draggin' myself around today

I have a day of rest tomorrow but I should have taken it today. I went to the Pulse but didn't make 3.5 miles. Had to finish on the stairs. My clothes were soaked when I got home.

I made breakfast for Peter...pancakes and bacon. The house smells so good.

I cleaned out a spot for our tiny freezer. They should be bringing it between now and 2:00. Regis thought they would leave it at the curb. Maybe that's how they deliver things in Pennsylvania but not here in Minnesota.

My neighbor's dog is going crazy again today. Why would someone own a dog that yips like that all day long? It's why I don't keep a gun in the house. Hee hee.

I have a heap of crap in the back porch that will get boxed up and taken to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. How does a guy accumulate all that stuff? Three things we've discovered:

1. Don't look at ads. If you don't look at ads, you don't realize all the junk they advertise that you really don't need but will buy anyway.
2. Don't shop at discount stores. You cannot get out of there without spending a hundred bucks on stuff you don't need but think you do.
3. Avoid stores that offer you a cart. If you have a cart, you buy more stuff. If you have to carry it around, it limits the stuff you buy.

I was looking at book reviews this morning. I think it's interesting when someone reads a mystery and then complains in the review that the book wasn't a romance. We went to hear a reading by an author once. A woman in the audience raised her hand and said she didn't like how the father in the story was portrayed; she thought the character should have spent more time with his kids. What the heck didn't she get about fiction?

I have some things to do this morning. I want to pack up those boxes, send a check for my reunion meal to Rolf, and shoot that damn dog. See you later.

Tiffany graduates

Tiffany graduated this morning from her employment skills class. I cried and cried. So many stories of hope and optimism. I am so proud of her. Bless her heart, my sweet baby girl. 

that steak...oh my and god bless the cow with the big brown eyes

We grilled two big steaks last night with a Penzey's spice rub called English Prime Rib Rub. OMG. Delicious. I can only eat a small amount of beef so I shared the steak Regis ate, then stowed mine in the refrigerator. He had it tonight. We were moved to call the cow man and report on the quality of the steaks. Prime. Wonderful. Delicious.

Today was day #3 of my half marathon training. Oh my. I dragged my feet. I had to do 5 intervals of 1/4 mile sprints...9 mph and 10:30 mph. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but I was sweating like crazy when I was done. I didn't want to do it but I can't quit now. I made it. Tomorrow I have to run three miles and Kris is going to meet me at the Pulse at 5:00 to run to the Catholic Church and back. No significance to that. Sunday is my big day... a 5 mile run. Holy crap.

I'm going to have two kids and a husband out in the driveway doing a man project...checking out the interior or a door for a stuck window. Why do men enjoy this so much? I can see already that this will involve a 12 pack, a couple of lawn chairs, and maybe a pizza.

plan of the day and cows

 I intended to get up at 4 so I could join the 5 a.m. group run. I was there in time but I was intimidated by my own head) so I ran on the treadmill instead. I ran for 3 miles with very briefs stops along the sway to mop sweat and replace fluids. I wasn't really winded at the end which I guess means I can do that much for sure. It's something in my mind that wants me to stop. Probably years of thinking that I would keel over if I exerted myself at all.

I came home to clean up the kitchen and read a little.

Regis and I have been enjoying Radio Heartland although we were disconcerted to find out that they unceremoniously dumped Dale Connelly, the bunch of chumps. Same reason Bruce Davis was dumped by KRBI a few years ago, I suppose. Most radio is canned programming so it's cheap. Some dude sits in a cubicle in Toledo and runs radio stations all over the country. It's disheartening.

I forgot to mention that we bought some organic, farm raised, corn and pasture fed beef from a farmer outside of St. Peter. When I talked to him on the phone, he said he has 12 very happy and contented cows and I could come out to meet them if I wanted to but I declined. I'm afraid once I looked into those big brown eyes, the roasts wouldn't taste quite so good.

Our first plan was to store it across town in Bob's freezer but then we decided to buy a small (5.5 cubic feet) freezer to keep on our porch. We bought such a small one because we're determined to not let it get out of control as freezers are wont to do. This one will hold about a quarter of beef and a few other things.

This farmer also raises happy chickens so we'll try some of those the end of the month. We're trying to avoid factory raised meat.

For dinner tonight, we're going to have T-bone steaks from the happy cows, thanks to the friends who recommended the farmer. Also have lots of greens from the farm, fresh green beans, and a little piece of rosemary and garlic bread from the farmer's market.

My cell phone seems to be on the blink. It refuses to respond to the buttons so I can't see text messages or make calls. Uh oh.

I think I need a nap.

what the...

I've written a lot here about my exercise and how weird it feels, at my age, to become interested in being physically active in any way. I was never competitive, never interested in games or sports or anything that caused a remote sweat in myself or anyone else. So, I'm pondering the why and how of it.

I've done three of those fun runs now. The one last Halloween, the Jingle Bell Jam in New Ulm, and the Freedom Run on the 4th of July. Joanne and I ran and walked together on the Halloween Run but the others were solitary affairs for me.

I noticed at the beginning of the 4th of July run, that there was an emotional response to running with all those people. I almost wept running down Third Street, for goodness sake. What? I had a hard time believing it. I have always been a weeper, but a weeper over a sporting event? It was unthinkable.

This summer I've run a couple times with other people. Once with the group of women that we call "the heavy hitters", the big girls. The women who have run the Boston Marathon, for goodness sake. I'm way out of their league but they're kind and encouraging and it was great fun. There it was...the welling of emotion again. I've thought a lot about it and it's energizing and empowering and exhilarating...it's a thrill. And apparently it's a little bit addicting, this rush of endorphins.

This past week, I started thinking about the Mankato Half Marathon in a way that made me wonder if that was something I really could do. Rachel thinks I can. She says, of course you can. Really?

This weekend, I printed the training schedule spent a couple days studying it. Yesterday, I registered to run 13 miles in October. Toward the end of September, I should be able to run 10 miles so I registered for Women Run the Cities.

