I’m not a huge fan of the NBA, although I would consider myself a big fan of NBA playoff basketball. The regular season, with so many games, just gets so long. And one player can routinely win a game for his team. But the playoffs are more like a chess match with each team given up to seven games to figure out how to beat the guys on the other side of the floor.

I am back in my hometown of Platteville, Wis., today to watch my sister and her future husband graduate from college. That’s all well and good, but what I’m really excited about is a competition my mom outlined for my sisters and I.

We were each (along with our significant others) given $10 and told to go out into Platteville’s citywide garage sale to find the best bargain that we could. The couple with the winning treasure will get some sort of prize (she didn’t say what).

I’m totally going to dominate this competition.

Now that I’m getting married to a wonderful woman, I don’t really have to worry about it, but when a recent newspaper article mentioned a Web site that can help people pick a neighborhood in which to live based on the number of single people there (along with several other factors), I was intrigued.

I’m getting married in August. It’s only three months away. Still, I can’t wait.

When I first got engaged to Molly, the advice I heard most often from friends and family alike was to nod and smile. My friends who were already married or who were engaged themselves all told me that the wedding day is a much bigger deal to Molly than it will ever be to me, so I should be ready to agree with her, to help when needed, and to (most importantly) stay out of Molly’s way when I’m not needed.

This weekend is too busy already.

Not only do you have the Jordan citywide garage sale, but you’ve also got Jordan High School’s production of “The Hobbit” and the movie theater premier of “Iron Man” – both of which I really want to see. And on the sports side of things, you've got several NBA games and the Jordan Wood Bat tournament.

But I’m missing them all to help my sister and her family move into a new house in Wisconsin and to attend the wedding of a college friend.

My friend and I, on a trip to an arcade game auction, had a brief discussion about the escalating price of gasoline. He offered this overly simplified explanation of one possibility as to why gas could reach record heights this summer:

As hybrid and fuel efficient cars become more common, people are buying less and less gas. In turn, gas companies raise their prices to make up the difference.

I went to the Super Auctions coin-operated equipment auction in Milwaukee over the weekend, and I am happy to report that I didn’t come away empty handed. I bought a CD jukebox for my dad to give as a gift.

I’ve been to the auction several times now, and my family or guests that came with us have purchased some pretty big items –five jukeboxes, three dart boards, one arcade game, and three pinball machines total, that I can remember.

Jordan Elementary School held it’s kindergarten round-up day earlier this month. Check out a video about kindergarten in Jordan at http://www.jordan.k12.mn.us/jes/kindergarten/kindergarten_roundup.htm.

I was going to start putting together my warm-weather playlist, but I guess I jumped the gun. Today’s colder and dreary weather has me feeling glum. It’s certainly not the kind of weather that calls for open car windows and rocking tunes.

I know I’ve been leading the charge against cold weather for most of this spring, but I’m going to have to take a step back here.

I just realized the end of the school year is just over a month away.

We’re almost on the backside of April, which means that May is just around the corner and June isn’t that far off. Really, taking this line of thought just a few steps further, June is a busy month for me. This means that it will go quickly and July will be here before I know it. And after a speedy July it will be August and I’ll be getting married.