You Bet!

Merry Cider-mas!

2012-01-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, we packed up the car and headed home to Ohio to spend it with our families. We dreaded the 12 hour drive but were excited to get home for a week of relaxation. Fortunately, we had great weather and did not miss out on a White Minnesota Christmas. In fact we have only had 10 inches or so compared to last years 50+ inches that we had by this time of year.

I knew Cider would be great in the car. Alex was a bit apprehensive. However, Cider did amazing. We were able to make a few stops to get her out and about for a quick walk and potty break. She did not lie down once in the car. She preferred to sit in the back and stare at us. I think she wondered where we were going.

For Christmas, Cider received her very own Chewy Vuitton and she loves it! We are twinsies.

My mom outdid herself this year with the Christmas dinner. It was quite a spread and very tasty.

The visit consisted of spending lots of time with my family, sleeping, laying around, run around, visiting friends and playing with Cider. She did awesome with my parents things too. A few mishaps but for the most part she was great. It was nice to have 3 extra helpers with Cider too. She enjoyed the attention. She did however earn herself more freedom our house as a reward.

The drive back seemed a lot longer although we made it back to Minnesota in 12 hours. Cider finally laid down to sleep which was nice.

We are already missing Ohio.

New Thanksgiving Traditions

2012-01-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Alex and I stayed in the Twin Cities for Thanksgiving. We had a few invitations this year to spend it with friends, however, we declined. We have gotten used to and actually enjoy our Thanksgivings together, just the two of us. Well, three of us.

This year, I came home from work with beautiful flowers from Alex to kick off the holiday weekend.

I wanted to do something a bit different for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. So I searched high and low for a popover pan to make popovers. We loved them so much that they will become a new traditional item to add to our Thanksgiving feast.

I love using our wedding china for these special dinners.

Another big and juicy turkey. I picked out a 16 pounder for the two of us. We didn't eat all of it, but saved the leftovers for future tasty dinners.

We didn't want to make a big dessert that we would eat the entire weekend. So we opted for individual desserts that we would eat in one sitting. They were tasty.

Our After Thanksgiving Dinner Movie tradition continued with a viewing of Hugo. It was the perfect way to start the holiday season.

P-A-R-K

2011-12-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing warms our hearts more than letting Cider run free at the dog park.

Is it cold in here? Or is it just Cider?

2011-12-13T17:56:00.001-08:00

Apparently, we need to turn up the heat . . .

Cider has taken a liking to laying by the vents when it is pumping out the hot air. She gets confused when it turns off.

Although, I can't decide what is more bizarre . . . that she can't get close enough to the heat OR that she lays like a frog!

Cleanse Your Beer Palete

2011-12-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

Back in November, Alex and I travelled to Chicago/South Bend for the season closer of Notre Dame Football. During our 6 hour trip to meet up with my family in Chicago, we decided to take a detour and visit Alex's new favorite beer's brewery, New Glarus.

As we toured the plant we were able to taste 10 different beers.

Alex's favorite beer flavor is still Spotted Cow. However, we enjoyed all of the flavors.

I think that this beer tastes so good because you can only purchase it in Wisconsin. Although I am not a beer drinker, I actually do not mind the lighter versions.

We may be becoming beer connoisseurs. Sam Adams, New Glarus . . . what's next . . .

Adoption Anniversary

2011-11-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

November 6th marked Cider's one year with us. I was looking through some pictures and came across these photos from Alex's phone the day we met, fell in love and brought Cider home.

This picture should have been a warning. It was to Alex. Alex deemed her a spaz the second he saw her.

I just couldn't let her go home with anyone else. Who wouldn't want this face to look up at you everyday?

Cider and I bonded very quickly, much to Alex's dismay. Alex knew that no matter what he said, Cider was coming home with us.

Cider fell asleep in my arms as we frantically picked up some essentials to take her home.

A year later Cider is still a handful but she is full of so much love. I couldn't imagine our lives without her.

Lights Out!

2011-11-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

My least favorite holiday of the year came and went quickly this year . . . Halloween. Thank goodness. However, that didn't stop me from carving pumpkins. We actually were going to get very creative with our pumpkins this year. We picked out multiple pumpkins different shades.

We had the 5 pumpkins sitting outside. Unfortunately, our neighborhood squirrels got to them first. We lost a green and small one. As in they completely devoured them. Grrr . . . they even got there little claws in the other ones as well. So we had to rework our plan.

I got a little more creative with my pumpkin face this year. Surprisingly, pumpkin carving is one of my favorite things about Halloween.

Alex was all smiles as he waited for the kiddos to come.

Cider even liked her pumpkin too!

We got a lot of compliments on our pumpkins, especially Cider's.

Not sure how Cider would act with all of the kids, I got a few new toys to occupy her time. She liked them a lot.

However, all of the strange people coming to our door was much more interesting to her. She did really well and eventually just laid down in front of the door.

Alex ran into the house very quickly at 7:45pm frantically turning off all the lights. He ran out of candy. In fact, he pretended to give candy to a large group because he only had 3 pieces and there were 7 kids. We bought approximately 550 pieces of candy and that still wasn't enough. Guess we need to get more for next year. Fantastic!

Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes

2011-11-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

At the end of October, Alex and I fundraised and participated in the "Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes" hosted by General Mills. Alex and I chose to raise the money and walk in honor of our family members who were diagnosed with the disease.

Alex and I successfully raised $1000 for The American Diabetes Association. We were overwhelmed by the generous response from our friends and family who donated. It meant a lot to us because this is a cause that is close to our hearts.

The $1000 got us into the Cure Club which consisted of a bell rung, special t-shirt, medal and bag of goodies. We also got a lot of high fives.

The pre-walk festivities were a lot of fun. They had music and quite a few mascots, including Buzz the Honeynut Cheerios Bee and Count Chocula.

The weather was a bit on the chilly side but the sun was out and the skies were blue. We had a lot of fun on our walk and hope that we made a small difference.

1st Year = Paper

2011-11-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our one year anniversary (and to just take a real vacation) Alex and I packed up and flew Northeast to visit Maine and Boston. It is a place that I have always wanted to visit and a place Alex wanted to go back to since he was in Boston for only a few days on work. Plus, the traditional one year anniversary gift is paper. So how about a pair of paper airline tickets.

As luck would have it, I got really sick the week before and was very nervous I wouldn't get healthy before we left. I had come down with a serious case of bronchitis (almost walking pneumonia) so it was key to make this trip very relaxing.

We had some serious storms in Minneapolis the day we were leaving so everything was backed up in the airport which meant we were delayed for 2 hours. It was a bummer because we had planned to get to Kennebunkport, Maine at a decent hour that evening. Unfortunately, that did not happen. When we landed in Boston, we got our rental car and hit the road, but we were starving. Not wanting to delay our arrival any further we started checking out something quick to eat. We saw a Dunkin Donuts. Yum! They are not in the Twin Cities and I thought that might be a good spot. However, we passed it and couldn't get back easily. That was okay, because there were Dunkin Donuts on every corner. Seriously! They were also across the street from each other. Check out the picture.

I can't remember the last time I had munchkins. They were how I remember them. Since it was late at night, they weren't as fresh. However, they still hit the spot. The chocolates are still my favorite.

We finally arrived in Kennebunkport, Maine. Unfortunately, it was dark out so we couldn't get a sense of the town. We also arrived to our Bed and Breakfast past hours so they left a key for us to get into the room. They had soft music playing and had champagne and chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us. (Alex arranged this with them.) I was thrilled. We were supposed to have champagne and chocolate covered strawberries the night of our wedding but the hotel screwed up. So I finally felt I had the closure . . . a year later. By the way, these were the best chocolate covered strawberries I had.

The next morning we woke up to rainy, dreary, grey skies. We had previously arranged to go out on a lobster boat, but with the weather we had to cancel. Probably for the best because I was still feeling under the weather myself. It left our whole morning open and we were able to enjoy our absolutely amazing breakfast at the B&B. It included warm pears, blackberry muffins, and cheese and artichoke quiche.

The staff at Captain Jefferd's Inn was amazing. They were very helpful in planning our day for us since the weather was a bummer. They even recommended a couple of amazing places to eat.

We were sad to leave the B&B so soon, but we had planned to spend the rest of our trip in Boston. So we packed up after our short stay and made note that we would be back for sure.

The town of Kennebunkport was absolutely adorable. There were a ton of cute little shops and everyone was so nice. We didn't feel like tourists but actual guests.

Kennebunkport is home to Walker's Point, the residence of President George H. W. Bush. The house sits on a tiny piece of land surrounded by water. Supposedly he was home because all 3 flags were flying.

There was another home that we read about called The Wedding Cake house, because it looks like a wedding cake. According to the Inn all of the decorative elements were added later. It was a cute little house which appeared to host events.

Per the recommendation of the Inn we headed to Cape Porpoise Pier to eat a delicious lobster roll and salmon sandwich. Along the way we enjoyed the sights and sounds. It was just as I imagined.

Alex was very excited to get his first bite of his New England clam chowder. He was not disappointed.

The lobster roll and salmon sandwich were delicious. Cape Porpoise Pier Chowder House was a little hole in the wall sitting right on the water.

After a filling and delicious meal we headed up the Maine coast in search of lighthouses. There were a lot to see. I was interested in the coastline. The rock was pushed up on itself. It reminded me a lot of the ice on Lake Superior we saw our first year in Minnesota.

We drove to see the Portland Lighthouse. It is the most photographed lighthouse in Maine. This got us to just south of Portland itself. After a few pictures, we got back in the car and headed off to the Boston portion of our vacation.

The next day was still wet and gloomy so we improvised and tried to do as much as we could inside. We started our Boston adventure at the Samuel Adams Brewery. The tour was surprisingly good despite how small the brewery. We were both inspired by the Samuel Adams story. They shared with us actual ingredients included in the beer that were able to taste.

Afterwards, we ventured into the tasting room and were able to taste 3 different versions of their beer. I enjoyed the seasonal Octoberfest the best.

Nothing like drinking at 11am in the morning.

Afterwards, we headed to Newbury Street to get my Kate Spade fix. I found an adorable necklace that said "mrs." Alex was sweet enough to buy it for me. How appropriate for the trip.

For lunch, we headed over to the Union Oyster House. Alex had been raving about this restaurant since he visited. I learned that it was the first established restaurant in the U.S.

They had the most amazing and biggest corn bread ever!

I couldn't wait any longer for lobster.

Boston is chock full of historical things. You definitely have to keep your eyes open. Especially on the streets. One of the big things to do is walk the "Freedom Trail" that winds around the city. It is marked by red pavers.

The Freedom Trail takes you around to see some of the most important historical sites that played a part in America declaring her freedom. One of the places was Paul Revere's home. It has changed a bit since he lived there.

Another important spot was Granary Cemetery. It was such a small and unassuming cemetery. The headstones were very old. Everyone said that Mother Goose was buried here. If she was, her headstone wasn't there. Instead, you can see her husband's first wife's headstone instead.

Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere were all laid to rest here. It was a bit surreal to be standing where some of the most important and influential Patriots lived, worked, and fought for freedom.

The next day the weather was a bit more tolerable. We bought tickets for a trolley that you can get tour guide information but hop on and off at different spots. We got off at Cheers. Let's just say they didn't know our name and had crappy service. So bad that we actually left.

Across the street is Boston Commons, the city park grounds. We walked around the Swan Pond which was very peaceful and beautiful with the weeping willows.

That evening we headed over to the North End and visited Boston's version of Little Italy. The streets were lined with cute little Italian Restaurants. Italian music was playing in the streets. For dessert, we headed over to Mike's Pastry shop, famous for their cannolis.

We also got some of their macaroons which were delicious as well.

After 2 days in Boston, we were tired of the fast paced lifestyle of the city. We were a bit worn out (which was not what we wanted). So we decided to head north and check out some of the small towns.

Our first stop was Salem. With its history of the Salem Witch Trials, we thought it might be fun considering the Halloween season. It was another very cute town. We even decided to go to the Salem Witch Trial museum to learn more history. However, those witches are good. They stole our money for a crappy show. Oh well . . . you live and learn. We were laughing about it the whole time. We did have the best Haddock lunch in Salem though.

