alexandriacardinals

At long last, the Fergus Falls girls’ basketball team that had been together for the last . . . 25, 30 years? . . . has finally graduated.  Though the Cards gave them many sterling battles over those years, it was the Otters going to state ever since our last Trumm sisters team.  Oh, we pulled for Fergus at state – the last two years I think most of us around here thought they would win state, but they never quite pulled it off.  So, a new era begins in the Central Lakes Conference – and we could tell Kohler was really into it!  Maybe Tuesday, December 16, marked the beginning of another Cardinal run?  😉

[We’ll begin with Kohler, the younger – Kendall (3) – who along with running mate, Macy (11 – shooting the jumper in photo 2), are already experienced varsity performers even as sophomores.  I’ll try to remember to feature all of the players throughout the year in the warm-up section.]

[Hey, did any of you guys notice the Flavor-of-the-Day at Culver’s when you were driving into town?  Cardinal captains at the center court “meet and greet” are seniors Brooke Heggie (45), Cheyenne Hendrickson (55), and Anna Lee (23).]

[Known to have been the legal guardians for several record-setting Cardinals over the years!]

[I believe the orchestra came in with an undefeated record.]

[The pre-anthem routine; The Competition, the principal, and the Cardinal Connection in the background.]

[Hugs all around.]

[Group hug.]

[Let’s play hockey!]

[Kendall charges up on ‘D.’]

[Kohler, the coach, shouting instructions from the bench – usually something to the effect of I don’t want to see daylight between you and your opponent!]

[Carly Dropik (33) adheres to that request.]

[Kendall shoots; Kelby Olson-Roedel (13), sophomore forward, knows a rebound is not forthcoming.]

[Macy and Carly drop back on ‘D.’  I really like this photo, if I do say so myself.  Probably something to do with finally getting a good shot into the bright lights of the scorer’s table in the background.]

[It’s up and it’s . . .]

[Sophomores Kayla Feldhake (43) and Kiyana Miller (21) are two players I’m going to enjoy watching over the next three years.]

[Macy setting up the offense.]

[Hey, another good shot into the lights of the scorer’s table!  🙂  ]

[Kendall launches a ‘3.’]

[The coaches’ daughters match-up – young Ms. Strand, the Otters point guard, is only a freshman and a player to be reckoned with.]

[Carly and Kendall brace for the onrushing Otters; Otter coach Strand in a crouch.]

[Kiyana appears to be a very good athlete.  We’ll see if she can develop into a scoring threat – nice shooting form here.]

[Carly will not be a stat sheet stuffer, but the other teams will like it when she is not on the court and in their face.]

[Reaching the “it’s all over” stage.]

[Macy had another great all-around game.]

[Sarah Frederick (5), sophomore point guard for the JV team, gets some varsity time.  The JV and 9th-grade teams have been rolling so far!  🙂  ]

[The team was delighted when captain Anna made a couple of freebies at the end!]

[This one was the Cardinals all the way from the beginning, our best all around game.]

[And Brooke got her 1,000th point in the game.  (Photo pilfered from the Voice of Alexandria Facebook page.)]

Hooray for most things!  ~  George Carlin

Up next: A hale and farewell to The Voice!

When a “Those Who Stay Behind” Annual Soiree isn’t enough to sate a weekend. How ’bout a trip to the Fitzgerald Theater on Exchange Street in St. Paul, kitty-corner from the Church of Scientology, across the street from the McNally Smith College of Music (and Dylan, the dinosaur), around the corner from the Minnesota Children’s Museum, and just down the block from Mickey’s Dining Car. It was a special date after all – twelve thirteen fourteen – and the guy is 72 years old now. We had seen him twice before, but never at his “home” at the Fitzgerald. It was 50 degrees in mid-December (it may have hit 30 twice the entire month of November) – the snow was almost gone from downtown St. Paul.

[This was our Christmas present from “the kids.”  Thanks again, Jami and Danny, it was terrific!]

So, after ambling around the neighborhood, we’re in our seats.  And here’s our program . .

[We were hoping for a visit with GK himself but had some fun with Fred Newman and Dean Magraw!  🙂  ]

We spent the night partying with family in Mounds View and next morning went with brother Cam to the Como Park Conservatory for their Christmas display.  Other members of the household decided to sack in.

[As you can see, it’s quite balmy for a December 14.  Cam, whose permanent winter whine is, “I want to move to Miami Beach,” is wearing a tee shirt sans jacket.]

[Here we are, “Big and Bigger!”  Cam has an associate’s degree in landscaping which actually makes him quite useful as a tour guide.]

[The bears are Neil and Buzz, which gives you and idea who they were named after and about how old they must be.]

Danny drove us all the way back home in the “soup,” and it was especially bad when we got to Alex.  And this is why we don’t like 50-degree weather in winter!

Yesterday I told a chicken to cross the road. It said, “what for?”  ~ Steven Wright

Up next:  Looks like sports.

Yeah, I know.  This first game is from December 9.  Hey, stuff happens.  All kinds of stuff.  And I’m sorry this isn’t even news anymore.  But if I take care of two games in this posting,  I’ll only be behind by one trip, a basketball game, a tribute, and another hockey game, all currently waiting patiently in the archives!

[Fergus Falls game, a conference and section rival.  The Otters were not coming in with a good record, and our JV had just won by a score so lopsided they stopped posting any more goals on the scoreboard.  It was time for the team to right the ship.  I’ve noted that so far we have not had a 1st or 3rd line, we have three 2nd lines.  For the first time (as I recall), this line was introduced to start the game, beginning with Kaila DeWanz (7), senior forward.]

