June 2014 - Big Head Todd and the Monsters

We started the workweek with a Neon Trees concert and ended it with a Big Head Todd and the Monsters concert at the Minnesota Zoo.  It was hot and humid but perfect weather for an outdoor summer concert in my favorite outdoor venue with both M and his brother Ray.

June 2014 - Neon Trees

June 23rd was the second time we saw Neon Trees in 2014.  This show was at First Ave. and much more of a production than the one at Triple Rock.  The place was packed and the show was great.

March 2014 - Neon Trees

I bought tickets in February 2014 for M and I to go see Neon Trees for their show in June 2014.  In March 2014, I got an email that was sent to me just one minute before I looked at it that said if I responded to the email, both M and I would be able to see Neon Trees for a private concert at Triple Rock on March 26th for free.  There would only be 100 people invited to the show. I responded immediately and found out a couple of days later that we were on the list.  Awesome.

The show was on a Wednesday night and if you've been to Triple Rock before, it's a tiny place so seeing what I consider a big-time band there is fantastic.  

They came out onto the stage and no one really knew what to expect.  It turns out that they were doing a practice run for their upcoming tour, the one we would see in June.  They didn't play for long, maybe 35 minutes at the most, which surprised everyone but despite that, it was a fun, exclusive concert to be at and made us anticipate the June show even more.

I Love This Day

M surprised me on Valentine's Day by meeting me at work and taking me out to lunch. We went to Cowboy Jack's near my work and had a wonderful mid-day intermission from the rest of life and he completely brightened my work day.

We went out to dinner that night for our traditional Valentine's night at White Castle. We went to the Columbia Heights location this time. We've gone to a different location each year and it's always a different experience as you can imagine.

 

 

After we ate, we stopped at my mom's house so I could give her a bag of goodies for V-Day. We went home and watched TV and M and exchanged some cards and gifts. This is why I love Valentine's Day....what one person gets would be completely horrible and a nightmare for someone but is perfect for another. If my Conscious Box looked like this every month, I would be in heaven. M picked out a combination of all local/organic/vegan food products and a chapstick. I also got a cookie recipe book and a wooden salad bowl, something I've always wanted. He knows me perfectly!

 

 

While we were at White Castle, M surprised me and told me that we were going out to dinner again the next night and so on Saturday, M took me to Murray's in downtown Minneapolis. M had been there once before but I had not. The dinner was very nice but some parts of the dinner were salty. The steaks are wet-aged so maybe that is part of the reason. That was not enough to wreck anything and it was really a perfect night!

 

 

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JBT

We went to see John Butler Trio on Sunday, February 9th. I hate Sunday night concerts and they're worse than mid-week concerts. These kinds of things matter when you are an adult and have a job to go to in the morning so you only go to concerts that are completely worth being tired the next day. JBT is one of those bands. While we just had seen them almost exactly 6 months ago at the zoo, we wanted to see them again even though we were under the impression they didn't have a new album.

The show was at First Avenue and was packed. JBT took the stage and we heard a couple of songs we didn't know. John told the crowd that they did have a new album out and it had just come out earlier that week so we were surprised with a bunch of new material. We both bought a poster of John that was autographed. I've never purchased a poster at a concert in my life but I needed this one. I thought it would make a good addition in my home office/craftroom/walk-in closet. (Yep, my room is all of those things.) We left right when JBT was taking the stage again for an encore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Winterfest

We went to Winterfest on Friday, January 31st and met our friend John there. It was held at a new venue this year, the Union Depot in St. Paul. Winterfest is the coveted beer fest for the serious beer peeps and the first of three for the year put on by the Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild. This was the third one we've been to and I preferred this venue but M liked it better when it was at the Minnesota History Center. The beer booths were a lot closer to each other and that was what I liked however it did get crowded in the area it was held. I don't partake much but I had some fun ingredients in my beer like coconut, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry. The food was pretty decent as well serving roast beef, cold roasted veggies and potatoes. I would have liked to have seen HammerHeart Brewing there but there's not enough room for all the good brewers. Of the three of us, each of us ran into someone that we went to school with. I guess everyone does like beer.

