Frozen Mooch

It will always be the Audrey, right Chef (and Nive Man)?
Originally published by DK on December 3, 2020 at 8:53 pmIt will always be the Audrey, right Chef (and Nive Man)?
Originally published by DK on December 3, 2020 at 8:53 pmRound #65, Montgomery National
Originally published by DK on November 28, 2020 at 2:47 pmThanks, Keri
Originally published by DK on November 25, 2020 at 1:27 pmSo great to hang out in the Commons today with JV, RW, JK and the kiddo
Originally published by DK on October 10, 2020 at 5:45 pmLove the subtle jab at NY
Originally published by DK on October 9, 2020 at 2:51 pmSo great to see Talia again!
Originally published by DK on October 8, 2020 at 10:29 pmBeautiful afternoon at Highland National
Originally published by DK on September 29, 2020 at 8:09 pmSo long, Dacha Batinich
Originally published by DK on September 25, 2020 at 10:55 pmPope Family Ranch, Forest Lake
Originally published by DK on September 5, 2020 at 2:47 pmCongratulations (again) to Leo @ Hazeltine
Originally published by DK on September 2, 2020 at 10:04 pmGood luck to Danielle in her future endeavors (Mississippi Pub, Inver Grove Heights)
Originally published by DK on August 26, 2020 at 7:56 pmWise words from my friend Chuck:
Originally published by DK on August 26, 2020 at 11:03 amI don’t really participate in politics or political discussions, either in real life, or online. Why? I have always believed that a true key to a peaceful life and a polite society is to not discuss politics or religion. Why? Because these are divisive topics. Likely over ninety percent of human conflicts have hinged on these topics, and by extension most of the death and destruction throughout human history. I have political and religious beliefs, but none of you know what they are because I keep them to myself. The world would be a better place if most folks lived this way. Sure, I vote, but nothing I see on Facebook is going to change how I vote, and I’m not so foolish as to believe I can influence how anyone else votes. So I don’t even participate in online political discussion.
…and Craig (Ridges at Sand Creek #2)
Originally published by DK on August 22, 2020 at 2:08 pmAnother beautiful morning with Mr. Cody in Bloomington
Originally published by DK on August 20, 2020 at 9:51 pmPhalen with Curtis (plus Craig and Jeff)
Originally published by DK on August 15, 2020 at 11:14 amWild Marsh was very nice
Originally published by DK on August 13, 2020 at 9:57 pmThis here rap’s about the true confession. If you listen close you about to learn a lesson. You must know failure before success…
Originally published by DK on August 11, 2020 at 10:26 amBlast from the past
Originally published by DK on July 28, 2020 at 7:46 pmCurtis on 7 tee, Stonebrooke Golf Club
Originally published by DK on July 17, 2020 at 1:46 pmApplewood Hills with John and Cathy
Originally published by DK on July 12, 2020 at 7:26 pmI don’t think that’s the real reason
Originally published by DK on July 7, 2020 at 6:23 pmI’ve been fortunate to continue working through the pandemic, but it’s been tough to take time away (especially since I’m the only IT person left). Thanks to the support of my boss and one of our awesome game day staffers, I was able to take a week off without looking at work email once. We originally intended to spend the week on Isle Royale National Park, but the ferry and Rock Harbor Lodge decided to scrap the whole 2020 season and our reservations were cancelled.
Plan B was to stay the first half of the week at Lutsen Resort and the Fourth of July weekend on Lake Vermilion (at Fortune Bay). Those plans changed as the temperatures kept rising – it was even hot along the usually cool shoreline of Lake Superior and we discovered upon check-in that Lutsen Resort does not have air conditioning. They were accommodating by offering us a full refund, but there were really no other options in Lutsen or the surrounding spots (Grand Marais, Tofte, Grand Portage). Fortune Bay could get us in early, so we set off on highway 1 through Ely and decided to spend the whole week on Vermilion.
Fortune Bay has done a nice job with COVID safety and procedures. They had temperature checks set up on the entry road, mandatory face masks and lots of signage, plexiglass and hand sanitizer. The casino floor had basically every other machine turned off, but they kindly turned on my favorite game for the week (big thanks to EJ). I think I made it worth their hassle, though, while still getting a lot of quality playing time. They had Frozen-themed giveaways on Thursday and Friday for 100 points earned (an Olaf waffle maker on day one and an Olaf snow cone maker on day two), so I spread my playing time out accordingly. Marisa really, really wanted these, so I was happy for the solid play-through.
