Minnesota "Nice", Down and Dirty

Nick or Treat pictures (to go with videos, below)

There's something weird going on with the camera; probably a setting or something.  Either way, we hope to have it resolved before the BIG DAY, so we get some better pictures of the kids in their costumes. Oh, and I'll wear one too. :-)

The Mall on a Tuesday Afternoon

You know how I hate shopping?  More specifically, I hate shopping at the Mall of America on a weekend day?  Well, I don't mind it so much on a weekday afternoon.  Not that I love it, but you know what I mean. It is tolerable. 

Anyway, yesterday I had to meet for lunch at the MoA, and didn't hate it so much.  It was easy to park, and didn't bump into a hundred people every 10 feet.  The one thing I didn't like, and maybe you have experienced this before, was being accosted by some of the kiosk workers. 

"NO, I don't want you to straighten or curl my hair.  I like it the way it is, thank you very much. Plus, the last time I allowed you to do it, I actually BOUGHT your $100 flat iron, which I subsequently adored, but subsequently quit working after 6 months of use (not constant). I hate you."  (That's not really what I said, but I thought it.)

Another one?

"NO, I don't want you to buff and polish my nails using only a sponge-type device and lotion that will make my hands look like my infant's.  I like my ugly, breakable, dull fingernails, thank you very much.  Plus, the last time I allowed you to do it, I actually BOUGHT your stupid kit, which I subsequently only used once and now I don't know where it is. I hate you." (Again, I didn't really say it, but I thought it.)

The one guy that I kept avoiding, then ultimately felt sorry for, was this dude who kept trying to give away free bags of stuff.  I think everyone thought it was a catch, and that the free stuff was probably junk, so they were scared to even look at him.  When I saw person after person avoid eye contact and scurry away, with this poor chap continuously uttering, "But it's just free stuff!", I finally said, "Okay, I'll take one. Thanks!". You should have seen his eyes light up like it was Christmas. 

When I finally looked in the "junk bag", guess what I found?  Stuff you can USE! 2 Nature Valley granola bars, a tube of toothpaste and 2 samples of Tone body wash (both of which I can send with my daughter on her school field trip to the environmental learning center next week).  Also, 2 coupons for dollar appetizers at a local steak house!  The catch?  Merely a small card advertising cheap rates through this particular resort company, for the Water Park of America (the company was BlueGreen Resorts).  It was so non-intrusive, I was impressed!  Makes me want to go to the dang water park, quite frankly.  Plus, all that freebie stuff we'll use?  Yay junk bag man!

Also, I learned that the store H&M is truly fantastic.  See the link to my opinion on that, here! (You'll have to scroll half-way down the half-birthday post)

I Heart Sever.

Though born in Minnesota, I spent ages 7-24 living in Iowa.  I moved back here in 1996, not expecting to live here for more than a couple years.  I guess with that in mind, my ex and I really didn't do much looking around at what Minnesota had to offer, plus we had no money for a while there early on, so that was part of it too.  We also didn't have many opportunities to do much "Minnesota" stuff, so we were slightly blind when it came to those things too. 

I know I've mentioned it before, but had it not been for a few of my friends, and mostly Kevin, I still would be somewhat clueless.  Now I have a very full and fun life, enjoying a lot of what MN has to offer.  This weekend, for example, we headed off to Sever's Corn Maze for the first time ever.  It sounded kind of lame to me, but the kids kept raving about it (Tim had taken them previously), so if they liked it then it would be worth it (hopefully). 

It was a perfect day for corn mazing, yet I was still pessimistic about how a corn maze could possibly be much fun?  I was wrong.  The maze was super-cool (though I didn't get to venture in with the rest of the fam, since Tyler was snoozing), and there was SO much other stuff to do!  They had a corn pit, a magic show, a wildlife show, pig races (only in the Midwest, folks!), camel rides, pony rides, a giant slide, etc etc etc.  The best part?  It was busy, but not overcrowded (and not overly huge), so the kids could run around and we didn't have to worry about losing them! 

We all had a blast, and I would definitely go back.  It is way better than most places like that (plus, it wasn't boring at all!), like the Renaissance Festival or the state fair, which are all WAY too hard to get in and out of, especially with 4 children in tow.  If you're ever here in the fall (or if you live here and haven't gone yet), I highly recommend heading out to Shakopee for this really fun family activity! I really loved how it was family-owned and-run, as Sever himself kicked us out at the end (explaining that they had to get ready for the next day), asking about our baby, and stopping to chat for a few minutes (major Swedish accent, by the way--cool!).

One drawback? Corn in children's nether regions from the corn pit.  Which also equates to kernals of corn in the laundry!!  Anyway, even with that bit of bad news, I must thank Sever Peterson for having such a fun family fall (check out the alliteration, folks!) activity!Thaaaaaanks Sever!