 

Jeremy and I--We haven't seen each other since we were 19

M and Dangerous Man Brewing's found Rob Miller

Photobombed!

 

 

 

 

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Holiday Party

My employer's holiday party was on Friday, December 13th.  It was held at the Crown Plaza in downtown St. Paul.  This was my 7th year attending this annual party and for the first time, it was held in St. Paul.  Since I work in Bloomington, it's always on the west side of the cities or Minneapolis.  

We had cocktail hour up on the 22nd floor called Windows on the River.  You might have remembered it as the Carousel restaurant when it was a Radisson.  My mom just recently told me that her first date with my dad was at that restaurant.  

After cocktails, we went down to the main floor into the Great River Ballroom for dinner and the rest of the evening.  We both had steak for dinner and it was pretty good.  There was an illusionist/magician that performed after dinner and then a DJ and dancing after that.  M and I closed down the place with a small group of my coworkers before leaving around 12:15 am to head the 10 minutes home into the snow.  

HH

M and I met our friend John at HammerHeart Brewing shortly after work on Friday, November 15th.  Our plan was just to go for one as M wanted to try Hail to the Dark Gourd, their smoked pumpkin ale, which he loved.

John, Me, Tanner and Photobomb John

After two beers for me, it was already close to 10 pm so we decided to get food.  The three of us went to Grumpy's in Roseville to eat.  Our conversation again was hours long and we didn't end up leaving until 12:30 am, which was really late for me considering I was only going out for one!  I haven't gone out on multiple weekends drinking in ages.  

Surprisingly, We Won

The Vikings played the Washington Redskins on Thursday, November 7th.  It was a game that was televised on the NFL network.  I had a scheduling conflict that night so before I could go to the game, I went to the Westin Edina Galleria for my employer's Director of Servicing's retirement party.  I wanted to stay the whole night at the party but I also wanted to go to the game so I wrestled for months on what I should do and decided on doing both.  I went for a little more than an hour to the party and then hustled downtown where I planned on being a little late.  I ended up arriving up at our seats greeting M with about 8 minutes left on the clock in the first quarter.  The score at that point was 3-0, Redskins.

Ponder started the game and had a decent game (it's all relative, folks) until he had to go out in the 3rd quarter with under 2 minutes left with an injury while going into the end zone for a touchdown, which turned out that he dislocated his shoulder on his non-throwing arm.  Matt Cassel would step in for the remainder of the game.

The score was 27-21, Washington when Ponder left and Cassel stepped in with his first snap being handed off the AP for a touchdown and somehow we pulled off a win.  Adrian Peterson had two touchdowns, Cordarrelle Patterson had his first NFL receiving TD and John Carlson came in and did a great job while Kyle Rudolph was out totaling 98 yards and a touchdown.  Vikings win, 34-27.  The crowd was into the game, more than I have seen this year, which is probably because we were winning.  The crowd was also the loudest I've heard since at least last year.

Cris Carter was elected into the Football Hall of Fame in 2013 and you get a ring presented to you.  Cris wanted that ring to be presented to him in at the Metrodome in front of the fans and so he was presented it during a halftime ceremony.  He spoke for a few minutes and was very humble in his speech.  He is a great speaker, very polished and it was a highlight to be able to see him accept his ring in front of us fans.

Old Friends, Music and Beer

M and I went to Pickle Park in Fridley on Saturday, November 2nd to see my friend Heather's husband's band perform.  It's also the band of one of my oldest friends, Rich.  Once we were there, Chris met up with us as well.

This was the grand finals of a battle of the bands-type event where 11 bands played and competed for $35,000 in cash and prizes. They had played 5 rounds of shows over the summer to get to this point. Unfortunately, they did not win, but another band they are friends with did.

Heather's husband Jeremy on stage

Me and Heather

I wasn't sure who would be there but I was pleasantly surprised to see some friends of mine.  I've seen all of the guys below in the last two years but it is a rare event when we are all together so it was a must that M took a picture of us.  Heather and I met Matt and Rich on the same day when they were at the mall with each other the summer before 9th grade.  Once we started high school that year, we saw Rich our first day of school as he was one of the new kids in the district since he went to a private school before. As for Tim, we go back to 5th grade.     

