Summer 2014 - Day 3

I got up, showered, packed, had some food, said goodbye to Cricket and Bunny, and was off. Then I was driving driving driving driving driving driving...

Wisconsin welcoming me

...driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving driving and stopping in Oakdale.

Photo snapped, coffee consumed, post cards purchased. I stand by the car, posting things, making calls, and then... tragic news is viewed, then confirmed. I paused to contact other people and process. A good friend from graduate school was in a fatal accident on Friday. I was already late, but I needed another half hour before I could get going again.

So it was driving driving driving driving driving some crying to a James Taylor song driving driving driving driving remembering to drive safe - we don't need more tragedies today - driving driving driving driving driving driving crying a little more driving driving driving driving driving driving and remembering just how beautiful parts of Wisconsin are.

I arrived at the Cave of the Mounds before 2pm and had a picnic lunch with my mom, sister, and my sister's boyfriend before we were off caving.

We got tickets for the cave and looked around the gift shops until our cave tour began at 3. 

The cave and our guide.

Then the battery on my phone ran out. After we purchased souvenirs, and I had a large amount of water, we went to downtown Madison, to Roman Candle for ice cream. First, we stopped in a pet shop and the smell was not good for me. When we got to the restaurant and I realized that they served pizza, I recommended that we get some food. I also got a salad to start, and it came with a breadstick. The breadstick was perhaps the most amazing thing in the world at that moment, and the salad was delicious. The pizza was also delicious, as was the ice cream. I paid the bill and we walked on back to the cars, said goodnight to J (sister) and A (sister's bf), then Mom and I were off to find a gas station and get to the hotel. 

Gas stations were in short supply until we got to Fish Hatchery Road, where I hit up the Speedway and got gas. Then I got a little lost on the way to the hotel, but got there just as it started raining, and finally made my way to the room. After changing into pajamas, I really just passed out. It had been a good, but jarring day.

Summer 2014 - Day 2

Wow, has it really only been three days? I guess so.

Today, I slept in until 10:30. K made breakfast and we talked. She was going to go shopping, but then she had to nap. I needed coffee though, so she set up some stuff so I could have instant. I happened to be doing things online - planning, reading, looking up meat raffles, and starting a Yelp account - but eventually made myself the coffee and started to drink it. But then I worked on post cards and started texting people for their addresses.

Coffee was eventually consumed, computer and phone plugged in, and more communication and planning began. An hour in, I finally was able to upload my video, The Bruno Experience, I also made plans with another K, connected with B, R sent me a picture that I had requested from my previous trip to the Bay, connected with M and D in Wisconsin. There were so many chat windows open and text messages going on, It was nuts.

Then K got up, we got ready - all fancicied - and R called with the declaration that she had been misinformed and the restaurant we were going to did take reservations between 6 and 8, and now their only tables were open at 9:30. After much talking, we decided to go to Tiny Diner. Other arrangements were made with a different K - K2, and we sat for a while. Then we were off.

K2 got to the restaurant first and got a table for 4, then K and I arrived and chatted. R arrived and we chatted some more until we went inside. R and I got drinks, then went to chat with K and K2, where I saw a massive sandwich being served to another table. We got a table, I had wine spritzers, K got a pickle thing, then K2 ordered the onion rings and ZOMG were they awesome. I opted for the massive sandwich and it was delicious. It was Elvis month, so they had a banana peanut butter chocolate pie as a desert, and I had a slice for desert. The conversation at dinner was wonderful too, and K connected with K2 and with R. K2 should have connected with R, but I'm not sure he did. We eventually went home, where I packed to be ready to leave in the am, and went to bed.

Summer 2014 - Day 1

I woke up early this morning and showered and got ready. K and I deliberated what to do, and then met up with R and her friend S in downtown Minneapolis to walk the Farmers' Market. Before we could find R and her friend, we did find this statue.

We did meet up with R and S, then walked the Farmers' Market. I got strawberries and raspberries, K got a pickle, S had to go, then K had to make a pit stop, and R and I bought kale chips. R had to leave for work, so K and I walked a little more. We took a break, then decided to head back, but not before visiting CANDYLAND! I got myself a smattering of candies and K got some popcorn. We left with our goodies and went back to her house to have grilled cheese with chicken patties.

K and I put on some Rifftrax, and we watched a little, then took naps - her on her bed and me on the couch. After our naps, however, K was not feeling well, and would need to stay in. I packed and prepared for my trip downtown, taking a blanket and a little seat thing, courtesy of my hosts. I had some protein sources - nuts and bars - and was off to the Walker Art Center. The traffic was good until I got to the entrance to 94. There were a couple of cars trying to get in ahead of me, and I thought about being a jerk and not letting either of them in. The first one was a little more aggressive, and then I noticed that yes, they had a MN plate, but there was a Green Bay Packers license plate frame, and I happily let them in. They waved, and I believe that I waved back and they were off to get to the other exits to the right. I forget if I let the other car in ahead of me.

