Musings & Amusements

Hawaii Trip - Day Ten (10/30/09): Lounging & A Luau

2010-01-29T19:19:00.030-06:00

Three months later, I am still blogging about Hawaii.... Just a few more days to go! (It's probably just as well that I never blogged about the Spain trip--who knows how long that would have taken?!) On Friday the 30th, I requested that we have a true vacation day. My rib was still sore, I was kind of tired, and I knew we still had a few big adventures left. So we spent most of the day just hanging around the B&B. Tomkin took a nap after breakfast, and I checked my e-mail and Facebook up at the main house. As usual, we slathered up with suntan lotion. We were determined not to get burned! I got a bunch of food from the refrigerator, and we had a nice little picnic outside the coffee barn. Then Tomkin brought the computer up to the main house and hung out on the lanai for a while. From that spot, there's such a gorgeous view! We walked back over to Keke's for lunch. Even though it's so close, it was a little scary to walk there, since you have to go right along the highway. Once again, I ordered the brisket sandwich (sooooo good!), and this time Tomkin got one, too. The male owner wasn't there, but his wife was. When I sent Tomkin back up to get more BBQ sauce, I saw him chatting with her and then handing her his hat. Her husband had been complimenting him on it when we were there before, so Tomkin thought he should have it. (I thought that was so sweet!) We saw the husband show up a few minutes later, go inside, and then come out with the hat. I thought he was going to cry! We sat and chatted with him for a while (such a nice and interesting guy), and then we headed home. We had a little time to rest before we got ready for our second luau. We left about 4:15 and followed our GPS's directions. Unfortunately, this one time it steered us wrong. It felt like we just kept driving and driving.... We stopped a couple times and asked for directions and then finally arrived at the very secluded Kona Village Resort at 5:00. We got in line, and I was given a beautiful head lei. Even though we didn't arrive early, we still got excellent seats. At the end of our table was a gay couple from New York. They were awesome! Very fun to talk to. And across from us was a young couple on their honeymoon. We all had a mai tai (actually, I had Tomkin's), and then we were led to the nearby "imu" area, where the pig had been roasted in the ground. There was also an oven where turkey and vegetables had been cooking. A woman explained the traditions and cooking process as a bunch of men lifted layers of coverings off the food and placed the meat onto some boards. One thing I noticed as I looked at the crowd was how colorful all the clothes were! Not just grays, blues, blacks, and browns as you often see in Minnesota. We all headed back to our seats, and then we got to go through the buffet to get food. It was amazing! That pork was one of the best meats I've ever had. I also really enjoyed the mashed purple sweet potatoes, the pineapple, and the crab legs. And I tried the poi again, but still didn't care for it. I managed to save room for dessert and coffee, but then I was stuffed. The show started at 7:30. The dancing was impressive and entertaining--and not nearly as cheesey as the previous luau we'd attended. Both Tomkin and I really enjoyed it. The show ended about 8:15, and then Tomkin and I wandered around the resort. It turns out this is where the movie stars stay when they visit the island. The CHEAP rooms are $410 a night, and they go up to $1200 a night. Yikes! But it's a beautiful place--and huge. One highlight of the resort are the petroglyphs on the land. Tomkin and I found them and walked out on the wooden trails around them, but we couldn't see much since it was so dark. We headed back to the B&B for our last night in the coffee barn. Tomkin did a little research into our next few activities, and I worked on packing so we could head out in the morning. That side of the island doesn't get much rain, but it was pouring that evening! Kind of strange. But it was nice to have such a relaxing, low-key day.

Quick Update

2010-01-29T18:23:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update about Chloe. She didn't end up having surgery! A few days before we were due to take her in, we decided to schedule a consultation with the surgeon since Chloe seemed to be doing better. The surgeon examined her and said that Chloe probably had a partial ACL tear, but they would prefer to wait until it was fully torn before operating. Since then, Chloe has gotten to the point that you'd never know anything was wrong. We've taken her on a couple walks, and she bounds around the house with her old playful spirit. What a relief! There's still a chance that her ACL will tear, in which case the vets recommend surgery. But now that we've had a little more time to look into things, we're thinking that we would try to either fit her with a leg brace, treat her with meds and physical therapy, or find another alternative to surgery. In addition to being expensive, it's apparently quite traumatic for the animal and has a long healing process. We've had a number of people tell us that we shouldn't do the surgery, but we're still exploring all our options.

In other good news, Chloe and I attended our first North Star Therapy Animals meeting, where Chloe received her official new leash and bandanna! We are going to the Minnesota Veterans Home this Tuesday for a tour and interview and, if all goes well, we'll be volunteering there twice a month. Much of my previous volunteer work has been in nursing homes, and I like the idea of combining that with visiting veterans. My grandfather fought in WWII, and this seems like a nice way of honoring his memory.

Tomkin is starting to get busy with weddings again. He's got one this weekend and another one next weekend. And work is picking up for me as well. I had made a New Year's resolution to have more unscheduled time, and it's been going well so far...but I can already see February and March booking up. I really have to make a concerted effort not to fill all my available time. But I sure appreciate when I have a few free hours to read, work on a project, or just relax with Tomkin and Chloe.

Anyway, now back to my regularly scheduled Hawaii blogging!

The Latest News

2010-01-18T20:02:00.002-06:00

Before I return to blogging about Hawaii, I thought I'd interject a short update about what's been happening around these parts more recently. A couple weeks ago, Chloe started limping and whining, and we thought she might have sprained a leg while playing at the dog park. But after a few days, when it seemed to be getting worse rather than better, we decided she needed to go to the vet. So last Tuesday morning, while Tomkin stayed home so the furnace guy could do a yearly checkup, I took Chloe to Grand Avenue Vet (who we love!). After examining Chloe, the vet said she suspected that Chloe had torn her knee ligament and would probably need to have surgery. As she wrote up an estimate for the full diagnosis procedure, I shot Tomkin a text message to update him. He wrote back saying that we needed to get a new furnace and air conditioner, at a cost of about $8,000! Needless to say, we did lots and lots of talking about finances and options. After some phone calls and research, we discovered that we did NOT in fact need a new air conditioner (phew!) and we could get a furnace for about $1,600 after a tax credit and three rebates. So today we had our new furnace installed! Hopefully we won't have to do that again for another 20 years. And, after bringing Chloe back for X rays and a more thorough diagnosis, we have scheduled her knee surgery for this Friday at Veterinary Surgical Specialists in Inver Grove Heights, MN. It'll actually cost more than the furnace, but since Chloe is a healthy dog and we hope she'll live another good three or four years, we figure it's worth it. She's a member of the family, after all, and we've pledged to give her the best care we can. Unfortunately, this means we won't get to start doing therapy dog work for a while--her rehabilitation will run about four to six months. But hopefully by June she'll be good as new. Of course the weather has now warmed up considerably (it's amazing how springlike temperatures in the 20s can feel!), but we're refraining from taking Chloe on any walks. Right now she spends most of her time on the couch. But thankfully she's on some good anti-inflammatory and narcotic drugs, so she doesn't seem to be in any pain.

Also last week, my mom and Dick were out with their dogs, Bosley and Buttons, chatting with some neighbors when all of a sudden two other dogs came running from out of nowhere and started attacking Bosley and Buttons! Mom yanked Buttons (a bichon frise) off the ground, and one of the dogs clenched on to her legs, causing lacerations as his teeth ripped into her skin. Dick bravely threw himself on top of Bosley (a boxer mix), and both of them ended up getting bit. Dick is now on antibiotics for a swollen hand, and Bosley got bit in the chest and might have nerve damage in one of his front legs. Thankfully, the man whose dogs did the attacking apologized profusely and has offered to pay all the applicable bills (already in the hundreds of dollars). Hard to say, though, if there will be any lasting physical or psychological damage.

In happier news, Tomkin and I celebrated Christmas with my dad, Sandy, Phillip, and Alex this past Saturday. We were dog-sitting Watson (a sweet chocolate lab) for the weekend, since his human parents had a baby girl on Friday night (congrats to Roxanne & Jim!), so he and Chloe both came along. We enjoyed a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings (and I made two mousse pies for dessert!), opened gifts, and then sat and visited. It was a really fun day! And both dogs were very good.

Oh, and we booked tickets to visit Jenny and Allison in Portland! We haven't been out to see their new place yet, but we'll finally get to see it (and them!) for a long weekend in April. Very excited about that.

Also, I'm switching to a new program for my premarital counseling services. Last Friday I attended an all-day workshop to get certified in the PREPARE/ENRICH program. I'm really excited about it, and I think it'll be really helpful for couples. I'm not working on any grants right now, but those should be starting up again soon. In the meantime, I'm getting familiarized with PREPARE/ENRICH, working on some other wedding-related projects with Tomkin, spending some wonderful time with friends, and catching up on my to-do list. I hope that all of you are doing well! Take care, and thanks for reading my blog. :-)

Hawaii Trip - Day Nine (10/29/09): Life's a Beach

2010-01-09T16:46:00.031-06:00

After another fabulous breakfast at our B&B, we packed up some picnic food and beach gear, lathered up with suntan lotion, and headed to Hapuna Beach. Most of the beaches on the Big Island are made of lava rock, but there are a few actual nice beaches, and this is one of them. In fact, it's often voted Best Beach on the Big Island. It was about an hour's drive north; we arrived about 10:45. It was a gorgeous day, and the sand was soft and lovely. There weren't any shady spots, so we just set up our stuff out in the open. We walked down one side of the half-mile-long beach, toward a hotel. (So romantic!) Then we made our way back to our spot on the beach, settled in, and had some lunch.After some people-watching, we decided to check out the water. I enjoyed bobbing around for a little while, but then the crashing waves and saltwater started to bother me, so I got out. (I have learned not to push it!) Tomkin decided to try body-surfing, so I watched from the shore and took some photos and video. He was amazing! He would fly into a wave and ride it up to shore, with no board whatsoever. It was really fun to watch him. Eventually, a lifeguard came over and posted signs about the dangerous current, so Tomkin decided to get out of the water. We rested on the sand for a while--Tomkin was pretty pooped! Then we walked down the other side of the beach and watched a group of well-seasoned boogie boarders riding the waves. One guy was only using a cafeteria tray! We packed up our stuff and headed back to the B&B. While I took a shower, Tomkin called Fletch to check in and see how things were going at home. (Fletch and Liz house- and dog-sat for us.) Fletch said that the first few days, Chloe kept looking in all the rooms, as though she was looking for us. Eventually she stopped doing that and settled in to life with her new people. I really missed her while we were away, and I felt bad that she had missed us so much, too!

Tomkin and I headed back to Keke's for an early dinner. I got the brisket again, and Tomkin ordered the ribs. That food was SOOOO good! The owner came back out and chatted with us, and he invited Tomkin to join him out in front--said to bring his camera along. Turned out some friends had just caught a wild pig, which they had in the back of their pickup truck, along with their dogs, one of whom had gotten injured during the hunt. (I'll refrain from posting close-up shots of the pig.) A lot of people told us about the wild boars on the island. Some people hunt them with bows and arrows, but other people just use their bare hands. Often they'll have their dogs chase down the pig, and then they'll go up and slit its neck. Kind of gruesome, but I sort of admired their willingness to slaughter their own food like that. (And it's a good way to get a lot of meat for free!)
Tomkin and I left about 3:30 and headed to a nearby spa for our couples massage. We arrived at what looked like an apartment building and stepped out of the car, obviously looking confused. A woman rushed down the stairs from one of the apartment balconies and started talking with us. We said we were looking for the spa, so she told Tomkin to get in the car and follow, and she took my arm, introducing herself as Mimi. I wasn't sure if she worked for the spa or what--turns out she's just a friendly neighbor. As we walked, she told me that she has lived on the Big Island all of her 50 years, and she had been in that apartment for 14 years before she even knew there was a spa next door! She told Tomkin where to park (nothing was well-marked, but that was pretty much the case all over the island), and she led us up the path to the spa. She was so sweet and warm and kind. She even hugged us both before saying good-bye! The woman from the spa welcomed us and led us to the hot tub. The place was absolutely gorgeous! Everything was outside, but it was all landscaped for privacy.
We got to soak in the beautiful hot tub for half an hour. It was so luxurious. But also funny--we saw a mama hen and her chicks run by! One of the spa employees told us to head to the massage room when we were ready. So we walked down the path, where we met Derek and Leila, our massage therapists. They both had a very calming presence. Derek sang a prayer to ask for guidance before they began our 90-minute massages. What a treat that was! Tomkin had originally gone along because it was something I'd wanted to do. He'd never had a professional massage before and wasn't expecting much. And I think he ended up enjoying it even more than I did, which is saying something! The only bad thing about the massage is that the pressure ended up magnifying the pain in my ribcage for the next day or so. But it was still totally worth it. We both felt very peaceful and calm when it was over. We headed back to the Coffee Barn and spent the rest of the evening reading and relaxing, and Tomkin made this video of our time at Hapuna Beach.

Hawaii Trip - Day Eight (10/28/09): Coffee, Machetes, or Me?

