alexandriacardinals

Congratulations to the Cardinal girls’ soccer team for making it to state!  Woo-woo!!

[It is my understanding this was not referring to the senior citizens in the stands?   😦 ]

Indeed, there was a volleyball game on senior night.  We were playing the dreaded Spuds from Moorhead.  Accordingly to my sources we had not beaten the Spuds in volleyball since I had hair on my head – but that’s only hearsay (or is it heresy?).  And the game started as many of recent vintage have – the Cards looked like they could beat Penn State for the first half of Game 1.  Then there must come a realization that it shouldn’t be this easy – aren’t all games suppose to be 2 points, either way?  An early 12 – 4 blistering gave way to a slow catch up by the Spuds the rest of the game.  They may have even tied it, but who knows – it happened a long time ago (yeah, I know, I’m late publishing).  The Cards held on for a 26 – 24 win.  It was a good thing it was a Tuesday, rather than Thursday, so I didn’t have to worry about being late for date night!

[My crack on-site staff was the first to notice that the girls’ cross-country team was seated cross-court from us.  From l – r:  Kalley Kragenbring, Emily Thul, Julia Sieling, Karly Betterman, and Melissa Drown (they are all multi-sport athletes, so we’ll see them again as the seasons roll on).  It was about that time a PA announcement reported the team had finished a strong 2nd in the conference meet earlier in the day (with the Hasz sisters finishing 1 and 2, as usual), and that the girls’ soccer team had won the section semi-final at East Grand Forks.  The soccer team then won the section championship against Sartell on Thursday.  I wish now I had covered them during the season – but then my historical “black cloudedness” as a fan may have had a negative impact on the team!]

[Way to go, CC Team!]

[Amanda C and Adrianne go up, Melissa an interested spectator.]

[Allie points to . . . a flaw in Moorhead’s defensive poistioning?]

[So, she prepares to inflict the dreaded “broken chicken wing” maneuver on the Spuds!]

[How ’bout that one, CCers?]

[CCers:  That was good, do it again!]

[Continuing her avian impressions, here Allie does a soaring condor.]

[Then she congratulates Amanda C and Jenni.]

[Shelby Iverson has joined the CCers as the Cards go up for a block.]

[Jenni, Shanee’, and Natalie prepare on the back line.]

[Jenni readies to receive serve.]

[Emily goes up for a mid-court hit.]

[Melissa’s thinking: A week from now the blogger will be working on this, looking out on beautiful Lake Darling on a sunny afternoon, listening to Tucker’d  Out on the stereo, and wishing he could go down for a nap! ]

[And, Jackie, when we’re done, could you call ahead and order the Blizzards from DQ – no quarter-tonners though!]

[While Amanda C and Jenni medium-five, Shelby displays her bubble blowing prowess in the background.]

[As Adrianne’s up, I’m surprised there aren’t more net touches – their hands are usually on the opponents side of the net for the block.]

[Both Amanda C and Adrianne look like they’re on the net here – but they weren’t as the CCers are impressed!]

[Adrianne and Jenni are airborne here.]

[Natalie and Allie exchange cuticle maintenance tips.]

[I’m sorry, I don’t know her name?]

[Wanna split a quarter-tonner?]

[That’s going long . . .]

[WE WIN!]

[OK, remember we’re on the other side of the net now!]

[That quarter-tonner is gonna cause brain freeze!  Uffda!]

[A hard get . . .]

[Deploy!]

[Good for us!]

[Melissa and Shelby, hockey players, think it’s really funny!  Karly, a basketball player, thinks, Boy, hockey players are really weird!]

[Tara and Emily . . .]

[Cover the net . . .]

[Then go up together.]

[Adrianne and Emily.]

[Then Allie got her 1,000th career set!  Congratulations to her!  🙂 ]

[Dad (?) came out on the floor with a bouquet.]

[Then her teammates converged . . .]

[Blizzards on me!]

[Switch!]

[Fergus Falls, the conference leaders, were there to scout the game.  The girl on the right, Rasmussen (can’t remember her first name, but I have issues in that regard), I think is a Division 1 caliber basketball player.  Those in the know believe she’s even better in volleyball.]

[Show the Otters we got game!]

[This was the Game 3 result – we lost Game 2 by 2.  I didn’t think I could hang in there for a 4th game, old man tushy and all, but I stuck it out.]

[OK, let’s wrap this up in 4.]

