Early Saturday

Regis and I puttered with homemade pizza last night after work. It's so nice to have him come home on Friday night and have the whole weekend to look forward to. Bob and Emily came for a visit with Ella. She likes the jack-in-the-box but anticipates the clown popping out and gets a little afraid. She backs right into her dad when she sees the lid start coming up!

We had a nice time playing peek-a-boo with the edge of the
tablecloth and reading Helen Oxenbury's Tickle, Tickle. It was one of Tiffany and Peter's favorite books when they were little, too, so it's fun for me to read it to Ella. She says "tickle, tickle" at the end and laughs. Such a sweet-natured little girl.

Regis was awake last night from 2-4:30 so he went back to bed after reading the paper. Nice that he can do that now, but it means I have to be quiet this morning. I made tea instead of coffee because the coffee grinder would wake the people next door. I'm anxious to start banging around the kitchen. Betty and Tom are coming for dinner tonight. Tom calls it, "Have fondue, will travel." Ha! It means he'll come with fondue pots and all the food...I just supply the table and the bread.

I have to make a couple loaves of Cuban bread for the fondue and start getting ready for our St. Patrick's Day party next Saturday. I have a new tablecloth and I ordered ten Irish coffee mugs from some place online. I found a great recipe for Irish coffee from an artist name Bill Murphy. I had to print it and put it on my recipe binder. You can find it here: Bill Murphy. He says that using whipped cream products (Cool Whip) or aerosol whipped cream is considered a mortal sin in the Catholic church. And you must use good Irish whiskey. Our plan is to have people here for a Guiness before the parade and then again after the parade for corned beef and cabbage. (In 1978 I had a legendary St. Pat's party in St. Paul that involved Irish coffee and a parade. This won't be a repeat of that performance.) Regis made a great invitation and we're delivering them today.

Our snow is melting fast. Yesterday the temperature was in the high 40's and it might be 60 by the end of next week. Coats and mittens are starting to feel like a bother and my feet can't wait to be liberated into sandals. Socks and shoes feel so constraining.

A rabbit living under my shrubs in the front yard has almost destroyed a winged euonymous. I don't know why he finds that so tasty. Regis knows I won't do anything to discourage the rabbit so he suggested I put out something he (rabbit...not Regis) might like to eat instead of the shrub. I've gotten to be a bit of a joke among some of our friends because I feel the same way about moles. A few years ago, the moles were making the yard on the south side of the house so mushy with their tunnels that I was almost afraid to walk there. The hill in front by the sidewalk had so many mole holes that it looked like it had been shot at by a bazooka from Linda Elvie's front step. Regis mentioned the mole issue to Jim who offered his mole traps. One look at those and all I could think of was Mole Music.

This is from the review: In this tender-hearted picture book, McPhail (Tinker and Tom and the Star Baby) goes underground (literally) to explore the restorative powers of music. Mole feels something is missing from his life, which consists of digging tunnels all day and kicking back in front of the TV in his subterranean home each evening. One night Mole watches a man playing the violin on television ("He made the most beautiful music Mole had ever heard") and resolves to obtain his own violin and learn to play it.

I went to Fred's garden center to ask about something more humane. He sold me a bag of stuff for twenty-five dollars that would "discourage" them, he said. They would likely just move on to the neighbors...where they would be killed by mole traps. I decided they could just live here. They don't bother all that much. So we have a mole and rabbit sanctuary. My neighbor to the north doesn't like critters or weeds. The tall milkweed plants in the middle of my garden drive him crazy. He just points and says, "Roundup!", and I say, "Monarch butterflies!" It's my yard so I get to pick.

New job and hump day

We made it through the first part of the week. Regis seems to enjoy his new job, at least the training part and I managed to get a meal on the table a couple times. School was kind of crazy after the long weekend and I have bruises to prove it. One little crapper who was making high-pitched shrieking noises all morning thought he could barricade me out of the entry of the school. Guess he was wrong.

Since we joined Netflix, watching movies has become somewhat of an obligation. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean last night and I could hardly stand it. If it hadn't been for Johnny Depp that would have been a complete loser of a movie. As it was, I gave it a 2. Tonight we have Taladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. It's the kind of movie you really don't have to pay attention to...that's a plus on a Wednesday night.

I started a book last night called A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. The review from Publisher's Weekly says: Recent retiree George Hall, convinced that his eczema is cancer, goes into a tailspin in this laugh-out-loud slice of British domestic life. George, 61, is clearly channeling a host of other worries into the discoloration on his hip (the "spot of bother"): daughter Katie, who has a toddler, Jacob, from her disastrous first-marriage to the horrid Graham, is about to marry the equally unlikable Ray; inattentive wife Jean is having an affair—with George's former co-worker, David Symmonds; and son Jamie doesn't think George is OK with Jamie's being queer. Mild-mannered George, despairing over his health, slinks into a depression; his major coping strategies involve hiding behind furniture on all fours and lowing like a cow. Quite a cast of characters.

Well, so far, I wouldn't recommend Taladega Nights. Gads.

End of a long weekend

Tomorrow I will say hello again to the cold cruel world of work. My surprise four-day weekend is coming to an end much to my chagrin. I've enjoyed four days of sitting around in my flannel nightgown drinking coffee and watching the snow fall all morning, then wandering into the kitchen in a cooking frenzy for the afternoon. I'm tired of spending my days for the betterment of the education of youthful sex offenders. I'd like to have a job in a sunny but dusty little used bookstore with a cat and an easy chair. Is that too much to ask? It was a cosmic accident, really, that I have been unable to do this so far in my life. I think the error could be corrected if I were allowed to win the lottery soon. It only seems right.

I went to Mankato with Jill today. As usual, we talked so much and so fast that I was nearly short of breath when I got home. We didn't spend much, which is not usual. She had two small bags and I had one with some St. Patrick's Day paper plates and napkins. Target was a madhouse and we both felt the need to get the hell out of there. I think there was something strage going on with their ceiling fans which might mean that the roof was about to collapse. That made me nervous, too. (Could be one of my unreasonable fears...)

Regis will be leaving America's Mattress in about five minutes. Tomorrow he starts flying the friendly skies...oh, wait...that's United Airlines. He'll be working for those folks with attitude...NWA. He'll be home every night and every Saturday. Hurray!

Ella

We took Ella to Betty and Tom's last night for chili and grilled cheese sandwiches. She had a healthy dinner of fruit, chicken, and applesauce...we enjoyed the grilled cheese and chili. She loved Betty's little dogs, Gonzo and Fletcher. After she warmed up to the whole scene, she followed them around, shook her finger at them, and jabbered like she was giving them what-for. There are more pictures on my mac site.

