Holiday Decor

Many thanks to the aunts & uncles for helping us get the house ready for the holidays!

 

Excelsior

We ran the Gs out to Excelsior for lunch and then a stroll on Lake Minnetonka. We wanted to show them where the sled dog race is run.

 

Eagles on the Ice

We paused on our lap around the lake to watch two eagles pick at bait left behind by some ice fishermen.

 

Holidazzle

Holidazzle moved from Loring Park to Nicollet Mall. It was chilly, but everyone wore their long underpants and we enjoyed the night.

There was a mix of indoor and outdoor activities. We did not play mini golf or go roller skating.

 

Lake of the Isles

We drove up two lakes to Lake of the Isles and did a lap around its trail.

 

Snow Firepit

BG & CG drove up from Des Moines during the snow storm. Once it stopped snowing, we had a nice evening with a back yard blaze.

 

Snowy Dog Walk

S LOVES the snow! He runs and rolls in it. He can't get enough.

We walked our normal 1.75 mile route and S wanted more.

 

Snow!

Finally! Some measurable snow arrived. The lake was a monochromatic scene of shades of white.

 

Laptop

Rather than buy a new laptop, I'm using GP's old one from school. It only took half an hour to peel/scrape the stickers off it.

 

X-Mas Shopping Day

We did our annual Christmas Shopping trip to the mall and hit one of our favorite places: Twin City Grill. 

 

Frozen Lake

The dog is so excited to finally go out on the lake!

 

Classical Music

CP & I hit the Uptown VFW for an incredible night of Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath cover bands. I had bought the tickets months ago, and it was a nice way to end a weird week. 

Both bands (Maiden Minneapolis and Sabbatage) were amazing. Truly talented musicians and playing some great classic tunes. Usually they play in the burbs. Not sure how we got lucky and were able to see them near home.

 

Ice In

What a difference a few days makes. After a few days of single-digit highs and sub-zero lows, the lake iced over. 

 

Still not much snow, but at least it now looks and feels like winter. The dog is itching to go out on the ice and run off-leash.

Lake Walks

With my new schedule, I can wait until sunrise to take the dog for our walk. It's nice seeing everything in the light. Easier to pick up the dog poop in the light, too.

We took a stroll around the lake. Along the way we saw three bald eagles and the polar bears enjoying the ice-free water. S jumped in, too. He was overheating by the time we got to the north beach.

 

End of an Era

So this happened. I've been on the giving side of the equation before and now I'm on the receiving end. Shit happens. Over the past 19-1/2 years, Toro has put a lot of meals on the table and put two kids thru school. I don't have any hard feelings over this life change; it's just another chapter. 

I came home and caught up with JP on her dog walk and we enjoyed a sunny cold day at the beach.

 

No Eggs

The egg case @ Target is like this more days than not. One would think that with egg prices at an all time high, it would decrease demand slightly.

 

New Assist Spring

$60 and a week after the old garage door spring broke, we installed a new one. It was unnerving putting six and a half full twists in it. There is more than a bit of stored energy in it.

 

Paper Snowflakes

When JP went to the Swedish-American Institute last summer, she picked up some paper snowflakes for 50% off. Fun! It took MB & me two hours to assemble four snowflakes. 

The wreath and snowflakes transformed the kitchen into a festive space.

 

Galleria Shopping

No trip to MN would be complete without a trip to a mall. Rather than the MOA, we dodged the crowds and hit the Galleria. 

 

Sunroom Nap

S found a new friend in his sunroom.

 

X-Mas Tree

Our normal boy scout tree lot did not pop up this year, so we had to go down the street to Wagner's. This year we got one that goes to the ceiling.

 

Icing Conditions

We had our first night in the single digits. The wind blew all night and created icy lily pads along the shore.

 

Boilermaker Colors

We got decked out in Purdue gear to root for the Boilermakers as they took on Indiana. Our efforts did not make a difference in the 0 to 66 score. We always have next year.

 

Thanksgiving 2024

MB came to MN for her short Thanksgiving break. It was great having her around the house for a few days. She brought us a beautiful wreath and helped out in the kitchen.

 

Garage Door Spring

The garage door spring decided it was time to go early (4:30) Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving. It shook the house and sounded like a car hitting a trash dumpster. I jumped up and ran outside to see what had happened, but found nothing. It wasn't until we were leaving for the airport to pick MB up that we realized that the reason the door wouldn't go up was because of this.

 

Sunset Walk Home

My walks home from the bus stop are now graced with the early sunset.