Food options during the week were a little limited, but what was open was solid. We stopped at the Ely Steakhouse on the way over from Lutsen and they were following all of the state orders for in-person dining. On the other end of the spectrum, the Vermilion Club was following just about none of the rules, which blew us away (maybe “VC” really stands for Virus Central). We still ate there twice in-person and had take-out a third day, because Poor Gary’s pizza and the bleu cheese and chicken wings are Northland classics (hopefully we were personally careful enough).
Back at Fortune Bay, I hit the Wilderness Grill four times, having great experiences each time. The new chef used to work at Alma in Minneapolis and I really liked all of the sandwiches I tried (pulled chicken, walleye, porchetta and cheeseburger). Their new fries are reminiscent of the state fair classics. In the casino proper, we had a wonderful dinner at the Sunset Steakhouse and stopped several times at the Gold Mine Grill, which is getting better with service and staffing (they’ve always had great coffeeshop-style food options). The Tamarack Buffet was closed for service, but was the room was being used for socially-distanced overflow seating.
Thought I would play a lot of golf during the week, but the temperatures were warm and I just didn’t feel like going every day. I did drive down to Coleraine to play Eagle Ridge with the Millers and got in a twilight round on The Wilderness with John, Cathy and Bonnie. The whole region needs rain badly, so there were some near-dead areas on both courses (especially in the roughs). The Wilderness also has a lot of behind the scenes changes: the contract with KemperSports was not renewed and former golf GM Tom Beaudry and superintendent Vince Dodge have both moved on to the state of cheese. Still love that course, though, and it continues to be the one I’ve played the most.
It was also great to hang out at Dacha Batinich on Birch Point again with Mary and the crew. Big thanks to John and Cathy for taking us out on the boat for a pizza picnic (and for taking Sasha and Marisa out again later in the week). Skip-Bo games and great conversations make that little cabin a very special place indeed.
Originally published by DK on July 5, 2020 at 5:09 pmThanks John and Cathy
Originally published by DK on July 2, 2020 at 9:20 amLast visit with Armon before the adventure begins
Originally published by DK on June 24, 2020 at 7:31 pmAn old Don Frantz favorite
Originally published by DK on June 21, 2020 at 8:33 pmSuch a shame – it was a really nice course before
Originally published by DK on June 20, 2020 at 3:33 pmWelcome back Steve (and crew)
Originally published by DK on June 18, 2020 at 8:04 pmI hope this one is for real – lunch plans for sure
Originally published by DK on June 16, 2020 at 10:09 pmPost-round Angry Orchard
Originally published by DK on June 12, 2020 at 12:27 pmEric at James Irving Grooming, Uptown Minneapolis
Originally published by DK on June 2, 2020 at 6:04 pmTroy Burne, Hudson, Wisconsin
Originally published by DK on May 27, 2020 at 4:19 pmGreat to see the Schusters, though
Originally published by DK on May 3, 2020 at 8:31 pmWell-earned retirement
Originally published by DK on May 1, 2020 at 9:48 amI miss your collective laughter too
Originally published by DK on April 20, 2020 at 9:08 pmMr. Oliver George Henry Michael Stevens
Originally published by DK on April 16, 2020 at 4:52 pmhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/eveturowpaul/2020/03/22/how-restaurants-innovating-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Originally published by DK on March 24, 2020 at 9:31 pmLive at five with Nive…
Originally published by DK on March 15, 2020 at 1:50 pmLots of Vegas in the house
Originally published by DK on December 23, 2019 at 7:50 pm5.4K likes isn’t too shabby
Originally published by DK on December 12, 2019 at 7:56 pmThe Bean still rocks, though
Originally published by DK on December 6, 2019 at 1:58 pmThanks, AF
Originally published by DK on November 13, 2019 at 10:04 amGood luck with your big week!
Originally published by DK on November 9, 2019 at 9:02 pmSee, they can appear in the same room at the same time
Originally published by DK on November 8, 2019 at 8:31 amHe gets to live here all the time
Originally published by DK on November 1, 2019 at 9:50 pmOktoberfest in Milwaukee
Originally published by DK on October 16, 2019 at 10:24 pmL.A. is lucky to get you
Originally published by DK on October 11, 2019 at 1:11 pmIt was a year ago today when a blood vessel in my head decided it had enough, resulting in a ruptured aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhaging on the train platform outside U.S. Bank Stadium. It was a humbling experience to see the outpouring of love and support from my family and friends throughout my recovery and I will be forever thankful to the good Samaritan in the pickup truck, the first responders that treated me on the platform and the entire staff at Hennepin Healthcare for extending my time on this little planet we call home.
