My son and I stayed in town over the long holiday weekend. We took a trip to the beach and to the movies to see Cars 2 (we needed to sit in a/c for a spell) and to a couple of BBQs. And without him I went out to see bands four nights in a row. I’m still recuperating and a little unsure of what day it is. But I do know that yesterday I left work mid-morning. Rushed home before the house was shown - more than two hours notice would be lovely - to really tidy the place up. But despite my efforts people haven’t bothered with leaving any feedback the last several showings, never mind showing any actual interest. It all feels so very futile. Foreclosure, here we come!
So how about five good things for whatever-the-heck-day-this-is:
Another busy-ish weekend lays ahead but with not quite so many shows. Maybe. (I wouldn’t mind getting to Gastro Non Grata’s Raconteur Rendezvous 2.) The annual Dragon Festival is being held at Lake Phalen. Some friends will be visiting from out of town. There will be brunch. And more beach time. And mini-golf. And maybe the drive-in. Hopefully this perfect weather will hold for a while longer.
Once upon a time I may have felt a misplaced pride - smugness even - about Minnesotans. About our ability to cooperate and collaborate and generally be more sensible than most. But now that we’re on our SECOND state government shutdown those feelings are long gone. Also disappointing and sad? You may have heard the news but Cake Eater Bakery is closing. They will be hosting a farewell open house from 10am-4pm on July 10th. And this weekend their brunch special sounds intense. “IN CHEESE WE CRUST: a veggie lasagna made with grilled cheddar cheese SANDWICHES instead of noodles, layered with ricotta, eggplant, and zucchini, topped with parmesan.”
Let’s keep it rolling with five weird things for this dangerously hot Friday:
And now we are headed into a long, hot holiday weekend. But this year we’re staying in town. We have plans with friends for brunch and BBQs and beach time and ping pong parties and to see bands. Not too freaking bad.
Monday contained too many low points but yesterday really was a better, brighter day. I was grateful for a good night’s sleep and great weather and the general lowering of my stress levels. It helps that I am employed by and work with real live humans who get it. One of whom recently wrote a blog post about the plate spinning most of us do in our daily lives, while we attempt to juggle work and home and social lives: “We’re Human. Get Over It.” That’s just what I needed.
Five more good things:
- Five second films (via Jachin)
- A short video of the amazing Neil Gaiman, lobbying on behalf of The Onion
- I’ve now seen the first two episodes of True Blood season four. Minor beefs but still, many thumbs up.
- My pre-ordered copy of Gail Carriger’s Heartless was delivered. ALL HAIL THE PARASOL PROTECTORATE!
- I was thinking I’d go see guitar goddess Marnie Stern, by myself, this Sunday night but just this morning a friend mentioned that he didn’t have anyone to go with him, and he’s got an extra ticket. Perfect!
Ok, bonus round. Kate Beaton’s “Strong Female Characters” is THE BEST. And now I am hoping to forge ahead with mid-week manageable goals rather than being crushed under the weight of overwhelming stress. Some days it is a very fine line.
After a decent birthday weekend I managed to wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Or the wrong side of the universe. And have been attempting to course correct all day.
How about five good things, yeah? YEAH!
- I must have known Reverse Graffiti is a thing but it seems like it’s brand new to me. I’ve had so many head injuries who knows? I do know that right here right now it is one of my favorite things.
- Wow, I was a teenager in the 80s but somehow I totally missed these old school sports posters.
- Roy’s jeans! Watching Roy make jeans is a joy.
- The community-supported agriculture movement is changing the way many Minnesotans shop and eat — and health professionals are taking notice.
- Speaking of, tonight we’ll be picking up our first Vasa Gardens half-bushel box of the season. It’s more economical/less wasteful for our little family unit than investing in a full or half CSA share throughout the summer. Instead we pay by the box, only ordering once every few weeks when we’re running low on produce.
Tonight I’m planning to make this strawberry rhubarb crumble (with ingredients from my Vasa Gardens box) and possibly sit on my back deck, drinking sake, while not punching anyone in the throat.