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In other news...

My ex, Tim (Sam and Damon's dad) was re-married this weekend!  I am so happy for him, and of course wish him and Kara the best as they begin their married life together.  They seem very happy and the kids are really happy to have a shiny new step-mom!  I like how she can offer things to the kids that I can't (and vice versa).  The more good people in their lives, the better! 

Anyhoo, how cute were Sam and Damon all dressed up?  Sam was a junior bridesmaid and Damon was the ringbearer (even though he didn't bear any rings).  The wedding was quite swank as you can probably imagine by the kids' duds. 

I just wanted to give Tim and Kara a shout out (not that they ever read this, but it's the principle of the matter) since they are very important people to my 2 oldest children.  Plus, I appreciate them very much.  After dealing with custody junk for the past 6 months from someone who isn't exactly putting her child first, I have a much deeper appreciation for the guy Sam and Damon call "daddy".  He deserves the title.  Congrats Tim and Kara!

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In OTHER other news...well, not really.  I was just going to say we still haven't carved pumpkins yet.  We always forget til the last minute, and this year is even worse!  At least all the kids have their costumes, as do I.  Now we just have to work on Kevin!  I'm trying to drag him to a Halloween party on Saturday (live band and everything!), since we have a babysitter for once (my mom!).  If I can't pull that off, at least we'll go on a much-needed date!  Yee haw!

The Nicest Compliment Ever.

As I draw nearer to my 35th birthday (tomorrow), I am working on forgetting that I will now be in a new age-range demographic (stupid 35-45 group-grrrr...) and instead focusing on the positive. 

The other day, Kevin and I got into a compliment fest (purely by accident, which is always nice!), and know what he said?  Only the best thing ever:  "It's great--you are so easy to be married to!".  I mean, how many people feel that way about their spouse?  I'm hoping everyone, but I have the feeling that it isn't as many as that.  I know that people often have their differences and are set in their ways on certain things, so being "easy" to be married to, or live with, or work with are all genuinely tough things to be. 

I don't necessarily strive for this accolade (I am what I am, just like we all are!), but I certainly feel as though he is pretty easy to live with too.  It sure makes day-to-day life pretty nice, and definitely makes me want to continue to be easy to live with!  Considering Kevin and I live AND work together and also have a newborn baby along with 3 other monkeys, I consider this to be a very wonderful compliment.

Oh, another nice one I overheard today at Damon's summer camp from a little girl in his class: "Oh, there's Damon and his pretty lady!".  Melt my heart, why don'tcha?  Being hit on by a midget last week ran a distant third. 

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So, my daughter starts band in a few weeks.  I'm reminded of my days as a band geek, and hope that she enjoys as many years as I did (8), tooting, marching and striving for that first chair placement.  I'm reminded of many a band story, but I think I will give you just one. 

My very first band concert in 5th grade (I think...), I sat next to my best friend, Kim, in the trumpet section.  We both sucked, but battled for 1st chair consistently (because everyone sucks in 5th grade).  So, we sat quietly at the concert, instruments in laps in their upright positions, awaiting the director's signal to lift our trumpets to our anticipating chops.  *Signal up!* BAM!!! I accidentally had my music stand far too close to where my trumpet had to come up to my eager lips and banged my trumpet on it.  Music flew, and the entire audience and fellow band members stared as Kim and I laughed for what seemed like 10 minutes straight.  The director couldn't start the song until we calmed down, and let me tell you...when 10-year-olds get going on the giggles, calming down is a VERY tough thing.  With tears of laughter and extremely red faces (from trying not to laugh, then spurting another), we finally got started. 

It was a crappy concert (what 5th grade one isn't??), but the most memorable of my life (the 2nd most memorable was when my brother fell off the jazz band stage in middle school). 

Let's all welcome Miss Samantha into the land of the band geeks! Long live hot-aired Petterson heirs!

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VERY exciting news.  Last weekend, when my mom came up to our cabinette, she bestowed upon me some fabulous gifts!  Among them were my softball glove from back in the day, a bunch of my dad's baseball caps (none of which I really wanted, but that's okay), my China doll that Uncle Chuck brought back for me when he was a world traveler with the Navy back in the early 70's, and...drum roll please...OOOOOOODLES of HORRID pictures of me, my friends and my brother from our growing up years!!!  There are some *dandies*, let me tell you!  This picture is NOTHING compared to some of the doozies in that box of jewels!

I will begin scanning and entertaining you very soon. GLEE!

On Location--Valleyfair!

