If I hadn't already bought 4 '08 calendars

I'd have a little more justification in buying this one. Alas, I will wait until '09.

Calendars are wicked cute and the company story is, too. Thanks to Daily Candy for turning me onto these...

Best trip ever

Well, it's slightly exaggerated to say our New Years trip to Denver / Breckenridge was the best trip ever. However, I can confidently say it's one of my top 3 trips in the last 5 years and knowing how much I travel, that says a lot.

While on the trip, we visited Denver for a few days:


They have not learned how to shovel their goddamned city sidewalks:



Then we went to Breck and had some beer for New Years:


And we did some skiing (well, Alicia didn't and I quit early that day):

The complete set o photos can be found on my flickr page.

What's going on in the neighborhood?

Tacos are coming to Lyn/Lake thanks to Hector Ruiz of Café Ena and El Meson! Look for them this spring around the corner of Lake Street and Bryant Ave S near LynLake. Let's hope that they put some good veggie options on the menu considering the Uptown area… and its proximity to my house.

Thanks to the Twin Cities Eats blog for this info - good to know something yummy is opening w/in a block of my house - I wonder if it'll go in the Phoenix Games storefront or a different one?

Also mentioned - a sushi place over by the U. If the food is as nice as the design, it should be yummers.

UPDATE: I include the pix of the restaurant to the right - reminds me of sushi places in London.

No pix but

here's what I've been up to:

Wed night - met M at the Windsor Castle for drinks, then meet Sarah and her BF that own in my condo buildling in Mpls

Th - slept in, shopped at the O2 Centre, was scared that eggs aren't refridgerated in the grocery store here, made pumpkin pie very quickly (who knew their oven is convection and the pie would bake in 20 min instead of 1.25 hours?!?)

Fri - did NOT sleep in, visited LBS, went to Borough Market for lunch (it is AWESOME!!!), Mexican dinner near Trafalger Square, "clubbing" at Carbon on Old Quebec Street (we were 8/18 people there!)

Sat - slept in, grabbed take-away lunch at Paul's Pastry shop (yummy goat cheese/tomato hot pastry), shopped Marlyebone High Street to Oxford Street. Oxford Street was, as expected, a cluster on a Sat in the holiday season but still fun - a Uniqlo just opened there so I bought stuff there and at H&M

Now we're headed to Luton airport (yeah new airport!!!) (was there in April to go to Istanbul) to catch an EasyJet flight to Amsterdam for a mini-trip till Mon noon.

UPDATE: Amsterdam was fun, we had 2 great dinners, saw the Van Gogh and enjoyed some coffee together. Separately, Missy visited the Anne Frank house and Tulip Museum, and I saw the Resistance Museum. Our hotel was fancy for the $ we paid on Hotwire.com (thanks Josh!) and we were happy to have a warm haven as it was f-ing cold in Amsterdam.

Monday, I visited the newly remodeled Transport Museum in Covent Garden (opened 22 Nov) and we went to dinner at a fancyish Indian restaurant w/ Eli. It was too spicy so they offered to redo which made me a happy camper.

I awoke Tues morning to Laura (Missy's roommate living in Kate's room) bringing home Starbucks and croissants for the three of us and literally commented, "I could get used to this, maybe I should move here". Maybe?

Milwaukee Fun

I'm gonna bet $1 that Alyssa and Rachelle are all over going to this with me the weekend we're in Milwaukee. Thanks to Sabatkes for turning me onto it...

Dec 8 West Allis - Winter Wonderland Craft Fair

Approximately 50 artisans and crafters will share their handmade creations at one of the best craft fairs in the area. Fiber, wood, glass, folk art, jewelry, paintings, sculpture, photography, ceramics, dried floral & pre-packaged carry away food items. Booths available: sizes are approximately 8X6. A limited supply of tables and electric receptors will be available and will be assigned as applications are received. 8400 Beloit Road. Event starts at 9:00AM and ends at 3:00PM. For more information call (414) 771-3020.

Dress up is fun?

I'd call myself a Halloween party pooper. I'm too old to whore out at a college party, but not old enough to have kids who care about Halloween. I'm in Halloween purgatory.

Or so I thought. Look at all these peeps I know who enjoy getting dressed up for fun!

Matt Flores' sisters - Caitie (naughty) and Angie (nice)

My friend Angie from HS - I believe she is a child who dressed herself for the first day of summer camp. Correct me if I'm wrong on that Ang.

Rosita from AKPsi - this is part of her Hooters girl photo shoot so she's actually not headed anywhere in this outfit but I'm guessing she does dress up for Halloween.

Mark, the man who paints himself. He sat by us at Saturday's game and was our friend.

Sally, 17, JCC HS Senior and family friend.

Chelsea (Sally's sister) as "pregnant". You can't fake this shit.

Bob is s-e-x-y

Since cutting his hair short about a year ago, I have got to say damn, Bob, you've got it going on.

If you want to go to his show at the Varsity Theatre in Dinkytown w/ Alicia and I on Sun Dec 2 at 7pm holla. I've got 4 extra tickets. First come, first serve.

What more need I say?

Free beer through 11/30.

Fuck yeah

I just heard this quote and heart it:

"Action without knowledge is senseless and knowledge without action is useless."

It's a take on this Abu Batr quote.

Reprise

I've not failed to mention my LOVE of Thanksgiving travel and once again am undertaking a major trip next week - this time for Europa. I feel that spending this innately American holiday in the UK is a nice counterbalance vs. the 4th of July (2000) that I celebrate there.