Next stop was Gloucester. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We had a blast walking around the waterfront and picking sea glass.

Gloucester is also home to the iconic sailor statue and memorial. This is to all of the sailors who lost their lives out at sea.

Next stop was Rockford. Another very cute fishing village.

On our way back to Boston, we stopped in Gloucester again to celebrate our actual one year anniversary with an amazing lobster dinner at the Gloucester House Restaurant. This is a favorite restaurant of the locals, Kennedys, casts of I Dream of Jeanie, The Deadliest Catch and The Perfect Storm.

You aren't seeing quadruple. We each had 2 lobsters. They were delicious.

Our last day of our trip took us to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Alex found his favorite New England Clam Chowder yet at the Riverhouse.

That night we stopped off at Friendly's to revisit my youth. The last time I ate at a Friendly's was the summer after my Freshman year of college. After that they turned our Centerville Friendly's into a Doctor's office and I haven't seen one since.

They didn't have my childhood favorite, Clown Ice Cream cone, however, I was able to recreate it as best I could.

We had a great time on our trip. Only, the best part of our anniversary was waiting to be picked up in Minneapolis. Our anniversary cake! Buttercream Bakery that made our wedding cake made us an anniversary cake as part of a thank you for using them. So we had a fresh "top layer" of our cake.

Obviously, we can't spend every anniversary eating lobsters and exploring another part of the country. However, it was a great end to our first year. I am looking forward to many more new memories for years to come. Whether it is in Minnesota or somewhere else.

Great Minnesotan Get Together

2011-09-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Alex and I headed over to the MN State Fair for a day full of fried food, people watching and fun! We started very early in the morning, catching the bus to head over to the fairgrounds at 8am. It is always very overwhelming when you arrive and walk through the gates. Do we go right, left, straight or head into the Miracle of Birth Center to see the animal babies? What food do we eat first, breakfast, dinner or dessert? There are so many options and I don't think we'll ever get it right.

We decided to visit the animal babies first. Boy were they cute. I immediately wanted to move to a farm to have our own animal babies or just completely change careers and become a Vet. Last time we came to the State Fair we sat for several hours waiting for a baby cow to be born. This year we did not wait around for any birth. However, we did enjoy seeing the baby sheep, piglets, cows, bunnies, chicks and goats.

As we left the Miracle of Birth Barn we found some Alpacas, which have quite the personality.

We even saw clogging Loons. Only in Minnesota.

We ate light the day before in order to prepare for the amount of food we would consume at the State Fair. We had a good idea of what we wanted to eat and what we wanted to try new. We decided to start with some yummy fresh cut french fries.

We then decided we wanted to try the fried pickles. They were surprisingly yummy too!

Alex wanted to get his fried alligator again.

I wanted my fresh sweet corn dipped in butter. Delicious!

We decided to hit the dairy barn and got ourselves a chocolate malt. However, we discovered they also had raspberry and blackberry malts. Think we'll have to try those next year.

We needed a break from the fried food and got some tasty berries and cream.

Last time we got a fried snickers. This time we got a fried twinkie. Next time we are NOT going to get ANY fried candy bar or stale baked good. It was disgusting.

We found some fried green tomatoes. I have always wanted to try them, because they sound like they taste good. Not really the case. They were incredibly bitter. I'll just stick to the movie.

We ended our food come with a small order of Sweet Martha's Cookies, which ended up being 8 cookies with a cold glass of milk for the each of us. We were definitely in a food coma and probably over did it with the cookies. So much, we forgot to document it. Honestly, I can't believe we did not get sick. Looking at these pictures gives me a stomachache. We never got stuffed because we shared everything. Thank goodness.

All in all, it was another successful trip to the State Fair.

They Grow Up So Fast!

2011-09-02T14:51:00.001-07:00

The Gremlin turned 1 and I couldn't resist celebrating. After all, it is the little things in life, right? For me it was an excuse to get her new chew toys (which she needed badly), but cute and fun ones. I found a company that takes luxury brands and modifies them to be dog friendly. For example, they sell a stuffed chewtoy "iPaw." Similar to what us humans use, an iPad.

Cider received a cute little birthday cake and her first "Kate Spayed" purse. She certainly did enjoy her new toys.

I also could not resist getting her a new collar for the Fall season. I know I am biased, but she is one stinking cute dog. The problem is, she knows it too.

My friend April, sent Cider a "Pupcake" for her birthday. So of course, we had to light the candle and sing to her. I was surprised how close she got to the candle. I guess she was going to do whatever it took to get her pupcake.

NOTE: Please disregard my horrible singing and language.

Bark at Art Poster Show benefiting the Pet Project

2011-08-20T10:39:00.002-07:00

It seems that for the past 2 years I have been planning one event or another. The most recent event was a poster show for a local non-profit group called The Pet Project. This group helps pet owners who fall on hard times keep their pets. Whether it is getting them pet food or helping out with vet bills, they work hard to keep a family together.

My friend, April, is very passionate about this group and asked me to help plan and organize the event to raise money. The show was last night and it was successful. We had 26 designers design posters that were pet inspired. Each designer donated 15 limited edition prints that were sold at a local gallery, Gallery 122 for $25. 80% of the profits will be donated directly to The Pet Project.

I designed the promotional poster and even took a stab at copy writing . . .

Here is my poster contribution for Bark at Art. My goal is to have at least 1 person purchase my poster.

My first gallery showing.

Cider was even there to support me (it was a pet friendly opening reception).

All in all it was a successful event. I am anxious to hear what we were able to raise for The Pet Project. I am also ready to take a break from planning . . . for awhile.

Hoedown!!!

2011-08-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

At the end of July, my friend and former co-worker April invited Alex and myself down to her family farm in Houston, Minnesota. Much like our Whiz Band Days in Robbinsdale, they have Houston Hoedown Days.

April has made this annual summer event, a unique event for her "city" friends. We met up with April and her friends and family at a lazy river where we went tubing. It was a beautiful day and to float in the water at a leisurely pace.

After the tubing we headed up to April's family farm. It was huge! My favorite spot on the farm overlooks fields of wild flowers.

April's family has a wide variety of animals on the farm. A couple of horses, chickens, cows, dogs and donkeys. Libby, the donkey, is a favorite on the farm. She was so cute and friendly.

Of course, we attended the Houston Hoedown. It was an amazing people watching experience.

There were a lot of cutoff shirts, cowboy hats and boots. We missed the tractor pull. All in all, it was a fun and unique experience.

It's a Beautiful Day!

2011-07-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this year, Alex got me tickets to the rescheduled U2 concert at TCF Stadium (U of Minnesota Football). The concert was sold out originally and I couldn't believe he was able to get tickets. I was absolutely thrilled because my biggest college regret is not seeing them when they came to Notre Dame my senior year. I fell in love with them during college and still kick myself for not standing in some ridiculous line to get tickets in some ridiculous manner that ND set up for the students.

However, it was worth the wait.

We didn't do a lot of planning for this event, which I think worked to our benefit. Alex had gotten General Admission seating which meant that we would be on the field. My only concern was would we get close enough to see the stage and U2. People lined up (rumored) at 4:30am to get in. Alex and I left our house at 4pm and got in line as they opened the gates. The line wrapped around half the stadium.

The line moved quickly and we were in the stadium by 5pm. And boy am I glad we didn't come early to get in line. We got amazing spots about 10 feet away from the outside of the stage (you could go inside the stage – but after watching the show – you would have missed a lot of the effects of the stage.)

So there we waited for 4 hours for the show to begin. Interpol was the opening music group and they entertained us for about an 1 hour or so. We were then treated for the next hour with a million different statistics and times around the world.

Then the show began and there was Bono. It was amazing to see him so close and to actually sing the songs that I have been singing for the past 10+ years with him.

All week weather forecasters were predicting severe weather during the concert. I was a little concerned more about lightning and tornadoes than rain. They did have an escape plan in case that severe weather surfaced. Half way through the show it began to rain, actually downpour, but it was a lot of fun either way. It actually added to the effect of the show and U2 was a good sport about it. Bono actually gave us a rendition of "Singing in the Rain" complete with an umbrella.

{Aplogize for the horizontal view of the vertical shot – I still cannot figure out how to rotate the file.}

Unfortunately, with the downpour of rain, everything electronic went into a bag under my rain jacket, so we weren't able to get anymore pictures during the show. At the end, we were able to get a picture of the stage to show the enormity of it. It lit up and moved. The bridges moved around the stage. It was pretty neat.

Not that I have been to many rock concerts but this definitely ranks up at the top. Celine is still an amazing performer but in a completely different way. Very hard to compare Las Vegas to this production.

Thank you Alex for an amazing gift and time. This is something that I will remember forever!!!

Swing Batter Swing!

2011-07-24T17:21:00.001-07:00

A couple of weekends ago my family came for a quick visit to Minneapolis. We are planning a big European trip and decided the only way for us to really get planning properly is if we were all in the same room together. So they packed up and we started EuroTrip Bootcamp.

But it wasn't all work, we had some "fun" too. The Cleveland Indians were visiting the Minnesota Twins so we got tickets to the game. My dad, from Cleveland, is a lifelong Indian fan which of course was passed down to his son. I can't say I enjoy baseball all that much, but I do like anything Ohio (with the exception of tOSU) and being outnumbered so why not.

The game was fun because I was with my family in Target Field and the Indians won, but it was one of the hottest days we have experienced in Minneapolis and it made watching the game a bit on the unbearable side. I just kept telling myself that it 3 months it will be below zero temps and I will be wishing it was in the 3 digits again.

Say "Cheese" Cider!

2011-07-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

It has been quite some time since we took some decent pictures of Cider, so we took advantage of the beautiful weather over the 4th of July weekend, and had a mini-photo shoot on the Parkway.

We can't believe how big she is getting. Cider loves being outside and especially loves to find sticks or branches in some cases.

I would like to continue working on her with "fetch" and "come." However, her attention span is that of a gnat so getting her to focus inside let alone outside is very difficult.

She still has a lot of puppy in her and I doubt that will go away for awhile. We love watching her jump and pounce around. It warms my heart.

Happy Birthday USA!!!

2011-07-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing LONG Fourth of July weekend. The weather was finally acting like summer, so we were able to get to the pool all four days for a couple hours each. I actually have a Minnesota tan. After 3 years living here, I didn't think it would be possible.

In between the R&R and grilling we did small activities, for instance picking strawberries. Nothing makes me happier than fresh strawberries.

On our drive back into town, we passed this gigantic chair. We have driven by several times during our time in MN and always say we should get a picture. We finally did.

The weekend ended with sparklers and wine on our patio. Since the 4th landed on a Monday (a work night) we decided to forgo the fireworks. (We actually will see some this weekend at our town festival.)

Would you like some cheese with that wine?

2011-07-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

On Father's Day, Alex and I went to a local winery, St. Croix Winery, for a tour and wine tasting. It is a small winery, but they make some very delicious wines.

While we waited for the tour to begin, we spotted this little green frog hanging out.

The tour ended in the wine cellar. We learned all about the different types of barrels and how the wood can affect the taste of the wine.

Then the wine tasting began. They provided us with a plate of cheese and crackers which really helped bring out the tastes in both the cheese and the wine. We ended up buying the first wine we tasted, of course, it was the cheapest and fruitiest.

It was a fun little getaway for the afternoon.

O-H-I-O

2011-07-05T18:19:00.001-07:00

WARNING: The following post may contain what one normal person would consider to be offensive imagery. Please keep in mind, it was part of my brother's graduation gift, and will never happen again.

The weekend of June 10th, Alex and I travelled to Columbus, Ohio (aka C-bus) to witness my brother graduating from The Ohio State University. I was very much looking forward to the visit but dreading what I committed to myself to do . . . wear tOSU paraphernalia.

Several things made it easier to wear scarlet . . . 1. it was for Joe, 2. it would be one time only, 3. our parents would also be wearing tOSU paraphernalia and 4. tOSU and the Sweatervest were and currently are in the middle of serious NCAA sanctions. The best part is that Joe had no idea what we were planning.

We met up with Joe after his ceremony rehearsal on campus where the surprise was unveiled. His reaction was worth it!

