Big Ticket Girlfriend Fun

I decided to highlight some BIG TICKET gal pal time this summer and fall I haven't yet shared on the blog.

My friend Dawn currently lives in California, so visiting requires a plane ticket. 

Jess, Heidi and I flew out last fall. This July she got a ticket to came for a long weekend. We spent time TALKING on my patio, TALKING at lunch in Uptown, TALKING on the shores of Lake Harriett, TALKING at a fabulous dinner on the patio at W.A.Frost, TALKING at brunch at Amy C's, and TALKING at a family supper back at my house. It was just what the doctor ordered for these 4 gal pal girls.

Gretchen and I went to  Pride and Prejudice at the Guthrie Theater this Labor Day weekend. Gretchen finished her grad degree this June, and my promised gift to her was tickets to the show. You know Gretchen would live in a Jane Austin novel if she could. The last week of the run, we still had NO real/scheduled plans to attend and NO tickets. 

• I finally caught up with Gretechen on Thursday, and we decided we wanted to go Friday. 
• There we no tickets on-line Thursday night. 
• There were no tickets over the phone Friday morning, or Friday afternoon when I called back. 
• We drove downtown anyway, and were in line at Will Call by 6 pm. I nearly got a speeding ticket on the way, because I was gabbing too much. It was my lucky girl night out. The officer could tell we were excited. The car seats were empty, and the two mommies were dressed up a bit. He let us go on our merry way with only a warning.
• We hovered by Will Call until 6:15, at which time I BEGGED the ticket manager to keep my credit card behind the counter HOPING someone would turn in tickets.
• She agreed, so we went to dine on delicious plates to share and sip wine on the Sea Change patio next door.
• We returned at 7:10, the ticket manager waved us to the front Will Call, and WE HAD OUR SEATS. Giddy? YES!!!!! 

The show was exactly as the reviews described (lacking depth, but entertaining none the less), and we had a GRAND TIME indeed. We even chatted with Amy Klobuchar as we returned from intermission. She wanted to see Minnesota's own,Mad Men's Pete Campbell on stage as Mr. Darcy too. Surely we had a better time then if we had purchased tickets in advance like normal theater goers!

Then there was Taylor Swift. I managed to get TWO sets of tickets (one the Saturday show and one to Sunday) when a second grouping of tickets was released by Ticketmaster in late July. The ticket sales were announced on the radio in the morning, and went on sale that evening at 5 pm, by phone only. I scored 2 tickets for the Saturday show as I drove Dean to karate practice. The phone system game me the option to purchase tickets to another show, so I tried for Sunday, and got tickets on the MAIN FLOOR, intending to sell the first set.

Of course my plan was to take my gal pal Jesse as my date. We were as giddy as all the school girls who were attending, except we were old enough to have BIG GIRL drinks, wine, dinner, and dessert at Pazzaluna before the concert.

Taylor sure knows how to put on a show....

My girlfriends sure know how to have a good time too, and not JUST at during those big ticket moments.
I love my gal pals.

See some of you at First Thursday Girls Night later this week!

State Fair 2013

We almost skipped the State Fair this year.... and then we didn't. We have taken the kids (with Papa) since the Twinners were just a year old, and stroller bound.  This year was BLAZING HOT and I argued we skip the Great Minnesota Get Together. 

Then the Friday before Labor Day there was a break in the horrid heat. I was able to take spur of the moment PTO, so we cruised over to our usual church lot Park N Ride shuttle on Lexington in Roseville. We were at the Fair just before 10 am.

First we ate cheese curds (the breakfast of Champions), visited the giant pumpkin in the Horticulture Building, ate mini donuts, a dough-sant or crou-nut (whichever is NOT trade-marked), a pronto pup, went down the GIANT SLIDE, ate a breakfast burrito (which came with a free cup of coffee),  THEN we went to see my Dad (Papa), who was manning a machinery display for a cousin of Chris's.

Next up -a few rides on the Kiddy Midway. Dean wanted chocolate covered fruit on a stick. Then Mark grabbed an ear of roasted corn before heading to every animal barn except the Miracle of Birth and the Llamas. We didn't make it there.

Dean loves ALL the animals - cows, horses, pigs, goats, sheep.... bunnies and poultry.

The child has some sort of odd affinity to poultry. Every year he wants to visit EVERY SINGLE AISLE and every single bird.

Marly likes the State Fair too, although she refused to go down the Giant Slide this year.

This is my selfie at the State Fair.

My favorite animals are cows. I LOVE cows. I really don't like pigs and didn't even stop to look at the giant bore this year.

I also like a cold tap brew while I am strolling the fair. I ran into Cathy Kalenberg while waiting in line for the Deep Fried Olives (the new big hit on a stick this year). She got me a fresh beer, which was a trade for an order of the Deep Fried Olives. We ran into Rich and Cathy last year too.

After my REQUIRED order of Fresh French Fries, we were tired, hot, had spent more than $100 on food, and were READY to head home, It was 2:30 and the sun was beginning to heat things up. Plus, I have a sprained or broken pinky toe, and was starting to limp.

