sports – Bradley Minnigan

Wyoming – What a Place!

What a trip we’ve had so far! After playing for a great crowd in Lincoln, Nebraska, we set off for Centennial, Wyoming.

None of us have ever been to Wyoming. Cam has never been west of Texas. Neither Cam nor Jessie had ever seen the Rocky Mountains. All of that changed this weekend.

As we crossed over the state line from Nebraska to Wyoming, the landscape really started to change. Hills started rolling as we passed through Cheyenne on our was towards Laramie. Then the hills started to climb and become what looked like drip-sand castles I used to make with my cousins on the beach. As we neared Centennial, we really started to climb.

Centennial is a small town claiming 270 residents. It looked like a scene out of a movie, and we felt like stars the whole time. The people were so welcoming and accommodating! We wished we didn’t have to go home so soon. In fact, I wasn’t sure Cam would even get in the car with us to go home!

We had dinner with our hosts, then they sent us up the mountain to see something really spectacular. Our host Mike gave me directions to Mirror Lake where we could stand and look straight up to a 14,000-feet-above-sea-level peak. I was so thrilled to get to see Jessie and Cam react to such beauty! We walked in near-silence (except our panting in the thin air) as we took in the majesty of the mountains. Pictures truly don’t do the sight justice.

We couldn’t believe this was work. We went back down the mountain and got to talk to Mike and his wife Kat for a little longer. They are the owners of the Historic Mountain View Hotel in Centennial, and they are also the ones coordinating the Elevation Festival we were to play the next day.

During our conversation, we started talking about fly fishing. Of course I told them I brought my rods just in case I found myself with a few minutes to fish. Mike said, “Hang on just a minute,” and he proceeded to pick up the phone to call a friend. Moments later, he hands me directions to a fishing spot on a friend’s private waters. I was overjoyed at the thought of getting to fish waters that see so little fishing pressure!

We headed to our room to get as much rest as possible. I got up early this morning to head to the fishing spot. I have been trout fishing before, but never on my own for wild trout, and never have I caught trout without a guide. Within a few minutes I had my first fish. I was nearly giddy with the fact that I had caught one all on my own! He was little, but that didn’t bother me at all!

Within a few minutes, I had another hooked. I almost wet my pants in excitement this time – I knew I had something much larger on the end of my line.

In total, I caught about 7 fish. I just couldn’t believe it. The water was cold and clear, and the fish were biting everything I was throwing – Griffith’s Gnats, Prince nymphs, Bluewing Olives, Elk Hair Caddis, and Woolly Buggers. I didn’t want to stop, but I knew I needed to get back.

I got back, got showered, packed up, and the three of us headed across the street to where we would be playing on the front porch of the Mountain View Hotel. We were set to play first, so we got plenty of time to soundcheck. It was very different playing at high altitude – it was harder for Jessie to sing, and Cam and I had to catch our breath as we played!

Once again, the crowd was fantastic! Getting to see people bob their heads, clap, and some even sing along is such a heartwarming experience. We got to meet so many great people like Mike, Kat, Mara, Gary, Rick, Jimmy, Dave, Shane, and so, so many more!

I can’t wait to go back, whether it be to play (hopefully in next year’s Elevation Festival) or for vacation. The people we met hold a special place in my heart. I love doing what I do because I get to meet such wonderful people – I mean that in the sense of my wonder for what people do and how they do it – and I get to see so many things I’ve never seen. I’m so glad Cam got to experience these things with us as well. He’s been such a trooper helping get the camper set up and torn down, and he’s been a great companion on this long journey over the last few days.

Tomorrow is the last (long) leg of the trip back home. I can’t wait to be home, even if it’s not for long. Florida and Wisconsin lay ahead of us in the coming weekends. I can’t wait to see old friends and make a few new ones too.

Saving Money + Healthy Living

I’ve always been pretty active. My wife will tell you I can’t sit still, which isn’t far from the truth. I completed my first half-marathon this April. On Saturdays, I’m always working in the yard, on the house, or on the pop up camper. I started thinking and then talking to a few coworkers about commuting to the office on a bicycle.

When I was a kid, I biked every day to school. It was about four blocks of freedom. I knew every crack in the sidewalk that created a mini ramp and every curb that would jolt me through the bike frame. I’ve always loved bicycles. I searched online for several days and found a good road bike in good shape for a good price.

Last Saturday, I took a test ride from home to the office. I wanted to make sure I could do it, and I needed to know just how long the commute would be. It took me just over an hour – only 20 minutes longer than it takes to drive. I couldn’t wait for Monday.

Monday I made it to the office, and I felt great! It was a long, hot, sweaty ride, but I felt great that I did it. On the way home, my chain popped loose, but that was an easy fix. It delayed me only a minute or so, and I was back on the road.

Tuesday came around, and I had to stop by the jewelry store to pick up my wife’s ring that had been repaired. The store is only just off my route to work, so I biked again. As I left the store, I decided to take a shortcut through the local college campus. As I turned into the parking lot of campus, I couldn’t hit the curb head-on. This popped the tube in my back tire. Luckily, the first thing I did when I got my bike was to purchase a helmet and a repair kit for my tubes. A couple minutes later, I had a new tube installed, and I was once again back on the road.

Today I drove to the office since an early meeting would have had me waking up too early to make the trek via bicycle. It has also been a welcomed day of rest. Tomorrow I’ll be back on the bike.

Doing some math, I save almost $7 per day that I ride my bike. I also get a killer workout. I’m hoping to keep biking about three days a week. I want to the bike to pay for itself, then start saving for A/C for my truck. I get some savings, I get my workout, and I save on my carbon footprint. Hopefully I can keep it up for a while.

Time to Ramble

It’s 5:15 am.

I can’t sleep.

So it is time to ramble.

Golf has become my latest hobby. Dad told me long ago, “Business is done either over a meal or on the golf course.” He chose over meals because he wasn’t very good at golf.

Here we are, he’s making a conscious effort to be healthier, taking up golf, getting pretty good, and now I have a coach down the street. He knows just enough to get me pointed in the right direction, and I love sports too much to look back.

I have always loved sports. Baseball was, is, and will continue to be my first love. Football is way up there too. Golf never appealed to me until now. It’s an opportunity to get outside and once again swing a stick at a little white ball.

At the same time, my wife and I are expecting!

Expecting to go back into the studio, that is. Later this month, we go in to record 3 new songs that will be released as singles. We can’t wait!

After a tumultuous first EP recording experience, we have found a producer we like, admire, and most of all trust. We are very excited about what is coming down the pike!

Finally, I’ll say that a lake is heaven for me. I love going on the weekends to a place where time doesn’t matter. Wake up when you wake up. Eat when you’re hungry. Do what you want. Little to no Internet and connectivity to the outside world. Heaven.