alexandriacardinals

Well, we had Christmas . . . among other things.  We began by visiting Santa in Noblesville, Indiana, on Christmas Eve.  Of course we had to get there first.  And while that should be by armored personnel carrier, it was by automobile.  It is always dangerous to drive south from Minnesota at this time of year – you always hit the “gee, I never saw that black ice” zones.  We have had nightmare adventures between here and Indiana during the holidays.  And this year was no different (though we’ll save the “best” for last).  On the drive through Wisconsin on I-94 on Christmas Eve Eve, we averaged maybe 30 mph through the western half of the state.  On several occasions we came upon several of our fellow eastbound passengers looking back at us after they had “attempted” U-turns on an instate highway off the right-hand shoulder.  All seemed to be fine as they were tapping away on their cell phones.  We recognized several as those who had sped by us and about whom we remarked at the time, “We’ll see you ahead in the ditch!”  We were fortunate we had a 2-hour head start this year by spending the night at Cam and Karen’s in Mounds View.  Oh, the book on the left – I was finally able to find a copy of my biography.  🙂

[We eventually reached the kids’ place in Noblesville, where we discovered they have a Qumi.  We had never heard of one before because we aren’t techie, but it’s a projector TV that provides a 120″ high definition picture.]

[Danny providing Qumi perspective on Christmas Day.]

[I decided to take Tom, Jami, Danny (and the photo taking supervisor) to the mall to show them . . .]

[My new Mazerati.  🙂  ]

[The supervisor noted it only had a price tag slightly on the higher side of $109,000.  I’m thinking of getting a fleet.  But seriously folks, we went to see ‘Nebraska,” the Bruce Dern movie.  It was terrific.]

[On the way home, we motored by my famous Asian restaurant, TOMO!  😉  ]

[Christmas Eve at Fran and Ed’s, Tommy’s neighborhood grandparents.]

[The supervisor had so much fun Christmasing with her kids, Jami and Rob (who lives in Ohio).]

[. . . don’t forget the grandson!]

[Tear open the presents and then play games!  In this case, Dr. Who Yahtzee!  😉  ]

[Oldie:  n. an old person or thing, a senior citizen, senior, geriatric, retiree, pensioner, golden-ager, old-timer, old geezer, old fogey, coot.]

[Loon: n. a present from, and painted by, the supervisor.]

[Go Gophers!]

[Madison, Rob’s daughter – she’s getting elderly and only has one eye.]

[Who has more fun than me???]

[Movin’ to Minnesota; need an Elmer Fudd hat!]

[SAWA, here I come!]

[The much needed replacement shirt.  Don’t ask me to explain it.]

[And The Bigger, Blacker Box was also beyond my comprehension.]

We spent a week with the kids, and the other grand folks, in Indiana.  That will be a subject of future posts as we visit the excitement that is Indy.  But this was also a conjunction trip.  The supervisor’s sister Rita had rented a house for two months in San Marcos, California, and wanted company.  We were delighted to take her up on the offer.  We spent two weeks out there.  That will also be the subject of future posts.  Now that I’ve whetted your appetites, maybe you’d better go wipe your chins.  Besides, it’s going to take a while to update the blog addressees.

Oh, there have been other games played.  The boys have played several and have interested the fan base.  The girls’ first three games were on the road. They won them all by an average of about 50 points per game.  This was not unexpected.  We knew we’d be good – just how good remains to be seen.  We are ranked #3 in the state in Class AAA – a problem could be a conference and section rival, Fergus Falls, is ranked #1.  And the section includes many of the best AAA teams in the state, including Thief River Falls and Detroit Lakes.  Well, we opened at DL.  Well-known Cardinal fans made the road trip because they said this would be one of the few times they could see us play before they did at least a mini-snowbird trip.  They reported DL looked tough in warm-ups – they were tall, much taller than the Cards, and seemed to be making every practice shot.  The concern was how would the Cards compete against that?  Well, the answer was with 60 points in the first half, on 11 for 13 on 3-point shots, and by only committing one turnover.  All were Cardinal records for a half.

