But I Guess I'm Already There

The Cabin

2011-09-26T01:22:00.000-05:00

So in Minnesota we have cabins. In some places they are called lake homes, and summer houses in others. I've been going to them as long as I can remember, but we never had one we could call our own. Though some of my favorite memories are of summer nights playing Hearts at the cabin on the lake, this was always cabins rented for one week each summer. We could leave our personal stamp, or even leave behind a bag of marshmallows for 'smores at our next visit.

This Summer that all changed with my parents purchase of our very own cabin. It's on Leech Lake (yes, it's actually full of leeches, we're slowly overcoming the fear), close to many of the rented cabins, and it oozes with a sense of timeless lakeside bliss. My Mother is so happy about the place I think she might explode. I know she's wanted this for many years, and you can see the joy in her eyes every time she speaks of it.

It doesn't have running water, and the loo is an outhouse, but I love it there. It's quiet, it's beautiful. It doesn't have WiFi (or 3G), but it's grounding. It's the only placed I've slowed down enough to read more than a page of a book in at least a year. It's a place where my sisters and I were brought together in a way we haven't been in years. It's where Joe and I celebrated our Mini-Moon after our wedding last month.

The lake is overwhelmingly georgeous. It sparkles. Bald eagles regularly swoop overhead, and the sound of the loons is indescribable other than it sounds like Minnesota. The sunsets are stunning, every night.

It's my family's cabin. We'll spend summer days there for many years. My kids will call it "the cabin," and in their eyes it will have existed since the beginning of time. In my mother's eyes it will exist until the end of time. Hopefully true.

Inspirational Internets

2011-09-18T20:54:00.000-05:00

So, I've discovered Pinterest, and it's amazing. The problem is it's so amazing it's difficult to tear one's self away from the site long enough to actually create any of the fun crafts, foods, or home decorations that are so inspiring. Well this evening I finally did, and I think it turned out beautiful enough to blog! Behold:

The instructions can be found here on a lovely little blog. It was really simple, and since I'm not a scrap booker, it's nice to have a reason to buy all those pretty papers they use. I think I'll make one for each season. Only problem is where to store them in our 775 square foot apartment during the off season. Sounds like a good reason to buy a house to me.

On the Work So Far

2011-03-25T00:51:00.001-05:00

I always thought I was a grateful person, but in the last two weeks I understood it on a whole new level. Tonight I completed my first two weeks as an oncology nurse. It's been exhausting, gratifying, concerning, and tough, but it's been good. It's not all oncology, only about half the patients have cancer. The other half are a mixed bag of medical problems, often heart disease, COPD, diabetes, etc.

But the cancer patients, wow, the cancer patients. They are young, some close to my age. They were healthy. Runners, bikers, vegetarians, new moms. Last week, a month ago, 6 months ago, 5 years ago they found out they have cancer. Some don't even know yet. They have cancer. I know, but it's not my role to tell them. What do you do with that? What do I do with that... at the hospital, at home?

They come to me, some with their first or second round of chemo, some on their last with their livers' and kidneys' and hearts' wrecked from the fight. I see them for a few hours, maybe a couple of days, of what will be the battle of their lifetime, their new identity, their new story, their last story, their survival story. There is no way to know right now which it will be.

Selfishly I wonder, where do I fit in this story. Will my passing through their journey be positive, helpful, encouraging, comforting, truthful? I guess this is my challenge.

Oh, the People I Know

2011-03-12T12:53:00.000-06:00

I had a great 2 hour phone conversation the other night with a friend that is so special to me. Though our conversations are increasingly rarer, and we unfortunately rely too heavily on the FB for our life updates, I will forever consider her one of my best friends.

It all started in September 2001. Though this month lives on in the memories of many for one reason, but I am lucky to have a thousand more positive associations with it than the one negative. It was at the Hotel du Monde in Paris' 11th arrondissement on September 13th or 14th. I can't remember exactly. I had just arrived for my semester abroad from a week with friends in Germany. 9/11 just happened, but with the exception of CNN World on TV in the background, I was incredibly distanced from the situation. I arrived late, and missed our first group meeting. I made my way to our apartments to find my new classmates absent, out exploring the city. I settled in, and laid on the bed staring at the ceiling. I looked at the bed next to mine, and hoped for a roommate I could at least get along with. I contemplated the experience that lay before me, so unaware of how good it would actually be.

Hours later, she arrived. While much of this is lost to a blur of jet lag and kir, I know two things. We stayed up nearly the entire night talking like twelve-year-olds who just discovered the telephone, and we never looked back. Though I was unaware of it until a few weeks later, there was one minor deal breaking moment. I let it slip that I was in a sorority, and Regan said she second guessed our entire brief friendship at that moment, but being the person she is, she kept an open mind.

Six weeks in Paris and Six weeks in Florence passed in what was simultaneously a moment and a lifetime. We traveled back to Kansas to construct what is the very complicated post study abroad existence. Regan, myself, and the rest of the Dirty 7 +Spikes (another story for another day) melded our new relationships with the old, and formed some pretty solid friendships.

We laughed, man, did we laugh. We cried, we planned. We partied, sometimes a lot. We had outrageous adventures. One time we tried to take a tour of Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. Yeah, it's a working federal penitentiary, they don't give tours.

Six years ago, I moved back to Minnesota. Leaving Regan broke my heart. I knew things would never be the same. They aren't, but that's okay. Every time we talk I am amazed at the similarities in our lives, and our outlooks. We've arrived at such similar spiritual conclusions. We've used the powers of attraction, visualization, and positivity to create amazing lives for ourselves. Every time I talk with her, I'm floored by the things she is doing, living her wildest dreams.

She inspires me. She challenges me to be more positive, more understanding, more patient, more grateful. She introduced me to The Four Agreements, a book that changed and continues to change my life. A couple of years before she got married, I was telling her how inspiring I thought her relationship was, how they just worked so well together. She gave me the best relationship advice I've received to date, and I try to remind myself of it every day. "Just be nice to each other, and don't say mean things to each other," she said.

I feel so for that time in Paris, where we built a relationship that will last a lifetime. I hope everyone is lucky enough to have a Regan.

Is it time for the Fair?

2011-03-06T21:04:00.000-06:00

So, it's about that time of year when we start talking about the Fair, right? I mean the Minnesota State Fair. It's still snowing, and there is no end in sight. I thought I'd try to lift my, and others' spirits with memories of the Fair. It's traditionally the sign that we are nearing the end of the glorious Minnesota Summer. White wines on patios, relaxing weekend camping trips, sleeping with the windows open, and hikes through the State Parks are winding down. We need to mentally prepare ourselves for the long bitter Winter. We accomplish this by stuffing our faces with fried food on sticks, listening to washed up 80's bands, and admiring livestock as if we actually hold some interest in the variations of Minnesota Swine.

So for the sake of my sanity, which this Winter is slowly eroding, I give you a photo homage to the Fair....

The Giant Slide. I was terrified of it as a kid, but it's quite enjoyable as an adult.

A tribute to our wonderful president, constructed entirely with seeds.

We went on the busiest day this year. It was a record, 234,384 people attended the fair that day.

Cow love triangle.

Our state's vegetable bounty. None of which we would eat that day.

View of the Midway from the Space Tower.

Joe's favorite part.

A new addition to the fair, and yes, adults can do it too. I'm totally in next year.

Spinning swing ride. What's it called?

