1. Make contact with old friends: there is a group in the cities that I have not talked to in like 3 years.... I need to make contact!
2. Finish painting kitchen: purchased the wainscoting.
3. Find a way to get into my old PC, get the photos off of it, and then take it to the landfill
4. Dentist appts for both B and me
5. Finish mulching the vegetable garden
6. Remove the blue hole in the front garden and purchase a fancy bird bath or bench something to put in its place: Done 7/25/06! Solar bird bath with spitting fish! Looks great!
7. Paint the house, garage and decks
8. Paint the school chair
9. Build a gate for the veggie garden
10. Get the oil changed in the SUV and have it detailed. Scheduled for Thurs. 6/29 Done!
11. Call Hunter regarding my ceiling fan
12. Investigate Lasik Surgery (I'm tired of being blind). Scheduled for July 21. Done!
13. Take bike in for new tires: In Shop Now
14. Get health insurance for next year. Mailed 6/28. Follow up on this.
15. Finish student loan process. Scheduled for 6/27. One step left to do.
16. Finalize with Jeff about summer schedule (for the 100th time)... are we going away for end of summer weekend? Are they coming to Custer with us? Are we going to Vermillion? Are we going camping?
17. Find a time to get together with Kennicutts
18. Start running again
19. Fix shades in bedroom.
20. Paint the family room.
Oh my God!!! It's almost August!!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Monday, July 24, 2006
My Birthday Gift to Me.... New Eyeballs!
I am so excited... I had Lasik Surgery on Friday morning and, I swear it's a miracle, after a simple procedure and a 5 hour nap, I can see better than ever! I had it done at the Crosby Eye Clinic: http://crosbyeyeclinic.com/index.cfm?pageid=180 . This place was fantastic! I had my preop appt in Duluth last Tuesday. I was taken immediately back and given test after test to make sure my eyes were good candidates for the surgery. They even made me watch a video about the surgery and take a quiz to make sure I understood. I was there an hour and a half.... their thoroughness made me confident that I had chosen the right clinic.
The surgery took place in Crosby MN, which is about 30 minutes from Brainerd. Brandon and I drove down early Thursday and spent some time in the Waterpark at our hotel http://www.rapidriverlodge.com/. At the waterpark, I immediately "lost" Brandon because I had taken my glasses off and left them in my bag (did I mention that I have not worn my contacts or any makeup since July 4?). The only thing I could do was to stand against the wall and wait for him to find me. I couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last time I would ever have this problem. It seemed too good to be true.
Jeff met us later that day to be my "desiginated driver" for the surgery and the follow-up appt on Saturday. The morning of the surgery, I was slightly nervous, and incredibly excited at the possibilities. They ran a few more tests (measure twice, cut once you know), explained the procedure again, and gave me a relaxant. Jeff and Brandon were able to watch the procedure from another room. Not only did they see me, but a closeup of my eye on a television screen.
The first eye went really smoothly. They gave me a rubbery football to hang on to... I found myself squeezing it the entire time (the same thing I do at the dentist). They numbed my eye and then kept it open with something that felt like a vise. It felt like my eyelashes were being yanked out. Then they cut my eye with a tool, making a little flap, and then, before opening the little flap, they warned me that everything would go black.... which it did.... and it felt incredibly freaky and scary... I couldn't help but wonder if my sight would ever come back. Then I was able to see a red light which I was told to focus on. I then heard the laser and smelled flesh burning.... which also freaked me out a little. But within a couple of minutes it was over... my flap was put back, my vision was there... blurry, but there.
And then they moved on to my other eye. They warned me that this eye would seem to hurt because I knew what was coming... almost a mental thing. It did!! Not horribly painful, but more creepy feeling. I was praying for it to end. And it did.
