Dad came to visit this weekend and we got bunches done. We insulated the mudroom floor, meaning the whole house is now fully insulated. I feel very snug. Plus we installed ceiling fans into the two bedrooms upstairs. Those should really come in handy - if it ever gets warm again.

Photos (and some video, possibly) soon.

Flight of the Conchords

Wheeee! Got to see Flight of the Conchords on Tuesday. Great show!

In honor of my France loving friends and foreign language speakers everywhere, I bring you Foux Da Fa Fa, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hrUGFhsXo.

(though I think my favorite is still Business Time, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU)

Big weekend

Whew. I had a great weekend. Chock full of fun and excitement.

Friday night, Lisa and I co-hosted a party. I made my first fire in my new fire bowl. I was so happy. I spent most of the night sitting around the fire with my guests. We went through a lot of beer and wine. Could not have asked for a better night.

Saturday I hit the Mill City Farmer's market. We've had a very late spring around here, so no one had veggies yet, but there were still lots of tasty items to sample. I split a lemon cheese tart with Lisa and then splurged on a fresh bratwurst. I just love that moment when your teeth pierce the skin and the juices start to flow out. Mmmmmm... Then we headed to the Mill City Museum for a tour, to explore and to see flour explode. All in the name of science (for Lisa's job, not mine).

Saturday night was a chowdown at a Somali restaurant. Very hands on food. We had some new chowfolks join us and felt the need to explain that we weren't usually this messy. It's always nice to share a meal with my chow friends.

Sunday was full of downtime. I did not leave the bed until 1:30. Then I puttered around and cleaned the house, inside and out. Then off for laundry - Which may be my new favorite activity due to the new Chris and Robs Chicago Eatery across the street. I mean, what better way to kill time during the wash cycle than digging into a damn good version of an italian beef sandwich (dipped - with sweet peppers please). Lisa's cheese fries edged out my fried cheese curds. I'll be trying those again. And in the spirit of the weekend, we dropped off our clean clothes and headed to Grand Old Creamery for scoops in their fresh waffle cones.

I am utterly sated at this point.

Just give me a few hours :).

catching up

Lots happening recently. I spend a week in Denver (nice, dry, faintly phallic city) for AAM. Got to catch up with some friends and participate in earthshaking conversations. Saw some cool stuff, too. Photos and videos to come soon.

The bigger news is that I have a housemate! Two if you count Lisa's dog, Sienna. I'm loving having a dog in the house (though Tempest is less than thrilled). We are working on the slow integration of the two. Tempest has currently retreated to my room and we've moved her food and litter box there. Sienna stays out (most of the time). It's a temporary truce. Just this morning, T ventured to the end of the upstairs hallway (the lure of the sunbeam is fierce).

Lisa's fun to hang with and we get along so far. She moved here two weeks ago from Boston so that she could start a new job working on Dragonfly TV (a kids science show) on our local PBS station, TPT. Her show is nano-focused as is my project, so we have had some fun brainstorming conversations at home. I met Lisa through my current project, when she was working at the Museum of Science in Boston. We are having a shindig tonight to welcome her to Minnesota.

CONGRATS TO THE ENGLANDS ON THEIR NEWEST ADDITION. I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET GAVIN UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL LIKE.

Kisses,
Karen

Restyled Bathroom

Check it out! I spent the weekend working on the house (I feel like a real Minnesotan). I cleaned out the guest room in preparation for my house guest (Lisa - she's arriving tonight. More on her later). And most excitingly, I decorated my bathroom. I painted and installed stuff and reorganized. So much fun (in a swearing like a sailor kind of way) and I feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment. I might move into my bathroom now. I learned a bunch of stuff along the way and I suspect I'll want to repaint in the near future (edges are more tricky than I expected).

Ta da!

April Fools snow

Just wanted to post a few shots of the 6 inches we got on April 1st. It's all pretty much melted away by now. But it was sure pretty while it lasted.

Portland in words and other

Portland was amazing. Lovely place, good folks in the workshop.

