Minnesota "Nice", Down and Dirty

Restaurant Meme

I was tagged by my online pal, Wudgie, to do this restaurant meme.  Since I was a bit lax in posting because we were gone for several days due to my favorite holiday of the year, I figured I owed ya all one. I do love eating out, though lately it is more the quicker variety rather than some of the great sit-down places I went to during my dating days, and pre-Tyler days.  Since it HAS been so long, bear with me, as it has been a while.  I hope I don't miss any of my favorites!

Here are the rules of this meme:

• Link to the name of the person that tagged you
• Include state and country you live in
• List top 5 favorite local restaurants
• Tag 5 other people and let them know they've been tagged

I live in the southwestern suburbs of Minneapolis, so most of my favorites (and these are in no particular order...that would be too hard!) are in Minneapolis or St. Paul. If you're ever in the greater MSP area, you must make it a point to munch at one of the following:

1. Oceanaire Seafood Room- Downtown Minneapolis - Sure, it's slightly pricey and it is not a place to take kids, but their food is amazing.  Though there are now several of these scattered throughout the U.S., most folks do not realize that Oceanaire was originally started in Minneapolis, by the same folks who also started Buca di Beppo (which isn't quite the same caliber, but still enjoyable depending on the situation). My very favorite is the crab-stuffed flounder, which was simply amazing.  But, honestly, there wasn't a single bite I've ingested here that I've disliked.  Surprisingly, the seafood is amazingly fresh, and many from either coast have commented that it is as good as the upper-crust seafood restaurants in their areas (Boston, San Fran, etc).  I really think I deserve a babysitter and an evening of fine dining at Oceanaire again one of these days!

2. Chino Latino - Uptown, Minneapolis. The appeal of Chino Latino is partially the menu and an even larger part, the ambiance and atmosphere (I suppose those might be the same things, but I guess I'm short on my vocab these days).  Granted, the menu is fantastic.  It is food "street food from the hot zones" of the world, and the folks at Chino not only employ the cooking styles common to those hot zones, they also change the menu daily.  Their drinks are also unique and delish. Again, HORRIBLE for kids, but great for a girls' night out, or a group outing.  Order several different unique menu items, and share all 'round.  *Sigh*  I sure miss Chino.

3. Nicollet Island Inn - Minneapolis, MN. This place is kinda tough to get to the first (and maybe even the second) time, but the location is SO worth it! This is also a real live inn, but I've never known anyone to stay there, just to eat there.  I think what I love the most about Nicollet Island Inn is that it is a beautiful and romantic place to eat no matter the season.  Since this is situation literally on an island (well, sort of), the views of wildlife and the river are serene and posh in a wildlife sort of way.  The food is great (I think it is the first place I had an a la carte meal, where the side dishes didn't come with the entree--thanks to a gift certificate from a friend a VERY long time ago), and even though the menu isn't super-diverse, it is very creative and interesting and I always have a hard time deciding what I want to order.  Again, this is on the date-night pricey side, but damn...it is worth it. 

4. Zelo - Downtown Minneapolis.  I know, I know...Italian food is kind of a dime a dozen, but I still love it!  And, Zelo puts such a great spin on the usual Italian fare, that it is worth the trip (and the $$). I do also very much enjoy the VERY COOL goth-like decor and ambiance here.  I was actually introduced to Zelo by my friend (and past boyfriend) Rich, who frequented this place after work as a good happy hour place. I agree, the happy hour was pretty good, though kind of "cougar-y", but I really liked it for the food and location.  It's right on Nicollet Mall, in the midst of a whole lot of other fun to be had.  It's right near another favorite of mine, McCormick and Schmick's.

5. Dakota Jazz Club- Downtown Minneapolis. This is actually a place that Kevin and I have gone to TWICE!  There are two Jazz Club restaurants that I really, REALLY like, and this is one of them.  I didn't want to be redundant in my top 5, but really there are so many that I wish it could be a top 10.  Anyway, Dakota Jazz Club has a great "menu" of musicians who come in and play live.  You can go and pay to just listen to the music, or you can listen/watch during dinner.  Since I come from a long line of jazz lovers or jazz musician wannabes, I love going here for a fun night out with my sweet hubby.  Their food and wine menus are also fantastic, which makes the date night that much better! 

I must say thanks to Wudgie for making me realize that it's time for a date AND time for a night out with the girls.  After having to think really hard about this (and obviously missing many of my favorites) with an infant snoozing next to me, I remembered that it's okay to be a wife and girlfriend in addition to being a mommy (and it is LONG overdue!).  Stay tuned!

Okay, so I need to tag 5 people to continue the meme.  Since I don't know a bunch of bloggers, I will do my best here.

Stan - Because he blogs a billion times a day, and is always looking for new topics (ha ha!).  Though, I'm not sure if there are 5 good restaurants in Des Moines (JUST KIDDING!!!).

