Category Archives: love life

Relief

Thank you, all, for bearing with me through yesterday’s extremely vague sulk-fest.  There’s nothing that drives me crazier than people who have blogs and show no interest in sharing the details of their lives.

Like, Thanks for all of your allusions, but none of us want to read about the life you refuse to tell us about.  I bet this must be really therapeutic for you because none of us get it and none of us care.

Am I right?  Or am I right?

Post-run, despite the ominous sky, I headed out onto the porch to watch these guys do their thing.

Fact: When I’m on my own, I call them geeselings.  Yes, I realize it’s not a real word.  But it just seems more fitting.

For whatever reason, apparently watching the little ones fills me with a sort of glee.

Especially when they tend to roll like tiny, uncoordinated raptors.  I DIE.

If you managed to stick with me through that metaphor, then you’re obviously in it for the long haul.

And then they start wandering into the road and my heart is in my throat.  Attached much?

And yes, this is not even quite half the flock.  But they were a little bit rambunctious today.

An hour later (and when the wind really started picking up) I headed in.

After snapping at least 30 pictures of them, I’m guessing that my dignity welcomed the respite.

Baby animals: Which ones are the most adorable?  Yes, I’m serious.  Bonus points for links to photos and YouTube videos.

p.s. Don’t forget my giveaway!

19 Goslings

Today was a weird and wonderful potpourri of bridal showering, napping and beer-ing.

My life = So hard.  I know.

Which brings us to the real issue at-hand.

When I saw these geese last week, they had 11 babies.

It was a little bit earlier than normal, but you know, a welcome sight.

image

Today they had 19.  Goslings.

We are talking a tiny hoard of downy feathers here, kittens.

How does that even happen?

How many baby critters have you ever seen in one pack?

Do you have resident flocks?

Summit Saga Sneak Peek Party

So, What could possibly derail Marathon Monday? you’re wondering.

Answer: Only really spectacular stuff.

By the grace of God and the kindness of Summit Brewing Company, Marcus and I were invited to attend a private Sneak Peek party tonight for their newest year-round beer, Saga, which is an IPA.

For non-beer drinkers, IPA = India Pale Ale.

We haven’t been to The Brewery since 2009, so return to celebrate Saga as well as the release of their Summer Ale was pretty spectacular.  If you’re going to try a beer for the first time, doing so at the source is really the best choice if you have the opportunity.

Because The Universe was with us, we literally walked into Scott on our way into the sampling area.  We met at Winterfest in February and until we saw him with his amigo Michael, we had absolutely no idea as to who we would see today (okay, well, maybe we had a few people in mind).

But anyway, it was A Good Surprise.

And once we got to the taps, we sampled-away.

Both beers were delicious.

Obviously.

In all seriousness, Saga is most definitely all-IPA with a bit of a fruity undertone.  The Summer Ale, on the other hand, was a great (rich) session beer and exceptionally smooth.  Sometimes, you hear “session” and the first things that come to mind are Light & Flavorless.  The Summer Ale was neither of those things.

It goes without saying that while we only had three drink tickets (which was MORE than enough), I could have enjoyed them both all evening long.

What else did we enjoy?

Natedogs.

I’m pretty sure that the last time we devoured these, we were at another tap room, so they were a VERY welcome surprise.

Pretty much no night is complete for us these days without a food truck and/or cart.  Natedogs definitely had our bases covered.

Did I mention that Brady was there too with her husband, Ben?

Because there’s that, too.

We were maybe a little more dressed-up than the rest of the group (and my skirt was hell on earth when it came to slithering out from their picnic bench set-up), but I like to think that it added to the group.

We had SO much to workshop and I’d be lying if I said the brewery wasn’t the perfect place to do it.  We’ve been meaning to catch-up over a beer (versus running or baking or feasting) for the longest time, so finally managing to make it happen over something brand new was pretty great.

What is your favorite local beer?