The game at issue figured to be our first real test – even as our first home game.  St. Cloud Tech is a conference rival, I believe a Class AAAA team, and have always given the Cards some of our toughest games over the years.  I always remember both teams being totally exhausted at the end of their games.  This one would be no different.  Oh, and the JV won 42 – 27 – we arrived at the half with the Cards leading 25 – 5.

It took place on Friday, the 20th.  That created the “wish I could be two places at once” scenario.  The girls’ hockey team was hosting Class AA power Hopkins that same night,  Because it was Hopkins, I ordinarily would have opted for that game, but because of various scheduling conflicts, we aren’t going to be able to see the basketball team again until late January.  We did assign other Super Fans to the hockey game, and Hopkins apparently was as good as projected, winning 5 – 0!  😦

[Kendra Holm, manager emeritus]

[Darice Cunniff, now retired as a teacher, still going strong as PA announcer.]

[“The Competition,” Mark Ripley, school photographer]

[Wendy Kohler, head coach, a/k/a, “Kohler,” introducing, and “The Competition” photographing, the team, with their parents, as it was Parents’ Night for the first home game.]

[Amanda Christianson (5), senior, wherever she wants to play . . .]

[Going to St. Cloud State next year to play basketball.]

[Karly Betterman (21), senior point guard]

[Sarah Bruzek (15), senior guard]

[The last of the three Bruzek girls for Bud (Class of ’65) and Trish.]

[Alyssa Freiderich (31), senior forward]

[Emily Thul (3), senior forward]

[Samantha Frederick (41), senior center]

[Jaylen Olson-Rodel (5), senior guard]

[Amanda Gould (35), senior center]

[Kendall Kohler (13), freshman guard, and her mom who dabbles as her coach.  They’re camera shy . . . or I was helping the supervisor with her popcorn.]

[Macy Hatlestad (11), freshman guard, and her assistant coach mom, Julie.]

[AD and football coach]

[Alumni moms – always nice to see them still coming to the games after their daughters have graduated.]

[And Kendra, with her Super Fan folks.]

[OK, let’s check out what’s going on here.  We have the new girl all have been waiting to see . . .]

[Brooke Hegge (45), 6’2″ left-handed junior center, who came here from Crookston.]

[Amanda C jump shooting.]

[Karly]

[Alumni dad who helps out, officially.]

[Team captains meet at center court to discuss the issues of the day.  Amanda C greets Tech star, Kaila Burroughs, as a familiar adversary.  They probably play summer ball together.  Kaila has signed to play for the University of Denver next year.]

[Nice to meet you, Ms. Wurm (Tiger point guard).  I’m going to foul out you and two of your teammates.]

[Coach Kohler, we’re going to foul our three of your players, as well.]

[In fairness to the guys in stripes, it was a tough game to ref when both teams play “in-your-face” defense.]

[Meanwhile, back at warm-ups . . .]

[The finale . . .]

[Time to play ball?]

[Team intros:  Emily (3) . . .

[Greeted by Kendall (13).]

[Amanda C (5)]

[Macy (11)]

[“The Frosh”]

[Karly (21)]

[A/k/a, “Non-stop”]

[Girls just wanna have fun!  OK, old line, but if the shoe fits . . .]

[Brooke (45)]

 [The team!]

OK, after the longest pre-game introductory material in the history of blogging, let’s begin with a video of the first several minutes of the game.  Kinda gives you a feel of the hard fought game that it was:

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24S-QPHoI1k

[Wurm shoots between Karly and Macy.]

[Kendall with the ball as Brooke and Sarah act as pulling guards.]

[Brooke with the ball, Sarah coming on, and too much “competition” shooting from the corner!]

[Will it . . . or won’t it?]

[Karly in her forever cover ’em wherever they are on the court!]