After hugs and laughs, Joe began his "Day in the Life of Joe" tour. It began at Ohio Stadium (aka The Shoe). I think the combination of the scarlet tee and being in tOSU territory made me a little nauseous.

I didn't let that get the best of me. We had a lot of fun in the stadium and strategized where we would sit for the big event.

Apparently the place was getting to me because I participated in the traditional "O-H-I-O." I just hope this stuff doesn't come back to haunt me.

Now this is one Buckeye I can stand behind . . . U-S-A!

The next day we toured the State Capitol. I had been there once in high school for my AP Government class, but we never really got a tour. So we enjoyed walking around the building and checking out the rooms, art and architecture. I enjoyed the map of the Ohio counties. The 4 of us quickly found our birthplaces. I think this trip made me realize how much I love being from Ohio.

I am considering doing this lovely landscaping in our yard next year . . . what do you think?

That evening tOSU hosted a Candlelight Ceremony for the graduates. It was a very nice event and quite moving. President E. Gordon Gee and legendary Archie Griffin spoke to the graduates and wished them well. At the end, a single flame was passed through the crowd of graduates and families.

Joe then took us over to see the new student center. This place was amazing. Most of it was shut down for the night but we were able to get sense of the activity during the day.

The BIG DAY finally arrived. We were very anxious to see Joe graduate. We got up early and headed over to campus to make sure we got a good seat in the stadium. It turned out to be a beautiful day. The sun was out with an occasional breeze to cool you off. It was impressive to watch all of the graduates march in and take their places in the stadium. We enjoyed all of the crazy decorated caps. Speaker of the House, John Boehner, was the guest speaker. He gave a very moving, inspirational and humorous speech.

The time came and Joe graduated! Raise the roof!

I am so proud of my baby brother. He has grown up into a decent young man. Me, well, I guess I still need to work on growing up myself.

After the ceremony, President Gee was available for photos with the graduates and families. President Gee is very accessible to the students and seems to be a very nice man.

The weekend events ended with a celebratory drink at Joe's local bar, Inn-R-Out. I think he was nervous about what we would think. I have to be honest, it was definitely several steps up from a few bars I found myself to be in South Bend.

All in all, it was a very successful and enjoyable weekend with the family. Joe recently started a new job with pharmaceutical lab in Columbus. We could not be prouder of him and what he has accomplished.

Camptown Races

2011-05-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

Alex and I headed down to Canterbury Park yesterday for some good old fashioned horse racing. The place was really nice compared to River Downs in Cincinnati. As usual, we had no idea what we were doing and I went for the usual gut – color or name – instinct. It worked the first race but then my horse came in 4th for the next couple.

So we started to get logistical with our picks. Figuring out how much money the horse has made, how many starts the horse has made, how many times he has won, who the jockey was, etc.

That didn't work for us either. So we went back to our gut. My gut won big! $16!!!

Before the last race we bet on, Alex caught (or should I say ran to catch) a t-shirt they were flinging into the stands. Clearly, we should have stopped while we were ahead, because we lost big.

At the end though, we figured we only lost about $15. Not bad for an afternoon at the races.

N MPLS Tornado

2011-05-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

It was only a week ago that North Minneapolis was hit by a tornado. Minnesota is known for its tornados, but they are usually in the suburbs away from the metropolitan areas. We are about 10 minutes from downtown, so I never thought tornados would be an issue, until last Sunday.

I had taken Cider for a walk but was keeping my eye out on the very ominous sky. It seemed a distance away. However, within 10 minutes of our walk it had crept up very quickly. Cider and I hustled back to the house, thinking it was going to be a nasty thunderstorm. I turned on the tv to what I still consider crappy weather reporting and channel surfed, trying to find a station talking about the weather. I finally came across one that said we should expect 60 mph winds and large hail.

Alex had just walked into the kitchen from the garage commenting on the weather. I told him about the wind and hail and suggested he pull the cars into the garage. He agreed. After the door shut behind him the wind kicked up causing the rain to be horizontal, the tornado siren went off and the weather channel reported a tornado had touched down in St. Louis Park, about 15 minutes south of us. I ran to yell out to Alex but he was in the garage making room for the cars. (He had been cutting trim and painting doors for our bedroom.)

I literally threw Cider downstairs and was running around gathering the important things. Once Alex finally got inside, we went downstairs to listen to the weather together. The weatherman was tracking the tornado on the other side of 94 from us, about 15 minutes to the east of us. It wasn't until I received an email from my Aunt and talked to my parents that I understood the severity of the situation. When I checked the news it looked like an area to the southeast of us was hit pretty hard, about 10 minutes away. However, it wasn't until we drove downtown several days after the tornado that we realized the tornado was actually 5 minutes away directly east of us.

My heart sank to see all of the trees down, garages flattened and roofs ripped off of homes. People were milling about the streets and waiting in line at the food truck. The City of Minneapolis enforced a curfew at 9pm due to severe looting. People were driving up with trucks in front of homes and just taking what they wanted. It is very sad to hear how people take advantage of people at a time like this.

Here is a video of the damage done in North Minneapolis.

Fortunately, the only damage that was around us was a branch that fell from our backyard neighbors tree into our other backyard neighbors driveway.

Alex drove down the parkway and took video of the damage. The drive is a favorite of ours. You can now see the lakes which used to be hidden by trees.

There were not many images of the actual tornado posted on the internet. Probably because it came out of nowhere. I did come across this video that was filmed about 20 minutes southeast of us. I am overwhelmed by the size of the tornado and how it did not hit us.

There was no time to prepare for this tornado. No warning at all. Alex and I have both learned, that once you hear the siren, no matter what head for cover.

Karate Cider

2011-05-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Cider meet Grandpa

2011-05-29T19:04:00.001-07:00

My parents came to visit Easter weekend. It was the first time they met Cider. Cider for the most part was on her best behavior. She took a liking to my dad quickly and he did the same to her. They were pals the entire weekend.

I think a dog would do my dad's heart good. In fact, medical research does report that dogs lower stress in patients. Although, Cider seems to raise my stress levels at times. So maybe not a Cider, but a well behaved dog (not puppy) would be better.

April Snowshowers bring May Flowers

2011-05-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when I first saw my tulips start to come up. I knew Winter was on its way out. That is until it snowed at the end of April. I was a bit concerned that the snow would damage my tulips. Thankfully, it did not. However, I could not believe how we just could not get rid of the snow this year.

Hide and Cider

2011-05-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

When Cider escapes she usually runs into our bedroom and "hides" underneath the bed. Occasionally, on her way under, she grabs whatever is in sight to keep her busy. She also learned the further under in, the harder it is for us to get to her.

Cider P. Mavridoglou, PhDog

2011-05-29T18:42:00.001-07:00

Cider passed her Intermediate PetSmart Class. I can't say it was easy. This class wasn't as much fun than than her Puppy Class. The instructor was the same, but we didn't have the one on one time with the Instructor. Cider still managed to learn and improve upon the fundamentals; walking, come, heel and leave it. She graduated and that is all that matters.

Congratulations!

Watchdog

2011-05-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

Since Cider enjoys being on top of her cage so much, I decided to move her cage to the window. I figured she would enjoy sitting and looking out the window, and she does.

She keeps a close on eye on the squirrels and ducks that pass through the yard. Her arch enemy is the squirrel that sits on our porch railing taunting her.

When I leave for work in the morning, she runs over to her cage and hops up to watch me walk out. It is hard to leave in the mornings with her sweet face looking out the window. My heart literally aches. It does make me wonder how I will be with children. We have awhile before we have to think about that.

Here Come the Irish . . . to St. Paul

2011-05-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

This past April St. Paul hosted the NCAA Frozen Four Championship and the ND Irish Hockey team made the trip. It was awesome to be able to root on my Alma Mater here in Minnesota. It is Big Ten (12) Country and ND never plays Minnesota in anything. So this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Irish in Minnesota for anything.

We were able to greet the team when they arrived to the hotel. The Pep Band arrived shortly before the team and we (ND Alumni Club) were all singing the fight song and chanting "Here Come the Irish."

Prior to the game, the Pep Band stopped by a local bar to get the fans excited for the game.

There was a bit of drama around the Irish coming to town in our household. Alex had made plans with his friend from Detroit to go to the Frozen Four no matter what teams made it. They had no tickets. Once the Irish made it, I wanted to go and see them. With a little luck and my dad's college roommate, I was able to get 2 tickets. Problem . . . I had 2 tickets and 3 people wanted to see the game. Alex and his friend decided to look for their own tickets, while I tried to sell my extra one. Which I was successful. However, Alex and his friend were still without tickets. With another bit of luck and my dad's friend, we were able to get another pair of tickets. The Frozen Four was a BIG social experiment for myself. I rarely go to anything by myself. However, I wanted to see the Irish, so I went out on a limb and watched the game by myself. It wasn't terrible, but it isn't the same without Alex.

All and all, it was fun despite sitting alone and the Irish losing. I enjoyed seeing Notre Dame plastered all over St. Paul and the Xcel Energy Center.

Road Trip!

2011-05-29T17:52:00.001-07:00

During the months of February and March it is eagle migration season in Minnesota. This is the time when the Bald Eagles build their nests along the Mississippi River in an area close to the town of Wabasha.

We (I) decided to make it Cider's first official road trip. It was practice for our road trip home for Christmas.

Alex wasn't too thrilled about bringing Cider along, but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

Cider enjoyed the car ride and all of the new scenery and smells.

Located in Wabasha is the National Eagle Center where they provide information about eagles and their habits. They also provide a home to 5 disabled eagles. We both got the chance to have our picture with a real live eagle. It was amazing!

They had an interactive education area. Alex and I measured our grip strength compared to that of a Bald Eagle. I measured at 20 psi and Alex at 45 psi. A Bald Eagle's strength comes in at over 400 psi. Yikes!

After checking out the Eagle Center we took Cider for a short walk along the Mississippi River. It was such a beautiful day. I think she enjoyed the new surroundings.

On our drive home, we came across about 10 Bald Eagles in the wild.

We also came across the Whistle Stop Cafe. I was hoping there would be some Fried Green Tomatoes. Unfortunately, there were none. Bummer!

All and all it was a fun trip. Even Alex admitted that Cider did amazing in the car. For the most part, she stayed in the back seat. Eventually, she worked her way to the front into my lap.

And then she fell asleep . . . nothing better than to have a puppy sleeping in your lap.

Rake the Roof

2011-05-29T17:44:00.001-07:00

I don't know how to put it Minnesota Nice, but this past winter absolutely stunk! The second we stepped off the plane from Hawaii, we had crappy weather. To be honest, we have yet to have nice weather. Apparently, when the sun does come out, that causes tornados (more on that later).

Since we had a "warmer" winter that meant we had more snow. Weird, right? The snow built up into what is called ice dams on our roof. This was discovered because I thought Cider had an accident in our bedroom. When I was inspecting the "accident" water began dripping on me.

After a bit of research and a couple hundred later, we were ice dam free. Alex also invested in a roof rake. That is right kids, we (Alex) had to rake the roof to prevent the snow from building up.

All I know is that we better have a great summer or our time in the Twin Cities will be shorter than expected!

Ready or not . . . here they come!

2011-05-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

So I have been delinquent in posting . . . yes, I know. I am sorry! Really, I am. For whatever reason, this past winter has left me wanting to do absolutely nothing.

But, I have some time and have uploaded pictures from my camera. So ready or not, here it comes . . .

Pup and Circumstance

2011-02-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of Cider for graduating from her Petsmart Puppy Class. I was very nervous that she would not pass. She is a great pup but she has a serious case of attention deficit disorder. However, the fact that she passed, with flying colors might I add, is a testament that she can listen and obey (when she wants to).

She was tested on the following;

– Sit

– Wait

– Leave it

– Loose leash walking

– Come

– Roll over and shake

NOTE: The graduation cap pushes my limit for tolerance of dogs that are dressed up.

We have already begun her Intermediate class and look forward to even more improvement.

Enough said . . .

2011-02-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

Gremlin strikes again!

Hockey the way it was meant to be played . . .

