A Weekend of Beautiful Weather and Difficult Disc Golf

This past Memorial weekend the Twin Cities had some of the most incredible weather.  Although humid at times, the abundance of sun shine and a cooling breeze made it great to spend time outdoors.

A number of weeks ago the Star Tribune ran an article in the North section of the paper describing the disc golf course @ Bunker Hill Regional Park in Andover, MN

layout of the course provided by Anoka County

Informational signs are now in place, however, there is still construction on hole 6.  For a 9-hole course, it was moderately difficult.  The signs were helpful in determining the shot needed to hit the hole and the number of strokes also made it easy to find ones way to the next hole.  We didn’t have to pay-to-play as it were, but there was a day pass fee for the park of $5.00.

The Disc Golf course is very close to Bunker Beach, the water park in Bunker Hill, and was closed while we were there as their season does not begin until June (now).  It was amazing to see the number of water parks that begin their seasons in June closed with the phenomenal Memorial Day weather.

With as dry as it has been, the course was mostly dirt and scrub grass that was trying to grow in.  The sections that were in the forest smelled of pine needles blistering in the heat.  Near the parking lot we found the usual amenities: a large pavilion that was being used by the local VFW for the Memorial Day holiday, a large play area with a mister for cooling off in the heat, kind of neat to see them here in Minnesota when they are often found in the South and Western states of the country, and then finally a large grassy field.

Kristen and I picked out a nice spot in the shade and unrolled my University of Minnesota blanket, to enjoy a break and some much needed lunch.  For entertainment, we watched a group of kids and parents run wild around the field flying kites.  The father in charge would direct a corresponding child to run like the dickens to keep their kites in the air, searching for that essential updraft that would make it sore.  However, what would ultimately happen was the kid would keep running and the kite would smash to the ground.

With our stomachs full, we packed up and made our way to my parent’s house in Brooklyn Park, our base of operations for the weekend.  Feeling energized from lunch, we stopped at Brooklyn Park’s 9-hole disc golf course located in Central Park.

Map view provided by: http://www.playdg.com/

The course is made up mostly of grass and wood chips near the scoring baskets (is that their official title?).  Distances and Par are listed on the base of the throwing platform for the hole, however, unlike other disc golf courses; BP has not installed signs that show this information or how to best set up ones throw.

 However, the course is pretty user friendly and is a great introduction to the past time/sport/activity, that is Disc Golf, and the fact that the course is free: icing on the cake.

Before starting out on the course, we took a couple of shots around the putting circle (lower left corner of photo posted above) which allows players to practice putting from a number of distances that diminish as one gets closer to the hole (as opposed to an ascending order).  Kristen and I’s favorite hole is #8 from the top of the hill; and is also the best hole to watch other disc golfers perfect their throws and plead with their discs to ‘Get Down, Get Down, Get Down”.  The trick is to pick up enough of an updraft to carry the disc to the hole, but not too much, thus having the disc hug the hill as it approaches the hole.

That evening we got a Facebook message from a good friend from College, Matthew Rhett, who told us that’d he would be in town for the weekend and would be up for playing some disc golf.  An avid and semi-pro disc golfer recommended the 18-hole course @ Bryant Lake Park: part of the Three Rivers Park District.  We all agreed on the location and planned for a tee-off time of 10:00 Am the next day.  Kristen and I then went to bed with the hopes that our throwing arms would have enough rest by morning.

Kristen and I awoke with the excitement of playing a new course in the Metro area and reconnect with friends.  Along with Matthew, his older brother and former floormate of Kristen’s @ Middlebrook: Brian Rhett joined us along with his wife Katrina who I often tease as the Hurricane (I hope she doesn’t hate me for this) and their baby daughter Bella.  The course has a daily fee of $3.00 per person of which Matthew was kind enough to cover for all of us, I’ll have to take him out for a beer the next time he is in town, or challenge him to another round at a different course.

Here’s a description of the course from the Three Rivers Park Website:

The 18-hole disc golf course at Bryant Lake Regional Park offers short and long tee boxes, scenic lake views and the infamous hole #17, where golfers throw their discs off a cliff to reach the basket.  

Descriptions of holes can also be found on the three rivers park website, under the tour button.  The course was one of the most difficult that Kristen and I had ever played through, and the wind was also a contributing factor on a number of holes.

We had some throws where we thought for sure and always aloud “Well, that one is gone forever!”; only to later find our discs in either the thick woods or tall grass.  It also got incredibly hot through the course of playing and I had made the mistake of wearing mostly cotton and not bringing anything synthetic.

We kept pace with Matthew and Brian, while Katrina and Bella walked the course behind us.  I can’t remember how we did stroke wise, but will say that we’ll have to go to Bryant Lake again and continue to work on our disc throwing abilities.

