Monday, December 29th, 2025

 #3 Iowa State 89, Houston Christian 61.

Tonight I went by myself over to Hilton Coliseum to watch the Cyclones defeat the Huskies of Houston Christian.  The Huskies are members of the Southland Conference, and of course they are located in Houston, Texas.

As for tonight's game, I would say that the Cyclones gave a somewhat lackluster effort, as they were only leading by 10 points with under 10 minutes left to play.  Then the Cyclones went on a 20-2 run to put the game away.  Joshua Jefferson was the player of the game for Iowa State, as he led the team with 23 points.  He was joined in double-figures scoring by Blake Buchanan (16), Milan Momcilovic (13), and Killyan Toure (11).  

On another note, I believe that the kids enjoyed Christmas.  We did not have to travel anywhere, so we enjoyed time at home.  The big present that the kids received was a PlayStation 5!  I'm actually not sure who is more excited for it... the kids or myself.  Besides the PS5, we enjoyed lots of Christmas cookies, and I made Swedish Meatballs for the kids. 

Sunday, December 21st, 2025

 #4 Iowa State 91, Long Beach State 60.

Today Nolan and Eben were both able to accompany me to Hilton Coliseum, where the Cyclones dominated "The Beach". It really was a blow-out from the start, as the Cyclones were leading 45-9 at one point. I would say that Milan Momcilovic was the player of the game for Iowa State, as he led the team with 27 points, including shooting 7-9 from three point range. He was joined in double-figures scoring by Joshua Jefferson (19), Blake Buchanan (13), and Tamin Lipsey (10).  Long Beach State University participates in the Big West Conference, and (no surprise) they are located in Long Beach, California. 

Tonight's game was the 48th ISU men's basketball game that Nolan has attended.  It had also been quite a while since dad joined me for a game, as I believe the previous time was three years ago against Baylor. 

Dad and Nolan with the scoreboard.

Nolan and Cy the elf

Sunday, December 14th, 2025

 #4 Iowa State Cyclones 78, Eastern Illinois Panthers 53.

Today I took Glen with me to Hilton Coliseum, where we watched the Cyclones easily defeat Eastern Illinois.  This was Glen's first ever ISU basketball game!  During the tailgating season he had mentioned that he had never been to a game, so I thought I might as well bring him to a game this year.  Hopefully he had a fun time.  I took his picture with Cy, and I gave him the t-shirt that Maxwell had caught during the Iowa game a  few days ago. 

Today's game was the third time that I have seen the Cyclones play Eastern Illinois.  The previous times were Cyclone wins in 2023 and in 2018.

Milan Momcilovic was the player of the game for Iowa State, as he led the team with 18 points.  He was joined in double figures scoring by Blake Buchanan (14), Joshua Jefferson (11), and Killyan Toure (10). The atmosphere inside of Hilton was more quiet than usual today.  I suppose that is because the student section was mostly empty.  Tomorrow is the start of finals week, so maybe most of the students were studying.  

Thursday, December 11th, 2025

 IT'S A CYCLONE STATE!!

As a matter of fact, this year is about the most dominant that ISU has ever been over Iowa. The Cyclones have already defeated the Hawkeyes in football, wrestling, volleyball, men's and women's cross country, women's basketball, and as of tonight... men's basketball!  

Tonight I took Maxwell with me to Hilton, where we watched #4 Iowa State win a hard fought battle with the Hawkeyes, 66-62.  Iowa seemed to play very well in the first half, and they led the Cyclones at halftime, 33-25.  Thankfully, Iowa State was able to rally in the second half, as they were led by Joshua Jefferson's 24 points.  Jefferson made some clutch plays down the stretch to help seal the win.  He drained a 3-pointer with about 3 minutes left to give the Cyclones a 5-point advantage, and he made the last 2 free throws to ice the game.  Jefferson was joined in double figures scoring by Tamin Lipsey (14) and Milan Momcilovic (10). 

Tonight was Maxwell's first Cy-Hawk basketball game, and it was the 39th ISU basketball game that he has attended. As for myself, this was the seventh men's basketball game that I have seen between ISU and Iowa.  That includes six victories for the Cyclones (today, 2023, 2021, 2017, 2015, and in 2013). 

Another thing to note was that Maxwell caught a t-shirt all by himself!  That makes 5 sporting events in a row where we have came home with a free shirt!  

GO CYCLONES!

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

#10 Iowa State Cyclones 132, Alcorn State Braves 68.

Tonight Nolan and I enjoyed watching a record-setting win for the Cyclones.  The 132 points that Iowa State scored today are a school record.  They also set the school record for most 3-pointers in a game, as they made 22 of 30 from long range!

It's a little hard to choose, but I will say that Joshua Jefferson was the player of the game for Iowa State.  He scored 24 points (including 20 points in the first half), and he dished out 10 assists.  Milan Momcilovic had a great game as well, as he led the team with 27 points and connected on 8 of 9 threes. Other double-digit scorers for Iowa State included Jamarion Batemon (26), Killyan Toure (13), Nate Heise (13), and Dominykas Pleta (12). 

I was able to snag a t-shirt at the game, which is now the 4th sporting event in a row where we have gotten a shirt!  This one I am planning to bring out to Omaha over the weekend and give to Amy & Brandon.

