Expenses Without Receipt

Starting from Thursday, April 9:

• Well, we should really start on Easter, aka Sunday, April 5, when I went out to the Heights to finally see Psycho.  Man, that shower scene is killer.  Ticket, popcorn, pop and tip: $26.
• Later that evening *****y whacked me off.  I wanted to see her on Easter because she is a regular churchgoer and I find it somewhat ironic that she goes to church and then later that day she gives me an HJ for money, specifically: $150.
• Friday, April 3: I didn't expect to spend money, but Father wanted Powerball tickets, so out I went.  And because I have to stick to my rule of spending cash or using credit cards on a least two things in a day, I decided that I wasn't going to have veggie chips and veggie dip for dinner and instead try a mom-and-pop Latin American restaurant.  There are a few places around here that are recommended.  But they were closed by the time I went out -- I stayed to listen to the end of the South Carolina-UConn women's college basketball Semifinal and in particular Geno Auriemma's meltdown at Dawn Staley -- so I went to a place that was open but fell just below 4 1/2 stars on Google Maps: Que Taco.  Not bad.  I got their birria tacos, and they are the biggest tacos I've seen around the area yet.  Wanted to use the bathroom, but they cordoned that part of the restaurant off with chairs and a mop wringer bucket.  Might go there again if only because it's open when I want to nightcrawl.  I have the receipt, so this EWR is for just the tip: $2.
• Now we go back to Sunday, March 29, where I laid into ****e.  She was unstable on this day, sadly.  She called me while I was still driving to her place asking me where the hell I am.  Her cock-sucking wasn't as on point as it has been in the past.  And after we got done fucking and I laid in bed all tuckered out, she took my underwear and socks and placed them in a pile next to what what was either clothes she was going to launder or trash she was going to throw away.  I was glad I was getting dressed before she did anything to it.  But when I grabbed my boxers, I saw that they were right above a wad of either wet toilet paper or paper towels either she cleaned up the bathroom with or I used to wipe up all my cum.  There was a huge wet spot on the boxers, and I needed to wear them because I was going to a brewery afterward.  I asked ****e if I could use a hair dryer, and that did the trick.  But this is the first time something like this happened.  Whatever; I'm thinking of seeing her again next weekend.  Price: $120.
• So this brewery is doing this thing where I could bring in a Minnesota United jersey and they would remove the Target logo in the front and replace it with the Rebel Loon, a symbol of the Twin Cities' resilience and defiance in the wake of this Republican government's oppression earlier in the year.  I waited and had an early dinner and beer while they were hacking my replica Loons jersey.  But for some reason I couldn't use my card to pay for this service.  Thankfully I had enough cash on me to do it: $30.
• Back further to Monday, March 23, the date of my alma mater getting their butts handed to them by South Carolina.  Our Game-watching bar charges extra when you pay by credit card, so I now pay by cash as often as I can, and I did so on this night.  With tip: $40.
• Sunday the 22nd was the last day Hotters at The Mall Of America was open.  Sad, sad day.  Glad I got there when I did; they got so busy, and they got so cleaned out, that they closed their doors at 6 even though they usually close on Sundays at 10, I think.  Oh, and when I asked if there was any food available, my Hooters girl said they still had burger patties.  Not burger buns, but patties.  And shit, I almost ordered one.  But I settled on my Big Daddy-size Bud Light and the two shirts they still had on sale.  Didn't think I wanted such memorabilia, but when one shirt was only five bucks and another server came around saying the other shirt, really a cancer-themed crop top, was only a buck, well, I had to jump at the chance.  My last total I spent at the Megamall MOA, with tip: $40.
• And on my way out I think I saw a Girl Scout Cookies stand.  That's where I bought the Lemonades.  Glad it was a Girl Scout who did the sale and not her mom; these kids are supposed to learn how to sell and do business, right?  Paid: $6.
• Back to Saturday, March 14 ... a fellow alumni's kid is in this covers rock band.  The band is really good, and I saw on Facebook that they were playing at a brewpub close to me.  I stayed there until the snowstorm everyone was dreading started to look really bad.  But before I left I left tips for the young whippersnappers: $4.
• Shit, man, now we're really going back ... to Sunday, February 22, in fact, when I went to the Heights for the first time since I think the theater got new owners.  I went to see Battleship Potemkin, a silent film classic I have wanted to see for a long time.  It was accompanied by a solo musician who played the piano.  What I wasn't expecting was her to use a snare drum and a crash cymbal.  I have seen a silent film once or twice with a full band, but never have I heard percussion used -- but it was a very, very welcomed new experience.  Paid for the ticket with my credit card, so this total is for the popcorn, pop, and tipping the concession stand: $13.
• On Saturday the 21st I got a shave from the local barber school.  The person shaving me acted like he didn't give a shit, so I didn't give much of a tip.  See, this is why I'm willing to pay five times as much to get my face shaved.  Or, maybe I should just do it myself again.  With tip: $12.
• For Valentine's Day I went to My Favorite Stripclub (Cover Version) to see my ATF.  Where else would I go on February 14?  So glad she was there working; she had said she didn't know if she was going to take the day off.  Cover, tips, drinks from me and ******a and 20 table dances from her ... well, I see that I didn't write the total amount down after I left the club, so I'm just going to pull an amount out of my ass and say that I spent: $230.
• Sunday, February 8: Went to Grandpa Joe's (formerly Blue Sun Soda Shop) to get some premium ginger beer and ginger ale for the cocktails I wanted to make.  I also grabbed a bottle of RC and a bottle of root beer from some company.  Six bottles that cost: $14.33.
• I think later that day, *****y came over to wank me: $150.
• Finally, on Sunday, February 1, ******e came over to wank me: $120.

