A Holiday Before the Holiday

No meetings on the calendar and no extended family. Nothing required of me on this holiday but a good walk, some shop browsing, and some delectable yumminess to keep me energized. I ended up having a few hours of play on my floating holiday last Thursday. We couldn't get passports done for a variety of reasons, so that is still on the "to do" list but tackled a load of other things, so the wander about town was earned. It's lovely to have even small breaks from routines. While my home town is not a premier tourist destination, it has a few highlights. Here's part of my afternoon in pictures. 

I started the afternoon with lunch with DH at a dive bar, that recently has done a bit of sprucing up. No need to spruce up their  burger and sandwich menu, though as it always has been quality. I had the Rook burger with cheddar, green olives, and thousand island dressing. DH had a chicken cordon bleu sandwich. We shared onion rings. I was so hungry and didn't think to snap until I had eaten a few bites-sorry, but it was that good. 

A walk along the river  was perfect to burn off some of my excess calories. I hadn't noticed the high water marker before, indicating where the summer before I was born the Mississippi river crested 29.5 feet, flooding the entire levee. The river is about average right now, maybe a bit low since we did not have much snow, but look at the massive difference.

Finally, some buds are starting to pop. I need to make this walk again in a month, and then mid summer and fall, just so I can watch the changes. 

 With new river walk, an outdoor pavilion was built to hold concerts and other outdoor performances. DD2's music school did a few concerts. She performed on a windy September morning and wrangling the sheet music and keeping the stands from falling over took effort. Live and learn-I'm sure it will get figured out and many people will gather to enjoy whatever is being performed. Here's two angles.

After wandering in the various downtown shops, and getting an idea for unique gift giving for the year, I ended my afternoon with a fresh cup of drip coffee, Ethiopian blend with a splash of cream at the newish cafe that is a part of a visual arts center. I went here with DD2 the Saturday between her February flu and the night I succumbed so I didn't appreciate it in full as I did this afternoon.The hours go until 9:00 and besides coffee and tea, they also have  beer and wine menu so it would make a quaint date night venue at reasonable prices. 

Today I'll try not to indulge in too many jelly beans and chocolate rabbits. If the weather holds out, we may just head back to the river this afternoon. Happy Easter everyone.

Wined and Dined at the Ball Park

Last week my husband had unplanned corporate tickets to a Minnesota Twins game.  We were wined and dined on the Budweiser Roof Top deck. In my line of work, there are never  perks like this, and with  big corporations getting their bottom lines shored up again after the recession, the trickle down perks my husband used to enjoy frequently have been fewer.  We couldn't have asked for a better night.  It was still in the low 70's when the game started, and cooled down nicely.  The roof top deck has a gorgeous fire pit, so if  a little chilly, you could warm up by the fire. Food was typical ball park fair of hot dogs, brats, pretzels and cheese, and chicken strips, but also a caesar sald, plus popcorn and peanuts for everyone.  DH never drinks when he drives, and I am a two beer kind of gal, so he gave his drink tickets to a couple out with another couple and ayoung baby.  They looked like they could use the night out!  Soda and water was provided throughout the night.  There were extra little perks like sunglasses, pins, and beads all in pink to support breast cancer awareness. Despite the loss of our boys of summer, it was a fun night.  Let me "take you out to the ball game."

The Minneapolis skyline overlooks Target field. We are not the metropolis of New York or Chicago, but it is a pretty scene when the sun starts to set. 

 My Twins were World Champions in 1987 and 1991.The playoffs for the 1987 series caused a twenty minute delay to the start of our wedding because all the groomsmen, half the guests, and the pastor were all listening to the end of close game. 

 Love the giant jumbo trons and the fun pregame challenges.  This was a softball pitch game to see if any fans selected could hit one out of the park.  Of course, they set the field up in the outfield, but fun none the less. 

 For those of you not familiar with the Twin Cities, we are Minneapolis and St Paul, actualy two entirely different cities that just happen to be right next to each other, thus the name of our beloved team, the Twins.  

Getting my "fan girl" picture with one of the stars from those two World Series wins, Kent Hrbek. We see him now promoting heating and cooling systems, and playing in  charitable golf tournaments. 

 Not to be left out, even DH posed.  Actually, this is a rare agreed upon photo, and he probably will not be happy it is posted.  The shirt was a gift from the kids a few years back for his birthday.  He is trimmer than he looks-it is over a size too big for him. 

