New Homes, Old Friends, and Long Walks

Last Thursday, June 25th, was a beautiful day--perfect for moving! Tomkin, Marcus, Nick, and I helped Helena move into her beautiful new home. (Her dad and one of his friends helped, too.) Helena was impressively organized--all the small items were in labeled boxes, and larger items were all set aside and ready to go. It made the day go very smoothly, and we only had to take two trips to get everything moved. I've dubbed the new place Helena's House of Happiness and Healing, aka The 4H Club. Lots of positive energy there. We started the move at 12:30, and it took us less than three hours to get everything over to the new house and into the designated rooms. Tomkin and I headed home to shower, rest, and get a little work done. Then we met up for dinner at Pizza Luce with Helena, Nick, and Marcus. Helena gave each of her helpers a bag of fun goodies and she treated us to a delicious dinner (and dessert!). Of course the best part was hanging out with fun and awesome people! In other news, Thursday was the day that both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died. Quite a sad one-two punch. That evening, Tomkin biked over to Kowalski's (I stayed home to start packing for my trip to Iowa), and he ran into his ex-wife, Claire. She told him that their cat, Naia (who we had renamed Mittens), recently died. So that was sad, too. Before I moved to Minnesota, Mittens was good company for Tomkin (then she went to live with Claire), and she was a beautiful cat.
Friday morning I finished packing, and then I headed out about 12:30 for Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I had my GPS, a cooler full of snacks and drinks, and lots of books on CD. The trip went smoothly, and I arrived at Lisa's about 5:15. Right now Lisa, her fiance Richard, and their baby daughter Kaya are living with Lisa's parents. Lisa and Richard are getting married in February, and they're hoping to buy their own house sometime soon. (She showed me one that they're looking at--it's gorgeous!) I hadn't seen Lisa since October 2007! I stayed with her the night before I drove away from Chicago into the open arms of Tomkin and St. Paul. It was wonderful to see her again and good to meet the rest of her family. She and Richard seem like a great couple--he's really nice and fun. And Kaya is adorable! We all went out for Italian food that night, then just hung out at home and caught up. Lisa showed me her beautiful wedding dress (top secret!) and the invitations, which she's making herself. It was fun to talk about her wedding (which will be in Iowa) and shower (which will be in Chicago). Back in Minnesota, Tomkin had a wedding rehearsal, and then some housecleaners he hired came over for a few hours to do some deep cleaning. What a treat to have that done--especially while I was away!
Saturday morning, Lisa went to a bakery and picked up lots of yummy treats for breakfast. She drove me to the church where they'll be getting married, and then we went to Starbucks and got some coffee. We went back and hung out at home for a little while, then went to Zoey's, a local pizza place, for lunch. We stopped by a bakery to look at wedding cakes and went to Michael's to look at crafting supplies. We went back home, and I took a short nap. Unfortunately, Kaya wasn't feeling too well--she was both teething and gassy. So she spent most of the day either crying or sleeping. Poor baby! Every so often, though, she'd be feeling good and want to play. We watched much of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" marathon, and Lisa's mom made us all a delicious dinner. Tomkin was busy back in MN--Omar dropped off Dulsi, the housecleaners came back (they did 22 total hours of work!), and Tomkin officiated a wedding. He barely had time to miss me!
On Sunday I left a little after 8:00am and was home by 12:30. It was a beautiful day for a road trip, and my book on CD helped the time fly by. When I got home, we took a nap, and then we set out for a walk with the dogs. We found a great new walking place--it's just a few blocks away, along the railroad tracks. It's down in a valley--very secluded, and we could safely let the dogs walk off-leash. There are wildflowers and lush vegetation, the sky was blue, and it just couldn't have been a more gorgeous setting. We've nicknamed it the "Wardrobe" after the Narnia book, since going there feels like stepping into another world. We went home, relaxed, read on the front porch, and had dinner on the patio. That night we watched our first Netflix movie: "Billy Elliot." Tomkin hadn't seen it before. Such a great film!
On Monday, Tomkin started the week by getting his third root canal. Thankfully he has an amazing dentist, so it all went smoothly and painlessly. He went to the library and his office. I spent the day working at home. We went back to the Wardrobe to walk the dogs--another beautiful day. That evening I had a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin met with a couple. Tracy was nice enough to take the dogs while we were both working. That evening we planned our staycation. We had made a list of things we want to do and local places we want to go, primarily ones we haven't been to before. Then we charted everything out for the week. Some stuff is scheduled, and for other stuff we can play it by ear. No matter what we do, I know it'll be fun--and a much-needed break from work!
Tuesday was a stressful, annoying day. For one thing, all my grant work is up in the air since we're having some issues with funding sources. It was just one of those days where nothing seemed to go right. (Although Al Franken was finally declared our newest senator, so that was good!) Tomkin met with a couple, then headed into the office. I did my weekly shopping trip to Target--since I don't want to shop next week, during our staycation, I bought even more groceries than usual. I honestly don't know if I could have fit anything more onto that cart! It was quite a feat of engineering to get everything on there with nothing getting squished. That night I had a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin took the dogs for a walk with Tracy and Wilbur. Then we went for a lovely bike ride down Summit Ave. That was just what I needed.Yesterday (Wednesday), we had lunch at Tomkin's parents' house. Nancy had cataract surgery in one eye last week and is having the second eye done next week. It sounds like her world is literally brighter and more colorful now! Tomkin and I went to a store that sells wild bird supplies (I didn't know there was such a place!), and we bought a hummingbird feeder. Then we went to Menards and picked up a birdbath. It looks beautiful in the yard, and we've already seen a few grackles splashing around in it. We took a little nap, then went back to the Wardrobe to walk the dogs. This time we took along some garbage bags, which we filled with litter as we walked. Tomkin had to go meet with a couple; I caught up on some e-mails and worked. Last night Tomkin brought the dogs along to his weekly poker game--it sounds like they all (Chloe, Dulsi, and Wilbur) got pretty crazy. But they had a good time! I had a premarital counseling session, then talked to my mom. We've set a date now to go to Grand Forks! We'll be going the second full weekend of August. My aunt Candy is going, too! That should be a lot of fun.

This morning (Thursday) Tomkin met with a couple, then biked to the eye doctor for a check-up. He's decided that he wants to bike as many places as possible now. I ran errands, had a phone date with my friend Stephanie (she lives in Chicago and is getting married in October), and did some editing. I was supposed to get one more report to edit before our staycation started, but now I won't get it until next week sometime. Oh, well--a couple hours of work isn't going to kill me, I suppose.... Tomkin suggested that we walk the dogs down to W.A. Frost and get dinner on the patio. That was such a good idea! It's a beautiful summer day, and the servers there could not be nicer or more friendly. They brought out a big bowl of water for the dogs, who--thankfully--were very well-behaved. The woman at the table next to ours even asked if she could give them some bacon. The walk home felt a little long (it's 1.8 miles each way), and we were all pooped by the time we got back. Now everyone is resting. Becca and Omar will be picking up Dulsi tomorrow. It's been really fun to have her here! She and Chloe have become good pals. We'll be starting our staycation by going to the Elko Flea Market. I hope everyone has a fun, safe, and relaxing Fourth of July weekend!

Dogs & Dads

On Friday the 19th, I worked at home, and Tomkin had an afternoon wedding. I'm making a bit of a shift in my career--for now, at least, I'm going to focus less on editing and shift my attention to premarital counseling and grant-writing. I'm working with a grant writer, and we've got the potential to be really busy over the next few months. It's a little scary, because usually with grants you don't get paid unless the grant is funded (and there's no guarantee...), but I think it'll be a great experience, and hopefully the payoff will be worth it. Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk and came across a nearby garage sale. Since we had gotten the new leather furniture, it seemed to me like we could use some new dining room chairs as well. But I figured it was no rush--we really didn't need to spend the money. But we found a set at this rummage sale for $25! We made arrangements to pick everything up the following day. Tracy and Wilbur stopped by our house, which was quite a thrill for Chloe. She LOVES Wilbur--and Tracy, too. Later, Becca brought their lab, Dulsi, over so we could watch her for the weekend. I was a little nervous that maybe she and Chloe wouldn't get along, especially since they're both female. But they played well together. I think the fact that they're both old girls (Chloe is almost 9, and Dulsi is 11) worked in their favor. With younger dogs, I think Chloe sometimes gets nervous at their unpredictability. But she and Dulsi are both pretty mellow--though still up for having fun! We went to a nearby park so the dogs could romp around. Then I brought Chloe home, and Tomkin played fetch with Dulsi. Apparently tennis balls are her favorite thing in the world. For the rest of the evening, we all just hung out and relaxed at home. Those dogs were pooped!
On Saturday, Tomkin and I drove up to Guadalajara's in Monticello for an early Father's Day lunch with my dad, Sandy, and Phillip. (Alex was at the beach with his friends--who could blame him?) Dad liked his gifts, and we all had a lot of fun. When we got home, we picked up the dining room table and chairs that we had found the day before. I should have gotten a picture of that table in Tomkin's convertible.... Once we got everything home and set up, we realized that we liked the new chairs but preferred our old table. (The size is better, it's expandable, and it's a lot sturdier.)So we brought the new table and the old chairs outside and attached a "free" sign. (Do people in other places do this, too? I don't remember seeing it before I moved to Minnesota.) With half an hour, the whole set was gone. Tomkin left to officiate a wedding. I went to Borders and picked out some books on CD for my upcoming road trips (Iowa this weekend, Grand Forks in August), then went home and worked. When Tomkin got home, we walked both dogs, and then he read while I researched grants.We slept late on Sunday, and then Omar picked up Dulsi. We were sad to see her go! Thankfully, she'll be coming back this Saturday and spending the week with us. She is such a sweet and good dog! Tomkin and I walked Chloe down Grand to the Sixth Chamber used bookstore (got a couple more cheap audiobooks), the hardware store (where they always give Chloe dog treats), and the DQ (where we all got treats). Back at home, Tomkin worked on fixing up our new dining room chairs. They had some nicks and scrapes, and he got them looking absolutely beautiful. I read my People magazine (can't wait until this whole Jon & Kate thing is over), and then we both watched a couple episodes of "So You Think You Can Dance." I love our Sabbath days!
Monday the 22nd was the first day that Tomkin rode to the office on his new bike. I know that accident kind of threw him for a loop, so I was really proud of him for getting back on his wheels again. We have just about every safety feature on our bikes that you can get, and we're even more cautious riders now than we were before. But we want to focus on the fun and not the danger. I worked at home, then made my weekly trip to Target with a supplementary stop at Kowalski's. It was hot, hot, hot out, so we didn't go for a walk. And while the big event for Tomkin that day was riding his new bike, the big event for me was getting rid of our cable. I don't know that I've ever not had cable TV, even in my poorest days in Chicago. We had a good deal for a while, but since that ran out, we will save $100 a month by not having cable or a landline (which we didn't use anyway). I don't watch a LOT of cable, but it'll still be a bit of an adjustment for me. To ease my non-cable anxieties, Tomkin signed us up for Netflix. I think that will be great! We've already got about 80 movies and TV shows on our queue, and I'm amazed at some of the cool stuff they have. I won't miss cable at all! (I hope.) That evening, we all went over to Syd and Dave's house for dinner. Syd just got back from a three-week Asian Studies conference in Hawaii; Dave had joined her for one of the weeks. It was fun to hear about her trip, and she broke out her new ukulele to play for us. Impressive! Tomkin tried the ukulele, too.Dave grilled amazing steak kabobs and homemade bread, and we ate outside (despite the heat). Chloe and George enjoyed hanging out in the yard but didn't do too much playing (too hot). Tomkin has been talking about how he wants to get a Roomba--turns out Syd and Dave had one they didn't want anymore! So they gave it to us. Tomkin was so excited! We eventually headed back in to enjoy a couple of Dave's fabulous gin & tonics (he even makes his own tonic!) before we headed home.
Tuesday morning I "commuted" with Tomkin, biking down Summit Ave. We split off, and he headed to the office while I went back home. It was another hot and sunny day. I spent the day editing (wrapping up a project) and doing grant-related work. That evening I had a premarital counseling session; Tomkin and Chloe hung out in the nice, cool basement. (I am so, so thankful that we have central air!) Tomkin installed a new food and water dish for Chloe that keeps everything off the floor and helps to prevent bloat. She wasn't too sure about it at first, but once we put treats inside then it was no problem. We all went for a walk--it was nice to go in the evening when it was a little cooler. Then we all just relaxed at home.
Yesterday (Wednesday) we were going to run errands on our bikes, but we ended up driving since it was rainy. Tomkin had lunch with his folks and celebrated a belated Father's Day with his dad, then met with a couple. I stayed home to work and blog. We took Chloe for a walk and went to the DQ (a new favorite spot for us all!). Then Tomkin headed to a Fringe Festival event, where he got to see his college friends Dave Burrows and Robin Gillette. I met with a couple in the evening. Tomkin brought Chloe over to Tracy's house so she could play with Wilbur, and then they went to see "The Hangover." I had a premarital counseling session and then talked to my mom.

Today we'll be helping Helena move into her new house (very exciting!), and this weekend I'll be driving to Iowa to see my friend Lisa for the first time in almost two years--she moved to Hawaii right after I moved to Minnesota, but now she's back in Iowa (phew!). I'll also get to meet her baby daughter, Kaya, and her fiance, Richard! Then one more week of work before we take our "Staycation." I love summer!

