Michigan International Speedway

Friday June 17th...off to the races. Tomorrow is the trek to the Michigan track for the Nascar race. I can't wait to get there and hear the roar of the engines, smell the high octane and see my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, go nearly 200 miles an hour. Keep your eye on number 24....he's due. Stay tuned for more race news.

Pass Another Old Style Beer Please!

Wrigley Field

Wrigley field on a hot summer night. Well it was everything I thought it would be. The Cubs lost 9 to 1 but it was still really fun. Me and Shayne cheered and hollered and had a great time.

I'll be heading home on Thursday and driving back to Chicago on Friday. That's right. I fly home Thursday and then Friday meet Bob and Joy and start our drive to Michigan to catch the Nascar race. Friday we're going to drive as far as Chicago. We're really psyched to go (or pyscho).

Then I'll get home on Monday and leave Wednesday to go four wheeling with the Hopp's in the Chipewa National Forest for a few days. I can't wait to go do this. We'll be taking their new toy hauler to stay in. It's all decked out. It's nicer than home.

Hello from Me and Shayne at Wrigley Field

Dinner at the Italian Garden Grand View

Saturday night I had dinner at the Italian Garden at Grand View on Gull Lake. Present were (from lower left clockwise) Shirley Bruers and Dave Cox, myself (looking quite round and full), Dr. Doug Greves, Dr. Shirley Greves and Diane Cox. The Greves are originally from Canada but have lived in Devils Lake North Dakota for the past 28 years. They also have a home on Clam Shell Lake here in Crosslake. Dr. Doug Greves still practices family medicine in Devils Lake and Dr. Shirley Greves teaches at the University of North Dakota (go Fighting Souix) in Grand Forks. Shirley Bruers and Diane Cox (sisters) are here staying the week at Gull 4 Seasons Resort for their annual vacation to the lakes. The food at the Italian Garden was family style and wonderful.

Me and Shayne in Chicago

Last night Shayne and I hit the town. We had a drink at the Water Tower, an awesome meal at Rosebuds on Rush and then hit the clubs. We boogied our butts off and as you notice from the picture we had a few cocktails. Next week we're going to a Cubs game. So stayed tuned for Wrigley Field pictures!

Here I am in Chicago

I don't have any photo's to share yet. I arrived yesterday evening. Tomorrow night I'll be meeting Shayne for dinner. As always it's nice to see him. We laugh ourselves silly. Next week when I come back to Chicago we're going to take in a Cubs game at Wrigley (Hey Jerry Katz....see that...Wrigley....the Cubs!). I'm really looking forward to that. It's really hot and humid here right now. I'm not minding it to much though.

Winstock 2005

Me and Darryl Worley at Winstock

Well I've been neglecting my site lately. I've been so busy doing so many things that I haven't taken the time to write.

Winstock was fun. It did rain some and flood our campsite. I met some artists, as you can see, Darryl Worley, Dierks Bentley, Sugarland and Keith Anderson. I also saw Glen Campbel, Charlie Pride, Leanne Wolmack and others perform. Lots of fun.

I came home early (11pm Saturday) to fish a bass tournament on Farm Island lake on Sunday. I fished with Wade Hollingsworth and we finished 6th. It was a good day on the water. It rained hard several times and it seemed that the fish bit best during those periods.

This week and next week I'll be working in Chicago. It was suppose to be one week but turned into two. But I'll be home over the weekend. I'm looking forward to going to Michigan to the race and then to Chipawa Forest yet this month. Like I said....very busy....but I'll try to write more often than I have been.

Me and Dierks Bentley at Winstock 

Ellie and Dave in Shorty 

Trout Lake May 2005

Mike, Myself, Ellie and Dave enjoy the campfire at Trout Lake in the Boundary Waters.

Kyle the Frisbee Champion! 

Camping in Crosslake last weekend

Jessi, Mike and Kyle are baking something and roasting corn. We sure did have a good time camping last weekend. It was very windy so we didn't do any fishing but as you can see we ate good, we played hard and had a nice time together. Kyle is the frisbee champion.

Now me and Mike are off to the Boundary Waters in the morning (Wednesday). You will get a full report when we return.

Adios Texas, Hola Minnesota

Be Careful of What You Ask For

When I asked my friend Ellie to make sure to build me a bunk at the Shack in Thor, she assured me mine was the first constructed. I had also requested to make it so that Maggie (seen in photo) and her dad Billy (another nice big yellow lab) could sleep with me. Well this is what they came up with. Indeed I have a bunk at Thor and one of the two dogs are already in place. So be careful for what you ask for....

My little buddy Kyle

Here's a photo of my Grandson Kyle. As you can see he has his BassPro fishing hat on and he's all ready to set sail. This next weekend we'll be going camping and doing some fishing. I'm pretty anxious to get home and do that. Kyle do Grandma a favor and take a picture in your new hat Grandma just bought you so I can post that too.

