10/28/08 Captain's Blog

Spooky greetings and scary salutations Aquatennial-ites!

I can't believe I wrote that either. I guess I was just inspired by Anoka Halloween. We should just move on.

An exciting week of Anoka Halloween fun has just wrapped up and here's what happened: (cuing scary music.....oh, wait...this is a blog. Nevermind). OK, you'll have to play the creepy Halloween music in your head. Oh, but don't listen to the voices in there....not good.

This is what happens if you start to listen to the voices.
Jamie Lee Curtis not included.

So, Anoka Halloween....I told you about the Orange Tie Ball last week. This weekend was their big "Grand Day Parade" and the crowning of the new Anoka Royal Ambassadors. As I've mentioned, I love Anoka, having spent part of my childhood there and they are great friends of Aquatennial and especially our family this year. So, it was a fun, exciting day for us!

Now....Anoka gets a gigantic turnout from other royalty and festivals. They get to dress up for the parade. Who'd want to miss that? Aquatennial....well, we're already kind of dressed up. So we come as we are. Captain's hats and the usual. But it's a blast for us to see everyone else in costume (and try and figure out who they are!).

We made it to the Anoka Legion Saturday morning....Commodore Mary, Queen Tara, Princesses Jaclyn and Emily and Captain's Rob and Lindsey. We also were joined by our Senior Ambassadors. The Legion was where they had a little breakfast, coffee and, my favorite, Hot Cider. Mmmmmm....Cider. I'm a dork.

Our Aqua Family with the new Gibbon Royalty
Yes, it was REALLY hot in there!

It was a spooktacular day weather wise. Did I just say spooktacular? Can't seem to shut off this stupid halloween jargon....I think something's wrong with me. But you already knew that.

So, after the breakfast we found our way to our float. Queen Tara's parents were pulling the float for the first time and had already set up the float and were nice enough to bring water and snacks for us. Seems to me they may have done this before. Maybe. We are thrilled to have their help with it. The float can be a ton of work and we really appreciate their help.

Our float in the Halloween Parade! I'm back there somewhere...

And I have to make mention of all three of the girl's parents...I know every family has a lot going on and it is extremely hard to make it to event after event after event. I know when I was growing up that my parents just didn't have time to make it to many activities I was involved in. I understood then and I more than understand now (I can barely keep up with myself...if I had kids, they'd wonder who I was and why I was sleeping at their house).

Every parade we've done so far since they've been crowned, I think I've seen them. From Emily's parents coming to Le Seuer to Jaclyn's parents coming to Cokato to all of them showing up in Anoka. It's amazing. You can see why these are three very special young women...they all have very special parents. Pretty simple, isn't it? Good parents lead to good people. It's great to see. The support they all recieve is terrific.

On a side note, my parents are good people...so I have no excuse for why I'm so weird. Oh well.

On another side note (I'm into side notes today), I've decided that I hate dressing up. I know I've had to kind of dress up for Aquatennial all year but that's different. Halloween has become this adult, go out to bars, wear funny or ultra-elaborate costumes type of holiday. My friends do it every year. And I find an excuse NOT to do it every year.

I mean...seriously. Why would I want to do look like this?
Well, actually, sometimes I do. But not on purpose!

Captain Rob, his wife Amy, a friend of mine and I had talked about dressing up and going out on Halloween this year (it's Friday night...why not?). We decided yesterday to skip it and stay home. I was kind of relieved. Am I out of my mind? I just don't get the dressing up thing. I kind of hated it when I was a kid. I think I put on my football uniform and Dan Marino jersey for about 4 straight years because I didn't want to wear another costume. I hated dressing up. Just give me candy. Who cares what I'm wearing? I just don't get it. (And I sound like I might be the world's worst Dad someday...right? Well, I hope not. I'm sure it's different when you have kids.)

After the parade, we were off to the Anoka High School where they had a little lunch and a quick program for us (us being the visiting festivals). It also gave us a chance to see a bunch of former Anoka Ambassadors that we know including our former Princess, Tzvetelina. She was there helping out and it was just great to see her last weekend!

Two happy Captains with their former Princess Tzvet!

And I'd be a horrible Captain if I didn't mention that our OTHER former Princess Jenna was at the parade that morning and we got to see her...we miss them both a ton and even though we talk all the time online, it's always so great to see our Princesses. They mean the world to Rob and I. Jenna came all the way from Gibbon to be there and that is so nice of her. And, by the way, she just was given an internship at Larson-Allen in Mankato as she works to complete her accounting degree at St. Cloud State this year. Congratulations Princess!!!!

After lunch, it was time to change and get ready for the coronation. Anoka had 39 candidates which is just an unbelievable turnout for that program (2nd most they've ever had I think). We really enjoyed their program...the girls were great and they did a few videos chronically both the events leading up to coronation and the events that the current Ambassadors attended all year.

Three of our favorites from Anoka!
Nichelle, Tzvetelina (both Aqua Princesses)
and Christina!

