Twins Game #2

A little known strategy with the Twins is to get cheap seats for the opener and then get good seats for the next day when demand is low. CP & I scored some great club-level seats for $30.

I learned my lesson with the cold the day before, so we dressed in full winter gear and enjoyed sitting in the snow.

 

OKC Fun

While I was dealing with spring snow in Minneapolis, JP was having fun with the kids in OKC.

 

Birds of Spring

Our lake birds are back in force. It's fun hearing a loon call out. If it's quiet and the wind is right, we can hear them at the house.

The birds of prey are hungry.

 

Home Opener

I make an effort every year to hit the Twins first and last home games. This year it was 35°, raining, and windy. The sold out but no one wanted to sit in the rain, so the corridors were packed solid with fans seeking shelter. An hour before first pitch, the power went out.

Without power, there were no sales of $2 hotdogs and $2 beer. I waited 15 minutes and bailed out to Brits for a nice warm fish & chips. When I left there were still thousands of fans standing in line in the rain & wind waiting to get in the stadium. The power came back on after over an hour and they were able to play ball and beat the Rays 10 to 4.

 

Spring Flowers

While the Twins were dealing with 35° and rain, JP was in OKC planting flowers with Nana.

 

Home Opener Breakfast

The Twins put on a big breakfast from 6-9 on the morning of the first home opener. Free hot dogs, brats, & coffee!

 

Ice Out

3/31/26: The lake is finally free of ice. It's so weird how it can be frozen solid ice all the way across at 6 PM and then 12 hours later be completely open. This fishing dock must have broken free while it was frozen in the ice. Overnight, it floated up against the south shore; it belongs on the other side of the lake!

All that was left of the ice was a band of shards along the south shore.

 

Charlie Berens

JP got tickets to see Charlie Berens for our birthdays, but due to the ICE-related turmoil in the city, he (and several other performers) backed out and rescheduled for March. It worked out for the better, because we got to go to the Rush Tribute Project for our birthdays instead AND we still got to see Charlie Berens. Here is my favorite CB video.

 

No Kings

I took the bus to St. Paul and joined 200,000 others for the No Kings event.

 

Season Opener

One of the perks of our Twins ticket plan is that we can go to Target Field and watch the season opener even though it's an away game. They open up the club level and dish out free hot dogs, chicken strips, and pretzels for 1,500 fans.

The game was shown on the jumbotron. We had great window seats inside out of the rainy 45° spring weather.

 

First Swim of the Season

Finally!! There's enough open water for swimming! We took S around the lake and he was getting close to heat stroke. He jumped in without hesitation to cool off.

 

Thom the Elf House

Thom the Elf and his tree house have really started collecting tribute from his followers. There is a complete micro-size cast iron stove with pot & pans now. 

I saw a guy working on the door a few weeks ago; it looks like he repaired the hinges and installed a new lock.

The sign on the door reads "I have moved my castle toward the East. You may write to me at PO Box 30358, Minneapolis, 55405"

 

One More Interview

After being rejected for a position, I got a callback several weeks later: "Was I still interested in the position?" Yes I am! I had been through three interviews with them already, so a fourth was no big deal other than being with the CCO of the company. Apparently, I impressed him enough to land the job. I'll be starting in mid-April. I applied before Christmas.

Afterwards, we hit George & the Dragon for a celebratory lunch and a walk down to the creek. What a feeling!!

 

Shady Snow Refuge

The ice on the lake is to the point we don't want to be out on it, but that doesn't deter the dog. The snow in the shade along the south shore is the only cool spot he can find. 

 

Record Heat

We hit 81° on March 21 and EVERYONE was soaking in the sunshine.

We were on the patio all day until the sun went down.

 

Steamy Ice

My favorite vantage points on the lake is by the south beach; it's directly opposite the bandshell and there are no trees.

 

Dead Laptop

On top of the car going kaput, the laptop I've been using for all my job search activities also went kaput. I tried rescuing it, but it's 6 or 7 years old and needs to be retired. It was GP's laptop from when he went to school. The new one works like a dream, and it's a lot faster. 

 

Mouse Nap

 This little guy was perched on top of a drain pipe in the basement. I stood up on a stool and he was right there in front of my face. Not sure how he got there or how long he's been there. 

Bachman's in the Spring

There's nothing like popping into the Bachman's greenhouse in the spring to get out of the weather than is too warm for winter activities and too cold for anything else.

 

Mean Ol' Puddy Tat

The mean old cat took over our houseguest's blankie for herself.

The little dog loves to snuggle in blankets.

 

Spring Snow

CP came over before the big snow and I was glad to have him help with the shoveling.

We ended up with 10" of heavy wet snow. It called for the snowblower to clear the driveway. I would have rebuilt the snow fort, but this snow was not going to stick around. A few days later we hit 79°.

Once everyone cleared their own snow, we relaxed by the fire.

 

Fresh Snow

There's nothing like waking up to fresh snow on a day when you don't have to drive to work thru it.