Sunday, June 21st, 2015

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Tonight we just got back to Ames after a memorable weekend in Minneapolis.  Elizabeth, Nolan, and I headed up there after we were done with work on Friday.  We stayed at the Marriott hotel in downtown Minneapolis.  Saturday we ate breakfast at Hell's Kitchen before we went off to explore at the Mall of America.  We ended up buying Nolan a Buzz Lightyear and Woody dolls at the Disney store.  We had only planned to buy on or the other, but he basically clung to both of them and wouldn't let use take either away!  Then I took Nolan on a small roller coaster called the Barnyard Hayride.  He was really upset at first because we made him put down his new toys.  After the ride started though, he really started to smile and enjoy himself.  He was saying "Fun" and "Whoa" between smiles :)  For lunch on Saturday we met up with Amy, Grandpa Eben, Shannon, and Terry at Lucky's 13 Pub in Bloomington.  I had a Walleye sandwich that was really tasty, and we shared some good news with Amy and the family...  after lunch we took Amy and Eben back to the Mall of America for more rides and shopping before heading back to the Marriott for the evening.

Today we had a nice breakfast buffet at the hotel before once again heading back to the Mall of America.  This time, though, we checked out the Sea Life Aquarium at the mall.  It's crazy how big the Mall of America is when it has it's own amusement park and aquarium!  The aquarium was a lot of fun to see.  We say Jellyfish, sting rays, sea horses, and there was a large walk-through area where the fish tank went over the top of the walkway.  It was filled with larger fish like small sharks, sawfish, and sea turtles.

After that we headed to Target Field to watch the Twins take on the Chicago Cubs,  the same match-up that we saw in 2012.  Unfortunately, this time the Cubs dominated the game.  Jake Arrieta pitched a complete game shutout while giving up only 4 hits and striking out seven.  Anthony Rizzo hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, and Dexter Fowler hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to break the game open.  The only extra base hit for the Twins was a double to left by Joe Mauer.  We did see rookie Byron Buxton steal his first base in the major leagues which was kind of neat.

Amy poses with a Lego stormtrooper at the Mall of America.

Nolan was able to meet Sponge Bob at the Mall!

...and he met Dora and Boots!

First pitch between the Twins and Cubs.

Group picture!

Nolan was a pretty good sport at the game, even though it was really hot sitting in the sun all day.

Like father, like son :)

Monday, June 15th, 2015

I just finished watching the Chicago Blackhawks win their third Stanley Cup championship in the last 6 seasons by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0.  Ever since Elizabeth and I spent a few years in Chicago, I've enjoyed watching this team play.  I had never really followed the sport before that, but it has been a lot of fun watching this team, and it is cool to see the crowds of people celebrating in Chicago right now.

Here is a list of the teams that the Blackhawks defeated in the playoffs during their three championship runs:

• 2015:
• Defeated the Nashville Predators in 6 games
• Defeated the Minnesota Wild in 4 games
• Defeated the Anaheim Ducks in 7 games
• Defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in 6 games
• 2013:
• Defeated the Minnesota Wild in 5 games
• Defeated the Detroit Red Wings in 7 games
• Defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 5 games
• Defeated the Boston Bruins in 6 games
• 2010:
• Defeated the Nashville Predators in 6 games
• Defeated the Vancouver Canucks in 6 games
• Defeated the San Jose Sharks in 4 games
• Defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in 6 games

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015

Oh, man... today marks the end of a happy era for Iowa State basketball.  Our beloved coach Fread Hoiberg accepted a deal to become the new coach of the Chicago Bulls today.  His deal is worth about $25 million over the next 5 seasons.  There were rumors that this could happen for weeks, but I was always hoping that it wouldn't end up this way.  Hoiberg was an awesome coach for Iowa State over the past 5 seasons, and I'm glad that I was able to attend quite a few of the games during his time as coach at ISU.  The Cyclones won 115 games and lost 56 during the Hoiberg era.  This made me think... what were my top 5 favorite basketball games that I attended during that time??

