Glamour Girls

Last night I went with five of the women from my neighborhood to an Estee Lauder "makeover event" at Macy's. We each had a "prep woman" who took off our old makeup, put on toner, moisturizer, and anti-wrinkle cream, started the makeup application, and then sent us to the International Makeup Artist, who finished the job. Mine was light but pretty--I liked it. Some of the other women looked much more dramatic. After we all got beautified, we had dinner and drinks at Big Bowl. It was a lot of fun! I look forward to hanging out with our awesome neighbors more now that the weather is getting nicer and we're all re-emerging into the world again.

It's a Sunshine Day

As if going out for drinks last night hadn't been enough to cure my winter doldrums, today we finally got some spring-like weather! The thermometer outside our kitchen window said it got up to 62, but I think that was pushing it a little. It was certainly in the 50s, though. This afternoon, Tomkin and I took Scout, Chloe, and the visiting Watson out for a nice long walk. I wore a jean jacket, and Tomkin just wore a short-sleeved shirt! The snow was melting, the sun was shining, we got to talk to some neighbors who had also ventured outside--it was fabulous! Days like today make me really appreciate getting to work from home (and really excited about summer!).

A Tasty Cure for Cabin Fever

I've been grousing about the cold and how I'm ready for spring to be here so we can get out of the house more. So last night while we were exercising and watching Project Runway (we're on the Season 2 DVDs now), Tomkin suggested that we go out for drinks. I thought that was a great idea! (Look at me, being all spontaneous!) We didn't leave until about 9:45--pretty late for us these days. Our first stop was Matt's Bar, home of the "Juicy Lucy," a charred hamburger with molten-hot cheese inside. Delicious! We picked out some songs from the jukebox, settled into a booth, and enjoyed our tasty burgers and drinks (a beer for me; water for Tomkin). Next we went to a totally different kind of place, Chino Latino. It's hip and swanky and cool, with two levels of dining and drinking, and orange lights glowing from behind the bar. We happened to arrive during late-night happy hour, so our order (French toast, popcorn, and a Bloody Mary for me; enchiladas for Tomkin) came to less then the burgers and beer at the first place! Our last stop for the evening was Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge, a tiki bar with tattooed waitresses and a tongue-in-tiki-cheek attitude. I had some kind of tropical drink in a plastic coconut, and Tomkin ordered a pizza. It was a great way to end a very fun evening!

Get that Pirate an Orange! Aaaarrrggghh!

Whilst doing a bit of online research about scurvy this morning, I came across this site, which I'm sure all you pirates (and pirate-lovers) will appreciate.

Planning & Playing

Tomkin and I had a really productive weekend, wedding-wise. We finalized things with the caterer, wrote up our wedding weekend itinerary and photo shot list, did a run-through of the ceremony and typed up our program, and worked on our vows. We even got thank-you cards written for the first few gifts we've received! On Friday, I had my hair and makeup consultation at Estetica, and tomorrow I'm meeting with a florist at Pazzobello Flowers to discuss bouquets. We're still waiting for a few more RSVPs and have a couple more things to finalize in the ceremony, but we're really getting down to the nitty-gritty details now. And the closer it gets, the more excited I get! It's going to be a really fun celebration--and at the end of it, I get to be Tomkin's wife! The dogs were getting a little stir-crazy today, so Tomkin and I walked them to nearby Dunning Field and let them run loose. We've never taken them there before, and they loved it! We even explored some of the playground equipment--Scout took a flying leap off one of the slides. They were good and tired afterward, and settled back onto the couch for some hard-earned rest.

Gettin' Raw

Last night our neighbors Jim and Roxanne took me and Tomkin out for dinner at Ecopolitan as a thank-you for watching their dog, Watson, and as a congrats on our engagement. The restaurant (in Minneapolis's Uptown neighborhood) is in an old house, so it's really cute. The place was heaven for Tomkin, since all the food there is organic, vegan, and raw, and there were plenty of options on the menu for him to choose from. I thought the food was good (the guacamole and "notchos" appetizers were amazing!), and the glass of organic chardonnay I had was fantastic. We enjoyed talking about movies and sharing Watson stories. We'd never hung out with just the two of them before, so it was cool that we got to do that--and very sweet of them to take us out.

An Evening of Minnesota Fun, Doncha Know

Friday night, Tomkin and I saw a live performance of Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. It was so much fun! We were seated in the third row, so we had a great view of the various voice people, musicians, and sound-effects men (who were incredible!). It was "joke night," so the jokes (some good...some really bad) were flying fast and furious. (One of my favorites: "How many male chauvinists does it take to screw in a light bulb?" "Let her cook in the dark.") They sang some great songs about chickens and cats and "the exercise blues," and the competition between the sound-effects guys was amazing. Tickets for the show are cheaper on Friday nights because it's not being recorded for the radio; it's basically a dress rehearsal. It's definitely worth seeing if you ever get the chance! After the show, Tomkin and I braved the 2-degree temps and headed to nearby Mickey's Diner, a Twin Cities treasure. (It's an old train car that's on the National Register of Historic Places.) We sat at the counter and had some not-very-healthy-but-really-tasty food. Whenever people talk about places in the Twin Cities that I need to check out, Mickey's always comes up. And now I've finally been there!

