Baby robin

Regis, Peter, and I were sitting in the yard last night watching the grill cook our burgers when a baby robin hopped through, very oblivious to us. He had real feathers but still some baby fluff and he looked very vulnerable. We didn't see a mama (who has been guzzling grape jelly) taking care of him as he went through the garden and into the neighbor's yard. It's 41 degrees this morning so I'm worried about him. He didn't look big enough to make it on his own.

Regis and I tried to watch the movie Hot Fuzz last night. Peter said it was hilarious but I warned him that we might not find it so funny and sure enough, we're waiting and waiting for the parts that are funny. I chuckled a time or two but there were no guffaws and when Peter left for Mankato, we closed 'er down and watched an episode of Seinfeld.

I don't have much imagination this morning, don't have much inspiration or gumption. Don't have much interest or concern or drive. What I have a lot of is apathy, disgruntlement (is that a word?), lethargy, and cynicism. That's not a healthy combination! Ok, maybe after a shower and some coffee we'll start the day with a new attitude. Then again...

Wild horses

These are the wild horses that dragged my ass to work this morning. We had such a nice weekend that it was very hard to go sit at a desk and push papers. I really need a big cardboard box to pile all that crap in so I can store it somewhere until my gumption comes back.

It looked like rain this morning so I tossed a couple bags of grass seed around the yard and we decided, after work, to go out for a cheeseburger rather than cook on the grill in the rain. While we were sitting at Patrick's, the sun came out and it's a gorgeous evening.

Geezer Row at Patrick's was well-populated today. The (geezer) men were all lined up watching the weather on the Mexican television channel. They aren't watching the weather, believe me. If there were hot chicks reading recipes, they'd all be interested in cooking.

I can't recommend enough, the book about the Mayo brothers that I'm reading. It's entertaining and fascinating. I'm almost done, which will make me sad, but I have a Louise Erdrich book, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse: A Novel, waiting. I got in the mail today, the only journal I subscribe to: Creative Nonfiction. This edition is called The Anatomy of Baseball which doesn't interest me too much but we'll see.

Yesterday I noticed the robins were constantly at the tray feeder and the grape jelly feeder. I wonder if this is typical for them and they're just worn out from feeding those babies. Tom said one of the babies from his nest was dead this morning and laying at the bottom of the tree. Maybe it didn't get enough to eat. It's a good thing we can't interfere with nature more than we do. We'd all be out in the woods sheltering baby turkeys from the rain and feeding the wild birds in their nests.

I hate going to bed when it's light out. I wonder how people stay up until dark in these lengthening days before the equinox. I can usually make it until 8, then make the excuse to go to bed and read. We bought solar lights for the garden Saturday and I realize now it's a waste of money because we'll never see them lit.

Spring!

Remember the bird bath I bought at the Rock Bend Folk Festival last year? Here it is in the garden. On the right is a little fairy hovering over the water. She's hard to see.











This is the gazing globe I got for Christmas. It's so pretty I hated to take it outside. It's right by the oriole feeder so maybe it will attract some birds.












The apple tree is just beautiful. In yesterday's wind, it lost some petals but it's still gorgeous and still full of birds waiting for the feeders.












Red tulip.













Creeping phlox.










Minnesota redbud tree. It blooms before the leaves come out. For a small tree, the leaves are huge and shade a large part of my garden, so the sun-loving plants are gone and have been replaced by hosta and astilbe.

A day off!

And that's a big joke. I just go from a paying job to a non-paying job on weekends. We had a very nice time at the Hynes house last night, though. We sat on the patio for hours and talked and watched a pair of robins feed their constantly hungry babies.

Peter is on his way home today. He's spend a couple months in the basement suite and then will move on to his own apartment, we hope. I put all my winter clothes away and dusted in there so it isn't quite so dreadful looking. There's something about winter clothes in May. You'd like to put them all in a bag for the thrift store because you can't imagine wanting to wear them again, ever.

We're having a burger and hot dog patio party at the Hynes house again today. I sliced tomatoes and onions real thin, chopped an avocado, made some cucumbers in vinegar, and bought Hebrew National hot dogs. We saw them on the food channel and thought we'd give them a try. They're kosher and they answer to a higher authority. It says so in their ads.

Tiffany and Eric are coming home for the party today. We're also celebrating their engagement. They don't plan a wedding for a year so there's time to go nuts, but Tiffany wants a low-key wedding, maybe at the library. I love that idea. When she called to tell me they were getting married, I cried...of course.

Well, on to the weekend. The lazy part of the weekend.

First grill-out of the season

Some people are of hardier stock than us but we grilled out for the first time tonight. It was about 70 degrees when I got home so I sent Regis to the store for potatoes and cabbage. I had a few carrots, an onion, and a bag of chicken wings. My favorite was the carrots. They cooked in a foil pouch for a while then Regis dumped them into the wok with the potatoes so they got nice and dark.

We had a glass of wine, watched the birds, criticized our compulsive yard freak neighbors, and had a wonderful time. The apple tree is in bloom and the feeders are full of birds. The little yellow finches are in line but we haven't seen an oriole yet even though the grape jelly is waiting. A weird bird feeder phenomenon: In the winter, birds will not eat the hulled sunflower seeds out of the big feeder. Do I throw them out now? They get wet when it rains but it was a cold winter and they couldn't be bad, could they? This has happened the last few years so if anyone has an answer, I'd appreciate it.

Speaking of yard, we have some grass on the edge by the shrubs that's about 8 inches tall. I want it all to be like that: It's going to seed, it waves in the wind, and it's a beautiful shade of green. Who started this well-manicured lawn concept anyway?

I met my friend Jill for lunch today and brought her retirement bell, her cards, a little present, and my speech. We both cried, such saps. It's such a gift to have good friends like Jill.

I'm still reading the book about the Mayo brothers. It's getting to be like the book Oranges (one of the best books ever) that I read a couple years ago. So much of it is so fascinating that if I can get someone who is a tiny bit interested, I'll tell them all about it. Regis says he'll read it but I bet he won't. It's a commitment, this book. Ms. Clapesattle tells a lot of anecdotes but I've gotten interested in the lives of the Mayo brothers so it doesn't seem like non-fiction anymore. Next time we go to the Mayo Clinic I'm going to carry it around under my arm with the cover out. I'd like to know if there are practices started by the Mayo brothers that they still ascribe to today, like always discussing their cases. More people should read this book.