Yes, I keep saying this: I need to do these more frequently.  Done through April 9.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

Positive Numbers: Wild (Last Week: -2).  There's very little chance they're going to move from their slot of third in the Central in which they've been in since what seems like The Gilded Age.  And I still have a bad feeling they're going to fall flat on their faces in The Stanley Cup Playoffs.  But I have to acknowledge they're playing as good as they have all season, and it's even better that they appear to be ramping up just as the postseason is starting, which is the best way to go into the postseason.

They had a busy penultimate Week to the regular season with four Games, but they won all four.  They had a close Win Sunday, winning in Detroit, 5-4, but smashed the other three contests (home to Vancouver Thursday, at Ottawa Saturday, and home to Seattle Tuesday) by three-Goal margins.  And, to be fair, they are only two Points behind The Bastard North Stars for second.  And it just so happens that they face off in Dallas tonight/Thursday night.  That begins a final three-Game road trip that continues in Nashville Saturday and finishes in St. Louis Monday.  Finally, the last tilt of the regular season is the next night, home versus Anaheim.  They could finish with home ice for the First Round series vs. The Team That Was Stolen From Us v.2.0.  Not too shabby.

#0: United FC (Re-Entry!).  Didn't think it would happen, so kudos to the Loons for finally winning on the road for the first time all Year, and doing it in Carson, Calif., against glamour team The Los Angeles Galaxy.  Anthony Markanich scored the first Goal.  Marco Reus tied it up for the Galaxy, but Nectarios Triantis fed an endline pass to Kelvin Yeboah for the Match-winner.  It is also only the second MNUFC victory at the Galaxy ever.

They still have a grueling portion of the schedule to get through.  They continue out west where they play San Diego FC, the team that bumped United FC out of the playoffs last season.  I wonder if the XI came back home before flying back out west. ...

#-1: Twins (Last Week: -4).  This organization they were so disinterested in winning that home fans have stayed away from Target Field for the first homestand of the Year (the cold weather doesn't help).  So of course that would be the time when the club's merry band of youngsters and never-weres rise up and score a 5-2 screening Week.  The most impressive Win by a country mile was Tuesday's, when they defeated the Tigers at home, 4-2.  Back-to-back defending American League Cy Young Champion Tarik Skubal was on the mound for Detroit, and he struck out seven Twins batters.  But he got chased in the Fifth Inning and got the Loss.  Skubal issued his first two Walks of the season.  Moreover, he got upstaged by ... Taj Bradley, the Pitcher the Twins picked up from Tampa in exchange from Griffin Jax at the Trade Deadline last Year.  He went 6 1/3 Innings, walked none and fanned ten.  Could pitching performances like that be enough for the Twins fanbase to come back to the stadium and pay good money to the Pohlads, who'll only pocket the cash?

They go for the sweep of the Tigers this/Thursday afternoon.  They then travel to Toronto for three over the weekend.  They then come back to host Boston for a trio beginning Monday.