Health-wise, things are almost back to normal. I’m still wearing glasses with a 3M Prism lens on the left side to correct the remaining double vision. The strength of the lens has dropped from +30 to +8 during the past 11 months and the hope is still that I eventually won’t need them at all. I can read most screens without glasses, but the “bilateral 6th nerve palsy” and resulting diplopia at further distances is really the only major remaining issue from October 8, 2018. I’ve been off all of the additional medications from my time in the ICU for a while now and have returned to most physical activities with no issues. In fact, my bike mileage in 2019 sits at 1,058 miles and I’ve played 21 rounds of golf (both of which are a little more challenging with glasses).
I won’t lie, walking past that spot nearly every day is unsettling. It can feel frustrating to not be 100% yet with my vision. And all that weight I lost in the hospital came back with a vengeance. But I am so thankful for having access to high-quality healthcare that didn’t bankrupt our family. This full year of bonus time had some amazing memories: an extra special Thanksgiving with family, the NCAA Final Four, MK’s graduation, Las Vegas with SK, lake visits to Vermilion and Superior, Rib Fest, Summer X Games, another epic State Fair, a quick day trip to Los Angeles, the Saints championship season, more Vikings football and lots of concerts and restaurants. Life at fifty has been good.
So where to from here? I’ll be seeing my eye doctor again soon and I need to get back to my “regular” doctor to start all of the normal old guy things that need to be tested and monitored. Colleen and I head to Maui later this month to check off the second milestone birthday trip that was postponed due to the incident. Hopefully we’ll get the third and final trip scheduled for January. This week I’ll find out about the 2020 London Marathon ballot, which would immediately kick-start a return to running. Quick trip next week to Milwaukee to visit the Buck’s new arena. After the Vikings-Eagles game this weekend, the football season will already be half over. And you know what Steve Miller said about flying eagles…
Originally published by DK on October 8, 2019 at 8:20 amFour bars, two cities, one night
Originally published by DK on September 25, 2019 at 11:35 pmDifferent, but great to see Phil and Mikey
Originally published by DK on September 21, 2019 at 2:05 pmJohn Avenson bringing the heat
Originally published by DK on September 18, 2019 at 6:34 pmThe Erben Brothers; Jen of the North
Originally published by DK on September 8, 2019 at 2:57 pmThanks Rich (and team) for a great day
Originally published by DK on August 30, 2019 at 11:19 pmCome on, Hootie
Originally published by DK on August 23, 2019 at 8:19 pmAs I pulled out my red concert shirt today, I realized I better post my pictures and grab the setlist from the fun Tenacious D show I saw with Mike and Jake at the Palace last month before I forget all the details. This really was about as perfect as a concert gets for me these days: early access pre-sale seats in the first row of the loge (three seats all by themselves, even), pre-show dinner at a nice restaurant (finally crossed Pazzaluna off the list), our own little bar with no line right behind our section, two great friends I don’t see nearly often enough and a band that changed people’s lives that night.
This was my second time seeing the D. The other time was, believe it or not, a get out the vote concert with the Beastie Boys and Ben Harper at Roy Wilkins. The first half of the show was the new Post Apocalypto album in its entirety, followed by a greatest hits set and a one song encore (set list and pics after the jump). Other than missing out on Wonder Boy, I was very happy with the song selection. JB and KG definitely gave it their all, with a talented group of musicians backing them up.
Softly. Gently. Sweetly. Discreetly.
Set List (July 30, 2019 – First Night of Two):
That was quite a weekend, though
Originally published by DK on August 13, 2019 at 3:25 pmBut still very playable
Originally published by DK on August 10, 2019 at 1:30 pmNice round, Leo (Stonebrooke 17th)
Originally published by DK on August 9, 2019 at 11:58 amGo Squad (XGMN19)
Originally published by DK on August 2, 2019 at 9:15 pmGreat to see our visitor from Indiana for X Games
Originally published by DK on July 31, 2019 at 12:09 pmTenancious D @ Palace with Mikey & Jake
Originally published by DK on July 30, 2019 at 11:14 pmGo to The Left Handed Cook, L.A. people
Originally published by DK on July 27, 2019 at 1:22 amJust a pair of city doge
Originally published by DK on July 19, 2019 at 7:41 amMK + Gordy = true love ❤️
Originally published by DK on July 3, 2019 at 10:58 amSummer can be exhausting
Originally published by DK on June 28, 2019 at 6:40 pmShe was truly one in a million – sincere condolences to Paul and the family
Originally published by DK on June 27, 2019 at 7:19 amIt was so, so awful
Originally published by DK on June 8, 2019 at 1:49 pmNice to see Mr. Berry too
Originally published by DK on June 8, 2019 at 6:36 amNumber 16 @ Windsong Farm
Originally published by DK on June 6, 2019 at 12:33 pmGood luck to Toyya in SoCal
Originally published by DK on June 5, 2019 at 9:58 amCulture + colleagues
Originally published by DK on June 1, 2019 at 11:45 am