Knowing there is nothing planned for the empty field to it's north, the new road markings at the Mendards in Dundas lead traffic into a curb.

My next door neighbor growing up in Northfield was Chris Blomberg.  He and I share June 1st as our birthday.  Tomorrow he turns 34 and I turn 36.  We always had a ton of fun with this, including some grand parties when we lived together in Minneapolis.  We have always made efforts to get together or do something special together on this special day that we share. 

This morning he randomly showed up at my front door on his bike.  He lives about 45 minutes away and I hadn’t seen him in many months.  He was in town for a family event and was going for a spin and decided to drop by.  This was such a great present. 

Happy birthday Chris!

By AL FREELAND

Andrew was born in southwestern Norway. What else did a person do in Southwestern Norway but fish or farm – period! He was born in a little town of Bryne – today still a little town of about 500 people. Outside of the town is a little wooden church called Time (pronounce Teem’ a) Lutheran. I was there about 10 years ago and saw the baptismal font he was baptized in, and the pews that he sat in, and the graveyard his ancestors were buried in. The thread of time and history and ancestry is small, but strong. I felt pulled there and could feel the connections the “thread” was pulling. The following is the Time “Crest” or “Coat of Arms”. (click on the head title to read on)

ALAN FREELAND

Ole Apland was a legend! He came from Norway in 1855, he landed in Canada, took a train to Illinois, and then a wagon train – yes literally a horse drawn wagon train across the prairie to Story County, Iowa. He fell in love with a cute girl named Anna Ersland who was a passenger in the wagon train as well. They became the first couple to be married in Story County, Iowa. He homesteaded his 160 acres and eventually became a wealthy pioneer, acquiring a lot of land in Story County and wealth, and eventually we all became his ancestors.

What you just read was a SUPER summary of the entire life a pioneer that could be a feature length, trilogy, movie, novel, and/or a lifetime of study! What I want to focus on is just one fact of his life – actually his death. One very small, insignificant perhaps fact. (click title heading to read on)

My Grandma Esta Freeland-Cox has spent many many hours with a quilting needle in her hands during her 96 years.  It’s been a source of entertainment, socialization and crafting for years.  When I was very young Grandma Esta told me that I’d receive a hand made quilt some day when I graduated from high school.  She simply asked me what color I wanted.  Under pressure and completely unaware of the longevity of this decision, I said “yellow” for some reason.  I hated yellow then, and still do today.  BUT…when I graduated from Northfield High School in 1991, there was my quilt on the gift table, sealed for freshness in a plastic covering.  Each of her grandchildren received a hand sewn quilt at graduation as their gift.  There were five of us.  Mine was yellow. 

I recently realized that I have slept with this quilt off and on for eighteen years since graduation.  This included all of college and in five different homes.  So, last week I laid the quilt out on the bed, as seen in the photo, and carefully studied the patterns and reminisced on all of the years that this piece has served me.  I ran across her little tag that is sewn onto each of her creations.  Click on it to see the larger view.  It says “Specially Fashioned by Esta Cox”.  Why did it take me eighteen years to see this?  I guess we take tags for granted. 

Last week I asked grandma about the material on the floral patterns.  She explained that she had stockpiles of materials in her collection from years of setting aside pieces of clothing and cloth samples of interest.  She even thought some used in my quilt were from her mothers collection.  Although she could not identify any particular piece of cloth in particular, she did indicate that any old piece could have been anything from her maternity clothing to her mom’s Sunday church outfit.

How’s that for lasting quality.

So what in the world is the story here?  Well..here is a legend of unprecedented party-house leadership that led to hazy memories for thousands. This is the story of my college-life glory year at an off campus house at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis MN.

While my best friend Chad and I were  living in the college dormitory, we couldn’t get into any of the “fraternity” parties to save our life.  Let’s be honest, why would the frat-boys want to invite a bunch of guys to their parties.  So, we’d walk down University avenue, trying to get into the hopping parties but wouldn’t be allowed in because we weren’t “brothers”.  So, we made our own fraternity.  The next year, we rented the biggest, baddest house we could find closest to frat-row and named it “D.O.A”, which of course, was a sarcastic take on the medical term D.O.A. for “dead on arrival”.  We even found an old boat decking at a flea-market, painted our name on it and distressed it to taste.  It hung over the fireplace.  (notice the photo of a visit from my parents.  Don’t I look so innocent in my 90’s grunge flannel and pony tail).  We wanted to have our own little fraternity where everyone was welcome that wanted to have a good time.  We actually considered prohibiting fraternity members, but decided against that, because it was against our house motto of having a good time…..all the time. (click story title to keep reading)

How about a road trip to all 12 Northfield's across the US? Doesn't make you feel very exclusive, does it?

• Northfield, CT
• Northfield, IL
• Northfield, IN
• Northfield, KY
• Northfield, ME
• Northfield, MA
• Northfield, MN
• Northfield, NH
• Northfield, NJ
• Northfield, OH
• Northfield, VT
• Northfield, WI

View Northfield's in a larger map

I just can’t write enough about this band in one post.  They were the house band at the Cabooze on the West Bank in Minneapolis in the 90’s.  They put on one of the best live shows on the face of the earth.  The members were a collaborative gathering of from many other successful acts such as Price, Mambo’s Combo, Beat the Clock & Paul Westerberg. 

Check out a video.  (strong language warning for your ears).  Website is www.greazymeal.com

This is Tech Talk with Tim and Adam, a weekly radio program on helpful tips and tricks for the common computer user, broadcast on 1080AM KYMN Radio out of Northfield Minnesota. You can listen to a copy of these shows at here, can podcast or just listen live weekly at 11AM on Friday's, rebroadcast at 5:30 Sunday nights. Tim Freeland is KYMN host and webmaster along with Adam Gurno, software developer and owner of Brown Dog Computers, ready to inform, discuss and teach you better and new ways to use computers and the internet to improve your quality of life.

Click the arrow to listen to the show!

Congrats to Rylie for a great first year in public school!  I see she also has a potential career in singing and dancing.

View other videos from this concert here!

1.  If I could have that waist line now!

2.  Is that a 1978 green “Vega”?

3.  What’s in my pants?

4.  Where are those fish now?

5.  Nice effort Andy!

6.  Who picked out my cloths that day? 

7.  It took 6 months to develop this film (marked with NOV 81 in bottom left)

8.  Those are most likely Bullheads.

9.  Maroon socks?

10.  Chances are Andy caught all of these fish.

I've seen thousands and thousands of movies. People often discuss their favorite movies, which can be a daunting task. In 1999 I found my favorite movie, "Magnolia". It features a half dozen of my favorite actors and a top-notch writer/director. Here is the trailer, which doesn't do the movie justice. Go rent it, sit back, and be ready trade 3 hours for the movie of a life time.

This is Tech Talk with Tim and Adam, a weekly radio program on helpful tips and tricks for the common computer user, broadcast on 1080AM KYMN Radio out of Northfield Minnesota. You can listen to a copy of these shows at here, can podcast or just listen live weekly at 11AM on Friday's, rebroadcast at 5:30 Sunday nights. Tim Freeland is KYMN host and webmaster along with Adam Gurno, software developer and owner of Brown Dog Computers, ready to inform, discuss and teach you better and new ways to use computers and the internet to improve your quality of life.

Click the arrow to listen to the show!