad Headquarters.

Some time ago before the bombers came out, Joey Davey, Wes Davey's brother was down visiting one weekend and stole one of the neighbors on fourth streets Wiseman lawn ornament from a nativity set. Ever since it sat in the family room of the 4th street house in the front, by the TV. One day while I was there I took a marker and wrote corndog on the Wiseman's leg. (Wes Davey and Jeff Martin teased me and called me corndog at the beginning of the year when we ate Mushroom Pizza). From here on out the statue, the yard gnome, the Wiseman because Wisemancorndog.

I arrived to Stube's 4th street house and it was open but empty. I changed out of my work clothes and into festive party gear. Shorts, tennis shoes, and a Hawaiian shirt. I was worried the party had started without me and I wouldn't meet up till later. I stepped out onto the front yawn and just then Tom Ken's Suburban drives by with guys yelling out the window holding wisemancorndog out the front passenger dressed in a green shirt. The party was about to start, and I was in.

The first bar we all went to was a bar next to the uptowner. They had a golden tee machine, and me, Wes, and someonelse were all playing. We brought Wiseman into the bar and took pictures with him in many different poses. The thing different about this bar crawl there was about 40 of us hanging out uptown away from the busy bars near Lincoln. Everyone was dressed in crazy clothes, wearing crazy hats, drinking like there was no tomorrow, and there wasn't as far as we were concerned. The group included everyone that was a Delta Chi that really partied back in spring of 2000. Jeff Stewart, Jim Stewart, Steve Blocker, Mark Rimkus, Wes Davey, Jeff Martin, Tom Kens, Joe and Kevin Franklin, Matt Konecki, and so many more others I can't even begin to name them. We got good and loaded uptown, and stopped at uptowner, and on to My place lounge where there happened to be a townie wedding reception. We took over and they loved us. They had a free keg, and we drank, ate cake, and wore our bombers among other hats. They had dogs in the bar, and someone even was wearing a straight jacket that was part of the wedding. It was a crazy blurred time, but it was great, and the bomb squad bonded, and started to bud.

After this it was time to hit the notorious bar where anything goes. Ikes. We entered here and immediately started a controversy. I placed Wisemancorndong on top of the golden tee machine by the front, and noone knew what to think. We continued to get drunk, and our friends already in the bar were dying with laughter. Everywhere people saw the green bomber hats, Wiseman, and they all wanted a hat and to be a part of it. People, girls and guys alike got mad at us because they thought Wiseman was Jesus and thought we were being sacrilegious. This only made things worse. Immediately Wes Davey, in front of his girlfriend at the time Shi Davey, and me started body slamming Wiseman on the ground and throwing him around. After awhile I decided to drive Wiseman to Stu's, the bar right behind Ike's.

On my arrival to Stu's in my 1992 Convertible Black Mustang GT, top down I parked right in front by the door. Just then a cop drives by, sees me with Wiseman and a bomber, and said, " Is that yours?" After I said yes he kept going and I preceded into Stu's to see my friend Blocker who was working. He was out on the bar crawl with us before Ike's but had to leave to work. I wish I could have been a patron in Stu's that night to see what I looked like. I ran in and danced on the crowded dance floor with Wiseman hoisting him up in the air, and having him crowd surf. Shortly after that I went to the back bar dumping down shots, and acting obnoxious. The crowd at Stu's had seen me; it was time to go back.

Once I got back at Ike's the squad had had enough. It was bedtime. The next morning everyone rose and it was time for bags, beer and more bombers in the back yard of 4th street. Flying chickens that were the 4th street house's pets were seen flying around, and being chased by dogs. This day preceded much like the first day and took us back to Ike's towards the end of Saturday night. It had been a good weekend I thought as Wes, Rimkus, and me and a few girls walked back to the 4th street house awaiting after bars that never happened. But we decided it had been a good run and it was time to sacrifice Wisemancorndog to the gods. We put Wiseman into the firepit and Rimkus dosed him with liter fluid and Wes prepared a flame to send the Wiseman back to where he had come. We all witnessed the plastic figure melt into about 1/3 of his size (he was about waist high) .All of a sudden Jeff Stewart came running out of the bushes, kicked Wiseman out of the flames, put them out and climbed his garage where none of us could reach him. This saved Wiseman for that weekend. Some weeks down the road someone broke into Stube's house tired of the Wiseman antics by The Bomb Squad weekend after weekend and spray painted him black and wrote, "fag man corndog." It is suspected that some current members of the squad were involved, putting the bomb squad in a deep cloud of smoke, and into hibernation for some time to come.