Happy New Year

It was wonderful to talk to everyone at New Years. I missed seeing my friends, but I wound up enjoying a quiet evening at home. Seems like lots of folks around here did the same, since it had been raining for a few days and then turned to snow midday on NYE. From inside my cozy home, it was all beautiful.

My hair has gotten really long. I'm kind of enjoying it. One of my new year's resolutions is to wear it down more often. Hence, today's photo, taken moments ago at my desk.

Being good

I've been good and I've not driven to work at all since buying the car. I can't wait for the weekend, though. I'm going to cruise the TC in high style.

Great day

Yesterday was great. I got a car!! I scared the pee out of people!!

I was a ghoul for a friend's Halloween display. I'll have photos soon. I looked like one of the animatronic dummies they had set up in their yard. I waited for kids to pass me by and then I jumped out at them. It was the most fun ever!

And I finally got the car. I've named it Tweeee, after its license plate (TWE-034).

Riding a sugar/terror high

I spent the weekend in a pre-Halloween haze. I wandered amongst a bunch of kids in their costumes on Saturday and glutted myself on scary movies on TV. I spent time working on my costume, too. I can't wait for Halloween tomorrow.

The shoe has dropped

Not about the car. Strictly project related. There was a big budget meeting yesterday and I'll be getting the results today. Initial report is a thumbs up.

Last night I made chocolate chip cookies. I figured they could be congratulatory or conciliatory. Either way, they are tasty. This is my evil plan - when I get a baking jones, I go ahead and bake, but I give away what I make. This time, it's a gift. Usually I wait until no one is looking and then I sneak it onto a table in the middle of the office. I get to hear "Oh no, who brought cookies/brownies/etc." even as they are sneaking a taste.

The photo is from the snow shower earlier this month. Nothing really stuck and we haven't had snow since, though we have had a hard frost. The snow made for a lovely walk in to work.

Le sigh

No car tomorrow. The starter is acting up. Bill is getting it fixed BEFORE he hands it off to me (very nice of him, I must say). So I won't be getting the car right away. I've still got my bus pass, but...I'M SO EXCITED TO HAVE A CAR. I really wanted it this weekend (for some Halloween cruising). Ah well. Soon.

Tomorrow is the big day

I get a car! I think I've got all my paperwork together. I go to the DVS (DMV in MN) and transfer title tomorrow. I can't wait. Whole new worlds are opening up.

snow today

From 80 degrees on Saturday to snow flurries today. But I love it. The air is not that cold, but the cold front has just started to pass through. There were beautiful snow flurries today. I was researching at the library this morning and I kept watching the snow fall outside the window.

My radiators came on last night. I went to bed in a cold room and woke up to warm air covering my like a blanket. It's one of the reasons I really like this apartment. The radiators keep me toasty warm all winter. Tempest likes to curl up near the one in the bedroom.

Keep your fingers crossed

I checked out the car last week and it looks good. I'm having it inspected tomorrow. If it passes, I'm buying it. I'm so excited.

This weekend was lovely. 80 degrees on Saturday and sunshine like liquid gold. I went shopping for presents for my mother and sister. Found some nice things at a store owned by local farmer's market vendors. Their cheese selection made me drool, but I restrained myself. I'll have to set myself a cheese allowance or I'll go overboard in there. I did get some lovely smoked trout, though, that I'll be noshing on soon.

Of course, the weather has now turned. Back to coats and cute boots. This weekend I'll be going to a sheepdog presentation. Should be wonderful

Free coffee

Caribou Coffee was handing out free coffee to commuters this morning, outside of the Xcel Center. It was in honor of the Wild's season opener. There was a band and everything. Fun to watch, although it annoyed others (slowed down traffic).

Yesterday's rain left us with cooler weather. We're in the upper 60's now. 83 on Sunday and Monday was nice, but I've already packed up my sandals. I'm ready for boots.

Speaking of which - I got two new pairs (on sale). The brown boots have the highest heels I've worn. I need to learn how to walk in them.

The photo is of a swarm of pigeons I saw on a walk into work. I did not investigate what they were swarming over, because they freaked me out.

I ate an amygdala

A paper one, but nonetheless. Just felt like it and I was staying late to work on a brain systems puzzle.

Sunday I went to the Renaissance Faire. There will be pictures of it soon (and of North Carolina). I had a great time. I got there early and spent a few hours wandering by myself. Then I was joined by Ethan, his girlfriend and her son. I was nominated guide (even though I only had a few hours on them). Such a nice Faire. Lots of music and acts and street theater. I saw the end of some phenomenal fire eating. The photos is me getting some lovin' from a puppy at the Herpetological Society Booth.

Last night was the season opener for Veronica Mars. I taped it for Susan.

And I'm looking at a car that a co-worker wants to sell. I'll test drive it tomorrow. I'm not the only one in the running, and I refuse to be rushed, but the price is right. We'll see.

Aaaaa...busy

In a good way, though. Works been slamming this week. Lots to get done and not enough people to do it. Lots of frustration and short tempers. I've been acting goofy to try and lighten the mood. Yesterday I ate a paper amygdala, leaving my team shocked but amused. I won a bet about what component our client would not pick (it was close, too. Too close).

On the home front, I was sick the beginning of the week, but massive infusions of water and hot mint tea seem to have alleviated most of the symptoms. But can anyone explain why I still spike a fever of 100 at night?

I did manage a night out. My colleague, Gene, was in town and on his last night here we went to Midtown Global Market. It's a new place, designed along the lines of Reading Terminal Market in Philly. All independent vendors, some food, some retail, all good. The best part is flitting from vendor to vendor getting momos here, bubble tea there, and why not a torta on the side. MMMMM.

Oh and YEA! Ethan's back. He was in NYC and he just stopped by to say hi. Beer tonight at the warehouse.

Weird allergy thing

I think it has mostly passed, but yesterday I woke up and my eyes were swollen. I felt itchy and sneezy all day. Massive dose of antihistimines seems to have minimized the symptoms, but I still feel weird. Fascinating, no?

Feeling temperate

Ahhhh...nothing like a nice relaxing vacation. The Outer Banks were wonderful. We went kayaking and ate delicious food. And there were hours of reading both inside and outside in the sun. Lots of wandering around and taking pictures, too. I'm still feeling relaxed and I can't wait to go back.

Today I remembered how much I love living in a temperate climate. We're having a cold snap, and this morning as I slipped on boots and a comfy turtleneck, I wiggled my toes around. I love wearing boots...and snuggly sweaters and all kinds of cold weather clothes. But I had a flash of deja vu from way back in spring when I got to break out my sandals and my toes got to be free. Guess I just like enjoying the change. There's always something to look forward to.

Almost on my way

Almost ready to leave. I've got a few work things to take care of. And I need to finish packing and cleaning house. But I think everything else is lined up. Can't wait.

Weekend wrap-up

After careful consideration, my plans changed. I'll go to the Ren Faire before the end of the month and I'll rent a car to get there. But it wasn't feasible for this weekend, since I worked on Monday. (I wanted to return the car Monday morning-but the rental place was closed, so they would have charged me for an extra day). And I skipped a return trip to the State Fair. I though long and hard about why I wanted to go back. Yes, the people watching is great and there were some exhibits I wanted to see. But really, I wanted to get to the junk food. So I skipped it.