I can't quite decide how I feel about this. Am I crazy? I think I can do it. I think I can prepare and do the best I can do. But it feels funny to say it and to write it...like I am talking, in the most normal way, about becoming a brain surgeon or growing another head or sprouting wings. Yeah, it feels like I am talking about sprouting wings and I don't mean metaphorical wings either.

doldrums of july

We're in the doldrums of July. It's hot, it's humid, there are storm warnings about every three days, and I take a nap a day. It's not so bad, really.

This afternoon, in the 98 degree heat, we went up to Tom and Betty's house and paddled around their pool in big floating lawn chairs wearing straw hats and sun screen and carrying glasses of chilled wine. It was delightful. Tom made a beef brisket on the grill and we had fresh berries and potato salad. A perfect summer day. Now we're home watching the storm warnings.

Kids from down the street are walking over for apple pie. Not the kind you bake.

We had a nice time. Amber's brother, Mike, from Grand Forks is here visiting so he came along with Reg and Amber. We talked smart and had a few snacks and some drinks.

It's raining a bit now so it feels like a sauna outside.

Happy sleeping. Hope you all have AC!

random stuff

I've been awake since 3:30. I suppose because I went to sleep so early for which there was no good reason. I feel my summer coming to an end already... and how can that be?

At 3:30, I made coffee and set about paying bills.Good thing we had some money left. Then I took a notion to clean off my desk and get rid of some of the stuff I save but don't use. Two garbage bags later, I moved on to another project. Not yet 5 a.m.

I started a box for the thrift store.

I got a package ready to mail. Or UPS.

I got another package of pictures ready to mail to Iowa.

I did some work (school-related).

I went to the pool to watch Ella's swimming lesson. She went off the diving board!

I went to the funeral for the mom of a friend of mine. She was 95 years old so there were lots of o-l-d people in the audience. Interesting to note how many ladies still wear clip earrings. In their pretty pastel colors and poofy white hair, they looked like cupcakes.

Home again thinking of another project. The problem with my projects is that I am so easily distractable. Maybe I'm done for the day. A nap sounds good.

no such luck

I got a call from the garden ladies last night. I was not a winner in the garden make-over contest. I wasn't too disappointed as the rest of the summer would have been consumed with work and dirt and bugs instead of laziness and we are more than satisfied with our garden the way it is. Que sera sera.

garden ladies

This is my Great Grandma Andrina Matson, Mother of Josie Syverson, in her garden near Ulen, MN in 1930.

Today, two of the master gardeners from St. Peter came to visit my garden for the garden make-over contest. They took pictures and walked around and asked a lot of questions. When they asked me what I liked about my garden, I said it's a combination of a Monet painting and a Superman ring. It changes every year as things move and pop up here and there. That probably sounded strange but I followed up with the wise words of Regis: We want it to be people friendly, animal friendly, and earth friendly. So, we'll see what transpires.

I walked around the garden this morning with my coffee in Aunt Vi's china teacup. Now, there's some good karma for you.

I just read the first paragraph again. I suppose some people don't remember Superman rings. They had the plastic scene on the front that moved when you shifted your hand. I saw a huge one once in a Ben Franklin store in Winona. I've regretted not buying it ever since. Now, there is some junk you need to hang onto for forty years.

celebrating 80 years

 Regis and I went to Canby this weekend to celebrate Mom's 80th birthday. We left about noon on Friday so we had a long and relaxing visit. Friday night we went to the Stateline Bar and Grill. They have your usual cold beer, deep fried bar food, and a cast of characters. Saturday, Mom had a short list of jobs for us. Helen and I pulled a few weeds in the sunshine while Regis and Pat did manly chores. We had a lovely dinner at the Landmark Bistro in Marshall. Nice weekend.

I always have to report the current wildlife sightings. Helen and I were sitting on the deck yesterday afternoon and a small flock of pelicans soared right over our heads. They looked to be enjoying the breeze. We also saw two hawks close up on our drive. One was trying his best to carry a rabbit off the highway...not sure if it was roadkill or his kill but he gave it his best shot.

The garden ladies are coming tomorrow so I had some notion of cleaning up the yard and patio when we got home but I ran out of gumption and we decided that philosophically, they should just see us as we are. So, we just enjoyed the nice weather and got some nice photos of the clouds and butterflies in the garden.

Nice buildup of cumulonimbus clouds. We had a fast and hard rain about an hour later with a beautiful rainbow.

There are four fritillaries on the coneflowers. At least that's my best effort at identification. That's our bird seed garbage can in the background.

Here's a closeup. The little devils move fast so it's hard to capture them. They've been thick on the purple flowers and when you walk past, they all fly up and move around.

This is Mom's 4th of July tree. If you are a regular reader here, you know that I like holiday trees so I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Of any kind. Mom had her table decorated for the 4th of July, too. It was very festive.

Last week we were exploring the option of satellite radio as an alternative to the wasteland of television. One day we had the happy thought that we could hook up an old computer and use internet radio. Now we've discovered Radio Heartland and we love it. Here's what the website says about it: Radio Heartland a new Web-and HD Radio- service that features acoustic and Americana music throughout the rest of the day. Radio Heartland is available in the Twin Cities on HD Radio, and worldwide on the Internet. I have no idea what HD radio is...but it's on the internet at our house.

I had some bananas that were quickly turning to mush so I whipped up a loaf of banana bread tonight. I'm anxious to go to bed so I can read my book. It was recommended to me months ago and I didn't start it until last week and now can hardly put it down. Tomorrow is a busy day, too. I try not to have too many of those in the summer but tomorrow is one.

the very last thing you would expect Peter to do

Peter told us last night that they were having a special sale at Subway so he might work late today and wear the sandwich costume for some extra money. This is about the last thing we would ever expect him to do. Rolling on the floor laughing our asses off. Sorry, Pete.

regis and teresa in the kitchen

I made these two jars of Lebanese turnip and beet pickles this morning. I had turnips from Living Land Farm and I bought a couple beets. I've never eaten them before so it's an adventure! Aren't they pretty?

update on the garden make-over contest!