[Setters lead a lonely life.  As Allie wanders off all alone again, the frontliners are together talking blocks and kills.  I notice Super Fans (and Super parent and grandparent), Val and Jack Trumm, were still hanging in there, upper right.  🙂 ]

[Allie, I think Val will visit with you.]

[Frontliners celebrate.  That’s OK, Allie – almost Blizzard time!]

[One more point?]

[Yessss!]

[Match over now.  Now we can all celebrate!]

[It was great to see the team close out a match with authority!]

Go Cards!  State soccer tournament will begin with a first round game against Blake in Roseville @ 7:00 on Thursday.  Jess Syvrud (11) in the Echo Press photo.

With apologies to those expecting the senior night volleyball game, a mere interlude.  This was a big week for some of our favorite occasional visitors to Vacationland USA, including a new group for us.  But above we have a local – and a previous local.  Paul Meland, on the saxophone, goes to Jefferson Senior High School; and Adam Aastrup, a middle-schooler on the guitar, has recently joined his family as new residents of Cold Spring.  Both have been featured herein before – this is the first time they’ve been paired here.  They are marvelous talents, and I hope the next time they do this I get the proper clearances to video them.  This was Wednesday night at SAWA (don’t fret school, it was MEA week!).

The new group for us was Harper’s Chord at SAWA on Friday night.  We found them terrific – as did the “professional” musicians in our midst.  I could only find two YouTube videos of them – fortunately, I got clearance from them last night to video them as much as I want on future visits to Alex, which we hope will be many.  😉  I just did some stills that night.  We bought their CD, Natural Bridge, which I’m listening to even as we speak.  We had a nice chat with Jill Moore on their 2nd break – she is from Little Falls – the guys, Roger Fink, on the left, and Paul Drinkwine (great name, as she noted, for playing at SAWA, which they loved) are from St. Cloud.  We asked her if she knew the Anez family (Michelle, as many of you know, played for our state champion hockey team in ’08).  She said she did, very well.  Her kids play hockey with the Anez kids.  She said they are doing well.

“Glory Bound”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OokmBekSbJQ

The title song to their CD is fabulous -“Natural Bridge”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RURYoYEMQmI&feature=related

[We hope they come back soon!]

Patchouli was at the winery for Apple Fest Saturday afternoon.  Because it was a big event, with lots of people, they were performing outside.  Caught us by surprise!  The temperature was in the 40’s, with gray skies and wind.  Wind breaks were set up on the stage for Julie and Bruce – but we braved the elements, for a little over an hour.  That’s Patchouli Super Fan Bill in his parka in the foreground.  I took one video:

“The Woods”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsDaVYY-oVM

[They’re wisely making their annual seasonal trip to Florida this weekend.]

Saturday night Lisa Lynn was at SAWA.  I hadn’t taken many photos or videos of her recently – so I was overdue.  Besides, she has lost 58 pounds since March – so she doubles as a model now!  🙂  Earlier at the winery, the supervisor and I had met a bunch of fun lovers from South Dakota.  They are regulars to Alex – love the winery – and asked us who was at SAWA that night.  We said Lisa.  They asked if she was good.  We said of course.  So, they came (more fun loving then ever as you can hear in the video backgrounds).  After Lisa had been playing for an hour so, they sent an emissary to our table to report they all thought she was very good and wondered if she was our daughter?  We told Lisa.  😉  She reported to them she was 52.  They didn’t believe her.  I guess 52 is the new 30! 🙂  Here are the videos:

“Hallelujah”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFl5FMg3SAA

“Landslide”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c464s7pE57E

52?!  This reignites the old question of Fleetwood Mac or Dixie Chics for best version of “Landslide.” And now comes Lisa Lynn.  Let me know when she hits D.C.  ~  Marcus

“Silver Springs”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhpX75tYgJw

[Half-moon over SAWA.]

[The supervisor with the South Dakota contingent!  🙂 ]

[The supervisor enthusiastically applauds everyone’s performances for the week!  😉 ]

We will be back after several naps to complete Senior Night.

[Amanda C expresses her concerns over the coverage delay!!]

Tuesday was senior night for the volleyball team.  It was also the night of the 2nd presidential debate.  Senior night trumps.  The highlights of the debate would always be available later.  So, another group has filtered through the School District 206 system and will soon be gone.  How quickly that time passes.  Just when you really get to “know” the players, they move on to their next stage in life.  The transition from high school to what’s next is a major one – for the players, the parents, and . . . well, OK, as Super Fans we’ll miss them too.  The blog is my public diary, and sometimes it’s fun to go back and revisit a great game from several years ago – and wonder, what are those players doing now?

