Jeter Introduction - Well done

I have to say that I was moved watching Derek Jeter's introduction at the 2014 All-Star Game.  The game was here in Minneapolis, and I have to tip my hat to MLB.  When I heard Bob Sheppard's voice introducing Jeter - wow.  Hat tip to Adam Wainwright for backing off the mound and allowing the fans the chance to expression our appreciation for Jeter's remarkable career.   The video is from Major League Baseball.  My dad would have loved this moment...

Hat tip to #2.  Well done.

Brazil vs. Netherlands

Flopposaurus

So the Dutch leave the 2014 World Cup with a third place finish.  The Dutch get their first goal when the referee misses a call award a penalty kick in the third minute when it should have been a free kick outside the box.

To add insult to injury the referee awards a yellow card to Brazil in the second half for flopping when Arjen Robben has been flopping left, right, and center during the game.

I didn't think I could feel bad for Brazil, but this was salt in the wound.

Go Down Swinging...

Tim Howard stood on head and kept the USMNT in the game.

Yesterday on Men's National Team lost in extra time to the Red Devils of Belgium, 2-1.

I missed the first half, because I can't tell time and I scheduled a haircut with the one man in the Western Hemisphere who didn't know there was a soccer game on.

I got home at halftime and I saw the rest of the game.  The first fifteen minutes of the second half was played in our 18 yard box, and not very inspiring.   Gradually we were able to move the ball down the field more often, but the only reason we were in the game at all is Tim Howard had an exceptional day in the goal.  He was flat out - brilliant.

Three minutes into extra time Belgium score (#7 De Bruyn ?) and then ten minutes later they scored again on a breakaway.  At that point it would have been easy to spit-the-bit and give up.  We did not!

Julian Green (#16) comes off the bench and scores on his first touch.

Julian Green came in to his first World Cup game as the youngest player ever to play for the USMNT.  On his first touch Mr. Green put the ball in the back of the net, and the game was on.

We didn't give up.  We kept the ball in their half of the field and we peppered the goalie with several shots.

I am so proud of the way our team played this game.

We went down swinging.  Way to go gentlemen!

World Cup - Round of 16 - Shiho Style

Fun Day with Karyl

Stan Bond, Medalist Concert Band

Last Saturday the Medalist Concert Band had a brief show at the Bloomington Farmer's Market.  Here is their excellent trombonist playing "Stardust", which would have sounded better inside where you could actually hear all of his subtle phrasing.  

Sea Salt - Minnehaha Falls

We hit the farmer's market afterwards for some vegetables at a little lunch.  Mine was too spicy for me to finish, but still good.

Karyl

For Date Night we hit Sea Salt where we had some excellent crab cakes and then we wandered over to look at Minnehaha Falls.  Given all the rain we have been having it was roaring.  A bit scary.  Earlier in the week some young man rode a kayak over the Falls and survived.  He had lots of experience in big water, but still not something you want a lot of people doing.

Minnehaha Falls from the top

The Falls from the bridge at the bottom.

The Falls from the bottom

The last couple of shots are around home photos.  The roses are starting to bloom and the cat is loving the summer weather and being able to come and go a bit more.   Life is good.

First roses of the season.

Bubbles lounging.  Fuji#10

Just What I Needed...

Target Field - Section 117

If one definition of a "friend" is someone who leaves you in better shape than they found you, than Jeff Pierce would definitely pass the litmus test as a "friend".  This past week we baked at Target Field as the Astros pounded the Twins.  We took the light rail to the game, which was the highlight of the experience.  Unfortunately after four hours in these seats Jeff's back was quite sore.

On Monday we went by school to pick up some journals that needed grading and then we hit the Once Upon a Crime to load up on good books for the summer.  That evening we were fortunate enough to catch an Elvis Costello show at O'Shaughnessy Auditorium at St. Catherine's in St. Paul.  Elvis was outstanding mixing new and older songs.  Here is my horrible phone picture.    Here is a much better picture from the StarTribune.

Elvis as he really looked.

Elvis Costello at the O'Shaughnessy

A beautiful day at the Low Brow.

On Tuesday we hit the Lakes.  We walked around Lake Harriet and then over to the Low Brow for lunch.  A wonderful lunch provided by Alicia.  For here I hobbled back to the car where we made our what home.

On Wednesday, the highlight of the day was seeing Karyl and Mary Kirby play with Medalist Band at the Pavilion in Como Park.  Fortunately, their music was a lot better than my phone photography.  I brought a camera to this event, but I had no memory card, which made the camera a bit useless.  

Mary Kirby and Karyl at Como Pavilion

On Wednesday we also walked to the Tin Fish for a very scenic lunch.  Again the legs were quite sore by the time we got home that evening.

On Thursday we hit Lake Harriet again and this time we met Erik at his place.  After procuring some  cigars at the Golden Leaf we went to brunch at Butter.  A meal with Erik was wonderful and from there we drove down to the Walker Art Museum for their exhibit on Edward Hopper.  It was impressive to learn that he would make several (as many as fifty) preliminary sketched before he would make a painting.  His painting also have the feeling of being an outsider looking in.  Here are some images from that tour.

Hopper sketched of men - Paris 1905ish

We ended the evening with some ice cream from Sebastian Joe's, which we ranked slightly higher than the sample we had from Izzy's (pre concert) on Wednesday.  Two very good ice cream places however.

Sketches from Paris

Landscape - Massachusetts - I believe

"Office at Night" - I believe is the title - Edward Hopper

We finished Thursday by watching Brazil defeat Croatia to begin the 2014 World Cup.  Oh joy...

On Friday, we hit Lake Harriet one final time before polishing off an eclair from Butter and then heading to the airport.

My problems aren't all solved, but I definitely feel better.  A hat tip to the gentleman from the Emerald City.