A Blog About Blogging

2011-02-25T15:44:00.000-06:00

Since I don't start my new job (as a real-life nurse) until next week, I've had a lot of time to catch up on my favorite blogs. You can see them over to the right. These, and other blogs I read, are a mix of real-life friends, and total strangers. Before I started reading strangers' blogs, I totally didn't get it. Why would I want to read about the day-to-day happenings of a total stranger? Well, who knew, it's one of my favorite parts of my day.

One of the blogs to the right is written by a woman in Chicago that I have never met. I originally found her blog through Facebook, through a friend of a friend of a friend. You know. It was the first blog I started to read. I've been reading it religiously for over a year. Though it sounds a little voyeuristic, and a little bit weird, I totally don't care. She is a fantastic writer. Her writing reads in a way that feels like she effortlessly pulled the thoughts from her head and placed it on the page, without second guessing a word. I laugh, smile, and occasionally cry while reading her posts. Her blog is interesting to me because, except for some serious tragedies, I feel her life parallels my own, but she's two years ahead of me. I also envy the way she is able to freely write about her emotions.

Sometimes I think I started this blog to get more in touch with myself. I am not good a verbalizing my emotions, much less writing about them. Writing this blog has made that very apparent to me. The slowness of writing about your life allows the time to second guess every thought, every word. It shows me what thoughts I hide from which people, and what thoughts I hide from myself. I then am forced to consciously choose if I will continue to hide that thought from anyone. It's like doing an audit of emotional habits. I've found it's allowed me to grow and mature in ways that I already thought I'd grown. This has made my life better, happier.

Didn't Socrates say something about the unexamined life?

No, We Haven't Been Dating Since High School

2011-02-20T18:44:00.000-06:00

I've been working on our wedding website today. For the "Our Story" section of the template I had to write, well, our story. So, I thought I'd post it here as well.

Joe and Anna met as 7th graders at Wayzata West Junior High. Though their memories of each other at that time are vague, Joe thought Anna was a troublemaker, and Anna thought Joe was tall. Through high school they had what Joe calls a Venn diagram of friends, or slightly overlapping cliques. Many of these friendships we maintain today, and some of these folks, like Clint, played integral parts in our reconnection.

Joe went off to college at University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, and Anna headed to the University of Kansas. After college, Joe headed to North Platte, Nebraska for his first Job, and Anna headed home to Minneapolis. Jump ahead a few years, Joe's living in Lincoln and Anna's in Northeast Minneapolis. In 2006, with his Nebraskan and also Jayhawk friends Brian and Jenn, Joe travels north for a weekend in his old stomping ground. Anna talks to Clint, meets them all out a bar in Uptown, and as they say, the rest is history.

Well, almost.

Joe still lives in Lincoln, and Anna in Minneapolis. For the next two years, they maintain a happy and hopeful long distance relationship. Joe visits Anna in Minneapolis, and Anna visits Joe in Lincoln. Well, Joe mostly visits Minneapolis. He's much better at the long drives. Twice they meet for weekends in the romance capital (and midway point) of Des Moines, Iowa.

Finally in 2008, after a year of searching, Joe gets a job with Shire Pharmaceuticals and relocates to Rochester, MN. He's much closer, but still 1 1/2 hours from Anna. They drive on weekends, grateful to get to spend more time together. They travel to Africa for Jenny & Goaf's wedding, further appreciating their Wayzata/Kansas connections. In August 2009, Anna moves to Mankato to attend nursing school. Everyone thinks, "Finally, they'll be closer to each other!" We explain, "Not yet, Mankato is 1 1/2 hours from Rochester."

Anna makes it 3 months in Mankato. She gets up the guts and pops the big question.... "How about I move in with you in Rochester?" Anna and the cats move to Rochester in December, just in time for their first Christmas at home together.

Finally, they are together. Happy as clams. On July, 5th 2010 Joe takes Anna to Quarry Hill Nature Center for a spur of the moment geocaching outing. Anna is unsuspecting, there are lots of bugs, and she really just wants to get out of the woods. Joe says, "No, I see the cache right here." Anna says,

"OK, open it."

"No, you open it."

"No, you just open it."

"Anna, open it!"

"Fine."

No, he didn't leave the ring in a box in the woods. He left a note, and a question. The answer was yes, and they celebrated with a day at the pool, a nice dinner out, and calls to family and friends. Who all already knew, by the way.

After 5 more months in the Roch, Anna graduates nursing school, and Joe's company calls with a plan. He's relocated to the Western 'burbs, and they move back to Minneapolis to a chic apartment on the park.

Now here we are, still happy as clams, planning away and getting excited to spend our long awaited big day with our dear family and friends.

Ugh February. Yea Minneapolis. Gratitude.

2011-02-19T17:49:00.000-06:00

This is the time in Minnesota when I am so over it. I've spent most of my life in this state, but every year I find myself surprised that the winter can actually be this long. Luckily, J and I are now proud residents of Minneapolis. Having a view of the city, underground parking, and many friends close by seems to be helping. I honestly don't think I could have braved another Rochester winter. True, I did only have to brave one, but still, I didn't want another.

It is good to be back. We have a sweet new apartment right on Loring Park. The location is unbeatable. We are about a 5 minute walk to Nicollet Mall, and a 10 minute run to Lake of the Isles. We are one block from "Eat Street," and also have a fantastic restaurant in our building. We've had to resist the urge to eat every meal out at one of the many great restaurants nearby.

I just moved away from Minneapolis in August of 2009, but moving back now, it feels like a whole new city. I'm seeing excitement and potential in Minneapolis that I wasn't seeing a few years ago. I guess it took a little time away to make me realize what a special city this is. Or, it took a year or so of small town livin' to make me really miss the city. Granted, many would argue that Rochester is not really a small town, but it wasn't big enough for me.

So here we are, in our new chic apartment. J has a awesome new territory, and I'm about to start my first job as a real nurse. I got a job on the oncology unit at my absolute first choice hospital. Things could not have worked out better. In the midst of this gloomy, depressing, hated time of year, I'm feeling enormous gratitude for our circumstance. I hope next February is like this.

Shrimp and Avocado Dip

2011-02-09T19:54:00.000-06:00

On our recent trip to Austin and San Antonio, J and I encountered this tasty dish a number of times. I had never heard of it, but it's apparently popular in good 'ol Tejas. We ordered it as an appetizer during one of our numerous happy hours downtown Austin. The preparation at this particular restaurant had its flaws, but I definitely saw its potential. I threw together a version that was so tasty, we've had it twice since Saturday.

I'm going to pass on this recipe without tons of detail. It's really a general concept, and ingredients can be swapped out as your tastes desire. Also, the amounts of the ingredients are not very specific, as I believe you should add more or less of what you like or don't.

- Shrimp (any size, but always use raw shrimp. Buying cooked shrimp is pointless, tasteless and lazy, no offense. I used about 10-15 26/30s)
- 1 Avocado (diced)
- 1 plum or Romano tomato (seeded and diced)
- 1/4 cup red onion (diced)
- 1/4 cup green pepper (diced)
- 1/2 jalapeño
- some cilantro (chopped)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons mayo (I did not use fat free!)
- 1/2 a lime
- Flour tortillas
- Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Preheat oven to 400F

Start with the shrimp. Peel and devein them (if this hasn't been done for you), and chop into pieces. Fully cook the shrimp in a sauté pan, tossing/stirring frequently. This should take about 3-5 minutes. I used olive oil and also butter because the butter adds a richer taste, but use the cooking oil of your choice. After the shrimp is cooked, toss a little Lawry's over it, and put it into a bowl and place directly in the freezer.