It took Regis almost three hours to get home from work last night. About the time I expected him to walk in the door he called and he was only in Waseca. There were patches of dry pavement, patches of ice, and blowing and drifting snow. One more day of commuting. He starts tomorrow at NWA in Mankato.

I feel like I should relax today since it's the last day of my surprise four-day weekend.

Music, movies, cooking, and snow

I didn't like The Departed but I did like the music, so I bought it from iTunes this morning and have been listening to it ever since. It has tunes by Roger Waters (Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys, the Allman Brothers, Badfinger, Patsy Cline, and a band called the Dropkick Murphys (punk Irish music). I haven't liked a soundtrack so much since The Wonder Boys.

I just finished a pan of brownies using a recipe from Cooks Illustrated. I really like them (the reviews say not too cakey and not too fudgey) but sometimes a crust forms on top and I can't figure it out. You mix them by hand and I wonder if I don't mix them enough. And now I bet you wonder that, too, unless you use box brownies which are an abomination and don't deserve the name. There's no excuse for bad food....box brownies and store-bought wiener buns fall into that category. Don't even get me started on Pop Tarts and jello.

I've been experimenting with different chocolates and today used Ghiradelli bittersweet chips. If you read about chocolate, those folks are real snobs. The choices in St. Peter are not many and what isn't Hershey is expensive but I wanted to see if it made a difference. Like to time Tom and I tried expensive wine to see if it really was better than cheap wine. It was. The Toad Hollow bottle of pinot noir ($45) beat out the Yellow Tail pinot noir ($9) by a mile. One of us would have to get a better job before we could have that on our regular wine repertoire, however. My current favorite wine is Black Box cabernet. I like the description in the link: Black Box Wines - High-End Boxed Wine: Vintage Dated Bag-in-Box Wines

Ella and I are going up to Tom and Betty's tonight. I bet she'll love Gonzo and Betty's nephew and niece. I'll take some pictures so I have something to post besides snow.

The day after the big snow

Regis went to work today and it only took him twenty minutes longer than usual. He has one more day to make that long drive.

I stuck my head out the back door when I let the dogs out and the snow is swirling around and making drifts. It's so bright you need sunglasses in the living room. All the cobwebs are lit up like Christmas ornaments! I might decide to venture out in the truck for more flour a little later. Got to make more bread, you know. I think what I made yesterday was some of my best. I like using starters and it seems like every loaf is a little different.

Peter made it home from Mexico at 4 a.m. Their flight was delayed because of weather so it was a long day of travel but he said they had a great time. Details to follow, but not all of them I'll bet.

I talked to Tiffany this morning, too. We sent her a package of CD's of music Regis found for her. We like to think we're not totally unhip when it comes to music but he said he hadn't heard of one of those bands. At first he thought maybe it was obscure urban music from bands with one CD...but no...some of the them had put out lots of music. How could this escape us? Have you heard of Cake or Diesel Boy? And why don't these bands have normal names like Freddie and the Dreamers or Herman's Hermits?

Snow pictures and more cooking

This one gives a good perspective on the snow. It covers the fence and comes almost to the top of the steps. Regis thinks we got 18 inches and it's still coming down. The blizzard warning has been continued until tomorrow. Regis has two more days to work in Rochester and I have major stress because I know how he drives on good roads and it isn't much better on bad roads. He says it isn't so but I know it is. He's a little bit like Estle that way...everybody behind him is an SOB and everybody in from of him is an A-hole. It makes for very relaxing car trips.

It's hard to see the drift in the front of this picture but it's chest-high. We drove to the top of the hill (St. Peter's in the Minnesota River valley, you may not know, which is supposed to protect us from things like tornadoes.) and it's very unpleasant up there. One lane was drifted almost shut and the other one wasn't good. Visibility was poor.

I've alluded to all of my bad-weather cooking in the past week. The Tribune was soliciting stories about the storm so I sent this. You know I could have sent photos, too.

When a snow storm comes, something draws me to the kitchen. Last Saturday, I made a big beef roast au jus, two loaves of French bread from starter that I made earlier in the week in anticipation of the storm, and a batch of molasses cookies. On Sunday, I made a pot of Ruben soup and a pork roast. Since our kids are grown and it’s just my husband and me at home, we have to find friends willing to brave the storm to help us eat all this food but I don’t seem to learn the lesson. This week, I did the same thing. Friday as the ice and snow started, I made two pounds of hamburger into meatballs with a recipe from Emerill. Then I made a pot of spaghetti sauce. Then chocolate chip cookies and Rice Krispie bars. Today, I have more bread on the counter rising. Tomorrow- more friends, more food, more snow. What could be better?

Regis is in the living room watching The Departed. I knew with the first beating that this was not a movie I would enjoy so I escaped to the kitchen with my glass of wine and my laptop. I don't care how many Academy Awards it won; I like to pretend that kind of thing doesn't exist.

Storm

I'll post some more pictures later today once Regis ventures out to blow snow, but here's a link to a photo gallery on the Star Tribune website.

The news today is full of closed schools, closed highways, collapsed roofs, and accidents. This seems insignificant, though, compared to the tornado news from Alabama. That's very sad and hard to watch.

The Big One

Well, this isn't exactly how I wanted these pictures to post. The first one is an amaryllis that Jill gave me for Christmas. I wasn't sure I had the horticultural skill to make this happen but it's beautiful and looks very tropical in the midst of our big snow.

The next picture is my garden bunny. He's quite tall (maybe 18 inches) but you can see he's almost buried and most certainly blinded by the snow. When I took the camera out it was snowing heavily and the lens got wet so it was pretty much point and shoot. The next picture shows the garden. The snow is past the seat on Edna's old metal lawn chair.

We had the neighbors, Mike and Erin, over for spaghetti and meatballs tonight...the magician and the physician. Very nice people. I wanted to ask him to make the dirty dishes disappear but I suppose he gets tired of magic jokes. They recommended a board game called Settlers of Catan. You can only buy it in chess stores. Chess stores? I didn't know they existed. Mike's last name is Callahan so he can be the token Irish at our St. Patrick's Day party.

Snow and the small dog redux

For our friends and family in distant parts, here is the latest weather forecast:

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 6:56 pm

Winter storm warning for the metro...blizzard watch southwestern MN....blizzard warnings posted near Duluth. Get ready for a wild 36 hours of snowy, windy fun! It won't be much fun on the highways later tonight and Thursday.

Potential for 8-14" of snow with this next storm....icy mix for a few hours from the metro south and east Thursday may keep amounts down a bit....best chance of 12-20" just north/west of the metro, from Willmar to St. Cloud to Brainerd and Mille Lacs area.

