We are about to head down to Williams Arena and see the fabulous Golden Gopher women in their Big 10 opener. They are ranked sixth in the nation and have Lindsay Whalen, maybe the best player in the country.

Sad morning
I was up early as usual, groggily stumbling through my dawn ritual, when the call came. It was Jill, my nephew’s wife. She asked for my wife. I didn’t pick up on why she might be calling so early on New Year’s Day, insensitive brute that I am. I told her Beck was asleep and she started to cry. I knew immediately. Her Mom, who’d been battling pulmanary fibrosis, died last night. Jill used to work with Beck at the agency and she had introduced Jill to my nephew. Our families have become very close. My kids refer to her mom as Grandma Jo. We’ve lost one of the nicest, funniest and most generous hearted people I’ve ever known. Go with God, Jo.

On a lighter note
My Norwegian Lutheran mother-in-law sent us a New Years card. It had a Star of David and the Scrolls on it. Is she trying to tell us something?