Saturday, March 31, 2007
Gotta love Marky-Mark
Wahlberg, that is. Just went and saw Shooter with the step-monster. It was very good. My favorite shot was...well, every one with him in it. Loved him in The Departed, but it was good to see him in a starring role. He is one of those actors that just gets better with age. The next Sean Connery or Clint Eastwood or Robert Redford. Mmmmmm...
M vs SP
I'm guilty of it as well - lumping St. Paul in with Minneapolis, or always putting Minneapolis first, i.e. MSP. Here is a little story I found interesting, for those of you who realize each of these wonderful Twin Cities has its own unique, and redeeming, features:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-03-27-twin-cities-tourism_N.htm?csp=34
Ah, sibling rivalry! :)
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-03-27-twin-cities-tourism_N.htm?csp=34
Ah, sibling rivalry! :)
Thursday, March 29, 2007
SPRING!!!
It's been a while since I posted, but I have an excuse, I swear. I have been enjoying the weather. I know, sounds lame, but it's the God's-honest-truth. Taking a page from a fellow blogger (shout-out, KW), here is my list of reasons why I LOVE SPRING!:
1. Green - things are starting to look alive again. Infinitesimal stages of greening happen each day. When was the last time you really noticed?
2. Warmth - it's always such a pleasant surprise when you look outside, see the sun's shining, but still - in typical winter mindset - expect it to be cold, when in fact it's beautiful.
3. Smell - There are few things in this world that smell better than spring. These candles companies might have something if they were able to bottle the smells of rain, sunshine, warming earth, emerging tulips, fresh-cut hay, etc.
4. Light - I love when I wake up in the morning to have light streaming through the windows. Again, though it happens every year in just the same way, it never seems old. Each year I find new joy in the discovery of pink and yellow sky at 6AM.
5. Birds - I have a tall juniper bush outside my bedroom window, and the birds return to it each year. Yesterday I awoke to them singing and thought it was nice to have the neighbors back.
6. Johnnie Jump-Ups - for those of you unfamiliar with this little plant, it is one of the first true harbingers of spring for me. We have scads of them around the foundation of our house, and there is something truly sweet about watching one of my nieces delight in the discovery of "flowers!" And when YOU are the first recipient of their fresh-picked gifts, it's enough to make you smile for the rest of the day.
And, because it's been a while, and because we're on the subject, a couple of flowers for the bloggers. Enjoy!
1. Green - things are starting to look alive again. Infinitesimal stages of greening happen each day. When was the last time you really noticed?
2. Warmth - it's always such a pleasant surprise when you look outside, see the sun's shining, but still - in typical winter mindset - expect it to be cold, when in fact it's beautiful.
3. Smell - There are few things in this world that smell better than spring. These candles companies might have something if they were able to bottle the smells of rain, sunshine, warming earth, emerging tulips, fresh-cut hay, etc.
4. Light - I love when I wake up in the morning to have light streaming through the windows. Again, though it happens every year in just the same way, it never seems old. Each year I find new joy in the discovery of pink and yellow sky at 6AM.
5. Birds - I have a tall juniper bush outside my bedroom window, and the birds return to it each year. Yesterday I awoke to them singing and thought it was nice to have the neighbors back.
6. Johnnie Jump-Ups - for those of you unfamiliar with this little plant, it is one of the first true harbingers of spring for me. We have scads of them around the foundation of our house, and there is something truly sweet about watching one of my nieces delight in the discovery of "flowers!" And when YOU are the first recipient of their fresh-picked gifts, it's enough to make you smile for the rest of the day.
And, because it's been a while, and because we're on the subject, a couple of flowers for the bloggers. Enjoy!
A sunflower, some roses, a couple sprigs of eucalyptus, and some hypernicum berries (some of my favorites!)
Still more roses, a hydrangea, and a couple rogue carnations.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Ysabellabrave
Lazy Sunday today. I've been catching up with one of my favorite YouTube personalities, Ysabellabrave. Check out one of my favorite videos here. If you like good music, good people, and good times, Ysabella's your girl! Ysabella has a bunch of other videos - all are organized by the song titles. Have fun, and enjoy!!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Sooo Many Photos!
This past Sunday I went for a walkabout, as they say in New Zealand. I tried to get B to go with me, but he was much more interested in napping. Unlike yesterday's weather, Sunday lived up to its name. Temps were warm enough that a thin long-sleeved shirt and some mild exertion were enough to keep one comfortable.
Thaw was the word of the day Sunday, and the quickly-approaching vernal sun was doing its best to achieve. The woods however, (dark and deep, as Frost so aptly put it) were not as thawed, and snow still layered most of the shaded parts. Only the more open, southern-facing hillsides were exposed, but even they were getting a head start on spring: here and there were small patches of verdancy, hints of things to come. I took a few pictures - it's amazing how just a little fresh air can give one fresh perspective!
The ice covering last year's dried grass forms some wild, jagged shapes. You can see my shadow in the background - told you it was sunny!
A well-worn deer trail. Since the new growth alfalfa in this field hasn't greened up yet, it happens to be especially noticeable.
The maple syrup lines from B's high school years. Many are still up, awaiting their next use. B and I are still discussing our return to sugaring next year. Our personal supply is dwindling, and I would like to start tapping and cooking next year to replenish our stores.
A tree that's seen its fair share of action this winter - by woodpeckers! Notice the PILE of shavings at the bottom of the tree. I saw about half a dozen like this over the course of my walk. Now, if I could only spot an Ivory-Billed... :)
A shot through the trees along an ATV trail/logging road on a neighbor's adjacent property. There was a deer here before me, can you tell?
