alexandriacardinals

December 15

Miami

So this is why there was no Christmas missive this year (well, the mea culpa one).  The Super was strongly of the opinion we needed a third cruise within the calendar year, making it the overall 8th, as I recall . . . 

[The itinerary . . . this is our 22-day leg, 2/3’s of the 900-ish passengers were staying on for world tour, 142 days ending in London (visting 44 countries with 60+ stops). ]

[This cruise was Rita’s idea.  It was going to be a sister-sister birthday celebration.  Rita would be turning 75 on New Year’s Eve and the Super would be 73 on New Year’s Day.  But because this was an over-the-holidays cruise, Rita wasn’t able to find a roommate.  We missed her, of course.]

[We had an early morning flight to Miami, so we spent the night at a hotel near the airport.  We dined at the adjacent Culver’s with Gopher women’s basketball coach Marlene Stollings . . . well, OK, she was a couple booths away.  Then a wake up and on to the airport . . . ]

[And before we knew it, we were over Miami . . . ]

[Is that Mar-a-Lago?]

[It’s pretty, but they know about hurricanes here, don’t they?]

[Cruise ship row . . . ]

[And here we are – we would be on the first Viking ship to cruise through the Panama Canal.]

[Our boat’s, the Viking Sun, maiden voyage.]

[Checking in . . . ]

[Crossing the skyway to the ship . . . ]

[OK, we’re ship board – so here’s the plan.  Your room key is your passport on and off the ship (and how the ship knows whether you’re on or off), and the Viking Daily is four pages of the events of the day.]

[All aboard!!]

[Our room, number 4081 (deck 4) in your program but #1 in our hearts.]

[A view of downtown Miami from our balcony.]

[A view of our room from downtown Miami.]

[Welcome aboard, Super!]

[Where the magic happens . . . ]

[Once settled, go for a stroll and see what everything’s about.  Here we’re at Mamsen’s, with its seating and viewing area, on deck 7, starboard bow.  That’s the Explorer’s Lounge dead ahead with the view out the front.]

[Explorer’s Lounge bar – appears the regular crowd has already shuffled in . . . ]

[Wintergarden, adjacent to the Main Pool on deck 7.  A bar area where they also celebrated high afternoon tea, often with live music . . . ]

[The Main Pool (sat around it, ate around it, never went in it) . . . ]

[I’m so happy I could just – well, we won’t go there . . . ]

[First evening around the pool, entertainment by the Viking Band . . . ]

[Guess who’s from Minnesota?  My luggage was among the last to be delivered.  They “confiscate” all the bags at the dock and then deliver them to each room – better than having all the old people trying the schlep all their bags all over the ship!]

[From Wintergarden looking out into the Main Pool, the partying has begun . . . ]

[The Wintergarden bar . . . ]

[Rockin’ the night away . . . ]

[They played all the old classics, as our generation would call them . . . ]

[Ahhh, a lovely sunset over the city . . . ]

[The sunset crowd . . . ]

[From deck 8 looking down onto the pool . . . ]

[The world’s happiest cruiser!!]

[An older person always photographs best when backlit . . . ]

[Starboard aft, looking down on the Infinity Pool area behind the World Cafe, the generic dining place via buffets, on deck 7 . . . ]

[Looking aft from our port site – the Super did use this pool . . . ]

[As the lights go down on the city . . . ]

[Peel me a grape . . . ]

[Looking yachtside . . . ]

[We’ll be leaving soon – in this direction . . . ]

[The temp is becoming more comfortable . . . ]

[And the band plays on . . . ]

[Up on the wee bit of deck 9, looking back along the ship . . . ]

[Still from deck 9, where the Super enjoyed her most sun time . . . ]

[The Super tries to capture what’s left of the light . . . ]

[It’s lighter than you think, depending on where you’re looking.  This is deck 9 at the front of the ship . . . ]

[Come sail away, come sail away, sail away toward Cuba.  We’ll have a day at sea tomorrow.]

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.  ~  Robert Louis Stevenson

Up Next:  Day 2 (unless superseded by current events)

We moved into our house in 2001.  Our neighbors on the southside were Jo and Arnie Lee and the neighbors to our north were Jean and Dan Nelson.  In subsequent years, we sadly lost Jean and Jo, and then had the statistical anomaly of two widowers for immediate neghbors.  And now we have lost Dan, the lovable and irascible “Dangerous Dan” whose obituary follows: 

http://www.echopress.com/obituaries/4368890-daniel-b-nelson

I took several photos of and with Dan over the years . . .

2005

[We live on a chain of lakes, but with our pontoon we did not have access to Lake Victoria, the neighborhood lake of my childhood.  So, one day we coerced Dan into taking us there via water in his deck boat . . . ]

[His house in the background . . . ]

[And then ours as we motor away (is that Murphy in the boat with us?) . . . ]

2006

[The boat show at Arrowwood . . . was Dan ahead of his time with the cell phone?]