#-2: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -5).  Dropped the three-Game series at Iowa, although both defeats on Saturday and Sunday afternoon were only by one Run.  They took out their frustrations on South Dakota St., whom they destroyed, 16-7, at Siebert last/Wednesday night.

This Week: A Trio at home against Washington for three, then the return home-and-home date with St. Thomas Tuesday afternoon.

#-3: Gopher softball (Last Week: -1).  Caught a glimpse of the last Out(s) of Minnesota's 10-1, five-Inning, Mercy Rule verdict on cable in a bar and, quite frankly, I like the fight in these players.  Can they keep it up with a three-Game series at Washington?

#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -3).  While the Wild have been soaring, the Woofie Dogs have been sinking.  A 1-3 Week featuring a Win at Indiana against a Pacers team that had none of their most frequent starting 5 playing.  That victory clinched at least sixth place in the West, aka an actual playoff spot.  But golly, Jaden McDaniels played through a concussion and Anthony Edwards is still out, and may not be 100% by the time the Wolves need him.

Their season ends this screening Week.  They finish a three-Game roadie with a road date against Houston tomorrow/Friday night.  They then host The Bastard Charlotte Hornets Sunday night ... and then that's it for the regular season.

My God, I am so tired.  And I have been tired around this time of night (which is after midnight) for the past week or so.  What's causing this?  Spring forward got implemented a month ago, and sometimes I react negatively with changes at work, so I don't think my recent inability to stay up has anything to do with that.  But what is it?  I don't know.  All I know is I am too tired to blog post anything more than what you are seeing right now.

I Need To Stop Worrying About Bad Things That Might Happen And Instead Celebrate The Good Things That Actually Happen

Had to call Mother last/Monday night because there were a lot of bills that came in.  There were also a couple letters I thought she needed to know.  One of them dealt with a credit card that is about to close if my parents don't use them soon.  She told me to put it in a bag for mail she needs to look at "When she comes back home."  And I realized that it's been three months since they left and, even though I believe them when they say they're going to stay out in Las Vegas a little longer than they usually do, eventually they are going to come back.  And that makes me sad.  Not only have I not done a damn thing in regards to going through all my stuff, but I like living here on my own, as I usually do when they're wintering.  Them coming back, whenever that is, truly feels like an invasion of privacy.  And I will rue the day when they tell me they're returning here.

But I get down like that even though I don't know when that'll be -- or, and maybe I'm thinking wishfully, if they come back.  I know I need to look at the bright side -- very bright side in the case of Michigan winning the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament later last night.  That means I have won about a grand in this big bracket pool I've competed in for the past two decades.  While I always play hoping I would win, never in my wildest dreams would I think I could beat out almost 1,300 entries to place, get this, fourth.  Sure, I would have rather won and pocketed the five-figure jackpot along with it.  But I was much, much closer to the bottom for last year's Big Dance.  Honestly, I am more proud of myself for finishing in 4th place in this than getting my degree.

That's something worth celebrating, and if I celebrate hard enough, I'll forget that one day, and maybe soon, my parents will come back home.

RIP, Taco Bell Near Me

So two weeks ago, after seeing my alma mater fall to South Carolina in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, I drove home.  Sometimes I take a path home that takes me past the closest gas station to my home.  Can't complain about the gas station.  It has a Taco Bell there that I go to all the time.

Well, had.  I think it was the weekend where I actually went to this gas station because I wanted to get some Taco Bell.  And it shocked the shit out of me when I saw one of those industrial-sized dumpsters.  I then noticed that all the Taco Bell signage is gone, completely.

This was coming.  The gas station was a Holiday, but several years ago (I don't know exactly how many), it was sold to Casey's Retail Company, so the Holiday became a Casey's.  They are well known for making and selling their own food under their own Casey's brand.  But even after the changeover and makeover, the Taco Bell was still operating in the left half of the building housing the now Casey's.

I heard the story of how this happened shortly after the changeover when I grabbed some Taco Bell by eavesdropping on a conversation between a Taco Bell worker and a customer who may have been his or her friend.  Taco Bell had a lease for this location.  When Holiday Stationstores or Couche-Tard, the company that acquired Holiday Stationstores, sold this particular gas station to Casey's, they did so on the condition that Taco Bell would be able to stay through the life of its lease.  The Taco Bell employee did not know how long that lease lasted, however.  Well, I guess that lease ran out two weeks ago.