Conditions slowly improve on Friday as snow begins to taper, but blowing and drifting problems will remain, especially outside the metro area. Get out and play in all that new snow this weekend...highs may reach the mid 30s next week.

Last night I noticed that Bert seemed to be in some distress when he was on the couch lying on the faux fur. His heart seemed to be pounding and his breathing seemed labored. I didn't want to pay for a chest x-ray the last time he was in for a check-up but I didn't want the pathetic little dog to suffer either. So, Regis took him to the Kind Vet Clinic for the chest x-ray today. A hundred and a half dollars later, Bert has been diagnosed with an enlarged heart and fluid in the lungs. He was prescribed Enalapril and Lasix. Regis takes the same pills so I suggested he just shave a little off his for Bert. No he said, Bert's pills are really cheap. Long pause. Then maybe you should take his pills I suggested. At least we declined the five hundred dollar echocardiogram.

News Items

There may be some less personal details (the signature) on our blog lately. I started a work-related blog and it's hard to have one set of details for one and another for the other. I just hope I hope I don't mix up the other stuff and write about the nude tequilla parties in our hot tub on the special education review site.

Now, what was the other thing? Oh, yeah. I enabled the comment thing. I didn't think anyone read our blog so it didn't matter. Now that I know we are so widely read, we would love to hear what our public thinks.

And don't you love that poem by Robin Sarah over there? Riveted?

Teresa

Midwest Macho

God help me but I love moving snow. Teresa really didn't do it justice in her post but I enjoy running the snow blower almost as much as I like drinking beer. Why? Well I think it has something (everything) to do with all those years I lived In Philadelphia. We didn't own a snow blower when I was growing up and I learned to resent the snow shovel as a tool of Satan. Worse yet I resent the fact that my father could have made life so much easier. But that is a different subject. When I moved to Minnesota that was one of my first acquisitions. It was a little single stage that never ran right but it got me through winter #1. When that died I went out and bought myself a White 2 stage with all the trimmings down to the halogen headlamp. I cranked that sucker up, hit the snow running and I never looked back. Hell, six forward gears and it will throw snow 35 feet straight up!
That brings me back to the point of this drivel. Moving snow is a religious experience. We don't have a lot of space to pile it up so every new snowfall has to be carefully considered as to where it can be moved. By this point in the winter there is typically a good pile on both sides of the driveway, along the boulevard, and in the front yard. It is at this time of the year that it takes a bit longer as there is more thinking to do. It is also this time of the year that when I finish the work I can stand there and admire my cunning and forethought as the piles all fall into place. That feeling cannot be described. Is it like taking a bear with a bowie knife? Is it like driving a race car at 200 miles an hour? Is it like the feeling one gets when he's just cleaned everyone out at the poker table? Well, no, it doesn't feel like any of those, but it a feeling of accomplishment that is very satisfying. I saw a guy standing in his driveway yesterday. Clad in a flannel shirt and a bomber cap he cut a Randy Quaid Christmas Vacation like figure there in his driveway.With one hand on his hip and the other on his shovel eyes cast outward I knew just how he was feeling. It is an attitude I describe as Midwest Macho.

Hasta La Vista, Baby

I took the job in March 2001. It was a retail job in a furniture store, one of the nicer ones in town. Over the years retail has been good to me. For the longest time I used to joke that it was one way to meet the town one at a time.

Overall the experience has been good and in general people are great. I have found that if I am friendly, fair, and courteous I receive that in kind. On day when I am “up” people seems to want to hand their wallets to me all day long, and on the days when I am “off” or tired I can’t give merchandise away.

I’ve been working in an upscale Sleep Store anow I am leaving. By coincidence it will be March once again though this time it is 2007. I am burned out. I am weary of the travel, 90 miles one way, and of the uneven paychecks. I got over the rejection factor a long time ago (my favorite joke is that I have heard the word NO so many times today that I have to go through the drive thru at McDonald’s and ask the girl working there if she’d like to go out so that I can hear it just one more time) and I try not to take it personally; but after 6 years I do.

So I am getting out of your hair Mrs. and Mr. Shopper. I am saying “bye-bye” for the last time on March 4th. There won’t be any bells or whistles, no brass bands, and no Bon Voyage cake. The truth is that no matter who you are, come tomorrow if you aren’t there, somebody else will be. So, there will be no gifts for me, or praise, or tears. As they say I will leave not with a bang but a whimper.

But I would like to leave you with a gift, dear reader, as you will all be customers of some big ticket item sooner or later. The gift I would like to give you is a simple lesson about how to act towards your salesperson. I know that there will be endless suggestions from others about what I have left out, but these are nearest and dearest to me.

1. Please drop the “Just looking” from your vocabulary. I know why you are here, you know why you are hear. I am only here to help you make an informed decision.
2. Listen carefully to the sales people you meet. After hearing a few talk about the same type product you will become an expert as to figuring out which one of us is full information and which is full of hot air.
3. Don’t get insulted or feel pressured when I try to close the sale. If I have done my job and made a great presentation and have built value into the product I deserve the right to ask for the sale.
4. If you have a problem after the merchandise is delivered please don’t call or stop in screaming at me from the word go. You’ve got a problem and you need a friend to help you out. Treat me like dirt and I can guarantee you won’t be happy with the solution I don’t care how intimidating you try to be.
5. Please keep your kids under control. You wouldn’t let the little darlings jump on your furniture would you? And please write this down, if one of your kids gets hurt you will be at an attorney’s office faster than you can spell N-E-G-L-I-G-E-N-C-E.

So as I ride into the sunset, I say to all of you, “Happy Trails, until me meet again”, or as Arnolds much more succinctly puts it, “Hasta la vista, Baby.”

Some reasons why my dog should die

Warning: People who love dogs and tolerate anything from them will not like this post. People who hate dogs and can't understand why a person would let one into their home won't like this post.

I know he's cute (he's wearing a bow-tie in this picture) and I know this is not going to be very PETA-like, but I think Bert is ready to go to dog heaven. At least I'm ready for him to go there. I came tonight and nothing seemed amiss even though I had a meeting after school and didn't get home until 4:30. Then I noticed Kramer sniffing around at the bottom of a book shelf in the living room. I pull off a couple photo albums and I can see, I am not kidding you, that Bert has taken one of those marking leaks on the shelf. On the shelf. In the living room. In the house. What the hell. So, I clean that up and come into the office to deal with an insurance problem (more on that in the second paragraph) when Bert comes in, sits by my feet, and starts licking his lips. I have lived with that dog long enough to know something's up. I walk into the living room and find that he's found a small baggie full of pretzels and has shredded the bag and the pretzels all over the floor. Why does a person put up with this kind of harassment?