Can We Have an Adventure

I've created a city slicker.  DD#2 wants another day in either St Paul or Minneapolis, having an adventure as she called it.  There was something kind of innocently sweet in the way my getting to be too cynical teenager asked.  We were guests Friday night, along with her whole confirmation class, at a St Paul Synagogue.  The entire congregation were incredibly gracious to a group of sometimes overly rambunctious middle schoolers, thankfully respectful during the service itself, of traditions, language, and customs very different than our own Lutheran ones. To get there, you pass through some trendy streets in St Paul, way cooler than the dribble of boredom we apparently have in our bedroom community. Her eyes lit up on the way home to see the dark streets lit up by the stores,restaurants, and bars, and the  bustle of people out and about on the streets. I forget just how insular living a mere 30 miles from the "big cities" can be for teens that have no regular reason to go into either city.  One bus stop was packed, and being that it was a bit chilly, and being a Friday night, a couple clusters of people were dancing and jumping up in down, probably partially to keep warm, and partially for fun. This fascinated DD#2's friend, who in spite of saying she knew all about the cities, had eyes as wide as saucers. 

We have the last of the basketball season next week, and this weekend I need to get caught up on the business of life, but I am starting to noodle around some adventures for future weekends.  One of the things, simple as it might seem, she looked forward to in planning our UK trip last year was riding the double decker buses and taking the tube all about the city. It didn't really dawn on me before that trip that public transit was just not part of my kids life before they got out of high school, so the thought of it being our sole source for transportation was an awesome one for her. One day on the trip we took about an hour just riding around on a bus, looking at the street view, until the bus came to the end of its route and we were still perched on the upper deck. Light rail transit (LRT) is a  new transportation mode in the Twin Cities.  There are just a few lines, though one that connects the two big cities together, and a newly renovated Depot in St Paul, has made it a better commuting option. I think I will get some route maps, and plan a day to travel from one end of a line to the other and back again, stopping at sites along the way.  This will be way cheaper than a round trip ticket to Heathrow, and might add a bit of thrill to her teen age life.

With no vacation time built up, I'm planning to make the most of our Saturdays and Sundays. Where would you like to explore nearby but haven't had the time or inclination yet to do so?  If you are the adventurous day tripper, what have been some of your more memorable ones? 

Past adventure-Baker Street Underground.

Midweek Holiday

I accrue a day a pay period of vacation, but am capped so often lose time because I just can't get away from work to use it.  With less than three weeks, and two pay periods left at this job, I am making sure I don't lose anymore time so took today, and will take Monday (a new period) off. DH has every Thursday off because he works Saturday's.  Normally his Thursday is filled like my Saturday's with errands, household tasks, kid running, and maybe a bit of down time.  We decided to take advantage of a rare weekday off together sans offspring, and putter out and about.  We did nothing very special, and in that, it felt like a good day. 

We did some browsing in the home section in Kohls.  We had water damage a few years ago to our third level family room and bathroom, but haven't had the drive to rip up the water stained carpet, and complete some needed repainting.  We have budgeted and saved for it though.  I love Kohl's, and am absolutely crazy for their clearance area. Paired with a 30% off discount promotion, and the chance to earn Kohl's cash, and I could do some serious spending.  I found these gorgeous  toss pillows in a chevron blue pattern.  They had removable covers, so would be just perfect on a new coach (part of the saved money) in a creamy neutral color, in a newly refurbished family room.  There were also some cute  faux metal baskets with wood tops, "repurposed" for side tables.  They also would be very cute, and just the right thing to hold a beverage or a bowl of snacks while watching a movie. In the end, I refrained, and we walked out of the store with nothing in hand.

We took ourselves out for a frugal lunch, compliments of a $15 bonus card to a restaurant we had purchased a gift card to for DD#2's God parents at Christmas.  The bonus card had to be used by the end of the month.  We feasted on lunch entrées paired with a really great salad bar. This is my favorite place to eat salads as they have the good mixed greens and spinach, and not just the  tasteless iceberg lettuce bowl.  There were tons of gorgeous vegetables, and eggs, olives, and other toppings as well as some fruit and pasta salads.  It really was enough for a meal in itself, but I still managed to scarfed my crispy and hot French fries. I had a mini burger pair, and took one home, along with the biscuits they give you to nibble. I'll grab a yogurt and the leftover burger and have lunch sorted for tomorrow. With tip, lunch for two, with leftovers,  was under $15.00. They gave us a couple more coupons for buy one, get one 50% off.  I think I'll drop those off to the God parents and let their gift card stretch a bit further, probably into two nights out for them.