A couple of shot along the valley on my in-laws' land. The hill I'm standing on belongs to another neighbor, and our land starts at the bottom.
Benjamin, my faithful companion on these trips, much to spoiled Ms. Beezus' chagrin. Beagle is a good walking partner: he's never too far off (unless rabbits are involved), he comes when called (exempting prior mention regarding coneys) and he's invariably eager. He really helps keep me going!
Thaw was the word of the day Sunday, and the quickly-approaching vernal sun was doing its best to achieve. The woods however, (dark and deep, as Frost so aptly put it) were not as thawed, and snow still layered most of the shaded parts. Only the more open, southern-facing hillsides were exposed, but even they were getting a head start on spring: here and there were small patches of verdancy, hints of things to come. I took a few pictures - it's amazing how just a little fresh air can give one fresh perspective!
The ice covering last year's dried grass forms some wild, jagged shapes. You can see my shadow in the background - told you it was sunny!
A well-worn deer trail. Since the new growth alfalfa in this field hasn't greened up yet, it happens to be especially noticeable.
The maple syrup lines from B's high school years. Many are still up, awaiting their next use. B and I are still discussing our return to sugaring next year. Our personal supply is dwindling, and I would like to start tapping and cooking next year to replenish our stores.
A tree that's seen its fair share of action this winter - by woodpeckers! Notice the PILE of shavings at the bottom of the tree. I saw about half a dozen like this over the course of my walk. Now, if I could only spot an Ivory-Billed... :)
A shot through the trees along an ATV trail/logging road on a neighbor's adjacent property. There was a deer here before me, can you tell?
A couple of shot along the valley on my in-laws' land. The hill I'm standing on belongs to another neighbor, and our land starts at the bottom. 
Benjamin, my faithful companion on these trips, much to spoiled Ms. Beezus' chagrin. Beagle is a good walking partner: he's never too far off (unless rabbits are involved), he comes when called (exempting prior mention regarding coneys) and he's invariably eager. He really helps keep me going!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Mmmmm, yuck.
For a look at today's weather in Dallas, WI, click here. Seriously.
Current conditions: Light precipitation, mostly in the form of rain or mist, with heavy fog in most areas. Roadways may become slick overnight. Temps in the mid 40s, with lows tonight around 30.
Yeah, early spring in Wisconsin rocks.
Current conditions: Light precipitation, mostly in the form of rain or mist, with heavy fog in most areas. Roadways may become slick overnight. Temps in the mid 40s, with lows tonight around 30.
Yeah, early spring in Wisconsin rocks.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Ahhhh...
Tonight, I had a massage. There is nothing like getting one, for those of you who have never had the opportunity. It is, to a certain extent, a selfish experience, but it is also a conscientious one. My practitioner uses myofascial release in her practice, and I find I feel better every time I go. I also find I feel poorly if it's been too long between sessions. I also know that my body tells me when it's time to go back even before my calendar reminds me.
Too many times people think of massage for serious athlete types, who stretch and strain muscles on a daily basis. This can be true: massage does help repair muscles by increasing blood flow to the affected areas. However, it can be just as important for those of us who spend the majority of our days staring at a computer screen, pinning a telephone between our ear and shoulder, or with our elbows and arms at unnatural 90 degree angles for hours on end. These types of repetitive motions can errode health by wearing on joints, tensing muscles without strengthening them, and holding irregular postures.
So, for your next birthday, splurge a little, and treat yourself a lot. Trust me, you deserve it.
Too many times people think of massage for serious athlete types, who stretch and strain muscles on a daily basis. This can be true: massage does help repair muscles by increasing blood flow to the affected areas. However, it can be just as important for those of us who spend the majority of our days staring at a computer screen, pinning a telephone between our ear and shoulder, or with our elbows and arms at unnatural 90 degree angles for hours on end. These types of repetitive motions can errode health by wearing on joints, tensing muscles without strengthening them, and holding irregular postures.
So, for your next birthday, splurge a little, and treat yourself a lot. Trust me, you deserve it.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Beezus in the morning, with sleepy eyes
The little dog lay curled and did not rise/But slept the deeper... - Richard Wilbur, US PoetWednesday, March 14, 2007
And finally, the truth is known...
Warning: Potentially offensive material included.
Okay, well not really, but it helps set the mood. For today's foray into the blogosphere includes the sordid details of last weekend's entry into the "POSITIVELY WORST DINING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE" category.
**An aside. I really think I should have my own set of dining awards for the best/worst restaurants I've ever visited. I'd call them The Nappies (short for Napkins, for the good places, the bad places would get a soiled diaper; ah, the joy of double entendre!)
I digress. It actually started at Christmastime. B and I received a gift card for a restaurant in Woodbury that the givers are very fond of. They had raved about this place, telling us we "had to go" check it out. They loved the "homemade" food, the atmosphere, and the little country store in the waiting area, full of unique country-themed gifts. So when we received the gift card last Dec25, it was a not-so-subtle hint we should stop by there the next time we're in the Cities.
As our trips as a couple to the MSP/SP area are few and far between, B and I knew that this weekend's trip was one of our only opportunities to use the GC. So, rather gamely, we decided our final meal (read: LAST SUPPER :)! ) of the trip would be lunch as we were headed back out of town. [For those of you keeping track and reading back through this post trying to find the name of the restaurant, I haven't mentioned it yet, nor will I, other than it rhymes with Sachine Mhed] It was approximately 1PM when we reached the place, and we were seated almost immediately by a young lady who was dressed like she belonged in the entry to an Abercrombie store, apart from the fact that she wore an old-fashioned, homemade looking vest made out of tractor fabric over the top of the ensemble. This should have been my first clue: how could I have been so blind! Farmer Barbie led us to our booth, which was large enough for six people, and seemed to be at the end of about 3 miles of hallways. She told us our server would be along shortly, and walked away.
