ACL, what happened to you???

So for the past 3 weeks, after running, my right knee has felt, for lack of a better word, sloppy. It feels like at anytime it could fall apart.

It is stiff and I feel a ton of pain when climbing steps or biking...my first thought was I must have tweaked it a little bit when I got leveled reffing hockey a few weeks ago, and the pain will pass.

It hasn't.

I had a buddy of mine who is a PT guy look at it 2 weeks ago and he said there was a lot of movement on my ACL, but nothing felt real bad to him.

So I let it roll, cause I'm a dude, right?

Well, when your knee is in pain while sitting down, you start to question your "dudeness", and "mama's boy" starts to kick in. I broke down and went to an orthopedic specialist on Tuesday...Wednesday morning I was inside a tiny tube getting an MRI on my knee to see what my ACL was doing.

I'm still waiting to hear the results of the MRI...

The doc told me the ACL is not tore, but if left alone it could develop into "junk you don't want"...that's how he put it. They must teach you that at Med School.

So for the last 48 hours all I can think about is, great I'll probably have to get my knee scoped, right before wakeboard, soccer, golf, mountain bike and climbing season, not to mention all the work around the house we have planned.

If he tells me I need surgery, I'll make him do it that instant...I've been waiting for summer to roll around again since it ended early in August last year, and I can't fathom not being able to go all-out doing whatever, because my knee won't keep up.

I sound like a whiner today, a bed-wetting mama's boy, I guess I am.

For 34 years, my body has been pretty healthy...a few jacked up ribs, jaw, chipped bones in my elbows, crooked nose, broke little toe...dislocated shoulder which keeps me out of softball, but I can live with that. I understand I'm getting old, but I am trying to do it better than most guys my age. I dropped 26 pounds since last March. (I could drop another 20)

I think it's my fault, I always used to say, I have never had knee problems, back problems and only sprained my ankle one time. Now the knee thing is going to be taken out of the list.

I'm getting old.

Taking Shape.

Thanks Skipper.

All I can say is Uncle Skip got a hug and kiss from Steph this weekend. I'm glad she did, So I didn't have to. The Great One from Garden City was all about kicking out the kitchen cabinets. The end result was level, flush, great looking cabinets. The old boy still surprises me.

The only thing I am worried about, is now that he drove 12 hours to do something super nice...the next time back will he do something...Skipperish.

The boys had fun with a bunch of family in town, the house stayed pretty busy through out the weekend with visitors, and relatives. Steph says I get a little over anxious with the house tours...I guess I didn't know almost everyone has a "flush toilet" in their homes now. I don't' think I was that over the top, but I guess showing all 4 of our master bedroom/bathroom closets is a bit over-zealous. I'll try to tone it down.

Back to the boys, Grandpa Bob is happy his older brother is gone, because, Brecken couldn't tell them apart. He kept running away from Grandpa to go to Skipper. Of course, Skipper ate that up...along with the hug and kiss from Steph and didn't let dad forget he was around!

Mom and dad brought out Godfather's last night for the First Supper, we had some pizza around the island. Eric and Jim stopped over to close the night off with some good laughs.

The weather may be cold, but our house sure felt like summer this weekend...just without the water recreation.

Paint by numbers.

Quick and dirty update to catch you up to speed.

Last week...wife and grommets were gone...I hire the tape and texture guy to come and finish the kitchen. Wife comes home and sees walls ready for paint...wife very happy with lazy husband.

Now to the story.

So today, with all of the ice of Lake Byron contained to an area of about 5 football fields because of a strong Easterly wind, my mind starts to think about the pending fun of summer. I can't help but also think about all the work that needs to be done as well.

Part of the work/fun balance equation is being taken care of today as Steph, mom and Aunt Patty are going to paint the kitchen. I learned long ago from my wise father that it is good to be real bad at painting...I mean really bad.

I couldn't do a good job painting a canvas white, let alone painting a kitchen "crested cinnamon". What the heck color is cinnamon anyway? Cinnamon to me is a taste...and right now I might drive to the Empire Mall to hit up the Cinn-a-bon store for one of their fat freshys.