I need a haircut. I usually like how Patrick cuts my hair but it just won't get up and dance this time. It lays there like well-behaved hair. Tame hair is just not my style.

Dog medical report

It was Jane's birthday yesterday. Here we are in the front seat of her red Mustang. Regis is packed in the back seat. We drove up and down the country roads visiting the places we used to go. Happy birthday, Jane!

Kramer went in for his grooming and well pet visit yesterday. They asked if I wanted the senior blood panel to check his liver function. I said no, he feels fine. When I picked him up they recommended he have his teeth cleaned and that he see an ophthalmalogist for his cataracts. I declined that, too. Regis said they're probably down at the court house getting an order for protection and placing him in foster care. We obviously can't be trusted.

I went to the teacher's retirement party after school yesterday. I remember sitting there as a young teacher thinking those retiring people looked so old. They don't look so old anymore. I spoke for my friend, Jill, who retired from the district but not from teaching. I cried, of course, and wondered aloud who let me volunteer to do this. Most of the women got weepy and even a few men. It's a poignant passage.

Regis stopped last evening to tell us about his haircut. He's looking for ways to limit trips to Mankato so he found a barber in St. Peter to cut his hair for 14 dollars rather than going to the fancy places in Mankato for 35. He loved the old school barber shop below street level and said Nate is a true character. (Charlie, did this guy buy the shop after Glen retired?) The little quip on Nate's card says: Get slicked up.

We had one whole day without rain yesterday. Today doesn't look so good. I don't mind the rainy days because the sunny days have been killer for allergies. I just checked the allergy index on Accuweather and right next to that little monitor is something called a frizz index. What the hell. Is that hair frizz? Does it mean humidity? Then I demand an index for people with fine hair...a limp index.

Smelly house

I made lo mein and marinated tofu last night for dinner. This is one of my husband's favorite meals but one I can easily never eat again. It leaves the house with an intense smell that doesn't go away for days. A nasty reminder.

We watched part of the first season of Feasting on Asphalt last night. I thought it was the River Run from New Orleans to Lake Itasca but it was the east to west trip. Still very entertaining. The weirdest food was something they ate in Indiana (I think)...brain sandwiches. A deep fried slab of pork brain. I don't think I'd be willing to give that a try, thank you very much. I did learn to eat nuts in Iowa and I don't mean the legume variety. They made little baskets of deep-fried animal testicles and served them as an appetizer. Hey, they taste like turkey!

Our poor grungy looking dog goes in for a haircut and a bath today. It's more like a shave, nothing very fancy but they trim his nails and clean him up so he smells good. That means by this afternoon, he'll be looking in the yard for something in which to roll. He likes going to the vet but he can't be around other dogs. They put a note on his chart: Kramer does not play well with other dogs. He also can't see anymore so he bumps into things. He doesn't leave the house on his own so I guess he's safe.

We have the district retirement tea this afternoon. It always makes me sad, so many good people that I won't see around school anymore. Last year I added it up and it was over 200 years of experience. I offered to say a few words about my friend Jill, who is retiring from the district but continuing in her other job. I'll try to get through that without weeping. People who aren't weepers don't understand. It isn't always sadness that makes me weep but this big ball of emotion that needs a way out. I know it makes people uncomfortable but it can't be helped.

It's a busy Wednesday. I'll be glad when it's over.

Felonious assault

I have been looking over Regis' new benefit information. Among the many things that amuse me are these:

The felonious assault benefit. It a felonious assault results in a guy's death or dimemberment, there is an additional benefit if the assault is not committed by his spouse, a member of his household, or a fellow employee. I suppose those are statistically the most likely to commit a felonious assault upon a guy.

The coma benefit. If a guy is in a coma within 30 days of an incident and in said coma for at least 3o additional days, there is an additional benefit.

The repatriation benefit. If a guy dies outside his home state or country, this benefit pays to get your remains home.

So, you can imagine that I wonder if you are the victim of a felonious assault perpetrated by a stranger outside of Minnesota and are in a coma for 45 days then die, does it pay triple? I suppose some would think this is morbid wondering. I think it's just finding humor in insurance language.

I'd say the allergy meter is way up today. I'm having a most unpleasant attack (not the felonious type) of sneezing and coughing. Most unpleasant.

I read something today like this: I thought I was getting more patient as I got older but it turns out I just don't give a shit. I thought that was hilarious.

Regis is over there writing on his blog. I think it's something political because he looks agitated. I try to ignore that stuff because it's like horse racing. The minute you start to care, your horse falls down. Or baseball. The minute you start to care about the World Series, there's a line drive to left field and a triple play. And I have no idea what that means.

Well, off to bed.

Happy Mother's Day to My Mom!

Here's my mom, Shirley, on her 76th birthday. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I survived house cleaning

I got up before 7 and commenced house cleaning.

The word commenced makes me think of the time I was going to put a rock garden in the back yard and I succumbed to the ads to Call Gopher One Before You Dig! How did I know they were going to conduct the Spanish Inquisition about my plans? The woman I spoke with wanted to know if I planned to use dynamite and where the nearest intersection was that would be accessible to an ambulance. What the hell, lady, I said. I'm making a rock garden. There is no dynamite involved. Then she wanted to know when I planned to commence digging. That is the exact word she used...and she said if I didn't plan to commence digging within 48 hours I would have to call back and give them the information again...about the dynamite and the ambulance accessibility. I started to laugh and said maybe they should screen calls so people like me wouldn't have to answer such ridiculous questions. I'm not making this up.

So, the house cleaning was fine. I don't see dirt so well so it happens often that I look back later and see things I missed. The same happens with paint so don't ever ask me to help you paint. I ran the Spot Bot a few rounds on the carpet. That's pretty disgusting. Anybody who is considering a dog ought to come over and take a look at the dirty water that comes out of that thing before making a final decision. Laurel, are you listening?

Other than the house cleaning it was a nice day. Tiffany came down to work this evening so we went out for lunch and spent some time visiting this afternoon. Ella came over to play for a while and now Regis and I are contemplating our evening plans. We had to make a list and vote on what we wanted to do. I think it's a symptom of my seasonal allergies that I'm indecisive. The winner was to watch the movie Arthur and order a pizza. Bet that makes you wonder what the other choices were.