2011-02-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

This past January, Alex participated in the National Pond Hockey Tournament. He was recruited by a team from St. Louis. They drove in the day before and the team met our neighborhood hockey rink.

It was incredibly cold . . . yet again. Despite how cold it was that weekend, it was a lot of fun. The people from St. Louis are a great group of people. They already recruited Alex for a pond hockey tournament in Wisconsin next year.

Happy Trails

2011-01-22T17:41:00.001-08:00

This past weekend Alex and I travelled to another northern Minnesota town, Walker. I found a great deal for a one night stay at a local hotel, dinner for two and snowmobiling for less than $100. It was nice to get away and it was the first time we left Cider. She got spoiled by our friends April and Steve.

Since we were heading North, we thought we would go a bit further and see one of the many Paul Bunyan statues in Bemidiji. Paul had his trusty ox, Babe, by his side.

The visitor center was pretty cool. They had a ton of Paul Bunyan artifacts ranging from his fishing pole to his shotgun, all Paul Bunyan life size. They even had his nail clippings. eew!!!

The next morning we woke up bright and early to go snowmobiling. It was my first time and probably my last. It was fun for the first 2 hours. But it was incredibly cold, and I am still trying to figure out the enjoyment of snowmobiling for a lengthy period of time.

Along the trails, we came across yet another Paul Bunyan statue. This time he was in Akeley, which claims to be his birthplace.

It was a fun getaway. We have decided that we are done taking trips North in the winter. Although, I still want to go mushing.

I was happy to get home and to pick up Cider. Apparently, Cider did not hold back and was her usual energetic self. Our friends were throwing her stuff at us when we picked her up. :o) They said that they admire us. They have 8 pets (2 dogs, 2 cats, 1 bunny and 3 chickens) and that is so much easier than 1 puppy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

Alex, Cider and myself hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday season. We stayed in the Twin Cities this year due to the wedding. We were sad that we weren't able to make the trip home to be with our families, but tried to make the best of it.

This year we tried to watch the Target Holidazzle parade, but due to poor planning, we missed the majority of it. I had heard a lot about the downtown Macy's Santaland. I should have asked more questions. It was cute, but more for kids than adults.

Since Cider is the master escape artist, she made herself comfortable in front of the tree. I think she was snooping to see what she was getting for Christmas.

I bought tickets to see A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie theater on the Mississippi River. It was a tradition in my family to see that or the Nutcracker each Christmas. I thought I would introduce the tradition to Alex. It was a great show in a great venue. During intermission, we went outside to a bridge that stops abruptly over the river.

Alex had the great idea to decorate Christmas cookies. We (I) got a little into it with multiple colors for icing. I found a recipe for the cookies and icing and made it all from scratch. It was fun, but again, would be a fun project with kids.

We decided to introduce Cider to hockey by taking her up to the neighborhood ice rink. She did well, considering it was her first time.

On Christmas morning, we woke up and Alex read the birth of Jesus Christ, a tradition in his family.

Santa visited our house and stuffed our stockings with lots of goodies.

Thanks to technology, we were able video conference the opening of our gifts with my parents and Joe back in Dayton. It was fun to see them open our gifts for them. It was like we were sitting in a large circle.

I would say Cider made out like a bandit this Christmas. She got lots of new chew toys and a new rawhide bone that lasted only 3 days.

She got her very own turkey dinner complete with a frisbee plate.

All worn out from playing with her new toys.

White Out!

2010-12-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

You have to love Minnesota weather. Or at least pretend that you do. I honestly do not mind the weather here. I can take it or leave it. However, I have never seen so much snow in my life in one month let alone one day. The big snow storm that many of you were aware of that happened 2 weeks ago was the 5th largest snow storm in Minneapolis history.

Alex and I finally decided to break down and buy a snowblower. There is no way we could have gotten out of house. By the time Alex finished the sidewalks and moved on to the driveway, the sidewalks were covered again. It has proven to be a fun but very useful toy.

Cider loved the snow we got before because she could still run around in it and quite frankly, so could we. Unfortunately, the snow is so high now that we cannot get in. So her freedom to run has been limited to the length of her leash. She just got licensed so now we can take her the dog parks around the city and let her run around.

Alex pretends to not be obsessed with the puppy, but he absolutely adores her.

Jail Break!

2010-12-21T04:55:00.000-08:00

Cider is growing very fast and getting smart. Since we can't trust her yet to roam free in the house due to her nasty biting/chewing/nipping and potty habits, she is confined to the kitchen with gates. The gates have now become her newest toy. Since she is much bigger and stronger she is actually able to crawl and jump over the gate.

As a temporary fix, Alex tried to put the cage in front of the doorway. That didn't stop her either. He has since rigged up a plexi glass cover so her little paws can't use the grating as a ladder. That stopped her for awhile too, but if she wants over she will get over. She proves that when there's a will there's a way.

Back to the cage . . . with her newfound skill she easily scales the side of her cage. She has been caught standing on the countertop (we think she jumped from cage to countertop). We have moved the cage to the middle of the kitchen, where she will simply sleep on top of her cage.

I have begun to wonder if there is some cat in her too . . .

Every beagle needs Woodstock . . .

2010-12-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love spoiling Cider. It is so easy when she looks at you so innocently. Plus if it prevents her from using Alex and I as human chew toys, then bring on the toys. I found a very large Woodstock at the store and thought she had to have it. After all, every beagle needs their trusty sidekick, Woodstock. I loved her reaction and watching her carry Woodstock around.

It is amazing how quickly dogs find that special place in your heart. I thought for a long time after we said goodbye to our family's beagle, Tootsie Roll, that I could never love a dog the same way again. However, Cider has made it easy. At the same time it is a different love. Joe and I enjoyed the fun part of Tootsie Roll. We didn't do the hard work of training her and taking her to the vet and to the kennel. Sure we helped out but nothing in comparison to what our parents did for her.

Now Alex and I are doing the hard work of raising a puppy. I find myself calling my mom often and asking if what Cider is doing is normal or should I be concerned. Although Cider is part beagle, she is very different from Tootsie Roll. Then there are those moments, when she does things that the T. Roll did and it makes me smile. Partly because it is silly but also because it brings a little bit of my Tootsie back to me.

For example, why do they insist on putting their heads on the cold hard floor. Shouldn't this be reversed? (I am pretty sure I have a picture of Tootsie doing the same that I'll have to find.)

Rub-a-dub-dub Cider's in the tub!

2010-12-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

*I was talking recently to a good friend, and it became quite evident that I am obsessed with our puppy. This blog has already shifted to be about our adventures with Cider. So get ready for more of our very loveable and absolutely adorable puppy!*

Cider's first bath was memorable. She also was being an absolute gremlin. We put her in the cage for a timeout which she proceeded to pee . . . a lot. Then she rolled around in it. Seriously?

It was late at night but Alex ran out in hopes of finding dog shampoo at our local Walgreens and CVS. He struck out at both places because they were closed. So Pantene Classic Care would have to be used. Not ideal or recommended but we had no other choice at that point.

I am guessing because of the Lab in her, she handled the water quite well. She only tried to escape once, but I think it was because she was getting cold.

While I don't recommend using Pantene on animals, it did leave Cider with a lot of fluff (volume) and smelling fresh.

Snow Cider

2010-12-11T20:13:00.000-08:00

We received our first snow fall a little later this year in mid-November. I think the totals were about 6-8". We only had had Cider for a week. As I mentioned, I wish we had a bit nicer weather longer so she could enjoy it more, but that will have to wait until April or May.

Cider did not know what to think of the snow at first. We had a bit of a difficult time trying to get her out in the morning. After Alex and I suited up in our snow gear and were able to play with her in it, she seemed to enjoy the snow.

She really enjoyed running around in it with us.

It is amazing how quickly they find a spot in your heart. I absolutely adore love our little Cider/Gremlin.

She was definitely tuckered out after running around in the snow. Of course, so were we. :o)

I am not sure who enjoyed the snow more . . . Cider or Alex?

Cider quickly turned into a bunny and learned that hopping in and out of Alex's footsteps made it easier to maneuver through the snow.

Cider and Leaves

2010-12-05T07:54:00.005-08:00

Fortunately, we had one beautiful day outside to spend with Cider before the snow came. We needed to rake the million leaves in our yard, so it was fun to get some pictures and video of her playing in them.

She is quite fascinated by the camera. She likes to get up close and personal.

Alex was using the leaf blower which she had no idea what to think of it.

She didn't understand the concept of fetch. She was much more interested in keeping the ball to herself and chewing on it.

Pretty puppy . . .

Sleepy puppy . . .

I am certain that Cider has some Lab Retriever in her because she loves to pick up sticks and carry them around. Even ones bigger than she is . . .

Since we had a large pile of leaves, why not throw the pup in? She seemed to be enjoying playing with Alex.

Wish we could have had a few more pretty days. April cannot come soon enough!

Sweet and Sassy Cider

2010-12-05T07:54:00.003-08:00

It didn't take long after we arrived back from our honeymoon before I began looking for a puppy to adopt. Ever since we moved to Minnesota, I have been aching for the unconditional love and companionship that a dog gives its owner. Alex had hesitation and wanted to wait until after the wedding. I reluctantly agreed. In all honesty, now having a puppy, there would have been no way that we could have trained a puppy and planned a wedding.

So the wedding was over and I had a big void in my life, so I immediately began searching rescue group websites for puppies for adoption. I came across a group called BARK. They were holding an adoption event at a local Petsmart. I saw Cider on the website and definitely wanted to meet her. So Alex and I went to check out the event.

She and her brothers were all crazy puppies. They were called the Halloween puppies, named Cider, Jack (o'Lantern), Spider, Tricker (Treat) and other seasonal names. Once I picked her up, I knew in my heart, that she needed to come home with us. We left to check out another adoption event, but I couldn't stop thinking about her.

If we agreed to adopt Cider, that meant we would come home with her that day. I was a little nervous. Nothing was ready at the house and we didn't have anything for her. After a quick call to my parents, who told me, we'll never be ready and that they knew we'd be bringing home a puppy, we decided to take a leap and adopt Cider.

So we signed the check and she was handed over. We dropped her off at the groomers in the store so that she could get cleaned up while we frantically ran around getting food, cage, toys, collar & leash, etc.

She made herself at home and settled in quite nicely.

I did a little research about her story. Cider, her mom and siblings were found and rescued by BARK from a pound in Kentucky where they were about to be put down. They made the long trip to Minnesota. She is definitely a beagle mix. The big question is the mix. I am pretty sure there is some labrador retriever in her. The rescue group expected her to get to about 36-38 pounds. At 3 months, she was 14 pounds and she is getting bigger everyday.

Making herself comfortable.

All tuckered out with her Clifford.

So happy to be home!

Hawaii 5-0

2010-12-05T07:54:00.001-08:00

Alex and I were ready to get on our plane headed to Hawaii the Monday after our Wedding. We couldn't wait to begin our week of long overdue rest and relaxation. Alex posted photos on his flickr page that summarize our Honeymoon quite well. However, I thought I would include a few things that I thought he missed.

Alex and I were so excited when we arrived to Hawaii. We just got off our 8 hour flight and our retrieved our luggage. We had a lei greeting. We got on the shuttle to our hotel, were taking in the sights, when another shuttle ran into us. This required both shuttles to stop and Hawaii-5-0 to come and see what the fuss was about. Needless to say, the exhaustion took over and I was annoyed. Especially when our shuttle driver said that another shuttle was coming to pick us up, in 30-45 minutes. Excuse me? Fortunately it was resolved before then, so we got back on our shuttle, and were off.

We stayed on Wakiki beach for a few days and were able to explore the streets in addition to the beach. An interesting point of interest was the Duke Kahanamoku statue. Locals and visitors pay respect to the local hero by leaving their leis at his statue. The Duke was an actor, local businessman, and lawyer. He was also a 5 time Olympic medalist in swimming and is credited for the spread of the sport of surfing.

Before we left for Kuaui, Alex and I went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay. It was the first time I had ever been snorkeling. When I put my head under the water, there was a fish looking right at me, which freaked me out. Once I calmed down, and figured out how to breathe under water, it became a memorable experience. I had never imagined so many different colors and patterns of fish were possible.

