I always forget how much I love fall until it rolls around each year. I think it's partly because fall is typically quite fleeting in Minnesota; I swear sometimes it lasts three weeks. This is a bummer when it is your favorite season (especially since six months of winter is all you have to look forward to). Without further ado, some of the many reasons fall is awesome:
1. The weather. Specifically, the humidity goes back to livable levels. The last few weeks of summer are routinely 85+ degrees with the humidity at 75%+. You might be saying to yourself, "85 degrees! Fantastic!" Not for me. I grew up "up north" where it is almost always 10 degrees colder than the Twin Cities, and my ideal temp is closer to 65. Oh, plus now you can safely do things outside and still be able to breathe.
2. Football season starts! The Vikings, fantasy football - my life is now complete. The Vikings are the closest thing to religion in my family (I'm mostly serious). We've had season tickets almost my entire life, it's pretty much the only form of entertainment my entire family can agree on, it is the impetus for at least 50% of our phone calls and texts to each other, and game days are sacred time. Every job I've ever had, I've told them I can't work on Sundays. They always assume it's because of church, and I never correct them, because the Metrodome is my church.
3. Fall fashion. Fall clothing is both the most comfortable and the most sophisticated. Summer - too much skin, pedicures, swim suits, sweating (yuck). Winter - too many layers, shoes/boots that are not cute but at least keep you from falling or losing your toes, hat hair. Spring - um, does spring exist here? I guess spring fashion is mostly about avoiding all the dirty melting snow, so that sucks too. Fall though, fall is fantastic. Boots, scarves, trench coats, sweaters, rich colors.
4. The trees. We actually have trees here in Minnesota and the colors are amazing. I feel really bad for you if you live in, let's say, Phoenix, and all you have to look at are palm trees and cacti. Oh plus it smells great outside.
5. My birthday. My birthday is near the end of October and it has always given me something to look forward to. Not that I'm into presents or whatever, I just like having things like birthdays to remind me to reflect on the last year. And who doesn't like an excuse for a party or happy hour?
6. Halloween! If you don't understand why Halloween is so awesome, we probably shouldn't friends.
Yay fall! Please stick around for at least four weeks this year!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
"Don't Stop Believin'"
I have always really liked this song (honestly, who doesn't?) but my absolute love for this song did not occur until September 27, 2009. I'm not sure that anyone besides die-hard sports fans will understand this, but this is my favorite song ever because of one football play in an early season game. Okay, so here is the play (in case you don't remember - haha).
Now let me explain what the hell this play has to do with a Journey song from 1981. So (obviously) my family and I are huge Vikings fans. During the summer of 2009, the completely improbable happened and we ended up with Brett Favre as our quarterback. We all spent 20 years completely hating Favre's guts so this alone felt like living in the twilight zone (an analogy for the uninitiated- imagine you have been a devout Catholic your entire life and you walk into church one day to find that Satan is your new priest). At the time this play occurred, it was still early in the season and most real fans were not totally sure what to think of Favre. He'd been pretty good the first couple of games but not anything fantastic. For obvious reasons, we were wary to trust the guy we'd hated for years. This play changed all that - because after this play (pardon the cheesiness) we collectively started to believe.
You may be asking "one play? you completely made up your mind in one play?" Well it was the end of game, we were down by four, we were about 40 yards from the end zone, and there were only 12 seconds left. Essentially one more play, and it would have to be a touchdown. So...the odds of this occurring were not good. In fact, a LOT of "fans" were already filing out of the Metrodome. We of course NEVER leave early (insert smug smile here).
"Okay, okay, enough about football, isn't this post supposed to be about a song??" Okay, so this no-name receiver ends up catching this impossible touchdown in very back of the end zone. Predictably, the stadium went nuts, and even more predictably, the play was soon under review. So as soon as they announce that it's under review, the entire stadium groans and then becomes silent. And right at this moment, when we are not sure whether to be ecstatic or morose (Vikings fans typically feel more of the latter), the opening piano riff of "Don't Stop Believin." Since you have already watched the previous clip of the play, you will know that we got to be ecstatic and it was one of those fantastic moments where you hug complete strangers and people are jumping up and down and you and 60,000 people all feel the same way at the same time.