This closing seemed fast.  I got home late that Monday, and Taco Bell drive-thrus are usually open late every night.  So I want to think that late Monday night (technically Tuesday morning) was the very last day they were open.  Casey's then shut everything down and cleaned out the entire Taco Bell (including appliances and tables -- seriously, I went into the gas station yesterday/Sunday and there's absolutely nothing there).  I absolutely marvel at how fast they emptied the place of any and all Taco Bell life.  But they can also completely replace that space with Casey's restaurant just as fast, at least I am convinced they could, and it's been completely empty for two weeks.

Is there something wrong?  I would think that Casey's was biding its time before the lease ended so they could then sweep in, clean house, and put up their own signage and equipment.  So, where are the tables and chairs -- and breakfast pizza Casey's is known for?  In the meantime, I am going to miss this Taco Bell.  It is the closest fast food place to me, so I relied on it for dinner and lunch many, many times over the years.  And now it's gone, just like many other places I believed would continue to exist.

Rest In Peace, TB.

Giving The Van A Little Love, I Guess

I now think I remember what I was going to originally blog post about yesterday/Saturday afternoon.

So I brought in my parents' minivan last week.  I have no idea what maintenance Father did or did not have on it before my folks left, so I just assumed I should not trust him and asked for an oil change and a tire rotation.  This was also the time to find out if there's anything more to the exhaust smoke I saw coming out the passenger side of the van earlier in the year.  And finally, if there was anything else the mechanics saw, let me know; I might get it fixed.

Well, they never said anything about the oil looking fresh, so they changed the oil and rotated the tires.  The exhaust was something; they showed me that there is a hole in the muffler.  But this is one of those cases where one thing could lead to another.  They could replace the muffler for a grand, but they would then have to disassemble the whole exhaust system, and the mechanic was afraid some other part that is closer to the front of the car would get loose or break off, and that would mean, at the very least, three more thousand dollars.  That is one repair that I will not have fixed.

But, while looking around, the mechanic saw that the stabilizer link, whatever that is, on the passenger-side front tire was broken.  To level with you all, the mechanic(s) described its, uh, brokenness in vague and relatively benign terms -- "You'll feel it bounce over bumpy roads," one of them said.  He made it sound like it wasn't worth fixing, frankly.  He gave me the same advice, and in the same tone, when he advised me not to fix the muffler.  But honestly, I felt a little guilty saying no over the muffler -- not to the mechanics, but to the car.  Yes, I'm treating the minivan like it's a living creature.  But I feel guilty that I won't fix what appears to be a major issue because it's just too damn expensive.  And in exchange, I want to "make it up to the car," and throw some money at some repairs to make it run better.  And the van still runs well.  I think it'd make it up north, even though I dare not do it.  I think having a second car around is a good idea, and I will spend some money for its upkeep, just not a few thousand dollars in one heap.  Several hundreds dollars, though?  I said yes, even against what seems to be the advice of the mechanics who spent only half an hour switching out these stabilizer links or whatever.

Am I a fool?  Sure.  But I want to let my car that I still care for it, even a little.

I Continue To Miss Soccer Goals

I've started my day on Apple TV watching the MLS Toronto-Colorado Match while thinking up what I want to blog post about.  And with the Rapids up 2-0 and this being, well, soccer, I let my attention wander, both to my phone and also to this laptop.

I have spoken before about missing Goals because I was looking at my phone.  Well, Toronto scored while I was looking at my lap (specifically theoretical high-speed rail networks in the Midwest), then they tied it up while I was looking at my The Athletic app.  And I'll be goddamned: That is when I finally got the inspiration to blog post, and as I started this blog post, TFC scored again to take a 3-2 lead.

This would have been a sensational Game to pay attention to.  Instead, I saw none of the three Goals of this comeback, and right now, I want to kill myself.

Yellow Poles? For Me?

Weirdest thing when I got home from work last/Friday night.  I noticed that the screen door was opened.  Then I saw a bunch of plastic thin yellow rods propping up the door.  And no, I didn't buy them from Amazon.

Freaking out at this "gift" left for me, I ran to the door.  It was a half-dozen stakes -- you know, things you would put in the ground of your front yard to let you know where your gas and water lines are.  But why in the hell would they piled up against my front door?  And backing up here, what the hell are they?  It looks like the closest thing they could be are like these reflective driveway poles.  I think a part of each rod, close to one end, is painted white, and it's that white part that is supposed to reflect light from a headlight to guide a driver onto the driveway.