Leather Tuscadero and the Suedes

Saturday, June 13th, was kind of a crazy day. I had a premarital counseling session in the morning. Tomkin and Chloe explored the neighborhood yard sales and picked up a few goodies. (One nice lady gave Chloe a bone!) At noon, a reporter/photographer from MPR arrived to photograph Tomkin in conjunction with her recent interview of him. (The whole story should be available soon--I'll be sure to post the link!) She got lots of pictures of him getting ready, and then she went with him to a wedding he officiated that afternoon. This is Tomkin's idea of heaven--he loves being photographed! (Which is part of what makes us such a good couple.) I ran over to Heidi's to check in on her cat, and then I spent the afternoon organizing the basement. I still have boxes down there that I haven't opened since I moved in a year-and-a-half ago!Somehow my "organization" only seems to have made it seem more cluttered down there.... After Tomkin got home, we took Chloe for a walk, and then we all took a nap. That night Cassidy (who's seven months pregnant!) and Angie (and their dachshund, Fergie) came over to play Rock Band with us. It was great to see them, and we all had a lot of fun singing and playing. I love how people get into more and more once they get a little more comfortable and relaxed. People really start rocking out!
That Sunday, June 14th, was the two-year anniversary of Tomkin and me reconnecting at my Carleton reunion. Basically, from our first conversation that weekend (in the Nourse Theater), our lives changed forever. What an amazing two years it's been! And, truly, things just keep getting better. In anticipation of our new furniture arriving, Tomkin and I brought Chloe's crate and the blue chair down to the basement. Then we put our old couch out on the corner with a "free" sign, hoping someone would take it home. (It took a couple days and one false alarm, but someone finally hauled it away!)Our new couch and loveseat were delivered, and I think they transform the living room. I'd never had leather furniture before, and I wasn't sure I'd like it. But I love it! And so does Chloe. It's really comfy, and now there's plenty of room for all of us. (Plus, it's a lot easier to wipe up after muddy paws.)We got out of the house and went for a nice walk down to Patina, the Dairy Queen, and the hardware store. We discovered that the DQ has three types of sugar-free treats (including Dilly Bars!), and they give your dog a free cone! Then we went home and just read and relaxed. My new Sunday ritual is to go through each week's new People magazine. Such a guilty pleasure! (But, let's be honest, not TOO guilty....)
On Monday, Tomkin went into the office, and I got lunch with Becca at a cute little restaurant in St. Louis Park called Yum! We went all out with chips and fries and cake for dessert--everything was delicious. And of course it was great to see Becca! I made my weekly trek to Target, and that evening I had a premarital counseling session. Tomkin met with a couple (he is so in demand!). Then we both took Chloe for a walk before curling up on the couch to watch a little TV.
Tuesday I biked to the Y and swam, then ran errands and worked. Tomkin had lunch at The Wienery with his friend John Gall, then went to the office. It was a little rainy out, but we walked Chloe to the vet for her monthly weigh-in. She was down to 112 (lost a pound), so that was pretty good! I had a premarital counseling session, so Tomkin took Chloe and ran a few errands. When they got home, he gave her a bath. She was a little stinky.... Then we put together some new shoe shelves I just bought. Our idea is to always make our lives in general (and our home in particular) a little bit better all the time. It's funny how something like a couple of shelves can make such a big difference!
On Wednesday we all went over to Tomkin's parents' house for lunch and celebrated Nancy's birthday. Tomkin and Jenny had gotten her a feather bed to put on top of her mattress--she was thrilled! Tomkin headed to the office, and I worked at home. We walked Chloe, and then Tomkin went to his weekly poker game (usually it's at Tracy's house, but this time they went to Ben's new house in Eagan). I had a premarital counseling session, then talked to Mom.

Tomkin went to the dentist on Thursday and found out he needs another root canal. I got my hair cut at Estetica (I'm so excited that I've finally found a stylist I really like!), then picked up Heidi, and we got lunch at Cafe Latte. She filled me in on her family's trip to Texas, where her in-laws threw her a baby shower. That afternoon, Tomkin picked up his new bike (it's so cool!), then had a wedding rehearsal. I got the house ready for our cocktail party. This month for Third Thursdays we served mojitos! Tomkin made up a few pitchers (with fresh-squeezed lime juice and a LOT of mint), and they were a big hit. We had a fun crowd--some regulars and a few new folks--and the party ran good and late. Ah, summer fun....

Grand Old Summer

Yikes! Time is flying by, and I'm getting more and more behind on blogging.... Well, let me start catching up! Back on Sunday, June 7th, Tomkin, Chloe, and I walked down to Grand Old Day. Each year, Grand Avenue blocks off a couple miles of streets and has a big party. We spent a couple hours just wandering up and down, checking out vendors, people-watching, and enjoying delicious treats. Tomkin was the main photographer for the day--I encouraged him to take pictures of anything that looked interesting, and he got some great shots! He gets right in the action to get pictures of people--or dogs! We saw some art cars--pretty crazy/funky designs. And I got my face "kissed" by a Vulcan. We saw (and heard) our friends Hanna and Michael (aka Langer's Ball) playing outside the Irish store. Chloe's favorite part of the day was finding food on the ground--plus we shared some of our snacks with her. By the time we got home, all of us were pooped, so we took a nice nap. Then we exercised to the series premiere of "Glee" (I liked it more than Tomkin did), read, and watched a little TV.
That Monday, Tomkin headed into the office, and I made my weekly shopping trip to Target. That afternoon we both took Chloe for a walk. Tomkin met with a couple, and then he chatted on the phone with my friend Adolfo about economics (one of Tomkin's big interests these days--and Adolfo is a Senior Economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago). Then Helena came over to perform a healing session on Tomkin, who was still recovering from his bike accident. She showed me what to do, and then we both performed the healing ritual. It really seemed to make a difference--Tomkin's demeanor was noticeably different when we were done. We all headed over to Pizza Luce to chat and catch up. Helena is one busy woman these days! It's always so lovely to see her.
On Tuesday the 9th, Tomkin met with a couple and went to the office. I went to the Hour of Power workout class with Helena (one of those experiences that feels really good...once you've made it through), then did some housecleaning. Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk, and that evening I had a premarital counseling session and Tomkin met with a couple. Business has really been booming! For the rest of the evening we just watched some TV and relaxed.
Wednesday we all (including Chloe) went over to Tomkin's parents' house for lunch. Tomkin met with a couple, and I went to Red Nails for a pedicure. Much to our delight, JimDog came over and joined us for dinner! We don't get to see him very often these days, so it was great to catch up. He went along to Tomkin's poker game, and I had a premarital counseling session, then talked to Mom.
On Thursday I biked to the YWCA to swim, and then I went and hung out with my friend Jill and her three-week-old son, Christopher. I hadn't seen her since her baby shower a few weeks ago. She looks great, and the baby is adorable (and so good!). We went for a lovely walk along the lake, then sat outside at a coffee shop and talked. I ran to Target (amazing how sometimes my weekly two-hour trip just isn't enough!), and then Heidi came by to drop off a housekey so I could cat-sit while she and her family went away for the weekend. Tomkin had a full day, too--first off, he bought a new bike! (They had to order it, so he didn't get to bring it home right away.) Then he had two wedding rehearsals. We walked Chloe, and then we watched a couple episodes of The Colbert Report while they were in Iraq. Good stuff!
Friday morning we drove out to Lakeville to look at a leather couch and loveseat that Tomkin found for sale on Craigslist. I had offhandedly mentioned that, at some point, it would be nice to put a loveseat in the spot that was occupied by a chair and Chloe's crate. Well, when Tomkin wants something, he goes for it! So he started searching and found this furniture. We liked it, and the price was right ($400 for the set!). Tomkin threw in some extra cash to have them deliver it (a few days later). I had a premarital counseling session that afternoon, then had some frustrating phone calls with my insurance company. They had applied my last two checks to Tomkin's account instead of mine, so they canceled my insurance. Argh. (Flash forward to June 24th--things pretty much seem to be straightened out now. I hope.) Tomkin got his stitches out, then went to the library and the office. Then he performed the wedding of Kristen and Dave, the couple with whom we went to the dog park a couple weeks ago. He picked me up after the wedding (which was a Rice Park), and we headed to the reception at Sweeney's Saloon. I had no idea that they had an upstairs area or that it was so nice! We enjoyed some delicious food and drinks and had fun talking with the bride and groom and their sweet, fun families. After that, we went home and watched a couple episodes of "The Vicar of Dibley." I'd been telling Tomkin about it (it's one of my all-time favorite shows), and it was fun to introduce him to it.

Bikes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Stitches

Last Monday, June 1st, Tomkin biked to the office. He was feeling a renewed excitement about riding, especially since I had just gotten my new bike. I shopped at Target, worked, cleaned, and picked up my aforementioned bike from the shop. I absolutely love it! We took Chloe for a walk, and that night we had our last swing dance class. It was such a ball--we're hoping to take another class later this year. Now we need to get out dancing!
Tuesday morning I had my six-month check-up at the dentist. I love the hygienist at this place--she's got me flossing my teeth more regularly than I ever have before! I got a clean bill of health and now have a clean set of chompers. Good for another six months! Tomkin had a meeting with a couple, and then we had lunch together. He was planning to bike to the office, so I biked down Summit Ave. with him. Have I mentioned that I love my new bike?! What a difference from the old one. When we got to the end of Summit, he headed to work, and I headed home. I spent the afternoon working on the front porch. Tomkin sent me a text message (as usual) to let me know that he was on his way home. It seemed to be taking longer than usual. Eventually I heard the front door open and Tomkin talking to someone. He introduced me to this woman named Pat, and at first I was irritated because I thought she was trying to sell something. Then she said she was an EMT, and I noticed that Tomkin was bleeding (and, frankly, seemed a little dazed). It turned out that on Tomkin's way home, he had hit a pothole while switching gears, and his bike flipped. He went down so hard that his helmet cracked, and he landed on the laptop in his backpack (which, amazingly, is still working fine! Macs rock!). Pat, the EMT, wasn't actually on her shift--she just happened to be driving by, saw Tomkin, put his bike in her van, and drove him home. She pointed out the gashes on the back of his right leg (caused by the sprockets that hold the bike chain in place) and said that he needed to go get stitches. She also told me what to watch for in case of head injury. Wow, was that all rather shocking! I was just so thankful that he seemed to be okay. He worked on cleaning up his wounds, and I called around to find an urgent care unit, then packed up some sandwiches and magazines (not knowing how long we'd have to wait). We headed to an urgent care facility in the Como area, and thankfully we only had to wait about half an hour to get in. The nurse was really sweet and friendly. She gave Tomkin a tetanus shot and cleaned out his wounds a little more (the gash on his leg and the big scrape on his elbow--other than that, he pretty much just had a variety of bruises). The doctor came in and did the stitches; there were ten in all. Tomkin said the worst part was when she injected the novacaine into the wounds. He had to keep reminding me not to look--he could see the horrified look on my face! All-in-all, the trip to urgent care went surprisingly well. And I was amazed that Tomkin wasn't in more pain. We were supposed to go to a Guthrie show that night, but since it already looked like we weren't going to make it, I offered to take him out for dinner at Shish. (He thought he should go home and cook! Silly.) After we got home, we took Chloe for a walk. Then we just relaxed at home. What a day!
When we got up on Wednesday, I was afraid that Tomkin might be really sore from his fall, but he said he felt surprisingly good. He was a little stiff and sore, but not too bad.In fact, he headed back to his folks' house to finish painting the windowsills and then went into the office. I worked at home in the morning and had a premarital counseling session in the afternoon. We took Chloe for a walk, and that evening I had another PMC session and then talked to Mom. Tomkin brought Chloe over to Tracy's house so that she could play with Wilbur (whom she loves), and the guys went to see the movie "Angels and Demons."
On Thursday, Tomkin and I went to the Twins-Indians game at the Metrodome! I'd never been to a Twins game before, and next year they'll be in a new ballfield. Tomkin's parents had won the tickets through their church, and they gave them to us. We had great seats (26th row behind home plate), and it was an exciting game. The Twins started off with a bang and didn't let up! We ate nachos and peanuts, and I had a malt cup and a beer. Ugh. Hey, that's part of going to a ballgame, though, right? We came home and took a nap, and that evening I had a PMC session, and Tomkin performed a ring-blessing ceremony. We walked Chloe afterward and had a really lovely evening--chatted with some neighbors, Chloe got to play with some of her doggy friends, and we got some iced coffee at Caribou. It was a beautiful summer evening, and it made us really thankful to live where we do.

Yesterday (Friday), Tomkin was interviewed by MPR--they're going to be doing a web piece about him and his gig as a minister. I'll be sure to let you know when it's available! (They're sending a photographer to a wedding he's officiating next weekend, so it'll be sometime after that.) He spent the afternoon at his office, then had a wedding rehearsal. I biked to the YWCA, went swimming, then ran some errands. I worked on the front porch with Chloe and got caught up on my current editing assignments. After dinner, we walked Chloe, and by then we were both pretty tired. So we all curled up on the couch and watched a little TV.
Today we slept in, and then we ran some errands. Tomkin is researching bikes, trying to decide if he should get his old one fixed or just get a new one (or a new used one). We went to a nearby bike store and asked a bunch of questions. Unfortunately, it was raining (it rained ALL DAY), so Tomkin couldn't do any test drives. (I bought a rearview mirror for my bike and a reflective leg strap. Since Tomkin's accident, I'm more safety-conscious than ever.) The rain also meant that we couldn't play tennis as we'd planned to, nor were we able to go for a walk. I actually spent much of my day blogging. But at least now I'm caught up! Yay!!! Tomkin officiated a wedding, and then after dinner we went to see the movie "Up." Thankfully, although the theater was packed with kids, most of them kept pretty quiet. We, however, were sobbing like babies. Tomkin gave the film a pretty mixed review--it was a little too surreal for his taste. I liked it more than he did and found it very touching overall. In fact, there were a LOT of messages in the movie (maybe too many). My favorite character was Doug the dog--he made me miss Chloe! After the show, we went to the Tea Source a couple doors down from the theater. It's so cold and rainy out, it was nice to have some hot tea. Now we're home, all three of us on the couch, Tomkin and I both typing away on our laptops. Right now it really feels to me like life couldn't get much better.

