Target Center Date Night, Wolves Gonna Wolves

Target Center Date Night, Wolves Gonna Wolves

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for February 7, 2026

On Friday night, Miss Sheri and I found ourselves at Target Center again, doing what we do, smiling, yelling, and pretending we’ve learned anything from years of Minnesota sports. The Timberwolves have been up and down all season, but coming off their first win in Toronto in more than 20 years, this one felt like a no-brainer. The Pelicans were 13–40. At home. What could go wrong? Turns out, plenty. Same Wolves energy, same emotional whiplash, but it didn’t really matter, because hanging out with my awesome wife, soaking in the noise, and watching this team together still feels like a pretty great Friday night.

On Thursday the Timberwolves traded for Ayo Dosunmu. I didn’t know much about him before, but from everything I’ve read it sounds like they might’ve pulled off an actual steal. We were hoping to see his debut, but apparently the plan is to ease him in first, which feels responsible and therefore slightly suspicious. Still, it’s nice to believe the Wolves made a smart, boring move that helps instead of a flashy one that explodes later.

This was one of those games the Wolves absolutely should’ve won, which of course meant they sleepwalked through defense, treated effort like an optional upgrade, and lost 119–115. They were up 18 in the second half, because Minnesota loves a head start before the collapse. Zion lived in the paint like he paid rent, a Pelicans rookie turned into Ray Allen for a night, and the Wolves waited until the final minute to look interested. Ant scored 35, everyone else watched, and Target Center got another reminder that “should’ve won” is basically our team slogan.

@toddswank Let’s go Timberwolves!! #timberwolves #minnesota #nba ♬ original sound - Todd Swank

@toddswank AI agents are now hiring humans. Yes, really. #ArtificialIntelligence #TechTrends #FutureOfWork #RentaHuman #agenticai ♬ son original - Sebstation

Hands Up In The Middle Of Minnesota Winter

Hands Up In The Middle Of Minnesota Winter

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for February 1, 2026

Minnesota went full bully mode this week. Wind chills sat at 20 to 30 below and didn’t let up. I escaped to Denver for work, even if it was only one night. Still talking tech. Still talking AI. Just fewer layers. Warmer air. Winter lost a round, and that tiny dose of warmth was enough to reset my brain before heading back into the tundra.

Flying out, we passed right over Prior Lake. My house sits a little south and west of this view. From up here it finally clicked. We don’t live by lakes. We live in an ice cube tray. Somewhere in God’s freezer. One of these years I’m leaving Minnesota for the winter. I’ve been saying that since the Obama administration.

A quiet weekend overall. We did get out for dinner at PLate, which we hadn’t done in a while. No big plans. No rush. Just good food and time together. The steak was really good. The space felt comfortable. Exactly the right amount of effort for January.

I’ve been having a lot of conversations lately about whether we’re sitting in an asset bubble. Gold and silver have been on a tear. Then I walk into Costco and they’re selling gold bars like big-screen TVs. That usually feels like a signal. When the masses show up, the easy money already left. Right on cue, metals took a big selloff Friday. Probably coincidence. Probably also a decent time to think about selling.

Since we didn’t do much this weekend, I talked my wife into driving me out on the lake so I could get the ice-house shot. Even though the ice is quite solid after weeks of deep freeze, that logic still doesn’t comfort a non-swimmer like Miss Sheri. Convincing her to drive her SUV out there is always a negotiation. She sighed. She drove. I got the picture. I’m lucky she supports my weird little missions in life.

@toddswank Does OpenClaw plus MoltBook equal Skynet? How do I use it to get rich before that happens? #moltbook #skynet #openclaw #agenticai #terminator ♬ Powerful songs like action movie music - Tansa

Growling Instead of Singing at the Hop House Brewery

 

Growling Instead of Singing at the Hop House Brewery

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for January 25, 2026

We were bored on Wednesday night and heard something different was happening at Hop House Brewery at Mystic Lake. Hop House is a big, polished, modern brewery built like a sportsbook, with massive screens, a real stage, and the kind of setup that feels like it’s waiting for chaos. Sports betting isn’t legal in Minnesota yet, so instead of taking bets they’re experimenting, trying to figure out what actually pulls people in midweek. One strategy was impossible to miss. A karaoke contest. With a $2,500 grand prize.

Hop House isn’t messing around when it comes to live music. On weekends they bring in bands, so the place is built like a real performance venue, with a legit stage, high-end audio gear, and lighting that makes even amateurs feel briefly professional. We love karaoke and this place is a good fit for it.

I’d love to say we crushed it, but this is real life, not a Hallmark Christmas movie. Sheri has a genuinely beautiful voice. I mostly growl through my songs, which tends to surprise people who were expecting singing. There were a lot of talented performers, so we slipped out before the winner was announced, fairly confident our names weren’t involved. The contest runs through April, though, and the place is too fun to rule out a return. Especially if we can recruit a few brave Prior Lake friends to join us. Hint. Hint.

Thursday night took us to Target Center, where the Timberwolves were trying to shake off a three-game losing streak. Chicago was in town, the building was full, and the optimism level was high. We felt confident this was one of those nights where we could start winning again.

Miss Sheri joined me for the game, and I made the bold pregame decision to get a fresh haircut, turning my head into a highly reflective surface. Apparently it worked, because a buddy texted me midgame to say he spotted me on TV, guided entirely by the glare. If the Wolves ever need a backup arena light, I’m available.

The game sucked. The Wolves built a lead, got everyone comfortable, and then pulled the rug out late. Chicago finished on a 9–0 run. Minnesota lost 120-115.  There were some good individual performances, which somehow made it more irritating. Fourth straight loss.  Is a trade needed?

