A Hole in the Wall

There's a bar that is about a couple of miles from my house that, well, has a hole in the wall now...and it was caught on tape.  This video is amazing and what's even more amazing is that no one died.

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2012/05/pickup_crashes_through_gordies_bar_in_little_canada_pins_patrons_between_bar_and_truck_photos.php

New Feet

I have new feet for the beginning of summer.  I had the most relaxing pedicure on Thursday night.  Oh, and I have two cats that need to be right next to me when I'm trying to take pictures so I thought I might as well use this pic.

Girls, any pedi's for you yet?  If so, do you like your toes a color or just a French?  I prefer a French because I think it looks clean but I like color too.

A nice set of toes with Fuzzer smelling Powder's butt

Memorial Day

While I don't know anyone personally who has died in a war or while protecting our country, I thank all the men and women who have died while serving this country today on this Memorial Day.  I also thank all the active members and surviving members of the military for their service including my cousin David, who is stationed in Afghanistan right now.

Thank you for all that you do for us!

Thank you cousin!

Eco-Dinner Part III

I met up with Tanya for our third monthly meeting for dinner at Ecopolitan on Wednesday night.  While there's still plenty on the menu to try, it's not all stuff I'm interested in trying.  Tanya had the chili cheese burrito, which is what I had last time and this time I tried the Savory Casserole, which was not my favorite.  Here's what it consisted of and looked like:

dill cashew cheese + fresh vegetables layered with zucchini, avocado + buckwheat

 breadcrumbs.  Served with a side salad.

If you recall, Ecopolitan is all vegan, organic, gluten-free and raw. Raw means unheated or cooked under 115 degrees.  This dish was like a big slap of cream cheesy-texture and probably would have been great on crackers.  I spread it out over the salad to eat it.  It wasn't bad, it just wasn't the best either.

What was good was this...a Green Julia, a smoothie consisting of bananas, orange juice, vanilla, coconut oil and spinach.

This was also good...my company!  Even though Tanya and I cut it short due to weather and the sirens going off, I'll take any time I can get with my chica!

Bye, Bye Tree

Even as an adult, I'm easily amused. We had a big tree in our yard that got Dutch elm disease and died.  Last Monday was the day it was cut down.  While this is work for the guys doing it, it was fun and fascinating just to watch the process.

Muse for Music: Jeremy Messersmith

It never gets old seeing this guy....Jeremy Messersmith.  Last Saturday completed the third concert I had seen in 9 days and the fourth concert M had seen in the same time frame.  (M went to see The Black Keys last week-sore subject because I couldn't afford to go.)

The weather was not cooperative for us.  While we battled through road construction, rain and hail were pouring down while the streets were flooding.  But, we made it to our destination just on time.

We arrived at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul to see Muse for Music with Jeremy Messersmith.  We had seen Works for Words with Jeremy Messersmith, back in April 2011.  This was a similar type event where Jeremy would play his original music and then have guests come up on stage as well as play covers of music or artists that are inspirational to him in one way or another. Some of the artists he played were Radiohead, Sigur Ros and U2.  In between the times where Jeremy would play, Dave Mondy was the host and would interview Jeremy and talk to the crowd.

We had awesome seats...second row!

Looking right at me

The first guest that Jeremy had on the stage was Chastity Brown.  I had never heard of her but I was blown away by her.  She is a very talented artist.  One of the songs she performed was so emotional and powerful. (Do you think I had tears in my eyes?  Of course I did.)  She did three songs total including a cover with Jeremy.  She's described as gospel, roots and soul, jazz, blues and country and if you get a chance to see her, do it.

The second guess is a member of hip-hop collective, Doomtree.  P.O.S. (Stefon Alexander) joined Jeremy on the stage for a few songs, including a cover from Spoon (his favorite band) as well as Prince.  I also had never seen P.O.S before but knew he was out of his normal element for this type of show.

The finale of the night was meeting up with Jeremy and P.O.S.   