I got a call this morning that I am one of the finalists! They have some questions they would like to ask so they're coming Monday morning at 10:15 to look over the garden and to talk to me. Now, what in the world will they ask?

garden

I saw in the Herald a week or so ago that they were having a garden make-over contest. I had to write a 500 word essay on why I should qualify for a garden make-over by the master gardeners. This is what I submitted. I was waiting in the car in front of the house yesterday when the master gardeners came by in a car to take a look. They didn't get out of their car, but I could see my essay in the hands of one lady. They sat in front for about five minutes, then pulled into the driveways on either side of our house to take a look at the other perspectives. I haven't heard anything and I'm trying not to be disappointed.

We bought our little house on North 4^th Street about six months before the tornado so we didn’t have much time to think about a garden that first fall. The summer after the tornado, though, we started giving serious thought to where to plant a big, wild, flower garden. We decided to dig up half the front yard and we filled the garden spot with a couple small trees and coneflowers, daisies, false sunflowers,  poppies, and other sun loving plants.

Many of the plants in our garden have history. The moonflower on the corner was chosen because my grandma loved them, the poppies came from my Aunt Vi in Houston, the sunflowers and fern-leaf peony from my parent’s farm, the daylilies were chosen by our grand-daughter, Ella. When she was a little girl just learning to talk, Ella loved to name the garden art animals poked in among the plants: frog, rabbit, turtle, chicken. The first year the fern-leaf peony bloomed after many years of waiting, she came to my lawn chair with the one lone bloom clutched in her hand and said, “Nana, isn’t this pretty?” I wasn’t upset at all but caught my breath as I realized she had come to love the flowers as much as I did. So many connections from generation to generation are in my garden.

We’ve never regretted our decision to put the garden in the front yard as it’s become more than our garden, it’s a neighborhood garden. We sit on our patio and visit with the walkers and joggers and bikers who happen by on a regular basis. Many of them we know now by name and many of them comment on the garden, sometimes on specific plants they notice are blooming or just on the complete picture. They have called it serene, peaceful, and a happy place. They tell us they enjoy it as they pass on their walks.

For all its joys, our garden could use improvement. We’ve struggled with the transition from sun to shade plants, there are spots that have gotten overgrown and spots that are too bare. I’d like to have a place to sit in the garden or some paths so people could walk through it as well as past it. There are many things I love about our garden but this last one, the way it brings family and neighbors and friends together, is my favorite. I know the work of the hands of Master Gardeners would be enjoyed by many people.

birthday of regis 2010

We celebrated the birthday of Regis yesterday with what was intended to be a small barbecue on the patio. The last few years, we've made it more of a bash but for lots of reasons, the crowd was smaller this year. the mosquitoes have been like a plague, too, so that convinced us to send the birthday boy out to do the cooking while the rest of us relaxed in bug-free, air conditioned comfort. This photo is Bob and Emily, Alex and Ella waving good-bye at the end of the evening.

Our friend Vickie came to help celebrate. The three girls sat at the table and Ella did our nails and showed us how she can write her name. Vickie brought the always popular cheese potatoes.

Alex has learned how to wink which amused his Popop greatly. He has also learned to make some great monster noises and I think in general, to get people to laugh. Ah, that is one of the great pleasures of life and he's learned the lesson early. Good for Alex.

Ella was most interested in eating bread and popsicles last night; not so much in eating food with any real nutritional value. Well, you don't come to birthday parties every day so why not eat your favorite things?

I made two desserts: one made of peanut butter chocolate ice cream sandwiches, chocolate fudge, and peanuts and the other made of raspberries and oatmeal crisp with very little sugar. Guess which one all the guests picked? Not even a contest! The raspberry crisp was delicious, by the way.

All in all, we had a good time. We missed Tiffany and Elliot, Regis and Amber, Betty and Tom.

This morning is my first day of real vacation. I don't plan to do much but I do plan that every day this month, I am going to do something fun. I decided what that will be today...but something.

Regis has been working on this picture of me ever since I ran the 5k the other day. Three miles may not be exactly Rocky Balboa material, but it seemed like it to me. Honestly, I got a little choked up as we came down Third Street. That I would ever run down a public street with a bunch of other people that I consider athletic was amazing to me at that moment. For most of my life, except for brief periods of energetic spurts, I avoided walking too far. I was what Bill Bryson calls a waddlesome sloth.

I have a big pile of dirty dishes to do this morning. We don't have a dish washer and I suppose it would be cruel to make the birthday boy get up and do them. Better get at it.

another holiday

 We love holidays. I set the table with the 4th of July dishes (thanks, mom), use appropriately festive paper napkins, light candles, make food that fits the occasion and we celebrate. I especially love holidays that don't involve too many presents but a lot of cooking.

We had a wonderful 4th of July although some parts of it were quieter than usual. The mosquitoes and the humidity were daunting yesterday, even for us. We spent the afternoon indoors with a batch of Emerill's chicken nachos and a nice bottle of pinot noir. Scott and Nikki came by to spend the afternoon and we had a few laughs and ate some good chow. Regis and I finished off the evening watching the fireworks on television because there are no mosquitoes in our living room.

There were some parts of the television fireworks that were bizarre. When did Jimmy Smits start doing the MC thing? Holy crap. Do we need commentary for every flippin' thing? And that Toby Keith dude. Man, that is why I don't like country music.

Today is the 58th birthday of my sweet husband. I bought him a pair of new sneakers a few weeks ago as his present so I don't have to wrap anything up today. We're cooking ribs on the grill for the kids later...Italian country bread is in the oven, making a big tray of fresh fruit and a big green salad, and the ice cream bar dessert is already in the freezer. Happy birthday, Regis!

I might make focaccia bread, too, because I like to bake bread and I can send some of it home with the guests tonight. We've discovered that focaccia bread makes great croutons, too.

I graduated from physical therapy (for my shoulders) today. She pronounced me on the road to recovery and said I should continue what I'm doing at home and at the Pulse.

I added a nice poem to my widgets today...on the right side-bar. I love it. And what the heck are widgets anyway?