While we were eating breakfast this morning, Regis got another call from the liquor store in Mankato. This was another manager who wanted to apologize for not having the wine we wanted. Really, this was a twelve dollar bottle of wine and only two dollars off. We aren't talking Dom Perignon. This was not a heinous crime against humanity and it was not worthy of five phone calls, one on a weekend. We got a new ad today and I said we should go over there, find something else that isn't available and send them an email. It takes a twisted mind to think of something like that.

We had a rose-breasted grosbeak and a male cardinal in the bird feeder at the same time this afternoon. Also a few grackles and a sparrow, but I guess they have to eat, too. The yellow finches are lined up in the trees waiting to eat at their feeder. Maggy is back from Dubai next door and will be our alarm clock for the next few weeks until she adjusts. Maggy's the dog not the human. And that's all the wildlife news from our house.

This is a picture of the fishing opener on Upper Red Lake. It's snowing. I remember hearing a story about a guy fishing in a snowmobile suit and he was struck by lightning and it melted the zipper shut. Now, that is a sign. How can this be fun?














This is the weather map for Minnesota. The blue areas are snow. One would hope that it melts before it enters the air we breathe but the picture above says not necessarily so. That northern blue area is right about where Upper Red Lake is. People who live in temperate climates do not want to come here. It's cold. It snows in May. The mosquitoes will be the size of Apache helicopters. Miles, I hope you still fit into that Patagonia snow suit, pal.

Crossing the finish line with one leg tied behind my back

I made it to the end of the week but just barely. I don't remember if I mentioned this or not but I've decided I have seasonal allergies. Sunday night I was so miserable I was sure I was coming down with some horrible flu or at least a bad cold. It never materialized but I continued to feel crappy until I got some Zyrtec. I felt better with that but still was so tired I could hardly drag myself around. What a whiner.

It's a beautiful afternoon but the rest of the weekend is supposed to be cold and rainy. I have to clean the house tomorrow...not my favorite endeavor...and I guess some of our off-spring are coming for dinner on Sunday. Regis says he is in charge and I only have to decide what I want to eat.

Work has been stressful lately as the ends of school years are. I called a friend of mine after school today and said what if it never gets better, what if every year we just get tired of each other's BS earlier and more intensely, what if we lose interest more and more every year. And I think, it occurs to me just now, that I have had this thought before, too. My theory before was that one day you just stop showing up and nobody misses you for a while and finally they ask where you are. Funny.

A guy from one of the local cable companies came around last night peddling cable television. He wanted to know what we had for cable service and phone. When I said we didn't have either service he looked at me like we were the Flintstones. Once in a while, I miss tv. I miss the cooking channels mostly. Alton Brown mostly. This week I watched a couple old dvd episodes of Law and Order. I really like that show but a steady diet of it makes you think the world is full of scary people and you should stay inside with your doors locked.

This cute couple from Waseca, about our age, won the lottery this week. I wonder how long it takes to get the actual money. They said they weren't planning to quit work but I think it would be hard to work up the motivation if you had that kind of money. I think I would leave a message in the middle of the night. Don't look for me in the morning.

We went out to school to pick up a book that I forgot and Regis wanted to stop at the grocery store. I wouldn't go in because I have on my twenty year old Eddie Bauer shirt. It's so worn the seams are about the give way and it's baggy and ugly but very comfortable and always my first choice after a long week. But inevitably, when dressed like that, you run into people on their way to some fancy dress ball. So I let him go it alone.

While I was sitting in the parking lot, I thought about how writing on a blog has changed the way I think. Often during the day, something will happen and one of my first thoughts is about how I would write it and I think about the interesting details and rehearse writing it in my head. I don't think I ever sit down to write without having thought about at least some of the stuff beforehand. Hard to believe when it all seems like such drivel in the end. Some of the best stuff, I forget before I get the keyboard. Believe me on that one.

Oh my achin' backside

This week has been nine days long already. It started with the marathon yardwork on Sunday, then the advent of seasonal allergies, a night in a bad bed (grand, my ass), almost three hundred miles on the road, and a lot of damn cranky people. I feel like I can hardly drag myself around by the time I come home. Regis really likes tofu so I put some in the marinade tonight but we realized it takes a long time for the flavors to seep into that rubber, I mean tofu. So we got some really unhealthy chicken at a franchise that will remain nameless. It's against the laws of nature to say the name of this place in the same paragraph with tofu.

One of the big grocery stores in Mankato sends out an ad once in a while. My favorite summer wines was on sale in the last brochure so Regis made a special trip over to get a bottle. The manager said they don't carry it because they don't have room and seemed to think that was reasonable. Regis got a burr under his saddle and sent a letter to the store, telling them how much we like so many other things about their store, but not this particular thing: That they don't sell the wine that they picture in their ad. Well, he got three phone calls today: One from the vice-president of la-dee-da, one from the chairman in charge of wine in ads, and one from the new manager of the liquor store. They didn't really want to do anything for us, which was fine. We were just making a point and I guess they heard it.

My neighbor gave me five little potted plants today. Two tomatoes, two zinnias, and an Italian pepper. I think he was trying to make up for borrowing my tiller and leaving it out in the rain for a week. My other neighbor with the lawn tractor came over and mowed my yard. I delivered a few dirty looks to my husband and son, as in, "Go deal with that SOB" but they wouldn't. We like to have a small carbon footprint and here is this guy blowing enough carbon to light New Delhi just to mow my boulevard. It wasn't long enough to mow yet anyway. Yard freaks. Harrumph. Oh yeah, then he brings over a gas-powered blower to blow the clippings off my sidewalk. That is not a high enough priority in my life on which to waste petroleum products.

Somebody is going to have to take it up with this guy and it might be me. I realize he's trying to be nice, really I do. I'm just nuts about this kind of thing.

mom's day & spring

Ah, spring arrives in Minnesota.
Finally.
A daffodil has been blooming in my garden
for a week because it's so cool and wet.
A nice side effect of the horrible weather.




A grumpy face in the garden.









One red tulip.







My favorite flower pot that looks like GW.









Lilies pop through the ground
and you can almost see them grow.







My first baby on her second day with me.
Tiffany is 23 now.









Peter and Tiffany. It was hard to take a picture of them
apart.






Bob and Emily.
Our grown-up kids.










Regis and Amber.
Laughing.









And my little Ella.
Reasons for Mother's Day.

I didn't and I haven't

I didn't clean the porch on Sunday. We decided since the city was coming to pick up yard waste on Monday, we would clean the yard and the garden instead. I always underestimate how long a job like that takes and how out-of-shape my muscles are. I think we started at 10:00 and I finally limped in at 4:30 to take a bath. We had a waist-high pile of grass, leaves, and branches running the length of the house. We only have three trees so I don't know where all that crap comes from but there it was.

