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Where were you when “the catch” took place? Wow, how many times will that question be asked over the years to come?  We, as many of you did, watched the Vikings game at home on Sunday.  Typical Vikes game, build us up only to let us down.  We were so close and then the Saints kicked that field goal.  All was pretty much over.  Being the fair weather fan that I am, I had to remove myself from the room.  
My son kept asking my wife and I why we were getting so worked up over the game. He has no idea what we (and many of you) have been through over the years. He wasn’t there in 1998 when it was a guarantee the Vikes would make the Super Bowl - heck, we scored 96 points a game.  Then there was 2001 when the Vikes were awesome once again, and how did that end? 41 doughnut.  Time after time - kicked in the stomach. Yet there we sit the next year in front of the TV watching every Sunday in the fall.  I wouldn’t say I bleed purple, but my blood does have a tinge of purple in it.  

Flash forward to Sunday.  The Vikes have the ball with 25 seconds left and a million yards to go.  Even to try a long field goal would make me more than nervous, especially with our kicking woes this year.  So here I stand in our laundry room, in the dark, with my hands over my ears muttering swear words to myself.  As I killed time in the laundry room, suddenly my son yells. I don’t mean yell like normal, I mean yell like he was trying to yell across the Grand Canyon. All I could hear was “”We won!” “We won!”.  At first I thought I am gonna wring his neck if he is messing with me.  As I slowly, apprehensively made my way to the living room through our dark foyer, I noticed my wife sitting on the stairs with her ears plugged.  It was true, they did it.  I couldn’t believe it.  I sat and watched the replay about 612 times.  “Matt where were you when the Vikes won against the Saints?” “Ummmmm I saw it live, yeah that’s it I saw it live”.

You have seen the ads in the paper for the Celebrate Winter Blast event that is coming in the next few weeks.  In the schedule we ran last week, there was a mistake.  It said the Lions Fishing Contest which takes place on Saturday, January 27 was in Chisago. In fact, the fishing contest, which is very popular, will be in its regular spot on North Center Lake.  The contest will run from 1-3 and will have tons of prizes.  To get there, if you are comfortable with driving on the lake, you just head out of the North Center landing by the Chisago Lakes Middle School.

Please make plans to attend the Celebrate Winter  Blast the weekend of January 25 - 28. We will have the schedule in all of the papers leading up to the event, so you will always have a handy reference.  My family is excited to finally have snow and take part in the candlelight snowshoeing event on Saturday night.  

Remember there is still time to get tickets to the Casino Night that will be held January 26 at Frankie’s Marine.  The event will feature gambling (fake money) live music, bingo, food trucks, beverages and a great time.  Tickets are only $20 per person and can be purchased by calling Bill at 651-402-5429 or pick them up at Northwoods Roasterie or Frankie’s Live Bait and Marine.  We will see you there.  

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