Instead I made a loooong list of stuff that needs to get done (either in general or before my trip next week) and I got all but TWO items done! I'm pretty happy with that.

Now I'm working on cleaning out the perishable items and I'm making lists of "Things to eat using food I already have that will go bad if I don't finish it". Goat cheese omelet and roast chicken salad here I come.

what to do?

To rent or use the car share...that is the question. Despite anticipated rains, I really want to get out this weekend. I'd like to visit the State Fair one more time and I'd like to visit the MN Ren Faire (which is a ways out). Plus, there are a bunch of driving errands, some near and some far. So what's more economical, renting or car share? Not sure yet.

Locked out

I was locked out of Blogger yesterday. Weird. But all better now.

Calm time. I think my legs have recovered from Sundays Fair day. I would still like to get out for another day, but I'm not sure it will happen. It's just more fun with more than one, but I'm having trouble finding an new partner. All the more reason I'm glad I got Sunday.

Weather has been lovely. It's snuggling in the covers weather in the morning, which is okay with the cat and I. After every time I hit the snooze button, we find an new position and snuggle up.

State Fair

I went to the Guthrie on Friday night and saw Tom Stoppard's "Real Thing". Good play, and good conversation afterwards. Good cocktails, too.

Sunday I went to the State Fair. Kate and I were neophytes and we had primo guides in Rebecca and Beth. I'll post pictures soon.

State Fair

Tomorrow, the State Fair opens. I need to figure out when I'm going. There is so much to do and see. Lots of it is cool, some of it is cheesy. It's just a whole experience. It's here for a week and a half and then gone.

Blah

Feeling at odd ends today. Not sure what to do. I've got a bunch of stuff on hold and some stuff coming up. Nothing as pressing for now, though. Oh well.

Crop Art

So the art project I've been working on is now complete. I took it today to the State Fairgrounds and entered it in competition. You can't see it here (blogger won't let me upload a photo). But I emailed an update for OPhoto.

It's crop art. Which turns out to be lots of fun to do. My bad - it's good.

Wednesday already?

So Saturday was really fun. There were three different conductors who were being critiqued in the Master Class. Each one took a turn directing us. Then the instructor, other students, and even the choir got to offer comments. Really neat to have had so many conductors, so quickly. Makes you realize how much you come to learn the style and body language of your primary conductor. It becomes a symbiotic relationship very quickly.

My art piece is progressing nicely. I've finished the main design and am ready to fill in the background. I'll post pictures soon.

I had a horrible dream this morning. I was in a small house filled with all sorts of people who kept telling me I'd agreed to do things that I hadn't. I tried to talk to them, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of bagpipes being played indoors, very loudly, and slightly off key. It was maddening.

When I woke up? There's a construction crew ripping up the street outside my apartment. Not sure how long they'll be there, but they are astonishingly loud.

Putt Putt

YAY! Putt putt today. Dana is leaving soon, heading back to Philly (she interned here this summer). It was so much fun to have her around. So in her honor, and in celebration of the fact that the heat broke, we are having a big putt putt game today.

Tomorrow is another choir concert. But this time, we are the guinea pigs for a conductors master class. So we'll have to stay on our toes.

Concert

Last night's concert was lovely. My choir sang for the opening of the UUMN Conference (unitarian universalist musicians network). There was another choir there, too and we sang some separately and some together. I've never seen so many composers and writers together. After almost every piece we sang, the composer would stand up and we would thank them. Crazy.

hoooot

Blech - it's super hot and sticky outside. I'm trying to limit the amount of time I spend outdoors. The Art Party on Wednesday was not air-conditioned. I could feel the sweat building and sliding around.

Choir last night. Usually choir is dark in the summer, but there's a UU musicians conference next week and we are singing at two of the functions. Lots of music to learn in a short amount of time.

making art

I went to a stranger's house last night to make art. I'll post pictures of it soon. It's still in process.

Went to dinner first with Dana and her girlfriend, Lindley. We went to Everest for Tibeten food. Sooooo yummy.

Busy

Wow - it's been a busy few days. Thursday night I picked up my veggie box from the co-op. I now have lots of beets. And kohlrabi. And some other stuff. I'm still working out what to do with it all.

Friday through Sunday, I worked. We had clients in town from France and CA. How the weekend went depends on who you ask. I thought it went well.

Monday, I stayed home and had a mini-vacation. Slept in. Lolled around in bed and finished my book. Turned on the AC (the heat is back with a vengeance). Played around with all the food in my finally full refrigerator. Made waffles with strawberries on top. And quiche. And chicken with lemon, brandy and scallions. Watched cartoons.

In other words, a pretty much perfect day.

Beets

Wow - I've got a lot of beets now. I ordered a small amount from my local CSA and planned to experiment. I also got a $10 "vegetable box" (assorted - whatever is ready). I got even more beets in my veggie box, along with kohlrabi, carrots, onions, peppers, green peppers and some other stuff I can't remember. Not sure what I'm going to do with it all. But that's supposed to be part of the fun.

Sweet, sweet coolness

Ahhhhh...the heat broke yesterday. The air is no longer burning and painful. I shut off the air conditioning and opened the windows and let the noises of the world pour in.

Rain

There was a downpour this morning. A beautiful, thunder and lighting downpour. My meeting actually took a break so we could stand out in the parking garage and watch the rain pour down. It was invigorating.

Plus - There was a selection of food left over from a group meeting here and I snagged a bagel and yoghurt. I may be able to skip buying lunch today. (Since I was lazy last night and ate the last of my leftovers instead of saving them for lunch today.)

Au Revoir

Susan and Brian leave for Montreal today. Have fun!

I got to work with some really cool middle schoolers yesterday. They are going to create a light exhibit for one of my projects. Super smart kids. And they taught me a non-drinking version of I never. Good thing, too. I'd have been drunk by the end otherwise.

HOT

It was hot and humid this weekend. But just when I was already to whine about how hot it was here, I talked to my folks and they have it way worse. Oh well, it's still hot. Had a quiet weekend. Saturday was fun. I joined Sara and Brian for some errands and a trip to Trader Joes. It opened here a few months back and I've been wanting to visit and see how it's different/the same from the Philly one. For one thing, no green tea Mochi. I got the strawberry instead, but it's not the same. I did pick up a bunch of tasty snacky things. So I had a tasty snacky weekend. Plus - on of the errands was to Office Depot and I picked up a wireless mouse. I've gotten tired of using the keyboard mouse on my laptop, so it's nice to have a real mouse again.

All in all, a relaxed, take-it-easy, kind of weekend. Hardest thing was trying to sleep in the living room on Saturday night because it was too hot in the bedroom. Mostly hard because the cat kept trying to sleep on my head.

Choir

Last night was choir rehearsal. Usually choir is dark in the summer, but there are a couple of special events in the beginning of August and I volunteered to sing. Turns out the A/C is broken. We gathered in the sanctuary as the coolest place in the building, but it was still pretty warm.

Then, as I was walking out the door on my way home, the first few drops of an incoming downpour hit the ground. I begged a ride off the nearest choir member, and even though we really hadn't spoken before that, she gave me a ride home. Nice, huh?

