Because you just can’t get this any place else . . .
November 29
Bradley buys a new TV, brings it to his mad scientist lair, and I get my first ever cell phone because the Super killed our landline . . .
November 30
Class of ’65 fine dining event; this month at Fat Daddy’s . . .
December 1
“Annie” at the Andria. The Super gives it a big thumbs up. We unwittingly arrived a half hour early so strolled a bit on Broadway . . .
December 2
Let’s drive out to the winery . . .
[At the winery with Paul Drinkwine . . . ]
[The Super getting her “Missing U at . . . ” photos . . . ]
[‘Tis the season!]
A song of the season . . .
[So let’s be jolly!]
[The sun sinks, to be seen again on the following morning.]
[The old wagon has a certain presents at this time of year.]
[Because the Super likes mooses – one without flash, one with, to be donated to the “Save the Mooses Fund.” The moose, incidentally, is the one on the left.]
[The Super’s flag pole adorned with a seasonal flag, soon to be changed.]
[Enough outdoor decorating for this year.]
But it’s only a Super Moon . . .
[When an afternoon at the winery just isn’t enough . . . ]
[Because it’s time for the Cheese Bots at the Garden Bar on 6th . . . ]
[And a good time was had by all!]
The crisp path through the field in this December snow, in the deep dark, where we trod the buried grass like ghosts on dry toast. ~ Dylan Thomas
Up Next: I think there’s some games and stuff . . .
For reasons that will only become clear in mid-January (likely), we will not be able to produce a timely Merry Christmas (no “war on” here!) blog this year. I know a number of you may endure miniscule hardships as a result . . . my apologies. In lieu thereof, the Christmas letter of 1990 was significant in that there were major family events . . . and it was the first year I shamelessly pilfered Dave Barry’s Year-in-Review format:
1990 HOLIDAY YEAR IN REVIEW
January 1 – The new year begins and I refuse to go near a scale.
February – Temperatures far above normal – an abnormal warming trend that meteorologists claim is the result of pent-up desires of a record number of golfers eager to return to the links.
March 24 – April 4 – Aunt Pearl and Uncle Ted host Ruth and me in Colorado for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Ruth and Ted ski; being of allegedly sound mind and body, I sit in the safe and warm comfiness of the lodge and contemplate more serious matters.
April 9 – We grieve the loss of Uncle Dick, a lifelong joy to family and friends. We are heartened that he was able to return to his beloved Minnesota and, as the world’s No. 1 sports fan, see his Golden Gophers come within one shot of going to the Final Four shortly before he died.
May 1 – A Hallmark holiday without much meaning for those long since graduated from elementary school.
June 21 – Katy, Karen, and Cam [pre-Michael John] move back to Minnesota – the state subsequently succumbed to political weirdness as the fall elections approached!
July 4 – Chris sends Jessica to bail out leaking boat.
July 5 – Chris sends Nich to bail out leaking boat.
July 6 – Chris sends Janet to bail out leaking boat.
July 7 – Chris shoots leaking boat.
July 27 – Ruth drops several carloads of clothes at Rose McMullen’s new consignment shop – becomes independently wealthy in a matter of weeks.
August 4 – 10 – Resorters Golf Tournament in Alexandria where I totally embarrass myself and Cam gets blitzed by a 14-year old. Cousin Barb saves family face by capturing the women’s title.
August 17 – 19 – 25th High School Class Reunion and I’m obviously (as everyone else also thought) the youngest looking person there!
August 20 – Natalia relieved that the run of summer guests is finally over. But as we all know, THAT’S WHAT YOU GET FOR LIVING ON A LAKE IN MINNESOTA (or, “Minnesota, My Minnesota,” the state anthem)!
August 31 – Gretchen (“I’ll never get married!”) gets married! What else can one say? – Welcome to the family, Mohamed.
October 13 – On a hot, muggy day, the Mavericks win 5 softball games in a row for the severely aging team’s first championship in three years. Several muscles are pulled in the ensuing celebration.
