Jeff's Stuff

Re-living the Magic!

2010-02-06T14:01:00.002-06:00

So many people I've talked to lately are telling me about their plans to head to Disney World over the next few months....I miss my Disney! So, I am going to re-live our September 2009 trip and pretend we are still there :)

Here's me and my pal Goofy just hanging out near the Main Street entrance:
And after 5 trips, this was the first time we saw the Mayor of Main Street USA! I made a bee-line to get a picture!
Since we were there for my birthday, Joe arranged a special birthday surprise when we got back to our room the first day! Mickey stopped by and left several packages and goodies!!
The Castle looked really haunting - perfect for an early Halloween celebration.
We took in Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween PArty and had a blast - end came back with about 6 pounds of candy!

This little bench right inside the entrance to MK provided a nice picture opportunity as well.
I miss my Disney! Oh well, let the countdown to Disney 2011 begin!

And, since we are moving to Charlotte, perhaps we can drive down for a day or 2 at Christmas!

Minnesota State Fair 2009!

2009-09-07T14:23:00.011-05:00

Scenes from the 2009 Minnesota State Fair! We took it in last Wednesday.

Giant Pumpkin:
Apples! Honey Crisp, our favorite Minnesota-grown variety. Cannot wait until apple-picking 2009 in a few weeks!
It's not the MN State Fair without deep-fried cheese curds!
Joe and I split this - which is enough grease to last us both a year or 2...but total yum!
We were afraid to get too close to this one.....
Another classic MN - Hotdish on a stick! Featuring tater-tots, I am sure....
This is what I come for.....
I don't know how they do it, but the seasoning and cooking is out of this world!

This was a big thick hunk of bacon....on a stick....at least it was not chocolate-covered.
Crop-art is always cool.

I really liked this one:
Mid-way rides! No thanks!!

Joe and I went on this one one year...after eating. I will never be the same.....
It spins round and round and then the floor drops out from beneath you...the force made me notably sick.

This one was new...and again, no thanks!

Princess Kay of the Milky Way! The State's new dairy princess...who gets her head sculpted in butter!
Part of the parade....
SANTA!!
Excuse me, but there seems to be a cow coming out of the back of your car....
And a giant pickle attached to the side of yours!!
Horsies!
Little horsies!!!
A fun time. Can't wait till 2010!

9,997 to go.....

2009-06-13T20:45:00.005-05:00

Today was Gus's 1-year birthday, so we celebrated that and the beautiful weather by taking a walk around Lake Nokomis!

This continues our series of exploring as many of the local lakes as possible. In the past few weeks, we have hit Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet, so today's adventure makes 3. Being the Land of 10,000 lakes, that leaves 9,997 to go! Ha!

It was a really pretty setting and not overly crowded. And lots of little nooks and crannies for getting close to the water:We came across this guy just enjoying the scenery:
But when he saw us, decided 4's a crowd......That's Minneapolis in the background:We also spotted this guy and his sailboat:
I think the doggie had a few reservations about this plan.....

After we got back, we celebrated Gus's day with a special cake that Joe made just for him....
He and Max enjoyed this very much :)

What $1.50 Can Get You....

2009-05-30T20:32:00.003-05:00

....at Garage Sales! All this!
Who can resist a Mickey plate for a quarter? Not me!

And holiday dish towels?! YES!
I gor the 2 towels AND this Halloween candle holder thingie for a dollar!
What a negotiator.....Joe was not impressed and said I should have gone down to 75-cents for all 3. He's probably right, but I am NOT a good haggler.

What fun!

Remembering an old friend

2009-05-27T10:30:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe, but it's been one year today since we had to say goodbye to Spike.
What a wonderful, amazing friend and companion he was for his 18 years.
There will never be another one like you, my friend.
We miss you lots, sweetheart puppy-dog.

Minnehaha Falls

2009-05-25T17:20:00.000-05:00

Today we decided to take Gus to Minnehaha Falls - Joe and I have not been there in years, and it was such a nice holiday weekend!

The falls are still spectacular:
And you can still go down to the base.
Years ago, you could actually walk behind the falls, but not any more. Oh well, safety first, I guess.

Guess took s brief moment to pose for a picture going back up the steps:
I liked this covered walkway:
I decided I really did not have to go to the bathroom that bad.....
I am sure it was pretty classy in it's day, though.....

Not sure who this is, but he/she must have been important enough to warrant a sculpture.
I shall research further....*

All in all, a great day to be outdoors and a great way to enjoy the local scenery for free.

*Research update: Created by contemporary native artest Ed Archie Noisecat in 1994, the mask was made so the viewer can see through the eyes of Chief Little Crow (his real name was Taoyeteduta).

The mask is located just south overlooking the Minnehaha Falls in an area considered sacred to the Sioux.

Today's Project

2009-05-24T20:38:00.003-05:00

Project time! This area has bugged me since the snow melted.
Looked great when we moved in! But it didn't last long - after 2 winters, with all the contracting and expanding, these stone just break apart and are impossible to walk on in your bare feet.

So! Today was Fix It Day! Yesterday, we got a truckload of soil, several rolls of sod, and tackled this disaster.

After taking out most of the stones, we filled it in and raised it a bit (for drainage) with the soil:
After getting that all levels out and sloping the way we wanted it, we got it all filled in with the sod!
Instant Lawn - I love it! Water the daylights out of it for 2 weeks, and we should be good to go.

Next, repair that crappy area right in front of the new sod. Woo!

Gus In Action!

2009-05-10T20:53:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, Joe, Gus and I took part in the annual Humane Society's Walk for Animals. As a team, we raised over $1,000 (and got these cool hooded sweatshirts!):
Turned out to be a nice day by the time we finished the 5 mile walk. We had someone snap this picture of us in front of a giant bone (which Gus Really wanted to bring home):
At the halfway mark, Gus showed some signed of being tired, but after a short break, was raring to go for the 2nd half.After we got home, Gus grabbed bone to head upstairs, but only made it halfway up before deciding nap-time could not wait.....Today, no walk, but we did take some time to play ball. This was one of the action shots I was able to snap:
In an unrelated note, after the walk last Saturday, we turned around on Sunday and planted about 430 strawberry plants! We are nuts. This is one bed:...and this is the other.I hope our freezer has enough room in a few months.....

One More For The Collection

2009-05-02T21:57:00.002-05:00

Since we are heading to Disney later this year, it's fitting to get another pin! Ha! We found this one on eBay for $ and change - bargain city!

Play Time

2009-04-24T20:54:00.005-05:00

DADDY!!! Play with me :)
I fetch!I bring back!I tired......
I like the shade.....All done - thanks!