[Karly is the 3rd in a series of the lead characters (following the estimable Gracie Bruzek and Lauren Trumm) in the 1-3-1, which requires running back and forth between the opponents at the point of the offense and leaping in an effort to deflect (sometimes kicking) or steal every attempted pass.]

[Now where’d that darn ball go?]

[Brooke contests a Tiger shot.]

[I got it!]

[Karly looking to cause trouble again.]

[Brooke and Kendall think that’s the funniest thing they’ve ever seen!?!   🙂  ]

[Yo, Kim Kardashian!!]

[Those two shots are courtesy of Amanda C, who tickles the twine from the free throw line at an 80+ percent rate!  🙂  ]

[Kim Kardashian wants my autograph?]

[Ms. Automatic!]

[Here comes Non-stop!]

[Whose ball?]

[A little Cardinal spurt toward the end of the half finally gave us a little breathing room.  While the 1-3-1 is usually a great defense at the high school level, sometimes the good teams can handle it.  Tech moved the ball well and passed over it.  They shot, and made, more 3’s than the Cards did.  The 1-3-1 is also a hard defense to rebound from – though I don’t know the final stats, my feeling was that Tech had a big rebounding advantage.  Those two things on a couple of occasions, I believe, forced the Cards into man-to-man defense.  Tech also played great defense on the perimeter.  The Cards had been killing previous teams with our 3-point shooting.  I don’t think we even attempted more than five in this game – and I recall us making two of them.  Kendall hit one from several feet beyond the line, and Amanda C beautifully curled off screen and made a perfectly in rhythm three, I think both in the 2nd half.]

[Karly sneakily hides behind a ref!]

[And then attacks defensively with all limbs in action!  🙂  ]

[Incoming!]

[So, Blizzards after the game?]

[Well, unless the Super Fans get there first!]

[We’ve called 10 fouls on the Cardinals and only two on the Tigers?  No wonder the natives are restless!]

[Don’t mess with us!]

[Karly at the line as free throws shooting is key in a foul-plagued game.]

[Good job, Karly!]

[Mom, why did you make me play back here all by myself?]

[And here comes Burroughs!  She’s got at least 8″ on me!]

[Sarah has some freebies.]

[It’s over!  🙂  ]

[Good game, good game, good game . . .]

Readers Comment on Seasonal Postings:

That is such a good picture of you two.  Merry Christmas, Sara (aw, shucks)

Thank you both SO much – for always being there (well, when you weren’t touring the world) and for your enthusiastic and relentless love and support!! I will miss you two most of all (she said to the Scarecrow) – please take care of yourselves and each other and keep those cards and letters coming! peace&love ~ lisa (aw, shucks II)

I wish you both a wonderful year, happiness always, and a thank you, tho I don’t know them, from the Alexandria athletes who have a visual history to treasure forever.   You are very good folks.    My love, Aunt Pearl (well, related)

Merry Christmas to you Oberts, too! I do believe, however, that next cruise, you should take your extra “daughter,” as Mykonos and Santorini have been dreams of mine for ages. AND…as of 11:05 pm, December 20, 2013, I have yet to either win the lottery or meet and marry a zillionaire who will take me. I promise, I will serenade you at each piano we encounter! peace&love ~ lisa

Merry Christmas, Tom and Ruth!  As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed the update. ~ Bonnie

Some pretty fine pics.  Merry Christmas and another fine year! ~ Tom Mc

Thank you, Tom!! This is wonderful.  I envy you guys – the trip!! I share the wallet-type experiences.  If you find an exorcist, let me know!  ~ Sue

Thank you and Merry Christmas to you as well!  ~ Barry

I will now stop looking in the mail box each day for the old fashion Obert’s Essay on TWTYTW with complete political commentary on the ACA, gun control, immigration reform and other issues of the day.  The Josie CD’s went over well.  I should have asked for additional Lisa ones as well, but maybe I’ll catch her In California.  Christmas is tomorrow around here with the kids coming up from Richmond.  Ruth Ann is coming over as well.  ~  Marcus

I just sat down to write you guys a thank you for the paper card/letter!  What a trip you must have had!  The dog with no legs comes tomorrow.  She and Megan have moved into a different condo and it is such fun to stay with them.  Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!  ~ Margi  p.s. Now I shall click on the website below.