A minute later, I was walking back to the exam room where they placed clear plastic eye shields on my eyes as well as sunglasses. I was told to go back to the hotel and take a 3 to 5 hour nap. My nose hurt like hell (like a sinus headache I guess) and my eyes felt tired, but otherwise I felt great. I took some Advil for my nose and the pain went away. After a rough go at putting drops in my eyes (sorry Jeff... I hate people putting drops in my eyes!), I settled in for a nap while Jeff and Brandon shopped (thanks for the pink sunglasses and Tshirt!) and played at the waterpark.
When I woke up I felt fantastic! I took the eyeshields off and headed to the waterpark to find the boys. I walked in and was able to scan the area and locate them! A big difference from the day before! I immediately said a huge thank you prayer!
Since then, my vision was tested at 20/20 and my eyes have never felt better. It is amazing to be able to wake up and immediately see. I'm thrilled!
After a round of mini-golf and numerous races around the go-kart tract, Brandon and I headed to Leaf Lake (about 80 miles west of Brainerd) to visit my Aunt and Uncles cabin. We had a wonderful time! Brandon, my Dad, and my Uncle went fishing this morning and caught about 45 fish in like 2-hours. I'm looking forward to frying them up! My aunt, who has pancreatic cancer, looked really well and seemed especially happy to see us. I'm really glad we decided to make the trip.
I can't wear makeup for another two weeks... I can't rub my eyes for 6 months... I have to wear sunglasses for a couple of weeks when outside to avoid dust... and I have to wear the shields to bed for another 5 nights... and for about a week I need drops 3 times a day.... but that's it!!
Everything was good at home... Polar's dog sitter had dropped her off and she was happy. The plants survived. The roses have buds again. And the tomatoes are getting bigger. Great trip, but I am happy to be home! With my new eyes!!
The surgery took place in Crosby MN, which is about 30 minutes from Brainerd. Brandon and I drove down early Thursday and spent some time in the Waterpark at our hotel http://www.rapidriverlodge.com/. At the waterpark, I immediately "lost" Brandon because I had taken my glasses off and left them in my bag (did I mention that I have not worn my contacts or any makeup since July 4?). The only thing I could do was to stand against the wall and wait for him to find me. I couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last time I would ever have this problem. It seemed too good to be true.
Jeff met us later that day to be my "desiginated driver" for the surgery and the follow-up appt on Saturday. The morning of the surgery, I was slightly nervous, and incredibly excited at the possibilities. They ran a few more tests (measure twice, cut once you know), explained the procedure again, and gave me a relaxant. Jeff and Brandon were able to watch the procedure from another room. Not only did they see me, but a closeup of my eye on a television screen.
The first eye went really smoothly. They gave me a rubbery football to hang on to... I found myself squeezing it the entire time (the same thing I do at the dentist). They numbed my eye and then kept it open with something that felt like a vise. It felt like my eyelashes were being yanked out. Then they cut my eye with a tool, making a little flap, and then, before opening the little flap, they warned me that everything would go black.... which it did.... and it felt incredibly freaky and scary... I couldn't help but wonder if my sight would ever come back. Then I was able to see a red light which I was told to focus on. I then heard the laser and smelled flesh burning.... which also freaked me out a little. But within a couple of minutes it was over... my flap was put back, my vision was there... blurry, but there.
And then they moved on to my other eye. They warned me that this eye would seem to hurt because I knew what was coming... almost a mental thing. It did!! Not horribly painful, but more creepy feeling. I was praying for it to end. And it did.
A minute later, I was walking back to the exam room where they placed clear plastic eye shields on my eyes as well as sunglasses. I was told to go back to the hotel and take a 3 to 5 hour nap. My nose hurt like hell (like a sinus headache I guess) and my eyes felt tired, but otherwise I felt great. I took some Advil for my nose and the pain went away. After a rough go at putting drops in my eyes (sorry Jeff... I hate people putting drops in my eyes!), I settled in for a nap while Jeff and Brandon shopped (thanks for the pink sunglasses and Tshirt!) and played at the waterpark.