Steph and Anu- Because they live in San Fran and have travelled (and lived) globally and appreciate the finer things in life. Oh yeah, and because we're going out there to visit this fall, so this will be a way for them to start thinking about places to go!

My Brother, Mike - Because before he had kids, he used to be a food connoisseur, and he also used to be fun.  Plus, he REALLY needs to update his blog, and what better way?

Pam - Because she also VERY MUCH needs a date night with her husband, so maybe this will push her into thinking really hard about when and where to go!

Tina- Because she's bored since she's out of school for the summer (ha ha!).  Actually, because she is a cooking TEACHER, so she'd better know some good restaurants!!

A Crazy Time of Year

It wasn't until I married Kevin that I noticed how "different" Minnesota is.  Probably because my earlier childhood memories from when I lived here were pretty faint, as well as the fact that my parents didn't really embody Minnesota like a lot of the folks around here do.  And, when Tim (my ex) and I moved here back in '96, neither of us really knew what to do, other than what we did in Iowa (which wasn't much, other than drink beer and play games).  Kevin, however, grew up epitomizing the upper Midwest, and all it has to offer.  Minnesota and Wisconsin are very similar in their outdoor activities, and he did (and does) it all.  For that, I will be forever grateful!

Needless to say, it still surprises me when I see a snowmobile literally buzzing down our street (on a snowy patch).  We don't live in the country...we live in the suburbs!  It is a very common occurrence to see snowmobiles just scurrying around the neighborhood during the winter.  It actually kinda cracks me up, and it looks SO fun!

Also a fairly common occurrence, is the neighborhood getting together for family outdoor fun. At least a few times a winter, the hockey playing guys in the neighborhood set up a boot hockey game.  If necessary, they clear the snow off the pond (usually the one across the street, not the one in our backyard), and set the goals up.  The neighborhood kids take control of the other part of the ice, and skate and mess around in the snow for the few hours we're out there.  The people who are merely spectators (that would be me) have a couple of choices:  Sit on a dock and watch everything that's going on, or go to one of the neighbor's bonfires on shore, warm up and watch what's going on. 

It probably isn't what some of you would call "fun", but when you live in a snowy, cooler climate, sitting indoors getting fat and eating bon-bons all day every day just doesn't seem as fun as socializing with the neighbors, getting the kids (both young and full-grown) out for some fresh air and exercise, and enjoying what mother nature has provided for us.  You bundle up for what the weather is currently offering, and go inside when you get cold.  It's actually quite awesome!

And, as you already know, our kids get out quite often to ice skate on our pond, or go sledding or skiing.  Trust me, it is so much nicer to have them outside, having a ball, than arguing over who won the last game of Hungry Hungry Hippo. Plus, they are always completely exhausted by the end of the day, leaving many hours of canoodling and hanging out by their parents!

All-in-all, though I love the hot, steamy weather of summer and all that it has to offer (yes, our summer activities are much more fun in my opinion!), winter is growing on me.  I had no idea how much fun it could be!

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Did I ever tell you all the story about my "expanding" belly, and the issues that have arisen because of it?  Nope, I don't think so. I think I started typing about it, and then my computer died (Ahhhhh...my new one is so much better!). 

Anyway, as you know, I'm over 20 weeks pregnant now.  And, if any of you had seen me pregnant with my other two, your guess may be that I'm carrying in a similar manner.  Yes, indeedy.  Never mind the dizzying shirt, here's what I'm looking like these days: http://spetterson.typepad.com/photos/my_fat_belly/index.html

A few weeks ago, I decided that my tight jeans (yes, they were tight before I got pregnant) probably wouldn't fit me too long, and I don't really own any stretchy type of pants, other than sweats (which are my new BFF's).  SO, I decided to get some things on oldnavy.com.  First off, they were a fantastic deal.  They had pants for $6.99, and a couple dresses for $20, etc.  I ended up getting $180 worth of stuff, knowing that I had nothing borrowed from anyone else (I have no recently pregnant friends who live around here!!), and knowing that I got a ton of stuff for that $180. 

I got my cache of Old Navy maternity garb, and immediately knew that I'd gotten the wrong size on most of it.  I bought what they told me to buy: my same size as normal.  I put the pants on, they'd fall down.  I put the skirts on, they would plummet to the floor.  I put the dresses on, and I looked like I could house a family of circus clowns.  BUT, there were two pair of pants that totally looked like they would work.  They were a sort of yoga-type pant, and looked as though they could be worn by a non-pregnant person as well.  The rest were taken back to their home land, Old Navy, and I reminded myself to never buy maternity clothes on line again.  By sheer cosmic humor, the only time in my life I am considered petite or small is when I am pregnant.  Ridiculous!

