Diane's favorite charity

When Stan's high school chum Diane Hoffman O'Brien saw the Rolfsrud Tucson house on the internet last winter, it brought her back to the days when she and her husband, Obie, kept a house there. As Minnesota transplants, they enthusiastically did their house up in authentic AZ decor. Then she saw us doing the same thing and volunteered that she had a ton of stuff leftover from their years-ago Arizona desert days. Ya want some, she asks? Today a garbage bag of authentic Southwest gear appeared on our doorstep (actually our neighbor's doorstep -- but that's another story) and we were delighted to discover some rugs and red hot pepper decorations for our cause. Our thanks to Diane for her generous donation to the old vet. We'll enjoy the rugs in Tucson... and remember to keep watching this blog for the very latest in javelina sightings.

We visit The Wexford

Linda and Ron Letnes will be moving back to Minnesota this summer after about 20 years in Colorado where Linda teaches school and Ron shepherds a flock of Lutherans.

We’re thrilled to have Stan’s older sister and her husband back in town for a much deserved retirement. This Friday night we’ll be visiting them at their home in Ft. Collins as we drive through on our way to Tucson.

Topic A, of course, will be the new home they will be building, probably at The Lakes in Blaine, so today Kathleen and Stan drove to Blaine to the model home site to research just what is going on. Something to talk about, dream about, over Ron's now-famous Norwegian waffles.

We were greeted there today by agent Sharon. Yes, she knew all about the Letnes family even though she’s not the one handling their account. Does she know that Linda is the best teacher ever in Ft. Collins and there are already some disappointed kids who won’t be able to have Mrs. Letnes next year? We weren't sure, so we told her.

The model house looks great. It was fun imagining visiting the family someday in Blaine, wondering where the grandkids would stay, where Ron’s waffle-maker would go, how the sun would shine in the different rooms.
The models are decorated wonderfully, of course, but we’re confident that Mr. Ron, with Linda’s steady and persistent guidance, can do anything the pros can.

The main level master suite is lovely, with the perfect location for Linda to relax as she has her hair done.

Upstairs is a guest bedroom and huge bonus room over the garage that makes the entire upstairs area a fantastic retreat. There’s an office for Ron up there too, important as we understand he’s not going to give up his chosen calling quite yet.
The development is huge, lots of builders. Their builder, Hans Haugen, has an excellent reputation in the Twin Cities, and not just because he has a Norwegian carpenter name. He’s got a home in Naples, Sharon said, and you can see the Floridian influences all over, particularly in color schemes. “The Lakes” refers to a huge artificial lagoon that wraps around different parts of the community, adding interest and space to this totally planned development. Kind of Venice-like.

If everything goes to plan, Linda will be two blocks from 60 shops in the town center. Hmmm. Linda and shops.
It is 100 miles round trip from Shakopee, we learned, and 20 miles from Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis, a safe distance to buffer the Letneses from the danger and evil of downtown where their son, Steve, lives and Stan and Kathleen bought a condo. More to the point, the new granddaughter is a mere 10 minutes away in nearby Circle Pines.

Driving away, we could just see Anja and Grandma and Grandpa walking across the little bridge for some ice cream at the beach.

(Trailboss sez: If you want to see these photographs close up, just click on them and they'll blow up real good.)

Jesus walk brings sister's response

Sister Solveig Shearer writes from Sunol, CA:

Loved the last blog entry re: Virgil. Glad to see him golfing AND hiking, as I am vaguely thinking about a trip to Tucson someday. And though I think the point of travel is the adventure, I would nonetheless stick to my habit of never golfing. My interest is piqued at Virgil's adventure, so I looked for more pictures to fill in the details.

Found http://swtrekking.com/videos.html (click Baby Jesus and Tucson hiking in the upper left corner under Action videos).

On the way to finding that, I found this on Baby Jesus, which I rather enjoyed, imagining the three of you playing the parts:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2000266345570448809&q=%22baby+jesus%22

I'm sure you'll agree that Stan brought the frankincense, Steve the gold, and Virg the myhrr. My version of the three of you is rather funnier than the original video, because of course your personalities would lend more to the character parts.

Virg takes a hike on the Baby Jesus

Brother Virg is in Tucson presently, apparently preparing the house for the arrival of Stan and Kathleen on or about Jan. 22.