When I woke up I felt fantastic! I took the eyeshields off and headed to the waterpark to find the boys. I walked in and was able to scan the area and locate them! A big difference from the day before! I immediately said a huge thank you prayer!
Since then, my vision was tested at 20/20 and my eyes have never felt better. It is amazing to be able to wake up and immediately see. I'm thrilled!
After a round of mini-golf and numerous races around the go-kart tract, Brandon and I headed to Leaf Lake (about 80 miles west of Brainerd) to visit my Aunt and Uncles cabin. We had a wonderful time! Brandon, my Dad, and my Uncle went fishing this morning and caught about 45 fish in like 2-hours. I'm looking forward to frying them up! My aunt, who has pancreatic cancer, looked really well and seemed especially happy to see us. I'm really glad we decided to make the trip.
I can't wear makeup for another two weeks... I can't rub my eyes for 6 months... I have to wear sunglasses for a couple of weeks when outside to avoid dust... and I have to wear the shields to bed for another 5 nights... and for about a week I need drops 3 times a day.... but that's it!!
Everything was good at home... Polar's dog sitter had dropped her off and she was happy. The plants survived. The roses have buds again. And the tomatoes are getting bigger. Great trip, but I am happy to be home! With my new eyes!!
Friday, July 14, 2006
Heat: Makes the world go cranky
I got called in to work at the Nursing Home from 2 to 11 last night. It was like working in a sauna. But not "sit at your desk" kind of work but "hauling water from the creek" kind of work. I drank 6 glasses of water. As I leaned over to help people the sweat dripped from my face and landed on them. It was unbelievable. And gross (for the people my sweat was hitting anyway).
And it made the residents cranky. The sweet lady who calls me "Sugar" and "Honey" and "Baby" told me to leave her alone. One lady got so cranky they sent her to a special home in Litchfield for residents with behavior problems (sounds ominous, doesn't it?). Her husband eats dinner (the same tray as her as well as a cover up for him too... how sweet is that?) with her every night. Even though she was sent away, he still came for dinner to eat with his sister. His sister never says a word and sits with her eyes tightly shut. Although last night she opened them for a second when I told her I wanted to see her pretty eyes. And she smiled a little. So apparently she is one who likes heat.
My big lumberjack resident must also like the heat. I could hear him whistling down the hall and when I walked into the room he smiled at me. I've never seen him smile. In fact, the other CNAs warned me to watch out for him because he likes to hit. He's been nothing than pleasant with me (although last night as I rolled him over he said very loudly, "Owwww. Goddamit!"). Anyway, he smiled at me. I told him I loved his smile and would like to see it every day from now on.
So, my night was going pretty well even though the residents were cranky as all get out. One of the nurses asked me to work in the am (6-2:30). Without thinking I said sure. That's when everything took a turn for the worse.
It started with the gal who is 3 years older than me. She was so cranky she was giving me the evil eye. Everything I asked her was answered with "I don't care." With huge tone.
"Sally, would you like to wear these pink pj's?"
"I don't care."
"Sally, would you like to wash your face?"
"I don't care."
"Sally, would you like to go with me to the big lake and jump in?"
"I don't care."
So getting her cleaned up and tucked into bed took twice as long. Not to mention, whoever had her in the am didn't do a very good job cleaning her up so she was doubly dirty.
After tucking her in, I checked in on my lumberjack who had pooped for the third time my shift. And his poops have a smell that I have never smelled before... some unnatural, not from this world kind of smell. He is a very large man who can't help at all. Which means I have to roll him from side to side alot to get him cleaned up. My muscles and back usually scream "Owww... Goddamit" when I'm done with him. Sadly, when rolling him, he got his cover sheet dirty as well (the small sheet that keeps the main bed sheet from getting dirty). This meant more rolling to get the dirty sheet out from him and the clean one in. Keep in mind I woke him up from a deep sleep to roll him around. It was like waking an angry bear early from hibernation.