Springing Into Summer

Back on Tuesday, May 26th, Tomkin went over to his folks' house to help them paint some windowsills. I met Becca for lunch at Tum Rup Thai. No baby Leo with her this time. We chatted and caught up--had to talk about the American Idol finale for one thing. (For the record, I think it's fine that Adam didn't win. Still a bit of a surprise...but I'm glad I don't have to buy his version of that horrible "No Boundaries" song.) Anyway, it was great, as always, to see her. If I ever think I'm busy, hearing about her life really puts things into perspective!I went home and did some work, and then Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk. That evening, I had a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin went to the library. Then we just relaxed at home, read, and played on the computer.
Wednesday I went grocery shopping at Target and got some editing work done. Tomkin had lunch with his friend John, and they went to a shooting gallery. We took Chloe for a walk, and then Tomkin headed to his weekly poker game. I talked to my mom, and then I had more work to do. (I'm thankful for my flexible schedule and steady editing gigs!)
On Thursday, Tomkin worked in the yard and cleaned out the gutters before heading in to the office. I went swimming at the Y, got a spray tan, then worked on the front porch. We took Chloe for a walk--it was gorgeous out! Then we headed out to Minnetonka to have dinner with my aunt Carol and her husband, Steve. They have a beautiful home, and Steve has cultivated an amazing Japanese garden throughout their yard. They fixed an incredible dinner (salmon, salad, and asparagus), and we enjoyed talking and catching up with them.
That Friday, Helena picked me up and brought me along to her "Hour of Power" workout class. I was so nervous that we actually came up with a safe word ("potato chip") in case the class got too tough, but thankfully I didn't need to use it. The class was held outside, and it was a good workout. But I've learned not to push myself too hard--I wanted to be able to walk the next day! I enjoyed doing some strength-training, and it was great to see Helena, too. Tomkin had lunch with his friend Fletch, who was in town for a few days. He went to the office, and I worked at home, then we both took Chloe for a walk. That evening we got dinner at Ngon Vietnamese Bistro with Marcus, Helena, and Nick (who Helena's been seeing recently). It was fun to meet Nick--we all had a great time. And the food was delicious! Ngon is especially known for their pho, and I understand why. After we got home, Tomkin did some work, and I helped Chloe set up her own Facebook page. Now she's got an outlet for all her doggy adventures!
On Saturday, Tomkin and I headed over to the nearby Express Bike Shop and picked out a new bike for me. I thought it would take a long time to find something I liked, but I fell in love with the second bike I tried. It's a GT Vantara hybrid. I left it in the shop so they could add lights, a bell, extra handles, fenders, and a basket. We donated my old mountain bike (well, it wasn't actually THAT old--Tomkin had bought it for me in the summer of '07) to the bike shop. That afternoon, Tomkin and Chloe and I headed to the Minnehaha dog park, where we met up with Kristen and Dave, a couple who Tomkin is marrying later this month, and Kristen's parents (and their dogs). They were all really nice and fun, and we had a great time hanging out with them. Chloe had fun, too, although she was being typically shy. On our way out, we ran into Jen and Caroline Cho--it was a fun surprise to see them. We came home and took a nap (we were all pooped!), and then that night we headed to Hell's Kitchen to see/hear our friend Joe Weisman's band, The Smarts. We had hoped that we'd be able to swing dance, but it turns out that this band plays much different music than Joe's last band, the Jazztronauts. We still enjoyed the music (and drinks), and we had fun chatting with Joe's wife, Jen, and a bunch of their friends.
Sunday was a near-perfect Sabbath day. We slept in, then read on the front porch. Tomkin had never played tennis before, and I haven't played in years. We borrowed rackets from our friend Tracy and headed to some nearby courts to give it a try. It was so much fun! Both of us really enjoyed it. We didn't play for points, we just hit the ball back-and-forth. But what a workout! Chloe came with us, too, and just sat in the sun. When we went home, Tomkin took a nap, and then we both sat outside on the Adirondack chairs and read. Tomkin had a meeting with a couple, and I napped while he was gone. Then we both took Chloe for a walk and spent more time reading on the front porch. It was a truly wonderful and relaxing day.

Reunited...and It Feels So Good!

I can't believe how far behind I've gotten in my blogging! My goal for today is to catch up (in a few installments). Going way, way back to Thursday, May 21st...that was the night of our monthly Third Thursdays party. This month we had a Bloody Mary bar so people could make their own drinks as spicy (or not) as they wanted. Ironically, Tomkin--who doesn't drink--usually ends up playing bartender. I try to fit the foods to the drink somehow--this time around, I tried to serve foods that were red or reddish. Guests spilled out onto the new patio, which was awesome. Our neighbor Lucas had come into some hats when a neighbor friend of theirs died, so she brought one over for Tomkin, which was very cool. Marcus and Helena both brought friends along--I always love when we get to meet fun new people! All-in-all, it was another wonderful night with friends.
On Friday, May 22nd, I picked up my friend Kristen (she stayed at a hotel in downtown St. Paul). Hard to believe that the last time I'd seen her was in June 1992 at her wedding. Since then, she's been living in Arizona, and she now has six kids! I was pretty amazed how easy it was to just hang out again--it was a little strange, after all those years, but really it was just wonderful to see her again. We went back to the house, and she got to meet Tomkin before he left for a wedding rehearsal. Then we went to Pizza Luce for lunch and started catching up. We went back to my place and looked at photos for a while, and then we headed over to Heidi's house for a girls' night out. Sarah was already there--it had also been 17 years since I'd seen her! (She lives in Colorado and has five kids.) We all gathered around the table to eat and catch up, then we relaxed in the living room, looked at photos, and talked. We eventually made our way to the Sage Wine Bar, where we spent a couple more hours eating, drinking, and chatting. It was really fun to hang out with these wonderful old friends again. We've all known each other since junior high!
On Saturday, everyone (including husbands) came over to our house, and we had a picnic of Mexican food out on the patio. Of course I had to drag out my old photo albums, scrapbooks, and yearbooks. Heidi's husband, Chris, and Sarah's husband, David, got a kick out of seeing photos of their ex-cheerleader wives! We all just talked, hung out, and relaxed for a few hours, which was wonderful. Then Sarah and David had to go (they were splitting their vacation time between friends and family). Tomkin and I took a nap, and then he headed to a wedding. After that, he spent the evening with his friend Pete. I picked up Kristen, and we got dinner at Mango Thai (delicious!). Then we headed to Cafe Latte for coffee and dessert. And, once again, we just sat and talked for hours. After 17 years, there's a lot to catch up on! After I dropped off Kristen, I headed home, and Tomkin and I hung out on the porch for a little while.

Sunday the 24th was another beautiful day. Kristen was hanging out with her brother, so I relaxed at home with Tomkin. We took Chloe for a walk and spent some time out on the front porch. We both signed up for Twitter. (Like I really need another time-suck on the computer!) I've gotten into it more than Tomkin has, following celebrities and getting lots of dish. That evening, Kristen, Heidi, and I met up for dinner at W.A. Frost. I thought it was funny that we all ended up wearing black-and-white! We started talking about when our next reunion should be. Kristen and her husband might renew their vows for their 20th anniversary in 2012, so we're thinking that maybe we'll go down for that, then spend a few days at Sedona. I definitely don't want another 17 years to go by before we all see each other again! We had a delicious meal--I ordered a hamburger, because that's what sounded good to me. Felt a little silly getting a burger at W.A. Frost, but WOW was that a good burger! We all got dessert, too. I definitely ate more than usual over the weekend--but it was totally worth it! I dropped Kristen off at her hotel, and then I went home and relaxed on the front porch with Tomkin and Chloe.
Monday morning I drove Kristen to the airport. Then Tomkin and I spent the rest of the day (which was Memorial Day) as our Sabbath. I was telling Tomkin how challenging it still is for me to drive around this city (it's not laid out in a grid pattern like Chicago, so I find it very confusing). He's so sweet--he ordered me a GPS device for the car. (Flash ahead a couple weeks--the GPS has arrived, and it is awesome!) It was another gorgeous day, so we took Chloe and headed to Lake Como for a walk. We saw a lot of amazing birds, including a blue heron, a bunch of ducklings, and a red-winged blackbird. We also saw a muskrat scurry by, which made Chloe very excited! We went home and read on the porch, took a nap, then exercised to "So You Think You Can Dance," which felt great. Then we watched some TV and read. What an amazing weekend!

Oh, Oh, Patio!

It's been a pretty low-key last few days, but I figured I'd catch up on the blog before the very busy weekend ahead. Last Saturday (the 16th) we had a very productive day around the house. I cranked up my new Kelly Clarkson CD (love it!) and did some housecleaning, and Tomkin put up the jewelry holders that he made for me. Our neighbor Luke stopped by, and we all chatted a while. And our contractors spent the day laying the pavers for our new patio (yay!!!) and finishing the installation of a drainpipe in the front yard.They left a pile of bricks and wood on the yard over the pipe to keep it in place and picked everything up a couple days later. Tomkin and I went for a bike ride down Summit Ave., and then I went for a run. And I decided that I really, really hate running. So much so that I've already called off my possible plans to do a triathlon in the fall. However, we're still planning to do the bike tour, so I'm maintaining my triathlon training schedule--I've just modified it so I don't have to do any running. I felt bad because both Becca and Helena (Ironwomen that they are) offered to the do triathlon with me. But I figure if I hate running that much, then I shouldn't force myself to do it. There are plenty of other ways to get good exercise. It was a little chilly out, but Tomkin and I walked Chloe down to the Coffee News Cafe on Grand Ave. and ate dinner outside. Then we walked home, where we hung out and relaxed. I was exhausted and sore!
Sunday was a Sabbath day for me, but not so much for Tomkin. He performed two baptisms. I started reading Merle's Door and napped on the front porch with Chloe. Tomkin hired someone to come over and wax and detail his car--the guy was here for three hours, and Tomkin's car looks amazing! Once I didn't feel like a total slug zombie anymore, I had fun organizing my jewelry and shoes. Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk, and we chatted with a bunch of neighbors. (I love this neighborhood!) Then we curled up on the couch and watched a couple hours of TV.
On Monday, Tomkin went into the office. I worked at home and went grocery shopping at Target. The contractors came by to pick up the last of their stuff, which meant they were officially done! Tomkin and I walked Chloe to the library, and she kindly carried back our books in her backpack. Tomkin did some yardwork, and I started spray-painting some wooden cubes. I've had these things since I was a kid and have moved them around with me to every place I've lived. They're six heavy, solid wood boxes, and I use them (now) for storing supplies in my basement office. They were originally pink and white, and they're now mostly red and black. I'm trying to make them blue so they'll match my office. I didn't realize how hard spray-painting can be! Two days later, my arm is still sore, and I can't quite hold a pen right. (I have since learned that one can use a spray-painting gun. Will put that on my list....) I ran out of paint and decided I had too much going on this week to take on this task anyway, so I have aborted the mission until further notice. Tomkin and I went to our swing dance class, which was so much fun! This week we learned the Kansas City and the Heel Swag. Only one more class to go! I'm looking forward to actually going out and dancing sometime soon. When we got home, we exercised while watching the "Dancing with the Stars" finale.
Tuesday, I went to the YMCA and swam laps for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long. Turns out that's really good exercise! And kind of fun, too. Tomkin got a workout in the yard, as he spread 70 bags of mulch around. It was really the finishing touch, and now the whole outside of our house looks amazing, if I do say so myself! We'd still like to have a retaining wall installed along the edge of the yard (where now there are wooden timbers), and we're also talking about putting up a fence (Tomkin even got the okay from our neighbor). Probably not until next year, though. I did some work, and Tomkin took a much-needed nap. We walked Chloe to the liquor store and had her carry back our vodka for tomorrow night's Third Thursdays party. She was really dragging. We didn't realize until later that it was 97 degrees out! No wonder the poor dog was so pooped. We got a new point-and-shoot camera because the one I have now is dying. It's a Canon Power Shot, and it's really cool! Tomkin had fun setting it up and trying it out. I led a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin read outside on the hammock. Then I watched the finale of DWTS (I won't say anything about the results because I don't think my mom has watched the show yet!) and the first part of the "American Idol" finale. I'm rooting hard for Adam, but I'm really afraid that Kris might have the momentum (and the votes from Danny Gokey's fans). Fingers crossed!!!
Today (Wednesday) Tomkin gave Chloe a bath and then did more yardwork. (Our neighbor Tracy gave us a bunch of raspberry bushes, which Tomkin planted near the patio.) We both had lunch with his parents, and then we went shopping at Trader Joe's. We're hosting a party tomorrow night and then having friends over on Saturday, so our house is overflowing with food and beverages! Tomkin took a nap, and I did more shopping at Cub. Now Tomkin is at his weekly poker game. I talked to my mom and am gearing up to watch the "American Idol" finale. This weekend I've got two high school friends coming to town: Kristen, who I haven't seen in 17 years, and Sarah, who I probably haven't seen since we graduated in 1988. We're getting together with my friend Heidi, who also lives here. Our friend Lana had planned to come, too, but it turns out that she can't make it now. (At least I got to see her last year at my wedding!) I'm so excited to see these friends again, catch up, and reconnect. This reunion is something I've been trying to put together for years, and now it's finally happening! I'll have lots to blog about next week. In the meantime, enjoy your holiday weekend!

