[A donor has requested information as to the location of this Alexandria landmark?]
[The above issue has been resolved – by the donor, apparently as a result of a meeting with some sort of cabal: Class of ‘67 breakfast group identified Alexandria picture as follows – Chamber of Commerce “hut” was in center median of Broadway just a few feet north of 3rd Ave. Therefore this picture is taken looking west from spot just south of current Counselor Realty building. While we were discussing it a guy stopped and said that he had owned or managed the Standard station shown. (Now liquor store parking lot.) ]
So, yesterday it was off to Cherry Street Books for a signing of Little Minnesota. We had a nice visit with the authors, Jill and Deane Johnson, despite a constant stream of customers. Apparently, Minnesotans like their small towns! Of Alexandria-area interest, the book includes Farwell (population 51, though it seems we know more people than that from Farwell?), Nimrod (population 69, hometown of former Twins pitcher, Dick Stigman), Sedan (population 45), Spring Hill (population 85), St. Rosa (population 86, hometown of Richie Braun(?)), Urbank (population 54), Vining (population 104, hometown of an astronaut), West Union (population 111), and Westport (population 57). Should be a fun read!
[Editor’s note: In the above photo you see me at the top of an extraordinarily tall edifice – possibly located in Nevus, or maybe Nimrod. Anyway, since I was at the top of my pay grade at the time, you see in my hands the equivalent of my recently acquired official photo-journalist camera. Except the SLR camera above used film, which I believe one can only find in landfills now.]
Then it was on to a Creative Memories Christmas with hostess Sue “Scoop” Justice. The supervisor is a “scrapper,” so she was able to pick up more scrapbooking materials as well as the Christmas present I had ordered for her from Sue – she already knew about it by reading my e-mails! Thanks for the cider and cookies, Sue – they were yummy!
Then it was on to the winery, where Matt Veline was performing . . . well, with assists from several family members.
[Matt and cousin Tommy Vee]
[Then they were joined by Matt’s 3-year old son, Will, who will be a left-handed standup bass player.]
Then the boys were joined by Matt’s wife, Julie – and we got some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9c7XnaXvwE (“Blue Christmas”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQbYnWez98g (“Wagon Wheel”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZLfnDSUPSY (“Angel From Montgomery”)
And the staff photographer checked in with the photographic evidence of the team’s big win at Brainerd on Thursday.
[Coaching staff contemplating their Christmas lists! 🙂 ]
[“Voices” warming-up.]
[Amanda working on her leftie finish.]
[Introducing Cara and Whitney.]
[LT and Whitney “tickle the twine.”]
Seems as good a spot as any to include what should be the team’s theme song (one of the editor’s all-timers, from 1965, a very good year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRQCN5x1-NI
[Cara, the traffic cop]
[Whitney]
[Kalli]
[December 13, 2011] Jenni Brown Meets the “Big Show”
While you are waiting for me to get my traditional Christmas letter done and in the mail, which won’t happen until Friday, here is a picture of my daughter with WWE wrestling star “Big Event” (7 foot tall and 500 pounds) at a ConAgra Foods (Slim Jim’s) sponsored event in North the “green room” for the show. ~ Mark Brown (really big wheel at NOAA)
[OK, I just put this in to see if you were paying attention?]
[Amanda Gould, 5’11” sophomore]
[Emily]
[Cara, with her ponytail back on top of her head as tradition dictates, was named player-of-the-game.]
[The Cowdry-Taylor channel yesterday – with hundreds (?) of geese and ducks.]
And finally, the last two Decembers:
The high school choirs’ Christmas concert is this afternoon – we anticipate providing fair and balanced coverage.
p.s. Super Fans had a nice visit with an all-timer at the Y yesterday. Claire Illies of Alex hockey fame was home from Concordia for the holidays. As you may recall, Claire made the hockey team there, but as a walk-on freshman she said she doesn’t play every game for the 6th-ranked Cobbers. Oh, and the supervisor and I saw Hugo at the geezer matinee’ on Wednesday – our first 3D movie and we can heartily recommend it.
alexandriacardinals 