Here are some photos of mine. The flikr ones were taken by another attendee (I'm actually in some of those!) It was a wonderful time and we got a lot of work done, too.

http://picasaweb.google.com/karen.pollard/Portland

http://www.flickr.com/photos/octoberdandy/sets/72157604115082349/


And I wanted to share this short video of my boss, Paul, describing Sun Ra (after a very long day). There are practically no words. It's just lovely.

Limbo

This has been a weird week. I felt like I was swimming through molasses. My sole event was seeing I am Legend with Ethan and Joe (we're the Cool Kids Book Club) last night to round out our exploration of the short story (sounds all smart when you say it like that, but really we like to sit around and talk about zombies and things).

Anyway - Ethan canceled (with a stupid good reason so you can't even be mad). He's got a gallery showing of some of his photos and he wanted to hit some other galleries and establish a baseline worth for his prints. We haven't managed to reschedule - since I'll be in Portland Sun through Thurs. Ah well, we'll figure something out.

I posted photos of Nook burgers and Pagoda dinner on Chowhound (links below). And I'm off to the Russian Tea House (featured on Alton's River Run - Though I liked it before that) for lunch with Rebecca.

Nook
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/493556#3462529

Pagoda
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/496141

Snowtubing ROCKS!!!

Saturday was my annual "Coerce my coworkers to snowtubing with me" event. It's in it's third year (though last year was canceled on account of extreme cold (-17 before wind chill is no time to go zipping downhill)).

This year we went to a new place, Badlands. Super cool. Very rules free and four hills to choose from. Here's a link to their site http://www.badlands-snopark.com/snotube.htm.

The most terrifying (and therefore best) hill was the Big Hill. So steep that when you stood at the top and looked down, you couldn't see the people who were ahead of you (as in - you saw then start to slide down, then they disappeared on the steep slope and then they reappear at the bottom.) I ran it twice.

The bruise is actually from the medium hill which has some awesome moguls. The first time I went down, I wasn't holding on tight enough and my tube slipped in front of me. My leg slapped the slope pretty hard.

Was it worth it? Of course.

Who knows

Who knows what this week will bring...

Maybe a sandwich night on Wednesday (cubans)? Or will Project Runway keep the other sandwich nighters away? Will I manage to watch Song of the Thin Man before it's due back? Will I make it to The Witch on Tuesday? (http://www.hardcovertheater.org/2008/witch_main.php)

And most importantly - Will I get a group together for snowtubing at Badlands on Saturday? http://www.badlands-snopark.com/snotube.htm

The seeds have been sown. Now to see if they bear fruit.

It's a sunshine day

Cold yes, but so wonderfully sunny. The sky is this really intense shade of blue. It's wonderful.

Did everyone catch the eclipse last night? I watched most of it from the big window in my upstairs hall. Magical.

Recent food writing

The first is a recap of the New Years visit. This should bring some good memories to those who came to visit.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/481910

This one is a response to the lone troll on the Midwest board. But it has very pretty pictures I took of some lovely sandwiches.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/485348#3363556

Art Shanty photos coming soon.

Cheers!

New year

Thanks again to my friends that visited. It was wonderful to have you here and to get to share my home with you.

An observation: The frost on the outside of the car is nowhere near as annoying as the frost on the inside of the car. Thankfully it is not yet cold enough that the inside frost builds up while driving. I only have to deal with it in the morning.

One year draws to an end...

Well I have my car back and my emergency fund has served its purpose. No I need to build it back up.

I had a lovely Christmas with my family in VA. We went to see the lights at the National Zoo. I also got a wonderful Sunday dinner at Dixie Bones Barbecue. Yummm.

I'm looking forward to the new year, which will start with a bang as friends come to visit.

car broke

It's official. It's more than a small repair. I need a new transmission. But the rest of the car is fine, so I'll pay for a new transmission before I seek out another used car. I won't have access to my car until middle of next week, so I'm caging rides for Tamale Day tomorrow and Sandwich night on Sunday. Can't miss those events. Need to find a way to Xmas shop, though. That's more than creeping up on me, it's hanging out in the living room waiting for me to come down the stairs.

