Christmas Eve Past


I think this photo must be from 1977, when I was 1 1/2 years old. Those are my cousins Jeremy and Kristi, and we are having the annual grandkids picture taken on Christmas Eve out at Grandpa and Grandma White's farm.

Everyone still convenes at Grandma's house, and we will miss everyone tonight! Merry Christmas to all of you!

Tunes on 2s - A Baby Just Like You - John Denver (1975)

Listen/watch here.

The season is upon us now
A time for gifts and giving
And as the year draws to its close
I think about my living

The Christmastime when I was young
The magic and the wonder
But colors dull and candles dim
And dark my standing under

Oh little angel, shining light
You've set my soul to dreaming
You've given back my joy in life
You' ve filled me with new meaning...

I've always loved this song, and it's been on my mind since I pulled out my Rocky Mountain Christmas album this holiday season. Like many other John Denver songs, I think it's lyrically simple and beautiful, but this year it touches my heart in a different way.

Next Christmas we will have a baby. It might be the hormones, but it's a very emotional thing to think about. We have a long way to go between now and then, but I can't help but think about how much fun, and how special it will be, to have a 6-month-old in the house at Christmastime.

For this year, I am looking forward to sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying our families. Maybe once or twice I will peek into the future and think about next year's Christmas too. I hope this holiday season be as special for your family as it will be for ours.

Brandon is Back

After a 2-week hiatus, tonight Brandon returned to our house for the weekend. We all went out for a family dinner at Outback Steakhouse. After taking a big bite and getting sauce on his upper lip, Brandon automatically reached up with his hands to wipe it off. I gave him grief for not using his napkin, and he promptly reached down and wiped his hands on the napkin laid neatly in his lap.

"That's why I like to keep my napkin in my lap," he says, "makes me feel like I'm still wiping my hands on my pants."

****

In the car on the way home, I was talking about how I received a copy of John Denver and the Muppets, A Christmas Together, from my Secret Santa (a CD I am well acquainted with). I was remarking how some of the young 'uns in my office didn't know who the Muppets were (ouch). Brandon says,

"That's the one with the toad, right?"

"The frog, yes," I say, "Kermit the Frog."

"And the pig."

"Yes, Miss Piggy."

[pause]

"I learned that pigs are good for lots of stuff," he says.

"Really, like what?" I say, thinking he learned something cool in school.

"Like bacon, pork chops..."

Priceless.

The Word is Out


Should be done baking around June 11, 2009!

This is Why You Don't Store Snow Globes in the Shed

I was worried the glass might crack as they defrosted, but they turned out just fine. Although the "snow" is now sticking all static-like to the figures in the manger scene globe. I guess that's just more realistic!

It's beginning to look a little more like Christmas around here. Husband pretends to be a bit of a Scrooge, but last weekend while I was gone shopping with his sisters, he put lights outside in the yard and also set up the Christmas tree. That really got me into the spirit, so that afternoon I had Brandon help me haul all of the Christmas boxes out of the shed and we decorated the tree. It's so nice to be able to put up a "big" tree...for the past several years I've only had room for a little lodgepole pine. Mom and Dad were gracious enough to donate their artificial tree to our cause, as they have downsized. I really wanted to put it in front of the bay window, but it wouldn't fit! So we rearranged things to fit it in the corner. I am short a few essentials (like a proper tree-topper) but I'll put those on my list to look for after the holidays. It just feels a lot more like the holidays with a tree up!

Here's hoping all of you are in the holiday spirit as well. Although all of my shopping is not done, I am just really looking forward to spending some time with our families, closing out the year with gratitude and looking forward to 2009 with great anticipation.

Christmas John Travolta Style

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Tunes on 2s - Wooly Bully – Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (1965)

Listen/watch here.

Matty told Hatty about a thing she saw

Had two big horns and a wooly jaw

Wooly bully, wooly bully

Wooly bully, wooly bully, wooly bully

I foresee that many times in this Tunes on 2s journey, you will hear me talk about the infamous stack of 45s that I grew up with. These were tunes from the 1950s, records that belonged to my parents, or maybe my grandparents. This stack of records really became an integral part of my life’s musical journey.

Today, I want to tell you about a little song called “Wooly Bully.” The lyrics to this song are relatively unintelligible, (right up there with Louie, Louie), which is made even clearer by the fact I had to look up the lyrics above, and was surprised at what they were. In fact, at one point in my young life, I thought the name of the song was Puddin’ Puddin’ (aka Pudding, Pudding). This was especially cool because on some sort of family vacation, I acquired a little cloth doll called a “Puddin’ Doll.” This Puddin’ Doll had her own song! In my six-year-old mind, this made complete and perfect sense. (I'm guessing on the age here, and plus I had a convenient alread-scanned photo from my 6th birthday, below).

I was back at my parent’s house last week for Thanksgiving, where the old toybox my dad built is still enshrined in the basement. I looked for that Puddin’ Doll, and alas, she is gone…but her memory lives forever in Puddin’ Puddin’.

Still Here

I know it's been awhile, and I missed a Tunes on 2s...just been busy lately with family/Thanksgiving, lots of work, and truthfully...getting sucked in (no pun intended) to the Twilight books. Damn vampires.

I'll be back. Tunes on 2s will likely be Tune on 4 this week.

Tunes on 2s - You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC (1980)

Listen/watch here.

If you don't know this song, where have you been the past 28 years? The opening riff is unmistakable; it automatically gets people out of their chairs and out on the dance floor (or at the very least gets the toes tappin'). In 2008, it's still one of the most popular songs requested at wedding receptions (Wikipedia).

I have many memories of this song, but a particular one comes to mind as I think of my own wedding reception. I was cutting a rug for most of the night and having a ball with my friends and family. My dear husband does not enjoy the dancing as much as I do, and he was spending most of his time sitting outside talking with our guests, including his childhood friend and groomsman Steve, who he shared several hair band concert experiences with as a teenager. However, when this song started to play, he and Steve came out of the woodwork and onto the floor. It was so much fun! They were singing along and stayed out on the floor for a few hairband songs in a row. I'll never forget this song, if for nothing but the simple fact it got my husband out on the dance floor.

I had to choose this song for Tunes on 2s, because tomorrow night Husband and Brandon are going to see AC/DC at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul. The lead singer, Brian Johnson, is 61 years old! However, judging by their recent album, these guys are still fully capable of rocking the house. They are going to have a great time!

They're so excited that Husband just turned to me and said "I want to be Angus Young for Halloween next year, by the way." Complete with velvet jacket and shorts. Can you see it?! :)

Mraz-Matazz

Lastnight I went with some friends to see Jason Mraz at The Myth nightclub. It was a packed and highly anticipated show.

First, let me say I love Jason Mraz. I saw him a couple of years ago with my friend Jacquie, and he is an amazing performer. He has a very unique style, is a brilliant lyricist, and can actually sing. He has a melodic voice that sounds the same in person as it does in the studio (and his range is incredible). He can rap, scat, and belt out a ballad at the drop of a hat; all with a great sense of humor. Good stuff.

That being said, the show was actually not the highlight of my evening. It was good, but it wasn't great. There were parts that were a little too mellow for the venue, and I felt like he lost the crowd a little bit. It definitely had its groovin', butt-shakin' moments, but overall I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10.

What made the entire evening a 10 of 10 was spending that time with my friends. We stood in the back of the venue (so as to have a little wall for back support - I know, we're old) and were able to talk a little bit throughout the night. Alex and I even attempted a conversation at venture capitalism, prompted by the outrageously priced beers. We laughed, we sang, we danced. I have not smiled that much in a long time. What capped the night for me was Jacquie and Alex dancing like nobody was watching (and like they didn't care anyway) to the very last song of the night. I laughed so hard and smiled so big that my face hurt. I am so lucky to have such great friends with whom to enjoy times like this.

