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!
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!
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