A waste of time?

After a day of rest following the Detroit Lakes Troll searching trip, we decided to attend the Smokin' in Steele BBQ and Blues Fest in Owatonna.  MN, which was scheduled to be held today and tomorrow.  As the website said, vendors open at 11:00 AM, we decided to head 50 miles south at 3:30 PM to arrive in time for the first free concert.  The concert was with Eden Brent from Greenville, Mississippi.  She is a blues pianist and vocalist who combines boogie-woogie blues, jazz, soul, gospel, and pop.  In 2006, she won the Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge.  In 2009, she won the Blues Music Awards for Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year, as well as the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player in 2025.  At the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards in 2015, Eden Brent won the award in the "Holiday Song" category for "Valentine".  She has the credentials, and I enjoyed her talent.

What I did not enjoy was that there was no BBQ.  None of the contestants had started cooking, and besides the free Eden Brent concert, they had a $15 fee for the beer garden and additional music.  There were a few food trucks, and T-Mobile was the only non-food vendor.  One of the food trucks was a bad excuse for BBQ, while others had nothing to do with BBQ.  Overall, it was a wasted trip, and I am not sure I would recommend wasting anyone's time on the first day, nor am I sure if the second day is any better.

Since we were hungry and longed for good BBQ, we searched for any option on the way home.  We found a place called Smoke in Lonsdell, MN.  It was about 6 miles out of the way, but it had decent reviews.  It was scheduled to open just before the COVID pandemic hit in 2020.  That meant they were set for business, but since they were not opened in 2019, they did not qualify for any COVID aid under the Paycheck Protection Program.  Therefore, they needed to wait until the fall to start any service.  To make things worse, in 2021, the owner's wife had brain cancer.  It's a miracle this business has survived.  

We ordered the pulled pork sandwich with Mac and Cheese and the brisket sandwich with cornbread.  I am thrilled that the business survived COVID and all the hardships, as the meal was the best BBQ experience I have ever had in my entire life.  The service was outstanding, like you would expect in a small-town restaurant.  I could not recommend this location higher and will look to return when in the area.

So maybe the Smokin' in Steele BBQ and Blues Fest in Owatonna, Minnesota, being such a disappointment and letdown was good; otherwise, I would have never found Smoke Restaurant in Lonsdale, Minnesota.

Carry on my friends, Carry on! 

Been busy - short trip

I have been busy with spring cleaning, preparing the gardens, and attending to my mom's needs as needed.  I have had only a few bicycle rides, although I have been using the battery less and getting a better workout.   It was slow at 11.8 MPH, but I was pleased as there was 712 feet of climb.

Shelley's dad is becoming a greater responsibility and a source of stress for her. Being 360 miles away does not make it easy!  He is no longer able to care for himself, and she gets a call about an issue every other day from the care facility.  It is disheartening to see how quickly he has declined since turning 82.  I have under 20 years to that point, but I pray I do not reach a time in life that he is experiencing now.  Very depressing to see the life he and my mother have now, with the impacts of aging.

I just returned from Detroit Lakes, MN, where they have wooden trolls hidden in the woods.  You used clues to find the trolls.  Each troll provided a letter for an 8-letter word that served as a clue to find the Golden Rabbit.  The project was created by Project 412 to encourage people to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.  It was fun, but very exhausting for overweight senior citizens.  Here are some images of the journey!

 

Troll Alexa	Troll Alexa
Troll Ronny Funny Face	Troll Jacob Everear Troll Jacob Everear

Troll Barefoot Frida	The Golden Rabbit
Troll Ling Leif	Rugged trail

 

That is a short update!  Carry on my friends, carry on!

Tomorrow ...

 For some reason, the Jim Croce song "Tomorrow's Gonna Be a Brighter Day" has been in my head.  

And tomorrow's gonna be a brighter day

There's gonna be some changes

Tomorrow's gonna be a brighter day

This time you can believe me

No more cryin' in your lonely room

And no more empty nights

'Cause tomorrow mornin' everything will turn out right

I need to get back into a routine.  All that planning for Shelley's retirement and the related stress have been out of sorts.  

I have been so busy with yard projects.  It has appeared to be never-ending.  Minimal bike riding or other exercises.  I have removed buckthorn, replaced edging, removed several tree limbs, cleaned the porch, removed several cubic feet of old landscape material, mowed the lawn, and so much more.  Made me very sore and tired.  My right knee has been hurting, and the entire right leg has spasms.  I think it's sciatica, but the only pain is in the leg.  Been nagging me for weeks now!

Today, I woke up feeling stuck in a loop. It wasn’t a bad day — it wasn’t good either. Just one of those gray days where time slips away but nothing much happens. I go through the motions and check things off the list, but it all still feels hollow. I think we’ve all had those days where the burden of routine settles heavier on our shoulders than usual. More energy, more excitement, more meaning. But the thing is that it’s already over. We can’t rewrite it, fix it, or change it. All we can do is reflect on it and let it go.

Every day carries new potential. Tomorrow might bring a small victory or a moment of peace that today didn’t offer. Who knows? Perhaps tomorrow might be when I make some great connections, finish that project I’ve been putting off, or simply find a few minutes to breathe deeply and smile. Hoping for a better tomorrow does not mean sitting back and waiting for it to be one step ahead. It means believing that things can change with effort, reflection, and maybe a bit of luck. It means waking up with the commitment to make tomorrow a little better, no matter how small that ray of brightness may break through.

I have also been concerned with my anemia.  My cardiac Physician believes my blood loss may be heart-related, since all other internal bleeding issues have been eliminated.  On June 11, I will have a 2-hour scan to see if indeed it is heart-related.  If it is, I'm unsure what to do, and I hope they find the cause.  Seven years with no answer is way too long!