Here I sit, with extremely wet pants and a half-wet top, waiting for my ten-year-old (almost) daughter and 4 of her friends to complete their 4th trip on Thunder Canyon. You see, I have brought Sam and her friends here for a birthday celebration. And, being that they are almost 5th and 6th grade girls, they have weird tendencies, just as my friends and I had at the same age. I'm reminiscent of the time I rode the Tornado at Adventureland 15 times in a row, because that was Steve Carfino's (former Hawkeye basketball player, and apparently very cute to a 12-year-old)jersey number. Dumb. But fun!

Anyway, the girls are riding this insanely wet water ride until they are ALL soaked. One of them keeps getting missed by all the waterfalls and waves, so they are determined that she also meet their fate of sheer drenching. Good for them, but I need to dry off!!

Though it seems that I'm a very nice mom for allowing my daughter this kind of "lavish" party, trust me, it is purely selfish. I LOVE amusement parks, love being outdoors on days like this, and quite frankly, this kind of party is WAY easier and WAAAAAAAAY more fun than a pin-the-tail type of party. For me, having a bunch of kids over for a slumber party or something means a lot of noise and absolutely no parental sleep. With a newborn at home, this sounds like an especially menacing option. Valleyfair was the perfect option! Plus, we're doing this in the evening, so it was cheaper (and less sun-burny).

This is also my first bit of time (5 hours) away from Tyler. It's kinda sad and I miss him, but it's REALLY fun and nice to just be me for a bit, without a baby attached to me. The first time in 9 months!! I'm ready to snuggle him again now though. It's kind of weird being baby-less! And so as we wind down day 1 of "birthday month #2" (#1 being Tyler and Damon's month of May), stay tuned for more birthday news, picture and on-location special reports. Oops! Time for a rollercoaster ride!

Look Out...(Crazy) Lady With a Baby!

I can tell that it's time for me to stop traveling during this pregnancy, at least via airplane and for work purposes.  I had to go to Chicago this week for some training.  I'm glad I went, as it was really good training.  But...boy was I tired and cranky!  It mostly wasn't my fault, but I'm sure the tiredness and hormones made me less tolerant of things and people which I normally would have handled much better.

CAB RIDE: When I arrived at O'Hare, all I wanted was a quick cab ride to the hotel so I could jump right into bed.  Was that asking too much?  Apparently, since my cab driver ASKED me how to get to the hotel.  What?!  A Chicago cab drive who doesn't know his way around??  That is almost unheard of.  I was annoyed.  I said, "Um, I have NO idea, which is why I'm in a cab!  You are supposed to know where it is, not me!", then I proceeded to ask him if I should find another cab.  Now I kind of wish I had.

We are in the car for quite a while, and I feel like we should almost be there, when I see him turning in somewhere.  A gas station, to get directions.  Meter not shut off.  More irritation.  And THEN, he gets back and tells me that he knows a short-cut now, and starts driving through a residential area!  Suddenly, in my pregnant, tired, hormonal stupor, I visualize him shooting or stabbing me, and dropping me off at some friend's house to bury me in the back yard, never to be seen again.  Hey, it could happen.  My imagination has always been ridiculous, even more so while pregnant.  Thankfully, he got me to the hotel about 5 minutes later, but only after I'd had to point out the HUGE hotel sign that he nearly missed! 

He charged me 1.5 the metered rate with some lame-ass excuse.  I argued with him for a minute, but ultimately ended up paying him.  Next time, I'll refuse to pay extra, now that a couple people told me the "tricks".  But, at that time, I only had so much energy that I could commit to arguing, so I quit once that energy was spent. He got zero tip though.  Jerk. 

HOTEL: Not that this was a HUGE deal, but when I booked my room, I booked a king non-smoking.  I have this weird thing about having a room to myself with two beds, so I always go for the room that has a single, large bed in it.  When I checked in, they apologized, but "all the non-smoking king rooms were taken".  Of course, I HAD to say something, like, "I guess a reservation really isn't a reservation, huh?", and she said, "It's more like a request".  Then don't call it a reservation.  I don't want two double beds. 

I did leave it at that, but did say something kind of snippy, again NOT like me at all. I even apologized for being snippy, saying, "I'm so sorry...I'm 6 months pregnant, completely exhausted, and just need to get to bed. I'll be happy with whatever you give me...so sorry."  I hate being thought of as rude, by most people at least!  The apology must have worked, because she gave me a queen suite instead!  ONE queen bed, which made me feel happy.  It was such a comfy bed! (And, this pic looks almost identical to the room I had)

THE AIRPORT: O'Hare bugs me.  Yes, it does.  It is laid out all confusing-like, but that is really my only issue with it.  I had one lady actually NOTICE that I was pregnant, because I was wearing maternity clothes (for basically the first time, other than jeans), which truly does make me look preggo.  That was kind of fun, because she was really nice and helped me with my food, and otherwise probably wouldn't have.  Then, this cute old couple from Anchorage practically adopted me, because I looked cute and pregnant too.  But, she wasn't so sure...so she asked if I was "hiding something under my sweater".  Wouldn't she have been embarrassed if I'd said, "Yeah, about 10 years worth of beer, bar food and no exercise!".  But, I didn't. I liked them.   

