It's Time

I have been debating on whether or not to do this post for a couple of weeks.  After careful thought, I've finally decided to write it.

After almost 6 years of writing and 1,167 posts, I have decided to discontinue writing this blog.  It's time. My heart just isn't there anymore.  I always did it for myself first and foremost but I do like when others read my posts.  My readership has dwindled a lot since the fall of 2012 and that does impact me a little bit in my decision.  

I believe the quality of my posts have suffered as well.  In recent posts, I'm blogging just to blog and quickly document what I've done instead of taking my time and enjoying it.  

I'm still living my life the same as what I was before, going out with friends, seeing family, activities with M and all that but now I'm a lot like you...I'm not writing about my on-goings and but experiencing them for what they are.

I do have to say that living my experiences without blogging about it and having to take pictures has been freeing.  That's a good sign at I'm making the right decision.

Will I ever start to write again?  I'm not sure, but at least not for a while.  

I thank you for visiting this blog and it will be here for you to reference going forward.  At some point I might make it private but you'll still be able to access it with your Google account.

I will still see a lot of you readers in person so this isn't really goodbye.  It's just until next time.

Dana    

Metrodome Memories

On January 18, 2014, demolition started on the Metrodome with the deflation of the roof in preparation of tearing the down the entire stadium and building a new one on the same grounds. And while I wanted to do this earlier than now, I want to take time for a post about the Metrodome and all my memories there.

The memories I have of the Metrodome are from the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Gophers. My earliest memory and the first time I was ever in the Dome was in what I believe to be 1986. My parents took my sister and myself along with my two cousins, Dan and Chris to a Twins game. I remember specific interactions from that day but the game itself, I don't remember. I know my parents brought us to another game as well but that was the last of family games together.

The Minnesota Twins years


In October 1987, I was 10 years old but the night of the October 12th was such a special evening and I remember how important it was. The Twins had just beat the Detroit Tigers in Detroit and they would be headed to the World Series. The Twins flew home that night and found out they would have a stop at the dome to be welcomed home by the fans. What they or anybody didn't know is that 60,000 fans would show up to greet them. We were at my Grandpa and Gramma's house on this night and I don't know how everything transpired, but all I know is that we took two cars down to the dome, my uncle John driving my cousins Dan and Chris and my sister and me in his station wagon while my parents and my cousin's parents were in the other car. Once there, I remember how packed it was and how loud it was. Everyone was cheering and yelling and clapping and it wouldn't stop. It was going on forever while the Twins walked around the perimeter of the field waving and thanking us fans. It was incredible. Please read the article below to get the full effect of this special night.


http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2010/04/celebrate-good-times-welcome-home-rally-was-unforgettable-moment-87-twins-te


I went to a Twins game in what I think was 1989 (maybe 1988) for Day Camp. Day Camp was a summer program that kids could take part of any of the activities offered and my sister and I did quite a bit. The reason this memory is significant is because I was allowed to run on the field after the game. We toured the field and I got to run up to the warning track and smash into the "Baggie" in right field. I felt so cool being on that field.

My dad took my friend Heather and I to what I believe was TwinsFest back in 1992 but it was summertime. I really wanted to see Chuck Knoblauch. This was before the internet so you couldn't find out who would be there and so the closest thing I would be to Chuck was his cardboard cutout. I liked Knoblauch so much that I wrote him a letter when I was in 9th grade after seeing a picture of him in my high school text book having something to do with sports medicine. I did end up saying hi to Brian Harper, seeing Kirby Puckett and getting some autographs. I'm so thankful that my dad took me.


My next favorite memory at the dome was May 15, 2001. It really wasn't a favorite memory at the time but turns out to be a big deal later in life. I had come home from work to my ex-something Eric and my apartment and there was a dude laying on my bed. That dude was Michael Sack, my ex-something's coworker. They were going to the Twins game against the Yankees and Michael asked if I wanted to come with. The three of us went to the game and it was the start of M and I's friendship, thanks to the Twins and Eric.