[Thanks to you-know-who for allowing me to have access to the”Mom’s-only” color photo program.]

[As you can see, it was pretty much a senior team – nine of the 11 regular varsity players.  Juniors Amanda Christianson and Emily Kuennen will be the leaders of a brand new team next year.]

[But not to worry.  The JV, above, just finished a 19-3 season!  Good things ahead?]

[The JV in action.]

[Thank you, Spuds.  Why, yes, we did have a fine season.]

[The varsity takes the court . . .]

[In good spirits . . .]

[Natalie Watkins (7) appears to have spotted a paparazzo in the stands?]

[Empty nester Super Fans?]

[The game plan.]

[Seniors, please assemble for your commemoration!]

[OK, not quite numerically correct, but . . .]

[With so many seniors, the outnumbered underclasswomen, i.e., the presenters, had to hustle.  Beginning here with Amanda C, they all did a terrific job as PA announcers.]

[Shanee’ is called out.]

[She received a hug from Amanda – and a pink bag full of DQ and Jimmy John’s coupons.  (OK, I’m just guessing about the bag contents.)]

[Oh, you.   Well, that’s what Crazy Dave would say in similar circumstances.  Come to think of it, he would have never been in similar circumstances.  Never mind.]

[Adrianne is called out by Emily.  Well, not in the sense of being “called out!”  Never mind.]

[Can I have one of your No. 5 coupons?]

[Just put it in my locker.  Thanks!]

[Jessica, you’re next!]

[Sophomore Amanda Haack is her presenter.]

[The four presenters:  Amanda H, Emily, Amanda C, and sophomore Liz Schultz.]

[Natalie gets a bag and a hug from Liz . . .]

[And a giggle.]

[Allie, you’re next; Emily, it’s your mike.]

[Amanda C provides the hug.]

[Jenni, you’re next!]

[Thanks, Emily!]

[Carli Jo Homan]

[The dash for the hug.]

[GOAL!  🙂 ]

[Tara . . .]

[2 . . .]

[BINGO!]

[Nicole . . .]

[Oh my!]

[OH MY!]

[Dani . . .]

[Goodies!]

[Thanks!  Will do this for me in basketball, too?]

[How are the supplies holding up?]

[Amanda C and Emily:  Did we get ’em all yet?]

[I’ll trade you two DQ coupons for a Jimmy John’s?]

[I dunno, what are the face values?]

[A quarter-ton Blizzard v. a No. 5?]

[The National Anthem – there really is a game?]

[Nicole with the introductory pickled vegetable toss . . .]

[I feel like a highway patrolman trying to read an obscured license plate?  Allie?  No, doesn’t look like No. 1.  I give?]

[Emily]

[Dani]

[Well, here’s Allie.]

[Jenni]

[Adrianne]

[Amanda C]

[Natalie]

[Tara]

[Aaaaayyyyyyyy!!]

Coverage of the pre-game ceremonies produced substantial product.  Accordingly, coverage of the actual game will take place under a separate, immediately following, column.  😉

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome some new subscribers to the blog.  They are volleyball parents.  By way of introduction, this blog debuted on January 1, 2011 – to date, it has yet to make an appearance on The New York Times best seller list.  But I keep trying.  This is the 353rd entry on this site, i.e., more than one every two days.  That’s cranking them out faster than George Will – and he gets paid a lot more!  But the blog is a 501(c)(3) operation, meaning I don’t get paid – I tried to get mileage once, but I didn’t know where to send the bill.

On a good day, the blog gets a 100 hits.  It went viral once the day after Lauren Trumm scored her 1,000th point in basketball – 251 hits!  I can only assume the Trumms forwarded it to family worldwide?  I did have an opportunity to address a wider audience.  Al Edenloff, editor of the Echo Press, offered to put this blog on the Echo’s website.  While I recognized that was a wonderful invitation – thanks again, Al – I started this mainly as a vehicle to keep snowbird friends up to date on what was going on in their summertime community, and for the Cardinal family.  Besides, I wanted to maintain editorial control – i.e., not do anything to embarrass the Echo – to occasionally use some salty language such as “poopie butt.”