I really love shows like this where you have an artist you love but then can be exposed to artist's that you don't know.  I am so glad that I've discovered Chastity Brown!  We have plenty of music from Doomtree but I've never experienced P.O.S. as a solo artist.  I've seen Jeremy several times and I'll continue to keep seeing him.  The power of music! 

A Place We've Never Been

Believe it or not, there is a venue that exists that neither M or myself had ever been to.  That is, until this past Friday. 

Here's an excerpt of an article describing the man we went to see: 

Mark Lanegan has had an almost textbook outlaw passage to the black heart of rock'n'roll: heroin and crack addiction, homelessness, rehab and imprisonment and a road accident that almost killed him at the age of 20. Then, few would have put money on him making it to his late 40s, or his now being able to pack a mid-sized venue so full it is physically uncomfortable.

 M and I went to see Mark Lanegan at the Cedar Cultural Center on the West Bank in Minneapolis.   The venue was small, holding about 465 people and there were probably 400 people at the show.  If the name Mark Lanegan doesn't ring a bell, he was the singer of the band Screaming Trees in the 80's/90's and was a founder of the Seattle grunge scene.  

Mark's voice has taken a toll over the course of the years and his voice is a little more raspy and a little more baritone.  M jokes that he gargles with gravel before he goes out on stage.

Mark did not greet the crowd when he came out and didn't say anything until after five songs.  It's a pet peeve of mine when artists do this.  If you want to come out and do a song, go ahead but I want you to greet us after that song, if not beforehand.  Mark Lanegan does not seem like the warm and fuzzy type so not talking to the crowd suits him.  

Mark has been associated and part of many different bands and groups over the years, but his latest project is the Mark Lanegan Band and that album was released in February. 

The show was good.  We were very close to the stage and luckily I had multiple short people in front of me.  I swear that never happens at a concert for me.  The music was loud and Mark's voice sounded good.  His band was good and he had a crazy-good guitarist that looked half mafia and half rockabilly and was well into his 50's.  They came out for an encore, which does not seem to fit Mark's style but it gave the crowd a few more songs to rock out to.

M met Mark next to the merchandise table where he was signing autographs.  He shook his hand and M told me that Mark has super soft hands. :)  

Doesn't he look like Jim Morrison in this picture?

Mark and M

These are a couple of my favorites on the new album.  The first one I think will appeal to many.  It's a slow song and the second one is a little faster and heavier. Please listen!  The only word I have to spread is that of music!

Patio Action

Last Wednesday, we went out with my grandpa for dinner.  Since the weather was absolutely gorgeous, I suggested we go to The Freight House in Stillwater.  They have a huge patio which overlooks the St. Croix River.  The food was really good.  Both my grandpa and I had fish and M had bacon mac 'n cheese.

I spent many a night at this place under age and when I was legal.  I remember the good old days when I was 19 and 20 and $20 could get you four Long Islands with tip.  I can't imagine drinking that many now.  I also can't imagine dancing on the speakers and stage like I used to either.  Remember those days, Becky?  Every Friday and Saturday night!

Choices

Even though we feel like we have many choices as a consumer, how many choices do we really have?

Click picture to enlarge

HOT, HOT, HOT

Last Tuesday, my sister Jamie and I met in Woodbury to go work out and then afterwards, we treated ourselves to going to Sawatdee in downtown St. Paul.  We were just nearing happy hour so they had cheap spring rolls so we ordered a plate of the fried veggie spring rolls and the fresh veggie spring rolls so we could each try one.  They were both very good. Jamie ordered the chicken Pad Thai and I had the veggie Thai Fried Rice with tofu.  We both ordered our spicy level as 4 out of a scale of 5, which indicates medium to hot.  I've eaten Thai plenty of times in my life and I am always wishing it was spicier.  Not this time.  Our food was so damn spicy hot that we just laughed because we couldn't even eat it.  We probably had three bites each but our mouths were on fire and we regretted getting a "4".  Nothing we did could cool our mouths down.  We politely took our food home stating we filled ourselves up on the spring rolls.  Even our To-Go container couldn't even hold all the food left on our plate.  My sister said she was starving and still hungry and I was too so we decided to try another cuisine instead. 