My wife sees white walls and a big empty room as a blank canvas for her HG-TV inspired feng-shui style of decorating our homes. Good on her, because I would have a couple of hockey jerseys, a poster of Alyssa Milano and a Chicago Cubs flag up on the walls. And instead of a "focal point" of decor, I would hang my wakeboard, snowboard, mountain bike, climbing gear, a few big Star Wars toys and hockey equipment on some sort of "mecca to fun stuff mobile" from the ceiling.

Yeah, she balances me that way.

Isn't that why we marry in the first place?

So our couches are not had-me-downs without legs, and our end tables are not made out of recycled lumber with a bunch of marker-written funny one liners or autographs of infamous people. (yes, I meant infamous, not un-famous...watch the movie ¡Three Amigos! for the back joke on that one) My college room mates are laughing right now.

Our "bachelor pad" was a tribute to Hockey, Eric's Sega Genesis, tv and stereo, Rahn and my CD collection and Thaler and Rahn's movies. But the "focal point" was an end table, in front of the legless couch, that was a dinner table, study desk, sometime weapon in epic wrestling matches, and a pedestal for the house champion of NHL 95 to proclaim his glory.

I built the table out of scrap wood from the lumber yard where I worked during my college days...I don't remember how the whole autograph thing started, but everyone that visited signed that thing. The top, the legs, the underside where ever you could find room. Then each year we would add another layer of plywood to the top to start a new round of writings and wisdoms. I think it ended up with 3 layers.

I don't ever remember what became of it...if I gave it to some underclassmen or junked it or what...but as I look back it would be fun to have. I also know on the first or second layer, Adam Vinatieri (pre-NFL fame) autographed the table.

I guess, for men, that's what college is for, so we live like dogs in dirty houses with bad furniture with a bunch of other dawgs. For women, college is about the education and figuring out which type of dog you could best train to sit around on your classy furniture (with legs) and not put too much stupid crap on your walls. Most of us domesticated dawgs get one wall and it's in the garage.

For the record, my college roommates...

Rahny, married, successful, with children in a beautiful home, and works in the banking industry.
Thaler, married, successful, with children in a beautiful home, works in the ag industry.
Erkel, well let's say, Eric is a successful farmer, and still generating his story, he is also the leader of about 6 bachelors in Beadle County, they are on Lake Byron on most calm days ripping it up behind the Malibu.
Bozzell, married, successful, with children, in a beautiful home, and Boz also builds beautiful homes if you are in the market in Sioux Falls.
Giles, married, successful, with children on a beautiful acreage, owns his own engineering firm.
Me, married, what is successful???, with children and still acts like a child, in a home on the lake that is becoming more beautiful every day, thanks to the wife.

Yeah, we all turned out pretty good...crazy isn't it?

Jacks Win!

South Dakota State defeated Indiana 60 to 53 before a sellout crowd at Frost Arena tonight and moved to the Elite Eight of the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

Senior Megan Vogel led the 24 and 5 Jacks in scoring again -- this time with 14 points on five of 17 shooting. Andrea Verdegan added 12 points and Jennifer Warkenthien ten.Indiana, 19 and 13, got 12 points from Nikki Smith and 11 each from Sarah McKay and Kim Robertson.

Neither team shot well. The Jacks were 33 percent from the field and the Hoosiers shot 32 percent.But the Jacks did out-rebound the taller Hoosiers 49 to 33. Maria Boever led SDSU with ten boards

Progress Report

The entire kitchen/dining room is now taped and mudded. Friday my drywall guy comes back to sand and prep for Saturday's super awesome day of texture! (Disclaimer: The attached picture is of Steph a couple weeks ago taping and mudding a corner...it is not my drywall guy)

We should be able to paint next week and by early April cabinets will be hung. I think I will be hiring a plumber as well. I'm just ready to get this project completed.

Did I mention that we are putting tile in the entire room...I want it to have a coastal-Florida feel, and all the homes I have ever been on the Gulf Coast have tile all over the place. It also lends itself to an easy clean up if 2 boys should ever bring dogs, frogs or snakes into the house.

About 600 square feet of tile...my knees and back are already yelling at me!