Fast forward to August 2004 and I was going through a really hard time and so Michael and I, as friends, went to a game. I was really down and he cheered me up tremendously. I remember how much his friendship was starting to mean to me.

A couple of months later, hanging out with Michael was turning into a regular thing so it was natural that we were going to another Twins game, a playoff game on October 8, 2004 against the Yankees. While the Twins lost 8-4 in Game three, my relationship with Michael changed that night forever. I have very fond memories of us at the game that night.


On March 12, 2006, Michael and I attended the public memorial for Kirby Puckett who died on March 6, 2006. As a kid growing up liking Twins baseball, it was almost a given that your favorite player was Kirby Puckett

My final major Twins memories at the dome both happened in 2009, both a couple of days apart from each other. The first was what was supposed to be the last regular season game played in the dome on October 4. I went to the game with my mom and the Twins beat the Royals, 13-4. With that win, the Twins tied for first place in the AL Central and needed a one game tie-breaker. You can read about my blog post about the game with my mom HERE.

I also went to the tie-breaker game with Michael on October 6, 2004 and that game was boring and the most exciting at the same time. It was also super long as it went 12 innings. I remember the dome being so loud, as loud as I ever heard it since the Welcome Home Rally of 1987 and definitely rivaled the noise of a Vikings game. You can read my blog post about it HERE.

Overall, based on my best estimate and ticket stubs to prove my attendance, I attended 35 or so Twins baseball games in the dome.

Minnesota Golden Gophers


I only had one experience at the dome of Gophers football. It was against the Wisconsin Badgers and the fan base was at least split 50/50. The Gophers lost but I loved the new experience. It was my first time sitting in the upper level end zone and I enjoyed those seats. I looked back at my ticket stub this morning and saw that the date was the date my dad passed away, October 15, except seven years earlier.

The Minnesota Vikings Years

My first experience seeing a Vikings game is a very memorable one for any Viking fan old enough...my very first Vikings game was the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons in January 1999. What a game to be your first for many reasons. Unfortunately, we all know how it turned out. My dad asked me on that Friday if I wanted to go to the game. I said YES and he brought me home two tickets to the game. I went with my then-boyfriend Chris. Michael was also at that game with his girlfriend at the time.

I have WAY too many individual memories of games and records broken that I can't list them all here so here's a quick synopsis of standout Viking memories at the dome:

• Everything Adrian Peterson, particularly his 296 yards on 11/4/07, most of which came in the 2nd half of the game.
• Jared Allen reaching 22 sacks and getting 3.5 sacks that last game of the 2011 season. Michael Strahan still owns the record of 22.5 sacks. Remember that last sack? A certain Brett Favre seemed to assist Strahan with that last sack so maybe Jared Allen really is the all-time leader. :)
• Leaving the dome with a win after every game during the 2009 season, Brett Favre era.
• Sitting in the Miller Lite Party Deck suite for a game after winning my way in there by playing bean bags in Mankato.
• Not being able to go to the game the morning the dome roof collapsed due to snow on December 12, 2010
• It took me up until the 2013 season to accomplish this but I've finally seen all 32 NFL teams play against the Vikings in the dome!

Here's the craziest fact I have about the Vikings and the dome...I've NEVER paid for a Vikings game. I've either had people give me tickets, I've won them or I've been the lucky recipient for the other seat for Michael's season tickets. To my best estimate and based on ticket stubs, I've seen 91 Vikings games at the dome.

I've never said that I hated the dome. Yes, the corridors were narrow and it was hard to get around at times and left a lot to be desired in the latter years but it was completely functional and it was OUR dome.

It was a lot of work to do this post but I'm glad I took the time to write this all out. If you're a sports fan, I hope you enjoyed this.

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2014 Resolutions

It's kind of comical that I am just doing my New Year's Resolutions now but I haven't been consistent with blogging. Maybe that will just be one of my resolutions.

