Snowy Days Are Here Again

Last Thursday the weather started to turn chillier. I worked all day, and Tomkin had two wedding rehearsals. That evening, I attended the Minnesota Magazine and Publications Association's Excellence Awards ceremony. I had served as a judge in two categories (Best Technical Article and Best How-To Article). Stephanie and Lauren from NEED magazine, and Kathy from Daisy Mae Design

Before the awards were handed out, we had some time to mingle, eat, and drink. I ran into Kathy Forss, who owns Daisy Mae Design. I've met her at a couple other MMPA events and really enjoy talking with her. Stephanie and Lauren from NEED magazine were there, so I sat with them during the awards ceremony, which was hosted by local news anchor Jason DeRusha. He was pretty funny and kept things rolling right along. The evening's prizewinning magazines included Beef, Minnesota Law and Politics (whose tagline is "Only Our Name Is Boring"), Marine Fabricator, Bowhunting World, Minnesota Monthly, Corn and Soybean Digest, Street Thunder, Minnesota Bride, Trailer Boats, Pheasants Forever, Twin Cities Metropolitan Magazine (my favorite local mag), and the Carleton College Voice. When I got home, Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk. It had been raining most of the day, and the forecast called for snow....

Sure enough, Friday morning it was snowing! Even though I really, truly hate winter after a while, at first I think it's actually kind of cozy and fun. I did some work, went to Target, and then Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk. Me and Tomkin with the bride and groom

Tomkin performed a wedding ceremony at Fort Snelling, and then he picked me up for the Asian-themed reception, which was held at Ideal Hall (owned by the caterers who did our wedding). Everyone was really nice, and the food was delicious (of course!). We talked to Tony and Stacy (the caterers) and raved about their fabulous food. They are so sweet and wonderful. With Stacy and Tony of TST Catering

And we had some interesting conversations with other guests. One of the men at our table was an 83-year-old named Otto. His wife, Barbara, was there with him. Otto got married for the first time (to Barbara) when he was 73! She had been married to his best friend--in fact, Otto was the best man at their wedding! After the friend passed away, Otto married Barbara. He was quite a character, and she kept right up with him. He said he had ridden a motorcycle until he was 79 years old, and I could tell he missed it. I could have listened to his stories all night!

Barbara, Otto, and another wedding guest

Saturday morning Tomkin and I exercised in the basement while watching "Project Runway," and then I worked while Tomkin officiated a wedding. We took Chloe for a walk--it was lightly snowing. Makes me excited for the holidays! Our friend Mark came over for dinner and showed us pictures of his trip to Chicago, where he covered Obama's election-day win for Liberal Arts Radio. (There are some great pics on his website.) Then Tomkin and I went to the Northrop Auditorium to see the Royal Winnipeg Ballet perform "Carmina Burana." I absolutely loved it! Surprisingly, Tomkin's favorite part was a Balanchine piece that they performed first. After the show, there was a reception with free wine and popcorn, and some of the dancers came out and mingled with the crowd. We talked to Grace Hanley (from Winnipeg) and Yosuke Mino (from Japan--and a fan of "Dancing with the Stars"!). It was interesting to chat with them and get some insights into the dancing life.
Sunday morning Tomkin and I picked up Pete, and we all went to the baptism of JimDog's son, Andrew. I hadn't met him before--what a cute kid! And so good-natured. He never fussed at all. After the baptism, we went back to JimDog and Jen's house for a reception. JimDog's brother and sister and Tomkin's folks were there, as well. We ate and talked and hung out for a while. When we got home, Tomkin took a nap and I caught up on a little TV and did some work. We walked Chloe, and then Tomkin did some house repairs while I did more work. I knew it was going to be a busy week, so I figured I should get a jump on it.

Chloe and Julie not working

Monday I worked all day, and Tomkin took the Lancer into the shop to have a tire replaced. Turns out it needed a number of other repairs, as well. Sigh. It is a six-year-old car now, so I guess it's about time to start fixing some stuff up. And since we're driving up to Fargo this weekend (for my cousin Kristin's wedding), it's nice to have it in good running order. We walked Chloe to the repair shop to pick up the car and stopped for coffee along the way. Phillip and Alex just sent me a Starbucks gift card as a belated birthday gift. We will make good use of it! After dinner I worked some more, and then we exercised and watched "Project Runway." We were all settled in for the night, reading and watching TV, when we heard a bunch of fire engines right outside our house! We threw on shoes and coats, I grabbed my camera, and we ran outside. Turns out it was just a false alarm. Well, probably better than having a big fire next door....
Yesterday (Tuesday) was another busy work day. We knocked off about 5:00, ate dinner, and then headed to the Minneapolis Central Library. They have a series called Talk of the Stacks, and last night's speaker was Garrison Keillor. We arrived early enough to snag seats in the second row! It was fun listening to Mr. Keillor tell stories and read his sonnets. And of course the crowd just loved him. At the end of his talk he asked if anyone had questions. Tomkin threw his hand up right away. He asked if a famous person such as himself minded having people come up to him when he was at, say, a neighborhood coffee shop (such as Nina's, where Tomkin has seen him a number of times, right above Common Good Books, which Keillor owns), or if he prefers to maintain his privacy. He gave a long roundabout answer (mostly about Meryl Streep) based on the fact that he's "not really a celebrity" and said (with a smile) that he was dismissing the question based on its irrelevance. Ha! When we got home, we worked on our Spain itinerary. We've found the hotel we're going to stay at while we're in Madrid (Hotel Europa). If you've been to Madrid or Toledo and have advice about what we should see or do (or where we should eat), please let me know!
This morning when we awoke, the ground was covered with snow. But it was warm enough that it had melted by day's end. I skipped lunch with Tomkin's folks today so I could work. Tomkin and I took Chloe for a walk, and then I headed to Weight Watchers. I lost 2.2 pounds this week! I was really happy with that. I'm down 7.2 pounds overall now. I have to say, I am really fortunate to have a husband who likes to cook and who makes such delicious food! He's really good about cooking healthfully, and he makes a variety of delicious meals. Tonight we had pizzas on whole-wheat crusts, salad, and sparkling water, with a lit candle and a vase filled with fresh flowers decorating the table. It's our 7-month anniversary today! I'm definitely a lucky woman.
Have a wonderful week! And thanks, as always, for reading my blog.