That’s senior Shanee’ Herd above.  We have been covering her for a third of her life.  She was a 7th-grader on the 2008 state champion hockey team.  She has learned to tolerate us.  Her mother, we’re not so sure?  The blog concept began in 2003 when we “discovered” girls hockey (we’ve blamed them ever since) and covered them through e-mails.  Many of the 353 stories herein are archival to those “early” years and make for Pulitzer Prize worthy reading material on those days when you really don’t feel like weeding or cleaning toilets.  With that as background, I hope you’re still here . . .

I arrived at the gym at 9:00 Saturday morning for the 18th annual – well, see the title above – and immediately began setting up first time monopod coverage.  After several misadventures with this awkward contraption in close proximity to other fans, I finally fired off the first shot of Shanee’ in the Cards opening round game against Rocori.  There were eight teams in tournament – Alex, Bemidji, Brainerd, Elk River, Grand Rapids, North St. Paul, Rocori, and Wadena/Deer Creek – and they were broken down into two 4-team pools in which they played round robin and then moved on based on their record.  The Cards were in with Bemidji, Grand Rapids, and Rocori.  This was going to take all day.  I recognized early on that my tushy could not stomach an entire day on hard wooden bleachers, but I stuck it out for the first two games with a break in between for a run to Dunn Bros. Coffee.

[Senior Natalie Watkins joins Shanee’ in the fray.]

[Joy, joy, joy!  Seniors Jenni Wild and Adrianne Wensman.]

[Junior Amanda Christianson and senior Tara LeBrassuer go up for the block, Jenni’s got their backs.]

[Amanda C led us in kills.  She’s just an excellent all-around athlete.]

[Shift change!  The ref (?) writes down all their numbers as they come and go.  I have no idea why.]

[We’re doing good, huh, coach?   This was a revenge match.  A short time ago the Cards traveled to Rocori and easily won the first two games.  Then the team apparently decided it would be a good idea to visit Sam’s Club in St. Cloud as they inexplicably lost the last three games?  On this day it was an NCer (no contest) as the Cards won both games hardly breaking a sweat . . . errr, glisten.]

[I’ve designated Adrianne as the Lead Celebrater.]

[Here’s the line-up.  As soon as the ball is put into play, everyone rushes to a designated position.  This apparently is done under some sort of plan.]

[Jenni shows a vertical beyond the scope of mortal men.]

Editor’s note:  At this point I’m taking a break in the action.  There are two leaf blowers going next door that are violating noise ordinances in Sauk Centre.  I lived my entire working career in the middle of a major metropolitan area and looked forward to retiring to the idyllic serenity of flyover country.  Now I miss the relative peace and quiet of downtown Washington, D.C.  This area is under the constant din of the internal combustion engine – from leaf blowers to ATVs, from snowmobiles to wave riders, from chain saws to lawn mowers, from speed boats to the race track (are they every night?), from construction equipment to backing up construction equipment, from garbage trucks to snow plows.  Now they all serve a useful function, of course – but 24/7?

[New plan.  Jimmy John’s after the game.]

[Yes!  A bag of No. 5’s!]

[Did it make it over the net?]

[Shanee’ gets ready for a dig, the hitters move toward the net.  Brainerd in the background on the other court v. Wadena/Deer Creek.]

[Set!]

[Tara]

[I’m all alone?]

[Hello, ball!]

[And away you go!]

[Do it again, ball.]

[I see an opening!]

[To the spot.]

[Wheat bread or sub roll?]

[Senior Allie Noetzelman serves.]

[Awesome!]

[Amanda C up for the block, Natalie in support.]

[Amanda C coming back down without a parachute.]

[Adrianne up, the Spartans look on.  Did it go out?]

[Adrianne in a good mood.]

[Allie serves, Shanee’ readies for a return.]

[We’re gonna win!]

[One more point.]

[Hydrate, ladies, hydrate!]

[Tara and Allie ready for game 2.]

[Jenni and Tara on the block.]

[Everybody was moving in a different direction, but as trained athletes they managed to avoid any collisions.]

[Tara signals two fingers left.  Is that a change in the Jimmy John’s order?]

[Aaaayyyyyyyy!]

[I’m ready!]

[I’m still ready!]

[Adrianne:  Left, left, left!]

[Now right, right, right!]

[Allie sets.]

[Adrianne’s having another good mood – well, half of her is.]

[Tara:  Where are my teammates?]