Town Talk Diner

Had a great time with Andi last night. We visited my museum, including a round of golf in the Backyard. Then Andi bought us bags of sand for the Panning for Gems feature. We spent a fun half hour carefully dumping our sand in the panning thingies, washing away the silt and picking out our treasures. I got several nice chunks of gems/stones, but the big winner was Andi with a huge and lovely hunk of emerald.

Dinner was a Town Talk Diner, "a diner with benefits." Turns out we were served by one of the owners (I eavesdropped when he told the table next to us.) He was a fantastic server. In addition to beer, very affordable wine by the glass, and lots of classic cocktails, they serve 'adult' malts and shakes and Andi and I each wanted a Monkey Business (chocolate, peanut butter, banana and bourbon). On his recommendation, we split one. Good thing, too. One each would have completely spoiled our appetites. We split an appetizer of fantastic cheese curds. They were super warm and melty cheddar with a perfectly crisp outside. For main course, I had a pulled pork sandwich with fantastic fries and yummy bread and butter pickles. Andi got a cheeseburger that was perfectly cooked. Each dish came with a side of lemon mayo that was ethereally light and redolent of lemon. Superb.

Humidity

Ack - where did my wonderful temperate summer go? I think all the humidity that I've been happily NOT missing has been unleashed en mass on the metropolitan area. I was sweating at 7am this morning (which means I had to leave the A/C on so that the cat won't broil...or would that be braise?). This cuts into my putt putt plans. I'll just have to suck it up - putt putt is worth a little discomfort.

In other news, a friend of the family is in town. We're getting together tonight and going out to dinner. So that'll be nice.

Back on the wagon

Sorry I've dropped off in posting. I've been in a funk the last few months. But I'm going to make an effort to keep up with this.

So - This weekend was lovely. Warm, but not humid. I got lots of housekeeping stuff done. Sunday, I went to the farmer's market with Tilly. The St Paul market only allows produce created within 50 miles of St. Paul. So you are guaranteed to be buying local. I'm always so inspired at a farmer's market. It's the veggie version of a hardware or craft store. Just looking at all the lovely produce, I'm convinced I will change my ways and eat only fresh and healthy veggies. It's a nice feeling, even if it doesn't usually last. But I got potatoes, cucumbers and dill for potato salad. I picked up corn and green beans (which I plan to blanche and then quickly saute). Got some super sweet carrots, too.

Yesterday, Sara and Adele took me out to lunch for my birthday. We hit a new Mexican place around the corner. Lovely patio with a fountain and everything. Food was standard Mexican, but very tasty.

Funeral and wedding

Short post - I spend the weekend in Tennessee. My Aunt Judy died in a car accident last week. I went down for the viewing and funeral. I head back at the end of the month for her son's wedding.

Off to LA

I had a great visit with my parents this weekend. Much fun was had. Now I'm off to LA for a one day trip to E3. More later when I've had a chance to slow down.

Home

Boston was lots of fun, but it is good to be home. I was greeted with blue skies and 72 degree weather. I went in to work yesterday, but I was so tired, that I touched base with everyone I needed to and went home. Of course, there is no food in the house so I treated myself to a hawaiian pizza. Third time ordering from this restaurant, third time the delivery person could not find my front door. This time I asked the delivery guy what I needed to say to get them to find me. Worth it, though. Good pizza.

On my way

I spent the weekend packing and cleaning. I think I'm ready to go. I've got a bunch of work to wrap up and a short list of last minute things to finish at home. Then look out MA, here I come.

Perfect teeth

I got a clean bill of health from the dentist. They were very impressed with my teeth, exclaiming over them several times. I got a similar reaction at my last dentist. If only I could find a guy who was into teeth and could overlook everything else.

Peeps losing

Shoot - We were robbed. Not from winning (We like the first place winner). But they only picked 18 to show in the slide show and ours should definitely been included.

Here's the sad news in print.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/living/14336520.htm

Spring

Spring sprang in the Twin Cities this weekend. Trees that were aching to put forth buds on Thursday had burst into glorious color by Sunday. Everything smells green and growing and sweet. Beautiful.

I spent most of my first free weekend in a month, lying around and watching the curtains billow. There was some cat snuggling, too, which got me back in T's good graces (she's not a fan of the weekend away.)

Time to pull everything together for the next big trip. AAM (and Boston) here I come.

Taxes are done

After working my third weekend in a row, I took yesterday off and did my taxes. Not getting much back, though. At least I'm not paying anything. The whole process felt weird, since I was in Philly for the 1st two weeks and MN for the rest. So I wasn't a full time MN res. Oh well.

And the winner is...

I almost forgot to mention my other cool job this week. I was a State Science Fair Judge. More specifically, I was a Special Judge for an award the museum presented for best exhibit design. I was co-judge for the junior division (middle school). It was buckets of fun. There were some really good projects and some clever ones. There were also some that were obviously thought up as a good way to get to shoot things (gunpowder ratios), watch movies (effects of movies on dreams), or have a slumber party (effects of sleep deprivation on 12 year old girls). Boy did it take me back to my salad days of last minute scrambles to complete my project. Our winner was a young man who was in his third year of studying toothbrush bacteria. This year he focused on the best place to store your toothbrush (in a cup by itself, by the way). His design was simple and clear and you understood everything in just a quick glance. He's got a future in museums, if he's interested.

Kayaking on the M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-Peep-Peep-I

So here's the Peeps diorama photo we submitted. We should hear back next week.

whew

This round of prototype testing is over. It went really well and we scared a lot of people. The busy push continues this week as we narrow down our component list and then meet with the outside designer this weekend. Then I get to collapse for a couple of days.

Countdown to Boston has begun!

so tired

Our first round of prototype testing is complete. We worked long and hard Thursday through Sunday. Today we review what needs to be changed before next weekend. Then I'm going to take a couple of days off before we do it all over again.

The Universe...

...is very big...and very small. And we don't really know how big or small it really is yet.

Omnifest is coming up and the staff preview of "Cosmic Voyage" was last night. That was the main idea. Cool, though.

Tonight is "Mystic India". I expect to go home craving tikka and panner.

I'm a "somebody"

Our bus accident made it into the paper. There's even a picture in the print version. Here's a link to the online article. I'm the "someone" who got the kitty litter.

Passengers pitch in, but the bus stays stuck
Pushing, shoveling, even kitty litter couldn't free Metro Transit bus
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/14091964.htm

Blizzard!

(and the march of the exclamation points continues)

After the warm front that melted all the snow, winter came back with a bang. All this happened over night. When I went to bed at 11pm it was raining with a light dusting of snow. This morning, I caught a glimpse of snow out my curtains so I went with the tall snow boots (just because I like them better - I had no idea how bad it was). As I left my apartment, I noticed blowing snow out the window, but I just thought it was blowing off the roof.

I was wrong. Very, very wrong. There was at least 6 inches on the ground when I got outside and it is still pouring down. You can't breath in without taking in some snow. Then there was the bus adventure. It was great to see how everyone pulled together to try to work the bus free when it got stuck. Sadly, things just got worse so I gave up on that bus and decided to walk. That resolution lasted exactly two blocks. Trudging through fresh snow during a blizzard is not fun. So I holed up with some other bus refugees in an entryway and waited an hour for the next bus to come. Now I'm at work...because a little snow doesn't stop a Minnesotan.