We'll try to get some pictures today. Not one photo was taken yesterday and I was a little offended that nobody was there to take a picture of me doing the Rocky thing at the end of the 5K. This will have to do.

Happy 4th of July!

Looks like rain all day which is disheartening. So many outdoor things planned today. I'm ready to go to the Freedom Run but not sure if I can convince Peter to get up and go. He thinks he'll melt.

So, the punk ass kid didn't come but I ran in the rain. My finishing time (not official) was a little less than 39 minutes for the 5k. Go, Teresa. My fastest mile...and I know this because I have a Nike + iPod...was 9 minutes. Too bad I can't sustain that! My goal was to finish and not die and I accomplished that. I could easily have done the 8k. Next time I will.

Here are the weather stats from weather underground:

Humidity:

92%

Dew Point:

73 °F

Wind:

1.0 mph from the North

Pressure:

29.53 in (Falling)

Heat Index:

74 °F

The humidity and the mosquitoes make us disinclined to go to the parade and the park. We might just be wienies and spend the day in the house.

See you later!

July 3rd

We really love holiday weekends. This morning, I got up and did a 40 minute run/walk outside (way more fun than inside on the treadmill!) then came home to wake Regis. He wasn't all that happy about being awakened when he had trouble getting to sleep. I offered to make breakfast on the patio so he fired up the grill and I made bacon and eggs and toast in a cast iron pan. It was lovely.

This afternoon, I've done some prep cooking for tomorrow and Monday. I cooked an andouille sausage for the stuffed peppers, made the chicken for Emerill's chicken nacho recipe, started a loaf of Italian country bread for Monday, and made pico de gallo. I love cooking.

Regis went to take a nap and I'm going to take a bath with a glass of wine. Then we're going out in the country to a party where a band, One Fast Move, is playing. That's them in the picture. Sherry, who invited us, is a math teacher who used to work at the school where I have worked for a million years. They live in an earth sheltered home out in the country by the river. Should be a good time.

Peter and I are doing the 5k tomorrow morning. We have to be there at 6 to sign in and get our bag o' stuff. I bet he'll regret telling me he'd do this with me. Ha! I'll report my time but you know how I am with numbers and I really don't care about that anyway. I have done two runs before and my time was somewhere around 40-45 minutes but I don't remember how long they were. I do this for fun, dang it!

I might have done a little bit too much with my shoulders this weekend...lawn mowing, weed pulling, weight lifting. I can feel it already but maybe the wine and some ice (on my shoulders) will help.

Safe and happy 4th of July. Don't sit home and mope. Get out and do something fun!

breakfast on the patio

recovery

My mental health has made a full recovery as long as I avoid the news and loud noises.

Regis and I celebrated Patrick's birthday and my mom's birthday last night with a world famous patty melt and a glass of wine (or two) at the bar. It was fun. We got to visit with a lot of friends and we got out of there at a reasonable time.

We got up early and went to buy groceries at HyVee. I went to work out and about the time I was walking in the door of the Pulse, Nikki was walking out to run so I joined her. It's way more fun to run outside with a friend than to run on the treadmill like a gerbil. We ran up the hill to the Catholic church and back down the hill to the Pules. About 3 miles total.

When I got home, I tidied up the house and we did some yard chores. A late afternoon nap since we're on vacation and some cooking on the grill made the day perfect. We made a Cook's Illustrated recipe for stuffed burgers that called for bacon and sharp cheddar. Oh my. Wonderful.

We can hear the music from the Redmen's outdoor dance but we aren't tempted. I don't think I have ever attended that event in all the years I have lived here.

I have cooking to do tomorrow. Sunday is the 4th of July and Monday is the birthday so things have go be sous cheffed. I might have made that phrase up but it works. Chicken nachos, stuffed peppers, babyback ribs, ice cream sandwich dessert...on the menu for the next couple days.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July. More to come!

mental health

I've had some mental health issues lately. I know usually people don't want to know the details of a guy's mental health problems anymore than they want to know the details of the colonoscopy but I look at this blog as a kind of mental floss, a way to unburden myself of things that get into my head and burrow around like mice.

So I will only say this:

There have been three or four issues that have plagued me for months. I tell myself that I am done with them and will let them go, but then I go back and ruminate on them again and the whole process starts over...trying to figure out what and why and what next. I haven't been able to let it go.

The whole process has gotten so wearisome that I have to do something. Yesterday I made a couple of last ditch efforts. I drank some wine, I cried, I called my mom, I talked to Regis and now I'm really done with it. If peace is what I want, I can have that if I change the way I think about these things. I'm changing the way I think. I won't cry about this anymore.

Life is hard sometimes.

monday and all that malarkey

Monday was about as welcome as usual. I woke up at 4:30 and went to the Pulse. I was able to ambulate in of my own accord so I guess that's a good sign. I did my usual, then started on the summer challenge but decided quickly that I was going to opt to drop out. Fitness challenge drop out, I am. It was starting to feel like a big drag and I would prefer to enjoy my exercise as much as possible. This is better.

I had a lunch meeting with my friend, Gayle. I told her I was afraid she would want to talk about work and frankly, I am out of work marbles. She asked three quick questions and we went on to talk about things more interesting like Patrick's anniversary party Thursday night, the 4th of July, Tucker and Ella, and her new furniture. I learned in the previous meeting that it's important to have some down time from work so this was mine.

We took Ella to the Living Land Farm with us this afternoon. She met Adan and they had a wonderful time. That little guy is three years old and he pointed out all the vegetables as we went through the garden: garlic, onions, fennel, tomatoes, peas. Amazing. He and Ella picked a couple bags of snap peas in short order. They just couldn't stop talking as drove away. The last thing I heard was, "I'm too little to drive, how about you?"

I'm getting a haircut tomorrow. High time. I might cruise the sale racks at TJ Maxx and Kohl's and we'd like to stop at Mazatlan for dinner.

We have a busy weekend coming up and we're looking forward to it. Hey, Mom, are you coming to celebrate your birthday with us?