Tonight's game was the 47th ISU men's basketball game that Nolan has attended, and it was the second time each of us has seen the Cyclones play against Alcorn State (2017 was the first). In case you are wondering, Alcorn State is located in Lorman, Mississippi, and the Braves are members of the SWAC.  This is the same conference that Grambling State is in, who we saw play earlier this year. 

GO CYCLONES!

Saturday, November 22nd, 2025

Today turned out to be a great day for a football game, as today's weather was sunny and about 60 degrees, which is about the best you can hope for during the last home football game of the season.  As for the game, Nolan and I watched the Cyclones knock off the Kansas Jayhawks, 38-14.

The Cyclones were in control for pretty much the whole game, as they led 17-0 at halftime.  Rocco Becht threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Brett Eskildsen and one to Benjamin Brahmer. Carson Hansen rushed for 120 yard and one score.  Kyle Konrardy made a 55 yard field goal, which had plenty of leg.  So yeah, it was nice to enjoy a well-played game from the Cyclones and a stress-free win against a conference opponent.

Another fun thing that happened during the game is that I caught a t-shirt!  They actually had some people come into the upper deck to throw out shirts, which was fun.  If you are keeping track, my family has now collected 3 shirts this month from ISU sporting events!  

Today's game was the 15th Cyclone football game that Nolan has attended, and it was his 5th win against a Big 12 team.  The other conference games he has seen Iowa State win were Cincinnati last year, UCF last year, at Kansas State in 2021, and vs Texas Tech in 2020. 

As for myself, this was the 9th time that I have attended a football game between the Cyclones and the Jayhawks.  That includes Iowa State wins in 2021, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2011, and 2002.  The only Kansas win was in 2023. 

Nolan with the shirt we caught at the game.

Thursday, November 6th, 2025

 Well, tonight was another successful and fun basketball game for us.  This time I took Nolan over to Hilton, where we watched the #16 Cyclones defeat the Grambling State Tigers, 102-62. Grambling State plays in the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference), and they are from Grambling, Louisiana. 

Speaking of fun, Nolan was able to get a shirt from the t-shirt cannon!  That's two games in a row where the kids have been lucky enough to come home with a shirt!  I think that I've gotten a good idea now about when and where to have the kids go if they want a good chance at a shirt...

Nolan and I also were on the jumbotron 3 times during tonight's game!  We had a selfie that was shown, and then 2 times we were shown there during the "Cyclones Live" video feed.  So that was pretty cool.  We even ran into my cousin Kelly at the game.

As far as the game goes, Joshua Jefferson was the player of the game.  He scored 20 points and collected 8 rebounds.  Jefferson was one of six Cyclones to score in double digits... which included Milan Momcilovic (11), Killyan Toure (11), Jamarion Batemon (11), Tamin Lipsey (10), and Dominick Nelson (10). 

Tonight's game was the 46th time Nolan has watched an ISU men's basketball game, and it was the second time that I have seen the Cyclones play against Grambling State.  The previous time was back in 2021. 

Nolan and Cy!

Nolan holding the t-shirt that he caught.

Monday, November 3rd, 2025

 Tonight Maxwell and I had fun at the Iowa State men's basketball season opener, where the Cyclones defeated the Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson, 88-50.  Fairleigh Dickinson University is located in Hackensack, New Jersey, and the Knights are members of the Northeast Conference. 

The highlight of tonight's game for us was probably catching a t-shirt!  Maxwell and I were walking across the walkway of the upper deck because Eben was sitting over in section 203, and we wanted to go and say hi.  About when we got to midcourt they started doing the t-shirt toss, and we were lucky enough to have a shirt come right at us.  Besides grabbing a shirt, Maxwell also got his picture with Cy, he posed with the Johnny Orr statue, and I bought him some popcorn for a snack.  

As for the game, Milan Momcilovic scored a career-high 29 points and connected on 7 three-pointers!  He was joined in double figures scoring by Tamin Lipsey (18) and Joshua Jefferson (14).  I was happy to see Tamin Lipsey play well today, because he had been out of practice for about 6 weeks due to an MCL sprain.  We also got to see a bunch of newcomers to the team, but I would say that the one who stood out the most from that group was Killyan Toure.  He is a freshman guard who was able to start the game, and he ended up with 9 points.

Today's game was the 38th Cyclone basketball game that Maxwell has attended.  

Maxwell with the Johnny Orr statue.

Maxwell and Cy!

Iowa State 88, Fairleigh Dickinson 50.

Saturday, November 1st, 2025

 Today was kind of a miserable day for a football game, but I was proud of Nolan for sticking it out with me until the end.  Not only was it frustrating to watch Iowa State lose to Arizona State, but the weather was crummy.  Most of the day it was lightly raining, and it was a cold November day (upper 30s to low 40s for temperature).  For part of the game it was even lightly hailing on us.  Even with all of that, we stuck it out until the end.  

There was a very scary moment in the game, when Iowa State's tight end Benjamin Brahmer collapsed onto the field after taking a hit.  He was carted off of the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.  That was probably the quietest that I have heard it inside of Jack Trice.  Thankfully, it sounds like he is going to be ok.