By the way, here is a catch up on the Bachelor Week Report:
I haven't made the bed in 3 days (the first nights I slept on the couch)
There is a pile of clothes in the living room for no reason
I have eaten 1 meal at home
The dogs were in the house most of the night last night
I left my shoes on in the house 2 times on Tuesday
I ate cookies and milk at 12:30 am this morning...and left the cup and bag of cookies on the coffee table
I also have the thermostat set at 67...nice and cool at night!

Yeah, I know...I'm pretty much a rebel.

The real story, I miss the heck out of my family and can't wait until Sunday.

Oh yeah, and GO JACKS!...I am headed to Brookings in about 2 hours to watch the SDSU Women's Basketball Team play Indiana in the WNIT Tournament.

Bachelor Week Has Begun!

So I had a lapse of one week between posts...I think that is the longest I have gone without a blog fix...sorry to my readers, all 3 of you...Verlie, Uncle Skip and Roger.

It has been a crazy last 3 weeks...google my name and natural gas and you will understand what I have been up to.

Anyway, I put Steph and the boys on a plane last Friday...they headed to South Bend, Indiana or Ind-Montana as Maxim would say. So for about 10 days the lake house is the bachelor pad! My plans were to completely kick out a bunch of work on the kitchen and get things all wrapped before she got back.

All I had to do was ref my last hockey games of the year and get home and work. Unfortunately during my 2nd game I got caught up in a couple players checking each other and I got decked hard on my elbow.

Through my elbow pad my elbow cut open and from the X-rays it showed I chipped a couple of flakes off the bone. This is painful, and my arm is stiff, I got whiplash and my knee is sore.

So I laid around on Saturday...did a little work around the house on Sunday, and called my drywaller from Sioux Falls, who happened to be in the area. He's coming tonight to check out the project.

It should be taped and textured by the time Steph gets home.

I should have done this like 3 months ago...but I am stubborn.

So bachelor week started kind of rough and will end with a happy wife...I hope.

Springtime Heatwave.

I like how we bust out our huge down jackets when the temperature drops below 50F in autumn, but when the weather hits 45F in spring, it's practically bikini weather.

Every once in awhile you see some guy who's way ahead of the spring curve. He's the one who can't stand to wait another day for 50F weather, so he goes out running in shorts and a T-shirt when it's still getting dark at 6p.m. Those guys are always the joggers who find the dead bodies and get interviewed on the local evening news.

For women it's flip-flop and capri time right now. They don't care if there is water to the top of all the ditches in Beadle county...they are wearing their favorite capris and those cute sandals today.

For the record, Steph wore flip-flops and capris yesterday, and I ran in a t-shirt and shorts this afternoon!

Brecken is having a rough day!

I'm in Rapid City working as talent for KSFY's coverage of the SD High School Hockey Tournament, but my heart is at home.

Brecken is sick and is going to spend the night in the hospital. Steph took him into the ER today and after about 5 attempts they finally drew blood from him.

The tough-nut even made them knock him out so they could find a vein to give him an IV.

He has a little cast on his arm so he dosen't pull the shint out of his elbow. He will stay overnight so the doctor's can monitor him. I owe Steph so much for what she has been through in the past 3 weeks! She is going to really enjoy that trip to Indiana to see her folks.

I'll pray for you Brecky!

Mountains move me.

I'm in Montana again...have been since Sunday. I really do love Montana. This week's trip has reinforced that again.

I flew into Missoula, drove to Kalispell, then drove back to Missoula and down to Butte. Kalispell/Whitehall is the farthest I have been North and West in MT, and the Northern Rockies are beautiful. Flathead Lake is EPIC.

Since the bulk of readers of this blog have some connection to South Dakota, think of the Black Hills on steroids, specifically the Sylvan Lake area.

I went to Big Mountain...not quite the vibe you get at Big Sky, but very nice indeed. I would love to come back to mountain bike and climb in this area sometime. I also would love to kayak down some of the local rivers. Every Subaru Outback that I see has either a kayak on the rack or an empty rack.

I was in Missoula on Tuesday...downtown is like a giant Starbucks. Very progressive and outdoor savvy town. Right up our family's ally.