4th of July table

Waiting for bad weather.

storms and phones

There were tornadoes and thunderstorms in the area again last night. Regis and I had gone downtown to meet a friend and we had checked the weather radar. It didn't look too bad, at least not ominous. All of a sudden, the televisions started blaring storm warnings, then the television would lose the signal. Anybody who lived in St. Peter in 1998 remembers that we lost contact with KRBI and Bruce Davis right before the tornado hit. The bar was silent as people watched the black screen.

They had a plan to lead everyone to the basement and serve them warm Coors Light but as tempting as that sounded, Regis and I waited until things let up a little then headed home. I'm glad we did because the sirens sounded soon after and we headed to the basement. We were in touch with all kids by text to make sure they were safe. Peter was working at Subway and they had closed so he was hovering close to the walk-in cooler. Tiffany and Elliot were safe in a basement in Eagle Lake. Everyone was safe but I was scared.

As most storms do, this one eventually passed and the sky lightened. It could be a bad summer for storms.

The friend we went to meet had some kind of smart phone which meant she pulled it out of her purse every two minutes to see if something (what? a text message? an email?) had arrived. I've noticed people doing this at meetings, too, now. Phones are always out on the table. They buzz and their owners respond.

This is going to take a whole new set of social norms where it's ok to ignore the person you're with to check your electronic device habitually for an important message about what...an impending heart transplant? It makes me want to throw the things across the room. Really? Can't we just shut them off while we have a glass of wine on Friday afternoon?

I remember when we had one phone in the kitchen with a cord eighteen inches long. You had to stand in front of it to use it. There were ten other people on our line so even if you had time to use the phone, it might not be available. When people called and you weren't home, they didn't get to leave a message and you didn't have caller ID to know they called. If it was important, they called back. It seemed to work.

And don't even get me started on those stupid ear mullet things. Really. We're too lazy to pick up the cell phone?

I know I am being an old crank this morning. Hey, maybe this is one of those generational things. Read this:
Pew also noted 68 percent of Gen X’ers, 50 percent of Boomers and 20 percent of the Silent Generation have slept with their cell phone either on or right next to their bed. Twenty-four percent of Gen X’ers, 13 percent of Boomers and 5 percent of the Silent Generation do not have a landline at home.

On a happier note, something interesting I read this morning: 

Drink, Pray, Sing: My Annual Male Pilgrimage: How bluegrass, bourbon, and deviled eggs keep the men in my family sane, and the women in our lives happy for at least one week a year.

I'm going to exercise and meet a friend for coffee. That ought to improve my outlook!

beer can chicken and cell phone plans

We celebrated Midsummer Day by cooking the best beer can chicken ever. I rubbed him all over with olive oil and a paprika spice mix, stuffed him with fresh herbs from the garden, and set him on a can of Schell's Deer brand beer. We kept the fire hot, about 375, and cooked him for an hour. Oh my. Also cooked a pan of butternut squash cubes. Heaven on the grill.

Peter's phone broke necessitating a new phone. Instead of remaining on our family plan, he moved to his own plan! Hurray and hallelujah! It's our standard for independence...your own cell phone plan. Now 75% of our off-spring are on their own plans and we're happy!

It's Friday, June 25 and I have some major things at work that have to be done by July 1st. I've procrastinated and have a plan to do them all today. Let's see how that goes. I'm not leaving there today until these things are done.

Happy Friday!

Midsummer Day and the feast day of St. John the Baptist

Now, here is a holiday I didn't know about until right now. I wish I had...I would have planned a party.

All over Europe, from Scandinavia to Spain, and from Ireland to Russia, Saint John's Day festivities are closely associated with the ancient nature lore of the great summer festival of pre-Christian times. Fires are lighted on mountains and hilltops on the eve of his feast. These "Saint John's fires" burn brightly and quietly along the fiords of Norway, on the peaks of the Alps, on the slopes of the Pyrenees, and on the mountains of Spain (where they are called Hogueras). They were an ancient symbol of the warmth and light of the sun which the forefathers greeted at the beginning of summer. In many places, great celebrations are held with dances, games, and outdoor meals. 

In Scandinavia and in the Slavic countries it is an ancient superstition that on Saint John's Day witches and demons are allowed to roam the earth. As at Halloween, children go the rounds and demand "treats," straw figures are thrown into the flames, and much noise is made to drive the demons away.

I'm awake early, since 4 a.m., but don't feel like going to exercise. My muscles are sore and I'm draggy. Guess I can take a day off today. Or maybe I'll take my bike out for a ride before school.

Celebrate Midsummer Day and light a fire on your fjord.

a flatlander eats crab legs

So, I'm thinking last week that I would like to eat crab legs again. Real ones. In the last 25 years, I've eaten crab legs one other time and it was wholly unsatisfying. They were about as big as a pencil and it took a mighty effort to dig out any meat. What do you expect off the Schwann's truck? Monday morning, Regis bought a pound of crab legs from our favorite market, not wanting to wait until the Crab Deck opened. These crab legs were a tiny bit bigger than a pencil but a pound of crab legs doesn't go too far. If we had a bunch of hungry guys, I figure we'd need abut 18 pounds of crab legs. In my opinion, they were a conveyance for butter and that's about it.

Yesterday was so hot we declined to cook on the grill. Today about noon, a big wind came through and left fall-like weather in its wake. Seriously, it feels like early October. I prefer this to that so I'm not complaining.

We've been drowning slugs in our spare time. We planted canna lilies in front of the window as we did last year, because the hummingbirds are attracted to them. It's been so damp since they came up that they're full of holes from slugs. Regis filled a couple jar lids with beer and voila...many dead slugs.

This probably needs more of an explanation. For some reason, slugs are attracted to beer. If you put little cups of it, even a jar lid filled with beer, in the garden, the slugs will jump in for a swim and drown. Regis feels it is a worthy sacrifice of a beer.

When I left to go to the Pulse this morning, there were two men's Crocs in the street. One in the middle of the street right in front of our house and one in front of the neighbor's house. I stopped the car and tossed the middle of the road Croc to the side. When I came home, they were gone. Makes a guy wonder how they got there and why they disappeared.