Spring Workout

2009-04-18T20:43:00.004-05:00

After talking about it for many years, we finally are putting in a few gardens!

We decided to till up the otherwise useless hill area behind the house......Great idea in theory...pain in the ass in reality! Though Joe is doing most of the work.
The 2 beds on the hill are about 18 x 6 each. and we intend to fill these up with strawberry plants! Joe's Mom has them ordered for us and we should have them by the end of the month. I won't even tell you how many we ordered......

We also have this area for more traditional plantings: This area is about 10 x 8 and will be perfect for some lettuce, tomatoes and a few other things.

I also finished the planter box I was working on last weekend. We decided that it was indeed a little too high, so we brought it down a little bit, and got the bottom in.
This should be a great little place for all of Joe's herbs!

We went down to the farm on Easter and introduced Gus to the goats. It was a stand-off....

Project Time!

2009-04-12T20:13:00.003-05:00

Project time! It's been a while. A few weeks ago, we came upon these decorative fence posts on clearance. $5 each!
We had been wanting a patio planter ever since Joe started growing herbs last year, so I knew we could put these to good use.

It's pretty basic, but this is what I came up with:
It's 2 feet by 3 feet, and 8 inches deep. I deliberately left the posts at their 4 foot height, thinking it might be good to not have to kneel down to work on the herbs, but after getting it all done, we think we will trim it down a bit.
I good coat of waterproof stain and she's almost set to go! Now it just needs a bottom, some soil and Joe can move his plants from indoors to outdoors!

Team Gus In Training!

2009-04-10T20:19:00.005-05:00

Joe, Gus and I signed up for the 2009 Animal Humane Society walk in a few weeks, and decided we better get some training in! After all, it is 5 miles and that's alot for those with short little legs-zuz.

I was off from work, so we took Gus on a training walk around Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis:
He's done this walk a few times now, so he's pretty confident he can handle another 2 miles.

He and Joe kept up a steady pace. Here Gus is saying "C'mon, pokey! Keep up with us!!"
I was busy taking pictures, that's my story for why I fell behind. I offer this up as proof:
Not very often you see a giant Lucy in someone's front yard!

April Is Stupid!

2009-04-05T20:24:00.002-05:00

April 5th and we woke up to 2 inches of snow....
Is that really necessary? I mean...really?

Pretty, yes....
But come on already! Sheesh....

Surprise!!

2009-03-26T22:40:00.001-05:00

Oh, yes....
We are going back to Disney! In the Fall! Woo! :) This makes me very happy.

Planning has begun.

My two favorites things, Take Two!

2009-03-21T13:22:00.003-05:00

Things have been so busy over the last month or so, I have not had time to post anything. But today, I was inspired!!

Last week I had mentioned to Joe that I wanted to add to my Disney pin collection and get pins for each year that we have been there. I noted I was missing 2003, and 2001.

Well, guess what I got today! This!

Joe found it on e-Bay and bought it for me, and it arrived today. Yay! I can ad it to my collection:And I'm not sayin' nothin', but the collection may well expand again this fall. That's all I'm saying...

And if that wasn't good enough, I found this while we were out today, for less than $2. for our Christmas collection:
Joe won't let me leave it out though...I have to wait until we're a little closer to the holidays.

Meantime, the boys were able to celebrate the arrival of Spring a few days ago by taking in the sun. Gus's hair has gotten so long too:
We are off to take him for a walk today around the lakes downtown, it is such a nice day.

How did this get in the cart....?

2009-02-01T13:54:00.003-06:00

I have no idea. That's my story. But when we got home from grocery shopping today, this was magically in our bag!So, Joe has to come up with something to use it in! It has these 3 characters:Yes, I know.....I have a small obsession.

Submission

2009-01-25T20:42:00.004-06:00

This cracks me up. We had guests a few weeks ago, and since we got snowed in, it made for a great excuse for an afternoon siesta. And the only thing better than a siesta is a siesta with a puppy on top!

Gus was a little unsure of this at first:

...halp!...

But seemed to catch on quite quickly.....

...zzzz...

The Graduate

2009-01-24T13:43:00.002-06:00

No, not the movie...our boy!
After 6 weeks of training, Gus has graduated from Puppy Kindergarten! And he has a certificate to prove it:
We decided to try and do this right and get him started early on training. But it was really more about training US. And the socialization part was really good for him too. There were about a dozen dogs, ages 4-6 months mostly, and from small to large.

Here Gus demonstrates the basic Sit!
And his other favorite, Down!For our final test, he had to complete an obstacle course (no problem!), find me after I hid from him and called his name, and then do the Sit and Down poses with only 1 command, in front of the trainer. And he did it all!

We have one smart puppy dog!

Happy 2009!

2008-12-31T22:43:00.003-06:00

Gus will be welcoming in his very first new year tomorrow!
And Max will wonder why we had to get Gus in the first place....
Maybe because he is so darn cute!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T13:33:00.004-06:00

Joe, Gus Max and I wish you a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tree 2008

2008-12-19T13:37:00.004-06:00

Our Christmas tree for this year: Mickey makes a nice tree topper.

We've since had to remove all the ornaments from the bottom 1/2 of the tree. Someone decided he really liked ornaments and tried to eat a Mickey one! You can guess who.....
I certainly hope that is not Prancer's leg bone he has in his mouth....

2008-12-14T16:01:00.000-06:00

Santa? Prezintz?

Ho Ho Ho!

2008-12-06T17:32:00.003-06:00

The boys got in on the Christmas action today. Gus is experiencing his first Christmas tree and Dad's attempts to get him to wear a funny hat.
Max is darn near impossible to convince to sit still with the hat on his head, so this is the best we could do. I think we will try reindeer antlers next year for Gus....He will be like the little dog in The Grinch.....

And don't think I forgot about this......

2008-11-22T17:17:00.003-06:00

Joe's brother got me this for Christmas last year.....
...and I;ve been waiting all year to get it out! And yes, I have it inside the house.
Is that odd??

MY Favorite Things.....

2008-11-20T22:37:00.001-06:00

Heaven = Christmas and Mickey :)

Getting a head start.....

2008-11-15T17:13:00.003-06:00

Ok, are we the only ones starting to get out the Christmas decorations?

Mom's ceramic tree was one of the first things to come out. And it's not Christmas if the Knight is not wearing his Santa hat!Let the holidays begin!

You can NEVER have enough Disney Pins!.

2008-11-12T20:57:00.004-06:00

Never! And thanks to Mari K., our collection now includes these 2 new Disney pins!!
Joe caught me putting them on my lanyard and walking around the living room with it on...oops!

Now I feel like planning our next trip *hint hint*

Thank you, Mari K.!