2010-01-09T14:36:00.023-06:00

Our original plan in Hawaii had been to spend the entire time in one location. But we realized that doing that really limited us in some ways, and since we didn't want to do more snorkeling, we decided to switch up our plans. This is not my strong suit--changing plans midway--but I was really glad we did it. We spent the first half of Wednesday canceling existing reservations and making new ones. It was exciting to think about exploring other parts of the island and getting to stay in a couple new locations. Both Tomkin and I like to do a lot of research before we travel, but there are certain things that you can't find out from a guidebook or websites. We've learned that you just have to get there and figure things out as you go along.
We had asked our B&B owner for some dining recommendations, and for lunch we headed to Keoki's Roadside Cafe, which Johnsie and John-Paul raved about. We had some fish (caught the day before) and "chips" (which were actually onion rings). The food was good, but it wasn't especially memorable.
Next we headed to Greenwell Farms, one of the 700 Kona coffee farms in the 22 x 2–mile "Kona Belt." Johnsie had recommended this place for a tour, and I could see why. They've been around for generations and are one of the larger farms, but they still provide a nice personal touch. When we first arrived, we waited for a tour guide and tried out a couple different coffees. I especially loved the macadamia nut coffee. We chatted with one of the women who works there, and then one of her Hawaiian neighbors arrived with her two dogs. We ended up talking with her for a while, and when we told her about our experience with the dolphins the day before, she told us we must be very blessed if the dolphins were drawn to us that way. I thought that was very sweet! Tomkin and I set off on our tour with Sandro, who was originally from Costa Rica. We learned so much about the process of making coffee! It was really fascinating. We saw lots of different trees, and Sandro explained how they take the "cherries" and put them through a machine that removes the skin. Then the beans are rinsed with water and dried in the sun. Two more layers of skin are removed, and then you have the "green beans," which get shipped to coffee producers around the world (some is also processed and sold locally). Kona coffee is made from the first type of coffee tree introduced to Hawaii. We even saw the first tree that had been planted on Greenwell's coffee farm more than 100 years ago. So cool! The tour gave me a whole new appreciation for coffee.
Next we headed to a nearby town to do a little wandering and shopping. We picked up a couple gifts in Just Ukes, and I bought myself a mug. Tomkin was delighted to find machetes for sale at Oshima's General Store. We looked at art and jewelry in some of the "fancier" stores and browsed in some clothing shops. But we hit the jackpot when we went into the thrift store. Tomkin bought himself a tuxedo for $20, and I found a dress for $8 and a T-shirt for $2. (Why on earth I brought so many dark-colored clothes to Hawaii, I don't know!)We also enjoyed talking with other shoppers, many of whom were looking for Halloween costumes. I picked up a couple things at a bookstore, and we also browsed around an antique shop. Then we did some grocery shopping at a health foods store.
For dinner, we went to Keke's, which was right near our B&B and had also been recommended by Johnsie and John-Paul. We sat at a picnic table outside and spent a long time chatting with one of the owners, who used to live in Chicago. He was really nice and a lot of fun. Tomkin had the fish tacos, and I got a brisket sandwich with french fries and onion rings. The food was amazing! And it was the least-expensive meal we'd had in a while: $16 for both of us. (Plus, we could buy our own beverages from the little store next door--I got a can of Bud Light Lime for $1!)We started chatting with another guy, Jamey, who was there eating, and we ended up sitting with him and talking for a long time. He's a freelance writer originally from Tennessee. We got to see the sun go down and learned about the "vog" (volcanic smog), which blows in from the southeastern part of the island.
Tomkin and I got back to the Coffee Barn about 6:30 and spent the rest of the evening reading, writing out a few postcards, and relaxing. It was another fun and lovely day.

Hawaii Trip - Day Seven (10/27/09): Kayaking with Dolphins

2010-01-02T15:43:00.043-06:00

Finally--back to Hawaii! The seventh day of our trip was probably the most magical day. Usually when people ask us about our time in Hawaii, both Tomkin and I mention the events of this day first. As usual, we started with breakfast up at the main house (pancakes, sausage, and tropical fruit), and then Tomkin packed up our stuff for the day while I checked my e-mail and Facebook. We changed into swimwear and drove to nearby Kealakekua Bay. It was a gorgeous sunny day out, and we were hoping to do some kayaking and snorkeling. We parked the car and walked to the water, not sure exactly where to rent a kayak or what to do. Tomkin started chatting with a young guy on a bike, who introduced himself as Spencer. He said that he could rent us a kayak for the day. I was a little hesitant (all my "big city" flags went up), but everything was fine. Spencer gave us a dry pack, and we put most of our stuff in there and then strapped the pack and our cooler into the kayak. I had never kayaked before and wasn't sure what to expect. I put both of our cameras in the dry pack to be sure they were safe. I would soon come to regret this decision.... We paid Spencer for the kayak, and he told us to look for his cousin Bubba and another guy when we got across the bay, and they would help us to shore. Then we set off! The bay was absolutely stunning, with hills along the edge, bright blue sky overhead, and an expanse of sea in front of us. We took our time, enjoying our surroundings and greeting other kayakers. Earlier, someone had mentioned to us that the dolphins were around. Sure enough, Tomkin pointed out a spinner dolphin up ahead of us that jumped out of the water and spun around in the air! We kayaked closer and soon started to see other dolphins as well. Some would jump out of the water and spin, and others would dive up and back into the water in a line. After a few minutes, the dolphins would disappear, and then we'd paddle on. And soon we'd see more dolphins! At one point I wondered if they could tip over our kayak, because they were just a few feet away from us! It was truly one of the most magical things that either Tomkin or I have ever encountered. And it's nothing we planned--we were just delighted to see so many dolphins in their native environment, and we happened to find ourselves in the middle of them. We saw at least three sets of dolphins (or maybe it was the same group just moving around), sometimes with five or six dolphins diving together. It was absolutely incredible...and I didn't get pictures of any of it. But maybe that's okay--it allowed me to just enjoy the experience firsthand and not through a camera lens. After 30-45 minutes, we eventually made our way across the bay and found Bubba and the other guy near the Captain Cook monument. Thank goodness they were there to help us out of the water--the shore was pretty rocky. In fact, we passed a large Fairwinds sailboat, which people were diving off of into the bay--certainly a much easier way to do it. (You can't reach the Captain Cook area by car--only by watercraft, horseback, hiking, or swimming.) After the guys lugged our kayak out of the water, Tomkin and I decided to eat some lunch. We took our cooler and walked to an area filled with tidepools. There wasn't much shade, but we found a little spot under a tree with a beautiful view of the bay. We enjoyed our lunch and talked to a guy who was there with his three dogs. Then we headed back to the kayak, put away our lunch stuff, and prepared to go snorkeling. The shore was rocky and slippery, so it was a little tricky to get into the water. But there were lots of snorkelers around--and for good reason! Once we got into the water and swam around, the view under the sea was breathtaking. Unfortunately, my Kodak camera got wet and stopped working (I had a protective underwater case but didn't seal it right), so I didn't get any photos. But I tried to take snapshots in my mind of the gorgeous coral, rainbow fish, angelfish, pointy fish (no, these are not the technical names), and all the other amazing things swimming around us. However, it was still a mixed experience for me. The waves were rough, and there were lots of rocky areas around, so I was always kind of uneasy. I have discovered that a little snorkeling goes a long way for me. Plus, I just don't like the saltwater. After 15-20 minutes, we decided to head back to shore. We ended up in an area that was really rocky, and the waves were crashing in. Tomkin managed to get out, but I couldn't get a solid grip, and the waves kept washing me back out and then pushing me up against the rocks. After a couple minutes, I started to get kind of panicky. Thankfully, Tomkin stayed calm. He swam out, wrapped his legs around me, and pulled us both back to shore. I was pretty freaked out by the time we finally got out of the water. We just sat for a while so I could get my bearings again. In our original itinerary, we had planned to snorkel two more times, but I said I didn't want to do it again. Tomkin said that was fine--we would change our plans to only do fun things we enjoy! (Although this part of the day wasn't fun, it was quite a bonding experience for us.)We had to make our way back to the kayak through some forest area--I kept my swim fins on to protect my feet (which made walking a bit challenging, but also amusing), and Tomkin went barefoot. Once we got back to the kayak, we put on some shoes, I grabbed my Canon camera, and we followed a trail to the Captain Cook monument, which commemorates the spot at which British explorer James Cook landed and was later killed. The area around the actual monument is chained off. Apparently you're not supposed to go inside because that land belongs to England! But Tomkin and I (being the rebels that we are!), stepped inside so we were half on British land and half on American land. We chatted with some other tourists and watched the mongooses that were darting around the rocks. We thought they were cute, but they've actually been a nightmare for Hawaii. They were originally introduced to the island to kill rats, but since mongooses and rats are awake at different times of day, that didn't work out too well. And since the mongooses still needed food, they started eating all the birds' eggs they could find on the ground, eventually killing off entire species. Yikes. Tomkin and I headed back to the kayak and prepared to head back. We chatted with Bubba and his friend for a while--the people in Hawaii were so incredibly warm and nice, and these guys (and Spencer) were no exception. They told us that most Hawaiians are not encouraged to move away and go to college. For them, it's more important to be close to their family. We heard from a variety of people that Sunday is the day you go to church and then spend the day at the beach with your family. Tomkin and I packed up our things and headed back in our kayak--this time I kept out my camera. No dolphins around, though. Ah, well. It was still a beautiful ride. Spencer was at the shore to meet us when we returned, and he helped us bring in the kayak. Even with the less-than-positive snorkeling experience, it was still an absolutely amazing day. On our way home, we stopped at the Painted Church (St. Benedict's). The murals inside were all painted with housepaint by one of the church's priests in the early 1900s. They also have a beautiful cemetery outside. Tomkin and I got back to our B&B about 3:30, showered, and relaxed. We decided to have dinner at the Kona Brewing Company, which was about a half-hour drive away. We sat outside and enjoyed watching the gecko and mongoose that were lurking nearby. Our British waiter told us that 15 years before, the economy had been so bad at home that his mom said she'd buy him a one-way ticket to anywhere he wanted to go and find work. He picked Hawaii and has been there ever since. He said he loves it! I enjoyed a glass of Hula Hefeweizen, and we started with an order of cheesey bread with macadamia nut pesto. Then we split a fabulous taco pizza, and I managed to squeeze in an ice cream sundae for dessert. By that point, we were full and tired, so we headed back to the B&B. What an amazing day!

2009: The Year in Review

2010-01-01T17:53:00.001-06:00

Hello, and Happy New Year! I will soon get back to blogging about Hawaii, but in the meantime I went back and reviewed 2009. What a year! Here are some of the highlights:

January 20th: Inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama

February 5th-17th: Tomkin and I traveled to Madrid, Spain, and spent a week doing the Vaughan Town program in Salamanca. We met some cool and interesting people, learned a lot about Spanish culture and customs, and gained a whole new appreciation for ham.

February 27th: Heidi & Chris's small and beautiful wedding in St. Paul. Tomkin officiated, and I was the photographer.

March 28th: Tomkin's 40th birthday! We celebrated with a small get-together at Pizza Luce.

April 9th-11th: Tomkin and I celebrated our first anniversary with a weekend trip to Northfield, topped off (upon our return to St. Paul) with dinner at W.A. Frost--the site of our engagement--on our actual anniversary (the 12th).

April 13th: Work began on our new patio (half stone pavers, half poured cement). It took a few weeks to complete, but it was well worth it!

April 15th-18th: My friend Heidi came to visit from Chicago, and we had a fabulous time catching up and exploring the city.

April 24th: Our friend Juliet (also from Chicago) spent the night with us before her audition for the Minnesota Opera.

April 27th: Tomkin and I started taking a five-week-long swing-dancing class.

April 30th-May 2nd: I attended the ACES (American Copy Editors Society) conference in Minneapolis, though declined their invitation to be a speaker at the event. (Since then, I have stopped doing freelance editing--except for one ongoing client--and am now doing grant-writing. So far I have completed two foundation grants and two federal grants.)

May 1st: Tomkin and I made our way to the western 'burbs to hear my high school friend Eric Kalenze perform (sing/play the guitar).

May 10th: We attended my brother Alex's graduation from St. Cloud State University. (He has just completed his first semester of grad school, where he's getting a master's degree in statistics, with a 4.0 GPA!)

May 22nd-24th: Had a mini high-school reunion here in St. Paul with my friends Kristen (who now lives in Arizona) and Sarah (who lives in Colorado), who I hadn't seen in 17 years, and my friend Heidi (who is local). It was amazing to reconnect after so long.

June 4th: Tomkin and I attended a Twins game at the old Metrodome. (His parents gave us tickets that they had won.)

June 25th: We helped our friend Helena move into her beautiful new house, just a couple miles away from us!

June 26th-28th: I drove down to Iowa to see my friend Lisa and meet her fiance, Richard, and their daughter, Kaya, who was born in January. We'll be back again in February for Lisa and Richard's wedding!

July 3rd-12th: Our first-annual Staycation, in which we took time off from work and explored our wonderful hometown. We picnicked at Fort Snelling, toured the governor's mansion, shopped at the Elko Flea Market, explored the Midtown Global Market, rode our bikes to Minnehaha Falls, found some treasures at the Ax-Man store, got drinks at Brit's Pub and Juicy Blucys at the Blue Door Pub, and spent some fun time with friends.

July 6th: Chloe passed her Canine Good Citizen test, the first step toward becoming a therapy dog.

July 7th: We met with Jessie Marianiello, the local artist who we commissioned to paint portraits of Scout and Chloe (Tomkin's 40th birthday gift to me).

July 8th: We attended the Minnesota Bride (magazine) awards, since Tomkin was a finalist for Best Officiant.

July 16th-19th: My friend Carrie D. visited from Chicago, just in time for our Surly-themed Third Thursday party. We also toured the Surly Brewery and had a fun weekend hanging out, exploring, eating, and talking.

August 11th: Chloe and I started a ten-week training course so we could become a registered therapy dog team.

August 14th-17th: I drove to Grand Forks, where my mom and I hosted a birthday bash for my friend Brenda, her mom Barb, and my aunt Candy. We also spent time with Grandma Tack and played Rock Band at Mike and Renee's.

August 20th-23rd: Jenny & Allison came to town so we could all celebrate Tom's 80th birthday. At his party, we read a list of "80 Legends About Tom Coleman." A good time was had by all.

August 29th: Tomkin and I hosted a party at our friend Jim & Roxanne's house for Chloe's 9th birthday. We had a beef-flavored cake with potato frosting for the dogs, as well as a pinata filled with dog treats. All the dogs (and the people) were very well-behaved.

August 30th: Tomkin and I attended the MN State Fair and had a great time, expect that we were supposed to see Kelly Clarkson in concert and she canceled because of illness. :-(

September 1st: My friend Marcus joined me for the American Idols Live! concert, primarily because we both wanted to see Adam Lambert. (I'm not sure which of us is a bigger fan!)

September 5th: We attended a record-release party at First Avenue--my first time there!

September 13th: Tomkin and I did the 15-mile route of the St. Paul Classic Bike Tour. This was a big deal, since a few months before Tomkin had fallen off his bike so hard that he cracked his helmet and had to get ten stitches on his leg. His elbow was sore for a long time, but a cortisone shot eventually helped him feel better. We rode our bikes regularly while it was warm, and Tomkin continues to ride during the winter. Next year, we're planning to do the 30-mile route of the St. Paul Classic Bike Tour.

September 25th-27th: My friend Carrie Mc. came to visit from Chicago. We had a great time catching up and stayed busy eating, drinking, and talking.

September 28th: Chloe passed the Delta Society evaluation, and we became a registered therapy dog team!

October 2nd-3rd: I attended a Couples Communication conference in Minneapolis. I've had a busy year leading premarital education classes and am always looking for ways to improve.