The mountains, the rivers...the wild that is Montana is what moves me each time I come here. I think it's funny when I tell people I have to travel to Montana for work and they say..."oh, sorry about that" or "what a boring place to have to go to". I smile and say I enjoy it, knowing that they have never been to Montana or just don't like the outdoors.

Here is my plug...if you are planning a vacation this summer...head to Yellowstone National Park (yes, I know that is in Wyoming) get out of your car and walk around. Then drive North, go to Big Sky, even if you are there in the summer...get out and hike around, ride the chair lift, then hike to the top of Lone Peak. Go to Glacier National Park...along the way stop in Missoula, Butte go to Kalispell...it's a trip you won't forget. Beauty everywhere.

I sound like a travel agent.

By the way just to balance this rambling of wanders around the Big Sky State...My loving wife was stuck at home, on a frozen lake with Mr. Energy (Maxim) and a sick, puking baby. Oh yeah...today....our Anniversary...9 years ago we got married on a super snowy South Dakota day.

For our 10 year anniversary I'll take her to Montana.

Blizzard - Schmizzard.

We are in the middle of a wicked blizzard. I think we are over 20 inches of accumulation in some areas.

I’m just glad the power stayed on.

We left the lake on Thursday morning...I didn't want Steph and the boys stuck out there without me, in case our rural electric company's feeble system would collapase.

We did forget a couple of key items...the Playstation 2, my snowboard and Star Wars movies.

So I have compiled a list of things to do during a blizzard.


Shovel snow

Take lots of pictures
In fifty years your grandkids will want to know how much snow “a lot” really was. Take pictures of yourself skiing to the grocery store because, come on, nobody would believe that...I actuall think when I was younger my dad did that once.

Watch people get stuck

Help people get unstuck

Do a flip into a snow bank, then watch your son try the same thing...only it usually ends up looking more like he is diving into a swimming pool and just bounces off the hardpack.

Throw snowballs at your wife.

Throw your kids into a snowbank...this is very stress-relieving, and the kids like it.

Sled down your driveway.

Snowblow other people's driveways...the widows, orphans and in general everyone you want to love you, and proclaim you as the best neighbors ever.

Stay over night at your parents house...if this is possible...this is a great way to pass the time.

Buy a bunch of snacks, pizza and drinks and invite everyone to your house for coverage of the Ididarod 2007 which starts on Saturday....someday I will own a sled dog team.

Listen to the Beach Boys and Jack Johnson...nothing warms the soul like "surf music".

Hopefully we will get back to the lake on Saturday afternoon.

Hey family, I'll be right home after work, I just have to stop at the DQ for a cookie dough blizzard.

In like a crazy lion!

March came in like a lion...in the shape of a wicked snow storm. This is the scene outside my office at the electric factory.

Winds are picking up, so the family came to town to have a little overnight at the grandparents.

Huron got record snowfall amounts for one day...10" on Wednesday.

Maxim and I brought our snow pants along....we should have fun tonight again.

Red Bull: Ride The Sky 2.

A buddy of mine who owns Spoke - n - Sport in Sioux Falls, was lucky enough to be one of 50 participants to race in the Red Bull: Ride The Sky 2. It is a mile long mountain bike race through the sky walks of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota.

The race started on the north end of downtown in the Lowry Building and ended in the Union Depot at the south end of downtown. In between the two points were over a mile of twists, turns and obstacles.

The footage below is off of Chad's helmet cam.



The footage below is of some guy hucking himself off some stairs into a wall.



Midwesterners will find anything to break the boredom of winter!

Cabin Fever...

The boys (aka. Arctic Monkeys) will do anything and just about everything to keep themselves entertained and into mischief during this long winter.

The latest is Brecken bobsledding in one of Maxim's toy totes.

Brecken dumps out the toys and climbs in, and then waits for his "sled dog" Maxim to push him around on the wood floor.

Most moms would go insane seeing their precious wood floor being used as a psudo-Antartic playground, but in the picture you can see Steph is laughing right along with me.

It must be time for Spring, because we are all getting a little Cabin Fever, but with the big STORM OF THE YEAR on it's way, we will have a few more weeks before winter starts it's placid fading.

I'm glad I'm not the Spokesperson for Weatherford Electric.