It's Hip to Be Square

Happy birthday to Piet Mondrian, who was born on this day in The Netherlands in 1872. Although it might not be obvious from his perpendicular lines and use of primary color blocks, Mondrian was deeply spiritual. He was also inconoclastic. He and other De Stijl artists believed that life itself--the human experience--is the ultimate work of art.

LexHam Freelancers Unite!

Today we held the first meeting of the LexHam Freelancers (Tomkin's brainchild) at Pizza Luce. It was a pretty small group--just me, Tomkin, and Chris (another guy from the neighborhood). But we had a good talk about marketing and advertising, taxes, and other issues involved in working for yourself. Chris is an attorney who specializes in credit card debt and bankruptcy. (If anyone needs a lawyer for those things, just let me know!) We're hoping to meet the first Thursday of every month, both to share ideas and to give each other moral support (and a reason to get out of the house). We have some other folks who are interested, too, so hopefully the group will keep on growing!

Dog Watcher Extraordinaire

On Wednesday, Tomkin and I took Ben out to dinner at La Cucaracha as a thank you for dog/house-sitting during our last couple trips to Duluth. He's such a nice guy and so mature for his age (23!). Our new mission is to find him a girlfriend.... The food was delicious, and we had a great time!

Just Over Five Weeks to Go....

Tomkin and I are stepping up the wedding planning, now that we only have about five weeks until the big event! On Tuesday, we met with the caterer and finalized our menu for Saturday night and Sunday morning. Then on Wednesday we went and applied for our marriage license. I had to write down what my new name will be (yes, I'm going to change it), and we both had to raise our right hands and swear that we'd never committed a felony, that our statements were true, and that one of us was a man and one was a woman. That kind of ticked me off! Has anyone ever heard of having to swear that before? Tonight we went to the liquor store and got wine, beer, and champagne (my favorite drink these days). We're crossing stuff off our to-do list left and right!

Best Dog Week Ever

Scout and Chloe have had quite a week! Tuesday night, we went to Dog Days at the Metrodome. Dogs were allowed to run around off-leash around the cemented part of the Dome. They had so much fun! Tomkin said he had never seen so many different kinds of dogs in one place. Scout and Chloe enjoyed playing with each other and with new friends, and Scout liked checking out the bathrooms (and running off...and trying to steal dog treats from vendors...). I learned about the event from Ali at Sidewalk Dog, a cool local blog that highlights pet-friendly businesses and events. She was at one of the vendor tables at the event, so I got to meet her in person, which was fun. After an hour or so of romping and prancing around, Scout and Chloe were pooped. But then on Wednesday they got to go to the dog park with Tomkin and his friend Tracy (and Tracy's rottweiler, Wilbur). And if that wasn't enough, today was Watson Day! Now every Thursday, Jim & Roxanne's chocolate lab, Watson, comes over and spends the day with us. The dogs love having him here, and so do we! In other dog news, my mom reports that their new dog, still known as Cinderella (or "Cindy") but soon to have a new name, has settled in nicely, is very sweet and cuddly, and is a wonderful addition to the family.

U2 Eucharist on YouTube

One of the many cool things about my church in Chicago, Holy Covenant, is their U2 Eucharist. This is always a great day of celebration, when worship is presented through the songs of U2. Now there's a video clip of the most recent U2 Eucharist available through YouTube! You can check it out here. Enjoy!

New Blogger on the Block

Finally, after much needling, coercing, taunting, and just plain good old-fashioned peer pressure, Jill has started a blog! (You can see it here.) There are pictures of her boys plus samples of their writing. It's so cool! I love being able to keep in touch with people via their blogs--at least to get a glimpse into their lives from far away. Now all six of the Game Day Girls have blogs, including Kelly, Kerri, Mary Beth, and Joanna. Welcome to Blogville, Jill!

Yes We Can -- Stop Puppy Mills

Brenda forwarded me this link about a new book coming out soon about puppy mills. It features the story of Baby, a poodle who was rescued from a California puppy mill after enduring typically horribly conditions and treatment. One of the famous people in the book shown holding Baby is Barack Obama, who supports legislation to close puppy mills and various related loopholes. This is an issue close to my heart, since my dog Chloe spent her first year of life locked in a cage at a puppy mill until she was rescued by Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue. When I found her picture online (years ago), she was living with a foster family in Wisconsin, and she had a number of emotional problems. But she has turned out to be a sweet, loving, goofy, good-hearted dog, and I'm very thankful for her.