Stickage

2008-11-07T20:15:00.003-06:00

I knew we were in trouble when Joe got up and said "Oh My!" as he looked out the window.
We had a little visitor overnight - Old Man Winter! And to think, we had a record warm day on Monday. Sheesh!

First order of business was to introduce Gus to this white fluffy stuff.He was a little hesitant at first...
But then Big Brother Max came out and showed him what it's all about.
Gus ended up having a blast - so much so, that we had a hard time getting him to come back in side!
Joe made a video, which is quite funny. We'll get that posted shortly.

Move over, Halloween......!

2008-11-01T22:09:00.003-05:00

The countdown to Christmas has begun!!

Countdown To

Pumpkin '08

2008-10-25T20:05:00.006-05:00

We finished carving our 2008 Pumpkin today! In keeping with the theme of this year.....
Vampire Mickey! This turned out well, and we are pleased!

Bring on the little trick-or-treaters!

Mom Visits!

2008-10-20T20:11:00.003-05:00

Mom and long-time family friend Gail came out for a visit over the weekend, and headed back home today. WE had a great time, and the weather was great! This is particularly notable because last time Mom came out, in April, she wound up with pneumonia and it snowed the day she left.

We took them to Pahl's, a local farmer's market, and found some really neat pumpkins:
Then we let them loose to paint a few pumpkins - we were duly impressed with the results!
On Sunday, we took them to Larks, and thought Mom was going to split her sides when she caught a glimpse of herself in this fun house mirror!
We drove back along the Mississippi, which offered some great scenic views. Here's a pic of Joe and I (with Gus) on the bank of the river:
It's fun to be able to spoil a parent - and I think we did a good job! Joe wow'd them with his cooking and baking....they almost didn't leave!

Project Updates

2008-10-11T20:27:00.004-05:00

So this house is really perfect for us in just about every way, and I have not had ANY major home improvement projects! This is a big change from our Maryland house, which was under remodeling from, oh, Day 1 until Day Last!

We had to fix that. So today, we finally got around to hanging this Mickey throw we got in Disney last May!
This makes me smile every time I walk by.

Joe did most of the work on this one, but we also finished up The Rock Project. We had a rock wall in the back that broke the yard in half, so we decided to remove it, and create a new rock wall along the tree line.
We then filled it in with landscaping rocks:This will make mowing so much easier, too! Um....well, not that I mow - Joe does that too :p

Of course, I can't post without some pics of the boys....Max is really good about letting Gus jump all over him....
And Gus takes full advantage of it.

Apple Picking

2008-10-02T20:22:00.003-05:00

We took the little one apple picking with us on Sunday - his first all-day outing! He was quite enthusiastic!
He even tried to help!
After a few hours, though, The Boy was exhausted! "Daddy, carry me....!"
All in all, a great trip :)

The Boys At Play!

2008-09-25T21:49:00.001-05:00

Guess What Time It Is!??!

2008-09-17T22:37:00.002-05:00

There are 2 major events on Friday, September 19th:

1. International Talk Like A Pirate Day
2. MY BIRTHDAY

Note that these are not necessarily ranked in correct order of importance.

Sadly, I can say I've hit my 'mid-40's". Ick. At least I still look about 32......

Gus The Wonder Dog

2008-09-02T20:36:00.003-05:00

We're pleased to report Gus is fitting right in here. He and Max are becoming best buds:
They play rope tug-of-war, and let me tell you, Gus is fearless and unrelenting!And Max plays his new favotire game, 'Sit on Gus'. Hmmmm.Gus has nearly mastered going down stairs now too:
At first, he would do a belly slide down, but he's gained alot of confidence and is much more graceful now....
He also seems to know his name, and has learned Sit, Come, and Outside. Good boy, Gus!

Gus Writes Home to Mom & Dad

2008-08-27T22:03:00.004-05:00

Gus dictated the following letter home today. His parents asked that he do his best to stay in touch....

Hello, everyone!

Just wanted to let you know how I am doing in my new home! I have SOOO much news to tell you!

First, and really important, today I figured out how to go DOWN the steps! Wow! That was scary at first, and I really kinda just slid down each step on my belly. But after a few practice sessions, I figured it out and it's really not that scary at all.

These human folks are really nice and are taking great care of me. They feed me regularly, take me outside to go potty, play with me and have been showing me off to the neighbors! Today I met the family across the street and got to play with them for about 20 minutes!

Last weekend, they took me to a dog park - that was really neat! They were really cautious with who they would let come see me, and I walked on a leash for the first time too! I was really pooped after that and took a nice long nap.

This big white fluffy dog called Max is really a big fat pussycat underneath. He growled at me at first, but I went right up and licked him on the nose and I think he was shocked because he stopped growling right away! Now we are learning how to play together, which is also lots of fun!

I also met The Vet. And the entire Vet staff - as soon as we walked in their office, the ladies behind the desk 'ohh'd and 'awwww'd and grabbed me from the Humans and showed me to everyone in the office! They loved my eyes and markings and said I was the prettiest puppy they had ever seen. Then the lady Vet gave me a shot! That was sneaky. I will keep a better eye on her next time! I weighed in at 4.1 pounds, and they said everything about me looked great. Well, of course it did! I come from good stock!'

So, don't worry about me too much. While I miss you all, I really like it here and can't wait for all the new adventures that await me! Oh, and I have learned that my name is Gus!

So….Love, Gus!

Max The Fierce

2008-08-20T22:34:00.006-05:00

We got Max a new rope toy, so he would not feel left out. This was the action scene out on the deck....

NEW TOY!! ARRRRRRR!!!!

Uh. Step off, little one.

DADDY!

Shoo! MY TOY!

MY! TOY!!!

If I can't see you you are not there.....

Excuse me, but you are touching my toy. MY TOY!

Not my toy.....

Gus Updates

2008-08-16T20:38:00.004-05:00

Well! What a week! I am pleased to report that Gus is adjusting very well (and quickly!) to his new surroundings.

He has learned how to go up steps! Today, he made it half-way up the main stairs before having to take a break. There sure are alot of steps in this house! And he has not learned the down part yet.

His crate training is also going very well. The key seems to be making sure he does not perceive his crate as punishment. Joe and I have been spending A LOT of time getting him to feel it is his safe and secure place where he can rest and relax. And it seems to be paying off:He hardly whines, too. He goes to bed around 10:30, sleeps till about 3:00 am, then after a quick trip outside, goes back to sleep (or quietly rests in his crate) until 6:00 or so. Very little fuss!

2 things stick out: 1. He eats or tries to chew EVERYTHING! Welcome to puppy-hood. 2. He is stubborn! He finds a leaf on the ground, you take it away, he makes a bee-line to find it the minute you set him down again. Even from across the yard.