Adventure at every turn.

!

Since I seem to be temporarily obsessed with the exclamation point, I've decided to let this one stand alone.

As promised - peeps diorama planning, in process. That's Sara on the left and Renee on the right. Cari is at home, but will join us in the next phase.

Peeps!

Today I purchased $20 worth of assorted Peeps (but I only paid half that. I had a coupon.) This was in preparation for the Pioneer Press Peeps Diorama contents. Rule #1: Must contain Peeps. Rule #2: Must be a diorama.

Sara, Renee, Cari and I are working together on this one. I'm planning to document the process in photos. Tonight we debate the Theme.

Soup!

I made cilantro lime soup last night. Yum. And the apartment smelled so good. Now I need to pack it for storage before I manage to eat all of it.

Optometrist appointment today. They are going to dilate my eyes, so the walk home should be fun.

Nothing new

Worked late last night. Went home and heated up leftovers. Did not make soup. Went to bed. Would have been earlier, but the damn Colbert Report is funny. Daily Show is new again tonight. These are the kinds of things I look forward to.

planning ahead

I spent the weekend mostly cooking and cleaning. I made two loaves of banana bread. One will be breakfast this week and the other one I froze for later. Plus I made some sort of pot roast. I threw a bunch of stuff in the crock pot and took it out in the evening. I brought some in for today's lunch and we'll see how it tastes then. I'm trying to make sure to make extras of things to freeze, and sometimes I do. But its usually followed by a period of not wanting to cook and eating all my stores. Better than the reverse, I suppose. Tonight I'm making a pot of cilantro lime soup that is also destined for the freezer. After that I'm down to the dregs and I need to go shopping again.

I heart the 80's

Twice today I've been mocked for using the words "Totally" and "Awesome" (but not together, though, it's not that bad). Then I got caught chair dancing. It's totally time to leave. Luckily, today will end with beers. Ah....foamy.

I crush Winter under my bootheel

Yesterday was warm (like in the 40's). This morning, my bus stop snowpile proved vulnerable to my attacks. I could do little to whittle down the main bulk of the pile, but I spent a satisfing five minutes or so kicking off every protruding knob, including a huge foot-wide craggy outcropping. I then jumped up and down on them and reduced them to powder. The powder will be no match for the sun today and will be gone by tomorrow.

I think I'm ready for winter to be over.

Susan's visit

Susan came to visit the last weekend in January. We had oodles of fun. Her flight was a little late in arriving, so we went right to breakfast at Hell's Kitchen. Wow - Delicious and unusual food. Susan said they had great coffee. I enjoyed a kick ass Bloody Mary. We made an attempt to see the Winter Carnival King Boreas parade, but were stymied by the latest of the hour. We did get to glimpse it through the streets, though.

We spent the afternoon with my friend Ethan and his dog, Riley, at the Art Shanty project on Medicine Lake. Art Shanties take the idea if ice shanties (used when ice fishing) and reinterpret them. There were installations like the huge glass jellyfish and performances. There was a shanty were you could get hot beverages for the price of a story. There was a science shanty, where we saw zooplankton. Just really cool. Only wish I'd worn the right shoes.

Dinner that night was at 112 Cafe. It reminds me of some of the best places I used to eat in Philly. We split a bunch of dishes and a bottle of wine and the whole bill (w/tip) only came to $80 odd. Susan was amazed at the price considering the quality of the dinner.

After dinner, we went to the 400 Bar, where Bob Dylan got his start. We met up with my friend Tilly and chatted for a while. The Hopefuls (formally the Olympic Hopefuls, until they performed for the OC and then got a cease and desist letter from the IOC) were playing that night. We caught the end of the set.

Sunday, Susan decided to join me at the UU church I've been attending. My choir was not singing, so that was just really nice of her. Then we joined my friend Ellen and her husband for brunch at a cute little place near me.

The big event this day was SNOW TUBING! Oh my god...this was so much fun. We drove to a local place (about 30 min away) that has skiing, boarding and tubing. The tubing was dead cheap and came with the tube and a lift ticket for the conveyor belt lift. It was everything great about sledding, without having to climb the hill. Susan did all the dangerous stunts, I was content with just whizzing down the hill. By the end, Susan had figured out how to "tube dance" with me. She could spin us and everything. Now I'm trying to get my work friends to go.

We were pretty much exhausted after the tubing, so we had a quiet dinner at a place near me. Susan got the very last beef tenderloin and it was so good it blew my pumpkin gnocci out of the water.

Monday was our last day. We spent some quiet time chatting at home. Then I got to show off some of the stuff I'd been working on. There was an open house at the warehouse to show off the (90' long) model canal we built for the National Canal Museum and some other of their interactives. Then we headed to the museum to poke around. I showed her where my new exhibit will go and we got a sneak peek at Strange Matter and Science on a Sphere. Before taking her back to the airport, we walked through Rice Park and checked out the remains of the ice sculptures (warm weather pretty much killed them on the same day they went up.)

Too much to do to fit it all in, but we had a blast nonetheless.

Oh, what a beautiful morning...

This was a morning to remind you why it is good to be alive. The air was crisp, clean and tasted of snow. The sun shining brightly from the blue sky warmed my face. Tiny snowflakes were falling, star shape distinct as they dusted the arm of my coat. Exquisite.

Plus - when I got to work, the toys I bought for a couple of guys on the Managing Light team went over like gangbusters. The Light Up Glow worms are gummi worms that glow when you grip them with the special pincers. Cost: $1. Officewide merriment: priceless. (sorry - had to borrow from the ad).

Warm hearts

This January was the warmest in Minnesota since 1846. It's back in the 20's again and we got two inches of snow last night. You could practically hear the sigh of relief from the natives.

Shoot

Hunts over. Some high school students found it after six clues. We had the park right, though, and how the medallion would be hidden. Close, but no prize.

The Hunt is on

The Medallion Hunt* started on Saturday. Should have been Sunday, but they released the clue early. I haven't been out to dig yet, but I've been doing a lot of noodling. Second clue identified in what the medallion is hidden. A Pearson's Nut Goodie wrapper (local candy maker, very tasty!). See...

Son of Pear, hometown fare,
The nut of this year’s quest.
Sweetest patty, never a baddie,
Covers the prize at rest.

*Medallion Hunt is sponsored by the Pioneer Press. The medallion is hidden somewhere on public land in Ramsey Co. A new clue to it's location is released every day. For some, it's a local obsession.

De-decked

Sad, but true. This weekend I repacked my holiday decorations (except the mini-tree which will go back up for Susan's arrival). The tree was especially crispy, so removing the lights was both easy and messy. Made the whole place smell good. It took me a while to clean up most of the needles (never say all, they hide). Now everything is in boxes waiting to go back downstairs. Usually the apartment feels empty when Christmas is gone, but this year it doesn't. Could be because I'm still planning things to do with it. Just have to wait until I can afford it.

Susan's trip is all planned out. We've got reservations where needed, lots of Winter Carnival things to see and do, and plenty of downtime to just hang out. Weather permitting, we are going snow tubing! Like sledding, but on a real hill (which is good because I have neither sled nor hill). Looks like it will be lots of fun.

Thus far I'm dragging on my New Year's resolutions, but kicking tail on my To Do list.

