Sunday, March 31st, 2024

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

That's right.  Today I turned the big 4-0.  Mike Gundy would say that "I'm a man" now.  

To celebrate, I took Elizabeth and the boys up to Eben's farm for the weekend.  I had requested a birthday meal at Godfather's Pizza in Spencer.  The reason for this was because I could remember that Lynn had her 40th birthday there, so this way I could honor her.  Lynn's favorite pizza was pepperoni, but she also really enjoyed their taco pizza.

Our pizza party was yesterday evening at 6:30.  Prior to that, dad drove us up to Milford to enjoy some beers at the West O brewery.  Well, Elizabeth and I enjoyed some beers.  The kids had root beer / cream soda, and dad was fine without any of that.  Of course, I had to order an Ames Lager, which helps to support the We Will foundation for ISU athletes.  I also ordered the Coco stout nitro and the Lake Beast, which is a New England IPA.  Both of them were quite tasty.  

Another fun thing to note about today, other than it being my birthday (and Christian's), is that today happens to be Easter.  This is the fourth time during my lifetime that Easter has fallen on my birthday.  The previous times were in 1991, 2002, and 2013. It won't happen again until 2086... when I would be 102 years old!

Cheers to 40!

Wednesday, March 6th, 2024

 THE CYCLONES ARE UNDEFEATED AT HILTON!!

Today Amy drove over from Omaha and attended Iowa State's 68-63 senior night victory over the BYU Cougars with me.  With the win, the Cyclones finished off a perfect 18-0 season at home.  It was the first time they have accomplished the feat since the 2000-2001 season.  

Iowa State came into the game ranked #6, while BYU was ranked #20 in the country. The game itself was stressful to watch.  The Cougars led by 11 points at halftime, and with just under 16 minutes left to play they still led Iowa State by a score of 46-32.  The Cyclones mounted a spirited comeback behind Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones, along with a great defensive effort.  BYU was held scoreless for the last 4:24 of the game.  I would say that Tamin Lipsey was the player of the game for Iowa State, as he led the team with 19 points and had 5 steals.  Curtis Jones was the only other Cyclone in double figures, with 18 points.

It had been 2 years since Amy attended a basketball game with me.  The last time she was at an ISU basketball game was against Southeastern Louisiana back in 2021. 

As for myself, this was the second time that I have watched a game between Iowa State and BYU.  The first time was a win back in 2012. 

I am excited to see how Iowa State wraps up the rest of the season.  They should be in position to have a great seed in the NCAA tournament, and it looks like they will be a 2 seed in the Big 12 tournament.

Here is a recap of the games I attended this year:

Wins:

• BYU
• Oklahoma
• West Virginia
• Texas Tech
• TCU
• Kansas
• Oklahoma State
• New Hampshire
• Eastern Illinois
• Florida A&M
• Prairie View A&M
• Iowa
• Idaho State
• Lindenwood

Losses: NONE!

LET'S GO STATE!