So B and I are left sitting in our cavernous booth with no menus and nothing to drink, not that we had anything from which to drink anyway. We sat next to two families: Corner Table family was five in number, while Round Table family was about 10. Both were loud, with Corner Table's dad constantly yelling at his kids: "Timmy, scoot over so Robby has some room." "Robby, quit picking on Timmy.", and so on. Round Table family's grandma was delusional: she kept exclaiming, in a rather loud voice, "Oh, Joey, you are the funniest boy!" "Oh, Joey, you are the cutest boy!" when it was perfectly obvious that he was neither. He was a three-year-old demon that kept crawling from his booster seat onto the table, yelling "Look at me, Grandma!" Yeah, cute and funny.
And in such a milieu we waited for the waitstaff. And waited. And waited a bit more. Finally a younger woman made her way over to our table. "Sorry about the wait. They filled up my section pretty fast, so I'm running a little behind. I'll be back to get your order in a few minutes." She drops the menus on our table, and takes off. I look at B, and wonder if we've entered the twilight zone.
Since we've got the time, B and I peruse the menus. The food is hearty fare, and not for your vegan/vegetarian crowd. There are herds of animals being slaughtered for this place. B decides on a 1lb burger, extra bacon/no tomato (he's a huge eater) with fries and a cup of French onion soup, and I opt for (from their "Lighter Fare" category) a turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. Ours is not an order anyone should be able to screw up. Oh, we were so wrong.
Our waitress finally comes back, again apologizing for the tardiness. She asks us what we'd like to drink. After taking that order, she says "Great! I'll be right back." And she walks away. Again. When she finally comes back, she does bring drinks, and only then does take our order, even though we've nearly memorized the menus waiting for her. However, in the interest of time, I'll skip the painful parts about how long we wait until our food comes, the crazy lady from another table that keeps staring at B and I, the continuing obnoxious behavior of our neighboring tables, and the fact that we each had three (very small) refills of soda before our food came.
When the food finally does materialize, B is missing his soup, his burger is missing the bacon but has the tomato, the waitress doesn't bring ketchup for his fries, and my sandwich is plopped down in front of me with roughly 2 inches of gravy. Over the top of EVERYTHING. It takes a couple of stabs before I even locate the potatoes. It was not a sandwich and side dish. It was a gravy lake with unidentifiable lumpy objects. B caught the panicked look in my eyes when I finally looked up. "You don't even really like gravy, do you?" he asked. Affirmative on that one.
The waitress caught us off guard with the mismatched conglomeration of our order, so we weren't able to catch her for refills on our sodas. Nor did she feel the need to check back in with us later in the meal. So we choked down the majority of our meal with no liquids. Quite a feat, let me tell you. Only as we were finishing (or rather B was finishing - I ate about ten bites of turkey rescued from the gravy flood, and that was about it) did she materialize again. But miracle of miracles, she brought B's soup. As she set it down she apologized for the third time during our meal: "Sorry it was kinda late. The cook burnt the first bowl." With that stunning insight into the culinary preparedness of the kitchen, B and I realized we had walked into a disaster zone.
As soon as she set down our bill, I had the GC at ready and presented it to her. She looked at me and said, "Wow, you guys really want to get out of here, don't you?" I couldn't believe she'd said it, but I wasn't about to disagree with her. She left to run the card, and when she came back, she said, "You've still got quite a bit left on here. You'll have to come back and see us again." Yeah, sweetheart, I was thinking, when hell freezes over.
By mutual agreement, B and I purchased the least offensive "country-themed gift" from the gift shop, a Yankee Candle, effectively using up the remainder of the GC. As we all but ran to the car, we were both laughing about the fact that there was nothing during the meal that went RIGHT! We also agreed to never come back, and B informed the party that gifted us with the card in the first place that they should donate the money to charity next year, rather than subject us to that misery again.
So what did I learn from this whole experience? Never give a gift (or GC) simply because YOU like something or somewhere. It's less painful for everyone involved! :)
Okay, well not really, but it helps set the mood. For today's foray into the blogosphere includes the sordid details of last weekend's entry into the "POSITIVELY WORST DINING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE" category.
**An aside. I really think I should have my own set of dining awards for the best/worst restaurants I've ever visited. I'd call them The Nappies (short for Napkins, for the good places, the bad places would get a soiled diaper; ah, the joy of double entendre!)
I digress. It actually started at Christmastime. B and I received a gift card for a restaurant in Woodbury that the givers are very fond of. They had raved about this place, telling us we "had to go" check it out. They loved the "homemade" food, the atmosphere, and the little country store in the waiting area, full of unique country-themed gifts. So when we received the gift card last Dec25, it was a not-so-subtle hint we should stop by there the next time we're in the Cities.
As our trips as a couple to the MSP/SP area are few and far between, B and I knew that this weekend's trip was one of our only opportunities to use the GC. So, rather gamely, we decided our final meal (read: LAST SUPPER :)! ) of the trip would be lunch as we were headed back out of town. [For those of you keeping track and reading back through this post trying to find the name of the restaurant, I haven't mentioned it yet, nor will I, other than it rhymes with Sachine Mhed] It was approximately 1PM when we reached the place, and we were seated almost immediately by a young lady who was dressed like she belonged in the entry to an Abercrombie store, apart from the fact that she wore an old-fashioned, homemade looking vest made out of tractor fabric over the top of the ensemble. This should have been my first clue: how could I have been so blind! Farmer Barbie led us to our booth, which was large enough for six people, and seemed to be at the end of about 3 miles of hallways. She told us our server would be along shortly, and walked away.