Obama Wins!!!

Let me just start by saying how proud and happy and excited I am that Barack Hussein Obama has been elected as our 44th president! I don't often beam with pride about being an American, but today I truly did. And I'm excited to see what Obama will do and where he'll take us. It's just amazing to have a decent man as our leader, someone who I think really has the country's best interests in mind, isn't in the pocket of Big Oil, and will be honest and forthright with us. Times are tough, and we may all have to sacrifice in some way, but I believe our country will be the better for it. I know that, already, our status in the eyes of the world has improved immeasurably. Obama won't always do the right thing, but I really believe that he'll try. I'm also thrilled to have Michelle Obama as our next First Lady. She's smart, will be a great companion and advisor, and is going to represent our country beautifully. January 20th can't get here soon enough!
Obviously Obama's win was the highlight of the week, but here's some other stuff that happened.... Last Thursday I met for coffee with Jill and Pastor Carrie Binnie from Messiah United Methodist Church. (She knows Pastor Trey from Holy Covenant.) We talked about the small-group meetings being led by some local pastors, mostly for social-justice-related activities. I would definitely like to check them out. That afternoon, Tomkin and I volunteered for the Obama campaign at PacketLand, where we helped get boxes of literature ready for distribution to districts around the state. It was amazing to see such a well-coordinated get-out-the-vote effort and fun to be around a group of like-minded people, all hoping (and working) for an Obama win! It was a gorgeous day out, so Tomkin and I ate dinner outside, had dessert on the front porch, and then walked Chloe down to Dunn Bros. We have to enjoy this unusually nice weather while it lasts! It's supposed to snow this weekend....Friday (Halloween) morning Tomkin and I went to the gym and worked out, and then we walked to the library and coffeeshop with Chloe since it was another beautiful day. Once we got home, I worked out on the front porch for a while. We set a bowl of candy on the front steps and escaped just before the trick-or-treaters descended in full force. Tomkin and I walked to Pizza Luce and each got a slice of pepperoni. Delicious! I haven't had real pizza since I started on Weight Watchers. I really tried to savor it. Next we headed to the Uptown Theater in Minneapolis to see the Mike Leigh movie "Happy-Go-Lucky." We both really liked it. It was upbeat and thought-provoking at the same time. Finally, we headed to the Rileys' house for a Halloween party. A few folks came in costume, and once Tomkin's pants got rolled up, we realized he bore a striking resemblance to Duckie in "Pretty in Pink." We had a good time laughing and talking and hanging out with the neighbors.On Saturday we bought our tickets to Spain! We'll be going for two weeks in February. The main reason we're going is for the Vaughan Town program, but we're also going to spend a little time in Madrid and Toledo. It's nice to have something fun (and relatively warm) to look forward to in the dead of Minnesota winter! That afternoon we walked to Avalon on Grand Avenue, and I used another of my gift certificates from Tomkin. I love that store! Later on Saturday we went to the neighborhood chili party thrown annually by Lisa and Chris. One of the things I love about where we live is how social people are! Many people have lived here for years, while others are relative newbies. And if you want to get out and socialize with neighbors, there are plenty of opportunities. We chatted with some people we know and also met some new folks. The weather was gorgeous once again, and the blazing firepits kept us warm once things started to cool down. Tomkin and I headed home to change into our Halloween costumes, and then we headed to Cassidy and Angie's party. I hadn't been to their house before--it's gorgeous! I had fun imitating Sarah Palin, and Tomkin made a fabulous skinned moose. We really enjoyed hanging out and chatting with Cassidy and Angie's friends. And they also have two sweet dogs, dachsund Fergie (who was dressed as a lobster) and weimeraner Brinny. What a fun day!Tomkin raked the yard on Sunday while Chloe sniffed stuff and I took pictures. We took a long walk with Chloe (yes, it was another unseasonably nice day), and that evening we exercised in the basement while watching "Project Runway." Kind of a nice, mellow day.Monday afternoon I met up with three women who are also freelancers in the Twin Cities area. We're all members of MMPA and thought it might be nice to meet up periodically to talk about projects we're working on, issues we're dealing with, networking ideas, and anything else freelance-related. And the social aspect is nice as well, since we don't really have "co-workers" per se. We're planning to meet at a coffeeshop once a month and open the group up to other freelance editors/writers/designers. I'm really looking forward to it! Tomkn and I took Chloe for a long walk (it was actually HOT out), and then we all went over to Syd and Dave's for dinner. We had gin & tonics and coq au vin. Wow! The dinner and drinks cost me a lot of Weight Watchers points, but