Monday we left at 6 a.m. to be at the famous M Clinic in R for more tests. We parked in the Kahler ramp and hiked over to the Clinic. This was not easy since the muscles in my legs and arms were crying our for mercy. One test after another through the day and finally a meeting with the doctor. I seemed to be coming down with something and fell asleep in the chair in the waiting room until I woke myself up with a sharp snore. Always a nice touch.

When I wasn't snoring in the chair, I passed the time by playing What Not to Wear and I eavesdropped on conversations. It's not like it takes that much work to eavesdrop as there are people everywhere and if you're curious about humans, it's interesting. Grand drama played out right before your eyes. I won't repeat what I heard...that would be impolite.

The doctor, who told us he was the second best diagnostician in his class, said he cannot diagnose this so far. We suspect this might be a contest where the doctors get points for ordering tests, like they did on Grey's Anatomy. My favorite test was the EMG where two doctors, three technicians, and a mighty machine poked Regis with needles for three hours (and what will this cost???) to come to the conclusion that the nerve problem (neuropathy) that what makes his big toe not move up is not the cause of the weight loss but the result. It comes from crossing the legs too much.

After we checked into our room, we wandered downstairs to Martinis in the Kahler where we had a wonderful dinner of Kobe beef sliders, green olive crostini, and a prime rib panini. The beef of the Kobe sliders comes from cows who are raised on a diet of beer and sake and they get daily massages to relieve muscle stiffness. They were delicious and not very expensive but I had two beers, Stella Artois, for which I paid 11 bucks each. Ouch. I should look at the price first.

In the past 24 hours, I've taken four naps and slept 12 hours through the night with no help from Ambien. Even for a champion napper, this could be too much.

More weekend activity

We had dinner last night with Young Reg's in-laws, Peggy and Mike. Very nice people and lots of fun. They live in Grand Rapids so their stories are about snowmobiling and ice fishing and moose. Actually I don't remember them telling moose stories but it sounds so up north.

Patrick's was packed...looked like a wedding party, maybe some prom-goers, lots of college students and parents, and the general riff-raff to watch the Kentucky Derby. Ella and Emily stayed home because Ella is developing a bad cold.





We stopped at the liquor store on our way to pick up a couple lottery tickets. Regis found a pile of t-shirts for a buck each so the men at the party all got party favors...Jagermeister t-shirts.

We also celebrated Amber's birthday with a present of Bath and Body Works products and a bottle of wine. That could mean a really long bubble bath and a big glass of pinot grigio. Nice way to spend Sunday.

I'm almost done with the furniture rearranging around here. I made an ad to sell the piano which I kind of hate to do. I always wanted a piano but in the years since we've had it, I've taught myself two songs, Lavender's Blue and For He's a Jolly Good Fellow. Quite a repertoire. Nobody ever plays it and that's not a good life for a piano. It should be somewhere it's appreciated.

I think I'll clean up the back porch today.

Cool and windy

We didn't get any snow last night which was a relief but the wind has battered the house all day again. Poor birds can hardly land to eat on the feeder. At least the sun is shining.

I'm going to Rochester with Regis on Monday. He has tests and appointments all day until late afternoon, then another early morning appointment. I decided, because the whole process is stressful, that rather than driving home, we would stay over. So I made a reservation at the Kahler which is right across the street and connected by the subway system. They have a room that's $3000 a night (the square footage of this room is twice that of our house) but we got something much more modest, the list of amenities for which included "toilet". Hmmm. That makes you wonder if there are hotels that don't include one. Maybe it should make me wonder what kind of room one gets for peanuts in an establishment that has rooms for 3 grand.

Ella came over this morning with her daddy, Uncle Reg, Glen, and Tom. The men moved furniture to the storage building while I made a boatload of pancakes and bacon. Ella has a box of toys here but she prefers my basket of measuring cups and spoons, the dog leash, and a small cooler that she packs with shoes. Who needs expensive toys? She wanted to know where Betty was today and why she didn't come to play. Last time Ella was here, she and Betty made paper crowns, cut with a real scissor, and sang a song about a kitty. Ella loved it.

I bought a new printer. There was nothing too much wrong with my old printer but it was almost ten years old and I needed a new scanner. I thought it might make sense to buy a machine that does both things. It might make sense but this is much more complicated than my Epson and I can't figure out how to make the picture quality better. It's a Canon so you would think they would make it easy, but no. If you look inside this beast (it has a stick to hold the hood up like a car) lights flash like a runway or a space ship. Regis has more patience with this kind of thing than I do so I might go back to the Epson.

It's Saturday afternoon and I'm not doing a darn thing that could be considered constructive. The sun is coming in the window, I'm sitting here pondering stupid stuff like printers and the price of hotel rooms, and listening to music. I guess that's valuable stuff even though it isn't cleaning or yard work. My neighbor had one his gas-powered implements going this morning by 9. And so it starts.

Ah, Friday night

We went to see some friends tonight and had a pan of left-over lasagna from a church dinner and several bottles of wine. The rain pounded the windows on the east side of the house, then on the north side. I'm not sure what that means, meteorologically, but it can't be good. We had a good time considering all the wine and beer and Tom's rapier wit. While it's painful sometimes to have friends who remember your husbands and boyfriends from 30 years ago, it's also nice to remember, and to remind them, that they (Tom) dropped their pants in those days, when the party was over.

We're home now, looking at the rest of the weekend. I have to get up early and prepare for the furniture movers. I rented a 10X10 storage unit and I'm moving some excess furniture out of the garage and the basement. I've warned my kids that they have until the end of August to claim what they want, then it's going to the curb. The price of the moving help is breakfast... pancakes and eggs and bacon for twenty. I'm not sure this is a good deal.

I've been angry lately and I'm not sure why. I've thought about job stuff, spring cleaning stuff, getting old stuff, yard stuff, and maybe a combination of any of those. Don't try to give me any bullshit about life is good. I know that but sometimes I'm still pissed. It's just the way it is.

It's a cold monsoon out there

I don't know if cold and monsoon are mutually exclusive concepts but you get the idea. It's freezing cold and there is a torrential rain coming down. Someone looking out the window with me swore they saw snowflakes. I don't doubt it a bit. The bars will be full tonight.

