Weekends in Minneapolis

One of the great things about living in Windom is that it is very easy to make a weekend trip to Minneapolis. The ease of a Minneapolis weekend is increased by our incredibly generous friends, who host us and Sogn and are always happy to accommodate us into their weekend schedule. One of the hardest things about facing this new move is that even though I am so happy about this job I could cry (in fact, I have cried - tears of JOY), it is really far away from the Twin Cities and all of our friends and family who live there. I'm afraid weekends trips to the cities aren't going to happen as often and they're going to require planning. Planning? Eek.

Anyways - one of the new summer events we have enjoyed the past few years is the Lawn Game Olympics. No - there's no link, this isn't an even that's sponsored by a local brewery (although that's a great idea) - instead it's a fabulous event that is put together by a friend.

Basically, it's as amazing as it sounds. We arrive at a super secret location (well not really, but I'm not going to tell you where!), haul the coolers and grills, set up hammocks and lawn games, let the dogs off leash and enjoy the day. Although all of those things are great, it's wonderful just to stand around in the shade and chat with friends we don't get to see regularly anymore. It's amazing the things that happen when you're away for a few weeks - nieces are able to walk around the Patagonia store, people have moved and moved in together, and new jobs abound.

I will miss our weekend trips to the Twin Cities, but we will still visit and once we get settled in Crookston we willl extend some invites to return the generous hosting!

p.s. If you're reading this to procrastinate for the 2012 Bar Exam I wish you good luck. You will pass.

Fetch

Sogn came home this Friday! It has been so great having him back I can't even put it into words!

We've been taking him around the neighborhood on walks but after 8 weeks away I wanted to see some fetching to see what all of this training was about! So, Saturday night when it started to cool off a little we went out Sun Valley Gun Club to see what all the fuss was about.

I more than "kinda" like this sign.  

We took a stroll around to burn of some energy and found thistles in full bloom.

Then the boys fetched. Awesome.

Then Sogn rested. I think he's happy to be home and we are happy to have him back where he belongs! 

Rhythm of the River 2012 - Jackson, MN

Since my relatively recent arrival here in Windom I have been loving all of the community celebrations. This is partly due to all of the community information I receive via 94.3 KDOM Radio and partly because there isn't a whole lot else going one. One thing I have figured out about Windom is that it seems like a great place to raise kids, so without kids I have to find my own entertainment...

So....

I heard about two excellent events this weekend.


The first intriguing event was Jeffer's Outlaw Days  which promised a kiddie tractor pull, mobile zoo, and a street dance. But since Calhoun is in the middle of his summer teaching schedule and I can't book his whole weekend I had to be selective in choosing our weekend activities so...


I went with intriguing event number two: Rhythm of the River Music Festival. I'm a little ashamed of myself to say that, given the calendar of events, the Rhythm of the River was definitely more up my alley and therefore not such a stretch in the "personal adventure" category but I loved it anyways.


We had a leisurely dinner at home and tried to avoid the insane heat and headed over to the Festival just in time to hear the Pre-Apocalyptic Junkyard Orchestra.

THEY WERE AMAZING! 

  


OK - number one, they had an accordion, a fiddle, a guitar, a bass, and a banjo!


Number two - they could all SING! Incredible three part harmony sans instruments late night Saturday. You have to love that.


Number three - they played an incredible variety of songs. They played some great fiddle pieces and even some piece in German that was really slow, but well done. And, before we were chased out by the bugs, they played a song of their own. I can't remember the name by my favorite lyric went like this:

"Moonshine you're the devil

I'll never trust again

I'll just stick to my old friends

Whiskey, wine, and gin"

We were incredibly impressed and there seemed to be a healthy turnout. The Rhythm of the River Music Festival is trying to do something unique, in that they are exposing their festival go-ers here in southwest Minnesota to a variety of music and offering a kind of outdoor festival that may be new to people around here but is totally taken for granted in the Twin Cities. I thought it was great and although I was sad to miss the Outlaw Days I was really happy with our decision to go to the Festival. Yay for new adventures!

How To: Lake Mille Lacs Boat Launch

Last summer Calhoun attended the DDS's bachelor party which involved camping, fishing and Lake Mille Lacs. When the DDS proposed that they re-live the adventure again this summer Catalina insisted that the invitation be extended to all interested parties and we instantly accepted the invite.

So this weekend I went on my first boat launch.

A boat launch works like this:

- First -

Drive your foreign car to northern Minnesota - park on the grass at a resort that charters boat launches. We were hosted by Fisher's Resort on the east side of Lake Mille Lacs. We had an awesome rented cabin as home base and set up a little tent city in the back.

Saab, Honda, Honda, Toyota

- Second - 

Enjoy the sunshine, beers, and BBQ until someone tells you to load the boat. Then, still take the beers with you. 

- Third -

Set your bobber and bait. I learned how to set bobber depth which was really exciting/a boring but necessary thing I never knew how to do before. I'm still not ready to stab a squirmy slimy leech through with a fishing hook yet so Calhoun does that for me.

- Fourth -

Hang your line and your beer over and wait. 

- Fifth -

Watch the guy next to you (your husband) catch a fish.