I don't know if this post will make sense to anyone who wasn't there and wasn't a huge Vikings fan, but my brother has the same reaction to this song as I do (okay, so not exactly the same, I almost started crying the other day when I randomly heard it on the radio). So now every time I hear this song, even the "Glee" version, it reminds me of that one play and that feeling that *anything can happen.* And sometimes, that thing that happens is AMAZING. And I think it's good to always be reminded of that.
Now let me explain what the hell this play has to do with a Journey song from 1981. So (obviously) my family and I are huge Vikings fans. During the summer of 2009, the completely improbable happened and we ended up with Brett Favre as our quarterback. We all spent 20 years completely hating Favre's guts so this alone felt like living in the twilight zone (an analogy for the uninitiated- imagine you have been a devout Catholic your entire life and you walk into church one day to find that Satan is your new priest). At the time this play occurred, it was still early in the season and most real fans were not totally sure what to think of Favre. He'd been pretty good the first couple of games but not anything fantastic. For obvious reasons, we were wary to trust the guy we'd hated for years. This play changed all that - because after this play (pardon the cheesiness) we collectively started to believe.
You may be asking "one play? you completely made up your mind in one play?" Well it was the end of game, we were down by four, we were about 40 yards from the end zone, and there were only 12 seconds left. Essentially one more play, and it would have to be a touchdown. So...the odds of this occurring were not good. In fact, a LOT of "fans" were already filing out of the Metrodome. We of course NEVER leave early (insert smug smile here).
"Okay, okay, enough about football, isn't this post supposed to be about a song??" Okay, so this no-name receiver ends up catching this impossible touchdown in very back of the end zone. Predictably, the stadium went nuts, and even more predictably, the play was soon under review. So as soon as they announce that it's under review, the entire stadium groans and then becomes silent. And right at this moment, when we are not sure whether to be ecstatic or morose (Vikings fans typically feel more of the latter), the opening piano riff of "Don't Stop Believin." Since you have already watched the previous clip of the play, you will know that we got to be ecstatic and it was one of those fantastic moments where you hug complete strangers and people are jumping up and down and you and 60,000 people all feel the same way at the same time.
I don't know if this post will make sense to anyone who wasn't there and wasn't a huge Vikings fan, but my brother has the same reaction to this song as I do (okay, so not exactly the same, I almost started crying the other day when I randomly heard it on the radio). So now every time I hear this song, even the "Glee" version, it reminds me of that one play and that feeling that *anything can happen.* And sometimes, that thing that happens is AMAZING. And I think it's good to always be reminded of that.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Puppies!
My parents got a new puppy last week. He is about eight weeks old and weighs eight pounds. He is SO adorable (I know, I know, they all are). We got to meet him last weekend but it kills me that my parents live four hours away and thus I am not able to play with him constantly. I know too, that since he is destined to be a "big dog," his tiny puppy phase will not last long. My husband is SO lucky that other people get puppies often enough that I get my puppy-fix without bringing more home to live with us.
Without further ado, here is RD (like "Artie") the german shepherd:
And the puppy parade continues...
This is Mabel, my cousin's golden retriever. They got her last winter. She is a LOT bigger now but this is how big she was when we first met her. (our dog Griffin was infatuated with her, as you can see)
This is our Griffin. He just turned two last month, and actually turned into a huge guy (for a corgi). He was the runt of the litter and now weighs almost 40 pounds. And geez was he ever cute.
And now the finale - Morgan! She is now five and has some major 'tude. We love her to pieces anyhow but good lord she was adorable. To paraphrase South Park, Griffin was "cute!" but Morgan was "super cute!"
*Disclaimer: As much as I LOVE puppies, I strongly encourage everyone to consider adopting all those adult dogs out there looking for homes. My family has adopted many wonderful adult dogs, both purebred and mixed breed, and they are just as wonderful as all of these puppies. :)
Without further ado, here is RD (like "Artie") the german shepherd:
And the puppy parade continues...
This is Mabel, my cousin's golden retriever. They got her last winter. She is a LOT bigger now but this is how big she was when we first met her. (our dog Griffin was infatuated with her, as you can see)
This is our Griffin. He just turned two last month, and actually turned into a huge guy (for a corgi). He was the runt of the litter and now weighs almost 40 pounds. And geez was he ever cute.
And now the finale - Morgan! She is now five and has some major 'tude. We love her to pieces anyhow but good lord she was adorable. To paraphrase South Park, Griffin was "cute!" but Morgan was "super cute!"
