Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Gophers Off to an Average Start

The season started off with a rip and a roar for the Gophers beating RPI and Michigan to take the Ice Breaker Invitational at the Excel Energy Center. A comeback win (down 3-0) of 4-3 against RPI made for a great battle against a ranked Michigan hockey team (whom the Gophers also beat 4-3).

Then came CC (at CC). The Gophers skated hard in the first period of game 1, they looked great and went into the locker room tied 1-1. Then the Gophers went home. They looked like they ran 5 miles between periods.

Well, they are a youg team and game 2 did go into overtime before they were beaten 2-1. I did not get a chance to watch as I was murdering other Halo 3 players for 6 hours straight with my Gravity Hammer. Yes, that sounds dirty but it's not. Your mind is in the gutter...

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Grand Forks and a Bunch of Girl Swimmers

The coaches survived the first trip to Grand Forks for the Eagan High School Girls Swim Team. It began with a bus ride, leaving on Friday morning at 10:00 am. The bus was late, it was a regular day of school and there was a pep fest about to happen for homecoming. It was, to say the least, a lot of kids in a very confined space. It was also raining so we couldn't go outside.

The trip up was uneventful but that all changed as we got to the hotel and ready for our evening. We ordered Pizza and we actually got all the pizza's correctly. Kudo's to the pizza place, that never happens when the pizza count rises above 3.

After pizza it was time to round everyone up and make sure they were in their rooms. The hotel did a nice job of splitting us all up and making it nearly impossible for the coaches to keep tabs on everyone. We saw some peaking around corners at the other end of the hallway, some running out of their rooms because their toilets mysteriously plugged and some who "just wanted to make some popcorn". "GET BACK IN YOUR ROOM".

The meet went pretty well. It would have been a much nicer pool had it been on the MN side of the border. Varsity swam well and took 3rd place. JV did really well and took 2nd by 3 points (I think). There were a lot of time drops and for the most part I think everyone had a lot of fun.

The bus ride back was quiet. Movies were watched, food was eaten in Fergus Falls and songs were sung (and danced to - which the bus driver put a stop to). We returned just as Homecoming was letting out for EHS. I have never seen so many kids walk home from a dance. Strange. It was about 11pm...WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS?!?

Great job ladies. Looks like we might make the trip again next year. Go Cats!

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Transformers - IMAX

Transformers, the movie based on the kids toy created by Hasbro. Seems silly to make a movie about something like this. I remember them as a kid and they barely transformed. It took to much time to get them from a car to a robot. How can they make a movie about this?

Well, they did make a movie and then they added it to IMAX. This combination...well...was awesome. In fact, it was sensory overload. Action packed from the start, this movie rocked and rolled to the very end. It had it's slow moments such as when Sam, played by Shia LeBeouf (Holes), was looking for his grandfathers 1930 glasses. They attempted to interject some humor into this scene but it really did not go well. More annoying banter between teen angst and parental cluelessness.
Now enter Megan Fox (Mikaela). Mikaela plays Sams high school love interest. If she was at my high school, I would never have left. Holy Moly.

The nice thing about this movie is there are no crummy love scenes. There is an "almost" when Transformers are battling all around them, the scene slows down, the music dies off and they look deeply into each others eyes (Sam cradling the Allspark (fate of the world) in his hands) where Mikaela says "No matter what happens, I am glad I got into the car with you". Then Sam runs off. Good...no icky kissing, hugging or other violence in a movie where it would not have made sense.

The Transformers were awesome. The CG was flawless and the transformations were fluid and quick. Transforming from jet fighters (in full flight) to a running Decepticon was really fun to watch. It happened so fast I was just blown away. The Transformer commentary on humans was a little silly but I guess it fit into the overall storyline. Although, yes Optimus, we are a brave and determined race. Thanks for noticing.

My suggestion, if you have seen Transformers, go to the IMAX. If you have not seen it, go to the IMAX. Yes, your ears will bleed and your eyes will drain from their sockets but...damn. It is so worth it. Check out times for the Apple Valley Zoo IMAX Theater here: http://www.imax.com/minnesota/

Monday, October 01, 2007

Upcoming Blogs

Transformers - IMAX
Golden Gopher Hockey Starts Up for 2007-2008 Season
My trip to Grand Forks, ND - Yes, twice to ND in a week...

Ramada Inn, Fargo ND

I usually don't have many nice things to say about Fargo. I am sure it would have a more pleasant area secured in my head if I didn't drive up there and back in 48 hour (or less) time frames.

We visited this weekend for the wedding of Heidi Erickson and Doug Nelson. It was a wonderful wedding (except for my hyperactive 3 year old) and a great reception. The reception was held at the Ramada Inn Suites in Fargo. A very nice facility.

We also stayed here overnight and I must say, the room was clean (exceptionally), the food was good and the service was good. $99 got me an overnight stay with a wetbar, king size bed and a great shower. I usually shower for about 3 minutes, but I was in for a good 15 minutes on this one. It had a massaging shower head....ohhhhh, nice.

Here is the hotel. The mall is across the street and there are a lot of food options close by.







Here is the room (not ours, but close to it). Very nice with a really big window that would have had a nice view if it were over looking something other than prairie land and construction.

Overall, a very nice stay and I will stay here again if I find a need to be in Fargo, ND.