I got off the highway at the right location, and there were a lot of cars going in a direction, but not turning down the road that my directions took me. I began seeing people walking with blankets and realized that the traffic was for this event, so my mind turned to finding parking. When I made the right onto the main drag, I saw "Parking $10" and was all in. I paid my $10 and was set to park, but the very nice Norwegian looking Episcopalian that was directing parking tried to get me to do something that I am incapable of doing - turning around backwards and backing in to a sort-of spot near another car and a stone wall. So the Episcopalian lady contemplated other spots, and evenetually had me parking under a tree on the lawn. When I got out, she said "now you can say that you parked on the Cathedral lawn!" which now I can say. I figure that if I ever am at the Whad' ya Know show, get to play the quiz, and am asked for my reason, I will use that. I also found some sunglasses on the ground as I was walking out - black plastic with purple on the sides - and took them. They had some blemishes on the lenses, so I figure that I got what I paid for.

I walked with many other people to the WAC and found it to be just as expected.

I went in to the Museum first, to get my souvenirs. I picked up some post cards, a poster, a pen, and some stickers. Then I went to find a place to sit that would accommodate R, S, and me. After a false positive, I found a good place and laid out the blanket.

I chatted with the two people next to me - some possible undergrads - with their faces painted like cats, but mostly monitored Facebook and my text messages. Eventually, R showed up with someone named M, so we would have 4 people on our blanket, but it would work. R and M went to get food and beer from the food trucks and then the crowd gasped. The inflatable screen on which the videos would be projected collapsed! The kids next to me said that there might be riots if they couldn't get it back up, and I blamed Animal Planet. Then I learned that the two had been interviewed by Animal Planet and the one nearest me had told them that he said that people should poop in boxes. I laughed and told him that it was awesome, but he was a little embarrassed that he would be saying that on national TV. I reassured him that it was hilarious, and he shouldn't worry. 

R also texted me that there was wine at the food trucks, and wondered if I wanted red or white. I replied with white. It was not yet sundown, but someone did come on stage and told us to talk to each other - maybe this was before my little conversation with the kids, I forget. Then I got calls from J - an old college bud that I hadn't seen in over a decade - and he was on his way. He made his way to the blanket soon enough, and then R and M arrived with food and wine. S arrived, and now we were 5 on the blanket, with me in the top left as facing the screen, R below me, J in the middle, then M in the top right and S below her. We had, indeed, made it work. 

Then the crowd had to be silent for a while before Lil' Bub could come on stage. I couldn't see her from where I was, but she was there. We heard the story about how her owners learned about her bone conditions because of her fame and could get her the treatment she needed. They then showed a video of Lil' Bub performing an impressive feat of going up 15 steps. When our celebrity was safely in her carrier, we could begin the film festival...

Here is the playlist for the 2014 Internet Cat Video Film Festival.

The videos were great, but sitting on the ground was murder on the posterior. I was able to re-position myself enough to get through the festival, but was happy to finally stand. For the record, I also disagree with the winner of the Golden Kitty Award, but c'est la vie. S went off quickly, then the remaining four chatted a bit before R and M went off to their car. I talked with J for a while about what I've been doing and what he's been doing. He had also given me the same t-shirt he was wearing - a cat head on a swirly spiral of color backdrop. We walked to my car and kept chatting about all kinds of things, including an old friend we both used to have who was very manipulative - M. Eventually, we said our goodbyes and I set off back to K and J's house.

I didn't really have directions back, so I thought I would just wing it. I was doing pretty well too until I got to the Mall of America and had no idea how to get where I needed to go. I got directions on my Blackberry and was in business. I got back to K and J's house, changed out of my DEET clothes and into pajamas, and sat down in the living room. K and J were watching The Wire, and after we chatted for a while, they put that back on. There was much chatting and watching, and then I went to bed.

Summer 2014 - Day 0

I slept in because I COULD, then I got ready and put Bruno in his carrier to take to be boarded at the vet. He hardly ate any food that I gave him, and in the car, he cried. I looked back at him a couple of times and saw him with his little mouth open :(

Bruno was scared.

I got to the vet, filled out the paperwork, and left my little baby to be cared for while I was gone. On my way back to the apartment, I did get a pic of a pretty cool little bit of the Heights.

Arriving home to a Brunoless apartment was very sad, but I quickly got to packing and cleaning. Around 2, I went to get some lunch and coffee at Tacos, then I did more cleaning and called for a cab. I took out the garbage and when I got back, the cab was ready, so I pulled my things together and left for my Great Minnesota Getaway (aka Wisconsin Sandwich with Minnesota Bread).

Oh, there was some traffic on the way to the airport, but we got there. I tried to guess if my cabbie was from Somalia, but he said Ethiopia, and I talked a little about what I knew about Ethiopia from my studies of African History in college - like how it was the only African country to defeat a European power.