Making a list, checking it twice

I love making a list and then crossing things off. I got lots of home stuff done this weekend and then made big lists of other things I want to get done. I'm still hanging on to Christmas by my fingernails. It's not done until Susan comes to visit at the end of the month. The Tree is not going to last that long, though. It's dead. It stopped taking in new water a week ago. Now I tiptoe past it as to not loosen any needles. I still have a few friends I want to invite over to admire it, but if they don't see it by this weekend, they may have to just admire the photos.

New Year

New Years was wonderful. I don't think I've ever been through that many states on New Year's day before. Unfortunately, I've come back with a cold. Mild but annoying. So I've taken it easy the last few days (which the cat loves). I cleaned house and am working on a grocery list. Mostly I sit on the couch and admire my Christmas tree.

Holiday fun

I'm in a tizzy of holiday preparations. Friday, I used the car share to finish up my Christmas shopping. Saturday was full of rehearsals followed by the Holiday Choir Concert. We sounded beautiful. There was also much baking for the dessert potluck that followed. I did find time on Saturday to get my Christmas tree. My friend Ellen agreed to help me transport and install it. I've got the lights on now (and I though of Dennis and Susan the whole time I was decking the tree all by myself). My apartment smells so good.

Sunday was all about the baking. I went to my friend, Sara's, house and we baked several different kinds of cookies. Much fun.

The rest of this week is filled with Solstice fun. I volunteered to help with the Solstice service on Wednesday. So I need to pack and get ready to leave for Christmas in the slivers of time that are left.

A whirlwind, but a happy holiday-joy-filled one.

Christmas spirit

It's good to be in St. Paul and away from all that crazy winter weather on the East Coast. Boston got 9 inches of snow? This is shaping up to be like last year when I had a much milder winter than everyone else.

I'm fully in the Christmas spirit. Decorations are everywhere (except my apartment - I'll get them up tonight, I hope). Need a second person to help with the tree, though. I've been catching the Christmas specials on TV. Family channel helps greatly since they've been showing pretty much non-stop Christmast stuff since the 1st. I hum carols under my breath when I walk. I've got about half of my shopping done. As a kid, you are all about the receiving, but as an adult, I think I may like giving more. I love picking out a really great gift for someone and imagining their reaction when they see it.

Potluck

Yesterday was a staff potluck (not all staff, just exhibits related folks, including design, development, the shop, etc.) Some tasty food and some scary stuff. I'm still not used to game meats showing up so casually. Boy these folks can cook them, though. This was my first real life encounter with the midwest "salad" which includes jello and whipped cream/cream cheese and many things that are counter-intuitive to a sweet salad. There were at least three of these. One was orange and had mandarin orange slices (sweet, like dessert, but not bad). One was white and I think had coconut. It was topped with pretzel bits. The last was green and was topped with sliced green olives with pimento. I chose to avoid that one. These dishes were in the minority, though. There were lots of veggies present. Big emphasis on the spicy, too. Also lots of wild rice, which is a signature MN ingredient. Someone made a dish I wish I had gotten more of. It had potatoes and corn and was subtly flavored with chilies. Delicious. I made my signature brownies (of course). I'm actually getting tired of making brownies, but it was cold and I had the fixings at home. I made a double batch and someone kindly cut my squares in half so there were tons of brownies, but when I went back to check later, they were all gone. Guess they were popular.

snow falling on ... not cedars

Just a quick post, since I'm still on company time. Just wanted to share how nice it is to be sitting at my computer, watching the snow fall outside my window. Big fat flakes and just enough wind to make them dance. Lovely.

SNOW!

First snow of the year. After a couple of days of rain, it was lovely to wake up and see snow. Not enough, though. Want more.

Been a busy week. Went out for drinks with some of the crew last Friday. Went out for sushi today with Ethan. Man, that canyon effect wind tunnel will kill you. Good sushi, though and always good conversation.

I'm working on a new project with a group at the Unitarian church. More later as it develops.

Choir continues to be great. Two weeks ago we sang this super fast song in Batak (I think) where half of the verses were nonsense syllables and the other half made sense, but in a language I did not understand. Then this week we sang "Deep Peace" which is beautiful and low, sonorous and smooth. By the end you felt utterly peaceful and happy. So much fun.

Catching up IV...Halloween

I had this brilliant idea for Halloween. I really love to dress up and give out candy, but you don't get trick or treaters in an apartment. Susan and I solved this in Philly by sitting outside on our stoop and handing out candy, but that was not feasible in my current apartment. While pondering solutions, my friend Tilly commented that her dog always freaked out on Halloween, what with all the kids ringing the doorbell. Tilly's got a great house in a local neighborhood, so we agreed to swap. I brought the candy and carved the jack o'lantern, she picked me up, set up a space for me in front of her house and even built me a fire. I headed her trick or treaters off at the pass and handed out candy. Her dog spent a peaceful night. And we both felt we got the better end of the bargain.

I reused a costume this year since I had little time to plan with other stuff going on. So here's me as the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

Which I think catches us up...whew.

Catching up III (wedding edition)

I left Friday (10/28), at an obscenely early hour in the morning, to fly - once again - to the East Coast, this time for my friend, Kim's, wedding. I got to spend some quality time during the day with my folks, which was very nice. Susan drove down that evening and arrived in the nick of time for all the chicks to head out for a round of haunted mine golf.

You heard me right... HAUNTED MINI GOLF! It's like chocolate and peanut butter, why had no one though to put these things together before. It was STUPENDOUS! You got a glowing ball and a glow stick necklace that ID'd if you wanted to be scared or not. There were no overhead lights, lots of spooky sounds and body parts and scary lights. The holes had glow sticks so you knew where to aim but not what might be in your way. And there were kids hired to play 'ghouls' who would sneak up and try to scare us. They got us a couple of times, but by the end we were all just laughing at each other, swapping stories and screaming occasionally for the fun it.

Saturday was Kim's wedding, which was Renaissance themed. Susan and I wore our feste clothes. My mom wore a lovely blue outfit Susan had procured for her and my dad went as a monk. The ceremony was outdoors. The day was pretty, but chillier than expected. The wedding went off with almost no hitches. The food at the reception was delicious and the mulled cider was also quite welcome. They served Virginia wines, which I though was a really nice touch.

That night, I went with my mom, sister and a couple of their friends to see Celtic Woman at Constitution Hall in DC. The group was new to me. They are like Enya, but there are several of them. There was an amazing fiddle player, very pixie-like, who danced around the stage. The music was very lyrical and beautiful.

Catching up II

The adventure continues...

Through an extremely fortuitous set of circumstances, I discovered that Sarah Vowell (she of *Partly Cloudy Patriot*) was to be speaking at a local college. My friend Cari lent me her car (which considering she's got 2 kids under 3 is way above and beyond the call of duty) and I drove out to see Sarah who was wonderful, as usual. In memory of Rosa Parks, she read an essay she had written about Rosa and then some new stuff and old stuff I hadn't heard before. In the Q&A that followed the reading, I asked if she had a new book in the works. She declined to answer on the grounds that talking about it would mean she would need to actually start work on it. I bought her new book (*Assassination Vacation*) and had her sign it and guess what? She remembered meeting me when she spoke at the NCC in Philly. Yay! I think I floated rather than drove home.

