It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year....

With playoff basketball starting tonight, I just wanted to share this... I love this month!

The office combined with curling

For those who know me, they know I love "The Office" and curling. Here they are combined.

Ma...The Meatloaf

Not much going on here in the Nelsen household. Days are getting a bit longer, the sun is getting a bit stronger which makes me happy.

One highlight lately has been Lisa's new favorite cookbook that she found Campbells 1-2-3 Dinner (which I think should be called 1-2-3 supper, but i digress). Basically, it's two or three ingredients and a can of obviously, Campbell's soup. Last week, she made a great potato-broccoli-chicken dish and tonight was an awesome meatloaf. Didn't even need ketchup, it was made with Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup. Amazing.

Currently I have been obsessed with the Olympics (surprise, surprise) and this one has been a lot of fun. Check out the post here about two of our women's hockey players who are playing against each other for the bronze medal. Which is pretty awesome if you ask me.

To top it off, David Backes and his American teammates downed Canada, 5-3, last Sunday night to win their pool. The Americans now take on the Swiss again tomorrow. Backes - who was both an All-American and an Academic All-American for the Mavericks when he played here is a class act and has a goal (pictured left), two assists and two penalty minutes so far.

I've also gotten into curling (Lisa finds it somewhat boring) but it is on during the day in the office and it's a game that I find fun to watch and full of strategy. I find my self getting mad at Americans a lot and tell myself that I shouldn't be mad because I have never even played the game before and don't know what I'm talking about. Sometimes it is just common sense though, but oh well. We do have a curling club here in 'Kato and I hope to be able to make it there sometime yet this winter.

Tonight have taken the night off from the games (at least for now) to watch two shows. Bryon (my brother) got me hooked on the show called American Pickers on History and I watched it tonight...great show. Lisa wanted to watch Idol (don't like it, don't hate it) since it's the first night that America votes. Tonight it's the ladies...Some are good some are bad. Right now some chick is trying to sing the Beatles and I didn't think it was good, but I guess the judges did. Ellen has made the show more watchable. I'm a huge fan of hers. She makes me laugh and I don't think she's full of her self.

*Note- I've already started the next paragraph but just saw there is a girl from West Des Moines, Iowa. I have a lot of pride in my home state, so I have to cheer for her. Damn this show, I'll probably watch now every week that she is on.

Work for me is going great right now. Our men's hoops team is 23-2, 16-2 in league play and they play for a share of the league title tomorrow against Augustana at 8 p.m. Our women have come on strong as well in the second half of the season and made a push to make the league playoffs. This weekend is a busy weekend for us. Hoops at the University of Mary, track and field is hosting the NSIC championships, our women's hockey team travels to Minnesota for the first round of league playoffs, our men's hockey team hosts the #1 team in the nation Denver, and our men's and women's tennis teams have seven matches in two days. Oh yea, softball added a double-header in the Irish Sports Dome in Rosemount, Minn., Friday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. (that's right in the morning, wake-up call for the softball team..4:15 am).

Well that's about it for tonight. You may not hear from me until the weekend, or next week, or even next month (it's the same thing :) )...

Until then

SnL (and Eddie)

Ya, I'm famous

Yesterday was the MSU Athletic Departments annual Big Bobber Ice Fishing trophy and I guess i got my picture taken with the tournament winner!

I scanned this out of today's Mankato Free Press

Say What...

Just when you thought we were dead.

Sorry for the delay in blogs my friends. It's not that we have been super crazy, it's just that we've been super boring.

Life has been good, just boring that's all. Eddie is doing well. He is a good dog. He loves his trips to "school" and sits so proud in the backseat of the car when he knows that he is going up there.

I've stayed busy with athletics at MSU. Our winter season is in full gear. Hard to believe that the winter sports are almost done and spring sports are around the corner (that mean's maybe a Friday or Saturday night with my wife:) ).

Anyway, hope all is well, we'll be in touch soon.

SnL (and Eddie)

Update

Greetings All-

It's been a while since I have posted an update that didn't involve a video or a tribute to our brothers to the North, so here it goes.

Yes, the photo above was taken today...in my office. Slow day in Taylor Center 175, but I have my buddy Eddie with. PA is at his son's baseball tournament and it was going to be quiet in here so he came with me, at lease he listens to my jokes.

Life is good, but it is hard to believe that summer is already over. I consider the 4th of July the official end of summer because in 39 days (or roughly 930 hours) the football season kicks off. I actually did do some work today, as I have printed the rough draft of the media guide and am now ready for a round of edits next week.k

We had a good, but quick fourth. My 10 year class reunion was on the fourth (an Armstrong-Ringsted tradition) and it was good to get together and see a bunch of people I haven't seen for a while and Lisa got to meet a bunch of people that she's heard me talk about, but never met before so it was good.

I graduated with 52 people and we had about 22 or 23 show up so it was nice to see people and catch up... here is what the Class of 99 looks like (those who were there), 10 years later.

Saturday night, Jamie (Hunecke) Burdorf and her husband (Aaron) and kids (Jenna and Brody) stayed at my parents place with us Saturday night so it was good to see them.

Sunday morning, I got up for Breakfast at Wimbledon and wasn't disappointed. The only thing that sucked was I had to leave half way through the match and remarkably, my dad got hooked on the match (this, is a good thing) and was calling me asking me questions and keeping me updated. It's funny, I wasn't a big tennis guy until I went to work at Drake, but I love it now. Roddick played well, but am really excited that Federer broke Sampras' record and is now the GOAT (

greatest of all-time).

This past week has been nothing unusual, wake-up, walk eddie-go to work - work out at noon - walk eddie at noon- work - go home eat supper - do dishes - lisa walks eddie - rinse, lather and repeat. But we do have a nice little weekend planned. Tonight I'm meeting a buddy and going to grill and go to fun days while lisa runs some shopping errands. Tomorrow's Lisa's cousin is getting married and then Sunday I usher in church and then gotta mow the yard. Other than that, not much else is planned.

Going to leave you with a couple of things...first, this photo was posted on a friend's facebook status...For those who love the office, they will appreciate it.

And i can't get this song out of my head... (it's not the actual video but you should get the point)

Happy (Belated) Canada Day

Note: I tried to post this last night, but the link wouldn't work...

I would like to wish a happy (belated) Canada day to all of our friends to the north... Now I love the good ole US-of-A as much as the next person, but the Canadian pride, especially when it comes to their sports team is something unlike anything else. Where in the USA would EVER find this happen at a sporting event..



So I hope all of you Canadians out there a nursing a good Labatt, Molson or Kokanee hangover from last night. I suggest a Coffee Crisp or some Smartee's (for my American friends, these are not the flavored sugar tablets found in clear wrapping) and have some poutine for lunch.

Until next time-

SnL (this message has not been approved by L)