1.  ISU 77, Michigan 70.  Sunday, November 17th, 2013:  I would have to say that the Michigan game was my favorite one of the Hoiberg era.  It was special because before the game Coach Johnny Orr was honored, and it turned out to be one final goodbye as he would tragically pass away about a month and a half later.  Orr was not the only famous basketball personality in attendance that day; it was also the first time that Dick Vitale attended a game at Hilton Coliseum.  The game itself was a big upset as ISU was unranked at the time, and Michigan was #7 in the country.  The win helped put the Cyclones basketball program on the map.

2.  ISU 86, Kansas 81.  Sunday, January 18th, 2015: My second favorite Hoiberg era game was this past season's victory over Kansas.  The Jayhawks were ranked #9 in the country, and the Cyclones were ranked #11.  Of the 8 top-25 match-ups that I have seen at Hilton Coliseum, this was the highest-ranked game.  It was also a special day for Iowa State because it was the first time that College Gameday was in Ames to highlight a game.

3.  ISU 85, Iowa 82.  Friday, December 13th, 2013: Ranking third was the Iowa game two years ago.  This was a huge game in the state of Iowa as this was the first time in years that both teams had been ranked at the same time (ISU was #17, Iowa #23).  This was also the first time that I had attended a ISU-Iowa basketball game, and of course that makes it special since the Hawkeyes are the team that I love to hate, so to speak.  George Niang hit a go-ahead layup in the final minute, and Mike Gesell missed two key free throws in the end that could have put the Hawkeyes in front.

4.  ISU 84, TCU 69.  Saturday, February 8th, 2014: The Melvin Ejim game.  It was an honor to witness Ejim go berzerk against the Horned Frogs.  He scored a Big 12 record 48 points and collected 18 rebounds.  Ejim made 20 of 24 field goal attempts, including 2 for 2 from three point range, and 6 for 6 from the free throw line.  Another special part of this game for me was that I was able to bring Elizabeth and Nolan with me.  This was the first Big 12 conference game that Nolan was in attendance for, and it turned out to be a memorable one.

5.  ISU 77, Oklahoma 70.  Monday, March 2nd, 2015: The senior night comeback against Oklahoma was a memorable game, and as it turned out it was coach Hoiberg's last game at Hilton Coliseum.  I almost didn't include it in my top five because the first half was so disappointing and so terrible to watch as an ISU fan.  The Cyclones trailed by a score of 18 to 37 at halftime.  The second half was so incredible though that it had to make the list.  For a large part of the second half, the crowd was the loudest that I have ever heard in Hilton Coliseum.  Iowa State erased a 21-point second half deficit.

It was honestly hard to trim my list of favorite games to five, but I feel like all of the above had to be included for one reason or another.

Ok, so what else have I been up to today besides being sad about Hoiberg?  Elizabeth and I took Nolan to the Ames High School pool today for a parent & child swimming class.  I basically held him in the water for 30 minutes and let him splash around and get used to the water.

Sunday, May 17th, 2015

Well, we were finally all able to stay home for the weekend and have some quality time in Ames.  Yesterday, we hosted Dan & Anne Becker (and their little boy Bash), Tim Nevins, and Lydia Metzger for a grill out at our place.  Bash is about a month younger than Nolan, so they were able to have a lot of fun together.  We had some music playing, and it was pretty cute watching the two of them bounce around and "dance".

Then today was spent at Reiman Gardens, Earl May, and Hickory Park.  This morning we spent a while at Reiman Gardens watching butterflys, and one even landed on me for a minute.  It was a very windy and a little misty out, but we still walked around outside and checked out the gardens.  

After that, we drove over to Earl May because I wanted to browse through some trees.  I've recently had the urge to plant a maple tree that would have nice colorful leaves in the fall.  We'll see when I actually get around to that though.  While we were there, I did end up buying a goldfinch feeder.  

Then for supper tonight we took Nolan to Hickory Park.  We ordered him a kid's "Saucy Southerner" with a side of cottage cheese again.  He seems to eat both of those pretty well.  Elizabeth had a vegetarian guacamole burger, and I ordered a smoked turkey & sausage link dinner.  