I have to do my shoulder exercises. I'm tired and could go to sleep. I'd rather do that.

wine tour

We had a successful wine tour yesterday. Scheduling was good, we stayed on course, and the weather was gorgeous. Couldn't ask for more.

interesting sky last night

These are mammatus clouds as seen from our front yard. The top photo has been enhanced by Regis with his newly developed photoshop skills. The link will take you to the wikipedia page for mammatus clouds. They're often seen during times of tornadic activity. Here's one more picture that gives you a good indication of where they get the name mammatus.

I'm giving myself until 8:00 to sit and drink coffee and piddle around with my blog and facebook. Then I have to get up and do something. (I've already been to the Pulse to exercise so I'm not a complete slacker this morning.)

Jane and Dick are arriving later this afternoon. We're going to make crab cakes and stuffed peppers, our new bests, on the grill for dinner. We have a good bottle of wine and some cold beer but it will be a quiet night as we get ready for the big wine trip tomorrow.

Here we go.

some things that have made this week a bitch and some things that have made it fine in no particular order

• Tonight we had to turn off the oven where the jerk chicken legs were baking and and hustle to the basement because the tornado sirens were blasting. We're not much for taking chances with that kind of thing.
• Daughter-in-law, Amber, had some scary health issues yesterday that meant an emergency trip to pick her up at work and a trip to the clinic and then to another specialist today. They think they have it diagnosed and it's not serious or life-threatening so we're very relieved.
• Iowa friend, Dick had some health problems yesterday. For a while, we thought it was related to his congestive heart failure but it wasn't. We're greatly relieved about that, too. It looks like they'll be able to come for the weekend.
• The wine I tasted at Olives last week came in Tuesday at MGM and wasn't Emily kind to order it for me? Regis has suggested tapping a bottle to taste it and write a review but so far, I've held him off. It's for special occasions.
• We had some killer meals this week: stuffed portobello mushrooms, stuffed banana peppers, seared tuna, salmon on the grill, steak, and lots of delicious greens from the farm. It's been a good food week.
• It looks like we might pull off this wine tour yet. We met with Al and John at Patrick's this afternoon to make the final plans. We have an itinerary ready and the vineyards have been notified. Now we cross our fingers that the bus doesn't tip over in the storm.
• I started physical therapy for my shoulders. Dang those exercises hurt and the whole thing wakes me up in the night. I have to dig little ice bags out of the freezer and balance them on my shoulders while I sleep.
• Regis says the clouds are ugly and scary and look like they could produce a tornado a half mile wide. This is not good. I hate tornadoes that lurk around in the night.
• Kramer killed a baby bunny in the yard and scared the rest of the brood so badly that they moved out of their little burrow. We haven't seen them since. How an old dog can zero in on a bunny nest that fast is beyond me. I know we have plenty of them but they're so cute.
• We saw a mole in the yard on Monday evening. Now that is a creepy looking little animal and we can see why they hang around below the ground. They do not inspire affection. I won't let Regis use traps to kill them though because they could have tiny violins in their underground tunnels like they do in the picture books.
• I made kale chips one night. Regis ate them. There you go.
• I guess all in all, there have been more good things this week than bad things. We're looking forward to a great weekend with friends and maybe an evening or two on the patio. Say yes to summer!

one of our best meals ever

Seared ahi tuna with lemon oregano marinade

Grilled salmon

Salad with beet greens, lettuce, kale, and baby spinach

Braised radishes

Grilled focaccia bread

Too busy eating to take a picture!

community supported agriculture

This year, we bought a half share of a community supported agriculture project in St. Peter. For 260 dollars, we get a box of vegetables every other week. Yesterday was our first pick-up and here it is!

It was so pretty I cleared off the table in the porch so Regis could take some pictures. There's beet greens, kale, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and garlic scapes. At least one of those, I have never eaten before. We had a wonderful dinner with a variety of new vegetables, one of the best I think we have ever made. The garlic scape pesto was a little strong for our taste. I think next time I would throw in some parsley instead of making it with all garlic.

I have a recipe for kale chips that I tried in the afternoon. You tear the kale into bite size pieces, rub it with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, and bake it until they're crisp. One of our neighbors stopped for a visit and a beer in the afternoon and I served him kale chips. They're not the kind of thing that will take care of a big hunger but the reviews were good. Tasty, light, healthy. Ha!

I'm anxious to try Swiss chard again. Last time, with the chard we bought at the grocery store, it was kind of gnarly and bitter. These leaves are much smaller and more tender.

We've been suffering some nasty weather here. Out of the 15 days so far in June, 11 of them have been rainy. People are starting to get homicidal. We sit on the patio from time to time but it's cold and the bugs are nasty. Last night we sprayed up good with bug juice, lit some citronella candles, and made a go of it. Two neighbors stopped by so you know it's time for the sun to come out. We sit inside all winter...enough of this!

Here's our weather forecast for Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms in the morning...then scattered thunderstorms and isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 70 to 75. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent. Translation: Fifty percent chance of partly sunny to partly cloudy.

Last night I turned on my kindle to read, started the page, then accidentally went back to the menu. I couldn't remember the title of the book I was reading. This is what I don't like about the kindle. There is no aesthetic connection to the book. No awareness of the size, the cover, the author. I think one of the reasons I haven't been reading much is that it isn't appealing. I'm going back to books for a while to see if it makes a difference.

Our big wine tour is this weekend.  We have about 25 people signed up but not all of them have paid yet which is cause for concern. We might have a bus with 6 people riding to the vineyards. Ah, well.

I'm going to finish this cup of coffee then go to the Pulse. Yes, I am.

blue weekend

This is the back side of Lamont Cranston. We had a great time at the blues festival. Friday night we had friends for a glass of wine and nachos before heading down to the Redmen to hear Ross William Perry who I had confused with Brandon Scott Sellner. You can see why. Their mothers named them to be blues singers. Regis Howard Fritsch just wouldn't work.