October 7th: My 40th birthday! We celebrated by having dinner at the 112 Eatery and then attending the So You Think You Can Dance live tour.

October 10th: We had some friends over for another birthday celebration and served Indian food from a wonderful local restaurant. We also had cake and ice cream. It was lots of fun, and I didn't even mind turning 40.

October 17th: Tomkin and I had a combined birthday celebration with Sandy and my dad. We get to see them for lunch or dinner every month or two now, which is a definite bonus of living back in Minnesota.

October 21st-November 5th: Our belated honeymoon in Hawaii--probably the vacation of a lifetime. We stayed on a working coffee farm, went horseback riding on an open range and on a trail around the Waipio Valley, rode in a helicopter, boogie-boarded, were surrounded by dolphins while we kayaked, went snorkeling, rode a submarine, went ziplining over a forest canopy, attended two luaus, hiked through a volcanic lake, and biked down a volcano. We also met some really cool people, ate amazing fruit, drank incredible Kona coffee, did some interesting shopping (Tomkin found machetes at a Japanese general store), and even managed to relax a little.

November 20th-23rd: Tomkin and I went to Boston for the weekend to see our friend Scotty and meet his fiancee, Brenda (who is awesome!). We also got to spend a night with our friend Jake, his wife Regan, and their son Kyle, and got to see our friends Christopher and Pam. We'll be back again in May for Scotty and Brenda's wedding!

November 26th: We hosted Thankgiving at our house, with our now-traditional ham from Widmer's. Tomkin's parents were here, along with my dad, Sandy, Phillip, and Alex, and we all had a lovely day.

December 4th-6th: I flew to Chicago, where I threw myself one last 40th birthday party (this one with lots of Chi-Town friends at In Fine Spirits in Andersonville) and co-hosted a bridal shower for my friend Lisa. It was a fabulous trip, though much too fast.

December 7th: I got to meet Tomkin's friend Opie, who was in town from Alaska.

December 11th: My Profitlancers group (all freelance editors/writers/artists) had an "office party" by meeting for high tea.

December 20th-26th: Traveled to Texas (and, thankfully, avoided all the horrible blizzards) to visit my mom and Dick. We made lefse, looked through old photos, played Skip-Bo, went out for Mexican food on Christmas Eve, and had a fun time together on Christmas Day.

December 27th: Celebrated Christmas with Tomkin's parents. Went out to dinner with the Ansaris and Sheldons.

December 31st: Rang in the New Year with Kris and Dave at W.A. Frost.

Also this year, we had a number of friends who gave birth or adopted babies (congrats to you all!). Tomkin's wedding business is thriving, and we both feel very lucky to be working from home and doing work we enjoy. We also enjoyed another year of great shows at the Guthrie, and (for the first time) we got season tickets for dance performances at the Northrop, plus we got to see some other cool and interesting performances around town. We were blessed to spend time with so many awesome friends, by getting dinner, playing Rock Band, going to late-night happy hours, attending parties, etc. We also had another successful year of Third Thursdays parties, serving up a different drink each month, and Tomkin continues to play poker almost every Wednesday night with a great group of friends. And we got a GPS, which has truly been life-changing for me--no more getting lost! Other than Tomkin's bike-related injuries, we both stayed healthy all year. We both feel really blessed and fortunate to have had such a wonderful 2009, and we wish all our friends and family a healthy and happy 2010!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-18T09:07:00.003-06:00

Hello, blog readers!
Sorry I've gotten so far behind since the trip to Hawaii. I have every intention of catching up after the holidays. A week after we got back from the Big Island, Tomkin and I traveled to Boston to see his friend Scotty (the head usher at our wedding) and meet Scotty's fiancee, Brenda (who is awesome!). We'll be heading out again for their wedding in May. We also got to see Tomkin's friend Jake (an usher at our wedding), and I got to meet Jake's wife and son (and see all the chickens they have running around their yard!). Two weeks later, I went to Chicago for the weekend. My primary reason for going was to co-host a bridal shower for my friend Lisa, who's getting married in Iowa in February. But I wanted to see my other Chicago friends, too, so instead of planning various lunches, dinners, coffees, etc., I decided to throw myself one last 40th birthday party (at In Fine Spirits) and have everyone gather together. That was so much fun! It was great to see so many friends again--and to hang out in Andersonville, my favorite Chicago neighborhood. The shower for Lisa was a lot of fun, too, and I'm looking forward to her wedding in just a couple months! Of course December has also been busy with Christmas shopping, parties (we just had Third Thursdays last night and served cosmos), oh--and I finished up another federal biodiesel grant and wrote a draft for an education grant! I confess that, rather than spending my recent downtime blogging, I've been watching reality TV--specifically "Dancing with the Stars," "The Amazing Race," and "So You Think You Can Dance," all of which are now done for the season. I'm heading to Texas on Sunday to see my mom--can't wait. Tomkin will be joining me later in the week. We fly back the day after Christmas and will be celebrating with his folks on the 27th and then getting together with my dad, Sandy, Phillip, and Alex in January. I hope that all of you are doing well and having a happy holiday season! Thank you so much for reading my blog!

Hawaii Trip - Day Six (10/26/09): Fire & Water

2009-11-17T20:29:00.062-06:00

Monday morning we realized that the coqui frogs had been much quieter during the night. Turns out that Albert and John had put tape around the trees outside the Coffee Barn and then shaken baking powder onto them, which the frogs don't like. They really try not to use chemicals on the land (a common theme we heard throughout the island). It was John's (the dad) 78th birthday, so we all wished him well at breakfast. (Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of him! But I did get a photo of our delicious tropical fruit.)John-Paul told us about the Angel's Trumpet flowers we had seen throughout the grounds. He said that bees love to fly into them when they're open. Sure enough, as we approached the flowers we could hear the buzzing get louder. We walked around the grounds of Lucky Farm--it was fun to see all the different kinds of trees, including jaboticaba, coffee, and lychee. This first shot is of Tomkin standing behind the Coffee Barn, where we stayed.We also enjoyed some macadamia nuts and papaya on the lanai of the main house. Back in the Coffee Barn, we rested a bit (my ribs were still pretty sore), and then we left at 10:15 and drove up to Kona to go on a submarine ride. We checked in and then explored a couple touristy shops before lining up on the pier. We took some photos and chatted with the other tourists (there were only about 10 of us--traveling during the off-season rocks!) before we boarded the boat that took us to the submarine. The company (Atlantis) had this submarine built just for tourist use, but it's a full working sub. One by one, we all climbed through the porthole and went down the steps. Our tour guide was kind of cheesy, but he was actually quite entertaining, and we learned some stuff from him, too. For instance, when you see deep-sea footage on TV you see lots of colors because the film crew has artificially lit the environment. Actually, light doesn't go that far down, so you don't get the full spectrum of colors--most noticeably, there's no red. Eventually everything looks black-and-white with a bluish tint. Here's a shot with the flash and without:
We ended up going 100 feet below the surface, and we saw all kinds of cool fish and coral. We also saw two shipwrecks! The first was a salvage ship from WWII. The second was a sailboat that sank fairly recently. Tomkin noticed a small shark swimming around it! Those poor fish had no idea what was coming.... We also saw some debris (a tire, cinder blocks) and some area where there's no coral. Everything was fascinating, and being underwater made everything seem so serene and kind of unreal. It was really beautiful.The whole tour lasted about an hour--it was so cool! We took the boat back to land, and then Tomkin and I wandered around, checking out the touristy shops in the area. He bought me a beautiful sarong and found an awesome Hawaiian shirt (or, as the Hawaiians say, "Aloha shirt") for himself. When we got back to the car it was 104 degrees inside! The outside temp was much more pleasant than that. It was probably in the 80s every day--very comfortable. We had passed by a Target earlier, so we stopped in there. It was strangely satisfying to be back in a Target again! We definitely don't have an "Aloha Store" section in our St. Paul Target.... We got some more sunscreen, Aleve, a new hat for me, and a few other things. Back at our B&B, Tomkin made some sandwiches and we ate lunch outside the Coffee Barn in the cute little sitting area. Both of us freshened up and changed clothes, and we left about 4:00 for the Sheraton Resort for our first of two luaus. We checked in and then walked around--what a beautiful place! We found a spot by the rocky shore, where we watched the waves crashing in. Then we wandered back over to the lawn area for the luau. A woman welcomed us with leis made of nuts, and we were led to our seats. Tomkin had splurged for tickets in the "preferred" seating area--we had great seats right up by the stage. The couple sitting across from us was originally from North Dakota, and they've been married for 45 years! The men sitting at the end of our table have been together for ten years, married for three. And the four women at the other end of the table (from Louisiana and Texas) were lots of fun--especially as the evening went on and they had more mai tais! When we booked the luaus, we decided to go with one that was more "touristy" and one that was more "authentic." This first one, called "Firenesia," was the more touristy one. So it was a little cheesy, but it was also a lot of fun. A couple of the performers came out, and one of them sang a prayer. Then we headed to the buffet table. But as we were in line for the food, someone on stage invited anyone celebrating a birthday or anniversary or on their honeymoon to come up. So we did--and we ended up going onstage to learn a hula dance! Most people looked horribly embarrassed and self-conscious, but Tomkin was in his element. He loved it! We got back in line for the food, and I filled up my plate with salad, lomi lomi salmon, lau lau, teriyaki beef, squid luau, wide rice noodles with chicken, pork from a suckled pig, a taro roll, and--of course--poi. Much of the food was a little too fishy-tasting for me, but I loved the pork and beef. Not so crazy about the poi, I have to say. But the mai tais sure were good! And I also got a bunch of desserts: pineapple upside-down cake, guava chiffon cake, and coconut pudding. The stage show started at 7:00. The story was about how all the fires in the world went out, but there was one warrior who kept a fire alive, and he brought it to all the Polynesian islands. They did a dance to this terrible, dance-mix "Firenesia" song (which still keeps running through my head), and Tomkin and I both looked at each other, wondering if we'd made a horrible mistake. But after that it got a lot better. The warrior traveled to Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii, etc., and for each island they would perform a dance. Some of it was really cool--especially the dances that involved fire! Sometimes they danced out into where the audience was seated.The performers really got into it, and even though some of the show seemed kind of goofy, Tomkin and I both enjoyed it. We said good-bye to all our tablemates (we mostly ended up talking with the group of women), and then we headed upstairs to see if we could spot any manta rays in the sea below. Every evening the resort shines a bright light into the water to attract algae, which in turn attracts manta rays. We did eventually see one. (The one in the photo below is just a slide--I couldn't get any good pictures of the water.) Then we headed back home to our B&B and read for a while. (Tomkin read six books while we were there!) It was another really fun day.

Hawaii Trip - Day Five (10/25/09): Boogie Board or Bust!

2009-11-13T21:54:00.017-06:00

Sunday morning we had a quick breakfast up at the main house, and then we headed to the Kona Farmers' Market. We got some great stuff! Tomkin bought a beautiful handmade wooden cutting board, and we talked for a while to the guy who makes them. I bought a ring, and Tomkin got himself a leather wrist cuff and got each of us a beaded bracelet. Tomkin also got a slice of quiche and some sugar-free chocolate. I bought a couple handmade magnets, and we got some locally made soaps. John-Paul (boyfriend of our B&B owner) was there playing live music, and we also ran into the other couple staying at our B&B. Everyone was really friendly, and we enjoyed checking out what all the different vendors had for sale. We left a little after 10:00 and headed for the Magic Sands Beach. (Sometimes the surf drags away all the sand on the beach; it is also known as the Disappearing Sands Beach.) Part of it was sandy, and part of it was covered with lava rocks. I got comfy under a palm tree while Tomkin went and rented a couple boogie boards. At first we just splashed around in the water and watched other people. Then we grabbed our boards and gave it a try. My first couple attempts were big wipeouts--I would catch the wave at the wrong time, get pulled under, twist around, whack my head on the bottom, and come up a little dazed. Thank goodness the boards have a "leash" to connect to your wrist, or mine would have been long gone! We got some good advice from other people--the best, for me, being to always keep the front of the board UP. After a couple more tries, I was surprised that I was actually pretty good at it! It was really satisfying to catch a wave and ride it all the way in! Tomkin caught some of the highlights on video:

Of course Tomkin was really good, too. He's so fearless! We took a break to go wash off (the saltwater was really tough on me--I could hardly open my eyes) and eat some lunch. It was fun to watch the other people on the beach and in the water. Some of them were really good boogie boarders! And the kids "skim" the shallow water or try to surf. Tomkin and I eventually decided to go back in. There was a big sea turtle swimming around--I accidentally kicked it! Tomkin saw him come up for air. Then I think he got smart and swam off (the turtle, not Tomkin). I caught a couple good waves, but then I had a really bad wipeout. The board hit my leg so hard it cramped up and it also hit me in the ribs. I kept trying to go again, but my side was really hurting. Plus I could hardly see because of the saltwater and bright sun. So we decided to call it a day. Unfortunately, I think I pushed it a little too much. No matter how much I rinsed off, I couldn't get the salt out of my eyes. It didn't hurt, exactly, but I was in extreme discomfort. I poured some cold water onto one of Tomkin's T-shirts and rested it on my eyes while he drove us home. He pulled into a gas station and came out with more water, Aleve, kleenex, and peanut M-n-Ms. Such good medicine! (And such an amazing husband!!) As soon as we got home, we each took a shower (I couldn't believe how much sand was in my swimsuit!), and then we laid on the bed with cold compresses over our eyes and rested for a while. I hated to spend precious daylight hours indoors, but I really didn't feel like doing anything else. Eventually I brought the computer up to the main house and checked my e-mail and Facebook. Tomkin spent much of the evening putting together the boogie-boarding video. We noshed on some food in the room, I read and relaxed, and we went to bed early. (My ribs were pretty sore, and it was kind of hard for me to breathe.) It's funny because when we originally thought "tropical vacation" we had pictured a lot of lazing in the sun. Turns out that's not really what either of us wants to do! We'd rather get out and DO stuff. So this vacation involved a lot of adventures--but don't get me wrong, we did plenty of relaxing, too!

