A Virtual Choir

Mom, I saw this on the internet and I thought the concept was unique.

Now, I suppose it was edited to sound a touch better but it sounded good.

Baseball Season Is Quickly Approaching

Here's a reason why we all love baseball!

Quick Column: KSTP AM 1500

Within the last month KSTP AM 15oo announced they're switching from a talk format to an all sports format. They will pick up ESPN programming and be known as The SportsTalk Station.

This has been a part of news where KSTP Channel 5 announced a re-hiring of their former sports anchor/director Joe Schmidt and hired a very talented and intelligent former KFAN employee, Darren Wolfson. Just the signing of Wolfson, who had been without a full time job and freelancing for a year, piqued my interest.

KSTP then announced that they were going to the sports format. And even more recently Phil Mackey, announced on his twitter that he would be leaving KFAN where he interned and worked for five years to co-host a 12-2pm show with Patrick Reusse. Phil is a young graduate of the University of Minnesota and is supremely knowledgeable about so many things but covered the Vikings and the Twins for the radio station.

Also today, Tom Pelissero, of the Green Bay Press-Gazette said that he was joining KSTP AM 1500. Pelissero, covered the Packers for the Green Bay Press-Gazette and was their assistant sports editor.

I guess what I want to say is KSTP AM 1500 is making itself completely more relevant to younger sports listeners in the Twin Cities market by adding Darren Wolfson, Phil Mackey and Tom Pelissero. I haven't ever though of them as a formidable sports talk station that was actually listenable but with my knowledge of these guys from the work they've done they are going to give KFAN a run for their money in some segments of the radio industry.

Now, I also don't know if they're all tied in with radio but I bet some will transition to some of their television coverage because it's been so bad for years, not only talent but information. Photojournalism has been fine, but they can use a hand with talent and information output.

It makes me almost wish I had taken that part-time production job at KSTP Channel 5 a couple years ago. I could have been in a place to switch paths by now and open it up with these sports minds. Time to try it out now then I guess.

I'm on the bandwagon, way to go KSTP AM 15oo, ESPN radio!

(Now...too bad I didn't think of looking for a job there until now....let's look now I guess.)

The Weather Changes

...from winter to spring and I always never fail get sick. This time of year and I are really not friends. My head has been pounding for three days, I've been sore like crazy for two days and my sinuses and have been running into my throat since last night and my throat is killing me.

I would love to know why I always get sick from the change from cold to warm. It's finally gotten in the mid to high 30's and 40's this week and has been raining, probably playing a part of my headache issues. But still, this is getting out of control.

Well, who can't use some more Tazo Roiboos tea with sugar and honey. And I haven't gotten enough chicken noodle soup down my yapper yet this winter so it'll all come at once.

It's an odd connection but I wonder how I got sick. I think I got sick/sore from doing a P90X workout but I'm not sure how. All I know is I remember once getting sick a couple of times coming home from workouts and playing basketball after going to the Y with Dad on a Friday night. Odd. I wonder if the lazy winter activity has anything do to with getting sick while trying to shake the rust out with a "harder" (comparative to doing nothing in December and January) workout.

Ah well, let's hope this doesn't last...

Interesting Family Connection

So, it looks like the world is small yet again. I know I've been surprised and interested already with how many connections our family provides but here is a new one.

I posted a comment on Krista (Daniel's) facebook page and got a direct message from one of her friends, Alyssa. It turns out Mr. Daniel's was her pastor as a kid in Arizona before the Daniel's moved back to Minnesota. And in turn she has Minnesota connections as well. She said "Are you related to Bruce and Donna Dischinger? Bruce is my dad's first cousin and like Bruce and Donna, my parents both went to Bethel."

She thought it was fun to see a Dischinger last name and was just wondering.

I messaged her back that I was related to Bruce and Donna and that I live within a couple of miles of them at the moment and commented on how small the world is.