Have you ever been to a Sneak Peek party?

Summit Brewing Company does know who I am (otherwise, how would I have gotten an invite to their fete?) but did not compensate me in any way for this post, nor did they invite me to their Saga Sneak Peek party with an implicit or explicit expectation of coverage. All opinions shared here are my own.  And if you do happen to hail from Minnesota, this is me asking you to drink local, because we’re lucky enough to have a wonderful host of local brewers to choose from.

Not Kidding

A brief missive before I tuck into bed.

It’s Cinco de Mayo, Derby Day and The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting.  I can’t help but to wonder if when the Mayans were plotting 12/21/12, they were actually looking at today, since you know, it’s kind of a big deal.

Did I mention that Marcus and I popped off to a first birthday party this afternoon for sweet Elsie?  Because there’s that, too.

So like I said with the Mayans, Not Kidding.

While Galina was in Cocoa Beach, she agreed to drop by the outlets in Orlando (obviously this was under duress) to visit the lululemon Outlet down there.

She came back with this Stride Jacket for me.

Look.

In the tradition of Rona fromSpirit of the Marathon who argues that wearing black takes at least 10 pounds off of you, I zipped it up and decided that this jacket takes 15 pounds off.

At least.

I’m (embarrassingly) obsessed.

I’ve been back and forth all week about whether or not I’d be starting for the Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon tomorrow morning.  Right now I’m forth, and plan on arriving at the start area sometime around 7:15 AM.  But that didn’t prevent Marcus and I from enjoying ourselves tonight.

Our itinerary: Pairings – Republic – The Nomad – The Wienery.

Because if there’s a chance that I’ll be running long in the morning, then there’s a 100% probability that I’m doing anything other than eating pasta.

Th0ugh you should know that I draw the line at sushi (aka raw things), chinese food (high in sodium), and salad (WAY too much fiber and not enough energy).

I ordered a Surly Furious at The Nomad and it came in this glass.

I die.  Like, what IS this?

See also: How blonde is my hair getting?!

What did you do for Cinco de Mayo/Derby Day?

Clearing Out The List

Today was hardcore dedicated to an alarming amount of productivity.

Addressed: The ATM, returning books to the library, actioning croutons, actioning a cake for Friday’s Cinco de Mayo themed potluck at work, multi-step dinner and working out.

Try not to be stunned by the glamour of it all.

And yes, working out counts as a To Do-item when I have to drive somewhere else to do it.  If it only involves walking down the stairs or out the door, it does not go On The List.

But whether or not working out is something I cross-off is really neither here nor there.

What does matter is that in the current moment, everything has officially been crossed-off.

I realize that feeling of freedom will last about as long as an empty inbox, but for now it’s just lovely.

Tonight for a bit of an intermission, I actioned what I like to refer to as Adult Dessert.

Our Pairing: New Glarus’ Two Women and a pair of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I’m not sure who declared chocolate and beer to be an invalid pairing, but when it manifests as chips tucked into a buttery dough and we’re talking lager, I don’t see the issue.

If nothing else, I would say that it actually rivals milk.

What’s your favorite food-drink pairing?

How is your To Do list doing?

So Many Things To Welcome Back

Today was Pi Day, which I totally forgot about until it came up in discussion on the news this morning.

3.14 = 3/14.  Obviously.

I’m not sure if that counts as being pun-y or as a math joke.  It doesn’t matter, really.

What you didn’t know is that on the second Wednesday of every month, my employer celebrates employee birthdays for that month with none other than…Pie!

Perfect timing, right?

So I observed with a slice of Lemon Supreme.

Apparently Supreme = Professional on the top, Party Cheesecake on the bottom.

I had no interest in the cheesecake bit.  But I had LOTS of interest in the whipped cream and the lemon bit.  I thought it would be an adequate replacement for my pre-run snack of a date (or two) and a few crunches of granola.  Previous experiments in this vein have largely proven me right.