THE FLIGHT HOME:  I had to take stupid American Airlines home, which I never like.  I prefer to just take NWA all the time, because a) I get frequent flyer miles; b) I know what their drawbacks are, and have learned to adjust; c) I know which group of gates I'll always be at when we land.  Dumb stuff like that, but still.  Anyway, even checking in irritated me.  I changed seats, because it told me I was getting an exit row.  Whoops, their machine was wrong, and really I was just in a normally cramped seat, in the MIDDLE.  YUCK.  I find this out when my "group" is FINALLY called...I was in the final group to be called to board.  That also always sucks, because the overhead space is usually taken up.  And, it was the case this time as well.  GRRRRRRRRRR. 

They had to gate-check my bag, which normally I wouldn't mind at all.  However, American does things differently than NWA does.  When they gate-check your bag, they require you to retrieve it in baggage claim, when NWA would just have it sitting there by the gate when you get off the plane.  Um, if I wanted to deal with baggage claim, I would have checked my bag!!  Being tired and pregnant too, I REALLY didn't want to have to walk all the way down to baggage claim to get my bag, when I could have just moseyed right to my car and left.  Double GRRRRRRRRR.  Plus, I stash my really heavy laptop bag on my carry-on, which has wheels, which makes it much easier to maneuver. Anyway.

SEAT MATE #1:  So, I'm in the middle seat.  No leg room, oh well. It's a short flight.  Or is it?  Sure, it was only a 1-hour flight, but it seemed much longer than that when the gentleman to my left starts talking to me about the dumbest stuff.  Don't laugh...he went on, and on, and on, and on about corn-burning furnaces.  Did you know? Corn furnaces burn 200 pounds of corn every 4 days?  Did you know? You don't have to go anywhere special to get the corn?  Just call a farmer, tell them what you want the corn for, and they'll let you load it up yourself, and pay a good price for it, and come back whenever you need more. Did you know? It really makes a LOT more sense to have a chimney for your corn-burning furnace, because otherwise your whole house would smell like popcorn popping all the time?  I was SO glad to know all these facts.  Back to my People magazine.

SEAT MATE #2: I really thought that I might get my entire People read before we landed, but...not so fast, oh pregnant one!  The window-seat guy, suddenly chimed up, "Do you like those things?".  Totally confused, I looked up at him quizzically, wondering what on earth I would be getting myself into if I answered him.  "I market those", he said, flipping my magazine to the previous page, thumping his index finger enthusiastically on the 100-calorie packs of Hostess Cupcakes.  Super.  Did you bring any along, pal?  Because unless you did, this pregnant lady just wants to read her magazine in peace!  If you DID bring some, c'mon! Get them out!  Share them with me!  I NEED FOOD!!!

Too bad that dialogue was only in my head, because I got completely sucked into a conversation about all things Hostess.  Did you know? The *exact* same moulds used for the mini muffins are used for the 100 calorie cup cakes?  That's one way to cut calories.  Make them tiny. Did you know? It has REALLY proven to be a challenge to make Twinkies into 100 calorie options, because of their interesting content.  They would be the size of Hot Tamales, if they were to be marketed as 100 calories right now (yeah, except a full-size Twinkie has only 150 calories, so big deal). Did you know? Ho Ho's may never be 100 calories.  Ever. Sad--*sniff*! Did you know? My Hostess friend believes that they should be marketing these mini cupcakes to moms who pack lunches for kids, NOT women looking for a low-calorie treat.  I had no idea of any of these fine facts.  I felt so privileged.  (P.S. For more on said "really great" 100-calorie Hostess Cupcakes, see this link).  After having heard all this, I said, "Well, I really prefer Little Debbie", and went back to my half-read magazine...just as we touched down.  Damn.

I know, I know...SO crabby!  After I finally got my stupid carry-on from baggage claim, I had no more troubles or complaints, other than my cankles.  But, I just couldn't shake all those great memories of corn furnaces and Hostess mini-cupcakes!  May I never fly pregnant again.  It is much harder to pretend to be interested in dumb stuff when one is pregnant!  But, seriously, now I want some cupcakes...well, Little Debbies, anyway. 

Shopping at Cub...A Series of Strange Events

For those of you who don't reside in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro, Cub Foods is a grocery store.  Not unlike the ones you frequent, other than the fact that it's rather "warehouse-y" and you have to bag your own groceries.  I have not gone to Cub in months.  Why?  Well, because I really dislike grocery shopping (mostly because I have to bag and carry my own food, AND bring it in the house AND then put it away) and so I typically just buy from my boyfriend Simon(Delivers). 