So I just wanted to share the goodness, which has permeated into my day today, even though I'm tired from staying out until midnight (again, I'm old).

What Happened to Thanksgiving?

I was in the grocery store today and discovered they had Christmas cookies already made and packaged up. Considering the shelf-life of a store bakery cookie is probably a week or so, what are people thinking? Will folks actually buy blatantly decorated red and green, Christmas tree-shaped cookies at this time of year?

Friday night we were at Lowe's, and they already have a forest of artificial trees, lights and a myriad of decorations. Not to mention all of the Christmas candy that filled the aisles at Target as soon as Halloween was over. There is a local radio station that is already playing Christmas tunes 24/7.

While Christmas is a wonderful, joyous holiday that I look forward to each year, I think Thanksgiving gets a bad rap. It's a great day, filled with family and food and taking the time to think about what we're thankful for. Can't we pause long enough to enjoy it, without jumping ahead to Christmas? Maybe if we slowed down, we'd enjoy both Thanksgiving and Christmas even more.

November 28th, all bets are off and the decorations can come out. But for now, I'm not looking past the 27th. I'm very much looking forward to sharing a table with family and giving thanks for all I have been blessed with this year.

Yearbook Yourself

A friend on Facebook did this and I found it hilarious, so decided to give it a shot. Yearbook Yourself if you dare.

Me in 1962

1978

1984

Taking Time to Breathe

It's been a busy few days. Here's a recap:

On Thursday, Husband and I took the afternoon off and went to see Wicked at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Minneapolis. I bought the tickets months ago (they are very difficult to get) and he agreed to go. While having lunch before the show, he asks me, "Is this a musical?" Apparently he was unaware there was singing involved. I was a little nervous he wouldn't like it, but he did! You can read his side of the story here.

Friday afternoon, my friend Kristy and her 4-month-old daughter S came from Des Moines for a visit. It was so much fun to see them both, and to have a baby in the house! S has grown so much since the last time I saw her, and is a good little baby. Kristy and I got to catch up and just hang out until she left around noon on Saturday.


Saturday afternoon I tried to keep tabs on the Hawkeye game, but unfortunately missed the exciting finish because I was getting ready for a little party at our house that night. How exciting that we beat the unbeaten Penn State!! When I caught wind of it shortly after the game ended, I ran downstairs to check and did a little victory dance.

Saturday night I hosted a Lia Sophia jewelry party at our house. It's quality jewelry, but it was more an excuse for me to get some ladies together and have some people in different "groups" meet each other. It was a lot of fun, and I'll be getting some great free stuff for hosting!

Sunday I was beat, and pretty much did NOTHING the entire day. It was a cold, rainy afternoon and a good day to stay curled up on the couch and watch Lifetime movies and laugh at Buddy staring down the birds in the front yard. Brandon made chili, and the Vikings beat the Packers, so the men in my house were in good moods.

That's the past few days in a nutshell. I'm still tired but we had a lot of fun!

Feelin' Good

We just elected an African American President. Pretty amazing stuff. I stayed up lastnight (OK, I had a nap in there) to see the speech, and it did not disappoint. I also thought McCain was gracious and more like the McCain I personally grew to admire back in the 2000 campaign. I think in this campaign he got a little bit away from his true self and tried to hard to pander to specific groups. I'm looking forward to everybody working together across the aisles...my fingers are crossed, and today, my heart is full of optimism and HOPE. Whatever you think about Barack Obama, you cannot deny that the man unites, he inspires, and he motivates.

As a leader he is, I believe, one of the best we can have right now. Yet I acknowledge that the success in overcoming all of America's troubles does not rest on one man. YES WE CAN. Believe it. Live it...all of us. It's the only way it works.

And thank goodness all of the campaign ads are OVER. :)

Tunes on 2s - Rico Suave - Gerardo (1991)

Listen and please, PLEASE watch here. I promise it is hilarious!

Usted, Senor, why’s your chin on the floor? cierra la boca por favor…

I stuck with the 1990s this time because I am anticipating a visit from my friend Kristy and her daughter this weekend, and I wanted to do a special post for her (plus it was her birthday yesterday). Kristy moved to my hometown as a high school freshman, and we’ve been close friends ever since. In high school we spent a lot of time cruising the loop in her car, and when Kristy liked a song, she would play it over and over until she knew every single word. It was hard not to attach oneself to such a song by association.

What can I say…the girl loved “Rico Suave.” There was something about this Spanglish rap that spoke to her, and it helped that Gerardo, complete with bandana, long hair, and tight jeans, was super hot. It wasn’t long before I caught on (the tight jeans didn’t hurt). We thought we were especially cool because we were taking Spanish at the time, so we were able to comprehend the lyrics and rap with semi-correct accents; like somehow that gave us the appropriate Latino street cred.

When I say the title of the song out loud, I can’t help but growl in a heavily accented Barry White-type voice Riccooo…SuAveee… (try it, I bet you can’t just say it!)

I for one can say, in the privacy of my own home (or maybe even with friends), I replayed this tape many times and mimicked the dance moves in the video, like I was so apt to do at that time in my life. In any case, this song will always remind me of my good friend, and how we were so easily adoptive of the pop standards of the day.

And Gerardo? Well, he may have been a one-hit wonder, but he had a "serious" acting career too. I especially enjoyed him as Ricky in "Can't Buy Me Love."

[I just watched the linked music video and burst out laughing...it is SO BAD! I also find it interesting that the song is entirely about women, and nearly all the women in the video are caucasian. This seems weirder in context of the closing shot of the back of Gerardo's leather jacket..."Latin Til I Die."]

Does Gerardo "speak" to you? Where were you in 1991?

4th Picture in the 4th Folder

I’ve been tagged by my friend Michelle. The rule is to post the 4th picture in your 4th folder on the computer. Here it is:

This is from February 2007, looking out the back door of the duplex across the backyard. I thought the snow looked pretty, so I snapped a few photos. With the beautiful weather we're having this weekend, it's hard to believe we might look out our windows and see a scene like this in the very near future!

Let's see...I'm going to tag Kristi, Emily, Cam, and Husband.

Happy Halloween!

I am excited about our very first Halloween in our new house. Finally, maybe I will have some trick-or-treaters! So far, not so good though...not one little goblin yet. There aren't a lot of front door lights illuminating our street, so I'm not sure how many we'll get. I know the two neighbor kids are coming over though...so they might just get a lot of candy!

Have a 'spooktacular' night!

Happy 1st Birthday, D!

Our dear nephew turns one year old today! We're so happy we were able to travel down to Iowa yesterday for his birthday party.

(photo courtesy of my dad)

Tunes on 2s - Be My Lover – La Bouche (1995)

Listen/watch here

I hear what you say
I see what you do
I know everything I need to know about you
And I want you to know that it’s tellin’ me
You wanna be my lover
La da da dee da da da da...

Many a pre-party were held at Buxton Hall, Room 302 in my sophomore year of college (1995-96). This infamous “suite” was home to me, two of my best buds Dana and Amy, and this other girl we don’t really talk about anymore. On any given Friday and/or Saturday evening after a trip to Pfeiffer Dining Hall to fill up on turkey tetrazzini, we would crack open some fine beers (Keystone, Natural Light, Icehouse) and begin our party primping. This often involved taking brews into the shower, or taking a shot while waiting for curlers to set (I’m sure my parents are really proud right now). Once we were dressed in our best party clothes, i.e. jeans and the ubiquitous mid-1990s flannel shirt, the stream of guests would start to arrive. Frequent socialites included Kristy, Laura, the boys across the hall aka Dirty, Flater, Hoger, Doug and Robby-Rob, and any number of random others.