The Streets of Laredo

What a view

Here's the view from my room here in Laredo. Good grief. It's a junk yard. Evidently it's owned by one Mr. Jesse Martinez of the North. You might notice the little palm tree is bent over. Well that would be a good indicator of how windy it is here. Another storm is blowing in. I drove down to the border today (a mile away) and turned right around without going over. They have tequila right in here in the states, so there's really no need.

Our Flag Waves at the Border

Willie Nelson has some good eat'n!

Texas House Austin

Last night I gorged myself at the Texas Roadhouse in Austin. I'll tell you, they serve up some good BBQ ribs. I also had some "rattlesnake bites", which equate to jalapeno/cheese nummys. And let me not forget to mention the baked sweet potato. Good stuff. I tried to buy some Willie Nelson gear but they told me I had to shop online. I told them "I could of done that from Minnesota". So go ahead folks, if you want some Willie stuff, login to texasroadhouse.com and order up.

Today is my last day in Austin. Tomorrow I will be driving four hours to Laredo. I just want to make it there in time to watch the race (roundy-round) at Richmond. Jeff is doing so good right now. Second place last week, won the week before and of course two other wins, including the Daytona 500.

I'm missing out!

Minnesota Walleye Opener this Saturday

Well Minnesota's Walleye Opener is this weekend and I'm stuck in Texas. Anyone from Minnesota will sense my loss. It's the official marker of summer. It's when the lakes area explode with anglers trying to figure out how to back in their boats and get them running, some for the first time since last fall. To all my friends in Minnesota, good luck dragg'n a line and lift some cheer in my name as I continue to work on my Texas drawl and my Spanish. Send photos of the big one.

Happy Mother's Day

My friend Ellie

My friend Ellie celebrates Mother's day on her very own three wheeler. I must say she looks very good on it. Her husband, Dave, got a brand new four wheeler recently and gave Ellie his past ride, the three wheeler, declaring "Happy Mother's Day". The tools on the back would indicate that they've put her to work as well. Go get 'em girl!

A trip to the zoo!

San Antonio Zoo

Saturday, with a lack of anything else to do, I stopped by the San Antonio Zoo. I was leaving San Antonio and going to Austin. I was in no hurry to get to Austin. So I went and checked out the zoo. Well it had two things. 1. Lots of smelly animals. 2. Lots of unruly kids. I lasted an hour. I got some photo' s of the more interesting animals. Like this grizzly bear above. I did however skip over the reptile house and the butterflies.

Red McCombs Dealership

Selling cars and selling ball teams.

Hard Rock Cafe San Antonio

Yes, yes, yes...another shot glass in custody. The Hard Rock is right between the River Walk and the Alamo. Happy Birthday Bill Cynor. You can put it with your Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, St Patricks day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Mothers day, Fathers day, Presidents day, Memorial Day, Flag day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King day, Anne Arbor day (I might have made that one up), Lizzy Borden day (I didn't make that one up), Good Friday, Black Monday, Wednesday Hump day, New Years day, all the Jewish holidays, Mexican holidays and Secretary's day Hard Rock Cafe shot glass's you already have. Cheers!

River Walk San Antonio

Here is the River Walk as promised. I walked along it and stopped for a couple brews and some salmon at Joe's Crab Shack. There's a lot of fun places to eat along there. There is also a lot of people. Most of them have a convention name tag hanging from around their neck.

A visit to the Alamo

The Alamo

Well you can't make a trip to San Antonio without a visit to The Alamo. So that's what I did this evening. It was about 75 degrees here today. I'd say that's about perfect.

In the early 1800s, the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit here. The soldiers refered to the old mission as the Alamo (the Spanish word for "cottonwood") in honor of their hometown Alamo de Parras, Coaluila. San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. In March, 1836, Davy Crockett, with 139 others, were massacred at the Alamo. Usually, in battles, someone is left to tell the story, but the Alamo had no one. One hundred and eighty-seven men for eleven days withstood the Mexican army of the despot, Santa Anna. When the battle was done, all of the one hundred eighty-seven brave Americans, including Davy Crockett, lay dead on the ground; but with them also lay over two thousand Mexicans, who had died at their hands.

Kyle's Kindergarden Program

Kyle performs in his Kindergarden program.

Last Thursday I was fortunate enough to be home to attend my grandson Kyle's kindergarden program. There was a lot of singing and clapping (I only clapped). And when the kids were asked to introduce themselves and tell what they wanted to be when they grow up, Kyle said he wanted to be a "cool cop like my dad". I thought that was cute.

Jeff wins again!

Number 24 will go to Victory Circle (again)!

Jeff wins in Talladega!