But, today, I had a list about 7 items long (stuff to make more mint Oreo balls, Tobasco sauce, milk, juice and shower gel).  What I ended up getting was $180 worth of things we needed.  Seriously.  Well, some of it was spur-of-the-moment (which is another reason why I love Simon...no maverick spending!!), but we did need some stuff. 

Anyway, after getting in line and putting one item on the belt, I remembered that I forgot to get soda.  So, I go grab it and got back in line.  I smiled kindly at the guy in front of me, who had MUCH better food choices in his cart (lots of organic, none of the garbage I had).  He looked familiar, but so do a lot of people, so I didn't think twice about it. 

He kept staring at me, and I'd just smile and continue to load my gobs of goods onto the belt.  He'd smile kindly back (and it wasn't a "gawk" or anything rude, just apparently was trying to figure out who I was, or something).

Finally, he said, "Did you used to live in Burnsville?". At which time I immediately started to panic.  Thoughts in my head: "Oh. My. God.  Did I go out with this guy and then not ever call him back?"; "Did I meet him sometime in the past when I was out with my girlfriends and comically re-buff his advances or something?"; "Did I threaten to run over his cat if it continued to meow at my door?", and the like.  Had I actually been paying attention to my surroundings, instead of panicking and getting into my own head, I would have noticed the family of wife and children staring curiously at me from the sacking end of the check-out lane. 

Suddenly, it dawned on me.  He HAD been at my house.  He had ALSO been at court with me on a couple of occasions.  HE was the officer who responded to my need for assistance when the butt-slapper decided to attempt to commandeer my ass.  After the wave of recognition washed over my face, I then acknowledged how we met, saw his wife snicker a bit (as was I), and that was pretty much it.  I could tell he was afraid to talk much more to me, as his vulture wife seemed to be pretty concerned with him talking to another woman, so I of course continued to carry on the conversation.  Not about much, just to be polite. I really liked him, and he did his best to nail the weak-minded delivery guy.

Anyway, after that weird "reunion", as I was bagging my own plethora of groceries, I heard a very rushed, "Hi! Bye!  I had to make a fast stop here to get my son some lunch!!".  I looked, and there was the blur of Damon's kindergarten teacher blazing her way past me.  Strangely, I'd just dropped my son off and had a much more relaxed conversation with her a mere 30 minutes prior, so that kind of took me by surprise!  (And, if it were me and my son, I'd give him the 2 bucks for hot lunch instead of rushing to the store for a lunch that probably costs more, as well as the only free time in my entire day, but I do like her so I won't tell her my opinion!)

So, I guess there IS something to be said about being social and doing some actual grocery shopping.  But, not much to be said.  I could have done without either situation in lieu of having groceries delivered RIGHT to my DOOR!  Not to mention the fact that I SUCK at bagging groceries.  My beautiful golden-ripe bananas are so bruised it isn't even funny!  And, lugging all those bags, and boxes of soda...not so great fun.  Simon...you're still my luvah.  And, I will never stray again.  Especially while pregnant.

Bits and Pieces...a Dandy!

I just got yelled at for taking so long to update my blog.  And, by the end of this you'll understand why I've been a bit lax lately. 

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Exercise for the wee ones

Saturday was a day of joy, sorrow, laughter and warm weather.  Well, warm for December in Minnesota, anyway. It was 45 degrees. 

The children decided it would be a great day to go ice skating, and they were right!  Kevin made a path down to the pond, helped the little ones with their skates, and my two were off and skating within minutes!  Kierstyn has the coordination that Sam had when she was that age (almost 5), which isn't that great. So, she spent a lot of time down, rather than up, but she sure looked cute!  Sam, now 9 1/2, is quite good on skates, ice, roller, or blades. It just took a few years to get to this point.  Damon was skating quite well LAST year, when he was 4 1/2, and was just a maniac on the ice this year.  He REALLY wants to take skating lessons.  Praying that he doesn't want to play hockey.  Once I checked into it, it is far too time-consuming and expensive a sport, especially for a 5-year-old.  BUT...of course if it really ends up being his passion, I'll do what I can to make it happen for the little guy!

Til we meet again

After skating, I took Damon with me on some errands.  First up: picking up Alyce's ashes.  I had waited over 4 months to pick them up, and now I know why.  It was SO hard to do. It was hard to go back to that animal hospital. It was hard to see her little cremation certificate.  It was VERY hard when they brought me her collar and asked if I wanted to keep it.  I could barely see through the welled-up tears, the rainbow collar I had bought for her the year before.  She really liked it.  Anyway, I was very glad to have my favorite little man with me for that expedition. It was good to have a real cuddle bear to hug.  The things he said made it kind of extra hard ("Mom, this says, 'Until we meet again at the rainbow bridge'. Is that where we'll see Mousie in doggie heaven?  I want to go to the rainbow bridge now.  Can we?"  Dammit.)  But, in all it was healing.