- Sixth -

Enjoy the sunset and the ride home, and hope that there's more personal success on the next boat launch.

Superior National Forest - Laurentian Divide

Calhoun and I found ourselves up north yesterday and took a hike through Superior National Forest along the Laurentian Divide. We drove three and a half hours in the morning to get up to the Iron Range and three and a half to get back down to the cities so we were happy to get out of the car and stretch our legs.

One thing that shocked us was, on the Iron Range, fall colors are starting to appear!

It's amazing what two hundred miles can do - yesterday there was a temperature difference of about 10-12 degrees between the Range and the Twin Cities. The great news about the cool weather up there is that we were able to let Sogn run through the woods for an hour and a half and he was exhausted, but not overheated like he would have been in hotter weather. It's amazing the difference two hundred miles make!

I loved this little bunch of plants along the trail! They looked like beautiful green flowers!

Sadly, I haven't really made it out on any epic summer adventures besides the wedding weekend away in late August. Calhoun spent a week in the Boundary Waters early in the summer, and a few days up north at his parent's place but I haven't slept in a tent all summer! But - a hike in a national forest is a great mini-vacation and I'm so glad we had the time!

Dog H2O - Cats Not Allowed

I've previously mentioned that I grew up in a wonderfully mediocre suburb of the Twin Cities, it was a place of parks, large lawns and completely devoid of sidewalks. As a result of our enormous back yard, our dogs were never leash walkers and when they were, it meant someone was walking them down the middle of the street.

But, because I am now a Minneapolis resident I have the wonderful experience of living in a neighborhood with sidewalks! It's a neighborhood filled with people who are walking to the train or their bus stop, walking to a local establishment, walking with their small kids on the sidewalk or walking with their dogs.

Calhoun and I often watch some of the regulars pass by on our sidewalks with their dogs, out for their daily walks. But, we have lamented the fact that Sogn is so well conditioned that he generally needs more exercise than you can get on a walk to be truly tuckered out (we're talking 10 miles or so with Calhoun on his cyclocross bike through the woods). Not only does he need more miles than we want to get in on a walk, but he also is not a great leash walker. We let him run a lot next to a bike or free in the dog park we also have not really taught him to walk on a leash (we have picked our battles).

But, with the weather so hot the past few days Sogn hasn't been run next to the cyclocross bike because he'll get too overheated, so I took the buster on a long walk the other day! We got to take a stroll on the sidewalk and it was awesome!

It was awesome for a few reasons. First, because it was hot out and he was hot he was a great walker, no energy to excessively pull on the leash. Second, every time I walk around my neighborhood I feel like I see new features of the neighborhood, and this weekend all of the lilies were in full bloom. Finally, a friendly neighbors put out Dog H2O!

I do get nervous taking Sogn so far on a walk because the poor guy does get really hot. And although our goal was to make it to the river so that he could get wet before walking back I started getting really nervous about him being very thirsty after about 10 blocks. And there, before us on the sidewalk, was the lovely sight of Dog H2O! Sogn didn't drink any of it, I'm not sure why, but this house is now a regular stop on our walks!

What a wonderful treasure to find on the sidewalk.

Minnesota Bachelorette Parties

The past two weekends have been filled with bachelorette fun!

Two weekends ago Coral was in town, finishing up some wedding plans for the October nuptials (October is the best month, just in case you didn't know) and she had her mother and grandmother along so we had a day of bridal festivities! Including a bridal shower and a true Minnesota style camping bachelorette party!

As Coral's matron of honor it I got to plan both events! The shower pretty much planned itself but the camping bachelorette took a little more though and preparation. I was a little doubtful when Coral said she wanted to camp, but after picking the camp sight everything else worked out easily and all the girls were so helpful! The weather was beautiful, the camp sight was perfect and the company was wonderful! We blasted through a healthy amount of beer and wine, s'mores and hot dogs over the camp fire. What a great party (if I do say so myself)!

camp sight 55

Then this past weekend was Catalina's bachelorette party, and I just got to go along for the ride on this one which was also awesome. Catalina's ladies rented a pontoon on Lake Minnetonka and we spend the afternoon soaking up the sun, making nice with a bachelor party and enjoying some quality time together.

...or lay on the Air Conditioning Vent

So, it has gotten hotter outside since Sogn first laid in his dirt hole this afternoon. He has moved inside and is now laying on the air conditioning vent. Poor guy.

Dig a Dirt Hole

We had a cool, rainy spring and many Minnesotans were wondering when summer was going to arrive. Just in case you were still wondering (and you are an out of state reader), summer has arrived and it is not messing around. Although this weekend was beautiful (perfect for a camping bachelorette party and a study abroad reunion and retirement party), today the summer sun is asserting its strength! Minneapolis is currently under an Excessive Heat Warning, which means that our heat index today is near 90 and tomorrow it will be near 100. Although I enjoy exercising my meteorological skills during the winter, I'm no good at the summer weather forecasting, although I attempt to understand the Updraft.

