Testing How Much Life We Can Fit Into a Week Before We Break

 

Testing How Much Life We Can Fit Into a Week Before We Break

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for April 26, 2026

We’ve been on a bit of a run lately, the kind where you keep saying yes and don’t really stop to ask if that’s a good idea until your body starts negotiating with you. It kicked off with Thunderstruck at Shakopee Bowl, which felt ambitious considering we were already tired going in, but apparently all it takes is Back in Black and Highway to Hell to convince you you’re still 25. For a couple hours we were fully committed, singing, headbanging, and making excellent life choices… right up until the next morning when every joint in my body filed a formal complaint and reminded me this whole “let’s see how much we can fit into a week” thing might have consequences.

Eric really surprised me on this one. It was his idea to get everyone out to the show, and then he went full front row like he was trying to earn a spot in the band. I used to be that guy, so I worked my way up there for a few songs to relive it. For a minute it felt right… then it got real loud, real fast. Eric never moved. I bailed like someone who’s learned this lesson before, ears ringing. I’ve officially become the guy who complains about volume instead of screaming for more.

We caught up with Portia and Doc at The Pointe, which somehow always happens right after April 15th… when accountants rejoin society and start returning texts again. Portia just got done surviving tax season, sorting through everyone else’s financial chaos, including ours, so this felt like her victory lap. Always good to see them, compare notes on how much damage was done, and remind ourselves that I’m sure the government will put all that money to absolutely fantastic use.

Thursday night Luke and Avery joined us at the NFL Draft party at US Bank Stadium, which for us mostly means finding out which player got assigned the very important job of meeting the public. This year it was Levi Drake Rodriguez, and honestly, he couldn’t have been cooler about it. You always wonder if these guys are thinking “how did I get this assignment,” but he was all smiles, taking pictures, chatting it up like he actually wanted to be there. Meanwhile we’re standing there like proud Vikings fans already convincing ourselves this seventh-round pick might secretly be the steal of the 2024 draft.

I told Aaron Jones I thought he was a classy guy, and I actually had receipts. Two years ago at this same draft party, we stood in a long line, missed him by about 30 seconds, and just as we were finishing our sad little backup photos, he came over, jumped in, and grabbed a quick selfie with us on my phone. Didn’t have to do it, but he did. When I reminded him, he smiled like he remembered… or at least like I wasn’t completely making it up. Either way, I’m pretty sure we’re building something here.

Walking out of the draft and somehow ran into Amanda and William, who we had just spent a few days with in Florida. Either we’re getting around more than we realize, or this is the start of one of those “we keep running into the same people everywhere” situations.

A couple months ago Abby asked if we wanted to drive to Des Moines to see her favorite comedian, Nate Bargatze, and because she’s awesome and we love her, the answer was obviously yes before I thought through any of the details. Fast forward to a 7-hour round trip and seats in the very top row, and I’m halfway up those stairs completely out of breath, starting to wonder if I should be monitoring my heart rate instead of finding my seat. Abby was fired up the whole time, which made it worth it, and honestly the show delivered. Nate was great, the four comedians before him were hilarious, and once I got settled in and stopped questioning my life choices, it turned into one of those nights you’re really glad you didn’t overthink.

Nate Bargatze is on an absolute heater right now, and after seeing him live, I get it. I mostly knew him from SNL, especially those George Washington sketches, which are some of my all-time favorites. The way he breaks down the stupidity of our weights and measures system like “how many yards are in a mile… nobody knows” shouldn’t be that funny, but it absolutely kills me. The Big Dumb Eyes tour is selling out everywhere, and it makes sense. He just stands there, barely moves, and somehow has an entire arena locked in laughing at stuff we all know is ridiculous but never really think about.

Being in the area naturally meant a stop to see Krazy Kory, which included supper at Boulder Tap House and a trip out to his place in the country. Always good to catch up with Kory, and the kids loved seeing the farmhouse setup, wide open space, fresh air, the whole deal. He’s even got his own garden going, which is impressive, because our version of a green thumb is successfully keeping grass alive most of the time.

Saturday night was Game 4 at Target Center between the Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. The Wolves have been playing so well we showed up ready to howl like it was part of our job description. The place was electric. We leaned all the way in, yelling, clapping, fully convinced our energy was making a difference… like the Wolves were just waiting on us to show up so they could finally play their best.

Jokić is the guy we all love to boo, which is funny because it’s mostly just our way of not admitting he might be the best player on the planet. Gobert’s been doing a great job making life tough on him, and we’ve got our own stars with Ant and DiVincenzo stepping up. At this point we were feeling pretty good about things… which, in true Minnesota fashion, usually means something’s about to go sideways.

And just like that, everything flipped. DiVincenzo goes down a couple minutes in and has to be helped off, and you could feel the air leave the building. Then Ant landed wrong and gets helped off too, and suddenly everyone’s doing that quiet “this doesn’t look good” math. One minute we’re talking about a third straight trip to the Western Conference Finals… the next we’re wondering if that just got a whole lot tougher.

And then the crazy part… they didn’t fold. With Ant and Donte out, the Wolves just kept coming. Rudy and Jaden stepped up, and Ayo completely took over, dropping 43 off the bench like it was nothing. The place went from nervous to losing its mind. I don’t know how this ends, but this might be the deepest Minnesota team we’ve ever had, and nights like this make you believe anything’s possible. 

Let’s go Wolves!!!

@toddswank Already fired up for Saturday at Target Center. If they hand these out, I’m camping at the door. #Timberwolves #NBAPlayoffs #TargetCenter #Bobblehead ♬ som original - F3rnand0

@toddswank 10 years later and Prince still sounds more alive than half the stuff on the charts. Legends don’t fade out. They just get louder in memory. Purple forever. #Prince #PurpleRain #MusicLegend #GoneButNeverForgotten ♬ Purple Rain - Prince & The Revolution

@toddswank Mystic Lake Amphitheater looks to be mostly complete and ready to open in June 2026. Are you ready to rock? #mysticlake #amphitheater #concerts #shakopee ♬ son original - ELNOSMILE