Of Concerts and Concrete

Funny how there never really seems to be a good time for blogging these days. Well, I guess 10:00 on a Friday night will have to do! Going back to last Thursday (May 7th), it was a gorgeous day, and the contractors came over and did some good work on our yard--they did lots of digging and prep work. That evening, Tomkin went to the library while I led a premarital counseling session, and then we both hung out on the porch and read. I'm almost done with "Fargo Rock City" and am loving it!
Friday morning, Tomkin and I got 16th-row tickets for the American Idols tour. This is the first time I've ever gotten tickets to see the show. Such is the power of Adam Lambert! I think I'm going to take my friend Becca since Tomkin's not really dying to see all the Idols, live or otherwise. We had hoped the contractors would be over to pour concrete, but they never showed up. I soothed myself by getting a pedicure at Red Nails. Wow, do my feet look and feel a lot better now! Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk, and I finally got to meet our neighbor Heidi's new dog, Otto. What a cutie! That evening, we got dinner at Pizza Luce with Peter and Mandy--it felt like we hadn't seen them in a while, so it was great to catch up. Afterward, we all headed back to our place. The original plan had been to hang out on our new patio, but since a) it was raining and b) our "patio" was still basically a mud pit, we just had some drinks inside. Helena and Pete joined us, too. What a fun night! It was great to hang out, talk, and laugh with some awesome friends.
Tomkin and I treated Saturday as our Sabbath day since we had plans on Sunday. We took Chloe for a walk, sat outside at Caribou and enjoyed some coffee, lounged around, exercised, and read. That evening Tomkin was a little antsy, so we decided to go see a movie. By the time we started formulating our plan our options were limited, but we agreed upon "Adventureland," which was playing at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. I'd never been there before--it was awesome! Five bucks to get in, it's a single-screen theater, and the first two rows of seats were actual leather couches. The movie itself was fine--entertaining but forgettable. Still, it was a fun little date with my hubby!
On Sunday we headed up to St. Cloud for Alex's graduation from St. Cloud State University. We headed to my dad and Sandy's house first, and then we all headed over to the graduation site (a hockey arena) together with Phillip. Alex graduated with a degree in statistics and will be starting grad school (also for statistics) in the fall. Such a smarty boots! We were very proud of him. After the ceremony (and the requisite picture-taking) we all had dinner on campus, which was really nice. It was such a fun and exciting day! And nice to see all of them again--we hadn't seen them since Christmas. Tomkin walked Chloe and did some yard work after we got home. I watched the season finale of "Amazing Race."
The contractors came back on Monday (hallelujah!) and poured cement for the front step and the patio. It hadn't occurred to us beforehand how difficult it would be for us to get Chloe out of the house with that wet cement. We thought about trying to get her to jump out of a window or something. Eventually we got her out the front door, and she only stepped one paw in the cement. We took her for a walk, then left her at our friend Tracy's house for a while. Tomkin and I went to our swing dance class--this week we learned the double-step and triple-step swing. So much fun!
My crazy friend Becca, who's an emergency room doctor and has four sons, does triathlons for "fun." A while back, she had asked if I'd be interested in doing one. At the time, I truly couldn't fathom it. Well, Tuesday I saw that she just signed up to do another one in a couple months. And it got me thinking.... I've been looking for a way to get motivated so I'll look good in a bikini by the time we go to Hawaii in October. And I realized that training for a triathlon would be a great way to get a lot of regularly scheduled exercise (which, frankly, is what I need). So I did a little research and found out that the St. Paul Triathlon is on August 23rd. I'm not 100% committed to doing it at this point, but I did find a training schedule and put it all on my calendar. Tomkin and I have definitely decided to do the St. Paul Classic Bike Tour on September 13th, so we'd want to train for that anyway. Helena has also agreed to train for the triathlon with us. So, if nothing else, we'll all be in great shape by the end of the summer! Anyway, Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk on Tuesday, and that night we saw "Caroline, or Change" at the Guthrie. Interesting show--it's a musical by Tony Kushner. I really enjoyed it.
On Wednesday morning, we scored 6th-row tickets to see Kelly Clarkson when she performs at the MN State Fair! Originally we were going to get tickets to see Kid Rock, but we couldn't get very good seats. I've already seen him in concert twice, and I think the Kelly Clarkson show will be a lot of fun. She's got some great rockin' songs! I headed to Open Book for a Minnesota Book Publishers Roundtable luncheon, then went shopping at Target. Tomkin had lunch with his folks and then bought some new trees and bushes for our yard. We took Chloe for a walk, and then I had a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin went with some friends to see the new "Star Trek" movie. I got caught up on "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol." I was so relieved that Adam made it to the finals! I wonder if Kris Allen is going to pull an upset, though. I have a feeling that a lot of Danny Gokey's fans will transfer their loyalties to Kris. I'm still 100% behind Adam, though!
Yesterday (Thursday) Helena picked up me and Chloe, and we went to see the house that she might be buying. Very exciting! It looks like a great place. Then we walked around beautiful Lake Como. We were so engrossed in conversation that I didn't get any photos of our walk! I did my first official bit of triathlon training--just a short run, but I thought it was going to kill me. This could be a higher hill to climb than I'd anticipated.... I led a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin met with a couple. Then he went running while I talked to my mom.
Today (Friday) Tomkin and I walked Chloe to the vet for her monthly weigh-in. Somehow she managed to GAIN a pound this month! (Now she's up to 113.) Too many treats, perhaps? We made our way through the gorgeous tunnel of lilacs on Summit Avenue--one of the many things I love about St. Paul! We met Helena for a yoga class at the Center for Happiness--that was quite a workout! Then we came home and did our second day of triathlon training (bike riding). I really should sleep well tonight.... Tomorrow the contractors should be back to finish up the patio! And my weekend plans all got cancelled, so I'm hoping to have a couple relaxing/productive days around the house.

May Flowers

Last Thursday (April 30th) was the first day of the national American Copy Editors Society (ACES) conference, which was held at the Hilton in Minneapolis. I just joined ACES before signing up for the conference, so I didn't really know much about the organization or its members. The first session I attended was about narrative editing. Then I had two hours to kill during lunch. I had brought food along and it was rainy out, so I just stayed in the Hilton's lobby. I passed much of the time reading Fargo Rock City (which is awesome!), and I also got to talk with my friend Lisa, who is now back from Hawaii, has a baby daughter, and is living with her fiance in Iowa. And I'm going to get to see her in a couple weeks when they come to visit!!! (And I get to be in her wedding next February!) I'm very psyched. Anyway, that afternoon I went to a session about "selling yourself," and I spoke up at one point and talked about freelance editing. For the rest of the weekend, I was bombarded with people wanting to talk to me about freelancing. I get the impression that people working for newspapers are feeling pretty uneasy these days, and they're anxious to see where else they might be able to employ their skills. I went to one last session, called "Editing with Your Mind's Eye," then hung out in the hotel lobby until the opening-night reception began. I got some food, mixed and mingled, then headed home. I was exhausted! But since I'd been sitting all day, I was happy to go for a walk with Tomkin and Chloe and then wind down for the night.
Friday I skipped the morning sessions and headed back to the ACES conference in the afternoon. The first session I attended was called "What Else Can I Do With These Skills?" (similar in tone to the previous day's "selling yourself" session) and the second was "Usability, Data Projects, Flash, S-E-Oh-No!" I high-tailed it out of there, headed home, and then Tomkin and I drove out to the 318 in Excelsior to hear my high school/college friend Eric Kalenze play guitar (and harmonica!) and sing. I'd forgotten what a beautiful voice he has! Such a talented guy. We got to meet his wife and two daughters, which was cool. And it was just great to see (and hear) Eric again. Tomkin and I walked down Excelsior's main drag, checked out the docks, and stopped in an ice cream shop (they actually had sugar-free ice cream!). We don't get out that way too often, so it kind of felt like a suburban adventure.
Saturday was the last day of the ACES conference. Again, I skipped the morning sessions. Tomkin headed off to a Segway event with Kris and Dave, and I went back to the conference for the afternoon. I decided to check out a forum about editing overseas. It was pretty interesting--and didn't make me want to work overseas anytime soon! Then they had a "smackdown" of two grammar titans. I loved this--they talked about things like hyphens, spelling out words such as "gonna" and "wanna" in quoted material, and all sorts of other things that editors can get really worked up about. They wrapped up the conference with a closing session and slideshow. I skipped the post-conference party and headed home. I'm glad I went to the conference since it was local, but overall I thought that too many of the sessions were dedicated to people who work for newspapers. It was definitely interesting, though. Tomkin and I took Chloe for a nice, long walk, and we ended up standing outside, chatting with our across-the-street neighbors Wayne and Sheila. Eventually they asked if we wanted to come in for some wine. So we dropped off Chloe and headed back over. It was fun to hang out and visit with them for a while. Their three kids had friends over, and they all created a haunted house in the bathroom. I loved when they excitedly asked if Tomkin wanted to go in, and he flatly said, "No." (I declined as well.) We did enjoy cuddling with the cats, though!
Sunday was a beautiful day. Tomkin and I walked Chloe down to the Happy Gnome and sat out on their lovely patio (dogs are allowed until 5:00). We ate lunch, listened to live music, then made our way home. We hung out on the front porch and read, and I took a nice, long nap. We exercised to "Rescue Me," and then I watched "Amazing Race." I love a good relaxing Sabbath!
Tomkin headed into the office on Monday morning, and I led a premarital counseling session. I spent about an hour checking/replying to e-mails, and then I went to Target for more than two hours. (Ugh.) Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk, and then we had our second swing dance class. (I realized that shopping, walking, and then dancing may have been too much for one day....) It was really fun, and we're learning some cool moves. Right after class, we booked over to Pazzaluna to meet up with Helena and Marcus for late-night happy hour. Once again, we closed the place down! It's just so fun hanging out and talking with those two. The conversations are always so interesting, and time just flies!
Tuesday, May 5th, was the one-year anniversary of Scout's death. It was sad, of course, but also nice to reflect on what a character he was. He could be very naughty and mischievous, but he really loved people, didn't have a shy bone in his body, was always up for an adventure, and loved to cuddle (especially under a blanket). He's definitely still missed. It was a rainy day, and both Tomkin and I worked at home. The contractors doing our front steps and patio managed to get a lot of work done before they got rained out. If anyone would like to do some mud wrestling, we've got a nice pit next to our house! Hopefully by the end of the week it'll be filled with cement and bricks. And hopefully we'll have steps again, too, leading from our house to the sidewalk. It's a little treacherous out there right now! Tomkin and I went to take Chloe for a walk, got a couple blocks away from home, and decided that we should head back because there was so much thunder rumbling. Sure enough, we got caught in a downpour about a half-block from our house! We waited a few minutes, and then it cleared up. When we headed back out, it was sunny and warm! A very strange day, weather-wise. I had a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin met with a couple. Then I watched "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol." For the first time this season, I actually voted (go, Adam!!!!).
Today (Wednesday) we had an early Mother's Day celebration with Tomkin's parents. They came over about 10:30, and we headed to the Cheeky Monkey Deli for an early lunch. Nancy has been wanting to check out Garrison Keillor's bookstore, Common Good Books, so we went there, and Tomkin bought each of his parents a book. Then we headed over to Tomkin's office. I hadn't been there in a while, so it was fun to see what else he's done with the place--and to meet the office cat, Muscles. We really had a great time hanging out with Nancy and Tom! They're always so much fun.Tomkin headed back to the office to work, and I stayed home and worked on the front porch with Chloe. Later, Tomkin, Chloe, and I went for a walk--it was such a gorgeous day, and everything's finally starting to bloom! Tonight Tomkin headed to his weekly poker game, and I talked to my mom (and her sister Candy, who's visiting for the week). Then I had to watch "American Idol" to make sure Adam made it into the final three (phew!). (Seriously, though, what is the deal with Kris Allen? I've never understood his teenybopper appeal.) Anyway, I hope you're having a wonderful week! Thanks for reading my blog!