And for the rest of our Labor Day weekend, Mark painted the deck in the sweltering 90 degree heat on Saturday, and we headed to Brett and Rachel's for a fantastic holiday overnight on Sunday! No photos, but we had so much fun.

First Day of First Grade

First Day

First Grade

First Time Apart

Like many public school students, Marly and Dean went back to school the day after Labor Day. Same school, same bus, new teacher(S), new class.

We actually submitted the school paperwork to keep the Twinners together (again). We discovered at the open house (one week before school started), they were assigned to different classes. The truth is, Mark and I found plenty of pros to both separating, and keeping them together. It was our emotions that lead us to the request in the first place, so we didn't make a fuss over the discovery. I simply marched each kid to each classroom to meet each new teacher. The kids made little or no notice.

The first day of school we took photos, made silly faces, then Mark and  I drove them, instead of putting them on the bus.

Walking into school, Marly burst into tears. Her teacher e mailed later she cried for 30 minutes, then settled in. Dean bid us farewell with a smile and a wave. Day two lead to a few more tears at the bus stop, and by day three, it was smooth sailing.

Wishing everyone a good school year ahead!

Cousins

Growing up, I was close to my cousins. My dad was one of three kids, my mom one of 5. All of my aunts and uncles lived in a 30 mile radius. I rode the bus with a handful of my Melberg cousins. The farthest cousins (on the Toren side) were just two small towns away. 

I had a lot of second cousins too, but they were more like my first cousins.... if that makes any sense.

This summer my kids have had quality time with many of their second cousins. These photos are at Sawyer's Birthday. Sawyer is the child in green.The guy in the blue launching the balloon is my cousin Jeff. He moved away.. to IOWA! So did his brother Jason, with Jared in Indiana.

Dean refers to his three of his second cousins (my cousin Matt's 3  boys) as "The 3 S's". Sawyer (the youngest and closest in age to Dean), the Big One (Sutton), and the Middle One (Saxton). He loves playing with "The 3 S's".

Then there is the NEW  FIRST COUSIN - baby Peter. Here are the kids with Charlie and Peter. At the moment, those are the only two first cousins.

 This is Peter's Baptism - We are honored to be Godparents to both kids.

 Marly adores this new little bug, and loves to help take care of him. At baptism I saw my cousin Dee on the Toren side. I don't get to see Dee very often. Her daughter Taylor was along too. I lived with Dee and her family for a few months one summer, after I moved back from Madison. Second cousin Taylor actually helped babysit the Twinners just a few days after baptism. Of course my cousin Michelle was at baptism. We giggle a LOT when we are together.

Mark's sister Kelly is expected her first child later this month. I helped to host a "mod monkey" baby shower for the future Thompson side cousin.

Marly and Dean each had gifts for Declan, currently in utero, and soon to join the world as their third first cousin. There seems to be no luck for a girl.

Then there are these two - That is my Dad and his cousin Charlie. Up on skis at Peter's baptism celebration. Four skis, two men, and 122 years between them.

Cousins = years of fun, laughter, friendship and family.

Our Ya-Ya Week 2013

I think it was New Year's Day in my living room (with a hang over) that G and I starting "talking" about our summer Ya-Ya week.

You know, that week last year when the mom's took the kid's camping to a State Park in 100 degree heat? That's Ya Ya week.

Anyway, this winter it dawned on G we might be able to use her in-laws time share points for our accommodations. This method would probably prove CHEAPER then a week at a camp ground once we factored in the daily purchase of ice and firewood. After searching on line for less then an hour, we picked the date and pulled the trigger on BREEZY POINT. Really!!! We would have never thought...

In one's year's time, our now annual "Ya-Ya" trip went from tents, blow up mattresses, cooking over a fire, and a walk to the latrine and shower, to a two bedroom town home, with a hot tub, washer and drier, and kitchen!

Basically, we had a blissful week of lazy days at the end of July on the beach, or at the pool directly outside our patio door.

We checked out the famous Breezy Point "Memories of Elvis" impersonator act from the beach by the bar Saturday on our first night on site. The kids were THRILLED with the idea they saw their first "concert".

 Gretchen hauled a paddle board all the way from St. Cloud.

 Every kid got a turn.

 There was plenty of time to jump off the docks and to float too.

We even left the resort once or twice (beyond our regular runs for a few groceries, and to restock our constantly depleted supply of beer, wine, and cheap champagne for Mimosa's).

 We tried a round of mini golf, and one night we headed to the Commander for Family Bar Bingo.

 We told Dean if you could blow your ball into the mini golf hole, it counted as a hole in one.

This is the ONLY picture we have of just the two of us. Marly took it for us.

For whatever reason, every kid got upset and cried during mini golf. Damn good thing G pulled cold beers out of her backpack (purchased at the counter inside) at hole 9 of 18.

There were Kiddy Cocktails around 5 pm most evenings for the "petite Ya-Ya's", and cocktails at ANY time in-general for the "Ya-Ya mama's". Basically, any hour is a good hour for a mimosa, or Bloody Mary, or glass of white wine.