*Disclaimer: As much as I LOVE puppies, I strongly encourage everyone to consider adopting all those adult dogs out there looking for homes. My family has adopted many wonderful adult dogs, both purebred and mixed breed, and they are just as wonderful as all of these puppies. :)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System
Okay, I'm getting back on the blogging wagon. I fell off, life has been crazy, what can I say. All I know is that I missed writing so I'm going to do my best to update more regularly. Anyhoo...
I don't typically fall in love with products. It's not that I'm against buying things, it's just that I'm much more likely to gush about a song, or a moment, or a friend (or honestly, usually my dogs). Honestly, I don't really even like Sex & the City. I'm just not *that* girl. So I shocked myself a bit when I realized that today I felt like writing about not just any product, but a relatively expensive set of department store products. The truth is, if something is brand-name or expensive, it takes even more to impress me. The cost-benefit ratio really has to be there for me to get on board. Despite this, Clinique has managed to impress me.
A little back story - I've struggled with low level acne since I was 14. It never got to the level where I was put on prescription medications, and many, many family members had struggled with acne so I blamed genetics. Over time I eventually accepted that I would have a permanent zit on my chin and would never be someone with "good skin." I tried various over-the-counter brands in numerous forms - washes, creams, toners, scrubs, masks, you name it. Most of these products rely on either salicyclic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
And then I got pregnant. And after a little research, found that both salicyclic acid and benzoyl peroxide are best avoided when pregnant. They fall into "category B," which for the uninitiated means "we don't know if it has any negative effects on the fetus because we haven't done any decent studies yet." The vast majority of drugs fall into this category. So anyhow, some doctors advise you to avoid salicyclic acid and benzoyl peroxide, and some don't.
After realizing every product I owned contained one of these ingredients, I decided I'd at least need some decent make-up to cover up all of the zits my crazy hormones would soon be producing. Off I went to the Clinique counter at Rosedale. As part of the "consultation," the saleswoman raved about their 3-step skin care system. I assume they have some kind of commission system for their salespeople, but I somehow allowed myself to be talked into spending $60 on three products - Liquid Facial Soap, Clarifying Lotion 4 (why they call this toner liquid a "lotion," I'm not quite sure), and the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I NEVER do that kind of thing. Ask my family, I'm cheap. :)
But now, of course, I am SO glad that I spent that $60. In less than 48 hours, my face felt better to the touch and was lots less oily. And now, about a month later, I have gone two weeks without one active zit. Seriously, this hasn't happened since elementary school. It's amazing how much better it feels to not need concealer every single day. I'll admit, however, that part of the reason I think the products have been effective is that because I spent so much, I feel obligated to actually use all three products twice a day, every single day. But I don't really care why it works - I'm just glad it does. I was also worried I'd be stuck restocking these products pretty regularly but as you can see from the photo (taken today), you can hardly even tell I've used anything after nearly a month.
So yeah, two thumbs-up Clinique. And no, they are definitely not paying me - I wish! Then I'd be getting this stuff for free. :)
I don't typically fall in love with products. It's not that I'm against buying things, it's just that I'm much more likely to gush about a song, or a moment, or a friend (or honestly, usually my dogs). Honestly, I don't really even like Sex & the City. I'm just not *that* girl. So I shocked myself a bit when I realized that today I felt like writing about not just any product, but a relatively expensive set of department store products. The truth is, if something is brand-name or expensive, it takes even more to impress me. The cost-benefit ratio really has to be there for me to get on board. Despite this, Clinique has managed to impress me.
A little back story - I've struggled with low level acne since I was 14. It never got to the level where I was put on prescription medications, and many, many family members had struggled with acne so I blamed genetics. Over time I eventually accepted that I would have a permanent zit on my chin and would never be someone with "good skin." I tried various over-the-counter brands in numerous forms - washes, creams, toners, scrubs, masks, you name it. Most of these products rely on either salicyclic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
And then I got pregnant. And after a little research, found that both salicyclic acid and benzoyl peroxide are best avoided when pregnant. They fall into "category B," which for the uninitiated means "we don't know if it has any negative effects on the fetus because we haven't done any decent studies yet." The vast majority of drugs fall into this category. So anyhow, some doctors advise you to avoid salicyclic acid and benzoyl peroxide, and some don't.