So, despite the cold, and the losing football, and the scary injury... we still managed to have a fun day.  I believe that this is the 14th football game that I have taken Nolan to.  The previous game I had taken him to was against Iowa this year.  

Saturday, October 25th, 2025

 Well, it's homecoming weekend at Iowa State, so of course I spent the day helping LaVonne with the alumni band.  Aaron also drove up from Oklahoma to help out.  Unfortunately, the Cyclones ended up losing to 11th-ranked BYU, 41-27.  

Iowa State started off the game with a bang, as they scored on the very first play, a 75-yard touchdown pass from Rocco Becht to Brett Eskildsen.  The Cyclones actually led at the end of the first quarter by a score of 17-7.  Sadly, it just went downhill from there, and the Cyclones made a number of costly mistakes.  

Today marks the first time that I have been in attendance for an ISU football game against BYU.  It also marks the 11th time that I have helped push LaVonne for a homecoming football game.  The other times were against Texas Tech in 2024, Kansas in 2023, West Virginia in 2022, Oklahoma State in 2021, Oklahoma State in 2019, Texas Tech in 2018, TCU in 2017, Kansas State in 2016, Texas in 2015, and Toledo in 2014.  

It was a pretty full day helping with the alumni band.  Aaron and LaVonne picked me up around 7:30 this morning.  We drove over to the Bergstrom practice facility, where the band had practice going over formations and rehearsing music for a couple of hours.  Then we went over to C.Y. Stephens Auditorium, where the alumni band had lunch and their annual meeting.  Around 1:25 the band marched into the stadium.  Finally I helped push LaVonne onto the field to perform the halftime show.  

Myself, LaVonne, and Aaron at the alumni band practice.

Thursday, October 16th, 2025

 Tonight Maxwell and I had some fun at Hilton Coliseum, where we watched the ISU volleyball team defeat West Virginia in four sets (14-25, 25-22, 25-20, and 25-21).  

I wasn't sure it was going to be Iowa State's day early on, as the Mountaineers dominated the first set.  Thankfully, the Cyclones were able to play well the rest of the way and came out on top.  It had been quite a while since I had taken Maxwell to a volleyball game, as the last time that I can remember taking him was back in 2019 against South Dakota.  This was the third time that I have seen a volleyball game against West Virginia (2017 and 2015 were the others).  

I do think Maxwell had fun tonight.  We enjoyed a Clone Cone before the game.  Then we were on the Jumbotron a number of times, as I submitted a couple of photos... and since not many other people did so they kept popping up over and over!  He was pretty happy each time. Then we were also on the live camera on the Jumbotron, and of course he was acting silly during that. At one point the score of the game was 6 to 7, and Maxwell started yelling 6-7!! The band heard him, and they even started doing the same thing!  Later we got to dance to Juicy Wiggle.  So yeah, it was a fun night.

Maxwell with a Clone cone!

Sunday, September 28th, 2025

 This weekend we had a fun family get-together with the Shostaks.  Logan & Emma did not have school on Friday, so Amy & Brandon were able to leave Omaha earlier than usual, and they were at our place by 4 PM.  That night we all went out to eat at at Wallaby's, and then the adults stayed up late having a few drinks and making "epic stories".

Saturday morning we helped the kids make their own Jack-o-lanterns, which was fun.  Then in the afternoon, Amy & I went tailgating while everyone else went down to Adventureland for a fun-filled day.  For the tailgate, the theme was a taco bar.  I brought a small crock pot with Velveeta & Rotel dip.  It was a nice day to tailgate, as temperatures were in the low 80's.  Kickoff for the game was 6 PM, and it was a "white out", where everyone was encouraged to wear white.

As for the game, I'm happy to say that Iowa State easily defeated Arizona, 39-14.  Coming into the game, Iowa State was something like a 5-point favorite, so I was expecting a close game.  Iowa State was also without their starting kicker, as Kyle Konrardy is injured... so they relied on third-string walk-on Chase Smith for kicking duties.  Smith actually did a good job, as he went 4/4 on extra points, and he even made a 34 yard field goal!  Another player that really stepped up for Iowa State was Chase Sowell, as he had 4 receptions for 146 yards.  

It had been a couple of years since Amy has gone to a football game with me, as the previous game was against TCU in 2023.  This was the first time that I have seen Iowa State play against Arizona, but it was also the first football game between Arizona and ISU as conference opponents.  The previous time these two programs played was back in 1968.  

Here the kids are all carving pumpkins!

GO CYCLONES!

Saturday, September 6th, 2025

 IT'S A CYCLONE STATE!!

Today I took Nolan with me to the CyHawk football game at Jack Trice Stadium, and I'm happy to say that the Cyclones won a hard fought game, 16-13. 

The game was an 11:00 AM kickoff, so we had to get up early to go tailgating.  Dan cooked up some waffles for everyone for the tailgate.  Nolan, Bash, and I all had fun playing catch with the football.  

As for the game, Kyle Konrardy came up clutch, as he made a 54-yard field goal with 1:52 left in the 4th quarter to give Iowa State the lead for good.  Benjamin Brahmer had the only touchdown for the Cyclones today, which was a 2-yard pass reception from Rocco Becht. 