I headed off to Target the very next day in those yoga-ish pants, all bundled up in a long coat (it was cold!), and scarf.  About half-way through the store, I kind of tripped on the bottoms of my pants.  Hmmm...I didn't remember them being this long before!  I reached behind my long coat to pull up my pants, and promptly yanked my underwear so far up my butt (which is pretty far, since I was wearing a thong already!) that I literally made a yelping noise.  Realizing that they *weren't* my pants, I reached down to look for the pants' waistband. 

I reached, and I reached...*finally* reaching it all the way down my butt.  They were JUST about to slip past the chubbiest part of my rear-end, which would have been complete disaster!  As it was, my entire arse was exposed (including my now bloodied butt-crack from yanking on my underwear), save for the long, warm, covering winter coat that I had worn for the very first time this season.  *WHEW*!

So, what did I do from there?  I HAD to make sure my pants stayed up for the remainder of my trip through Target.  I pulled them all the way up and tucked them into the bottom of my bra.  Sure, they were now total high water pants, but I tell you what...that sure beats having them fall down again! 

This is probably one of my all-time favorite self-deprecating, embarrassing moments of my adult life.  The only one that could possibly beat it is the one where I hadn't realized that the "Chapstick" I'd smeared all over my chops on a long drive back from Iowa, was actually Burt's Bees tinted lip balm, reminiscent of Bozo the Clown in its 1/4" past the lip margins haphazard application.  That one still makes me laugh pretty good each time I tell it.

Little of This, Little of That

Firt off, I wanted to let you all know that I have updated and added some pictures. 

*Added:  Samantha's birthday pictures.  There are only 6 right now, but after the weekend (when our family will be together again and celebrating like crazy), we'll have more of her special day(s). 

*Added: Trailer pictures.  You can see the splendor of our older trailer either before we sell or trade it.

*Updated:  June Miscellaneous.  Let me give you some background.  Firstly, on our way back from WI on Sunday, we decided to stop again at PD Pappy's in Stillwater.  Since we were again on the bike, a stop at this riverside biker bar was enticing.  It was *awesome* people watching.  There was an unbelievable plethora of odd ducks, one of which deserves an award.  This guy decides that his outfit was the bomb, or something, but Kevin and I couldn't stop staring and laughing.  As you can  see from the pics, this guy was certainly all that, AND a bag of chips.  He was by himself (go figure) and looked as though he was just waiting for the gals (or guys??) to flock to him.  All he got was a spot on this blog, and a well-deserved "what the hell were you thinking??".  I would pretend I was taking pictures of Kevin, and just point blank take this dude's pic...over and over and over again.  Hilarious! <-----Here's a sample! 

Also included in this June update are a few pictures of the kids.  Just before my parents arrived on Sam's birthday, they both decide that it would be a great idea to "surprise" my parents.  So, upstairs they went (unbeknownst to me), and got their surprise ready.  When they came down, my parents were just walking in the door, and they nearly fell over in laughter.  Sam had dressed a very willing Damon up in a ballerina tutu-type outfit, put a headband on him, as well as some makeup.  Seriously, this boy will do *anything* for a laugh.  As a matter of fact, later that evening (without prompting this time), he arrived on the deck wearing ONLY his B.J. (Superman) underwear and started doing movie impersonations--mostly from "Cars".  We didn't get pictures of it, but it will be forever burned in my brain.

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How many times have you signed up to win something, just to NOT win it?  Me?  Several.  Most of you probably as well.  Last night my friend Mitch and I decided to go get impromptu pedicures.  It was nice girl time, and much needed on both our talon-like feet.  While we were basking in utter foot-rubbin' glee, Mitch says to me, "Did I tell you about winning that trip to Jamaica (or was it the Bahamas?)?".  Um...NO, I think I would have remembered THAT!

Apparently in April, when she threw her naughty girl toy party, she was automatically put in a drawing for this all-expenses-paid trip.  I'm sure she thought her chances of winning were closer to none, than slim.  Well, she DID win!  I thought that was seriously one of the coolest things I had heard in a really long time.  So, I just HAD to mention it!  Yay for you, Michelle!  Hope you and yo mama have a good, relaxing time!

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Sidenote:  Work is going to either turn me into an alcoholic, or a big, fat pig.  Or both.  My nerves are SHOT!  I swear I'm going to quit one of these days, and move to a box in the country.  Or just let Kevin support me.

Before We Begin Again...

With another weekend just within reach, I figured I should post some stories and pictures from *last* weekend, since that was undoubtedly more exciting than this weekend will be (think: cool temps, rain, and no boat).  I will not complain, however, because bad weather will actually get my butt in gear (maybe) and I will get some more work done on my townhome (maybe). 

Last weekend started out a bit shaky.  Kevin and I were going to take the Harley up to the trailer, so we could enjoy a nice, long, summer ride.  Well, we had a bit of a problem, and weren't able to take the bike up.  Ultimately, we ended up cruising up there anyway with the truck (which ended up being much better anyway, since we had the unfortunate need to tow the boat home). 