After realizing every product I owned contained one of these ingredients, I decided I'd at least need some decent make-up to cover up all of the zits my crazy hormones would soon be producing. Off I went to the Clinique counter at Rosedale. As part of the "consultation," the saleswoman raved about their 3-step skin care system. I assume they have some kind of commission system for their salespeople, but I somehow allowed myself to be talked into spending $60 on three products - Liquid Facial Soap, Clarifying Lotion 4 (why they call this toner liquid a "lotion," I'm not quite sure), and the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I NEVER do that kind of thing. Ask my family, I'm cheap. :)
But now, of course, I am SO glad that I spent that $60. In less than 48 hours, my face felt better to the touch and was lots less oily. And now, about a month later, I have gone two weeks without one active zit. Seriously, this hasn't happened since elementary school. It's amazing how much better it feels to not need concealer every single day. I'll admit, however, that part of the reason I think the products have been effective is that because I spent so much, I feel obligated to actually use all three products twice a day, every single day. But I don't really care why it works - I'm just glad it does. I was also worried I'd be stuck restocking these products pretty regularly but as you can see from the photo (taken today), you can hardly even tell I've used anything after nearly a month.
So yeah, two thumbs-up Clinique. And no, they are definitely not paying me - I wish! Then I'd be getting this stuff for free. :)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Longfellow Grill
Longfellow Grill in Minneapolis is our go-to dinner and brunch destination lately. Even though they don't take reservations and we sometimes have to wait awhile for a table, I am in love with this place (thankfully they do let you call ahead to get on the list!).
Longfellow is located just off the River Road on Lake St in Minneapolis, and just happens to be within walking distance to my brother & sister-in-law's house. I didn't even know the restaurant existed until they moved in to the neighborhood but am thankful they did!
Despite the fact that I am just now getting to the most important part - THE FOOD - do not be fooled! Even if this place was a dump (it's not), it would totally be worth it for the menu. My absolute favorite is the walleye burrito, made with fried walleye, lettuce, tomato, Tillamook cheddar, and the best from-scratch tartar sauce I've ever had. I am currently on a fish-restricted diet right now (only one meal of walleye a month) and I save it up just for this burrito. It's SO good! (also, it is only technically on their lunch menu, not dinner, but I've ordered it for dinner approximately 15 times now and nobody cares so yeah, don't be afraid to order it if it's after 4pm).
What else is good? Our favorite appetizer are tempura-battered green beans with plum dipping sauce. My husband and I can finish a basket of those in minutes. It's actually inspired us to try tempura frying basically every type vegetable we get this summer through our CSA. My husband is also a huge fan of their Tennessee bbq pork sandwich. He is a bit of a bbq sandwich connoisseur and loves this one. With your sandwich, you get french fries (awesome) or sweet potato fries (also awesome). Oh and the side salad is so good that I actually order it instead of fries sometimes just because it tastes good.
Finally, a discussion of Longfellow Grill would not be complete without mentioning their awesome brunch (some of the highlights from the brunch menu are also available all day long). They have amazing, huge waffles and pancakes, and many of their omelette and scrambler combos are unique but perfect. In any case, you have not lived until you have attempted to eat their blueberry waffles or french toast.
Longfellow is located just off the River Road on Lake St in Minneapolis, and just happens to be within walking distance to my brother & sister-in-law's house. I didn't even know the restaurant existed until they moved in to the neighborhood but am thankful they did!
Despite the fact that I am just now getting to the most important part - THE FOOD - do not be fooled! Even if this place was a dump (it's not), it would totally be worth it for the menu. My absolute favorite is the walleye burrito, made with fried walleye, lettuce, tomato, Tillamook cheddar, and the best from-scratch tartar sauce I've ever had. I am currently on a fish-restricted diet right now (only one meal of walleye a month) and I save it up just for this burrito. It's SO good! (also, it is only technically on their lunch menu, not dinner, but I've ordered it for dinner approximately 15 times now and nobody cares so yeah, don't be afraid to order it if it's after 4pm).
What else is good? Our favorite appetizer are tempura-battered green beans with plum dipping sauce. My husband and I can finish a basket of those in minutes. It's actually inspired us to try tempura frying basically every type vegetable we get this summer through our CSA. My husband is also a huge fan of their Tennessee bbq pork sandwich. He is a bit of a bbq sandwich connoisseur and loves this one. With your sandwich, you get french fries (awesome) or sweet potato fries (also awesome). Oh and the side salad is so good that I actually order it instead of fries sometimes just because it tastes good.