Too much to do and not enough time

I need an extra couple of weeks before Christmas. One weekend is not enough time. I still need to buy a tree, for goodness sake. I've got several work and home projects that are all clamoring for attention and waving their deadlines around. And to make everything more fun, my car is acting up (probably the transmission). She's at the shop right now and I'm just hoping the repairs don't take too big a bite out of me.

Still having fun, though.

Thai, soon

Man, is it good to be home. I'm really enjoying the travel, but the last three weeks were pretty much non-stop. I miss my co-workers. In fact, we are just about to go pick up some Thai food for lunch. Yum!

I'm itching to get back to work on the house, too. New Years will be here before I know it and it would be nice to have the closet hardware installed before that. Can't wait to have guests. We'll have a blast.

A very warm house

I had my housewarming on Saturday. It's not like the house is all that ready, but it was now or not until after the New Year. So I tidied up (which was actually a boon to me as I dislike having my living space be disorganized. Makes me all cranky.)

I had grand plans of cooking up a storm, but ran out of time, so Trader Joe's 'catered' the event. I had butternut apple soup (served warm out of mugs), mulled cider (also served warm out of mugs), crackers, smoked trout spread (actually-that's from a local provider - Prairie Star, sooo good), three kinds of cheese (gouda, brie, and sharp cheddar), and chocolate-covered peanut-butter-filled pretzles. Add to that beer, rum for the cider, and an assortment of sodas and juices. It turned out to be a nice spread.

Just having people over made the house feel cozy. It was so nice to have friends in. I just wish my far away friends could have been there, too.

Post-move rundown

The move went surprisingly smoothly. I packed some stuff, and then I paid the movers to come in and finish the job. Really took the pressure off. They got everything packed and moved to the new place. Then I had to clean the old place which took a night and a morning. As of Saturday, I was completely out of the old place.

Everything fit into the new space (which is bigger than the old one) except for my box springs. Those are still in my dining room. I need to split the box spring or buy a divided set in order to get them up the stairs. I did find out something interesting - There are no springs in my box spring! Guess I can't complain because I've been sleeping well on this bed for many years. But I may need to replace it, rather than hack it apart to get it upstairs, because I've confirmed that it's the source of my bed's loud 'voice'. It was squeaking pretty loudly by the end. The matress, however, is ready to go for several more years.

I've even made a big dent in the unpacking (greater than I thought). With the exception of books and pictures (not an unsizable group), everything is out of its box. Now I just need to start figuring out where things will wind up. I'm taking the more organic approach and trying to see where my hand falls when I look for something and then moving the something there. Its a long and messy project, but the end result is much better.

I did have trick or treaters this Halloween! I was so happy. I had a goodly number and gave out all but a handful of my candy. And according to my neighbors, this was a slow year. I loved having a door, and a porch and a doorbell (not that anyone had to ring it. I was outside as soon as they opened the gate). I'm looking forward to next year and putting real time and energy into my decorations. I've also got really good neighbors. Seems like everyone has stopped by to say hi and folks seem really willing to help out and keep an eye on each other. My left side (as you look at the house) neighbors are extra nice. They tend to sit on their deck and chat. They've also got a cute dog (Nana-mini doberman) and cute kids (Lily is three and Leila is 9 months). Lily's already come for a visit and then dragged me back to her house. Feels so nice to have friendly neighbors.

Moved!

I'm in! The movers came this morning and, with a few exceptions, my stuff is now located in the new house. I left a very curious cat sniffing everything and came into work for a few hours.

Now to clean the old place.

I'm a HOMEOWNER!

Closing went pretty smoothly (completely smoothly from my end, the seller caused a few hiccups, but my folks got tough on them and it's all straightened out.) As of noon on Friday, I own my home.

I'm not sure it's sinking in yet that I own the house. It's so much bigger than the apartments I've been living in. It's got a whole extra story for crissakes! And a yard!

My folks were in town this weekend to see the house (and me). We got lots of good stuff done. We blew insulation into the attic, changed the locks and all of the smoke detectors, amongst other things. My dad is so happy to have a house to putter in for his little girl.