Dear God, if you can’t cover all the computers, please at the very least, send to Tom’s.  AMEN ~  HQ

That is so cute-a little disturbing-but cute!  ~  The Nanner

Hey, that’s my granddaughter. I told her NOT to be near my computer. She’s just like her mother!!!!  ~ Crazy Dave

This was wonderful. Thanks for sending. Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year to you two busy bees.  ~  Barb A

Tom, No doubt you will a white Christmas! Merry Christmas and a joyous new year to you and Ruth. ~ Loren

Dom, I really liked the “Just wondered if you were paying attention.” ~ Scott

Tom, You are such a good photographer!! ~ Sue (my agent)

HI Folks………..Love the winter Pictures…….So Tom put them into a moving slide show for me and drop them on my FTP site and I’ll air them on Informed TV.  You can credit yourself or you can air them as a anonymous picture taking Santa.  ~ Alan (talk to my agent?)

Hey Tom & Ruthie, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to both of you! Loved your pictures from the “North Pole”….Brrrrrrrr! (Yes I was paying attention, btw!) But I especially loved your vacation photos from the Mediterranean. That 1st photo of you 2 in Venice is the BEST one EVER! I saved a copy. Btw, Tom, one correction… it’s “Supervisor” with a capital “S”!! (Right, Ruthie??) Take care and don’t get stuck I any snow drifts up there!  ~ Love&hugs, Linda xoxo (well, she’s related)

We haven’t been lacking for beauty this winter in Alex, that’s for sure! ~ Bonnie

Thanks much for the snow pictures.  I sent several of them to our kids so they can see just how lovely it all was….(.while we were out doing Wal-Mart and Kmart and then home to wash clothes etc. etc.) ~ Peggy

The First Day of Winter, 2013, Alexandria, Minnesota

[The new high school . . .]

[The auditorium (?) . . .]

[Town from the new school . . .]

[The new Fields of Dreams . . .]

[Just wanted to see if you were paying attention?]

[That’s an eagle, who had been sitting on the ice, taking off.]

The temperature was in the low single digits.  But it was comfortable . . . and gorgeous!! 🙂

. . . and girls’ basketball will be next!  🙂

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Grand Canal, Venice, Italy 

Harken back with me, if you will, to a time and place merely a single year ago.  At that time, we noted we had crossed the great technological divide and issued our annual Christmas letter by blog posting.  The supervisor didn’t care for it; I loved it.  So, I concluded that when she-who-must-be-obeyed recently went on a storage-area cleaning binge, her goal was to find what she did indeed find.  Lots and lots of excess Christmas stationery and envelopes were discovered.  Ergo (did that win the Oscar?), we are back to snail mail, thousands of dollars worth of Forever stamps, and multiple visits to the local Post Office.  Not that I have anything against the Post Office, but seriously we are back to digital as soon as the paper runs out!

Grand Canal

San Marco Plaza, Venice, Italy

Ephesus, Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey

We really have nothing to add to what has already been posted – by the hundreds of entries and thousands of photos – in what is essentially our personal diary that is available to the entire universe (and read by 10’s) at www.alexandriacardinals.wordpress.com.  As the editor/publisher, I can highly recommend it as a treatment for insomnia.  But seriously folks . . .

Mykonos, Greek Island

Athens, Greece

Meryemana, Turkey

Pompeii, Italy

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Sorrento, Italy

Absent anything new, we have decided to revisit something old.  As noted in previous blog reports, we did a Mediterranean cruise in August, with our old D.C. friends, Anne and Bill Gross.  Bill recently posted his volume of photos from the trip, so we figured that was something we could use to highlight this letter with “new” photos (including those recently discovered on Ruthie’s tablet), where we are the subjects and that I believe is the purpose of these letters.  Beside, Ruthie noted it was the best vacation ever . . . and I would have to agree.