The debacle at the mall

I must have been insane, but part of my errands was to go to ProEx to pick up the photo disc that was ready to be picked up.  It was the pictures from the Father's Day shoot that I had done for Kevin and Tim (my ex), and we needed them for a couple of projects.  Unfortunately, ProEx was at the mall, which was very busy (DUH-- bad move, Susan).

After we got the pictures, I decided to take Damon to get his haircut.  Damon spotted a sports barbershop just across the way, which really caught his eye.  It had all sorts of cool sports memorabilia, including real hoops, jerseys, and balls of all shapes and sizes.  Even though it was $5 more than his normal haircut place, I thought, sure...why not?

I must have still had tears in my eyes or something (not to mention the fact that I really never pay attention to such things), because I didn't even catch the fact that we were the ONLY white folk in the place!  Not that it bothered me in the least.  The only concern I had at that point was, "Will these barbers know how to cut my blond-headed white boy's stick-straight hair?".  My question was answered by the end of a *very* long 45+ minute haircut (his normally take about 10 minutes).  Not so much.

Of course, I totally tipped the barber well, because it wasn't HIS fault I brought this anomaly in his barbershop!  And, sheesh, he spent almost an HOUR on Damon's hair!  He tried so very hard.  He once said with a laugh, "Your husband is going to know that a black man cut Damon's hair! He'll look 'unique'!".  Right, he was. 

Now, it didn't look terrible, it just looked weird.  It is very short, which was fine since it grows SO quickly.  But, he did the line across the bangs, as well as along the hairline.  It actually kind of cracks me up every time I look at him!  And, of course, I can't keep my mitts of his head, it is so soft and fuzzy.  Damon ended up crying when he first saw it (before the lines), but after the lines, he really seemed to like it!  I'm glad for that.  And, he REALLY deserved a treat after that (I bought him a Mrs. Fields cookie), since he had to sit for SO long!

Next time, I'd best pay attention, or just send him along with Kevin to Great Clips like I usually do!  Now, I tried to get some pics (as you can see), but had to really mess with the brightness and contrast so you could actually SEE the lines.  His hair looks practically invisible now!  HILARIOUS!!!  His dad hasn't seen it yet...I'm just waiting for it, since he would love it if Damon had hair down to his butt. I'm hoping he gets a good laugh too though!

Update on the ranch dressing

For anyone who was wondering if I'd ever done anything on the ranch dressing recipes, indeed I have!  Per my previous comment, I was definitely trying Melissa's recipe first, as it was the easiest.  Easy it was...done in 5 minutes, maybe even less (I didn't really time it, actually), and AWESOME!  It IS "good" ranch!  So, thanks everyone for your ideas, and to Melissa for the winning recipe!  I love easy and yummy!  Plus, now Kevin can't complain that I don't use my Kitchen Aid mixer.  I just proved him wrong. Heh! 

Speaking of hockey

I had to laugh (hard) at myself yesterday.  Well, not really at myself, but at my perception of a conversation I overheard at lunch. Kevin and I were enjoying a nice quick lunch after an appointment.  As we sat at our table, I noticed some men go over to the table next to us, and one apparently knew the ones at the table.  This particular restaurant is in a spot that attracts lots of business meetings, so this wasn't a strange thing in itself.

I wasn't really paying attention until a minute or so later.  The guy at the table was asked what he did over the weekend.  He simply said, "I had to stay in town because of the squirts".  I had to turn my head, as I was laughing so hard I almost was in tears!  Kevin's all wondering what I was laughing at, and I told him what I overheard.  He's like, "So...WHAT IS SO FUNNY?!"  I said, "You don't find it funny that that man gave total disclosure about his bowel troubles??  If that isn't funny, I don't know what is!  He sounded SO proud when he said it!". 

From youngest to oldest: Mites, Squirts, Pee Wee, Bantam.

Kevin explained the levels of youth hockey.  Then, it was almost funnier!!!  I'm thinking that this guy has massive diarrhea, when in reality, he was coaching HOCKEY all weekend!  AH-hahahaha!

Last, but certainly not least...

Part of why I've been SO quiet lately, is because we have found ourselves expecting baby #4!  Well, #3 for me, but 4 between the two of us.  It came as a total shocker (we were in full prevention mode), but have since come out of the shock and have embraced the notion of being parents once again.  Gone will be the days of half-time freedom, but here will be the days of the joy created between us.  Who cares about freedom? We're bringing a beautiful baby into the world, so we're quite excited!

