Saturday Day Trip

Michael and I had planned (a little too late) to go out of town this past weekend. We tried for a couple of weeks to find a hotel for a decent price somewhere up on the North Shore but had no success. We instead decided to go on a day trip that we had planned for later in the month.
We left the house at 9:30 and headed south on Hwy 61. We had a quick breakfast and I had my favorite decaf Caribou Coffee and we were on our way. We drove down towards Hastings and turned just before to go to Prescott, Wisconsin. Our first half of the trip consisted of making our way down 35 on the Wisconsin side.
Our first stop was in Prescott where we took a quick picture at the scenic overlook.

***Remember you can click on each of the pictures to get a better view!***

Our next stop was at Lake Pepin. The picture of the lake definitely does not do this huge lake justice. It was so beautiful seeing the sun shine down on the lake. I also had a little catapillar friend too. They were all over the place. Michael tried as hard as he could to avoid hitting them in the car on the street but there were just so many of them.



Our next stop was Maiden Rock. We stopped at Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery. Here are a couple of our pictures from there. The first scene was absolutely beautiful. It looked like a scene right out of a movie. The other picture is of the winery/orchard and Michael sitting on the picnic table eating his cinnamon ice cream/sparkling apple cider float. We had a good time tasting the wines, some of which were made with honey instead of sugar.


We then went through the town of Nelson, where we stopped at the Nelson Cheese Factory. Before we got there, we were under the impression that it was an actual factory that produced cheese and that we could take a tour. It turned out to be a big cheese store that sold cheese, pizza and sandwiches. It was so packed and the lines were extremely long. We ended up buying a small pack of smoked string cheese and some organic licorice. Both were very good.
We then made our way to Alma. Michael was very excited to take me to a park in the city called Buena Vista Park. While we were approaching the top, Michael pulled out a card for me for our anniversary. (We decided this was one of the activities we were going to do for our November 1st anniversary). The card was very sweet and a perfect time for him to give it to me. We reached the top and realized that there was a wedding that was about to take place in 45 minutes so we didn't have much time and we were actually standing where the bride and groom would be standing. Here are some of the views we saw. It was really windy up there so disregard the messy hair!




Our next stop was Fountain City. Please click here if you have never heard of Rock in the House. It was amazing! It happened in 1995 and I had to show you all the pictures we took just so you can really get the perspective.






We then went down the street to Seven Hawks Vineyards. We sampled some wine and bought a bottle. Here are a couple of pictures from outside Seven Hawks. It's a little different to be in these really small towns and to see all these old cars lined up one side of the street just added to the appeal. Look how blue the sky is! Not a cloud in the sky.


We traveled just a short time longer and crossed the river into Winona, Minnesota. We took Hwy 61 back all the way up until home. We stopped in Wabasha. They had huge pumpkins there. One pumpkin was almost 850 lbs!



We stopped at Pepin Heights and the lines were ridiculously long because there was a bus that dropped off a huge group of people so we just sampled the apples.

Fortunately there was another orchard just up the street called Bushel & Peck. I bought a caramel apple, which I ate the next day and it was the best caramel apple I've ever had. Lots of caramel and the apple was a Honeycrisp.

We stopped at Red Wing briefly to see a huge boat called the American Queen. There were people that were getting on with suitcases but I couldn't find out where they were going.


We finished our trip by stopping at our last destinations in Hastings, which was Alexis Bailly Vineyards and a car show in downtown. I loved the vineyard but they had just stopped the wine tastings when we got there. It reminded me of the vineyards we saw in Napa Valley. We will have to go back there and check it out.


One of the things I love is when something is way smaller than it should be or way bigger than it should be so when I saw this shopping cart, I freaked out. Even the groceries on the bottom of the cart were super sized.

We didn't spend much time looking at the cars because it was getting late and getting cold!

We got home a little after 7 pm. It was such a great day spent together with beautiful weather. Michael had estimated before we left without even thinking much about it that it would be about 270 miles on our trip. We pulled in the driveway at the end of our long day with exactly 270 miles on the tripometer.

I Woke Up with a Vikings Win

Last night I went to bed after Reggie Bush returned a punt kick for a touchdown for the 2nd time in the game. The score was 27-20, Saints. Today I woke up with a Vikings win! 30-27 after Bernard Berrian caught a touchdown pass after he was not the intended receiver and a field goal with 13 seconds left. Antoine Winfield was the hero of the game though when Kevin Williams blocked a field goal and popped right in Winfield's hands and ran it in for a touchdown early in the game and sacked Drew Brees and caused him to fumble and the Vikings to recover the ball. Here's a picture of my hero of the day, Antoine Winfield from Vikings training camp this year. Now with Detroit next week, we may squeak out another win and wow, we'd be .500. :)

Randoms for the Week

I started to get sick last weekend and didn't start feeling better until about Wednesday so I have been slacking on the posts. I thought I would try and sum up my week in this one post.