This was the 8th football game that I have attended between Iowa State and Iowa, and it was only the 3rd win for the Cyclones (today, 2007, and 2005).  The Hawkeyes won in 2023, 2021, 2019, 2013, and 2009.  This was the first time that Nolan has been to a CyHawk football game.  He did see the Cyclones beat the Hawkeyes in basketball, back in 2023. 

Saturday, August 30th, 2025

Today Maxwell and I had a fun day filled with tailgating and Iowa State's 2025 home-opening football game against the South Dakota Coyotes.  The 22nd ranked Cyclones went on to dominate the football game, winning by a score of 55-7. Rocco Becht threw 3 touchdown passes, and Kyle Konrardy kicked a record breaking 63 yard field goal!  The 63-yarder set a new record for Iowa State and for Jack Trice Stadium.  When they were lining up for the field goal attempt at the end of the first half I couldn't believe it... but he actually had plenty of leg!  

Today's football game is the 10th that I have taken Maxwell to.  The previous football game he attended was last year vs Baylor.

This year our tailgate spot is over in the RV lot, as Ryan Butler bought an RV.  It's a really nice area which has power hook-ups.  It was also fun to walk over the bridge on the way into the stadium.

While Maxwell and I had fun at the football game, Elizabeth and Nolan are probably having even more fun... as they are down in Orlando for the weekend to see Halloween Horror Nights!

GO CYCLONES!

Maxwell enjoying a hot dog at our tailgate.

Sunday, August 10th, 2025

 Today I drove back to Ames after having a fun weekend down in St. Louis with Nolan and Eben.  I took a half day off on Friday, and we left Ames a little after noon.  We enjoyed a nice supper down at Sugarfire in Wentzville.  Nolan and I split a combo plate that came with two meats and two sides.  We chose brisket and ribs for out meats along with baked beans and mac & cheese for our sides.  Dad ordered a 1/2 rack of ribs meal, with green beans and fries.  After supper we checked into our hotel (Home2 suites by Hilton) in downtown St. Louis and just relaxed the rest of the evening.

Saturday was a busy day.  After having breakfast at the hotel, we walked over to the City Museum.  Nolan loved this place.  We probably spent a good 4 hours there.  It has all kinds of tunnels and fun spaces for kids to crawl around and explore.  We also went to the "pinball hall", where we were able to play a bunch of pinball machines and old arcade games (Mrs. Pac-man, Galaga, etc).  The City Museum was probably Nolan's favorite part of the trip.  After that, we relaxed in the hotel for about an hour before heading over to the Gateway Arch.  After taking some fun pictures of it, we did stop down at the museum underneath the arch.  Nolan was not very impressed with the arch.  He said something like "It's just a big curved line".  We did not take the ride up to the top of the arch.

Finally, we walked from the Gateway Arch over to Busch Stadium, where we watched the Cardinals play against their rival, the Chicago Cubs.  I was rooting for the Cubs, dad was rooting for the Cardinals, and Nolan was indifferent but kind of rooting for the Cubs (even though I had him wear a Cardinals shirt).  Anyways, the Cubs dominated the game from the start, and they went on to win by a score of 9-1.  Michael Busch hit a three-run homer for the Cubs, while Matt Shaw added a solo home run and an RBI triple.  Colin Rea earned the win after pitching 6 innings and allowing only 1 run.  

I believe this was the 10th regular season MLB game that I have attended. The previous games were:

• 6/22/2023 - Minnesota 6 vs Boston 0.
• 6/22/2019 - Minnesota 5 @ Kansas City 3 (10 innings).
• 6/21/2015 - Chicago Cubs 8 @ Minnesota 0.
• 7/7/2014 - Seattle 2 vs Minnesota 0.
• 6/9/2012 - Minnesota 11 vs Chicago Cubs 3.
• 5/29/2011 - Chicago Cubs 3 vs Pittsburgh 2.
• 7/4/2010 - Cincinnati 14 @ Chicago Cubs 3.
• 7/25/2006 - Minnesota 3 @ Chicago White Sox 2.
• 8/7/2005 - Boston 11 @ Minnesota 7.

This was the third different MLB stadium that I have taken dad and Nolan to (Minnesota and Kansas City were the others).  I've also purchased Nolan a souvenir baseball at each of the stadiums for him to collect.  I did ask Maxwell about a dozen times if he would want to come with us for the trip down to St. Louis, but he was adamant that he did not want to come.  

Nolan and dad at the City Museum

Nolan at the Gateway Arch

Nolan and myself by our seats at the game.  We sat in section 167, row 18, seats 1 through 3.

We enjoyed hot dogs at the game, because I feel like you almost have to eat a hot dog when you are at the ballpark. 

   

Sunday, June 22nd, 2025

 This weekend I took Nolan and Maxwell up to Eben's farm for a little family fun.  Saturday morning we drove up to Ruthven to visit grandma Natalie at the care center.  She has gotten a lot weaker since her recent stroke, and it is a challenge for her to stand up and transfer to her wheelchair.  We visited with her outside, and I think that she enjoyed getting some fresh air.

Saturday afternoon we had a little race around dad's farm.  Nolan was driving the go-kart, I was driving the lawn mower, and Eben and Maxwell were in the ranger utility vehicle.  It seemed like we were playing Mario kart.  Nolan's go-kart was definitely faster than my lawnmower, but at least I could turn shorter...

