Leap Day

I started my Leap Day out with a 'leaping' heart.  

I went to bed late after a basketball game at New Auburn. I was going to watch a little TV and then have a Saturday morning sleepin. 

About 12:15am, I felt my heart shift into high gear. I didn't wait long before getting dressed and heading to the ER. An irregular, rapid heart beat feels linde a pounding bass speaker in your chest, and while it doesn't hurt,  it's not comfortable either.

The ER folks tried a bolus of heart medication to slow things down,  but in the end, I had to have the electric shock to get back in rhythm. 

Since I had eaten late, the doctor wanted to wait until 2am (4 hours after food). So by 2:15am, I was back in rhythm.

This time I was more aware of the shock. The nurse said I yelled pretty loud, I vaguely remember shouting something, hopefully it wasn't anything offensive.

My Fitbit tracked the event, and the shock worked, YAY! 

The ER kept me relaxed and napping, until 6am to be sure I was okay and then I drove myself back home.

Now I have the weekend to rest, basketball tournaments start on Tuesday!  

Last year I had this same problem on March 6th, is it a basketball tournament thing?

I guess I will easily remember my Leap Day 2020.

Rare Disease Day

Great nephew Jude and almost 100 of his supporters were shining a light on Rare Diseases last night at the Shell Lake vs. Luck basketball game.

Big brother Gage and Jude

Cardinal Basketball Team and coaches

Jude and some of his supporters

Almost 100 friends and family wore their Rare Disease Awareness shirts to the game and gathered up for a photo afterwards.

I appreciate your willingness to take notice of Rare Disease Day, not just for Jude and his Polymicrogyria, but for all who live with rare diseases. Knowledge is power. 🖐

*****

Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February each year. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives.

Building awareness of rare diseases is so important because 1 in 20 people will live with a rare disease at some point in their life. Despite this, there is no cure for the majority of rare diseases and many go undiagnosed. Rare Disease Day improves knowledge amongst the general public of rare diseases while encouraging researchers and decision makers to address the needs of those living with rare diseases.

https://www.rarediseaseday.org/

More basketball

Well, I got behind on photo editing when Laila was here, 

and then I came down with the bad cough & cold so I continued to be out of commission.  

I'm finally trying to dig my way out.

The Siren Dragons came to Luck on Valentine's Day.

The Luck Cardinals got the W!

Gage got his 500 career rebound trophy ball.

Laila was here visiting.

It was a big night.

Noah presented the ball to Gage

Gage's 501st rebound.

Lots of excitement in this game.

And always fun when it ends in a win!

Sports Story

Two local athletes back on the court after injuries

Click below for video
https://www.weau.com/content/news/Two-local-athletes-back-on-the-court-after-injuries-567959641.html

By Zach Prelutsky | 

Posted: Mon 9:57 PM, Feb 17, 2020

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) -- For high school athletes, senior night is one of the last opportunities to showcase their skills and play in front of their hometown crowd.

Sandy Bune and Alyxis Johansen have been on the Spring Valley Girls Varsity Basketball team all four years of high school.

Both suffered season-ending injuries this year, but those injuries didn't stop them getting from back on the court just long enough to hit a basket on their senior night.

Time is winding down for the high school careers of many local athletes.

On Friday night, the Spring Valley Cardinals girls basketball team hosted its final home game of the season.

But for a majority of the season, the team was without two all-conference players from last year.

Bune and Johansen both suffered torn ACLs this year.

"It goes by quick and with our injuries, we were saying don't take it for granted. You hear a lot of people say they don't want to go to practice, I don't want to go to practice and then all of a sudden you're injured and all you want to do is go to practice," said Bune.

Bune got hurt before the season started, and Johansen in January.

"I just knew that we had to do something for them, because these two kids have worked really hard and they deserve to have that moment on senior night," said Spring Valley Varsity Girls Basketball Coach Sean Hoolihan.

For the first time since their junior year, Bune and Johansen took to the court together.

The Cardinals first four points scored by the seniors, after both Spring Valley and its opponent, Glenwood City, let each girl make an uncontested layup to start.

"(Bune) was going to get a shot and (Hoolihan) asked if I wanted one because our situations were kind of different," explains Johansen. "I got to play eight games, Sandy didn't get to play at all senior year. So I thought about it and I thought that it would be cool if both of us got to just because we both had the same injury, both going through the same thing."