Once we arrived at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai, I checked out all of the activities at the resort. I wanted to for sure make a lei and learn how to hula. Alex was a good sport and made a lei with me. Unfortunately, we weren't able to learn how to hula because another activity conflicted. Oh well . . . next time.

Since we were there on our honeymoon, the Grand Hyatt gave us a complimentary cabana right on the beach. All I kept thinking was that I could get used to this life.

When we toured the Napali Coast on the catamaran, we sailed out to the Forbidden Island and did a little bit more snorkeling. The fish were not as exciting as the Hanauma Bay. However, there was a monk seal swimming around and I was able to catch a quick shot of him, swimming below us.

On the drive in and out of our hotel, there was a stretch called the "Tunnel of Trees." I felt like we were in a movie. It was beautiful. They are Eucalyptus trees that were planted over 150 years ago.

Towards the end of our honeymoon, we drove to the North Shore of Kauai. We found the Wai' oli Hui'a, which I affectionately named the green church. Pretty sure, if we got married in Kauai, I would have had our wedding here. It was such a cute place inside and out. It was established by the American Christian Missionaries in 1834 and is the oldest surviving church building on the island.

Needless to say, we were both very sad to leave the islands. It was an amazing trip with so many new memories made by us together.

Although, we were being silly here, I actually did cry when the plane did lift off. I would go back to Hawaii in a heartbeat.

On a side note, we had a 2 hour layover in Honolulu before we headed to San Francisco. I was amused by the bathroom signage. They dressed their little people in Hawaiian clothing.

Going to the Chapel

2010-12-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that it has almost been 2 months since Alex and I tied the knot. I could remember every detail so vividly for days and weeks afterwards, but now it is starting to become a blur. Thankfully we had an amazing photographer that captured the special moments of the day and some of my favorite memories. Many have seen the pictures on our photographers blog, Kelly Brown Weddings, but I thought I would share some of those special moments that I will treasure forever.

1. The moment that our florist, Eric, dropped off my bouquet. One of the reasons I decided to use Eric and Floral Logic, was because he said he would personally hand me my bouquet. All of the planning was starting to fall in place. The moment brought me to tears.

2. Of course, getting into my dress. Wow! I felt like such a princess. I still have a hard time believing that it is me in these photos.

3. The moment my dad walked into the room and was brought to tears. I will remember that forever.

4. Alex seeing me in my dress for the first time. He was speechless.

5. The last few moments with my dad before walking down the aisle. It all happened so fast. I just wanted a few more seconds to take a deep breath and take it all in. However, the doors swung open and the Wedding March began . . .

6. The kiss! We were announced husband and wife . . . FINALLY! All of a sudden all of the heartache, disappointment, tears and stress melted away.

7. Our cake . . . not only did it taste good but it was absolutely beautiful. Again, Eric from Floral Logic outdid himself.

8. Cutting the cake and sharing a piece with my husband.

9. Eating a delicious dinner with my husband at our sweetheart table surrounded by our closest family and friends. Listening to all of the beautiful words spoken by my dad, Alex's brother and my MOH, Annie.

10. Dancing with my husband. Our song was Dave Matthews Band's "You and Me."

11. Dancing with my dad to our Alma Mater, the O'Neill Brother's "Notre Dame, Our Mother."

Practice Makes Perfect

2010-12-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

The week leading up to the wedding was stressful, fun and memorable. It began with the arrival of my fabulous MOH and cousin, Ann. She surprised me with a "Bride" sweatshirt which I loved. For the first time since getting engaged, I finally felt like the "Bride." Planning the wedding for a year in a completely different state than your mom and MOH does take a bit of the "fun" out of the whole process.

After Ann arrived, it was time for the arrival of tBotB. We decided to have fun in the airport while waiting for Joe and decided to make him a sign. He wasn't impressed and actually walked right by ignoring us. However, he had a smirk, so I knew he secretly enjoyed the attention.

We ran around doing errands for most of the week. I wanted to get everything done before Friday, so that we could enjoy our pedicures and manicures and relax at the Rehearsal. We got all dolled up and headed down to Edina, for a very relaxing spa morning followed up by a very delicious lunch. Then it was time to practice!

Joe was a very good sport about standing up on my side for the ceremony. It was a bit non-traditional, but at the end of the day, I want to be able to look back at our wedding photos in 50 years and see 2 people that I know will still be very special to me.

We actually got to sign our marriage certificate that evening. I wasn't ready to sign my new name "Emily Jane Hallinan Mavridoglou." Yes. I kept my maiden name. However, I have moved it to my middle name. I just couldn't part with Jane or Hallinan. They are both very special names to me.

After the Rehearsal, we headed over to Stella's restaurant for a very lovely evening shared with our wedding party and family.

My one true love.

Bachelore-what?

2010-11-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

I work with some amazing people. Seriously! The ladies of Aveda caught wind that I was not having a Bachelorette Party and wanted to do something for me. Respecting my wishes (no phallic objects or strip joints), they organized a very classy Bachelorette Happy Hour at W. A. Frost. The weather was amazing so we were able to the evening on their patio. For some reason, I was able to sit back and breathe, if even only for a second before the week of wedding craziness began.

I especially enjoyed my green princess crown. Does it get any better than this?

Thank you again Anna, Liz and April for planning what will be a memorable evening!!!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2010-11-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

Since we hadn't had had our fill of sports we decided to head down to Target Field for one of the last games of the season in the new field. I had refused to attend any baseball games during my first 2 summers in Minnesota, because I was not going to watch baseball indoors. That is right, they have played indoors at the Metrodome for years. That is the same place the Vikings play. I was happy with my decision to wait.

Target Field is a great baseball stadium. It was roomy and clean and designed very well. It definitely represents the history of Minnesota baseball. I loved that our seats were behind 3rd base so we got an amazing view of the Minneapolis skyline.

In the outfield there is a neon sign depicting a set of "Twins" (Minneapolis and St. Paul). Everytime the Twins score the sign lights up and the "Twins" shake hands. It is cute. It reminds me of the Dayton Dragons score board blowing smoke out of the Dragon when they score.

The Twins played the Cleveland Indians (my hometown team) and beat them. I had my Indians t-shirt on and I think I might have been the only Indians fan. In fact, I got a lot of stares, and they weren't friendly. Oh well! The Twins won and moved into the Playoffs.

We had a great time and are looking forward to next season to enjoy more games. Quite frankly, I am looking forward to the summer in general so that we can really enjoy it. It blew by too quickly this year. I blinked and it was gone.

Are you ready for some football?

2010-09-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Alex was able to get awesome seats at the Metrodome for the Vikings preseason game against the Broncos. I was particularly interested in this game because Brady Quinn now plays for the Broncos. It was actually a Notre Dame football reunion. There are quite a few former Irish standouts that play for the Broncos including Miamisburg, Ohio native David Bruton.

Tim Tebow also is a quarterback for the Broncos. However, I don't care for him and he prevents Brady from playing. So I was rooting for the Vikings 2/3rds of the game, hoping they would make Tebow look bad so Brady would come in. When Brady finally did come in to play, I switched and rooted for the Broncos.

The next day we headed down to Chicago to meet up with my family for the Notre Dame game the following day. We got what I would consider a late start . . . but we got there nonetheless. We were able to "tailgate" for a minute, get over to the bookstore, and see the band march by us on the way to the stadium. I was hoping to get a game of cornhole in with my new set, but some snotty ND fans took over the entire area around our car, so we weren't able to play. We had great seats for the game and the Irish looked great. Especially since they won. It was a good start to the season, let's hope it continues.

After the game we bumped into Nate Montana, the famous Joe Montana's son, and were able to get a picture with him. It is about as close as we'll ever get to Joe, since he refuses to give autographs, photographs or even handshakes.

We also found that ND has erected statues of all of the championship coaches at each of the gates to the stadium. My favorite depicts a classic moment between the greatest Notre Dame coach in my lifetime, Lou Holtz, with two of the greatest players to ever play at Notre Dame, Tim Brown and Tony Rice.

As much I have seen my family this summer, you would never know that we live 12 hours apart. I was a little sad to say good bye to them this time, just because the next time I'd see them would be in a month for the wedding. Which is coming up way too fast. I have moments of panic but know that everything will all work out.

Restoring Honor - 8/28 Rally

2010-09-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

For our last family trip, just the 4 of us, my parents wanted to go back to DC. It surprised me a bit, especially since we all agreed we would not go when we did not agree with the sitting President. However, my mom became very interested in the 8/28 Rally "Restoring Honor" organized by Glenn Beck. You can say whatever you want to say about Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin for that matter, but until you experience something of this magnitude and see the people that attended, it would probably be best to withhold judgement.

We spent Friday walking around DC visiting places we weren't able to visit 2 years ago. We saw Ford's Theater and received a very educational lecture about the evening Lincoln was assassinated. We headed over to the Smithsonian to view "Old Glory." I would have to say that was probably a big highlight. Across the street was Environmental Protection Agency where I hugged a tree.

Saturday morning we woke up early (not as early I as I would have liked) in hopes of getting on the Metro to get over the Lincoln Memorial at a decent time. When we got to the station, there were hundreds of people already lined up. There was no room to spare. When the Metro train came to our station it was already packed full of people. It was a little daunting, but kind of exciting too!

When we got off the Metro, there were crowds of people heading toward the Lincoln Memorial. I was starting to get excited that people were excited and passionate enough to travel from all over the country to stand together and make an important statement. We can differ in opinion, but we must remember how and why our country was formed, and the people who along the way fought for our freedoms.

Secretly, I was hoping for some protestors. But I only saw one, and he was incredibly outnumbered. The quality and class of people was second to none. After the rally, everyone picked up after themselves, and put their trash by the waste bins.

The next morning we headed over to Georgetown. I wish we could have stayed longer because it was an absolutely adorable town. The weather was unbearably hot. We were only able to get in a visit to Kate Spade and the only existing pre-Revolutionary War building. I was bothered when I found out that the British taxed for closet space. Yikes! I would have to pay a hefty tax for all of my shoes. Let's HOPE it doesn't CHANGE back to that way. ;o)

It was a great weekend spent with my family. Again, I was sad to say goodbye, but I knew I would see them the following weekend at Notre Dame.

Wedding Bootcamp

2010-09-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

This past July my parents came up to visit and help out with a lot of wedding details and planning. We were so thankful to have them for the long weekend and were very appreciative of all of the support and guidance they provided.

The weekend started off with the local meat raffle. I thought it would be fun to let my parents experience a Minnesota activity. Needless to say, we were not very lucky at all with the meat raffle or even the pull tabs. We had fun nonetheless.

That evening I scheduled invitation assembly. Thank goodness they were there to help out. If I had done it all by myself . . . it would have taken me all weekend. We got all of the invitations made and stuffed. We finished sealing the envelopes the next morning and got them in the mail. No turning back now!

For a break, I booked a lunch boat ride on Lake Minnetonka. It was a beautiful afternoon with tasty food and beautiful scenery. Not to mention the company.

My parents also got to experience the Target fireworks which were absolutely amazing. They agreed that it was the best fireworks show they had seen.

The rest of the weekend involved my mom and I shopping while Alex and my dad bonded at the gun range. A dress fitting, meeting with the florist, meeting with the golf club and probably a few other things that I can't remember that we did. We got a lot accomplished, which only made room for the other growing list of things to do.

I was sad to see them leave, but knew I would see them shortly in DC.

I miss Brady!

2010-09-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

Every so often, I will get an email from the ND Alumni Association listing upcoming events in the area. One particular email caught my eye - a chance to meet legendary ND football standouts including Brady Quinn at a golf outing. I thought at first we had to play golf, but we could come to a dinner after the outing, and "eat dinner" with them and participate in a Q&A

panel.

Alex and I had a great time at the event. When Brady walked into the room, I was determined to not make a fool of myself, like I did with Sarah Palin. Fortunately, I was able to maintain my composure long enough to get a picture with him and Alex, as well as tell him that we are huge supporters of him. He was very gracious and genuinely cared what we had to say.

Good Luck Brady! We are rooting for you!