Finally, a discussion of Longfellow Grill would not be complete without mentioning their awesome brunch (some of the highlights from the brunch menu are also available all day long). They have amazing, huge waffles and pancakes, and many of their omelette and scrambler combos are unique but perfect. In any case, you have not lived until you have attempted to eat their blueberry waffles or french toast.
Friday, April 2, 2010
driving in sunny weather while listening to "The Joshua Tree"
"Where the Streets Have No Name" is one my absolute favorite track-ones ever. Those first chords fading-in is one of my favorite sounds in the entire world. The first 90 seconds of that song always make me feel like anything can happen, and when it does, it will be something awesome. Which I guess is pretty much all you can ever ask from the first song on your album.
The weather earlier this week was gorgeous - sunny and crisp and warm. I'm talking leave-your-jacket-at-home warm. I always keep "The Joshua Tree" in my car's CD player so that when a wonderful sunny day hits, it will be there ready to go. It doesn't even have to be warm out. The album actually sort of works better as a fall album than a summer album, but it has to be sunny for it to to be at its peak.
One of the other reasons I love listening to this album on sunny days while cruising along is that two summers ago my husband and I went on a trip to Ireland. It was amazing, the scenery was ridiculously gorgeous, I developed a taste for Jameson, and when we were on a bus tour of the west coast of the country, our tour guide played this album. At first I was shocked; it seemed like it must be somehow cliched for an Irish person to actually enjoy U2. But then I realized that despite Bono's self-important weirdness and The Edge calling himself The Edge, most people in Ireland really truly love U2 because they made some great frickin' records. That and it was a sunny day and were driving and it really just fit the moment beautifully.
Friday, March 5, 2010
(rumblings of) spring
If you live in Minnesota right now, I don't need to tell you how awesome it is when all that ice and snow starts to melt away. Yes, it's wet and messy and everything looks kind of dirty, but it's still awesome. Sunshine, sweet sunshine! It's amazing how long those 28 days in February can drag on...and then all it takes is that one gorgeous day with sunshine and the sound of water dripping off the roof to cheer everyone up (even when it is still only 40 degrees outside).
But you don't have to take my word for it - our lawn gnome, Thor, is able to see the world again after months of being buried alive (?) by a foot of snow!
Yes, Thor and I know that this sunshine and melting will end briefly when we get that inevitable March blizzard - but the Real Spring is not far away and I'm going to enjoy Temporary Spring while it lasts.
But you don't have to take my word for it - our lawn gnome, Thor, is able to see the world again after months of being buried alive (?) by a foot of snow!
Yes, Thor and I know that this sunshine and melting will end briefly when we get that inevitable March blizzard - but the Real Spring is not far away and I'm going to enjoy Temporary Spring while it lasts.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Curling
Despite growing up just 13 miles from the "Curling Capital of the United States," I did not truly appreciate curling until the current Winter Olympics. So how did ambivalence turn to love quicker than you can throw a stone? See the following:
1. The US curlers are the epitome of what I think the Olympics should be about.
They all have regular, non-glamorous day jobs: Nurse, substitute teacher, bartender, IT analyst, etc. And they don't get paid to curl, they do it because they love it. They even have fundraisers in their home communities. There was a lot of disappointment this year when the teams didn't do that well, but when you keep in mind that curling isn't their profession, it's a lot easier to cut them some slack (and to be really impressed when they do well). The Chinese teams, for example, live and train in Canada 10 months of the year and do nothing but focus on curling.
2. Curling has a sort-of punk/alternative cache.
While everyone else obsesses over Lindsey Vonn, Apolo Ohno, and figure skating on NBC primetime, curling fans follow the matches on lesser cable networks in real time. Curling may not have speed, but it has lots of cool lingo and awesome non-spandex or sparkly uniforms. Check out the Norwegians' argyle pants:
The athletes are also total rock stars.
We have the the Danish punk (those skirts are fantastic):
The Swiss goth:
And of course, Duluth's own emo-boy (he even records his own music and posts it on myspace):
3. You actually learn things from the announcers.
Because curling is based so much on strategy, as opposed to speed, there is actually time for the announcers to explain what is happening. Similar to the telestrator that announcers us to explain football plays after they happen, curling announcers can listen to what the players are saying and doing and show you what shot they are trying to make, before it happens.
You also get to learn all kinds of ridiculous trivia about the players because there is time to talk about them. Like how John Shuster and Jason Smith have been best friends since high school, and how Jason is going to be John's best man in his upcoming wedding. Or how someone's favorite food is french fries.