 

Ok, let's start!

 

1) Establish daily routines. We all have daily routines but I want to refine mine. There are a few things I want to incorporate into my life that will enhance it in the long-term. One thing is exercise. I'm just so bad at making time to lift some weights, do some kettle bells or some yoga. I need to make time for this stuff if I want to grow old in a healthy way. I do so many other healthy things so this is a must.

 

2) Develop my oil business. I am a distributor of Young Living essential oils and have been since April 2013. I've off to a great start already for 2014 and I want to continue to develop by trying new methods of getting the word out there and marketing myself and the oils. Social media is great for this kind of stuff but it's not the only option. If anyone has interest in learning more about the oils and their natural health benefits, contact me.

 

3) Travel out of state. I really enjoy traveling but M and I but we're somewhat limited to traveling due to work schedules for certain times of the year and for time off and sometimes money. I established a savings account for a vacation this past year and I feel so great knowing the money is there waiting for when we decide to go. Traveling out of state this year has to be more than going to Wisconsin. I'd really like to go to Colorado soon and maybe we'll see the Vikings on the road again somewhere.

 

4) Take care of myself. I think by establishing a routine that I want to adhere to this will help me take care of myself. I've already made some changes this year that I'm excited about and I've already seen and felt the results. After just having a birthday, my mindset has changed or evolved and you start thinking differently about how you are treating yourself and your body. I do a lot to help my body already but there's always room for improvement. We're all works in progress.

 

5) Blog more consistently. I will blog 10 days in a row and then you'll be lucky to hear from me one time in two weeks. I mostly blog when I feel like it and I like to do that but I want to build time into my schedule to allow that to happen on a more frequent basis, such as every other day. I think I get frustrated at times when I see how many visitors I have coming to my blog and the lack of comments and that discourages me. Then I remember, I write this blog for ME. You guys as my readers are super appreciated, but a bonus.

 

I think about the resolutions I've made and I am lucky that I have a great life. A life where my "problems" or things I need to work on are tiny in the scheme of everything else. That boils down to attitude. You can feel sorry for yourself and the things you are going through or you can pick yourself up and tackle it head on. It's your choice.

I read a good piece of advice before 2014 rang in and it was about goals. If you haven't already ditched your resolutions for this year, this will help. Statistically speaking, you probably have but whether you have or have not, this is a great perspective that might be new for us. We all have goals. We focus on the end result and declare what we want but we don't focus on the process. Focus on the process. Focus on the part you need to do daily to acheive your goal. If your goal is to save money, make sure you pay attention every time you are going to whip out money to pay for something. Is it a necessity? Will you be further from your goal if you make that purchase? Let's say you want to lose 25 lbs by June. You need to focus on the daily part and the process of each day to June, one day at a time. You need to think about whether a cupcake will hurt you or help you. If it hurts, then maybe you need to move more that day or just skip it. I know, this all sounds simple and maybe it is but it's a different perspective that most of us don't look at. Focus on the process. The goal should come by default.

 

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How'd I Do?

Ok, it's a little late in the month to be talking about New Year's resolutions but I've always been a little behind on this blog. Before I can talk about my 2014 resolutions, let's look back and how I did with 2013's resolutions.

My first resolution for 2013 was to go to Chicago. SUCCESS! M and I took a trip to Chicago in August 2013 and it was everything that I remembered it to be and more. It was M's first time to Chicago and we both would like to go back soon.

My second resolution was to take an out-of-state road trip. SUCCESS! This happened to be part of the Chicago trip. When I thought about us going to Chicago, I pictured us flying but we road tripped it there and much more. We also went to and through Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan. It was great road trip and I'm up for doing another one, maybe down south or west next time.

Spending more time with my nephews Keith and Colton was the next resolution. SUCCESS! I don't think I spent any more time with Colton but I did spend more time with Keith. We took him to Vikings Training Camp and a preseason game. I brought him to a Twins game, overnight at our house and to the State Fair.
Try not to be a backseat driver was another one of my resolutions. I asked M if I was better and he said I did improve. SUCCESS!

