alexandriacardinals

OK, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.  But several days ago we left the cozy confines of home to venture out on America’s highways and byways on Memorial Day weekend.  Always a bad omen considering our usual travel misadventures.  Actually, Memorial Day weekend just happened to coincide with the one and only grandchild’s graduation from high school in Noblesville, Indiana.  Since he is a very smart and handsome young man (of course!), we were proud and delighted to be part of his week-long festivities, overcoming our trip trepidations to be there.  The trip is a story for another day.  The graduation party has now come and gone – also a story for another day.  We will visit other Hoosier family in the interim between now and graduation on Friday – stories as yet to unravel.

Memorial Day dawned with the promise to be yet another 90+ degree day here in Central Indiana.  (The previous day’s Indy 500 was run in record high temperatures.)  The ladies decided, therefore, it would be a good day to spend time at the pool.  The son-in-law, Danny Gaither (his last name will take on added significance as we proceed), decided it would be a good day to take me to Alexandria . . . Indiana.  [Editor’s note:  I could have been an Alexandrian my entire life – except I opted for Arlington, rather than Alexandria, Virginia, to save about 10 minutes in commuting time.]

Alexandria is about 20 minutes from Noblesville.  It’s population is 5,000+.  The locals refer to their town as either “Alex” or “Aleck,” not “Alexandria” – sound familiar?

[Note the street sign is Broadway!  🙂 ]

[We parked and walked around dowtown – cute, huh?  We were thankful we only had to cover a couple of blocks – it was more than balmy.]

[Hawking the Alexandria Times-Tribune.]

[Go Tigers!!]

[Fortunately, a school employee was there watering plants around the tennis courts – the coach? – and he permitted me access to the school for . . . well, you know.]

[And now “so long” to the Tigers – and hello to . . .]

[Do you remember the son-in-law’s last name?]

[The Gaither family is big-time gospel music performers . . .]

[And this is where they, and other big-time gospel performers, record.]

[Danny, to his knowledge, is at best a distant relative.  😦  ]

Thus endth the tour of Alex.  We hope to be returning home to Alex this weekend.  Afterall, graduation parties aren’t restricted to Indiana!  🙂  ]

But first, it is spring in Minnesota . . . and with the weekend approaching, thus do the black clouds adhere to the local “laws of Nature.”  Friday night began with a meet and greet the new members of the golf club – followed by dining, grilling out on the patio, with a DJ, with club president and Super Fan Roger Riley making all the announcements and introductions as the background sky threatened.

Most were able to finish their outdoor nosh – but then we had to repair to the interior.

Saturday looked bleak for our combination event at the winery – the symphony (top) would of course be inside, but it looked like the concurrent act, the Velines, would have to move inside as well.

This was the final event of the season for the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra – and now in their third season under conductor Brad Lambrecht (of the high school orchestra) continue to amaze with current high schoolers and “older” musicians from the area.

[A fellow Super Fan in the act of obtaining the host facility product – his grandson was in the orchestra!]

[You may recall this was the hippodrome under the original winery owners.]

And here’s the video of the first movement (I think) of L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2 by Georges Bizet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEzhterEwGc

[Intermission]

[As noted Matt Veline was performing concurrently.  He would have been outside weather permitting.  Here he’s with his wife Julie and their 3-year old son Will on the stand-up bass (a cello).  Since we were late from the orchestra, seating was at a premium and from a distance videoing was not possible.]

[Super Fan Annens were first time attendees for the orchestra and were mightily impressed.]

[Then it was on to see a local “garage band” of some repute.  Skilly & Duff unfortunately were a garage band this day as a result of the weather.]

Skilly & Duff’s “Bold O’Donahue”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD2d-Ooyq0Y

Skilly & Duff”s “Rocky Road to Dublin”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQfk9SbmvCQ

Skilly & Duff’s “The Kilt Song”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0nLXnx2xCM

[Mikko]

[Bruce]

[Annie]

And while we “finished” the day with musical interlude No. 4, Tara Brueske at Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale, we had pretty much hit the wall and called it an early evening.  We enjoyed Ms. Brueske’s performance but as first timers in her audience it did not seem appropriate to inflict our camera upon her.  Kinda like a first date thing.  She is on YouTube, however.

And now for a little braggin’ on the grandson:

Grandson Tom’s (pretty much the center of his mom’s attention, blondish, black frame glasses) Mayfest 2012 (Show Choir, Noblesville, Indiana, High School), “You’re the Top”:

http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=iYsfsrjP9y0&feature=youtu.be

Tom’s (upper right) Mayfest 2012 “Rock and Roll”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWuoF8dqChE&feature=relmfu

Tom’s Mayfest 2012 “Rock This Town”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sqlj5KWV_Y&feature=relmfu

Finally, we end with the “garage band’s” signature closing.