We've made it through another week of testing at the famous M clinic in R. We had a good laugh last night over the fact that Regis has a EMG scheduled because he happened to mention a sore toe which also resulted in him prancing around the doctor's office on his toes and heels wearing a hospital gown. I would have laughed out loud if I had been there. I said he better lock his lips and be careful what he scratches while he's there. If they get a hint that anything is amiss, you're in for an expensive test. They may not discover what's wrong but they will certainly find out what's NOT wrong.

The city is picking up yard waste on Monday so we planned to rake and trim trees and pick up sticks over the weekend but...whew...this weather lets us off that nasty hook. I know my neighbors with the anal retentive yard habits are chewing their nails but the lazy ones among us are enjoying the extra naps and reading time.

Well, time to move on into the weekend. More news as it develops.

Trying to stay awake at 7 o'clock

Yesterday was a very long day. Turns out Regis had a bad reaction to the versed so was up disoriented and sick until well past midnight. I watched a movie until 11 when he stumbled out and asked for a summary of the day's events, again. He feels a little better today and has lost that zombie look.

I wonder if anybody else has this hair experience. I have worn my hair pretty short for years now which means it has to be cut often. I try to go four weeks but even that is too long sometimes. I had a haircut on the 27th of March, right before the interview debacle, and made my next appointment for April 30th. A week ago Monday, I started to get the feeling my hair was too long but out of sheer stubbornness, I didn't change the appointment. Then I had a really good hair day on Tuesday so the need vanished and I actually thought hey this looks pretty good. Then from Wednesday on, it's been white knuckles and I have had the urge to offer a drinking friend five bucks to give me a haircut. I'm tempted to buy a curling iron, for God's sake. Why not just get brush rollers and a bouffant hair dryer? The first thing I say to people is: I need a haircut and my appointment is Wednesday. George, the Lebanese guy who used to cut my hair loved it when I said he was an artist. He said, "Well, I don't you to walk down the street and have someone say who's the asshole who cut your hair."

Today

Overheard in the waiting area. Two guys who look like very old Norwegian farmers, talking about whether or not one would accompany the other back to see the doctor.

• You want me to come back there with you?
  
• Yeah, I thought you would.
  
• Well, I didn't know if you wanted me to or not.
  
• Yeah, that would be fine then.
• I know Arlene went back with you a few times. I went back with you before, too, so I just thought you might want me to come back with you.
  
• Yeah, you can come back with me.
• I can come back with you if you want me to.
  
• Well, I thought you would.

And this later:

Arlene's family didn't drink so when we got married, I had two shivarees...one for the family and one for my friends. I got the beer for next a nothing cuz I knew the guy what run the bar.

I wish I had a notebook with me. It was great stuff.

The things I saw on the drive back:

1. Roadkill: two cats, three + raccoons, one possum
2. Redwing blackbirds
3. A flock of pelicans
4. Three hawks
5. A rabbit
6. Mallards
7. Canada geese
8. One guy picking up trash

Regis seems to have survived the ordeal although tomorrow will be a better test than today. He stumbled out of the back room after the procedure like a zombie, pie-eyed and wobbly. He didn't want a wheelchair but I knew we wouldn't make it all the way to the car without one so the nice man got him one. They take good care of you at the Mayo Clinic. ( Yeah, let's wait until I see the bill to pass judgment on that one.) I got the car, pulled up in front of the clinic and pointed at Regis in his chair and one of the...what do you call them?...ran in and brought him out to me. It was a long drive home.

Furniture upset

Reggie came over this afternoon and helped us move our furniture around. I know they were making that circular motion by their ears when I wasn't looking but I don't care. I like to move things around once in a while and it gives me a chance to vacuum behind things that never see the light of day.

I made peanut butter soup for Regis this afternoon. It's one of his favorite foods. Here's the recipe:

Wayside Inn Peanut Butter Soup

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup peanut butter

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon onion salt

1/8 teaspoon sugar

1 and 1/3 cups cream or 1 can evaporated milk

Heat chicken broth to boiling. Add peanut butter, stirring until smooth. Season to taste with celery salt and onion salt. Add sugar. Stir in cream or milk. Heat but do not boil.

This works best with peanut butter like Jiff or Skippy. I tried using Coop peanut butter once and it doesn’t “melt” like the others.

I usually don’t use any sugar as there is enough in the peanut butter.

I’ve used plain milk if I don’t have cream or evaporated milk.

We've had rain off and on all day. A while ago, I was sitting at the table (which is not in front of the living room window) and tiny ice balls were falling from the sky. Snow is predicted again tonight and tomorrow night.

Regis had a minor laundry disaster today. He left an ink pen in the pocket of his shirt which happened to be in a load of my new plaid shirts and colorful socks. Uh oh. I don't complain, though, because I don't want him to get tired of it and quit. I appreciate a man who will do the laundry.

In the midst of my furniture moving today, I have done the following:

1. Took all the table linens out of the drawer and put them on the bed to sort for the thrift store but didn't finish...they're still there.
2. Piled the rest of the winter clothes on the sofa which is not in the dining room.
3. Used the Spot Bot on some areas in the living room.
4. Posted to my blog more than once.
5. Looked at catalogs.

I haven't finished any of these projects and I probably won't. I don't know if this is an ADD problem or just, as Regis says, benign disinterest.

Another thing we've noticed is the dizzying array of products. When we were in the store yesterday, we looked at toothpaste. Not only can we not remember from time to time, which kind we buy of all the kinds Crest makes, but they don't make plain toothpaste. Everything has something to brag about: extra whitening, plaque reducer, especially for sensitive teeth. Same with almost everything you buy...too many choices. I called customer service the other day and waited, pushing numbers on their menu, and by the time someone finally came on the line, I could hardly remember who I called or what I wanted. Hey, maybe it's me.

Later...
I thought it would be a little weird to post four times in one day so I'm just up-dating! I did finish most of my projects today. Not as finished as some people might like, but the bed is cleared off, the bags for the thrift store are by the door, and you can sit on several chairs in each room. Ta da!

Family news

My brother Steve and his wife Michelle's new baby, Chloe. Sister of Ezra, Ian, Duncan, Caleb, and Nicole.












Nicole and Jason are getting married October 4th.