So B and I are left sitting in our cavernous booth with no menus and nothing to drink, not that we had anything from which to drink anyway. We sat next to two families: Corner Table family was five in number, while Round Table family was about 10. Both were loud, with Corner Table's dad constantly yelling at his kids: "Timmy, scoot over so Robby has some room." "Robby, quit picking on Timmy.", and so on. Round Table family's grandma was delusional: she kept exclaiming, in a rather loud voice, "Oh, Joey, you are the funniest boy!" "Oh, Joey, you are the cutest boy!" when it was perfectly obvious that he was neither. He was a three-year-old demon that kept crawling from his booster seat onto the table, yelling "Look at me, Grandma!" Yeah, cute and funny.
And in such a milieu we waited for the waitstaff. And waited. And waited a bit more. Finally a younger woman made her way over to our table. "Sorry about the wait. They filled up my section pretty fast, so I'm running a little behind. I'll be back to get your order in a few minutes." She drops the menus on our table, and takes off. I look at B, and wonder if we've entered the twilight zone.
Since we've got the time, B and I peruse the menus. The food is hearty fare, and not for your vegan/vegetarian crowd. There are herds of animals being slaughtered for this place. B decides on a 1lb burger, extra bacon/no tomato (he's a huge eater) with fries and a cup of French onion soup, and I opt for (from their "Lighter Fare" category) a turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. Ours is not an order anyone should be able to screw up. Oh, we were so wrong.
Our waitress finally comes back, again apologizing for the tardiness. She asks us what we'd like to drink. After taking that order, she says "Great! I'll be right back." And she walks away. Again. When she finally comes back, she does bring drinks, and only then does take our order, even though we've nearly memorized the menus waiting for her. However, in the interest of time, I'll skip the painful parts about how long we wait until our food comes, the crazy lady from another table that keeps staring at B and I, the continuing obnoxious behavior of our neighboring tables, and the fact that we each had three (very small) refills of soda before our food came.
When the food finally does materialize, B is missing his soup, his burger is missing the bacon but has the tomato, the waitress doesn't bring ketchup for his fries, and my sandwich is plopped down in front of me with roughly 2 inches of gravy. Over the top of EVERYTHING. It takes a couple of stabs before I even locate the potatoes. It was not a sandwich and side dish. It was a gravy lake with unidentifiable lumpy objects. B caught the panicked look in my eyes when I finally looked up. "You don't even really like gravy, do you?" he asked. Affirmative on that one.
The waitress caught us off guard with the mismatched conglomeration of our order, so we weren't able to catch her for refills on our sodas. Nor did she feel the need to check back in with us later in the meal. So we choked down the majority of our meal with no liquids. Quite a feat, let me tell you. Only as we were finishing (or rather B was finishing - I ate about ten bites of turkey rescued from the gravy flood, and that was about it) did she materialize again. But miracle of miracles, she brought B's soup. As she set it down she apologized for the third time during our meal: "Sorry it was kinda late. The cook burnt the first bowl." With that stunning insight into the culinary preparedness of the kitchen, B and I realized we had walked into a disaster zone.
As soon as she set down our bill, I had the GC at ready and presented it to her. She looked at me and said, "Wow, you guys really want to get out of here, don't you?" I couldn't believe she'd said it, but I wasn't about to disagree with her. She left to run the card, and when she came back, she said, "You've still got quite a bit left on here. You'll have to come back and see us again." Yeah, sweetheart, I was thinking, when hell freezes over.
By mutual agreement, B and I purchased the least offensive "country-themed gift" from the gift shop, a Yankee Candle, effectively using up the remainder of the GC. As we all but ran to the car, we were both laughing about the fact that there was nothing during the meal that went RIGHT! We also agreed to never come back, and B informed the party that gifted us with the card in the first place that they should donate the money to charity next year, rather than subject us to that misery again.
So what did I learn from this whole experience? Never give a gift (or GC) simply because YOU like something or somewhere. It's less painful for everyone involved! :)
Monday, March 12, 2007
More to come...
I know I promised to expound upon previously posted comments regarding unbelievably terrible culinary experiences, but you'll have to wait until later this week. For now, just a couple pictures: 
My new terrarium and nexus of my current horticultural aspirations. (Many thank yous extended to my parents for finally enabling me to have a "greenhouse," albeit Lilliputian, all of my own)
Plus, just in case you thought I was kidding about my previous post:
Never underestimate the importance of a good pair of sunglasses.
Notice the "Shake your Shamrocks" button by the Post-Its. St. Paddy's is just around the corner. Faith and Begorrah! (Google that if you have the chance!)
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Relax and enjoy!
Spent this weekend in Minneapolis/St. Paul with B. We recently celebrated three years of legally-recognized togetherness (not to mention four years of dating before that), and so we were ready to get out of Dodge. Work had kept us from doing this sooner, but it was well worth the wait.