The chores must be done, because he went for a hike and the usual round of golf with neighbors and friends. Remember to double-click on the photos if you want to see 'em real big.

Here's his report:

Devious duo of Dicks
When Krueger asked me if I would like to go on a nice hike with them (Dick K, Dick R. and Robertson's brother Bill) up the Baby Jesus Trail I thought it would be a nice way to get some much needed exercise.

Turns out these people really take their hiking seriously!

As you can see from the picture taken from the 4-wheel drive vehicle, even the road getting there is a bit rough. The trail took us through lots of rocky areas, up a dry wash (contradiction?), and then a steep climb up this particular foothill to the objective.

The view from the final resting place is seen in the top photo.

Beat up
Turns out it was all just a scheme to get me completely beat up and worn out for the next day's golf at Tucson National. A failed scheme at that as, despite my rounded appearance, I was able to survive without damage or soreness (damn close call, though).

Lehman lookalike
The Tucson National Sonoran course we played was designed by our hometown boy and Robertson lookalike, Tom Lehman. The course photos are of the signature extremely steep uphill par five, with the Devious Duo finishing up on the green.

You don't always get what you want

To those of you eagerly checking this blog to see when Missy’s "Happy Day" essay will be presented, it is my sad duty to report there won’t be any such post.
Missy cheated.
Readers may recall that I had requested only one thing from each of my daughters for Christmas this year. I didn’t want a tie, a jig-saw puzzle, or golf kitsch. What I wanted was a simple story about one of the Happiest Days they have experienced so far. Jenny and Marcy were in full compliance with this request and their lovely work is posted below.
Alas, Missy presented an essay which turned out to be a “cut and paste” job from something she had written for a web diary last spring. It was essentially a tribute to her mother, and also included some side references to her troublesome stepfather. A lovely present for Kathleen to be sure, but it was certainly not within the parameters of Stan’s hoped-for Christmas gift.
Missy is a new mother, so all is forgiven. Between diapers and formula there’s little time left to indulge grandpa with original work.
Perhaps suspecting she’d be found out, Missy threw in a baseball cap, a wall plaque and five plastic golf tees that are guaranteed to add distance and eliminate a slice. Oh Happy Day.

You go girl.

Concerned about the rising crime rate in some parts of Minneapolis, our daughter, Marcelline Harrisonfields, has enrolled in a revolutionary self-defense training program. Inspired by "shock and awe" the object is to terrorize your opponent without ever making actual physical contact.

We did it!

We're off our knees, finally. The mocha grout is curing at the loft, the backsplash is in and we are heading to Tucson on Jan. 18. Kathleen admires the work after a long day with her husband.

Tucson or bust. . .

Jubilant neighbors throw
Bon Voyage party
for Stan and Kathleen
Well, actually, it wasn’t a party for Stan and Kathleen at all. Our January departure wasn't even mentioned. It was actually our regular home owners association dinner which is held at the same place every month. It is held the first Wednesday of the month because that’s when the Civil Defense sirens go off and at our age we need all the reminders we can get just to show up for dinner. And we like things that are regular.

(Above, Lisa, Kathleen, Paula, Debbie and Sandy.)
Those of us on fixed incomes show up early to take advantage of the Stonebrooke Happy Hour specials that run until 6 p.m. Some of our snowbird neighbors have already left for either Florida or Arizona so attendance wasn’t at its all-time high of 24 last night. Our bartender and host, Kevin, took a deep breath and patiently announced the specials (shrimp ‘N something and a supersalad), then took the usual round of abuse along with the orders.
(Above, Restaurant manager James instructs the uninstuctable Kevin.)
In the first order of business, Wes “The Weasel” Anderson was cleared of all charges when Association President Lisa Franz identified who actually tore up lawns and battered and bruised the Abbey Point Homeowners mailbox cluster last week.