Friday night took us to the Savage Tap with the Browns and the Zitzewitzes, which is pretty much a guaranteed win. Good beer, zero pressure, and a guy named Woody playing guitar and singing classics like he’s been doing it forever. The kind of place where the music’s loud enough to feel alive but quiet enough to chat about movies and TV shows without shouting. Lots of laughs, questionable opinions, and the exact kind of night you wish you could schedule every week.

Ron and Kristie Myers were in the Twin Cities for their daughter Alyssa’s volleyball tournament, so we did the only reasonable thing and went out in 30-below windchill weather to cheer her on. That kind of cold doesn’t build character, it just tests friendships. A few games, a lot of yelling, and a great time with old buddies. Worth it.

As a bonus, I got a full immersion experience in middle school girls’ volleyball, which is way more intense than advertised. These girls are competitive, loud, and all business, with rallies full of sets, bumps, spikes, dinks, and the occasional perfectly timed doink. The energy never drops, and neither do the cheers, which arrive on cue after every big moment.  Ace! Ace! Ace!

@toddswank It is darned cold in Minnesota! Alexa is trying to be cute and say Brrrr…she doesn’t quit get it! #ai #alexa #brrr #cold #minnesota ♬ The Office (Main Theme) - Knightsbridge

@toddswank I’m having a full out anxiety attack watching this guy climb a skyscraper on Netflix! #freesolo #skyscraper #netflix #alexhonnold #climb ♬ Danger - SoundAudio

Hiding From Winter at the St. Paul RV Show

 

Hiding from Winter at the St. Paul RV Show

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for January 18, 2026

Monday night we celebrated Abby’s birthday at Kona Grill in Eden Prairie. We like sushi, but not at full-price, mortgage-payment levels. The night completely turned when we discovered it was all-night happy hour. Suddenly everyone was relaxed, ordering freely, and feeling smarter than we actually are. Miss Sheri still hates seafood, but even she appreciated the financial victory.

Wednesday night took us down to Lonsdale with Luke, his roommates, and the Walters, which is always a reliable recipe for things getting louder than planned. It really went off the rails after Miss Sheri and I both won bingo, at which point we were yelling “Bingo” and “Social” like we were best friends with everyone in the room.

Friday night was a different kind of bingo at the Shakopee VFW with our Euchre crew. Music Bingo, where you play for random T-shirts and stray beer glasses behind the bar, which is exactly our level of prize ambition. The twist was finding out it was all country music, which listening to normally makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Still, with this group, it was impossible not to have a good time.

This past weekend we braved freezing temperatures to hit the St. Paul RV Show, one of Minnesota’s favorite winter traditions where hundreds of RVs are packed indoors so we can all pretend summer isn’t still months away. 

I also ran into my old buddy and former coworker Rob Bauer, who I hadn’t seen in years. Seeing him alone was worth the price of admission, which, conveniently, was free.

Nothing wraps up the week quite like discovering a fully operational trout pond inside a convention center. It’s wholesome, a little redneck, and somehow makes perfect sense in the middle of winter. The kids made memories. The trout requested legal representation.

Kissing Goodbye to the 2025 Minnesota Vikings

 

Kissing Goodbye to the 2025 Minnesota Vikings

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for January 11, 2026

Last Sunday we made it to the Vikings–Packers finale, usually one of the hottest tickets in town, just not this year. The Vikings were already eliminated, the Packers were resting everyone with a pulse, and the playoff drama had officially left the building. We weren’t chasing hope, just maybe a little clarity on whether J.J. McCarthy is our quarterback of the future… or just another chapter in the ongoing Minnesota experiment.

I love going to games with my best girl, Miss Sheri. We’ve been Vikings fans together for 34 years, and there’s still nobody I’d rather suffer with on a Sunday afternoon. She’s sweet, loyal, and occasionally so vocal when things go sideways that I find myself quietly apologizing to the parents of nearby small children. Wouldn’t change a thing.

One genuinely cool moment was watching Justin Jefferson quietly make history. He hit 1,000 yards again, his sixth straight season, which only two other humans in NFL history have ever pulled off. Casual greatness, no drama, just doing impossible things while we all pretend we’re not spoiled having him on this team.

This was the J.J. McCarthy taunting play, which honestly was nice to see. A little edge, a little fire, a reminder he’s not just out there politely getting hit. Still a big question mark if he’s our guy next year, and an even bigger one if he can stay healthy, but there were flashes that made you pause. Vikings win it 16–3, and once again we head into the offseason doing what we do best… convincing ourselves that next year will definitely be the one.

On Tuesday I hopped a plane to Denver for three nights and three meetings, kicking off the new year on a high note. Three great customer conversations, a little thin air, and me out there proudly representing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in the Mile High City.

This image is AI, but it’s pretty close to what I ran into that night. I left the hotel for dinner in a city I don’t know, and a couple miles in my phone suddenly died. That’s when I realized my charging cable was still back in the room. You don’t realize how dependent you are on your phone, especially for maps, until it’s gone. I went searching for a gas station, took a wrong turn in a construction zone, and ended up face-to-face with a concrete barrier, plus a couple cars that followed me in. I waved everyone backward, reset, and went looking for help… wondering how this all went sideways so fast.

Jeff and Jeff are two of our cloud engineering leaders, and they’re the secret weapon when it comes to convincing CIOs we’re the best AI cloud infrastructure out there. When you can back big claims with deep technical chops and real answers, the conversation changes fast, and I’m lucky to have guys like this in my corner.

This is pretty much my job in a nutshell: earn the meeting, make the case for why Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is the best out there, then say thank you over a really good meal. I get to talk tech, build real relationships, and spend time with smart people who don’t owe me anything. No wonder I’m gaining weight, but honestly, I’m grateful this is how I get to spend my days.