My father is a sentimental fellow. He and I share the same birthday and have both always loved that. Whenever his driver’s license expires he gives the old one to me. Which is how I happened to find myself in a momentarily awkward situation Wednesday night. A friend and I went to the Science Museum’s Social Science” event - a quarterly adults only evening in the museum. Thus we were carded upon entering. Wherein I handed over MY DAD’S ID. I was given a baffled look before I quickly whipped out my own ID. Oops.
The actual day of my birthday was a decent one. I took myself to the St. Paul Farmers Market at 7:30am, to procure local berries, garlic scapes, local cheeses and fresh-baked ciabatta. I called my Dad. We kept up our annual tradition of shouting Happy Birthday at each other. And I ran a few more early morning errands which included a 9am trip to BOOZE MART - which I’d never been in before - to buy champagne for mimosas. Despite the ridiculous name it is a remarkably well stocked liquor store with too many of my favorite things. Japanese beers, Crispin Brown’s Lane cider imported from England, good sake, and more. Dangerousity. Then I hosted a brunch in my own honor for 6.5 hours.
Still after that long slog I somehow managed to rally - just enough to take the kiddo and I down to Cannon Falls. For our friends’ annual Summer Fest on the Farm event. It was absolutely lovely as usual. I had intended to push myself even further. I gave myself enough lead time to get back into the cities to make it to Grumpy’s downtown Minneapolis for Mother of Fire (and their final Saturday night residency set). But an old friend called - one who moved away a couple of years ago - to wish me a happy birthday and we wound up talking for over an hour. I am a-ok with that. Going to bed early-ish was just the thing. And would have been even better if my son hadn’t woken me in the middle of the night. Around 3am I found him in the hallway, carrying my yoga mat and muttering. I sent the sleepwalking boy back to bed but it took me longer to fall asleep. This morning I’d planned to laze and lounge to make up for yesterday’s busy-ness but a last minute showing of our house was scheduled. We were given hardly any heads up. I had to quickly tidy up from yesterday’s brunch mess before high-tailing it out of here. This afternoon I have a family portrait photo shoot. And this evening friends are putting on the second installment of “Irregular Readings” at the Triple Rock (though I wouldn’t mind catching the premiere of True Blood season four somewhere - which Nick Cave & Neko Case recorded a cover of the Zombies’ “She’s Not There” for).
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Oh, the perils of modern life. Either my realtor or the showing realtor mixed up the date of the recent showing when logging it in the online system that sends me notifications. So no one actually looked at our house on Sunday evening, when I made sure we stayed away. Rather we were surprised by five people showing up on our front porch last night. Super awkward. We hurried off to Target for a spell. No comments have been logged yet but I could tell from the looks on their faces that the prospective buyers were not digging what they were seeing. I know my decorating isn’t for everyone (mid-century Modern furnishings with bright colors and odd art). It’s bad enough being removed from the process while strangers are judging it but seeing it firsthand? Ouch. And I think my house is pretty cute, dammit, despite its flaws.
How about five good things?
- It’s summer! Technically (though it’s been muggy for a while now and my hair is a curly hot mess). And google has marked the solstice with a doodle by one of my favorite artists, Takashi Murakami.
- Dear Photograph (take a picture of a picture from the past in the present)
- The BBC made an amusing documentary called “The Joy of Easy Listening” - delving into this ignored and scoffed at genre of music. The documentary spans from its roots in the 50s through the sun washed 70s and into current “chill out” tunes (available in six 15-minute segments on youtube).
- “too much chocolate is an online photo exhibition/dialogue space run by photographer Jake Stangel.” Interviews, rotating galleries, showcases, and more. All wonderful.
- Last night Facebook sent me the regular update email about my photography page. I noticed that 99 people “liked” it so I put out a plea for just one more person, to round that number up to 100. That worked swimmingly. Now I’m up to 138! If you haven’t “liked” Sharyn Morrow Photography yet, go ahead and keep the momentum going.