This turned out to be a pretty lengthy post, and it took me a while to finish due to grabbing photos and reading some descriptions, finding links to embed etc.  Overall this was a really fun Holiday weekend for Kristen and I and we are looking forward to spending time with the Rhett Family again in late June during Cottage Grove’s Strawberry festival and a tour of Brian’s garden in his backyard.

Today its June 9^th already, and I am up North @ the Tulaby Cabin.  It’s been rainy, windy, cold and overcast and not a typical warm summer day as was promised.  But this has lead to some well needed napping and reading of books.

Kristen spent the last weekend and most of this week with her folks: Dave and Lola @ a campground near Collinwood Lake in Cokato, MN.  Lola recently bought a new camper and they spent the weekend breaking it in.  On Tuesday, Kristen and her Dad where out fishing and Dave was able to land a fairly large Carp weighing about 8 IB.  Hopefully Kristen will write a post about her weekend @ Collinwood in the next couple of days.

I need to write a post about new toy purchases, I recently upgraded my old phone to a new Palm Pre Plus through Verizon Wireless and the Pre Plus has been a handy device.  My father got one as well, and now we have 3G wireless through the Mobile Hotspot at the Cabin.  It has been nice for simple web browsing and checking email.

We’ll see if the weather makes it possible to launch the larger boat and maybe do some fishing if we feel adventurous.  Planning to be back in the cities Thursday and then down in Red Wing, MN Saturday for Fusion Dance’s annual Recital.  My older brother Frank’s students did really well this year as well as a number of his pieces were recognized for choreography awards.

Now, back to George Orwell’s 1984, of which I am reading through for the first time, and possibly a fresh pot of coffee.     

Lot’s to think about without telling you what to think!

November 20, 2008
-Thanks to Gary Eichten for the title of this post. The past 6 months I have been listening to a lot of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and National Public Radio (NPR) on my commute to Lakeville in the early morning hours. I always liked their tag-line of “Get out of the car smarter than when you got in”, but lately with all the economic turmoil you end up getting out of the car more frustrated than when you finished reading the Star Tribune. But more about politics, including my thoughts on the election, energy, and the economy later in the blog.

Currently I am in lay-off from Northern Pipeline Construction Company (NPLCC), reflecting upon the season and trying to think of how I should prepare for my next move. Oh Possibilities!! I wish I had someone to tell me what to think/do especially with the bad news on the table about the economy and the ever-looming threat of Unemployment reaching 8 or 9%.

About a month ago my brother Frank and I were talking about my season at NPL, while working on his basement. For example, the major themes I learned and challenges that I was encountering. Before answering him on what I learned, I paused, and then looked him right in the eye and said, “Wow Andrew, you really can’t tie Knots!!” We both erupted laughing and I went into my usual “Oh poor me” routine of which I am famous for. It has been a steep learning curve, diving straight into the deep end of construction, and being “Greener” than grass. Honestly it (Inability to tie simple knots) has been the most frustrating part of the job and something that I will have to dedicate time to in the off-season if I want to continue/survive another season.

The construction industry certainly has agreed with my body. Since leaving my last job seven months ago, I’ve lost over 30 pounds through sheer work and am almost back down to my weight in High School of 180 pounds. It also agrees with me in regards to satisfaction. To see the end result of a days, weeks, or months worth of work and what we accomplished; as opposed to advocating for something that may never come; such as my obsession with bringing High Speed Rail (HSR) to the Upper Midwest.
-A quick side-note on HSR. The California High Speed Rail bond measure on this Historic election season successfully passed!! It may take five to ten years for the results to trickle over to the Midwest, but hopefully California’s investment will have benefits for the rest of the country. As I stated on a message board on election night about this topic, “This is an issue where “Left Coast” envy can potentially be a great benefit”. I am fully willing to let California run quarterback on bringing rail renewal, just please, please, please don’t blow it. A great blogger, Robert Cruickshanks, has done a great job championing this issue, posting almost daily updates right up to the election. Those interested should link over and scroll through his posts.


Typing from the cold Northwoods of Minnesota, just sitting by a lake (Small nod to John Pryne) I find myself in the usual predicament. It seems that every six to seven months I am tired of whatever it is that I am doing and ready for a change. While I am able to find employment in that time period; there isn’t something that holds my interest or passion, and I (like many people my age and in the working world) face the music of paying the bills or going back to school to further my education to land the “passion” driven job that will keep me satisfied.

Fast forward to where this blog picks up, December 3rd 2008, and I am in my favorite coffee shop: Espresso Royal, typing away and getting set to head over to the West Bank of the University of Minnesota. I am considering revisiting my passion of High Speed Rail (HSR), especially with the recent developments that I alluded to above.