It’s not frosting, but it will do in a pinch.

Did I mention that we made it into the 70′s today?  Because we definitely did.

Even though we barely had a winter, this year I’m beyond excited about spring.  To the point where I’m pretty sure that Marcus thinks that I’m riding the crazy.

Thank you for bearing with me as I dance through these next few days.

There are so many things to welcome back.

Open water (our pond is mid-thaw).

The geese.

His (or her?) mate preferred to remain off-camera.  They promptly began a turf war with the ducks.

We dined al fresco.  But not until I channeled my inner-Windex Warrior and wiped a winter’s worth of grit and filth off of our patio furniture.

It just wouldn’t do.

Yes, I’m an outfit repeater.  A few months ago, I realized I could count the number of times I had worn my marathon finisher’s shirt on one hand.  And so I’m trying to wear it more.  Because I should.

We sat and watched the sun set, over empty bowls and glasses, enjoying the fact that we can live our lives outdoors once again.

Did you participate in Pi Day?

Signs of Spring

I didn’t talk about my weekend on The Blog a great deal, but I basically spent the period from Saturday AM to Monday PM going-going-going.  All of it was great, but all of it was also 100% exhausting.  So today, even though I worked, was kind of like an un-weekend.  If that makes any sense.

Like a month ago, Emily and I made plans to do a post-work happy hour at Pairings.  Which was a genius idea, except for the fact that it was in the high 60′s today (did I mention that we’re having a heat wave?) and as soon as I started driving home from work I realized I was morally opposed to evening activities that would keep me cooped-up and inside.

Like we had any other choice – we live in Minnesota for crying out loud.

So I called Emily, invited myself over to her place to eat dinner on her deck (because we’re friends like that) and proceeded to play beer-and-grocery round-up before I headed over to her place.

It was The Right Call.

My dinner.  Tonight.

Anyone who scorns the sacred trust that is Doritos In Taco Salad should not be trusted. Because it really is The Only Way.

Emily: Do you want me to get out of your light?

Me: No.  One, you’re not in it.  Two, no blogger has ever staged their dinner on an air conditioning unit before.

Yes, the wind was obnoxious.  Yes I was wrapped in a sweatshirt.  But there was sun on my legs and fresh air on my face.   It was heaven.

Did I mention that I also discovered that our camp chairs had cup holders?  Because that was pretty fantastic – it resolved the issue of How To Juggle My Beer quite nicely.

The signs of Spring were not dinner-exclusive.

When I got back from my run this afternoon, I realized I could just leave my extra gear (sunglasses, watch, Road ID) in the tray by our front door.

And that my shoes no longer had to take-up residence by the treadmill.

Add in the fact that my regular path is completely clear of snow and it’s like The Natural Order Of Things has been restored or something.

Or Mother Nature decided to Feng Shui my life.

Either way, I’ll take it.

How did you enjoy the weather today?

Many Titles

Things I will remember this weekend as:

  • The Weekend of The Cheap Date x 2
  • The Weekend Where I Embraced Bulleted Lists
  • The Weekend Where I Got At Least Eight Hours of Sleep Two Nights in a Row
  • The Weekend Where I Actioned a Massive To Do List-Worth of Activity in The Span of Two Hours

I finished my run this morning to find out that we would be attending an impromptu brunch to celebrate the engagement of some close friends.

So I ate a mini-breakfast (homegirl has to eat), patched together a celebratory offering and we were off.

Not bad for two hours notice in a state with Blue Laws, right?  We’ll subtitle this one, Why You Should Always Have Some Champagne And Curling Ribbon Hanging Around.

By the time we got home from the party and our weekly grocery shopping extravaganza (where I found grapefruits at ALDI for $0.25/each…ridiculous), I only had a few hours to tackle my To Do List before we headed out to the #MNRunnerds Tweet-Up that Courtenay organized.