He and Max are getting along pretty well too. They are close to actually playing!
I think it won't be long before they are good friends.

Joe and I are thrilled to have him as part of our family :)

Hello. My Name Is....

2008-08-12T21:26:00.002-05:00

Gus! And I am the newest member to the family. Jeff, Joe and Max have made me feel pretty welcome!
A nice house....
Toyz!
This white fluffy thing that keeps sniffing me.....
And a great back yard!

Ahhhhh...puppy dog heaven!

Is it Friday Yet...?

2008-08-05T22:19:00.003-05:00

Tuesdays are becoming really hectic days and I can't wait to come home and give a great big hug to my sweetheart :)

This weekend, we came across some moles in the back yard. This is not good! So we put Max on Mole Patrol, to hep him earn his keep around here.

When I got home, we went out back to survey the estate and make sure all was clear. We are pleased to report no mole sightings.

We did find this little critter though, enjoying his little plant world:
Interesting how the bugs we find out here are not nearly as weird as the ones we kept finding in Maryland.

After Mole Patrol, Max resumed his regular duties with Squirrel Patrol....
He also has Bunny Patrol and Small Child Patrol. He's quite busy these days.

He has no idea how much his little world will change in a week! Hee hee....

Uptown Art Fair

2008-08-02T15:02:00.003-05:00

Today, we went to the Uptown Art Fair. It's been a few years since we last went, and now that we are back in Minneapolis, it was on our list of things to do this summer.

There are always some very fun and interesting exhibits there. This is a great example:
And even funnier:I think this one would look good in our kitchen:
One of the most amazing booths was the one with wax figures. They were so life-like!
Eerie! Finally, more along hte quirky and fun side was this thing:
Joe and I both thought the exhibits and artists were as creative as ever, though some of the prices were way up there!

Early Morning Excitement!

2008-07-29T21:02:00.002-05:00

There's nothing quite as exciting as waking up at 4:15 am to find police right outside your house! Woo!

As I looked outside, I could see the police car, lights on, but no other cars. Then I spotted the police officer running up the street. My first thought was a raid!

So I popped my head out the front door, and found not a raid, but this!
One of the neighbor's cars was on fire! And it was making little explosions! That was enough to drive me back inside. But within another minute, 2 firetrucks had arrived and those guys had the fire out pretty quickly.
It was hard to get back to sleep after that, and before I knew it, it was time to get up.

First order of business? Pictures!
Boy, that thing was toasted!
So that was our excitement today. No word on the cause yet. We'll have to see if we can get the scoop from some of the neighbors.

Busy weekend!

2008-07-26T20:17:00.003-05:00

Joe and I took advantage of the gorgeous morning weather and took a nice long bike ride this morning. What a great way to start the day!

After lunch, I spent some time working on that little workbench project. It's coming along nice and is almost done:
I know, simple, but functional and inexpensive. What do you think?

It's been about 2 weeks since we have seen that pesky squirrel. Maybe she finally got the hint and found a new place to try and make home. While out patrolling this afternoon, Max and I came across this visitor:
Max tried to sniff it, but he/she decided that was a little too personal and hopped away into the neighbor's yard.

Finally, I have one more zoo picture to share:
This was from the butterfly exhibit. There were so many and they were all so colorful.

Everyone having a great weekend?

Enjoying the Zoo

2008-07-20T20:28:00.004-05:00

Joe's sister and her husband came up for the weekend and we went to the Minnesota Zoo! I went a little camera crazy and took over 200 pictures. I think I'll only share a few... :p

This guy was preparing to attack - inside the fake prey was some sort of food stuff.
He/she knocked it down, his/her sister came over and stole it. Not fair after all the work to get to it!

On the funnier side, the little prairie dogs were cute as ever and provided lots of entertainment:
I love horses, and some day we will have 2 ourselves. These are Asian wild horses (or was it wild Asian horses?):
Wait! What's this wild creature!??
Oh. That's me. Never mind. Let me tell you, the little tunnel to get to this pop-up in the middle of the meerkat exhibit was clearly meant for smaller kids! But that didn't stop me!

Finally, this little monkey decided to take a giant leap and surprise-attack another older monkey:
It did this a few more times before the older one go tired of it and walked away.

All in all, a fun time and a great way to spend the day outdoors.

Back with a vengance

2008-07-18T20:32:00.002-05:00

Joe told me when I got home, I would NOT be happy. But he wouldn't tell me why. I did not expect to see this!
What is it? That little bastard rodent from hell is back, and is on a mission!
That squirrel has eaten 3 holes in the deck screens already, and Joe caught him/her this morning eating from the hanging basket, and trying to chew it's way into the enclosed porch!
It's literally eating our deck!

It must be stopped. Nothing is out of the question now....this, is war.

Finally!

2008-07-16T13:42:00.003-05:00

The fence people were back out today to finish up the job. And we are pleased with the results!We had them put in a wooden gate, which we think looks a little nicer than the chain gate: And the verdict from His Majesty?I AM FREE! THIS IS ALL MINE! I LOVE IT!

So, we think this was a good thing.....

Heaven....

2008-07-12T18:29:00.004-05:00

...is being surrounded by oodles of cute puppies! In this case, dachshund puppies!
Joe and I just happened to stumble across a lady that breeds dachshunds, and she had puppies. This guy is the brother to the guy above, and they were sooo cute and fun to play with.

And yes, that is our camera bag. He really really liked it :p

She also had a relatively new litter of these chocolate dapple rascals:
It was her idea to line them all up for a family picture, not mine. I swear!
3 males and 1 female, about 4 weeks old. She also had 2 other litters that were about 4-5 weeks old. Joe had to drag me out of there. I think the breeder lady was worried I might just never leave.....

Countdown to Freedom!

2008-07-08T20:49:00.004-05:00

For Max, that is. Ever since we moved in, Max has been tied to a leash in the back yard, since the house did not have a fence. After getting a few quotes last fall, which we rejected, we finally found a reputable place that was more in line with what we were thinking it should cost. And they started yesterday! They had some pretty fun tools - like thsi post-hole digger: They mixed the cement out front, and then the poor guy had to wheel-barrow it all the way up the hill in the back.
Not a job I would envy. But after only about 2 1/2 hours, all the posts were in.
They will be back in a week or so to finish up, and then Max will have full run of the entire yard! This makes Max very happy.

It's Project Time!!

2008-07-05T17:39:00.003-05:00

Thankfully, this one does NOT involve any remodeling, wall removal, electrical work or any of the other nigthmarish things we took on with our Maryland house!

This is just a simple workbench project. I did an official Jeff sketch for my plans:
...and we picked up some lumber yesterday. Woo!