Introduce my mom to new things. SUCCESS! My mom has had a lot more experiences than she ever had before including going to the Mall of America, many places to eat and the Bachman's Ideas House and she's more receptive to new things than she ever has been. I even got her to try (and like) Tofu Scramble!
Get engaged. FAIL! I kind of thought this was the year, but even after almost 10 years, Michael still has me guessing. I'm unsure if he's procrastinating or still trying to figure out if I'm the one. I'm half kidding on that one. While I said last year that it was important to me to get married, it still is but not as important. I know how M feels about me and our relationship and that's why I can joke and be candid about it. Believe me, I wouldn't be here in this relationship after this many years if we weren't something serious as a couple who are married. And I'm sure we're more serious than some married couples.

My last resolution for 2013 was to take care of myself in every.which.way. SUCCESS! Saying "every which way" sure encompasses a lot and while I didn't in some ways, I did a lot in others. First, my food intake was pretty good this year. What that means is I eat organic any time I can and avoid GMO's when I can. As for beauty products, I switched over to a combination of natural, organic, vegan or vegetarian makeup for all parts of my face, lips and eyes. I also converted to the same combination for shampoo and conditioner, body wash, soap, moisturizer and lotions, toothpaste and mouthwash. No more chemicals on my skin and hair if I can help it. The only thing I haven't converted is deodorant. I hate knowing there is aluminum in deodorant but until I find a solution for a deodorant and antiperspirant that is natural and actually works, I'm stuck for now. As for medication, I have pretty much limited myself to essential oils for any type of symptom I treat. I will avoid antibiotics as I can and I don't remember the last time I had to use them. Essential oils have also been used in my house to clean and disinfect without the use of chemicals Full disclosure: I do sell essential oils as I really believe in them and have had great success with them.

That sums up 2013's resolutions and to be honest, I have yet to come up with a set for 2014 so it might be a few days before I put them out there for everyone to see and for me to be accountable.
Here's to a happy and healthy 2014!

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The Big 4-0

M's birthday was Sunday, January 5th. He turned 40 years young. M didn't want anything big for his birthday. In fact, the only thing he really wanted to do was to have a meal and watch football. Sounded perfect to me.

The morning of M's birthday was super cold.

We went to Pinstripes in Edina for brunch. M had never been there for brunch before but he enjoyed it. I don't know know why it but it felt very adult to be celebrating a birthday over brunch. We had a great table right next to the window overlooking some of the trees that are a part of Centennial Lakes. In the tree, there was a cardinal right next to us and he looked so beautiful with the green and white background.

There's the birthday boy!

Afterwards, we went home, got back into our cozies and watched football all day long. A low-key birthday but exactly what he wanted. Happpy Birthday, Michael. You were 30 when we started dating and look, you're 10 years older and we're still dating. Just kidding, Nietzsche. Love you!

 

 

 

 

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7th Annual Cherrie Jones Tailgate Party

It was the latest it could possibly be to have this party, Week 17, the very last game of the year.  The 7th Annual Cherrie Jones Tailgate Party was held on Sunday, December 29th.  The weather the day before was in the 40's and on the of the party, not so much.

We woke up to around zero degrees and it would continue to get colder throughout the morning.  It was the wind chill that was really bad.  Good thing I had long underwear on under my jeans and wind pants, a long-sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt and my jacket, two scarves, two pairs of gloves and two hats because I needed it all.  If we weren't all true Minnesotans already, we sure were after Sunday. Too bad the feet heaters in my boots didn't work very well.  That's what you get when you ruin your feet ice skating as a kid when it was too cold or you stayed out too long.  

I kind of laugh at the temperature now thinking about what we just experienced in the last several days

We got out to the lot right at 8 am and fortunately we had a couple of tents that we put together and tied sides on them to block the wind out as best as we could.  The tent attempted to leave the ground numerous times but our group is smart enough and parked a truck next to the tent and tied them down to it.