We left Friday afternoon and drove to Bloomington. Our reservations for the weekend were at Sofitel Minneapolis, and I would recommend them to anyone staying in the MSP/SP area. They are right on 494, so it makes it really easy to get to and from everywhere you're going. Plus, the rooms are wonderful, especially the beds! Down comforters and pillows - AHHHH, the best I've slept in since staying at the Gateway Center in Ames, IA a gazillion years ago! (http://www.gatewayames.com/index.html to get to the Gateway Center's site, http://www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fichehotel/gb/sof/0539/fiche_hotel.shtml for Sofitel) Plus, Sofitel has kinda funky modern furnishings and wonderful restaurant and bakery. Really great stay! (Confidential to R. L. - now that you work there, I'd be game for some discounts!! :))
But possibly the highlight of the trip for B, as well as for myself was dinner Friday night at Ruth's Chris Steak House. WORTH EVERY PENNY!! The food was wonderful, the service was great, and the pomegranate martini brought tears to my eyes! B was a little apprehensive about going there, considering their pretty expensive menu, but we both agreed it was money well spent after a fantastic meal. B had steak and shrimp (sizzling in butter at 500+ degrees when it comes to the table), and I came away with stuffed chicken breast, which came butterflied, bone-in. They serve the sides separately, but as "family style," so we ordered mashed potatoes and mushrooms. B committed the ultimate family blasphemy by saying they were the best mashed potatoes he's ever eaten, but I totally agreed with him, Grandma N's included. Creamy and buttery - all they needed was a pinch of pepper and a fork! Highly, highly recommended for anyone who would like a five-star dining experience. Just stay away from the 100-year-old Remy Martin at $115/drink if you're counting the pennies!
After dinner Friday we high-tailed it over to the Ordway for a performance of Love, Janis, a musical based on the life of Janis Joplin and the book of the same name written by Joplin's sister Laura. The musical interspersed letters Janis wrote to her family, interviews given to various magazines, and songs from her records, and there were two actresses portraying her simultaneously - one doing the singing, one doing the letters, and each taking turns during the interviews. I didn't know how this was going to be, but it had gotten great reviews in the Pioneer Press, and I love Janis Joplin, so I bit. Turns out it was the right thing to do. We ended up with great seats (about 12 ft from the stage) and the show was electric! I've seen the footage of Janis at Woodstock, and read enough about her to know that these ladies who played her were spot on perfect. Even B was impressed, and he was really excited halfway through the first song ("Piece of My Heart") when he realized he might know some of these songs! Plus, they did "Mercedes Benz" as a singalong with the audience! It was a blast. B really liked the two 55+ drunk ladies in front of us that kept standing up and dancing during the songs. Highly amusing! ;)
Saturday was a lazy day, with nothing really planned until afternoon. Since we were already in Bloomington, we spent most of the morning at the Mall of America. We went to the Underwater Aquarium, which I haven't done since I was in grade school, and lucked out enough to be going through the tunnel as they were feeding the sharks! Pretty cool when they're thrashing about right in front of your face! As we emerged from the Aquarium, we noticed a bunch of little girls with fake curly hair running around. Turns out there was a huge Irish dance festival at the mall kicking off St. Patrick's Day week, and there were 5 different Irish step dancing schools that were doing performances until 6:30 that evening! So we watched for a while, along with half the mall! They had one little girl who was five, and she did a solo number out in front of all these people - and there must have been 500+ on all three levels. It was pretty amazing, and they were all really good. I would kill for the thigh muscles of some of those dancers!
B had a first this weekend. His back was bothering him on Saturday at the mall, so when we walked by the Aquamassage store, I told him to get one. He spent 10 minutes in there, and he said it was weird, but it really helped. I was really surprised he did it, but glad he did at the same time. If you've never had an Aquamassage, treat yourself sometime. It's a bit of a trip. However, do not attempt if you are claustrophobic. Could be a little scary for you...
Saturday afternoon was back to the Ordway for a performance of Lerner and Lowe's Camelot. I had never seen this show, and barely knew any of the songs, but again, was really glad we went. Not as exciting as Janis, but still really good. And the chick that sang Guenevere's part - holy crap. Her name was Rachel York (http://www.rachelyork.net/ - check the website for some of her songs - they play in the background after the site is loaded) and she was about as big around as my left leg, but she must have been pulling that sound from her ankles. She rocked! Michael York (no relation) was King Arthur (he's best known to our generation for his part as Basil Exposition in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me), and while his acting was good, his singing was quiet, and not articulate enough/too British to allow you to catch every word, even though all principals were mic'd. (For a picture of Mike, check his website: http://www.michaelyork.net/)
After the show, we went to Cossetta's at B's request. He loves the place for the food, I love it for the ambiance and the great Italian market. Real prosciutto is a pleasure close to heaven! We (luckily) got a table right at the top of the stairs overlooking the line, so it was fun to eat and people watch. Minnesota was having its high school hockey championship this weekend, so there were a lot of crazy hockey fans eating pizza, since Cossetta's is only a couple blocks from the Xcel Center. Picked up a couple cans of pepperocinis and hot peppers for gifts, and then the rest of the evening was spent chilling out at the hotel watching The Bourne Conspiracy.
Sunday morning we grabbed a couple rolls from the fabulous Sofitel bakery and packed up our stuff. We set out for Grand Ave, and had ham & asparagus quiche and coffee at Cafe Latte before going to Pottery Barn and Smith & Hawken. The day was a triumph for me. I finally bought a terrarium. I have wanted one forever, and they had standing ones at Smith & Hawken that caught my eye at Christmastime. I received a birthday gift card from my parents for S&H, and it had been earmarked for this purchase for quite a while. Needless to say, setting it up was the first thing I did when I got home. For now I'm going to use it to rehab an ivy and an orchid I have that could use a little TLC, but soon it will be host to plants of its own, most likely a couple small ferns. It's tall enough for a Phalenopsis, so maybe another of those as well. Who knows?