She then said "It turns out your grandmother and my grandmother (Helen Skon--daughter of former Bethel president Henry Wingblade) are first cousins." So, I haven't done the research but she said that would make her dad (Ronald Skon) and Dad third cousins and then the two of us fifth cousins. And apparently when the Skon family lived in Minnesota, they got together with Bruce and Donna often.

So, this person, Alyssa, lives in Chicago too and looks to have a journalism and law degree.

Anyhow, that was interesting to learn about a far off cousin in a random way. Kind of cool.

Oh, kind of like this one. This last fall we hired a girl who goes to St. Thomas for accessories and in learning about people her brother goes to Bethel, an interesting connection and then come to find out is dating Gretchen!

MIAC Meet Carleton College

I went to the MIAC Indoor Track and Field meet this last weekend. I got out of work on Friday night and drove south to Northfield and went back on Saturday morning.

Bethel had a very good meet, finishing third overall. St. Thomas won for the 26th straight year. No one else has won a MIAC Championship indoor.

The women were fifth overall, better than what I thought they'd do.

Anyhow, I went and I watched. And I finally am putting up pictures that I took with our new camera that we got for Christmas.

Mayo Clinic Couple Piano Love

I saw this video from Seth Kaplan's Facebook page. He was who I interned for at Fox 9 Sports. He challenged me not to smile during this, but I failed. That challenge goes for you too.



So, since it was a Minnesota story KARE-11 picked it up and did a story on it too. Though, I often poke fun at the local news here for finding the local connection and re-hashing old stories they did a nice piece on the couple too.

Here is their story.



http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=843133

House Hunting

This afternoon Katy and I went to visit three different houses for sale. We went to one in St. Paul, near Josh and Laura's house. That one was cheaper than the other two, under 100K but it was in awful condition and the area wasn't very ideal. This house needed everything re-done, walls, floors, glass, kitchen, bathrooms, basement. It was another 100K of repairs for it to do anything to it too. (My over estimate but it was alot.)

We also went to two in Roseville. One wasn't too bad and was not far from where we are not but it was a little expensive, I/we think, for the price. It had very good location and was a pretty put together house but had floor heaters and no air conditioning, no basement and barely an attic. Though it was a good neighborhood and a nice exterior it still needed alot of changes. I think that one was 159K or somewhere around there.

The last one we went to was by the old apartments I lived just off of Highway 36. That one needed alot of repairs but had a basement, was in a good location and once you got the junk out of the owners now it would have probably seemed alot better. It was a coin flip for choosing between the second two for me. I guess the third one was a bit better, considering it had a basement but it also had an offer for it already too.

Who knows...

Have any ideas, advice or questions? Let me know. I'll listen.

Sunday Afternoon

This past Sunday I was planning on going to the Big Ten track and field championships at the University of Minnesota, the first time they've been here since I have been here. Looking at it now, it looks like they hosted on February 23-24 but it was canceled for some reason. Anyway, that didn't work out.

So, Katy and I went on with other plans and things to do. We went to church and attempted at going to an open house after. We arrived on time but apparently too early for the real estate agent who was holding this open house. However, we never made it in. A nice long slow moving train was going by as we walked up to find out the agent wasn't there so Katy put the big old kibosh on it. She didn't want to live next to train tracks...

I can't say that I did either, but I would have looked around at least.

After looking we picked up a box of Tagalongs and Thin Mints girl scout cookies. Somehow, my box of tagalongs was all gone by Sunday night. :) Only 980 some odd calories. :) Woops. I guess I won't have as many cookies the rest of this week. And, at least I've run Sunday, Monday and today.

We got home and I sat down and watched UConn play Louisville. They were up the whole first half but just couldn't do enough in the second half and had a horrible last possession before losing. Shoot!

I also watched the second, third and overtime periods of the gold medal USA-Canada hockey game. It was quite a game! Though, I won't watch hockey again for a very long time. Just like usual.

I also watched some other basketball and really had a nice relaxing day and it was very nice!