The weather was nice, so I did some work outside. I met a bunch of my neighbors. It's a very close and friendly neighborhood.

More later.

New closing date

New closing date was approved. I'll be a homeowner on the 19th! Yay!!!

Inspection passed

So the house passed inspection. YAY! There are, of course, a few things to take care of but nothing that puts the kybosh on the purchase. So now we head in to the final weeks of stuff before closing. Whew.

Bid accepted!

Yay! The owner/bank accepted my first bid (finally - took them an excruciatingly long five days). I'm on my way to homeownership.

Want to see pictures? http://picasaweb.google.com/karen.pollard/GoodrichHouse

The bid is in!

That's right. I put a bid on a house. 420 Goodrich to be exact. Now I wait and see how the process unfolds.

For house photos, check out http://picasaweb.google.com/karen.pollard/GoodrichHouse.

House hunting

So the first trip went well. Found a couple of possibilities, but no real winners. Enough, though, that I feel like I will find something that will suit me well. There are some SCARY houses out there, though. And some crazy ideas of decorating.

This week - we explore the few St Paul houses that are in my price range.

Fall is approaching

The trees are thinking about turning color. There's a yellow/orange/red aura about their leaves. They can't wait to show off.

The muggy weather disappeared in a torrent of rain last night as I was leaving the bar. Ethan and I were soaked. Today dawned crisp and clear. Sky so blue you want to swim in it. And tomorrow is my first day of looking at houses. Good omens, I think.

Alas, State Fair, I hardly knew ye

Thus ends this year's State Fair. I went twice and tried lots of new and familiar foods. Road some new rides and generally had fun. I'll miss it until it arrives next year.

Added bonus - I got 2nd place for my crop art this year!

Turns out my crop art was due Monday. It was a bit of a scramble, but I got it in in time. This is what I did this year.


The catagory is special occasion, which is broader than I expected. Seems like almost any occasion will do. Ah well. I like mine and I had fun making it. Here's me with some of my competition. Wish me luck.

Full of Accomplishment

I had a lovely weekend. It rained almost the whole time so getting outside felt extra heroic and staying in with a mug of tea felt cozy. I made it to the Midtown Farmer's Market for the first time. Quite nice. Smaller than my St Paul market with a more obvious influx of Hmong fav veggies. I grabbed some huge Hmong cucumbers and salsa fixins. They've got a crepe stand there so I had a buckwheat crepe with market sausage, gouda and market veg. It was steamy and savory, perfect for a cold rainy morning as I ate it in my car.

I had a huge To Do list on the white board - just a ton of stuff I had put off until the travel was dine (like 5 loads of laundry, house cleaning, bills, etc) and I made a hefty dent in it. I also have my crop art for this year 95% finished. Filling in the background with poppy seeds was tougher than I imagined. It was exactly like working with glitter when I was 10. The seeds stick everywhere and the hard part is getting them off the places where you don't want them. Tonight I'll check for any bare spots or lumps and try to smooth everything out. State Fair starts this weekend so I take the crop art in sometime this week.

Whew...

I love traveling and seeing friends and new places, but I'm glad to be home. Especially with the knowledge that I don't have to go anywhere this weekend. I've got a mountain of laundry calling my name and I'm looking forward to buying some fresh stuff (and having time to eat it before it goes bad).

Thanks again to everyone who hosted me. I'm happy and sated and looking forward to returning the favor.

I'm alive

Weird night last night. I left work around 7:30 and got a message from my dad asking about the bridge collapse. I had no idea what had happened. Then I saw the footage. It's not a road I take very often, but the weird thing is - Because of the free tickets to Bourne, I was going over that bridge on Tuesday at exactly the time the bridge fell the following day. Creeped me out.

Keeping up with the curve

I spent a lovely long weekend with Susan and Brian in Philly. The house is lovely and I can officially recommend the guest room. In addition to catching up on some missed foods, we also cooked in a bunch (Brian makes out of this world breakfast potatoes). Susan and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie and Ratatouille. We also managed to both tear our way through the last Harry Potter book. There was a plethora of Potter dishing going on this weekend.