Skilly & Duff’s “The Parting Glass”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0sTli4kjAU

[Oh, and Lindsay led the Lynx to victory in their season opener today.]

Time for the annual report from track and field.  I had certain events in mind as I sped from the softball game back to the high school [see previous post] for a tri-meet with Sartell and Willmar.  I had checked with running coach Mark Nelsen to get starting times and realized I could stay for the entire softball game and still catch Jamie Piepenburg (above) in the 800 and Megan Hasz in the 3,200 – and throw in some of our hockey girls, Shanee’ Herd and Melissa Drown, in their events, and possibly Jamie in the 4 x 400 relay.  I knew I would miss Bethany Hasz in the 1,600.

[First things first – find out where the photographers are hanging out!]

[Coach Nelsen with clipboard.]

[Jamie warming up, which is pretty much non-stop during the entire meet.]

This was Jamie’s last home meet before heading off to the U on a track scholarship.  She holds the school record for both the 1,600 and the 3,200 (she has won state in both), and generally just runs the 800 for speed work.  But she hoped to get the school record in the 800 as well.  She gave it a good shot – setting a personal best – 2:17:39, but missing the school record by about a second.  It was not a good day for record attempts as you can hear on the following video of her race, it was a tad too breezy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEPQ0cRa8XY

Regarding the “tease” from the previous post.  I ran into one of my “stringers” at the meet.  She reported I had missed a school record run in the 100!  Not only that, it was also the fastest time in the state this year – 11:79!  By an 8th-grader!  Her first time running the race at a high school meet!  That was my reference to a historic race.  But by dilly-dallying around for a couple of days, I let the Echo Press scoop me on the Wensia Johnson story:

[Echo photo.]

[Wensia on the field.  My “stringer” thought I might be able to see her run in the 200, but alas, she wasn’t entered.]

[Card sprinter Madi Urman continued her very good year by winning the 200.]

[A between event musical interlude produced spontaneous group dancing among the contestants in the high jump area.  And it also includes “The Peeper” just walking!  😉 ]

[My last event was the girls 3,200.  I decided I couldn’t hang in there for the girls 4 x 400, the final race of the meet, without a large injection of caffeine.  But I got to see Megan Hasz, above.  Megan won her event handily – as did her twin sister, Bethany, in the 1,600 earlier.  And like the aforementioned Ms. Johnson, they are also only 8th-graders!  😮 ]

[I had hoped to video the last two laps of Megan’s race.  But I lost “track” of where we were in the race while visiting with a fellow Super Fan.  The video only captures her down the stretch on the last lap.  😦  ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKjf_jtAyWI

[Nap time!]

The day after the Cards dispatched St. Cloud Tech 21 – 5, they hosted the other St. Cloud team – Apollo.  On a day equally bright and clear, the temperature was about 20 degrees cooler.  That temperature change “chilled” the Cardinal bats to such an extent they were only able to win 10 – 0 after 5 innings (runs were still coming in, but in the bottom of the 5th the game ends as soon as the home team has a 10-run lead).  After shooting close to 100 photos of the Tech game, I mostly just hunkered down on my camp chair and snapped from my “couch potato” position.  The staff photographer was there doing yeoman service – his photos will be added when available.

[LT having a go.]

[The JV game next door was a distraction.  Runners seemed to be crossing home plate constantly.  I believe the Cards won 17 – 6.  🙂 ]

[The staff photographer actually crouches for the sake of his craft!]

[Taylor’s becoming a pretty solid pitcher – and she’s only a sophomore!]

[Buzz, the PA guy, and the staff photographer, crouching again!  Whatta guy!]

[It was just a matter of time.  Emily Kuennen launched one over the left-center field fence (any disputes from other “eye witnesses?”).  Also a sophomore, she will hit many more in her career.]

[Amanda drives one toward right.]

[LT chases a foul pop.]

[A high hard one from Taylor.]

[A swing and a . . .]

[One-hopper to the mound?]

[“Official” Lauren Trumm fan club.]

[Lauren in Echo photo.]

[LT swats one with runners in scoring position.]

[And again.]

[Sarah pops one up.]

[Taylor pounds one down the line.]

[Then it was Emily’s turn again – looks like a liner toward left.]

[Go, Amanda!]

[Mikayla with her oppposite field stroke.]

[And to the top of the order with Danielle – another drive to left?]

[Here come the runners!]

[Mikayla rounding third . . .]

[. . . heading for home.]

[And here she comes (good baserunner).]

[Dani pinchhitting?]

[Dani, for sure.]

[A run in, another following . . .]

[GAME OVER!  🙂  ]

Then I hauled my keister as fast as I could to the high school for the ongoing track meet.  I unfortunately missed what may go down as an historic race!  How’s that for a tease?

[Sitting on my keister, which was ultimately hauled.]

[Go, Maggie!  Ms. Leland in search of a national title with Augustana.  Echo photo.]