Combine the tomato, green and jalapeño peppers, onion, cilantro, sour cream and mayo, and stir until everything is coated. When the shrimp is cool, add it to the mixture. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Lastly, add the avocado and mix gently until everything is coated.

For the dippers, slice a few tortillas into triangles, and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Dust them with the Lawry's Seasoned Salt, and bake until golden brown. Remember Lawry's is mostly salt, so be careful not to overdo it.

For serving, arrange the dippers around a mound of the dip, and garnish with avocado slices and a few shakes of Lawry's.

On Being Present

2011-02-01T23:13:00.000-06:00

I was sitting downtown Minneapolis today. I walked down from our awesome new apartment, and only had to be outside for 2 blocks! I stopped at one of the many skyway Caribous for a coffee, and spent some time sitting alone at a table. I read the Downtown Journal, I took a picture of the scenery, and I spent the next 40 minutes staring at my iphone. Then I thought, am I present?

No, I was so glad to be sitting downtown Minneapolis, but I was anywhere but there. I was in Colorado with Brooke, I was in KC with Joe, I was in Rochester with Cait. Constantly sending texts and looking at Facebook, I was anywhere but sitting alone in Gavidee Common. But why?

I have no idea. But, it really doesn't matter. Joe and I are thrilled to finally be back in Minneapolis, and we have an amazing place to live. A few years ago, I couldn't have imagined this life for myself. It's better than I could have ever have conjured. So, why do I have such a hard time living in the moment. Why do I constantly look to the grass on the other side. I don't know.

This might be my very late New Year's resolution, or just a new goal. I will do better at living in the moment. This will require more gratitude, a thing I consistently underestimate. Instead of jumping from one goal to the next, I need to spend some time being thankful for what I have. I have gotten everything I've wanted in the last couple of years, and that is spectacular. Thats's crazy, really.

So, for the future, gratitude. Presence.

Do you have any strategies for embodying these things?

Tanzanian Safari, for the Unrich

2011-01-18T17:15:00.001-06:00

In January 2009, I was lucky to travel to Tanzania for a friend's wedding. I've blogged about parts of the trip here, and here. Today, I thought I'd add another post to the collection. Many people want to go on safari, I was not one of them. It wasn't that I didn't want to do it, it just wasn't a priority for me. Well, Jenny and Goaf can be very convincing, and they turned it into a far more thrilling experience that I ever could have imagined.

As we are not rich, English big-game enthusiasts, we did our safari on a budget. Also, as we are the off-the-beaten-path sort of travelers, we did not go to Serengeti, which they tell me is unbearably touristy, and has paved roads. Two things I'm told can quickly kill the authenticity of one's safari experience.

Jenny and Goaf planned the whole thing. They have been on a few safaris since their move to Africa. They take everyone who comes to visit! So, they know the ropes. We traveled from their home in Mafinga, to the town of Iringa, where would meet our driver/guide Michael. He picked us up in a 1970-something Land Rover, that had about 600,000 miles on the odometer. We paid Michael about $600 to take the 7 of us to Ruaha National Park, and guide us to all the must-see animals in the park, as we rode on the top of the truck, for 24 hours. That's less than $100 a person folks! Here's Michael -

We began to see animals before we even entered the park. Once we paid our entry fee, which was nominal, and read the rules, we really had our minds blown.

First we saw hippos. Lots of them, just hanging out in the water with their hippo babies. Then it was swala, or gazelles, who oddly divide themselves into separate herds of males and females. Then came the twiga, or giraffes. Have you ever seen a giraffe run? It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. It looks like they are running in slow motion. I apologize for the quality of the videos, I haven't quite got the hang of my movie editor. No, it's not in slow motion.

Then came the tembo, or elephants. My favorite animal. We were told to watch out for the elephants, as they can knock over our Land Rover in one nudge. Well, "watching out" wasn't really Micheal's safari guide style.

After about 5 hours of safariing, we had yet to see any lions, and it was starting to get dark. Two things we learned upon starting our safari:
1. Lions are the goldmine of safari animal spotting.
2. If you are out past dark, the park rangers will probably shoot you.

This sent Michael on a mission. We zipped around that park at 40 MPH (while still unwisely riding on the roof of the car) desperately looking for lions before nightfall. It was at this point when we saw our first group of fellow safari goers. I think it's a pretty impressive feat to spend the whole day never seeing another group of touristy humans. Michael exchanged words with the other driver and exclaimed, I know where to find lions! Off we went, very quickly. And then there they were, in all their wild, uncaged, dangerous, silent glory.

A few moments of lion enjoyment in the fading African daylight lasted a lifetime. And then we were off, zooming through the park in order to get to our camp before getting shot. The night was New Year's Eve, and we partied with the villagers who live in the park at their local community center. A strange experience that is worthy of its own story. We spent the night in a quaint, very unfancy lodge. In morning, we stumbled sleepy-eyed out of our rooms to find this guy.

We spent another few hours driving around seeing the animals, and ooing and ahhing over the landscape and all its Lion King-esque glory. These guys put on a pretty dramatic show, just as we were leaving.

Here are some shots of the whole safari crew, and our trusty vehicle. You can see all my safari photos, as well as the rest of the Africa trip here.

So Maybe I'm a Runner

2011-01-13T15:23:00.001-06:00

This Summer, for about the twentieth time, I decided to become a runner. Running has always felt like torture for me. Just stepping out the door reminds me of those days in Junior High gym class when we were forced to run a mile. Four times around that huge dusty track with the entire class. For me, this was worse than the swimming unit. Forcing twelve year old girls to swim laps with twelve year old boys in the middle of the school day is clearly unkind, but running was worse for me. I was always last, and it felt bad. I never understood why I was so slow and these other girls were running 6 minute miles. It was rough on the self esteem.

Though I never felt confident at it, over the years, I've been able to do a little running on my own. For a month, back in 2006, I did something I called "angry running." It was related directly to a bad job. Well, a good job that had a lot of bad days. I would get home at 5:00, yeah it did have sweet hours, and my mind would be spinning. All I could do was run through the infuriating moments of the day over and over again, and act out the conversations that would go differently if I had the chance. I had two options, either drink wine until I fell asleep, or find some physical way to act out my rage. So, I took up angry running. I got home from work, changed into tennis shoes, and ran out the door. I then proceeded to run as fast as I could until I was no longer angry. It worked. For a while.

Well a few years later, and on a totally different career path, I took up running again. This Summer it started out slow, but eventually I got into a groove. A few things were different in my life that helped me stick with it. One, I had a bunch of classmates who were into running too. Some are marathoners, and some are novices just like me. Though I rarely ran with them, just knowing they were out there doing it too motivated me. Also Joe, he was getting it to running with me, and we motivated each other. We can't really run together because of his excessive height. He takes one stride for my two, and watching him try to keep pace with me is like watching someone ride a bike too slow to stay upright. So, I let him run ahead. Oh yeah, and I have a wedding dress to fit into.

So I started with one of those "couch to 5K" programs I found online. Eventually I moved from the treadmill to the outdoors, and that's where I really started to enjoy it. Like I actually enjoyed it. I decided to sign up for a 5K to keep me motivated. My friend Caitlin ran it with me, and it was awesome. I didn't win, but it wasn't too hard and I definitely wasn't last.