This particular weekend, our Savage neighbor, Paul, was up with his family celebrating his 50th birthday.  They borrowed our other neighbor, Spike's, trailer for the weekend.  When we got there, things were in full swing at one of the campfires.  It was a nice night, and a relatively short night (1 am or so). 

Saturday we spent the entire day on the water, mostly just the two of us.  We fished, mostly.  We stopped for lunch at a place on the lake, and just cracked up at these 2 80-year-old men who were telling the bartender (probably 70?) that they were going to kick his ass.  Then the one 80-year-old guy would smile and his huge false teeth would practically drop out of his mouth.  They were like Felix and Oscar.  Hilarious. 

Anyway, after a while, we met up with neighbors Paul and Eunie and their daughter and son-in-law, who had also been fishing all day.  It totally cracked me up when Paul got in to float for a bit, and ended up having the wind blow him about 100 yards from the boat!  His son-in-law kept trying to troll motor over to him, but was having a tough time.  After about 20 minutes we were finally able to get over to him.  It was pretty hilarious, as he was trying to keep his beer that he had taken in with him from getting lake water in it.  Not that it would have tasted any different...it was Miller Lite.  Ish.

So, afterwards, we changed clothes, yet remained skanky and unshowered.  Hey, that is what you do up there.  We met some friends up at the lodge (oh...500 or so yards away), had some amazing pizza, and a few more beers.  THEN, guess what??  Yup, karaoke!!  I did a couple numbers, then realized my voice was kinda trashed from talking so loud in addition to the singing.  It was still fun though! 

Sunday we got up semi-early to do some fishing.  We planned to stay the entire day, just enjoying the awesome weather, fishing, and we were going to get the new skis and wakeboard out.  We get to the boat, and it doesn't start!  Ack!  Ultimately, we ended up leaving around 1, with the boat in tow.   

In Hinkley, we decided that food would be in order.  Dammit, I wish I would have gotten a picture of us getting stuck in the White Castle drive-thru!  It was actually pretty funny, looking back.  Me trying to get through, Kevin trying to guide me...then me refusing to trash either vehicle, and made him do it.  He couldn't do it either, so one of the White Castle workers came out on his break and helped us detach the boat and get it pushed through.  *Whew*!  Finally!  Kevin ended up going in and giving the kid $10, and the kid almost cried.  He thanked Kevin up and down and said that it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him.  Kind of sweet, huh?  The youth of today are not ruined.

Finally, we get back to the house, and decided to join Mitch and her boyfriend, Jon out on their boat.  What we got was even more than that!  On our way through the initial channel, we spied  something scary.  An otherwise (I'm sure...) adorable old man, deciding that his yard (which is VERY visible to the public) was the perfect place to lounge, garden, grill, etc, in his...wait for it...<UNDERWEAR>!  I'm not talking underwear that looks like shorts or a swimsuit.  Nope, they were tighty whiteys.  Except they weren't so tight.  In fact, the butt was very saggy, to the point of wondering if he had taken to filling his drawers and then running through the sprinkler or something.  It was NOT pretty, yet SO very funny!  (Yes, this is *the* picture of him!)

After a round or two of Pepto-Bismol from our previous experience, we tied up to some friends  of theirs who have a double-decker pontoon boat.  First things first: Susan has to jump off the top!  That's right.  Ooooh, it was way fun!  I could see my brother and I having contests when we were kids.  Too bad we didn't have one of those things.

It was a darn good time, and a nice finish to the weekend.  Or not.

We get back home, and darn if we didn't lock ourselves out of the house!  We go to various neighbors' houses to see if they have keys (nope), the garage key code won't work.  I smartly (or not) locked all doors and windows before we left for the weekend, and we didn't bring a key with us.  All we needed was to get in one of the vehicles to get a garage door opener, or get in the house.  Somehow.  So, we called a locksmith.

The locksmith gets here an hour + later, and we get it all figured out as far as what we're going to do.  We decide to get into the truck, since that is most easily accessed, and as Kevin is looking at the locks on the driver's side (for assessment purposes), he realizes that all he needs is a code to get into the truck.  And the code is in his wallet.  Which is in his pocket.

$38 (to make it somewhat worth the locksmith's time), 11 mosquito bites and 1 1/2 hours after getting home, we make it inside the house. 

Don't you wish you were us?  Well, other than being complete idiots sometimes...

This weekend is a kid weekend, and since it is gross out for once, we'll probably end up playing things by ear and maybe heading to the movies, the gym, etc.  I'm sure we'll have an adventure or two to share!

P.S. New photo album:  June 2006 Miscellaneous.  I'll be adding to it, as we capture more fun in our lives this month!

Date Night DuJour, Part Deux

Ah, bliss!  Having a night alone, sans softball, golf, kids, or neighbors.  Not that I don't love all that, but I do appreciate an evening with my one and only schnookems.  Last night was no exception.  Not that we didn't just get done with an amazing weekend together (despite an interesting start), but we must take what we can get!