There was always a steady stream of music being played, and some fairly creative, alcohol-induced dancing. One of our favorites was “Be My Lover,” a one-hit wonder which also spawned a complete choreographed dance routine, cleverly titled the “Be My Lover Dance.” If I hear it now, I still find myself motioning certain parts of the choreography. I think it also involved a lip-synced “rap” interlude by yours truly:

I…must con-fess, girl, yes I wanna be your lover
Take a chance, my love is like no other
On the dance floor gettin’ down
Hold tight, I’ll never let you down
My love’s definitely the key
Like Boyz 2 Men I’m on bended knee
Lovin’ you, not like your brother, aw yeah, I wanna be your lover…

Sadly, I did not have to look up those lyrics. One would think that by now, something more useful would have usurped this memory, but no…the words seem to have permanent residence in my brain.

Anyway, these events were called pre-parties because we usually had somewhere else to go, so sometime around 9PM we would shove spare beers in the waistband of our jeans and trek across the street to the fraternities, where there was basically more of the same.

This weekend is the 10th reunion of my graduating college class [gulp]. Now that we’re all respectable and married and OLDER, it’s fun to think about those times once in awhile. I still find it hard to believe that with all that partying, we still managed to maintain pretty high GPAs. We were a little crazy but we sure had a lot of fun. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Fall Fun

We had a nice, relaxing weekend enjoying the beautiful fall weather. We had a family outing to the Minnesota Zoo yesterday, which was nice not only because of the great weather, but also because Husband suggested and planned the whole thing. We hadn't been to the zoo for awhile, and had been anxious to see the new Russia's Grizzly Coast exhibit. The exhibit was pretty cool, and we just had a grand old time enjoying each other's company. It was a lot of fun just walking around and reminding ourselves of all the fun the zoo has to offer. Of course the gibbons never disappoint...this guy was enjoying a nice foot rub -

We had a nice lunch together and then spent some time out in the yard the rest of the day. Likewise, we spent some time outside this morning, crunching around in the leaves and discovering Buddy's love of the football. The rest of the day was spent watching football, napping, running errands, and just enjoying the wonderful weather. Hope your weekend was just as great!

Ladybugs and Michael Clarke Duncan

It's been a good long while since I posted a dream on here, but I really haven't had anything of note lately. Until the wee hours of this very morning.

The beginning of the dream is a little sketchy, but I know I'm with my cousin S who is currently a senior in high school. We keep getting followed around by this creepy woman who I identified as Mrs. __ (can't remember), and we determine she is an alien who is trying to abduct us. Later it is nighttime and we are in a bedroom, huddled on the floor, scared because this voice is coming from the window, telling us she wants to take the child, meaning S (even though S is high-school sized in the dream). The voice comes crawling through the window, onto the bed, and it is this Mrs. __. She is dressed in some that's entirely red and black, with a red skirt with big black dots on it. It reminds me of a ladybug. This ladybug woman tells me that if she can take S, she will donate $20,000 to the convent in Springfield.

[is this an episode of the Simpsons?]

Cut to the next morning, where two large double-decker Noah's Ark-like vehicles pull up to a curb in the light of day, presumably to pick up S, even though I told her I would never let the ladybug woman take her. But the scheme is thwarted; as two men on motorcycles swoop in, ramming into the Noah's Arcs, making the wood on the outside break apart. Oh, and one of the motorcycle riders was Michael Clarke Duncan. Anyway, inside are several small children, some wearing only diapers, some with abnormally short legs, and they start toddling out into the daylight. Apparently the ladybug woman wanted to take S to help her watch all of these little kids.

And...wake.

Anyone want to guess what the heck this is about?!

Looking For A New Addiction?

Candy corn and salted peanuts. Try it. Let me know how you like it.

Irony

A few weeks ago I took Buddy in for his final test for beginner obedience class. He’d been doing great in class and toward the end he was the only dog who stuck all the way through, so we got a lot of personal attention. By the end we were teaching him things that are part of the intermediate class.

All he had to do to pass was sit, lay down, stay for 30 seconds, walk with a loose leash, and 1 trick of our choice. He decided he really didn’t want to lay down that night, but eventually got there, and did the rest with flying colors. We also did 4 tricks (because he is awesome and super smart) and the trainer just ate it up. She complimented me on my progress as “pack leader”, and said there is a noticeable difference in Buddy’s demeanor since the beginning of class. She thinks he’s a very smart dog and even recommended that he could be a therapy dog if I am willing to go through the training to get certified.

I know I’m biased, but I get real satisfaction out of hearing (and experiencing) that he is smart. When we adopted him, we heard repeatedly from the shelter volunteers that “he isn’t the brightest bulb,” and “he’s really sweet, but he’s not the smartest.” They named him Meatball. I know he just passed a beginner class, but I’m really proud of our pup!

So I was flying high on this canine accomplishment, but was quickly brought back to reality about 2 days later when I came home to this:

I HAD PURCHASED THIS RUG 5 DAYS PRIOR. I thought it would be heavy enough to deter him from dragging it off. Apparently I was wrong, and apparently it’s also fun to chew on. There were reminders of this little indiscretion all over the yard.

He might be smart, but he’s still obnoxious. We start the intermediate class next week.

Weekend Fun

My cousin Kristi came up for a visit this past weekend, which coincided with a planned overnight stay by our niece, Miss H. We girls had a lot of fun doing some shopping, walking around Mill Ruins Park, coloring, painting our nails, and watching Kung Fu Panda. It was a real treat to have them both here at once, and as you can see they became fast friends!

The Way You Make Me Feel – Michael Jackson (1987-88)

Listen/watch here (be prepared for a classically weird MJ intro)

Hee-Hee!
Ooh!
Go On Girl!
Aaow!

Hey pretty baby with the high heels on
You give me fever like I've never, ever known
You're just a product of loveliness
I like the groove of your walk, your talk, your dress…

Yep, still stuck in the 80s. Whatever kind of freak Michael Jackson has become, you cannot deny that he turned out some good tunes that spanned decades. This one in particular was spun quite frequently at our house, back when you could purchase single records (45s) at the local Pamida store. My youngest brother was about 3 years old at the time, and he LOVED this song. He was quite fond of mimicking the high-pitched “oohs” and “hee-hees” that were signature MJ, and we would dance around the livingroom and "the porch." He was a little singing and dancing machine:

In case you were wondering - that orange thing he's holding behind his back? Yeah, that's a piece of the old orange Hot Wheels racetrack. He used it as a guitar when the solos came on. I'm not kidding - I wish I could've found that picture too!

I post this not to embarrass you, Justin (much), but to make you realize how much fun it was having a little brother. I enjoy each of my brothers, but you were a special little dude in many ways. I spent a lot of time watching after you, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It’s kind of funny how when we were young, you brought out the “little mother” in me, and as we get older you have always succeeded in bringing out the little kid in me. Thank you for that.

Happy (early) birthday, Bud. I will always enjoy being your big sister. Aaow!

Meet Ursula

We had a little pseudo-housewarming party lastnight, and received a few (unneccessary, but appreciated) gifts from our family and friends. One particular gift was a big hit, created by our friends Bobbie and Lowell. Her name is Ursula, and she's one hot mama:

We had a lot of fun! Thanks to everyone for coming, and special thanks to Mom and Dad, and Jason, Chrissy and Dylan for making the drive up. It was great getting our families together and having a few laughs with our friends.