I proceeded to run four more 5Ks in about 2 months. It's easy, as one can find at least two races to choose from somewhere in Minnesota each weekend, year-round. I found them all at Running in the USA. Needless to say, I think I am addicted. I don't know if it's the t-shirt, or the thrill of running with people who run a 5K in 16 minutes, and with those who run it in 45 minutes. It's really encouraging to see that many people dedicated to something. For the most recent race, I convinced my family to run with me! We all did the Turkey Day 5K in Minneapolis on Thanksgiving morning. It was 4 degrees. Yes, crazy I know. It really wasn't that bad once you got going. Now, I figure if I can run in 4 degrees, I can run anytime. Though, it is pretty tough to get me outside these days.

I'm excited for the snow to start melting, as I have a new goal. This year I'll run a half marathon. It sounds daunting, but I know I can do it. I won't be first, but I will definitely not be last.

How to See Everything in Portland in 5 Days, Part 1

2011-01-03T17:46:00.002-06:00

Well the easy answer is stay with my friend Laurel, who makes a fantastic and efficient tour guide. The hard answer is participate in the annual Portland Providence Bridge Pedal.

I visited this charming city late this Summer, and I could have picked up my bags and moved to Portland the day I got home to Rochester. Overall, I would describe the city as smartly walkable, and dense with restaurants and shops.

One of the first stops on my whirlwind tour was the International Rose Test Garden. I felt like Alice in the Queen of Hearts' garden. Row after row of exotic species were in the height of their bloom. This gem was a short walk from Laurel's house in the Northwest section of the city. I never would have found it without her.

The next day we drove a quick couple of hours to Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast. The drive was green and beautiful, and everything I imagined it would be. Though I'm not a huge fan of the franchise, I felt like I was driving through the set of Twilight, and that was pretty neat.

Cannon Beach was like something out of a movie. No, literally, it's out of the movie Goonie's. Recognize Haystack Rock?

Ah, on to the infamous Bridge Pedal. If you have the stamina, the best way to really see a city is to bike 40 miles looping around most of the neighborhoods, and over 10 of its enormous bridges. Ok, to be fair, I only held up long enough to make it 5 hours and over 8 bridges before I left the pack an took a quick detour home. I like to think of myself as a bit of a biker, but those bridges were huge! Despite my exhaustion and discomfort in places I won't mention, I saw parts of Portland that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. More than 18,000 Portlandians participated in this year's Pedal, as I learned from the woman I sat next to on the plane home to MSP. She and her husband actually started the whole thing in 1996! It was a great community building event that other bike-friendly cities should replicate (hmm hmm Minneapolis).

Despite all of the amazing things I got to see and do in Portland, my favorite part was spending time with Laurel. One of my oldest, dearest friends, with whom I've been lucky enough to travel the world. She took time out of her busy schedule as a physician at Oregon Health Sciences University to show me this city inside and out. I'm jealous that she now calls it home. Thanks Laurel! More on Portland soon!

To 2010: Thanks

2010-12-31T17:30:00.000-06:00

As I get ready to leave 2010 behind, I find myself with a new desire to blog again. I can't really make any excuse for the blatant disregard of this blog for months.

You know you had a good year when people say "congratulations!" to you at Christmas, and you are not sure which awesome thing in your life to which they are referring. I experienced that this year, and once I realized it was happening, I was overcome with gratitude. 2010 was an amazing year.

In July, Joe and I were engaged. I intended on blogging this story many times, and I hopefully will soon. It was unexpected and exciting, and I'm so glad it happened. I was lucky enough to have two good friends, and fellow classmates, also get engaged this Summer. We spent hours in Gaylord, MN flipping through wedding magazines and feverishly planning while we should have been studying public health. So for 2011, we have our wedding, along with the weddings of many friends to look forward to.

2010 was also the year in which I completed the task that spurred the creation of this blog. I graduated from nursing school with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing, and honors. Sometimes it was hard, a lot of times it was easy. I did things that scared the you-know-what out of me everyday while working at the Heart/Lung Transplant ICU at the Mayo Clinic, but I have never been more sure about being a nurse. It seems like just yesterday I got this crazy idea about nursing in my head, but here we are. So for 2011, I eagerly await a new job.

My third congratulations-worthy life event is some recent news we received about Joe's job. He has been relocated to a new territory in the Western suburbs of Minneapolis, our home turf. Although we were totally caught off guard, and a little stunned, we are thrilled to be returning to the motherland. We just rented a fancy pants apartment in the city, and can't wait to move. For the first time in years, I feel very settled.

So finally, the Year in the Southern Minnesota Triangle is officially ending. I now must find a new name for this blog, and a new motivation for continuing it. I think I just made a New Year's resolution.

Congratulations to you, and see you in 2011.

Miami - finally

2010-04-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

Since I am on my way home from a trip to Indy, I thought I should probably get around to blogging about Miami - which happened last month. I'm not sure what my problem with the blog is these days. I think that it's the fact that if I'm not at a hospital for clinical, I want to be sleeping. Not blogging. Back to Miami. Joe and I planned a trip down there during the dead of winter, and let me tell you, it could not have come at a better time.

Miami, and all the rest of Florida, have a special charm about them. Most of the rules of food, fashion, service, etc. don't apply. Everything happens at it's own pace, and it often seems to be happening in 1987. Seriously, there are still guys walking around with boom boxes on their shoulder. Other than that, I was a really charming trip. We got to spend much awaited time eating and drinking outside - one of my favorite things to do.

Our hotel was right on the A1A (beach front avenue!), and only a block from the famous Ocean Drive. We spent hours walking up and down it, trying to decide on our next stop. I have to say, the constant harassment from restaurant hostesses trying to convince you to come inside their restaurant did get a little annoying. That is one of those things that I am used to NOT happening in most of America. For a couple that usually has a hard time deciding on which restaurant would be the perfect one for our next meal, this did not help. But alas, we were always able to decide.

I want to get into the habit of photographing more of my food. I know it sounds strange and pointless, but it is often so beautiful. I love to be able to look back at the great plates and hopefully be able to replicate them at home. Needless to say, we ate a lot of seafood. We were hoping for the great local fresh stuff, but this was surprisingly hard to come by on South Beach. My theory is that they stick to the cheap imported stuff because they know they can get it past most tourists. Not me man, I know my seafood. We ventured downtown Miami one day, and were thankfully able to escape the tourist traps. We some of the best food of the trip there. Here is a photo of my delicious cioppino from The River Oyster Bar.

After 5 days of sun, sand and patios we came home to Minnesota to find..... more sun! It was amazing, like we left town so winter decided to do the same. It was actually the first time it didn't snow in Minneapolis (or Rochester) in March in 100 years. Pretty awesome, let's hope for more of the same in April.

Coincidences

2010-03-21T19:01:00.000-05:00

A few years ago my Aunt died. She is my mom's oldest sister, and for my large family, there will forever be a missing piece.

Part of the Triangle is driving from Minneapolis to Rochester. I always take the same route from my parents house, because I've tried them all and this one is the fastest. I head toward 55, over the river and on to 52 heading southeast. I feel like I've done this drive a million times.

Last Wednesday, March 3rd I did this drive again. This time I noticed something different. I crossed over the bridge and felt a different kind of familiarity. I glanced over the edge of the bridge and remembered that I was right by Fort Snelling, a historic fort we used to tour every few years in school. Then I remembered this beautiful park I biked and hiked through a few times a couple of summers ago. Next I remembered that you could see the cemetery where Linda was buried from that park. All the pieces came together. The airport, the park and that cold spring morning our huge motorcade crossed that bridge and wound up the hill to the cemetery.

I quickly took the next exit, and without thinking drove toward where the cemetery rested on the hill overlooking the airport. It's a huge place, but I had no trouble picking which path led to Linda's site. I parked the car and got out, but the place was covered in about 3 feet of snow. The Christmas wreaths still floated about the snow pack, and there were a few remnants of people who had visited their friends or family - a half melted snowman with a child's scarf, a tiny Christmas tree.

