Honest to poopsie, I thought today I could finally go to a ballgame. The softball team is hosting St. Cloud Apollo this afternoon. The possible absence of rain made it look promising, but by mid-morning we were back to 100 mph winds again. The only outside activity we can see are surfer dudes and dudettes on beautiful Lake Darling. Yup, got some nice breakers coming in. But we’re getting a little tired of finding lawn furniture from Lake Ida in our yard!
In the absence of an ability to cover any sporting activities, I thought I’d try to post something before I forget how to do photo transfers. So the following will just be a compendium (n. a summary or abstract of a larger work) of mostly indoor activities that have occurred since the last posting. I’m sure you can hardly wait(?).
April 8
[I went out on this day in search of a softball game. This is the parking lot at Woodland Elementary School, where the games are played. I thought it odd that an elementary school had a designated “kissing” area? On return home, research disclosed “busses” is an acceptable alternative to “buses.” Sorry, I didn’t know?]
[I found no game at Woodland? Maybe they were playing at the new high school? Nope! Postponed, wet grounds. But as long as I was here, new views from the south.]
[Football field foreground; school background.]
[Ditto]
[Rapidly growing housing complexes across the road.]
[Cheer, oh cheer, for Alex!]
[For Brother Cam, there’s your main front entrance, facing south.]
[Seating capacity? Well, not quite Texas standards.]
[The home side.]
April 10
[Thursday night, date night, SAWA, and enjoying a new wine. 🙂 ]
[Components was playing . . . ]
[With the largest crowd of other area musicians I’ve ever seen.]
[Recommended.]
[Artsy shot.]
[Components]
April 11
[The Alexandria Golf Club opens for play. Hey, a few snow piles are no deterrent!]
[Robo and I were the very first to play the course this year. First tee time – high noon!]
[My first visit ever to a “snow” trap.]
[Love shooting to a backdrop of a still totally frozen lake.]
April 12
[The Salty Dogs rock the winery . . . ]
[Apparently “Hallelujah,” as Tom reaches for that high note . . . ]
[A “you write the caption” photo!]
[All the Dogs . . . ]
[Bruce also agrees with the quote at the end of this posting.]
April 21
[The adult education program this year had nine sessions about the 60’s, hosted at Grand Arbor, just across the street from the new high school . . .]
[This was the final – music of the 60’s. Naturally, we boomers were excited to hear the presentations of Terry Kennedy (above), Paulette Friday, and Bill Riggs.]
[Oh, I guess the screen tells you all that.]
April 26
[Wendy Webb had a signing at Cherry Street Books . . . ]
[She was a new author for us (interesting bio, look her up). We had a lovely chat . . . ]
[Then it was on to Broadway Bistro for lunch. Across the street, you can see the AAAA Theatre where we would matriculate for the next day’s matinee of “Black Comedy,” which we enjoyed immensely.]
April 28
[Another adult education class (sheesh, you’d think I’d be getting smarter?). Rachel Barduson’s presentation on the grand hotels and resorts in Alexandria’s history! My goodness, you not only learn stuff – it’s fun too!]
April 29
[Yup, more classes! The University of Minnesota Alumni Association, West Central Lakes Chapter, in conjunction with Senior College at the ATCC, sponsored the U of M’s Bee Squad Coordinator, Dr. Becky Masterman, who told us everything we ever wanted to know about bees. Fortunately, for those whose only information on the matter will be gleaned from this issue, the following YouTube presentation by Dr. Masterman is a good starting point. 🙂 ]
Bees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVyut0G2WhM
May 1
[It was cataract surgery day with Dr. Deb Ristvedt (see if you can pick her out). We did a first-time experimental procedure where a coat hanger is used first to pop out the eyeball, which is then Fed-Exed to a lab in Duluth where the old lens is removed and a new one is inserted, then Fed-Exed back to Alex where it is popped back in and riveted in place through the right temple and the top of the head. I need not see the Doctor again for two years when it will be time to replace the rusty rivets. (But seriously folks, all went well and I anticipate being back playing the piano in no time at all! Many thanks to Dr. Ristvedt and everyone at the clinic who endured my aging antics. Oh, and I got a DQ malt for being a good boy.)]
[Who was that weird guy??]
[Good-bye (riddance)!]
May 2
[After a 14-year love affair with her Dodge Dakota pick-up truck, the supervisor decided it was time to have some fun. OK, and with the kids moving to Minnesota, they need a pick-up, so . . . The super had a Gold Sun Bug in the 1970’s and felt it was time to re-live those halcyon years of convertible-ness. And we tired of always buying for Minnesota winters – hey, we have a 6-month top-down season here too! 😉 ]
[Are you really going to be 70 on your next birthday?]
[Oh, and the flowers are a Mother’s Day present from the kids.]
[Sweet]
May 3
[Do you know these famous Grand Rapids-ites? After years of trying, I was finally able to create a reunion at the winery. Anthony performed at the winery again on Sunday, in the “Big Room;” I’m not sure what Martha did that day?]
[Like tourist destinations everywhere, staff takes a group patron photo.]
[Here it comes again . . .]
[And they sit at the bar . . . ]
[And put bread in my jar . . . ]
[The super is joined by Deb Trumm, our adult education coordinator.]
[Honestly, they were still on their first glass!]
[Fun, fun, fun]
Run For The Roses Fundraiser for Theatre L’Homme Dieu at the Minnesota Lakes Maritime Museum
[In full derby costume . . . ]
[Going through the buffet line (though I was previously done in by cheese cubes at the winery).]
[The supervisor checking out the . . . fois gras and caviar?]
[Noted Twin City educators and Alex summer folk . . . ]
[I won a cake!]
[Rumored to be related to the SAWA proprietors.]
[Brother Cam deigned to make an appearance all the way from Mounds View and ran into classmate and fellow Victoria Heighter, Terri McCabe Steidl.]
[The 1st Annual 0K race in conjunction with Run For The Roses . . . ]
[I believe judges are still reviewing the videotape to determine a winner?]
[All Victoria Heighters who grew up to be responsible adults . . . well, except for Cam. BTW, Cam is now better known as the guy who is married to a partner and the CFO for the Cuningham Group, the firm who designed our new high school. Karen hopes to be here for the ribbon cutting. 🙂 ]
[Where we were – yup, same place as the resorts class.]
May 5
[Oh, and Cam has a new car too! So, he was our chauffeur on this day.]
[While driving toward Geneva . . .]
[Somewhere near Nelson? We never heard what it was?]
[The Brothers Obert show up for the finally final good-bye to Big Jeff, with some in the guise of an all-class reunion. Cam only went through the 6th grade in Alex . . . yet he ran into, and was recognized by, more classmates than me. Sheeesh.]
[A history of Big Jeff . . . ]
[My era . . . ]
[Ice cream in the cafeteria – never made it there?]
[Future site use plans.]
[“Black Pete’s” 10th-grade English classroom – remember it was right before lunch!]
[A hallowed hall.]
[Social sciences upstairs; science sciences downstairs.]
[Mr. Melby’s 12th-grade chemistry classroom.]
[After the high school “reunion” it was back to the winery for the quarterly party for members of the “club.” Anthony Miltich again performed, this time with the aid of his brother.]
TWO ALEX VIDEOS: The first is Craig Mischke’s LiveCam on the corner of 3rd and Broadway, a great way to track the beginning of the Broadway makeover beginning next Monday; and the second is about Alex being rated the No. 7 micropolis in the country for liveability:
http://www.alexmn.com/live-cam/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-iX6h3MbEU
The evidence indicates that woman is, on the whole, biological superior to man. ~ Ashley Montagu
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