Last Saturday I went with my Dad and my sister, Jamie to the Omni Theatre at the Science Museum to go see Mysteries of the Great Lakes. It was my Dad's birthday on Monday the 29th so I took him for his birthday and also bought him a book at the store in the musuem. We went to eat at Maverick's in Roseville afterwards. We dropped off my Dad and then my sister and I hung out all day and night, just shopping, looking at makeup and then ordering Chinese food and coming back to my house to watch some episodes of "Sex and the City". It was a really good day and I really appreciated the time I got to spend with my Dad and Jamie.

On Sunday morning, I had a cold but I still participated in a 5K/10 mile run/walk called Women Run the Cities, sponsored by the MNCREW, which is Minnesota Commercial Real Estate Women. This race was all women and sponsored Ann Bancroft's foundation. We had a small team of people from my work and they ordered shirts for us. Here are a couple of pictures. We could never get all of us all together since we were scattered but here is the majority of us. Two of our girls ran the 10 mile while the rest of us did the 5K.


I also got a new external hard drive for my computer not too long ago. I posted a while back that I didn't have a computer because the power went out and there was a surge and my computer didn't work. I was lucky enough not to have lost anything on my hard drive but only having to replace the power supply. I decided that it was time to buy an external hard drive and here is a picture of it. First of all, I hate my hand in this picture but my hands are really small so you can get the idea of how small and portable this portable drive is. So far, so good!

Lastly, I wanted to show you the grapes I took a picture of. Where are these grapes, you say? Napa or Sonoma Valley? Nope, they are from my backyard. I thought they were so pretty in the sun. And they taste really good too!


But since I am thinking of grapes, I thought I would share a picture with you actually from Napa Valley in California. Michael and I went there almost 2 years ago. Looking at these pictures again makes me want to go back.

Thoughts for Thursday- Getting Picked On

I went out shopping and to dinner with my sister, Jamie yesterday and we started talking about her son, my nephew, Keith. Keith started kindergarten almost a month ago and Jamie said he has talked to her about a kid in his class named Christopher who picks at him and pinches him during quiet time. I don't know if he is really considered a bully at this point but nonetheless, he is bothering Keith.

This made me think back to when I was in school and whether or not I was picked on or teased or whether I teased other kids. I think for the most part, I got away pretty good without being teased or picked on. I do remember one specific situation that I will never forget and I think about it every so often. I was in 7th or 8th grade, which would make me 12 or 13 years old and I was in junior high. I went to White Bear Lake Central Junior High and after a dance or a school event, we would all go to the McDonald's on Hwy. 61. After one such event, I was with my friends and and we were walking by all the popular boys from our school in the restaurant. In order to be a popular boy in White Bear, you had to play hockey. I think that was the only prerequisite and then you were in. (Ok, maybe there was some other qualifications I am not aware of) Anyways, one of the boys, who is now married to another girl that we graduated with so I will keep him nameless, (even though some of you WB people can figure it out), called me fat as I walked by, and for no reason, but in front of all the hockey players. I didn't even know him. I had never talked to him or had ever had a class with him. I only knew who he was because he was a hockey star. It was devastating. I pretended not to hear because I didn't know want or know how to react to it. After I was completely past all of them, I heard another one of the hockey players, who I will name, Karl Stuemke, say to that other hockey player, "Dude, don't say that, that's Dana." That made me feel a little better. I still thank you for that, Karl! Even though Karl and I were friends into our 20's, (and still would be if we saw each other today) I never told him about that story. I am sure he doesn't remember. But my point is, I DO remember. I remember like it was yesterday, so vividly in my mind. I remember exactly what clothes I was wearing that day and I definitely remember exactly how I felt.

My questions to you today are....Have you ever been bullied or picked on? I am sure most of us have but is there a specific time that it happened that you haven't been able to forget? Or on the other side of the coin, have you picked on someone that still after all this time, you think about it and regret your actions? Share your stories with me. We've all grown since that time, (well, hopefully) so don't be afraid to share.

PS: White Bear girls, if you can't figure it out and want to know who it is, email me and I will tell you. :)

Here are some other TFT's for today:

Kristi- Sports Fans

Ang- Extended Family

Jenny- Favorites for Fall

Renee-This is your Life

RIP, Paul Newman

Rest in Peace, Paul Newman. You are Michael's favorite actor and Cool Hand Luke is his favorite movie of all-time. Both of us were lucky enough to be able to see Cool Hand Luke in the movie theatre at a midnight showing at the Uptown Theatre years ago. I have only heard good stories about you and it is more than commendable that all profits from your Newman's Own food line goes to charity. You will be missed.

The Mirror Can Be Very Important

Michael went to work earlier this week and had conversations with multiple people before going to the bathroom and looking at himself in the mirror. On first glance, everything looks ok.