Hawaii Trip - Day Four (10/24/09): Riding on the Open Range

2009-11-13T18:56:00.039-06:00

I was sleeping so hard on Saturday morning that I didn't hear the alarm go off. Thankfully the wild roosters woke us up with their crowing at 6:15! We enjoyed another wonderful breakfast up at the main house--I have never drunk so much coffee or eaten so much fruit in my life. Delicious! Tomkin and I packed up a cooler and headed north toward Waimea. We stopped at a shopping center and picked up a couple souvenirs. Then we decided to get an early lunch at a roadside place called Huli Sue's. (Thank goodness for our excellent guidebooks and Tomkin's pre-travel research!) I got a BBQ pork sandwich that came with fries, coleslaw, and one huge onion ring. WOW, was it good. Tomkin got a stuffed baked potato and coleslaw. Really cute place, and we loved the food. We left about noon and headed toward Dahana Ranch (we had reservations to go horseback riding). It seemed to be in the middle of nowhere! Thank goodness we had our GPS. We were greeted by a bunch of happy dogs, a couple of whom joined us for the ride. Our guide was PK, who had grown up working on the ranch, escaped to Texas for five years, then returned to the family business just two months before because, he said, working in an office didn't turn out to be as fun as he thought it would be. In addition to me and Tomkin, the other riders were a mom and daughter from Oregon and two parents and their two young sons from San Diego. (The boys' horses were attached to PK's horse throughout the ride.) PK got us all saddled up; my horse's name was Kailua, and Tomkin's was Skip. We set out on the range, and we were instructed to not stay in a line. Dahana Ranch is a working cattle ranch with thousands of acres, and the horses are working horses (not trail horses). The ranchers want the horses to stay active and engaged and always be thinking. That took some work on our parts! The horses definitely wanted to follow each other or walk along a cattle path, if one was available. So we had to instruct them to spread out, go up and down hills, veer around cattle, and occasionally speed up or slow down. I've never been on a ride like that before--it was amazing. PK told us about the ranch and the land (his grandfather planted all the grass, which was from New Zealand, back in 1951) and gave us lots of tips and advice about riding horses. For a while we all rode in silence and enjoyed enjoyed the quiet majesty of the rolling hills. I was impressed that one of the terriers stayed with us through the whole two-hour ride! (He seemed pretty tired by the end.) We eventually brought in the horses, gave them some water, and said our good-byes. Tomkin gave PK a tip and asked him for suggestions about what to do on the island. Really nice (and interesting) guy. We headed back toward Waimea, and Tomkin suggested that we picnic. We found a spot (near the police station with a mountain in view) and enjoyed some sandwiches and fruit. I don't know how many times each day we just marveled at the beautiful scenery, the delicious food, the amazing adventures--and were so, so thankful that we got to experience it all. On our drive back, we stopped to take some photos--we even caught a glimpse of some wild goats and peacocks by the side of the road! We decided to stop for happy hour at Don the Beachcomber and ended up at the same seaside table we'd had two days before. I got a mai tai and some "tiki chips." Tomkin had the fish tacos and sweet potato fries. We got to see the incredible sunset (at least until the sun disappeared behind some low clouds). So beautiful! We got back to the B&B about 6:30. Tomkin took the computer up to the main house and did some research on boogie boarding. I went up and joined him, and we spent some time chatting with John (the father of Johnsie; they own the B&B). Such a sweet guy. Back in the Coffee Barn, we relaxed in "the fort" as we called it (our bed with the mosquito netting down). I started reading The Jane Austen Book Club and wondered what all the noises were on our tin roof (could have been either Oreo the cat or a mongoose; not sure--but we heard those noises a lot!). Hawaii is a strange and mysterious place...in all the best ways!

Hawaii Trip - Day Three (10/23/09): Two Step & the Place of Refuge

2009-11-11T21:42:00.044-06:00

Each morning that we stayed at the Lucky Farm B&B, we headed up to the main house about 7:30am for a home-cooked breakfast. On the left is the main house (in blue). Behind Tomkin, down the hill about 100 feet, was the Coffee Barn, where we stayed.

We also got to drink freshly brewed Kona coffee made from beans grown right on the premises (since the B&B is located on a working coffee farm) and POG juice (made from passion fruit, oranges, and guavas), my new favorite drink! And we got toast with homemade jam--my favorite was the jaboticaba jam. So tasty! The extra-special treat every day was the amazing plate of tropical fruit laid out for us--much of it pulled right from the trees in the yard. The first morning we got oranges, passion fruit, bananas, papayas, starfruit, and dragon fruit. We loved the dragon fruit--and after we discovered that it sells for $6 a pound, we were glad we got to eat some for free at the B&B! In addition to Johnsie (above, on the right) and her dad, John, who own the B&B, there were a couple other regulars in the Lucky Farm cast of characters. John-Paul, Johnsie's boyfriend, is a beekeeper who taught us a lot about fruit, bees, and pollination. Albert, originally from Connecticut, is sort of a Hawaii Renaissance man--he used to be the artist-in-residence at the Hilton, and he studies petroglyphs and languages and was always offering to be a tour-guide-for-hire. For the first couple nights of our stay, there was a young couple from Alaska at the B&B as well, and we enjoyed chatting with them. Miss Kitty was one of the three cats that hung around outside the B&B. Oreo (who spent a lot of time on our roof) and Callie (the calico) were really skittish. Miss Kitty stayed near the house, but she didn't really like to be petted. After breakfast that Friday, we packed up our beach gear, borrowed some snorkel gear (we brought our own prescription goggles but used fins, snorkels, and towels from the B&B). And Tomkin made some sandwiches. (Beneath the main house was a common cooking area, with a fridge we all used, plus coolers and other stuff.)Then we headed to the beach! Most beaches on the Big Island weren't "beachy" in the "sandy" sense--they were mostly made of lava rock. The first place we went was called "Two Step" because it's only two steps into the water. We carried our stuff out to a spot on the rocks and geared up to go snorkeling. I'd never been snorkeling before, and apparently this was not the best place to start. First of all, the rocks were slippery, sharp, and hard to hold onto. And second, the waves were really strong. So it was a little scary getting into and out of the water (at least for me). I also made the mistake of bringing my camera along the first time, rather than letting myself get acclimated first. So I was swimming around in a rocky, wavy area, not really knowing what I was doing, getting saltwater in my goggles and snorkel, and trying to take pictures. There were lots of cool fish, so I did get a few good shots, and I also passed the camera over to Tomkin for a while. (I had brought an old point-and-shoot camera, which we put in an underwater-camera bag.) After snorkeling and swimming around for a while (probably about 15-20 minutes), we went back on shore to rest, eat some lunch, and get our bearings. We saw an older man and his dog go snorkeling (they're walking by in the picture below)--all that dog wanted to do was stay with his master! It was sweet to watch them.When he got tired of swimming, the dog walked up on some land, but he kept an eagle eye on his person until they were safely back together. (You can see the dog in the photo below.)Tomkin ended up talking with the man for a while about dogs. Eventually we tried going snorkeling again, and this time I left my camera on land. It was nice to float around and look at all the cool fishes and coral. Still, though, a little snorkeling went a long way for me. We dried off, packed up, checked out some critters in a wading pool (pointed out to us by what appeared to be a curious kid not getting enough attention from his folks), and then drove next door to the beautiful Place of Refuge. There was a time when this spot was a sanctuary for those who had been sentenced to death or needed a place to escape during wartime. It is still considered sacred by the Hawaiian people, and we thought it was a lovely, serene area. You're not allowed to snorkel (or picnic or sunbathe) here, but we could see nearby Two Step, where we had just gone snorkeling. We took the self-guided tour around the National Park and learned about the significance of different places and things. The 500-year-old rock wall (built without mortar!) separated the Place of Refuge from the area where only royals could go. And there's a small bay where protected sea turtles swim--we saw a few! None came up on shore, but we watched them move through the water and come up for air. So cool!Tomkin and I sat together under a noni tree and enjoyed the amazing view and sense of serenity. We left about 2:00 and headed to The Coffee Shack, a restaurant near our B&B with an incredible view. We snagged the best seat on the lanai, ordered some pizza (and a beer for me), relaxed, and took it all in. Then we headed to Ace Hardware, where we picked up some flypaper and Raid (which helped significantly with the gnat problem in our room) and had a long chat with one of the old Hawaiian men who worked there (who turned out to be a Jehovah's Witness). And we couldn't help but notice the Christmas decorations, which seemed rather out-of-character in Hawaii! We went next door to the Choice Mart and picked up a few more groceries (no, we didn't actually buy any Spam), then headed back to our B&B. Tomkin took the computer up to the main house (the WiFi didn't reach all the way down to the Coffee Barn), and I used our lovely outdoor shower and then went up and used the computer myself to check Facebook and e-mails. The rest of the evening we just hung out, relaxed, and read, and then we went to bed early. There's not a lot of nightlife on the Big Island--certainly not where we were staying, anyway. But that was fine with us. Most people get up early and go to bed early--and we got into that habit right away.

Hawaii Trip - Day Two (10/22/09): Flying High

2009-11-09T18:21:00.040-06:00

Every day of our Hawaii trip, we got up between 6:00 and 6:30. That's when the sun comes up, and we wanted to enjoy as much daylight as possible. On our first morning in Hawaii (Thursday, October 22nd), I opened the windows of our hotel room and gasped. I had no idea that we had an entire gorgeous bay right outside! It was stunning. We wore our leis to breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Such delicious food! I had a cheese & bacon muffin and fruit--papaya, pineapple, banana, and orange. Everything was bursting with flavor! Tomkin had a ham & cheese omelette and hash browns, and we both had Hawaiian coffee. Even the view from the restaurant was amazing! We checked out of our room and left our luggage at the hotel, then walked around the beautiful grounds. We saw some amazing banyan trees, the shoreline made of volcanic rock, and a little island just outside the hotel. Then we headed back to the airport, where we had reservations for a helicopter tour. There were six passengers on our flight, plus our pilot, Jim, who's been flying helicopters for 40 years. One couple was from San Diego, California, and two guys were from Cologne, Germany. We each had to weigh in (boo!), and then we were given some safety instructions and each assigned a number. Keith, who checked us in, lined us up outside near the helicopter. (The yellow bags on our waists were our inflatable life vests.)Since we couldn't hear much at that point, Keith showed us fingers so we knew the number of the person he wanted to seat. (We were placed according to our weight.) I was seated in the front middle seat, between the pilot on my left and Tomkin on my right, who was next to the window. It was a little rainy when we first took off (the Hilo side of the island gets about 200 inches of rain a year), but then it cleared up. We flew over towns and gorgeous green farmland until we reached Volcanoes National Park and saw an active volcano! Mostly we just saw smoke, but we did catch a glimpse of some red molten lava. So cool! Kilauea has been active since 1983 and is considered the most active volcano in the world. As we flew above the island, we could see where lava from various eruptions had flowed--sometimes over entire villages. There is still one red-roofed house in an area surrounded by lava flows. It's actually a B&B, and you can stay there! (No, thank you....) My favorite part of the tour was when we flew over the ocean and could see where the lava was falling into the sea. It's literally making the island bigger! And creating quite a scene in the process. Wow!!! It was so beautiful, it almost didn't seem real. We also flew over some amazing waterfalls. Tomkin's favorite part of the flight was probably when we landed. He had forgotten to take anti-nausea medicine before we started the tour, so he ended up throwing up quite a bit. Poor guy! I think he used every barf bag on the helicopter. Other than that, though, it was an amazing way to start our vacation! We finished about 11:30, chatted with the other passengers, and then headed back to the hotel to pick up our luggage. We stopped at a little farmers' market in Hilo and picked up some fruit. But we were both hungry for lunch, so we decided to pop into the Kuhio Grille, which was in a nearby strip mall. It was nothing fancy, but the place was hopping. Tomkin and I both ordered a bowl of the miso saiman with Spam (like a ramen noodle soup with egg and other ingredients). It was really good! And, wow, do they love their Spam over there. We also had two cream biscuits (similar to corn bread) and loved it when the waitress said, "Do you want me to butter and fry those for you?" "Uh, yes, please!" We had THE nicest waitress and busboy. So warm and friendly. And those biscuits were to die for! We popped into the nearby Safeway and picked up some groceries, which were a little on the pricey side (but we had been warned). The guys who checked us out and bagged our groceries were really friendly and chatty. I think they would have hung out and talked all day (especially about surfing). We had brought our GPS along for the trip, which was really helpful. Much easier for me, the navigator who's bad with directions! We started toward the town of Captain Cook, near Kailua-Kona on the western side of the island. We could see volcanoes in the distance, and we debated whether or not we should stop at Volcanoes National Park on our way or just drive straight through. Turns out we were in completely different part of the island than we thought we were! The GPS took us on a different route than we had expected, so we ended up cutting through the middle of the island (on the narrow and winding Saddle Road) rather than going along the southern coast. It was kind of disconcerting, but we made it across the island okay (thanks to excellent driving by Tomkin!). Along the way, we saw wild turkeys, a quail, and some cows. It's amazing how much the scenery changes within just a few minutes--from rolling hills to farmland to barren lava fields. We saw the "graffiti" made of white coral--what the kids there do instead of spray-painting. We arrived in the Kona area about 4:00, just as rush hour was starting. (Since they only have two-lane highways, rush hour can cause quite a back-up.) We decided to avoid the traffic by taking a detour to Don the Beachcomber (a waterfront bar) in the Royal Kona Resort. We had a seaside seat, where I enjoyed a couple of their happy hour mai tais (supposedly the drinks originated there). We both got some delicious food: first some coconut prawns, and then Tomkin had fish tacos, I got pork quesedillas, and we both had yummy sweet potato fries. Mmm, mmm, mmm! Both of us were very satisfied and happy. And what a gorgeous view! We drove south to our Pomaika'i "Lucky" Farm B&B and arrived about 5:30, just as the sun was starting to set. Johnsie, who moved to Hawaii from North Carolina two years ago and owns the B&B with her dad, John, showed us around the common areas and the Coffee Barn, where we stayed. It's a beautiful, rustic space with only screens for windows and a shower outdoors. Beautiful mosquito netting surrounds the bed. Turns out we needed that netting because the place was swarming with gnats! We spent an hour or so swatting hundreds of them dead before taking refuge behind the netting. Also, it was cool to look out through the screens and see moonlight streaming in over the banana trees. However, not having any windows meant that we could hear every noise outside, and the place is rampant with coqui frogs and wild chickens--both of which are loud! We went to bed about 9:00--turns out that a lot of people in Hawaii get up early and go to sleep early, which makes sense. Tomkin theorizes that one reason people there are so laid back and mellow is because they actually get enough sleep! We were sure happy to go to sleep that night--it was quite a full day!