On another equally insanity-provoking note, I got a letter from my home mortgage company today, informing me that they did not have proof of insurance on my house so they had "secured temporary coverage" for me to the tune of 1500 dollars. Now you might remember that back in November, I crowed about meeting with a nice insurance woman who had reviewed our "portfolio" and made recommendations for change and she would kindly take care of all the tranfers in our policies. Not necessarily so. I've been cancelled by almost every insurance company, new and old, in the last three months, some more than once. I won't mention the name of the company, but if an agent tries to give you this same line of BS, don't swallow it.

Snow

Regis is out blowing snow. He never complains about it and I think he appreciates the chance to make that snow fly twenty feet in the air! We're sharing our snow blower with two neighbors; they pay for gas and provide maintenance and we supply the machine. It works for all of us. There isn't much more snow today. Regis thinks we got about 8 inches which is a far cry from the 18 they were predicting.

This doesn't look all that bad but it looks like more snow when it's blowing, if that makes any sense. Regis managed to get in my truck so the doors aren't frozen shut but I don't think I'll be driving it for a few days. (All the pictures I took of the snow were taken from the front step where I stood in my nightgown and slippers. Reminded me of the old Wild Kingdom shows where Marlin Perkins said, "I'll just stand here behind this tree while Jim wrestles the alligator." That still cracks me up.

We watched La Cage Aux Folles this afternoon. A couple reviewers on Netflix said it was better than The Birdcage but we didn't think so even though many of the gags were the same. Nathan Lane was so much funnier than the French guy. We have The Departed, which Regis will watch alone, and Mrs. Henderson Presents coming this week.

More snow...more bread

Here's the weather report:

Conditions go from bad to worse. The heaviest snows come Saturday night when 6-10" may accumulate. Warnings remain in effect through Sunday evening for treacherous travel conditions. Snow totals will probably range from 10-14", with 15-20" for far southeastern MN, where blizzard warnings are posted (worst conditions from Rochester to La Crosse to Madison. Almost a blizzard for western Wisconsin and southeastern MN....near white-out conditions reported. Make sure you have a winter survival kit if you are driving this weekend.

Regis didn't go to work again today. They may close the store because conditions are supposed to be near-blizzard in Rochester. It's nice to have him home. We left the curtains open in the bedroom last night so we could watch the snow. About 3, Regis woke up to see deer running down 4th Street. Snowmobilers spooked them, I suppose. Ironic that he would have his eyes open and be looking out the window just as they ran past. Or was it a dream?

I'm making more bread today, in fact, we may have to go out for more flour.

Finally some snow...and baking bread.

Loaves of bread I made from a French bread sour dough starter that I made Tuesday. Regis thinks it's lame to post pictures of bread on a blog, and I guess it isn't the most sophisticated thing, but what the hell. We're finally getting some snow but it will have to snow hard to come up with 18 inches in the next 24 hours. We just finished watching the movie The Illusionist. It was very good. Just the right amount of everything...romance, lust, suspense, drama. Two thumbs up. The truck is in the driveway all frozen up so we aren't going anywhere today. We might have a little happy hour right at our kitchen table later. Peter called to say he made it safely to Mexico. I think the first thing they did was find the Corona and head to the beach.

Saturday

After all the predictions for this storm, it's 10 a.m. Saturday morning and there isn't much going on yet. We had a blast of freezing rain early this morning so Regis opted to forego the trip to Rochester. It turned to snow about 9 but now has quit. The weather guys are still saying it could be a big one, but they could be blowing smoke.

We spent the evening with Betty and Tom last night. Tom made French dip sandwiches that were delicious and we had a few beers. Gonzo seems to have mellowed out a little so the dog stimulation was kept to a minimum. Betty told about her dream the night before where Tom was dancing some kind of weird fish dance, gulping for air and flapping his hands around his face. Tom says that he only regrets that all his acid trips were before he met Betty.

I've been up since 6 cooking. I have a beef roast in the crock pot, bread in the bread machine (I've been experimenting with starters...have two in the refrigerator and a sour dough on the cupboard...this morning I had to feed them, like pets.), and a pot of ruben soup on the stove. Regis has requested peanut butter cookies so that will be my next project.

We'll post some pictures if the big snow arrives.

The Big One

Peter's on his way to Mexico, the Melia Cabo Real all-inclusive resort in Cabo San Lucas, and we're expecting maybe 18 inches of snow this weekend. That doesn't seem fair, does it? Very nice of Jake's parents to invite him along. He has been so excited he's counting the days.

Here's the weather report:

Winter Storm Watch posted from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon for most of Minnesota. This could be the Big One, the first 12"+ snowfall since March 8-9, 1999, when 16" fell on the metro. Snow arrives after rush hour Friday evening, heaviest snows Friday night and Saturday, 10-12" possible by Sunday evening, potential for 15-18" in a few areas close to home.

Regis may be having the weekend off whether he wants it or not. As long as everyone is staying put and not driving around on icy roads, I won't mind. We went to the grocery store to stock up on popcorn and Junior Mints and we have two movies to watch so we'll be fine.

Angelo

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110 people do the Polar Bear Plunge

I can't believe they found 110 people who were willing to jump into the frigid water yesterday. Regis and I thought maybe 5-10 people would do it...no wonder I was surprised by the crowd. None of them needed paramedics or rescue crews. The big, portable hot tub, though, was the most popular spot on shore. This is an actual picture of Nicollet County Sheriff Dave Lange, who organized the event.

Polar Bear Plunge

I didn't make it to the actual event in St. Peter. Kathy and I drove down there at 1:45 and it was packed. People were parking blocks away and being shuttled to Hallett's Pond in the city bus. Cars trying to get in the parking lot were backed up for blocks. I hate crowds (Saum genes) so we decided to drive right on past. But this is probably what it looked like; with google images, you can find a picture of anything. So just pretend this is a St. Peter resident taking the plunge. What's the guy in the snorkel there for anyway? The whole thing is a little weird.

Naked guy running

I didn't witness this insane act, but Jill did. Yesterday, when the temerature was about ten degrees but the wind was strong enough to make the windchill below zero, this nutcase ran in the Freeze Your Buns Winterfest Race wearing what you see: gloves, hat, shorts, shoes. He probably has frostbite on parts he didn't know existed. Don't be fooled by the wet look to the road. This was not spring-like weather.

We went to the Bothy last night and while it wasn't one of our favorite shows, we had a good time. The show had started when we got there so we couldn't sit in our favorite spot, the popcorn machine was broken, and the bar was packed because it was prime rib night, all of which conspired to make us feel a little out of sorts. Such creatures of habit we are.

New clinic!

