I don’t even know how to begin this blog. My mind is still racing from thought to thought on this Sunday afternoon and I am still on a high from the excitement from the last three days in the Twin Cities. I was covering the Minneota volleyball team in the state volleyball tournament at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I know that I am technically working but it seems like a vacation to me. I was thinking about this driving home last night, I’m getting paid to have fun! God is good!

I had three hours of alone drive time from the cities to Madison. My brain was in overdrive! I was thinking back over the last three days about the state tournament, being with my family, watching a college basketball game, driving in traffic in the cities, eating at nice restaurants, the new friends that I made and so much more. You can see why my mind is a raging mess with so many thoughts running through it. I was stopped at a stop light in Willmar on the way home and asked myself what it was that made this past weekend so much fun. I thought for a minute and came to the conclusion that it was the people that I was with. I love being around people. I have some great people in my life.

So let me tell you about the people that I was with the last three days. First the Minneota Vikings volleyball coaches, team, parents and grandparents. Hayley Fruin the head coach is one of a kind. She is the nicest person and always makes time to visit with me. She has such a positive attitude. The girls on the team that I visit with the most, Lizzy, Lydia, Morgan, Abby, Ellie, Sydney, Morgan, Brooklyn and Natalee. I really don’t know the others that well, but I have nothing but great respect for all of them. They are all so kind and always go out of their way to talk to me.  The Minneota parents and grandparents are so proud of their kids and community. It is just fun to be around them.

I get to spend time on the air with Molly Hennen and Kelsey Buysse. These two sisters really do an amazing job commentating during a volleyball match. They both are very articulate, smart, funny and very knowledgeable about the game of volleyball, which makes for good radio. I hear so many good things about them. They are just fun to be around. My friend Byron Higgin of the Minneota Mascot newspaper and his wife are always a pleasure to visit with. John Millea of the Minnesota High School League is someone I really look up to. He basically does the same thing I do covering high school sports but on a bigger scale. I enjoy talking to him, he is a down to earth guy and I love his sense of humor. Anthony Rohlik and Heath Radke of the Marshall radio station good friends and are very good at what they do. I had a chance to visit with Brian Jeremiason in the media cafeteria, he takes professional photos of the Minneota sporting events and is the best! I spent a lot of time with Sam Thiel of the Marshall newspaper, he also covers Minneota sports and I told him I read his articles every day. These are all the people I got to hang around with at the state volleyball tournament.

When not working at the state tournament, I get to hang out with my daughter Brianna and her husband Seth. I stay at their home which is only about twenty minutes from downtown St. Paul. They have a nice guest room in the basement and they keep the basement nice and cool, which is the way I like it. We all three laugh about that. I went downtown Minneapolis Friday night to see where Brianna works and meet some of her coworkers. Then we met my sister Susan, and her husband James and son Lincoln at a seafood place for dinner. We all had a great time.

Saturday brought a state championship for the Minneota Vikings volleyball team which was so exciting. Very proud of all of them, they really work hard at volleyball. After volleyball I drove to Northwestern University in Roseville to watch a Lac qui Parle Valley graduate, Kelsea Lund play college basketball. Kelsea is the all-time leading scorer in LQPV basketball history. Kelsea got the start Saturday night and lead her Northwestern team with sixteen points. She of course hit a bunch of three pointers.  It was fun to sit and visit with Kelsea’s family in the stands and visit with Kelsea after the game. She was having fun.

I pulled into my garage at midnight and wasn’t even tired. It sure was a fantastic fun three days, and it was all because of the people I get to hang with. Blessed!