Hawaii Trip - Day One (10/21/09): MSP - LAX - HNL - ITO

2009-11-09T17:29:00.010-06:00

Aloha! Tomkin and I have returned from what was probably the trip of our lifetimes. What an amazing belated honeymoon in Hawaii! I'm going to blog about each day separately because it seemed like each and every day was packed full. We started with a long travel day on Wednesday, October 21st. Fletch drove us to the airport about 9:30am (he and Liz stayed at our house with Chloe while we were away). It was sad to say good-bye to Chloe! We both missed her a lot while we were traveling. Our first flight took us to Los Angeles, where we barely had time to scarf down a pizza before catching our second flight to Honolulu. We had originally booked a nonstop flight, but Delta changed it so that we had to stop both ways. (Don't even get me started on my current loathing for Delta! Aloha spirit...aloha spirit...aloha spirit....)Tomkin kept himself busy on the flights watching "24" and "Deadwood" on his iPod and reading books by Christopher Moore. I did crossword puzzles, played electronic Yahtzee and Bejeweled Blitz, and read magazines. When we arrived in Honolulu, a woman was waiting for us with beautiful purple leis! Tomkin had arranged that for us, and it was a surprise to me. What a sweet touch! She walked us through the confusing airport and helped us figure out where we were supposed to go. The weather was gorgeous--we could tell because parts of the airport didn't have walls! We finally caught our third flight, which took us to Hilo on the Big Island, where we arrived about 8:00pm Hawaii time (1:00am Minnesota time). We picked up our rental car and drove to the Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, where both of us crashed out pretty quickly. We were exhausted! But very happy to be in Hawaii.

Snowy Days Are Here Again...But Not for Long!

2009-10-19T21:33:00.042-05:00

Last Monday (October 12th) we got more snow! I suppose it's not completely out of the ordinary to get snow here so early, but it still seems a little odd. I mean, I like the cozy feel of holiday season as much as the next gal, but I'd like to enjoy autumn for a little while first!We both took Chloe for a walk--she loves the snow! We tossed snowballs into the air for her--some she caught, and some landed on her head. That evening Tomkin met with a couple while I led a premarital counseling session. Then I watched some dance TV--"So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing with the Stars"--while Tomkin read. (It would be nice if these dance shows were spread out a little more...but I love them!)
Tuesday we both ran errands (trying to get as much done as possible in preparation for Hawaii). Tomkin went to the office, and I worked on a grant at home. We took Chloe for a walk, and then I brought Chloe to her last therapy dog class! There were a couple new people (and dogs), which was fun. It was weird to be the "old-timers"! And, even though it's been a little tough giving up every Tuesday night for the last ten weeks, I was kind of sad to be done with our training. It's been great fun, and we've learned a lot! Chloe didn't care, though. She went home with some pretty pink poop bags and a dispenser, which was a lovely parting gift!
On Wednesday, we went to Tom and Nancy's house for lunch. They keep so busy--it's very inspiring. It sounds like they're both going to audition for "Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at their church. They both love to perform! Chloe was a very good girl and stayed on the couch while we ate lunch.Tomkin and I both worked at home in the afternoon. He took a nap and talked to our friend Scotty, who just got engaged! We're so happy for him. We're flying out to Boston next month to see him and meet his fiancee, Brenda. I wrote thank-yous for my birthday gifts and also wrote out invitations to Lisa's bridal shower. That evening Tomkin biked to a coffee shop while I led a premarital counseling session. I also talked to my mom and watched SYTYCD.
Thursday morning we exercised to a couple episodes of "The Office." Tomkin ran some errands and headed to the office. I did some shopping, too, cleaned the house, and worked on a grant. We took Chloe for a walk and got the house ready for Third Thursdays. This month's featured drink was mai tais, in honor of our trip to Hawaii. Chloe even got in the spirit by wearing a lei! Since it was my birthday month, I got a bunch of my favorite foods to serve as munchies. Liz (who was originally going to house/dog-sit for us) was the first guest to come by, along with her French date, before they headed off for dinner. Soon more guests showed up, and we eventually had quite a house-full! We had a few first-timers, which was fun, in addition to many of our "regulars." One of my favorite things is when people make a connection--or realize they already have one! It was a really fun night with a lot of cool people. And I'm looking forward to having more of those delicious mai tais in Hawaii!
Friday morning after doing a little party clean-up we went back to bed until 11:30. We both did some work at home and then took Chloe for a walk. Tomkin had a wedding, and I got some stuff done around the house. Then we exercised to "The Office" and "Modern Family," watched a couple shows about Hawaii, and made it an early night. We were pooped.
On Saturday (October 17th) we drove up to Guadalajara's in Monticello to meet my dad and Sandy for lunch. It was their 28th wedding anniversary that day! Sandy's birthday was on October 13th, so we had a combo b-day celebration, which included opening lots of gifts! They gave me a fabulous black tote bag, an iTunes gift card, a pocket organizer, and the game Pit, which I haven't played in years but remember loving as a kid! They also gave us a gift card to Caribou Coffee (yum!). Phillip gave me a book about canine body language (which Tomkin has been reading all week--it's fascinating!), and Alex gave me a much-needed set of mixing bowls. (Both of the boys were at weddings, so they weren't able to join us.) We had a great time catching up, and the food was delicious. Next time we see them all will be for Thanksgiving! After we got home, Tomkin took a nap, and I did some cleaning and travel prep. We took Chloe for a walk, and then Tomkin read while I wrote some cards and e-mails. That night we went to the Northrop Auditorium to see the world premiere of "Moulin Rouge - The Ballet" performed by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. I had been REALLY excited about it, but both of us found it to be pretty uneven. The dancing itself was top-notch. Unfortunately, the choreography and staging (and even some of the sets and costumes) left a lot to be desired. Much of it was way too literal, and the whole side story with Toulouse-Lautrec was distracting and seemed unnecessary. It was an interesting show to see, and fun to be part of such a big event (the place was PACKED), but the ballet itself could use some reworking. Here is the review from the Minneapolis StarTribune.Yesterday (Sunday) Tomkin did a little more research for our Hawaii trip. He's really put together quite an itinerary for us! We've planned it so that every other day we have something scheduled (including a helicopter ride, horseback riding, a sailboat ride, a submarine ride, and two luaus). And then every other day we can go snorkeling, hiking, boogie boarding, or shopping. I am SO excited, but it's hard to know exactly what I'm excited about since I don't have any experiences to compare this to--I've never taken a tropical vacation before! Tomkin and I are constantly amazed and thankful that we get to take this two-week vacation. What an incredible blessing! It was a gorgeous day out, so we took Chloe for a long walk in "the wardrobe," along the railroad tracks. She loves getting to run free, sniff stuff, and occasionally roll around in something stinky. And we love having such a lovely place in which to walk, talk, and enjoy nature. We spent some time out on the front porch since it was actually warm enough to do so! I downloaded some songs to my iPod and did some blogging. Tomkin entered addresses into the GPS, so we should be set for directions in Hawaii. Then Tracy and Wilbur stopped by, which made Chloe very happy! We had a frustrating experience with Delta airlines, trying to get seat assignments for our Christmas trip to Texas (that whole situation has been driving me crazy--they've switched our nonstop flights to ones with connections--through Atlanta!--and the times and seat assignments have gotten all screwed up). I was so irritated and worked up by the time we got off the phone, I needed a good distraction. So we watched "30 Rock" and had some of Tomkin's delicious homemade popcorn. Ahhhhh.....
Today (Monday the 19th) was another beautiful day. Tomkin biked to the office, and I went shopping, did laundry, cleaned, and started packing. We only have one more day before we leave! We took Chloe for a long walk down Summit and Grand and stopped for some iced coffee at Caribou. Tomkin gave Chloe a bath when we got home (so she'll be nice and clean for our house/dog-sitters). I talked to my mom and edited an engineering report. Tomkin made a few last plans for Hawaii and did some reading. Tomorrow we'll be packing and getting the house prepared for Liz and Fletch. Right now all our travel stuff is still in piles. Our flight is scheduled to leave at 11:10 on Wednesday morning. We stop in L.A. and then again in Honolulu and should arrive in Hilo (on the Big Island) about 8:00pm (midnight Minnesota time). So it'll be a long day, but I think it'll be a fun adventure. We're hoping to post some updates to Facebook during the week, and then I'll try to blog about the trip once we're back. (I realize I never blogged about our trip to Spain in February!) Take care, have a safe and happy Halloween, and thanks for reading my blog! Aloha!

More Celebrations and (of course) More Food!

2009-10-18T19:07:00.041-05:00

The day after my birthday (October 8th), we got back to business. Tomkin, Chloe, and I walked down Grand Ave. to run some errands, then Tomkin headed to the office and I did some work at home. We took Chloe for a walk and ran a couple more errands. Then Tomkin and I went to an art opening at Now Boarding. For my birthday, Tomkin commissioned Jessie Marianiello from Stray Dog Arts to paint portraits of Scout and Chloe. Unfortunately, they're not done yet--but that's okay. I know they'll be worth the wait! Jessie has been busy painting other pet portraits for this opening, and it was such a treat to see her and more of her work. We also got a tour of the facility and enjoyed some appetizers and drinks. Then we headed over to Salsa a la Salsa to meet Becca and Omar for dinner. (Becca is such a trooper--she worked at the emergency room until 7:00 and then met us for dinner at 8:00!) As always, it was a blast to see them both. They are so funny! The food there is delicious, and we had a great time eating, talking, and drinking margaritas.
We slept in on Friday, and then Tomkin worked at home before heading to a wedding rehearsal. I ran a bunch of errands (liquor store, bank, Border's, spray tan place) and cleaned the house. Then we both took Chloe for a walk. We walked along the railroad tracks in the area we call "the wardrobe." It was a beautiful autumn day! That night we went to "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Guthrie. I loved it! What a great show--excellent cast and (thanks to Oscar Wilde) a hilarious script. It was lots of fun.
Saturday morning (October 10th), we woke up to the first snowfall of the season! It was so shocking that I actually gasped when I raised the blinds. Fortunately, it melted pretty quickly. Tomkin and I went to Heidi and Chris's new house and got to meet their four-week-old son, Joshua! He's battling a cold, so we didn't get to hold him, but it was still fun to see him in person. He's adorable! We enjoyed getting a tour of their beautiful new home and spending some time sitting and visiting with them. We headed home and cleaned up the house (in preparation for that evening's dinner party), and Tomkin picked up my birthday cake from Woullet's.I did some work while Tomkin researched our Hawaii itinerary and then headed to a wedding. I got everything set up for the party, and Tomkin picked up a bunch of food from India House on his way home. We had a really fun group of people over: Pete, Liz & Fletch, Syd & Dave, Slam & Mandy, and Cassidy & Angie (with baby Harry). We chowed down on the delicious food and then sat around and talked. Such smart, funny people--they shared lots of good stories, and we all laughed a lot and had a great time. Mandy led everyone in a chorus of "She's a Jolly Good Fellow" when we cracked open the champagne. Then Tomkin lit the candles on my cake, and everyone sang "Happy Birthday." We had cake with two kinds of ice cream (one was sugar-free so Tomkin could enjoy it, too!). Eventually, the crowd thinned out, but we got to spend an extra hour or so chatting with Liz and Fletch. They recently moved here from California, and they are going to house/dog-sit while we're in Hawaii! It's a win for us, a win for them, and a win for Chloe. The whole evening was absolutely wonderful. I'm incredibly thankful to have so many fun and amazing people in my life.
Sunday was pretty mellow. I got up and had some cake for breakfast, and then we went back to bed until 12:30. We took Chloe to the dog park--we hadn't been there in ages! Some of the leaves are starting to change, but it's still more "crisp" than "bitterly cold" out, so it was a pleasure to walk through the forest, along the beach, and up Scout's Ridge. Chloe enjoyed it, too! Not the water, though--that was a little too chilly for her liking. I've been making her wear a neck/ear-warmer on the colder days now. She's not crazy about it, but I think she looks so cute! When we got home, I broke my "no computer on the Sabbath" rule so I could e-mail the invite for my birthday party in Chicago. (I'm flying there in December to co-host a bridal shower for my friend Lisa and figured that instead of trying to coordinate separate lunches, coffees, dinners, etc., with various friends, I'd just throw one big party and have everyone get together at the same time.) Then I watched some TV ("So You Think You Can Dance" and "Amazing Race") while Tomkin read. It was a really fun weekend (good times, great friends, and wonderful celebrations!), but nice and relaxing, too.

The Big 4-0!

2009-10-18T16:36:00.049-05:00

The morning of my birthday (Wednesday, October 7th), I had cake for breakfast. The day before, Tomkin had burst into the house midday, run into the kitchen, put a bag in the fridge, then ran back out again. Turns out he had stopped at Cafe Latte to pick up a slice of tres leches cake for me. It was delicious! What a good way to start the day. Next I opened some cards and gifts. Tomkin gave me a beautiful pair of earrings. (The dog paintings we commissioned aren't done yet.) My cousin Danelle sent a book about Dewey, the small-town library cat. I can't wait to read it! Tomkin's parents gave me a very cool original painting by Thomas Coleman, the book "The Red Convertible" by Louise Erdrich, and some notecards with illustrations by Louise Erdrich. Such sweet gifts!My mom put together quite a treasure trove of goodies. She gave me a fun book about turning 40, another book about 1969 ("The Year the World Changed"), and a "Remember When" booklet about 1969, in which she wrote some memories about me being born. She also found an original copy of the book "The Teeny-Tiny Tale," which I LOVED when I was a kid. In fact, I made my Grandma Greene read it to me so often that she finally hid it and said that she lost it! (Reading it now, I don't blame her....) Mom also gave me a DVD of "Brady Bunch" episodes (I was obsessed with that show when I was a kid!), some ballerina stickers, and three of my favorite treats: peanut M-n-Ms, Charleston Chews, and Junior Mints. Plus she put 40 crisp, unused singles inside my birthday card. It was really a fun and thoughtful gift. I called to thank her for the gifts (and for being such a wonderful mom all these 40 years!). Then Tomkin headed to his folks' house for lunch, and Helena picked me up--to get pizza, of course! We went to Punch Pizza (her treat!) and had delicious food and a lovely conversation. She had brought me a pink foam tiara (for the "birthday princess"), but I opted not to wear it to the restaurant. Back at home, I finished watching the previous night's "Dancing with the Stars," and then Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk. It was a beautiful day, so we went to a park to run Chloe around (and take a few pictures). And we stopped for some iced coffee on Grand Ave. Then we gussied ourselves up and headed to dinner at the 112 Eatery--the first time either of us had been there. It was fantastic! Beautiful space, good service, and delicious food. I had a glass of champagne, and we started with some fabulous breaded prawns. I ordered the fried bread with prosciutto, which was mind-blowingly (and artery-clogging) fantastic! I saved just enough room for some chocolate pot de creme, which was like eating a bowl of rich, creamy fudge. Wow!!! Amazing. We had a little time to wander around downtown and let our food settle (which was nice) before we headed to the Target Center for the "So You Think You Can Dance" live tour. What a great show! We both really enjoyed it. In the interest of time, I won't give a complete rundown; if you're interested in a set list for the tour, you can find it here. I will say that I loved Brandon even more in person than on the show; he is incredible! Janette, too. Wow! They and Kayla are still my favorites. Oh, and Melissa the ballet dancer! I love her, too.