I forgot to post these pictures of my brother David's new acupuncture clinic in South St. Paul. It's called the Southview Acupuncture Clinic. Check out their website. I saw the clinic when it was almost done. It's lovely inside, soft yellow and warm wood, and in a friendly looking neighborhood.

NWA

And that's not the rap group to which I am referring. Regis has a new job as a customer service agent for NWA working out of Mankato for a company called ACS. He'll be working from 6 a.m. to 2:30 Sunday through Thursday. He's a little sad to be leaving a job he really loves but I think he's ready to be done driving 180 miles a day. I'm so glad that he'll be home more...every evening and all day Saturday. We won't know how to act.

The last week was busy with Winterfest activities. I heard Wil Weaver on Tuesday night and Thursday night we had our book group at the treaty site center. (Wednesday night we clebrated Valentine's Day with Jan and Anders.) If you haven't read A Gravestone Made of Wheat or seen the movie Sweet Land, I recommend both, even if you have to go to a snotty yuppie theater in Scottsdale. Ha!

Last night we went to see Betty and Tom. Tom's back on his feet after his knee surgery but not ready to carry mail yet. We were home early and watched part of the old movie The Birdcage before calling it a night.

Tomorrow is the Polar Bear Plunge. Pictures will be posted!

Valentine Cookies

These are the Valentine cookies that I baked, frosted, and sprinkled today! I'm not a big fan of sugar cookies but these are very good, if I do say so myself. I ran out of frosting with two cookies left, so that worked out well. I'm almost done with Thirteen Moons, a book I like so much I think I have to buy it just to have it around. Kathy stopped earlier and we had a Sunday afternoon glass of wine. It was her birthday yesterday.

This day is almost done. I'm going to make beef commercials for dinner. Great comfort food.

Brassed Off

I know the picture is dark. Regis tried to lighten it but it didn't work very well in the translation. I tried to take pictures with the flash, but Ella has learned that the light is bright so she would shut her eyes as soon as she saw me with the camera.

She's so funny. I had Prairie Home Companion on the radio and anytime she heard the music, she would stop right in her tracks and dance for a couple seconds. She does this pointing thing, which I suppose works when you don't have language to tell what you want. She points at things, and if you don't get it, she makes a grumpy face and points with more emphasis. Ha! She also loves her books and we read them over and over. She knows a few words from the books: toes, baby, boots, ducks. She especially loves ducks. She has the book The Wheels on the Bus and Emily has taught her some of the motions like swish, up and down, and move on back. As soon as I started to read, she would do swish, swish, swish. So cute. We had a wonderful time.

We watched a movie Friday night called Brassed Off. I saw it recommended in Roger Ebert's review of Waking Ned Devine, one of our favorite movies. Brassed Off is a British comedy, well, at least Netflix calls it a comedy. I'm not sure that you can call a movie about the closing of coal mines in England that includes: an attempted suicide by one of the main characters, his wife taking the kids and leaving, his dad dying of black lung disease, his beating by a loan shark, and repossession of the contents of his house. There are some funny lines and we enjoyed the movie, but it was dark. Brassed off is a British expression that means the same as pissed off, but the movie is also about a community brass band that's the source of a lot of the humor and sweetness.

I'm making Valentine cookies today...rolled sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles. I have a box ready to send some to Tiffany and I'll take some to Peter. Regis loves them, too, and I'm making two in dog bone shapes for you-know-who. Not my idea.

Winterfest!

This dog does not even seem happy to be watching the Winterfest parade. Most people stayed inside their toasty cars...or if they were walking, they were so bundled up in winter gear that you couldn't see their faces. They had a hard time getting candy out of their plastic bags and their hands were too cold to toss in gently so they flung it in gobs. A guy could have gotten brain-damage from a frozen gumball.

The men with us were pansies and stayed in the bar to keep our table. Joanne, Kathy, and I went outside and stood in the cold to show our Winterfest spirit. I made it almost to the end but had to dash back in before the Govenaires (local drum corps) came by because I just couldn't stand the cold another minute. It was the usual 9-minute parade: a couple small bands, a few boats, a tractor, the firetrucks, the ambulance, and the queen candidates. There were a couple old ladies pushing babies in strollers. The babies were completely covered by blankets so I guess it could have been beer kegs they were pushing.

There are more festivities today: a pub crawl, a beer can invitational, a hairy legs contest, and a rock/paper/scissors contest. Our friend Bob Wright is going to do the polar bear plunge next weekend so we might have to go down to Hallett's Pond and take pictures of that. I suggested a physical exam before he's allowed to participate. Regis suggested a mental exam. I'll be sure to keep you updated on the latest news.

Here's what the Tribune says about the weather:

Tonight: 10th night in a row of subzero lows...coldest since Feb. 2003 when we experienced 9 nights/row of negative numbers. Daytime highs in the single digits.

Windchill advisory posted for northeastern MN where it may feel like -40 later tonight.

Stubborn, stalled pattern, jet stream winds howl from the northwest through much of next week, keeping us 15-20 degrees below average, no thaw possible until third week of February.

It was 13 below on our weather station this morning. Yesterday it was 19 below when I stopped for coffee on my way to work. I'm going to warm up the house today by making some food for Betty and Tom. Tom had his knee surgery on Tuesday so he's incapacitated and Betty doesn't cook. Tonight we're watching Ella while Bob and Em go bowling. That's all the news from Lake Wobegone.

Oh, I have a new job for next year. District Special Education Coordinator. And a raise. Yippee!

Doorbells Redux

The doorbells that I was so proud of last week have come to naught. After they were installed on the board, only about three of them worked reliably. A couple didn't work at all. Apparently this is the difference between a doorbell system purchased for 2000$ and installed by a professional and one purchased at Menards and installed by me. No wonder I'm not principal of the year. The building and grounds guy for the district thought this would look sort of "Jeff Foxworthy" anyway. Does that mean redneck?

I figured out the other day that I can retire in 2011...the year I turn 58. If I did the math right, that is, which is not likely if you know anything about my math skills. (At the Super Bowl, we collected 5 dollars from 10 people and I thought I would win 25 bucks. It was that F in second grade that caused my math phobia.) That's four more years to work, if my math is right. Too bad I took the money out of my retirement when I left Iowa but I was about 23 years old and what did I care about retirement. Little did I know. Here's another piece of good irony. About five years ago, I called TRA to see what it would cost to recapture those three years. Some very earnest woman told me it would cost me the small sum of 30,000 dollars. Ha. If I had that kind of money, would I be so worried about TRA?