We've kind of been working our butts off lately, because Kevin has started his new job, and I am in my busiest time of year.  And, busy I am.  I have been working til 11 pm most evenings, of course with some flexibility involved, so it was nice to get away from the computer for a few hours. 

Anyhoo, we decided that since the weather was so fantastic, we would take the moped (just kidding!  I mean, Harley Road King) out, and take a nice ride to Stillwater, and have dinner on the river.  We started out at around 7, and one of the roads we take was kind of congested still and some idiot behind us almost rear-ended us.  He didn't, so we continued on.  We took the scenic route through Apple Valley, then Hastings, and then up through Afton, a couple other adorable towns, and then hit Stillwater.  For those of you who are familiar, it was a long (1 1/2 hours), but awesome trip.  Normally, Stillwater is 40 minutes from our house. 

Afton is SO cute!  As Kevin and I were motoring through there, thinking how we should stop there next time for dinner and a walk, because it is just a really cool town.  Then, I remembered how lost I got, trying to get there for my friends' Melissa and Scott's wedding reception.  And then I remembered what *awesome* food and ambiance Afton Inn (I think that is what it was called) had at said reception.  Mmmmm...

Regardless, we didn't stop there, and soon arrived at our destination.  The ride out had been awesome!  We had dinner at P.D. Pappy's, which, strangely was also the first place Melissa and Scott had dined with Tim and I!  Just strange how many little things were reminding me of them.  Maybe that means she is pregnant or something?  I digress.  Pappy's was really nice, and we had a couple beers, dinner (okay, fine...monster nachos and cheese curds, so not really dinner, but we were FULL), and a great time people and boat watching. 

I'm so stupid.  I "broke the seal" at Pappy's.  We took the "short" way home (AKA "the freeway"), and I swear to you with all that is holy...every last inch of the ride home reminded me of being in a popcorn popper.  Or being inside someone's esophagus when they have the hiccups.  Bump-bump-bump!  And, they were the real abbreviated bumps--staccato, if you will--that you don't feel as much in a car.  But, on a motorcycle and with a *full* bladder?  You feel 'em.  You. feel. 'Em.

I sat on the back of the Harley warning Kevin that he might feel a strange warmth if the road didn't improve.  He replied that it would probably fly backwards, which maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't.  No matter.  I guess my Kegel exercises (you know what they are, don't pretend you don't!) must have really paid off, because I was able to hold it the whole way back.  And, the road did improve, but not a WHOLE lot, just kind of. 

Lots of fun, lots of fun!  More later!

Weather And You

In college I had this science requirement, which really made me cringe.  I don't know *why* it made me cringe, because I really am not bad at science (other than that really bad test score I got in Mr. What's-His-Name's 9th grade science class, which I still have nightmares about), nor do I dislike it.  I actually kind of like science and physics and all that.  Anyway, I was nervous that I had this requirement, especially after doing so dismally with the statistics class I took.

I ended up taking a meteorology class, called "Weather and You".  Though it sounds super cheesy (which is why I took the class, for crying out loud!  Same as one of my P.E. classes to hit that requirement: Backpacking), it wasn't.  In fact, it was a really layman's terms look at the weather.  And you.  Seriously, it was cool to not only understand science, but be totally into it and talk about the weather to all my Iowa friends.  Of course, now that I think about it, since that is the only thing to DO in Iowa, everyone must have taken that course.  But, I digress.

Needless to say, I am a weather enthusiast.  I think part of it was my dad's interest in storms.  He would watch them, and my brother and I would watch them with him sometimes.  After my "Weather and You" course, I could tell my dad (or anyone) exactly what was happening, why it was happening, and what would happen next. 

Imagine my glee when tonight I heard that there would be thunderstorms a brewin' this very night!  I quickly checked the barometric pressure, the dew point, and gazed longingly at the cumulonimbus clouds taking shape in the western sky.  Ahhh...bliss.  I could only imagine the awesome display of hail, strong wind and funnel clouds we would see later!  Notwithstanding the fact that our garage is such a pit that none of our vehicles (other than the Harley, the bicycles, our rollerblades and Damon's T-Rex) can be housed there, so any hail would likely end up costing us two fairly decent deductibles.  Shut up, it's a work-in-progress. 

So, here I sit in my little garage office, wondering if I should venture off to Kevin's softball games with Alyce, merely awaiting a barrage of ice balls pegging the guys on the head (I would be bringing my 4-wheeling helmet for my own, fragile cranium, which has suffered about 7 concussions over the years).  I think it would kind of be funny, don't you?  I mean, these are the dudes who think that sunscreen is for pussies.  The guys who think that coagulated blood balls are cool.  Rocky Mountain oysters?  A delicious snack only real men can appreciate. 

Even though I will be risking life and limb and extreme cold (it is a windy 77 degrees right now...brrrrr!), I think I will make the trek over.  With the camera. 

