It was a stellar evening to connect, for the first time in two years, with this great group of local CIOs and CTOs. Kraus-Anderson was nice enough to share their balcony space with the group (Thanks Tony Peleska). The weather was perfect. A big thank you to Dee Thibodeau, Nick Hernandez, and Nate Haines for making this happen. And the wine overviews from Chuck Kanski of Solo Vino Wines were great, as always.

Starting my first iOS & iPadOS 15 upgrades! I skip the public betas in large part so I can have the fun of doing big OS upgrades like a present. 🎁

Three iPhones plugged into cables on a marble surface, each displaying a blue Apple logo with a progress bar on a black screen during an iOS update.

I get mesmerized watching the sprinklers at Allianz Field during half time. There is something very serene about it. βš½οΈπŸ’¦

Sprinklers arcing water across the soccer pitch at Allianz Field during halftime, with a packed stadium and bright floodlights in the background.

What a great Minnesota United game tonight! They defeated LA Galaxy 3-0! Great goals. Strong defense. Loved it! Cue Wonderwall! ⚽️

Fans celebrate a goal at Allianz Field during a Minnesota United FC match, with the scoreboard showing GOAL and a referee on the sideline.Minnesota United fans set off colorful smoke flares in the supporter section at Allianz Field during a 3-0 MLS victory.Packed crowd celebrating at Allianz Field during a Minnesota United FC match, with a large scoreboard displaying WIN

Our garden at the cabin has gone a bit wild on us. We haven’t been around enough to keep it well managed. The tomato plants are seemingly everywhere. I had no idea what broccoli does when you let it seed out. There was some giant stuff. We did get one of the beds cleared of everything except strawberries and the runners are going crazy. We are hoping for a big bounty of strawberries next year. We also got the blueberries with room to grow. The squash and tomatoes we are letting run free for now.

Person in orange shirt tending raised cedar and corrugated metal garden beds filled with red celosias, flowers, kale, and tomato plants, with a gray shed behind.Bowl of freshly harvested cherry tomatoes and green beans resting on a raised garden bed edge, with flowering plants behind it.

Today was that sad day when I take the boat out for winter. I got 134 days on the water since I took it out. I went across Cannon Lake, across Wells Lake, and then down the Cannon River to La Cannes Marine for storage. Until next spring…

Pontoon boat bow with gray captain chairs on a calm lake surrounded by trees under a clear blue skyPontoon boat interior facing a road bridge over a calm green river lined with trees on a clear sunny dayMan in a gray hoodie taking a selfie on a pontoon boat on a calm river, trees and blue sky in the background.

Nice cool evening for a campfire and sunset on Cannon Lake. πŸ”₯

For our recent team all-hands we had a photo theme on back to school. I used my very formal High School graduation picture, and decided to make set my virtual zoom background as if I was still in that shot. This was pretty fun. πŸ˜‰

TeamSPS 2021 Kubb Tournament

TeamSPS had a great time playing Kubb today, connecting with colleagues, and having a fun time. We weren’t able to have this event in 2020 due to COVID-19, but thanks to vaccines we were able to throw some batons together! Several people commented how much they loved this event. Here are some selected photos from Tim Van Cleave who was so generous to volunteer as official photographer! He has an entire album of additional shots as well.

Groups of people playing Kubb on a grassy urban park lawn, holding wooden batons and preparing to throw, with city buildings and trees in the background. Group of six colleagues posing outdoors on grass, holding a wooden Kubb king trophy overhead and smiling, with trees and a building behind them. Man in black shirt and backwards cap throwing a wooden baton toward wooden blocks on a grass lawn outside an office building, spectators watching behind him Five colleagues smiling outdoors holding tournament medals, trees and a building visible behind them Group of people playing Kubb on a grass lawn surrounded by trees and office buildings, wooden kubbs scattered across the playing field.

You can also see the official SPS Tech Blog post on the Kubb event, and looks back to our 2019 and 2018 events. This event got real momentum after we did Kubb at Tech Jam in 2016. The first introduction was a Kubb Class in 2014 that was part of our SPS Charity Auction. Kubb has some deep roots with Team SPS!

See: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, and 2018 tournaments.

Had a super evening with great MarketWatch friends. It has been decades since we worked together, but the stories are were as fresh as ever. Nick, Anna, Jim, Scott – you are all amazing! 🀩πŸ₯°

Five friends smiling at an outdoor restaurant table with drinks and finished plates after a meal