Neighborhood sleuths had incorrectly hypothesized that Mr. Anderson, whose views on the present location of the mailboxes are well-known, had rented a truck and, under cover of night and snowfall, “accidentally” banged into them. It was incorrectly assumed that Mr. Anderson, frustrated by the lack of action in repositioning the cluster, had taken association law into his own hands. Up to now, the only apparent official action had been the placement of a variety of colorful flags in locations said to denote vital utilities serving the Abbey Point homeowners, particularly cable television. The mailboxes have yet to budge, even after the recent mysterious midnight ramming.
Grilled at his home last night, Mr. Anderson admitted he was disappointed in the slow action on the mailboxes but denied any involvement in the recent bashing, pointing out that he certainly would have done a better job if so called to action.
The association annually contracts with A Plus Services for Grass and Snow Removal, but it was never intended that this operation be performed simultaneously. Turns out the trail of battered mailboxes, ruptured sod and misplaced snow piles is the result of a driver’s training session for the new guy on the new snow removal equipment. Apparently Abbey Point was chosen for the trials because of its scrupulously maintained multi-colored driveway reflectors denoting a difficult but doable snow plow course outline.
Information is not yet available on the trainee’s grade… or if he is still a member of the A Plus Snow Removal Team.
President Lisa reported that Mr. A+ says he takes full responsibility for the carnage and will make good on all damages. This report pleased those present, if for no other reason than it is so rare for anyone to ever take “full responsibility” for anything these days.
(Left side -- "Responsible" party making repairs Thursday at the fabled mailbox cluster. Right side -- This is a really good picture of Kevin and Deb Strong. Click on it to enlarge.)

Satisfied, association tablemates took up the Mystery of the Midnight Baileys. Bottles of Irish Cream appeared on doorsteps throughout Abbey Point a few early mornings ago, without benefit of tags or wrapping to ID the generous sponsors. Residents who happily scarfed up the unexpected treat were at a loss when it came to thank you notes. Consensus was Bill and Ann Cook, but they’ve since left the state for warmer climes so this remains unverified. Nonetheless, they were toasted in absentia.

Other observations heard at the January table:
Rush Limbaugh used to be funny. Now he is just cranky.
Firing Mason was a good thing. Hiring Bobby Knight would be a good thing.
Is it better to have plastic surgery in Minnesota where you have the finest doctors that you can trust, or should you have work done at some exotic locale and come home all healed up?
Macy’s definitely doesn’t have the same prestige as Marshall Fields.
Our neighbor was the last person to speak to the pilot of the plane that took down the storied Marshall College football team.
Where’s Einer?
The Strong’s lower level is close to completion.
Tom and Sandy’s “kids” move out this weekend.
Lisa’s girlfriends gave her a ring for Christmas.

This bit of news comes from former Abbey Point resident Sherri Vogel: Sherri sends greetings and writes: There is a new wine being developed and marketed to seniors who don't like to get up in the middle of the night. It is called "Pinot More."

Stonebrooke has discontinued the popular chocolate fondue, so, in silent protest, no one ordered dessert.

Kevin the bartender with a Whisky Manhattan just the way Stan likes it: with a dash of bitters and a smile.

Stan & Kathleen's annual letter

We’re off our knees, the last floor tile is in place, the tools are washed and we’re waiting to grout. It’s as good a time as any to greet you and take a look back at the past year.

We mourned Kathleen’s 99-year-old mother a year ago Jan. 2. The loss brought many changes to our lives. We buried her next to Pa, not far from James John at Fort Snelling.

Tucson
Then we drove to Arizona with Hoover to see the vacation house we had purchased with brothers Steve and Virgil in Tucson. They had chosen a fine place on the Saddlebrooke golf course and we busied ourselves updating the décor, exploring the area and hitting golf balls. Come visit us there soon. We will go again in mid-January.

We returned to Minnesota in late February. Kathleen had cataract surgery on both eyes. The operations were a success, but it took a long time for her Scandinavian optical makeup to readjust to the sunlight.

Stagnated
Kathleen’s brother, Daniel, lived virtually all his life with his mother, most recently at the Pelham Ave,, St. Paul address. He was ready for a change.

We put his house up for sale, but not before taking a month to empty a mountain of contents that had collected over the decades. Treasures, trash, memorabilia were sorted. Needed repairs challenged our ingenuity. It sold within two weeks and we breathed easier as housing sales everywhere stagnated.

Rent-a-cop
We purchased a condominium on the 10th floor of the old Sears and Roebuck Building on Lake Street. Built in 1927, it stood vacant for a decade and is in the middle of a major revitalization effort in Minneapolis Midtown. Now home to the Allina corporate headquarters and the Midtown Global Market, it remains the largest building in Minneapolis. Dan moved in June 1. It snowed today so he’s taking his daily walk indoors down the hall all the way to the Abbot-Northwestern Hospital cafeteria, three blocks away. Formerly a “troubled neighborhood” the complex is now very safe, with rent-a-cops and cameras everywhere. Even so, when cautious brother Virgil drives in from Eden Prairie, he doesn’t take the “good car.” Come visit us there soon. You’ll be fine.