Wishes, Songs, and Dance

Okay, sure I could probably be doing some work right now...but since there's nothing pressing, I figured I'd go ahead and finish catching up on my blog. Back on Sunday the 19th, it was a lazy rainy day. Tomkin and I slept in and lounged around, which felt great. Eventually we pulled ourselves off the couch and headed to Wishes for the Sky, an annual Earth Day event coordinated by our friend Marcus, who is the artist-in-residence of St. Paul. We brought Chloe along with us, and we all wrote our wishes on a kite. Then we took turns flying our kite. Even Chloe gave it a go until park security gave us a warning for letting our dog run off-leash. Oops! We met up with Helena and listened to the day's closing ceremony. Such a nice event! Tomkin and Chloe and I headed back home and spent the rest of our Sabbath day reading and relaxing.
Monday morning kicked off one of the busiest weeks I've had in a long time. I met with a couple first thing in the morning. Tomkin graciously did the weekly grocery shopping so I didn't have to. Then he headed into the office, and I worked on a structural engineering report. We walked Chloe in the afternoon, and that evening I had another session and Tomkin met with a couple. I did a little more editing, and then my wonderful, sweet husband suggested that we relax by watching "Dancing with the Stars" together while he stroked my hair. Ahhhh....
Tuesday morning I met with another couple. Tomkin had lunch with his friend John and then went into the office to work. I finished editing my report and then started writing my first grant proposal. It was pretty overwhelming at first and felt like a huge puzzle. When I'm in the early stages of a big project (or two or three...), I like to envision the time when it's all done and I'm looking back. That really helps me. I know I'll get it done--I just have to get to that point. We took Chloe for a walk, and then all three of us took a nap on the couch. I had another premarital counseling session and Tomkin met with a couple. I was fried by the end of the night, so I was happy to just curl up with Chloe and watch "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol."
Tomkin went into the office on Wednesday, and I worked on my grant at home. I also attended my first "webinar" about social networking for people in the publishing industry. We took Chloe for a walk, and that evening I had a counseling session. (Tomkin and Chloe hung out downstairs.) I watched "American Idol," and then we decided to buy our tickets to go visit Jenny and Allison in Portland. We had planned to go over the July 4th weekend. Unfortunately, tickets were a lot more expensive than we'd expected, so we decided to hold off on that trip for now. We were kind of disappointed, so we shifted gears and said we should start thinking about our trip to Hawaii in the fall. We checked on tickets and ended up buying them! We also booked our lodging--we'll be staying in the Coffee Barn room at the Pomaika'i "Lucky" Farm B&B on The Big Island. It was recommended by the Frugral Traveler in The New York Times, and it sounds amazing! The B&B is on a working coffee farm, and the very reasonable price includes breakfast, access to kitchen facilities, and use of snorkel gear, grills, coolers, beach towels, etc. Plus, we get to eat all the fresh fruit and macadamia nuts we want! Tomkin has been researching the area, and it looks like we couldn't have picked a better location. We're planning to go snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, visit a volcano, go to a luau, and take a helicopter tour. The money we got for our wedding covered our plane tickets, lodging, and a rental car, which is awesome. And we already have a house/dog-sitter lined up, too! Of course we still want to get out to Portland sometime soon, but at least now we have Hawaii to look forward to.
Thursday morning Tomkin headed into the office, and I stayed home to finish up my grant. Phew! It was a gorgeous day, so it was nice to get out and take Chloe for a walk. I had one last premarital counseling session that evening; Tomkin went to the library. Since it was so nice, we hung out on the front porch for a while--Tomkin read while I played on the computer. I was happy that I'd made it through my very busy week and gotten everything done!
It was another beautiful day on Friday. I ran some errands, and then we took Chloe for a walk. Tomkin met with a couple and then had a wedding rehearsal. I went to DSW and ended up buying six new pairs of shoes! That was kind of crazy. One pair is comfy, one was a pair of brown boots (on clearance for $30!), and the rest are fancy party shoes. I fell in love with them all and just couldn't resist. That evening we hosted our friend Juliet (Adolfo's wife), who flew in from Chicago because she was auditioning for the Minnesota Opera on Saturday. We already had plans to go to Kris and Dave's house for dinner that night, so Juliet came along with us. Dave made another of his incredible meals (steak, homemade bread, salad, and asparagus), and we drank some delicious red wine and hung out and talked for a couple hours.
On Saturday, Juliet took out us for brunch at Pizza Luce. It was fun getting to hang out and chat with her. She's due to have a baby boy in August, which is very exciting! We all went back and napped, and then Tomkin had to go officiate a wedding, and Juliet left for her audition. I worked and did some stuff around the house. Tomkin picked me up, and we headed to a wedding reception at the James J. Hill Library (for the couple he had just married). We were seated at a table with people from Grand Forks! So funny that they knew people I know/am related to (and the bride used to be a member of the North Dakota Ballet Company!). And I loved that the wedding favors were Chippers from Widman's! We stayed for dinner and cake (both delicious), then headed home and took Chloe for a walk. Then we just relaxed and hung out at home, which was really nice.
Sunday was a rainy day, and we lounged in bed until noon. Then we read books and magazines and lounged around some more. I actually did a little organizing in my basement office, and then Tomkin was getting antsy so we went to Menard's. We've been needing to go there for ages, and it was kind of fun. We got materials so Tomkin could make me a hanging jewelry organizer. Right now I've got everything crammed into jewelry boxes and a drawer--it'll be nice to have all my necklaces and bracelets out so I can see what I have. Someone at the wedding had told us about a special this week only at Punch Pizza: $3 pizzas! So we picked up a couple pizzas and ate them at home. We exercised to "Rescue Me," and then we played some Bananagrams. I love that game! We wound down a wonderful Sabbath day by curling up on the couch and watching "The Office" and "Amazing Race." Ahhh....
Back to work on Monday. Tomkin went into the office, and I did some work at home, went grocery shopping at Target, then picked up a Punch Pizza. We took Chloe for a walk and stopped by Grand Jete on Grand Ave. so I could pick up some character shoes for our swing dance class. I love having so many cool local businesses nearby! That evening we had our first "swing & jitterbug" dance class, through St. Paul's Community Ed. There were about ten couples in our class, and it was really fun. Both Tomkin and I have swing danced before, but it's nice to actually take a class together so we can be on exactly the same page. It's also a good exercise in communication--what changes do either of us need to make to help out the other? It's fun to work together in new ways. We swung by Punch Pizza again, then went home and watched "Dancing with the Stars." (That could be us! Ha!)
Yesterday (Tuesday), Tomkin went into the office, and I worked at home. I took a bunch of "before" pictures of our house, patio, and yard since the contractor should be putting in our new front step and brick patio soon. (Yay!) I did a little Mother's Day shopping at Bibelot, then picked up another Punch Pizza. (Thank goodness this promotion is only for a week...especially with a trip to Hawaii coming up!) Helena came over about 3:00, and she, Tomkin, Chloe, and I all went to the dog park. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We walked for a while, then found a relatively secluded spot for a picnic. Helena is always so thoughtful--she had picked up a bunch of delicious drinks and snacks for us to share. It was fun to chat, to be outdoors, and to see so many cute dogs running around. Last night I did some blogging and watched "Dancing with the Stars," and Tomkin worked on my jewelry holder and a couple other projects around the house. Then we both exercised to "Rescue Me." I slept soundly last night!
Today we both had lunch with Tomkin's folks. I hadn't seen them in a few weeks, so it was great to catch up with them. Nancy recently traveled to Chicago, and this weekend she's going out to Portland to see Jenny and Allison. She and Tom are both busy with their church and with various other activities. They're incredibly active and social, and they have a lot of fun together. Tomkin went into the office to work for a couple hours, and I worked on this blog post. We both took Chloe for a walk, then got pizzas from Punch Pizza for dinner. (Yes, I think that might be enough Punch Pizza for a while!) Tomkin went to a movie with Tracy, and I talked to my mom. Now I'm going to catch up on "American Idol." Have a great week everyone, and thanks for reading my blog!

Chicago Heidi Visits St. Paul

Way back on Wednesday, April 15th (it's been a crazy last couple of weeks...), my friend Heidi flew in from Chicago for a visit. Tomkin and I picked her up at the airport, then headed home so she could settle in. Heidi brought a whole bag of lovely gifts, some of which she had picked up during her recent trip to Turkey and others that she'd made herself. We all (including Chloe) walked down Grand Ave. and sat outside at Caribou to chat and enjoy the gorgeous weather. Tomkin headed home (he had poker that night), and Heidi and I went to happy hour at Salut, then got ice cream cones at the Grand Ole Creamery. (I hadn't been there before--the ice cream was fantastic!) We walked home, then looked through some photos. When Tomkin got back from poker, we all went to late-night happy hour at Chino Latino. The service was slow, but the food and drinks were delicious.
Thursday morning we had breakfast at home, and then Heidi and I took Chloe for a nice long walk at the Minnehaha dog park. Tomkin made us lunch, and then we got coffee at Nina's and meandered around Common Good Books (Garrison Keillor's bookstore). We went home and rested, then got ready for Third Thursdays. Tomkin had a wedding rehearsal and made it back just before the party began. This month's featured drink was pina coladas, and it seemed like people were in an especially good mood, maybe because of the tropical-seeming weather. People were great about mixing and mingling, and we all had a really good time.
Since we were up late on Thursday, we slept in Friday morning. One of my clients contacted me about an emergency grant-writing project that needed to be done by Sunday. Ack! Tomkin and Heidi were both great about being flexible and supportive so I'd be able to get it done. Fortunately, we got a week extension on the grant deadline (phew!), so I didn't have to work on it while Heidi was here. It was a gorgeous summerlike day out. All three of us went to the observation deck at the Foshay Tower. It was fun to look out over the city--there are a lot of really cool buildings in Minneapolis. Next we headed to the Walker Sculpture Garden. We wandered around and saw a lovely new windchime exhibit. It was odd to see the Spoonbridge sans cherry (it's being cleaned up/repaired). We picked up some food at Surdyk's and then had a picnic in a park. That was nice and relaxing.... We went home to rest a little more, and Jim & Roxanne stopped by with Watson. (Chloe got very excited!) Heidi and I took Chloe for a walk, then got dinner at Pizza Luce (of course we had to go there at some point, right?). Then Heidi, Tomkin, and I went to Psycho Suzi's and sat out on the patio, where we enjoyed some tator tots and tiki drinks.
Saturday morning we picked up Roxanne and all took a yoga class from Helena at the wonderful Center for Happiness. After we went home and changed, Heidi and I walked down Selby to the new Cheeky Monkey Deli. The place is really cute, and the food was wonderful. Tomkin had a wedding that afternoon, so I drove Heidi to the airport. It was so much fun having her here! I enjoyed hanging out and catching up, and it was also fun to play tourist (although we only did about half of the things on my original itinerary). The rest of the day was really low-key. I cleaned and did some work, Tomkin took Chloe for a walk, and then we curled up and watched some TV. If you'd like to come visit, please contact Chez Coleman for a reservation!

Paper or Clocks

Although the traditional first anniversary gift is paper, I see that the "modern" gift is clocks. What do you suppose the symbol is of each gift? With paper, you can either write love notes to your betrothed...or perhaps to-do lists? And are clocks to remind you to treasure your time together? Or of how little time you have to accomplish all those tasks on your list?
Anyway, Tomkin and I just celebrated our first wedding anniversary, and I feel more blessed than ever to have such an amazing, wonderful husband. Last Thursday, April 9th, we drove down to Northfield, where we met back in 1989 (!!!) at Carleton and fatefully reconnected in June 2007 (and honeymooned last year). We headed straight to the Ole Store (now known as the Ole Cafe--hmph) for lunch and walked around the neighborhood while our food was being prepared. It was such a gorgeous spring day! We checked into the Archer House, unpacked, and took a nap. Then we headed down to Division Street and did some shopping. We were sad that the waffle place had closed--thankfully, though, most of the other places seem to be hanging on, at least for now. I found some great used books and some new sandals, and Tomkin got a couple cool shirts. For dinner we walked down to Basil's and got a delicious gyros pizza. (Why more places don't serve that is beyond me!) We stopped by the Goodbye Blue Monday coffee shop--they have a public computer, which allowed me to check in on Facebook (phew!). We headed back to our room and were going to lounge in the whirlpool, but it didn't seem to be working. First the receptionist came up. Yes, she agreed that it wasn't working. So she sent up the maintenance guy. He tried to fix it but couldn't. Meanwhile, Tomkin and I played a couple games of Bananagrams. They never could get the whirlpool fixed--ah, well.
Friday morning we slept until 10:15 (no dog to wake us up...), then had a breakfast picnic in our room. We headed to the Carleton campus and then to the Arb. We just wandered around, looking at trees and birds, enjoying the gorgeous day. Back on campus, I went to the bookstore, and Tomkin hung out with a group of students who were soliticiting donations for Rotblatt. I talked with them for a while, too. It was accepted students weekend on campus, so I kept wondering if anyone thought we were parents of an incoming frosh.... Tomkin and I walked over to Dacie Moses House and discovered a bench in the backyard. We hung out there and had a picnic lunch. Then we went inside and discovered a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies, so I had one for dessert. We headed back downtown and got coffee at Bittersweet, then did a little jewelry shopping at A Bag Lady. We picked up some groceries at Econo Foods, then went back to the room to read and nap for a while. That evening we got dinner at Chapati, and we reflected on our first year of married life. (It just keeps getting better!) Then we got some coffee at Blue Monday and called it a night.
Saturday we got breakfast at the Tavern, courtesy of the Archer House (they also knocked some money off the cost of our room because of the whirlpool). We did a little more shopping--had to go to Present Perfect, a cute little gifty shop. The woman who owns it is now the mayor of Northfield! (We had talked with her during our last visit, when she was running.) We had a nice chat with her and bought a whole bunch of stuff. After that, we headed home--it was so nice to see Chloe again! Our friend Ben had stayed at our house while we were away, which was great. Tomkin ran a couple errands, and I unpacked, then we both took a nap. We got a new rug that we had ordered, so we got that set up in the living room. I got caught up on my e-mails, and then we took Chloe to a nearby park and let her run around. She needed to burn off some steam! That evening, our friends Liz & Fletch (in town from California), Mark (in town from NYC), and Pete joined us for dinner at Pizza Luce. Then we came back to our place, where we hung out and talked until 12:30. I've only met Liz & Fletch a couple times, but it looks like they're going to be moving here, which would be awesome. It would be cool to hang out with them a lot more.
Sunday the 12th was our first anniversary. We exchanged gifts and cards (I put Tomkin's in an Easter basket since it was Easter). He gave me jewelry. I gave him a few things, including a scrapbook of us from the last year or so and a book about Minnesota birds, which he's been wanting forever. I set up a chair on the front porch so that Chloe could look out at the birds and squirrels. Wow, did she like that! We took her for a walk, and Tomkin brought along our camera with a serious zoom lens so he could take pictures of birds. Then he went through his bird book and checked off the ones we had seen. Almost a dozen--certainly more than I would have expected, especially for this time of year! Tomkin did some work, and I curled up on the couch with Chloe and finished reading "Julie & Julia," then took a nap. (I am definitely napping more now than I used to.) To cap off our anniversary celebration, Tomkin and I had dinner at W.A. Frost and both got the six-course tasting menu. I ended up getting the vegetarian option, just because the foods sounded better to me. Of course everything was gorgeous and too delicious for words. (Seeing as how this is already a long post and I want to watch "DWTS" and "American Idol" tonight, I won't go through all twelve of our foods. I'll just post a few shots, and you'll get the idea.) The servers (we seemed to have a whole gaggle of them) sensed what we needed before we did and were lovely and friendly and wonderful. We were there for about 2-1/2 hours--oh, we ended up being seated at the very table at which Tomkin proposed on January 11, 2008! It was a delightful, amazing, romantic evening--and lots of fun, too! When we got home, we were both pretty stuffed, so we curled up on the couch with Chloe and watched "The Office," "30 Rock," and "Amazing Race." Tomkin's getting me to nap, and I'm getting him to watch TV....
Monday, we were back to work. I caught up on e-mails, did laundry, went to Target, raked some leaves, and started preparing for my friend Heidi's arrival on Wednesday. Tomkin went to the library and the office. I had a premarital counseling session in the evening, then talked to Mom and watched "Dancing with the Stars." I had been too full on Sunday to have any wedding cake, but I dove into it last night. We had frozen a pretty big hunk, and thank goodness! It's still surprisingly delicious.
Today (Tuesday), Tomkin headed into the office, and I did some editing work on the front porch. It truly felt like a summer day--absolutely gorgeous! We walked Chloe down to the vet for a weigh-in (after gaining eight pounds last year, the doc said she needed to lose a few). She'd lost more than a pound in the last month! So we're on the right track. Tonight I had a premarital counseling session, and now I'm essentially on vacation again. Heidi arrives tomorrow (hooray!) and will be here through Saturday. Next week is going to be insanely busy with both counseling and editing. But I won't think about that just yet.... I've got a full itinerary of fun stuff planned for the weekend, including our monthly cocktail party on Thursday. Cheers!