Well enough whining “poor me”, onto some topics I have been meaning to write about…

The Election;

About two years ago, I wrote a post on where I thought development in the Twin Cities would progress; this was before I really knew much about Barrack Obama. I quote the following from that post:

November- 2008: The Bush Presidency is over. Democrats reclaim the White House with anybody but the following: Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, or Joe Lieberman. In a stunning turn of events John McCain is elected and becomes one of the best things to happen to both Republicans/Democrats by being a great moderate President kicking the evangelicals out of the Republican Party and brining in more allies to assist with Iraq.
(Events are fictional, but I really hope they happen.)

In the fall of 2006, while studying abroad in Norway, on-board a train to Sweden; I listened to Barrack Obama’s book: The Audacity of Hope. I found myself nodding along with everything he talked about: Our need to change our politics, our policies from energy to economic, to social and etc. But mostly that as Americans, and as a people there is more that unites us than divides us. Like most Democrats, he became my Candidate and I am very happy he won the Election.

So what’s the point of posting the quote from 2006? John McCain was not the moderate/Maverick that we thought he’d turn out to be. He aligned himself with the Bush policies of the past 8 years, which now W is trying to say is not his fault, Nytimes or Washington Post, and he poorly vetted Sarah Palin for his VP, when someone (admittedly) like “T-Paw” Pawlenty of Minnesota would’ve probably won him more states. Also, Joe Lieberman has become a "independent Democrat"/Republican Hawk

Anyway, I am excited to see what Obama brings as the 44th President of the United States of America.

Onto Energy. There has been a lot of talk about renewable energy and the need for new power sources, reducing and eliminating foreign oil etc. One of the plans that has become quite popular and heavily advertised is the T-Boone Pickens Plan. The Texas Oil Billionaire has spent large amount of his fortune on wind farms in the Texas Pan-Handle and now awaits capitol for Transmission Lines to distribute the power to supposedly 300,000 homes. A similar problem exists in Minnesota; the need for major investment in Transmission lines to distribute power from renewable energy sources such as the large Wind Farms in Southwestern Minnesota. What ties the two together? That both of these plans should incorporate investment in High Speed Rail Infrastructure to carry the power as well as passengers if feasible. That way, the service would be using power from renewable sources, providing new areas for development and redevelopment, and reducing the need for short-haul air travel all at once.

I know I know, enough about the HSR but I had to get it off my chest. :-D

Not much to say about the economy except that we are officially in a Recession and have been for at least a year…Big surprise there I guess. Good deals on HDTV’s if you can afford them, I am hoping to snag one this year if given the opportunity.

Keep your heads up and ears to the ground when it comes to deals.

That’s all I got for now, got to get moving to the West Bank, and I have to walk or take the Campus Connecter because I no longer have a U-Pass :-(

Updates

First things first...I had my commencement from the University of Minnesota Sunday May 11th at CLA's morning ceremony. To quote my girlfriend Kristen, who has worked for the graduate school for a number of years, "Commencement does not equal graduation" and I am now one of several thousand University of Minnesota graduates eagerly awaiting my diploma. Kristen, who graduated from CEHD in Family Social Science, had her commencement earlier in the week. I finished out my final semester with a B average, and was pleased with a B- in Financial Accounting and a passing grade in German 1001 having opted to take the class pass/fail in hopes of learning the language a bit before making a return trip to Europe with Kristen sometime in the near future.
To celebrate, we had some of the family over for Burgers and Cake. Sunday was also Mother's Day, and my mother got a neat present: the Yankee Flipper Bird Feeder. My folks have been battling the squirrels in the backyard, and the flipper is designed to support the weight of birds, however, when a squirrel lands upon the bar, a motor turns on and begins to spin the platform tossing the squirrel off of the feeder.


The second major update is...I got a Job. Tomorrow, Monday May 21st, I start my 4 month paid internship with the City of Minneapolis as a Code Enforcement Field Inspector. I found out a number of weeks ago after filling out several applications, attending interviews, and finally receiving a call that I was offered the job. I am very excited and hope this will lead to other opportunities possibly in the city of Minneapolis or the region.

I have uploaded some new pictures on facebook and on flickr. Kristen and I made our first trip up to Tulaby Lake for the summer and saw all of the work my Dad and Mom have done; replacing the back-bedroom ceiling plaster with wooden panels, painting the walls to add more light, and put in Pergo laminate flooring. The wood flooring replaces the aging carpet and we hope to continue it into the other bedrooms and main hallway before tackling the coming remodel of the Cabin Kitchen. I hope to write a dedicated post with photos to the work that my folks have done with the improvements, as soon as I can grab the photos from my Dad's .Mac Homepage or off of his MacBook at home.

More to come as the summer progresses, I have a couple of topics that I have been meaning to write about bouncing around in my head: What I would do with $120,000 dollars (no saving or investing just straight spending), Green Building and Tax Increment Financing, and whatever else comes into my head.