Another post for Grandma

 Hello again!

I'm trying a hybrid approach this time.  I think my mom might have photos of most of the same things, but I figured I'd put them here so they'd be in one place for reference.

First, here is a link that should lead to a little video I made tonight:

Intro Video

We had a pleasant Thanksgiving gathering in Minnesota this year.  Sarah was able to join us, and Casey and I planned a variety of things to do over the four days people stayed.  Thursday was centered on the food, and Casey outdid herself with many excellent dishes.

Friday, we took the family two hours north to Duluth, where Casey spent her college years.  We got some decent food, those interested partook in some beverages, and Casey showed us the old mansion where she used to give tours.  Duluth concluded with Bentleyville, a Christmas light festival that has humble roots and has taken on a life of its own.

Saturday, my dad and I played handball, then we gave plant advice to a friend, visited Casey's grandmother during an orchid trip, and snuck in almost a whole round of disc golf before it got dark.  The day finished with a screening of The Princess Bride with a soundtrack by the Minnesota Orchestra.  (Pizza was acquired beforehand with only a small amount of drama.)

Sunday, we went to a Christmas market, then played a few rounds of a new game that features growing plants.

Since Thanksgiving, I played in a handball tournament in Milwaukee, which didn't go quite as I hoped due to a lack of sleep the night before.  I had fun though, and feel like I'm getting back up to speed, which is always a challenge when I switch from frisbee to handball in the fall.  Casey also put lights on our house on the last possible day, because it was icy the day before, and we got a snowstorm the day after she put them up.  She bravely crawled out onto our roof through a window (while I was at work), but she's determined to show some holiday spirit, and the lights turned out nice.

Some other things happened, I'm sure, but that pretty much brings us to tonight, when Casey had a roller derby bout.  The rules are kind of complicated, but basically, one person from each team is trying to skate through the pack of blockers, and the more people they get past, the more points they get.  I have two clips to share.  The first is Casey's team being introduced.  Casey is #616, and her derby name is Bizzquick.  The video is two minutes, so feel free to skip ahead.  Her team is the Wednesday Warnings, named after the tornado sirens that go off on the first Wednesday of every month.  They have storm-themed cheers and a siren for their intro.

Casey's Team Intro

The second clip shows Casey (in the green jersey and grey knee-length shorts/tights) blocking.  She is the furthest to the right when the video starts, and the video shows her forcing the other team's point-scorer out of bounds and delaying them while her own teammate gets through and scores some points.  It's quite a spectacle!  (I've tried embedding the video, but if it doesn't work this link should: LINK)

That's all I have for today, but I hope things are going well!

Love,

Ryan