I stood for a minute, remembering the day my family came here with Linda, and the days and years she fought cancer, until it finally won. I thought about my huge family, and how much I love them. I got back in my car, telling myself I'd be back when the snow melts.

As I continued the drive to Rochester, I thought about how strange it was that I have traveled this path so many times and never realized the cemetery was there. I thought about how sometimes things just come to us. I thought more about those days in March of 2007 and had an odd feeling. What day in March was it that she died? I feel like it was early March, like today, the 3rd. I went home to dig up her funeral booklet out of the place where I keep things like that, and double checked the dates. She died on March 3rd, 2007, exactly 3 years prior to my rediscovery of the cemetery.

I can't explain it and I don't know what it means, but there is something really special about this.

Linda and I with my new cousin Brady.

Geocaching: A Lovely Way to Spend a Sunday

2010-03-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

Joe and I discovered geocaching from an episode of the How Stuff Works podcasts. I sounded cool, and we really wanted to try. Well, about 6 months later we finally got around to it.

Geocaching is a sort of treasure hunt for grown-ups with fancy phones. What you do is go to the geocaching website, or use the smart phone app, to find geocaches in your area. A cache is a small package of sorts. Some are tiny, smaller than a thimble, and some are larger. There size determines what you will find inside, the smallest contain only a log on which to write your name and date of discovery.

This is a shot of the first cache we successfully found. It is right across the street from our house in Rochester. Geocaching uses GPS to point you toward the cache. It's a little like the orienteering we were forced to do at many a summer camps growing up, but without all the math and compasses. The first cache we attempted to find was last week in Miami Beach. It had a high difficulty rating, but we thought we'd give it a shot. I was in the beautiful and hidden Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, but unfortunately we didn't find it.

Alas, our second trip out was much more successful. This morning we got up early, or what we thought was early, daylight savings time was a surprise. We ventured out and found 6 caches! We didn't get more than a mile from home!

The caches were in parks, along trails, under bridges and hanging from trees. They were magnetic key holders, mint tins, peanut butter jars wrapped in camo tape and old Vietnam war ammo cases. The biggest one contained stuff you can exchange. We left behind a Joe's original mixed CD, and took a DVD about preventing falls in the eldery. I just wrote a paper on this topic for my gerontology class, so I thought I'd try to bring it in for a little extra credit.

Geocaching has its own little culture. There are certain rules to follow in order to protect the purity of the sport. You must be careful to not do anything that would ruin geocaching for others. If you take something you must leave something. If there are muggles (non-geocaching pedestrians) in the area, you must be careful to not draw attention to yourself. You also must never move a cache from its found location.

We found 6, but didn't scratch the surface of what is around in Rochester. It's amazing, these things are right under our noses, but we don't even notice them. The only thing that brought us in from the great weather was the dead iphone battery. The weather is amazing, maybe we will be out again tomorrow!

Hometown Tourism

2010-02-28T21:39:00.000-06:00

Well, now that the Olympics are over, it's time for spring! It is a little warmer here these days. So, the snow is melting off the roofs into charming little ice hills that are sure to stick around to June. I'm really starting to think about fun little adventures that will happen when the weather is warmer. I can't wait to find more hidden gems like Minneopa Falls.

I love to travel, I love to see new things, and I love to get lost. Unfortunately, I can't travel every weekend of my life like I would want to. Instead, when I was in high school, I developed something I like to call hometown tourism. I used to do it mostly by myself on that odd quiet Sunday. I still do, but it's also nice to have someone to accompany me on these adventures, and I'm pretty sure he enjoys it as much as I do.

This shot is from last fall when we ventured out of Mankato (where I briefly lived for 3 months), to the lovely town of New Ulm, Minnesota. As you might be able to tell by the name, the town is traditionally German. It is also the home of Schell's Brewery, and awesome old school German restaurants. This one was a good adventure, I hope to head back there this summer and check out more of the town.

This last shot is of one of my favorite hometown destinations, Minnehaha Falls. This beautiful park is a quite nature oasis right in the middle of the city. It's often packed with day trippers, but if you descend toward the falls, a labyrinth of lightly traveled trails await the curious.

One of the first Rochester adventures Joe and I went on was up the hill to see the Assisi Heights Convent of the Sisters of St. Francis. This place was such a welcome surprise in Rochester. It sits atop a large hill, and is modeled after the Church of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. Its surrounded by lovely walking parks and grass perfect for staring up at the sky on a warm Saturday afternoon. It reminds me of my time in Italy on study abroad, and the small adventures we had everyday.

Well, in these last days of winter, when the Olympics are sadly over and the cabin fever is at its pitch, I'm prepping for my hometown adventures. I'm hoping some of these adventures will give me inspiration for the blog, along with some great photo ops. In the mean time, we're heading to Miami next weekend for some out of town adventures!

The Unblog blog

2010-02-21T22:50:00.001-06:00

This is not so much a blog post, and it is an apology for not posting. I just can't really think of anything to write about right now. This is getting me kinda down. I feel like I should blame this all on winter. Oh, and nursing school. I promised myself that I would not write about school on this blog, as it is here to remind me of how well rounded my life is. But, right now I don't feel very well rounded. All I have on the brain is diabetes and tardive dyskinesia.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, because I am very inspired by nursing right now. Since starting my clinicals on a med/surg floor at Abbott, I really feel good about this career choice. I've realized that I can do anything.

Remember that song from high school that was all about lessons you need to know before you leave high school? Something about a letter to the class of 1999 - that I think they redo each year for that class. One of the things he says in it is to do one thing everyday that scares you. I've really been following that advice recently. I've done some scary shit the last few weeks. Things that I will do all the time as a nurse, but there is something about the first time that is terrifying.

Despite the terror, each time I do one of these things I get a little bit stronger, and a little bit more excited about nursing. So, bring on the wound vacs and NG tubes, I can handle it.

Also, can I get some suggestions about other stuff to blog about? Just throw some topics at me, and I promise I will be inspired!

I'm Not Going to Cook it, but I'll Order it from ZANZIBAR!

2010-02-10T05:54:00.000-06:00

Right now I really need some of this....

By "this," I mean really warm weather. This is the part of the Minnesota Winter that I find totally unbearable. The anticipation of a white Christmas is long since past, and the glories of Spring are devastatingly far away. Seriously far away, like still 2 or 3 months away. Oh well, I will always have Zanzibar.

Zanzibar is one of those places that I spent most of my life believing was fictional, much like Katmandu, Bohemia, and Transylvania. These places surfaced in the stories of my childhood, and like Tikitikitembo and Babar, they remained there. Unlike Tiki and Babar, these places were desinted to emerge as real at some party in college when I tripped over my over-confident, tipsy words and pronounced, "whatever, Bohemia is for hippies and it is totally imaginary!" We have all had those moments.

Well I confirmed Zanzibar's reality last Winter, when I traveled there during my trip to Africa. I have to say, as far as imaginary places go, Z-bar really lives up. This magical little island off the coast of Tanzania is nothing like I have ever seen. The city of Stone Town is a twisted, salt scarred, fully inhabited relic of colonized Africa. The door are still pegged with brass barbs meant to injure charging elephants.

The beaches are beautiful, and the shopping is one of a kind. The food is interesting, and cheap. We follow the Anthony Bourdain philosophy of eating while abroad - the street food is the best food. Never mind the reheated, indecipherable fish, or the crab meat stuffed into the same "display" shell over and over again (probably for years), you can't beat this experience. We did end up getting sick, but the causal dinner was more likely the fancy, touristy Italian place we ate a few nights later.