A Fabulous Wedding Af-fair

On Sunday Tomkin and I went to a wedding fair at the Semple Mansion in Minneapolis, which was sponsored by Minnesota Bride magazine. What a beautiful place! To think that people actually used to live there--wow! (Too bad we turned our basement into an office instead of a ballroom....) We enjoyed exploring the incredible building (the wine cellar--a former bank vault--is quite a site to see). We talked with most of the vendors, and I've even set up a consultation with Pazzobello Flowers after seeing the funky (and reasonably priced) bouquets they had there. One of our favorite vendors was Fabulous Catering. They were so nice and accommodating (fixing food there on the spot that Tomkin could eat), and the food was amazing! They prove that wedding food doesn't have to be bland. It was such a cool event--I'm really glad we went!

Duluth, Part Deux

Friday afternoon, Tomkin's sister, Jenny, flew into town, and then the three of us drove up to Duluth together. Tomkin and I spent the night there with Jenny and Allison, and--as with our first visit a couple weeks ago--we had a wonderful time. We were treated to a delicious meal Friday night, and we spent a long time chatting about work, the wedding, poetry (especially this poem), and various other topics. On Saturday we headed out to a spot on the "point" of Duluth and got to experience an otherworldly couple of hours treading around a snow- and ice-covered beach off Lake Superior. (As you might infer, the weather was quite nice this time around.) I've never seen so many different kinds of ice in one place! We started out being excited about the beauty of the landscape, and then--led by Tomkin--we discovered the fun of breaking stuff. It's fun to throw big chunks of ice! In the water it splashes! On land it cracks! We kept ourselves entertained for quite a long time. We headed back into town and got some lunch, then enjoyed wandering around the shops of the Canal Park area. Jenny and Allison graciously invited us back to their place so we could take a nap before getting back on the road to St. Paul. Of course we kept talking and talking and didn't leave until almost 7:00...it's so fun hanging out with them, it was hard for us to leave!

Daytime Friends

We have some other friends with flexible work schedules, and it's nice being able to get together with them on weekdays. Tomkin's friend Mark (who's splitting his time between NYC and MSP) came over and had lunch with us on Thursday. I'm really enjoying getting to know him better--he's a fun and interesting guy. Then on Friday, the always-fascinating JimDog (pictured above) came over for tea in the morning, and we got to catch up with him. The dogs were happy to see him again, too!

No Surly Diners Here!

Last Thursday Tomkin and I enjoyed a fabulous meal of homemade Indian food at Becca & Omar's. Beforehand, we got to spend some time with their adorable brood (Max, Calvin, and Spencer--and there's another one on the way!) and hear Omar read a chapter of Charlotte's Web. After dinner (man, are they amazing cooks!), we were going to play a game, but then we just sat and visited and laughed. As always, it was really fun hanging out with them.

Viva Obama!

On top of everything else, he looks mighty fine in a cowboy hat.



(Thanks to Matt for the video!)

Aloha, Lisa!

Tomkin and I had planned to go to Chicago this past weekend so we could see Lisa before she moves to Hawaii (and meet the man she's moving there for). Unfortunately, the trip didn't work out, so I didn't get to say good-bye to Lisa in person. She's heading out from Chicago tomorrow, making her way across the country and then across the sea. Safe travels, Lisa! I'm already looking forward to your wedding in January 2010--although I certainly hope I'll see you before then! Aloha!

My New Sister!

Congratulations to my mom and Dick, who are adopting a new dog! She's a year-old bichon frise named Cinderella ("Cindy"), and they'll be bringing her home tomorrow. Bosley will be so happy! I'm not sure how Keesha will feel, though.... It's so fun that we'll have a new dog in the family! Scout and Chloe are very excited.

Oscar Par-tay!

Sunday night, Tomkin and I went to Becca & Omar's for a fabulous Oscar party. In past years, I ran the Oscar pool at work, and I made a point of seeing as many nominated movies as possible and doing thorough research about the predicted winners. This year I think I had seen one of the nominated films ("Once," which I loved), and I filled out my Oscar ballot just as the show was about to start. Hey, it's been a busy year.... Becca & Omar just refinished their basement, and their new couch is big enough that all the guests could comfortably fit on it. (Sweet!) We watched the show on their 52" HDTV, which was very cool, although a little disturbing. People look much less attractive in high definition! It was actually sort of humanizing--it made the movie stars seem more like real people. Anyway, we had a lot of fun chatting with the other guests (heard a great story about a couple who literally ran off to Vegas for their wedding) and eating lots of delicious themed foods (they served a course to go with each of the Best Picture nominees). We enjoyed some wine and Surly beer--well, Becca didn't, since she's pregnant with their fourth child! Wow! Congrats to Becca & Omar! This is shaping up to be quite a year. Loved the Oscars, had a great time--and now I want to go rent some movies!