4. I don't have to risk my life to play the sport myself.
If I want to go down to my local curling club, I will not need to dress in armor to protect myself from death. No helmets, no pads, no weird dicky to keep my throat from being slashed. Maybe just a sweatshirt and some gloves so I don't get cold. And warm socks. My first thought when watching most winter Olympic sports, "how does anyone learn to do this the first time without breaking their neck?" See aerials, luge, downhill skiing, half pipe, etc. This is just not a problem with curling.
5. Minnesotans!
Four years ago, the US curling teams were populated almost entirely by people from Bemidji. Yes, Bemidji. Four hours north of the Twin Cities, technically considered "the middle of nowhere" by many people. Bemidji has a mall whose main attractions are JC Penney and Herbergers. Their high school mascot is a Lumber Jack. But they have lots of Olympic athletes! And this year, the majority of the men's team are from Duluth. As everyone who isn't an idiot knows, Duluth is awesome. Also, these dudes from Duluth are all roommates (see #3 above re: trivia). There is no other time ever when towns like Bemidji and Duluth will get this much national, and international, attention. What's not to love about that?
6. Curlers know how to bring the sexy.
First, the US curling team sells its own brand of condoms. Seriously. Hilarious and genius marketing strategy.
Second, take a look at the rock stars above. WAY more appealing than Julia Mancuso and her stupid tiara. Curling's hotness has not gone unnoticed either. The European Curling federation even put out a calendar with nude photos of the curling hotties.
Finally, during every single match, over and over again you will hear someone yelling at the top of their lungs "Hard! Hard! Harder!" The yelling is directed at the sweepers but I'm sure Michael Scott would be in heaven.
1. The US curlers are the epitome of what I think the Olympics should be about.
They all have regular, non-glamorous day jobs: Nurse, substitute teacher, bartender, IT analyst, etc. And they don't get paid to curl, they do it because they love it. They even have fundraisers in their home communities. There was a lot of disappointment this year when the teams didn't do that well, but when you keep in mind that curling isn't their profession, it's a lot easier to cut them some slack (and to be really impressed when they do well). The Chinese teams, for example, live and train in Canada 10 months of the year and do nothing but focus on curling.
2. Curling has a sort-of punk/alternative cache.
While everyone else obsesses over Lindsey Vonn, Apolo Ohno, and figure skating on NBC primetime, curling fans follow the matches on lesser cable networks in real time. Curling may not have speed, but it has lots of cool lingo and awesome non-spandex or sparkly uniforms. Check out the Norwegians' argyle pants:
The athletes are also total rock stars.
We have the the Danish punk (those skirts are fantastic):
The Swiss goth:
And of course, Duluth's own emo-boy (he even records his own music and posts it on myspace):
3. You actually learn things from the announcers.
Because curling is based so much on strategy, as opposed to speed, there is actually time for the announcers to explain what is happening. Similar to the telestrator that announcers us to explain football plays after they happen, curling announcers can listen to what the players are saying and doing and show you what shot they are trying to make, before it happens.
You also get to learn all kinds of ridiculous trivia about the players because there is time to talk about them. Like how John Shuster and Jason Smith have been best friends since high school, and how Jason is going to be John's best man in his upcoming wedding. Or how someone's favorite food is french fries.
4. I don't have to risk my life to play the sport myself.
If I want to go down to my local curling club, I will not need to dress in armor to protect myself from death. No helmets, no pads, no weird dicky to keep my throat from being slashed. Maybe just a sweatshirt and some gloves so I don't get cold. And warm socks. My first thought when watching most winter Olympic sports, "how does anyone learn to do this the first time without breaking their neck?" See aerials, luge, downhill skiing, half pipe, etc. This is just not a problem with curling.
5. Minnesotans!
Four years ago, the US curling teams were populated almost entirely by people from Bemidji. Yes, Bemidji. Four hours north of the Twin Cities, technically considered "the middle of nowhere" by many people. Bemidji has a mall whose main attractions are JC Penney and Herbergers. Their high school mascot is a Lumber Jack. But they have lots of Olympic athletes! And this year, the majority of the men's team are from Duluth. As everyone who isn't an idiot knows, Duluth is awesome. Also, these dudes from Duluth are all roommates (see #3 above re: trivia). There is no other time ever when towns like Bemidji and Duluth will get this much national, and international, attention. What's not to love about that?