Winterfest

Apparently they are doing this polar bear plunge thing as part of the Winterfest. I bet the people who signed up are regretting it now that it's been sub-zero for a week. Remember the shrinkage episode on Seinfeld? I wouldn't think that would be very good for your other parts either...like your heart. Here's the rest of the schedule if you want to check out the other activities.

More snow

We had about five inches of the lightest, fluffiest snow you have ever seen today. When I brushed it off Joanne's car at the end of the day (I don't drive on snow) it didn't even look real. It looked like something made out of plastic. It really was a gorgeous day. It cleaned up the back yard, too, which was nice. Not so nice in the spring when it all melts...but nice for now. Joanne said when she drove to work, semis would go by and it was like driving with your eyes closed. It's probably what caused that 100-car pile-up on 35 this morning. Semis driving through fluffy snow. Why can't they slow down when it snows?

I watched Pride and Prejudice last night. I've never read the book (bad English teacher!) and still don't know if I want to, but the movie was good. That Mr. Darcy, what an arrogant weasel at first. Those Brits can be so pompous. I'm reading Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier and it's so good I can't stand it. Beautiful writing and a compelling story. I started reading Wil Weaver's short story collection Sweet Land tonight, too. It's the St. Peter Reads book for this winter, and also the Thursday book group selection. I love A Gravestone Made of Wheat and cry almost every time I read it. Of course, since I saw the movie I picture Olaf as being hot, hot, hot!

Tomorrow Emily is picking me up after school and taking me out for dinner, then to Aveda for my hot stone birthday massage. What a treat! I still have a massage and pedicure from Deb, too, but I think I'll wait until sandal weather for that.

We have a busy weekend coming up. the St. Peter Winterfest Parade is Friday night. That should take about 8 minutes if it's like most of St. Peter's parades. Saturday night we're celebrating Valentine's Day with Ella. I'll be sure to post a couple pictures. The Winterfest has lots of quirky activities...my personal favorite is the Chimchanga Festival at the Jesus Church. My next favorite would have to be the rock, paper, scissors contest on Saturday night. Small town stuff.

Teresa

Super Bowl

Betty and I were doing last minute things at her house before the party and we asked Tom if he had one of those gambling things. No, he didn't want to do that, he said. Then Mark called and said of course, you have to have a board. He told us how to do it, so we wrote the numbers on little pieces of pink paper and sold them for five dollars each. We had one for the half-time score and one for the final score. I won 50 dollars on the half-time score with zero and Betty won 50 dollars on the final score with six. Ha! The irony is that you would probably have to go to Botswana to find two people who know less about football than the two of us.

We had a good time and the menu was great. Tom served chili dogs, chicken wings, and lots of other munchies. The chili dog recipe came from some dude on Food TV and it isn't actually chili at all but more of a combination of the condiments you might put on a hotdog. Reminded me of sloppy joe stuff. I made brownies, Joanne made Special K bars, Harvey brought his famous shrimp mold...lots of tastey food. A good time was had by all.

It's 12 below here this morning.

Teresa

Robins

Thse pictures are from today's local paper. The article says that many robins do head south for the winter, but some choose to ride a rough Minnesota winter out. The robins’ range extends well into Canada, so these birds that suddenly showed up in the area may be migrants moving southward only far enough to find a food source. The birds that linger can get along just fine on berries and fruits. Open areas near the Le Sueur River ensure adequate water and the trees, especially the dense boughs of the cedar trees growing in the surrounding ravines, evidently are providing roosting cover. Hard to believe any birds could survive this cold. We had brutal windchills again during the night.

We're going to a Super Bowl party today at Betty and Tom's. I'm not fond of football but Betty says we can stay upstairs and play games and watch Mike's program at 6. I am kind of interested in the two coaches. How I know about Tony Dungy is a mystery...did he live in Minnesota once? Has he written any books? And I like the other guy's name, Lovey Smith. Isn't that sweet? So that is the extent of my football knowledge.

The brownies that I made yesterday were good. Regis and I had one for dessert with a mudslide martini while we watched Waking Ned Devine. Great movie if you haven't seen it. that reminded me that we have unchecked lottery tickets in my purse. The next time you hear from us, we could be in Jamaica!

Teresa

Cobwebs and Dirt

I don't know why I can walk by a cobweb for eighty days and not see it...and all of a sudden it looks like something shed by a wooly mammoth. I'm doing my semi-annual cleaning today. Ha! Not that bad, really...but it's not something I enjoy. If I had money, I'd do what Christina on Grey's Anatomy suggested...hire a wife. Part of my problem is that I'm random. One of my friends told me she cleans all her mopboards one day every month. In the first place, I wasn't even really aware of those or that they had to be cleaned regularly and in the second place, I would never be able to start at one end of even my small house and go to the other end, cleaning every mopboard without getting distracted. This is the same friend who said she cleans her oven every time she has a day off from school and I said I clean my oven every time I give birth. Today I seem to have a kind of zen-like awareness of cobwebs. Tomorrow it might be dust or dirty floors. Who knows.

Teresa

Brrrrr!!!!!!

Our weather station said it was 11 below this morning and we had a wind chill of 35 below during the night. The dogs had to be booted out the door this morning...they aren't so dumb. Regis got in the car to drive to Rochester after listening to me remind him not to leave the car if something happens, to take a warm hat and gloves, and to take well-traveled roads. He has a cell phone so I guess he'll be fine but I don't even like to go downtown when it's this cold.

I have a full plan for today. I need to do some cleaning, then I'm going to cook and bake. I'm going to make a big pot of chili and a batch of brownies for Tom and Betty's party tomorrow. I have a project to finish, too. I bought small metal tins for my spices and I need to get them labeled and put in their baskets. I buy spices at the Coop and always have little plastic bags full of stuff with no label. It makes cooking a little risky.

My friend Mike Hazard's video called Paul Wellstone's Magic Green Schoolbus is on PBS tomorrow night at 6, so if you aren't glued to the football game, check it out. He made it with a group of kids and it's very sweet. Mike's got some other great videos about Minnesota people, Native Americans, and poets on his website: http://www.thecie.org

Anybody reading this who was fascinated by Tom and Betty's new dog Gonzo that I wrote about a month or so ago, don't run out and buy one. He's incorrigible. He walks on the tables, eats anything he can find, edible or not, jumps constantly on your lap leaving huge wads of hair, and seems to be fairly dim-witted. Betty says pugs are not intelligent dogs and that's becoming fairly plain to see although he is curious and friendly. Pugs were bred to be lap- warmers for the kings and queens so I guess they didn't have to survive in the wild. He has a darling face and he's so affectionate but I'm not sure that makes up for the general unruliness. Dog shoppers...beware the pug.

I had a dream last night that I was writing a book called The Party What Started Out as Jumping Around. The image was of cows jumping in the air and clicking their heels together. Now, that has possibility!