October 20 – Basketball Dan and Pam arrive from New Jersey for a bike trip to Mount Vernon. No serious injuries are reported.
October 21 – At long last Basketball Dan is taken for his dream meal at the Cozy Inn (a rustic country inn?) in Thurmont (Camp David), Maryland. He discovers a touristy, pig-out joint and promises never to forgive me.
October 25 – 27 – Fishing trip to the Outer Banks is cut short by a nor’easter which collapses the Oregon Inlet Bridge – one can only bowl so many games.
November 7 – Newt Gingrich wins reelection by .6% – claims national mandate. [Well,she turned me into a newt!]
November 21 – For the first time in memory (?), I arrive at work and discover and find that my underwear is on inside out. Yet another sign of creeping senility [Editorialcomment: And that was 17 years ago!]
November 27 – USA Today makes my day by headlining that “thinning hair is in.”
December 3 – The Government announces further, in a continuing series of, hiring freezes. The youngest remaining bureaucrat allegedly is eligible to retire within three years.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND A
HAPPY NEW YEAR
It really was quite a year! (All photos were subsequently added strictly for purposes of this blog.)
We end this missive, as usual, with Lisa . . .
Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. You know, the birth of Santa? ~ Matt Groening
[The day began with a strong wind continuing to create open water on Lake Darling.]
[By evening, game time – pick up Brad and head for the high school. We saw most of the 2nd half of the JV’s victory.]
[And now meet the 2017-18 edition of the Cardinal girls basketball team. It’s brand spanking new because we graduated 11 players, including the starting 5, off last year’s state tournament team.]
[Kohler shares some pre-game moments with the Big Lake coach.]
[The classic lay-up drill . . . ]
[OK, ladies, here’s the plan . . . ]
[Whenever they have the ball, just steal it from them!]
[The ref is making sure nothing nefarious is going on here.]
[Ms. Duwenhoegger is ready for the jump . . . ]
[She won it, but the Hornets came away with the ball.]
[The Cardinals’ signature “D” . . . ]
[Courtney gets a freebie . . . ]
[Kaye starts a drive . . . ]
[Her defender, No. 30, is a D1 recruit.]
[A truly focused ref . . . ]
[Courtney’s in a crowd . . . Christmas shopping?]
[Clean-up on aisle 3!!]
[Kohler signals . . . something?]
[Nooo, over there!]
[Where’d the ball go?]
[Oh, there it is!]
[Kaye setting the offense . . . ]
[Ella chases a Hornet . . . ]
[In stealth defensive mode, she hides behind her guardee . . . ]
[In a half that seemed every Hornet shot went in, we fought back from being 13 down at one point to only trail by 5 at the half.]
[The flow began to change when we put the 5’11” Emma at the point of the defense . . . ]
[Making it difficult for the Hornets to get the ball past the top of the key . . . ]
[And we started getting more aggressive offensively . . . ]
[Getting to the free throw line . . . ]
[McKenzie here . . . ]
[We actually got the lead at 36-35. But just as suddenly, the Hornets hit a bunch of 3’s again and opened up another 10-point lead. It looked bleak for the Cards with only about 4 minutes left in the game. But this trio of sophomore guard Mia McGrane (5), Kaye, and Ella lead an amazing defensive charge . . . ]
[Kohler blew the dust off the ole 1-3-1 trap, and Cards kept getting steals and either scoring or getting to the foul line. Ella here . . . ]
[Ella finished with 14 points and 8 boards . . . ]
[Mia closed it out with a couple of free throws, and a game leading 15 points, as the Cards picked up a historic victory for Kohler.]
[Yay, coach!!!]
They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds. ~ Wilt Chamberlain
It was looking pretty good two days before the road trip . . .
November 21 (another prelude)
It was looking pretty good one day before the road trip . . .
November 22 (on the road)
Then, the road trip . . .
[Downtown Alexandria was readied for the season. The Super and I went to town first to get the evening’s dinner.]
[Past the usual local landmarks . . . ]
[Contech, nee Continental Bridge – you’ll see their products in parks and golf courses all over the country . . . ]
[Go Panthers!]