Oooooh...I can hear thunder!  GLEE!

Allergy Season, and "Look Ma! No Shirt!"

I was kind of a "sickly" kid.  Not sickly, sickly, but my allergies would give me headaches for days/weeks on end, until we realized that the Easter Lily sitting in our house was the root of the problem.  Which was funny, because my mom (not unlike her daughter) could not for the life of her, keep a plant of any sort alive.  The one that she manages not to kill, causes such strife that her daughter has to be a nuisance at home for 2 weeks. 

At one point, I was tested and had to be given allergy shots every week.  I'm not sure at what point I stopped, or why I stopped, but I stopped getting them sometime before college.  Since then, I have had very few issues with allergies, so I probably outgrew them.

Until this year.

I swear to you with all that's holy, the inside of my nasal cavity is absolutely crusted and covered in snot.  It is so disgusting.  Not that anyone can *see* it, nor is it dripping.  I just find myself doing a whole lot of digging so that I can breathe.  Appetizing?  Yes, I'm sure.  But, it does beat what the two of our younger children do:  pick and eat.  Pick and eat?  Yes.  EWWW.  Why?  Don't know.  I even told Damon (who has since quit the nasty habit, but Kierstyn picked it up along the way) that if he ate his boogers, he would get sick and die.  Nothing like a good dose of over exaggeration to start off your toddlerhood.

It was pretty funny the other day as I saw Kierstyn trying to covertly pick and eat, and then mentioned that it was just disgusting.  Damon boldly told her that he used to do it too, but no longer does.  And that she would certainly die at an early age if she continued to do so.   The look of horror on her face was enough to make my little white lie all worth it.  Hey, anything to keep the kid from ingesting bodily fluids, eh?

This leads to another question...one that I have had since I was a small child.  Actually several. 

When I was 4 and my brother 6, we were riding our bikes together and my brother got hot and took his shirt off.  So, I took mine off too...I was also hot.  My mom comes running out and says, "Susan!  Put your shirt back on!  Girls can't have their shirts off!", to which I replied, "Why not? Mike can, so why can't I?".  Her answer was lame, as is every mother's answer known to girl-kind.  I even argued that although I *was* a girl, I actually wanted to be a boy.  Named Christopher.  So, shouldn't that count towards the whole "shirt off" thing?  Not to mention the fact that I had nothing to show at 4 years old.  Not to mention the fact that the whole thing just made no sense.

To this day, I just don't get it.  Why should men and women be treated differently when it comes to the matter of undress?  And, for that matter, why can men pee outside or in any type of container in a vehicle, or off the boat, or whatever, while we ladies have to be much more prim and proper?  Granted, we are not equipped the same way there, but it is also about expectations. 

I mean, come on now...am I the ONLY woman out there who hates to stop when on a road trip?  If I have to go really badly, I will stop, but I'm not happy about it.  Oh, how I wished that there was a way for me to go while I'm driving!  Only #1, mind you, but still the whole "Dumb and Dumber" road trip pee thing has me very jealous.  I would just as soon hold it for 4 hours then stop to go.  It is just a time waster. 

And, don't get me started on when we are up north at the lake, in the trailer or on the boat.  I either have to fully submerse myself in the water in order to relieve myself, or be brought back to shore (won't happen...that is girlie and a waste of time) .  At the trailer (when the water is turned off), I either have to go to the public bathroom or hold it.  Except once when I had had a few drinks last winter, and went off Spike's deck in the middle of the night (it was WAY too cold--below zero--to walk to the restroom!).  Or, come to find out the next morning, went ON Spike's deck and created a fairly sizeable slippery spot.

My point is this.  I understand there are differences between men and women, but I think we, as society, make them out to be much more than necessary.  Because we make the human body into a sexual object which in turn wreaks havoc on my desire to go shirtless in the summer...even at (almost) 34. 

Weekend Recap

  "It's about time!".  Yeah...I know.  But, I have been busy! Kind of.  Actually, I *just* got the pictures from the weekend uploaded, and I didn't want to post about our weekend fun without proof that we had fun!

I do have to admit, however, that I forgot to bring the camera along on some very important parts of the weekend.  And for that, I will feel forever guilty.  Soon, you will know why. 

Once we finally got up to the trailer on Friday evening, the kids were exhausted and *asked* to go to bed.  Granted, it was after 9, but it did surprise us.  Kevin and I, however, weren't quite ready, so we built a fire, grabbed a beer and had a good chat.  Soon, however, our neighbors decided that we were very fun to hang out with (duh), and we pretty much had people at our campfire talking and having a grand old time, til about 3:30 in the morning.  Holy moly, yeah.  LATE!