After the Lumberjack, I went to tuck in Lucy a very large, pretty mobile (wheelchair to walker and back), and very alert resident. To pull her up to standing you grab onto the back of her pants and pull her up. Without giving you the grossest of details, she had had the runs at some point. I didn't realize it until pulling her up... that's when I noticed it... all over her pants, all over her wheelchair, and all over the floor. Nice. It took me 4 times as long to get her tucked into bed than usual. And by now I was extremely cranky. Although, she would have never known it.
I did some charting and then made my last rounds right before my shift was to end. Sure enough, the Lumberjack had done it again. What a nice ending to my night. Hmmmm... and I had agreed to come in again in the morning! What had I been thinking?
So this morning when my alarm went off at 5 and my back and shoulder and arm muscles were still screaming, "Owww... Goddamit!" I did the unthinkable. Something I have never done in my entire working career. I called in sick even though I wasn't.
Oh, the horror!
Guilt washed over me when the RN who answered the phone said that she hoped I felt better soon.
What a horrible monster I am.
And the worse thing is, now I can't go into town to have bkfst or get coffee because someone might see me!
And it made the residents cranky. The sweet lady who calls me "Sugar" and "Honey" and "Baby" told me to leave her alone. One lady got so cranky they sent her to a special home in Litchfield for residents with behavior problems (sounds ominous, doesn't it?). Her husband eats dinner (the same tray as her as well as a cover up for him too... how sweet is that?) with her every night. Even though she was sent away, he still came for dinner to eat with his sister. His sister never says a word and sits with her eyes tightly shut. Although last night she opened them for a second when I told her I wanted to see her pretty eyes. And she smiled a little. So apparently she is one who likes heat.
My big lumberjack resident must also like the heat. I could hear him whistling down the hall and when I walked into the room he smiled at me. I've never seen him smile. In fact, the other CNAs warned me to watch out for him because he likes to hit. He's been nothing than pleasant with me (although last night as I rolled him over he said very loudly, "Owwww. Goddamit!"). Anyway, he smiled at me. I told him I loved his smile and would like to see it every day from now on.
So, my night was going pretty well even though the residents were cranky as all get out. One of the nurses asked me to work in the am (6-2:30). Without thinking I said sure. That's when everything took a turn for the worse.
It started with the gal who is 3 years older than me. She was so cranky she was giving me the evil eye. Everything I asked her was answered with "I don't care." With huge tone.
"Sally, would you like to wear these pink pj's?"
"I don't care."
"Sally, would you like to wash your face?"
"I don't care."
"Sally, would you like to go with me to the big lake and jump in?"
"I don't care."
So getting her cleaned up and tucked into bed took twice as long. Not to mention, whoever had her in the am didn't do a very good job cleaning her up so she was doubly dirty.
After tucking her in, I checked in on my lumberjack who had pooped for the third time my shift. And his poops have a smell that I have never smelled before... some unnatural, not from this world kind of smell. He is a very large man who can't help at all. Which means I have to roll him from side to side alot to get him cleaned up. My muscles and back usually scream "Owww... Goddamit" when I'm done with him. Sadly, when rolling him, he got his cover sheet dirty as well (the small sheet that keeps the main bed sheet from getting dirty). This meant more rolling to get the dirty sheet out from him and the clean one in. Keep in mind I woke him up from a deep sleep to roll him around. It was like waking an angry bear early from hibernation.
After the Lumberjack, I went to tuck in Lucy a very large, pretty mobile (wheelchair to walker and back), and very alert resident. To pull her up to standing you grab onto the back of her pants and pull her up. Without giving you the grossest of details, she had had the runs at some point. I didn't realize it until pulling her up... that's when I noticed it... all over her pants, all over her wheelchair, and all over the floor. Nice. It took me 4 times as long to get her tucked into bed than usual. And by now I was extremely cranky. Although, she would have never known it.