Teresa

Groundhog Day

Tomorrow is ground hog day. It's been kind of a brutal month, weather-wise, so if there's a groundhog in Minnesota, he probably won't pop out at all. We've had a little bit of snow every day...just enough to clean things up and make it slippery and tonight the windchill is supposed to be 25 below. A real winter at last.

Regis and I went to HyVee to buy groceries tonight then stopped at Famous Dave's for a beer and a bite. There was a rude ass at the next table with a loud cell phone. We seem to run into that a lot lately. It isn't that hard to figure out. It rings loudly once...you turn it down. How hard is that? We tried a beer that they're brewing in Lucan, a tiny town in southwestern Minnesota. The one we tried was good but they make a strawberry beer. Not too appealing.

We have a hefty income tax bill so if you don't see us for a few months, that's why. We'll be hunkered down trying to save our money to pay that bill.

Teresa

Doorbells

I spent about an hour at work this morning installing five wireless doorbells in our classrooms and office. The chime part plugs in and the buttons will go outside so kids can ring the right classroom when they want to come into the school. Homeland security, you know. The hard part, which really wasn't so hard, was programming them so they don't all ring when you push one button. It just required keeping them all straight, buttons and chimes, and remembering which wire I clipped on which set. I was kind of proud of myself and announced that I had done it at the principal's meeting...right before the high school principal announced that he had been chosen as principal of the year in Minnesota. I guess it doesn't rank with that, but what the hell. It's a goat's life.

Poem: "The Virtue of Trusting One's Mind" by Marcia Slatkin, from A Woman Milking: Barnyard Poems. © Word Press.

The Virtue of Trusting One's Mind

When goats don't want to move,
they don't make sounds.

They fold legs at bald knees,
bend rough necks to earth,
and just sink down.

They never

rant, rail,
protest, declaim,
debate, explain, and then,
head bowed, plod meekly
forward anyway,

as I did
as a child—
and still do now.

Wicked Cold

It's wicked cold here today. Our weather station says the real temp is 8 degrees and the wind chill is 8 below zero. Bitterly cold. I went to Mankato today and poked around the bargains. I can't resist some of that stuff. I got some very cool little red pots at TJ Maxx. They look like soup pots but they're one-serving size. Also got a red messenger bag that if I register it by the number on a tiny metal tag, and then lose it somewhere, they will rescue it for me providing the person who finds it calls their 800 number. Ha! What a concept. They have some gorgeous jewelry at Target...real bling stuff with lots of giant rhinestones...for cheap.

We stopped at the bar last night for a beer after school. The place was full of teachers. Must say something about the academic year. Everyone is tired and it's the dog days of January. Maybe we'll feel better once February comes around.

Teresa

Nothing new

We're in the dog days of winter. Short and dark January days, long and dark January nights. I had the wanderlust today and really only wanted to travel to Nicollet. My friends at work laughed at me. I said I would buy some summer sausage at Schmidt's and then go to the Mug 'n' Jug for a Bloody Mary. I suppose that isn't the most emotionally healthy way to spend a day but what the hell. I'm out of giving a shit.
Teresa

I knew I'd seen that face before...

Ezra and Steve. Yup, they're a match.

Baby...and more snow in St. Peter

This is my new nephew, Ezra Maurice. He was born yesterday. So weird to see my brother's face on a baby!
We're getting more snow. There's probably about 3 inches on the ground now and it's still coming down. It's that pretty, light snow so it wasn't hard to move off the sidewalk. The only thing I don't like about it is that my truck is terrible on snow so I'm trapped unless one of my friends takes pity and comes to get me. I hate to even drive it into the driveway. I think I'll pay it off and get something that I can drive in the winter.
Bert went to the dog doctor yesterday. All the usual stuff plus the complete blood panel cost 250 dollars. Bert has a complete blood panel done yearly. They like to go through it minute detail by minute detail. I try not to look bored but really. He has a heart murmur that is getting worse so they want to do a chest x-ray and possibly prescribe medicine that will make him pee more. (See previous posts regarding the Christmas tree skirt.) I don't think this will happen. They want to clean his teeth. He's a dog that eats poop and it seems kind of counter-productive (ironic?) to clean his teeth. I asked Regis if he informed them of Bert's proclivity for eating feces and he said no, Bert had been licking the face of the technician during the exam so he didn't think that would be prudent. I asked the vet once if there was anything we could do about that. She said you can buy some stuff to sprinkle on the poop that will make it taste bad. Long pause. There's some irony for you. Why do you have to feel guilty about not providing better health care for your dog than you do for yourself?
Not much else new around here.

Teresa

Lapdogs of the Serengeti

Where hours ago the majestic beast grazed the morning plain, unaware that it was
enjoying its last meal, there were now only traces of blood. The carcass of the
Prime Rib had been dragged through the brush to the pack's dining area. It was
here that the pack leader chose to feast upon the spoils of the morning hunt. The
other animals of the pack awaiting their turn. The number two dog sat calmly, yet
ever alert, lest a piece of the animal fall to the ground and be wasted. The
number three dog sat motionless, his eyes trained as each bit of flesh went from
the plate to the leader's mouth. The leader became aware that the number three
dog had begun to salivate, his body visibly shaking, his sit stay beginning to
resemble an attack crouch. The leader, weakened by age and infirmity paid little
attention to the upstart who up until this moment had never challenged the
authority of number one. The number three dog merely considered his options and
concluded, I may not have the capacity to finish him off at one sitting, but I
damned well have the capability to give it a shot! It was at that moment that
the cleanly sliced piece of meat hurtled through the air and landed at the lesser
member's feet. Both junior pack members ate ravenously their share and gradually
peace returned to the groups energy. The leader chuckled to himself that he knew
what was happening within the pack. He knew that the others would love nothing
more to take him down and claim pack dominance and, but for a lack of opposable
thumbs and language skills so that they could order pizza, they might attempt
such a coup. The leader tossed back his head, momentarily exposing his throat,
and roared, "That's all there is! Now go lay down you fucking fucks!"

Regis

Now, THIS is Winter!

This is Kramer hauling ass through the snow. Regis takes him back there and lets him run and he loves it.

The path to the front door of our little house. Regis has sure learned how to move snow since he moved to Minnesota. Even though we haven't had much in the last few years, he's figured out how to move it far enough so that we're ready for the next load.

This was a beautiful snow...sparkly and light and it coated trees and mailboxes and bird feeders. A Christmas card kind of snow. It only bought us a two-hour late start and not the snow day we were hoping for, but we still enjoyed it. Regis is whooped from spending two hours behind the snow blower, but he enjoyed it, too!