That Thursday (we're at Oct 27th now, for those who are keeping up), I went to my New Member Orientation for hOurCar, which is a TC based carshare program that I've joined. I'm hoping that car share will meet my driving needs and obviate the need to buy a car. There are two car hubs near me and both are in downtown Saint Paul. I take the bus to the hub (or go from work), pick up the car, run my errands and return the car. I pay a low monthly fee, and a per hour/mile fee and they pay for gas, insurance, maintenance, parking, etc. The fleet is all Priuses. The hybrids are pretty cool. It's wild to sit at a stop and hear the engine quit and have that be okay because the battery is still working. I made my first big grocery run with the car on Saturday. Worked out pretty well. We'll see how well this whole thing works over time.

Catching up

So - It's been a really busy few weeks. I'll try to catch everyone up. The weekend before Halloween weekend was terrific. My friend Liza had a bonfire party at her house. It was great, really low key. Had a few beers sitting around a roaring fire (which I got to poke often, yay!). Talked with friends from work. Toasted the Most Stale Marshmallows Ever.

Following that I attempted to conquer the Trail of Terror (say it in the scary voice) with Renee and her husband Donal. But by the time we got there, we were confronted with a three hour wait plus they could not guarantee we'd be able to do all the haunted stuff. So we came back the following day about a half hour before it opened and managed to be about 20th in line. The haunted house was AMAZING! Super scary and really long. Renee was the brave one who agreed to go first. I took the chicken position of middle. There were these long dark passages where I clutched the back of Renee's coat and Donal clutched the back of mine. The spooks were really good at finding new places to hide. And they made sure to scare everyone. Sometimes they would wait for Renee to pass just so they could get me. After the big haunted house, we went through the smaller haunted houses that surround the big one. The small houses are themed (like Phobias and Clowns). I was in the lead for Clowns and it was super freaky. There's also a Haunted Hayride, which was much less scary. But the girls sitting in front of us screamed their heads off anyway.

The Trail of Terror trip (say that five times fast) was ostensibly for work (though really we just wanted to go). See - my museum is working on a new exhibit about the science of fear and, on Monday and Tuesday, Renee and I participated in a brainstorming workshop. So COOL. The haunted house experience added a lot to our perspective on what was scary and how fear feels. I love brainstorming.

food automata

Check me out. Last Friday, staff were invited to participate in a workshop about making food automata. I had such a good time. You can meet my happy fish automata at this website. You can see me gluing a cracker in the second photo down on the right. Or check out the video. I appear about halfway through.

http://www.dicemice.com/works.html

This thing they call...book club

I had my first book club experience last night. Book clubs are popular in the Twin Cities, often growing into whole other things over time (like music groups). Sara and Cari (from work) are part of the same book club, which they described with disarming honesty as "sucky." Seems the members are often not able to attend or haven't read the book if they can attend. Sounds about right.

The book was "Anagrams" by Laurie Moore. It was...interesting. The writing was generally good and she's funny, often with pithy or witty comments. But the structure was strange and as a group, we could not decide if the ending was depressing or sort of happy. (Not to ruin it, but it turns out the protagonist is crazy, she admits it, but at the end of the book she retreats into her fantasy world. I figured she was happier there anyway.)

Anyway, it was nice to sit around and talk books and swap ideas on new ones. I've got 3 more trips east coming up before the end of the year so that's 6 new books to buy pre-boarding. For the group, I recommended we read Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell for next time. Assuming it's available, it should be a safe bet. I'd hate to pick a clunker my first time out of the gate.

quiet weekend

Quiet, but nice. It appears I'm somewhat allergic to Saturdays, in that I usually wake up sniffly, that turns to sneezy, then I require antihistimines to subdue the beast. Which does make for a nice afternoon nap. I also paid bills, did dishes, talked with my folks, normal stuff like that. Watched some bad TV and cheesy movies. I love the month before Halloween because everyone runs their monsterfest stuff.

Sunday the choir sang two songs; Calypso Alleluia (pretty much what it sounds like - but fun and toe tapping, not cheesy) and Sanctus et Benedictus, a cappella, which was so huge and moving it gave me chills. A smaller group from the choir also sang Kake Lambe, which a song of praise to the god of the harvest. It was fitting since this was the Sunday to make pledges. Ha.

Ghost town

Most of the exhibits staff have left for the ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers) conference. I'm not going this year since I'm still setting down and since I'm spending most of my travel money on getting to and from the East Coast. In fact, my friend Kim is getting married at the end of this month and I'll be flying to Northern Va for that.

What this means for me is that it is going to be super quiet around here for the next few days. I'm not sure what I'll do with this, but hopefully it will be fun.

Brilliant in theory, fails in execution

I'm pretty much recovered with whatever illness took advantage of me last week. I slept lots and took it really easy on the weekend. I did work up the energy to go to Game Night at Sara's. We played Scattergories - I was the only one who had played before, but that didn't really give me an edge, and Mexican Train Dominoes - which is my new favorite game. I crushed the competition. Seriously. But I was all John Robert's humble about it.

I also organized my hall closet which had gotten so bad that I could only open it slightly and slide things in and out. If I opened it fully, everything fell out. Now it's organized with the least used stuff on the *new* top shelf and lots of other organizational planning stuff. Now I'll open the closet occasionally just to remind myself that I can make order out of chaos, even if only in small spaces.

I'm still making an effort at meal planning before shopping, but it tends to fail in execution. I appreciate that I have less to carry home if I only buy what I'll be making that week. But when the time comes too cook, it's either too late, or I'm too tired, or I don't have enough time, or I don't want what I've planned for. So there's a half a roast chicken in the fridge because I haven't taken it off the bone to make into a curried chicken salad. On the good side, I did manage to make stuffed shells last night and I went ahead and portioned them out in to leftovers for lunch at work. Then I wrapped the rest in portions and froze them. Let's see if I ever use them again, or if I throw them out in a year.

My brush with DEATH

Sorry for the delay. I've been recovering from MY BRUSH WITH DEATH.

Last weekend, I went canoeing. It was a beautiful day, sunny, warm, with a light breeze. We were there to see the changing colors. I had a charming young woman as my canoe-mate and we chatted easily as we paddled up the river. We stopped on the banks of the river for a snack in a bucolic setting.

Then...on the water...Disaster Struck! No one knows what happened, but we capsized. We surfaced, sputtering, from the freezing water. Fighting the cold, we grabbed the ribs of the canoe and kicked feebly towards the banks of the river.

It really was scary, but with a weeks perspective, I may be exaggerating the danger slightly. We had on our life jackets. And since the day was warm, we were spared the greatest danger, which is hypothermia. It was embarrasing of course, but the folks we were with were very nice about it (and even snapped this picture for us). I'll share the other pictures soon.

state of being

Choir was great. It was like riding a bicycle in that I used muscles and positions I remembered, but had not used, from years ago. The sensation was also similar. The first time I started riding a bike as an adult, I remember this feeling freedom and flying when I pushed off. Singing again was also like flying.

It's a big group. I've only met a few people so far, but that's not really the point. I really missed being part of a choir and joining my voice with others to make something greater than the sum of its parts. The music is varied, but luckily nothing yet that would require jazz hands. This will be a good experience.