It was a good time but the wine was really bad. There are box wines I like but this wasn't one of them. This would be better used for window cleaning than human consumption.

There was a golf tournament (or whatever you call golf things) yesterday and it must have started in the morning with a beer swill breakfast because some of the participants who came to the bar later were more than comfortably numb. Our table was by the men's john so we started doing a little research: How many men carried their drinks into the bathroom with them? Results: Almost 100%. One guy took us up on our offer to set his drink down on our table but he took that as an invitation and sat down when he came out. He had a serious mumble going on so it was an interesting conversation.

We're amazed at the people we see at these things. Where do these people come from? Regis said a few of them looked like they came right out of the meth lab and he's right. It's fun to see people that you only see at outdoor music festivals.

I had a great post almost written in my head yesterday morning but it's gone now.

I went for a long run/walk this morning. I'm doing the summer challenge at the Pulse so I had to go a mile further than the farthest I've gone this month. That meant I had to go 5.5 miles. I can't say I was looking forward to that so I got up early, had a cup of coffee, and set out. I do the Jeff Galloway walk/run technique so I have permission to walk when I need to. I made it up the Grace Street hill without dying; always a good sign. I would say there was one stretch, about mile #2, where I almost enjoyed it and didn't feel like I wanted to sit down.

I'm moving on with the day. Soaked in the tub with the variety and travel sections of the Trib, going to make my menu and grocery list for the week, got the laundry down the chute, need to fill the bird feeders. Here we go.

reunion of the class of 1970

I told those people I didn't want to attend my 40th class reunion because it would be a bunch of old people. Haha. No kidding and here's the proof. I get a picture via email today of two of the characters I graduated with and what do you know they're old dudes. I used to ride to junior high football games on a school bus with David, on the right. Heck, that was in the early 1960's which is more than a few years ago. We thought we were pretty funny and we probably were. Holy crap. How does it happen that you get old right before your own eyes?

We made fajitas on the grill tonight and has some pico de gallo with it. Delicious. I made a sugar-free key lime mousse for dessert that tasted like a chemical waste dump. I hate the taste of artificial sweeteners and would rather just do without. I liked the taste of the key lime but the truvia was nasty.

The birds were crazy in the yard tonight and were all over the peanuts and sunflower seeds. We bought a new feeder for peanuts on the recommendation of a guy at the pet store. We weren't getting any action on it and I was ready to do a numchuck on the guy's head. In the last three days, the chickadees have emptied the thing twice. A squirrel managed to get the lid off of one so they can get right into it and eat to their tiny heart's content.

This is the weekend of the Ambassador's Bluesfest in St. Peter. We loved it last year and hope for a successful event this year. We're planning to attend Ross William Perry on Friday night at the Redmen and most of the Saturday events in the park. Hoping for nice weather which ain't bloody likely with the 60% chance of inclement weather in the form of thunderstorms and precipitation.

I'm kind of out of brain cells tonight. 

I'm going to see an orthopedic doctor tomorrow to see what the H is up with my shoulder pain. I can't even run a vacuum without suffering for two days and while it's a nice excuse for not vacuuming, it sort of limits the things a guy can do.

I think Ella is coming over for dinner tomorrow night. She told me I should call her in the morning to see how she's feeling and she would like to come for dinner on the grill if she feels good. Ok then. I like a woman who takes charge of her own future. I can guarantee when she comes she will want to do the following: see Paul's fish, say hi to Katherine, and read books in bed. Those are her favorite things to do at our house. She likes to help with the cooking, too, and always gets the step stool so she can be right up in there to help.

Regis and I are tasting pinot noir this week. I had a glass at Olive's yesterday that was so good and I came back to town and inquired abut it at MGM. Now he's got a spreadsheet of wine reviews and I have to say what I like and don't like about each wine. I'm such a rube. I say, "Yeah, it's good. No chemical smell", which in my book is high praise. He turns that into something that should be in Wine Connoisseur. I say, "Better than Ripple," and there you go.

barking dog

This is a picture of the crab cakes we made on the grill last night. They're topped with mango salsa and served on my new dragon fly appetizer plates. And that's the tiny fork next to it. The crab cakes were delicious.

Maybe you know Billy Collins' poem Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House. It's worth a look if you live next door to a small constantly barking dog. Too bad the snakes didn't get him.

I met some friends for lunch at Olives in Mankato. Karen is moving to Bangladesh to teach at an IB school. IB always makes me think of irritable bowel syndrome but I think that has an extra letter. The food was wonderful. I had the schwarma chicken salad and a glass of the best pinot noir. I'm afraid to look it up...it has to be expensive. Well, here it is and twenty bucks a bottle isn't too bad. Not your every day kind of wine but something for a special occasion.

Here's what the website says: Seductive sun-warmed rose and forest loam nuances mingle with the red fruits, along with roasted coffee bean and vanilla notes from barrel aging. There's a hint of tangerine zest on the long, fruit-imbued finish. This wine's silky flavors, bright acidity and fine tannins make an elegant pairing with grilled salmon, wild mushroom risotto or roasted turkey and lamb. The myriad of dark fruit and floral notes in this Pinot Noir come from the cool, windy Los Carneros American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the southern reaches of Napa Valley. Satsuma plum, blackberry, red rose and violet notes weave through the enticing aromas. Silky, elegant flavors echo the aromas, adding blueberry and plum to the rich fruit complexity.

Oh, man. 

There was a man at the next table absolutely expounding about nearly everything. One thing he said that made me draw my notebook out of my purse and start taking notes on his rants: If food is unarmed, I eat it. He got a little quieter after that so I only got snippets but he went on and on about astrology and astronomy and ecology. I bet it was a tiresome lunch for his pal. Uff da.

Regis and I made a trip to the liquor store late this afternoon to find a few red wines to try. Regis has always been a beer drinker but decided to try wine. I loved the Acacia wine I had today so we asked about that one. The young woman helping us found the wine buyer who called her supplier. Holy crap. We buy wine that costs less than ten dollars a bottle so this was pressure. She was very kind and offered to order up some of the Acacia by next week. We came home with a couple of other cheap bottles to sample. She showed us a bottle of 75 dollar pinot noir but that's a little rich for our taste.