After a much longer than necessary trip home, I arrived back to discover I won two free tickets to an advance preview of the final Bourne movie. Yay! Rebecca and I went and rotted our brains on fantastic car chases and fight scenes. It was a wonderful third act.

This is a big travel month. I leave on Sunday for St. Louis. City Museum - Here I come!

Reigning in the home frenzy?

I attended a home buyers workshop this weekend and I'm struggling now to keep my terror and excitement in check. Just about everyone knows I'm buying a house now and everytime they ask me about it I get all bubbly and giddy. But I'm not ready to jump in with both feet yet. I've got some more budget rearrangement to do and I'd like to pay down my debt some more.

I've got three trips on three consecutive weekends coming up (Philly, St Louis, and VA). Then I'll take a weekend off to recover. That gives me a month to chill out, look around and educate myself more. Then I'll find a realtor and things will really take off.

News

I've managed to fit in two (2!) games of putt putt today. This is a great day.

The news is...I've decided to buy a house. So I'm starting to do all that background research and reading and stuff. I've got a workshop next week that's offered by the state of MN for first time homebuyers. I'll know more after that. But I've started spreading the news and getting recommendations for agents and inspectors and stuff. Fun!

FYI - the headache lasted the entire day, but was gone by morning. Now I'm reveling in 80 degree weather and crystal clear skies. Did I ever mention how good the air smells here? Funny detail, but true.

Am I paying for last nights fun?

I had a lovely night last night. Talked with Dennis (Hi, Dennis!) and then went to a wine tasting. The theme was interesting labels. Surprisingly, the wine was really good, too. My favorite was one of the ones I brought, a lovely pinot verde that turned out to be sparkling, too. It was perfect for summer.

I'd like to point out that I did not overindulge (maybe a glass and a half total) and I went home at a reasonable hour (9pm) and yet today I'm afflicted with a wretched headache. One of those that feels like someone is stabbing you in the temple with an icepick (the left temple, in case you are interested). Plus I overslept this morning by a lot (not sure if the headache is tied in with this, but I was having some crazy dreams). Luckily, the meeting I missed was cancelled instead. Whew. Now the question is, can I make it through the rest of the day. And with that cliffhanger, I leave you.

Hot

But the east coast is hotter. Actually our 95 degree weather broke on Sunday with an smashing downpour that lasted a few hours. But before that happened, I got a good visit in to the farmer's market. Picked up all sorts of lovelies. Mixed lettuces, shelling peas and mint, tomatoes and basil, the first corn of the season, some tiny first carrots (to small to peel, you just eat them), tender zucchini. I went with a chowhound friend and we split some of our purchases (since you get a lot for a little and there is no sense in letting this stuff go bad before you get to it). Thanks to Kate, I've got a baby bok choy in my crisper, too. I want to see if I can recreate the Napa Snappa that I used to enjoy in Norfolk.

Predictably, after a lovely morning at the market, I did not feel like cooking anything I had purchased. So I scraped together a bit of cash and ordered chinese. I'll eat the leftovers for lunch and start on my fresh veg haul tonight.

Birthday fun...

My family came up from Virginia to help me celebrate my birthday. I picked them up from the airport on Saturday and we headed to the Science Museum. They checked out my Light exhibit and then we headed outside for mini-golf. Mom won, but I was a close second. Dad and MF cheated and still lost (of course, they say it's only cheating if you win.) We had dinner at Sara and Brian's house, grilled pizzas - which were a revelation to Mom and MF, and then we played Mexican Train dominos. So nice.

Sunday, we went to the MN Arb (the big one, far away out near Lake Minnetonka, not the small, close one at Como). They have an Art to A-Maze walk which is a bunch of installed art exhibits throughout the grounds that form a trail which leads to their new garden maze. The weather was perfect and we had a lovely time wandering around and then conquering the maze. MF and I made it through first, but Dad was the most crafty. If I'm ever lost, I'll follow him.