Early Sunday

A forewarning that Thursday is May Day. If you haven't heard of this holiday, here is the scoop:

Handing out May Day baskets is a charming and gentle activity for children and adults. It's a tradition that Louisa May Alcott wrote of in "Jack and Jill" (Chapter 18):

"The job now in hand was May baskets, for it was the custom of the children to hang them on the doors of their friends the night before May-day; and the girls had agreed to supply baskets if the boys would hunt for flowers, much the harder task of the two. Jill had more leisure as well as taste and skill than the other girls, so she amused herself with making a goodly store of pretty baskets of all shapes, sizes, and colors, quite confident that they would be filled, though not a flower had shown its head except a few hardy dandelions, and here and there a small cluster of saxifrage."

Some years I manage a few gum drops in a paper cup with a pipe cleaner handle. Nothing too fancy. My kids liked making May Day baskets when they were little. One year we took one to an older lady in the neighborhood who cried because she remembered getting May Day baskets when she was a little girl in Iowa. Here's a website (of course) with some ideas and directions for May Day baskets.

By late afternoon yesterday, if you had just looked outside, you would have thought it was spring. It was cold and windy, though...much too cold to stand outside while Harvey cooked burgers on the grill. We all huddled in front of the fireplace while he stood out there in his winter coat. We gave Betty patio dishes (plastic ware in bright colors) and a garden flag for her birthday in the great and probably hopeless hope that someday spring will come to Minnesota.

Here's a very sad and sweet story I just read in the Trib. There's a link to a blog written by Matt Logelin from the article. I recommend reading it but you better be ready to take a few of those gulping sobs and then be haunted by it for a long time.

We went to Shopko yesterday and I bought Ella some new toys: Play Dough, a safety scissors, and something called Gazillions of Bubbles. I thought about sidewalk chalk but maybe she's too little for that yet. She asked about the swing last time she was here but I'm not sure she'll fit in that baby swing this year. We may have to go to a bigger size. Maybe Katherine Nova, across the street, can borrow the baby swing. Or the Potts babies. Jill, do you have a tree for a little plastic swing?

I'm anxious to get my new birdbath out. Remember the one I bought at the Rockbend Folk Festival last summer? The birds would have to bring a little hatchet along to chop a hole in the ice if they tried to take a bath in this weather. It's 28 degrees right now.

I have a new niece, Chloe, sister to Ezra. No pictures yet. She was born on Thursday but I don't have many details. The cell phone connection between a hospital in Fargo and my school in St. Peter was not conducive to detail.

If I can get some strong boys over here one day soon, I'm going to mix my furniture up. They've offered to come but I haven't been quite ready. I want to move the sofa and love seat into the dining room and move the dining table into the living room. I'm also going to rent a storage unit for the summer and get some of this stuff out of here and out of my garage. What I should rent is a dumpster. I don't know where this shit comes from, really I don't.

There's a egg-plump robin sitting on the fence outside my window. I can see her fat stomach poking out the sides from behind. Poor thing having to lay eggs in this wind. It will be like the windy day when I put a check in the little sliding drawer at the drive-up window at the bank. A gust of wind came along and took my check and I never saw it again.

What the

My mom lives in Canby, in southwestern Minnesota, and this picture was taken out her front door yesterday, April 25th. That's her little frog band covered with snow. They had about five inches on the ground by afternoon with high winds and poor visibility. Good grief is all you can say to that.

I woke up at 4 o'clock and peered out the window to see we have a covering of snow now, too. The Trib says some places up North will get 15 inches.

Regis and I were sloths last night. We had beef commercials for dinner and sat in front of 30 Rock for a couple hours. Nothing like comfort food and television to ease the pain of a winter that won't quit. We want to go to Mankato this morning just to get out, but I'm not putting a winter coat on again so if I can't go in a light jacket, I'm not going.

Thursday

I went to the Mayo Clinic yesterday with Regis. He’s having some testing done to see why he’s lost so much weight in the last year. It’s an interesting place to be: stories hang in the air over the heads of people in waiting rooms, like wisps of smoke. Once I thought I saw a little play being enacted over the heads of an old couple; scenes from their lives and people from their past. Tiny, shadowy figures with soft voices. Maybe I read that somewhere.

The most stressful part of the trip was riding the Fritsch rocket on the way home. We did 80 mph between Rochester and Faribault, passing everyone in a blur of tail lights and dust. I wish I could draw because I see myself plastered to the seat with my hair straight back and my cheeks puffed out like I’m in some wind machine. I like to drive leisurely and look at the ducks and the farmers and other things. I also like to stop occasionally and get a cup of coffee and a cookie. You can't stop when you're trying to break a land speed record because then all those people you worked so hard to pass get ahead of you.

Next time we go to Rochester, we're going to the visitor's center where they have a museum about the Mayo brothers. That way when people ask us what we did on our vacation, we'll have an answer. A student in Joanne's class was talking about China the other day and I asked him if he knew that the Great Wall was the only man-made thing you can see from the moon with the naked eye. He asked me, in all seriousness, if I had been to the moon. Joanne said, "She doesn't even go to Mankato without packing a bag." Very funny. I have a reputation for sticking close to home.

In case you live in a more temperate climate and want to shed a tear for us, this is from Paul Douglas’ weather forecast in the Tribune today: Minnesota: Land of 10,000 Weather Extremes. Close to 80 degrees Wednesday with air conditioners blaring, the happy tinkle of the Ice Cream Truck. By Friday evening Minnesotans living up north may be knee-deep in slush. Sandwiched in-between: thunderstorms boiling up Thursday, a raw Friday with a cold rain, maybe 1-2” of precipitation, enough for a Flash Flood Watch to be issued for northeastern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.

Lovely. I drove home in a downpour with thunder and big cracks of lightning. One thing I’ve noticed lately is that people who are normally mild-mannered and good-natured are getting downright ugly. They are snappish, selfish, mean-spirited, and overly sensitive. The same goes for me. We all need to sit in the sun and cook on the grill and let our toes have air while we sip margaritas.

Philly family

Regis I and II, or II and II, depending on how you figure your Roman numerals.














Fritsch siblings: Larry, Jocelyn, Kurt, Regis.













The flowers were blooming there and we're all jealous!














Old friend, Jack Hansell.

















Regis likes to take pictures out the plane window.

Some things suck huge like tuesday

1. I peeled up the sticker on the corner of my laptop and thought I could stick it back down but I couldn't. Every time I put my wrist there, kind of essential to using the laptop, it cut me. Great. Now I have a sticky spot where I peeled the HP sticker off.

