Harvest Fest

On Saturday I volunteered to work at the Andover Y's 4th Annual Harvest Fest.  I've did it the first year and it was not nearly as a success as this year was.  For kids participating, an early estimate is over 400 kids and parents.

I started out the day directing parents and kids in the parking lot to where the Trunk Or Treating was.  There was a steady flow of people coming for about 20-30 minutes.  After the people walking up to the door tapered off, I headed indoors to see where I was needed. 

The community rooms were full of people playing bingo and walking the cake walk, eating snickerdoodle cookies and drinking the classic orange drink from McDonald's.  In the fieldhouse, we had tons of games and the lines for each game where long.  All the stations were already man-ed, so I headed out to find my boss.  My job that I was assigned to was perfect....handing out over 200 toothbrushes that we donated by an Anoka dentist.  They went like hot cakes.  Two hundred toothbrushes were gone in less than 30 minutes.  Some adults were lucky enough to get a toothbrush too.

Towards the end of the day, I was one of three costume judges.  We handed out 24 prizes over 8 age categories.  Many cute costumes, but the ones that stick out in my mind were 2 sets of costumes.  The first were Preschool Age:  Dorothy and The Wicked Witch of the West.  The second was First Grade Age:  "Best Friends" charms.  One had half of the heart charm that said "Best" while the other girl had the second half of the charm that said "Friends".  Too cute.  The babies were adorable too.  Lamb Chop got first place.
 As I was heading out the door, I saw a baby dressed up like Yoda.  If that baby had been in the contest, hands down First Place!!! 

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill

Saturday
Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in St. Louis Park

I can't take credit for this event.  I had a busy Friday night as stated in my previous post and I worked an extra long day at the Y.  I was ready to just go home and relax a bit.  While I was working, I got a voicemail from the BFF that she needed to get out of the house because her husband had friends over and couldn't handle any more male bonding time.  She was in the mood to go out to dinner and maybe some dancing.  L and dancing doesn't happen very often so I jumped at the chance to get her out of the house and keep her out after 8pm.

She came over and we did some brainstorming on where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do.  My sister was the one who mentioned Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill.  One just opened in June/July in St. Louis Park.  So we went out of our "comfort zone" and had a little road trip.

It was very easy to find...which may be a little dangerous.  It's in a new shopping area called "The Shops At West End", something similar to Arbor Lakes.  Parking ramp, cobble-stoned sidewalks and thoroughfares.  Little shops and eateries.  Musical rocks and plants.

We got there around 6:30 and it was a 40 minute wait.  We gave the hostess our cell phone number as we chose to shop while we waited.  Not many places open yet as it is still under construction, so we spent most of our time in a place called Love Culture.  Very urban chic.  The clothes only fit mannequins so mainly looked at the jewelry, accessories, shoes and handbags.  L and I bought matching earrings and necklaces.  Just another excuse to go out on the town.  I definitely want to go back to West End again and try out some of the other restaurants.  Especially the wine bars.

So we get a call that they're ready for us and we get a high top on what would be the dance floor.  We passed comfy booths on the way, but on a Saturday night, I think a high top by the dance floor is the best place to be.  The food was so-so.  I had the ribs with TK's signature sauce which were a little on the cold side, L and J had a chicken wrap.  It looked tasty but were drippy messy.  They came with fries, which you would think to be thick steak fries.  But nope....think McDonald's.

Where TK's really shines is in their booze.  If you've heard the song, you know that beer comes in mason jars.  There was a drink list, but the 3 of us got what I call a Rum Bucket.  You had 4 choices.  Just a Rum Mixer...I love Malibu Diet's so I had a Coconut Cruzan Diet.  Or you could have the Cruzan Confusion.  Or the Rum Breeze.  Or what L and J had...the Voodoo Juice.  Tasted like glorified Fruit Punch....Yum!

We were able to take our buckets home.  Don't think they'd let you take the mason jars home though.  (Note: If you click on the pictures, you can make out the recipes so you can try at home.)