Ready for a Spring Vacation

So last Friday I had written that Tomkin and I would be going out later that night with his friend Mark. Well, unfortunately, Tomkin had a wedding and ended up getting a flat tire. He was in good spirits about the whole thing, but he didn't get home until 10:00, and by then he was exhausted, so we just ended up staying in.
On Saturday, I went to my friend Jill's baby shower. It was one of the classiest showers I've ever been to. It was held in the back room of the Grand Cafe in Minneapolis, and we got to select food and drinks from a lovely brunch menu. People flew in from all over the country for this event, and Jill got lots of nice gifts. I enjoyed chatting with Cheryl and Erin (and drinking a bellini and a mimosa). It was also nice to see Jill again and meet her mom, sister, and friends. It was a pretty nice day out, so Tomkin planted some raspberry bushes in our backyard.He picked his mom up from the airport (she'd been in Chicago with a friend for a few days), then officiated a wedding. We both took Chloe for a walk, and then we exercised to "Rescue Me." Then we curled up on the couch and watched "The Office" and "30 Rock." Tomkin read, and I played on the computer. Kind of a nice mellow evening.
Sunday morning we woke up to snow. Sure, it was pretty, but I think we're all a little over the white stuff by this point. Thankfully, it all melted by the end of the day. I did some organizing in the basement, and Tomkin ran a few errands. I spent much of the day reading Temple Grandin's new book, "Animals Make Us Human," about animals' emotional lives. There are chapters about dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, poultry, wildlife, and zoo animals, and how to enrich their lives. A fascinating book--I highly recommend it. Tomkin and I took a long nap, and then he was feeling a little stir-crazy, and Chloe was, too. So we all went outside and had Chloe run up and down the block a few times. Our neighbor across the street, Sheila, came over with two of her kids. They had fun playing with Chloe, and we enjoyed a nice, long visit. Sheila ran home and got me a slice of a clementine-almond cake she had just baked. Delicious! (I enjoyed it with a glass of Bailey's.) After being outdoors for a while and talking with a cool neighbor, neither Tomkin nor I had cabin fever anymore. We finished off the day by exercising to "Rescue Me." Such a good show!
Monday morning I had a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin went to Juut Salon/Spa on Grand Ave. to get a massage with the gift card that JimDog had given him for his birthday. Not a bad way to start the week! He went into the office, and I caught up on my e-mails, then went shopping at Target. We both took Chloe for a walk, and then we met Becca and Omar for dinner at Salsa a la Salsa. They had a babysitter for the evening and were ready to kick back and relax. We split two pitchers of margaritas and had lots of delicious food. It was SO much fun to see them and catch up. Time just flies when we hang out with them. After we parted ways, Tomkin and I stopped by the Spyhouse coffeeshop and got a cup of coffee. We hadn't been there before--cool place.
On Tuesday, Tomkin headed into the office, and I did some cleaning and organizing at home. (I have two big projects coming up, but there was no work to be done on either of them this week, so I took advantage of the opportunity to get some other stuff done.) Tomkin and I walked Chloe down to Frattallone's Ace Hardware on Grand Ave. The people who work there are really friendly, and they're always happy to let dogs in the store. We love that! That evening Tomkin met with a couple, and I talked to Mom and then caught up on "Dancing with the Stars."
Today (Wednesday) Tomkin spray-painted the white metalwork outside our front door (covered up the rusty areas) and did some touch-ups on the stairs and trim. I love that we're constantly making small improvements to the house. It looks better and better all the time! I did some cleaning and ran a couple errands. Tomkin had lunch with his folks and then headed into the office. I took my Mac (and my old PC) to the Apple store at the Rosedale Mall so I could finally get all my iTunes music transferred. Tomkin and I walked Chloe, and this evening he played poker, and I had a premarital counseling session. It ended about 8:40, and I RACED to get back to the Apple store by 9:00. Just barely made it! The guy who checked me out was SO nice. I can't say enough good things about Macs, and my experience with the Apple store made me love them even more! Once I got back, I was pretty tired. I should probably pack for our weekend trip to Northfield, but I guess I'll do that in the morning (especially since I still want to watch "American Idol"--go Adam!). Tomkin and I are going to stay at the Archer House the next couple nights and have a nice little vacation in the town where we met, in honor of our first anniversary, which is on Sunday. In some ways it's hard to believe it's already been a year...and in other ways it's hard to believe it's ONLY been a year. Either way, it's been an amazing year!

Tomkin Is Fabulous at Forty!

Last Friday, March 27th, I baked a sugar-free birthday cake with sugar-free frosting. Tomkin spent the day meeting with contractors to get bids for redoing our patio and sidewalk on the side of the house and re-pouring cement for the steps in front of our house. (That's the plan for this year. Next year we're going to replace the timbers that line our yard with pavers, and we're going to have the chimney redone.)

Next year, all the timbers lining our yard will be replaced by pavers.

We'll be replacing these concrete blocks with smooth, curving cement, and we'll also be creating a patio out of brick pavers. (This is a photo from last fall.)

Both of us went to a yoga class at the fabulous Center for Happiness and felt wonderful afterward. Unfortunately that feeling didn't last throughout the evening. We settled in and watched a couple more episodes of Texas Ranch House. It ended up being almost disturbing to watch because of the poor treatment of the ranch hands and all the horrible management decisions. We agreed not to watch any more episodes--it was just too unpleasant!
Saturday, March 28th, was Tomkin's 40th birthday (and my mom's birthday, too!). That morning, I gave Tomkin a book of photos and birthday greetings from some of his friends and family members. He met with one more contractor then headed to the library, and I had a premarital counseling session. I did a little decorating--put up some balloons and a birthday banner. For lunch, I took Tomkin to the Loring Pasta Bar. We both love that place, but we don't go there very often. We got a cozy seat by the window, and enjoyed some fabulous food. Then we went home and took an hour-long nap. Tomkin got lots of cards in the mail, which he thought was really fun. We took Chloe for a walk and took extra notice of people's front steps and sidewalks. I had never noticed how some are so beautiful and others look like crap! I'm really excited to have ours reworked. That evening, Pete, JimDog, and Kris & Dave came over, and we all went to Pizza Luce for Tomkin's birthday dinner. I had asked if he wanted a big party, and he said no, he wanted to keep the festivities small. We all had a great time hanging out, talking, and laughing. And even though it's still Lent, I had some pizza in honor of Tomkin's big day (and, later, some chocolate). After dinner, we all headed back to our house for cake and ice cream. I think Tomkin had a really fun day, and I had a great time celebrating him.
Sunday morning we sat around and talked for a couple hours, about all kinds of stuff. I'm still amazed how quickly time flies when Tomkin and I are together! I caught up on "American Idol" (am love, love, loving Adam!!!), and we took Chloe for a nice walk. We spent the day lounging around, reading, and watching a little TV, and Tomkin talked to his sister, Jenny. We're done with all the old episodes of "Project Runway" (sigh...), so now we're exercising to "Rescue Me." Both of us LOVE that show! Once again, it was a nice, relaxing Sabbath day. I am really enjoying this new tradition. I guard my Sundays fiercely now.
Monday morning Tomkin met with one more contractor. I caught up on my e-mails, did my weekly shopping trip to Target, and we both took Chloe for a walk. That night while Tomkin met with a couple, I had a premarital counseling session. Afterward I had a phone date with my friend Jennifer. It was great to catch up with her. I just wish I got to see her more often!
On Tuesday we took Chloe along for lunch at Tomkin's folks' house. We also brought along the birthday book I had made for him. They gave him a belated gift--a stuffed bunny rabbit (so cute!). Tomkin headed into the office, and I worked on a grant proposal. It was chilly and rainy, so we didn't go for a walk. That evening I had another premarital counseling session; Tomkin and Chloe just hung out in the basement. Then I caught up on watching "Dancing with the Stars." This is kind of a weak season overall, but I'm pretty blown away by Gilles Marini.
A year or so ago, my aunt Carol told me about the Love Languages book. Tomkin and I took the quiz (his love language is "words of affirmation"; mine is "physical touch"). We've given the test to a few other people, but we decided we wanted to give it to as many friends and family members as possible. So Tomkin hired someone to create an online quiz, and then we e-mailed to a bunch of people. It has been so fun getting the results! I really feel like it allows you to learn how to relate to people better. If you'd like to learn your love language, take this quiz, and Tomkin will send you the results.
Wednesday morning Tomkin drove his mom to the airport. She's visiting Chicago with a friend for a few days. I finished editing the grant proposal, and we both took Chloe for a walk. That evening Tomkin had his weekly poker game, and I had another premarital counseling session (we just posted a new sign for my business on the front door, and I am now a proud member of the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce), then talked to my mom. Then I caught up on "American Idol." (Between work and TV, I have not had time to blog!)
Yesterday (Thursday), I did more grant research as well as some other work. Tomkin had lunch with his friend Nikki, then went into the office. We both walked Chloe, and then I had one last premarital counseling session for the week (phew!). Helena came over, and we all headed to the Halftime Rec to see our friend Tom's band, the Durty Nellys. I had never been to that bar before. It's a little neighborhood place, distinctive for having bocci ball courts in the basement. We stayed until the band finished playing at 12:30. We had such a great time! The band was really rocking out. Tomkin eventually couldn't take it anymore--he had to get up out of his seat and dance around. It was such a fun night!
We slept in this morning, and then I ran some errands. It's been gorgeous and sunny out, although not quite warm yet. (So, so close! I have been seeing lots of robins.) We took Chloe for a walk, and checked in on Kris and Dave's cats. Tomkin napped, and I did a little work. Now he's at a wedding rehearsal, and he's got a wedding later tonight. Wedding season is starting up again! Later tonight we're meeting up with our friend Mark at Solera, which should be fun. Have a great weekend, everyone, and thanks for reading my blog!

Spring Has Sprung

Well, spring is officially here, although I'm not sure you'd know it from the last couple days. Ah, well.... Last Thursday (March 19th) I started out the day by getting a spray tan and running errands. Then I went to Estetica and got a haircut. And I think I've finally found a stylist I like! That has not been an easy task. Tomkin and I walked Chloe and got ready for our Third Thursdays party. This month we served Irish whiskey drinks in honor of St. Patrick's Day. (We also had Irish cream as a back-up.) We had a great turnout, including many of the neighbors and newlyweds Heidi and Chris. By the end, it was me, Tomkin, Helena, Charles, and Luke sitting around laughing and talking. It was a really fun night.
Friday we cleaned up from the party, and then Tomkin met with a couple and went into the office. I got stuff done at home. It was raining, so we didn't go for a walk. That evening we exercised to "Project Runway" and finally watched the finale of "Superstars of Dance." (It was a little anticlimactic, I have to say.)
Saturday was the first day of spring! And it was really a beautiful day. Tomkin and I finally made it to Helena's kundalina yoga class at the Center for Happiness. It was 90 minutes long, but it flew by! This was unlike any yoga I've taken before. I used to take "power yoga" at my gym in Chicago, but this was more spiritual and less physical. (Though I was surprisingly sore the next day!) Tomkin and I both felt relaxed and refreshed when the class was over, like we had awakened from a nice long nap. I felt both centered and energized. It was wonderful! Helena encouraged everyone in the class to write down three things they would like to see happen in their lives over the next six months and then put that paper away somewhere. It's like you're sending those desires out into the universe, and you don't have to think about them any more. So Tomkin and I both did that. I met up with Heidi at Nina's Coffee Cafe, and we talked about plans for our upcoming mini high school reunion. It's just a couple months away now! We found out that our friend Sarah is definitely coming, which is really cool. I probably haven't seen her in 20 years! I'm hoping I can talk my friend Kristen into coming, too. I know for sure that Lana is coming, which is awesome. We've invited about 20 people all together. Tomkin spent the afternoon scraping and then repainting the trim of our front door. I hadn't realized how chipped it was. It looks much nicer now. We took Chloe for a walk--it was gorgeous out! And that night Helena came over, and we all walked over to Pizza Luce. It has been so wonderful to reconnect with her. We all sat and talked for hours and had a great time.
On Sunday we tried an experiment--letting Chloe up on the bed! It's something I've wanted to do for ages (and used to do in Chicago), but Tomkin has been hesitant. So far, so good, although Chloe actually seemed a little confused by the whole thing. But I think she just likes being with the pack, and if that means sleeping on the bed, then that makes her happy! The first night she was a little too twitchy to stay up there the whole time, but she's gotten better throughout the week.Tomkin and I took Chloe to the dog park, although she was having one of her "shy" days and stuck pretty close. She was happy to run into the water, though, and up the hill that we refer to as "Scout's Ridge." Everything looks so brown right now. It'll be nice when things start blooming again!When we got home, I read with Chloe on the bed, and Tomkin scraped and then repainted our front steps. They look so much better now! He also bought a new sign for our front door. I had put up a "No Solicitors" sign, but he replaced it with one that says, "Before Your Wedding Day Premarital Counseling" and then (in small letters) "No Solicitors." It looks much more friendly and welcoming. Except to solicitors, I hope. That evening we exercised to the finale of "Project Runway." (We're all done with the series now--next we'll finish watching the "Rescue Me" DVDs.) Then I watched "Amazing Race," and Tomkin read. It was a nice, relaxing Sabbath.