Z-bar is a special place, only grazed by the hand of time. It's a place where the bottle water brand is "drop," and their plastic bottles inexplicably break if you lose hold and they drop to the ground. It is a place where the daily Muslim call to prayer echoes loudly off the tightly packed buildings and sounds like it's being broadcast from a children's tape recorder in 1985. It's the place where my feet touched the Indian Ocean for the very first time. Finally, it's a place where Obama was president long before election day.

If you ever find yourself there, be sure to ask for the Zanzibar Pizza.

Great Grandma's Banana Bread

2010-02-05T14:12:00.000-06:00

So, I actually made this bread last week, it took me this long to get this post up. Needless to say, since school started again I have less time to blog. If I could somehow blog safely from the car, I'd write much more. In fact, it would be blog city considering how much time I spend in the car. The Southern Minnesota Triangle is well traveled these days.

Though I am only a novice baker, and my cooking skills really work better on improvisation, I chose this family recipe for my first cooking blog. Its really easy and fast. It is also a great solution for those brown bananas you don't get around to eating during the 20 minutes when they aren't too green and not yet mushy. When I see a brown banana in the fruit basket I toss it in the freezer and it is good until the day I get around to baking.

This family recipe is from my Great Grandmother Julia via my Mom. It's a classic, and hands down the best banana bread out there.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2-3 mashed brown bananas
2 well beaten eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

The original recipe calls for shortening instead of butter. Since vegetable shortening is nearly 100% hydrogenated oils (trans fat), I will not touch the stuff. In fact, it should be illegal. Butter, though it is saturated fat, is much healthier than trans fat. It also tastes better.

In a large mixing bowl cream together the sugar and room temperature butter as much as possible. Add your bananas and mash them into the mixture. Use 2-3 depending on their size. There is no need to get it exactly right, Martha. Next, make a well in the mixture and crack your eggs into it. This way you can beat the eggs before you add them totally to the mixture without having to use another bowl. Add the vanilla and milk to the eggs, and incorporate everything together well.

In a separate bowl combine your dry ingredients (flour, salt, soda, nuts). Mix well to spread the salt and soda evenly throughout the flour.

Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix them together just until all the flour is incorporated. Don't over mix, or your bread will be tough. Now comes my second change to the recipe. The chocolate chips! Everything is better with chocolate chips right? Just mix them around evenly in the dough.

For the baking, I'm going to give really vague instructions and trust you to figure it out. Sorry, this is why I am not an awesome baker. Set the oven to 350 degrees. This is when I will go all Martha, and urge you to make sure you have an oven thermometer. It is amazing how far off oven temps can be. It can make a big difference in the consistency of your bread, cookies or whatever if the temp it off. You can either make one large loaf, or two smaller loafs from the dough. I usually make two, it seems to last longer that way. Make sure to grease the pans with butter or non-stick spray. The baking time will be anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending on the size of your loaf pans and how much dough is in them. Just keep and eye on it. When the top of the loaf is golden and starting to crack a little, it is probably done. Stick a tooth pick in the center If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Remember, the bread will continue to cook a little even after it comes out of the oven, especially if you leave it in the pan.

Once you have had your fill of the warm, crunchy and gooey bread, refrigerate the remaining. I'll often freeze a loaf in hopes of giving it away, or saving it for a rainy day. It's usually gone in a matter of days.

Enjoy!

I Love Trains (actually about trains)

2010-01-25T22:06:00.000-06:00

Ok, second try at the "I love trains" blog. As I was saying, I love trains. I love their reliability, their speed, and the track they take. A little while ago Joe and I took the new Northstar Commuter train from Fridley, MN to Big Lake, MN. Now knowing that we live in Rochester, which is nowhere near either, you might ask, why those destinations? Well truthfully, it was an entirely gratuitous train ride. We were planning on heading to our friends Hayley and Matt's place in Big Lake for the weekend. They are super fun, and Hayley makes the best Scotcharoos in the world! We drove from Rochester to Fridley, and then instead of driving the next hour to Big Lake, we took the train.

These trains are glorious! I know that I am a little over-excited, but let me explain why. Nearly the entirety of my experience with trains happened during my various travels to Europe, and it's been way too long since I've been on said travels. Taking this train transports me to a journey through the hills of the Rhein River Valley, or the coast of southern Spain. It allows me a moment in time when I can really imagine myself being there. I can really see this is as my daily commute from my home in the Tuscan hills, to my job in central Florence. For others it might be from Fridley to Big Lake, but for me, it is a glimpse of my past and future adventures.

Trains and Bridges and The System

2010-01-18T22:44:00.000-06:00

I love trains. I love any kind of train. I find security and assurance in the fact that they must travel along a track. Also, only one train can travel along a section of track at one time. I think think means that to have all the trains on any one track at any one time arrive at their destination safely, they must be on a strict and reliable schedule. Trains also feel safe, I imagine this intricate system of checks and balances based on the tested systems of engineers (both train and mechanical). This all of course works in collaboration with the state and federal government who constantly make sure all the systems are working. Of course we are safe, this is America. Right? Until a few years ago, I would have not questioned this notion. Not until this happened....

This is not the best picture, but it was hard to get a good vantage point of the collapsed 35W bridge. This bridge in Minneapolis, about a mile from my house, fell down in August 2007. It just fell. During rush hour, packed with cars, it just fell. There are many tragic and heroic stories that go along with this bridge falling down, none of them happened to me. Something far less dramatic happened to me. Whatever faith I had left in "the system" totally disappeared.

Our American infrastructure was supposed to be the best in the world. I don't think anyone told me this, I just think we all assumed it. Right? We have inspectors, and regulators that check in on these things, right? Wrong. This bridge was on a very very long list of bridges to be eventually replaced in Minnesota. It didn't look like this one would get on the schedule for at least 10 years. What? So, where are the bridges that were in line ahead of the bridge that fell down?

The impact this tragedy had on me crept up slowly. At first I was just glad I didn't go to my parent's house to do laundry like I had originally planned. This was a trip that would have put me on the bridge that evening. Next, I noticed myself looking closely at the cracks and rust that are apparent on many bridges. They probably don't mean anything, but you never know. Then I started to drive just a little quicker under and over bridges in Minneapolis. A few months later, I was rolling down my windows whenever I drove over the river. Finally, two or three times, I actually unbuckled my seatbelt while driving over the river with my window down.

They built this new bridge in less than a year. At night it glows in different colors, you can't miss it. That is unless you are on it. Most people would not know they were crossing a bridge if they didn't know that the previous one fell down. Or, if they were my friend Chris with Down's Syndrome. I think he cries every time he crosses it. Which at first seemed a strange overreaction, now I think he is probably not the only one.

What was left of this tragedy, besides broken hearts and a lingering distrust in America, lies just down the river. I call it the bridge graveyard. The pieces of twisted steel, that were quickly salvaged from the floor of the Mississippi, are located just down river from where it fell down in a, now fenced off, park called Bohemian Flats. It is really creepy, you can drive right by it, and see it from many other bridges crossing the river. Apparently, they have to keep it until all the pending lawsuits are resolved. This could be many many years. I heard they are building a huge warehouse out of town where the bridge parts will eventually go to live. Until then, it makes quite a memorial.

Oh, and yes, this post was originally supposed to be about trains. Tomorrow I guess.