So I hustled while Marcus used the treadmill and before we knew it, we were at El Rodeo in Maple Grove.

Because if constructing a taco that’s near exploding off of your fajita platter isn’t an icebreaker, I just don’t know what is.  We took advantage of the 2-for-1s on margaritas, which was kind of ironic because I just dumped the remainder of an ancient bottle of margarita mix down the sink today.  But who is keeping track, really?

Everyone laughed, tore into the baskets of chips with homemade salsa (it was that sort of place) and we agreed that we should gather again.

To round out the night, Billy and I exchanged pictures of The Tiny Fang.  Because exchanging pictures of your cat that permanently resides at your parents house at 8 PM on  Sunday night is the height of cool.  It’s all about honesty tonight, kittens.

We are not ashamed.

His.

Hers.

If you don’t get him while he’s down, he’s impossible.  In a The Camera Will Steal My Soul-sort of way.

What did you do to enjoy your lazy Sunday?

Just a Trim

I’m still not entirely sure as to why I took this mirror shot yesterday.  Maybe it’s because I feel like I haven’t plastered my face all over the internet enough lately.

Or maybe it’s because I was really excited about the fact that I was wearing a not-long sweater with jeggings.  And for a moment, I actually looked like I might be a contributing member of society.

Who knows, really.  My vanity knows no bounds.

Today, I realized it was The Universe directing me towards self-photography, because I finally got my hair cut after an embarrassing number of months.

No, I didn’t put it off because it was Too Expensive.  Or because the appointment would Take Too Much Time.  I just didn’t have a strong feeling about my mane one way or the other.

But my ends were starting to look really damaged and I felt like I was slowly creeping away from You’re So Lucky Your Hair Is So Naturally Straight/Healthy and closer to being That Girl With Long Hair Who Doesn’t Take Care Of It.

Sometimes?  I don’t mind being That Girl.  But this is definitely a situation where I want nothing to do with being That Girl.

I know.  It wasn’t exactly a dramatic change (we’re talking ~2″ here).  But it looks worlds better.  And it has that swish-y, just-cut feeling that will most definitely disappear with tomorrow morning’s shower.

What remains to be decided: Whether or not I’m going to continue my life as a brunette or embrace my roots (literally) and explore life as some sort of extremely ash-y and not-so-blonde-blonde.

How often do you get your hair done?

Blonde or brunette?  What is my Calling?

Crossing it off of The List

Today  = More of the same.

I went to Run Club, did laundry, attended a post Baby Dedication Luncheon (Baby Girl is outright adorable), and pre-made some to-go lunch/dinner food for Marcus and I.

Then, and only then, did I get to relax.  Which is to say that I changed for the fourth time today and headed out the door.  Again.

Yes, this routine is officially Totally Normal.  You mean you don’t do four wardrobe changes in a day?

Behold, tonight’s adventure.

The Lion King is a show that has been on Mom’s musical bucket list for a while now.  So when we found out it was coming back into town, we knew it was a Must Do.

It’s kind of funny how when you plan something SO far in advance, you proceed to completely forget about it until suddenly it’s on top of you.

Pros: The puppets were INCREDIBLE.  The people who played the parts of the grass and plants were surprisingly fascinating to watch.  The opening scene (The Circle of Life) was as breathtaking as they say it is.

Cons: The acting was extremely unconvincing.  The lead singers were average.  The theater was filled with small children who were deadly afraid of Scar and did not hesitate to vocalize that.

Considering there is absolutely nothing else like it, I’m SO glad that we got to go.

Plus, Billy drives back to La Crosse tomorrow, so it was nice to be able to spend a little more time together before he goes.  It’s been great having him in town for the last month, but duty grad school calls.

What’s the best musical you’ve seen?  The worst musical you’ve seen?

I know for certain that the worst musical I ever saw was Brigadoon.  Just when you thought that they had wrapped it up, it kept going.  We wandered through those Scottish mists for a long, long time.