But that doesn’t stop me from dancing, does it? June 26, 2008

I have found for me that summer means short, fairly pointless (but sometimes not!) posts when I can squeeze them in.  Summer is FAR too short in Minnesota to not be enjoyed.  Today that enjoyment meant 5 1/2 hours on the golf course in the blazing hot sun (above 90 degrees!  In Minnesota!  I know!) with co-workers.  Apparently SPF 30 is not good enough for my post-pregnancy skin, because even after 3 applications, I am bright pink.  Bright, painful pink, that is.  But we took second place in the tournament (to our surprise, too).  Every time I go out golfing, which isn’t often these years (I hadn’t been in 3 years before today), I am reminded how much I love it.

Back in high school, my “summer job” was golfing.  Daddy had some sort of dream of me being on the LPGA Tour.  Not likely, dear father.  I think my best round ever was one over par.  That just doesn’t cut it.  But it was sweet of him to make me clubs all those years (I had my first set at age 3!).

Speaking of the LPGA tour, they’re playing the U.S. Open in Minnesota this week!  Fun times; lots of extra traffic.

Anyway, my point was, I used to golf about 18-36 holes a day and LOVED it.  My friend Jason and I would go out in the early morning and breeze through 18 holes in 2 hours since no one else was on the course yet.  Then we’d sit in the clubhouse for awhile and go out and play another 9 or 18.  Sometimes his little brother would come along.  Or some days he’d be busy or have gotten up too early for me, and I’d go with my other friends.  Jana had a cart that we used sometimes; that was always nice.

So today brought back good memories.

———-

In other news of things I have forgotten that I like, here are some links. 

Making Fiends

Mr. Nice

I could watch Mr. Nice all day.  Isn’t that sad?

Anniversary, Part II June 6, 2008

So, a week later, I’ll finally finish posting what Husband and I did for the rest of our 5th anniversary celebration.

Saturday, we went to the Guthrie Theatre following our time at the Sculpture Garden. They allow you to give yourself a little tour around the building, or you can get a guided tour for a price. Since we’re all about The Free, we did the self-tour. It really has some amazing spaces. I take it back. Unbelievable spaces.

Here are a couple of my favorite images:

And this one highlights their very reflective window sills on the 4th floor. Only the part in the middle is an actual view to the outdoors.

We ate dinner at a fabulous little place called True Thai (We had “B” on the appetizers, the Purple Yam, and #57, the wok-fried bean-thread vermicelli.  Overall, we gave the restaurant 4 out of 5 stars for incredible service, friendly staff, and very tasty food.), and then went to a Saints game with my father-in-law and brother-in-law.  Anja’s first outdoor game!

The LifeTech Center March 15, 2008

My mom wasn’t really here to visit ME this past week.  She was here to watch my alma mater (can one say that about a high school?  Or just a college?) play in the state basketball tournament.  We ventured such fun places as Williams Arena and the Target Center.

Yesterday’s game was at the Target Center.  I don’t believe I’ve ever been there, so I was excited to accompany her.  Plus I love me some basketball!  Anyway, I checked out their website to see what is considered contraband and noticed that they have a “Parents’ Room.” Great, I thought, now I won’t have to nurse Anja in the car!  Since it was merely a high school tournament and not a big concert or a Timberwolves’ game, I decided to call ahead to ensure that the room would be available.  Unfortunately, they told me, it would not be open.  But, the lady continued, if I would stop by Guest Services, they would direct me to the LifeTech Center, and I could nurse her there.

Satisfied, I hung up the phone and packed up my mom (she doesn’t require much packing) and Anja (she requires quite a bit of packing).  We arrived downtown with little hassle, parked in a ramp and made our way through the skyways (God love ‘em) to the Target Center.  Mom got us some tickets, we found seats and got settled in, and I took Anja with me up to Guest Services.

“Go down the hall to Section 116, and it will be on your left,” said the cheerful GS lady.

Section 116 was on exactly the opposite end of the stadium, close to where I had come from.  I trekked over there and could find nothing labeled “LifeTech Center,” but I did see a First Aid station with two guys eating at a table.  I asked one of them if they could point me in the right direction.  The guy closest to me gave a quick glance to the other guy and said, “Oh, yeah, um…just let me grab a key.  It’s actually right here.”  He walked out of the First Aid room and took a couple of steps to the left, unlocked a door, and led me inside.  Apparently LifeTech Center is another name for a dirty.   handicapped.   men’s.   bathroom.