And while we are on the current Ambassadors, I need to mention Janelle, Alyssa and Taryn. The three of them did an outstanding job representing Anoka as Ambassadors this year. Everywhere they went, they stood out with their poise and grace, the way they present themselves (nobody ever looks better than that group of young women) and I think most importantly, the fun that they had with this. They were ALWAYS smiling, always laughing and making others laugh and just generally having a blast. You could easily see how much doing this meant to them. And our hats are off to you....what a great year they've had. We found out at coronation that Alyssa would be the Ambassador moving on to Aquatennial and she'll do a terrific job there as well (and honestly, any of the three would be a great choice for Aqua).

This is Princess Emily and me with Anoka this past summer.
From L-R it's Alyssa, Taryn and Janelle. They are fantastic
young women we are proud to call friends!

We went on stage and we did our routine....and we were very glad to present another Aquatennial Honorary Commodore's Award. We presented it to Kelli Goodwin who has been giving back to the Anoka Halloween program since being an Ambassador in 2002, most recently as Seceratary. Congrats to her...very deserving and again, it's always a big thrill for us to surpise people with those awards!

The Commodore's Award being given to Kelli Goodwin

Finally it was time to crown the new Anoka Royal Ambassadors....the three newly crowned girls were Tessa Cacek, Jessica Nordberg and Allie Skaalerud. We had a chance after the coronation to meet them briefly and all three will once again be terrific choices to represent the great community of Anoka!

The crowning of the new Ambassadors

The new Anoka Ambassadors are greeted

by the "Has Beens" (that's what they call
themselves in Anoka after they are done)

One more Anoka Halloween mention needs to be done here and that goes to the two women who do so much for those Ambassadors each and every year. Sharolyn Carlson and Sonja Weiler are the coordinators for the program and meeting those two will tell you why their Ambassadors, number one, have a great time and number two, do a fantastic job of carrying themselves as "royalty", if you will. I've gotten to know them both very well this year and will personally tell you that no finer people are out there dedicating their time and efforts to help young women.

From L-R: Sharolyn, Kelli Goodwin and Sonja.
All do a fantastic job and, again, are great
friends of ours!

And it wouldn't be the Captain's Blog if I didn't mention Cambridge, would it? Well, what can I say. They dig us! Yeah, we did them too.

After coronation, the three Cambridge Ambassadors, Nicole, Hanna and Renita (along with coordinator Laurie..."hey, hey Laurie".....you'll see what that means in a minute) came over to Rob and I with gifts.

Besides being unusual (people don't just bring us gifts!), it made me a little nervous. What on earth were they giving us? And why does Laurie have the camera ready to fire? And why are they laughing at us?

Do I look scared? I am...actually, I'm
kidding. It was VERY funny. Thanks girls!

Well, after telling us we have to open them at the same time, Rob and I dug in. And pulled out a photo frame. With a photo. Oh no....not that photo. Oh no.

Well, the three in the middle look terrific. Can't
say much for the bookends though...

OK....here's the story. In Cokato this past August, Rob sees Laurie walking through a parking lot and hollered out (in your best Queer Eye for the Straight Guy voice) "HEY, HEY Laurie!!!!!!"

Oh boy. I immediately started lauging uncontrollably while Princesses Jaclyn and Emily joined me. Rob couldn't understand what was so funny. So, I explained and then demonstrated what he'd done. He vehemently denied what I showed him he did. And was firmly told by all three of us that he had, indeed, just become Richard Simmons. Without the short-shorts. Thankfully!

"Hey, Hey Laurie!!!!"
Yep...that works.

Later that same night, they asked us to take a picture with them doing a funny pose and the hands on the hips shot apparantly won out. And now I have to live with that photo the rest of my life. Talk about a true Halloween scare!!!!!!

At least it's with our friends from Cambridge. And it happened at one of our favorite places with many of our favorite peope in beautiful Anoka, Minnesota! Go Tornadoes!!!!!

Now, on to what is happening this week. It's is University of Minnesota Homecoming week! Working at WCCO Radio and being a huge U of M football fan makes this already an exciting week. Now, Saturday morning, we are in the Homecoming Parade!

As some of you may know, our Aquatennial family is heading to Pasadena this December for the Tournament of Roses and the Rose Bowl. I'm not saying it's going to happen because it's really a longshot. But what if the Gophers end up in the Rose Bowl this year? It's still possible (depending on when you read this...as of this writing, it's still possible)! Yes, you are going to have to thank US if it happens. 1961 until now...it hasn't happened. But WE go to Pasadena and the U is back in the Grandaddy of Them All? Yeah....you can thank me now.

Yeah...that's right. Walkin in there on January 2nd
to watch the Gophers. I probably just jinxed it.
Whoops.

OK...back to reality. The Gophers are 7-1 and having a terrific turnaround after last year's struggles. It's fun to watch Gopher football again. And that will make it a lot of fun to be a part of this year's Homecoming Parade. And we hope to see you there.

Now, on top of that, let me say this....besides the parade, there's the Gopher Victory Walk and kind of an important football game to play. If you can, make an effort to get to the Metrodome and support the University and the football team this week. They deserve our support and we need to do what we can to fill the Dome for the last Homecoming in that building. They move into a gorgeous, brand-new stadium on campus next year and that will be very exciting. But we might as well send them out of the Dome on a high note!

Hope we see many of you there....1-800-U-Gopher or www.gophersports.com. Get tickets and support the U on Homecoming!!!!!!

Lindsey Peterson
2008 Captain
Minneapolis Aquatennial