Teresa

Ghastly Weekend

I don't know if ghastly is an adjective that should be ascribed to a weekend but if you knew the extent of this stomach virus that has visited itself on me, you might agree with the use of the word. Friday I didn't feel quite right. Things got worse from there but I will spare you the grisly details. I have been out of bed about six hours since 3 p.m. on Friday and have had very little to eat, which in itself is enough to make a ghastly weekend. I seem to be over the worst...just roaring bowels and a sort of ugly disposition left behind.

We're getting more snow which did not announce itself by way of the Weather Channel or accuweather.com until this morning. It started snowing lightly about 3 and now is pounding down. We're expecting 8 inches of snow by noon tomorrow. It might be Martin Luther King calling from the grave that public schools should do a better job of honoring his memory. Holy hell. Gerald Ford has been mourned almost longer than he was president. We still have the flag at half-mast at school. The kids put it up so it might be upside down, but it is half-mast.

It's dark or I would post some pictures of our snowstorm. Maybe tomorrow if I don't have to leave for work before the sun comes up.

Teresa

Oh, Ella!

First of all, Emily is holding her in the doorway as we get out of the car and she beams. She is excited to see us! We had so much fun reading books, looking at my jewelry (pretty, she says), and playing with her new toys. She discovered my school name tag with my picture on the lanyard around my neck, and for some reason, she was delighted. She pointed at it and smiled and laughed and said, "Bapa". Regis took a short nap on the couch and every time he snored, she looked at him, back at me, and smiled and said, "Bapa". I guess we're both Bapa. So sweet it makes your heart hurt.
Teresa

Cold January Night

I haven't noticed the days getting longer although I suppose they have. It's still very dark in the morning and not much lighter when I get in the car to go to work. I'm going to see my doctor on Friday to see if she'll prescribe a trip to Jamaica for medicinal purposes. That should fly, eh? We can't seem to win the lottery and I apparently did not choose a career that is going to provide me a lifestyle to which I would like to become accustomed.

Just kidding about all of that. I really love the long, dark, cold nights.

Regis worked last weekend and I did household chores so there isn't much exciting here in St. Peter after we celebrated Ella's birthday. We have a couple busy nights lined up...tomorrow night at the DFL office (I think they're planning big stuff already), Friday night babysitting the little girl, and Saturday night at the Bothy.

I finished reading The Worst Hard Times. It was not an uplifting book unless I suppose you consider that these are stories of the people who survived the dust bowl. The descriptions of the dust storms were amazing and frightening. We should maybe take a lesson from stories like this when we start drilling in Alaska and driving big SUV's. There's a price for that kind of stuff.

Well, that's enough serious crap. Regis and I have been watching The Dog Whisperer and learning how to manage our dogs. Well, manage our dogs better than we always have. It does work but they sure are persistent, those dogs. When Cesar says you have to do it a hundred times, he seems to mean it. Last week we watched the episode with the family of the author of Marley and Me, John Grogan. His dog ate small animals. My favorite quote came from Mrs. Grogan. "It's hard to look at your dog in the same way when he has just eaten one of your pets." By the end of the show, the dog was competing in field trials, although it probably took longer than that in real life. : )

Moving on for tonight...
Teresa

Gonzo Hynes

We went to see Betty and Tom last night. This is Tom wth their new dog, Gonzo. He's a pug and just a perfect little lap dog. He lolls on your lap like a fur blanket and he purrs and snorts when you scratch behind his ears. Those buggy little eyes roll back in his head with pleasure. He has made Tom and Betty's life fairly miserable...in and out, chewing shoes, and disagreement about training methods. Tom said he loves his wife and he loves his dog, but one of them has to go. I think he's kidding. Aside from gushing over the puppy, we had a wonderful time. Tom's a very good cook and made us a perfect hamburger with grass-fed, organic, free-range beef and fried onions, and a perfect daquiri with fresh limes.

I'm making a trip to my most hated store today...Men R Nerds. That's Menards to those of you who don't know. It's always full of sort of dirty lumber-jack looking men carrying sheetrock and bags of nails. I just want lighbulbs and a toilet seat. Isn't there an easier way to do this?

Teresa

Ella's Birthday Party!

We celebrated Ella's birthday last night because she was sick on her real birthday. She seemed to enjoy it even though it was a little overwhelming. Regis and I made a racket coming in the door with all the stuff and she started to cry, then turned and toddled into her room in the dark. Poor baby. Emily made a nice dinner, we played, and we left when it was time for Ella to go to bed. She loved her presents, but was a little afraid of the Extreme Elmo...the rest of us thought he was a hoot, though. Check out the video here:
http://homepage.mac.com/tsaum/iMovieTheater56.html
and more pictures here:
http://homepage.mac.com/tsaum/PhotoAlbum55.html

Teresa

My Sweet Ford...Adios, Gerry!

Now, where do you suppose in the universe, this photo op occurred? How strange. I didn't watch any of the festivities surrounding the Ford funeral today...too busy at work. My only real memory of him is getting into an argument with Mike Erickson in Brannigan's when I was in college. Barb Johnson and I made some innocuous comment about Ford and Mike exploded. He was probably more sophisticated politically than we were. Barb and I were your classic dumb blondes in those days. Not like the savvy broads we are today.

I went back to work today after ten days of rest and relaxation at home. It wasn't exactly that with all the holiday preparations, but there were several days I didn't leave the house and a few where I didn't get dressed until afternoon. It was a nice break from getting out of bed every day at 5 and dragging my butt to the EBD school.

Oh, by the way...regarding the title of this post: That's the title of a Beatle's song. I'm not harboring romantic feelings for the former president.

Teresa

Happy New Year! Happy Birthday, Ella!

This is the front yard this afternoon...two hours of snow clean-up last night cleared the sidewalks and we got both vehicles moved into the driveway. It's a gorgeous sun-filled day!
This is the western sky this morning about 7 a.m. It was pink and purple opal-like colors and I was afraid it wouldn't show up on the photo but this is what it looked liked. What a pretty morning after the last week of dreary rain.

New Year's Eve was quiet for all our plans. With Ella sick and all the snow, we cleaned up the yard then ate dinner and watched Great Performances on PBS. I was expecting a Prairie Home Companion format...not Vince Gill and Garrison Keillor shopping for the ingredients for peanut butter fudge. Lame. When they finally started the show, it was great. Lots of good blue grass music...but by then we were tired so we taped it. I finished watching it this morning.

My last day of vacation and I have wallowed in it. I went back to bed this morning after Regis left for work, then sat in my robe until 2:00. A neighbor came to borrow the snowblower and I was a little embarassed. Tomorrow is back to the salt mines. Ugh.

Teresa