This season, Hoolihan says it was their dedication off the court that most embodies the Spring Valley program.

"Their leadership has been second to none, you know they've been at every single practice. When they've been hurt and they had PT they'd schedule it to where they could be at most of practice and have to leave. They've just done a great job at being leaders," he said.

For the final time in high school, Bune and Johansen left the court with a bucket and a big hug from their coach.

"You miss two years of basketball, and then you finally get in. It was just emotional," said Bune.

"There were moments where I just wanted to break down on the court but I knew that you can't do that. I've never done that before, so I was just going to stay strong until it was time to walk off," added Johansen.

Wanda ☮️

Family Photos

Great Aunt Laila and Gage

Jens gets to hold big brother's Senior Trophy Ball

Jude guarding the 500 Rebounds Trophy Ball before the presentation

Dad Kyle & Mom Heather with Gage

Back: Wanda Johansen, Jessica Mortel, Laila Johansen, Angie Chivers, Aaron Chivers
Middle:  Lois Skow, Megan Chivers, August Chivers, Stella Johansen, Ruby Johansen, Emily Chivers
Front:  Heather Johansen, Kyle Johansen, Gage Johansen, Jude Johansen, Jens Johansen, Lois Johansen, Ken Olson

Back: Wanda Johansen, Jessica Mortel, Laila Johansen, Angie Chivers, Aaron Chivers
Middle:  Lois Skow, Megan Chivers, August Chivers, Stella Johansen, Ruby Johansen, Emily Chivers, Harold Skow
Front:  Heather Johansen, Kyle Johansen, Gage Johansen, Jude Johansen, Jens Johansen, Lois Johansen, Ken Olson

Cousins:  Emily, Gage, Megan

Ruby, Heather, Gage, Kyle, Stella, Jude & Jens, we missed you Jack

Sweet Trophy

Gage & sister Ruby

Gage and Sister Stella

 During the game I caught sight of Jude intensely watching the action.

The Cardinals won the game and Gage got his 500 Rebound Trophy Ball.

Life is Good.

That's a lot of rebounding

Tonight Gage was recognized for 500 career rebounds.  

His cousin Noah was the last one to receive this award at Luck, 

and Noah was in the gym tonight so he presented Gage with his trophy basketball.

Racking up the accolades in his senior year.

Nice going Gage.

Now let's win a long string of basketball games!

Bee Stuff

This year's Regional Spelling Bee was a really good one.  

17 students, some elementary & some middle school. 

We went 25 rounds before we had a winner.

 There was a stretch of about 4 rounds without an error. 

I started wondering if we were going to have to take a bathroom break, it was going on so long.

  

But in the end,  the winner was a young man from Unity. 

He was so poised and had such a relaxed manner it was almost humorous.  

He won easily, I never doubted that he would get each word I pronounced.

This was my 5th year as Pronouncer, and it doesn't really get any easier for me. I study the words and the sentences ahead of time.  I watched / listened to a training module pronouncing every word.

And I still got caught up in a sentence with the word present in it, I was saying present and it was supposed to be present.  Once I got the pronunciation correct, the sentence made some sense. And present wasn't even the spelling word, geesh.

The good news this year is that no parent came to tell me I had made a mistake, whew.  I get nervous about doing a good job pronouncing and I get nervous for the kids.  

It's hard to see them miss their word, I know they are so disappointed.

I'll be paying attention to see if our winner does well at State. It would be fun to see one of our local kids get a chance for the Scripps National Bee.

In the meantime,  I'll enjoy my thankyou gift.

An easy win, that felt nice

It seems like the whole season has been a series of close games for the Luck Cardinals.   Games that keep the fans on the edge of our seat, as we watch our boys battle for every point, hoping to come out ahead.  

Last night was not one of those games.  

The Glenwood City boys have not won any games yet, and the Cardinals did not let down.  

Our boys played a fast paced game but also had some fun.

There were a couple of razzle dazzle moves that are not part of the action in those nail biter games.

Gage was the jumper to kick off the game, not his usual assignment.

Gage had a lot of fans there last night.