Indecision
Our 13-year-old Hoover began to fail last spring. We watched in dread, hoping to somehow avoid the final certitude of all cherished pets. We took her to specialists just to be sure, but we had promised to not ask her to suffer for our indecision. So on a Friday morning in June, we all drove together to the back yard of the kindest vet we knew, all the while telling her what a wonderful, faithful, companion she had been. Cradled in our arms under a shady tree, we said goodbye and she was gone. Kathleen still can’t bear to bury the ashes.

Emily Kathleen
The joy of new life came on May Day with the birth of Emily Kathleen to our eldest daughter, Melissa. This wonderful addition to our lives has blessed us in many unexpected ways. As grandparents, we have given ourselves permission to be as obnoxious and doting as we please.

Ever the perfect child, Emmy K spends two days a week with us now. She never cries, wakes up with a smile on her face, and is growing like a weed. Yes. Grandpa changes diapers. Don’t know why that amazes so many folks. The other day Grandma left Grandpa in charge to go buy some fresh bread. She returned with a walker.


Our Girls
Melissa continues to work at GE capital. Marcelline continues to produce art, displayed in a variety of venues. Her son, Maxwell, excels at the new private school he attends in Minneapolis. Jennifer, after a long convalescence following an ambulance/car accident, will be leaving her position as an EMT to follow up an opportunity in Hawaii. Jennifer wasn’t driving the ambulance at the time; her side of the vehicle was hit and she had difficulty walking all summer.


Prairie
Stan and Kathleen drove to western North Dakota in December for the funerals of Stan's cousin Louise and his aunt Hannah. The sad event brought many members of the extended family together in the land where our immigrant grandparents started out. A very moving and worthwhile experience, despite the great distances and desolation of the beautiful prairie country. For a full report, click on December in the Archives section in the far left column of this blog.

Leisure
Stan continues as president of Southwest Newspapers in Shakopee. With duties greatly reduced, he is guiding the transition of a traditional community newspaper group into the realities of the new information age. There’s more time for golf now.

Kathleen joins Stan in many leisure time pursuits. We attended the best Minnesota Twins game of the year, the final regular season game against Chicago. We won, but 55,000 screaming fans stayed put along with the Twins players and watched the big dome TV screens as the league-leading Detroit Tigers allowed the lowly Kansas City Royals to come from behind and hand the division championship to the grateful Twins. The same game saw St. Paul native Joe Mauer (Kathleen's homies -- she used to hang with the Cretin guys) get the hits he needed to become the first American League catcher to win a batting title, besting the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter.

Kathleen’s on her own when it comes to poker. She enjoys the excitement and friendships generated by No Limit Hold ‘Em and plays a variety of venues, sometimes at her very own homemade table in the basement. Wanna play? Come soon. And bring stakes.

It’s 2007, the year Stan turns 60, and just about time to start the grouting. We hope you’ve had a good year and we look forward to visiting with you soon.

Love to all,

Stan and Kathleen

Notes:

• If you wish to see larger views of the photos above, double-click them.
• That's a favorite outfit Florence is wearing, Kathleen found it for her. Kathleen also enjoys finding clothes for her mother-in-law.
• The bougainvilla is in the backyard of the Tucson house, lovingly tended by Virgil and Steve.
• We filled the dumpster after giving away/selling tons of furniture and etc.
• The condo is on the tenth floor, the unit is roughly in the center of the photo. The yellow awnings shield the shops and restaurants of the Global Market.
• That's Grandpa Claus with the child of wonder.
• Missy, Marcy and Jenny replicate a favorite black-and-white photo taken about 30 years ago. Hoover comforted Jenny in her boot last spring.
• Ken Haugen is surrounded by his children and grandchildren as he sits before his wife's casket in the rural North Dakota cemetary.
• Twins fans suited up for final regular season game.
• Shuffle Up and Deal. Kathleen at one of her events in the green room poker lounge.
  Watch for our upcoming winter vacation adventures at www.Rolfsruds.blogspot.com