Or something.  I didn't take a close look at them because I didn't know why in the hell would someone leave those for me.  It's not like they were lying around my front yard.  Who would even think to give these to me?  That's why I'm still suspicious as hell why they're there.  And yet ... well, these things might come in handy.  I don't know for what, but they might.  So I threw them over my side door.  I'll get around to them when I have the time and if I am no longer scared as to why and how they got to my front door.

Seriously, though -- who would give me these ... yellow poles?  Is this a set-up of some sort?

Fucking Sister's Fucking Mad At Me

So on Tuesday I was downtown at our college Game-watching bar watching the Match for the final World Cup spot between Iraq and Bolivia (the Iraqis won) when I got a text from WhatsApp.  My sister texted me a picture of a piece of mail she got ... and it was in my name.  I don't live where she lives -- how in the hell is my name on a piece of mail sent to my sister's place?

So I texted her, not really upset as she was, I soon realized.  I was hanging out by myself watching some important soccer, so I texted back something innocuous but showing that I am empathizing with her.  That conversation petered out, though, so after I got home and then when I woke up Wednesday morning I thought I would check up on her.  "Do you need me to do anything?" I basically asked, to which she replied, "No, just stop talking about it."  Now I know she's mad about this, and I have to now understand whether she is mad at me.  So I ask her, and she says, "Yes, but stop talking about it."

Well, fuckin' A.  She obviously is upset that my name appears on a piece of mail (junk mail she said -- she threw it away) that has my name on it.  I don't know why or how that happened.  But it's dawned on me that she blames me for this. I texted her, both Tuesday night and Wednesday, how she wants me to help solve this.  But telling me to stop talking about it isn't solving a goddamn thing.  She just shut me down, and not only is that not productive, but it's pretty damn hurtful, too.  She won't let me fix this, so the only thing I can think of as to why she is acting like this is because she's mad at me and she wants to stay mad at me.

I thought for a long, long time to just end the conversation by giving her the middle finger emoji.  Shit, I'm still thinking about giving her that.  But I have to look to the long term, stop needing to have the last word, and not do anything that could really, really piss her off, even though by what she said she's already plenty pissed.

We have very occasional blow-ups.  I don't remember the last time she was this upset with me.  But whenever we do, it's a damn knock-down drag-out.  She can be extremely petty and unreasonable, and in turn, I decide I need to be defensive.  So, instead of giving her the finger, I didn't come back on her at all.  In fact, I muted her on WhatsApp.  And I would mute her on Facebook too if I knew how to do that without blocking her entirely.

I hate how she's making me feel.  Out of all the family members, I'm the closest to her.  She's the only one I think I can be honest and even a bit vulnerable with.  I think she understands me more than the others.  But I don't understand her right now, and I have spent a long, long time since this "exchange" thinking about what she thinks of me right now and when all of this is going to be over.  I'm trying to help, but her silent treatment is making me angry because I don't deserve that.  And I really, really don't know how in the fuck my name got on a piece of junk mail sent to her place.

This fucking sucks.  I feel like the black sheep of this family, but moreso now that I'm fighting with the only family member I am on good terms with.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Gopher softball (Last Week: -1).  On the whole, this screening Week has been very lackluster.  In fact, of all the local teams in action, I feel best about one that had their season end; that's below.

And yet the clear best team this Week are the Gopher softballers, who won their series at Cowles over Illinois over the weekend (despite getting bludgeoned in the middle Game Saturday, 14-6).  They've nosed over .500 in the B1G ... but if you can do that, you shouldn't be losing to smaller programs, and yet the U. did at St. Thomas yesterday/Wednesday afternoon, and by a score of 7-2.  Seriously?

They host Ohio St. for a three-Game series.  And I find this pretty odd -- the series goes from Saturday to Monday afternoon.

#-2: Wild (Last Week: -4).  Sure, they're just about assured of a First Round playoff series versus The Bastard North Stars, and they probably won't have home ice, but can you see this team doing anything with the way they're playing right now?  They managed to scrape by Florida, beating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs (who now sit in last place in The Atlantic Division) 3-2 Thursday at Sunrise, but got doubled up at Boston on Saturday, 6-3.  This team looks tired, so having several Days off before resuming at home versus Vancouver, The Worst Team In The NHL, could be a nice reset.  But they'll be busy with about two Weeks left in the Regular Season; they travel to Ottawa and Detroit this weekend back-to-back, then come back to face Seattle Tuesday.  How about some consistency, boys?