Before I wrap up this LONG post, I have to, for your amusement, post another B first. We stopped by Dick's Sporting Goods at Tamarack to look for a birthday present, and B spied the climbing wall. Now, for those of you who remember, first-year students at Wartburg got the opportunity to go climbing at the UNI wall many moons ago. So I have been rock climbing. B has not. He decided to go today (along with ten or so obnoxious little kids who had terribly little supervision or decibel control). Can I explain to you how funny it was to see the 6.5 ft husband in climbing gear hanging from the wall next to a seven-year-old? And did I mention they didn't have a pair of climbing shoes big enough for him? He had to squeeze into a 13, which is what he normally would wear, except for the fact that climbing shoes run a size small. I apologize profusely for not having pictures. My intentions were to take some, however, my camera batteries had other ideas. You'll have to paint a mental picture, and trust me, now matter how odd that picture may seem, it's most likely accurate!
The last part of our afternoon was too painful and raw for me to post about now. Suffice it to say we had the best and POSITIVELY WORST dining experiences of our lives this weekend. More explanation to come. But for now, unpacking and laundry.
We left Friday afternoon and drove to Bloomington. Our reservations for the weekend were at Sofitel Minneapolis, and I would recommend them to anyone staying in the MSP/SP area. They are right on 494, so it makes it really easy to get to and from everywhere you're going. Plus, the rooms are wonderful, especially the beds! Down comforters and pillows - AHHHH, the best I've slept in since staying at the Gateway Center in Ames, IA a gazillion years ago! (http://www.gatewayames.com/index.html to get to the Gateway Center's site, http://www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fichehotel/gb/sof/0539/fiche_hotel.shtml for Sofitel) Plus, Sofitel has kinda funky modern furnishings and wonderful restaurant and bakery. Really great stay! (Confidential to R. L. - now that you work there, I'd be game for some discounts!! :))
But possibly the highlight of the trip for B, as well as for myself was dinner Friday night at Ruth's Chris Steak House. WORTH EVERY PENNY!! The food was wonderful, the service was great, and the pomegranate martini brought tears to my eyes! B was a little apprehensive about going there, considering their pretty expensive menu, but we both agreed it was money well spent after a fantastic meal. B had steak and shrimp (sizzling in butter at 500+ degrees when it comes to the table), and I came away with stuffed chicken breast, which came butterflied, bone-in. They serve the sides separately, but as "family style," so we ordered mashed potatoes and mushrooms. B committed the ultimate family blasphemy by saying they were the best mashed potatoes he's ever eaten, but I totally agreed with him, Grandma N's included. Creamy and buttery - all they needed was a pinch of pepper and a fork! Highly, highly recommended for anyone who would like a five-star dining experience. Just stay away from the 100-year-old Remy Martin at $115/drink if you're counting the pennies!
After dinner Friday we high-tailed it over to the Ordway for a performance of Love, Janis, a musical based on the life of Janis Joplin and the book of the same name written by Joplin's sister Laura. The musical interspersed letters Janis wrote to her family, interviews given to various magazines, and songs from her records, and there were two actresses portraying her simultaneously - one doing the singing, one doing the letters, and each taking turns during the interviews. I didn't know how this was going to be, but it had gotten great reviews in the Pioneer Press, and I love Janis Joplin, so I bit. Turns out it was the right thing to do. We ended up with great seats (about 12 ft from the stage) and the show was electric! I've seen the footage of Janis at Woodstock, and read enough about her to know that these ladies who played her were spot on perfect. Even B was impressed, and he was really excited halfway through the first song ("Piece of My Heart") when he realized he might know some of these songs! Plus, they did "Mercedes Benz" as a singalong with the audience! It was a blast. B really liked the two 55+ drunk ladies in front of us that kept standing up and dancing during the songs. Highly amusing! ;)
Saturday was a lazy day, with nothing really planned until afternoon. Since we were already in Bloomington, we spent most of the morning at the Mall of America. We went to the Underwater Aquarium, which I haven't done since I was in grade school, and lucked out enough to be going through the tunnel as they were feeding the sharks! Pretty cool when they're thrashing about right in front of your face! As we emerged from the Aquarium, we noticed a bunch of little girls with fake curly hair running around. Turns out there was a huge Irish dance festival at the mall kicking off St. Patrick's Day week, and there were 5 different Irish step dancing schools that were doing performances until 6:30 that evening! So we watched for a while, along with half the mall! They had one little girl who was five, and she did a solo number out in front of all these people - and there must have been 500+ on all three levels. It was pretty amazing, and they were all really good. I would kill for the thigh muscles of some of those dancers!
B had a first this weekend. His back was bothering him on Saturday at the mall, so when we walked by the Aquamassage store, I told him to get one. He spent 10 minutes in there, and he said it was weird, but it really helped. I was really surprised he did it, but glad he did at the same time. If you've never had an Aquamassage, treat yourself sometime. It's a bit of a trip. However, do not attempt if you are claustrophobic. Could be a little scary for you...