The Power of Nice

2010-01-14T22:21:00.000-06:00

Do you believe in the law of attraction? It's the idea that you attract to yourself everything you have by your thoughts and actions. I do. Recently I've seen evidence of this law as manifested by niceness.

Last Monday, and today - not days chosen for any reason, just days I remembered to think about it - I made a serious effort to be nice. Now, I don't mean just be cordial, or don't be rude. I mean actually real, got-out-of your-way nice. Things like sending a nice letter to someone letting you know that you appreciate them, or telling people that you really care about them. Also, I made sure to compliment people, even when it felt a little weird and uncalled for.

Now I went through my days, doing a few of these things now and then when I remembered to do them. I didn't think much of it, and I didn't expect any immediate results. But, tonight I had the greatest revelation. Both Monday and tonight, I got far more calls and text messages from friends than normal. It was all kinds of stuff, from texts that just said hi or a funny story, to friends I rarely hear from calling for advice. It also was not the people I was going out of my way to be nice to, it was totally different people!

I have to say, I feel really loved. Sometimes, living down here in Rochester, I feel a little isolated from my friends. All these notes and messages really reminded me that they are still out there, and care about me.

Now, let me put it out there that I was not being nice to people with the sole hope that people would be nice to back to me. I think the kindness needs to be genuine for the power of attraction to work. The universe knows when you are lying.

Cat Love

2010-01-12T22:15:00.000-06:00

Well, it was only a matter of time before I dedicated a post to my cats. I'll try to keep it brief, I promise. I love pets with people names, so my cats are Eli and Ben. Eli was actually his given name, by the humane society of Lawrence, KS.

Ben's humane society name was Pazzobella. Lame, I know. I decided on Ben before we left the place. I got him at the humane society in Minneapolis in 2007. He's huge, and I think he is still growing.

Together they make a great pair. I usually get to see one awesome cat fight a day. I may be a bit of a cat lady, but I love them. They are the best. Even though they wake us up at unreasonable hours of the morning, they are so nice to come home to. So, more pictures!

Ok, I'm not making any promises, but that will most likely be my last post about my cats.

Weekend Visitors

2010-01-11T23:10:00.000-06:00

Joe and I were very lucky to host some of our favorite friends this weekend. The last time we saw them was when we journeyed to Africa for their wedding almost exactly one year ago. The trip was amazing. We traveled to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and then throughout the country. Our favorite part was visiting the home of our friends in the Southern Highlands. A lush green area full of tea fields, monkeys and one of the areas highest HIV infection rates in the world. Our friends work with the local people, an orphanage and a local hospital. It changed my life to see how they were changing the lives of the people around them every day.

The above photo is some of the children who live at the orphanage our friends are responsible for. I love this photo. I took over 2,000 photos on the trip, and I think this is my favorite. We watched this couple get married last year on an island off the coast of Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Due to a last minute complication, Joe actually officiated the wedding! Of course, it was not legit until they got the necessary paperwork filled out in their home village.

Well, this blog was not meant to be about our trip to Africa, but instead about the wonderful visit we had with our friends Jenny and Geoff this weekend. Just one year after the wedding, they returned to America. They came to our house in Rochester with 5 week old daughter Evangeline Twilumba in tow. Their little family was such a great sight. They are the most laid back, chill, cool parents I've ever seen. In turn, they seem to have produced the most laid back, chill baby ever! In a few weeks, they will be returning, with baby, to Africa. It is fascinating to look into that baby's eyes and imagine the extraordinary live she has is front of her. She will no doubt grow up speaking both English and Swahili. She will eat fruits and vegetables grown within miles of her house. She will, hopefully, have a monkey as a pet, and most interesting of all, she will have parents who set an extraordinary example of what it means to be citizens of the world. She will know no less than what it means to give back and serve every day of her life.

To see more about what Jenny and Geoff do in Tanzania, and learn how you can help, check out their NGO's website - http://www.mufindiorphans.com, or find Foxes' NGO on Facebook.

Sand or Snow?

2010-01-05T23:02:00.000-06:00

I made dinner tonight for my Grandma and her friend Margaret. I think I am starting to get really freaked out about getting old. It seems like kinda a bummer. Oh well, I think I might just not think about it too much. The scenery here in Florida is gorgeous. The beaches are white like snow, though I'm not super excited about being reminded of snow right now.

It's really pretty outside, but the weather still sucks. They were actually talking about snow on Thursday, that's nuts. I think this photo really says it all. Is that sand or snow?

My Window

2010-01-04T22:54:00.000-06:00

We made it to Fort Walton Beach at about 1:00pm today. It was a short, but scenic drive from Birmingham through the real deep south. Lots of junky trailers and run down houses interrupted by huge southern mansions. Strange country. We stopped at a gas station in a really really small town that smelled like sulfur. There was a lady in front of me at the check out, she was buying 3 packs of cigs and a 6-pack of beer. This is what she said, "I didn't quit smokin', I quit drinkin', but I thought I'd keep this in my trunk just in case." Seriously, I wish I had videotaped it.

The rest of tonights blog comes straight from Grandma. As she often does, she took some time tonight to read me some of her recently written poems. She writes a lot, and has published a fantastic book of her works. Many of her recent stuff is about death, it seems to be a theme for her right now. I can understand why, she is 85 and all of her peers are dead or dying. This one struck me, it is about a new etched glass door she had put on to her condo in Plymouth. She can be inspired by anything.

My Window by Betty Jane Gove

I can look at beauty every day.
The tall blue iris reminds me
the spring will come each year.
bringing all the newness
That rises from the Earth.
We must keep beauty in our sights
Or the mundane tasks of daily life
Will stifle all we've ever dreamed about
I will keep my eyes on the stately iris.
They rise up from slumber in the bog
It will be my talisman when winter nears.
A harbinger of future springs to come.

Minnesotans Like Spicy Food Too

2010-01-03T20:40:00.000-06:00

    2nd day of driving done. I'm really tired of driving. I'm also starting to get irritated too easily. Luckily, I can just focus on the road and nod my head. We drove from Champaign, IL to Birmingham, AL today. We stopped a few more times than yesterday which was fine, we still made it in 9 hours. Wow, so far this is a really boring post. I had much more interesting intentions, but I've got nothin' right now.
    We ate at Chili's and the server made sure to warm us that there are jalapeños in the appetizer. I'm positive he did this because my Grandma is old and white and he saw my Minnesota driver's license and figured we couldn't handle the spicy stuff. Whatever Alabama, Grandma ate a pulled pork sandwich covered in a raw jalapeño slaw and didn't mention it once.
   I would also like to point out that I left Minnesota to get away from the cold, and it is 30 degrees here. Lame. It's cool, I think it will be at least 45 in Florida.

Is it wrong that Alabama feels more foreign than some of the foreign countries I've been to? I think that this is probably because I totally judged the South long ago, and it is totally not fair, but every Confederate flag I see reinforces the stereotypes. Sorry Alabama, but Confederate flags are just not cool with me.

The Road and the Journey

2010-01-02T21:33:00.000-06:00

First leg of the journey to Florida is done! We left bright and early at 9am this morning. Well, that is not usually bright and early, but for the last few weeks it totally qualifies. We made it all the way to Madison, WI without stopping. I pretty much kept my eyes on the road while Grandma chatted about anything and everything. She is definitely going through the stage in life where one reflects on the past. She remembers everything, and tells me lots of stories about her and my Grandfather's past travels. From what I gather, they drove across the country about 6,000 times while my Dad and his siblings were young.