In addition to recent Notre Dame players in attendance at the event, the Honorable Justice Alan Page was present. Justice Page played for Notre Dame and is a Minnesota Viking legend. It was very cool to meet him!

Coming soon . . .

2010-08-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have been incredibly delinquent in posting this summer. We have been very busy wedding planning but have been able to sneak in a few trips and visits. Look for in the coming weeks posts about . . .

1. 30th Birthday in Bayfield, Wisconsin

2. Meeting Brady Quinn – Check

3. Mom and Dad visit – Check

4. Restoring Honor in DC – Check

5. Broncos v Vikings – Check

6. Beginning of the Brian Kelly chapter – Check

7. Home makeover

Aveda Team Bowling League

2010-07-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

In need of some serious laughter at work, a select few members of the Creative team decided to go bowling . . . in the office. It wasn't planned. A quick walk across the street to Walgreens for a pop break led to the discovery of a bowling set suitable for indoors and appropriately for ages 3+.

Needless to say, we put the $7 bowling set to good use. Even on the days that it is difficult to muster the strength to go to work, I can count always count on my fabulous friends (April, Anna, Jason and Liz) to make it worth the effort.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for a Severe Weather Alert . . .

2010-07-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

That is what we are used to hearing in Ohio. However, after two years in the State of Minnesota and what I would consider several "severe" thunderstorms . . . we heard it for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

Apparently Minnesotans wait for the sky to turn green, then pitch black, then purple with torrential downpours and dime sized hail to interrupt tv for a quick weather update.

It has been awhile and I know that weather graphics evolve over time but this is what we got to look at . . . this is missing the keyboard that popped up every few seconds for the weatherman to add another graphic to the screen.

Any idea what the black boxes represent? Never saw those in my life. Probably best I don't know what they mean either.

"Oh Good Grief, Charlie Brown!"

2010-07-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Charles M. Schulz creator of Peanuts was born in Minneapolis and raised in St. Paul? To commemorate the iconic figure, there are Peanuts statues all around Rice Park in downtown St. Paul.

Happy Memorial Day!

2010-05-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

Probably one of my 2nd favorite holidays after the 4th of July is Memorial Day. I love the long weekend, cookouts, and all of the American flags and tributes to our armed services.

Here are some shots I took around the house today with Alex's camera.

As I mentioned before, Alex and I live along Victory Memorial Drive. It gets its name from all of the memorial markers for all of the local residents that served in WWII. These markers sit at the base of each tree along the drive. On Memorial Day they place American flags at each marker.

It is amazing to see the flags lined up as far as the eye can see on both sides of the parkway.

1 in 7 Lack Access to Clean Water

2010-05-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

It may not come as a surprise to many but while the rest of the world celebrates Earth Day in April – at Aveda – we celebrate Earth Month. It is a month filled with fundraising activities to raise money for the Global Greengrants Fund which supplies money and resources to countries in need of clean water.

Our Earth Month activities culminate with the "Walk for Water" on the actual Earth Day. The "Walk for Water" is a 6km walk to symbolize the distance women must walk in order to get clean water for their families.

In Minneapolis, our walk starts at the Aveda Institute with a "pep rally." We chant our mission statement and do some sort of wellness activity.

Of course, we must all wear the same thing – our Earth Month t-shirts. What can I say – I work at Aveda.

We get to walk around, beside and over the Mississippi River. At the end of the walk, we are asked to lift a pickle bucket filled with water. It is supposed to represent the amount of water the women carry the 6km. Let's just say I could barely pick it up off the ground.

It was an absolutely beautiful day for the "Walk for Water" and even better day to be out of the office.

Seriously?

2010-05-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

We are expected to receive up to one inch of snow tonight. I guess I need to break out my winter parka and start up the fireplace.

Let's just say I am not amused.

Spring Tulips

2010-04-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Last fall I planted A LOT of tulip bulbs in hopes that maybe a few would grow this spring. I love how tulips look when they are in masses. So with the help of Alex, I planted them in the flower bed along our garage.

I realized I was taking a huge risk. If any of the tulips did appear, they may fall victim to our neighborhood bunnies and squirrels. I was growing a "buffet" of tulips for them.

As luck would have it, the tulips did grow. Most if not all of them. And they have survived the bunnies and squirrels. They are AMAZING! I love walking out the door and seeing them in the morning opened and coming home and seeing them closed.

I love Spring!

Hippity Hop it's Peter Cottontail

2010-04-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and was able to enjoy the day with their families. The weather was absolutely beautiful here in the Twin Cities. Since it was so warm, the Easter Bunny made a quick stop by our house for Alex this year.

Before we headed to Mass, I made breakfast for Alex and I. We went to Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Aside from the fact that the service was amazing as always (I love all of the pomp and circumstance at Easter), the Basilica is absolutely beautiful. I am always in awe of all of the architectural details.

Last year was a pretty boring Easter. We had no idea that the city pretty much shuts down for the Holiday. Which it should and probably does in Ohio too, however, since we had no family to visit or places to be, we were very aware of the lack of activities to do.

So this year, I planned Easter egg coloring. Alex was a very good sport. He got into decorating his eggs and was very secretive with what he was doing.

Like many things that I try to do as an adult that I did as a child, I always remember it being so much more fun than it turns out to be. Some things are just meant for kids. We rounded out the day with a very big ham and potato dinner. I even made a key lime pie from scratch. It was very good if I say so myself. Another successful Easter in Minneapolis!

Don't be late for a very important date!

2010-04-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

It's Showering Kitchen Gifts

2010-04-06T19:03:00.001-07:00

This past March my cousin and Maid of Honor, Ann, hosted my Bridal Shower for my family. It was a whirlwind weekend, but a fabulous one. It may come as a surprise to many that I do not enjoy being the center of attention. Boy was I the center. You could hear crickets as everyone's eyes were on me as they anxiously awaited me to open my presents. It was a little nerve wracking.

My favorite part–besides opening the presents that we spent hours registering for–was seeing my family. Especially the LaRoches(my mom's side). It has been such a long time since we have all gotten together.

We (Aunt Sally, my cousin Heidi, my Mom and I) started the weekend of festivities by shopping for my Mom's dress on Friday. I was a little nervous how it would go. After trying on only 3 dresses and visiting 3 more stores, we ended up back where we started and made the final decision. We celebrated with a delicious meal at Grand Finale in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Of course, we had to have dessert. Yes, that is a chocolate mousse the size of my head. (I was off my wedding "diet" for the weekend.)

My cousin Ann (MoH) joined us that evening and we started getting ready for the big Part-Tay. Ann shipped all of the Bridal Shower essentials in a box from South Carolina. That's right . . . it was a Bridal Shower in a box!

The two of us made a great team making the Mint Chocolate Brownies. Yummy!

My cousin Heidi (aka Martha Stewart) did a fabulous job setting up the table of desserts. As well as a million other odds and ends to help get ready. She really should get into the business of party planning.

I was very fortunate to have all of my LaRoche Aunts at the party. (L-R: Aunt Jean, Aunt Becky, Me, my Mom, and Aunt Sally)

The Ohio Hallinans were also in attendance. (L-R: Me, Aunt Mary, Aunt Linda and my cousin Maggie)

My mom was very gracious to host the entire shower at her home in Dayton. I couldn't think of a better place to celebrate with my family.

I am very honored to have my cousin Ann stand up for me at our wedding. She has been like a sister to me and a great friend. She is the best MoH ever! She also threw one heck of a Bridal Shower. THANK YOU Annie!

Anyone out there?

2010-04-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if anyone still thinks to check my little blog anymore. I wouldn't blame them, because it has been forever since I have been able to take the time to update my blog. It seems like 2010 is moving fast. I can't complain. That means the wedding will be here before we know it. However, there is a lot still to do.

Accomplishments;

1. Date 2. Location 3. DJ 4. Photographer 5. Florist 6. Dress 7. Registry 8. Save the Dates 9. Bridal Shower

In Progress;

1. Rehearsal Dinner 2. Transportation 3. Videographer (up in the air) 4. HONEYMOON

To Do;

1. Cake 2. Reception 3. Tux 4. Ceremony Music 5. Invitations

Am I forgetting anything?

Strike a Pose

2010-02-17T18:34:00.001-08:00

Wedding planning is in full effect. We were able to take a break and have our engagement photos taken . . . FINALLY! We are happy with how they turned out. It was a great opportunity to spend time with our photographer before our big day.

We wanted to do our shoot while embracing the Minnesota weather. It was a beautiful day until we started shooting. The temperatures dropped and the wind began blowing and surprise it started snowing. We had a lot of fun despite the elements.

These are just a few selections . . .

Happy Birthday Alex!

2010-02-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

Alex celebrated his 36th birthday on February 8th. I surprised him and took him out to dinner at a local restaurant called the Monte Carlo. It was delicious. It reminded me a lot of The Paragon back home in Dayton. Supposedly it was a frequent hangout for the mob back in the day.

Happy Birthday Alex! I hope it will be a great year!

Thank you General!

2010-02-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

This past January I was finally able to take advantage of the perks of Alex working at General Mills. You see, many of the holiday parties hosted by General Mill's vendors is for employees only. However, now that Alex is now part of Yoplait, I got invited to their division's holiday party. It was held at the swanky Chambers Hotel.

The invitation said cocktail attire. Yikes! I own nothing appropriate for a cocktail party. So with the help of my friend Kristin, we hit up the Mall of America in search of the perfect "little black dress." Fortunately, I found one at a great deal or should I steal. It was originally $250 marked down to $50. That is a good deal, right? Well when I checked out, it rang up as $30. Even better!

We had fun at the party. They had door prizes, lots of great food, music and poker tables. Alex and I spent most of the night at the poker tables playing with fake money. I was winning a lot of money. Alex thought it would be a great idea to go gambling for real. I said it wouldn't be fun when we lost the real money. I am just not a risk taker when it comes to money.

Bathroom Refresh

2010-01-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

One of our first projects on our house to was to fix up the basement. We (Alex) recently finished remodeling the basement bathroom. With a little help from our friend Nevin, we (Alex) put in a new tile floor to replace the linoleum. We painted the walls taupe. Tore out the built in sink and replaced with a pedestal sink. I absolutely love it.

BEFORE

AFTER

I'll post pictures of the basement overhaul. Perhaps this weekend after I can clean it up a bit. We are now going to work on the main bathroom next. It will definitely require some serious planning.

Homemade Ice Cream

2010-01-13T19:46:00.000-08:00

While we were home over the holidays I was finally able to see my redesign of the UDF Homemade Ice Cream. It was one of the last projects I worked on at Coho Creative before moving to Minneapolis.

It is very rare to have a design concept chosen and developed and produced. I felt very privileged to be able to work on this project not only because of the shelf presence but also because UDF has played an integral part in the history of Cincinnati.

I have to admit, it looked pretty awesome on shelf. My only wish is that I could have been around when it hit the stores.

Back to Reality

2010-01-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in Ohio, despite the fact that I got pretty sick towards the end of the visit. It was so nice to be home for more than a few days. It was weird to not have anything to do other than hang out with my family. We spent Christmas Eve with my family and spent Christmas Day with Alex's family. Since we were home for over a week we were able to visit with my Uncle Chuck and Aunt Mary and my cousins Bill and Charlie. We were also able to visit with my cousin John and his wife Kathy as well as my cousin Ann (my MOH) and got to finally meet her boyfriend.

It was definitely hard to come back to Minnesota. Maybe spending so much time at home made it harder. I really liked being home. Of course, it didn't hurt that my mom took care of me while I was sick. Alex does a decent job. However, there is nothing like having your mom nursing you back to health.

Once we got back to Minnesota we were faced with very cold temperatures. I know – it is always cold. On top of that, we got locked out of our house. Long story short, we locked an extra lock that we didn't have a key too and our one door handle would not budge. Probably due to the cold. As we waited for the locksmith to arrive, I sat in Alex's car finishing my movie from the airplane on my iTouch. At least I had something to keep me occupied and a warm place to sit.

We got a nice lesson from the locksmith about locks. Perhaps we'll follow his recommendations. Either way it was an expensive lesson to learn. Not really how I wanted to start off the new year . . .

I'll Be Home for Christmas . . . hopefully . . .