Perhaps this time I'll be the one singing the Star Spangled Banner at a the Shakespere's Head bar and throwing up down my shirt while on my way home on the tube by myself i.e. Alicia circa 7/4/00.

To recap past November fourth Thursday trips:

2003 - Fam visits me in Boston (ok, actually NOT a trip for me but whatev)
2004 - I visit MN for a week over T-Day (again, this only count for 1/2)
2005 - Fried turkey at Alicia's relatives then off to Vegas
2006 - NYC for Thanksgiving week
2007 - Thanksgiving in London (I realize the irony) - with the weekend in smoky Amsterdam


I'll *try* to put some picture updates on flickr before T-day 'o8 but no promises bitches.

What more can I say?

Dumbledore is Gay

No wonder why I love the HP series / JK Rowling so much!

Who are my real friends?

As Alicia explained, we had a hell of a time securing Paolo/Amy tickets. As a result of the drama, we ended up buying 10 tix between the 2 of us and only needed 4. So, how shall I decide who my/our (since it's Alicia and I that have the extras) friends are that get the extras. And by get, I mean purchase at face value.

Ideas:

• My initial idea is to do a vita.mn thing - whoever plays on my blog/facebook/myspace the most is clearly my BFF deserving of a chance at the tickets.
• Posting them on Craigslist for random Amy/Paolo friends would also be fun.
• Or else just sending out a mass email asking who wants them and rewarding fast repliers is also appealing.

Your thoughts?

UPDATE: Since Amy is a hot mess right now, the concert has been cancelled, damnit. However, Paolo did reschedule his own concert but our tix got refunded and we weren't offered dibs on the Paolo concert. F-ing ticketmaster.

Reason #482

not to move to Texas.

There's a city in Texas called Cut and Shoot. I couldn't make this stuff up.

Willamette, like goddamnit

I'm enjoying my first 24 hours in Portland, Oregon. I'm staying with Paul who I know from college and have a full agenda planned between now and Sunday when I train to Seattle to see my mom's sister's family.

First on the agenda, is the Portland International Beer fest. Yum.

I want to do the aerial tram, go see the falls (outside of town), visit the Oregon Historical Society and then just wander the neighborhoods. And drink lots of beer in the microbrewery capital of theUS of A.

I'll keep you updated on my travels - my loose itererary for your information:

today - Sunday noon -- Portland
Amtrak Portland - Seattle
Sunday afternoon - Monday afternoon - Kent, WA w/ the fam
Monday afternoon - Friday morning - Carnation, WA for work
Friday - Sunday night - San Francisco to stay w/ Marc & Matt
Sunday night - taking the red eye baby!

Interested?

I think this would be fun - anybody interested? It's a little pricey but does include drinks all night...

2007 Vine Park Brews Cruise!

Come cruise with all your favorites from Vine Park! Enjoy beer and a dinner of BBQ Chicken, Penne Pasta salad with grilled vegetables, Caesar Salad, fresh veggie trays, and lots of cookies & bars. And a free VPBC logo pint glass!

Our annual Brews Cruise departs at 5:30pm promptly on Saturday, August 4th from Harriet Island across the Wabasha Bridge from downtown St Paul. It will be 3 hours of fun, food, and beer enjoyed with friends. We are limiting ticket sales to 180 on a first come basis.

Price: $65.00 per person if you buy before the Fourth of July, $75 after the 4th.

You're a dick if...

you have your DUVET monogrammed, aka:

Sheets are also highly suspect.

In my book, things that are okay to monogram include towels and those Lands End tote bags.

Finally, I haven't figured out if men's shirts are okay or not...

Your take on the "rules" of monogramming?

Literally, this why I live in Uptown

Tonight I got home from work after booking a "surprise" trip to MKE (aka I booked it at 4pm today and leave at 5pm tomorrow) to do laundry and then headed to my 2nd architectural tour sponsored by the Minneapolis Public Library. I came home at 8:30 from this v. fun endeavor (did you know there's part of the old streetcar line that still runs along Lake Harriet?!?!?) planning to pack and hit the sack.

But, Christina had changed her flight to Europe from 6am to 7pm so she didn't need to go to bed early. Plus, it was SO nice outside I decided that we should definitely have have "a" drink outside. So 3 hours later and 3 drinks at Bar Abeline later, I'm sitting in my house delighted by the fact that I had no plans to go out (nor should I have gone out - definitely packing in the AM now) that I managed to get drunk in Uptown on a Tu night, accidentally.

Literally, as of 7pm ZERO plans to have a drink tonight but 4 hours later, I'm tipsily blogging and happy that I live somewhere that facilitates this type of behavior. Yeah, responsibility free (mostly) city living!!!

Spendy but...

I think this grill is quite fancy - its claim to fame is that it can be used on decks where propane grills are against fire code. I like that they tout it's good design as a selling point in the description on the website.

Summertime fun

I've seen a few signs for Minneapolis MOSAIC and after I figured out it was a summertime celebration of diversity not a Uptown condo development, I looked into it.

Here's the schedule of events, and here are my top picks:

Mill City Museum Walking Tours
Ard Godfrey House Tours
Out @ the Library

want to go to these or any of the other events?

My oh my

I knew that my friend Maggy was all up in Vita.mn but jeesh - she's #3 for Karma this month - and it's getting to be the end of the month.

Check her out - I like all of her articles and aspire to get more Karma points soon. To be fair, you can also check out Alicia and Matt (please note his user ID #1 - he is the bomb).