Tunes on 2s - Electric Youth – Debbie Gibson (1989)

Listen/watch here

E-lec-tric Youth!
Feel the power, you see the energy
Comin’ up, comin’ on strong
The future only belongs to the future itself
And the future is…Electric Youth!

I'm throwing you a curveball here...hey, I never said these Tunes on 2s would be about good songs, just songs that held particular memories for me.

I cannot tell you how many hours were spent dancing to this song on the brown livingroom carpet of the house I grew up in. I have no idea where anyone else was, but dude…I was busting out with moves I believed to be as close to the music video as you could get. The song incited some kind of power, some kind of ambivalence…yeah! We are Electric Youth! We know what’s up! We are cool! We have mediocre dance moves! Debbie Gibson is awesome! My love of the song created a need to have the accompanying Electric Youth fragrance, which took its rightful place on my dresser next to the Xclamation! and Love’s Baby Soft – the trio of toilet water that constituted every pre-teen girls’ fragrance collection in the late 80s/early 90s. When I needed a break from all that dancing and smelling pretty, I just forwarded the cassette tape to “Lost in Your Eyes” and expressed the flutters of my adolescent heart in song (you know you secretly still love it).

Since I embarassed my parents last time, I'll embarass myself by shooting you a photo from 1989, when I was rocking the big bad brown glasses.

It's doubtful Tunes on 2s will ever feature Debbie Gibson again, so feel free to share memories for anything in her repertoire of songs.

Travelin'

I'm in Dallas. Just thought you all would want to know. Actually, I figured some of you were getting sick of seeing that Hawkeye logo, and to that I say too bad. Go cry in your red and gold beer.

I am down in the great state of Texas for some training for my company. I flew down in a tiny regional jet, only 4 seats across and only about 3 inches taller than the top of my head. I also sat next to a mildly crazy lady, who randomly blurted things out (even though I was clearly reading or trying to sleep) like:

"I was just at my nephew's wedding in Winnepeg. He married a Vietnamese. It worked out well."

"Are you much into reflexology?"

"I like to wear hats, this is my favorite hat."

O-kay.

Aside from that, the flight was pretty uneventful and I arrived here about 8:30PM. From our training agenda I'm guess I won't be seeing much outside of the American Airlines Conference Center for the next 3 days. Cheers.

Remember Laffy Taffy?

Why did the apple turn over?

Because it was jealous of the jelly roll.

Cut me some slack, I'm still at work and I'm supposed to be done at noon on Fridays. Also on hour 48 and counting for the week. Hooray for the weekend!

All in a Day's Work

A lot of people ask me what I do for a living, and sometimes it's difficult to explain. The short of it is that I work for a consulting firm which primarily consists of engineers, but I am not an engineer. I am a planner, which can mean many different things. Most of the time, for me it means that I study the social and environmental impacts of transportation projects, and I help clients (mostly public agencies) navigate through the state and federal environmental processes. While that is the base of what I do, my day-to-day duties can vary widely. This is partly the nature of planning, partly the nature of consulting firms, and partly the nature of ME, in that I like to dabble in lots of things. Today was no exception, and as I look back on the day I realize it's a nice snapshot of the potential things I can do in a day. It was a bit of an atypical day because I had an evening meeting, which doesn't happen often. But here's an overview of what I might do in a day, as represented by today's events:

- meeting with northern suburb city administrator regarding potential commuter rail station in that community
- meeting to discuss operation and maintenance facility options for a light rail transit line between Minneapolis and St. Paul, and potential impacts to historic and recreational resources
- conference call to discuss interchange design concepts for a highway project, and planning for next public open house
- Update resume for proposal due 9/15
-Work with supervisee to plan a field visit to several potential commuter rail station sites for a feasibility study we are doing
- Answer calls from property owners in small town west of Minneapolis, regarding revised shoreland ordinance I authored
- Planning Commission meeting to present said ordinance in front of about 50 residents (got tables so I'll be back again in a month)

Tomorrow I will:
- tour a 30-mile proposed commuter rail corridor and field visit (take photos and document natural resources) 7 potential station sites.
- attend committee meeting of one community in the corridor to give overview of project
- return to office and finalize environmental document for highway project that affects a U.S. Fish and Wildlife easement
- finish invoicing for 3 projects I am managing - one day late because I was too busy to do it today!

That's me in a nutshell. Any given day, I could be doing something different...but this is a good representation. Highway and transit projects, feasibility studies and environmental documents, with a little project management thrown in. Such is my daily grind!

An Evening With Miss H

Last Friday night we had a visit from our niece, Miss H. My sister-in-law told me that all week long, she was so excited to come to "Auntie Jess and Buddy's house." Her uncle wasn't too impressed by that.

Miss H was all about Buddy. I taught her a few commands so he would learn to respect her, and although I think the dog was thoroughly confused at times because of the string of commands she would fire off, over time I'm sure they will both get the hang of it. For awhile there Miss H thought Buddy needed to rely on someone else to tell him what to do...all the time. I had to convince her that sometimes, Buddy can just sit, or walk into another room, or do something all by himself. After awhile she caught on.

She is also very into "make-up" right now, and toted along a whole arsenal of lip glosses and chapsticks. After the application of about 6 layers of different lip lubes (and completely cracking me up with her faces in front of the mirror), she was satisfied and I assured her she was quite beautiful. Saturday morning I also painted her fingernails (alternating dark and light pink, with press-on rhinestones, of course). She's all girl and all fun!

Tunes on 2s - American Pie – Don McLean (1972)

Listen/watch here

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ‘ol boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die…
This’ll be the day that I die

I figured the first installation of Tunes on 2s required a classic. This song flat out reminds me of my dad. He used to say (and still might say) this is one of his favorite songs of all time. I don’t really know when I specifically discovered it – it’s kind of a cult classic really – but I fell in love with it as well. It’s so illustrative…in my mind, I can see the story unfold. My favorite line is:

He was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
with a pink carnation and a pick-up truck…

Can’t you see it?! This photo of my mom and dad going to a dance ca. 1975 might help, minus the pick-up truck.

I didn’t realize until later, after watching movies like “La Bamba” and “The Buddy Holly Story,” what this song was really about; that the “the day the music died” was referring to that one horrific plane crash near Clear Lake, IA. Did Don McLean have anymore hits? I don’t think so. He really didn’t need to.

To play along with Tunes on 2s, post a comment about what "American Pie" means to you...

Welcome to My Latest Project – Tunes on 2s

When I hear certain songs, I am transported back to a time or place, or am reminded of a certain person. Sometimes this song might be representative of a very limited slice of life (for example, a certain college party, my 13th birthday, etc.) but can carry a very powerful memory or feeling.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of music in my life, and want to share some of the thoughts and stories locked in my brain. I am also very interested in hearing from the readers – and finding out how the same song could possibly have a profoundly different effect or memory for different people. So please post your story in the comments! I think this could be a very interesting little exercise in perspective, and a unique illustration of the power of music. Plus, sometimes it’s just downright funny!

These blogs will be in no particular chronological order, and I expect to post 2 times per month to start– the 2nd and 22nd of each month – hence, “Tunes on 2s.” I have a wide range of musical taste spanning genres and decades, so there will likely be something for everyone. Please comment freely, and pass on this link to others. It is a bit of an experiment, so the more the merrier! As a bonus, I will post a photo out of the personal archives from that time.

Check back Tuesday night for the first “Tunes on 2s!”