2010-01-12T19:39:00.003-08:00

We barely made it out of Minnesota for Christmas. The Midwest was hit with a terrible snowstorm that brought with it sleet, freezing rain, and snow. It is amazing what kind of weather we get here when it hits 30 degrees. Once it is below freezing we get nothing because it is too cold to snow. Go figure!

There was a lot of drama trying to get out in addition to the weather. Our flight was listed on time and cancelled on two different websites. After talking with Delta and Northwest people we decided to head to the airport. Once we got to the airport we were faced with longer lines than expected. Then our flight was listed as on time and cancelled on separate monitors. After running to the gate in hopes to catch a later flight to Ohio, we found out the flight was on time. Of course, the fact that we waited about 1.5 to get de-iced didn't help with the "on time" status.

As we were taking off (wheels off the ground) I noticed a man across the aisle one row up from us playing on his phone. I get very annoyed when people do not follow rules. I hit Alex to express my frustration. Alex shook his head at me in annoyance because I get annoyed easily. But then I noticed the guy nervously shaking his leg while playing with his phone. I was starting to get a bit suspicious. I hit Alex again. This time when he looked over, the guy pushed something on his wrist that lit up 5 lights in a row. We both looked at each like "holy crap." Fortunately, nothing happened but after the Underwear Bomber, I will certainly inform the stewardess of suspicious behavior no matter what.

After all of that drama, we finally landed in Dayton. I was so excited to see my parents and brother. I was also ready to go to bed and crash. I was worn out from all of the drama.

Christmas in Minneapolis

2010-01-12T19:39:00.001-08:00

The last couple of weeks in December were very busy. We tried to fit in last minute shopping, getting the house ready for us to be gone (I like to come home to a clean house), and celebrating our Christmas together.

I was determined to do more decorating this year with the tree. I got a little crazy with buying ornaments and tree trimmings, but I think it was worth it. I was really happy with how it turned out.

Owning a home has brought out the domestic side of me. All I really wanted for Christmas was a sewing machine. I work with some of the most creative people I have ever worked with and they are always making things on their sewing machines. I am constantly inspired by them, and love what they can do. I felt like I could do it too, I just needed a sewing machine. So my fabulous fiance bought me a sewing machine.

There are a lot of projects that I have in mind. Primarily wedding projects. I can make a lot of things cheaper than renting or purchasing.

This year we decided to check out the Holiday Lights in the Park in St. Paul. For some reason, I always have grand visions of these things, thinking it is going to be much better than it really ends up being. We still had fun driving through the park and checking out all of the light displays.

We made crab legs and Red Lobster biscuits for a tasty Christmas dinner. I always like crab legs because Alex cracks them open for me. It is a very easy meal for me to eat. I have to admit, it just isn't the same celebrating Christmas a week early. Plus it would be fun to actually celebrate with a white Christmas in Minnesota. Maybe next year . . .

Month of November in Review

2009-12-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

Wow! Where did the month of November go? I knew we were busy but I did not realize just how busy we were until I was going through our photos.

We ended the month of October off by setting a wedding date. The wedding planning has begun. We already have a church, a reception venue, DJ, photographer and I have my dress. Hopefully the sooner we figure things out, we can coast through the months leading up to the actual ceremony.

So we started the month of November off by attending the University of Minnesota vs. Bemidji State hockey game. It was the first time I had been in the Marriucci Ice Arena. It was very impressive. It was the size of a college basketball arena. It was a lot of fun. As we were leaving the arena the news was doing their post-game report. Alex thought it would be fun to get on tv. I took a picture of Alex on tv (literally). He is the crazy fan in the middle of the 2 commentators.

Next we were off to Chicago/South Bend for a visit with my parents and to close out another disappointing Notre Dame football season. We arrived in Chicago late Thursday evening so that we could spend the day with my parents in downtown Chicago. We stayed outside of the city by the airport and thought it would be fun to ride the "L" into town. It was the first time my parents had ridden the "L." (You can see where my brother gets his sense of humor.)

We had a great time hanging out in the city. We went shopping and had a very nice dinner. My dad and Alex were very good sports. The next day we were off to South Bend. It was a very special day because we were able to watch the game with my very good friends Jeff and Marie that I hadn't seen since I moved to Minnesota. Despite the disappointing loss, we were in very good company.

The following weekend was Thanksgiving. I had every intention of staying put in Minneapolis but I was trying to come up with some ideas for Alex for Christmas. He loves the Miami of Ohio hockey team and hasn't seen them play in over a year. They don't play this year when we are home for the holidays. So as I was looking at their schedule, I saw that they were playing in the Subway Classic hosted by the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I surprised Alex by going ahead and purchasing the tickets.

So after another successful Thanksgiving dinner cooked by yours truly and putting up the Christmas tree, we packed up yet again, and headed north on Friday to Grand Forks. I didn't know much about Grand Forks. I thought it would be an adventure. We were going to drive through Fargo so I thought that we could stop and check it out. Well we drove through Fargo. Stopped to eat lunch and asked the waitress what there is to do in Fargo. You could hear crickets in the room. "Not much" she responded. So we packed up and headed into Grand Forks.

When we checked into the hotel we were told that we could shop at Cabela's, Target, and Kohls. Fabulous! I just thought to myself, "We are here for hockey." So after we picked up our hotel key and settled into our hotel room we headed over to the hockey arena. It was huge! It made the Marriucci Ice Arena look like chopped liver. The place was immaculate. The floors were marble with the Fighting Sioux logo in the marble. Amazing!

After asking a few people about what there is to do in Grand Forks and realizing there is nothing to do we discovered the Blue Moose. A very good and tasty restaurant. We made a note to go back there if we ever went back to Grand Forks. Which if we do go back it will not be any time soon.

The last game of the Subway Classic was Saturday night. The #1 Miami Redhawks played the #8 North Dakota Fighting Sioux. We were 1 of 8 Miami fans and we felt very out of place. The place was packed with North Dakota fans. They definitely love their hockey.

In between the 2nd and 3rd period we were treated to a very impressive laser light show. This place puts NHL games to shame. However, I guess when the hockey games are the only thing to do in Grand Forks, it better be pretty cool.

As I sit here, I am thinking to myself that December is quickly flying by. The next thing we know it will be the new year. Which will probably be the next time I will have time to update my blog.

So just in case I hope everyone has a very

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Grinch Who Stole Halloween

2009-11-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

So I have now been dubbed by Alex the Halloween Grinch. I don't care for Halloween. Not sure when I decided I don't like Halloween, but I just know I don't. For example, we (Alex) handed out candy for Beggar's Night. We had one child literally take the candy from Alex and throw it back in the bowl and ask for 2 Hershey bars – 1 for him and 1 for his mom. When Alex told him "No!" he said that everyone else was giving him two pieces. Fortunately, another child came up and when the kid realized he wasn't getting more than 1 piece of candy from our house he stomped off and growled in anger. Another girl just came out and asked for 3 pieces of candy. Then you had kids who wanted a different piece of candy. The kids who had 3 bags in their hands (1 for them, 1 for their sick cousin, and 1 for their mom). And of course, no one says "Trick-or-Treat" anymore. So yeah, maybe I am the Halloween Grinch. Can you blame me?

Despite my feelings towards the holiday, I did carve a pumpkin and I even dressed up and went out to a party downtown. Notre Dame played their game during Beggar's Night so I pretty much watched that as Alex handed out the candy. My pumpkin reflected my support of the Irish.

So for Halloween my friend and neighbor Kristin and I dressed up as Wilma Flinstone and Betty Rubble. We wanted her husband and Alex to dress up as Fred and Barney. We had no success. We got lots of compliments. We turned out pretty darn cut if you ask me.

Alex dressed up as Slash from Guns and Roses. I still think it would have been better if he had dressed up as Barney. Oh well . . .

Despite my dislikes about Halloween, I had a lot of fun hanging out with great friends and Alex.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-11-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my mom came up for a visit. I had told her last year for her birthday that I would treat her to a weekend in Chicago. Well, for a variety of reasons we decided Chicago was not ideal. I thought it would be fun to have her visit me in Minneapolis.

I had a lot of fun having her in town. We got to go out to lunch and shop and do all the things we would do together in Ohio. We even began talking about wedding plans.

We did a little bit of sightseeing. We went down by the Mississippi River to the see the St. Anthony Falls which are created by the first dam on the river. Unfortunately, the weather was less than desirable. It was rather chilly and rainy. It even snowed . . . again!

Despite all of that, we had a great time together. It was hard to see her get back on the plane to go home.

Skol Vikings!

2009-10-31T06:53:00.001-07:00

Gosh time flies! A couple of weekends ago, Alex and I were fortunate enough to get tickets to attend the Minnesota Vikings versus the Baltimore Ravens game. It was the first Vikings game I have been too, the first time being in the Metrodome (now called the Mall of America Stadium), and technically the first NFL game I have been too.

It was a lot of fun. I love how the Vikings fans are diehard fans. They love their purple and gold. The Dome was incredibly loud. If I go to another game, I think I would bring ear plugs. It was that loud.

There has been a lot of drama in the news about Bret Favre unable to make up his mind about playing football. I really have no opinion on the topic seeing how I'm neither a Vikings fan or NFL fan in general. However, it seems that he made the right decision to come back. You can just tell the man loves to play football.

I was pretty surprised by the game in itself. The Vikings actually have a "fight song" that is sung when the team scores. They also have people run on to the field with flags that spell out "Vikings." It was quite amusing.

My favorite highlight was seeing Tom Zibikowski play for the Ravens. He played safety at Notre Dame. He was Alex's favorite player because he was tough. Zibby is also a champion boxer. It is neat to see players that you cheered on for 4 years do so well in the NFL.

As I mentioned, the fans are very crazy . . . and kind of scary!!!

A sort of related story to share . . . so as we were searching for a parking spot we came upon what seemed to be a run down hockey arena. When we asked the parking attendant what this building used to be she said this is where the Lakers used to play. As in the LA Lakers formerly the Minneapolis Lakers. It was a "aha!" moment. So that is why the Lakers are called the Lakers. They come from the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." And their colors are the same as the Vikings. However, it is hard to believe this is where they played 60 years ago compared to the present day Staples Center.

Snow Snow Go Away

2009-10-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

It is October and it has already snowed.

I thought I would be okay with it until I woke up Monday morning to this . . .

All I have to say is that I am not amused.

Friday Night Lights

2009-10-14T16:58:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, Alex and I headed over to Stillwater to watch Friday night High School football. Stillwater played Cretin which was a very big game. Both teams were undefeated and Cretin was ranked #1 in the state. They have a kid on the team that looked liked he could suit up for the NFL tomorrow. He was huge and is being highly recruited by the big schools - including Notre Dame. Cretin is also where ND Wide Receiver standout Micheal Floyd played.

We had a lot of fun. I forgot how much I loved going to high school games, even though I was in the band. I have to mention that the Stillwater mascot is a pony. I had a very difficult time cheering for the "Ponies." I giggled each time I yelled "Go Ponies!" So . . . I renamed them to the Stillwater Stallions. Not sure if other fans appreciated it but who cares.

The game was a nail biter. However, the Stillwater Stallions came out on top winning 12-7. Cretin had been averaging 35 points a game. So this was a big deal.

Notre Dame will win overall . . .

2009-10-06T18:17:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Alex and I headed south to Chicago/South Bend to meet up with my family for the Notre Dame vs. Washington football game. There is nothing better than visiting one of my favorite places to see my favorite people.

Unfortunately, the weather was the pits. However, we were able to get on campus and see some of my favorite spots; the Basillica of Sacred Heart, the Golden Dome, and of course, the Grotto.

For the first time that I can remember we planned ahead of time appropriate rain gear. I have gotten soaked one too many times. My mom was able to locate rain gear for all of us. (Not sure what was up with Joe in this picture – perhaps Ohio State has finally gone to his head.) At the end of the night, when we peeled off the rain gear, not one of us was wet. Amazing!

It was a very close game, too close. However, at the end of the night, the Irish were able to pull off 2 goal line stands . . . in a row, and win in overtime.

