Chris & I went to TwinsFest on Saturday. I wasn’t sure how much time we would spend there because it’s basically a gigantic Baseball Card Show but we found some fun things to do and ran into some cool people.

The first thing we did was head down to the field and walk around. I had seen that the wives organization was going to be selling cute tank tops so I was on the lookout for their booth. Well, it just so happens that the wives that were working were Mrs. Gardenhire and Mrs. Redmond and there was a special guest at the booth: Mike Redmond! and he was signing any tank tops that were purchased. Unfortunately I didn’t have the cash on me so we decided to continue with our TwinsFest experience and go back later. I have to admit, I REALLY wanted his autograph, but I think I would have bought a tank top either way.

We walked through some of the card show and looked at some of the Twins minor league team information before making our way up to play Dodgeball from the upper deck. For anyone who hasn’t witnessed Dodgeball at a Twins (or other team’s) baseball game, one fan stands on the upper deck in the outfield and has 3 chances to toss a ball into the bed of a Dodge Pickup. At TwinsFest every fan can have a chance so we got in line & I actually got one in! The prize during the baseball season is a chance to win the truck, the prize for me was two vouchers good for 2 cheap seats tickets for $1. I can’t remember the last time I sat in the Cheap Seats, but 2 tickets for $1 says I’ll be sitting there this year! Fun times.

After Dodgeball Chris and I headed back to the main floor because we had found a cash machine earlier and it appeared that Mr. Redmond was still keeping company at the wives table. I picked out a red shirt & got not only Mike Redmond’s autograph but also got a picture with him! I have a lot of respect for Mike as a player who loves the game and plays with a lot of heart and now I know that he supports his wife and their organization as well. What a guy! Oh yea, as we were standing in line for the shirt, Mrs. Gardy walked over to someone behind me and gave him a hug. I turned around to see who it was and I was shocked to recognize…former MN Twin Corey Koskie! He was one of my favorite players…I even had a Koskie shirt back in the day.

The main event of TwinsFest is that the 2008 single game tickets have officially gone on sale so Chris & I picked up some tickets for a game in early May against the Red Sox. It was surprising to me that the “best available” seats were way down the 1st base line in the outfield. We ended up picking upper level directly behind home plate which should be interesting. This year I decided to give up my Season Tickets. It was a fun experience last year and I got to go to quite a few games, but Chris & I decided that we would rather have the flexibility of going with other people and would like to take in the game from different sections around the dome.

PS…Twenty-Oh-Eight is how the announcers were saying 2008 on the radio…seriously!

My friend TJ came up with the great idea of looking for something every day in 2008 that reminds him why the World Is Nice. Once he has identified what that is, he takes a picture with his super cool Digital SLR and shares it with the world online.

I’ve enjoyed following the photo journal of nice things so far & thought maybe everyone else might want to as well. So, check it out here!

Tuesday wasn’t a great day for me because I stayed home sick, but it ended in a very good way. (No, this is not a Rated R post!)

Trifecta is a betting term that means someone has selected the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place horses in the exact order they finished the race. However, as a slang term it is used to describe any successful or favorable phenomenon or characteristic that comes in threes. A long time ago my friend Bryan was telling me about his favorite trifecta…clean sheets, clean pj’s, and a shower right before bed. That is what I am now calling the Bedtime Trifecta and I had one on Tuesday night. If you’ve never tried it, you really should.

Happy Dreams!

This year I decided that I didn’t need anything new to sit around the house. In addition, I thought about all the families who don’t have money to buy toys or food during the holiday season and because of that I decided to focus my efforts on that. This year I did not buy gifts but instead I donated to Toys for Teens. I asked my family & friends to not buy me a gift but instead purchase something for themselves that they wanted or donate to a charity. My family decided to donate money to charities of their choosing which I really appreciate.

I wanted to highlight the charities in case anyone is interested in finding a charity to support!

Josh donated to Doctor’s Without Borders. He had invited Chris and I to join him at a DWB exhibit this fall where we saw what a Refugee Camp would look like.

Becky & Nathan donated to World Vision. In addition to the donation, they gave out Christmas cards that supported the organization!

My parents donated to a Juarez House-Building Mission Trip that one of my high school classmates was going on. In addition, they gave to Urban Ventures which is an organization that helps people get back on their feet as well as provide food.

It felt really good to me to know that we have helped out so many people and I hope that everyone truly understands that even without giving materialistic gifts, I love you & I know that you love me too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!