Monday was my birthday and I had my birthday meal at Hell's Kitchen. Best bloody mary every, plus lemon ricotta pancakes and a cup of mahnomin porridge all to myself. I was in heaven. Plus, the server carded me for the bloody mary (yay!) and when he found out it was my birthday, he comped us a caramel pecan roll. So decadent.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. Full of sweet and salty and dominos and family. Couldn't have asked for better.

Green tea cake with red bean filling

One does not expect to see this when one wanders through the break room. Yummy, though. The green tea cake was light and spongy. Not too sweet with a pronounced green tea taste. The red bean paste was sweet and textured just like in bean cakes (the bun kind, not the layered kind). The icing is whipped cream (not whipped cream icing, just whipped cream very lightly sweetened. The whole cake was topped with fruits....and parsley.

biking in

So I walked about half a block away from my apartment when I realized that I really wanted to bike in today.
Oh so nice - It's mostly downhill to work so it's lots of wind-in-my-hair time. Plus, on my way in, I found a park I've never seen before. I may try to get out and check it out today. Just got to figure out lunch plans first. I'm pretty much out and since I ate out at Ngon last night (it was a chowdown), I'm out of lunch-y things to bring to work. Must grocery shop soon.

A very full weekend

Want to hear about my weekend? Of course you do.

I had a great weekend. Went strawberry picking on Saturday (see photo), then went out to dinner with Rebecca (A Rebours for fresh oysters, chilled pea soup - delicious, and escargot) and a play (Taking Steps - farce).

Sunday, Sara and I went to the farmer's market (I found secret empanadas!! I overheard someone else ask and turns out they make them on the side for those in the know. OMG - tuna empanada was soooo good, flaky crust, spicy insides. And now I know the secret). Then I went kayaking with Tilly and Jackie (her boss) (I borrowed the kayak from a friend of Tilly's) after which we relaxed with a bottle of wine (I smooshed a strawberry in mine - pretty color). And if that wasn't enough - I ended up watching Children of Men with Ethan that night and eating hawaiian pizza and beer.

I was knocked out on Monday. Whew.

Heat brings good things

So the heat continues, almost wave-like. We're in the 90 to almost 90's every day. I baked cookies for my Dad for Father's day and I sweat my ....face off. Luckily the rain we had earlier, followed by this heat has brought the local fruit out in full force. For the last three days I've slipped down to the backyard (with accomplices) and nibbled at whatever fruit was ripe. Yesterday, in addition to the cherries, we snapped up some red currents and a tiny few raspberries.

I also found a fantastic french cafe in S SP. I had a chicken pear sandwich yesterday and I think I "accidentally" forgot to bring lunch today, just so I could go back there today.

Seeds and Ice Cream

Last night, Cari and I went to a seed art class. Can't say I learned anything, but I got to root around through some new seeds. I planned my design for this year and heard about a new competition (Ramsey Co has a fair, too and just introduced a crop art catagory). It's soon, so I'd have to hurry if I wanted to enter that one. Cari was fun to hang with and we really enjoyed picking seeds for her designs (she's choosing between two).

After the class, we went to Conny's Cones for some soft serve. Cari used to work at a place just like it in FL (It's just a little roadside stand). Warm night and fresh peach ice cream. Sounds like heaven to me.

I've extended the Pantry Game (do you know what you get if you leave the 'r' out of Pantry...a whole new kind of game). I still allow myself to buy eggs, milk and butter and I've opened the field a bit more to singular ingredient adds (that must be used up in the making of the dish).

This week the single ingredient is a whole watermelon. It is really hot here (almost 90 on most days) and even the nights are still warm. One of these hot nights, I'm looking forward to cracking open that watermelon and just sucking down all that cold sweet wet fruit.

I also managed to finish my Chicken Sink mess. I made this a while back with what my CSA identified as "soup meat." It was more like ground chicken, but a really odd texture. I used it to make Chicken Sink (as in everything but the kitchen sink, but I mispronounced kitchen when I named it). It dates from a previous round of the Pantry Game (last fall) and includes lentils, corn, spinach and any other dribs and drabs that had been hanging around. It looked disgusting and tasted like a blank palate. It was really tasty once you dressed it up (with curry or herbs or spices) but you had to get past the way it looked.