We purchased a neat temporary tattoo kit at the "Fun Sisters" store in Pequot Lakes and everyone was covered in glitter from ankle to shoulder by mid-week.

 The daddies arrived on Thursday night and Friday morning, when we rented a pontoon for the day.

 The kids cast their reel and tried their hand at fishing.

 Marly even caught one.

 Can you hear the Little Big Town country song, "On the PONTOON" playing right now?

 Our petite Ya Ya's loving their time.

 Our 2013  group photo as the sun began to descend on our last day.

Where to next year?????

Happy Birthday Marlys

This is me. I look like my mom. I have for a long time.... As long as I can remember. I know I still look like her because when I go home and encounter women my mom's age who I do not recognize or know, they STILL come up to me and tell me I look like my mom. My mom always wore glasses. I only wear glasses to drive. I recently got new glasses. I think they look like the ones my mom was wearing in her H.S. graduation picture.

My mom liked a good fire - A LOT. It was even mentioned in the eulogy at her funeral. Once, a long, long time ago, when I was little she was burning garbage in our "hole" on the farm. The fire got out of hand. We were on the verge of needing the fire department, and the huge machine shed was in danger of going up in flames. Before she HAD to call my dad for help, I think she might have told us kids, "Don't tell your father!" (As if he wouldn't have noticed the charred grass.)

I like a good fire too, but I live in the suburbs. You aren't suppose to have rip roaring fires in Suburbia. Last week, our neighbor kindly helped us cut down two large, overgrown arborvitaes in front of our house. This "ignited" my mom in me. FIRE was a must for clean up.

My mom liked a little gas to "fuel" the fire. Last week, when I started my fire, we were out of lighter fluid, but we did have GAS. My mom had access to an entire barrel of gas on the farm. Our lawn mower jug was plenty to meet my needs. I tucked the gas can behind the yard waste bin, so Mark wouldn't notice it (not so unlike my mom urging us NOT to tell Dad about her huge fires).

I channelled Marlys, and made a fine fire to kick start the branch consumption. The kids loved it! They were channeling a little Marlys too. The fire was yet another grand opportunity (teaching moment) to share about their Grandma Marlys.

Then last night my Aunt Toots's Facebook post reminded me August 19th was my mom's birthday. I had completely forgotten. I read the status update on my I-Phone as I was leaving an evening work event. I knew I wanted a glass of Boone's Farm to commemorate her 60 something-est birthday when I got home. My mom drank Boone's Farm from time to time. It was served at Toren family holiday's. Growing up, I thought Boone's Farm was actually wine. I thought all wine had a screw top.

I typically have TWO bottles of Boone's Farm in my home at basically ALL times. I rarely drink ANY Boone's Farm.

• One bottle is about 14 years old. The bottle was in our house when my mom died. I think it was open when she died, or Brett and I may have opened it later. When my Dad sold our house in the country year's later, I moved the bottle to my town home in Blaine. When we moved from the town home, the bottle came to Riverview Lane. Today the "Marlys Melberg Commemorative Boone's Farm Bottle" lives on the bottom shelf of my fridge door. It is NOT for consumption. We might die of formaldehyde poisoning or something. 

• I keep one additional/un-opened bottle of Strawberry Hill on hand in case the mood strikes me (like last night for my mom's birthday). When I bought this more recent/drinkable bottle, it cost me $3.29.

"Drinkable" is a questionable term. I cracked open my "just in case" Boone's Farm bottle last night. It has been a LOONNNNNNGGGG time since I sipped Boone's. It is not so good.....Really.....It is pretty bad!

Then I "channelled" Marlys. I let Marly have a sip. Heck, I might have encouraged her a bit. My mom always let me have "sips" of her wine when I was little. This was acceptable in the 70's and 80's. (Don't judge. Smoking when you were pregnant was also acceptable.)

Marly didn't like it. She took another tiny sip anyway, swallowed, spit, then asked for a drink of water. I think I liked it as a kid.  Okay...I know I liked it when I was little. I remember "pass the bottle" at Margene's at Christmas.

Next I called my brother Brett. But first I texted him to remind him it was mom's birthday. In the text, I suggested he mix himself a gin and tonic (my mom's occasional mixed drink of choice) to commemorate her birthday at his house. When we spoke, his cocktail was in hand. He suggested I have a gin and tonic too, and THEN drink the Boone's Farm. It might taste better!

Happy Birthday Mom.

You were the best.

I will forever hope that I "channel" your kindness; your generosity; your giving nature to neighbors, friends and family; your fun-ness; your desire to help others without judging; your strong love and devotion to family; your unassuming affection for your children's (Brett and my) friends at all ages; and your good-natured, go-with-the flow, joyful and easy zest for life.

I will forgo giving haircuts in the kitchen (except for my nephew's first cuts, and the occasional trim for my own kids.)

LOVE YOU ALWAYS!
Your Daughter, Andrea