We started the frame this afternoon:
I made 2 of these, before running out of screws. Grrr!

This should just take a few weekends to wrap up. Then we will get really organized in the garage!

Enjoying the Weather

2008-07-03T20:46:00.004-05:00

We have been looking for a pick-your-own farm to get some strawberries, and settled on Afton Apple after seeing it on the news. Not too far away, it turned out be a great trip. And fruitful. Very fruitful. 14 pounds fruitful. Haha. Thank goodness we love strawberries!

Aside from the berries, they also have a small petting zoo area set up, and of course, I made a bee-line:
This Llama (or alpaca - does anyone really know the difference?) was very unusual:
And this guy was able to scratch in very interesting places with this set of antlers:
Oh yeah, the berry part....the field was full of plump, juicy strawberries, and we had a blast!

2008-06-26T20:37:00.002-05:00

A few posts ago, I mentioned that Max received a very special little toy as a gift. And after his initial "pooh-pah, gimme bacon", developed a bit of an obsession.
Well. Guess who is now mysteriously missing an ear.....
Max's story is it "just fell off". Uh-huh. If it just fell off, there would not be evidence of teeth marks!
Nice try, fluffy. Let's see if we can prevent the other one from "just falling off", ok Max?

Minneapolis Stone Arch Festival

2008-06-24T15:57:00.004-05:00

A few weekends ago, we caught the Stone Arch Festival in Minneapolis. It was such a nice day to be outside, and we snapped a few pics of some neat and unusual things we came across.

The first thing to catch out eye was this:Can you imagine owning this thing? That would be cool.

These next few are a tribute to recycling junk into....well...more junk. But junk people talk about! And take pictures of!
See what a little free time, spark plugs and kitchen utensils and appliances can turn to?
I am going to go pull the spark plugs out of my car now.....

Enough on that - as we worked our way to the end, we came across a few more vehicles that we thought were kinda neat:
This one just looks like it woudl be fun to own and drive down the road.....
There's always something interesting to do in Minneapolis, I say!

Max Updates

2008-06-15T20:50:00.004-05:00

Max seems to be slowly returning to his old self, though he still seems a little unsure about going outside sometimes.

Today, we let him outside on the deck, and he was so focused on a squirrel off to the left in this shot, that he totally missed the fact that there was a bunny right in front of him!
The bunny froze for the longest time, and it wasn't until it decided to continue eating, that Max finally spotted it.
Surprisingly, he first just watched. Eventually, he decided it was time to get a closer look, at which point Mr. Bunny took off.

Meantime, we had a visit last week from Mari K., mother of Benson, and she brought Max a small squeak toy. Said toy barsk when you push it's middle.

At first, Max was rather indifferent. "This ain't no bacon", I suspect he was thinking. But by today, he can't seem to let it go....
"You can rub my belly, but I am not letting go!":
Mine.
I think he has issues.....

Storms Storms Storms!

2008-06-11T22:32:00.003-05:00

Lots of storms in the mid-west today. Welcome to June! We even had a small, quick outburst of hail at one point:
Thankfully, they were only pea-sized and did not damage.
I am sure summer weather is right around the corner! Though I am glad we are not still in Maryland, based on what our friends back there are telling us it's like this week.

Dear Spike.....

2008-06-03T20:30:00.007-05:00

Dear Spike -

Hi, old boy. I just felt like writing you a letter today :) Daddy and I really miss you alot.

It's really quiet and lonely around here without you. There are so many little things that we are noticing every day.....and it's hard to get used to life without them and you.

Your wicker bed made SOOO many creaks when you got in and out - I miss that :) We also miss the thumping of you making your way down the stairs. I have to say, you took those steps much better than I ever thought you would at your age! And nobody starts to grunt and bark at 5:30 am saying they want to be fed! As much as we complained about that, we miss it.

I had gotten very used to our little routine when I got home from work. I loved your little waddling over to me and letting me get down on all fours and give you a great big puppy-dog bear hug as you rubbed your snout against my leg. Max really does not do that right - you were the master of that one!

Speaking of, Max really misses you. He has been pretty quiet lately. He seems to be looking for you. As much as he harassed you, it's pretty clear he looked up to you :) He often just sits on the deck quietly, sometimes looking around like he's expecting you to mossie on back from your trek around the yard.

Do you remember when we lived in Phoenix, and you, Max and Miss Kitty made Daddy Joe a garden stone, and I helped you put all your little paw prints in the cement? Well, I put that on the deck, and caught Max putting his little nose up to your paw print:
...and then just kinda look around.....
I told you he misses you :)

So many people have sent us notes and thoughts - you certainly left an impression. You had 79 messages over on Joe's blog - can you believe that?!? Joe wrote a beautiful tribute to you that had everyone in tears. He also said you ran like a bunny :p That was cute. And you know it's true, so don't get all riled up!

I still cry when I think about you - there's just a really big hole in my heart. I never would have guessed when we came into each other's lives 18 years ago that you would be such a great companion.

This is the very first picture of you that I ever took - do you remember it? It was taken right after I brought you home from the rescue shelter, when we lived in that apartment complex in Frederick. You came home and jumped right up on the couch. Our friend Christine took the picture and had it made into a mug that says:
You know I am keeping this forever :)

There's nobody like you, Spike, and there never will be. We hope you are making many new friends and telling them about the amazing and fantastic life you had - and all the adventures we put you through.

I am guessing you have a crowd gathered around right now, telling them about your travels from Maryland to New Jersey, to Minnesota, then Phoenix, back to Maryland and then Minnesota. They must all think we were nuts! But you have seen so much and are probably the Wise Old One up there. That's our boy :)

Anyhow, I just wanted to say how much I miss you, my big old puppy dog. Send us a little sign every now and then to let us know you are ok and thinking about us :)

Love,
Daddy

Farewell to Spike

2008-05-27T13:28:00.003-05:00

Today was an incredibly sad day for us here. We had to put Spike the Dog to sleep this morning.
If you've been reading, you know that he developed a tumor right below his ear in March, and at his age (18) and given it's location, there really was nothing that could be done.

This weekend, he started showing signs of discomfort, and that was our signal that it was time.
We spent quite a bit of time with him this morning, taking him out, petting, comforting....
And reminding him what an amazing and special dog he has been.
Spike was a happy, sweetheart of a dog....
And we were lucky to have him. I hope he enjoyed us as much as we did him.

Rest peacefully, baby doll.....

Busy Weekend!

2008-05-25T20:18:00.002-05:00

Joe and I checked out the Mill City Farmer's Market this weekend in downtown Minneapolis. Was nice, though I think the Minneapolis Farmer's Market has a larger selection of stuff.