This was the last batch that I had frozen and I finally figured out the best way to eat it. Lots of cumin and chili powder, salsa and cheese on top, serve with corn tortillas. Tear corn tortillas in to pieces, load with a bite of chicken mess, eat. Yummy. Not sure I'll make this again, but good to know where it wanted to go.

First fruits

I got out into the Big Backyard today to play a round of mini golf. The strawberries have just ripened (there were only about 3 ripe ones on the very small plant). The cherry tree is overflowing, though, with luscious sour fruit. I snuck a strawberry (sooo sweet) and a cherry (sooo sour). The were both sunwarmed and they kind of melted in my mouth. It's like you are eating pure flavor. Ahhhhh....

1000 photos

I've really been enjoying the digital camera...especially the freedom to take photos that I want to share, but necessarily save.

But over time, a bunch of those saveable photos have crept in to my collection. And I've started to worry about the fact that I did not have a hard copy of any of those shots. yeah, yeah...backup...blah, blah...save to CDs. Nothing makes me feel better than holding the photo in my hand. Kodak had a sale and I took the plunge and had about 1000 photos printed. No extra zeros there, that's about one thousand photos. The best part of the deal is that I did not even have to pay for shipping. They sent them to the CVS one block from my house and I picked them up there (to the astonishment of the girl behind the counter).

So now I know what 1000 photos looks like all packed together. Looks tall.

Exploring

I spent part of this weekend exploring St. Paul. I found Conny's Cones (fresh soft serve) and, armed with a yummy strawberry milkshake, I headed off to Como Park. There was something going on at the zoo and conservatory (not to mention a bunch of weddings) so I skipped those and instead lazed around on the dock at the lake. So nice. Felt like being on a boat (I was on the floaty bit of the dock). They rent paddleboats there but I wasn't sure if one person could go forward or would only go in circles.

On Sunday - after the home mani/pedi - I walked Ripley (Ethan's dog). I had also picked Ripley up at her house and brought her to the warehouse for Friday Happy Hour. Soooo nice. Hung out with friends for several hours and watched the sky change as the sunset. Took a bunch of photos for no reason.

All in all, a very relaxed weekend.

Chicago

I'm uploading my Chicago photos today. I took a bunch so I'm subdividing them to spare the carpal tunnel syndrome of clicking through them all.

The Backyard just opened and I've already got a putt putt game in. Monday - and I won! I think I've kicked last year's losing streak.

Of course, I probably just jinxed myself.

I'm alive!

I had a great time in Chicago. What a great city!

I'm working on posting my photos for the last few months (I know, I'm behind). Soon, I promise.

good news

Last night I found out the results of my Aunt's scan - Looks like the cancer is confined to her lungs. That's very good news. Plus she's been given a place in a trial treatment that should be good, as well.

Today, my dad underwent surgery for a heart catheterization. The found less blockage than expected and proclaim him to be in good health (all things considered).

So today is a day to celebrate.

Winding back up

So - Disney was great. I'll send a link for pictures soon. The best part was hanging out with my mom and sister. Of course, Tower of Terror rocked my world, too.

I've been getting back into the MN groove. We've had lovely sunny and warm weather (as opposed to the East Coast). That slushy stuff you guys had last week was crazy!

I've got some bad news, too. My Aunt Em (my Dad's little sister) has been diagnosed with lung cancer. It's not good. She's an amazing person and a real fighter, so I'm trying to keep a positive frame of mind.

Work continues. Crazy clients, fun projects.

I miss you guys. I'll try to call soon.

On my way to Disney World

I'm leaving in less than an hour and I'll be gone for a week. I promise to post photos when I get back.

Missing bed

Man - I did not want to get up today. It's bright and sunny and all I wanted to do was burrow under the covers and sleep. I managed to drag myself into work in time for the morning conference call. Once I got here, I got perky again.

I did some blowout shopping at Trader Joe's on Tuesday. Love their prepared foods. I had a very tasty chicken sausage calzone with mushrooms that actually tasted like mushrooms. I picked up some haricort vert, too. I eat them all the time when I dine out. I want to start messing around with them at home.