I did some charting and then made my last rounds right before my shift was to end. Sure enough, the Lumberjack had done it again. What a nice ending to my night. Hmmmm... and I had agreed to come in again in the morning! What had I been thinking?
So this morning when my alarm went off at 5 and my back and shoulder and arm muscles were still screaming, "Owww... Goddamit!" I did the unthinkable. Something I have never done in my entire working career. I called in sick even though I wasn't.
Oh, the horror!
Guilt washed over me when the RN who answered the phone said that she hoped I felt better soon.
What a horrible monster I am.
And the worse thing is, now I can't go into town to have bkfst or get coffee because someone might see me!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Missing Norway
It's been a year since I visited the beautiful country of Norway, and lately I've been missing it like crazy for some reason! On my mind a lot....
So I thought I'd throw a couple of pictures on here periodically to help ease my lonesome heart. I promise I won't put all 800+ out here at one time... just a couple a post. Promise!
This is me upon arrival at my Hostel in Oslo... I have EXTREME jetlag. My plane was delayed like 8 hours in Iceland... I got lost on the way to my hotel... I was extremely tired and extremely hungry to the point of feeling sick.
This is me a few moments later when I realized where I was... on vacation for 3 weeks by myself in NORWAY! Much better...
This is my very inexpensive room in a Hostel in Oslo in a neighborhood just behind the palace and filled with expensive shops and restaraunts. There was a sink in my room but the bathroom was shared and across the hall. I never had to wait however, and they were extremely clean and recently remodeled.
My little sink in my room.
The view from my window. Below was a very popular, and sometimes noisy restaurant/bar.
So I thought I'd throw a couple of pictures on here periodically to help ease my lonesome heart. I promise I won't put all 800+ out here at one time... just a couple a post. Promise!
This is me upon arrival at my Hostel in Oslo... I have EXTREME jetlag. My plane was delayed like 8 hours in Iceland... I got lost on the way to my hotel... I was extremely tired and extremely hungry to the point of feeling sick.
This is me a few moments later when I realized where I was... on vacation for 3 weeks by myself in NORWAY! Much better...
This is my very inexpensive room in a Hostel in Oslo in a neighborhood just behind the palace and filled with expensive shops and restaraunts. There was a sink in my room but the bathroom was shared and across the hall. I never had to wait however, and they were extremely clean and recently remodeled.
My little sink in my room.
The view from my window. Below was a very popular, and sometimes noisy restaurant/bar.
Perfect Camping Weekend
Brandon, Polar and I spent the last 3 days at Jay Cooke State Park camping. The weather was absolutely perfect! We had a cold front come in which to me is happy news... I despise heat. I think the highs were around 70-75 and at night we were comfy with the windows shut and our blankets. Perfect.
This was our 2nd camping trip this summer. In June we went to Pattison State Park just south of Superior. This had been our 1st time to this park... gorgeous!
This is Brandon, Polar and I at Pattison sitting in front of our little camper.
These are the new gadgets we
bought for camping this season. I love the tripod thingy! It makes cooking over the campfire so much simpler. We cooked steaks along with pepper and onion foil packets for this meal. Dessert was Banana Cream Pies in the Pie Irons. Yum-O.
B and I went on a 2-hour hike at Jay Cooke.
A lot of the path for the hike looked like this
<--------------
Yes, very weedy and in need of a good mow. But it still was a really good hike. There were no mosquitoes and just a couple of horseflys. The weather was cool and the sun was shining.... can't ask for much more than that!
We saw a Leopard Frog (the below photo is not mine, but learn more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_frog) and an extremely large, very scary spider inside a huge hole in a tree.
We've stopped taking Polar on our hikes because she just can't keep up anymore. Her legs just don't have the strength. It's tough getting old... and she's old for a dog -- she turned 17 on June 1st! She loves to camp though... she likes to wander around the campsite, lounge on the outdoor rug, or sleep in the doorway of the camper. She is an excellent traveling dog!