Tomorrow night is the return of the Science Museum’s Social Science adult night - “welcoming those 21 and over to grab a drink, enjoy the museum, and experience innovative programming.” I was able to attend the first installment back in March and it was super fun. Tomorrow night will be even better, with the Big Back Yard open (outdoor mini golf!) and Jim Campbell’s Scattered Light installation nearby. Looks like the Chinese American Association of MN and the American Swedish Institute will be on hand to help celebrate the solstice, along with Science trivia with the Trivia Mafia, Science Live theater presentations, Live Pictionary, bars throughout the museum and food samplings from local vendors. BE THERE.
Our brief getaway up North had me entertaining unrealistic notions. Of buying an RV and traveling around the country with the kid and the cats seeking out the most pleasant weather and weirdest roadside attractions. And maybe homeschooling my son next to the biggest ball of twine or up in the mountains or down in the Grand Canyon or wherever we may find ourselves. But no. Our lives are here, for now, and we need to live them as is. So today we hung out with my Dad - a man who is just as goofy as he is badass. We thoroughly cracked each other up and couldn’t stop laughing. Looking at each other laughing only made us laugh more. No one else in the house had any idea what we’d gotten so hysterical about and after a while maybe we didn’t either. I love it when that happens. Wound up sticking around the burbs a little longer after the laughing fit, and after dinner, as another showing had been scheduled for our house out of the blue. No word yet from the showing realtor. Honestly I’ve come to dread the emails that tell me I have comments from them. And their system is so backwards that notification emails don’t contain the comments themselves - nor can I log in to their site from my mobile device to view the actual comments, which have most often been unfavorable anyhow. Sometimes ignorance is bliss I guess.
Five more good things:
- Got myself motivated to go see Mother of Fire at Grumpy’s last night and I’m glad I did. Superb.
- A good bottle of sake. It was a gift from a sushi restaurant owner in Palm Springs back in April. I promised myself I’d open it whenever I got an offer on the house, or for my birthday, whichever came first. Looks like it’s going to be my birthday.
- Heard Golden Earring’s “Radar Love” over the weekend and it’s been stuck in my head since. I am ok with it.
- Summer camp starts tomorrow. And the kid is pretty much booked solid until school begins after Labor Day. No sitting around all day, left to his own devices (like I was at his age).
- Exhausted now and Netflix Instant appears to be down. Thankfully I’ve also got an Amazon Prime account and can zone out to one of their free instant video selections instead.
I’m already planning a return to the North Shore sometime this summer. We had fun in Lutsen, especially on the Alpine Slide and Mountain Tram, but next time I’d stay closer to Grand Marais. I need to make a return trip to the Angry Trout, which was just as good as The Heavy Table claimed. And along the way I need to stop in Castle Danger, MN. Because of the amazing name, yes, but also because I drove past a thrift store there called Fat ‘N Happys and now I have a burning need to see what magic might be contained within.
Oh what a Monday. The state sent a notice to my employer requesting they garnish my wages (turned out to be a result of some outstanding parking tickets - oops). An Ozzy Osbourne impersonator friend requested me on Facebook (maybe?) and I very nearly fixed my dryer myself. As a reluctant homeowner I’ve managed to figure a thing or two out myself over the years. But I especially dislike dealing with gas appliances. I have a fear of blowing myself up. Or causing a fire (I was called Firestarter for many years, after an unfortunate incident involving the frying of bananas when I was ten). This morning I fiddled with the vent in back. Shook it out before re-attaching and voila, heat! For just a moment. After it broke down again I broke down and called some pros up to check it out tomorrow.
How about five good things for this Monday?
- Taking the internet by storm…it’s…Vegan Black Metal Chef! Love.
- Over the weekend I met a lovely young woman who maintains a shoe blog. Blogging about her really cute shoes I would totally wear. And the shoes are all in my size! And in the same metro area. Exquisite torture.