After our driving session, we had some fun with water guns, water balloons, and a 3-person water balloon launcher.  It was a hot day in the 90's, so the water felt nice.  We were launching the water balloons at some bulls that dad had in the pasture just east of the house, and we managed to hit them a couple of times.

For supper on Saturday I decided to treat the kids to something that they have never had before... prime rib!  We went up to the Prime Rib in Spencer, and I ordered the kids each a 10-ounce prime rib.  Dad had a prime rib Philly cheesesteak sandwich, and I just ordered the salad bar.  I figured that I would help eat whatever the kids did not finish.  Well, Maxwell was able to eat his entire steak, and Nolan ate about half of his.  I had the kids rate their meal on a 0-10 scale.  Maxwell said it was a 7/10, and Nolan gave it a 7.8/10.  One thing that I think they did not enjoy as much about it was having to cut the meat away from the fat.  Also, Nolan still insists that steak is better with ketchup.  

Maxwell and Nolan with grandma Natalie.

Maxwell about to try prime rib for the first time!

Nolan with his prime rib!

Sunday, May 4th, 2025

 This weekend I took Nolan up to Yellow River for our annual camping and trout fishing trip.  We met up with Jon & Matt Seago, along with Tyler and a couple of his friends (Keith and Joe).  We stayed at campsite #115.  

On Friday I picked up Nolan an hour early from school.  By the time we arrived at the campground, we were able to set up camp and still had some daylight to try our luck fishing.  We tried the handicap area where we had success last year, and I did manage to catch one trout worth keeping.  That night it was cloudy, so we couldn't see the stars, but it was otherwise nice weather and no rain.  We had a nice campfire and made smores.  I decided that Nutella is the best thing to use with smores.

Saturday morning Nolan and I tried the fishing hole close to camp, but we did not even have a nibble.  Then we went back to the handicap area, where I caught and released one small trout.  At this point Nolan was getting frustrated, since I was catching fish and he was not.  But like most years, that was about to change.  We met up with Jon at the camp, and he drove us over to Wexford, which is a church and cemetery that is north of Harper's Ferry on highway X52.  There is a bridge right by the cemetery, and beside it there is a nice fishing hole.  There Nolan was able to catch two fairly large rainbow trout, and Jon caught one nice rainbow trout as well.  Later that day we did try fishing at Waterton, but we had no luck there.

That night we did have nice clear skies to see the stars, and we had a nice campfire.  I brought some fire color changing packets, which we used to make the campfire colorful.  Overall, it was a fun trip camping and fishing, but I am feeling pretty worn out now, and I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.

I believe this is the 5th time that Nolan has been up to Yellow River with me.  Here are some of the previous times that I have blogged about Yellow river: 2024, 2023, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2014, 2013, and 2012. 

Nolan with the Harper's Ferry sign.

Nolan with one of the rainbow trout he caught at Wexford.

Sunday, April 20th, 2025

EASTER 2025

This weekend we headed up to my dad's farm... although Easter was not the main reason.  You see, my grandma Natalie was having a 95th birthday party!  So, it was a good chance to see a lot of family that we don't see very often.  Amy, Brandon, Logan, and Emma all stayed at dad's place with us.  Quite a few of my cousins were there, including Sierra, David, Mark, and Kent, along with all of their significant others / families.  There were also my aunts & uncles: Chris & Marcia, Rick & Marilyn, LaVonne & Gary, Susan & Chris, and Aaron & Dianne.  It was nice to have so many family members around to help grandma celebrate her big day (although her actual birthday was on the 17th).

Grandma's birthday party was between 1:00 and 3:00 on Saturday at the Lutheran church in Ruthven.  A lot of us were there mid-morning to help set up and take family pictures. Then all of the kids had an Easter egg hunt in the church.  After her birthday party, Amy's and my families came back to Eben's farm, where the kids got to ride around on the go-kart.  Then that evening we went over to Chris & Marcia's place to hang out with family.  

Nolan, Elizabeth, Grandma Natalie, Maxwell, and myself.

Logan, Amy, Grandma Natalie, Brandon, Eben, and Emma.

Emma and Nolan having fun on the go-kart.

Saturday, March 22nd, 2025

 Today our family drove home from Milwaukee, where we travelled to watch the first round NCAA tournament game between the 3-seed Iowa State Cyclones and 14-seed Lipscomb Bisons.  I'm pleased to say that the Cyclones won in convincing fashion, 82-55!  

We drove out to Milwaukee on Thursday.  That evening we checked out Lakefront Brewery.  Elizabeth and I had to order a beer called "My Turn: Nolan", because of course we did.  It was a stout, and I thought it was very good.  Then we found a bar / arcade called Dead Bird Brewing, where the adults ordered a couple more drinks and the kids got to play games.  They even had an old TV playing movies on VHS tapes, which the kids got a kick out of.  

On Friday before the game we grabbed lunch at Milwaukee Brat House.  We arrived close to 10:50 (when the website said that it opened at 11:00).  It was a good thing we came early, because it was already open and almost full.  I ordered a German style brat, which was topped with kraut and sauteed onions.  It was very tasty.  Elizabeth was able to order a Beyond Burger, so she was happy about that.