Sunday, May 10th, 2015

Normally the expression people say today is "Happy Mother's Day"... but today is more like Shitty Mother's Day.  It's going to be hard with every upcoming holiday or family event where mom would normally be there.  Especially today when it would normally all be about thanking her for everything she does.  This weekend Elizabeth & I took Nolan up to the farm to be with family for Mother's Day.  Eben and Amy where there on the farm, and we also met up with Chris & Marcia, David & Mark, Curt & Tonya's family, grandma Natalie, and Kathy & Marlin for lunch today.

I'm planning to place a different type of flower at Lynn's grave each year as a way to honor her.  This year I bought a bouquet of daises, which were her favorite flower.

Monday, May 4th, 2015

It's hard to believe that mom has been gone for three weeks now.

This past weekend I went back to the farm and helped Eben with a few things.  I know that it's going to be hard for him to get all of his normal work done now that he is by himself, so I just want to try and help out more often when I can.  Saturday I spent disking about 120 acres or so... 40 at "The Big Tree" in the morning, and 80 at "Brinkley's" in the afternoon.  At Brinkley's I found a big rock and had dad come over with the rock picker to get it.  It turned out to be such a big rock that it wouldn't even fit in the rock picker!  Dad had to scoop it up and basically balance it on the end of the rock picker.  Then on Sunday I mowed the yard at the farm and helped dad move a cow and twin calves across the farm to another lot.  We put in a few bales of hay for the cows.

While I was at the farm, many people were busy planting flowers in Lynn's memory.  I believe that Lynn's favorite flower was the daisy, but she always planted a lot of Marigolds as well.  Kelly planted some of both... once people saw her pictures on Facebook, may people did the same.

Kelly's flowers in memory of Lynn.

Amy's flower garden.

Elizabeth and Nolan "helped" plant these... I guess that Nolan basically played in the mulch.

Shannon planted these by her driveway.

Marigolds that Marilyn planted.

This next weekend will be mother's day, so Elizabeth and I will take Nolan back up to the farm so we can visit mom at the cemetery.  

Sunday, April 19th, 2015

Well, this last week may have been the worst of my life.  On Monday, April 13th, my mother Lynn committed suicide on the farm.  There's not much that I can say about it other than it's just been a terribly shitty week, and I miss her so much already.  Amy was down in Ames at the time (she had joined me for the Cy's House of Trivia event this year), so she rode up with us after we heard the news.  Tuesday was spent up in Spencer planning the funeral (picking out the coffin, organizing photos for a video tribute, picking songs and a poem for the funeral, setting up the food that would be catered from Hy-Vee).  On Wednesday, we had the visitation at the Warner Funeral Home in Spencer from 5 to 8 PM.  The funeral itself was Thursday morning at 10:00 at the Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer.  Following the services, we drove to the Logan Township Cemetery for the interment.  Then a meal was served at the Methodist Church in Gillett Grove.  We had Hy-Vee cater pulled pork sandwiches, green beans, cheesy potato casserole, and fresh fruit.  I believe that there were over 350 people that signed the guest book between the visitation and the funeral services itself. 

 

Lynn Salton
December 29, 1952 - April 13, 2015

Lynn Diane Salton, the daughter of Richard and Tillie (Noble) Olson, was born December 29, 1952, in Estherville, IA. Her childhood years were spent on a farm outside of Terril, IA, where she received her education at Lake Center School south of Terril. She graduated from Terril High School in 1971. Lynn continued her education at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, graduating in 1975. After her schooling, she taught Physical Education in Algona, IA, for six years.

Lynn married Eben Salton on June 19, 1982, in Terril. Following their marriage, they moved to a farm near Webb, IA, where she raised her family and assisted in their farming operation. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Gillett Grove, IA.

She passed away at her farm near Webb on Monday, April 13, 2015, at the age of 62. Lynn was preceded in death by her mother, Tillie Olson.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Eben of rural Webb, IA; one son, Brian and wife, Elizabeth Salton of Ames, IA; one daughter, Amy and husband, Brandon Shostak of Omaha, NE; her father, Richard "Dick" Olson of Terril, IA; one grandson, Nolan Salton; one brother, Terry (Deb) Olson of Terril, IA; one sister, Becky (Ron) Shatter of Sioux Falls, SD; other relatives and many friends.