Florence, Italy

Pisa, Italy

Rome, Italy

Cannes, France

Oh, the letter title is meant to mean exactly what it means. When we drive into the city, a sign over the street thereto reads, “Happy Holidays.”  We think it’s lovely.  There are multiple holidays at this time of year, including Christmas, New Year’s, Rita’s birthday on New Year’s Eve, Ruthie’s birthday on New Year’s Day, and possibly Kim Kardashian’s birthday (we just don’t know or care).  Here’s to wishing you and yours all the best for any or all of the listed holidays!

As proud grandparents, we have for some time been meaning to “publish” the following video featuring Grandson Tom (a 7-minute excerpt from the beginning of Act 2).  This performance in a holiday play took place in 2011 when he was a senior in high school (he is now in his 2nd year at Purdue, but academically a junior).  We saw him in this play, but I’m not sure if it’s the one they DVD’ed.  Tom displayed a gift for comedic timing . . . but we may be biased.  🙂  The supervisor and I had the usual senior moments trying to do this.  We watch DVD’s so seldom, we forget which of the 32 remote controls are necessary for the task.  Well, the initial problem was the open/close drawer was balky at best.  When we finally got it running, the mute button didn’t function at the beginning of the video attempt.  Next, after we got started a moth – yes, a moth – flew in front of the screen.  On the next attempt, my low battery light on the camera came on.  By the time we actually finished the video, the supervisor had missed the first six episodes of Downton Abbey.  We’re going to have an exorcism performed on the house over the holidays!*

Tom Gaither in “The Perfume Shop”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEl_d6SvqaU

Of course, our holiday season doesn’t just revolve around a Mediterranean summer cruise, but it comes close:

“Wallweeds,” Maple Grove

“Wallweeds,” Raapers, Alexandria

Too Much Fun “Wallweeds,” Raapers

Departing “Wallweeds,” Raapers

Silly “Wallweeds,” Raapers

Family Contributions From, The Supervisor:

[Lisa Lynn @ Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale]

[Josie Nelson @ Carlos Creek Winery]

From, Brother Cam:

[This Santa is infested with the saliva DNA of all four Obert children who used him for teething purposes in their pre-teen years.  The wreath above is festooned with the White House ornament series.  It’s not often one gets a chance to use the word “festooned.”]

And Summers @ Camp Brosius:

We decorated light this year in anticipation of events to come.  The tree is festooned (there’s that word again) with ornaments crocheted by Ruthie’s Mom:

* In that in vain, I have been trying to remember for at least a week that I need to visit an ATM.  Every time I get home from somewhere, I exclaim, “Oh, darn (or words to that effect), I forgot to go to the ATM again!”  This morning, after the gym, I actually remembered to go!  🙂  I was so proud of myself as I skirted the usual turn off for home.  I arrived at the ATM, opened the car window, reached for my wallet, and . . . yep, no wallet!  Arrrggghhhh!!!  I had gone for a colonoscopy yesterday and needed to bring my wallet – the hospital needs proof I am who I say I am lest someone else attempt to wrest away my colonoscopy time slot?  I said aloud to myself at the time (the supervisor can attest to this) that I needed to remember to get the wallet out of my coat pocket when we went home!  Of course, I didn’t.  There will be an exorcism performed on my head over the holidays.

Editor’s note:  Of course, the “Wallweeds” (i.e., not Wallflowers), in all venues, are members of the JHS Class of 1965 (thus, we claim Jean Shrimpton, who was also a subject of our ’60’s Pop Culture class this week).  We are in a year-and-a-half countdown to the BIG FIVE-OH reunion!  Classmate Bev Roers Korkowski contributed the first and last of the Wallweed photos.  I don’t remember who contributed Jean Shrimpton (but I appreciate it).

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

p.s.

I hope the cub reporter makes it to his next colonoscopy, or at least to the BIG FIVE-OH reunion!