After lunch we walked over to the game, which tipped-off at 12:30.  Lipscomb University is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Bisons are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN).  Coming into the game, Tamin Lipsey was questionable, as he is dealing with a groin strain.  He was still able to start the game and play effectively, which was a relief.  The game itself was a blow-out.  Iowa State led by a score of 40-24 at halftime, and the entire second half was pretty stress-free.  Milan Momcilovic was the player of the game for Iowa State, as he led the team with 20 points.  He was joined in double figures scoring by Curtis Jones (17), Joshua Jefferson (10), and Tamin Lipsey (10).   One fun thing about the game was that walk-on Cade Kelderman was able to score 5 points. 

Today before we headed home we stopped at Slick City, which is an indoor amusement park that has a bunch of slides and go-carts.  The kids had fun for a few hours and got to burn off some energy before the drive home.

I had always wanted to go to an Iowa State men's NCAA tournament game, so it was nice to be able to take the whole family to one.  This marked the 45th men's Iowa State basketball game that Nolan has attended, and it was the 37th game that Maxwell has attended.  We also stayed for about half of the second game of the session - between North Carolina and Mississippi.  I won't really count that game in the kids' totals.  Ole Miss ended up winning that one, and they will be Iowa State's opponent tomorrow in the round of 32.  

Nolan, Maxwell, and Elizabeth watching the game.

Here I am enjoying a couple of beers (PBR) at the Milwaukee Brat House.

GO CYCLONES!

Tuesday, March 4th, 2025

 On one hand college basketball can be exhilarating when your team wins in spectacular fashion. However, on the other hand, it can really be heartbreaking to lose a close game.  That's what happened tonight for the #10 Cyclones, who came up on the short end of the stick in double overtime against #23 BYU, 88-85.  

Originally I was not planning to take either of the boys to the game tonight, as tip-off was scheduled for 8:00 PM.  However, there is a blizzard warning for tomorrow, and the kid's school has already been cancelled.  As it happened, Nolan agreed to go to tonight's game since he will be able to sleep in tomorrow morning. 

To be honest, I was quite happy that Iowa State even had a chance to win this game at the end.  BYU played very well in the first half and led at halftime by a score of 33-24.  Things got worse for the Cyclones to start the second half, and at one point Iowa State was trailing by 21 points in the second half.  Thankfully, Iowa State was able to mount a furious comeback, which was very similar to the game against Oklahoma in 2015.  

With 9 seconds left in regulation, Joshua Jefferson made 2 free throws to tie the game and send it to the first overtime.  He also made a basket with 34 seconds left in the first overtime to put ISU up two points.  Of course BYU made a layup to tie it on their next possession.  In the second overtime Iowa State just could not make the plays to get over the hump.

I suppose that I will call Joshua Jefferson the player of the game for Iowa State.  He led the team with 19 points, and he did score some clutch points to give the Cyclones a chance at the end.  He was joined in double figures scoring by Milan Momcilovic (18), Curtis Jones (16), Tamin Lipsey (15), and Keshon Gilbert (13).  

Tonight's game was the 44th game that Nolan has attended.  The loss snaps a 19-game winning streak of games that Nolan has attended.  It was his first time watching Iowa State play BYU.  For me, this was the third time I have seen the Cyclones play the Cougars.  The previous games were Cyclone wins in 2024 and 2012.  

Here is a recap of the 2024-25 regular season games that I attended:

Wins:

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Cincinnati
• TCU
• UCF
• Utah
• Baylor
• Omaha
• Jackson State
• Marquette
• UMKC
• Mississippi Valley State

Losses:

• BYU

Saturday, March 1st, 2025

 My favorite month of the year is finally here!  Besides my birthday and the warming temperatures, March also is my favorite time of the year for sports... especially the March Madness tournament.

Tonight I was able to take Nolan over to Hilton Coliseum, where we witnessed a memorable victory for the #9 Cyclones over the #22 Arizona Wildcats, 84-67.  The atmosphere inside Hilton was really top-notch for today's game.  It was a sell-out, the crowd was all wearing yellow for the "gold rules" game, and a couple of former Cyclone greats were in attendance for the game - Tyrese Haliburton and Georges Niang!  During halftime of tonight's game they dropped a banner from the rafters in Hilton to honor Haliburton winning a gold medal with team USA during the last summer Olympics.

As for the game itself, Milan Momcilovic was the player of the game.  He led the team with 17 points, including four 3-pointers that he hit in the first half. The Cyclones would lead by as many as 24 points in the second half before Arizona made it a little more interesting towards the end.  Momcilovic was joined in double-figures scoring for the Cyclones by Tamin Lipsey (15), Curtis Jones (12), Nate Heise (12), and Brandton Chatfield (10).  

Tonight was the 43rd time that Nolan has attended a Cyclone men's basketball game.  It was his 15th conference win, and it was the third time that he has witnessed Iowa State knock off a top-25 team.  The previous top-25 teams he has seen ISU defeat were #5 Marquette earlier this season and #8 Kansas in 2023.  There are now only 5 more conference foes that Nolan needs to collect before he can say that he has seen Iowa State defeat every team in the Big 12.  That would be: Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF.  

