Travels with Derek
I just got back from the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown in Denver, Colorado. My friend Don and I flew out there last Thursday and I really enjoyed experiencing the Mile High City and its incredible mountains. I played exceptionally well in the pinball tournament and won first place Saturday night in the open division! In the finals, I played against top players Keith Elwin (ranked #2), and Josh Sharp (ranked #3). 
I would have to say that this is probably the best time of the year to be in Minnesota. The reason why is because April has been very warm and you can enjoy all the outdoor activities you would in the summer without all the mosquitoes! From the smell of hamburgers on the grill to nice bike rides around a lake, it’s just a great time to be outside.
The warm weather is finally here! My friend Jeff invited me over yesterday for a cook out while the temperatures hit 70 degrees for the first time this year. However it was bit windy, which made it feel much cooler than it was. Still, it was a beautiful day and I had great time playing pinball with Jeff that evening.
Tina and I spent last Sunday at the Mall of America for the opening of the new Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park. The Mall of America is the largest fully enclosed retail and family entertainment complex in the United States. It’s really hard to describe just how big this mall is unless you’ve experienced it in person.
I made my way back up north last Friday morning to attend the “Midwest Gaming Classic” in Oconomowoc, WI. This wonderful event combines both pinball and video games tournaments and was officially refereed by Walter Day of the Twin Galaxies book of world records.
I’m enjoying my time here in Kentucky and glad I was able to be in for Easter this year. The weather’s been great and it’s been so nice spending time with family and friends. I had so much fun attending the Sweet 16 basketball tournament at Rupp Arena with Dad. It’s a real treat to be able to sit on the Wildcats floor and experience basketball games that close up. The games are much more physical than they appear from the seats and being on the floor really makes you feel as if you’re apart of the game.
Last Sunday Tina and I traveled about an hour west of the Twin Cities to go snow tubing. This wasn’t just any backyard hill, but an actual ski resort place that specializes in snow tubing. They have four individual runs each divided by a wall of snow, each completely different. The best part is you don’t have to climb to the top!
Traveling can be very expensive these days with the ever-rising gas prices, but there is an alternative with E85 Ethanol fuel. E85 is the term for motor fuel blends of 85 percent ethanol and just 15 percent gasoline. Besides its superior performance characteristics, ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline and is completely renewable and environmentally friendly. E85 is very popular here in the Midwest because it is made from corn, sugar cane or carbohydrate feedstock.
My friend Chris and I traveled up north today on a road trip to pick up some pinball machines. Seems like machines have been showing up for sale all the time here lately in the classified ads, and we’ve been working up some great deals on them. The people we met today selling the pinball machines were moving to North Carolina.
I was talking to my good friend Don Brownback yesterday down in Kansas City and we’re making plans on traveling south, deep in the heart of Texas! That’s right, the first major pinball tournament kicks off mid-March this year in Dallas and my PinBrawl partner and I are looking for a big win there.