We got up on Saturday, I took the kids to get breakfast at the lodge (OMG, they ate like complete pigs, I kid you not), and Kevin got the boat ready.  We finally got on the boat and had a nice ride.  Of course, it was about 95 humid degrees out that day, so it felt *awesome* to have the water spraying us and the wind giving us some relief.  We swam a bit, and then piled back into the boat. 

Damon had gotten a fishing rod for Christmas and was anxious as anything to use it.  Damned, if that kid didn't catch 2 fish (and a dragonfly trying to mate with his bait)!  I didn't have the camera!!! BAD MOMMY!  It was the first fish he had ever caught (and tried to catch) and I don't have my Kodak/Casio along to capture the Kodak moment.  Terrible.  I'm surely going to hell for that one. 

I caught all of nothin' the entire weekend.  And I mean NOTHIN'.  Which is actually pretty funny, considering the fact that I was the one who fished the most.  Kevin was so busy helping the kids cast, take seaweed off their hooks, etc, that he didn't fish as much (nor did they).  That is so pathetic, isn't it?  The only thing I have to show for all my hours with a fishing pole in my hand is a slight cramp in my thumb (from casting, but similar to "joystick thumb" and "Blackberry thumb") and lovely brown shoulders.  Neither of those do much for the potential of a fish fry, I'm afraid.  Embarrassing...simply embarrassing.

Of course, I *do* think like a guy at times, so of course I am not discouraged, no matter what the embarrassment factor.  I will fish again this weekend.  And probably the next and the next.  That's right...I will fish and fish and fish until I can no longer cast.  Until my hand is in such contortions, that I need a regular dose of prescription narcotics and a hand chiropractor living in my basement. Until I catch a fish.  And then after that? I might read a book.  And continue to drink my beer or Lynchberg's.

Enough about my lack of fishing skills...Damon's birthday!  It was so cute, the kid got all sorts of fun things, from 4-wheeler and golf cart rides, to an entire evening of playing baseball with Kevin and I.  We went back on Sunday afternoon (after spending the morning on the lake) so D could have some time with Tim.  Of course that part sucked (for me, not him), but it was great knowing I had the next day to spend with him too!

We spent Memorial Day at Valley Fair, with all of us:  Kevin, me, Tim, Kara (Tim's fiance), and all 3 kids.  It was really nice, as there were NO lines.  We got on any rides we wanted, immediately.  Which was awesome, because with the heat and humidity the way it was, we desperately needed to stay wet. 

After Valley Fair, Tim and Kara took off, and the 5 of us got a quick bite at Culver's and then headed home for Damon to open presents and blow out his candles on the cake I made (it was damn good too...ice cream cake--super easy to make!).  They were all SO tired from the day that they were ready for bed by 8pm. 

After the kiddos hit the sack, Kevin began working on putting the new basketball hoop together.  It took a couple hours (and, of course my moral support...not much else I could do!), but it was a gorgeous night to be out in the garage working on stuff.  The kids LOVE the hoop, and um, Damon is way better than most of us. 

If I can encourage anyone to buy one, here's your encouragement!  It is great family fun to have an end-of-day fun-filled game. Ours comes complete with Damon telling every single person, "Pass it to me! I'm on your team!", even if he's not.

All-in-all, the weekend was fabulous, Damon adored his gifts, and was made to feel every bit as special as he is.  Next up:  Samantha, in less than 3 weeks!

All Hail the 5-Year-Old!

Poor Damon...or not so poor Damon.  His birthday weekend has changed as much as he changes his wedgie-inducing underwear.  Finally, before the weekend officially started, we figured out that we were going to go to our place "up north", in Wisconsin.  We're going to be VERY bad parents and take Sam out of school (who cares...end of year, she's smart, and will like where we're going better than the extra 2 hours of school) and get the boat in the water tonight. 

So, by setting a bad example, we will also be employing a weekend of fun.  We'll do the whole day on the boat/lake tomorrow, including using our new water toys.  It is already 79 degrees, and is supposed to be over 90 this weekend, so it will be *great* to be in the water.  That is, until the constable catches up with us for the forced truancy. 

After we've bailed ourselves out of jail, and gotten the kids out of CPS (Child Protective Services, for those "perfect" parents who don't know what CPS is), we'll be celebrating the majority of Damon's birthday doing really dirty, outdoorsy stuff...which inevitably he will LOVE.  I hope he doesn't eat any bugs that we're not sure are digestible, but I'm sure many will be stomped (we're working on the "they are all god's creatures" thing, but it isn't sticking...wonder why, with such great examples as we are!).  But, if he does, oh well.  Wouldn't be the first time...his favorites are boogers, but he claims he is finished with that bad habit, even if it does make his sisters laugh. 

On Sunday, we'll return in time for his dad to spend part of the day spoiling him too.  After all, he's just as dedicated and happy to have our little man in our lives, so I don't mind cutting the weekend "up north" a little short.   Damon deserves to be spoiled.  Then, on Monday, all of us...Kevin, me, Samantha, Kierstyn, Damon, Tim and Kara (Tim's fiance) will all head out to Valley Fair (local amusement park) and do D's birthday there.  It should be really fun!  And, holidays at VF are typically pretty slow (plus the whole roller coaster breaking fiasco), so it should be good timing.