We're sitting here with a bottle of very cheap Lindemann's wine and trying to make notes like we're wine connoisseurs. Damn blogspot. Keeps putting italics where I don't want them. It's my fault. I couldn't spell connoisseurs and had to google it and paste it in to my post. Hell.
So now we have a document with our wine reviews. I'm sure, since we are captivated by our imperfect lives, it will become part of the blog at some point.

luverne and a happy graduate

Here is a picture of my sister-in-law, Helen, and her daughters Rachel and Amanda. Rachel is the happy high school graduate. They had a nice party at the coffee shop downtown in Luverne. Mom was there and it was fun to see her. Regis and I left St. Peter about noon and got back to St. Peter at 7 so it was a lot of butt time in the car. I love the landscape down by Luverne...that's real prairie. As my grandma always said, "It's a good thing to see from horizon to horizon". I think she meant that nobody can sneak up on you in a place like that.

I planned to sleep in this morning since I don't have to go anywhere but I woke up at 4:00 like I always do. Damn. I might try to go back to sleep. Maybe I feel a nap coming on today.

kramer update

It cost us 150 dollars to find out that the dog has a back problem (nerve and disk) that old dogs get. He is on strict rest for 4 weeks which is ironic since all he does is sleep and bark at an occasional squirrel. He is not supposed to jump on furniture or go down stairs. We only have a couple steps in our whole house so that isn't a problem but keeping him from jumping on the furniture will be impossible. They gave him a RX for some pills that are mostly chondroitin. Chondroitin costs about $1.99 at Walgreen's, but apparently more at the dog pharmacy, so you can see they didn't read his chart where it says "this dog has exceeded his out-of-pocket maximum".

sad saturday and is it summer yet?

I woke up at 4 this morning. I'm sad today. Our little dog is having trouble with his back legs and I have a feeling this won't end well. Regis is very sad and upset. Poor Kramer. We'll take him to the vet this morning to see what they say.

I'm also sad about some of the people in my life.

I cried twice this week. Maybe it's just end of the year fatigue. I don't think I work that hard that I should be fatigued from it but what the hell. Maybe as you get older it takes less to beat your ass.

I vacuumed my office yesterday and got the worst back and shoulder pain from it. The lesson is that I should avoid that kind of cleaning activity.

I haven't seen Elliot since Peter's graduation and I haven't seen Ella and Alex since Mother's Day. You'd think we lived in another state instead of across town.

The gnats have been so bad lately that we don't sit outside so much. I miss it. Maybe I have nature deprivation disorder.

I planted the moon flower yesterday. I bought it because I remember Grandma loving them. I don't recall that she had them vine up anything...they just grew across the ground. This thing was trying to escape the pot when I brought it home. I put it under a thing so it can grow up. We'll see how it goes.

I didn't plant any annual flowers this year except a few in pots, and was mostly attracted to herbs so we have a crop of basil and the usual suspects. I planted lavender in a pot by the door, and another rosemary plant. The one in the Howard pot looks a little rough. I think it was water deprived over the winter. I can't be trusted with houseplants.

I had a piece of peanut butter toast for breakfast. Ultimate comfort food.

I just realized I had forgotten to turn my calendar from May to June. It only took five days. Holy hell.

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. I think he is standing in front of the Stanley Hotel in this picture. In my memory there is a picket fence around a garden on the side. I have lots of pictures taken there but this is the only one where you can see the fence. There are lots of hollyhocks and zinnias.

Here's another one. Looks like a different fence, though. I think this one is taken by the hotel and the other one...not so sure. Boy, I look grumpy. What's up with that?

We're going to Luverne today for Rachel's graduation. On the road.

Teresa’s Big Adventure or Running with the Big Girls

The Pulse sent out an email about this a couple weeks ago saying that June 2^nd was National Running Day and they were having three runs: a 5 a.m. 5 mile run, a 6 p.m. 2 mile family run, and a 7 p.m. 7 mile run. I didn't give it much thought because I started thinking about all the things that can go wrong when you run outside...big dogs, potholes, rocks, falling down and hitting your head, and more bad things that I haven’t even thought of yet.

This morning, when I realized today was National Running Day, I thought, "I can do this." Even though the furthest I have ever gone is a little over 3 miles and I walk one minute for every three minutes of running, I thought it’s time to stop being ruled by fear. I can do this.

I went down and talked to Rachel first, apologizing already for being slow. She said they would be happy to take me and would match my pace and stay with me through the walks. She was encouraging and laughed when I said I had a cell phone so if I fell down and needed help, I could call 911.

Pretty soon, I'm out at 5:30 a.m. with two women who have run in the Boston Marathon and one who qualified to run in the Boston Marathon. What have I gotten myself into, I wondered. This is like saying you're going for a leisurely bike ride and Lance Armstrong shows up.

They were very kind, though, and did match my pace, stuck with me through my walks, and even when I said I was headed back, they met up with me after a while and we ran in the last few blocks together. I ran 4.33 miles with a few walking breaks.

I'm not sure what I'm prouder of...the running with those strong women or overcoming my fear of dogs and potholes!

I met up with some teacher friends at the end of the day at one of the local watering holes. We had some appetizers and some wine and a few dark beers. We had to say good-bye to a teacher who is retiring. Oh, my. Change is hard to take sometimes.

Regis and I came in to watch a little mindless television and the screen looks like a Picasso collage. What the hell. As I've said before, if anything happens to Regis (like an alien ship sucks him up), I will have to give the television away because I have not idea how to operate it. No flippin' clue. I push random buttons until something comes on and then I try to make the next thing come on. I've decided that I lived without internet and cable television before and I can do it again.

So, we call the internet provider and they ask about a million questions to make sure we are the people on the account. Like who else will call and ask about  our stupid ass television service? They can't come until Friday so we shut the thing off, turn it back on, and it works. Imagine.