For myself, this was the first time that I have seen the Cyclones play Arizona.  The only Big 12 teams that I have not seen Iowa State defeat are Houston and Arizona State.  

Nolan with his Clone Cone before the game.

You can see that Nolan was quite tired by the end of the game.  It was about 10:30 PM by the time the game finished.  

Tuesday, February 18th, 2025

 Today was a chilly day in Ames, as the temperature was 14 degrees below zero when I got into work this morning.  Days like this really make it hard to wait for the warmer temperatures of springtime.  

Another thing that I always look forward to in spring is March Madness.  Speaking of that, tonight I was able to take Nolan with me to Iowa State's basketball game, where the #8 Cyclones easily handled the Colorado Buffalos, 79-65.  Iowa State started the game out strong and led by a score of 20-5 early on.  From there, the Cyclones cruised to an easy win.  At times the second half seemed a bit boring and sloppy, but a stress-free win is always nice.

It's hard to pick a player of the game today, but I suppose that I will go with Joshua Jefferson, who scored 12 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists.  He was one of five Cyclones in double figures scoring, including Milan Momcilovic (13), Dishon Jackson (13), Tamin Lipsey (12), and Nate Heise (11).  

I always am happy when one of the boys gets to cross off another Big 12 conference opponent from the list.  Now that Nolan has seen the Cyclones defeat Colorado, he only has 6 more teams to go.  That would include: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF.  Overall, this was the 42nd men's basketball game that Nolan has attended, and it was his 14th conference win.  As for myself, I really cannot remember if I have seen the Cyclones play Colorado before or not.  I know that there were a handful of games that I went to when I was a student that I was not keeping track of... which possibly could have included Colorado.  But since I've been keeping track, this is the first time I have seen the Cyclones play the Buffaloes.  

GO STATE!

Saturday, February 15th, 2025

This afternoon I took Maxwell over to Hilton Coliseum, where we watched the #10 Iowa State Cyclones take down the Cincinnati Bearcats, 81-70.  

 It was a hard fought and close game for the most part.  At halftime, the score was tied at 39.  Both teams had a couple of technical fouls.  The difference in the game was at the free throw line, where the Cyclones made 26 of 30 attempts.  Curtis Jones was the player of the game for Iowa State, as he led the team with 22 points, and he was a perfect 12 for 12 from the charity stripe.  He was joined in double figures scoring for the Cyclones by Joshua Jefferson (13), Milan Momcilovic (12), and Tamin Lipsey (11).  The Bearcats were led in scoring by Jizzle James, who scored 25 points.  He must have the most ridiculous name of any player that I have seen in Hilton.  

Today's game was the 36th game that Maxwell has been to, and it was his 11th conference win.  There are now only 7 conference teams that Maxwell still needs to see ISU defeat in order to collect them all.  That would be: Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Houston, Oklahoma State, and Utah.  

This was actually the second time that I have seen Iowa State play Cincinnati.  The first time was back in 2016, when Cincinnati came out on top, 55-54.  

Iowa State 81, Cincinnati 70.

Saturday, February 8th, 2025

 Happy National Melvin Ejim Day!  At least that's what I called it on this date back in 2014, when Ejim scored 48 points to lead the Cyclones over the TCU Horned Frogs.  I guess February 8th is a good day for ISU to defeat TCU, as that is exactly what happened today, by a score of 82-52.  Iowa State came into today's game ranked #8 in the country.  

This morning Nolan and I met up with my friend Mike Kazlauskas and his nephew Logan, and we all headed over to Hilton Coliseum a bit earlier than usual.  You see, ESPN College GameDay was in town, and they did a live broadcast from inside Hilton about an hour before today's game.  

As for the game, Curtis Jones led the way for Iowa State, as he scored 24 points and connected on 5-6 from three-point range.  He was joined in double-figures scoring for the Cyclones by Milan Momcilovic (14), Dishon Jackson (14), and Joshua Jefferson (13).  A memorable thing about today's game was that it was the first game Momcilovic has played since January 11th, as he had been out with a broken hand.  The crowd was really excited even when he was going through warm-ups, and it got loud whenever he made a basket.  

Today's game was the 41st game that Nolan has attended, and it was his 13th conference victory.  Nolan has actually seen ISU play TCU 4 times now (2024, 2019, and 2014 were the other times).  

As for myself, this is the eighth time I have attended a basketball game against TCU.  The Cyclones have won 7 of those games (2024, 2020, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, and today's game), while the Horned Frogs came out on top in 2019.  

After today's game, the four of us met up with Elizabeth and Maxwell, and we had a nice lunch at Macubana on Welch Avenue.  I had never been there before, but I thought it was very good.  I had the Pancetta Cubano with fries.  Their Belgian fries were very good.  After lunch we all walked around campus, and we showed off a few of the different classrooms to Mike and Logan.  

I didn't get our usual scoreboard photo, but this was a nice selfie at least.

Tuesday, January 21st, 2025

 Tonight I took Maxwell over to Hilton Coliseum, where we watched the #3 Iowa State Cyclones dominate the UCF Knights 108-83.  The 108 points are the most points that have been scored by a Cyclone team under coach T.J. Otzelberger.

