The Chase continues . . . . and other twitterdum

I think Chase Mikkelsen flies to Seattle tomorrow. His bags are packed in hopes that after Sunday's tryout for the brand new Seattle Sounders Soccer team, he'll be chosen for the remaining roster slot and will get to fly on to Los Angeles where the team will prepare for its March opener. Everyone who knows Chase has the same hopes.

His tryout involves ten candidates chosen at different Washington sites, and it's been organized as a reality-show event to air and happen right after the Super Bowl this Sunday. I don't know the details on where it will air, but I know that Sunday is Chase's big day.

He's the son of Rik Mikkelsen who taught math at Sandpoint High School for years and Jeannie Mikkelsen who's been working with my hubby at the Idaho Department of Lands for a number of years. Chase has an older brother Jason and a younger brother Halvor. All three have been soccer standouts.

All three are proud and fully engaged in their dual Gros Ventre Indian and Norwegian heritage. In fact, I know for sure that both Chase and Halvor have played soccer in Norway.

There's still time for the voting portion of player selection, so I'm once more posting the link where you can go, register, read about the candidates, see their photos and some videos and VOTE FOR CHASE.

Please pass along the link to whoever you know who would be willing to help in this effort to do everything possible to support Chase's quest for this coveted soccer spot. Thank you, and here is the link: http://www.soundersfc.com/Article_noheader.aspx?id=3068&languageid=1033

~~~~~~~~~~

You walk in, and you meet one of former Sandpoint Bee publisher Pete Thompson's grandsons, a very nice young man named Ty. You see a fire going in the stove, and plenty of tables located near its warmth. As you sit down, and peer out the windows, you're treated to the beautiful views of mountain peaks surrounding Clark Fork.

Ty tells you more treats will come in tomorrow, but for today, there's Marionberry pie and sour cream lemon cheesecake, Cyrus O'Leary individual pies, no less. The coffee's normal stuff, far from exotic and no crankcase flavor. It was a coffee shop, but now Mom's Restaurant on HWY 200 across from Hay's Chevron Station is just that, a restaurant owned by a couple of moms.

We met one of the moms yesterday. Her name is Maggie, and when I listened to two sentences coming from her mouth, I knew she wasn't from Clark Fork. So, I asked her.

"I'm from New Jersey," she told me, adding that wherever she's gone, that Jersey accent has gone with her. I asked her from where in New Jersey. She said mid-New Jersey. I told her my brother and his family used to live in Alloway.

"I was born in Alloway," she announced with a smile.

Mother and I had gone for a drive on another bright sunshiny day. I told her I'd always driven by the coffee shop but had never stopped---until yesterday.

The whole experience was a treat. We found out Mom's Restaurant serves all the favorite burgers and sandwiches, breakfast and pizza the way you want it. Plus, they'll have those Cyrus O'Leary individual pies on hand, along with that good coffee.

The experience got even more interesting and fun when one of my dad's Pend Oreille Sports Shop Saturday morning yakking buddies came in: Bobby Kennedy. Our whole family has known Bobby most of our lives. I used to ride back and forth to the University of Idaho with him. My older brother graduated with him.

I know why my dad enjoyed visiting with him; he's got one liners that will put you on the floor, but you have to meet Bobby to experience the real deal. He works in his shop at Hope welding and sees no reason to go to Sandpoint these days.

Bobby's dad Fred owned barges and did a lot of work on Lake Pend Oreille, including hauling the old base hospital from Farragut to Sandpoint. It served as the community hospital for years afterward.

Anyway, Mother enjoyed visiting with Bobby, and we both agreed that the visit to Mom's Restaurant will have to be a must-go on future drives along the north shore of Lake Pend Oreille. Truly a treat in many ways.

~~~~~~~~~
I've been meaning to mention that since installing a sitemeter on Slight Detour about this time last year, the visits surpassed 50,000 over the weekend. No. 50,000 was someone from Pennsylvania looking up a posting I wrote about three years ago about a Wal-Mart pepper spray incident that occurred one evening at the Ponderay store. For some reason, that posting and my best damned pumpkin dessert, period postings have generated a lot of interest.

It's been fun having the sitemeter, and, at times, helpful. Also, it's nice to know that about 125-150 people visit this site almost every day. Thanks for your readership. It is much appreciated.

~~~~~~~~~
I'm not nervous yet, but I know the usual jitters will start taking over this afternoon as I drive to Bayview to speak to the Bayview Community Council. When I think of where Bill and I visited over the weekend, yesterday's trip to Clark Fork and a trip to Bayview, I must say that my eyes are on overload for scenic beauty.

It's a tough job living here and having to enjoy it all, but someone's gotta do it.

Happy Tuesday to all.