Janette and the rest of the dancers after the opening number

Brandon lifting Janette during their fast-and-furious disco dance
Kayla & Jason performing a Broadway routineBrandon & Jeanine's fiery paso doble

Melissa during her solo (every dancer performed one)
Many of the duets and small groups were good. Of course they did all the "biggest" numbers of the season, including Randi & Evan's "butt dance," Melissa & Ade's breast cancer dance (which received a standing ovation), and Kayla & Kupono's addiction dance (my personal favorite).Pajama-clad Randi & Evan performing Mia Michaels' "butt dance"
Jason & Caitlin's fabulous Bollywood routineMelissa & Ade performing Tyce D'Orio's poignant and inspiring "breast cancer dance"Melissa & Evan performing a Broadway routineKayla & Kupono performing Mia Michaels' gut-wrenching "addiction dance"
I especially enjoyed the group numbers, like Mia Michaels' "One"; "I Know You Want Me," a Latin dance with some people performing on wet tables; and the finale ("Brand New Day").
"One" from "A Chorus Line" like you've never seen it before
Calle Ocho group number The finale: "Brand New Day"

They also had a pretty funny running gag about the much-maligned Russian folk dance. The only part that was kind of lame was the scripted banter between numbers. Those people are much better dancers than they are actors! And, to be honest, a bunch of those people could use a spray tan or two. Don't they watch "Dancing with the Stars"? The show ended about 10:00, and we joined the group outside to wait for the dancers to come out for autographs and pictures. But when one of the moms said that it would probably be about an hour-and-a-half until they appeared, I remembered my experience with Marcus after the American Idols concert and decided that we would just head for home. It had been quite a full day! It really was a fun and celebratory birthday. Turning 40 is fabulous!

The Final Countdown...

2009-10-05T22:14:00.032-05:00

In two days I will be turning 40. Still a little hard to comprehend. I'm really okay with it, since I feel so happy and blessed: I have an amazing husband who's exceeded every expectation I ever had about marriage, family and friends who love me and enrich my life, a fabulous and funny dog who I absolutely adore, good health, a beautiful home, gainful employment (a bit spotty at times, to be sure, but it's enjoyable, evolving, and not in an office!), and many fun things to look forward to (like Hawaii!!!). Right now I'm actually feeling a bit stressed because I have a lot on my plate--even the fun stuff takes time and energy, and it can be a little challenging to prioritize it all. But I certainly can't complain.... So here's what's been happening in the week leading up to my birthday. Last Monday (September 28th) Tomkin gave stinky Chloe a bath and then took her for a run in the park before he biked to work. I spent the first part of the day shopping at Target, and then Chloe and I drove out to the Golden Valley Humane Society so she could take her Delta evaluation to become a registered therapy dog. There are about 20 different things you have to do during the evaluation, and both the dog and the handler are graded. We hit a couple bumps during the loose-leash walking, and I made a few mistakes (like giving multiple commands or not providing enough direction during role play), but for the most part Chloe did really well. And as soon as the last part of the test was over, the evaluator stuck out her hand and said, "Congratulations!" We passed!!! I was really proud of Chloe and glad to have that hurdle out of the way. We still have a few more things to take care of (vet approval, paperwork, etc.), but hopefully we'll be able to start volunteering together in a few weeks.That evening Tomkin met with a couple, and I watched "Dancing with the Stars." Then we both went to late-night happy hour at Senor Wong's with Helena, Nick, and Marcus to celebrate Helena's birthday (a week early). We ordered lots of food and drinks, and Helena opened some presents. We had a great time and a fun celebration! (Hooray for Libras!)

Tuesday morning I had my second-ever mammogram, this time at St. John's in Maplewood. It's a nice facility, and everything went as well as could be expected, considering the machinery involved. Good to have that out of the way for another year or two! Tomkin had been working at home, and then he biked over to the library. I felt a little run-down, like I might be coming down with a cold, so I laid down to take a nap--and slept for two hours! We took Chloe for a walk and noticed a definite change in the weather. Fall is starting to set in.... I did some work and then took Chloe to therapy dog class. (We still have a couple more classes to go--and plenty to learn!) Then I went home and watched "Dancing with the Stars." (It's a nice way to wind down at the end of the day.)
On Wednesday, Tomkin and I both went to his parents' house for lunch. Then he dropped me off at Methodist Hospital so I could shadow a therapy dog team. I spent about an hour visiting patients with them. It was really interesting and gave me a lot to think about. I'm not sure a hospital setting is right for me; I think I might prefer a place with more routine, where I would see the same people again and again, like in a nursing home. It'll be interesting to try some different places and see where both Chloe and I feel most comfortable. Tomkin picked me up, and we headed home. He took a nap, I did some work, and then we both walked Chloe. Tomkin had his weekly poker game that night. I led a premarital counseling session and then talked to my mom.
Thursday morning (October 1st!) we kicked off the day by exercising to "Mad Men." We're both really enjoying the show. Tomkin biked to the office. I did some work-related reading and then went to Estetica for a haircut. I'm so pleased that I've finally found a stylist I really like! That evening Tomkin and I headed over to northeast Minneapolis for the Metro 100 party. We had gone last year and it was really fun. The original plan this year was to have the party outside. Unfortunately it rained all day (and it was chilly out), so they had to move the festivities indoors. We still had a good time, but things seemed a bit unorganized and confusing, due in part, I would assume, to the last-minute change of plans. After checking in at the 331 Club, we went to the Rogue Buddha Gallery, where we looked at some art and I had a glass of wine. Then we walked down the street and got some crabcakes at the beautiful Peacock Lounge. Next we went to the Ritz Theater to see a mini-performance by a couple local dance groups. I won't even name them--I will just say that both of them were horrible. We went to the Modern Cafe to get some complimentary sausage (which was good, but we had to wait a long time). Then we made our way back to the 331. They had a tent set up out back, where they were serving free drinks. We hung out there with a couple other folks and then we stopped inside for a bit to listen to the evening's headliner, local band Solid Gold, before heading home. We had a good time, though the event was a little disappointing compared to last year's. Not sure if we'll go next year or not.
Friday morning I had to get up bright and early (6:00!) to go to a Couples Communication conference in Eagan. (Who thought combining the Metro 100 party with an early morning conference the next day was a good idea?!?!) I was there until 5:00 learning about the program, which includes talking skills, listening skills, and a unique way of developing them both (it includes using labeled mats, which were actually pretty amazing!). Tomkin spent the day getting stuff done at home, and then he took Chloe to the office with him before heading to a wedding rehearsal. By the time I got home I was exhausted. We got dinner at Pizza Luce and then spent the rest of the evening hanging out and relaxing at home.
Saturday morning I was up early again for the second day of the conference. We worked on implementing all the skills we'd learned the day before and then talked about the specifics of the program. I'm considering using it for premarital counseling, but it would take a lot of shifting in terms of scheduling, resources, and possibly even space. I do think it's a great program, though, and I like the communication skills it teaches. Tomkin had a rehearsal Saturday morning, then spent some time at home before heading off to perform a wedding. That evening he worked on the Hawaii itinerary (putting together all the contact information and hours of operation for the places we're planning to visit), while I spent a few hours editing. By the end of the day, my brain was fried!
I was happy to have a Sabbath day yesterday, although Tomkin had to start by performing a morning wedding. We walked Chloe to Patina (I love that they let her come inside!) and did a little shopping. Then we walked back home along the railroad tracks. It was a beautiful day and nice to get outside. Chloe still seemed a little antsy when we got back, so Tomkin took her to nearby Dunning Field to run around. But apparently she didn't want to go. As soon as he released her at the park, she took off running toward home--across two streets (one car had to slam on its brakes) and straight back to our house, all the while with Tomkin in hot pursuit. When he walked in the door, he said, "Well that didn't go well at all...." I was just glad they were both okay! I watched a couple episodes of "Glee" and read my People magazine; Tomkin took a nap. We both exercised to "Mad Men," and then Tomkin picked up a pizza from Pizza Fratelli on Selby (really good!). We watched a couple travel shows about Hawaii, and then I actually got on the computer for a bit (usually a Sabbath no-no!), while Tomkin curled up with Chloe and read. I've just got so much to do right now, it's hard to spend an entire day being unproductive.
This morning (Monday, October 5th), Tomkin biked to the office. I did a marathon shopping trip at Target (about 2-1/2 hours!), and then I had a meeting (at the College Muscle Movers office) to discuss the new biodiesel grant I'm going to work on (with the same team as before). Back at home I did some editing and then talked to my mom. She recounted how 40 years ago tomorrow she and my dad went out for ice cream sundaes and then she finally went into labor (almost four weeks past her due date!). He propped her feet up on a chair while he cooked dinner, and then they both watched "Laugh-In." Things started moving along, but they still had to pull me out with forceps the next morning. Apparently I was pretty cozy in there! We've got some fun birthday celebrations planned both on my birthday itself and next weekend. As Tomkin says, "It's better to turn 40 than to not turn 40!" And we figure, with medical advances, we've got another 80 good years of life ahead. So here's to starting the second third of my life!

Carrie from Chicago, Part Deux

2009-10-05T20:54:00.023-05:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of hosting my friend Carrie, who came for a visit from Chicago not the same Carrie from Chicago who came to visit in July). On Friday the 25th I picked her up at the airport about 4:00 and brought her back home so she could settle in and relax. Tomkin fixed some guacamole, and we all sat around the table, eating and chatting. Tomkin had to leave for a rehearsal; Carrie and I headed for Grand Avenue. Our first stop was Stella Blu (one of my favorite stores, though they have a terrible website). Carrie was surprised and delighted to learn that Minnesota doesn't charge a sales tax on clothes! We gradually made our way down the street, ending up at the bar in Salut. (Funny how that always seems to happen!) We each got a drink, and then Tomkin joined us. We decided to head over to W.A. Frost for their fabulous happy hour. Unfortunately, it was chilly and drizzly so we couldn't sit outside. But the indoor bar area is beautiful, too. We got all kinds of food (including dessert!) and a couple snazzy drinks and just hung out and talked, which was wonderful.Saturday morning, we all (including Chloe) had brunch outside at Happy Gnome. Delish! And I love their patio area. We were going to drive around St. Paul to give Carrie a little tour, but when we passed a house on Summit Avenue having a group yard sale, Tomkin slammed on the brakes. He had noticed an old Schwinn for sale and had to take a look. He's wanted to get one of these old bikes for ages, and this one was really affordable and in good condition, so he got it. The guy who was selling it told us that his parents had given the bike to him (new) for his 12th birthday in 1962. He told us some stories of the bike and clearly had a great affection for it! He was nice enough to drive the bike to our house in the back of his van. I really think he was kind of sorry to see it go! Carrie and I ended up sitting on the back patio, chatting, drinking, and enjoying the sun. Tomkin took his new bike for a spin and then got ready for a wedding. Eventually, I said we had to go DO something, so Carrie and I headed to the Walker Sculpture Garden. We meandered around and checked out the art and the flowers (would have gotten dessert at 20.21, but it's closed between 2:00 and 5:00 - hmph!). Then we drove over to Uptown and wandered around, checking out various stores. Then we ended up at Chino Latino's happy hour. Between the two of us, we got six drinks and six appetizers - for $40! Love that place. We talked and talked and talked and then eventually headed home. I had all kinds of ideas in mind for places we could go and things we could do, but Carrie said she just wanted to hang out at home. So I cracked open a bottle of champagne and we all just sat in the living room and talked for hours!
Sunday morning Tomkin made us breakfast at home. It was a gorgeous day out, so we took Chloe and headed to Lake Como. When I asked Tomkin the one thing he thought an out-of-towner should do in the Twin Cities, he said, "Walk around one of the lakes." It is pretty amazing how many gorgeous areas there are around here. It was fun to get out and walk around in nature, especially since it was such a nice day (and who knows how many more of those we'll have this year...). And then, all too soon, it was time for Carrie to go back to the airport and return to the Windy City. It was so much fun to have her here! Great to hang out and catch up. Tomkin and I headed home, and he worked on his new bike, took a nap, read, and did some work. I did some prep work for Chloe's therapy dog test, read, and watched TV. What a great weekend!