Below are some miscellaneous photos of our latest camping trip at Jay Cooke. The swinging bridge is always popular... I've been visiting this park since I was in grade school. My parents have many pictures of me on the bridge just like the one below of Brandon. Jay Cooke is one of my most favorite parks... I love all the rocks along the river. There is a huge rock wall in the campground that I used to climb as a kid. I tried to climb it last summer, but freaked out about a 1/3 of the way up. Tough to get old! I love the River Inn at Jay Cooke.... as soon as I walk in, the smell of the old logs brings me right back to my childhood. I attended many naturalist programs in this building and sang many camp songs!
This was our 2nd camping trip this summer. In June we went to Pattison State Park just south of Superior. This had been our 1st time to this park... gorgeous!
This is Brandon, Polar and I at Pattison sitting in front of our little camper.
These are the new gadgets we
bought for camping this season. I love the tripod thingy! It makes cooking over the campfire so much simpler. We cooked steaks along with pepper and onion foil packets for this meal. Dessert was Banana Cream Pies in the Pie Irons. Yum-O.
B and I went on a 2-hour hike at Jay Cooke.
A lot of the path for the hike looked like this<--------------
Yes, very weedy and in need of a good mow. But it still was a really good hike. There were no mosquitoes and just a couple of horseflys. The weather was cool and the sun was shining.... can't ask for much more than that!
We saw a Leopard Frog (the below photo is not mine, but learn more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_frog) and an extremely large, very scary spider inside a huge hole in a tree.
We've stopped taking Polar on our hikes because she just can't keep up anymore. Her legs just don't have the strength. It's tough getting old... and she's old for a dog -- she turned 17 on June 1st! She loves to camp though... she likes to wander around the campsite, lounge on the outdoor rug, or sleep in the doorway of the camper. She is an excellent traveling dog!
Below are some miscellaneous photos of our latest camping trip at Jay Cooke. The swinging bridge is always popular... I've been visiting this park since I was in grade school. My parents have many pictures of me on the bridge just like the one below of Brandon. Jay Cooke is one of my most favorite parks... I love all the rocks along the river. There is a huge rock wall in the campground that I used to climb as a kid. I tried to climb it last summer, but freaked out about a 1/3 of the way up. Tough to get old! I love the River Inn at Jay Cooke.... as soon as I walk in, the smell of the old logs brings me right back to my childhood. I attended many naturalist programs in this building and sang many camp songs!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Touched by an Angel... in the Nursing Home
The other day at work, I was trying to get Jane (names have been changed to protect the innocent) to eat her dinner (I have never seen her eat... I don't know how she survives). Jane is ancient and with alzeheimer's. I also believe she is near death based on various things she does (I read tons of books on this sort of thing after Paul died). While I was coaxing her to eat, she had her face very close to mine and was saying various nonsense, but cute, things... like, she asked me to tell Pete that she liked him (I have no idea who Pete is). All of a sudden her eyes very quickly shifted from mine to somewhere over my shoulder. She pulled her face back from mine, still staring over my shoulder and said, "Who's that there?"
I looked over my shoulder and saw nothing but the elevator. I said, "Who?"
"That man there."
"What man?
"That nice man standing behind you."
"Is it anyone you know?"
"No, I've never seen him before." She then began reaching just beyond me, her hand grazing my shoulder.
"What does he look like, Jane?"
"He looks like a nice man. He's kinda tall, and he's smiling, and he looks almost like an angel. Yes, that's it, he looks like an angel standing there. What a nice looking angel!"
Sadly, we were then interrupted by one of the nurses. The hair was standing up on the back of my neck and I was covered in goosebumps. It felt like all the blood had drained from my face.
In many of the books I read, they talked about how when a person is dieing slowly (e.g. old age, disease) they are often inbetween worlds... this one that we know, and the world beyond (in my belief, heaven). Often times they see things that are definetely very real to them but we are unable to see them because they are not of this world. All of the books said that the best thing to do is not tell the person that it is in their imagination (I sure wish I knew this before Paul died!), but to ask them as many questions as you can. Some books argue with this, saying that it is simply hallucinations... the mind playing tricks on them. I like to think the former train of thought is true.
