Victory!

The subject of this post is a bit old, but I don't care. So a week or so ago I was in need of salon services for my hair, namely color and cut. So on Peter's recommendation I booked an appointment at Jon English Hairspa in Uptown. I was a bit nervous about driving myself there, as I'd never driven in that area before. I got there without any trouble, although it was very surreal to be driving myself down Lake and Lagoon after about 6 years of Pete or buses drivng me there.

The real victory, however, came when it was time to park. Pete had helped me to locate a parking garage, but I decided to look for street parking first. On Holmes between 31st and 32nd, I found just such a spot. I am not a particularly gifted parallel parker. I also don't drive a super tiny car. I failed my driver's test the first time I took it based on my lack of parallel parking ability (in my defense, I was driving a late '80s Chevy Suburban hugemobile). So I found my spot, looked around to make sure there were no cars coming or people walking by in case I totally embarrassed myself. But I parked by Blazer like a champ. Hence the title of this post: Victory!! Yes, I pumped my fist in the air a couple of times and called Pete to brag. I live in a city now, and I drove around and parallel parked! Hooray!

Then I went to my appointment and was thoroughly impressed. I would highly recommend Jon English, although it is a bit spendy. Well worth it though, in my opinion. If your hair looks bad, does it really matter what you wear? I would say no.

So having said that yesterday was the first day at my job with the kids there, and I love them already. They are great kids.

Pete and I are going camping this weekend at St. Croix and I'm jazzed. Hopefully it won't be too rainy.

Stinky Fredo

Last night Pete and I decided to take Fredo for a walk around Lake Nokomis. It was dark by the time we go there, but we went anyway. It was a beatiful night and a beatiful walk. Then Fredo pulled off to the side of the trail to roll around in the grass. He does this quite often, especially if the grass is really nice. Pete and I thought nothing of it until a little while later we noticed an awful smell. It was coming from the Fredo.

Niether one of us has any idea what our little rat dog rolled in, but I can't remember ever smelling a more offensive odor. Naughty Fredo. It was rank. So we drove home (with windows rolled down, of course) and gave Fredo a serious bath right away. The smell is gone, except for on his collar. So he might be getting a new one of those. Fredo, Fredo, Fredo.

In other news, today is my first day at my job with the kids at school. And now I'm off to get ready to go to work.

Working Girl

So my summer officially ended today; it was my first day at my new job. I was one of two new people in a staff of about twenty people. Lots of names to remember, and I am horrible with names. I tried making up little things to help myself remember names like "Darla's wearing a darling sweater" or repeating someone's name right after I met them by saying "Nice to meet you, Darla.

Most of the staff seem very friendly, though. This afternoon we all went and had a group tennis lesson together, which was surprisingly fun. The class was at the Lifetime (formerly Northwest) Fitness at 35W and 98th in their big tennis bubble. We had to go through revolving doors to get in and out of it, kind of like leaving the Metrodome. My ears were super plugged all afternoon as a result.

So, I'm back tomorrow to help with classroom setup and planning. The worst part of today: we had to sit in little kid chairs all day. I'm the tallest person there by far, and my back hurts and I feel like a giant.

Weekend Update

Happy 25th Birthday to me on Friday, August 25th. It was my golden birthday and it was goldtastic. Whatever that entails. I did some shopping during the day and tried out Wolfgang Puck Express over at MOA. It was really good. It frustrates me that fast food is mostly so unhealthy and gross when places like W.P. show that it can be fresh and tasty instead.

Friday evening Pete took me to Jensen's Supper Club. It's pretty much right between where we live and where Pete works, so it was nice and close. Good choice, Pete! It's a fun place with dark wood interiors and a jazz band playing in one part of the restaurant. They have delicious food and lots of fun martinis to choose from. I had a key lime martini and then a sweet bee martini (it has orange juice and lime in it) and both were very good. Most importantly about the dinner, I had possibly the best prime rib of my life. For someone who adores prime rib the way I do, that is saying a lot. Whenever I think I could handle being a vegetarian (which I think I could pull off at least 5 days a week), I think about never having prime rib again and I know it would never work. It was amazing.

Saturday Pete and I caught the movie "Beerfest" over at MOA. We both had some high expectations and walked away mildly disappointed. It was fairly funny, but definitely not hilarious. Oh well, every movie can't be a "Super Troopers." Wah-wah.

So now it's Sunday and we're watching the Twins game and preparing to do some grocery shopping here in a bit. I start my new job tomorrow, or at least I start training for my new job tomorrow. I'm a little bit nervous. However, Pete and I are going camping next weekend at St. Croix State Park, so I'm jazzed about that.