One Year in Minnesota

2009-09-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it! I "survived" my first year in Minnesota. As I am sitting on my deck writing this, I can't believe that it was only last Labor Day that I pulled up to our new house with Alex in the UHaul right behind me. I am trying to think about what my favorite memory would be from this past year. I can honestly say that my favorite memory is all of the memories Alex and I have created together. There have been so many . . .

It was a bit overwhelming to see that my whole life did not exactly fill a UHaul truck. Of course, I am sure Alex was happy so that there was less to load and unload.

Once I got up here and we got somewhat settled I went straight to finding a job. I was a little worried about what would be available. Fortunately, the house kept me busy and we didn't waste anytime exploring Minnesota. Our first trip north was to Duluth and to the Split Harbor Lighthouse.

Then as luck would have it, I was offered and I accepted a position with Aveda. It has been a great experience overall. I am constantly being challenged as well as learning new things everyday.

Alex did not waste anytime in getting tickets to a Minnesota Wild game, which happened to be my first NHL hockey game.

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Minnesota, which meant I had to get comfortable pretty quick in the kitchen.

Alex got me my first pair of ice skates. I was able to move in them this past year. This year we will work on skills.

Alex participated in the National Pond Hockey Tournament. As I was standing watching Alex play on probably the coldest day this past winter (-30 windchill), I think I was more concerned about the fact that I was standing ON the middle of a lake.

And then there was the snow.

I went tubing for the first time. It was actually pretty fun. I'd probably do it again.

FIRST and LAST time skiing . . . I am smiling in this picture because I made it down the hill somewhat safe and I knew I didn't have to go again!

I saw Lake Superior split.

I watched mushing.

I saw my first bald eagle in the wild.

Then Spring came . . . and I grew a green thumb.

My parents came for a visit.

I got a new bike.

Won big at the neighborhood meat raffle.

Joe came for a visit and we had a great time out on the boat.

I finally saw a real live moose! However, I still want to see one in the wild.

Alex and I went to the PGA Championship game. It was my first time on a golf course let alone watching the game. It was a great time! I would definitely do that again.

Finally finally got to drive a golf cart.

Last but not least, I went to the State Fair.

I think that I have done more this past year than I have in my 29 years of life. We have had a great time exploring the Great State of Minnesota. I have to admit I am still homesick and miss Ohio. I actually got a little teary eyed when I happened upon WKRP in Cincinnati on television. I often think if I would ever have come here on my own if it wasn't for Alex and General Mills. Probably not. However, the opportunities and experiences that Minnesota has given us so far has been nothing but good. Who knows what this coming year will hold for us . . . certainly lots of snow, home remodeling, and hopefully a wedding . . .

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

2009-09-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Alex and I headed over to St. Paul for the Minnesota State Fair, also known as "The Great Minnesota Get-Together." It was the first weekend and we were warned that it is better to go during the week. Unfortunately, we had no option.

We were very impressed with how the whole thing was organized. They had free bus rides to the fairgrounds. All we had to do was go to one of the 20+ spots across town and hop on. They dropped us right off at the gates.

As soon as we entered the gates we headed directly over to the Miracle of Birth Center. They had a variety of farm animals all ready to give birth. This was one of my favorite spots at the State Fair. I could have stayed here all day.

As we were walking around they kept announcing that a sow was giving birth. We walked over and saw all of the piglets squirming around. They were so cute! This pig was not so cute. I told her to stop being such a pig and close her mouth when she eats.

Then we discovered the baby sheep. I almost died. They were so little and so fluffy. I just wanted to hold one. This little guy was my favorite.

As we continued to walk around the building we discovered baby ducklings and even watched baby chicks hatch. And then there was the cow. There was a cow laying down in a huge gated area laboring hard. We stayed and watched her give birth to her calf. You can see the Veterinarians pulling out the front two legs.

I was completely awe-struck by the whole experience. From watching her push, to the not so pleasant part of giving birth, to seeing the hooves and the nose and then whole baby calf. The Vets pulled the calf over to the front so that the cow could start cleaning her. This was by far my favorite part of the State Fair.

I wanted to stay and watch the baby calf try to learn and stand up but Alex was anxious to see the rest of the State Fair. We headed off to the Dairy Barn where we saw the butter sculptures of the State Fair princesses.

I was amused by this sign.

Leave it to Alex to find hockey at the State Fair.

We went into the butterfly house which sounded fun and cool on the outside. However, once we were inside I felt completely different. My fear of multiples (strange but true) hit. All of the butterflies flying around and landing all over the place really freaked me out! So I was out in record time.

After that we headed over to the carnival part of the fair. We got sucked into the sideshow and watched a man swallow a sword and a little person eat fire.

There was so much to do at the State Fair. We weren't able to do it all. Perhaps next year we can hit up the rest of the stuff or pick and choose better what we want to do.

Food-On-A-Stick

2009-09-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

One of the things that we kept hearing about the State Fair was all of the food-on-a-stick. For some reason there wasn't as much food-on-a-stick as we thought there would be. However, that did not prevent us from eating all kinds of greasy goodness.

#1 Onion Blossom. It was decent. I still prefer Outback's Onion Blossom.

#2 Chocolate Malt. This was very good.

#3 Cheddar Cheese Curds. These were okay.

#4 Sweet Corn. Again very good.

#5 Fried Alligator. Very chewy but actually decent.

#6 Deep Fried Snickers. So I thought this would be good. However, the more I think about it now, I wouldn't eat it again.

(The inside of the deep friend Snickers. Not very appetizing.)

#7 Twisted Tater. The top was okay but the center was soaked in grease. It was pretty gross.

#8 Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar with a cold glass of milk. Yummy!

#9 Chocolate Dipped Key Lime Pie on a stick. Sounds better than it was.

Alex had every intention of eating a bunch of crap but after a few deep fried foods, we quickly were turned off. I was also glad that we shared all of our food. There was so much and it was expensive.

Drive a Golf Cart - Check!

2009-08-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the PGA Championship, we headed over to the driving range to hit some golf balls. I have always had issues with my eye hand coordination, but I really started to get the hang of it after awhile. The driving range is next to General Mills which is directly ahead in this picture.

Alex was very patient with me. He taught me some basics. Keep my eye on the ball, don't move my upper body, keep my left arm straight. There is so much to think about in the game of golf.

I did pretty well, considering it was my first real time holding a club and hitting the golf balls. I got a few in the air, but most of them just rolled down the green. I actually did get the ball to land about 2-3 feet from the flag which was pretty exciting.

As most of you all know, one of my great life goals is to drive a golf cart. I know, what a way to reach for the stars. Well, now I can reach for the stars because I finally got to drive a golf cart. Alex and I headed over to a Par 3 course and I drove him around. And yes, it was as much fun as I always imagined.

It was very relaxing out on the golf course. I enjoyed the peace and quiet except for the few expletives Alex would shout out when he didn't hit as well as he'd like.

What is next on my list of things to achieve? Hmm . . . Eat fried food on a stick! That will be next weekend at the State Fair.

PGA Championship

2009-08-23T09:37:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was the PGA Championship Tournament at the Hazeltine Golf Course in Chaska, Minnesota. Alex and I were fortunate enough to get tickets for Saturday. Despite the fact that I know nothing about golf, I was excited to go to see Tiger. I had no idea what to expect seeing how I have never really been on a golf course. Sure there is putt putt and my parents back yard, but I have never played or walked an entire 18 holes. I have to admit that I didn't get the magnitude of the event until we saw 2 Goodyear Blimps. One of which happened to be flying over Robbinsdale.

Unfortunately, we were not able to take photos during the weekend. So Alex headed out earlier in the week for the practice rounds. He was able to get a lot of great shots.

We got to the golf course a few hours before Tiger tee-ed (spelling?) off. Everyone was well behaved and respectful. We decided to wait at the clubhouse to wait for Tiger to arrive. Once Tiger was on site, the mayhem began. He went directly to practice his putting. So did everyone else. I would say that the entire day, wherever Tiger was, there were 10 people deep trying to get a view. That doesn't bode well for a shorty like me. I thought we'd see each hole. We quickly figured out that was not the case. After the first hole, we ran over to the 3rd hole to see it was already packed. We went straight to the 5th hole where we were 3 people deep. Tiger ended up standing so close to us I could hear his frustration under his breath. After running to a few other holes to catch a glimpse, we decided to head straight to the 18th hole. We were very lucky to be able to see all of the golfers finish from the 3rd row in the grandstands right behind the hole.

It was a great experience over all. I am glad that we went because it was a lot of fun!

Festivals and Tornados, Oh my!

2009-08-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Alex and I have continued to enjoy the weather as much and as best we can. The temperatures have soared above the 70s. We have been in the high 80s the past few days and will be for the next few days. There is humidity, but nothing compared to Ohio.

This Friday will be my last Summer Day at Aveda. Fortunately, I have had the privilege of having 3 additional Fridays off this summer. (Of course, I have to work a few extra hours on the other days.) As I told my mom on the phone, that means winter is just around the corner. On a bright note, I will see my fabulous North Face jacket again.

There is certainly not a lack of stuff to do during the summer. This past weekend we went to the Uptown Art Fair and the Irish Fair. We had a lot of fun at both. Unfortunately, there was not much to take pictures of but we had fun nonetheless. The Irish Fair was great. Alex and I had Fish 'n Chips, Soda Bread, and Tarts. yummy! We watched rugby, boxing, Irish dancing, listened to classic Irish tales and Irish music. I'm looking forward to next year already.

We were supposed to go the Robbinsdale Fire Department street dance on Saturday night, but we left 5 minutes after we arrived because a tornado touched down in the neighboring town. No one seemed to be bothered or phased by this fact. Our neighbors and Alex were giving me equally a hard time. I was most concerned about my computer and portfolio. Yes, those are strange priorities. However, my ability to get a job resides in both of those things and they ARE NOT replaceable. I cannot redo 7 years of design work. Besides the storm was sitting directly over Aveda. If Aveda blew away, where would I go to work? Anyway, everything turned out to be okay. There was damage from the tornado but nothing serious that I heard.

Alex and I are heading to the PGA Championship this weekend. I definitely know nothing about golf, but it is a once in a lifetime experience. Maybe I'll get Tiger's autograph . . .

Farming at the Minnesota Zoo

2009-07-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

One of the neat things at the Minnesota Zoo was the working farm. We rode a tractor trailer out to the farmhouse. All of the usual animals were there; horses, cows, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, even a bull. I didn't hesitate to get up close to the animals. They all made me laugh.

I'm not sure what kind of chicken this is but I loved how he was covered head to toe in feathers.

This little guy must have been so full and exhausted from eating that he fell asleep in his trough.

Alex and I made a discovery with the sheep . . . they don't "Baaa." Instead, they "Maaa." Can you guess which one is Alex? (Sorry for the sudden orientation change – I always forget when I am recording video.)

I have been wanting a dog but I think the zoo opened up so many more options . . .

Up Close and Personal at the Minnesota Zoo

2009-07-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Alex and I visited the Minnesota Zoo for the afternoon. I had heard on the radio that the resident Moose just had twins. Since one of my life goals has been to see a Moose, I thought it would be fun to finally see three. I missed out when I travelled to Alaska and when we drove the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota. While I would have liked to have seen my first Moose in the wild, I guess the zoo will have to do.

The Minnesota Zoo is very different from the Cincinnati Zoo. I can't say one is better than the other. Cincinnati seems smaller because there aren't as many open space areas for the animals. The MN Zoo had a lot of open spaces for multiple animals. The Camels, Giraffe, Zebras, etc. were all in one area. The MN Zoo also sets it up so that you really feel like you are walking through their habitats. They had one exhibit for just Minnesota wildlife. I had no idea there was such a variety or that Puma live in Minnesota. Yikes!

So I have never thought there was much to say about being a Michigan Wolverine. Aren't wolverines just oversized rodents? So I saw several in the zoo, and I am thinking they are a bit frightening. Wolverines also apparently live in Minnesota as well.

The Brown Bear does not live in Minnesota. And I am thankful. When we walked up to their area, this is what we saw.

But then a minute later the Dark Brown Bear showed his softer side. He was so cute. He also put on a show for the onlookers. I could have watched him all day. I just wanted to give him a big bear hug.