My sister's birthday was Sunday (as was Dennis', Happy Birthday again). I think I got the present mailed in time. I'm really going to have to get used to this mailing thing. I can barely remember to send email (hence this web log). The post office always seems a little like magic to me. I give them a box and not too much money and they deliver the box for me half way across the country. It's so old fashioned and so real and tangible. Got another chance to work on this mailing thing today when I sent the present for my mom's birthday (on Saturday). Hope she likes it.

This weekend was overcast, damp and drizzly so I stayed in and caught up on my housework. Not so exciting. This weekend may be better. I'm supposed to go on a canoe trip down the St. Croix river. If I'm not exhausted from the trip, I'll also be hitting the Vali-Hi drive in for the last showing off the year. I hope I've got the energy. I love drive-ins. Something else old fashioned and nostalgic and fun.

Welcome Autumn

Fall came in with a bang. Yesterday was sunny, beautiful, and warm (in the mid to low 80's). I made sure to spend some time outside soaking up the sun. I even slipped out of work early and had a bubble tea, a nice walk and ended with an ice cream cone from my downstairs neighbors (B&J). Not as good as England's, but it was nice to sit outside and take in the street life from a different perspective.

About 6:30 or 7, tar black clouds closed in and the network stations began continuing coverage of Big Weather. All around were high winds, downpours, hail, even a few tornados. St. Paul was fine, so I just closed my windows and clicked to another channel to continue watching the season premier of Lost.

I woke up to a chill and windy first day of autumn. From short sleeves to do-I-need-a-jacket, in just a few short hours. Mmmm...now I want all the good hearty cold weather food. I may need to make a trip to the farmer's market this weekend.

Extra note - I'm joining a choir and the first practice is tonight. Wish me luck.

MN Faire

This was a good weekend.

The faire was excellent. It reminded me greatly of the MD faire. Similar layout, lots of music and street theater, lots of shows, good shopping, open alcohol allowed throughout the grounds. It even offered a few things MD doesn't that were really nice.

Such as:
*Pets are allowed so there were lots of dogs and even a cat there. The owners are very conscientious. I never saw any animal waste on the ground. Some of the pets were 'costumed' but most were just hanging out with their owners, hoping someone would drop food.

*There are two booths serving popovers with fresh butter. Very Midwest and sooo yummy. Cara was the 'guide' for the day. She's about my age and she's been going to this faire for about 20 years. Stopping first for a popover is one of her traditions in which we were glad to partake.

*There's a permanent building for the herpetological Society. Lots of scaly and cold-blooded critters being shown by people who obviously love them. Mostly snakes, turtles, lizards and alligators. And the primary form of display (except for the crocs) was for a human handler to stand near the fence and share the animal with the curious. We saw a couple of tortoises wandering the grounds with handlers. One tortoise was 'dressed' in a kilt. It was deeply cute.

I went with only three other people, so I was not overwhelmed with strangers. We all got along well so I wasn't too stressed by NEW PEOPLE. We had beautiful weather so, all in all, it was a great day.

So - new to my list of Minnesota recommended events is the MN Renaissance Faire. It runs about mid-Aug through end of Sept (next weekend is the last weekend). The Englands and Mertine/Molnars might have trouble getting away, but the Monks might want to give it some thought. If the trip was timed right, you could do the State fair and the Ren faire. Of course, that might be overload. Waskey, we'll find a way to get you here for at least one MN faire visit.

Nobody wants to hear about other people's dreams

I had a recurring dream last night that I could not shake. The song "Science Fair" by Trout Fishing in America played incessantly in my dream and I was trying to make a science fair project of the the rotting garbage that was all that was left in the world. Every time I managed to cobble something together, I would wake up and when I fell back asleep it would all start over.

In other news, I'm going to check out the MN Renaissance Festival tomorrow. I'm traveling with complete strangers who know this faire. In all probability, I'll be a wreck by the time I get home from having to interact with so many new people in one day.

Hmmmm-I'm not as depressed as I sound here, just a little unsettled.

********************************************************************
Harry brought a hurricane, trapped in a terrarium.
Ruth made a working model of a nuclear reactor.
There was a cure for the common cold.
Someone cloned his little brother and if the truth be told.
It was the finest, fanciest Science Fair anybody’s ever seen.
It was the finest, fanciest Science Fair anybody’s dreamed of.
(Amazon has a clip here -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003JXJ/103-4301609-7027055?v=glance)

Post-apocalyptic movie night

Last night was the next installment in Post-Apocalyptic Movie Night, organized by my friend Ethan. We've seen Shawn of the Dead (excellent!) and Omega Man (unintentionally humorous-especially the DVD interview with Heston about the movie). I think there was one other. We get together whenever an appropriate movie shows up from Netflix.

So last night was Return of the Living Dead. It was great. Did you know that this is the movie where "brrraaaiiiinnnnsss" comes from? It is. Plus the kids being attacked are (almost) all punks and there's a punk soundtrack. When the kids run around, it feels choreographed (in the good way). Like watching the Jets get chased by zombies. The zombies are fast, strong and smart. In a recurring bit, the zombies kill whatever rescue workers show up then call for backup. tee hee. The movie was made in 1985 and it is perfectly dated.

I had lunch yesterday with someone who started here about the same time I did. She and her partner came from Cambridge. We talked about how much we missed the East Coast and knowing the ocean was near. It felt good to share that with someone else here. Most of the Minnesotans grew up around here. They don't really get the "missing a different place" thing. I like Minnesota, I just feel dislocated. I wish it was closer to everyone else. Of course, I felt the same way about Philly initially, so I know this will pass. Anyway, Joanne has promised to invite me out if she goes to any cool shows or art things, so that's a good thing.

Vacation

Susan and I had a great NC vacation. We spent Labor Day week in the Outer Banks of NC. There was much sun, sand, ocean, pool, hot tub, shrimp, barbecue, frozen custard along with a healthy dash of alcohol. BTW - it turns out that watermelon mimosas (pureed watermelon and champagne) are as close to ambrosia as humans can come.

We also spent some time improving our minds and junk. We went on a brief hike, checked out the NC Aquarium, and went on a kayak eco-tour. The Aquarium was very nice and Susan discovered that the rays in the touch tank like her very much. They kept coming back for more petting. My shark photos have turned out well. The kayaking was cool. First time for both of us. We spent time in a lake and in the canals. We also got close (possibly too close) to an alligator. There's a picture of it, too, but since only his nose was sticking out, you'll have to take my word for it.

Leaving was really hard, but I got to spend a fun weekend with the folks. We played Mexican Train Dominoes and Spinner (which I suspect is also called Chicken Foot dominoes). And my mom taught me how to play Shanghai Rum, which requires at least 2 decks of cards and apparently more than two players. Fun though. Our group would definitely like Mexican Train. I'll be picking up a set soon

Photos will be posted soon-ish. I have a half a roll I'd like to finish before I post everything.

Anyone got New Year's thoughts? Cause I hear the Twin Cities are nice.

bad dreams

I could not shake the bad dreams this morning so I'm feeling a little weird. I'm still trying to make it out to the state fair. I had planned to go tonight, but Tilly asked if we could reschedule to tomorrow. I may try to go both nights. The fair is really big and I'd like to try to see most of it. I think with Tilly we'll focus on the Ag stuff, so maybe tonight I should hit the Midway and some of the other buildings, like art and technology.

