It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s…the sun?

It is amazing how much happier everyone seems when the fog dissipates and the sun comes out. That was a long stretch of drear we endured here in the southwestern corner of our great state. I was in the Twin Cities for an Adobe InDesign seminar Wednesday, where it was a sunny 62 degrees. Unfortunately I spent eight hours in a windowless conference room at the downtown Marriott in Minneapolis. The good news is that I emerged smarter than I was when I entered…although that bar isn’t set too high.
I am so struck by the nice weather I can even foresee myself summer-izing and stowing my snow blower this weekend…without fear of jinxing us into a relapse.
Another month or so and Kathy and I can pull out our lawn chairs and watch to see if last fall’s front yard grass seeding worked!
Spring is one of two reasons I absolutely love living in Minnesota.
The other, of course, would be Michele Bachmann. (rimshot…cymbal splash…thanks, I’ll be here all week.)
Actually I like autumn even better, but that is easy to forget when I am in the throes of the vernal equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere. Those of you who know me wouldn’t be surprised, I suppose, to hear that my third favorite season is winter.
Without further ado, however…you knew it would be coming…here are my Top Ten Signs Spring Is Here!
10. I am again poised to prove my amazing prescience in choosing my NCAA bracket winners.
9. I’ve switched from not walking on the treadmill to not walking outside.
8. Those damn filet-of-fish commercials…enough said.
7. Tea Party protesters have switched from shouting in five-buckle overshoes and quilted underwear to shouting in…um…yeah, that really won’t change much until early July.
6. Ducks and geese are once again able to swim directly across Hwy 14 east of Tyler.
5. Dr. Snow is digging out his “Second Place in the American League Central Division” Detroit Tigers t-shirt.
4. Ducks and geese are once again able to swim directly across our basement.
3. Will soon be able to switch my Facebook profile picture from furry winter hat to my Twins cap.
2. THE SPRING KICKOFF AT THE LAKE BENTON OPERA HOUSE…“BROADWAY MEETS LAKE BENTON”… ON MARCH 27TH WITH SHOWS AT 2:00 AND 7:30. CALL 507-368-4620 TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT OR EMAIL LAKEBENTONOPERAHOUSE@GMAIL.COM!
And the number one Sign That Spring Is Here…
1. Snow banks have receded enough for everyone to find last year’s Christmas lawn ornaments!

Always room for one more Wilmes…

Hi all! Due to the fact that a couple dozen people have requested a piece of my time over the past few days, this week’s blog will be short and to the point. That, my faithful readers, would be to your benefit.
Yes, I survived the 2010 edition of the Wilmes Family Board Game Weekend. Yes, the food was awesome. Yes, we laughed too hard and slept too little. Thanks again to Clay and Linda for hosting the madness.
And yes, I once again was dominant. It is like a curse.
The main event, as you well know, was the chance to meet our newest family member, Meghan Wilmes, the young accidental email recipient over the past couple of years. (You’ll have to check out the blog archives for the complete background…trust me, it will be worth your time.)
Meghan also brought a gentleman named Todd. We’re not sure if this mysterious man was friend, boyfriend, hired bodyguard, neighbor or co-worker. What we do know is that he was a hoot, as was Meghan. They both fit right in as if they had been attending for years.
I am not only impressed that Meghan was willing to come, but Todd also.
“Yeah, Todd? Meghan here. Um…Friday night I’m going to visit a house full of strangers who have been stalking me on the Internet since early 2007. Just wondering if you want to come with…”
I’m not sure if he owes her money or lost a bet or what, but somehow he was coerced into escorting her to the big event.
You will find friend/boyfriend/bodyguard/neighbor/co-worker Todd and Meghan right there at the end of the table in the accompanying picture.
The party broke up about 1:30 AM and we parted hoping we see them again at some point.
Now that we pulled that off, we have to decide who we are going to get to fall for the old “accidentally included you in our group emails” trick this year…
Darla…start Googling.

I'm not heavy...I'm his brother

Somewhere around 20 years or more ago--the facts are fuzzy at this point--my wife Kathy and I made the trip to New Hope (the west side of the Twin Cities metro) to visit my brother Clay and his wife Linda. I don't remember what we did or how long we stayed. It is probably a pretty safe bet that we probably played some board games and maybe watched a movie or two. We most likely did some shopping. These memories come to you from someone who can't remember if it is recycle week until I check in front of the neighbor's house to see if their tubs are at the curb.
Somehow...according to the (sub)urban legend...that innocent weekend spawned a three-day spectacle that includes non-stop games, food, laughs, teasing and possibly a modicum of alcohol. There are crock pots full of bun toppings (and only Steve's Affiliated buns from Lake Benton will do), pans of bars, ice cream pails of cookies, cake pans of cheesy potatoes, breakfast buffets...and I think there might be some fresh fruit. This delicious spread is always available, just in case we get weak from all the gaming.
I speak, of course, of Wilmes Family Board Game Weekend.
I'm not sure how it got to be where it is today...the 30 or more attendees and non-stop decadence. Clay claims Kathy and I just kept inviting more and more people each year without his permission, but I would lean more towards the irresistible pull of Clay's charm, serving as a beacon from our rural existence and guiding us to a suburban Nirvana. The natural magnetism, if you will, of his personality.
This, indubitably, is despite his email from earlier today claiming his fun this weekend will begin at about 2:00 on Sunday.
What a jokester!
As I mentioned last week, there is a bit of a twist this year. For anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile, you may remember our inadvertent family member, Meghan Wilmes. The short version: this poor young woman from Hugo, MN had the misfortune of having the same initials as me, and has been included in all the Wilmes family group emails over the past two years. She finally got through to us a couple of months ago that she is "not part of our family." She was very gracious about the fact she has been getting pie requests, holiday invitations and medical updates for longer than we care to know, because someone in our family (who also happens to have more than his share of charm) had my personal email address entered into his computer incorrectly. For those of you who haven't been reading this blog for long and would like the rest of this odd story, scroll down on this page. On the left side you will see blog archives. Click on "2009," then "November," and then "Meghan Who?"
A few weeks ago, I extended a formal invitation to Meghan to attend this year's festivities (I swear, this is the first time I've invited anyone extra...), not wanting to frighten her into thinking we were stalking her, but figuring we at least owed her a chance to meet the people she has been reading about...and she accepted. Tomorrow night (Friday) Meghan and a gentleman named Todd will be coming over for a meet and greet, and a bit of Marcello's pizza.
Meghan recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica, where she did some major volunteer mission work. I, of course, remember that one time I helped fill Santa bags in Lake Benton. We'll have plenty of stories to share about giving of ourselves on a global scale.
I would guess I'll have stories to share of the weekend in my blog next week...and maybe a few pictures. Clay and Linda have been empty-nesters for years. About 362-½ days of the year you can hear the soft ticking of the clock on the kitchen wall. But on a very special 2-½ days in late winter, it is the equivalent of Times Square on New Year's Eve. I have to believe they relish the break from the norm...
Now that I think of it, I don't ever remember seeing Clay after about 10:30 on those board game nights. Maybe his happiness cup gets so full he has to take a small break to keep from getting too giddy...
Maybe he slinks away to start planning for the next board game weekend...
Or, heaven forbid, he needs a break from our obtrusive, insensitive, boorish...
Nah...HE LOVES US!
SEE YA TOMORROW NIGHT, BROTHER!