The Milaca MegaMall

Oktoberfest in Milwaukee

Sweargen, you cock-sucka

Still love the British phrasing, though

It 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…

Is it, punk?

Mississippi National with the boys

Really didn’t know that is so close to Staples Center

Go to The Left Handed Cook, L.A. people

Everyone seems to hate LAX, but I kinda like it (mostly)

This market is so not like the others

https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2019/07/11/the-cosmopolitan-las-vegas-hotel-is-now-better-than-ever/

The American Integrity hauling ore past the Bayfront Park stage

Just *once* I’d like something other than the smallest one, Stompy…

Nothing else quite like it

MK + Gordy = true love ❤️

When it’s in the 90s in the Twin Cities, Grand Marais sounds awfully good

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewel_Changi_Airport

The woman at Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais was very persuasive

Thanks for the pie, Betty

Scary-ass IGT slot monkeys @ Grand Portage

New(ish?) mural downtown

Too bad the patio is only open about 10% of the year

Don’t know how I’ve missed it all this years

Only the best on the North Shore

Spokane visit or Stranger Things audition?

Another great visit to Sin City

Beatles Cirque – probably last saw this a dozen years ago

In the “new” location @ Bellagio

Slot holds are rough on the Strip

Nice to catch up with Raiders Nation

Cool, but no thank you

Caesar’s Palace and the Palms

Not much return on a 2.50 bet

That would be an easy conversion

As my good friend would say: “Vegas, we are in you”

Starting to have a love/hate relationship with the Mirage

It’s so cold here

Trying WN again with SK

Twins season ticket holder trip was successful

Field study to the BWCA for MK

Not our favorite place in Europe, but still tragic news from a historic city

SK on her way to NYC

I’ve never been big on year-end lists or goal summaries here, but I’ve always done a fair amount of goal-setting privately. This past year has put a different spin on my perspective, so I thought it might be useful to share a few things as 2019 gets started. In hindsight, a lot of my previous health goals seem rather vain compared to plain old recovery. And how fortunate was I in the past to just want to run faster, bike farther or finish another marathon? Now, regaining my normal vision (without prism lenses) is goal #1, followed closely by getting cleared to resume driving and riding a bike. I’m very thankful that the outlook for all of these things is good – much of this might happen by the middle of March.

Since Dr. Tummala gave me the OK to resume treadmill running, I’ve felt good the past week, with three slowish runs totaling 7.1 miles. I also did one nine mile ride on a stationary bike and resumed doing light dumbbell repeats. Not really sure what workout goals to set for 2019 – the only race I’m registered for is the Get in Gear 10K in April and I’d really like to participate in the Bike to Work challenge again in May. Beyond that, I just want to stay consistent all year and not have any big gaps in my charts (which happened twice in 2018). It would be nice to return to regular weekly runs with WeRunMpls once the ice melts and I’d love to reschedule a ski trip for next season (Banff, Colorado or Schweitzer). Lots of golf outings to schedule with people too.

The doctors cleared a return to air travel already, but money and time will be limited. The original plan was to give each person in our family a trip for their respective milestone birthday in 2019, but all of those plans are on hold for the time being. Most likely options? A quick Las Vegas trip after the Final Four and maybe a work trip to the annual Cisco conference, which is in San Diego this year (June 9-13). And of course Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens in both Florida and California this year, but that will likely fall in the Tokyo/Lanai/Switzerland dream trip category for the time being.

With the Vikings season over, my job shifts focus to the Final Four on April 6th and 8th. We have four large events before then (two trade shows and two dirt shows), but there is a lot to do before “the road ends” in Minneapolis. Then we get to break down that setup for Garth Brooks and his sold-out stadium tour before prepping for Summer X Games (version 3.0). Since X Games moves to early August, there won’t be a lot of time between that and football pre-season. With all that work to do, maybe I should start daydreaming again about building a tiny cabin on the North Shore to escape to with the family…

Wow, how lucky am I to be writing this post? Happy New Year to all of you – may 2019 be full of love, health and prosperity!

Elton & Sandra Davis – your fries made my childhood better

Front

Marketing geniuses, I tells ya

Finally found the “then” pic

Thank you Grand Marais Ben Franklin

Quick, fun trip to Vermilion to celebrate Mr. Schuster’s 50th

None to be found on this trip

Liked this game a lot

Wide range of weather at The Wilderness

The new Grand Portage Casino is nice

…just like me

Thanks, Sven and Ole

Waking up early in hotels seems like a rip-off (have to do it twice too)

Yay! Missed Little Chef a ton

Bet there are bluff snakes out there too

Chicago Mix (of course)

Union Station, Chicago

Thanks a lot, Simpsons

Warm and crowded @ Cloud Gate

Cermak-McCormick Place Station

Doge art is cool

More cookies than I’ve ever seen in one place

Long live Gordy

This one was outside the candy store

Nice to see Lynn at the candy store

Could Black Bear possibly be looser than Mystic now?