Looks like all the apartments in the building are filled now. I've seen boxes at all of the doors. I haven't met any of my neighbors yet and if I'm out the next two nights, I probably won't meet them until I get back from the Outer Banks. I just hope Tempest doesn't cry at the door and piss anyone off.

Prairie Maze INSTALLED!

So my Prairie Maze project is drawing to a close. The new entry sign was installed today and the guides have been printed and installed as well. The first time I went to see, there were a few families already using the guide!! I'm so pleased.

mawrige

They're MARRIED!! It was a great weekend, capped of by a beautiful wedding. I had a great time (so thanks to everyone I had a great time with).

Looks like the cat's forgiven me for leaving her this weekend. Let's see how she feels after I leave her all next week. And I got one set of new neighbors while I was gone. They moved in to the apartment behind me. I haven't met them yet, but I plan to make brownies tonight and take them over to share.

Much work to do to prepare for being gone again next week.

Har Mar Superstar*

Veni, Vidi, Vici Har Mar Mall. I managed to find the mall last night and make my way back home, all on the bus. I still want a car, since the bus still takes forever to get me from point A to point B, but it's good to remind myself that I can get beyond my usual circle.

I did not find a dress, which was my original reason for seeking out a mall, but a conversation with Jane has convinced me that fancy is not the way to go. So I'll raid my closet tonight to find something more appropriately festive. What I did find while I was out was a waterproof coat with a hood for cheap. Score.

When I moved to MN, I came woefully unprepared for the winter. Luckily the winter was unseasonably mild (just like this summer has been unseasonable warm and unseasonably short on mosquitoes - I think I'm getting spoiled). I was able to make do with a couple of pairs of regular boots and a dressy wool coat that is also very warm. But I knew that what I had would not cut it for the next winter. I'll need actual snow boots and a real snow jacket. But with this new mid-weight coat, I can continue to ignore this problem and hope it goes away. That works, right?


*Har Mar Superstar is the name of a local Twin Cities Musician. I just like the way it sounds.

A play's the thing

It worked. I felt much improved by the end of Friday. Of course, a large portion of that may be due to Sara and Brian (her husband). We had a lovely dinner at their place with lots of tasty things picked fresh from their garden. I picked and ate green beans and a whole cherry tomato, not to mention a stuffed pepper. I really get this whole delicious, fresh-picked vegetable thing. I'm just not usually able to pick my food and eat it minutes to seconds later.

The play was charming. All about infidelity, which is always a fun subject in a comedy. It was The Constant Wife by Somerset Maugham. Then we went out for beers afterwards. Made me feel all normal.

Of course, my allergies ate my Saturday so I felt back to weird me by Sunday. But now I've got trip anticipation bubbling through me. It's like I've got two separate tickles of happiness that catch me up all the time. One is just getting back to see friends (yay!) and then I remember the reason for the trip and I get goofy grinned all over again. Couldn't happen to a better couple.

Change in outlook

I've gone from funky to grumpy. I'm not sure that's better.

On a brighter note, I'm going to a play tonight. And as a bonus, I'm having dinner with my friend Sara and her husband before (plus they are my ride to and from the play). Maybe a little art will turn my frown upside down.

bleh

Feeling crappy today. It's raining and I started the day with a 2 hour bus journey so I could pick up some labels for the musuem. (could not borrow the car this time). It's not that far away, but I had to take 3 different buses to get from home to the vendor to work. Now I'm here and I just feel bleh. Oh well. Might as well feel bleh at work as feel bleh at home. Maybe things will perk up.

Foiled again

Turns out I lack the key ingredient for three different meals. I had grand plans to make a fabulous dinner last night but was foiled in my attempts due to missing ingredients. So it was chinese noodles instead. Tasty, but not the same as a real meal. Just did ordinary things. Returned a movie to the video store (I had already returned the box, oops). Picked up a bubble tea as a joyful little pick me up. I adore bubble tea. And I saw too late that they are offering thai tea with bubbles. I'll be back for that.

Today I get to run errands for work via the bus. Whoo hoo. We had a deluge of rain last night so its very humid today.
The rain was beautiful, but tricky. I was initially able to leave the windows open to listen to the rain, but when I would stop looking out the window, the rain would change direction and come straight in. Happened to me twice before I gave up and closed the window. Lovely sound to fall asleep to.

honorary cat

Yesterday I was bestowed the title of honorary cat for a day. I called in sick to work and the rest of my day progressed as such; sleep to 2pm - get up for glass of water, back to bed - sleep to 6pm - get up, eat leftover mashed potatoes, back to bed - wake up at 9pm, read for a hour - sleep.

Tempest stayed comatose and snuggled next to me the whole day. I think she was impressed.

Today - just the niggling remainder of a headache.

feeling nostalgic

I feel buffeted by the winds of nostalgia. It's a crisp, cool day, a good preview of what fall will bring. The air is alive with scents, all of which are triggering memories. It's overwhelming.

Cali time

I spent three days last week in LA for a client meeting. It was much more real than I expected. Granted my previous expectations were crafted by Hollywood and so not very trustworthy, but other than a noticeable predominance of large breasts, the people were pretty normal. Of course, we spend most of our time downtown, near the airport, in East La or in South Central rather than Beverly Hills or Hollywood. We did drive through, or rather by, Beverly Hills. It was the first night there, I was exhausted and had the backseat of the car all to myself. So I struggled to keep my eyes open.

It seems to me that there is not one LA, there are many, each with its own character. And for a place seemingly obsessed with body image, there are junkfood places galore. There's an eating holiday waiting there. Tamales, chilidogs, fish tacos...

We could not stay at the museum's usual hotel (apparently very quirky with the best breakfast in town). So we stayed at the Biltmore (THE Biltmore - steeped in history, it is ). There was another conference in town so the desk attendant upgraded the two guys I was traveling with to a suite so that he could gain an extra room. They were moved to the Music Suite. Name on the door, grand piano in the sitting room, ugly dog sculpture and everything. We were wowed at first but the bloom came off the rose after the first morning when it was discovered that the suite was not actually comfortable for hanging around. I got upgraded, too. I named it the Ottoman Princess room. It was really two rooms and one wall had been partially removed in order to frame The Bed. It was huge, comfy and beautiful. There was a partial canopy. I only wish I had gotten a picture.

Paul is very into super tasty hole in the wall food, so we ate very well. Including stopping at Maria's Tortillas right before we got on the plane to eat some melt in your mouth tamales. Sooo good.

the flaw in my brilliant plan

My hair was yucky this morning, so I decided to walkt to work in the rain (downpour) thereby obliterating any previous wonky bits. The rain was sweet and warm (if also, somewhat dense) and I got flashbacks to Susan and I playing in rainshowers at the Virginia Beach apartment. Nice and sweet. Got lots of sympathetic looks upon arriving looking like a drowned rat, also nice. Had to paper towel myself off significantly in the bathroom to take the drippy edge off my new look but the hair was thoroughly ruined, just as I was hoping for.

Except now it's two hours later and I'm still damp. Blech. I need a mini dryer at my desk to just dry my top. Hmmm - maybe I can use the air handdryers in the guest bathrooms.