#-3: Timberwolves (Last Week: 0).  The thought that they could spark to life and gain momentum to end the season is rapidly fading, what with a 22-Point ass-kicking at home on Saturday to leaders of the East, Detroit, and no, winning by 30 at Dallas on Monday means little to nothing.  They currently sit in sixth place in The Western Conference by 4 1/2 Games above Phoenix, so getting pulled into the Play-In probably is no longer a concern.  But Denver is in fourth place by 2 Games, and there are less than two Weeks left in the Regular Season.  And now, not only is Anthony Edwards still rounding back into shape (and missing the start of Games because he needed to take a shit), now Jaden McDaniels is out from week to week with an injury.  The mojo isn't there with this team, and so the expectation that they're contenders is quickly becoming a delusion.

Holy fuck: They have a five-Game screening Week.  It starts punishingly, with visits to Detroit and Philadelphia tonight/Thursday night and tomorrow/Friday night.  They come home to face Charlotte Sunday evening, then have another Eastern Conference back-to-back on the road, namely Indiana and Orlando, Tuesday and Wednesday night.

#-4: Twins (NEW SEASON!).  Whoo, baseball's back!  And whoo-whoo, the Twinks are already 1-4, whoo-whoo!!  I could break down the upcoming season, but who cares?  They have three established guys of note: Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, and Pablo Lopez.  Lopez is out for the beginning of the season.  I and many others would bet good money that both Lopez and Ryan will be traded in the middle of the season.  There are a bunch of youngsters trying to figure things out with the big ballclub, none of whom move the needle and capture the imaginations of Twins fans to make them think he's the next Kirby Puckett.  I swear that the Pohlads could sell the team right now to someone in Nashville and we would be like, "See ya!  Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!"  So who cares what they're going to do now?

And tomorrow's/Friday's Home Opener might not start due to rain!  No one's going to show up to see them because they suck, and now more people might not show up because they might not even play it!  Serves them right this could be the most embarrassing home opener in the history of the franchise!!!  Whoo-whoo-whoo!!!

#-5: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -3).  Got swept at home to Ohio St.  Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo!!!  The baseballers are now 2-7 in-conference, so this season feels lost already.

This Week: At Iowa for three, then have a one-off vs. South Dakota St. at Siebert Field on Wednesday.  The weird thing is all times for First Pitch is listed at two Minutes after the Hour.  Two?  Is this some sort of promotional thing?

#-Infinity (tie): Gopher women's basketball and Gopher wrestling (Last Week, respectively: Positive Numbers and Re-Entry!).  OK, so the Gopher women's b-ball team got routed by UCLA Friday by 24 in Sacramento.  Not saying it's not a big deal -- all seasons that end short of a championship are, in its most distilled essence, failures -- but we all knew it was going to happen.  And like I said last Week, this is what I could have hoped for for this program before the Year began, and what I expected as the team finally founds itself during conference play.  The recruits Lindsay Whalen brought in, Amaya Battle most notably, were finally developed because of Dawn Plitzuweit, and this season the results came through.  So this is the proof of concept that there is a plan and it could work.  These are the roots from which hopefully blooms even stronger and better recruits and yields greater outcomes for next Year and beyond.  You never know what will happen, but at the risk of getting ahead of myself, this program is finally looking good for the immediate future.

In the meantime I forgot to talk about the NCAA (men's) wrestling championships back on March 21.  Minnesota as a whole finished an irrelevant ninth place.  But maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the entire team; Penn St. won the title again, so as of now, every other school is as irrelevant as the U.

But, one Golden Gopher won an individual championship.  Max McEnelly, out of Waconia, won the NCAA title at 184 Pounds.  And he did it as the third-ranked wrestler at the weight and upsetting the top-ranked wrestler, Rocco Welsh out of, natch, Penn St., 4-3.  According to the U. athletic department, McEnelly's individual title is the 25th in Gopher wrestling history (won by 19 Gophers total); it's the first individual championship for Minnesota since the great Gable Steveson won back-to-back at Heavyweight in 2021 and 2022; and it's the first title won at a weight other than Heavyweight since Jayson Ness at 133 Pounds back in 2010.  At least that's something.