In between the chatting and the 10 minute snooze she took, pictured above, we listened to some music. By the way, she would kill me if she knew I posted this photo, so no one teach her how to use a computer in the next few days. We listened to a Willie Nelson CD that she just bought the other day. I had no idea she liked Willie Nelson, it doesn't really make any sense. When we needed to "give the CD player a rest," we listened to some tapes. Yep, I said it, tapes. We listened to some big band music and as she mouthed the words, I could see the memories sparkling in her eyes. I think that music brings her straight back to dancing with my Grandfather at sorority formals at Gustavus.

She speaks so much about him and their life together. I know each minute of this journey reminds her of the many times they made this trip together. That, by the way, seems to be the only picture I have of him on my computer. I think he passed right before I got this one, so I found this pic on a list of retired Mound, MN teachers. Each town we pass through she remembers whether they stopped, and what sort of landmarks were there. She says he could find a Civil War historic site any where it existed. If it was on the map, they went there. Of course, stops for antiquing were totally out of the question. It reminded me of a trip we took to Colorado with Grandma and Grandpa when I was young. I think we stopped at every scenic outlook in the state. If fact, I remember writing a very snarky comment about it in my diary at the time. Looking back, I was young and easily annoyed. I would really give anything to have him here with us, telling me to slow down on the road. But then again, he would never have let me drive.

So in closing tonight, though this was not originally planned, I think these next few posts will be dedicated to Grandma and Grandpa - their past lessons, and the ones I'm sure await me in the next 5 days. Well, now I guess it is back to watching English comedies at full hotel TV volume.

2010 is Totally My Year

2010-01-01T22:46:00.000-06:00

A few years ago, New Year's Day 2006 I think, I decided that that year was totally going to be my year. It was a great year. I curated 6 exhibitions at the outsider art gallery I ran, I reconnected with Joe, overall it was a really good year. When 2007 rolled around I decided that it would also be my year, and it was also pretty fantastic. I took multiple trips to Chicago, I visited Joe for the first time in Lincoln, I loved every second of living in Northeast Minneapolis. Needless to say, 2008 and 2009 were also totally my years. I made the decision to go back to school for nursing, I went to Africa and I moved in with the BF.

2010 is totally my year. This is the year I will graduate from nursing school. This is the year I will get to spend more than just weekends with Joe. This is the year I will blog. I also have a feeling this is the year I will discover I have hidden talents, and I will put them to good use.

Hopefully, this is also the year I will travel to Asia. Other hopes for 2010 include eating half as much in twice as much time, making new friends in Rochester and getting a nursing job in a cool, yet to be determined, city of our choice.

My first adventure of 2010 starts bright and early tomorrow morning. My father will drop me off at Grandma's house, and I will then drive her and her car to Fort Walton Beach, Florida where she is a proud Snowbird. Everyone seems to think I am crazy for doing this, but I really can't wait. I'm excited to "see America." The furthest I have ever driven is between Minnesota and Lawrence, KS about 1,000 times, and I've seen enough of that America - no offense Iowa and Missouri, but you guys are boring.

Our route will take us through what I'm sure will be gems of cities. First stop Champaign, Illinois followed by Paduca, KY, Nashville, Birmingham and Montgomery, AL. Oh, and it will not be -15F in any of those places. So, suck it Minnesota winter, I'm done with you for a few days.

Med City (Rochester)

2009-12-31T17:16:00.000-06:00

Even after spending most of my life in Minnesota, I had never visited, and knew only two things about Rochester, MN. One, it is the home of the Mayo Clinic, and two, it is host to many many sports tournaments for kids. After living here a month, I can't say I know much more. The town is rightfully nicknamed "Med City." This is because the town basically is the Mayo Clinic.

This hospital is huge. I guess it is actually a few hospitals or something, but I don't really get it. It is an internationally renowned facility that people travel to from all over the world for world class treatments. Because of this, the town center has a very unique character. The population of Roch is around 100,000, and the city center actually feels like a city. Surrounding the expansive hospital the area is packed with high-end shops, hotels and restaurants that cater to the wealthy international clientel of Mayo. We are talkin' European import kitchenware shops selling $20 teabags, and fancy chocolate shops with real Italian gelato.

Joe and I love to eat out, and I bet we have been 90% of the restaurants in town. This is always a cool experience as every time we seem to sit next to a family speaking a different language. We hear French, Italian, Arabic, Croatian (ok, I'm guessing on that one), etc. I love it, I can't get enough of it. It is like having my own little trip abroad while living in this typical, big-box-store-filled, mid sized Minnesota town. When I really need to soak up the feeling, I head downtown. I park my frozen car in the garage next to Wells Fargo and head into the skyways and subways that save to people of Rochester and visitors to Mayo from the frigid Minnesota Winter. My first stop is the most beautiful and surprising Barnes and Noble in the world.

Can you believe that place?! It is an old theater transformed into this sort of Harry Potter-esque bookstore. It is magical, I could wander there for hours. Just past the bookstore is the Galleria shopping center. This is where you can find the gelato. This is also where I am reminded that the reason for Rochester and the fancy Galleria and the gelato is Mayo. And, the reason for Mayo is sick people. Walking through this area I see people from all over the world wheeling their loved ones with cancer, or a brain injury, or some rare GI disorder through the shops. I am also reminded that Mayo is not just for rich Saudi Sheiks, but also for regular folks.

The conversations I hear at this mall are very different than what's heard at any other mall. I hear more "How are you doing?" and "Don't worry, we will be there for you no matter the results," than "Should I buy this $20 teabag." The place is bright and warm in the Minnesota winter, but it has an air of sadness that is inescapable. I know that for so many people there, this short wheelchair ride through the skyways is the furthest they will get from their hospital room for a while. Maybe that is why I love this place. I know it sounds a little messed up, but come on, I'm going to be a nurse. I actually find the sadness of this place to be inspiring. It means that there is room for me to make a difference. Who, knows maybe in a year I will be one of these lucky ladies.....

(Mayo nurses eating lunch in the Galleria)

The Beginning of This

2009-12-30T11:33:00.000-06:00

    So this is my first blog. I've been inspired by others' blogs I've recently come across. Originally this inspiration translated itself into a recommendation to my talented-with-the-pagesister that she write a blog. Why this didn't initially make me think I could write a blog simply just comes down to a personal meme. I never thought of myself as a writer (still don't), and I actually never thought I liked writing, but why should this stop me.

    As I said in the description, the purpose of this blog is to remind myself of all the aspects of my life that reinforce my creativity and drive - all the things that tend to get ignored in the hustle and bustle of daily life while in nursing school. These things include art, photography, travel, cooking and more. Inevitably, when I start the new semester of my accelerated BSN program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, some of my blogging will turn its attention to that.

    So the hustle and bustle I spoke of above has pretty much been on hold for the last three weeks. I finished my first semester at Mankato in early December and decided it was also time to finish my 3 month stint of living in a crap-hole apartment in Mankato. It was also time to finish the nearly 3 year very long and more recently less long distance arrangement between me and the boyfriend Joe. After his charming agreement, I decided to move in with him in Rochester - the easternmost point in the Triangle.

    The first week was full of moving and organizing and merging of the stuff. We have both lived on our own for a number of years now, so we have a lot of stuff. After lots of organizing, and lots of trips to the Goodwill, things are starting to look settled. Though there is still stuff left to do, I really have exhausted my will to organize and clean - just in time for the New Year. I have also satiated my thirst for television, even with 200 channels and full access to the TPT Create Channel.

    Needless to say, it is time to explore. So, I'm off to see what downtown Rochester has to offer. I'll be back with photos!