Yep, the season is about to begin and I have Live Draft #1 tonight.  The Phonyguys have retired and my new team is The Avenging Violets..   I only have 4 teams this year, all live drafts which I am now addicted to.  Tonight we are really going high tech…   Tark is cranking up some draft software that he will project on his HDTV.  Draft #2 is tomorrw, #3 is Saturday afternoon and #4 is on the 3^rd.  Two of my teams include individual Defensive players, which adds a little more excitement to the game…   I sure hope Violet likes football!

Rachael and Ryan’s engagement announcement was in the Duluth paper this morning.  The wedding is in a few weeks, have you made your hotel reservation yet?

One is getting a trim, another a bath, one is supervising, and the others are just getting under Heather’s feet.

Vern and LeRoy are Miniature Manchester Terriers that Heather is raising as show dogs.  They are Violet’s new best friends.  She usually joins in on this tug-of-war that LeRoy and Vern are involved in with their Teddy Bear.

And here is “little precious” peeking under the swinging door, wondering why I need to leave her here in order to go to work.

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Emily and Kai leave for Sweden on Monday through the UMD Study Abroad program.  Kai will be up north at an Engineering School and Emily is attending a University in Southeastern Sweden.  Emily and Glen returned today from a camping trip to Ely; Dad and Daughter spending a little bonding time before she goes!  Em got her dreads cut off last week…  what a cute new look!

Al and Joan just returned from Portland where they visited Bob and Jim and Bob’s kids Emily and Chevy.  Here are Al, Joan and Jim near the top of Mt. Hood.  They weren’t allowed to go any higher without skis.

Here is Jim with their pet Alligator…  hmmm….

Al and son Bob

Al and son Jim

Bob’s son Chevy

Bob’s daughter Emily

Bob and Jim’s mom Kim, here with Bob

Violet is taking a break from watching the Olympics to glare at me…  she doesn’t like seeing me working on my laptop, she thinks that I should be paying full attention to her.  She plays very hard with the big dogs now so she isn’t very good company in the evening!

Vandals struck by spray painting this graffiti on the back of our building, I hope the cops get ‘em!