With the weather as cold as it was and the fact that this was the last game we'd be tailgating for at the Metrodome and it was a hard ticket to get, we just wasn't sure how many people would actually show up for our party.  Turns out, a lot considering the circumstances.  To my best guess, we had about 50 people come out. We did our best to stay warm with our tents, multiple sunflower heaters, layers and drinks.

Cherrie's siblings - minus one

Double the hat, double the scarf

Our Lions crew representin'

Our last tailgate and our last Cherrie Jones Tailgate Party at the Metrodome, ever.

It would obviously be our last game in the Metrodome ever as well.  It was a little hard for me to realize that since it was also the end of the season so it didn't seem odd or sad at first because I knew I wouldn't be coming back again this year.  Maybe it will sink in next season when we're not there.

We typically play great against Detroit at the dome and this day was no exception.  The Vikings won, 14-13 with Cordarrelle Patterson scoring both touchdowns, one rushing (50 yards) and one receiving. 

Last SKOL Line

All the security in yellow coming out around the field

Last game moment- Vikings win

After the game, there was a 10 minute intermission before Matt Birk, Robert Smith, Adrian Peterson and Bud Grant addressed the crowd and their final farewells to the dome and the fans in the dome.  

I'll be writing about my personal experiences at and with the dome later this month.

Goodbye, Metrodome!  

Ten Years - Meow!

It was 10 years ago this past Thanksgiving, November 28th, that I got my first fuzzy little baby.  I went with my ex-something to the Animal Humane Society in Coon Rapids in 2003 to look at cats.  I can't remember I really had intentions of getting one before we got there or if we just went to look.  Either way, I saw many cats but there was one cat that caught my eye.  No, it wasn't because he was the most playful or the prettiest, it was because he was quarantined. This cat was in a big room, all to himself because he had an eye infection that was contagious to the other cats.  He looked nice and sad at the same time with his droopy, goopy eye.  He had been there since the day before Halloween and that saddened me even more that he had been there a month.  

I walked into the empty room and walked right up to the orange tabby that was sitting high above the ground on his perch.  He let me pet him and he was gentle and easy-going.  His name was Freddie and all I knew about his age was he was born in 2000, making him around three years old.  I was sad that everyone in the last 30 days passed him up. I decided I was going to get him.  

My ex-something bought Freddie for me as an early Christmas present.  I took him home that day in a cardboard box thinking I just bought an adult cat that has a bunk eye, ear mites and an extra long tail .  

I got home and Freddie was laid back, exploring my Minneapolis apartment.  He didn't mind it if you pet him but he wasn't going to sit on your lap.  He would follow me into every room I went though and he still does it today.  

I didn't want to keep the cat's name as Freddie but the woman at the Humane Society said that it might be difficult to change a cat's name after 3 years.  I did it anyway.  At first I named him Mangy and then Chewy and then back to Mangy.  I finally settled on Fuzzer.  Prior to getting this cat, anytime my sister and I would see a cat, we would say, "Oh, look at the baby fuzzer!"  Fuzzer was just a generic name for a cat.  He never had a problem adjusting to his new name.  Every once in a while, M and I will call him Freddie just to see if he looks.  Sometimes he does but most often he doesn't. 

Fuzzer has been my baby since the beginning.  It was just him and I before his little brother Powder joined us 4 months later.  He'd sit with me in the bathroom while I'd get ready for work and "sing".  He doesn't meow, he sings.  It's this cute little "mock-mak-mak-mock-mak-mak-mack-meh-mah..." that sounds like he's singing.  It was MANY years before I actually heard him meow and it's still rare when he does.  

He's been a devil at times and my innocent little angel too.  In his older years, he is most definitely a lap cat, almost always opting for my lap over M's.  He's 13 now and I can't imagine living my life without him, even though that day will be coming sooner than later.  I cherish him every single day.  Love you, Fuzz!