Last Home Game (of the regular season)

Our new MN tradition is to catch the last regular season home game. Last year it was freezing cold. This year it was 72 and perfect. 

 

Squeeze and Psychedelic Furs

We caught the Psychedelic Furs and Squeeze at the newly renovated Uptown Theatre. As usual, we went with the Ks from next door. Squeeze is one of JP's favorite bands from the 80s. We tailgated at their friends' house on Irving, three doors down from the house where we originally put an offer in. 

The theatre is the perfect size - may 2,000 people. There are no bad seats in the house. We watched Squeeze from the side bar area and then moved onto the main floor for the furs.

 

New 50th Street

50th Street was completely repaved from France Ave. to Lyndale Ave. in two days. The first day it was ground down and the second day it was paved and striped. 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM both days. Almost like the Romans.

 

Cafeteria Food

One of the love/hate things at work is the cafe. I hate it because it's one of the main reason I have put on weight since moving to MN. The love side comes from the amazing freshly made food. This month is hispanic heritage month and the Mexican chef is loving it. Chilaquiles are my absolute favorite breakfast and his are top notch! 

Every day there is something new. This week one day was home-made corned beef hash and pork schnitzels. It just doesn't get any better than this.

 

Spotted Cow

We left on a Friday to go to IL. There was a big wreck on our usual route, so we took the scenic drive through WI. For the 1st time in 30 years, the timing worked out and we were able to hit the New Glarus brewery. They are closed on weekends, holidays, days around holidays, and usually any days that we are in the area. We arrived ten minutes before they closed. Just enough time to get some t-shirts and a pint of the best beer in Wisconsin: Spotted Cow. JP was very impressed with it all and gave a thumbs up for a return visit sometime.

Not many people know that the four-wheel-drive was invented in Lanark, IL.

We took the scenic route home, too. NW IL, SW WI, NE IA, and SE MN are beautiful and the drive is a full 50 miles shorter than the usual freeway route. We did not have to refuel along the way.

 

Painting the Porch

We were blessed with perfect weather for our fall trip to see Nana. We replaced a few board on the front porch and trimmed up some brush. 

Like mother like daughter. They like to paint.

 

Walk Home

On the days that I take the bus, my walk home takes me along the south shore of the lake. The bus ride and mile walk home take 45 minutes. By the time I get home I have read the day's news, gotten a few steps in, and enjoyed one of the city's best parks. 

Twins Win

We took in an evening Twins game with the Ks from next door. The Twins are doing excellent this season, and the good seats are getting sold out quickly. 

 

Dark Dog Walks

One of the indicators that summer is coming to a close is that the morning dog walks are in the dark again. I was hoping to catch the comet, but I think I was too early; it was still beneath the horizon and further to the south. 

 

New Toaster

Our beloved toaster oven finally died. It was our second one, and we replaced it with an exact copy. It is used every day at almost every meal. It's one of those appliances that we cannot do without. There are fancier models out there, but we are still in love with this one.

 

Tomato Season

Everyone is trying their hardest to grow tomatoes in the short Minnesota summer. The trouble is that everyone, including our fuzzy backyard friends, loves fresh tomatoes. As soon as they start to look ripe, they are immediately eaten.

Regardless, the grocery stores all have enough tasty ripe tomatoes for us to enjoy. JP tried a new pizza recipe: tomatoes & basil with no sauce. It's pretty tasty!

 

Duran Duran and Chic

Our afternoon at the fair was capped off by a great concert at the fair's Grandstand. Chic opened up with a ton of songs from the 70s that everyone knew. Then Duran Duran played an amazing set. JP has been waiting 40 years to see them, and they did not disappoint.

Our seats were up in the nosebleed section, but the music sounded great. We went with the usual suspects from next door.

 

MN State Fair

I took off an afternoon and we hit the MN State Fair in St. Paul. We've been to other state fairs, and none can compete with this one. It's #2 in the country in terms of overall total attendance, but that's only because it runs two days less than #1 (Texas). In terms of people per day, it's #1. 

We were impressed with all the permanent structures. It doesn't feel like a temporary thing.

JP tried some MN wine for the first time, and she actually liked it. Along with Honeycrisp apples, the university has been breeding varieties of grapes that do well in our soils and short growing season.

 

Moonrise

We wandered over to the bandshell to catch some live music. The band was OK, but the main attraction was the Super Blue Moon rising above the water. There were more people on the lake side of the bandshell. 100 or so were doing moonrise yoga, another 200 were taking pictures of the moonrise.

We enjoyed the view all the way back home.

 

Walking Home from Work

We're back down to a single car, which means I get to walk home from the bus stop. If I get off at stop A, I can stop off at George and the Dragon for a cold pint. The route from Stop B passes by Tinto Kitchen, and walking from Stop C takes me along the lake. Poor me.

 

1917 Cottage House

This 1917 house has been sitting vacant for the last two years. It's on a quarter acre lot overloking Minnehaha Creek down by the tennis courts. The vacant lot next to it sold last month and it's looking like the house might get torn down so someone can replace it with a modern mansion.We can't believe that there are no historical preservation rules here. 

 

MNUFC: The Loons

Our neighbors gave us a pair of tickets for a Sunday afternoon Minnesota United Football Club (The Loons) game. It was our first experience of major league soccer, and it was a blast. We had really good seats until the sun dipped low enough at halftime. We spent the second half exporting the complex and came to the conclusion that there are no bad seats there.