We ended our day seeing a matinee showing of American Sniper.  There is a lot of controversy over whether he was a glorified  killer or  a great American hero.  I don't understand the protests over the film, or the hate statements towards the actor and director. Clearly war is awful for all involved, and the movie did nothing to glorify war and violence, and made evidence that the mental scarring is very real. Not wanting to incite controversy on this blog, I'll wrap up this chapter.

There were probably a lot more interesting and worthwhile ways we could have spent this week day holiday, but it felt right for us today. Anyone who has kids at home knows finding couple time, more than a few hours, is a luxury in itself. We spent the day talking, and planning, and looking forward to what's next on the horizon.  We have no  plans or commitments tonight, so in about an hour I'll make us a simple supper-lunch will have been burned off by then, and pull the cork on a bottle of wine.  There's a Minnesota Wild hockey game on the television at 7:00 and a worn out couch in a dingy basement family room calling my name.  My kind of holiday.

banner from http://wild.nhl.com/

Discovering a Great Bookstore

We have a short window between the end of fall soccer and the start of travelling basketball, so Saturdays and Sundays are precious during that time.  I was needing some good quality time with my DD#2 a few weeks back.  DD#1 was still home then, packing and working and getting ready for her (now maybe) move out west, and with limited time for us at home.  We decided to make a city day of it.  There is nothing my younger daughter likes more than books, and put her in a book store is like putting other kids in a candy store.  She walks into one, and there is just a beam of light coming from her face.  She has that same reaction in libraries, and loves to check out new ones whenever possible. She  also picked up my habit of rereading favorite books over and over, so she likes to own the ones that are her favorites.  Not very thrifty, but she could care less about new clothes, hanging out in malls, or other things kids her age spend money on, so at this stage, not too worried about the occasional $10-$20 she spends on books from earned babysitting or gift money.  She is never without a book-you never know when there might be some quiet time. 

This particular early November Saturday I wanted to take her to something more unique than a Barnes and Noble.  In St Paul there is an awesome books tore called "subtext".  Subtext is located in the basement, under an iconic coffee house called "Nina's", pronounced like 9a's, not nee-na's. This is important because that was my grandmothers name, pronounced that way.  I never knew that grandma, so it feels like a connection that I never had.  Weird? I am fond of this coffee house as a place to end my work day when it logistically just doesn't make sense to battle traffic to head back to the office, but I'd miss too much  time being able to respond to e-mails if I headed home since I have a pretty long commute. 

Subtext did not disappoint.  When we first went downstairs, her first impression was it was pretty cool, but not a lot of books of her genre.  There were additional tables and soft reading areas with  side tables, as the book store is an extension of Nina's.  There seemed to be a couple book studies going on, as well as several browsers.  DD#1 looked around, and was about to suggest we go, when I directed her to the "Addendum", the alcove off the main book store, set up brilliantly for teens and children.

DD#1 browses at the Sci-fi fantasy, next to a John Green display.

She plunked herself down and started looking at titles and reading first pages trying to make decisions.  This was not  process to rush.  Down the hall, behind a stone wall was the collection of books on home improvement, decorating, and cooking.  Don't you love how they use the imperfections in the stone walls as book displays? I found a couple decorating and some vegetarian cookbooks, grabbed one of the red chairs, and did some browsing on my own.  I was not going to buy though, as I am still on my buy one thing, throw two, and wasn't in the mindset to declutter when I came home.  That rule has been serving me well.  While the house isn't that much tidier, we at least are slowly getting unused and unneeded stuff out of the house, plus, I think we are getting a little boost in the checkbook.  It is crucial because there have been so many other  costs and budget dings that weren't part of the budget.

After she settled on a book, we paid for it, and headed back upstairs.  There we had a sandwich and coffee/cocoa, and chatted about the book she selected, and other titles by the author.  Nina's was bustling with families, college students, and  small groups of people catching up with each other. Missing from my work day stops were the multitude of laptops and tablets, though still a few.  It was Saturday, so people were looking to recharge with human connections. There was going to be a poetry slam at 2:00, and we debated sticking around. We walked around the neighborhood a little bit, but decided not to stay for the poetry reading.  Maybe another time, and with her inviting a friend along to enjoy it with. We did take our time getting home, making a couple other stops on route.  We were home in the late afternoon, still time to get a few home tasks done-neglected from the week, and prepare a nice dinner for the three of us before the hubby got home from work.  It was a next to perfect Saturday.  What about you?  What ways would you suggest for spending an elusive free calendar day?  Where are your favorite stomping grounds?

                                      Closer view of the Addendum-great light from the street above.                                        That's DD with three titles already in hand and looking at more.