I arrived at the airport at about quarter after 4 for my 5:30 flight, checked in, and got in line for security. The security line was good, and I ended up in a TSA experimental line where we didn't have to remove shoes or jackets and our laptops and liquid bags could stay in our luggage. It was quite nice. I was then off to my gate, and after some slight confusion about whether or not I was at the right gate, I settled in my seat. The vet called and told me that Bruno was not eating, nor had he done the thing on the other end, but he seemed otherwise okay. If he had not done the other thing by Friday, they would do a lateral x-ray.

Then it was a waiting game, and finally, it was time to board. I got up to my appropriate place in line and said to a guy,"I'm 48, what are you?" and he looked stunned and said "you don't look it." It turned out that he was A 49, and I smiled - I'd been recently told that I look 25, but I'm not, I'm 33, though I didn't say either of those things.

So we got on the plane and I picked my seat near the back, on the right side of the plane, if you face toward the front. Some guy sat in the aisle, and then toddlers arrived. An army of toddlers, all of them agitated - well, sort of. It must have been at least 3, maybe 5, and I think parents are advised to sit in the rear of the plane. I do it so I can be guaranteed a window seat and because I don't like being rushed off the plane, but the toddlers are a risk I face. A woman with really cool hair - more or less natural African hair that was pinned up to the front of her head, with some curls over her forehead - sat in the middle seat.

The flight began and I read my queued up blog pages from my favorite blog, then got to my book. I then did my hair up in "bantu knots" to be curly and continued to read. The toddlers screamed, then they yelled, and then they did the chain scream. Over and over and over again until we got to our stop in Kansas City. My book happened to help me be a little meta about the screaming toddlers, and I was able to keep perspective. I told my neighbor that I really liked her hair and we had some small talk about Minnesota, where she was visiting too after 1 year in Houston. She had lived in Minnesota for about 5 of 6 years. Later, she left to go sit in a window seat in the front for our flight to Minneapolis.

The flight crew announced that our trip to MSP would only have 95 people, while the plane held 137 people (I think), but that there would be 14 wheelchairs, so space up front needed to be made. I hoped that this meant that there would be fewer toddlers, and there were, but some did appear. No one sat in the middle seat this time, so I put the tray table down and requested a club soda. We eventually landed at MSP and I deplaned with a smile - I do love Minnesota.

My dad would protest this, saying that we have more lakes in Wisconsin,
that they're better, and we probably have loons too. Oh, and then he would
remind me that there are Viking fans in Minnesota too, which is a downside.

Then I was on my way to Ground Transportation and the Rental Car lobby. After a slight mishap at the elevators - I went up instead of down - I was there, and the woman that sat next to me was also at the counter. I thought of saying hello, but then didn't. After a while, I overheard that she mentioned "trying SuperShuttle" and I thought - to late perhaps - that I should have offered to give her a ride to her destination, pending it not being too far away, but she was walking away. Oh well.

I chatted with the rental car guys and told them about the Internet Cat Video Film Festival at the Walker Arts Center. The guy at the counter was disappointed that it ended at 10, which meant that he could not go, but perhaps he could go next year. I got my car - a white Ford Focus (after turning down a VW Beetle - I told them that my ideal car was "non-descript", which prompted them to tease me about "what I was up to while here") and was on my way to la casa de K & J. I had directions on my phone and did not have to turn around once until I got to their street. It was so dark that I had a hard time finding their house number, but after two turns, I did find it, and drove in the driveway.

K & J were very gracious hosts and showed me the amazing room that I would be staying in, complete with hella owls, which are so in right now. Apparently, K has been ahead of this trend and has loved owls for a very long time. I also met their furballs, Bunny and Cricket.  We chatted for a good long while, and then I was off to bed.

New Orleans 2013

Christmas 2012 - Day 3

We went to downtown Cincinnati to meet with my aunt. 

A Christmas tree downtown.

Cool buildings.

The river, which my aunt said her family never visited while they were growing up in Cincinnati.

Christmas 2012 - Day 2

On this day, my cousin, sister, and I went to Kentucky for... some reason. I forget why. 

Look at the buildings.

I think that I really liked this building. It is sweet.

Check this place out.

Tilt your head to the left.

Let's go to the dentist

I also like this building.

Woooo, Kentucky!

This is also Kentucky.

They have all the latest RAM.

This building is pretty cool too.

This was the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge, but it connects Cincinnati and Covington instead.

I have only ever seen a UDF in Cincinnati. They are a gas station that also has ice cream.

A fountain near where we went for Graeters ice cream.

My sister and cousin, eating ice cream near the Fifth Third Bank.

Christmas 2012 - Day 1

At my aunt's husband's family Christmas party. Santa and Mrs. Claus showed up and the kids really enjoy it. 

Actually, I think the parents enjoy it more. My aunt Margaret is on the far right. 

My aunt Margaret on the far right.

Santa and Mrs. Claus 

I actually have this nativity set too. 

They are a VERY Catholic family, with lots of nativity scenes.