And it is, indeed, hot out today. I spend the morning in a heavily air conditioned lecture hall learning about partnerships, while Calhoun and Sogn went to the dog park. Calhoun came home and took a shower to cool off but Sogn took a different approach, making himself at home in a fresh dirt hole in the backyard. I guess digging a dirt hole is one way to handle the stifling heat!

Summer Sandwiches

I have not been leading a very balanced life lately. The joys of graduation came paired with my last few weeks of work, a final 25 page paper that had to be completed and a surprise job

interview that required hours of travel (no job, don't worry, I'm not leaving Minnesota yet).

But, the paper is complete and there are no interviews on the horizon so I've been able to just enjoy the first week of studying for the bar exam and letting the thrill of hours of property law wash over me.

But seriously, it's been kind of nice. For the first time in years I have lunches off and for the first time ever, Calhoun and I have been

eating lunch at home in the middle of the weekday!

We've been enjoying the average sandwich, but I came home yesterday to

a wonderful surprise! Since Calhoun had grilled a whole

chicken the other night and we still had plenty left over, he

had decided to make fresh chicken salad for lunch. In his typical way, he did not follow any recipe exactly but was inspired by a few of the recipes from Whole Foods.

So basically, these were our ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

5 teaspoons honey

Asparagus

Chicken

Tomato

Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed in a bowl and served on a hoagie bun!

Paired with a glass of lemonade and served on a picnic table made for the best Thursday lunch I've had in a really long time! I'm looking forward to more summer sandwiches and lunches like these!

A Note on Indian Summer

Although the weather has been unseasonably warm this year, Minneapolis not not having an indian summer. Although the origination of the term "Indian Summer" is a little unclear, it is clear that it's not an Indian Summer until after the first hard frost of the season. And, although there was a frost last weekend in out-state Minnesota, there was no frost in the metro and that means no Indian Summer.

Check out the MPR Updraft blog for more!

Powdered Sugar Goodness

Went to church this morning. We have a neighborhood Lutheran church that we love and we've been going since we got married nine months ago. The music is wonderful and the preaching is very good - but our attendance has dropped a bit this summer. We went this morning with a friend who is church shopping and felt a little less guilty when we got there and realized that we aren't the only people who find it more difficult to get up and attend during the summer. Despite the smaller attendance - we were at the early service - I left feeling wonderful and refreshed.

And then we went to A Baker's Wife (4200 28th Ave, Minneapolis) for pastries.


I love this place. One of the reasons I love it because it's a very no-nonsense kind of establishment. There are a few tables outside on the sidewalk and about six chairs inside but it's mostly the kind of place where you go to pick up a half dozen pastries for $10 and then walk around the lake and enjoy the crispy, buttery, fruity, chocolate goodness. The line usually loops around once inside the shop, and in a very non-Minnesota way you find yourself yelling across people around you to place your order.

Another reason I love it is because selection and quality of the pastries is wonderful. The pastries are large, and there's not question that all parties benefit from sharing. They have a great combination of fruity and sweet pastries. This morning I had a blueberry cream cheese turnover and Calhoun had a chocolate croissant. Not to mention they have the best donuts in the cities...doughy deep fried frosting covered goodness. And, it's an old-school bakery that rewards the early riser, their legendary ham and cheese croissants were gone by the time we arrived about 10 am.

And, they have this cow statue outside. How could you not love this place?!

Then, to work off the blueberry cream cheese turnover I went on a ride with Uptown. She's training for a triathlon and totally kicked my butt, but it was fun to get out on the trails and see all kinds of people enjoying the Minnesota weather, just like we were!

The Minnesota Summer "Work Week"

I think I've been a little slow in the posting lately because I feel like I haven't done anything spectacularly Minnesotan lately. Partly because I've been working a lot, but then I figured out that the Minnesota Summer "Work Week" definitely deserves a post.

We've planned a trip to the Boundary Waters, and Calhoun and I are taking two of my friends from school along. Uptown, as you know, is from the great state of Pennsylvania. The other friend we're taking, Judo, is from Arizona and pretty much hates Minnesota and most things about it. But, we took him out in a canoe for the first time at the beginning of the summer and as we glided along the water he turns to me and says, "this is great. I can see how this makes people forget that it sucks here nine months of the year."

And Judo, in all of his wisdom, is right. Minnesota summer is the best, and people forget about how miserable it is here for the rest of the year and lots of times they similarly forget to go to work.

Have you ever tried to do business on Friday afternoon in the summer? It's pretty much a no-go. When I worked for a liberal arts college right after graduation most offices closed by 3 pm and by noon on Fridays. Now that I'm back in school, I find that the same is true of my University - I am frequently surprised by how many emails bounce-back with an "out of office" response. Not to mention, I have taken my fair share of early Fridays or Friday's off altogether, and am astounded by the full light rail on the way home, the multitude of people riding on the parkway and the roaring grills in the backyard at 4 pm.

So yes, Minnesota winters are long and dark. But it seems to be the well recognized rule that Minnesota work weeks are short and sweet, and time off doesn't necessarily require a vacation day.

Outside Dog

Sogn has grown! This means that on a day like today, when it rains and he can dig in the mud with his larger-than-life paws, he is an outside dog.

This is his sad, "please please let me inside so I can roll on the floor" face. Cute, but still dirty!