I consider it a true gift that I was able to share this experience with Jane.
I looked over my shoulder and saw nothing but the elevator. I said, "Who?"
"That man there."
"What man?
"That nice man standing behind you."
"Is it anyone you know?"
"No, I've never seen him before." She then began reaching just beyond me, her hand grazing my shoulder.
"What does he look like, Jane?"
"He looks like a nice man. He's kinda tall, and he's smiling, and he looks almost like an angel. Yes, that's it, he looks like an angel standing there. What a nice looking angel!"
Sadly, we were then interrupted by one of the nurses. The hair was standing up on the back of my neck and I was covered in goosebumps. It felt like all the blood had drained from my face.
In many of the books I read, they talked about how when a person is dieing slowly (e.g. old age, disease) they are often inbetween worlds... this one that we know, and the world beyond (in my belief, heaven). Often times they see things that are definetely very real to them but we are unable to see them because they are not of this world. All of the books said that the best thing to do is not tell the person that it is in their imagination (I sure wish I knew this before Paul died!), but to ask them as many questions as you can. Some books argue with this, saying that it is simply hallucinations... the mind playing tricks on them. I like to think the former train of thought is true.
I consider it a true gift that I was able to share this experience with Jane.
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
My Weekend
This weekend FLEW by!
Friday I took Brandon to meet up with his Gparents in Banning Jct. Then I did a couple of errands for Jeff (BTW... you owe me $.70!) and a little shopping at the mall. Old Navy seemed to be the store of choice this shopping trip.
Saturday Jeff and I ate bkfst at the Rustic Inn in Castle Danger. He bought me this really cool chunky silver necklace with a pale green stone (what is this called??!!) in their neat gift shop. Love it! Then we headed north to the Silver Bay Golf course where we played eighteen in gale-force winds. At about the 11th hole I finally figured out how to keep my ball from heading to the right... I'm thrilled! It's only taken like 5 years to figure it out...
If you're a golfer and you haven't tried the Silver Bay course, I highly recommend it. ESPECIALLY, over the Two Harbors course. It is clean and really well-maintained. It's only a 9-hole course, but that makes it all the more fun since you can compare how you did the first time around.
Later we met Jennifer, Perry and Dasia for dinner (which ended up being just appetizers.... how did this happen) and drinks. I'm really glad Perry brought Dasia... I hadn't really had a chance to get to know here when I worked there and this gave me an opportunity. She seems really, really nice and I think she's really good for Perry.
It was especially nice to see Jenn! We laughed the entire night at things no one else found funny. I really need to be better at organizing get-togethers with her.
Sunday Jeff and I headed to the cities for the Twins game. He won tickets... and wow! were they great tickets! 4 rows directly behind home plate! We ate incredibly expensive hot dogs (with proceeds going to Concordia Academy... imagine that!) and did a lot of people watching and I kept the stats in the scorecard (what a geek I can be!). We had a fantastic time!
That night we stayed at the Hotel Sofitel in Bloomington. Got a great price -- $65! -- not bad for a 4-star hotel. It was really, really nice. Done European style, which of course I loved being the European-traveling snob that Jeff claims I am.
We ate steaks at the Wildfire (?) followed by Creme Brulee. Nummy!
The next day we did some shopping at Dick's and the MOA. I got another pair of Crocs for work.... only $29 at Nordstroms... in Fuschia. These are great! And if they get messed at work, I can just hose them off! And they are super comfy! I also got a really cool hat.
Then we picked up Brandon from his Gparents and took him to the Thai restaraunt across from the Farmer's Market in St Paul... it used to be the Sawatadee, but now it has a new name and I can't remember what it's called. Really Nummy!