It's so strange that my "baby" is 5.  It seems like not that long ago when I was doing my darnedest to keep him in-utero as long as possible...but he didn't quite make it to his July due date.  Born 5 weeks early at 6# 3 oz and 19" long, I'm still pretty glad that I didn't go full term with him...though a couple more weeks would have been nice!  He went from scrawny baby, to big huge, fat baby with brown hair, to skinny blondish all-boy.   

What has this young man accomplished in all his 5 years of life?  Well, lots.  He has learned the basics...walking, talking, learning to use the toilet and such.  Just this year, he went from really disliking books and drawing, to being so interested in both that the first thing he does in the morning (after he pees) is grabs his crayons and coloring book and begins Picasso'ing.  Sure, he likes to Picasso on any surface (remember how my Mother's Day started out?), but he is SO creative now, I can hardly believe it.

He also taught himself how to read a couple months ago.  Granted, he learned the letters and sounds at school, but he took that and incorporated it into reading.  His favorites are sentences with exclamation points, so he can practically yell it.  Yes, all boy. 

Another academic thing that just is cool to me, is his affinity for numbers.  He can look at ANY number, and identify it.  We're talking 18,400.  Or 387.  Or 5,391.  He'll look at it, and tell you what it is.  He loves numbers, so that is kind of a fun hobby for him...reading addresses, road signs, mile markers and the like.  A bit weird, but an interesting thing to quiz him on.

Damon's favorite thing to do is make his sisters laugh.  Or, anybody, really.  Even at the expense of himself.  He would rather get in trouble for doing something funny (spitting in a pattern, spiking the dog's fur with hair gel, or whatever), than miss out on the laughs.  I love that about him, actually, which makes it hard to be mad at him too often.  I feign it, and it kind of works--but eventually he will figure out that while he's in a time out, I'm burying my head in a pillow to keep him from hearing my guffaws.

The net of it is...I adore my boy, and just might cry when he goes to kindergarten in the fall.  I realize how lucky I am with how awesome my kids are, and how blessed I have been with so many aspects of my life.  Even if my son likes to dissect dead frogs to see if they have eaten macaroni.

Happy Memorial Day (weekend), and think of those who are no longer with us!

Oh, P.S. it was SO weird, speaking of Memorial Day...this morning I saw a man who looked JUST like my grandpa.   My brother and I loved my grandpa...especially when he was our customer at Bill's Greasy Spoon (my brother was apparently an awful cook, and I always put my thumb in Gramps' coffee).  It was really cool...kind of like seeing his ghost, or spirit.  I nearly welled up.  Okay, fine...I did.  I miss him, and just know he would have adored Damon as much as we do, and as much as he loved Samantha.

The Great Outdoors

Today I am finding myself to be particularly giddy and happy.  Why?  Well, it is the first "burst" of summer that we have experienced this year.  For my other Midwest comrades, you are finding similar conditions.  The differences between myself and my other Midwest comrades,  is that they all have lame jobs and have to work inside, in offices.  I do not.  Well, my job might be lame, but I work at home.  You know what this means, if you know me at all.

At this particular moment, I am taking a little work break to post a blog entry.  However, this is not to say that I have moved even one inch in the last 1.5 hours.  That being said, let me tell you about my current location:  on the deck (75 and sunny...ahhhhhh...), in my bikini, laptop resting atop my bare thighs (the tan lines will be awesome!), overlooking the pond in our back yard (I'll post some pics sometime). 

Also, I am praying that nobody important calls, since the noise out here is sometimes unbearable.  It is mating season in our neck of the woods.  Or, shall I say, our side of the pond.  The geese and ducks are gettin' it on like there was no tomorrow.  Geese are "lifers", where they pair up and raise their little family together, each year.  And, boy are they ever paired up right now!  There is so much commotion going on down below, that I just wish I had surveillance cameras that could catch them in action.  I have NO idea what kind of mating rituals they do, or if they have all sorts of crazy positions they try out (perhaps they are positions to try to get a certain gender?), or acrobatics even, but it is key-razy down in the weedy banks.  Occasionally I see feathers and vegetation just flying around, then an unbelievable amount of splashing, and then rest.  Then TONS of honk-honk-honking, and I don't mean in their normal goose-like manner.  It is interesting, to say the least!

I only wish that the geese's crazy sex dance would scare away the bugs.  Because I just swallowed one.  Apparently it was in my bottle of water. Mmmmm...protein! (BLECH) I think it was either a ladybug or those annoying Asian beetles (which look like ladybugs, except they BITE).  I'll let you know how well I digest that sucker!

Back to basking...oops, I mean work!  (I am seriously doing both. I love my job!)