Saturday afternoon was back to the Ordway for a performance of Lerner and Lowe's Camelot. I had never seen this show, and barely knew any of the songs, but again, was really glad we went. Not as exciting as Janis, but still really good. And the chick that sang Guenevere's part - holy crap. Her name was Rachel York (http://www.rachelyork.net/ - check the website for some of her songs - they play in the background after the site is loaded) and she was about as big around as my left leg, but she must have been pulling that sound from her ankles. She rocked! Michael York (no relation) was King Arthur (he's best known to our generation for his part as Basil Exposition in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me), and while his acting was good, his singing was quiet, and not articulate enough/too British to allow you to catch every word, even though all principals were mic'd. (For a picture of Mike, check his website: http://www.michaelyork.net/)
After the show, we went to Cossetta's at B's request. He loves the place for the food, I love it for the ambiance and the great Italian market. Real prosciutto is a pleasure close to heaven! We (luckily) got a table right at the top of the stairs overlooking the line, so it was fun to eat and people watch. Minnesota was having its high school hockey championship this weekend, so there were a lot of crazy hockey fans eating pizza, since Cossetta's is only a couple blocks from the Xcel Center. Picked up a couple cans of pepperocinis and hot peppers for gifts, and then the rest of the evening was spent chilling out at the hotel watching The Bourne Conspiracy.
Sunday morning we grabbed a couple rolls from the fabulous Sofitel bakery and packed up our stuff. We set out for Grand Ave, and had ham & asparagus quiche and coffee at Cafe Latte before going to Pottery Barn and Smith & Hawken. The day was a triumph for me. I finally bought a terrarium. I have wanted one forever, and they had standing ones at Smith & Hawken that caught my eye at Christmastime. I received a birthday gift card from my parents for S&H, and it had been earmarked for this purchase for quite a while. Needless to say, setting it up was the first thing I did when I got home. For now I'm going to use it to rehab an ivy and an orchid I have that could use a little TLC, but soon it will be host to plants of its own, most likely a couple small ferns. It's tall enough for a Phalenopsis, so maybe another of those as well. Who knows?
Before I wrap up this LONG post, I have to, for your amusement, post another B first. We stopped by Dick's Sporting Goods at Tamarack to look for a birthday present, and B spied the climbing wall. Now, for those of you who remember, first-year students at Wartburg got the opportunity to go climbing at the UNI wall many moons ago. So I have been rock climbing. B has not. He decided to go today (along with ten or so obnoxious little kids who had terribly little supervision or decibel control). Can I explain to you how funny it was to see the 6.5 ft husband in climbing gear hanging from the wall next to a seven-year-old? And did I mention they didn't have a pair of climbing shoes big enough for him? He had to squeeze into a 13, which is what he normally would wear, except for the fact that climbing shoes run a size small. I apologize profusely for not having pictures. My intentions were to take some, however, my camera batteries had other ideas. You'll have to paint a mental picture, and trust me, now matter how odd that picture may seem, it's most likely accurate!
The last part of our afternoon was too painful and raw for me to post about now. Suffice it to say we had the best and POSITIVELY WORST dining experiences of our lives this weekend. More explanation to come. But for now, unpacking and laundry.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
More vestiges of a snowy weekend...
While not snowmobiling and snowshoeing and snowwatching and snowcursing, I did manage to sneak in a few movies. A couple good ones, a great one, and one I liked even though I (somewhat snobbishly) thought I was too old for it.
First things first - let me explain about me and Dame Judi Dench. I LOVE DJD! For a 73-year-old lady, she is lookin' damn good. And she's a fantastic actress, unfortunately probably best known as the spy-maven "M" in all the James Bond movies. Her performance (still considered by many - including myself - to be her signature) as Lady Macbeth in the BBC's 1979 production of Macbeth was unbelieveable; "OUT, OUT DAMN SPOT!" has never been the same. I credit that performance with a lot of my interest in literature, especially my love of Shakespeare. But I digress. She happened to star in two of this past weekend's showings, Mrs. Henderson Presents (for which she was nominated for an Oscar in 2005) and Ladies in Lavender, in which she costars with Dame Maggie Smith (Prof. Minvera McGonagall of Harry Potter fame), her real-life best friend and equally as esteemed colleague.
Liked both movies, but neither one was top quality. Mrs. Henderson was a little on the boring side, apart from her stellar performance - about an eccentric wealthy British widow from the 1940s who opens a theatre (that happens to employ nude performers). True story. Kinda funny at most times, and she plays the part to the hilt. The Lavender movie is a quiet, sad, kind of heartbreaking movie about regrets, and letting go. DJD and DMS are GREAT together in this movie - their interactions are so REAL.
The movie I loved was one I picked up pretty much as an afterthought. It stars two actors for whom I have never had much time: Gwyneth Paltrow, whom I've never really liked in anything, and Jake Gyllenhaal (of Jack "I wish I knew how to quit you!" Twist in Brokeback Mountain fame). But together, in this movie Proof (http://www.miramax.com/proof/) they both turn in really great performances. At several times during this movie, I actually wanted to reach out and hug Gwyneth Paltrow's character! Anyway, great story (based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play) that keeps you guessing until the end, and even after, plus the always welcomed joy of getting to watch Anthony Hopkins (in a supporting role as Gwyn's crazy mathematician father). Kind of like A Beautiful Mind with more romance and a girl as the lead.
The movie that surprised me was The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, with an ensemble cast of pretty unknown (at least until this movie came out) young actresses. It REALLY reminded me of Now & Then (Demi Moore, Rosie, Melanie Griffith, Rita Wilson), just updated 15 years. I expected it to be one of these foofy little tween movies like Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, but it was actually pretty good. And Amber Tamblyn (whose father I fell in love with a gazillion years ago as Gideon, the littlest Pontipee brother in the 1954 movie version of Seven Bride for Seven Brothers) shows why her "Joan of Arcadia" series was tops for the three seasons it was on - the whole thing hinged on her.