Tuesday we golfed 9 holes at Lakeview in Two Harbors. This course sucks. There is more weeds than grass and if your ball goes in the rough you'll never see it again. But, we still managed to have a pretty good time.
The afternoon was spent watching the Pink Panther and grilling burgers. Later we went to the TH fireworks. We sat in front of the depot which was a perfect location. It was actually a really good show. Better than a lot of the ones I've seen in the cities.
Today I had lunch with the ladies at Nokomis. Nokomis is this really hip restaurant on the scenic hwy. http://www.nokomisonthelake.com/
I had my fav Basil, Tomato, Ricotta sammich. Nummy, Nummy, Nummy!
Then Brandon had a baseball game (lost 5-4). And then we met a group of friends in town for pizza at Do North.
Whew!
Friday I took Brandon to meet up with his Gparents in Banning Jct. Then I did a couple of errands for Jeff (BTW... you owe me $.70!) and a little shopping at the mall. Old Navy seemed to be the store of choice this shopping trip.
Saturday Jeff and I ate bkfst at the Rustic Inn in Castle Danger. He bought me this really cool chunky silver necklace with a pale green stone (what is this called??!!) in their neat gift shop. Love it! Then we headed north to the Silver Bay Golf course where we played eighteen in gale-force winds. At about the 11th hole I finally figured out how to keep my ball from heading to the right... I'm thrilled! It's only taken like 5 years to figure it out...
If you're a golfer and you haven't tried the Silver Bay course, I highly recommend it. ESPECIALLY, over the Two Harbors course. It is clean and really well-maintained. It's only a 9-hole course, but that makes it all the more fun since you can compare how you did the first time around.
Later we met Jennifer, Perry and Dasia for dinner (which ended up being just appetizers.... how did this happen) and drinks. I'm really glad Perry brought Dasia... I hadn't really had a chance to get to know here when I worked there and this gave me an opportunity. She seems really, really nice and I think she's really good for Perry.
It was especially nice to see Jenn! We laughed the entire night at things no one else found funny. I really need to be better at organizing get-togethers with her.
Sunday Jeff and I headed to the cities for the Twins game. He won tickets... and wow! were they great tickets! 4 rows directly behind home plate! We ate incredibly expensive hot dogs (with proceeds going to Concordia Academy... imagine that!) and did a lot of people watching and I kept the stats in the scorecard (what a geek I can be!). We had a fantastic time!
That night we stayed at the Hotel Sofitel in Bloomington. Got a great price -- $65! -- not bad for a 4-star hotel. It was really, really nice. Done European style, which of course I loved being the European-traveling snob that Jeff claims I am.
We ate steaks at the Wildfire (?) followed by Creme Brulee. Nummy!
The next day we did some shopping at Dick's and the MOA. I got another pair of Crocs for work.... only $29 at Nordstroms... in Fuschia. These are great! And if they get messed at work, I can just hose them off! And they are super comfy! I also got a really cool hat.
Then we picked up Brandon from his Gparents and took him to the Thai restaraunt across from the Farmer's Market in St Paul... it used to be the Sawatadee, but now it has a new name and I can't remember what it's called. Really Nummy!
Tuesday we golfed 9 holes at Lakeview in Two Harbors. This course sucks. There is more weeds than grass and if your ball goes in the rough you'll never see it again. But, we still managed to have a pretty good time.
The afternoon was spent watching the Pink Panther and grilling burgers. Later we went to the TH fireworks. We sat in front of the depot which was a perfect location. It was actually a really good show. Better than a lot of the ones I've seen in the cities.
Today I had lunch with the ladies at Nokomis. Nokomis is this really hip restaurant on the scenic hwy. http://www.nokomisonthelake.com/
I had my fav Basil, Tomato, Ricotta sammich. Nummy, Nummy, Nummy!
Then Brandon had a baseball game (lost 5-4). And then we met a group of friends in town for pizza at Do North.
Whew!
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