FIRE!!!!!

We went to El Loro in Inver Grove Heights for chips, salsa and guacamole. I can't say I've had Thai and Mexican in the same night before.  I did not want to waste all that food so I did eat my Thai Fried Rice for two meals over the next two days.  The spice factor did tone down a bit over time but it was still spicy.  I'll stick to a "3" for spice next time.

May Birchbox

Here are my goodies for the May Birchbox.  It was a "Gossip Girl" inspired box, but because I've never seen that TV show, the concept is lost on me.  Here's what was in my box this month:

Inspiration

It doesn't matter what you aspire to do, sometimes we have to forget what someone may have told us or the way society thinks about us and just try it.  We all need a little inspiration or push in life sometimes and when I see videos like this, I think anything is possible and it motivates me.  I'm a sucker for these types of stories so don't think for a minute I didn't cry when I watched this.

Summit Brewing Tour

Last Saturday, M and I met our friends Jared and Kandace at Summit Brewing in St. Paul.  Our tour was scheduled for 10:30 am and the day was completely gorgeous.  This would be the biggest brewery that we would tour.

We met in what looked like an adult lunchroom before the tour started.  And what I mean when I say adult is that there is a bar in this lunchroom.

One of the tour guides gave a brief history of the brewery and the beers they make.  We then ended up splitting into two groups for the tour.  One group went to talk about the brewing process and the other group went to talk about the latter end of the whole beer process, bottling, storage and shipping.  We were the group that went backwards in the beer making process.

We started out at the bottling and shipping area and we able to go into the coolers.  Surprise, it was cold in there.

The photos of the tour go in order of the way we took the tour.

We were given wristbands upon entry which had three tags on it.  Those three tags ripped off and were our tickets to get beer after the tour.  Usually on the tours we've been to, they pour you a several ounces of about 5-6 beers so we thought that only trying three beers was a little different.  But then we found out they were 10 oz glasses.  Watch out, there it comes.

We were able to try out a new beer that wasn't even released yet called Sága.  It was being released two days from the day of our tour.  It was an IPA and that was the first beer I tried.  I was pretty good but almost a little too hoppy for me, however it had a smooth finish.

Sága was named after a Norse goddess.  This is what she looks like (when Sága is drunk):

By the time I had finished my first beer, I was feeling it.  At this point, it's probably 11:30 am but I'd go on to have a couple more beers by 12:30 pm.  My second beer was Horizon Red Ale.  I can't remember what this beer tastes like at all so we'll just move onto my third beer.  Oatmeal Stout was my last beer.  It was the smoothest Oatmeal Stout I've ever had.  I'm wondering how smooth it actually was and not just my drunkenness perception at the time.

We visited the gift shop and we all bought a couple of goodies including a baby doll t-shirt for me and a bar of soap that has Summit Extra Pale Ale in it.

 The grounds at Summit are very beautiful and it's secluded away from the rest of the city.  We sat on the patio area and enjoyed the last of our beers and the weather before calling it a day.  This was such a fun tour and I recommend you go.  It's a free tour with free beer and all they ask for a food donation for Second Harvest.

Jared and Kandace went their way and M and I went to get something to eat.  We hadn't yet eaten for the day so food was sounding very good.  We went to Shamrock's on West 7th just down the road from Summit and sat outside on the sidewalk patio.  We ordered food and I wanted to keep the party going so I ordered a Summit Extra Pale Ale.  

This is what drunk looks like with sunglasses on...

and without

At the beginning of our meal, M said that I'll be passing out when we get home.  I told him that I wouldn't but towards the end of our meal, I started to get tired.  We got home and I crashed...for almost 3 hours.  I woke up with a baby headache, popped some pills and had some water and was all better.  I still enjoyed some more time outside with the butterflies (a post at another time) and then M and I went for a motorcycle ride.  We went to North St. Paul to say hi to his cousin and then went to the cemetery to see Cherrie and finally to get something to eat again and then to home.  It was truly a perfect day!