6. Curlers know how to bring the sexy.
First, the US curling team sells its own brand of condoms. Seriously. Hilarious and genius marketing strategy.
Second, take a look at the rock stars above. WAY more appealing than Julia Mancuso and her stupid tiara. Curling's hotness has not gone unnoticed either. The European Curling federation even put out a calendar with nude photos of the curling hotties.
Finally, during every single match, over and over again you will hear someone yelling at the top of their lungs "Hard! Hard! Harder!" The yelling is directed at the sweepers but I'm sure Michael Scott would be in heaven.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Good Earth
Where to start? Delicious, great variety, reasonable prices, five minutes from my house, and pretty much the healthiest food you could ever hope to find at a restaurant.
Good Earth's "hook" is that the majority of the food they serve is organic and/or naturally raised. They also strive to get food from local farms when they can. In other words, Michael Pollan approved. This is a huge deal for me, because I only eat meat that is naturally and humanely raised. For most restaurants, that means I'm a vegetarian, but at Good Earth I can pick anything on the menu with a clear conscience. Restaurant food without guilt is pretty frickin' great.
They also have the *best* soups. Every winter, around Christmas time, they have this wild rice & mushroom soup on special that is to-die-for. I actually end up eating there at least three times every December because I love this soup so much. They also have a fantastic corn chowder every fall.
At every other restaurant, I have a favorite entree that I order every time, no matter what. But at Good Earth, there are so many tasty, healthy options that I rarely order the same thing. Sometimes it's soup & sandwich, sometimes a quesadilla, sometimes stir fry, sometimes pizza - it's all really good.
And let's not forget the tea. Good Earth has their own signature tea (Good Earth Original) - you can buy it at the grocery store but for some reason, it tastes 10x better when you drink it at the restaurant. I'm guessing it has something to do with the way it is steeped and/or the ingredients being fresher but I have no idea. I just know it is awesome.
Finally, I love Good Earth because it's great for a one-on-one tea & cookies date with your BFF, dinner with a group of ten, or a much-needed solo lunch during finals. So yeah, if you ever need a date for a trip to Good Earth, give me a call. :)
Good Earth's "hook" is that the majority of the food they serve is organic and/or naturally raised. They also strive to get food from local farms when they can. In other words, Michael Pollan approved. This is a huge deal for me, because I only eat meat that is naturally and humanely raised. For most restaurants, that means I'm a vegetarian, but at Good Earth I can pick anything on the menu with a clear conscience. Restaurant food without guilt is pretty frickin' great.
They also have the *best* soups. Every winter, around Christmas time, they have this wild rice & mushroom soup on special that is to-die-for. I actually end up eating there at least three times every December because I love this soup so much. They also have a fantastic corn chowder every fall.
At every other restaurant, I have a favorite entree that I order every time, no matter what. But at Good Earth, there are so many tasty, healthy options that I rarely order the same thing. Sometimes it's soup & sandwich, sometimes a quesadilla, sometimes stir fry, sometimes pizza - it's all really good.
And let's not forget the tea. Good Earth has their own signature tea (Good Earth Original) - you can buy it at the grocery store but for some reason, it tastes 10x better when you drink it at the restaurant. I'm guessing it has something to do with the way it is steeped and/or the ingredients being fresher but I have no idea. I just know it is awesome.
Finally, I love Good Earth because it's great for a one-on-one tea & cookies date with your BFF, dinner with a group of ten, or a much-needed solo lunch during finals. So yeah, if you ever need a date for a trip to Good Earth, give me a call. :)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
real mail
That's right, the real thing! Those unexpected pieces of paper from actual human beings who know me and care about me. And packages - those are even better! Receiving a letter or note from someone can improve my entire day, or even week.
Take yesterday, for example. For various reasons, the past week has been really awful for me. One of the worst I can remember. And then yesterday, I checked the mailbox and there was a small package...for me...from my cousin (who is like my sister)...with some of my favorite cookies from this small bakery in Duluth! There was also a little note from her, saying she knew I was having a bad week. Even though the cookies were awesome, I probably would have been just as excited about the note.
Obviously, cookies are above and beyond the call of duty. But with the way our culture is now, any type of handwritten item means SO much. Yes, I love getting personal emails, but it just isn't the same. There's something about the randomness, that sense of anticipation when I walk out to the mailbox, and then that sense of true connection with the sender, that email will just never match.