[The views from the edge of the prairie . . . ]
[We knew we would be driving into something – it’s the state law whenever we travel.]
[The flakes began when we hit the land of the Finns . . . ]
[Snow snakes!]
[The sign says Menahga (I think) . . . ]
[Go home! Go home! Save yourselves!]
[Uffda!]
[Tee times available immediately . . . ]
[I guess it’s for real?]
[Better pull in to Hugo’s for more supplies . . . ]
[Hello, MnDOT? Help!]
[Headlights a comin’ . . . ]
[I think we’re at Itasca State Park . . . ]
[Oh, goodie, blind curves ahead!]
[Through the snow maze . . . ]
[So be Merry . . . ]
[The Super trudges through to renew our state park pass. I, of course, had to stay in the car to document the action . . . ]
[We’re on the final leg to the Headwaters Hostel . . . ]
[A sign for the ‘U’ had us thinking U-turn?]
[There’s a signpost up ahead . . . ]
[We’re in the driveway . . . ]
[We made it!!]
[Settling in, arranging the goodies . . . ]
[And wine, don’t forget the wine!]
[Jami and Danny’s internationally-renowned “Harn” is 9 miles north of the north entrance to the park. This makes the hostel a terrific place to meet for the holiday – you may recall we did this last year? And here are the Two Guys pizzas we brought up from Alex – Jami’s gluten-free.]
November 23 (Thanksgiving)
[I began Thanksgiving Day with a hostel video . . . ]
[The Super prepares the beverage for the holiday meal. Was it just a coincidence that we first met in the “Astoria” condominium in Arlington, Virginia, 30 years ago?]
[Last year we had a sixsome including, not before known, Connie and Fred from Alex. This year we were joined by “the kids'” friends, Angie and Jeff.]
[All the food products seen here and devoured during the meal were organically grown on their respective properties, including Jeff’s turkey. Well, Ruthie said her corn dish was store bought (our crop didn’t come in this year).]
[Darn, forgot the chestnuts!]
[OK, none of the participants grew the bread . . . ]
[Is that an albino buffalo?]
[Jami’s squash and potatoes, Angie made the gravy . . . ]
[Why do I always get clean-up? Ha (they say)!]
[Let the gourmandization begin!]
[Mmmmmmmmmmmmm . . . ]
[Skol, y’all!]
[After all that, we’d better go for a walk – it was a gorgeous evening . . . ]
[Heading down to the lake, one can barely see the hostel – with leaves on the trees, impossible.]
[Beautiful, as we approach Lake Itasca . . . ]
[We were overdressed, expecting colder weather . . . ]
[The lake is iced over. Danny and Jami have friends who have already been fishing out there . . . ]
[A personal favorite of Jami, wine toasting the winter . . . ]
[The canoes will have a 6-month respite . . . ]
[Love the wilderness feel . . . ]
[Otherwise swimming was under consideration . . . ]
[Good night sun, see you in the morning . . . ]
[And, of course, you know who won. Never mess with Grandma! “Trailer Park Wars” was a laugh riot!]
November 24
[We hadn’t been up to the Harn for a long time. They had lots of work to do on their place this summer, as did we preparing for our eventual house sale.]
[This is their new wood shed they built this year. I forget how many cords Danny said it will hold. They heat with wood in their rocket stove.]
[They’ve done more stuff in the yard, basically turning it into a food production lot.]
[The product of the little housewife on the prairie. Jami and Danny have really gone basic pioneer. Here Jami has roasted a huge pumpkin, and then bags enough of the innards to make a couple dozen pumpkin pies.]
[Woo-woo, this is fun!]
[Part of the pumpkin.]
[Recordkeeping . . . ]
November 25 (heading home)
[A day of warmth and some rain has disappeared the snow . . . ]
[Back again through Park Rapids . . . ]
[And Sebeka . . . ]
[Past the baled fields . . . ]
There is no sincerer love than the love of food. ~ George Bernard Shaw
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