Life in Minnesota

The dogs and I got on the road about 12:30 Sunday the 21st and made it to St. Paul by 8:15 (with two stops along the way). Scout and Chloe were really good and patient travelers. As soon as we arrived, Tomkin and I took the dogs for a walk. Then he showed them around the house. They were pretty excited for the first day or so, trying to figure things out. But already they're loving it here. Tomkin took all last week off (as did I), and we enjoyed "vacationing" at home. We took the dogs on lots of walks--most of the stores here let you bring dogs inside!--and to the amazing dog park. I still can't get over how huge the dog park here is! (And apparently there are others.) Wednesday night we saw "Jane Eyre" at the Guthrie (Tomkin has season tickets), which was really fun. The theater is beautiful! My stuff arrived on Thursday. There were only two guys to unload the truck, so it took them about four hours (including a long break). They weren't very happy--in fact, by the end of the day, both of them said they were quitting their jobs. They even offered to pay me so they wouldn't have to move my sofabed up to the attic. That was a long day for all of us.... Tomkin and I have been steadily unpacking, making room for my stuff, and putting lots of things in storage. My new office and library space are amazing! Tomkin completely finished half of the basement for me--put up new walls, covered and painted the ceiling, and finished the floor. We ordered a couple rugs, so the space is really cozy. I haven't done a lot of unpacking in those rooms yet...but I'll get there. Saturday night we went to a "Pizza Club" gathering with some of Tomkin's friends, and on Sunday we went to a pumpkin-carving/football-watching party. Then on Monday it was back to the real world again, although my real world--in terms of work--has changed dramatically! Tomkin went back to the office, and I set up shop here at home to do freelance editing. It's taking a little getting used to, but I really think I'm going to like it. I went to Target by myself on Monday, and on Tuesday I drove into downtown Minneapolis to pick up Tomkin from work, and then we went to his parents' house for lunch. This was only the second time I've met them, but I already feel like I know them so well. They're really warm and welcoming and interesting, and I look forward to spending more time with them and getting to know them better. Last night for Halloween, we handed out candy to neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Then we took the dogs for a walk, which we've been doing every night. They love it! Life in Minnesota is definitely off to a good start for all of us. And apparently the whole rumor about cold winters up here is a big lie, since it's been in the 60s and 70s much of the time I've been here....

Blessings to Go

Sunday morning, October 21, Lisa and I went out for breakfast at Ann Sather's, and then I picked up the dogs from Bill & Laura's. I brought them to church with me for the Blessing of the Animals service at Holy Covenant. It was an emotional day, since my car was all packed up, and I knew I'd be heading out once church was over. Pastor Trey gave a wonderful sermon and blessed all the animals in attendance. Scout got a little barky and hyper, but he and Chloe were good for the most part. Right near the end of the service, Pastor Trey called me (and the dogs) up front. Then he had everyone else in the church gather around to lay hands on me, and he gave me a blessing for my journey, both that day and in the many days to come. After church I said some good-byes, and then Lisa (and Izzy) walked me to the car. Then I got on the road, drove out of Chicago, and headed to St. Paul.

A Brief Commercial Interruption

Speaking of the Hopleaf, I want to throw in a quick plug here for Surly beer. My friend Rebecca (fellow Carl and MN resident) is married to Omar, who recently started the Surly Brewing Company. Their beer has become a huge hit here in Minnesota, and now it'll be available in Chicago as well, including at the Hopleaf! They'll start serving Surly Darkness on Monday, November 12th. Other Chicago bars will carry it as well. It's all the rage, so if you're anywhere near a place to get some Surly, I highly recommend it!

My Last Night in Chicago

For my last night as a Chicago resident, of course I wanted to go to the Hopleaf! Lisa and I went and had a really fun time. The bartender gave me a free beer as a send-off, and we enjoyed mussels and frites and even got dessert. I got to talk to Lisa's boyfriend, Rich, who lives in Hawaii. (Only three more months now until she moves out there to live with him!) After dinner we went back and hung out at her place. Both of us were pretty beat, so it made it an early night. Even so, it was a really nice last evening in Chicago!