I Love the Smell of an Election in the Autumn

As Labor Day nears, I can't help but think about what the fall season brings. The evenings are already growing cooler, and the kids are going back to school. College football started today, and fantasy football leagues all across America are setting up for the pro season. Soon the leaves will turn brilliant colors, fall from the trees, and the season will officially change.

Over the past week or so I have also been thinking a lot about another change that is on the horizon, one which will be ignited by the world of politics. A presidential election always brings much excitement for me, because it makes people start talking about issues, and forces them to think about what's important to them. I hate the campaign ads, but I love the political banter and the education that takes place among the masses. People start to care. The election is a catalyst for passionate debates and hopeful optimism. It's what America is about; this freedom to speak our minds, to exercise our democratic rights and choose who we think is best.

My political alliances for 2008 have already been formed, and have only been reinforced by recent political activities (likely more on that later). This week the Republicans come to St. Paul, and rest assured I will be watching them very closely.

I welcome this fall with open arms.

Why Dogs Should Not Go Unsupervised

So yesterday I spent my vacation day completely sick. Due to the alternating nasal dripping and nasal stuffiness, I was required to keep tissues with me at all times. I was downstairs and we didn't have any tissues down here, so I grabbed a roll of toilet paper.

Every time I picked up that roll (which was a lot), the dog snapped to attention and stared me down. What was the fascination with the TP? Then I remembered this:

This is why we hide the TP.

Highs and Lows

This weekend was a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows, and chock full of activity. Friday morning I traveled back to my hometown of Storm Lake, with Buddy in tow. This was his first long roadtrip, and I have to say he did very well! I was worried he would be whiney the whole time, but he seemed to find some comfortable spots and minded his own business. Upon arrival in SL I spent some time with my brother Justin, and then visited my old high school buddy Jason and his family. It was a lovely evening with a clear, bright sky, and I enjoyed sitting on their deck by the lake and catching up.

Saturday was a busy day as we prepared for the weekend's main event - the wedding of my cousin Doug to the beautiful Allison. It was a wonderful wedding, held at the same church in which our grandparents were married. Doug is the only remaining male in this White line, and I sure was thinking about my grandpa Lyle and how much he would have enjoyed being there. I'm positive he was watching over us all day long.

Sunday morning I left very early so I could make it back in time for another family event of a different sort. We celebrated the life Husband's cousin Jay, who died suddenly at the age of 39. With no prior medical issues, his death is still a bit of a mystery, but he died doing what he loved - fishing with his dad. We are sure Jay is catching the big ones in heaven. It certainly has made the rest of us think twice about how lucky we are to be here, and to hold close the ones we love.

So here I am, Sunday evening...exhausted. I'm all stuffed up from allergies and/or some kind of cold, and completely spent from a limited amount of sleep and the emotionality of the whole weekend. But through it all, I am reminded that this life, whatever it throws at me, is a good life. Though it seems unfair at times that people are taken from us too soon, life barrels forward and we must take time to remember the good times, and rejoice in the new memories and new beginnings. So I am content, and filled with love and gratitude for this life that has been given to me, and the people I share it with.

Peace.

On the DL

Husband left to play his first night of fall softball yesterday, and came back 3 hours later with this on his arm:

He backhanded a grounder while playing 3rd base and somehow lost his balance, leaving just his thumb to hold him up. Needless to say, it didn't hold very well. Dislocated, and possibly a torn ligament. His usual pain tolerance is pretty high - around 7 or 8. He said this pain was a 9. No fun. And no more softball or volleyball for the rest of the season!

Good Times

Well, I'm back from my trip to Des Moines and still recovering. This weekend took a lot out of me for a number of reasons - not all of which I will elaborate on here - but overall it was a good trip. Everyone made it our little annual reunion, and it was fun to see how big all of the kids are getting, and to meet the newest addition, Sydney. She's only 7 1/2 weeks old, and such a little cutie! All but one of us made it out to the Iowa State Fair that night, and a good time was had by all, footloose and kiddie-free. Here's a rambling list of the night's events:

Big pig - bigger bull - Butter (doesn't look much like) Shawn Johnson - huge dahlias - baby animals - Varied Industries Building - touch Floyd of Rosedale - pork chop on a stick - Coke with cherry syrup - help lost little girl - Kristy shows up - bite of gyro - learn some friends won't eat lamb - Bud Tent - Beer #1- pose for this photo:

- spill half of beer on Laura's back - back to Varied Industries Building - split cup of warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies - Bud Tent - Beer #2 - find table in Wellmark Olympic Pavilion - marathons are long - discussions about the German flag - watch Michael Phelps win #8 - join crowd in collective roar - seek Grilled Pineapple on a Stick - run into old college friend - wait in line - try Grilled Pineapple on a Stick while walking back to pavilion - SO GOOD! - leave Pavilion seeking Hot Pepper Cheese on a Stick for Amy - Kristy goes home - fresh out of Hot Pepper Cheese on a Stick - approach Grandstand and hear Def Leppard in concert - sing Def Leppard songs while walking to Skyride - try to take picture of guy wearing "Boobies Make Me Smile" shirt - get on Skyride - sing Def Leppard songs on Skyride - get off Skyride - watch Grandstand fireworks - wait for Amy to buy treat for her hubby - catch the bus to our cars. Drive to Amy's. Sleep.

For those of you keeping tabs, the mullet count was surprisingly low, in fact downright disappointing. I figured considering the Grandstand act there would probably be some real winners, but I didn't really see anything that could even touch "Achy Breaky" status. Then again, we left basically right at the end of the concert, so we probably didn't seen the full flood of Def Leppard wannabes seeking to squeeze one last beer out of their big evening out.

There's no place like the State Fair.

Off to Where the Tall Corn Grows

I'm off to Iowa today for my annual trip to catch up with my girlfriends and go to the Iowa State Fair. Here's me last year trying a "Monkey Tail" (frozen chocolate covered banana). I predict trying a new concoction on a stick for this year. Any suggestions?

As If the Name Doesn't Say it All

Couldn't resist sharing this one, via UpNorthica. I think I especially enjoy the graphic on the side of the box. As if the name doesn't say it all...I guess we need a turd visual, and a turd name.

Yes, I said turd. And it still makes me giggle.

Contortionist

Play hard, sleep hard. Anywhere, anytime.

Big Sandy

Husband and I just got back from a two-night stay at Big Sandy Lodge and Resort in McGregor, MN. It's about 2 hours north of the Twin Cities. The lodge was fine, although by Friday it was getting a little too full of overly-tanned cocky teenagers in speedboats, overly-tanned dads walking around with their Hawaiian shirts open, and overly-tanned moms stumbling around in their swimsuit wraps after a few too many margaritas. For this trip, it just wasn't quite our scene. We'd go back, but will definitely try the off-season, or at the very least go in the middle of the week. It would be a fun place to go with a group of people.

The main objective of the trip was to fish, and Big Sandy is a beautiful lake in which to do it. The lodge had large dock and access basically right out the door, so that was convenient. Unfortunately the fishing (at least for us) wasn't that great. We caught several of what Husband called "stinky baby Northerns," none of which were keepers. Our first time out I did hook into a nice perch, but didn't set the hook right and failed to get it in the boat. We saw no panfish and no walleye, which is typically what we're after. Despite no fish for the freezer, it was relaxing to sit in the boat, watch the birds, and get some sun. I'd say that's much better than sitting at work!

(More pics on my Flickr page - link to the right)

My Prize

Husband: "So what are you doing Friday night?"

Me: "I'm staying at Big Sandy Lodge, with you. Are you asking me on a date?"

H: "No."

M: [deflated] "Oh."