2. I made Portuguese soup for dinner and it was really spicy. We couldn't figure it out because the only seasoning in it is salt, pepper, and a bay leaf. Oh yes. Then I remember the can of tomatoes with green chiles. That would do it.

3. I have about ten pages left of the book I'm reading. I dread the ending because I'll miss those people. Regis asked if I know the difference between fiction and real life. I do.

4. I have these red velvet (actually velour) drapes in my living room. They look kind of whore house-ish but I've liked them. I realized sitting here in the sun that they're faded on the edges. Like Miss Havisham's house: moth eaten, spider webby, faded, ugly. And I have no interest in finding anything else.

5. There's a window in our living room that looks like it popped its seal. It's foggy and even though I've tried cleaning it, it won't un-fog. For months, I had, on my list of things to do, to call Dean Williams. He's the guy who installed them after the tornado. I was sure they had a ten-year warranty so...instead of calling Dean, I waited and waited and procrastinated until the ten years was up. Now I have this constant reminder of my fatal flaw. See #4.

This is one of those posts that I'm writing in the living room while watching tv. 30 Rock is on and that keeps my attention for the most part. Every once in a while I get an inspiration and type a few lines. It's probably obvious. No flow. Not much inspiration.

A perfect non sequitur

I've told this story to a couple people today and nobody laughed like I did. I was at a meeting the other day where a couple people brought small children. Toward the end, I was droning on about something and a little three-year old boy climbed up on a chair to listen and stare at me like I was the most fascinating thing around. We all realized he appeared to be paying attention, and his mom commented to him that he was a good listener. He grinned broadly and said, "Get more puppies." So, he wasn't listening to me after all. Little kids are a good lesson when you think you're saying important things.

It was 77 degrees when I left work today at 4:00, 67 when I left again for a meeting at 5:00, and 45 degrees and raining when I came home at 6:30. Yikes. Do we have to get the mittens out again? I had to change clothes three times.

Regis says that guy who is running for President for the Republicans has a wife who's rich. Man, why is he doing that? I'd be sitting on the deck of her yacht drinking margaritas and bossing the servants around. He's 71 for cripes sake. He doesn't need that kind of BS in his life. Of course, my husband's theory is that the guy isn't wrapped too tight in the head and this proves it. That's all you're going to hear from me about politics.

Good night to go to bed and read. I recommend The Vision of Emma Blau. It's one of those epic kind of books that covers several generations. It's very good except that a lot (and I mean a lot) of people have died. Not usually under violent circumstances which helps a little since I'm not a fan of violence in any form.

I don't have any more interesting observations today. That usually doesn't stop me, I know. I realized the other day I have about 450 posts on this blog. Some people could turn that into something profitable if they had, say, a plot or some imagination. Ah, well. Lame quips, rants about lawn care, and quirky observations...that's about all you're going to get from me. Hey, that could be a book.

Philly food

This is what the soft pretzels look like in Philadelphia. When Regis got to the car rental place, they gave him a soft pretzel. They tell me you can buy them on the streets from homeless people who are hired to hang off the curbs holding pretzels but we usually find a store that sells them. We have about 49 of them in our freezer now. Regis hauled them back in his suitcase.

Bagel Train Incorporated

175 S Main St, Yardley, PA 19067

This is my favorite Philly treat. The Bagel Train makes the best bagels I have ever eaten. The things we buy in groceries stores around here are not even close. We have two dozen of these in the freezer. Lots of cinnamon raisin and marble rye, which are my favorites, but a few sesame and poppy seed, too.
And some with onions, which I think is an affront to a bagel.




This is the favorite sweet treat: The Peanut Butter Kandy Kake. Regis remembers taking these to school when he was a little kid, two of them wrapped up in a dry cleaning shirt bag. They came in packages of three but his dad charged a tax. Ha. Pretty funny.

Sunday evening

I sat in a lawn chair for a while this afternoon, just enjoying the sun. Then I decided to pick up a bagful of leaves and sticks from the edge of the garden so I got my garden hopper out and scooted along the sidewalk. This is the best invention ever. Even better than the thermos. There's a little spot for a cold drink, you can store your gloves and nippers in the cubby underneath, and it scoots along just fine. It doesn't make corners very well so you have to levitate and turn it by hand...but I guess that isn't so bad.

Regis is on his way home from Pennsylvania. He called from Shakopee to say he'll be home about 6:30 and the boys can stop over to pick up their share of the booty: Tasty Cakes, soft pretzels, and bagels, and hard rolls. He mailed most of his clothes back to St. Peter yesterday so he'd have more room in his suit case for food. His family must think we live in the back woods and the general store is too far away to walk to very often. Hee haw.

I watched the movie Away from Her last night. I really liked it but it's a good thing I watched it when Regis was gone. It was a typical movie for me: long dreamy camera shots, soft music, no action, and a tear-jerker. No war scenes, no car chases, no bad guys. Perfect. Today I watched a few episodes of 30 Rock. Great television. I think I've moved into a love story-comedy phase of entertainment; I've lost interest in the Sopranos.

It looks like some rain and thunder this week. That will be ok. I don't like the pressure to start lawn mowing too early.

It's amazing what you find

Digging around in the front closet that's about big enough to hold two spring jackets, I found four jars of buttons. Remember how I spent of month of January hunting up buttons? Here they are...right under my nose. I also found two bags of grass seed that Regis and I both remember buying...maybe last spring...but couldn't find. One sunny and one shady. We were ready to believe that mice had carried it off seed by seed and that we would have to buy two more bags.

I bought groceries to make nachos, stopped at MGM for supplies, cleaned the clothes off the sofa, and sorted through a week's worth of mail. Tiffany called. She got two tickets for expired tabs within two hours. Apparently the cops in Uptown are winning the war on crime.

Saturday: Paying bills and cleaning. Two things I'm bad at.

It's been a busy end of the week. Regis left for PA early Thursday morning so I got up int he middle of the night to make coffee and see him off. He made it there safely and had only been on the ground three hours and he'd had a soft pretzel and a cheese steak, and bought a six-pack of Yueng Ling. Today he's going to put most of his suitcase contents in a box and mail it home so he can bring back bagels, hard rolls, soft pretzels, and a couple cheese steaks for the boys. Wonder how that will go through airport security.

I don't mind being home alone but I haven't gotten much done. Today I better clean up a little around here. I filled the sofa with clothes last week, intending to sort through them, but there they still are. Not exactly a Martha Stewart look.

