Make’n it happen

Cheers to our friends at Surly Brewing Co. for receiving Best Take-Home Beer from City Pages. Nicely done guys!

And if you are one of the few who haven’t tried it yet…you are missing out.

But now you know. Not only can you find it in numerous bars and restaurants you can even take it home and enjoy it while hang’n out on the back patio this spring.

Give it

Over the past week I have received a couple gifts from friends for absolutely no reason.

The first gift was from my friend Aimee. It is a little carving of three monkeys. One has his hands over his ears, the second has his hands over his eyes and the third has his hands over his mouth…how appropriate is that? I love it and it sits on my kitchen window sill and I look at it everyday.

The second gift was from Jen, a silicon swim cap. I never thought I even wanted or needed a new swim cap, yet a silicon swim cap, until today when I put it on my head. Ohhhhh, it’s like butta.

Receiving these gifts was just that, a gift. What a treat. What a surprise. How very thoughtful that someone went outside of themselves, their day and their busy life to think of me.

It’s not everyday we get gifts for no reason. When is the last time you gave a gift to someone for no reason?

Go ahead, give something to someone you care for today, just because. I promise…they’ll love it.

Still basking in the after glow of my weekend away

Last weekend four of my girls friends and I went up north. We left 11 kids and 5 husbands to fend for themselves for 48 hours.

Anne Marie came from Boston to hang with us Minnesota style. Ok, I don’t even know what that means, but I am so glad she made the trip.

Needless to say, we ate amazing food, drank plentiful amounts of wine, had masseuses come to the cabin, sat in silence with no one touching us or asking us to do anything, read trashy magazines and enjoyed each others friendship.

I could not have asked for anything more.

Thanks girls.

Happy Birthday to you…

Erika, Happy Birthday!

May this year be filled with all sorts of wonderful and fulfilling adventures.

It’s good to know I might have options

Last night we had a couple over for dinner. As we were hanging out in the kitchen, drinking wine and getting dinner ready we started talking about one of their friends.

I had seen this friend of theirs several times before but didn’t know her name so I described her as the “really attractive blond with short hair” and then I went on to say that if I was a lesbian she would be right up my ally.

Their quick response to my comment was, “YOU would totally get picked-up by lesbians. You know…if you were club’n it.”

Feeling Surly?

This is our friend Omar; he owns and operates Surly Brewing Company right here in our own back yard. This photo was taken one very snowy night when he so graciously hand delivered a growler for our very own consumption…mmmmmm so goooooood.

If you haven’t heard about Surly, make sure to read this Star Tribune article and check out their web site.

Omar say’s if he catches you wearing any Surly swag while you’re out having a Furious or a Bender, the next one is on him.

So drink up and by all means drink Surly!

Cheers.

Aimeeeeeeeeeee

Happy Birthday.

I hope this day is filled with everything…and more.

“Nothing” is sometimes everything

This past weekend was filled with so much of nothing. No schedule to keep, no set meal times, no butt wiping, no fighting, no TV.

This past weekend filled me back up. Time spent sleeping in past 6:30, having dinner at 10:30 pm just because our Mexican margarita lunch started at 3:00, reading a novel or People or the old worn copy of Northern Birds, knitting, running in the daylight, laughing, lots and lots of laughing.

This past weekend allowed me to re-enter the storm of sickness that still was raging within the house and tackle it with a calm and serenity that I had somehow lost along the way.

Thank you ladies.

And, thank you honey. I’ll be here to hold your head out of the toilet, rub your back and still be able to smile.

Chink in the armor

Today at playgroup PJ tapped me on the shoulder a few times to tell me she saw a mouse run across the floor in the basement. I chose to think she was telling tall tales and quickly became engrossed in snacks, making sure KP didn’t throw the vase across the floor and other “mom” discussions that were going on at the time.

The woman who hosted the play group is that one individual in the group who really has it all together, or at least that is how everyone in the group feels about her. She is that woman who can happily keep hold of four kids, numerous house remodeling projects, and her job as an ER doctor. She not only is a doctor, but she chooses to do the night shift so she can be with her children and volunteer at school during the day. She will never complain, nor does she let out too much information. To boot, she is the most organized human being I have ever seen. She even makes dry erase boards look sexy.

As everyone in play group was heading for the door, PJ brought up the mouse again. I looked at our host and said, “PJ keeps saying she saw a mouse run across the floor downstairs.” The shear look of horror and panic that crossed over her face was something I couldn’t believe. Then the pacing started and the switching the baby from one arm to the next and then the rambling of how could she have forgotten to tell us about the gerbil. And in no uncertain terms, with tears in her eyes, we were told that we ladies were not allowed to leave until that rodent was found and put back in its cage by someone else other than her.

And until this day, I could have sworn she was an unbreakable rock. It’s so nice to know she too is human, even if it is only rodents.

Matt Q

My friend Kim’s brother got married on New Year’s Eve. During the reception she was talking to this guy at her table about what elementary schools they went to. When he told her he went to IHM, she immediately had him name off people he remembered.

And who was one of his most memorable people? That would be me. I even got the privilege of taking up some dream space in his mind.

Why did he remember me? Well back then I was a pretty good kisser and I kissed him with my big lips (at that age they practically took over my whole face) in the large tractor tires of the jungle gym.

Oh, Matt…he was dreamy with his brown hair and his hazel eyes. You know, dreamy, in that second grade sort of way.

There was a lot of kissing that went on in those tires. My best friend always cornered some guy or other in there. I think she even got suspended from recess a few times for too much lip action.

And then there was Tanya. Tanya later became my very own husbands Home Coming date. Which brings me to the question, Adam did you kiss her? How weird would that be? Me, sitting in the tires watching Tanya kissing Eric at age 7 and then at age 14 she was kissing you.

If so, I probably could have given you some hot pointers.