Bike Rides & Blessings

2009-09-25T12:58:00.018-05:00

It's been a fairly low-key week, but I thought I'd go ahead and get caught up on the blog today since my friend Carrie is arriving this afternoon for a weekend visit from Chicago. (Yay!) Last Sunday, September 20th, Tomkin and I slept late (10:00!), but then we switched out of sloth mode and went for an 11-mile bike ride. We headed down Summit Avenue, then took the River Road to Ford Parkway, rode the bridge across the Mississippi, and biked back on the other side. We stopped to rest and check out the scenery a few times along the way. Both of us are amazed and thankful that we get to live in such a beautiful place! We were starving, so we picked up some sandwiches at Kowalski's on the way home, then ate a delicious lunch outside. After that we spent some time relaxing--reading on the front porch (both of us), napping (Tomkin & Chloe), and watching TV (me). We walked over to Jim & Roxanne's to pick something up, and Chloe got to run around with Watson in their backyard. Then Tomkin spent the evening editing video footage of Chloe's birthday party while I watched the Emmys. I alerted Tomkin when our friend Peter's category came up (he writes for The Colbert Report), but unlike last year the Colbert team went home empty-handed. Ah, well. I still thought it was a great show overall!
Monday morning Tomkin headed to the office. I met up with Becca for lunch at Yum! We ate and talked and ate some more (their desserts are to die for!). It was so fun to catch up with her and hear about the antics going on in her kids' lives. Becca is one crazy-busy woman, so it's always a treat when I get to spend time with her! I headed home and did some work while sitting on the front porch (Chloe kept me company), and then Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk. That evening, Tomkin and Chloe hung out in the basement while I led a premarital counseling session. Then I watched the season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars" while Tomkin did some work.
Tuesday morning I biked halfway to work with Tomkin, then he continued on to the office and I headed home. I did some work and went grocery shopping at Target. We took Chloe for a short walk, and that night Tomkin met with a couple while I took Chloe to therapy dog class. She got kind of freaked out while we were working on distractions. There were all kinds of items spread out on the floor, and the instructor sent a skateboard whizzing by and started up a toy firetruck that made a beeping noise. All that was fine, but once she started blowing on the party horn, Chloe got really freaked out. She was shaking all over and started pulling me toward the door. The instructor felt so bad--she said this is all supposed to be fun for the dogs. Thankfully, after a few minutes, Chloe was fine again. We have three more classes to go, but we're going to take the Delta evaluation (to become a certified therapy dog team) this Monday! I think Chloe will pass, but you never know what might happen the day of the test. Fingers crossed!
On Wednesday, Tomkin had lunch with his parents then went to the office. I stayed home to work. It looks like I'm going to be working on another biodiesel grant soon! I'm also doing some editing work--busy, busy, busy, which is great! We took Chloe for a walk, and that night Tomkin went to see "The Informant!" (he thought it was okay--didn't love it) while I led a premarital counseling session, then talked to my mom and watched more "DWTS." (Three nights in a row is quite a lot to ask of your viewers....)

At Palm Beach Tan, in a room with the Mystic Tan booth.

Yesterday (Thursday), I biked down Summit with Tomkin, who then headed to the office. I got a spray tan and did a bit of shopping before settling in to work on the front porch. We took Chloe for a walk, and in honor of National Punctuation Day we looked for errors in signs along Grand Avenue. And we found a lot! Last night we went to Helena's for a house-blessing party. We had so much fun! We knew some of the other guests--it was great to catch up with Marcus, Nick, Cassidy, and Liz--and we really enjoyed talking to some people we'd never met before. Some were teachers or students from the Center for Happiness, others went to Carleton (which is how we know Helena) or had another connection with her. At 7:30, we all gathered around, and Helena led us in a blessing exercise to get rid of things from the past, both in regard to her house and in our own lives. Then at 9:00 we did a second blessing, which involved laughing in the corners of the house! There was lots of delicious (and naughty) food, which I heartily enjoyed. But mostly it was fun to just hang out and talk with so many fun and interesting people. And to bless Helena's beautiful new home!
Today (Friday) I've been cleaning our house in preparation for Carrie's arrival this afternoon. Her flight is scheduled to land about 3:30. I'm so excited to hang out with her for the next couple days! Whatever you're up to, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. And thanks, as always, for reading my blog!

The Adventures of Chloe (and Some Other Stuff, Too)

2009-09-19T20:23:00.024-05:00

After our fabulous bike ride on Sunday, September 13th, we relaxed on the front porch, napped, took Chloe for a walk, and ate dinner outside. That evening we watched a DVD about calming signals in dogs (related to Chloe's therapy dog class). It was fascinating! We learned about calming signals such as licking, turning the head away, yawning, "doing something else," and other things that dogs do to either calm themselves or another dog. We also discovered that you can try these same techniques to try to get your dog to relax (for instance, yawning repeatedly). The expert on this is a Norwegian woman named Turid Rugaas. For anyone who owns a dog, I highly recommend doing some reading/research on this. You'll be amazed at how much better you understand your dog! Tomkin and I also watched the movie "2 Days in Paris," which was written and directed by Julie Delpy (who also stars in it). Very funny! We both liked it a lot. We also did a crossword puzzle together. Such a nice Sabbathy thing to do!
Monday morning we took Chloe to the vet. She had been licking her, um, "backside" a lot lately, and we thought we should get it checked out. Turned out she needed to have her anal glands expressed. The vet brought in a second person to help keep Chloe standing (she kept wanting to sit or lie down). Expressing the glands was NOT a pleasant job, but as soon as it was done Chloe started wagging her tail. She seemed to feel immediate relief! And she's been fine ever since. Phew! We then headed down to the liquor store and picked up the ingredients for grasshoppers. (Chloe got to carry them home.) Then Tomkin headed to the office, and I went grocery shopping at Target and did some grant research. I've been looking at the poverty level in American school districts--there's one in Arizona at 85%! Wow. Tomkin met with a couple that night, and I had a premarital counseling session. One of the things I love about being self-employed is that our time is flexible--in fact, we often end up working in the evenings. I think if it were up to me, we would sleep in every morning, run errands and walk the dog in the afternoon, then work at night. Chloe, of course, prefers to sleep at all times of the day.
Tuesday morning Tomkin biked into work, and I went with him down Summit Ave. then turned around and headed home. What a wonderful way to start the day! Chloe hung out with me on the front porch while I did some grant research. That afternoon Liz, the woman who's going to house/dog-sit for us while we're in Hawaii, came over so we could show her where things are at and give her some info about Chloe. She's really nice (a friend of Helena's and fellow yoga instructor), and we feel confident that we'll be leaving Chloe in good hands. Tomkin and I walked over to the nearby polling place to vote in the primaries. Then we took Chloe for a walk. That evening I had a nice chat with my friend Carrie before taking Chloe to her therapy dog class. This week we ran through the entire evaluation process to see what we still need to work on. Chloe did pretty well overall, but I could tell she was getting a little overwhelmed when she couldn't even get the "sit" command right. Really, though, I am very proud of her! She's doing a great job.
On Wednesday I had a premarital counseling session during the day, so Tomkin took Chloe along to have lunch with his folks and then brought her to the office with him. At first the office cat, Muscles, was none too pleased to have a dog around, but eventually they both hung out on Tomkin's couch. We took Chloe for a walk and let her run in a nearby park. That night Tomkin went to see "Inglourious Basterds," and I talked to my mom and did some blogging.
Thursday morning I biked halfway to work with Tomkin (we're both so happy to be bicycling again!), and then I did some grant research and started getting ready for Third Thursday. Tomkin had a wedding rehearsal that afternoon. Then we finished getting the house in order and preparing the food and drinks. This month's featured cocktail was the grasshopper. To match the drink, all the food was green, too, and we even listened to the music of Green Day. And of course Chloe wore a minty green bandanna. I honestly wasn't sure if anyone was going to show up--all the RSVPs we'd gotten were from people who were busy or going out-of-town. But we ended up having ten guests, and we all had a really nice time. Tracy came by with a sugar-free chocolate cake he had baked and topped with raspberries from his garden. We spent a long time catching up on news and gossip about the neighborhood. Fletch told some great stories, and he and Jim talked movie festivals. We all just had fun hanging out, eating and drinking, and chatting about whatever. Tomkin kicked everyone out right at 10:00 because he had a 9:00 rehearsal the next morning. Otherwise I'm sure we would have kept right on talking!While Tomkin was off performing a wedding rehearsal and then working at the office Friday morning, I slept in until 10:00. I'd only had a couple grasshoppers, but I hadn't slept well the previous couple nights, so it was nice to catch up on a little snoozing. I did some work and blogging, and then we both took Chloe for a long walk down Grand and Summit. We are really getting some beautiful weather now--it sure doesn't feel like the middle of September! We came home and took a nap, and then Tomkin left to perform a wedding. I did some blogging, and then we all hung out on the front porch and relaxed. It's really nice to have a low-key weekend with almost no plans. I realized I don't have another one of these until after we get back from Hawaii in November!
Today (Saturday, September 19th) Tomkin had a noon wedding. I did some blogging, and then I drove out to Hopkins to "shadow" some therapy dog teams at the public library. They volunteer with the READ (Reading Assistance Education Dogs) program--I probably won't end up doing that, but I thought it would be get to check it out, observe, and ask some questions. I spent about an hour watching two of the teams and chatting with the handlers. They had some good advice and suggestions. I was really impressed with their dogs! Both were incredibly mellow and well-behaved. I'm not sure Chloe would sit still that long.... I got home about 3:00, and then Tomkin, Chloe, and I drove down to River Road and walked along the Mississippi. It's so beautiful! We veered off into a residential neighborhood and marveled at the gorgeous (and huge!) houses. There were squirrels all over the place, so we let Chloe chase a few. She was so happy! We came home and hung out on the front porch--I've been blogging (I'm finally caught up!!!), and Tomkin has been reading. I'm looking forward to a computer-free Sabbath day tomorrow. And coming up in the next few weeks: a visit from my friend Carrie Mc., a couples counseling conference, my 40th birthday, and our trip to Hawaii! So many fun things to look forward to. Thanks, as always, for reading my blog!

Spinning Our Wheels

2009-09-19T19:28:00.020-05:00

On Sunday, September 13th, Tomkin and I got up early so we could take part in the St. Paul Classic Bike Tour. Tomkin had done the 30-mile route with Roxanne a couple years ago, and originally we had planned to do that this year, too. But after Tomkin's injury put our training on hold, we opted to just go 15 miles instead. We left home about 8:00am and biked the 2-1/2 miles down Summit Ave. to the starting point. We made our way to the registration table, which was located in the middle of various vendor stations with info and giveaways. There was also a place to get some carbs (muffins, bagels, etc.) and fruit. We wandered around a bit, got the tags for our bikes, put some air in Tomkin's tires, and then started off on the ride! It was a beautiful day out--we couldn't have asked for better weather. We started by heading down Summit Ave. to River Road. One of the best parts about this bike ride is that the roads are blocked off to car traffic. So nice! We stopped to enjoy a scenic view. Then after the first five miles of the ride there was a rest stop with porta-potties, musicians, food, and beverages. We got some snacks and stopped to do a little people-watching. Some people really went all-out! We biked another five miles or so, heading toward downtown St. Paul, and then turned toward Ramsey Hill. This is an incredibly steep hill (last winter on a particularly snowy day, my car barely made it up!), and pretty much everyone ended up walking their bikes to the top. Tomkin rode for quite a while, though! At the top, they handed out "I Topped Ramsey Hill!" buttons, and there was another rest area set up. We got some food and then watched other people make it up the hill. There was a real sense of community about the whole event, which was really cool. Eventually we started the last leg, which was a straight shot down Summit Ave. We headed back to the starting point so I could pick up my T-shirt. After checking out more of the vendor booths, we hopped on our bikes and made our way back home. All together, including the ride to and from the starting point, we biked 19.8 miles. Not a bad way to start the day! We were home a little after 11:00--about the time we usually get going most days! Both of us really enjoyed the bike ride, and we're already planning on doing the 30-mile route next year.

Back on the Bikes & Out on the Town

2009-09-19T11:25:00.024-05:00

We were back to the grind on Tuesday, September 8th. Tomkin gave stinky Chloe a much-needed bath. He took my bike in to have the gears fixed, and then he went to the office. I finished up my judging duties for this year's MMPA Excellence Awards and went grocery shopping at Target. We took Chloe for a walk, and that night Tomkin met with a couple while I took Chloe to therapy dog class. We spent a little time in the elevator and the bathroom since she's not completely comfortable in either location, but she'll probably need to be once we start volunteering. She is a very brave girl!
On Wednesday the 9th, Tomkin had lunch with his folks then went to the office. I did some work-related reading and a little editing, and I spent some time working with Chloe on her therapy dog training. We took Chloe for a walk that afternoon. Then in the evening, Tomkin went to perform a blessing for a man who was getting shipped off to Afghanistan that Friday. Tomkin had performed this couple's wedding a couple years ago, right before the first time the groom was sent to Afghanistan. Now they have a couple kids, and he'll be gone for a year (and he's in the National Guard!). It made me really grateful for the sacrifice of all the people in the Armed Forces. I led a premarital counseling session, then talked to my mom. Then I talked to Brenda, who was mulling over whether or not to move to a home in the country. (She has since decided to go for it and will be moving the end of October!)
Thursday morning, Tomkin and I went on our first bike ride since he had his accident back in June. The cortisone shot seems to have done the trick--his arm is feeling fine now. Phew! It felt so good to go biking again! We went down Summit and back, enjoying the beautiful scenery and light summer breeze. What a treat! That afternoon I ran some errands and worked on grant stuff (am preparing to work on a couple new projects). Tomkin had been invited to take a tour of the Walker Art Center so he could do a write-up about them for his wedding website. As a thank-you, they offered us a complimentary dinner at Wolfgang Puck's 20.21 restaurant in the Walker. We happily accepted the offer and made reservations for Saturday night. We took Chloe for a walk and cleaned up the house a little. About 6:00, my cousin Danelle and her husband, Edward, came over. They live in San Antonio, and this was my first time meeting Edward. It was really fun to hang out and chat with them! An hour or so later, my aunt Carol (Danelle's mom/my dad's sister) and uncle Steve arrived, and then we all walked around the corner to get dinner at Pizza Luce. We had a wonderful time together and a delicious meal. Even when we walked back to the house, we stood outside and talked for a while. It was so great to see them all!
On Friday afternoon, Tomkin and I went over to Cassidy and Angie's house to meet their three-week-old son, Harry. (Angie ended up having to work, so she couldn't be there.) He is such a cutie! We brought along some gifts for the baby and the dogs, and we had a nice time visiting with Cassidy. Tomkin and I went home and took a nap, then walked Chloe. That evening we went to the first of three dance performances in our season-ticket package at the Northrop. The show was "Entity" by Wayne McGregor/Random Dance. We sat in the very front row, which was amazing in that we could really see and hear the dancers (though we couldn't always see their feet). What a show! It was a solid hour of high-energy, intense, amazing dancing. We both loved it! Afterward we decided to hit W.A. Frost's late-night happy hour. We sat in the outdoor bar area and enjoyed some yummy appetizers (and I had a tasty and pretty drink).
Tomkin did some work on Saturday, and I researched things to do when my friend Carrie Mc. comes to town next weekend. We exercised while watching Chris Rock's 1996 stand-up comedy special "Bring the Pain" and found it very ironic that he did a whole bit about how a black man could never become president of the U.S. At the exact same time, President Barack Obama was at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis leading a health-care rally. Pretty amazing! (I will refrain from getting into the whole issue of health-care reform and the bizarre and vitriolic rantings of American conservatives, except to say that it's been a great source of irritation and stress!) We spent some time on the front porch--Tomkin reading and me blogging. Then we got dressed up for our dinner at 20.21. We had early reservations (6:00) since we had to get up early the next morning. When we arrived, we decided to sit outside since it was so nice out. And what an amazing view! I ordered a drink, and we started with the calamari salad as an appetizer. So delicious! They also gave us a little order of some seasoned green beans. Surprisingly flavorful! Seemingly out of nowhere, it started to rain. At first we just took cover under an umbrella, but eventually it really started to pour. So we (and the other people seated outdoors) ran back inside. That was actually kind of cool--we ended up getting to sit both outside and inside the restaurant! And as beautiful as the view is outside, it's also a pretty amazing space inside. I ordered the roasted duck as my entree, which came with some delicious noodles. I also got a side of potatoes au gratin, but I probably wouldn't have needed them. (But they were so rich and wonderful, I was glad I'd gotten them!) And a second drink.Tomkin ordered the seafood curry and a side of seasoned vegetables. All of the food was incredible. And we ate just about everything! Our waiter must have thought we'd been starving ourselves for days before this meal. Even though I was full, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try their signature dessert, the Spoon, Cube & Cherry (in homage to the Spoonbridge & Cherry sculpture in the Walker Sculpture Garden). So cool!!! It's a box of chocolate, with a wafer-thin spoon-shaped cookie on top and a tiny candy cherry. Inside the box is a mass of creamy chocolate mousse. To die for! The restaurant is pretty pricey, but I would recommend going there just to get this dessert--and sit outside, if you can. We were thrilled and delighted with our 20.21 dining experience. What a wonderful, decadent treat! (It was especially nice that we only had to pay the tip....) Eating so much made us tired, which was good since we needed to get to bed early anyway in preparation for the St. Paul Classic Bike Tour early the next morning.