On Monday, Tomkin went into the office, and I went shopping at Target, then did some work at home. We both walked Chloe--it was gray and drizzly out. That evening I had a premarital counseling session, and Tomkin met with a couple. Then we and Chloe curled up on the couch and watched the first episode of "Texas Ranch House." (I can tell it's going to be good!)
It was too rainy for a walk on Tuesday. Tomkin worked at the office. I went shopping at Cub and Borders, then got stuff done at home. That evening we went to Kris and Dave's house for dinner. Dave's daughter Emily was there, too. (And we brought Chloe along to play with George.) We had an amazing meal (Gambian stew and homemade bread), some fabulous martinis, and a wonderful, relaxing evening with good friends.
Tomkin had lunch with his folks on Wednesday, but I was so swamped that I didn't go along. As a birthday gift, Tomkin's mom put together a book with 40 photos of Tomkin wearing 40 different hats. It's so cool! I love seeing Tomkin at all ages--from babyhood to his teen years to the present day--wearing so many different hats. Apparently he's been a hat guy all his life. And now we've got the photos to prove it! That was such a fun, sweet gift. I'm working on a grant-writing project now, so I spent my afternoon doing that. Tomkin got my newest website up, for my burgeoning wedding photography business. Multiple income streams! We took Chloe for a short walk (it was pretty chilly out), and then Tomkin headed to his weekly poker game, and I had a premarital counseling session, then talked to my mom. Her birthday is on Saturday--same day as Tomkin's!
Today (Thursday), Tomkin went into the office, and I stayed home and baked cookies. Wow, that sounds very 1950s, doesn't it?! As an early birthday treat, I made some sugar-free cookies that both Tomkin and Chloe really like. We took Chloe for a walk this afternoon (through the lightly falling snow), and now we're in for the evening. Happy early birthday to my mom and Tomkin and also to my grandma (her birthday's on Monday)! And best wishes to all my friends and family in the Red River Valley, who are preparing for a potential flood. We're sending good thoughts your way!

Good-Bye to One of the Good Guys

I was truly shocked this week to hear that one of my high school classmates, Mike Nisbet, had died. I didn't know Mike real well, but he used to work with my friend Brenda, and we had recently reconnected on Facebook. He was a genuinely kind, loving, thoughtful person. He worked hard at his job, took pride in his white truck, went to the gym, hung out with his friends, shoveled the walk for his neighbors, went to hockey games, and loved spending time with his parents and sister. He was someone who just radiated positivity.

Recently, Mike had been mentioning on Facebook that he was having trouble breathing. He even went to the hospital to get it checked out. Then on Thursday he collapsed at work and died at the hospital. It's still unclear exactly what was wrong. Word about his death spread quickly, and those of us who knew him were all deeply saddened and very shocked. My heart goes out to his family and friends, who must be struggling to comprehend Mike's sudden departure from their lives.

Mike, we thank you for the kindness and joy you brought to this world. As your friend Joe put it, you were one of the good guys.

Mike's obituary appears in today's Grand Forks Herald.

Short and Sweet

This past Sunday was another enjoyable Sabbath day--though I'll admit, it was hard not to be productive. I relaxed on the couch and read "Real Simple" and Steve Martin's autobiography, Born Standing Up. Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk. It was an absolutely gorgeous day--in the 60s. Sure, it's been back into the 30s again this week, but at least now we know the worst is behind us. Hallelujah!

We even sat out on the front porch and read for a while. That evening we exercised to "Project Runway" and then watched the last three episodes of "Manor House." If you haven't seen that series, I highly recommend it!

Monday morning I had a premarital counseling session and then did my weekly shopping trip to Target. Why anyone ever gets in line behind me there, I don't understand. My cart gets so full and so heavy, I can barely push it. Obviously, I'm going to be a while.... Anyway, Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk--it was another gorgeous day. I was supposed to meet with a couple that evening, but they had to reschedule. So Tomkin and I just enjoyed some downtime at home. Later that evening we went to Loto to meet Helena and Marcus for late-night happy hour. We closed the place down, then spent more time lingering outside! I just can't get enough of those two. Helena told us about her recent trip to India, where she participated in an intense meditation, then went to a spa in the Himalayas. Marcus recently traveled to New York City, where he got to talk with a contemporary artist whose work he's really interested in. And Tomkin and I had adventures from Spain to relay! It was a really fun evening with great friends.
Yesterday (Tuesday) morning we walked Chloe to the Grand Avenue Veterinary Center for her annual check-up. (This was our first time going to this vet, and we were very impressed.) Chloe weighed in at 114 pounds, which is 8 pounds higher than last year. So big girl's going on a diet! She was very good at the vet, except for occasionally wanting to sit when she was supposed to stand. Thank goodness she's food motivated! We got her blood work results today, and she got a clean bill of health. We ran a few other errands on Grand Avenue, then Tomkin headed into the office, and I got some stuff done at home. Last night I chatted with my mom (her birthday is coming up on March 28th--same day as Tomkin's!). She said my grandma is doing really well and enjoying her new home. I watched "Dancing with the Stars" and spent a little time on the computer. Those Facebook games really suck me in!

Chloe watching squirrels on the bird feeder from inside the front porch.

Today (Wednesday) I was scheduled to go to an editorial luncheon, but it got canceled. That was actually kind of nice because it gave me a good chunk of time to get stuff done around the house. I worked on a couple projects, did laundry, cleaned the bathroom, and watched last night's "American Idol." Tomkin and I walked Chloe to the library. She's such a trooper, carrying all our books! Now Tomkin is at poker. I had a premarital counseling session, then had to do a little editing work. Now I'm going to go find out who made into the "American Idol" top ten....

Brussels Sprouts and Jellyfish

I'm a little behind in my blogging for the week. Sometimes the days just fly by! And sometimes--I'll be honest--I choose to watch a reality show instead of blogging. (Now I've got both "Dancing with the Stars" AND "American Idol" to keep up with!)
Way back on Thursday the 5th, Tomkin and I took Chloe to Grand Groomers. She was getting pretty stinky, it's still too cold to wash her outside, and she's afraid of the bathtub. So the groomers, it is! During our walk home, we stopped to play, and Chloe enjoy catching some snowballs.

That evening, I met with a couple for premarital counseling, and Tomkin went to the library. On Friday the 6th, the new rug for our basement library arrived (the old one made its way to Tomkin's office).
Tomkin and I went to Target and picked out new window sheers and a couch cover. He went into the office to work, while I worked at home, researching federal grants for an upcoming project. Eventually that lulled me into a nice little nap.... We took Chloe for a walk (it was in the 40s!), and that evening we drove out to Woodbury to have dinner with our friends Bill and Karen. They made a delicious gumbo, and we drank some fabulous wine and enjoyed a fun, relaxed evening at their beautiful home.
On Saturday the 7th (Mondrian's birthday), we walked Chloe, played on our computers, and took a nap. We also put up the new sheers and replaced the couch cover, and we moved some of the art around. I think the living room and dining room have a much lighter feel to them now. In person, they almost have a "seaside" feel.

The living room before...

...and after.

The dining room before......and after.

Tomkin also installed a new "stop-a-squirrel" birdfeeder (we leave out separate food for the squirrels) and a birdhouse that my mom gave him for Christmas. Already the birds have started to flock to the feeder! And so far the squirrels haven't figured it out.
Saturday evening we went over to Peter's house for a Game Night with him, Mandy, and their friends Dan and Laura. We sat and chatted for a long time, then played Apples to Apples and Trivial Pursuit. It was a lot of fun!

On Sunday the 8th we enjoyed a day of Sabbath. We slept in, and I spent three hours curled up on the couch reading "Vogue." We took Chloe to the Minnehaha dog park, but the snow that had melted earlier in the week had turned into sheer ice. As we were sliding down the entrance hill, we saw two guys walking out. One was holding onto his bleeding face, and the other told us his friend had just slipped and busted open his jaw. We decided it probably wasn't worth the risk. As we were heading out, we ran into Tomkin's friends Mike and Polly and their bulldog, Cosmo.
We decided to check out the dog park near the airport--we'd never been there before. It was cool--basically just a big open field with planes flying low overhead. But it was a great alternative on an icy day, and Chloe enjoyed running around.


The rest of the day we just relaxed at home. I showed Tomkin a couple of my high school scrapbooks, we curled up with Chloe on the couch and read, and I watched "Amazing Race."
On Monday, I met my Profitlancers group at the Coffee Bene (the Dunn Bros where we used to meet just closed), and we talked about resources that we use for our freelance work. That evening I had a photography class. The classes I've been taking came free from ProEx when we purchased our camera there. They're held in a coffeehouse next to the ProEx shop in a little mall on Grand Ave. I got a cup of coffee and then sat in the meeting room...waiting...waiting...waiting. By 7:05, no one else had shown up. Finally I decided to peek into the ProEx shop and find out what was up. Much to my surprise, the shop was closed--like, forever. No more classes there, I guess! With my unexpectedly free evening, Tomkin and I started watching "Manor House." It's so harsh, but so good!Tuesday it was snowy, and I had a productive day at home. The most notable thing that happened was that Tomkin fixed brussels sprouts with dinner, and I enjoyed them. Some of my family members are now wondering if I was adopted! Tomkin met with a couple, and I ended up with another free evening because my counseling session for the night was cancelled. I enjoyed the opportunity to watch a little TV and another episode of "Manor House" with Tomkin.

Wednesday it was really cold out. There were a lot of Facebook status updates griping about the weather. We just start to get a taste of spring...and then it's snatched away by winter's icy grip! I know that part of living in Minnesota involves long, cold winters, but that doesn't mean we don't get a little sick of the cold and snow after six months of it. Anyway, Tomkin and Chloe and I went over to Tom and Nancy's house for lunch, which was fun. I hadn't seen them since we got back from Spain. That evening, Tomkin had his weekly poker game, and I had a premarital counseling session. Then I talked with my mom and got an update on my grandma. She left the hospital and went into an assisted-living facility. It sounds like she's in much better spirits now. She likes the food and has been eating (which she wasn't doing much at her previous home), and she's already making the rounds and getting to know people. She'll be getting some physical and occupational therapy, which is great. I'm glad that she's feeling so much better now. When Tomkin got home, I actually got him to watch "American Idol" with me! I'm not sure how much he enjoyed it, but it was fun to watch (and critique) it together. Right now I'm rooting for Adam as my #1 choice and Danny as my #2.
On Thursday, I met up with Becca and Leo for lunch at Tum Rup Thai. Leo is getting so big! He's looking more like a little boy now and less like a baby. It was great, as always, to catch up with Becca. I really don't know how she does it.... That evening I did more premarital counseling, and we watched more "Manor House."

Tomkin wasn't feeling well on Friday, so he slept in. I brought my car in for an oil change, went to the bank, got a spray tan, popped by Kowalski's, had a hair consultation with a new stylist at Estetica, and went to the Paper Patisserie. Tomkin had lunch with his dad, and then we went over to Kris and Dave's to let their dog, George, out. Chloe came along, and the dogs had fun playing in the backyard.
Tomkin spent the evening relaxing at home with Chloe, and I went over to my friend Jill's house to chat and watch the "Sex and the City" movie. She had made a bunch of food, and I brought along some sparkling juice (no alcohol for her since she's pregnant). It was fun to see her and to have a girls' night in.
Today (Saturday) Tomkin and I went to the Semple Mansion Wedding Fair. We had gone last year, about a month before our wedding, and really enjoyed it. This year we went more for business purposes. Tomkin found a few great niche businesses to blog about, and we got to see some other people in the business who we know. Plus, I got to enjoy some free cake, cookies, appetizers, and espresso! (One of the vendors brings an espresso/smoothie bar to weddings. I love that!)

Tomkin with the guys from La Vita Espresso Catering

Tomkin with Robin of Gateaux Inc. in front of her Minnesota-themed cake

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, so as soon as we got home, we took Chloe for a walk. I still had a gift card to use at Patina, so we walked there, and I found a bunch of cool stuff.
When we got back, I talked with Carrie D. from Chicago. She had also done the Vaughan Town program in Spain, and we hadn't had a chance to compare notes yet, so it was fun to do that. (And, yes, I'm still planning to blog about the trip! Will try to do that soon....) Tonight Tomkin and I met up for dinner at Little Szechuan with Roxanne, Jim, Sheri, and Raj. We hadn't been there before, and it was amazing! (So good, in fact, that Bill and Karen were there, too!) We ordered I-don't-know-how-many dishes and passed them all around. I tried a couple new things, including jellyfish.

Okay, I will try the jellyfish....

I'm not quite sure what to make of this....

Sorry--it's not really the food for me!

Now we're winding down and are looking forward to a quiet, restful Sabbath day tomorrow. Have a great week, and thanks for reading!

Hip to Be Square

Hello, blog readers! As you can see, Musings & Amusements now has a new look. (Just in time for Piet Mondrian's birthday on March 7th.) Unfortunately, in switching over to this new template, I lost all the text and links I had to the side. Argh! I'm not going to try to re-create all the lists/links. (Thankfully I had most of the blogs plugged into my Google Reader.) So it goes with change sometime, I guess!

No news on my grandma. Thanks for the kind words and questions you've offered! I'll keep you posted.