Movin', Movin', Movin'

On Saturday morning, October 20th, I got up at 6:00am to finish packing and was done and ready to go right at noon. The movers (from Sasha Transport) showed up at 1:00. They looked shocked when they saw the number of boxes I had. They took an inventory and said that they had originally estimated for 40 boxes, but I had 140. And that was with lots of paring down! I stayed out of their way as best I could while four guys moved everything down three flights of stairs. It only took them about two hours, which I thought was rather impressive. After they left, I finished cleaning, left my keys on the counter, and headed over to Lisa's.

Bringer Inn, Heading Out

After my last day at PIL, I headed to the nearby Bringer Inn. Carrie, Jennifer, Kara, Paul, Angela, Katie, and some other PIL folks came, too. Former PIL-er Jessica made a special appearance, and so did Lisa--it was quite a surprise to see her there! Paul bought drinks for everyone, and we dined on the Bringer's classic nachos. I enjoyed hanging out with everyone, though it was especially nice to just sit and relax for a couple hours. But then I had to head home and finish packing....

Last Day at PIL

After 14 years and 7 months, my last day at PIL was on Friday, October 19, and I was given a lovely going-away party. Carrie, Jennifer, Kara, and Doug were primarily responsible. (Laura helped with decorations.) It was nice, although it was kind of strange--most of my old friends are gone, and there were people there whose names I didn't even know! It struck me that it's a different era there now, and it wasn't entirely a bad thing to be moving on. We ate lots of good food, and I told everyone how on my very first day (when I worked in the Visual Resource Center), Terri had told me she was glad she didn't have my job. After the party, I finished cleaning out my office cleaned, had my exit interview, turned in my swipe card, ended the PIL chapter of my life, and headed to the Bringer Inn to celebrate.

Yes, I'm Alive!

Finally, I'm setting aside my freelance work, the unpacked boxes, the dogs, the laundry, and everything else so I can catch up here! It's been a pretty crazy last couple weeks--but wonderful, too. Let me start by going way, way back to Tuesday, October 16th. Back then I still lived in Chicago and had gainful full-time employment at PIL. My, how things have changed.... Anyway, on that particular day, I had lunch at Lalo's with Jill, Joanna & Alejandro, Kerri & Libby, and Kelly & Evie & Sophie. (Mary Beth was actually up in Minnesota.) We had a really nice lunch, and the kids were great. It was hard to say good-bye at the end, but it helped knowing that I'd be back in just three weeks.

We're Gonna Make It After All

Yes, the dogs and I finally made it to the land of Mary Tyler Moore! (Okay, technically she lived in Minneapolis, and we live in St. Paul.) We arrived on Sunday night, and WOW was it a relief to finally get here. The week before was insane, with packing at work and at home, training people to take over my job, and saying a lot of good-byes. Yesterday and today I've been in "vacation mode" with Tomkin, trying to enjoy a couple days off before my 6,000 [literally] pounds of stuff arrives. We've been taking the dogs for walks, going to the AMAZING dog park, taking naps, reading, and even watching a little TV. It's been heavenly. I apologize to anyone who's e-mailed or called or sent text messages in the recent past--I owe correspondence to a lot of you. (And even though I haven't gotten back to you, I've enjoyed hearing from you!) I hope to catch up with people soon (though, admittedly, once my stuff arrives I'll be busy unpacking, and then I'll be starting up work again--albeit freelance--next week). However, I really will try! I also hope to catch up on some postings here soon--my last lunch with the Game Day Girls, my last day at work and the celebration afterward at the Bringer Inn, my last night in Chicago (out to the Hopleaf with Lisa), and my first days in St. Paul. Right now I'm still in relaxation mode, but I'll get back to productive mode soon. You betcha!

A Grand Game Night Send-Off

Last night, for the first time in months, we had Game Night with all six gamers. Kerri, Kelly, Jill, Mary Beth, and I went to Joanna & Tom's house. And I finally got to meet Alejandro! He's even more adorable in person than he is in pictures, and he is quite a character! He loves to dance and is fascinated by cameras--a man after my own heart! Joanna served up quite a spread--we started with Chicago staples (pizza from Lou Malnati's and hot dogs), then had an amazing salad for dinner. We spent so much time talking that we only played one game all night (Ultimate Outburst), but that was okay. It was nice just to have all of us together again. The girls surprised me with another Chicago favorite--cheesecake--and gave me a bevy of fabulous gifts: two games (Bandu--a classic--and Tune Twister--a new one that looks awesome!), business cards, and an AirTran gift certificate to use for a trip back to Chicago. It's been 6-1/2 years now that we've all been gaming together, and I guess it was inevitable that eventually someone would move away. I just didn't expect it to be me! I'm so thankful to have this incredible group of friends--we've all been through a lot since those first days when we used to meet during lunch to play Facts in Five. And even though I'm screwing up Game Night by moving to St. Paul, I know we'll all stay friends for life. To not only have one of these women as friends but all five is truly a remarkable blessing.