- Iceland Is Crowdsourcing Its New Constitution
- Tomorrow is the last day of school for the kiddo, with just a few days off before summer camp begins.
- An interesting read: In the future, the only jobs left will be green. Last year, the NY Times reported, “In the energy sector alone, the deployment of new technologies, like wind and solar power, has the potential to support 20 million jobs by 2030 and trillions of dollars in revenue, analysts estimate.â€
We really did keep it simple this weekend. Friday night was Chinese takeout + Netflix Instant. Stuck around the house all day Saturday, only leaving for a birthday celebration and a housewarming party. Sunday we didn’t leave the house at all. And that was just what I needed. Going up North at the end of the week will be more of the same. But with bonus hot tubs.
Life has been kicking me in the box this week. When I tackle one task ten more crop up. And bill collectors have been hounding me constantly, making me feel like a miserable worthless failure. I need to take Anne Lamott’s advice to heart and learn to treat myself as if I’m somebody I am fond of and wish to encourage. Because now is when shit is real. My mistakes have already happened. They are behind me and I need to put on the blinders to them. What will come is unknown and unknowable but what I do know? I need to enjoy what is right here RIGHT NOW. This is a thing I have to keep reminding myself of. Especially when everything is in limbo with our house - and in other core areas of my life. It’s too easy to beat myself up. I know we still have so much good going on. When I can I’ve got to make myself slow down to enjoy it. One night last week I made a nice dinner with my son before going outside to build a backyard fire and roast marshmallows. Most pleasant. Tuesday we beat the unbearable heat by seeing the new X-Men movie at the theater, and meeting friends for pizza afterward. Wednesday I took myself to see Welshman Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals) at the Triple Rock. I feel like I’ve got to snatch up these small glittering moments and put them in my pocket for safekeeping. So I can sneak peeks at them when everything else is weighing me down.
Five good things for this Friday:
This weekend I plan to hunker down at home, taking care of business. But it is, apparently, “National Get Outdoors Day” tomorrow. Our friends’ joint birthday party is outdoors so that counts, right? Weather permitting we may also pop out to St. Paul’s StoryWalk program (around Como and Phalen lakes) on Sunday. But that’s also the opening day for Uptown Market, and the first ever “Open Streets” event in Minneapolis. But I’m keeping it simple this weekend. I swear it.
Our weekend was maybe a little too action-packed, and it started early - with the annual Clockwork party on Thursday. But it’s been big big fun! Friday night I saw Dengue Fever with The Eternals (ex-Trenchmouth) in the 7th Street Entry with friends. Had beach time with the boy on Saturday (where I may have dozed off on my belly for a bit and burned my backside, oops). An unplanned post-dinner nap meant missing out on three different patio/BBQ gatherings but we needed all of our energy for the overnight Northern Spark art fest (my photos here). My son and I discussed it at length ahead of time. He was excited by the prospect of staying up/out late for arty stuff but the reality of it was very different. He was SO bored. And SO tired. Live and learn. I got him to bed before 1am and got myself on a party boat until 4am. Best move over. Thankfully my son was way more stoked about seeing Back to the Future at The Loring Theater on Sunday. And I had myself a mimosa along with our unlimited popcorn.
Five good things for this muggy Monday:
Still recovering from weekend of fun but tempted to stop by tonight’s meeting of the St. Paul Bureau of Arts and Beverages (with bonus a/c at the Black Dog). Really, I should recuperate. And prepare for the craziness of the weeks ahead. Training and learning new things for work. The kid closing out the school year (can’t wait to read his book report on Stan Lee!) and getting in gear for camp. A little jaunt up North with him before that. And he is plotting to put together an elaborate Human Chess game sometime this summer. On top of our usual visits to drive-in theaters, mini-golfing, swimming, etc. And that is all in addition to trying to keep the house tidy while NOBODY IS LOOKING AT IT. Maybe someday it will sell. Or fall into the foreclosure black hole. Either way I have a feeling we’re going to be staying put for a while yet.