The Mill City one is right n the river, which made for some great views. Looking down tot eh right, you can see the new I-35 bridge making it's way across the river:
If you recall from the news last year, this is the one that collapsed into the river last year in the middle of rush hour.

Notice at the bottom of the picture a group doing a Segway tour of downtown - now that would be fun!

Looking to the left, we see the beautiful Stone Arch Bridge:
And behind us, the Guthrie Theater, which is a very cool looking building:
When we got back, I spotted our arch enemy plotting....plotting evil destructive things:
The little bastard is mad because we cleaned out all her nest as soon as her babies were big enough to leave, fixed the screen into the porch, and plugged a big hole she had gnawed as a side entrance into the porch.

This time, victory will be mine.....

2 Great Things!

2008-05-22T20:48:00.001-05:00

Bunnies:
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches:
I mean, really.....

Garage Sale Score!

2008-05-18T22:08:00.004-05:00

Joe and I were able to squeeze in a few garage sales this weekend - fun! We did manage to keep spending to under $10 - we got a gallon glass jar for 25-cents, a 'Fresh Eggs' country-style sign for a dollar (for Joe's Mom!), and wire basket for another dollar, and a Santa mug for 25-cents.

But the BEST buy of all? This set of snowman stoneware!
I have no idea who Debbie Mumm is, but I loved these as soon as I saw them! And the lady was anxious to sell them too - her husband told her she could not get new Christmas plates until these were sold!
The set was $20 originally, marked down to $10 by the time we got there, and she took my offer of $7! Woot! And they are in prefect condition - no cracks, chips...nothing! Yay!

We got back just before things turned ugly! Check out this nasty-ass cloud that rolled on by:
It rained for about 17 seconds, and that was it though. At least it didn't snow!

One Man's Junk.......

2008-05-16T20:44:00.004-05:00

It's the most interesting thing. Tomorrow, our little city has it's annual Bulk Trash Day. Put your junk out by the curb, starting 2 days before pick-up, and the city will pick it up.

We had NO IDEA this was a major event! There has been a constant stream of trucks with trailers cruising up and down the street ALL DAY.
They stop at every pile and rifle through it, taking anything and everything! These people took the neighbor's basketball hoop!And the neighbors even helped them load it into their truck!

I have never seem so much junk piled into truck beds and trailers....
I mean, never!
My favorite so far was the lady who stopped and cut off roots from a nearly dead bush one of the neighbors put out.

Down the street, the folks made it into a party by setting up lawn chairs in their front yard, with a big cooler of beer.

Wow.

Today's "Must Have"......

2008-05-10T20:13:00.004-05:00

I had to have it. I had to!
Joe made the mistake of agreeing to go to Michael's today, and we found this Disney scrapbook kit!! How could we not get it?? AND.....50% off! Ha! Clearly a sign from above that we were meant to have it. So now we have a nice little project to put all our vacation memories into this scrapbook. Yay! This will keep the Disney magic alive for many more months.

When we were shopping at one of the stores in Downtown Disney, they had a deal where you could get this super-cool Mickey throw for just $15 if you spent over $50!
So we *had* to have this as well! Soon everything in the house will be Mickey-related! Mwuahahaha!

Updates on Spike the dog.
We took him back to the vet after we got back. We could tell his tumor right below his ear has gotten bigger in the week we were gone.
It was a month ago that we first discovered it, and so far, we had not noticed any obvious signs of pain or distress. The vet checked it all out again, and concluded that he still does not seem to be sensitive to it or in any discomfort, bad as it looks to us. And he even managed to gain nearly half a pound since last month, so he still has his appetite.
The Dr's best guess based on how much it has grown over the past month is probably somewhere between 2 & 6 months. But he also says Spike is a most remarkable dog for 18 years old and nothing would surprise him! :)

Aarrrrrr, Matey!!

2008-05-08T20:26:00.003-05:00

As requested (Thanks SK & Erika - I was waiting for someone to ask!! Hee hee).....
Me and my pirate Mickey ears!! I love these things! Joe had to pry them off my head when we got back. And yes, I wore them ALL THE TIME! Even on the plane back. And in the airport. Aarrrrr!

I wanted to try and steal this pirate Mickey topiary thingie at the entrance of Magic Kingdom, but we didn't have a suitcase big enough to get it back.
Ahhh, I miss it all so much already!

All Things Mouse.....

2008-05-05T18:45:00.002-05:00

Can you guess where we were for the past week? Here is a clue:
Yes, yes....our Disney 2008 trip! Yay! We just got back today, and what a great time! It was a warm and sunny 86 in Orlando most of the week. So much to talk about, so many pictures (over 700 -someone went camera-crazy!!)

We stayed at the Port Orleans-French Quarter resort, which was so peaceful and quiet. And Joe score us a great corner room right on the river - it was perfect!
My favorite ride is still the Rock 'n Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith:
It's so easy to have such a great time there. More pics and stories to follow.....!

Cuteness overload!

2008-04-27T15:53:00.003-05:00

Joe and I went down to the Farm today to see his family. Cuteness abounded!
Mom was raising some baby chicks! And I even got to hold one:
This guy was only a few days old:
What a face! Haha....

I got to hold these baby goats, which were just a few weeks old. OMG I wanted to bring them home!
When we set them down, they were so funny to watch romping around.
And the cutest of all......!I love the farm.... :)

Morning Surprise!

2008-04-26T08:52:00.003-05:00

And NOT the good kind!!
I know, Max! It's the end of April!
At least we don't have to worry about mowing the lawn this weekend!

Warm and Sunny!

2008-04-23T22:34:00.005-05:00

What a nice day! 73 and sunny. Days like today make me love being back in Minnesota.

I capture this shot as clouds tried to spoil the day:
Max and I just shrigged it off and enjoyed the fact that we can see green grass again....
We need to look into getting that fence going. Max is not pleased about having to be leashed, and 80% of the time, he manages to get wrapped up on a boulder or deck post and needs rescuing.

He's getting better at understanding "Go around!" with the accompanying arm motion means "Go back the frickin' way you got tangled up, doofus-head!", but more often than not, we have to go out and help him.

Everything is Special.....

2008-04-20T20:10:00.002-05:00

Joe makes everything beautiful and special.....like a simple piece of toast with Nutella:
I have thought long and hard, and decided I may be somewhat obsessed with this whole Mickey Disney thing. Which is fine - it's not like it's crack or anything, right? I mean, there are alot worse things I could be into! So this is harmless! And should be encouraged!!!

I think I need to ask for an increase in my credit limit as part of our trip preparation....

Obsession? What obsession?

2008-04-14T20:48:00.005-05:00

It's really just a few little things. Really.

