Hot Days, Cold Drinks, Great People

 

Hot Days, Cold Drinks, Great People

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for July 13, 2025

We went to Clear Lake, Iowa for the 4th of July and met up with Krazy Kory, his daughter, and her friend to kick things off. They brought the energy, I brought the need for shade and lower back support. I used to party all night—now I just hope to stay awake past sunset. Still a great way to celebrate freedom… until the next morning reminds you how old you are.

We had a special treat this year when my stepsister Lori and her husband David came to town for her 40th high school reunion and casually turned our 4th of July into a VIP experience. I always thought I had some local clout, but apparently all it takes is showing up with Lori to have doors open, crowds part, and prime spots magically appear. I’m not saying she runs Clear Lake now—but I’m definitely not saying she doesn’t.

The 4th of July parade is always fun, but this year Lori’s friend was able to reserve a front row table inside Rookies and had a couple extra seats for us. Watching the madness from an air-conditioned bar with cold beers and table service? Let’s just say it’s hard to go back to sidewalk seating after that level of freedom.

The VIP experience continued when Lori’s friends Kelly and Al Dickes invited us over before taking us out on the lake. We started with a tour of Al’s man cave, which felt less like a garage and more like a fully functional museum of Midwestern greatness. Tools, toys, neon signs—this place had everything but a gift shop.

Kelly and Al were awesome hosts, giving us a cruise around Clear Lake that brought back a bunch of childhood memories. I grew up on this lake with my dad and his boat—he was obsessed with keeping it spotless, drying it down and waxing it after every ride. Being back out there on the 4th felt great… mostly because no one made me towel-dry a windshield afterward.

We always have fun hitting the carnival downtown, and this year’s Bingo tent did not disappoint. We ran into Mike Glaser and his family mid-game, which was great—especially since Miss Sheri walked away $38 richer. It’s not about the money, of course… unless you win. Then it absolutely is.

I always seem to run into Todd Rule when I’m in Clear Lake, which is great since he lives in Houston and we rarely get to catch up. This year he brought his wife Lenaine, and we squeezed in a quick visit at the VFW—just enough time to swap what’s new before disappearing again for another year. It’s the kind of reliable randomness I’ve come to expect from Clear Lake.

We also bumped into Casey and Michele Craven, which always feels like reconnecting with the home team. Michele was in the same grade as Krazy Kory and me, so there’s this automatic bond—like no matter how much time passes, we just pick up right where we left off. The Class of 1988 may be scattered now, but for a few days each summer, it feels like we never left.

Back in Minnesota, the reunions kept rolling. Jason and Jen are in town for the summer, so we met up with them and invited Brad to join us at Duke’s on 7 in Minnetonka. Good food, great company, and just enough sarcasm at the table to make it feel like we never took a break.

On Wednesday, we met up with Miss Sheri’s cousin Deb, her husband Al, their daughter Jenny, and her crew for a little family catch-up. They were in full vacation mode, and we were a brief pause between all the action. The kids were happy to see us—at least until they remembered there were way more exciting things to do than hang out with adults talking over pancakes.

On Friday night we hit up Prior Lake’s Lakefront Music Fest for Rock Night. Always a good time—even when it’s 85 degrees, the crowd feels like a human wall, and your chair sinks two inches into the grass. The rain held off, the music was loud, and nobody around us sang in key… which honestly made it even better.

We ran into a bunch of great friends at Lakefront Music Fest and ended up sitting with Sue and Ron Korkowski—two people who never need convincing when it comes to having a good time. If there’s music, sunshine, and a reason to laugh, they’re already there.

Loverboy opened Rock Night with a tight, no-nonsense set that hit all the right notes. They launched into “Notorious” and didn’t let up. When they hit “Working for the Weekend,” they got everyone on their feet—even the people who looked pretty settled in for the night.

By the time 38 Special took the stage, the sun was down, the beer gardens were busy, and the crowd was fully warmed up. They kicked things off with “Rockin’ Into the Night” and didn’t slow down from there. Tight guitars, clean vocals, and nothing fancy—just a well-oiled Southern rock machine doing exactly what we came to see. When they closed with “Hold On Loosely,” every voice in that field was shouting it back.

Foreigner closed out Rock Night with a full-blown light show and a setlist straight off a Greatest Hits CD. They opened with “Double Vision” and rolled through anthem after anthem like they had something to prove. By the time they hit “I Want to Know What Love Is” with a local choir and a sea of phone lights, it felt less like a concert and more like a moment everyone was going to remember.

@toddswank

A Megapod of Dolphins - We thought we were out for a peaceful cruise in San Diego. Then the ocean exploded. Over 1,000 dolphins—stampeding in sync—racing alongside us like we accidentally joined nature’s VIP rave. This went on for 15 minutes. No joke. I finally finished editing the full footage—and I still can’t believe it was real. Watch to the end. You’ll start questioning which species is really in charge out there. #Dolphins #MegaPod #SanDiego #WildlifeEncounters #OceanEnergy #swankventures

♬ original sound - Todd Swank