March Roars in Like a Lion

Last Thursday started out just fine--there were foreboding tales of the Snowpocalypse to come, but we didn't see any sign of it. Tomkin drove down to Northfield to have lunch with a former professor. I joined the Creatives Group for a tour of the Nomadic Press in St. Paul. The tour was fun and interesting, and we even got to partake in some hands-on activities. Kent Aldrich, who owns the print shop, has been in business for about 20 years and does beautiful work. If you need anything printed via letterpress, this really is the place to go!By the time I left at 1:30, the blizzard was in full force. Driving home was absolutely treacherous. I honestly wasn't even sure if I would make it up the very steep Ramsey Hill--thankfully, a salt truck pulled out right in front of me and paved my way! Even so, my little Lancer had to fight to reach the top of the hill. But we made it! I was so, so thankful to get home. I assumed that Tomkin would probably just spend the night in Northfield, but no--he spent two hours driving home through whiteout conditions. He said there were cars and trucks in the ditch at various spots along the way. I was really relieved when he finally made it home. Both of us were scheduled to meet with couples that night, but we postponed the meetings. Tomkin did some work, I went through Spain photos, and we both took a nap. It was nice to have an unexpectedly free evening at home.
Friday it was sunny out and seemed extra bright thanks to all the new snow. (I think we got about 8 inches.) One thing that keeps me feeling good throughout the winter is getting a spray tan every week. So I made my way through the snowy streets to get to Palm Beach Tan on Grand Avenue. That afternoon, Tomkin and I met with our tax accountant. Until this year, my taxes have always been fairly straightforward. But now with four freelance businesses and a partnership LLC between us, things are really complicated. Tomkin has been working hard to get all our info together, and I think it's finally out of our hands. Phew! Friday night Tomkin officiated a wedding, and I went along. The reception was at the St. Paul Hotel. It was a beautiful wedding, and we really enjoyed visiting with some of the other guests. And even though it's Lent, I did have a slice of the delicious chocolate wedding cake.
Saturday morning I led a premarital counseling session, and then I pretty much spent the rest of the day cropping, deleting, and labeling Spain photos. I finally finished up all the photos from Vaughan Town (nearly 1,000), and now I still need to finish the photos from Madrid and Toledo. Tomkin had a rehearsal and a wedding on Saturday afternoon/evening. Wedding season is already starting to pick up!
Sunday morning, Tomkin and I picked up Pete, and we all went to church at Plymouth Congregational in Minneapolis. We met our friends Joe and Jennifer there and sat with them. There were some things we liked about the service and the church (the people were really friendly, and they're very liberal), but the congregation was--how shall I say it--mostly on the other side of retirement. (Way on the other side....) In other words, I don't think we're going to find a lot of peers to hang out with at this place. We stayed for the brunch and talked with two other couples (both retired), who were really nice and interesting. But I think I probably want a place where more of the congregants are closer to our age. Like Holy Covenant.... We're going to give it one more shot in a couple weeks and then decide if we want to go back or continue church-shopping elsewhere. Tomkin and I got home about 2:00 and spent the rest of the day in Sabbath mode. We took a two-hour nap, walked Chloe, and I read a People magazine and watched "Amazing Race" while Tomkin met with a couple. I kept my computer off all day, which was quite a challenge! But I'm really trying to embrace the idea of a Sabbath day with no plans (expect maybe church or yoga), no computer, no phone, no work, and no cleaning. Right now it's surprisingly tough, but I think it will get easier with practice. I love being busy and having a lot on my plate, and I always feel like there are more projects I could be working, more activities I could be involved in, more friends I could be spending time with. But I think it will be good for me to have a day of rest, quiet, and stillness. I'm learning that the world just keeps on turning even if I take a day off!
Monday morning I dove into Facebook and my e-mails and spent much of the morning responding to work inquiries. Tomkin went into the office and had lunch with Chris Hagerman, who was in town because his grandmother-in-law passed away. I went to the library and Target, and then we both took Chloe for a walk. That evening, Tomkin met with a couple, and I had a premarital education session. I'm really thankful that we've both been getting so much work.
On Tuesday (yesterday), Tomkin's car needed a jump before he headed into the office. I spent the day working at home, and we both walked Chloe in the afternoon. Last night we went to "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" at the Guthrie. It's a Shakespeare play that was set as though it was being filmed as a live performance in the 1950s. I would say that it was not their most successful effort. (Tomkin thought it was crap.) We did both like the dog, though.
I went to bed last night feeling a little stuffed up, and when I woke up today I could tell that a cold had settled into my head. I opted not to join Tomkin for lunch with his folks. Instead I stayed home and worked on editorial blog posts and Web text for my premarital counseling site. Tomkin's car wouldn't start again, so we jumped it and then drove it to an auto repair shop on Grand. We brought Chloe with us and all walked back home (it was gorgeous out! nearly 40 degrees), then picked up the car later. (It just needed a new battery.) Now Tomkin is at his weekly poker game, Chloe is snoring on the couch, and I'm going to watch "American Idol" after I wrap up here. I talked to my mom earlier, and she said that my Grandma Tack is in the hospital. She fell in her apartment and hasn't been eating much lately, so she's pretty weak. It looks like she'll probably be heading into a nursing home when she's released, which she said she's okay with. But of course we're all concerned. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

Have a good week, and thanks for reading!

Vaughan Town Photos

I don't have time to do a full write-up now, but I at least wanted to post links to the photos I took during our Vaughan Town program in Salamanca, Spain. Be warned: There are nearly 1,000 photos total! But they're all captioned, so at least you'll have a sense of what you're looking at. The photos are in two Picasa albums, which you can find here (for group #1) and here (for group #2). Enjoy!

Back to Reality

I still haven't finished going through all my pictures from Spain, but I will try to blog about the trip soon. In the meantime, I figured I'd do a regular weekly post. Our first full day back was Wednesday the 18th. I was pretty exhausted, and I don't think I ever left the house. I spent the day unpacking, doing laundry, catching up on mail and e-mails, etc. Tomkin had lunch with his folks, and we just spent a quiet evening at home. (I had lots of TiVo to catch up on as well!)
Thursday we cleaned the house, and I ran some errands and went grocery shopping. That night we had our monthly Third Thursdays party, and this time the featured drink was sangria. We had a great night, although I now realize that throwing a party two days after returning from a trip abroad was a bit ambitious. Nonetheless, we had a lot of fun. Although our Spanish ham had been confiscated at the airport (turns out you can't bring any fruits, vegetables, or meat into the USA), we had some other foods from Spain (including cookies we bought at a convent, ham-flavored Cheetos, and bacon-infused crackers--those Spaniards love their pork!). One of the big attractions of the night were the Spanish tabloid magazines I brought home. There's one magazine called Cuore, and they did a special "AARG" issue in which they pointed out every conceivable flaw in celebrities (sweaty armpits, double chins, razor burn, fat rolls, etc.). It was both horrible and wonderful at the same time. I was delightfully surprised that my friend Helena made it to the party, since she was leaving for a trip to India two days later. And we learned that Cassidy and Angie are expecting a baby! The whole evening was really fun. I love Third Thursdays!
On Friday, Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk, and that evening we had dinner at Kris and Dave's. (Chloe came along for that, too.) Dave's daughters were there, and we all ordered pizza and hung out. Unfortunately, my jet lag really caught up with me, so we headed home early and went to bed at 9:30! Since we'd gotten back from Spain, I had been waking up at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning (sometimes getting back to sleep, sometimes not), but that night I slept for 12 solid hours. I really needed it!

Saturday we exercised to "Project Runway," and I worked on my Oscar predictions chart. I know this is totally geeky, but it actually worked (and I had a lot of fun researching it). I made an Excel chart of all the nominees, and then I created columns for the Golden Globes, the guild awards, the BAFTAS, and various critics and predictors. There were some definite patterns (as much as I was rooting for Mickey Rourke, most of the check marks were in the "Sean Penn" column), so I based my predictions on those. That evening Tomkin and I stayed in and watched "Slumdog Millionaire" (which wasn't at all what I had expected--it's definitely not a "feel-good movie) and an episode of "Superstars of Dance."
Sunday we went for a walk with Chloe, and I broke my "no plans on the Sabbath" rule to go to a neighbor's birthday party. Though we actually couldn't stay long because we had an Oscar party to attend. (Oscars also trump Sabbath, apparently.) We met up with our friends Mandy and Peter and hung out at Peter's house for a bit. Then we all drove to Mandy's friend's house in Apple Valley for their annual Oscar party. There were lots of people (and lots of delicious food), and we had a great time watching the show. And Tomkin and I got 20 out of 24 of the categories right, so the predictions chart paid off!
Monday morning we were back to work. I met with a couple for premarital counseling, and Tomkin went into the office. I went grocery shopping and watched some Oscar coverage. That evening I met with another couple for counseling, and Tomkin had a meeting with a couple as well. We got some sad news that one of our neighbors had to put her dog to sleep. Another neighbor just had to do that, too, while we were in Spain. (And a friend from Chicago lost her dog recently as well.) I always feel so bad when someone loses a beloved pet--it's such a hard thing to go through. My heart really goes out to them all.
Other than Friday night, I still hadn't been sleeping well since we got back. So Monday night I took some nighttime cold medicine before I went to bed. On the one hand it was good, because I slept straight through the night. On the other hand it was bad, because I was groggy most of the day on Tuesday. I really felt like a zombie! Tomkin and I exercised to "Project Runway," and I tried to catch up with some editing contacts. I also found out that my friend Heidi from Chicago is going to come visit in April (yay!), and Tomkin and I booked a weekend at the Archer House in Northfield for our first anniversary weekend. Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk (it was so nice out, the snow was melting!), and after that I finally felt awake. We went to the Guthrie to see "A Delicate Balance" by Edward Albee, who also wrote "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" It was my least favorite show I've seen at the Guthrie so far, but Tomkin loved it. Even though I didn't really enjoy it, it did provoke a lot of interesting discussion. After the show, we went to Pizza Luce. It was Fat Tuesday, and I wanted to squeeze in one last slice of pizza before Lent started. (I'm giving up pizza and chocolate, as I do every year.) Plus, it's always just fun to be out and about with my fabulous, fascinating husband!
Today we got off to an early start and had a productive morning. Tomkin worked on our taxes and had a phone meeting, and I got a bunch of stuff done around the house. We went to Tomkin's parents' house for lunch--it was great to see them again and catch up. Then we went shopping at Trader Joe's. I had 7 or 8 items on the shopping list, yet somehow we ended up with a trunk full of groceries and liquor. (The Trader Joe's in St. Paul is scheduled to open in June--I can't wait!) We also stopped at the library before heading home. It was another gorgeous sunny day, so we took Chloe for a long walk. Then tonight I talked to my mom, and Tomkin went to a movie with his friend Charles. I finally feel like we're starting to settle back in again, which is a good thing. And hopefully my jet lag is just about gone....

Hola!

Tomkin and I got back last Tuesday night from Spain. We had a wonderful time in Madrid, Toledo, and Salamanca, where we took part in the Vaughan Town program. The trip was exhausting, adventurous, mind-opening, fun, delicious, and fascinating. About the only thing it wasn't was relaxing! But we met some really cool people and had once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I'll treasure forever. I took about 1,700 photos during the trip, and so far I've only gotten as far as uploading them--I haven't even looked at them yet. I promise that soon I'll post details about the trip and upload photos here and to Facebook, but in the meantime, here are links to some photos that other folks took: photos by Dade, our master of ceremonies, and photos by Sajith, another one of the "Anglos" (English speakers).

We threw our Third Thursdays party two days after we got back, and I haven't been sleeping well (except for one 12-hour night!), so I've been pretty exhausted. Tonight we're going to an Oscar party, and we have a busy week ahead, but I really will try to catch up with photos and blogging soon. Thank you so much for checking in!

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

It's still hard to believe that we leave for Spain TOMORROW! The last time I was out of the country was two years ago when my mom and I went to Paris. I am SO excited to get away from the cold and snow for a couple weeks. From everything I hear, Spain is a warm, fun, beautiful, exciting country, and I'm really looking forward to spending time in Madrid, seeing amazing works of art, participating in the Vaughan Town program, meeting interesting people and learning about Spanish culture, and eating lots of delicious ham. I figured I'd get caught up on the blog before we go, since I'll have two weeks' worth of catching up to do after we get back!

On Monday afternoon I went to my monthly Profitlancers meeting. This time our primary topic was how we, as freelancers, find work. I spent much of the day getting ready for Spain and doing stuff around the house. That night I went to my second photography class. This one wasn't so much about the camera as about how to take better pictures. I got some great tips. Tomkin picked me up after class, and we headed to Senor Wong's to meet Marcus and Helena for late-night happy hour. I am SO happy to have reconnected with them. They're cool, fun, creative, interesting, good-energy people. Helena is heading to India in a couple weeks, and Marcus is going to NYC, so the next time we meet up we'll all have lots of travel stories to share.
On Tuesday I did some laundry and cleaning, trying to get the house in good shape for the woman who'll be staying here while we're away. I met Becca and baby Leo for lunch at Tum Rup Thai. Becca and Omar just put their house on the market, so they're busier than ever. But Becca is always in great spirits--it's pretty amazing! We had a great time catching up. And Leo is ridiculously sweet and adorable. Tomkin had lunch with his friend Bill, then headed into the office. When he came home, we bundled up and took Chloe over to Dunning Park so she could run around for a while. Boy, did she need that! After a couple days of being cooped up, she really needs to take the edge off. Pete came over for dinner. He just spent three weeks in the Philippines, so it was fun to hear his travel stories. (Frankly, I hope ours are a lot less interesting....) Tomkin and I spent the rest of the evening prepping for Spain. I printed out photos of Minnesota-related people, places, and things to show to the Spaniards. I also watched "American Idol." (It's Hollywood week!)
Today we got up early and have been busy prepping and packing. I ran errands and finished up tasks around the house. Tomkin had lunch with his parents, then spent the afternoon at the office. We took Chloe for a walk, although it was really cold out. It should be a good 30 to 40 degrees warmer in Spain! Not tropical, but I'll take it. Both Tomkin and I are pretty much packed and ready to go now. While I was packing in the bedroom, Tomkin was packing in his "dressing room" (aka the guest room). We set Chloe's bed in the hallway so she could see us both. She definitely seemed a little on edge--she knew something was up! I talked to Mom, and now Tomkin, Chloe, and I are winding down, enjoying a quiet evening at home. We'll be flying out tomorrow afternoon. We change planes in Chicago and then fly directly to Madrid. We're due to arrive about 7:30am Madrid time on Friday the 6th. (They're seven hours ahead of Minnesota.) We'll be at the Vaughan Town program from Sunday the 8th through Friday the 13th, will spend Saturday the 14th (Valentine's Day!) in Toledo, and then have a couple more days in Madrid before we head home on Tuesday the 17th. We have an awesome house/dog-sitter lined up, so Chloe should be well-cared-for while we're away. I probably won't post to the blog while we're gone, but I will try to post updates on Facebook as much as possible. (I'm not sure what our computer access will be like.) Take care, stay warm, and I'll write again when we're back from Spain!