Matt, Me, Tim, Rich

After the show, M, Chris and myself went to Dangerous Man Brewing for a couple.  Both Chris and I had never been there but of course M has multiple times.  He even had his Dangerous Man t-shirt on. (P.S. Michael gets mistaken for the Dangerous Man in the beer community a lot!)

MY Dangerous Man

THE Dangerous Man

The bar was packed and it was early.  We didn't have anywhere to sit at first but found seating after about 45 minutes.  I saw one of the news reporters from KARE 11 there drinking with his family/friends.

I had the pumpkin spice ale which was delicious.  So delicious I had two.  At one point in the night, one of the bartenders/workers got on top of the bar, got everyone's attention and said that they wanted to cheers everyone as it was one of those rare times when the mood, the people, the beer and everything is right and so we all raised our glasses and cheered and continued to sip away.  I was buzzed at this point so I thought that his intermission into our lives while in their establishment was perfect.

M and I dropped off Chris and we went to Applebee's where we had some water, some food and terrible service before going home and calling it a night.

It was a big weekend for me.  I hardly ever go out on weekends let alone both Friday AND Saturday.  I felt young again!

Nine

Friday, November 1st marked the nine year anniversary of M and I's relationship.  He surprised me at work by coming in-person to bring me flowers, a card and donuts for my coworkers and to take me out to lunch.  

M capturing my reaction reading his card at my desk

Beautiful colors and flowers that M picked for me.  He know me very well.

That evening, M and I went to Famous Dave's for dinner.  We'd be been craving some sort of BBQ for weeks so we decided to go there.  It hit the spot.

Afterwards, we zoomed up to Lino Lakes to go to HammerHeart Brewing.  M's been there a couple of times before but I hadn't.  My friend Tanner works there so I was happy to see him and catch up.  We were treated very nicely including a tour of the brewing area. I got to eat barley right out of the bag...kind of tastes like grape nuts. Tanner took it upon himself to choose my beer.  It was a bourbon barrel aged something or other which is not really my style however it was delicious but very filling. He even gave us a try of some meat that he had.  Goose, like in Canadian Goose.  It was a meat stick and it was good.  And then I felt bad/sad knowing I was eating those honking birds.

Tanner and Me

We got home around the 11 pm hour and hung out for a little while watching TV.  M, I love you and appreciate being with you each day.  Thank you for enhancing all most of my days. :)  Looking forward to all our future days together.

Monday Night Concert

I had the day off Monday, October 28th and woke up feeling less than fine after too much vodka and not enough water from tailgating the night before but it was nothing Perkins pancakes couldn't fix.  I don't know why but I love Perkins pancakes.  I'm not sure if it's the actual pancake or syrup but that combo is delicious. Naturally after breakfast one is exhausted so I lazed around all day and then took a nap until the 4 pm hour.

Just a couple hours later, M and I went to see City and Colour at First Avenue.  We had seen him once before in February 2012.  M bought these tickets in early spring and this concert was the last of five concerts this year that we were really looking forward to.  While getting out of the car, my jeans ripped in the back of my thigh. (It's hard to contain these wonderful legs.)  I am sure no one noticed but man am I happy this happened on this Monday night versus when I wore those jeans to work a couple of days earlier.

The show was all ages, which we are not a fan of but we had a great spot to stand on the lower level in the center.  The place was full but it wasn't packed to the gills like the last time we saw him.  Dallas Green (get it? City and Colour) played for almost 2 hours.  In my opinion, it was too long.  I enjoyed the show but he had changed since the last time we had seen him.  It's as though fame has gotten to him a bit. (He opened up for P!nk several months ago-a very odd combination since their music is nothing alike)  He was impatient with the crowd, sometimes when it was warranted but I feel that he is just fed up with modern society and he wished he lived in a different era.  He's not the kind of guy that smiles or really even laughs but he did make some references to the Twins and Timberwolves and how he feels our pain since he's a Blue Jays and Raptors fan.

Outside next to the famous wall

Here's a video of the first song released from the new album: