Driving Underwater

This past Thursday, Thursday night and most of Friday, it rained...a lot. I think it rained on the entire state of Minnesota. Most of the rain came down hard in the southeastern part of the state where my parents live and hometown is. It rained so much that there was widespread flooding around the area. Every little river in the southeastern corner of the state overflowed their banks to incredible proportions and caused serious problems in a wide spread area.

One of the most devastated areas from this rain storm was a little town called Zumbro Falls, only several miles from my home. The town is made up of only several hundred people but there are many businesses and homes that make up several blocks of the downtown area. All of it was underwater flooding homes all the way up to the second story windows. It was so high that there was a random canoe found on top of a roof. The only gas station in town was completely underwater.

It is a terrible disaster for the people of Zumbro Falls and surrounding communities to deal with. Homes will be impossible to clean up and salvage with the incredible amount of mud in the flood waters.

Here are some pictures after the waters receded for a few days.

Another town near my home that was effected by the flooding was Oronoco. The flood waters were so strong that they caused a bridge to collapse from being washed away.

Some waters were so high in areas that bridges were even under water. Thankfully there were no casualties from the flooding. Hopefully the families affected by the floods will receive all the help they can get and more.

The NFL

The NFL season is finally back! And I am more excited than ever to watch it. Last year ended in heartbreak for my Minnesota Vikings. It was a tough loss to deal with, but without a doubt the most exciting season for the Vikes in a long time. With the addition of Brett Favre the Vikings found new life and an increased competitive edge. I think everyone in who was a Minnesota fan believed the Purple People Eaters would make it to the Super Bowl and ultimately win it. As a native Minnesotan, I can attest to the fact that we don't like to be overly optimistic about things, which is why it went against our nature to believe so heavily in what seemed like a guaranteed thing. Lesson learned.

Well, on top of the NFC Championship loss, Minnesota fans had to deal with not knowing if #4 would come back for another season. I think everyone put it in the back of their minds; no sense in stressing for months, why not just save it for the start of training camp. I'm sure you're well aware of the drama that Minnesota fans dealt with during the first few weeks of practice this year. Not too fun, and all too familiar. Anyways, the Silver Fox came back and hopes are up again, sort of. I'll have plenty to write about the Vikings this year I'm sure.

Another thing I want to mention about the NFL happened in a game today. The Lions and Da Bears were playing and there was a play that has caused a lot of controversy. Check the play out. What was an obvious touchdown was called incomplete. It is shocking, and ridiculous. I could care less about the Detroit Lions, but they were robbed of a win today. At least Calvin Johnson will get a lot of air time as football analyst talk about the play he was the victim of for at least the next week. I still do not understand how the touchdown did not stand. The commentators during the game said there is a "process" for making a legal catch. The player must have complete control of the ball before they hit the ground, but obviously this catch was in complete control. I think there needs to be an immediate review of this rule. I'm a little concerned touchdowns will become more subjective than objective.

Summer Days

Summer is coming to an end again, crazy. This year is going by incredibly fast. It’s weird how the older you get, the faster time goes. Even though summer is coming to an end, there is still a lot to do before the leaves fall and the cold Canadian air comes blowing in. I still have to go to The Great Minnesota Get Together (the Minnesota State Fair.) It is said to the largest state fair in the country in terms of daily attendance. It’s definitely big and worth checking out, plus it’s only a mile from my apartment. Hopefully next weekend I'll get to check it out.

Also, since it’s wedding season, people are jamming weddings in all over the place. My good friend and room mate from college, Adam Schnaible, is getting married in a few weeks. I have best man duties for this wedding, so I am in the midst of planning a bachelor party. I've never done this before, but I'm looking forward to making it a good one for him.

I have also been busy helping set up a brand new athletic training facility in one of the nearby suburbs. It’s pretty exciting and is going to be top notch once it’s completed. I’ll have more about that later.

I haven’t had any time to get to a local YMCA or Boys and Girls Club to pursue a volunteering position. Between training, family reunions, building weight rooms, and wedding stuff I haven’t had too many free minutes to do anything else.

Speaking of training, I get asked a lot if I’m still training. Since I took the year of from competitions I guess I kind of fell off the radar. This could be a good thing...maybe? My training has been going well though. I am missing competing though. I have been keeping track of my former training partners from the training center in Chula Vista, Ca. A few of them are in Europe right now competing and closing out their seasons. It makes me wish I was there.

Whelp, that's all for now.

Enter Title Here

Well, I'm pretty much moved in to my new apartment...still settling, but everything important that I need is now in the apartment, minus a t.v. Feels great to know that I'll be here for awhile and not have to wonder where I'm going to be next. I should say it feels great but weird at the same time. I'm so used to moving the past few years from place to place and never really being settled, that I don't know how to feel or act now. Anyways, I'll get used to it, because feels like I never left Minneapolis, which is strange yet comforting at the same time.

I started training on the University of Minnesota campus again this past week. It felt familiar and good to walk into the weight rooms and see my old buddies lifting and making fun each other and me...like I said, it's like I never left. I've been able to get outside on the track and throw a little too. Nothing too crazy yet, I have a long training year ahead of me, so I'm trying to pace myself. I have really missed training here and seeing all the familiar, Minnesota friendly faces.

So, now that I'm reestablishing in Minneapolis/St. Paul (I actually live in St. Paul now) it is time for me to get out and visit some possible locations to volunteer in the name of In The Arena. I don't think any of the Boys and Girls Clubs I volunteered at a few years ago are still running, possibly one, but now that I'm in a different city I most likely will be pursuing a different location and maybe even a different organization. I had great success this past spring in Colorado Springs volunteering with the Mesa Ridge High School track team, and it showed me different ways to be a more effective volunteer for In The Arena. Either way, I will be volunteering somewhere where I am needed.

I made a short video back around mid June that I've been meaning to share, but obviously never got around to doing it. Back in June I spent a morning with my mom's 2nd grade class at Jefferson Elementary. I put on a little mini track and field day for the class. The events were standing long jump, 2kg two handed medicine ball toss, and a 30 meter sprint. I chose those three events because it was every discipline within track and field, only simplified, plus it made it much easier for me to organize! Anyways, the kids had a great time and I may be holding a track and field day for the entire 2nd grade at Jefferson next year.

So here is my little montage video. Enjoy!

Life

This blog marks about the half way point of summer. It's been a hot one and a busy one here in Minnesota. I first got home around the 1st of June after moving my girlfriend, Mia to Missouri. I was able to spend a few weeks hanging out with my folks, before they had to leave on short notice for Colorado, the state I had just moved from, to be with my dying uncle. My uncle had been sick for awhile but he was always hanging in there. He had developed what was essentially a staph infection in his lungs, which was very uncomfortable and scary at times for him and everyone around him. My dad got the call from my aunt telling him his brother was not doing very well and that he was fading quickly. Without hesitation my parents drove 1000 miles to Colorado and were fortunately able to spend a few days with Uncle Sparky before he passed away in his home. It was a difficult time for my family, and Spark will be missed.

Before all this happened I was trying to prepare myself to compete at the USA Track and Field Championships, which I ultimately did not end up competing in. It was weird to not compete since I have competed at the championships every year since 2003. I honestly wasn't prepared enough physically and mentally to compete, which is ok with me now. I was moving around too much all spring to really focus my energy into my training. I think it will help refresh me for next year. I really do love competing, but this was just an off year for me with so much things going on personally.

Another huge, juicy piece of news is that I will be staying put in Minnesota for awhile. If you regularly indulge yourself in my fascinating blogs, which I have recently been irregular with, you would recall I have been bouncing around all over the country. That has finally been remedied. My girlfriend was offered a job, just last week, as a strength coach at the University of Minnesota, my alma mater. You have no idea how excited I am about this. I have always wanted to find a way to come back to Minnesota and stay. Miraculously my dreams came true. I'm not just excited about being able to stay in my home state and train at the University of Minnesota, I'm equally excited about the fact that Mia has been given the opportunity to do what she has a real passion for and that is being a strength coach. I'm pretty happy though, because I'm now back in my element!

I have been enjoying my year off from competing, but I am still training. I have been using my off time this summer to get my body back in shape. Not that I ever really got out of shape, it's more of just taking care of nagging injuries that have built up and never have been taken care of. I'm actually taking the time now, since I have some extra time, to rebuild my conditioning base. It feels great to jog a little...slowly, which I haven't done a whole lot since high school football and basketball. I am definitely less impressive cardiovascularly than I used to be, but that is why I chose to be a thrower.

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 4th of July to everyone! Today is a big day for the United States of America. Without a doubt the biggest celebration of our country's history. Today marks our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain back in 1776. I did the math on those numbers (with a calculator of course) and we are officially 234 years old today as a United Nation! I can definitely say I am a proud American and grateful to live in the best country in the entire world! We all owe our freedom and great lives we live everyday to the men and women who have served, are serving and will serve this great nation.

This has been one of the biggest celebrations ever since I can remember, and one of my favorite. Getting together with family on hot summer 4th of July's and going to watch fireworks together. This year I am happy to be able to be home with my family and enjoy the day with them. I am especially looking forward to my hometown fireworks show tonight. It's not the biggest display in the nation but it's still pretty special to me. This year Rochester, MN will be sending 1 ton of fireworks into the sky. Being the country bumpkin I am this seems like a lot of fireworks and I can't wait to be there. The show is usually 45 minutes long and by the end I get my fill of loud and bright explosions. I'm just hoping the rain holds of tonight, the only possible damper on celebrations that consist of fire.

So, get the gas/charcoal grills out and put some chicken, steaks and brats on it. Sit back with a cold beverage and light some sparklers. It doesn't get much more American than that, and today is the day to celebrate being a United States citizen. Hopefully everyone enjoys their 4th of July celebration and stays safe! God Bless the USA!!!

New School Discus Record!

Things are wrapping up here in Colorado Springs for me. It has been a busy last week but a good time too.

Yesterday I spent most of my day in Denver at the Colorado State High School Track and Field meet. Two of the discus throwers I coached this year made it to state in the discus. As a first time coach I couldn't have asked for more. The two girls were both sophomores which is very exciting for them and their coach for the next few years. Anyways, both girls had the best meet of their sophomore year at the state meet. They both moved up from their seeded positions of 14th and 16th in the state to taking 10th and 8th place. Both of them set new personal best throws. One by 6 feet and the other girl by nearly 13 feet! Perfect place to have a new personal record. The 8th place girl even set a new school record for Mesa Ridge High School! It was an exciting moment when the mark was read off the tape. I knew the school record would be broken by one of these two girls, but I did not expect it to happen so soon. It was very serendipitous. I am happy I was able to help out the throwers this track season at Mesa Ridge. If it hadn't been for the school's throwing coach, Jon Call, I never would have had a chance to have the opportunity to get some coaching experience. I know Jon will continue to guide the throwers to success.

I also finished working as a bouncer at Jack Quinn's Irish Pub in downtown Colorado Springs. I only worked at the bar for a short two months but my co-workers took me in and treated me like I had been working there for years with them. What an awesome group of people to work with. I will definitely miss them.

Colorado Springs showed me some great hospitality while I was here. The people I met here and worked with and got to know in a short period of time were some of the best people you can find. Everyone made life a little easier here and enjoyable. I hope I get the chance to come back and visit in the future.


Here is the new Mesa Ridge High School Discus Record!!!

Adios

This week my brother and his girlfriend drove from Winona, MN a day after their graduation ceremonies at Winona State to come visit me in Colorado before I move again. That's right, I'm moving again for the second time in four months. This time I'll be going back to Minnesota for a few months, then moving to Columbia, MO, home of the Mizzou Tigers.

If you are a regular follower of my blog you might recall me talking about my girlfriend's interview at Mizzou for a GA position as a strength coach a few weeks ago. If you're fairly bright you probably already figured out she got the job! It is a very exciting opportunity for her, and according to her the strength department at Mizzou has it together. She was very impressed with everyone she met and the facilities and the way the strength coaches conduct themselves professionally and with the athletes. I didn't know Mizzou was that big time...I have never visited the school, but I have a new found respect for it.

Mia and I will be moving in less than two weeks from the spectacular scenery of Colorado Springs. It's a new adventure for both of us and presents some new challenges, but this is what we're all about. She will be going directly to Missouri, while I take a detour north to Minnesota to continue training for the USATF Championsips in Des Moines, IA which is going to be held June 23rd-27th. I don't have a training situation set up in Missouri yet, and not sure if I ever will, but hopefully the Mizzou Tigers will adopt a Golden Gopher.

So, in our last few weeks my bro and his girlfriend are visiting and keeping us busy. Yesterday was the longest day I have spent outside hiking around since my move to Colorado. My brother Sam is an aspiring photographer and going crazy taking pictures and wanting to hike around the foothills to the Rockies. I will definitely will miss looking at the mountains everyday.

What's up with Colorado weather?

Lots of things have developed these past few weeks for possible changes on the horizon again. My girlfriend Mia is going to the University of Missouri this week to have an interview for a graduate assistant position within the strength and conditioning department. She is one of two top applicants out of 200 applicants for the position, so things are pretty exciting for her. I couldn't be happier for her, this is a major step in the right direction for her to pursue her career goals as a strength and conditioning coach. Plus she will be getting her graduate degree in whichever field she pursues. I don't want to jinx anything by talking about it before it happens, but I am optimistic about this possible opportunity. Hopefully she will know more by this Friday. The anticipation is just like that experienced before a birthday or Christmas, the news can't get here quick enough!

Aside from all of that, the weather in Colorado Springs continues to bewilder me. Being a Minnesotan I have experienced all kinds of weird weather at strange times of the year. But, here you never know what you're going to get. The mountains have total control over the weather and I don't think any Doppler radar or weatherman knows what's going to happen. This past week was full of gusty wind and rain/thunderstorms. It was sleeting the other night I got home from work, not acceptable for almost May weather. I am missing that good old Cali sunshine right about now. It was nice to be able to throw outside everyday...this weather is just ridiculous. I guess it's what I asked for though. So, no complaints here, just reminiscing for a second!

My high schoolers continue to have success. Everyone has had a personal best this year which is pretty exciting. I'm not just talking little PB's, I'm talking big jumps in feet, and major improvements from the first day I saw all of them throw. I am fortunate they are all hard workers and coachable athletes. They had a meet canceled yesterday because of bad weather. If the meet had been held in downtown Colorado Springs it would have been a perfect day for a meet, but just outside of the city limits you could see a huge bank of clouds, and under those clouds a snow storm was going on. So bad in fact that it closed the interstate down just north of the city. This is the kind of crazy weather I was talking about!

Big Throws

I have been working with the Mesa Ridge High School track and field team for three weeks now, and they have been getting personal bests in recent meets. Yesterday two of the girls, who are both sophomores took 3rd and 2nd in the discus at their meet. I'm pretty excited about this. I'm not going to take the credit for their success though, they are both excellent athletes and have a natural knack for the event, but it is still cool to be associated with their personal improvements. A good athlete can make a coach look good!

The throws squad as a whole is making improvements everyday which is pretty awesome to watch. They are growing as throwers and starting to learn about the events they compete in. It's a great learning experience for me in terms of coaching. As an athlete I know what works for me and what doesn't when working with coaches, so this is a chance for me to test my theories of coaching and see how they work with other, younger athletes. So far, so good! The team will have another meet at the end of the week, so we'll see if they can continue to improve on new marks they have set for themselves.

As far as my training is going, I am nearing competition dates. I am still a little hesitant to enter into a meet, mostly because I'm nervous and have been working on new techniques myself with my coach. The weather has been less than optimal here in Colorado Springs, so I am unable to judge how well I will compete or how far I will throw. There are so many more variables with the weather here to deal with than back in San Diego. I think that will help me become a better thrower in the long run, but it is hard to get used to. Bottom line though, it is time to gear up for competitions!

I started working as a bouncer last week also. It is not the best time to start a new job, nor is it the best job to be doing, but I need to do it. I'm not working everyday, only three nights spread out through the week, so it's not that bad...but definitely not a career job. And no, I don't have any exciting stories to tell yet, which I am thankful for!

Anyone There?

Every time I write my bi-monthly blog I wonder if anyone is really reading it. I know a few people check it out from time to time, but is anyone really interested in what I have to say?

There has to be a way to sensationalize my regular activities which are pretty average and normal to me. Some people have that innate ability to turn a low key, even boring event into something exciting, overly dramatic and life changing. Yeah, I'm exaggerating a little, but the point is I need to bring a little more razzle dazzle to my blogs. So, if you are reading this blog or future ones, just leave a little comment about something you like or dislike. You can even post subjects that you would like to create a debate about or even a little controversy. It is hard for me to come up with creative subject material on my own. Like I said earlier, what I do everyday is pretty average from my perspective. Basically I'm trying to add a little spark to my blog.

Now, on to what's happening in my world...

Today, my parents will be arriving in Colorado Springs to stay for the week. They are driving from Minnesota to enjoy a Colorado spring break. My mom is an elementary school teacher and she is on spring break right now, so she decided it would be an adventure to get away from the Minnesota grind. I'm excited to have them come visit me, they never had the chance to visit me when I was living at the training center in Chula Vista, CA because it was too far and too expensive. Now, I only live 14 hours on the dot from my folk's place back home. I'm hoping the weather is nice for them while they're here, because Colorado spring weather is crazier than it is back in the land of 10,000 lakes. Just last night Colorado Springs had a winter weather advisory. Right now, as I'm typing this and looking out my window up into the mountains I can see the mountain tops getting a nice dumping of snow. I now my parents are not going to be all that excited about seeing more snow, especially after the winter of record snowfalls they just had.

Also, I started volunteering with the Mesa Ridge Grizzlies high school track and field team. They were on spring break this past week but they still had practices and a good amount of kids showed up to train and prepare themselves for their track season. It is a different experience working with high school level throwers. I have not had much coaching experience, but I'm getting it now! It is pretty difficult to coach, so I have a lot of respect for the good coaching I have had in my time. I have found that I really need to prepare myself and what I want to coach the kids ahead of time. It's like a teacher creating lesson plans, I'm just creating coaching plans. Piece of cake once those are made...sorta.

Professional Job Hunter

I have officially become a professional job hunter...for myself. The past few weeks I have been feverishly searching for a job that would allow me to train to the full extent that I need to, but at the same time making a steady income along with some much needed benefits. This is a difficult task for aspiring elite athletes like myself. I know I am not alone in this search for a decent paying job and balancing a full training schedule. Many of my fellow throwing friends are in similar situations. But, if throwing the discus paid well like many of the big time sports do, I would not be in this situation.

I am so grateful for what In the Arena has allowed me to do the past few years, but I am coming to a point in my life where I need to work a full time job. It is a stark reality and hard to accept, but without a full time job with benefits I will have a difficult time not living in a fort somewhere in the mountains. ITA has kept me afloat while I was training at the Olympic Training Center, but now that I have a monthly rent payment to make along with large amounts of food I consume I need to bring a little more cheese in. I'm not trying to write a "feel sorry for me post" just writing about what I am experiencing as a struggling athlete about to enter into the work force...somewhere.

I'm not totally in despair, actually not in despair at all. I am welcoming a new challenge in my life. It may not be optimal in terms of training, but what is optimal for training? I believe it will help me a great deal to have extra responsibility. My brother Sam laid it flat out to me that I have had it pretty easy. He's right. Living at the training center was an awesome experience, but I didn't have any responsibility to make me work hard for what I was doing. Not to say I wasn't training my butt off there, because I was...I'm trying to say I wasn't hungry enough. I had everything I needed without having to work for it, and now I do.

I've filled out numerous applications, had a couple interviews that I am still awaiting answers on, so all I can really do is wait for an opportunity to open up while I continue to pursue other potential opportunities. It's not like jobs a readily available. I am finding out quickly that you have to be very proactive and patient while hunting for jobs.

Speaking of being patient, I am still waiting to start my ITA service at the local YMCA. I have been in contact with the Volunteer coordinator and she informed me that they are still waiting on my fingerprint and background check to come back. I think it is strange that it is taking so long for my background check to come back, but I was told it can take up to three weeks. So, I sit and wait. On a side note about the YMCA, the volunteer coordinator who I have been talking with told me her position has been cut and she will no longer be working at the YMCA at the end of the month. This is incredibly sad to me, especially after visiting the YMCA. I thought they had quite the operation going that seemed to be benefiting a lot of kids. I don't think it will effect me too bad in terms of my ITA project plan but I can't be too sure. So, again I wait to hear back from them before I go forward with new plans.

Aside from all the real world drama, my discus training is coming along very well. I have acclimated to the altitude and I am starting to get my strength back. I have been throwing as much as possible when the weather is good. Today I was supposed to throw but was unable to because of a sleet/snow storm all day. It was too warm for there too be much accumulation, but too cold and wet to try and throw a discus. The good thing about Colorado Springs snow is that it doesn't stick around for long. This week there are three days forecasted to be sunny and in the 60's! Pretty excited about that. Spring is almost here, at least back in Minnesota it has arrived, well, today it did. My folks called to brag that the temperature was 64 degrees, sunny and that all the snow had melted in the yard and grass was proudly showing.

Here is some video I shot earlier this past week after one of my throwing sessions. It's a little experimental so don't judge me too much.

Gold Medals

The 21st Winter Olympics are over after seventeen days, or something like that. It was pretty fun to watch, and there were a lot of new faces. For some reason I feel like faces were easier to recognize or I at least knew who the athletes were. Although now I can say I know a few of the Olympians on a personal level. It was definitely more exciting to watch someone I know compete and win medals for the USA.

Today I watched the gold medal hockey game. Wow, was that a close one! It was unbelievable how the US tied up the game in the final seconds of regular play, but crushing to lose in overtime to the Syrup Suckers. As usual there were some pretty amazing moments throughout the whole two and a half weeks of non stop Olympics.

This week I am hoping to start working at the YMCA. I got all my paper work and fingerprints done last week. It is quite the process applying to volunteer at the YMCA. Obviously that is a good thing.

The Valentines Blog

This blog is not going to be about Valentines, so you can keep reading...I am just writing the blog on the big V day.

I am now situated, well mostly situated, in Colorado Springs. I have officially been here for one week. Everyday has been packed and busy as it should be. It feels weird to me living in the real world since I have been living in a training center for the past year and a half, but I am enjoying it. The one thing that is a wake up call though is spending money again on an apartment, food, and other things that sustain life. I have been trying to be as thrifty as possible, and I'm actually enjoying it. I'm hoping I am creating some good habits on getting by with only what I need. I have been frequenting thrift stores and bargain stores, I might never pay full price for something again. Maybe I'm going over board, but you can really save a lot of money if you try.

Right now I don't have a t.v. That's ok though, I shouldn't be watching that much anyways. Yeah I'm missing the Olympics, but I guess I'll just have to watch highlights on the computer. I just got the Internet yesterday which is probably one of those things that I don't really need, but when I think about it, I do. I would have no way of knowing how to get around my new city without maps, and google maps are a life saver! If I didn't have the Internet I wouldn't be able to update my blog unless I went to an Internet cafe...and I am not an Internet cafe type.

Anyways, life is good simplified I'm finding out.


To prevent myself from living in a tent I need to work. Since I am in a new town I decided to check out volunteering opportunities and continue with my In The Arena project. I contacted the local YMCA about any volunteer opportunities they may have and I was happy to find out they were looking for help. On Friday I had a hour and a half long interview/tour of the YMCA and it is quite an impressive place. I still have some paper work to go through before I can officially become a volunteer. Hopefully everything will be a go and I'll have more to update on within the In The Arena scope of things.