they were totally worth it! Of course our main topic of conversation was the election. (I'd been bouncing off the walls with nervous energy all day.) We watched "The Rachel Maddow Show," which I'd never seen before. Loved it! The polls were looking promising for Obama, but I didn't want to start counting any chickens just yet....Yesterday (Tuesday), all I wanted to think, talk, or read about was the election. Just before we headed over to vote, our power went out. I honestly thought it might have been some kind of Republican election-day plot! Turns out some guy just ran his car into a utility pole. Thankfully, things still ran smoothly at our polling place. We went to vote around 9:30, and I think we waited in line for about ten minutes. I enjoyed looking around at the diverse group of voters. There are a lot of Somalis in our neighborhood, and I wondered what they were thinking and how they were feeling. I know I was feeling very excited and proud as I cast my vote for Barack Obama. Tomkin and I headed back home, and somehow I actually managed to get some work done. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore, so we walked Chloe to Caribou for some coffee. On our way, a schoolbus drove by, and all the kids inside were cheering, "Obama! Obama! Obama!" Tomkin and I cheered back--woo hoo!!! It was really amazing as we walked down Grand Avenue to see all the red "I Voted" stickers. Almost 78 percent of eligible Minnesotans voted, so no wonder we saw so many stickers! I was hoping that by the time we got home, some of the polls would be closing and we'd start to hear some results. Of course it was really too early. I flipped between CNN and MSNBC on TV and between Daily Kos, FiveThirtyEight.com, and Facebook on my computer. I also had various "what to watch for" cheat sheets beside me for reference. It was nervewracking at first because there wasn't much news and then the important states weren't being called. I tried not to get nervous, but it was hard not to worry a little. Eventually more results started rolling in and Obama's numbers improved. But still--what of Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, and Florida? Certainly Pennsylvania was a big win and a good sign. Finally, about 8:15, Tomkin and I headed to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown St. Paul for the official DFL election party. We wandered around, got a drink, and chatted with other Dems. Everyone was in a great mood, and it was fun to be in a large crowd of people all hoping for the same thing. We made our way up near the staging area and listened to various speakers: St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman, Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak (a wonderful, rousing speaker!), Senator Amy Klobuchar, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, and Jeff Blodgett from the MN Obama campaign. Election results were trickling in, so we made our way to a less-crowded room where we were able to snag chairs near a couple smaller TVs with no audio. We got in touch with Peter (who works for Mayor Rybak) and Mandy. They were on their way to the party. All of a sudden, people started cheering. We looked at the TV and saw that Virginia had been called for Obama! That was wonderful news, since there was really no way that McCain could win. And, sure enough, about a minute later they called the whole race for Obama! Everyone screamed and cheered and hugged and cried. President Barack Obama! Yes we can!!! Mom called "to congratulate us all"--we were both so excited! Mandy and Peter arrived soon after the annoucement, and we all watched McCain's gracious concession speech. But we decided that closed-captioning wouldn't do for Obama's speech, so we made our way back into the big room, which was totally packed by that point. We managed to squeeze in, and we chatted with other folks while we waited. There was something very emotional about looking at the TV and seeing that we were waiting for a speech from "President-Elect Obama." Wow. When he finally appeared, everyone went wild. I thought his speech was moving and inspiring. I got choked up a few times, and I felt so drawn in and inspired and hopeful. I was jealous of my friends who were down in Grant Park, celebrating with thousands of other proud and happy Chicagoans. But of course it was nice to cap off an amazing year, celebrating the election of our nation's first African-American president, standing next to my wonderful new husband. We headed out once Obama's speech was over, about 11:15, and on our way home we honked and cheered, which prompted celebratory whoops and shouts from people on the street. Obama! Obama! Obama!Today all I wanted to do was read election results. I enjoyed reading about the reaction of foreign citizens and world leaders looking forward to working with President Obama, as well as all the comments on Facebook. Tomkin and Chloe and I had lunch with Tom and Nancy (and we drove there with the top down on the convertible!). It was fun to talk about the election with them and what it represents. I went to Weight Watchers this afternoon. I lost 0.4 pounds this week, which brings me to an even 5-pound loss. Not as much as I might have hoped for, but I'll take it!

Until next week, savor this moment in history, and remember: Yes We Can!