The usuals included Kyle, Heather, Stella, Aunt Jessica and Grandpa Kenny.  Great Uncle Harry & Grandma Lois.  Also Great Uncle & Aunt Glenn and Kathy came to watch.  Plus Cousins Alyxis & her Dad Andy.  And the whole Vanasse family, Mike & Kaija, Charli, Milli, Wynni, Bryce and Cordell all came to watch Gage play.  

Really nice!

Heather took a couple of snaps of me after the game with the 2 Seniors.

It was really great to see Alyxis, I had not seen her since her injury.

She's doing well with her rehab, can't wait to see her play college basketball!

Three Seniors!  Get it?

These two are both seniors, both Cardinals, and both good basketball players.

I'm going to miss seeing them on the court.

More Press

Gage was featured in this article in The Inter-County Leader last week.

This one comes from The Ledger.

“Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.” 

– Bethany Hamilton
American Surfer & shark attack survivor 

I got to see great niece Ruby, #39, and her team play 2 games on Saturday.  They play full out and they have fun.  Ruby is an aggressive player and she is not afraid to shoot the ball.  She had 10 points in the first game and 13 in the second game.  It's going to be fun to watch her play over the next many years.  Here are a few of the shots that I took of Ruby on Saturday at Unity.

Ruby & Ella

Here is a fun photo that Aunt Lois sent me, it was taken in March of 2013.

This is the same Ella and Ruby as in the Black & White photo above.

They were in Pre School in this photo.

Now they are 5th graders and playing basketball at different schools.

It will be fun to watch them play through the next several years.

Kaylee & Ruby, pals on and off the court

Ruby is an outgoing girl.  She goes after whatever she wants.  I've seen a couple of 'business case' examples of her methods to present to her parents why she should have a dog, or a phone, etc.  I'm not sure she always follow through with all of the promises made in her business cases, but I am confident that at least some are kept.  She's pretty good now, but I bet she will be an excellent negotiator as she grows up.

Ruby is a hard worker and loves little kiddoes.  

She worked all summer as a helper at a daycare where she learned a lot about responsibilities.  She loves babies and loves to get a babysitting job for new cousin Hans.  Ruby told me that she saved all her summer job money and I think she has some ideas for how she would like to spend some of that money.  She's a planner.

Ruby is the one who always tells me I should stay overnight instead of drive home late a night.  Sometimes I wonder, who is the grown up?

On the basketball court Ruby goes after the steal anytime she can get her hands on the ball.  She causes many turnovers in favor of her team.  She has grown up in the bleachers watching older brothers Jack & Gage and sister Stella play ball, she picked up some tips.  It will be fun to watch her refine her technique.

Go Ruby!

  

Hairy Woodpecker

I was siting in the living room today editing basketball photos, it is snowing a little outside.

The bird feeders have had a few Woodpeckers, a few Chickadees but not much business today.

I heard a bird hit the window really hard.

I looked out the window and saw a Hairy Woodpecker on the ground under the window.

He was moving his legs a little but seemed stunned.

I hustled into my snow boots, grabbed a cardboard box and a towel and went out to see if I could get to him.  The deck steps were a little risky since I don't keep them shoveled, and there was a big frozen mound of snow along the house, but once I got over that, I could pick up the little bird.

I thought maybe his neck was broken, he seemed so limp.  He was blinking his eyes though. I was going to keep him inside where it is warm and see what happens. Poor sweet thing.

I taped the flaps of the box down so I could see in but he wouldn't be able to fly out without my help, I didn't want a bird loose in the house.

I went back to editing photos, I checked on him about every 5 minutes.

I started wondering what I was going to do if he didn't die and didn't start moving. 

I was giving up,

20 minutes later I heard movement in the box, he was back on his feet. 

I took him outside, opened the box and after just a few seconds, he flew away! 

I couldn't believe my eyes! 

I saved his little life.

💓🐦

This morning I had listened to a podcast about the wonder of making eye contact with a wild animal.

Seriously, I am filled with awe.

And the crowd goes wild

It took the whole team to get Gage in the spot where this shot was a game changer. Way to be clutch! Wow, how fun was that!
I'll have to edit the rest of the game photos tomorrow, but I had to see these tonight.
Sweet!!
 And the crowd went wild!!!!
Go Cardinals!

The Cardinals went on to win, in overtime, Luck 64 - Webster 59.

Full disclosure, #2 is my great nephew Gage Johansen, but I would have posted this sequence no matter who made that shot. 

👌🏀❤️