I have told a few of you already, but hadn't posted it yet (other than some somewhat blatant hints), because of things going on at work.  Since my company was acquired, of course things will be going on within the company.  I wanted to make sure my territory stayed intact prior to disclosing my little "secret", just in case word leaked out and my new colleagues caught wind of it.  Not that they can legally do anything to change my territory based on pregnancy, but STILL, I worry about the ability to prove it if something does negatively occur. 

But, here I am, 14 weeks and beginning my 2nd trimester, and really wanting to share my joy with everyone.  Plus, there are probably things almost every day that I could share and haven't been able to on this blog.  Anyway, I decided enough was enough, and I'd just have to fight the fight if need be.  I'm not one to be afraid to push or shove when the need arises.

I have developed another blog dedicated to the pregnancy and baby, so you can take a look at that if you'd like (I will update it and post the link to the left when it is ready...within a day, I promise!!).  But, of course, it won't be required if you don't feel like keeping track so regularly!  Anyway, cheers to me, with my insanely overactive reproductive system, and Kevin's over-eager swimmers! 

Of course, we're "cheers-ing" with grape juice...

Football...BRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Oh Yeah, and More Basketball Too (Yawn)

Lambeau in December.  Something I will not choose to do again, unless the temperatures are downright balmy.  22 snowy degrees is not balmy. Trust me (and my feet).

I may have mentioned previously, that I married a Packer fan.  I know, I know...it's kind of blasphemy, but he feels the same way.  The worst part about it, is that I also married into season tickets.  Thankfully, he shares with his dad and one of his brothers, so we aren't obligated to go to too many games each year.  Just a couple.  Last year, with the wedding, party, and all the holidays and such, we didn't get to ANY games.  This year, the first game we could get to was this previous Sunday, December 3rd. 

Now, I'm a football fan, no matter what, so the idea of going to a live NFL game always excites me.  Thus, even though I'm not a Packer fan, I can appreciate both the experience, as well as the stadium.  Lambeau is indeed a legendary stadium.  The problem is, it is also in the upper Midwest, so it is also legendary for its chilliness.  And, chilly it was. 

The smart people were the ones who wore their hunting gear.  Granted, I called them "hicks" to Kevin, just to get under his skin, but ultimately, they were the absolute warmest, because their gear is meant to withstand ridiculously cold temperatures just sitting out in the woods for hours at a time.  In the pic to the left, you will notice absolute oodles of blaze orange and various shades of camouflage.  Or, maybe you can't see the camouflage at all, and only see every third person in the picture. 

Then there was us...each in 2 sets of long underwear AND regular clothes on top, AND me with my uber-warm ski jacket, hand warmers on both my hands AND feet, and two pairs of socks.  Oh yeah, and me with my (very tasteful, not overbearing) Vikings hat on (haw haw!).  Kevin didn't know I had it with me, and was so embarrassed.  Whatever! Ultimately, with a 38-10 loss, I wasn't the embarrassed one.

I was thankfully able to stay warm everywhere except my toes.  And, I don't know what else I can do about that, because I pretty much did all the right things there. Maybe I should buy some hunting boots or something?  Because my feet were complete ice blocks by the beginning of the 4th quarter (when we left).  I literally could only feel the back half of each of my feet, which made it quite difficult to walk! (By the way, part of the problem is my brother's fault, but he'll deny it) Now, normally I would stay the whole way through, but a) I was cold, and b) we weren't drinking.  The guy next to me sure was!  He was all drunk before the game even started!  He was another one who would NOT SHUT UP the whole entire game!  He actually gave himself crap, because if the Packers had been actually PLAYING the game, he'd have paid attention. Instead he gave all of it to me, unfortunately.  Nice guy, bad breath.  I preferred the guy on my right.  As well as his breath.

One fun thing we got to do, was the night before.  Kevin's brother's family lives in the Green Bay area, and his 15-year-old niece had a choir performance at the atrium in Lambeau that Saturday (happy birthday, Steph!) evening.  The atrium is MUCH warmer than the viewing area of the stadium, I'll tell you that much right now. In fact, it was so warm, that I got all dizzy and almost passed out!  Thankfully, there was a big, strong, willing man (well, Kevin was willing, anyway!) to catch me, and lead me to a chair.  The performance was really nice, and reminded me of days of yore.  No, not the Residence Inn debacles, but the days of performing with a chorus.  It was all so pretty inside the atrium, and they had all sorts of other activities for the kiddies to do:  cookie decorating, a big screen with all the holiday cartoon favorites playing for the little ones, crafts, and reindeer petting outdoors.  Now, those were lovely Lambeau memories!

Next up: tickets for the Packers/Vikings game on the 21st.  Don't think I'll be making that one! No thanks.  I'll root for the Vikes on TV!