Good Counsel (and Good Food and Good Conversation)

Tonight I had dinner at Penny's with Pastor Trey. And you'll be shocked to hear that I forgot to have our server get a picture of us! It was a crazy busy day today, and I was feeling pretty stressed and anxious. I felt much more calm and relaxed after talking with Trey. He asked me lots of questions about the move and Tomkin and how I'm doing, and he gave me some good counsel. Plus we just chatted and laughed. I will miss Holy Covenant as a whole--it's an incredibly special place. But I will also miss Trey personally. Not only is he an amazing pastor, who stirs our hearts and challenges us not only to think and to pray but also to take action, he's also a lot of fun to hang out with. He's been a wonderful spiritual advisor to me and also a good friend. Holy Covenant is a uniquely wonderful place for many reasons, and Pastor Trey is primary among them.

Tres Pistoles

Last night Lisa had me and Carrie over for dinner. It was such a fun evening! First we had appetizers and wine. (Lisa always serves VERY good wine.) Then we ate baked macaroni & cheese, roasted chicken, and salad. It was delicious! And perfect food for the cooler weather. Lisa showed us pictures from her recent trip to Hawaii, and Carrie showed us the Web site for the program in Spain that she'll be a part of for the next couple weeks. Carrie gave me a bunch of fun presents. I'm going to have the best home office ever--or at least the most fun! For dessert we had chocolate cake and two kinds of ice cream, plus more wine. We had a great time hanging out, but it was sad to think that we've come to the end of an era. Not that we won't still be friends, but things are changing and evolving. I drove Carrie home and had to say good-bye, which was hard. By the time she gets back from Spain, I will have moved to St. Paul. I've been really excited about the move; I haven't wanted to think about this aspect of it. But now I'm starting not to have much choice. I already had to start saying some good-byes at my party, although with the excitement of the night, I was kind of distracted and didn't get too emotional. Now that the move is getting closer, everything's starting to sink in and seem more real. Only 10 days from today, I'll be heading up to St. Paul!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Since I didn't go to bed until almost 4:00 last night, I didn't make it to church this morning. But I met up with Carrie and Lisa, who bought me a birthday lunch at Charlie's Ale House. We sat outside and enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather (temps in the 80s!). After lunch, we went to Sweet Occasions for some birthday ice cream. Delicious! It's been a very fun birthday weekend!

The Most Awesome Birthday Party Ever!

Last night I had an '80s-themed birthday/going-away party. It was awesome! I decorated with pictures from Teen Beat, Bop, and other magazines that I had saved from my teenage years (Matt Dillon was especially prevelant), and I served '80s-themed food and drinks (wine coolers, Reunite, vodka & Kool-Aid, Pizza Rolls, Doritos, mini-quiches, Pop Rocks, Gummy Bears, etc.). Carrie and Lisa arrived early, and Carrie brought a beautiful pink birthday cake. All the guests wore era-appropriate clothing, and they were very creative! Lots of leggings, side ponytails, make-up, big bangs, and jewelry. It was great! We listened (and danced to) '80s tunes and reminisced about the age of excess. I've been wanting to throw an '80s party for years, so I'm glad I finally got to do it. It was a blast!

Having Her Cupcake, But Not Eating It, Too

Thursday night, Kerri and Martin threw a birthday party for their daughter, Libby, who turned one that day. Among the guests were Kelly, Airan, Sophie, and Evie, Mary Beth, and Joanna. This was the first time I'd seen Jo since she got back from Guatemala. It was so great to see her again! Libby seemed to enjoy the festivities--she especially enjoyed crumbling up her birthday cupcake and throwing it on the floor.