[Lauren and Little Rev are back as a blue line pairing.]

[Michaela Swenson (34), senior forward]

[Sam Klimek (37), junior wing, and, spoiler alert, she scored both of our goals in this game.]

[OK, we just need a goalie . . . ]

[He she is, Taylor Coker (30), junior, in I believe her second varsity start.]

[Buckle up, ladies!]

[And we’re off!]

[Michaela reverses direction at center ice.]

[McKenna Ellingson (24) is in on goal . . . ]

[With Lauren backing her.]

[Sam’s first goal with an assist from Michaela.]

[Hooray for us!]

[And the team hooray!]

[Looks like Hannah Hansen (11) leading an assault to rescue Kristin Trosvig (15) from being trampled in heavy traffic.]

[Typical game so far this season – heading to OT.]

[As during regulation time, we had several good chances to put the game away.  Finally, the Otters got a break out and scored the winning goal.  The team is still looking for that big win to get them over the hump.]

The very next day, the hoar, THE HOAR!

On Friday, the 11th, I finally caught a boys’ hockey game, hosting St. Cloud Tech.  We were off to a great start, undefeated with one tie.

[The JV got the evening off and rolling with a nice win.  (But why are we taking two penalties late in the game with a 5 goal lead?  Yeah, I know, picky, picky, picky . . .)]

[I can’t get individual player introductions because they’re kinda done in a “disco” lighting atmosphere?  The cool part is the young kids skating around with Cardinals banners.  Can’t some young ladies do that do that for the girls’ games too?]

[And they’re off!  I see Cammeran Brown (21), senior forward, and Alec Wosepka (8), senior forward.]

[It didn’t long for Cam Birkeland (14), sophomore defense somewhere in the mosh pit, to get his first varsity goal.]

[Parker Revering (3), senior defense and Little Revs big brother]

[With my face stuck against the camera, I didn’t actually see the shot but was told it was a change-up.  Sometimes those are the hardest to defend as it snuck past goalie Jack Nettleton (33),  junior, to tie the game.  Mr. Nettleton would go on to his first varsity win.]

[Assistant Coach Jon Crouse, former Cardinal stand out himself (and for 65ers, the son of classmate Richard), works at the Y in winter and the golf course in summer so we see him a lot.  He was “delighted” to hear I was finally going to cover a game so he could get some blog exposure!]

[Looks like another score!  And it was so good, they duplicated it a bit later.  Center Zach Johnson (17), senior, drew the face-off back to Ryan Marciniak (20) , senior forward, who one-timed into the net from the slot.  Zach, incidentally, is one of three variations of “Zachs” on the team.  We also have four brothers to four sister varsity hockey players – it’s a nice family affair.]

[Alec, as a he did many times in the game, just blurs down the right side and swoops in on the goalie.]

[The 2nd Marciniak goal.]

[Ooooo, we came so close!]

[And here comes Alec again.]

[The game was well in hand after one.]

[Ready for period 2?]

[Eli Heckert (27), senior forward, and I’m “guessing” that Alexis on the girls’ team is his sister.]

 

[Ryan and Zach perform synchronized hockey . . .]

[Ryan shoots . . .]

[Zack confronts . . .]

[There was no scoring in the 2nd, then we had the puck shoot where football and wrestling fans will recognize Cumberbatch.  I left at the end of this period believing the game was in hand to meet the girls at SAWA – it was Thursday night date night after all.  The final was 4 – 1, with the Cards having a 55 – 12 shot advantage.]

“Those Who Stay Behind” Annual Soiree: On Friday, the 12th, we again took Arrowwood by storm, the largest group of old people in one place at the facility since 1942. These are the people from the senior golf league who are either too old, too tired, too poor, or too much hockey fans to want to go south in the winter. The Fieldhammers did come back from Arizona for a week – they were tired of all the sunshine, so we accommodated them by not having a single ray of sunshine the entire week. Since we are such a known and infamous group, people of all ages and the 5 county area were dropping by our tables to greet us. A good time was had by all, though many will not remember it in the morning. And once again, thanks to Al for the annual gift of his homemade, and good, wine!

Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?  ~  George Carlin

Up next:  Whatever comes up in the archives?

[The first performance by the symphony (a/k/a, CLSO) at the new performing arts center – we knew they, and we, were going to love it.  Throwing in a couple of videos to prove it!]

[Grabbed our now usual seats on the side, waved friends Kathy and Erik Schultz up to join us, and then went exploring.  I’d never gone to the top of the auditorium before . . . and the ladies decided to join me for the climb.  Amazingly, we didn’t need oxygen.]

[View from the top.]

[View from the top telephotoed.]

[Now that they’re all here, it’s time for a video . . .]

[The 8th-grade orchestra joined them here.  Yup, 8th-graders.  Maestro Brad said the kids were awestruck about performing with the adult orchestra.  Let’s hear how they did . . .]

[And the Alexandria Community Choir was terrific too!  I wish I’d known how good the soloist, Kayla Noble, was going to be.  I didn’t get a video of her.  😦  ]

The orchestra will have three more concerts  yet this season.  Come and enjoy!  🙂

It is easier to be a lover than a husband for the simple reason that it is more difficult to be witty every day than to produce the occasional ‘bon mot.’  ~  Balzac

[Balzac.  Photo by moi at the Rodin Museum in Paris last summer.]

Editor’s note:  Oh, and the supervisor covered activities at the winery with Anthony Miltich on Saturday.

Up next:  Hockey?