There was an awesome guy singing, Shane Wyatt.  He had a great country twang voice and a southern drawl when he spoke.  I think we may have found our High Noon replacement.  We saw people that were hard core country ie.  5 gallon hats and boots with spurs, leather jackets with fringe.  One Mexican dude looked like Elvis (the older Elvis with big sideburns and huge sunglasses).  The only people that were dancing were old people in their square dancing dresses and they were getting whipped around, spun around.  There was no pop-it-lock-it-hip-hop-it-move-side-to-side.  By the time we left it was 10:30, the dance floor was packed and it was standing room only.

I could go on and on.  It was a blast and I'm going back again.  If you want to go out but don't know where, if you want to experience something new that you may never really ever do otherwise, this would be the perfect place for you.

High Noon Final Showdown

Friday Night

My sister and I bought tickets for the show weeks in advance.  We've been to enough shows at many venues that we know that if you're not there early enough all the tables will be taken and then you'll be stuck either at a crappy table or standing somewhere in the background with a crappy view.

So we had decided that we would head over there early to have supper and then just stick around to save a table and let everyone else join us later.  We got there between 6 and 6:30, ordered the special of the day, The High Noon Burger, which was just a plain bacon cheeseburger.  It was the most juicy burger!  Definitely in the top 5 of all Melt-In-Your-Mouth burgers. 

The tables are teeny and they are always grouped together so the spot we sat down at had 2 tables.  By 7:30 all the tables were taken and the show didn't even start 'til 9:30.  We only needed one to fit the 4 of us, but we were going to hang onto it 'til the last minute and then give some lucky strangers who would just happen to walk in grab it instead of having to stand in the background. 

A pair of women in their 30's tapped on my shoulder to see if "our" table was open.  We sat yep and they moved in.  They kept talking to us, so we told them to bring back the table in to a cluster.   They spent the whole night talking and dancing with us.  They were a hoot!  Words can not describe how crazy they were and how much beer they drank.  I'm just thankful they had a sober cab coming, because neither one of them were fit to drive.

It just so happened that one of the ladies was a dental assistant so we had more than enough in common to talk about.  And she also just happened to work at the dental office that my parents go to.  What a small world.

The only thing I can say was I had a blast.  It was the perfect way to enjoy my last night with High Noon.  I will miss them because nobody can ever replace them.  If they ever have a reunion show, you can bet that I'll be there.

25K

Who wants to share some major mulla with me?

This morning I stopped at McDonald's to try one of their Frappe's.  I usually go to Caribou but decided to try something different and cheaper.  As some of you may know, McDonald's is in the middle of their Monopoly promotion. 

I ordered a Medium Frappe just so I could get a game piece.  I got Marvin Gardens and stupid ol' St. James Place.  I always get that one.  At work, I rode up to in the elevator with a coworker who had stopped by McDonald's also to get a coffee and she had game pieces too.  She pulled 'em off and one of them was Atlantic Avenue.  OMG!  We had two pieces that went together.

As I thought about it through the day, Marvin Gardens is the more expensive property and is probably the more rare game piece.  Which means Ventnor Ave. is out there...somewhere....a little more common.  I hope my method of thinking if right.

So I'm appealing to all McDonald's Monopoly players out there, would you like to share your Ventnor Ave with N. and I?  We'll split the $25,000 evenly (after taxes of course).  I hope I don't have to eat MickeyD's for every meal 'til the end of the month to find my reward. 

Costco

I am deeply considering whether or not I want a Costco membership. 

I've been a guest in them before while shopping with others, but I don't know if I'll get my money's worth out of getting one all to myself.

Buying in bulk seems like a good idea, but where am I going to put all of it.  And who's going to eat all of it.  It's just me and my sister.  I don't have tons of mouths to feed.  $2.45 for a pound of hamburger is a great deal but do I need 7 pounds of it.  I need a bigger deep freezer if that's how much I get. 

Now if I could split the product and the cost with someone else, that could be a more viable option.  But that gets tricky too with scheduling shopping time together.  I work such crazy odd hours that I think it'd be hard to match up times with anyone. 