[With our grandson Tom and Ruthie’s sister Rita . . . ]

2007

[Sixth Avenue Wine and Ale (SAWA), a personal favorite of both gentlemen in the photo.  I believe the wine was something in a red . . . ]

[The annual Independence Day parade on Lake Carlos . . . ]

[Here Dan “shoots” his family in his boat from our boat . . . ]

[The favorite time of year for Dan.  All his kids and grandkids would come up for a couple of weeks and waterski from dawn to dusk . . . ]

[And then here joining the Lee family to view Arrowwood fireworks from the water . . . ]

[Oh, we got his family!]

[His shoreline from our shoreline overlooking beautiful Lake Darling . . . ]

2009

[The A-listers at SAWA, Dan with Father Steve and Mayor Dan Ness . . . ]

[The man would be lost without a convertible!]

[Breakfast at Fort Alexandria, a ritual with the Awake the Lakes Festival . . . ]

[And now, a boat ride . . . ]

[Looks like Grandson Tom tubing . . . ]

[Ruthie pointing out deer that may run in front of the boat . . . ]

[Never smile while driving a boat unless bugs are on your menu . . . ]

[A large party on another trip to Lake Victoria . . . ]

[Dan’s port . . . ]

[He does have a great view . . . ]

[With daughter Julie at the winery . . . ]

[Jeans & Jewels is a fund raising event for the school district’s education foundation.  In the first year Ruthie must have had a better offer – so Dan and his daughter Kris were my dates for the evening.]

[Even when Ruthie isn’t there, she wins prize drawings.  This time she won a diamond pendant, so Kris had to be the jewelry model . . . ]

[And that photo was used for the Jeans & Jewels promotion the following year!]

2010

[Hello, officer, I’d like to report a red Jaguar with California plates in our parking place at SAWA!]

[The man was incorrigible (ha!) . . . ]

[And always a sweetheart . . . ]

[Yes, these two did go on dates together – for ice cream (or so I was told) . . . ]

[Wearing his flight wings . . . ]

[OMG, they’re at it again!]

2011

[Evenings at SAWA . . . ]

[And the Run for the Roses fundraiser for Theatre L’Homme Dieu at the golf club . . . ]

[Driving Alexandria Hall of Fame inductee Mayor Ness in the Homecoming Parade . . . ]

[The wild and crazy family in the boat parade again . . . ]

[SAWA, again?]

[Taking Dan and Arnie for a ride . . . ]

[Well, let’s try SAWA again . . . ]

[What are you doing way over there?]

2012

[The portrait of Dan’s car in front of SAWA hung in the establishment for a few years.  Darn, forgot who the artist was?]

[Back at the golf club for another Run for the Roses . . . ]

[Dan’s daughters, Julie, Kris, and Marty, had to find out about this SAWA place . . . ]

[And were subsequently overwhelmed by the usual denizens!]

[No casualties were reported . . . ]

[At the Legacy of the Lakes Museum . . . ]

[A place right up Dan’s alley . . . ]

[So to speak . . . ]

So, a fond bon voyage, old pal!

December 7

As posted on FB:  TWO ALEXANDRIA 70-YEAR OLDS SET ENDURANCE RECORD!! Bradley Arland and I sat on a wooden plank at the RCC last night from 4:30 to 9:30! That was 8 periods of hockey as the girl/boy doubleheader both went into OT! And they were almost identical games: We won both games 3 – 2; in both games we were behind 2 – 0; in both games we outshot the opposition in the vicinity of 45 – 15. The girls beat East Grand Forks and the boys beat River Lakes. The girls made a signature statement – EGF was ranked No. 2 in the state and had tied No. 1 Warroad 3 – 3, yet we totally dominated every minute of the game, even without star McKenna Ellingson. In an OMG, the Card girls basketballers were also home last night and beat Rocori 59 – 11 (oy!) to go to 3 – 0. 

To begin:  The fierceness of their warm-up shots sent us scurrying to our seats in fear!

[Little did we realize at the time that the captain introductions for the girls’ game was the beginning of a 5-hour evening at the arena.]

[The lineup . . . ]

[The pilots of the ship:  Coach Ben Doherty and Head Coach Molly Arola.]

[Big game – they’re No. 2!]

[All for one . . . ]

[And one for all!]

[Missed the face-off because I forgot to turn on the camera.  Junior Erin O’Kane (26) and Senior Kristin Trosvig (15) lead the charge after the puck, with Kristin’s 8th-grade sister, Kaci (25), keeping an eye on things . . . ]

[In the Green Wave zone with sophomore defense, Mayson Toft (14), who as I recall got off the first shot of the game here . . . ]

[Senior Calley Richardson (19) annoying the goalie . . . ]

[But the puck scoots behind . . . ]

[A shot from the left point by senior defense, Talia Olson (27), with junior defense, Olivia Kopp (13) . . . ]

[Cards are cycling in the offensive zone . . . ]

[Tools of the trade]

[Kristin swoops in from the right . . . ]

[Kaci and Erin are set up . . . ]

[Kristin’s in front . . . ]

[I have to give kudos to the Green Wave goalie – she withstood our onslaughts all game.]

[And the puck’s sneaking out the back door again . . . ]

[There it is!]

[As sometimes happens, the team that totally controlled the whole period is behind by one.]

[Keep the pressure on!]

[Eventually there’ll be a breakthrough.]