A Week of Change

My Vikings are not playing in the Super Bowl...just wanted to get that out of the way first. What a shocking end to a stellar season for the Minnesota Vikings. I don't think any Minnesota fans expected not to make it to the Super Bowl, but I know none of us got our hopes up too much, well maybe we did, but for the most part Minnesota fans as a whole know how not to get too excited just to stay protected from not being let down. We all were let down...not by the team, but just the fact that we weren't going on to the Super Bowl! It was an amazing season...the best season I've ever seen...proud to be a Viking here, and can't wait for next season! Skol Vikings!

On a more personal note, I will be relocating my daily life and training to Colorado Springs, Co next weekend. It is a sudden move, but a much needed move. I'm excited about my new opportunities in Colorado, and such a beautiful place to be. The only downside of living in the Springs is the lack of oxygen in the air. I can't hardly run up a flight of stairs without sucking wind.

I have spent the past week and a half here in Colorado Springs scoping out the situation and finding an apartment to live in. I also came here to get in a week of training, but it turned out I wasn't able to do much training when I got sick. I thought it was altitude sickness at first, just adjusting to the different air pressure, but I kept getting sicker and finally after almost a week of not feeling better and having a temperature of 101 for 4 days I took myself to see a doctor. Turns out I have bronchitis. I've never had it in my life and I didn't realize it made you that sick. No fun at all. Now I have to make a little come back and regain my strength, and put on some body weight.

Another Vikings Blog

Well, the football season is almost over. Thankfully my beloved Vikings are still going strong and live to play another game today after facing "America's Team," the Dallas Cowboys. This game was destined to be great...some predicted that the Cowboys would win but those were only predictions. The game really was built up to be a close one, but with the Vikes winning 34-3 it was far from that.

I was barely able to contain myself before the game started at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. I woke up this morning feeling like I was about to play in the game myself. I can't imagine how the real players felt. All week long I was anxiously anticipating the arrival of the Sunday morning football game. I had my brand new Vikings shirt (given to me by my girlfriend Mia) all laid out the night before to put on first thing when I woke up. I couldn't wait to put that shirt on, last time I was that excited to wear a shirt was back on the first day of school in the 5th grade. I proudly wore my shirt all morning and well into the evening. I was that guy today.

The game started out pretty tight, I thought for a moment that the Cowboys might be able to pull away with the game, but the Vikes got stronger as the game progressed. The Cowboys started making mistakes, and as they say about football, the team with the least amount of mistakes wins the game. All aspects of the Vikings arsenal was in full combat mode, and that is what it is going to take next weekend against the Saints for any hopes of getting to the Super Bowl.

On a side note, here in southern California the month of January is the rainy month, and this week according to the weather forecast each day calls for rain. It will feel just like home...in April.

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2010 is here in case you didn't know. The new year has started off with some subzero temperatures here in Minnesota. Last night the actual air temp was -20 degrees Fahrenheit. That is cold to anybody, I don't care who you are. I may be from Minnesota, but people don't ever get used to cold air like that...maybe if you're from Siberia or live on the moon. So, as you can imagine I have not spent much more than 3 minutes outside in the past two days. That is what happens when it get that cold, you don't go out. Most people don't go outside because their doors are frozen shut, but for those people who are able to freely leave their homes choose not too. There is nothing going on or anything that could be that important to be outside for. Many good people here in the tundra take to making crafts. Others get bored and try new hairstyles. Lots of laundry get done during these cold days too...I don't think his mom showed him how to wash shirts like that. Anyways, you get the idea.

Aside from the new year coming in colder than your kitchen freezer, things have been good. The Vikings decided to start playing like they had been for the majority of their season. They easily beat the New York Giants 44-7, not that it's saying much beating a struggling team, but it was good to see them run up the score a little and not struggle to do so like they have been recently. The Vikes now have the number two seed going into the playoffs resulting in a bye week for next Sunday. Some rest should be good to heal numerous injuries that plague teams around this time of the season.

I will be heading back to California tomorrow to get back on a regular training schedule for the approaching season. Lots to do in the next few months to prepare. I will definitely miss home, but it's just like any other job, gotta get back to it!