H: [pause] "Are you going to watch the Vikings game?" [grins]

M: [eyeroll] "Oh, gawd. Are you serious?"

H: "We only have to watch like, 3 quarters."

M: "The entire game is 4 quarters!"

H: "OK, it's preseason. Maybe only one quarter."

M: "I guess it will be on in the bar, I can drink."

H: "Sure."

M: "Here I thought you were going to do something romantic."

H: "Me?!"

M: "Yes, you. I know it's in there somewhere. Did you just do it when we were dating to woo me?"

H: "Pretty much."

M: "Sweet. Something to look forward to for years to come."

Like A Kid In A Flop Cake Store

Today is Husband's birthday.

On birthdays around here, I taking baking requests - whatever dessert you want. Seems like the one request I always get is for "Flop Cake," and this time was no different, even though I'd made it the week before for Brandon's birthday. This highly requested cake is nothing more than a butter yellow cake mix with chocolate chips mixed in. The one twist, however, is that I make it in a bundt pan. The first time I ever made it, Brandon was amazed. Never mind the kid had never seen a bundt before, but even more earth-shattering was that the chocolate chips all floated to the "top". It's like two cakes in one...yellow on the bottom, and all chocolate-chippy on the top.

Anyway, this deliciousness got coined "flop cake" because I could never get it to come out of the pan right. It always stuck somewhere, so it never popped out all pretty. Until yesterday.

OH YES. I don't mind sharing my secret - it's Pam baking spray with flour.

Husband noticed the perfect roundness, but I think he had already spent all his true excitement on his gift. He had been saving some gift cards to Best Buy and was trying to collect the rest of the money to buy a new surround sound system. I took the cards and paid off the rest as my gift to him. I haven't seen him so excited in a long time. He couldn't wait to get it open.Happy Birthday, Dear!

Happy Blogiversary, Livin' Laabs!

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of my blog! Just like last year, I'm asking you all to check in and post a comment; let me know you're out there. Remember you don't have to log in to leave a comment - just click on comments below, write a little note, and select "other" and type in your name (or remain anonymous if you must). As always, I'd love to hear from you!

I'm an avid reader of other blogs, and I'm always amazed at how creative people are, how well they write, and how put together their blogs seem to be. I've thought a lot about what my blog is, what it should be...should I have a theme? Should I stick to one thing, and not jump around from movie reviews, to environmental thoughts, to girls' night out, to family vacations, to our dog? The thing is, all of those crazy things are my life. So I write what I feel, and feel what I write. I connect with others, I give myself a writing outlet, and I document some of the "little things" that happen in life. It is what it is.

I love to keep in touch with all of you this way. I hope that every once in awhile I inspire you to think a little differently about something, or give you a good chuckle. Enjoy!

The Dark Knight

If you have not seen this movie, go out and pay the $9.00 right now. You will not be sorry.

After a steady stream of movie disappointments lately (Baby Mama; 10,000 BC; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), we were long overdue for a good one. Husband and I absolutely loved “Batman Begins” a few years ago, and were anxiously awaiting this next installment. If you are interested in the movie, I know you’ve probably read many reviews, but I have to tell you that nearly everything about this movie is perfect. Hello, Christian Bale. Aside from being incredibly good-looking (the Batman suit only enhances), he continues to execute this conflicted Batman character in such a believable way. From the swanky playboy Bruce Wayne, to the behind the scenes Bruce talking to his trusted friend Alfred, to the nighttime crusader. Who is the real Batman?

Heath Ledger. Holy guacamole. His Joker is amazing. He was totally in, no holds barred. The speech patterns, facial expressions, even the way he walked…between all of that and the creepy makeup, I had to remind myself a couple of times that it was in fact a real human being playing the part. A completely dark character with no faith left in humanity, and a thirst not for money, but only for human suffering. At the same time there is vulnerability there, making you wonder how The Joker became this way, what happened to him. It was brilliantly scripted and played. Knowing that Ledger was so engrossed in this character at his time of death only made it that much more eerie.

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman gave outstanding supporting performances, and Aaron Eckhardt grew on me when he got to his Two-Face phase. I could give or take Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel, much as I was benign about Katie Holmes in the same role in Batman Begins. A few of the supporting characters didn’t quite gel in my mind, but all were adequate and quite frankly not as important, so it didn’t affect the overall experience. Batman and The Joker simply stole the show, and the conflict between the two, and within each - was so real, so intriguing, that for the first time in a long time, I found myself being affected by the characters in a movie.

All of classic superhero movie themes are here – Good vs. Evil. The Human Condition. State of the World. Ego. Personal Life vs. Personal Responsibility. Sacrifice. All this, but no cheesy capes and neon-colored villains. This is dark, moody, surprisingly real.

To become the ultimate hero, must you first become the villain?

You decide. Go see The Dark Knight.

North Shore Adventure

We are back from 3 days on the gorgeous Minnesota North Shore. We covered a lot of ground in a short time; there is so much to see and do! We were lucky in many respects; for one, the weather was gorgeous. Although rain was predicted, we didn't see a drop until Friday afternoon on our way home. It seemed luck followed us on our daily journeys too - for example, a bald eagle hovering directly overhead as we pulled into a beach; a man offering ice cream coupons as we headed to a boat tour where we were planning to get ice cream.

Overall we had a really good time, and I think Brandon enjoyed the trip. He had never been to the North Shore before, and none of us had been as far north as we ended up going. It was an adventure and I was happy to see that Brandon was up for the challenge. He even did a little exploring on his own, around the campground and the beach in the mornings.

We definitely wore ourselves out; lots of walking and hiking. We ended up leaving a little earlier than planned on Friday due to the weather, but we had packed a lot in to the time we were there. When we arrived home we continued the "vacation" by going to see the new Batman movie (more on that later), and then I went to pick up our beloved Buddy from boarding at our vet. We missed him, and I think he missed us too...although he made quite a few new friends at the vet! All of the techs had to come and tell me what fun he was and what a pleasure it was having him there.

Today, despite the busy week we've had, we're not relaxing much. There is yard work to be done, and we're having people over for Brandon's birthday tomorrow, so there's plenty of cleaning going on too! Though tonight we are taking it easy.

Below is a summary of the things we did on our trip. Photos are also available here. Enjoy!

Wednesday
Duluth:
-Walking around Canal Park
-lunch at Hell's Kitchen
-Maritime Museum and watching the Lee A. Tregurtha go through the aerial lift bridge
-Tour of the S.S. William A. Irvin, followed by ice cream
Checked into Burlington Bay Campground in Two Harbors
Roadside stop near French River to check out the beach
Hiking and exploring the beaches and waterfalls of Gooseberry Falls State Park
Dinner in Two Harbors
Campfire time!

Thursday
Headed north on Highway 61, North Shore Scenic Drive
Split Rock Lighthouse
Hiking at Tettegouche State Park
Grand Marais - Sven and Ole's Pizza, Trading Post, explored coast/beach
Grand Portage National Monument
Canadian border
Hiking in Cascade River State Park
Silver City tunnel and trail (saw peregrine falcon)
Back to the campground, with brats over the campfire

Friday
Souvenir shopping in Two Harbors
Skyline Drive and Enger Park and Tower in Duluth
Homeward bound!

Happy 15 Years to Brandon!

Brandon,

I can hardly believe you turn 15 today! I wish the best year ever to my kind, good-hearted, funny stepson. You have grown up quite a lot the past year...(most noticeably physically...I can now call you "The Six-Footer" with confidence - it won't be long and you'll be taller than your dad). You have also been through a lot of ups and downs this year, and have come out of it still smiling. I have always admired you for that. At times you exhibit a patience that far exceeds your age. My heart is especially full when I see you with your cousin, Miss H. The two of you have such a special bond, and even as you have "grown up," you still show her the same kindness and patience you always have. The two of you have so much fun together!