A final parting question: Why is it illegal to drive barefoot? I think driving barefoot is a lot safer than driving in flip flops or heels.

Itasca State Park and Other Pictures

The 2nd installment of our camping trip pictures:


Me standing in the headwaters of the Mississippi River. It's small and shallow, but surprisingly cold.

Pete and I at the headwaters of the Mississippi.


This is the fire tower that Pete climbed at Itasca State Park. I made it about 1/3 of the way up.

Here's what I would have seen had I made it to the top of the fire tower.

Here's the view of the ground from the top of the fire tower. I'm standing underneath the tree to the right wearing an orange T-shirt. It's definitely for the best that I didn't go up to the top with Pete.

Me, the Fred, and Pete with Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in Bemidji.

This is the bike super highway. Also known as the Paul Bunyan Bike Trail. It goes for about a 100 miles, and it's really nice. Luckily, Pete is coordinated to take pictures while riding his bike. We rode the Paul Bunyan Trail to Bass Lake the first day we were there, and then over to the Mississippi River on Monday.
Pete is good at taking pictures while on his bike and not crashing.

Lake Bemidji Pictures

Pete and I made it back from our AA getaway up to Lake Bemidji State Park. A good time was had by all, especially Fredo. He really enjoyed spending some quality time watching/chasing squirrels and chipmunks, sniffing around in the dirt, and swimming in the lake. So without further ado, here is the first installment of our trip pictures:

Here is our campsite. Notice the new Hobitat 4 tent. It was easy to set up, easy to take down, and very roomy. It was so nice to be able to stand up all the way and have room for Fredo's kennel next to the air mattress.

Here's a view of our tent from the inside.

Pete and I passed the time playing frisbee. We got this one especially for the trip, and it flies forever.
Fredo loves kisses!

Pete brought his hatchet and was in charge of wood/fire management. He did an excellent job. He uses the "log cabin" approach to starting fires quite successfully.


At night Fredo turns into a Demon Dog!

And now I will conlude with a trio of Fredo pictures. These are of the Fred swimming in Lake Bemidji in his new life jacket. He chased sticks and barked and had a great time. Pete noticed an interesting phenomenon: When Fredo is in water that is too deep for him to touch, he puts his ears back. Pete calls these his "panic ears." Once he can touch again, the ears come back up.


Panic ears!



Now he's touching ground again. Ears have resumed normal position.

And of course, after swimming Fredo needed to take a good roll in the grass.

AA

This weekend marks an occasion that's near and dear to my heart. It's the weekend that Pete and I celebrate our AA. No, we haven't developed an alcohol problem in the past year; AA stands for Arbitrary Anniversary.

Pete and I decided when we got together this time (we had an on-again-off-again thing going for a while) that we didn't want to celebrate our anniversary based on some random day that we started dating. It's just so inconvenient: sometimes anniversaries fall on Mondays; sometimes people forget them; sometimes they might be really close to a major holiday. So we decided to take control of the situation.

Every year we now pick a weekend, so far it's always been in the summer, to celebrate our anniversary. That way we get to decide when it is, it's always on a weekend, and it's always convenient.

Last year we went to Duluth for a long weekend. This year we're going camping up at Lake Bemidji.

We're leaving bright and early tomorrow morning and coming back sometime on Monday. Fredo is jazzed. So that's it for now, and I'm sure I'll have pictures and stories to post up when we get back.

Happy AA Pete!!

From the Land of Sky Blue Waters

Today it's not really "the land of sky blue waters" so much as "the land of murky grey waters." But hey, they can't be sparkling all the time. It's like the part of the Montana state song that goes "Montana, Montana where skies are always blue." Like hell they are.

So I live here now. Okay, I don't live in the brush next to Lake Harriet (don't be so literal); I live in the greater Twin Cities metro area. Bloomington to be exact.


And guess who made the move with me? This guy!! Yep, Fredo Potato. He adores Pete and seems to be adjusting to life here quite well. He love-love-loves swimming in the lakes (not as cold as rivers in the summer, and no currents for his short little legs to contend with).


One of the main reasons Tato and I picked the MSP for our relocation program? Who could resist Peter in these glasses? Apparently not Fredo and me! He's pictured here with his godson Jayden. Very cool, guys :)

I have a little over a week until I start a new job and then shortly thereafter I start my new grad program at Hamline. In the meantime I'm trying to do some things to become more comfortable here. That entails a lot of driving around and trying not to get lost (so far, so good, mostly). Today it consisted of breakfast at French Meadow (delish) and walking my little guy around Lake Harriet. He loves meeting other puppies and chasing squirrels up trees.