But at a 2nd closer look, you realize that Michael's white under shirt is not only inside out, it is backwards and the "tag" printed on the shirt is perfectly positioned in between his collar. He noticed this after being at work for an hour so at least he didn't go through the whole day like this. Michael honey, next time get dressed with the lights on and look in the mirror before you leave. Oh, and if any of you are ever interested in buying Michael some white shirts, you now know the brand and size!

Publish Post

Thoughts for Thursday-Pets

Pets are very important in so many people’s lives. I currently have 2 cats. Fuzzer is 8 years old and Powder is 5 years old. Both were adopted through pet rescue agencies. I LOVE them to death and they are such a big part of my life. If I was single, I might end up being the proverbial cat lady. I think I would have 1-2 more cats if I lived on my own. I love each of them for different reasons and their distinct personalities. I got Fuzzer first, so he is my buddy and Powder is just such a baby that no matter what age he is, he will always be the little baby. I had a hard time naming my first cat. I originally thought his name was going to be Mangy, even thought about Chewbacca (or Chewy), debated on Baby Fuzz and then decided on Fuzzer. (His full name is Fuzzer Falzone. Falzone is my Mom’s maiden name. It just rolls off the tongue nicely.) I heard that! I heard you chuckle! Fuzzer was a name at the time that was generic for all cats. Any time I might see a cat, I would say, “Oh, look at the little fuzzer!” And Powder’s was obvious. He’s white. Ok, I’m not that creative. I also talk in weird voices and say things that sound stupid if I were talking to a human but I guess that’s my cat language. Oh, and when I talk to Fuzzer, I talk with a lisp so Fuzzer becomes Futhhhurr. Ok, I’m starting to sound borderline mental.
Growing up, we had a black cat named Eddy for almost 20 years! We got him in 1987 and he died in 2006. I don’t think my parents ever thought that he would have lived that long when they decided to get a cat. We also had a dog when I was about 4 or 5. His name was Bear. I think we found him and then didn’t work out for whatever reason so we dropped him off at the park. It seemed like a normal thing to do but now it’s seems cruel! Maybe that’s where we found him. I don’t remember. We also had a cockapoo named Honey Bear a few years later. Again, he didn’t work out. I don’t know what the problem was but we gave him away to a family and then either he didn’t work out with that family and we took him back or we missed him so much and got him back. Either way, we had him two times. Then I guess we got rid of him again. I don’t think he was ever trained correctly or something was wrong with him. We don’t have a great track record with dogs!
When I lived with Eric in 2000-2001, he had over 20 “pets”. It was a complete nightmare for me most days when it came to the amphibious creatures that also shared an apartment with us. He had terrariums or cages or whatever else full of anoles, geckos, skinks, a prehensile tailed skink, which has a face like a snake, chameleons, a Savannah monitor, which shouldn’t be allowed as a pet as it got out and on my bed and came after me one time, and many different snakes. If you don’t know any of the creatures, I have described, look them up and imagine living with that many things at one time.
Michael grew up with dogs and cats but also skunks, squirrels and raccoons. No, I’m not dating a redneck. His dad is very good with animals and when the mom of an animal familiy got killed, he would take them in, nurse them and then turn them back into the wild when they were old enough.
My question to you is…do you or have you had any pets? What kind? How many? Did you have pets growing up? How did you come up with your name for your pet(s)? Please feel free to share anything else about your pets.


Other Thoughts for Thursday posters so far:

Kristi- Live Music/Concerts

Ang- Change

Kim-Food


Here's some pictures of Fuzzer, Powder and Eddy:

Martini's Make Us Smile

Tonight I went out with 2 of my friends I don't get to see very often, Catha and Deanna. We met at Catha's work, which is downtown, right on Washington Avenue above Wasabi. We sat on the deck with a beer deciding what to do. Yes, her work has a deck, looking at the Metrodome, and yes, her work fridge is stocked full of beer for their employees. We decided to go to The Imperial Room, which is on 1st Avenue. We walked over towards the Metrodome and hopped on the light rail. For as many things and places that I have done and gone to in my life in the city, I haven't been on the light rail until today! I guess there really hasn't been a reason for it. Well there's not much to report as it was not very exciting. :) We got to The Imperial Room and they had a function called, "Drinks for a Cause" that was being held there. You got a name tag and if you purchased certain drinks for $5, $2 of that would go towards breast cancer and prostate cancer research. We ended up each having two martini's and some appetizers and of course, good, fun, girly conversation. And it was all for a good cause!

Changing of the Leaves

Despite some rain recently, we have had some of my favorite September weather. It's been seasonably warm and I love the smell of the air and the leaves are changing colors. I have been sparked by Kristi and Michelle to take a trip to the apple orchard and will do so soon. I don't think I will get a chance to travel to see the leaves this year outside of the city but I thought I would share with you my pictures from last year up in Lutsen around this time. We went up for my cousin's wedding and their 1st anniversary was yesterday. They were married on the shore of Lake Superior. Happy Anniversary, Chris and Laura!