I must have been looking around in a bit of shock, because he mumbled, “Uh, let me get you a chair.”  THANKS, kind sir!  Because where was I supposed to sit?  On the filthy toilet?  He returned shortly with a chair.  I found a semi-clean spot to set the diaper bag: on top of the paper towel dispenser.  Anja, in her curious way, was trying to reach out and touch everything, which frightened me, the fairly germ-conscious mother.

I nursed as quickly as possible and managed to get out of there having only touched the door lock.  Hopefully it’s the only time in my life that I’ll have to nurse a baby in a room with a urinal.

Fargo Friday - 3 January 18, 2008

As promised, today is some cool things about Fargo. Yay for Fargo!

1) The Fargodome. It’s not even a dome! But I spent many a Saturday morning, afternoon and evening there, practicing (I was in marching band—feel free to make “band geek” comments) and performing for the Bison football games. Oh, and for those of you who feel so inclined to be extra Norsky, that’s pronounced with a ZZZZ sound, not a SSSS. BiZon.

 

2) College campuses. There are three major colleges in the Fargo/Moorhead area: NDSU, MSU Moorhead, and Concordia. All three have very different, but very nice campuses. I spent much time exploring these campuses as a freshman in college. I think Concordia’s my favorite, but of course, it’s private, so they have more money for things like modern art and Prexy’s Pond.

 

3) The art scene. Since it is the biggest city (read: town) within a 150-mile radius, there’s a surprisingly wide variety of shows and exhibits for viewing at any given time. #2 probably contributes to this a great deal.

 

4) Broadway. Downtown Fargo is probably my second favorite part about living there. In recent years, especially with the addition of NDSU’s downtown campus, boutiques, high-end clothing stores and fine restaurants have been putting down roots. My personal favorite is Funky Junque.

 

5) The feel. It’s like living in a small town but with much more stuff to do. Really—almost every time I left the house, I would run into someone I knew. That doesn’t even always happen in my own home town, which is about 1/15 the size. And there’s more than a Cenex, a post office and a bar.

 

6) The people. We still have lots of friends (and family) in Fargo. So we go back to visit several times a year. I love the people of Fargo. Maybe just the people I know…but most of them are of high quality. Just don’t try to merge on the freeway. Then they’re not the nicest.

 

 

7) The weather. No, just kidding. That’s one of the main reasons we moved. Since I grew up in the area, I knew nothing different, but that howling, non-stop wind really got to Husband. If you think about it, that wind gets a 200-mile running start across flat, flat North Dakota and then blasts through the whole flat, flat city. As I’ve said before, it was like living on top of a mountain without the view. The dorms I lived in for three years created the perfect place for a little vortex of wind. For one, they were “high rises” (that’s only 9 stories in Fargo). For two, there was a circular shaped courtyard in between the four high rises that helped the wind flow into its tornado-like pattern. Once you reached the entry of your dorm, there was no going back. They had a heated area with double doors on either side, but the second set of doors did virtually nothing. Once you opened the first set, your breath was caught away and you were sucked out into the whirling vortex, fighting to stay upright and on the sidewalk (which had ice 10 months out of the year). Oh, dear. I guess this didn’t turn out to be a “good thing.” So on to the next…

 

Scheels. The world’s largest sporting goods store. It’s like the MOA for sports. Need I say more?  This was supposed to be #8 but it turns my 8 into a stupid smiley face.  So…enjoy that.

 

p.s. Today Dayna is having a contest on her blog and giving away a conversation starter made by these ladies. I want it. Maybe you do, too, so stop by.

Fanfare January 9, 2008

for the Common Man. Anja and I were just listening to a little bit o’ Copland…the open fifths in this song always sound so…Olympic to me. Which reminded me that on 8/8/08…THIS is happening. Oh, the joy!

I am an Olympics freak. Especially summer Olympics. It started back in 1996. I gave up television in 1998 for the most part, and Husband and I didn’t watch when we got married. But when the 2004 Olympics were going to be on, you’d better believe I went out and bought an antenna for the old set our friends gave us. I could watch 24 hours a day if I could stay awake (well, except for maybe the wrestling). Sigh…7 more months…