And you know what else is awesome about real mail? Stationery! I have loved stationery since I was a kid and I would send letters to my friends from camp after the end of the summer. Some of my favorite letters have actually been on notebook paper or post-it notes, but stationery always makes things feel special. And it's pretty. And it's art. And you get to express yourself. And sometimes it comes with matching envelopes - and who doesn't love things that match??
So in honor of this post, I am making a resolution to send more real mail. If other people love it even half as much as I do, it will be worth it.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
my dogs
At least once every single day, each of my dogs makes me smile or laugh. On its own, this is enough to get them on to my list.
I love Griffin: He's my cuddler - the one who climbs his 35 pounds on to my lap and would stay there forever if I kept petting him. He's also a doofus (see photo). He recently discovered that he can jump into the gliding rocking chair in our living room. He seems to especially love lying there because our other dog is too scared to deal with The Chair That Moves, making Griffin king of the chair. Griff starts every morning by stepping out of his crate, stretching and "roo-ooo!"-ing at us. About once a day, he goes a little bit crazy, races around on our slippery hardwood floors, and then ends his crazy running by slamming himself into his crate and lying down. Yup, he's awesome.
I love Griffin: He's my cuddler - the one who climbs his 35 pounds on to my lap and would stay there forever if I kept petting him. He's also a doofus (see photo). He recently discovered that he can jump into the gliding rocking chair in our living room. He seems to especially love lying there because our other dog is too scared to deal with The Chair That Moves, making Griffin king of the chair. Griff starts every morning by stepping out of his crate, stretching and "roo-ooo!"-ing at us. About once a day, he goes a little bit crazy, races around on our slippery hardwood floors, and then ends his crazy running by slamming himself into his crate and lying down. Yup, he's awesome.
I love Morgan: She is our bitchy princess, and we love her for it. She acts so entitled sometimes that all you can do is laugh. If she could roll her eyes at us, I'm sure she would. She's our first and she always will be. My favorite thing about Morgan is when she goes into herding-dog mode. She is so infectiously happy when she is running free that she can make just about anyone smile. It's that true doggy joy - and it makes her smile too. This photo is from last summer, taken on my crappy camera phone, but is one of my favorite photos of her ever because you can see how ridiculously happy she is to be at the dog park.
I'm sure this is not my last dog-related post. I am a true dog person, down to the core of my being.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Sweatpants
I've been putting off writing about my first "thing" because I got caught up in the idea that the first post would have to somehow represent what I stand for, like the first thing will define me for the rest of eternity. Then I realized that's stupid. And that I love new sweatpants.
The funny thing about this is that I did not wear sweatpants for 15 years. Seriously. I blame this on two things: (1) People who wear sweatpants in public, and (2) Tapered-leg sweatpants giving all other sweatpants a bad rap. Then a friend introduced me to the "boyfriend" sweat at Victoria's Secret and I've been a huge fan ever since. (I don't buy anything else at VS and I find it amusing that the only thing I buy there is pretty much the opposite of sexy).
So now I'm a convert. I especially love them when they are new, and ridiculously soft (I am the same way with sweatshirts, it's sad how long I put off washing them the first time). I also love that, unlike the warm-up pants I used to sleep in, they do not attract dog hair from two feet away. We have two dogs so this is a huge positive for me when it comes to clothing I wear around the house. And finally, I'm in law school and am often stuck wearing suits and other things that are at a minimum, less than comfy. There is just nothing more comforting than putting on sweatpants after a long day spent "dressed up" out in the real world.
I realize there is no way that sweatpants will now define me. Because that would be stupid. But I figure this is good motivation to write about more important things later. :)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
New Leaf
Every new year, my resolutions tend to revolve around living a better life. Fitter, happier, more productive. Recently, I've realized that a lot of the time I spend online does not help me reach those ideals. So many people use the internet as a negativity tool. A tool to leave cruel comments, a tool to talk about everything that is wrong in the world, and for many, many personal bloggers, a place to vent and complain.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that it is partially great that people have a space where they can share the things they wouldn't share otherwise. I've used a blog for that purpose myself, and it felt good to get it out. But it made me realize how much I wish I could learn to focus more on the positive.
So that's what I'm doing. If positivity is a muscle, I'm going to start working it out. I plan to use this blog as a place to share the things I love - the people, creatures, music, food, technology and randomness that remind me how lucky I am.
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