This year you have been so helpful, especially in the last few months since we bought the house. You rarely complain when asked to do things, and are always willing to pitch in. You've pulled dandelions, gotten up early on weekends to feed the dog, mowed the lawn countless times, and most recently got on a ladder to clean out the gutters. We couldn't do it all without you, so you deserve my sincerest thanks.

For all of your wonderful qualities, you are definitely 100% teenager. You "forget" to pick up your dishes or put your clothes in the laundry room. There is a little more sass, and sometimes you don't know when to stop pestering...but I can't entirely blame you, because sometimes neither does your father. :) I still think you play too many computer games, but between the two of you I've learned that's a battle I can't win.

Speaking of learning, I've learned a lot from you this past year. I can only hope you are picking up a few positive things from me. You and I have been friends for over 5 years now, and I have to say my life is definitely better for it.

I wish you the happiest year to date...but I hope it goes slowly, because I don't think I'm ready for you to be driving yet!!

Love,
Jess

Will Sell For Gas Money

Today I had an impromtu garage sale. It may seem strange that we are already having a sale when we just moved 3 months ago...but a few boxes of "stuff" made it over here with us. Also, there were a few things that we discovered just don't work with our space, or that we have a few too many of. Case in point, the 6 nice Mikasa martini glasses we got for our wedding that stayed in the box, waiting for the "big move" - and the 4 Target martini glasses that were on rotation in our rental spaces. Husband does make a mean chocolate martini, but I didn't see a need to keep 10 glasses around. There were also a few smaller furniture items that just weren't working right, and I wanted them out of the way. With our 3-day North Shore vacation coming up this week, I figured it wouldn't hurt to earn some gas money.

My goal was $70, or roughly the equivalent of a tank of gas for the Envoy (gulp). Turns out the garage sale stars were not aligned today...I only got half way there. However, my advertising was limited to a sign at the end of the driveway, and a 10AM Craigslist advertisement for a 9AM-3PM sale. I also looked like rain all day, so maybe that kept the scavengers away. I did get rid of all of the furniture but one desk, so that is a very good thing. A sudden downpour came through about 2:30, but I was close to the end time anyway.

All in all it wasn't a bad day, and I guess $35 is better than nothing. I was able to enjoy my neighbors and also get a few chapters read in my book. Who knows...since everything is still on tables in the garage I may try it again tomorrow for a few hours. Wish me luck in getting that tank of gas!

Do You Hear Something?

Today we were trying to capture this funny thing Buddy does when he hears sirens...he turns his head back and forth as if he's trying really hard to listen. Maybe all dogs do this, but I think it's incredibly cute when he does it. Anyway, he added a little something new to his usual routine when we were recording him, and I thought I'd share. I should mention Buddy is not a very vocal dog...but I guess he felt the need to join the chorus!

Attitude

Lastnight we were watching TV downstairs. Husband was laying on the couch giving Buddy some attention, petting him on the head. When he felt he’d gotten enough dog hair on him (the dog is shedding like crazy right now) he gave the cue “all done.” Buddy gave him the “are you serious?” stare for a few seconds, then plopped down on the floor and gave a big sigh.

To which Husband promptly turned to me and said, “He gets that from you.”

Nice.

Conflicted

I was reading this post on UpNorthica about providing wireless internet in state parks. Apparently this is nothing new across the U.S., but the first of Minnesota's state parks is trying it out through the end of the year, to see if it draws more visitors.

I am a bit conflicted about this (but mostly opposed, as you can see by my comment on the original post). I can see that we are headed toward a wireless, always accessible culture, and it may bring some people into the parks who are otherwise are deterred by the lack of internet access. I know state parks need money, and more visitors = more money (Minnesota state parks charge an entrance fee).

However, I personally use my vacation time to TAKE A VACATION. I use the internet a lot, for work and at home (as evidenced by this blog). But there are certain times when you just need to get away and focus on something other than a screen. Really, the only way to get people to do that is to make it so the internet is not available. I agree that people enjoy campgrounds in different ways...some from the convenience of an air-conditioned camper with a DVD player, and others in back country tents with no water or electricity. I myself fall somewhere in between, and have enjoyed the convenience of my parent's camper from time to time. But do we really need people to know they can reach us all day, any day? Even when we're on vacation, or enjoying a hike with our families on a Sunday afternoon?

It's bad enough that cellular reception is becoming better in remote areas...I am conflicted about that too, as it has definitely saved some lives, but is also the most annoying thing EVER to be taking a quiet, relaxing walk on a trail and catch up with someone walking and TALKING ON THEIR CELL PHONE. What is the point?

What do you think?

Lovin' the Long Weekend

Well, it's been an uneventful week. Work just seemed to drag, and I was so glad when Thursday came and I could check out for a few days. I did get a lot done that afternoon though; there were only a few of us left in the office by about 2PM.

We didn't do a whole lot for the 4th of July. We got invited to couple of parties, but this year I just kind of felt like doing some things as a family and chilling at home. Husband made a nice lunch and then the three of us walked over to the movie theater to see WallE (cute movie which also introduced some thought-provoking ideas relative to the environment and our computer-driven culture). We did a couple of things around the house in the afternoon (I think there was some Dance, Dance Revolution in there somewhere too), and grilled steaks for supper. Later on Brandon, Buddy and I walked to a nearby hill and saw what we could of the fireworks over in St. Louis Park. It wasn't quite like being there, but it was fun nonetheless, and I always like some good fireworks!

Today is errands, laundry and yard work (which I think I'm already done with, because man it's hot outside!) I did quite a bit of work in some of the backyard flower beds on Thursday night and just did a little more today. They are a tangled mess of weeds, grass, and flowers - sometimes it's hard to tell what's what. It looks like some of the lilies are about to bloom. Got to give them some room to breathe!

It feels good to get so much done, and still have another day to go. Who knows, I might even hang some things on the walls this afternoon!

Okoboji Hangover

We're back from Okoboji and still recovering...I think I'm going to bed soon (9:30 is early for me). We had a good time catching up with family, and I especially had fun playing with my nephew Little D. He was in a pretty good mood most of the time and it was a hoot seeing how big he's getting, and how many new things he can do.

Friday night the annual Bean Bag Tournament was held, and Brandon experienced the thrill of victory with my cousin Jeremy. They are both left-handed, so there were many "theories" expressed correlating their win with their southpaw nature. We enjoyed some time around the campfire and all in all it was a great evening, despite the COLD overnight temperatures. We definitely weren't expecting it, and sleeping in the tent was quite chilly. Between that and a leaky air mattress, we did not get a good night's sleep.

The weather wasn't extremely cooperative on Saturday, so that dampened the fun a little bit. Brandon did get out in the kayak for a little while with Dad and Jeremy, but it was still windy and pretty chilly out there. I never got the chance to go out, as it rained most of Saturday aftenroon into the evening. We were all crowded in the cabin, but took a break and went to Pizza Ranch in Spirit Lake. Later that evening Kristi, Emily, Tami and I (cousins) went to a bachelorette party for our future cousin-in-law, Allison. It was a good time and nice to spend some fun hours with my cousins.

Saturday night we slept better on a new air mattress (and with more layers on). Sunday morning we packed up, said our goodbyes to the fam, and had brunch and some nice conversation with Mom and Dad before heading home. Turns out the dog had a few mishaps while staying with the in-laws, so that was a bit of a damper on an overall good trip. All in all though, it is good to be home. Now off to bed I go...