I was invited to photograph the child of Shelley's second cousin at their softball game. That was fun, and I am pleased with the outcome. Some images are below.

 

 Until next time, carry on my friends, carry on!

.  

Shelley retires

On May 2, 2025, Shelley decided to retire. She stated she did not want a party because "nobody would come." She said dinner with me the night she retired was all she wanted.  She craved a Lobster Roll at Smack Shack.  Even with that directive, I created some surprises to celebrate the event.

First, I contacted Judith, her high school friend, with whom she has kept close contact her entire life.   I verified she could make the trip from Kansas City to surprise her on Shelley's retirement day and meet us at Smack Shack.

I also contacted Shelley's daughters, Allison and Leslie, about surprising her at the restaurant.  This would be difficult, as Allison has four young children and Leslie has three.  Fortunately, the stars aligned, and they got flights to arrive at 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Friday, May 2.  

With that set, I planned a surprise gathering at the house on May 3, at Noon.  Judith is an Outstanding baker, and she offered to make the cake.  I was stressing over the food option when my friend Carolyn, who excels at organizing social gatherings, offered to help.  She said, "Londell, I love doing this when spending other people's money".  So it was off to Costco, and $300 later, we were set for her to prepare the food for Saturday. 

Leslie and Allison would take Shelley to get massages in the morning so I could set up for the party.  Shelley knew North Dakota State was playing St. Thomas in St. Paul at Noon, so keeping the party a secret was effortless!

I also learned she had a work party at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30.  They did it two days early, as Wednesday is the only day most people are in the office.  So I contacted Lana and Dada, her two closest friends at work, and asked them to get farewell videos I would compile for her to see and as a keepsake.  This was very challenging as I needed to coordinate getting the videos and keep Shelley at bay with the flurry of text message exchanges while creating the video.

I completed the video and arrived at Shelley's office at 1:30 p.m. When she returned from the restroom, she was surprised to see Dad and me sitting there. She was even more surprised when I explained what we did and showed the video. The video can be viewed here. Surprise, one accomplished!

The next surprise came on Friday.  I had been running on fumes, as my sleep was significantly disrupted by the "white lies" I needed to tell Shelley to keep the surprises.  On Friday, I went to the first game of three between North Dakota State and St. Thomas in St. Paul at Noon. Shelley had to go to the office and return all the work items.  However, she found it hard to leave.  I thought she would leave by 10:00 a.m., but it was closer to 1:30 p.m. before she could force herself to go, one last time.  She decided a stroll through Fort Snelling State Park would be a great way to start her retreatment.

Goodbye, bagel at the office!

Post retired in the park.

 

After she took a 90-minute stroll, I grabbed the last-minute supplies and arrived home, which allowed me to hide the party items.   

Since I didn't want her best friend and daughters to meet at the restaurant at the same time, making it two separate surprises, I arranged for Judith and her friend Tony to arrive at our house at 4:30 p.m. We would then carpool to Smack Shack. When Judith arrived, I told Shelley it looked like another siding/roofing/window salesman was coming to the door, and I did not want to answer it. Shelley said to ignore it, but I said they saw me.  

Shelley was all revved up to tell them she was uninterested, and when she opened the door, she was speechless! Bingo, surprise, two went off without an issue!  Shelley was in tears of joy.  Did not expect that to happen.

Judith and Tony surprise Shelley

The next issue is why a table of six was reserved when we arrived at Smack Shack. Shelley's Uncle Bill (Neil) contacted me earlier in the day about Saturday's party. Shelley might have seen my phone, so I covered the extra two seats by asking Bill and his wife, Pat, to join us for dinner. While Shelley did not yell at me, she expressed disappointment as she wanted to spend time with Judy. It was a perfect cover-up for the table of six.  

We arrived and were taken to the table. Judith would take the seat I needed Shelley to be in to hide Allison and Leslie's arrival. They all looked at me funny when I dictated the seating arrangement, but they obliged. When they arrived, Shelley was so thrilled. The video LINKED HERE says it all!  Surprise three, accomplished!

Once Shelley regained composure, we enjoyed the company and dinner. After two hours, we would come home and have an outdoor fire, but the temperature was below 50 degrees.  So we stayed inside, queued up the second congrats video I made with friends and family.  The first video she saw on Wednesday was with co-workers only.  I did need to leave three people out of the video she saw on Friday, as they mentioned the party.  They were added to the final video, which can be seen at this link.  So far, three successful surprises and one to go.  

I arranged to take my sister to the airport on Saturday at 6:00 a.m.  This allowed me to get last-minute supplies for the party.  I arrived home at 8:30 and prepared breakfast for Shelley, Leslie, and Allison so they could prepare to leave.  I had a very TIGHT window to succeed.  I had to clean the house and prepare for the party in under 2 hours!  Fortunately, I had the help of Judith (who opted out of the massage) and Tony, or I would have FAILED.  Judith can make things look much more presentable than a North Dakota Farm boy (me).  

We were all set at Noon, and people were arriving, but not Shelley.  She was taking her time, which made her 20 minutes late for the surprise.  Unfortunately, it was not a four-for-four surprise success.  Just as she exited her car, her cousin pulled into his driveway.  They rarely see each other, so she knew something was going on.  Oh well, it was a pleasant gathering that she thoroughly enjoyed.  Shelley looked at me and asked if there were any more surprises.  I apologized for all the twisted facts to keep the surprises, yet this was the last one!

The spread!

Family members - rare to see all in the same room

The way we felt after it was over

Closed Saturday with a fire

 

So, it was a success. I was exhausted! Setting up three huge surprises and keeping them unknown was more work than I had imagined over five weeks. It is once she has finally joined me in the retirement world!

Until next time, carry on my friends!