[Missed the 2nd period face-off because the lens cap was still on.  But junior Alexis Heckert (20) has the puck . . . ]

[With Calley and our bench on her right . . . ]

[Somebody’s chasing the puck behind the net . . . ]

[One of dozens of scrums in front of the EGF goal . . . ]

[Looks like the Trosvig sisters were involved . . . ]

[Now freshman Anna Doherty (7) and Calley join the fray . . . ]

[It’s a shot – and I think I got the goal?  Is that the puck on the far left side, halfway up in the goal?]

[Kaci got her first varsity goal on an assist from big sister.  We finally opened the door – as EGF, despite being wildly outshot, had a 2 – 0 lead until now.]

[Shortly thereafter, freshman Marki Oberg (10) tied the score on assists from sophomore Hadlee Hansen (18) and senior Josie Minnerath (6).]

[Further swarming, but . . . ]

[No more goals in the period.]

[2 – 2 after 2.]

[3rd period face-off, camera on, lens cap off . . . ]

[The line that scored the 2nd goal . . . ]

[WE WIN!!]

[In overtime!]

[Marki’s 2nd goal of the game, assisted by sophomore Meg Shercliffe (5), and winning goalie sophomore Amanda Bittmann (33).]

[A statement win against a highly ranked opponent . . . ]

[We subsequently moved up to No. 3 in the state class A rankings.]

[Then the boys came out for the River Lakes Stars . . . ]

[We were ranked No. 8 in the state class A rankings prior to this game.  That’s junior defense Evan Lattimer (12) and sophomore defense Derek Pesta (10) . . . ]

[Face-off in the stars zone with senior Ryker Treat (4) and junior Zach Wosepka (20) identifiable . . . ]

[Sophomore defense Andrew Revering (2) chases the Stars No. 2 . . . ]

[Lattimer from the point?]

[Sophomore Shane Birkeland (25) joins the party around the goal . . . ]

[With junior forward Jack Westlund (10) . . . ]

[Freshman Jakob Stender (27) joins the assault . . . ]

[Just like the preceding girls’ game.]

[Sophomore Caleb Strong (3) joins Westlund on a rush . . . ]

[Must be Caleb’s night for a series . . . ]

[Whoa!  A gooooaaaaalllll!  Jakob from Caleb and senior defense Jack Powell (21).]

[And Jakob’s in on goal again . . . ]

[Again, just like the girls’ game after 2.]

[Revering on a power play from Westund and Powell tied the game at 2 . . . ]

[Westlund was aggressive all night . . . ]

[Going into OT.]

[Birkeland’s in with senior Derek Dropik (8) . . . ]

[They were screening and following the puck in flight . . . ]

[Of sophomore defense Matthew Carlsen’s (26) shot from the blue line that made it through all the traffic and into the goal for the game winner!]

[Cards ended with a 50 – 17 shot-on-goal advantage.  Junior Bailey Rosch (31) was in goal for the Cards.]

[The Stars goalie was terrific throughout but distraught over the result.  He needn’t have been – the Cards were simply the better team.  Big game next up against No. 2-ranked St. Cloud Cathedral. ]

We get nose jobs all the time in the NHL, and we don’t even have to go to the hospital.  ~  Brad Park

Up Next:  Holiday stuff?

December 5

For Theatre L’Homme Dieu and my attendance at a Cardinal boys hockey game . . .

Theatre L’Homme Dieu 2018 Season Announcement Party at The Garden Bar on 6th (photo courtesy of Nicole Mulder)

[Another beautiful December morning . . . ]

[The Super, always first to a party, holds her A list position . . . ]

[Then the Alexandria Area High School Carolers arrived . . . ]

[Always a season’s joy . . . ]

And so, let’s hear from the Carolers . . . 

[The theatre’s executive director, Nicole Mulder, checks a selfie . . . ]

[“Stuffed like a can of sardines” came to mind . . . ]

[I gathered you here today because . . . ]

[Nicole and theatre board president, Fred Bursch, prepare for opening remarks, while Erik Schultz tickles his strings in the background . . . ]

[Party on . . . ]

[And now, anouncing the new season . . . ]

[Good ones coming, seeking a couple more!]

[And the Super adds hers . . . ]

[My applogies to Nicole and Fred . . . ]

Later that evening . . .

[It was a doubleheader hockey night – the girls won their game first.  This would be my first look at the boys team, also expecting a superior season . . . ]

[But as you can see above, the result was obvious early.  Some of the “boys on the rail” left then, a non-competitive game, and had probably seen a good part of the girls’ game.]

[I believe this was a score by Andrew Revering (2), sophomore defenseman, in the 2nd period.  I was sitting with his parents then, who also happen to be the parents of last year’s all-state tournament player, McKenzie, now in her freshman scholarship year at UMD.]

[The final score was 12 – 2.]

[And the very next day, the Boys of ’65 visited Melby Outpost for our monthly lunch . . . ]

[And Uncle Mo enjoying the seasonal weather in Washington, D. C. (I believe sister Gretch employing her first time ever smart phone).]

What is that unforgettable line?  ~  Samuel Beckett

Up Next:  Hockey!