Alright, enough amateur movie reviewing. I have a house to clean, a toilet to scrub, and a dog who's toenail need trimming! Ahh, this really is the good life! :)
First things first - let me explain about me and Dame Judi Dench. I LOVE DJD! For a 73-year-old lady, she is lookin' damn good. And she's a fantastic actress, unfortunately probably best known as the spy-maven "M" in all the James Bond movies. Her performance (still considered by many - including myself - to be her signature) as Lady Macbeth in the BBC's 1979 production of Macbeth was unbelieveable; "OUT, OUT DAMN SPOT!" has never been the same. I credit that performance with a lot of my interest in literature, especially my love of Shakespeare. But I digress. She happened to star in two of this past weekend's showings, Mrs. Henderson Presents (for which she was nominated for an Oscar in 2005) and Ladies in Lavender, in which she costars with Dame Maggie Smith (Prof. Minvera McGonagall of Harry Potter fame), her real-life best friend and equally as esteemed colleague.
Liked both movies, but neither one was top quality. Mrs. Henderson was a little on the boring side, apart from her stellar performance - about an eccentric wealthy British widow from the 1940s who opens a theatre (that happens to employ nude performers). True story. Kinda funny at most times, and she plays the part to the hilt. The Lavender movie is a quiet, sad, kind of heartbreaking movie about regrets, and letting go. DJD and DMS are GREAT together in this movie - their interactions are so REAL.
The movie I loved was one I picked up pretty much as an afterthought. It stars two actors for whom I have never had much time: Gwyneth Paltrow, whom I've never really liked in anything, and Jake Gyllenhaal (of Jack "I wish I knew how to quit you!" Twist in Brokeback Mountain fame). But together, in this movie Proof (http://www.miramax.com/proof/) they both turn in really great performances. At several times during this movie, I actually wanted to reach out and hug Gwyneth Paltrow's character! Anyway, great story (based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play) that keeps you guessing until the end, and even after, plus the always welcomed joy of getting to watch Anthony Hopkins (in a supporting role as Gwyn's crazy mathematician father). Kind of like A Beautiful Mind with more romance and a girl as the lead.
The movie that surprised me was The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, with an ensemble cast of pretty unknown (at least until this movie came out) young actresses. It REALLY reminded me of Now & Then (Demi Moore, Rosie, Melanie Griffith, Rita Wilson), just updated 15 years. I expected it to be one of these foofy little tween movies like Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, but it was actually pretty good. And Amber Tamblyn (whose father I fell in love with a gazillion years ago as Gideon, the littlest Pontipee brother in the 1954 movie version of Seven Bride for Seven Brothers) shows why her "Joan of Arcadia" series was tops for the three seasons it was on - the whole thing hinged on her.
Alright, enough amateur movie reviewing. I have a house to clean, a toilet to scrub, and a dog who's toenail need trimming! Ahh, this really is the good life! :)
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Snow
So, it snowed on Wednesday. And again on Thursday. And for good measure, once more with feeling on Friday. With all this snow, Saturday found us with just one thing to do: PLAY!
This Christmas, B and I got snowshoes. I have wanted a pair forever, and just never gotten the courage to try them out. So Mom came through as usual and presented us both with a pair of TUBBS Ventures (visit TUBBS online at http://www.tubbssnowshoes.com/). Today was the first time we've had enough snow to use them. And use them we did!
We were out for almost two hours, walking around the farm, fields, and forests. We've got some seriously hilly terrain, so it was quite a workout (snow was an average of 15 inches, but the wind pushed drifts 2-3 feet or more). But it was one of those vibrantly beautiful winter days, where the snow is crisply, freshly, evenly white, and the sky is an unbelievable blue, and you could only think of getting out in it and absorbing some of the scenery. It was especially nice to get out of the house because we've been snowed in since Wednesday - no work for me, minimum of chores for B.
Once we got back to the farm, we had had enough of the workout, but not enough of the day. So we decided to fire up B's Ski-Doo snowmobile.
A side note on the snowmobile: B has had this thing since before we were dating (over 7 years, for those of you who are counting...) and up until today, I have been on it a grand total of TWO times. We just haven't had the snow for more use than that. The last time it was started was last Christmas (2005) and it took an hour, about 50 spark plugs, and three grown men to get it started. Thus, I was not optimistic today when B pulled the start.
The first pull didn't do a thing. The second brought a sputtering cough. The third time was a charm - the thing roared to life, and B yelled for me to open the shed doors. He made a couple laps in the field, getting it warmed up, and we were off. We went to Grandma N's, and since no one was home, on to Dad's. My brothers and father have an affection for old snowmobiles, so once they saw we were out, they wanted in on the fun. My father recently purchased a 1960s model Ski-Doo Olympique (the closest picture I could find is below):
With his bushy beard and the slim look of the sled, and it's big yellow front, he looks like a garden gnome that got stuck in a yellow rubber boot. Die Gelb Aufladung!
My youngest brother drive an Arctic Cat from the 70s, and it is possibly the cleanest, shiniest, nicest looking 30+ year old sled out there. It's all black, except for hot pink piping along the upholstery. Kinda looks like this one:
The other brother drives a Ski-Doo that has been sitting in the shed for the last year. I can't even begin to find a picture that does that one justice. We stopped at my aunt and uncles', and Sue made the joke that we were like a traveling snowmobile show - we had a sled from each of the last 4 decades!
We rode all over through the woods, back and forth across Turtle Creek (including, much to my anxiety, small pieces of open water). Between all the trail riding, and the ride from our house to Dad's, B and I put on 20+ miles. It was a great day, but the backs and butts are feeling it tonight.
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