And We're Off

We're leaving tomorrow to spend the weekend in Okoboji with my family. In the meantime, to keep you mentally stimulated while I'm gone, I am leaving you with this very informative and thought-provoking video.

Happy Weekend!

A Friendly Game of Slippery Twister, Anyone?

Tonight I wanted to do some baking, so on my way home from work today I stopped at the gas station to pick up some eggs. While there I noticed the frozen pizzas were on sale, so I picked one up to stick in the freezer.

While checking out, the cashier said, "wow, that's something I've never seen together before, eggs and pizza."

I didn't really think it was that weird, but I guess considering the location it might be a bit of an unusual purchase. Nonetheless it got me thinking about other strange purchase combinations.

One time that comes to mind is several years back when I stopped in the Indianola, IA Wal-Mart with a friend. He purchased three Twister games for a "human Twister" Halloween costume I was helping him out with. He was also doing some work on the vehicles at his dad's place, so he picked up a 5-gallon jug of motor oil, and we were on our way.

So there we were, a male and female going through the line to purchase nothing but Twister and a big jug of oil. I'll let you connect the dots there. Needless to say we got a raised eyebrow from the cashier.

Any weird purchase combinations you can share?

Senoritas y Margaritas

Lastnight I had "the ladies" over for a Girls' Night In. It's always nice to take a break from work, kids, etc. and catch up. We had a great time!

Adventures of Youth

They finally made it! Two recent high school graduates of Chaska High School here in Minnesota just finished a canoe trip from Chaska all the way to Hudson Bay. 2200 miles in 49 days...yeah, do that math! They duplicated a trip taken in 1930 by Eric Sevareid and Walter Port, which was chronicled in the book Canoeing With the Cree (which I think I'm going to have to read).

It's great to read about kids (or anyone, for that matter) who are ambitious and adventurous enough to take the time to plan and execute a journey like this. Between the chilly temperatures, the dangerous rapids, potential encounters with polar bears, and an exploding can of bear spray, I'm sure this is a trip they will never forget. What an amazing story they have to tell!

Read more about them here, and visit their webpage here. Be inspired!

And Another Year Passes...

I had a wonderful birthday weekend. I took Friday off from work and awaited the delivery of our new bed, which miraculously appeared in the early part of the 4-hour timeframe I was given, so it freed up the entire morning for me. I spent most of it putting things away in the bedroom and trying to make everything fit better, because the bed is HUGE! But so far, totally worth it.

The rest of the day I did some other things around the house and then went shopping. I had just gotten in the car to head back home when I got a call from Husband.

"What do you want for your birthday?" he says. "Do you want something practical or fun?"

"Fun," I said, "something I want but I wouldn't buy for myself."

"OK. I'll see you in a little bit."

So he came home early, and offered to take me to an early movie and then to dinner. When we got in the car, there was a CD sitting in my seat. It was a Bon Jovi greatest hits CD called "This Left Feels Right." (I had mentioned a few weeks ago after hearing "Living on a Prayer" on the radio that I wouldn't mind having some of those old songs on the iPod). We popped it in, expecting to jam to the soaring vocals of Jon Bon Jovi in the height of his 80s heyday.

Instead we heard this. Apparently this CD is some sort of experimentation in re-arrangements or mind-altering drugs, or both. It is just weird. The hits we all know and love sound like some kind of lame lounge singing and have been twisted into weird chords and melodic alterations that turn upbeat hairband songs into plodding, slow dirges. We had a good chuckle, but Husband was also a bit irritated because there was no indication on the outside of the CD, and he had been so happy thinking he got me something I wanted.

Luckily the theater is not far from home, so we were not subjected to the lounge singing for too long. I had been given the cinematic choice of Kung Fu Panda or the new Indiana Jones movie. I wasn't really in the animated feature kind of mood, so I chose Indiana. All I can say is, this movie is a stinker. Definitely not up to par with the the previous three, and as general movies go it was just bad. So Husband was feeling like he was striking out on the birthday extravaganza.

Redemption was certain at dinner, and we were not disappointed. We went to one of our favorite local Thai restaurants, Thahn Do. The food, as always, was excellent. Husband asked me if I wanted the rest of my birthday gift that night, since we had a wedding to attend the next day, on my actual birthday. I said sure, and he said part of the deal was that I had to do something for him when we got home.

We get home and I ask what it is he needs me to do.

"Dance for me," he says.

"Say what?!"

"Open your present and you'll see what I mean."

I was a little uncertain, but when I saw what it was, I got a big old smile on my face. My man bought me Dance, Dance Revolution for the Wii.

So now I am a 32-year-old dancin' machine.

Addendum: I guess I forgot to finish the rest of the weekend...on Saturday we went to my friend Eric's wedding to a super sweet woman, Gretchen. It was a wonderful celebration - they got married at a big downtown church and had a swanky reception at The Depot in Minneapolis. It was a fancy affair but also very sincere and heartfelt and FUN! I caught up with some old co-workers (was even serenaded 'Happy Birthday' by the group) and Husband and I had a dance or two and a drink or three. I was so happy for Eric and Gretchen, and it was a great way to spend my birthday. Today, for Father's Day, we were able to pick up Brandon and have brunch with Husband's family at Mystic Lake Casino, followed by a relaxing afternoon catching up with my dad, and my friend Kristy who is due to have a baby in about a week! In my opinion, the perfect birthday weekend!

Buddy Update

A lot of you have asked how Buddy is doing. Minus the infamous peeing incident, he's doing really well and has surprised us with how well he is trained – even knowledge of a few special commands, like "high 5." He generally minds very well and lives to please us, but can be stubborn on occasion when he doesn't want to do something. If other people or other dogs are around, forget about it. It's like he has no ears to hear what we're saying. He seems to especially like little girls - when our niece Miss H came over for the first time to see him, he made a beeline for her immediately from across the yard. He also loves the little neighbor girl next door, in addition to the lady cocker spaniel next door. I guess he’s just a ladies’ man!

He also loves to sit by the big bay window in the livingroom and watch whatever is going on outside. He also likes to take walks with me and is getting a lot better at not tugging on the leash. A tennis ball can entertain him for hours, and we've gotten into a good routine of dropping it, sitting on signal, and retrieving. He will also purposely push it under the recliner in the family room, just so he can paw at it and get it out. Apparently that’s fun for him, not so fun for the person sitting in the chair!

Buddy loves to be with us, and any people for that matter. He adores attention and isn't shy in "asking" for it (i.e. nudging our hands or elbows). If he has a choice he will usually hang out near me, unless he knows I am mad; then he’ll sulk and give me the sad eyes (he’s good at that). Husband was sick this past weekend, and it seemed that Buddy knew something was wrong, as he parked himself outside the bedroom door where Husband was sleeping. When I got home from running some errands, Husband had moved to the couch and there was Buddy, snoozing on the floor right next to him. Very cute.

We visited the vet and he seems to be in great health. He weighs 52 pounds and apparently that is perfect. He does still have a bit of the sneezes, so we are watching that. It’s probably an allergy, because a bit of Benadryl seems to help (who knew dogs could have Benadryl?) The vet bought into the bulldog/shepherd mix, but said he may also have a bit of Labrador in him, by the way he was wagging his tail. Apparently Labs have “happy tails,” and that is definitely Buddy.

Overall he's a very sweet boy and loves anyone who will scratch his ears. I really look forward to getting home at the end of the day, because there he is, wagging his tail so hard his little butt shakes. He has brought a lot of happiness and laughter to our home.

I just wish I could get this song out of my head.