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My last and final game: last night, December 6th.  Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Houston Rockets. It was another vendor event, which wasn't very well organized.  Oh well, that's okay.  I didn't get to watch a lick of the game, as I was too busy talking with my customers and my co-workers.  I must say, that I DID get some really good business going from the game, which is the whole point.  And, again, the food was awesome. I was worried, because during the presentation, all they had was like 3 tortilla chips in a bowl, next to a nearly empty (small) bowl of salsa, along with chocolate covered nuts and pretzels.  A dinner, that does not make.  I filled my plate with one chip (had to leave the other two, out of guilt), and 3 chocolate covered peanuts.  I helped myself to a napkin and a fork.  I have no idea why.

I left early, worried about being murdered in the parking ramp (there is a personal story there, I'll have to share another time), and beat the traffic.  Everyone was happy!  Especially me, as I nestled in next to my cute little hubby and watched a terrible episode of "The Biggest Loser" (it's not a good show, yet I watch it weekly!) when I got home.  I think I'm done with basketball for a while!  And, cold feet.

Basketball, Football, Basketball: Warm, FREEZING, Warm!

It seems that I have been to my fair share of sporting events over the past week or so.  Some might call me lucky, some might call me crazy, and others might call me very unlucky!  It really depends on your point of view.  I'll give you the rundown:

Tuesday, November 30:  The setting is Chicago.  The event, is the Chicago Bulls vs. the New York Knicks basketball game.  Blissfully set in the Penthouse Suite in the United Center.  Food is awesome (especially the dessert), and it was really laid-back.  I had a customer who had come out for the event, as well as for a tour of the Insight facility, so I had a quick overnight trip to Chi-town.  It was nice.  Nice weather (60's! Yea!), and all that.  The only issue I really had was lack of patience for a certain person (I REALLY wish I could share more, but I just can't), who just WOULDN'T SHUT UP!  I mean, I know I talk a lot, but I also read people, and I can tell if I am just rambling too much (this skill took YEARS to develop, trust me--it's hard) or talking about something completely dis-interesting to the audience.  Then, I either stop talking (I *can* do that, you know!), or I change topics altogether.  This person does not in any way, shape, or form know how to read people or not bore them to death.  My hands were in the strangle position for hours at a time.  Not that this person noticed. 

One of the fun things about Chicago during the week after Thanksgiving, was that the city was absolutely bustling with holiday spirit!  Cruising down Michigan Avenue (our hotel was a block off the main drag), each store was so beautifully appointed with Christmas cheer, that I just smiled (despite the jabber-jabber-jabbering constantly nagging in my left ear) with each passing department store. 

Speaking of hotels, the one we stayed at (the only one available) was Residence Inn.  Now, RI is a fine place to stay, and I've stayed in them a few times before, but they aren't posh by any means (though in high school, we thought it to be VERY posh!).  It's very clean, and roomy. I like that.  Thankfully, they overbooked, and I was upgraded to a suite. Not that I needed it, but it was kind of fun to have a 700 square foot hotel room, complete with a full kitchen. 

The reason for my glee, was it reminded me of high school.  Yes, back in "the day", we crazy kids would rent a room/suite at Residence Inn for a full night of completely disruptive behavior after prom.  I remember my junior year, when Dan Trilk, Anne Bohlender and Jay Heaverlo (I think? Gosh, I can't remember who all went...) and I got a huge 2 floor suite,  with a kitchen.  We cooked food, and all that.  Since there were several other Norwalkians at Residence Inn as well, we would go from room to room to see what havoc was being presently created.  In one room, if I remember correctly, the Burches and Lance Christianson, Aaron Nelson and a few others were smoking the free herbal tea that came in packets.  As far as I know, that isn't harmful at all, but it sure cracked me up!  Especially when something got caught on fire (very small), and someone decided it would be a great idea to get out the fire extinguisher and make the entire place look like it had snowed!  We quickly bolted from the scene. 

I remember a video from some years later, I think it was Tami Davitt's, that showed me cooking bacon the next morning, to an absolute CRISP, and walking around talking about this crispy bacon.  I'm not clear on the details, but I'm quite certain I was a bit weird back then.  Fine, and now too.  I have many more memories (some clear, some not so clear), but this is about the last 8 days, not 18 years ago.  Perhaps another time.

Anyway, this post has really take a strange turn.  I went from an annoying cab-mate in Chi-town to crispy bacon videos from 1989.  I think I may have to do another post for the rest of my sports trips! This is already too confusing!

Either way, I also got the royal treatment on the flight home.  I got bumped up to first class (shocking, as the Chi/MSP flights are usually very full), and enjoyed a very needed nap in an entire first row to myself.  I was the first off the plane, and was home in a jiffy.  Talk about bliss!  It was so peaceful to not have to listen to anybody talk for so many minutes at a time. I think my ears are still in shock.