Recapitulation Time

  Last Saturday, we had our second quiz tournament of the year.  Our high expectations took a hit right away with a small gaffe.  We were not able to recover and we lost our first quiz to Bismarck 1.  We beat Bismarck 2 and then we had our second encounter of the day with Bismarck 1.  This quiz I blew in the 30 point questions and it is officially history.  The all-tournament team consisted of three quizzers.  Receiving the first place ribbon was London Pace with 106.6 ppq, second place was yours truly with 103.3 ppq, and third on the all-tournament team was Alyssa Chuppe with around 50 ppq (if I remember right).  We have had a rough start but we are looking to finish strong.

Riches to Rags

  Dakota Square Mall here in Minot seems to be a very nice, family friendly store.  But as things are in life, this is deceiving.  Yesterday, Jared and I took a venture to this place to get some shopping done.  Why else would I got to the mall?  We decided to leave and then once we had exited the mall decided to go to one more store.  After his happened you just knew something special was in "store" for us.  We just entered the Barnes and Nobles entrance when I found one of those strollers that if returned you would receive a $1.00 in quarters.  Feeling a little on the crazy side of things I decided that this would be just dandy.  I could go buy me a pop without noticing on the bottom line at the end of the month.  As soon as I came up the crazy idea Jared decided that walking with me through the mall would not be a good idea.  Let me explain the layout of the mall before I go any further.  On one side of the mall is Target, on the exact opposite side of the mall is JCPenney.  Foot Locker is about three stores down from JCPenney and Barnes and Nobles is about the same distance from Target.  With the destination of Foot Locker in mind and knowing that there was a return place for such strollers very close I decided that I would return it at that end of the mall.  Trying to downplay the effect of having two teenage boys pushing a stroller through the mall I told my brother "I am bringing this to mom" to which he replied "You would seriously lie about that?". After enduring the question "Do you have a license to drive that?" from a Barnes and Noble employee and many stares I made it to the return place.  I was trying to get the crazy stroller back into the return thing and it would just not go.  For some reason the pieces were just not adding together.  Some gentlemen, seeing the state of distress that I was in, came to me and said "that stroller is suppose to go into the return place by Target".  Talk about embarrassing?!?!? I had just pushed the stroller through the mall to realize that it needed to go to the opposite side of the mall.  No, I did not endure any more stares.  I just walked away from the naughty thing.  I think I learned my lesson, or at least till next time.

Coolness Unlimited

  Last week I did something that may seem out of the ordinary to some, but it was something that I hope becomes ordinary about me; I went skiing.  Yes, I did the same risky business last year and I survived to tell about it.  Yes, I did go skiing down a couple of inclines in Bottineau early this year.  There is just something about going to the real mountains in Montana and risk life and limb for a little bit of entertainment.  Last Thursday we started the trek west to Red Lodge we made into the small little town very early Friday morning.  The fellow maniacs that made the trip would include Bro. and Sis. Dennis and Cindy Sletten, Sis. Wendy, Preston, and Garret, Bro. and Sis. Jim and Misty Pearson, Brian, Kaya, and last but definitely not least myself.  Later Friday the Jason Sletten family would arrive in Red Lodge.  Saturday morning we took to the slopes and had a great day skiing.  No one got hurt and everybody had fun.  Sunday we once again risked our lives and went really fast down really steep mountains.  We all had a great time.  I am definitely looking forward to my next opportunity to go do that awesome thing called skiing.  But for now I must once again turn my mind towards Bible Quizzing and hope that the verse implant operation that I had earlier this year will pay off.  It is the steroid for Bible Quizzing and it is a good thing that such a thing does not exist because I do not need the temptation.  I wish that all of you would trust me and realize that even if such a thing existed I would not use it.  All for now!