Slight delay

The show last night was sold out. We've rescheduled for Saturday (which is now looking full).

But I did get to share a lovely dinner at Birchwood Cafe. I chose to eat backwards. I started with a pot of tea and the sublimely delicious chocolate carrot cake. Mmmmmm.

90th Birthday

I was in Tennessee last weekend for my Grandmother's 90th Birthday. It was great to see my family, including cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. Mom, MF, Dad and I went shoe shopping while we were there (there was a place my sister knew). I got some new sandals and spent less than anyone else.

My grandmother really enjoyed her birthday. She was wide-eyed, alert and coherent that afternoon. She really liked my present (which was a perfume she had requested I buy for her once over 10 years ago - I couldn't remember exactly which scent was correct, so I purchased a selection of three. It was the lilac. When she smelled it, she said that it brought back memories and she dabbed some on herself. Perfect.)

Now I'm home and beginning a buys week, chock full of theater. Yea!

I love a list.

I keep them at home and at work. I sometimes cross reference them. I love lists so much, I'll add things to them, just so I can cross something off.

I've gotten a bunch off my list this week, including a trip to the auto shop for maintenance (want to keep Twee running smoothly). But there is still more, as is the nature of lists.

And to square my list love (as if I'm not already square), grocery shopping - with a list - is on my list.

Course, I'm out of money until next week and I'm going to happy hour tonight (to scam some free beer).

But the lists still beckon.

Snowtubing

STILL ROCKS!

Went on Sunday. The day was warm and the sun was bright. The hills were full of tubers (and I don't mean potatoes). We spent some time drowsing in the sun at the bottom of the hill, but most of it was spent whizzing down the lanes in various formations. We even snuck in one 5-person chain. That was our first jaunt down the hill. After that, the Man made us limit it to groups of 2 or 3.

I just love that wind in your hair, snow in your face, screaming to let the joy out feeling.

Snow!!

We finally got some snow. Only about 2 inches worth, but it's finally feeling like winter. I hear that the ice storm that socked in the lower midwest, also hit the northeast. Hope everyone is okay.

I had a movie fest this weekend. Watched Prairie Home Companion with Kate, Howl's Moving Castle by myself (probably for the best since I prefer to use the original Japanese soundtrack with captions), and V for Vendetta with Rebecca. All good movies and different enough to keep the whole thing interesting. Now I'll turn the movies in for 3 more from my local Blockbuster and I'm done with their free offer.

Rebecca and I went to dinner before the last movie. Heartland was fantastic. The chef specializes in local ingredients. Very creative. Too bad Rebecca ate all the cheese.

Chowdown

Tonight, there is an impromptu chowdown at Midtown Global Market. Some will be people I've met before (at the dim sum chowdown). Some will be new. Food will be good, for certain.

Lake Street

I went to a new massage therapist last night. He offers 1/2 off prices if you fill an empty spot in his schedule, so the price was right. Nice massage. He used unscented oil that was all natural, non-staining and very moisturising.

On the way home, I stopped for tacos al pastor. That's right, I've got a local connection now. Yummy and I got horchata, too. A little sweet, but still tasty. I'll be back for more (probably after my next massage).

My plotted way home did not work the way I expected. I can see the highway...I can see the southbound entrance to the highway. Why can I not go north? Ah well - I drove home Lake Street instead, which is currently my favorite street since it contains so many of my favorite things (Bryant Lake Bowl, Town Talk Diner, Midtown Global Market and now...Taquiera La Hacienda).

Nano, nano

Susan got me an iPod Nano for my birthday. I'm enamored with it. I never though I could fill 2 GBs but now I have to delete before I add. Music is lovely (especially the Shuffle function), but my preciouses are podcasts. I've got about a dozen to which I subscribe. All that great NPR and PRI stuff I could never manage to catch on the radio. Mine now. Short bits on grammer, money and manners to keep me in line. Got 'em. And I haven't even dipped into old radio plays.

May podcasts whisper in my ear forever.

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.