Sorry this is late. I spent the weekend in beautiful Duluth, MN-- went back home (yes, even though it's been half my lifetime since I've lived there, I still consider it "home")-- for an exciting weekend.
Friday and Saturday nights, I got to see my first women's hockey games. Great stuff. And the best part was seeing the defending National champs, the UMD Bulldogs, sweep the Bemidji State ladies. Really tight games, and I was happy to see some punches thrown-- just like the good old days of watching the college men in the '80s. Women's hockey is a little more finesse than physical, but those two teams took their shots, and even though they can't check each other, we did get to see a few board crashes. (Not that I advocate the violence over the technique; but it sure is nice to see a physical game...)
But the big reason to visit there was to get into some of the events surrounding the 28th Annual John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. My wife and I attended the events about ten years ago and finally were able to make the timing work again this year-- and with kids along as well.
Saturday was the Cutest Puppy Contest. The accommodations were a little crowded (took a half hour to get a parking space, and the hallways of the old brewery were a little tight), but you can't beat a building full of puppies (40 entrants-- and dozens more who didn't get there in time). And, being a winter weather area, there were lots of my favorite types of dogs: huskies and malamutes-- and a gigantic Saint Bernard named "Bob" (who took second place in the fan voting. The top three finishers can see seen at 2011 Cutest Puppy.
And Sunday afternoon was the beginning of the full and half marathons. The full marathon is the longest in the lower-48, and the weather was beautiful: sunny and about 15 degrees. It felt warmer than that though, but the snow was still there and perfect (there have been years where the start had to be moved due to lack of snow).
And other than a lack of planning for fans by the marathon people (two busses running from the race to the parking lot; the wait was close to an hour-- and they could have groomed the fan area a little, so it wasn't so hard to walk through-- and bleachers like at the old place the race started at-- would have been nice), it was perfect. Not many athletes will let you hang out with them before the race like mushers and their dogs do. Right up to about a half hour before they were due to leave, fans could walk right up to dogs and pet them and wish them luck-- and ask mushers questions and wish them luck as well.
And when it was time to race, those dogs are crazy. I took lots of pics and videos of the dogs howling and jumping. Some teams were pretty calm, and others needed a team of humans to hold them back from taking-off early. Sled dog marathons can be exhausting-- but those dogs just love it.
If you're interesting at all in that race (would should be ending in a day or two), check out the John Beargrease Race website.
Okay, thanks for indulging me. Here are the premieres:
Tuesday, 2/1
Seriously Funny Kids; Lifetime. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Heidi Klum hosts this show that captures the funny things kids say (some of them are the "darndest" things, if you catch my drift).
One Born Every Minute; Lifetime. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
This show goes behind the scenes at a maternity ward.
Wednesday, 2/2
Extra Virgin; Cooking Channel. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Debi Mazar and husband Gabriele Corcos take their online cooking vlog (Under the Tuscan Gun) and make a show of it.
Thursday, 2/3
If you missed last week's fantastic premiere of Archer Season Two, you can catch it again tonight after an all-new Archer (FX; 9 pm CST). This week, Sterling finds out his mom lost her savings in a Ponzi scheme. Last week, he had to protect an underage hottie who kept hitting on him. And Archer, a guy who will screw just about anything with a vagina, draws the line at underage girls.
Friday, 2/4
Who Do You Think You Are? NBC. 7 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
Sunday, 2/6
There's a little thing called the Super Bowl (XLV) on Fox at 5:30 pm CST that pits The Pittsburgh Steelers against my adopted hometown state team The Green Bay Packers. Should be a good one. I may actually watch it...
If football's not your style, then check out Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl VII. I've found it to be bland beyond ten minutes at a time (show's fault; not puppies' fault), but, c'mon: they're puppies!
And after the game, Fox gives us a special episode of Glee (roughly 9:30 pm-- be sure to overrecord if using a DVR because the game could very well "go long").
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