Printing mistake -- blamed for billion dollar electric bills

WEATHERFORD, Texas — Some people in Weatherford got (B) billion-dollar scares this week when they opened their electric bills.
Richard Redden's bill said he owed more than 24 (B) billion dollars.
Pam Pearson with Weatherford Electric says the Reddens and nearly 14-hundred other customers this week received erroneous late notices.
Pearson told the Weatherford Democrat that a printing company made a mistake.
Pearson says customers who received the inaccurate bills will get the correct ones later this month -- and won't face any late fees.
Meanwhile, Redden says he guesses his family shouldn't have run the heater quite so much.
Weatherford is about 20 miles west of Fort Worth.


February 21, 2007 - 3:19 p.m. CSTCopyright 2007, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press

My Home In Montana

I spend quite a few days in Montana and the numbers will go up this year, because of a new project I am working on. When I am in Butte I stay at the Hampton Inn, and it is one of the reasons I almost always stay at Hampton Inn Hotels when I travel for business or pleasure.

Last night when I checked in, I got this feeling like...ohhhh yeah I'm home for the night. After a good workout, a buddy and I grabbed some food at a local pizza spot, was given some fresh baked cookies and milk at the front desk, and I laid down at around 9:30 pm MST, I woke up at 5:30 MST and had no idea where I was. Then I was worried that Brecken hadn't woke me up last night with his crying for "ba-ba...ma-ma, ba-ba". Then there was this noise that I was trying to figure out, which turned out to be the blower fan for the heater in my room.

Honestly, it took me a good 30 seconds to figure out I was in Butte, Montana in the Hampton!

Then I felt sorry for Steph, she most likely didn't sleep through the night and Maxim probably didn't go to bed until 11:30 pm. I felt so awake and rested this morning I didn't even go back to bed.

I promise you, Steph...when I get home I will get up with Brecken all night on Thursday night. That way you can enjoy one night of full sleep, a mommy deserves that.

Last night I ran 3 miles before I lifted...I forget how much the altitude affects your ability to process oxygen! The 65+ year old guy next to me must have thought I was going to die...right there on the treadmill. I was begging for more air...and actually had to walk for about 2 minutes to get my legs back under me.

Hopefully tonight I will have acclimated a little bit.

The Lego Translation

What would life be like if little boys didn't have Legos to play with?

I'm quite sure that every mom in America has vacuumed up a few Lego pieces. I loved and still do love playing with Legos. The little bricks might be the best toy of the modern era. I have yet to hear of any negative report that playing with Legos has some crazy side effect.

We have several sets of the blocks at our house...one is a set of "big" blocks, and surprisingly enough, Brecken can put a few together and then tear them apart quite well. Our other sets are of the Star Wars variety.

At least once a week Maxim grabs his tote that is full to the brim with Star Wars Legos and we build "awesome ships" and "super big forts". He hasn't quite figured out the whole direction following concept, so I am the one he looks to to build the things that he sees on the directions. He is a great "free builder" and on occasion he builds some super cool stuff.

He has worn out and lost several direction booklets, and a buddy of mine told me you could download the directions from the Lego Website. So I googled something like "Lego directions" and The Brick Testament was one of the things that came up.

Amazing is one of the words that would describe what Brendan Smith has put together on his website. Smith is the son of a minister and an atheist. He said he wanted to let people know about all of the violence and sex in the Bible that is left out of most pictorial versions of the Bible.

Smith didn't cut any corners on his verse for verse pictorial translation...Goliath's severed head, a nice puddle of blood when a Sabbath breaker got stoned, and a couple of bedroom scenes, one involving an animal.

One forgets how raw the Bible is in parts...even by today's standards, and even when told by a still camera, Lego people and an atheist Lego free-styler with tons of time on his hands.

The Gong Show.

Remember the Gong Show?

I was sick again yesterday afternoon, but I was stuck in a hotel in Pierre, SD. Nothing sucks more than being sick away from your own bed, except for the fact that you get the remote control and cable TV.

Anyway I start watching AMC and there is this movie about Chuck Barris who invented some game shows like The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, and The Gong Show. The movie is called Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind.