Betty and Tom are coming down later for chicken nachos. Ella might come, too, because the boys are geocaching today. Here's the picture of the chicken nachos. Thanks to Emerill. And here's the recipe if you're interested:

Chicken Nachos

Tom made delicious garlic bread last night and some awful concoction that he called fish soup. Betty and I turned up our noses but he said it was good. We said, "We're not eating that!" Maybe a different name, like lobster bisque would help. Fish soup, ugh.

The boys (Bob and Regis are not boys, but you know what I mean) have this strange hobby called geocaching. Here's what it says on The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site:
Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache.

Like my mom says, better than sittin' on a bar stool or chasin' strange women.

Regis says it's 80 and sunny in PA. It's 39 and cloudy here. And wet. I'm afraid he won't come home after all of this: great weather, pretzels, hard rolls, New York pizza, bagels, and Yueng Ling. Hey, coming home to hamburger buns and Old Milwaukee!

I better get something done around here.

Goat fame

If you read my blog often, you know one of my favorite blogs is This Goat's Life. About a year ago, I named an orange goat Xanthoria Elegans because they needed a name that started with X that had something to do with orange. Well, if you read today's post, check out the post for today called Update. You'll see that I have been mentioned:

As reported previously, Big Orange popped out a set of twins, a little orange doe who is currently being called Tangerine (but remember, she will need a Y name sooner or later - we are hoping that Teresa Saum will think of one), and a little black buckling, who is currently being called "the little black one."

Regis thinks it's funny the way I link up with these blog folks but he posts on some gas price blog every day. Now that's weird.

I have to go find a name for the Y baby.

Wind

The wind is howling here. Howling, I tell you. Miles, don't go out without putting stones in your little pockets. You could surely blow away.

I left the high school and it was like a wind tunnel. I was afraid I was going to slam my leg in the car door. Dirt is blowing like a big brown cloud. Paper is blowing high in the sky.

I went to a meeting after school and every time I turned my head I heard a crackling noise like cellophane. I finally checked it out and I had about five leaves in my shirt. Old dead and dried up leaves from last year. Anita laughed so hard she almost had to leave the meeting.

Regis is getting ready for his trip to Pennsylvania on Thursday. I can't think about it because it's too many things to be afraid of...driving fast and flying and toll bridges and probably a lot of other things. I'm such a chicken. It's why I stay home but I try to tell people it's because I don't like to travel. The truth is it causes me so much anxiety that it almost ruins the pleasure.

I'm trying to adjust to a change in my sleeping medication. I am out of Ambien and so I'm back to trazadone. It works fine but only for about 8 hours so I can't take it at 8:00 and then read for two hours because I wake up at 4:00. This morning I made scalloped potatoes with ham and an apple dumpling recipe before 6 a.m. I guess I have to lean over and take it right before I drift off. I think I prefer the Ambien CR.

I finished Steve Martin's book last night and moved on to something called The Vision of Emma Blau. It's an epic the reviews say and I like it so far but I checked Amazon and it only had 3 and a half stars so I won't read the rest of the reviews. I hate it when people say things about a book like, "He didn't spend enough time with his kids". What the hell. They want different characters, I guess.

I ordered a couple things to watch while Regis is gone. One is a movie called Away from Her with Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. The other is the first season of 30 Rock. Other than reading, watching television, and visiting, I don't plan to do much. I had the horrible realization the other day that I would have to do my own laundry this weekend. Regis won't get home until about 7 Sunday night and he leaves for Rochester early the next morning. I guess it wouldn't be fair to ask him to do my laundry. (I'm kidding...)

Wood chipper

We have another power implement in the neighborhood, a wood chipper that seems to have been running non-stop for several days. We're talking about a city lot here, not the back forty. How much wood could there be to chip up for God's sake? It's a scary sight watching someone chip wood, something too horrible to watch but you can't look away. Hey, I've seen Fargo. I really don't understand this compulsive yard work that some people do. But just in case it's your bag, here are directions for striping your lawn. I googled it just to see if there are patterns and there are. One of my other yard freak neighbors was fertilizing his grass today, pay no attention to the fact that we had ten inches of snow a week ago. Nothing like forcing the poor plants into early emergence. He'll start watering every night next week and then, let the mowing begin. We have to neglect our yard just to make up for the carbon footprint of these other cats. Ok, it's 8 o'clock and half dark and that damn thing is still running. I just want to voice my objections.

Happy 21st Birthday, Peter!

Peter celebrates his 21st birthday today in a very mature way: working and doing homework. When he comes home in May, we'll cook big steaks on the grill and maybe have a margarita to celebrate this milestone. Here's a happy birthday message from the Beatles...just for him.

Miss Ella

Ella spent the afternoon with her Nana and Popop. She was enchanting, as usual.


















I think those are stars in her eyes.







I think she's watching me read in this picture but I cropped my ugly weather-beaten self out of the picture. I can't get this dang thing to format right tonight and I'm tired of it. In the last picture (scroll down), we had finished dinner and she wanted to help me "wash up". She's telling us all about it as she wipes the table. She wanted a couple spoons later (well, actually she wanted a knife but I convinced her a spoon would be better) and she washed those up, too.

During dinner, Regis and I heard this watery noise and we looked over to see her squeezing the juice box so the juice spurted out of the straw all over her pants and the floor. We had to laugh. Sorry, Bob and Emily.

Sunday morning

Regis and I have been up since 6, buying groceries and getting organized for the day. We're looking at our new Spot Bot and getting excited about trying it out. Pathetic.

We went to the Bothy last night and heard one of our favorite bands, Becky Thompson and Old School. They were wonderful. She has a voice like a country singing angel and the two guys with her were great, too. Dan Lund is another Minnesota Music Hall of Fame winner and he has a voice like sex and chocolate. His guitar music got a round of applause on almost every song. When they sang Sweet Dreams, I swear people wept. At the end you could hear a gasp from the crowd and one old guy jumped to his feet and applauded. They played until 11 which is late for this crowd, and we didn't even get restless. They play every Monday night at Lee's Liquor Lounge in Minneapolis. If we were the kind of folks who stayed up late or drove to Minneapolis, we'd go see them more often.

Off to do the Sunday thing: laundry, coffee with Betty, Tom, and Michelle, and a few hours with Ella. I have a roast in the crock pot so we can have beef commercials for dinner. It's cold here but the sun is shining which is a good thing. We were getting a little cranky from the extended winter weather.