Saturday

Congrats to 1 for the completion of her half earlier today. She and her friend were not running for time, but they still broke 1:50. Not a bad start for the year.

1 did say that she is scheduled to do a full in Rochester this Spring. I've never heard of a $20 marathon! 1.1 goes to Fargo the next week. Fargo?

2 is doing a half in Cincinnati this Spring as well. Her high school friend(s) is/are joining her.

I am officially not doing anything this year running-wise but the Turkey Trot. And I may need someone to draft off of to get to the finish of that race.

I did reach out to Uncle Phil this week to look into condo availability in the latter part of July. One new wrinkle is that the RAGBRAI route was announced this week, and the ride ends near here in LeClaire. With Friday night in Tipton, and Thursday night just outside Iowa City, there may be a reason to wait until after July 26th to start the Tahoe vacation. My pal Pete has already committed to riding on Thursday and Friday. We'll see.

4 called me this afternoon looking for directions in the Amana Colonies. The TV station had sent her out from CR to get some footage on a Winter festival being held there this weekend. Local TV is so into hard news. Anyway, I gave her a little direction, and never heard back, so I assume she found her destination. Tune in at 6.

My connections to the Amanas began in high school when we played baseball in Norway and other little towns in the area. We would always stop at one of the family-style restaurants for after-game meals. Bill Zuber's in Homestead was the place I remember best. The owner was a former major leaguer, and there was lots of baseball memorabilia in the building. I'm pretty sure that he is long gone, and the restaurant closed a few years back.

In recent years, I've biked through that area a time or two, and I've played the upscale golf course a few times that they built there 20 years or so ago. The area has also hosted the Farm Progress Show a time or two, but I've not attended those events. We did take the girls to Winter get-aways at the Holiday Inn holidome located at the I-80 Amana exit. Amazing how young kids can be impressed by an indoor pool and a spa.

Didn't they do a movie last year about the final season of Norway baseball? I wonder if I was in it. They beat us often enough.

2 and I are headed over to Augie tonight for a game. A wild Saturday night in River City.

The weather is better today. It's over 30 degrees! I did an outdoor walk and I thought it was still a bit Winter-ish.

Aunt Martha and I read a lot of the same stuff. I had seen the comic strip this morning and thought it was a pretty timely theme.

Tiger Woods is playing in his first tournament of 2008 this week, and he has an 8 shot lead going into Sunday. I find it amazing that he is so much better than the rest of the field. It's kind of like high school when you have that one outstanding athlete who dominates whatever game he plays, in what ever sport that is in season. Usually in pro sports, the difference in talent among players is fairly nominal. Tiger is simply playing a different game than the other golfers.

LV has been in the news with a nasty looking fire at the Monte Carlo hotel. That would ruin a weekend.

So hope everyone has a good evening. See you on line from SB's tomorrow.

BCOT