(Joe put these puzzles together a few years ago when we were in Phoenix)

Can you guess where my mind is....?

2008-04-12T14:29:00.006-05:00

We are gearing up for DISNEY!!! Literally! As we start planning for our trip, we decided we needed to go shopping for some new clothes. Unfortunately, we came home with not a whole lot of chothes, but LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER GREAT STUFF WE GOT!!
This will be my new carry-on bag! How could we pass it up? It was a sign from the Disney gods - as soon as we walked into the Sears entrance at the Mall of America, this was staring right at us, saying BUY ME! So we did. It even has a little retractable handle and wheels, so you can pull it!

Can you say "obsessed much?"?
Then we found these great Disney character stamps at Michaels:
We can't wear them, but you can bet I will stamp everything that is not moving over the next few months....even Max!

Then we lucked out at the Disney store and scored these Mikey plates!!
This was another sign from the Disney gods - on sale!!
So we got 2 sets :) And yes, every single meal from now until we leave will have to be on Mickey plates. Haha.

Now back to bargains. That carry-on bag I started out with?
It was on clearance - originally $100, now just $24.97!! What a deal!!

This is where Joe's logic and my logic clash....I say we saved $75, which just paid for everything else, so it's all a wash. He says we never would have bought the bag for $100 in the first place, so we spent $25 PLUS all the other stuff.

You can guess who is in charge of the finances and keeps us in good shape....

House Hunting

2008-04-09T20:19:00.004-05:00

No, not us, for a change...we had a few feathered friends fly in for some serious house hunting:
They seem to have settled on the neighbor's front yard, but I am trying to lure them over to our yard. Can you imagine me and the camera with little baby duckies in our yard?!?

In an unrelated note, we are once again under a Winter Weather Warning for tomorrow afternoon and into SATURDAY! Good grief....heavy snow, and more than 6 inches predicted!

IT'S APRIL! This makes me not happy.....

Some Not So Good News...

2008-04-04T21:42:00.004-05:00

After Mom left on Monday, Joe called me downstairs to check out something on Spike. Out of nowhere, a noticeable mass had appeared on his head right below his ear. You can see it on the left in this picture:

Joe took him to the Vet on Tuesday, and the Dr. took a needle sample and sent it off to the lab. He said he was very worried about this, and apparently for good reason.

The Vet called us this morning and advised it is a tumor. :(

Unfortunately, surgery to remove it would be very major and could be detrimental to an 18-year-old dog.

For now, we are monitoring it and keeping and eye on Spike. So far, he is showing no signs of pain, loss of appetite, lethargy, etc.

Good God, STOP!

2008-03-31T20:30:00.004-05:00

Yes, another snow storm!
This is stoopid! Poor Mom - she's already a nervous flyer....and this did NOT help.
The good news is she called to let us know she made it back home to PA safe and sound.

I put Max outside to play in the snow for a bit, but even he was tired of it all....
Reports say it will be 50 by Friday, so this *better* be the last snow until November!

Phooey on Snow!

2008-03-23T12:37:00.002-05:00

Today is all about coloring eggs - I don't care HOW much snow there is outside....

This year's egg coloring kit contained 12 tablets! 12! But it's hard to tell which color each tablet actually is, so I randomly picked 8 and let 'er rip:
I like to make a nice big mess when I color eggs. It makes things more fun. After the first round, I decided the colors were not varied enough, so I plunked in 2 more tablets to see what I could come up with.

In the end, I was not as pleased with the overall differences in some of the color, but the colors themselves turned out pretty neat:
Add that neon pink was pink! Holy crap!

Happy Easter!!

More Pics From The Big Spring Snow Storm

2008-03-21T13:26:00.004-05:00

It finally stopped snowing by 1:00. We ended up with about 8 inches in our neck of the woods.

What the &*$%?!?, Round 2

2008-03-21T07:50:00.004-05:00

As if Tuesday's snow wasn't enough, today is even better!

WHAT THE &*%#?!?

2008-03-18T21:01:00.003-05:00

NoooOooOOooooOOo......
This was what we saw when we looked outside this morning. Boo!
And it was soooo heavy! Go away already! We want Spring. Mom will NOT be pleased, given her intended arrival next week and clear demands for no snow.....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T08:06:00.003-05:00

This is what Joe made me for breakfast!!
Hee hee.

Meantime, Spike celebrated the holiday with....a nap:
It's so funny how he sleeps with his little doggie tongue sticking out....

Max took one look at the snow we are having and decided to stay in bed:
Have a great day!

2008-03-16T07:54:00.003-05:00

The boys took advantage of the above-freezing temps to get some sun out on the deck.
We have promised Mom it will be "nice" when she comes out to visit in 2 weeks. This means not telling her that temps can indeed drop to super-cold in March, or that the weather folks are calling for snow tomorrow. Shhhhhh!

Reminder:

Happy Anniversary!

2008-03-10T13:18:00.003-05:00

...to us! Joe and I celebrate 9 years together today. Yay, us! It was love at first sight - it really happens, and you just know it!

I love you so much, hon!

Scurrying About

2008-03-09T21:05:00.003-05:00

Our little deck-squatter was out and about today.....
He/she drives Max crazy, as he can only watch from inside.

My opinion on Daylight Savings Time: It sucks! The best part of living in Phoenix was never having to change our clocks. .....

Spike In Action

2008-03-01T14:19:00.004-06:00

Spike shows no signs of aging when given a rawhide.....

It may take him a little longer to finish it, but boy, does he enjoy it.

Heating Up

2008-02-22T20:40:00.003-06:00

Well! Today's high was somewhere in the mid-20's! And it was sunny! How sad that we are excited by that.....

I took a few pics of the sun rising from between the houses across the street this morning:
Happy weekend!

Operation Fluffer Nutter Begins

2008-02-18T20:36:00.005-06:00

Armed and highly-trained Special Forces have taken up patrol positions......
...and are reporting significant enemy movement and activity.Upon sounding the alarm (WOOF WOOF BARK BARK WOOF BARK BARK!!), the enemy scrambled.....
...and retreated in a blur to The Green Zone......This is not over.....not by a long-shot.....

Grrrrr....!

2008-02-17T17:57:00.002-06:00

Our little furry friend is back!
Earlier this summer, after we first moved in to the house, we discovered a squirrel had made a nest inside the screened deck area. Now he's back, and he ruined one of the screens trying to get inside covered area.

He's kinda cute, but he's also kinda big for a squirrel.
I hope that's his winter weight. Hee hee.

He scurried away shortly after spotting me, but I am sure he will be back. Which will drive Max crazy! He was mad I would not let him outside to chase it.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2008-02-14T20:51:00.002-06:00

There are many reasons why I love Valentine's Day - the biggest and best being just having my sweetheart, Joe.