Of Friends and Food

2009-09-18T19:13:00.026-05:00

On Wednesday, September 2nd, Tomkin and I had lunch over at his folks' house. We ate lunch inside, then went outside for tea since it was such a beautiful day. Tomkin and I went to Schuler Shoes and found some great fall and winter footwear in their clearance section. The shoes there aren't cheap, but they sure are comfortable and well-made! And getting them on sale was nice. We took Chloe for a walk, and that night Tomkin went to his weekly poker game while I led a premarital counseling session and then talked to my mom.
Thursday morning we exercised while watching the documentary "Tyson" about boxer Mike Tyson. Much of the movie is Tyson telling his own story--it was interesting to me to learn that much of his motivation came not from anger but from fear. It was a good reminder for me not to make snap judgments about people. (Not that I'm defending Mike Tyson, but watching the movie about him did make me think.) Tomkin went to the office, and I worked on judging magazines for the MMPA Excellence Awards. This is the second year that I've served as a judge, and I really enjoy it. We took Chloe for a walk, ate dinner outside, and then Tomkin had a wedding rehearsal. I led a premarital counseling session, and then we hung out and enjoyed some chocolate-and-cherry smoothies. I also bought a ticket to go to Chicago the first weekend in December. I'm co-hosting a bridal shower for my friend Lisa, who's getting married in Iowa in February, and I'm also going to throw myself a little 40th birthday party while I'm in town.
On Friday the 4th, Tomkin headed to the office, and I met up with Helena at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. We were both art history majors at Carleton (and went on the off-campus studies program to Amsterdam together), so it was fun to check out an art exhibit with her. (The first of many in the Twin Cities, I hope!) We saw "Sin & Salvation" about the Pre-Raphaelites, whom I love. Their paintings are so rich and detailed and elegant. After perusing the artworks, we sat in the cafe to eat, drink, and chat. It's always a delight to spend time with Helena. Back at home, I did some work, took a nap, and then Tomkin and I walked Chloe. I did some blogging while Tomkin performed a wedding. Then we went to Christo's to have dinner with Peter and Mandy. Of course we had to get my favorite--saganaki (the flaming cheese!). It felt like ages since we'd seen Peter & Mandy, so it was great to hang out and talk. As usual, we closed the restaurant down--time always flies when we're with them!
Saturday morning Tomkin and I exercised, and then we hung out on the front porch. Tomkin read while I blogged. (Will I ever catch up?!?!) It was kind of a lazy, low-key day. Tomkin had a rehearsal, and that evening we met up with Liz and Fletch (who are moving here from California!) at First Avenue. I had never been there before! It's a really cool space. It's probably most famous as the featured club in Prince's 1984 movie "Purple Rain." The evening we went, the main event was a CD-release party for local singer/musician Mark Mallman. The opening acts, especially Black Blondie, were really good. And Mark Mallman was interesting. Mostly, though, we enjoyed hanging out and talking with Liz and Fletch and meeting their friends Kirsten and Anton, who happen to live in our neighborhood (and Kirsten went to Carleton!). It was a very fun evening, and I look forward to going back to First Ave.
Sunday, the 6th, Tomkin performed a baptism for the daughter of two of my high school classmates! I thought that was pretty cool. (Since it was basically a workday for him, and Monday was a holiday, we took our Sabbath day on Monday.) I got some chores done and spray-painted three of my six wooden cubes. I've had these things since I was a kid (I think my parents made them for me) and have carted them around to many different locations. They're solid (and heavy) and have been painted a variety of colors over the years. For now, I'm going to paint them blue and use them in the basement. We took Chloe for a walk, and we bought our tickets to Texas for Christmas. (Seems far off, but it'll be here before we know it!) Tomkin had to go perform a wedding, and I stayed home and did some blogging. Then we felt like getting out, so we drove to Minneapolis and headed to Joe's Garage. We had hoped to sit on the rooftop, but the wait was really long, so we snagged a seat out on the sidewalk. It was my first time there--the food was really good (though the portions were rather small). I got the macaroni & cheese, which was delicious. It was a beautiful night, and I certainly couldn't have asked for better company.
Monday the 7th was Labor Day. We read on the front porch, exercised while watching "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," napped, and read some more. What a nice lazy day! That evening we (including Chloe) walked over to Syd & Dave's house for dinner. It was hard to get out of their huge, comfy new "chair of love." We took the dogs out back to let them work off some energy.Then we were treated to an incredible meal. (They had invited a couple other friends over, too.) Dave prepared homemade lobster bisque, filet mignon, and bread and butter (both also homemade). All of it was incredible. We also had pomegranate martinis and three kinds of wine. Wow! I love having foodie friends. Especially ones who are as fun to hang out with as Syd & Dave! Tomkin and I really try not to take our friends for granted--we feel very blessed to have so many smart, funny, talented, kind, interesting people in our lives. Each friend has their own unique gifts and talents, and we cherish every one!

Adam Lambert (and Some Other American Idols) Live!

2009-09-16T20:29:00.068-05:00

On Tuesday, September 1st, my dear friend Marcus and I got to see the American Idols Live on tour! (Tomkin took Chloe to her therapy dog class that night so we wouldn't fall behind.) Marcus picked me up, and we posed for a couple pre-concert shots. (As a reminder--if you want to see any of these photos enlarged to full-screen size just click on the photo. Then hit the back button to return to the blog.) We went to Peninsula Malaysian Cuisine for dinner. It was gorgeous out, so we sat outside. I hadn't eaten there before--it was wonderful! After dinner we drove to downtown Minneapolis, parked the car, and headed for the Target Center. We had seats in the 16th row on the floor! We got there just a few minutes before the show started, and the place was bursting with energy. On a screen upfront, whenever an image of Adam came up, the crowd went wild! Finally the lights dimmed, and the show officially started....
First on stage was Idol #10, Michael Sarver, who sang "I'm in Love with a Girl" by Gavin DeGraw and "Closer" by Ne-Yo. He got everyone up on their feet and seemed impressed with the crowd's reaction.
Next was #9, Megan Joy. Ugh. She looked really weird in a hot pink dress with her hair all done up, and she didn't sound that good, either. I think she'd be better singing quirky songs at small venues. She sang "Put Your Records On" by Corrinne Bailey Rae and "Tears Dry on Their Own" by Amy Winehouse.
Scott MacIntyre, Idol #8, was up next. He sang "Bend and Break" by Keane and "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton.
The first surprise of the night for me was #7, Lil Rounds. Wow, did she put on a good show! She always had potential on "American Idol" but never quite seemed to hit her stride. But on tour she seemed really comfortable and got the crowd fired up. First she sang "Be Without You" and "Just Fine" by Mary J. Blige and "No One" by Alicia Keys. But the best was when she sang Beyonce's "Single Ladies"--the crowd went wild!
Bringing things down a notch was #6, Anoop Desai. I like Anoop and think he's got a beautiful voice, but he is BOOOOO-RING! I don't think he has the stage presence for an arena of that size. He sang "Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson, "Mad" by Ne-Yo, and "My Prerogative" by Bobby Brown. And he did a fine job...it was just a little yawn-inducing.
The next pleasant surprise of the night for me was #5, Matt Giraud. He really came across as a great showman, and I enjoyed his set a lot. He sang "Too Hard to Handle" by Otis Redding, "Georgia On My Mind" by Hoagy Carmichael, and "You Found Me" by The Fray. I wished he would have sung more!
Megan and Lil came back out and sang "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" by Frankie Valli. Megan apparently forgot the words midway through and started laughing.
Scott and Matt performed "Tell Her About It" by Billy Joel on dueling pianos. That was a really fun performance.
Michael came back to sing Elvis's "Suspicious Minds," and then Michael, Megan, Scott, Lil, Anoop, and Matt sang "Beggin'" by the Four Seasons.
With the first act done, it was time for a 20-minute intermission. I braved the loooong line for the bathroom (and spotted local Idol contestant Casey Carlson). Marcus hung out and watched the music videos by other American Idols (like Daughtry and Carrie Underwood) and some Ford music videos. Then it was time for Act II....
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Adam Lambert, and I think he is amazing and talented and wonderful. So I hope it won't sound blasphemous for me to say that the evening's best performance was given by Idol #4, Allison Iraheta. WOW! She came on like a rock-star powerhouse singing "So What" by Pink. Suddenly the rather subdued energy of Act I was replaced by a whole new rockin' ethos. She was AMAZING. And she's only 17! It's safe to say that Allison has quite a career ahead of her. She also sang "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin and Heart's "Barracuda." A flawless high-energy set.
The crowd went wild for Danny Gokey, Idol #3, but I'm not a huge fan. Yeah, he's got a nice voice, but the whole time he was on stage, all I was thinking was "Adam is next! Adam is next! When is Danny done? Adam is next!". He started with "PYT" by Michael Jackson, then sang "Maria Maria" by Santana. He talked about following your dreams and not giving up and then sang "What Hurts the Most" and "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts.
And then, finally, it was Adam Time. When the lights dimmed and people knew Adam was next, they started to yell and scream. It was definitely the loudest and longest reaction of the night. Adam burst onstage wearing a fabulous coat, singing "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. I actually got a little weak in the knees, it was so amazing to be seeing and hearing him in person. What a voice and what a stage presence! He was sexy and raunchy, and the crowd loved it. For some reason, his next song was "Starlight" by Muse, which I actually found to be a little dull. (The song itself--not the performance.)"Mad World" by Tears for Fears was an obvious choice, and he sings it beautifully, but it definitely brought the crowd's energy level down. Allison came out to sing a "Slow Ride" (by Foghat) duet, which was awesome. (In concert, especially, the rockin' songs are the best!) Then Adam finished up with a David Bowie medley: "Life on Mars," "Fame," and "Let's Dance." He is such an amazing singer and performer! I think my problem with the set (though I hate to complain, because I still loved it) was that Adam tried to show every facet of himself, and it ended up feeling a little schizophrenic--he was rockin', then sensitive and theatrical, then glam. And, yes, I embrace and celebrate each style of his amazing talent, but I think it would work better over a two-hour solo concert rather than a 20-minute set. All that said, it was still an incredible experience to see/hear him live, and I can't wait until he goes on tour again! (Perhaps with Allison as his opening act....)
Oh, yeah, and there was one more guy--the actual "American Idol," Kris Allen. As you might imagine, his set was a little anticlimactic. Yes, he's a talented guy and the crowd gave him a warm reception, but his vibe is just a lot more subdued than Adam's. He started with "Heartless" by Kanye West, then did "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers (a replacement for the horrible "No Boundaries" song he was originally forced to sing). Next he sang "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers, followed by Matchbox Twenty's "Bright Lights." He finished his set with the Beatles' "Hey Jude," and I'll admit that it was pretty cool. There were 10,500 people in the Target Center, and a great many of them were swaying, singing along, and holding up their cell phones (the modern equivalent of lighters).
All the Idols came back on stage for the grand finale, a performance of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" with a little bit of Steam's "Na Na Na Na Goodbye" mixed in. It was quite a spectacle, with lights and disco balls and thousands of bubbles raining down onto the crowd. And, then, after three hours of entertainment, the concert was done!
I asked Marcus if he would be willing to hang out outside with me and wait for the Idols to come out (along with hundreds of other people). We very patiently waited for over an hour before any of the Idols finally started to file out! (Marcus was such a trooper!) We got moved around by security and managed to get pretty good spots a couple rows from the barricade. A guy came around selling merchandise; lots of people had pictures, magazines, or other things for the Idols to sign. I started to get restless, but I hated to leave after we'd already invested so much time! And I knew that Adam didn't always come out to see the fans, but I was really, really hoping he would. (And so were lots of Adam fans around us!) Finally, after a long wait, Scott MacIntyre appeared. The crowd went wild to finally see an Idol! Each performer who came out walked down to the end (near where we were) and then made their way all the way back.After a little while longer, Lil and Megan made the rounds. Allison was the next one out. (They all signed a bunch of autographs but stopped for few or no photos.) Then came Kris, which made the crowd very happy. Out next was Danny. Then it was Matt. (Just talking about him made the teenage girl standing next to us start crying--let alone actually getting to see him and get his autograph!) Next Michael Sarver came out. All we had left were Anoop...and ADAM. But then the security guy came around and said that was it; the Idols were done. Of course the crowd wasn't happy about this, and everyone started chanting "Adam! Adam! Adam!" but to no avail. By this point it was almost midnight, and I'd been standing in heels for nearly five hours--my legs and butt were burning, they hurt so bad! I snapped a couple photos of the tour buses, and then we headed for home. Sure, it would have been fun to see Adam up close, but the whole night was still a blast. The show was awesome, and the whole event was an amazing experience! (BTW, Adam's CD will be released on November 24th. Woo hoo! I hope he promotes it with a tour....)