[Looks like junior Emily Kuennen, a/k/a, the power hitting 1st baseman.]

[The Spartans are young, and with good size.  No. 9 is only a freshman.]

[Adrianne in search of another good mood.  Emily and Natalie on her flanks.]

[Eyes on the prize.]

[Same threesome.]

[Amanda C back in for Emily and heads right, Natalie left.]

[Oh, happy day!]

[We won!]

[Jimmy John’s orders please.]

[I feel happy . . .]

[oh so happy . . .]

[Next up, the Lumberjacks.]

[Senior Dani Strater]

[My source, Deep Doodoo, told me this Lumberjack is a highly sought after athlete.  Allie Heifort is a 6-foot tall senior who is a talented hockey player and who supposedly has been told that with proper coaching she could be an Olympian in shotput and discus.  Her brother plays football for the Gophers.]

[Coach Becky Schlichting]

[Go, Cards!]

[Amanda C from midcourt.]

We interrupt this program to advise all that Crazy Dave has safely returned from his cruise of the Mediterranean and is safely ensconced in the wilds of Sarasota.  He reported it was a FABULOUS trip – his first ever beyond a 3-day paddle from Youngstown.  His only concern  was the difficulty in getting the Buckeye Network in the Adriatic.  In other news for the snowbirds, took the lake pump out yesterday.  It was almost on dry land.   Our riprap is totally out of the water.  Neighbor Arnie, who has been here since before statehood, reported he has never seen the lakes this low.  I don’t think we’ve had any measureable rain since August.  And, of course, last year the lakes were the highest anybody had ever seen.  Go figure.  Meanwhile, back at the game . . .

[Heifort is on the far side.  But their true menace was the player in the foreground, Jessica Yost.  The program listed her as 6’1″ – maybe when she was a 7th-grader!  She towered over everyone else on the court.  They set her well all game, and she could really bang ’em.]

[All eyes hoping the ball makes it over the blocker.]

[Natalie, who lest I forget, had a great night serving against Moorhead last night – a story for another day.]

[Jenni heads for the left flank . . .]

[Where she was a blur of action . . .]

[And went high for the hit – she has really good hops.]

IT’S 6:00 WEDNESDAY MORNING AND IT’S . . . RAINING!

[We were overwhelmed by Bemidji’s size in the first game and were never in it.]

[13 in for 5, 2 in for 1 . . .]

[Go get ’em, Nicole.]

[Bring it on, you tough ole Lumberjacks!]

[She looks like an Olympic athlete.]

[I don’t care.  The bigger they are, the harder they fall!]

[Yo, Lumberjacks, we’re quicker off our feet!]

[Ace ’em, Nat!]

[Yah!!]

[Adrianne]

[Deploy!]

[Jump!]

[Re-deploy!]

[Re-jump!]

[Well, you get the idea.]

[Celebrate!!]

[You go, girl!]

[Barrier guards.]

[Poor Shanee’!  She hits the floor all fall, and the ice all winter.  😦 ]

[When I do this really fast with my hand, it means I want extra onions on my No. 5.]

[Shanee’ does that Michael Jordan tongue trick.]

[Hey, no green peppers on my No. 5!]

[And that’s how you release a rehabilitated bird back to the wild.]

[The art that is deployment.]

[And the celebration.]

[Pretty darn good posture.]

[Finally, a jump photo that’s pretty darn good.]

[Emily two-hands one over.]

[And then one-hands one over.]

[The confrontation of the night!  He got into a lengthy stare-down with the ref.  I don’t recall who won?]

[No. 1 priority is hair alignment prior to each point – I say that, of course, with a bit of envy.]

[Jump!]

[Jump!]

[Jump!]

[Console!  We also lost the 2nd game to the Lumberjacks, but it was very close and well played all the way.]

The Cards then went on to beat Grand Rapids in the round robin, and then lost, in a tie breaker, to Wadena/Deer Creek in the 3rd place game.  As I recall, Wadena/Deer Creek is the defending state champion in their class.  I did not see either game as I . . .

[Joined the supervisor for an afternoon of music with the Salty Dogs at the winery.]

[Bill Riggs, trumpet; Erik Schultz, guitar and vocals; Tom Mulder, vocals and a shakey noise thing.]

[The supervisor is always happy when Tom sings her favorite Tom song, What’ll I Do?]

[A beautiful autumn afternoon at the winery.]

Next up:  Even more volleyball!