As if that were not enough, I also got some very special treats today, just because! This was my breakfast:
And when I opened up my laptop bag when I got to the office, this little guy was sitting inside, along with a few sweet treats to get me through the day:
And if you saw Joe's post yesterday, he also made these special treats for me to take into the office for the weekly Wednesday Treat Day:
The Quality Control Department gave these 2 thumbs up!

What a great day, and a great life :)

This morning's adventure

2008-02-11T20:23:00.000-06:00

We took a little trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester this morning. Pretty cool place! This was a little seating area between to waiting areas:
Scattered throughout were sculptures and other artsy stuffs. I liked this one alot:
On our way back home, I snapped random pictures of the plains of southern Minnesota. I call this one "trees":
And of course, this statue that I still cannot explain not too far from where we live:
It certainly looks a little more unusual in the winter with snow on the ground, don'tcha think?

Proof I was A Pirate!

2008-02-09T09:20:00.000-06:00

Jeff's Past Lives

'What were you in your past lives?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Jeff's Past Lives

1989 BC: A fisher

519 AD: A servant to royalty

1927 AD: A pirate

'What were you in your past lives?' at QuizGalaxy.com

FREE SHIPPING!!

2008-02-02T20:12:00.000-06:00

Talk about overkill! We ordered a spare battery for the digital camera (so we don't miss any pictures in Disney!!). It came tody....in this BIG HONKIN' BOX!
Nothing else inside. Just the battery. I think an envelop would have sufficed....

I did find another very useful purpose for the big box though...SHIPPING MAX!!
He is clearly not amused. But, he is FREE TO GOOD HOME! Or any home, we don't care. FREE SHIPPING TOO!! Just let me know your address.

And NO RETURNS....he's your problem now.

Pet Updates

2008-01-28T12:37:00.000-06:00

Spike took advantage of the warmer weather yesterday to....nap.
...while Max posed at the top of the steps.

The boys sure do have a rough life.....

Carnival Time!

2008-01-26T20:01:00.001-06:00

Who needs warm weather for a carnival?? Not us, we say! This week started the St. Paul Winter Carnival. And since Joe and I had never been to it before when we lived here, we decided to check it out.

Our primary focus was the ice carving area. These folks can do some amazing things with a bunch of ice blocks!The Wizard of Oz! I hope this one wins.

Even more entertaining was this pair of judges. I'm not sure what gives with their outfits, but they made me laugh:This one was pretty funny as well - snowmen sitting around a fire, with one of them melted.
It was titled "Where's Frank?"

And while it wasn't nearly as cold as earlier in the week, it was still quite chilly. Thankfully, I have my great new hat Joe got me for Christmas!!
I love this hat - it's sooooo warm! No heat will get out of MY head!!

Today I feel....

2008-01-25T20:42:00.000-06:00

You can create you own painting by answering a few simple questions here.

Aarrrrrr!

2008-01-23T20:03:00.000-06:00

Ha! Lookie what I got today (because somebody *really* loves me!):
Joe picked up a box of Cap'n Crunch...in Pirate shapes! I love Cap'n Crunch! And I love piratey things!! (My birthday is the same as International Talk Like A Pirate Day - it's fate!)

Eeeee! Look at all the fun stuff on the back!! Woo! Eat your heart out, Urdarbrunnr!!!

Thanks, Sweetie!!

Still Alive

2008-01-20T21:20:00.001-06:00

Wow, I have not posted anything for quite a while. I guess I have been too busy planning for OUR TRIP TO DISNEY!! :) I can't wait.

It's been super-cold this weekend - it's currently minus-3 a9 9:00 pm, and the low will be about minus-16. Wee! And to think 4 years ago we were in the middle of our first Phoenix winter...my oh my, how things can change :)

These pics are from the Saturday before Christmas. WE had a nice little ice storm come through and put a pretty white coat on everything.

Back to the Disney '08 planning!

Max the....Goat?

2008-01-08T20:53:00.000-06:00

I caught Max outside climbing a snow-pile looking like a mountain goat....
Shortly after this he decided to just lay down in the middle of it. Silly dog.

When we were at the Mall of America last weekend, we had the pleasure of running into Sharky, the mascot of Underwater Adventures Aquarium:
Sharky was out doing a Meet 'n Greet with the kids. I thought about getting my picture taken with Sharky, but decided he or she seemed pretty busy with the smaller kids. Maybe next time. (I won't be so sweet and generous at Disney World, though! I see Mickey and the elbows come out! Hee hee.....)

Late Christmas Post

2008-01-05T20:27:00.001-06:00

Before the end of 2007, I asked Joe if we could go downtown to see the annual Macy's holiday display. This year, the theme was The Nutcracker.

So, last weekend, off we went! It was pretty cool. This was my first favorite scene:
I think I might try this with Max....hahaha.

This next one had me snickering as well......
She lifts her dress to reveal puppets underneath!
I was expecting a little more, but it really only took us about 10 minutes to get through the entire display. That was a little disappointing.

So while we were in the area, we dashed across the street to the IDS building to see the big tree in the courtyard:
I was not disappointed. It was very nicely done.
To wrap up the 2007 holiday season, we went to Target today - 90% off! I picked up 6 bunches of tinsel for 29-cents each! Christmas 2008 will be all about tinsel! I can't wait! I also got another box (the 3rd!) of Christmas cards - 97-cents!

Any more bargains and we will be in the poor house by Valentine's Day.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-01T07:46:00.001-06:00

So much to look forward to this year!

For starters, Joe is taking me to Disney World in April!!!!!
It's been 3 years since our last vacation there, and I am so looking forward to it.

This year also marks my 20-year anniversary at work. Wow, I never thought I would be with the same company for 20 years, but here we are!

I'm looking forward to our first full summer back in Minneapolis too- so many thing to do. Yay!

Bring on 2008!

All I have to say is......

2007-12-28T20:36:00.000-06:00

Post-Christmas Report

2007-12-26T20:32:00.000-06:00

Joe and I spent Christmas Day down at his parents' farm - something we haven't been able to do since 2002!

Great food, lots of kids, and total chaos! Exactly what Christmas should be like :)

I took a break from all the activity and snapped a few pics from around the farm.

This is Farm Cat enjoying the holiday decorations:
And Mom still dresses up the geese out front:
And she has real geese as well!
But they had no interest in posing for a picture. Unlike the chickens, who were happy to stand still for a quick snap:
And finally, Max's daddy:
By the time we got home, we had about 4 inches of snow. And by this morning, we had another 4! Time to put the Snow Blower on the Christmas List for next year.