What I will remember most about this game is the outstanding play of Joshua Jefferson.  He tallied a career-high 30 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.  He was joined in double-figure scoring for the Cyclones by Keshon Gilbert (21), Curtis Jones (19), and Demarion Watson (11).  It was nice to see Watson provide a spark off of the bench, especially now that Milan Momcilovic is sidelined with a fractured hand.  

Today's game is the 35th ISU men's basketball game that I have taken Maxwell to, and it was his 10th conference win.  UCF is the first "new Big 12" team that Maxwell has seen in basketball.  To collect wins against every Big 12 team, Maxwell still needs to see ISU defeat Oklahoma State, Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, and Utah.  

Another thing to note about today is how dang cold it was.  This morning when I got to work it was 11 degrees BELOW ZERO!  It was so cold that Maxwell did not even want a ice cream at the game... so he settled for popcorn instead.

Iowa State 108, UCF 83.

Tuesday, January 14th, 2025

My family just had a fun time down in Orlando, where we spent 5 days (from January 9th through the 13th) at the Universal Studios resort.  We stayed at the Portofino Bay hotel, which means that we were able to have express passes while we were there which helped cut down on the time that we spent in line. Another fun thing about this trip is that Nolan's friend Nico and his family were able to come down, so he got to spend time at the parks with his buddy. 

On Thursday when we got down there we were able to spend the whole afternoon going on rides and enjoying the parks.  This was also Elizabeth's birthday!  I imagine that was about the best way that she could have spent her birthday.  That night for dinner our family ate at Toothsomes Chocolate Emporium, where we enjoyed giant milkshakes.  I ordered the strawberry cheesecake shake, Maxwell had the confetti birthday cake shake, and Nolan had the "thrilla in vanilla".  

Friday was a full day at the park.  That morning we rope-dropped Hagrid's magical creatures motorbike adventure, which is my favorite ride in all of Universal.  Then our group split up.  I stayed with Nolan and Nico, and I let them ride everything that they wanted.  If you name it, they probably rode on it.  Velocicoaster, the forbidden journey, escape from Gringotts, the Hulk ride, Hollywood rip ride rockit, Spiderman, Dr. Doom's Fearfall... just a bunch of rides.  Unfortunately, Nolan did get nauseous from all the rides and ended up throwing up quite a bit at the end of the night.  I felt really bad for him :(

Overall, it was a fun trip and a nice time to enjoy the warmer weather down in Florida and escape the Iowa winter for a bit.  This was actually the second time that our family has gone on vacation down to Universal Studios.  The previous time was back in February of 2022.  

Maxwell and myself at the Leaky Cauldron.

Nico and Nolan pose at the Universal globe.

Our fancy milkshakes from Toothsome's.

Elizabeth and myself outside of the Velocicoaster.  

Maxwell meeting SpongeBob and Patrick!

 

Tuesday, January 7th, 2025

 Tonight I took Nolan to the Iowa State men's basketball game, where the #3 Cyclones defeated the Utah Utes, 82-59.  Utah joined the Big 12 this year, along with Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State. 

Today's game seemed a little sloppy at times, but the Cyclones still cruised to an easy 23-point victory.  The player of the game for Iowa State was Curtis Jones, who led the team with 23 points and had 6 assists.  He was joined in double figures scoring by Tamin Lipsey (20), Joshua Jefferson (17), and Keshon Gilbert (15).  

With the victory, it crosses another conference opponent off the list for Nolan. This was the first time he has seen ISU defeat one of the "new Big 12" teams.  He still has Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, and UCF left.  Overall, this was the 40th men's basketball game that Nolan has attended. 

GO CYCLONES!!

Saturday, January 4th, 2025

 Happy New Year!  Today I took Maxwell over to Hilton, where we enjoyed watching a top-25 matchup between #3 Iowa State and #25 Baylor.  The Cyclones never trailed in the game, and they cruised to an easy 74-55 victory.  

Keshon Gilbert was the player of the game for Iowa State, as he had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.  He was joined in double figures scoring by Milan Momcilovic (15) and Curtis Jones (14).  The Cyclones really played well on the defensive end, holding the usually high-scoring Baylor team to only 55 points.  During halftime of the game, there was a tribute to the 99-2000 and 2000-01 ISU basketball teams.  Most of the players from those teams returned, and even coach Larry Eustachy was there.  

This was the 8th time that I have attended a basketball game between Iowa State and Baylor.  The Cyclones came out on top five of those games (today, 2023, 2018, 2017, and 2013).  The stupid bears won in 2022, 2019, and 2015.  If it was up to me, I would have kicked Baylor out of the Big 12 Conference after their sexual assault scandal.  Anyways...

Today's game was the second time that Maxwell has seen the Cyclones play Baylor. The first time was back in 2017.  Overall, this was the 34th basketball game that Maxwell has been to, and it was his 9th conference win.  He still needs to see wins against Oklahoma State and all of the new Big 12 teams.  This was the fifth time that Maxwell has attended a game where ISU played against a top-25 team, and the Cyclones are actually 5-0 in those games.  The previous top-25 wins he has witnessed were: #7 Kansas in 2024, #7 Texas in 2023, #15 West Virginia in 2018, and #9 Baylor in 2017.  

Cy!

Iowa State 74, Baylor 55.