The movie is based on Barris' autobiography of the same name. He claims that during the time of the Gong Show he was also a secret CIA agent...basically a hit man. Who knew? Even if it was true or not it made a great double life.

I remember watching the Gong Show as a kid and thinking he was soooo cool, with his hats and jokes, how he joked with the Unknown Comic and thinking that he was super funny as well.

Good movie, made you think about that time in American culture, and what was going on in my life...I was like 7 or so. Also made me think of TV today...I think American Idol should be cutting Mr. Barris a check every time their show airs, because that is exactly what their show is with a little different twist.

Crazy the amount of time we spend watching TV and how it shapes our lives. I'm kind of glad we got rid of cable when we moved to the lake...if it wasn't for yesterday's "all day TV bender" I wouldn't know anything of Anna Nicole Smith's death...I'm glad that I am starting to lose touch with what's on TV.

For the record, I did watch Conan The Barbarian as well...forgot how good of a movie that was.

Cable was nice to waste the day, even if I had to be sick to watch a full day of nothing.

Lake Sanford???

T. Denny Sanford dropped $400 million over the weekend to Sioux Valley Hospital....I mean Sanford Health Systems. While in Sioux Falls, Steph worked for the bank TDS owns, it is a great company and there is no wonder why he is successful.

But anyway, since Sioux Valley "requested" the gift, I thought I would give it a shot as well...

T. Denny if you can drop $4 million to me (in our First Premier Bank account) I can see about getting Lake Byron renamed Sanford Lake or Lake Sanford....After all, if Sioux Falls can try to rename Skunk Creek, I'm $ure I could influence $ome local politician$ and county government folk$ to con$ider the change.

We could even somehow incorporate Sanford Health Systems into the mix, like, by claiming that the murky, algae filled waters of the formerly known Lake Byron have some sort of healing powers that fight the evil Herpes Gladiatorum.

We could put your logo in lights in the lake East of Hogsback (which would be renamed to Sanford Ridge), and would make the logo big enough to see from any Google Earth satellite picture.

Let me know what you think Mr. T. Denny...if you aren't interested, that's o.k. I've got a rich uncle in Garden City, Kansas who should be starting his philanthropic efforts in the near future.

Mom...60??? No Way!

My mom turns 60 today. The groundhog shares a special day with my mom!

I'm not feeling very typish today, so I'll keep it short.

My mom is the most incredible person, and if I am half the person she is, I'll be happy.

She raised Sally and I with love, honesty, hard work and a strong faith.

She prays for her children and grandchildren without ceasing.

She beat cancer.

She makes the best O'Henry bars.

She let me and my sister keep our dog in the house...and she doesn't charge for babysitting!

60 seemed old when I was 20...now it's the age of young, beautiful and fun grandmas.

I completely love this picture by the way.

The Sickness.

I am sick. Nothing Earth shattering, little fever, achy, cough and sore throat. I missed my first day of work due to me being sick in over 2 years.

In fact, we were looking for some cough syrup and found some penicillin from Jan. 2004 that was prescribed to me. I had Influenza A&B and Strep Throat that time...only out for 2 days...a lesser man would have died.

Speaking of sicknesses, today a tight friend of mine is enjoying his first day of "health" after deciding to resign from his post as a youth pastor. Don't get me wrong, the position he left behind itself wasn't bad, it was the office situation surrounding him. A bad virus of non-communication, and from my view, poor choices by people in leadership positions.

.....................I just deleted like 4 paragraphs of typing...............................not sure if I wanted to publish my exact feelings on the matter, even though only about 4 people will read this, but I am reminded that as a human we all make mistakes...even humans who are in leadership positions of "regional impact churches".
Some lyrics from Roper's "Brace Yourself for the Mediocre" album come to my mind.

This wooden soul is old
It's lies are growing cold
Its knotted trunk is straightening
Its roots are loosening their hold
So cluttered with debris this inefficient melody
I'll keep waiting patiently
If this world will ever release me
You love me even though I am untrue
If I was perfect, I wouldn't need you
I'm the object of your affection
You loved me still in my imperfection

Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Not so far, not so far to go







PS-Nothing but love for you Decker...ride on.