Ahoy!

Well, I think the Golden Slugger's birthday celebration may officially be over. Friday night we decided to take advantage of the warm weather and drive out to Stillwater. On a whim, we went on the Paddleboat dinner cruise up (or down?) the St. Croix. It was a beautiful night; very relaxing being on the water. And fortunately, no pirates were encountered. It was, after all, National Pirates Day.

The rest of the weekend has been laid back as well. I did a bunch of shopping/errands (lots of stops at Joann's, Michael's and Dick Blick)...and I finished 3 more necklaces.

This last little bit of summer was quite a treat. I think we'll need to savor this weekend for quite a while to come.

Happy Birthday, Joel! My Golden Slugger!

September 8th

I returned to work today after a week off...not a bad day...actually a fairly decent day. Late this afternoon, Joel called me and I answered my phone by saying, "How's the man I said "yes" to 2 years ago today?" Yup, today's the day we got engaged at the baseball game (that story here).

What was nice was that my husband remembered the day and wanted to do something to commemorate the day. We settled on a wonderful romantic dinner at Kincaid's, a St. Paul restaurant we've been meaning to check out. My review--great for a special dinner. And if you go early--between 5-6 pm--you can get a fabulous 3-course dinner for $25.

And just let me say, I'm still tickled pink that I said "yes" two years ago today.

RNC

Police State?

The view at Rice Park--the location of the MSNBC broadcast

Landmark Center decked out for the RNC

No getting past this gate

Just wanted to post a few photos that I took on my walk downtown today to catch some of the action of the RNC...well, what you can see from the street. It's been sort of a surreal event taking place in our backyard. There have been cops everywhere in every form...on foot, on bikes, on horses, and even in the air (helicopters). There are cops in uniform, cops in polo shirts and cops in riot gear. And then there are the Secret Service...some in suits and some with bullet proof vests that identify them as such. Downtown St. Paul is normally a very quiet city, but not this week.

I look forward to a return to normal.

RNC coming to town

The Republicans are heading to town. And I would like to run for the hills. Not purely because it's the Republicans (although that doesn't help), but because I'm tired of this whole convention mess before it even begins. For months here in St. Paul we've heard about how many people are coming to town, what roads will be closed, what businesses will be closed...We've witnessed the banners being hung and the streets being cleaned and spruced up with flowers. It's all nice, but I can't wait for this whole thing to be over.

It's not like the "locals" are encouraged to participate or even to observe. If you want to take a walk anywhere near the Xcel Center, you better be ready to be frisked by a Secret Agent. No thank you, I'll pass.

To be honest with you, I'm a little tired of politics in general. I'm tired of the rhetoric and political posturing. I'm not really interested in debating politics with others either. I know who I'm voting for. I encourage everyone to vote. But I don't want to get in an argument about it. My vote is no more important than your vote...my opinion is no more important than yours. I'm not going to try and sway you if you should think differently than me. I just hope you go out and vote.

Don't get me wrong--I think this presidential election is very important. And I really do care about the outcome. But I hope this election makes this country more unified rather than divided between two candidates.

The very nature of elections doesn't encourage that.

So during the upcoming week of the Republican Convention, don't be surprised if I bury my head in the sand. Wake me when it's over.

State Fair Trip #1

It was a good first day at the Fair...a little warm and humid, but the breeze helped keep things from being unbearable. We got to the fairgrounds around 10 am and stayed till 6:30 pm--over 8 hours at the fair! We were exhausted when we got home!

We enjoyed some of our favorite treats--pork chops on a stick, malts from the Empire Commons bldg (frequently referred to as the "Dairy Bldg"), shaved ice, mini donuts and of course, a foot long corn dog. I'm looking forward to my next trip to enjoy some treats I skipped the first day.

We made the full circle of the grounds, probably more than once. We made quick trips through the Fine Arts, Creative Activities, Horticulture and Education buildings...planning to return for longer visits when the weather is a little cooler. Somehow Joel convinced me to ride on the Sky Glider again this year...it left me a little queasy at the beginning, but you do get great pictures from up there (which I will be uploading soon).

The International Bazaar has been rebuilt...and looked awesome. The Twins tent moved to a better location...close to the International Bazaar and next to the FSN North tent.

Even though I'm fighting a cold, we're planning Trip #2 for tomorrow. We'll be taking my mom and Joel's daughter along with us. This won't be a 8 hour trip, but it should be a great day nonetheless.

Tomorrow, tomorrow...I love you, tomorrow...

Tomorrow's the BIG day: the first day of the Great Minnesota Get-Together; also known as the STATE FAIR. I have purchased oodles of discount tickets, as well as 2 coupon books. My camera has been cleared of all old photos and its battery has been charged. I am ready to go.

I am a bit concerned that I have a bit of a sore throat, but I think that can be attributed to the screaming I did at the ballgame today (Twins win 3-2, but those dreaded White Sox continue to win as well).

Hopefully, I'll fall asleep quickly tonight, so that we can head out fairly early tomorrow (9 am?). I already know what our first stop at the fair will be: pork chop on a stick.

Yum!