If only it were a little more convenient.  If only 242 wasn't closed.  If only Roseville had passed the business referendum (and thus a Costco was on the top of the list) instead of putting up a park and ride and old people housing near 35W and Cty. Rd C.  If only...someday....maybe.

Water Power X

Chlorine.  Gotta love the smell of chlorine.

Last night I closed at the Y and I had to check the emergency doors and buttons in Aquatics.  Just walking onto the Pool Deck makes me want to jump into the pool.  So I made the decision that I was going to take an aqua aerobics class in the morning to satisfy my chlorine craving.  At six fricking o'clock in the morning.

And now I think I'm hooked.  It's not a bunch of old ladies....well, maybe just one or two.  It's mostly working class middle-aged women.  There were even two daughters there...may 18 or 20 years.  And they're the nicest group of women.

The only thing I'm really worried about is my hair and skin.  I have to remember to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

The Break-Up Email

Hey A****.  This is going to be a difficult email to read, as it is for me writing it.  You may not understand it or agree with it but it's something I need to do.  I am choosing to write it because this is the best way I know how to articulate my thoughts and feelings.  An email may be tacky and for that I apologize.


I'm going to have to call it quits on our communications.  The last couple of days I've spent reflecting on myself and what I actually want and need.  And right now a relationship isn't one of the them.  Among some reasons is the distance thing.  I know I told you that I thought I could do a long distance one, but I don't see myself ever traveling outside the northern suburbs to meet anyone, friend or otherwise.

I'm glad I'm realizing this now before we go any further.  I don't want to lead you on or make you miss out on your perfect match.  She's out there; she's just not me.  Sorry.

Best of luck with your search for Mrs.  A*****Man.

Julie

Negativity

Warning:  This is venting post.

I think I have reached my max on tolerating negativity from others.

My personality is to bite my tongue and shake my head, but on the inside I am screaming for the person to just shut up and get over it already.

Looking at the world as if it's out to get you doesn't do you any good. And makes others be irritated and like you just a little less.

I don't wanna hear you complain about your job.  Wake up....not everyone has one.
I don't wanna hear you complain about your kids and how they misbehave.  They won't always love you unconditionally.
I don't wanna hear you complain about others and how you think things should be done.  Everyone has different opinions and ways of doing their job.  In the end, it still gets done.

I try to be a friend with open ears, but sometimes I wish I could find ear plugs.

Home Improvements

Where have I been?  Have I really missed out on an entire month?  Man, time flies when your having fun.

Many things have come and gone during this month's time.  But these are the only things I can think of off the top of my head.

• After purchasing my "Last Supper" masterpiece (see previous post), I decided to painted all the unpainted walls of my house.  This includes the whole livingroom (20 foot ceilings), the dining room, the staircase (20 foot ceilings), the hallway and the loft.  It's a subtle shade of white called Cotton Whisper.  It is a complimentary shade to my kitchen, which is sage.

• After painting, I thought it was time to redecorate so I moved furniture around to eliminate junk accrual.  Well, I'll still accrue it but at least it won't be noticeable to guests. It will all be strategically placed.

• Finally decided that I'm a grown-up and it was time that I bought mature furniture.  So I purchased a new couch for the loft from the Becker Furniture Liquidation Superstore at Northtown.  I got tired of sitting on dorm furniture for 6 years (fouton, butterfly chairs, bean bags). 

• The sheet-rock in the basement is almost finished.  Dad framed in the egress window sill and just kept on going.  Just interior wall left to do then it's tape, mud, paint.  Dad knows a guy he used to work with and he can get scrape carpeting.  Maybe we can get some large pieces and lay them down instead of having just scatter rugs.

• Now the next thing on my to-do list is to look for something to put in between my dining room and the living room.  I'm leaning more towards a sideboard but am not opposed to a simple bookcase.  I stopped in at Schneiderman's last week to see if they still carry my dining room table.....they do.  They manufacturer has a photo of my table in their catalog with a sideboard in the background but it's not listed as being for sale.  Major bummer because if it were for sale....problem solved.  But now I have to shop around for something that is going to match while not matching.  So we'll see how everything turns out.